Confidence Man JP

This drama concerns the exploits of a gang of three confidence tricksters and the way they rob from corrupt millionaires in exciting and entertaining ways.

That’s the premise, anyway. It falls a bit short, but more about that later.

On the plus side, the performances are fine and the show bounces along with a lot of energy and humour. I liked the opening section where they pay homage to the final scene of the 1973 film The Sting, but in a Japanese setting. By the way, if you like stories about con men and you haven’t seen The Sting, definitely watch that before you watch this because Confidence Man JP might spoil the ending for you.

On the down side, the story is a bit contrived. The problem is that since this is all about tricking people, the show itself has no problem with setting up a huge convoluted situation and then going “Actually, all that was fake.” I mean, that’s okay I guess, but I’m hoping they’ve got something more imaginative for later episodes.

So far, so good. But this didn’t have me gasping at the twists and turns as, say, Liar Game.

Oh, and the JP at the end of the title is to distinguish it from its sister shows Confidence Man KR and Confidence Man CN, both currently in production. I’m curious to see how the shows differ for each market.

Currently Watching: Wakamonotachi 2014

Well, that’s a lot of shouting.

That was my reaction after watching the first episode. But despite the full-on acting, I found the closing scenes really quite touching, so I decided to keep watching it.

Plus, of course, what a cast! Eita, Mitsushima Hikari, Aoi Yu, Nagasawa Masami. It’s as if the producers looked through this blog, made a list of all the actors I’ve raved about and then tried to put as many as possible into one drama.

Stylistically, it's quite different to what I'm used to. In the dramas I tend to watch, most emotions are pent up and suppressed, until they all come bursting out in the final scene. In Wakamonotachi, everyone's emotions are on display almost immediately. It's a rare scene in which one of the characters doesn't shout or cry. A lot of the emoting comes from Tsumabuki Satoshi, as the oldest brother in charge of his family. He must've been exhausted at the end of each days shooting, since he has very few lines where his character isn't reacting angrily to something.

It's not often I watch a drama like this but, so far, I'm finding it quite addictive. Also, despite each scene being played at full volume, there are moments of quite reflection, and it is during these scenes that the drama is at its most touching.

Recommended: The Last Chance: Diary of Comedians

Well, they do say that the secret to comedy is timing, and I’d say watching this film about a failed comedy duo on the same day that I found out that a production company weren’t going to follow up a pilot episode made by myself and a friend was probably the reason I found it impossible to watch this film without tears rolling down my face.

I am a big softie for films about the entertainment industry, such as some of the early Mitani Kouki films, or The Woodsman and the Rain. I find myself totally empathising with the naive, hopeful amateur who thinks they only need one chance to prove themselves.

This film follows the career of a lowly comedy duo, Boso Swimmers, as they struggle through their twelfth year in showbusiness while trying not to get jealous as other, younger comedy teams become more successful. They decide to put everything into one comedy competition: their final roll of the dice.

The two main roles, played by Ito Atsushi and Koide Keisuke, are excellent. Especially Koide Keisuke who is one of my favourite actors, and really impresses as the less talented but more motivated of the two. They are supported by a great cast, including Nagasawa Masami and a wide range of Japanese comedians in various roles. Plus, a quick nod of appreciation to 8thSin for the excellent subtitles.

It’s funny and touching, especially if you’ve ever thought you might have stood a chance in the slightly absurd world of entertainment. It’s all about whether it’s better to prefer a comforting dream over grim reality. A cruel choice that most of us have to face in some way.

Just finished: Toshi Densetsu no Onna 2

And so the second series of Tsukiko Otonashi’s investigations into modern myths (and the occasional murder) came to an end. It was pretty much the same as before, with jokes, fables and a bit of cosplay for Nagasawa Masami more important than anything like a sensible murder mystery to solve.

The characters filled much the same role as before, with the love-sick Katsuura and the frustrated superior officer Tannai. Perhaps the only character who had changed since the previous episode was Otonashi Miyako, played by Akizuki Narumi, and I suspect that was only because she was clearly older than before.

The series was fine, as long as you weren’t expecting anything too complicated. The quality was a bit up and down though, usually depending on how believable the crime was. Perhaps the best was episode three, based on Friday 13th, but all had their moments. If that makes it sound like I didn't like it, then my apologies. It was funny, and frequently so. Nagasawa Masami pitched her enthusiasm just the right side of annoying, and they all seemed to have fun making it.

It seemed to stop abruptly at seven episodes. The ratings weren’t bad for its time slot (but the ratings share was about 2% down on series one), and there seemed to be a couple of recurring storylines that were just dropped, so I've no idea why it ended like it did. But it didn’t outstay its welcome, and who knows, perhaps there’ll be a third series.

Currently watching: Toshi Densetsu no Onna 2

Sequels are almost never as good as the originals, so I was quite relieved that this new series seems almost identical to the first series. The set-up remains the same: a murder is committed which has some apparent connection to an urban myth.

The characters, too, are mostly present and correct. Otonashi Tsukiko still strides off in search of the truth behind the myth, Katsuura is still following her around like a doting puppy, and Tannai still shouts and looks exasperated.

The first episode was about the myths surrounding Mount Fuji, and they were pretty interesting. The murder itself was okay. Not too complicated or devious but that's not what the show is about. It's mostly just an excuse to dig up a few folk tales and say “hey, what if this were all real?”

Two long-term storylines were also set up: the fact that people in the police are jealous of Otonashi's sudden success, and also the enigmatic friend of Tsukiko, Haruki, has gone missing.

So a solid, if unspectacular start. If you liked series one, this should suit you fine. If you didn't, this won't convert you at all.

Just finished: Koukou Nyushi

While I enjoyed this, I think it was a bit of a stretch to make it last thirteen episodes. My heart sank when the people behind the conspiracy began to be identified with two episodes still to go. We ended with a lot of talking and explanation, and then quite a long epilogue at the end.

As such, the pacing suffered and although I watched the last four episodes in one sitting, it had mostly lost its earlier energy. Plus, episode eleven didn't even end on a cliff-hanger. It just suddenly ended, apparently mid-scene.

Still, it was enjoyable, and a decent try at a mystery that wasn't centred around the usual murder/money/family/love type of storyline. It's a shame that it didn't have enough going on to really justify all thirteen episodes, plus there were no real consequences of the conspiracy, at least not as far as the students were concerned. As the new term began, things just went on as they always did. A bit of a flat ending, really.

Just finished: Fujiko F. Fujio no Parallel Space

This series of six short stories was broadcast in 2008 but only recently subbed by Unsolved Cases. Each one is a curious tale with interesting ideas. At least the first four are. No idea what happened to the last two.

Episode one is the most interesting, based around a camera that tells you the true value of things when you take a photo. It's shot in a very un-naturalistic style, taking its framing and composition directly from comic strips.

Episode two is about a journalist who is sent to report on an old friend who claims to have invented a time machine. The end of this story is so quick, that its easy to miss how cleverly structured this story is, and it definitely deserves to be seen twice.

Episode three is a peculiar one, about an actor who never stands up for himself and never seems to express any anger (or happiness) at the result of his inactions. This is a little confusing and I'm not sure I really understood it, but interesting nevertheless.

Episode four is about a dentist who owns a pair of glasses that allow you to see if someone is truly beautiful, or just superficial. This has Aso Kumiko as the dentist, and while the ending may be obvious, it's still a good story.

Then there are the final two episodes, where the quality suddenly drops. Episode five is about some aliens studying human behaviour and finding it baffling. So what? And the last is something about a childhood game of setting up a republic that'll only have nice people in, and how easily the dreams can be ruined. Or can they? Very ordinary, and why do so many Japanese writers think the worst thing that can happen is to move to America?

But four out of six ain't bad.

Currently watching: Koukou Nyuushi

Ever since I worked with Nagasawa Masami on Toshi Densetsu no Onna, I feel like we've got a special bond. A totally fictional and made-up one, especially since we never actually worked together, but even so: a very special bond.

So it's a bit of a mystery as to why it's taken me so long to sit down and watch this drama. I watched episode one a few weeks ago and didn't think much of it. It seemed to be quite a bland drama set in a school. However, today I noticed that Koukou Nyuushi's TV ratings have stayed strong, while most other dramas this season have struggled. I thought "They can't all be looking at Masami's legs," so I sat down to give it another go.

I can't explain my initial reaction – perhaps I wasn't paying attention – but this time round it seemed to click. The storyline is simple: the all-important school entrance exams are coming up, but there are plans to sabotage them. But by who and how? And can the teachers stop them? This is the central mystery of the drama.

The drama is shot in an interesting style. Quite bland and uninteresting at first, but every now and again the director adds a little horror movie-style camera angle. Just enough to heighten the tension, and the soundtrack, too, is excellent. And after the slow start, where everyone's characters are set up, the story moves on at quite a quick pace and is quite addictive. I'm halfway through, and so far it's been very enjoyable.

The Third Annual November 8th Awards

Has it really been three years since I started this blog? My goodness. As is usual on this day, I present my round up of what I've been watching for the past twelve months. And remember: this is about what I've seen since last November, not about what has been released so that the new has to battle against the old.

Best drama

Ai no Nedan
Shokuzai
Furuhata Ninzaburo
Suzuki Sensei

It is unfair to throw a classic in amongst the newcomers, but those are the rules. As it is Furuhata Ninzaburo wins handsomely with its cleverly structured murder mysteries, all set up and solved in under an hour. Shokuzai was a beautiful piece of writing and directing with a powerful storyline. Ai no Nedan was the surprise of the year: almost no publicity but it was a smart mystery based around life insurance claims. And Suzuki Sensei was another clever story, with an excellent cast.

Best comedy

Toshi Densetsu no Onna
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko
Kagi Kakatta no Heya
Tokkan

Difficult to be unbiased here, since I subbed two of these series. In the end, though, I think that Toshi Densetsu no Onna made me laugh more often than the others, so it takes this prize. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko was a great piece of slice-of-life comedy, while Tokkan mixed tax regulations with Inoue Mao's physical clumsiness. Kagi Kakatta no Heya's interplay of the three main characters that was the show's real attraction.

Best film

A Pierrot
Moteki
Rebirth
Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Golly, what a line up. I still haven't written about A Pierrot (Gravity Clown), but it I enjoyed it's mix of family secrets and crime solving. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is an excellent documentary, made with care and attention. Watching Rebirth was a powerful experience and very moving, but it's the almost-musical Moteki that wins, simply for reminding me what is good about film-making. Very life-affirming.


Best Actor

Hosshan (Renai Kentei)
Sato Koichi (Kagi Kakatta no Heya)
Tamura Masakazu (Furuhata Ninzaburo)
Hasegawa Hiroki (Suzuki Sensei)

Did I watch the wrong stuff, or was there a lack of interesting roles for men this year? Hmmm, maybe it was just me.

Although Tamura Masakazu is perfect in his role in Furuhata Ninzaburo, I think that Hasegawa Hiroki was another piece of inspired casting as the all-knowing teacher in Suzuki Sensei. Meanwhile, Hosshan was great as the god of love in Renai Kentei and Sato Koichi stole plenty of scenes as the vain lawyer in Kagi Kakatta...

Best Actress

Nagasawa Masami (Moteki)
Nakatani Miki (Seinaru Kaibutsutachi)
Koizumi Kyoko (Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, Shokuzai)
Inoue Mao (Rebirth, Tokkan)
Nagasaku Hiromi (Rebirth)

Nakatani Miki's performance as the cold, calculating head nurse was Seinaru Kaibutsutachi's main attraction, Nagasawa Masami held my attention like never before in Moteki, meanwhile Koizumi Kyoko demostrated her range in two completely different roles this year, as did Inoue Mao. But it is Nagasaku Hiromi who takes the plaudits with her inch-perfect performance in Rebirth.


Best game show

Running Man
Nazotoki Battle TORE!
Vs Arashi
Game Center CX

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't separate the two winners, so we'll just have to make do with a tie. And they could hardly be more different: Running Man's high-concept, CGI-laden physical challenges compared to Game Center CX's low-budget retro battles. But both of them are essential viewing, and to chose one over the other would be too cruel. Meanwhile, Nazotoki Battle TORE! and Vs Arashi offer up the same thrills and spills as they always do.

Best album

TaeTiSeo “Twinkle”
Shugo Tokumaru “Port Entropy”
Jambinai “Différance”
Taru “100 per cent”

While for most people 2012 will be the year when Kpop burst onto the scene with Gangam Style, for me it was the year when Korean artists put out some great albums. Singer-Songwriter Taru's album was a lovely collection of ballads, and Jambinai's album was an occasionally extreme (but still melodic) post-rock aural adventure. But it is the eighties disco overload of TaeTiSeo that wins. No other album has been in my mp3 player as long as this. Meanwhile, Shugo Tokumaru represents Japan in a dry year, with his charming clockwork anthems.

The Safe Pair of Hands Award

Nagasawa Masami (Moteki, Toshi Densetsu, Yasashii no Jikan)
Toda Erika (SPEC: Shou, Kagi Kakatta no Heya)
Koizumi Kyoko (Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, Shokuzai, Adrift in Tokyo)

This award is for the person who always seems to choose good things to be in, and this year it was an easy choice. Koizumi Kyoko never put a foot wrong all year, and each one of the three things I saw her in was excellent. Nagasawa Masami appeared in three things (four, if you include a cameo role in a dream I had) and each one was very good. Toda Erika, too, had two very different but very enjoyable roles.

Looking forward – Autumn 2012

Well, it's been a dry season these past three months, so what can we expect in the future?

Osozaki no Himawari

Ikuta Toma's first lead role in a drama in ages. This is about a temp worker who is made unemployed just as he's expecting to go permanent. And his girlfriend dumps him. And he moves back in with his parents. Hmm, it never rains but it pours, eh? To help rebuild his confidence, he joins a group of volunteers.

It looks like the whole "volunteer" premise is a way for the program makers to get a load of completely different people to interact. And why not? Ikuta Toma usually has good taste in the roles he chooses, so I'll be keeping an eye out for this one.


Going My Home

You know, if you're going to give your drama an English name, at least get the grammar right. If not, make sure it has Abe Hiroshi in it. And make YOU his older sister, and add in a few fantasy elements to give this family story a few new twists.

Oh, they did? Well, then... this could be very interesting.


Sousa Chizu no Onna

Maya Miki stars as a detective who uses maps to solve crimes. Seems tenuous, but I like maps, so this could work. Set in Kyoto, it's bound to look good, and I'm quietly hopeful for this one.


Akumu-chan

Kitagawa Keiko stars as a teacher whose helpful disposition hides a cold, dispassionate nature. Then a new transfer student declares that there'll be a death at the school soon.

Sounds interesting. It also has GACKT in the cast, who always looks like he's CGI. Apparently he's playing a respected professor of neurology. Hmm, I need to be convinced about that...


Koukou Nyushi

Nagasawa Masami stars as a travel agent-turned-teacher who learns of a threat to ruin the examinations of her school. Possibly not the most deadly crime ever, but this is from the writer of Shokuzai, so this gets my attention straight away.


Monsters

At first glance, this is a typical cop show with two dissimilar detectives who have to work together. But it's from the makers of Mr Brain, so I'll give it a chance.

Find out more about forthcoming dramas here.

[edit] Oh, and how could I forget about the new Yuusha Yoshihiko series? Silly me.

Just watched: I Wish (Kiseki)

Because Japan has such an apparently small pool of actors there will, on occasion, be times when you watch something that brings together a whole group of actors that you'd recently seen in others things. This film has Abe Hiroshi, Natsukawa Yui, Nagasawa Masami and Odagiri Joe in it, all of who I've been writing about in the past month or so.

This film from 2011 tells the story of two brothers, living in different towns with their separated parents, and their friends. Each of the seven children has something to wish for, and when one of them mentions that if you make a wish at the point where two bullet trains pass, then it'll come true. So they arrange to skip school and go to a town in the middle of nowhere just to make their wishes.

The cast of children are good, and are ably supported by the experienced cast of supporting actors. Special mention goes to Otsuka Nene, the mother of the two brothers who packs a lot of emotion and understanding into her few scenes. The film is also very nicely shot. The director, Hirokazu Koreeda, has a filmography that's well worth exploring, including Air Doll, After Life among others.

It's a heart-warming story, and even if it does rely on a very convenient plot device once they get to the town, it's still a nice tale, nicely told.

Just finished: Toshi Densetsu no Onna

This fell a little short of being recommended. It's funny and interesting (and the subtitles were fantastic!) but too often the solutions to the crime didn't quite make sense.

But perhaps that's just me rewatching it and noticing stuff that I didn't see first time. Certainly, if you're only interested in a light-hearted murder mystery, but not bothered if a couple of clues don't add up, then this should be right up your street.

Nagasawa Masami seems to have a lot of fun as the over-excitable police detective with a fixation on urban legends. I have to commend her ability at finding new ways of expressing delight each time she encounters a possible myth. Meanwhile, Takenaka Naoto is great in the role of her boss who grows increasingly frustrated at her crazy theories. And Mizobata Junpei is funny as the unrequited love interest. But special mention has to go to Takuma Takayuki who plays the "villain", Gohara. He convincingly takes his character from unsympathetic opponent of the main characters, to someone who is also confused by/caught up in Otonashi's ideas.

The urban myths were cleverly written into the murder cases, so that they seemed like an actual part of the crime rather than just added on as an afterthought. Episode seven, though, was a bit odd since it included a genuine supernatural event, but Officer Otonashi didn't seem too excited about it.

In short, this is another in a long line of somewhat-supernatural crime thrillers, such as Galileo and Trick, which doesn't take itself too seriously and is all the better for it.

Just watched: Go Find A Psychic!

A few months ago I dreamt that Nagasawa Masami was my girlfriend (February 18th, to be exact. I made a note in my sketchbook). I don't remember much except that it was very early in the relationship and the only image I can recall is following her through a doorway in a house.

I think the dream was more caused by having just finished Yasashii Jikan, not that it was a premonition of the sudden increase in things I've seen with her in, but it makes a nice introduction to this review of a film where Masami plays a woman searching for a real psychic.

In Go Find A Psychic! (or, Bend, Spoon! as it's also known) Masami plays Sakurai Yone, a researcher for a TV show about psychics, and she is given the task of finding a genuine one. She stumbles upon a coffee shop where four psychics meet up, but they don't want her to know about their powers so they play dumb.

There's a nice section when one of the psychics discovers (using his x-ray vision) that there's a poisonous spider in Yone's business card holder, and they have to get it from her without her suspecting that they found out by supernatural means.

In fact, the film has many funny scenes in it, but they're joined together by a very thin storyline. And the ending is a bit strange, with lots of shots of children looking up at a light in the sky which is probably a UFO. So this is a nice but oddly unsatisfying movie.

And the whole thing takes place on Christmas Eve. Come to think of it, I think it may be a Christmas movie. I only just worked that out. So much for me being psychic.

Still watching: Toshi Densetsu no Onna

I think I got lucky with my first series to do the fansubs for. Toshi Densetsu is a fun crime thriller, with some cunning murders, plenty of unrequited love and a lot of theories about the truth or otherwise of myths and legends.

Nagasawa Masami is adorable in the lead role of Otonashi Tsukiko, darting from one scene to the next as fast as her high heels will allow, but the other characters are all nicely defined too. Mizobata Junpei gets most attention as the lovelorn forensics expert who follows Tsukiko around with his sad puppy dog eyes, and also Takenaka Naoto is great as the old-fashioned detective whose techniques aren't appreciated any more.

On a personal note, I've found that I now seem to have a personal interest in the success of the show which is quite out of proportion to my actual input. I even find myself worrying what the ratings will be for each episode, even though I have nothing to do with it. It's crazy I know, but I'm bracing myself for a drop in the viewing figures over the holiday weekend. Still, I hope the audience share stays the same!

Looking forward

Perhaps one of the strange parts of liking TV in a foreign language is how it's possible to impatiently look forward to watching a series that was shown years ago. Recently, two subbing groups have announced that they'll be providing subtitles for two series that I always wanted to watched.

The first series is one that I've mentioned before. Furuhata Ninzaburo was a detective series that ran for three series in 1994, 1996 and 1999 (with three specials in 2006). It was written by Mitani Kouki, my favourite Japanese writer, and is about a detective who solves cunningly devised murders. I was very happy to learn that someone had decided to sub the first series after all these years.

The second was even more of a surprise. Fujiko F. Fujio no Parallel Space was a six-part series of unrelated short stories broadcast in 2008. I've had these sitting on a disc for a while now and didn't expect to watch them again until my Japanese had improved. Luckily, this subbing group (who previously did Eri Fukatsu's Black Comedy) have decided to pick it up.

Stylistically, each episode is different, giving it a similar feel to Camouflage or Ueno Juri no Itsutsu no Kaban, and I'm interested to see what the stories are actually about. Episode one, starring Nagasawa Masami, is definitely one to watch since the framing and acting is taken exactly from the original comic strip. It's very interesting to see how positions and scene changes that seem so natural in comics don't work at all in live action.

Sub standard

And so I've taken the plunge and committed myself to subbing a series: Toshi Densetsu no Onna. I'll be honest, I'm a bit nervous. I enjoyed the first episode but it's not uncommon for a J-drama to start strongly and then tail off by the end. I'm hoping that my interest in urban myths and legends will keep me going, even if the stories aren't so great. And besides, it really is time I gave something back to the fansub community. Something more worthwhile than a bunch of TV reviews, I mean.

I haven't really done any translating since I lived in Italy, and was nice to do some again. I had the familiar feeling of frustration of squeezing one culture's expressions into another culture's words, and the relief and satisfaction when you get it even half right.

Now the subs are out there, I'm interested about the reaction, if any. Especially regarding accuracy. I decided to capture the general meaning more often than any literal translation (apart from the crime bits) and I even sneaked in a couple of jokes that weren't there. Will this annoy the purist? Possibly.

And of course, there were times when I couldn't make head nor tail of a sentence at all and had to guess according to the context. It was just a case of have a go and hope for the best, and not get too sensitive over any mistakes. After all, the quickest way to speak a language well is to speak it badly a lot first.

On the down side, when I took this on, I figured I could ask my Japanese teacher for help on those parts where I got really stuck. But it turns out she's going back to Japan soon, and I only have a few lessons left!

Currently watching: Toshi Densetsu no Onna

This new series sort of fits into the same genre as Trick, Puzzle and Galileo because it takes a crime, and hints that it may be due to paranormal forces. Finally, it ties everything up in a nice, neat, non-spooky explanation.

The story concerns a detective, Otonashi (played by Nagasawa Masami, whose legs are featured so prominently in the show that they should get a credit of their own), who is obsessed with urban myths. She's convinced that there may be a grain of truth to them, and she dreams that one day she'll be involved in a crime that involves a genuine urban myth.

So in episode one, we have an apparent suicide near a shrine to an ancient war lord which is believed to curse anyone who disrespects it. Is this a case of murder from beyond the grave? Otonashi throws herself into the case, seemingly unaware of how people react to her strange theories and just as unconcerned about her frustrated boss.

It's a fun piece of television. Mizobata Junpei (BOSS, Shinzanmono) is funny as the love-struck officer from forensics. I think it helps that I'm also interested in urban legends, so I was pleased to see that they used a real one, and didn't make one up so they could fit a murder around it. It's almost educational.