Still subbing: Furuhata Ninzaburo

Some of you...


Well, a few of you...


Maybe one of you may be wondering why there was a long gap between posts this year. Well, a large part of it was down to work suddenly ramping up but also there was the part played by Furuhata Ninzaburo and my role in subbing it in English.

It is one of my favourites and an absolute joy, but I found that my decision to do the subtitles for season 3 and then the specials has had a knock on effect on my drama watching.

If I sat and watched a J-drama, I would think to myself that I should actually be doing some work on the subtitles. It’s a bit of a burden because I’ve always thought that Furuhata Ninzaburo deserved English subs, so now that it’s me doing them it seems wrong to ignore them. So I stopped enjoying Japanese TV and I pretty much stopped watching.

I still enjoyed Japanese culture, though, and in my time away from blogging I completed a free on-line course on antique Japanese books, which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend. I also planned my next trip to Japan in some detail only to watch as, post-Brexit, the pound went down and the yen went up, adding about £500 to my plans and causing me to postpone it for a year.

But recently I’ve changed my subtitling habits from trying to do a lot of subtitling in one go, and instead chipped away at it, five minutes at a time whenever I can. I doubt this is quicker, but it’s not much slower, either. Also it helps with my guilt because I can sit down to watch TV without the nagging doubt that I haven't done any subbing in a while.

Whenever an episode is complete, I feel very proud of it so I have absolutely no intention of stopping this project and, hopefully, after this special I’m doing at the moment, things will soon be smoother since I’ll actually have two sets of subtitles to work from which should solve any ambiguities in the dialogue.

In the meantime, sorry about the delay but I feel much better now that I’m able to watch and enjoy J-dramas again.

Currently subbing: Furuhata Ninzaburo 3

Not so long ago, I found some English subtitles for the third series of this detective series. Since it’s one of my favourite J-dramas (if not my actual favourite) I was very happy and quickly downloaded them, only to find some of the worst subs I’d ever seen.

I decided to put them right, thinking it wouldn’t take long, except that they were often so bad that I had to ignore them completely. Luckily, I found some Japanese subtitles to help me. And, also, I needed to change the timings as some of these subs whipped by in under two seconds.

But hopefully this will help us to enjoy the final season of this great show.

https://www.d-addicts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=161218

EDIT:

As mentioned in the comments, the raws can be found here:

http://raredoramas.info/page/furuhata-ninzaburo-3rd-season-1999

Just finished: Tenshi to Akuma

Well, time has been in short supply recently, which is why I’ve not been writing much. Whenever I sat down to watch a J-drama, I thought to myself “I really should be working on the subs for Tenshi to Akuma.”

It helped that I enjoyed the series. I especially like Watabe Atsuro in the role of the pompous, cynical lawyer. Subbing his lines was a lot of fun, trying to get just the right level of likeable arrogance in his dialogue.

Gouriki Ayame had the right amount of self-righteous indignation and was not too smug when she turned out to be right. And the two leads had some good chemistry: I really enjoyed watching them play off each other.

The stories were nice and involved, too. The whole idea of the series (what if Japan tried doing plea bargains on certain crimes) allowed there to be, effectively, two criminals. Since your average whodunnit only has one, this extra suspect gave the stories a bit more depth.

As for the final episode...

* spoilers *

It was pretty good, but I couldn’t help but notice that the big secret that apparently drove all of these crimes was never actually revealed. This seemed a bit lazy but at the same time, whatever the secret was didn’t matter. This series was a buddy cop show with some entertaining banter and some nice crimes to solve. So what if the last one was a bit of a dud? By that time, I just wanted to see how it ended.

So, another subbing project over. While I was doing this, I promised myself this’d be my last, because it takes up so much time. However, a new project came up that I might not be able to resist...

More news as we get it!

Currently watching: Tenshi to Akuma

I checked and, to my surprise, it’s been over a year since I subbed anything new on a regular basis. And I had no plan to sub anything this season either, except when I started watching this without subs, I began to enjoy it and I decided if I really wanted to get the most out of it, I’d have to sub it for myself.

This drama is about a police officer who believes in people, and a lawyer who does not. They end up working together to solve crimes. So far, it’s exactly like any other cop series in which two people with opposite personalities team up, become friends and save lives etc.

Add to this predictable set up a storyline about powerful enigmatic men who are manipulating things behind the scene. All of this points to some dramatic climax in which a major politician/police commissioner is uncovered as a criminal mastermind. Probably.

But I liked this drama particularly for the performance of Watabe Atsuro as Chajima, the over-polite yet over-suspicious lawyer. He has just the right manner of superiority without making you dislike the character.

I’m interested to see how this series progresses. Let’s hope for some surprises on the way. Or at least some well-written clichés.

Recommended: Nakuna, Hara-chan

Honestly, I think I’m going soft in my old age, crying at two things on TV in the last two days.

The first one was the film Miss Potter, and then I watched the final two episodes of this series in one sitting so I could make a real effort and finish subbing this series over the weekend. I suppose that, after serveral moths of chipping away at these subtitles a little bit each day, I formed a bit of a bond with these characters. So it was that during the last two episodes I found myself reduced to a blubbering wreck. Even when I was doing the subs later, I found myself tearing up again.

So, I’m recommending this, but with some reservations. First, if you’re the type who is not impressed with the type of doomed romance which is impossible not just because of society (the usual love across the barriers type stuff) but because of some physical impossibility (such as robots, ghosts or, in this case, cartoon characters), then steer well clear.

On the other hand, if you’re learning Japanese and are looking for a drama to watch without subs, then this is for you. Especially episodes 7 and 9, which I think someone with intermediate skills (or a bit higher) could watch it and understand most of what is going on.

If you’re in the mood for a weepy yet funny romance which doesn’t require you to think at all, then this is for you. It’s funny and stupid and often very touching. But as I write this, I still wonder how much of this reaction was due to me subbing it. If I hadn’t spent so much time in their company, would I have empathised with th characters so much? I was even sad when I was putting the subs into a zipped file and posting it on d-addicts. I was depressed that there was no more work to be done on this. A clear sign that these characters, absurd though they are, had got under my skin.

So... it is what it is. A tear-jerker that’s all heart and no brain.

Currently watching: Nakuna Hara-chan

To be honest, after I'd finished subbing SOIL, I didn't have any plans to do any more subtitles. Although SOIL was a satisfying drama to work on, it left me kind of exhausted. However, two things happened to change my mind. First, I was getting increasingly irritated by the machine-translations that one subber in particular left in his subtitles. I know I should be grateful they're being subbed at all, but at least do a bit of quality control before you release them.

The other thing was finding this drama on a hard drive, and discovering that no one had made English subs for it (in my last post about this drama, I mentioned they were on LiveJournal, but couldn't find them when I searched again). I'd seen the first few episodes before, but this time I wanted to watch it properly, so I sat down and made a start on a set of subtitles for it.

The storyline is about a frustrated manga writer (Aso Kumiko) who, after a series of unlikely events, meets one of her own characters in real life. This character, Hara-chan (played in typical bombastic style by Nagase Tomoya) is very much an innocent in a strange new world, and his lack of inhibitions about how to act make for some interesting episodes.

It requires a huge suspension of disbelief from the viewer. Not just about how a comic character can come to life, but also about how he can meet his own author, and go back and forth into his world at opportune moments. But once you get over that, it's a fun comedy, which also has a fair amount of emotional weight behind it. Certainly, anyone who's let their own low self-esteem stop them from going for something they really wanted should find themselves empathising with this story.

Also, Nakuna, Hara-chan seems like a good drama for anyone just starting out learning Japanese, because Hara-chan repeats a lot of words when asking what they mean.

An amusing comedy, perfect if you want something that won't tax your mind, but will pull at your heartstrings.

I hope I know what I’m doing

So, I’ve decided to sub SOIL, the David Lynch-esque murder mystery set in a new Japanese town. I watched it a while ago and ever since then I’ve been tinkering with some subtitles. I had the crazy idea that I could finish them off and put them up on d-addicts all in one go.

Trouble is, with no incentive for me to work on them, I never really worked on them. I never got further than episode one. Then I decided the only way to get these done was to start putting them up on d-addicts. By making it public, I hope it’ll make me take it more seriously.

I’m a bit worried though. With no Japanese subs to go on, I’m relying a lot on the manga, the things my friend told me, and my feeble listening skills. It’ll certainly be a challenge.

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: Sennyu Tantei Tokage

If it seems like this is the only Japanese drama that I’m watching at the moment, that’s because it is. My free time has evaporated in the summer sun, and now time in front of a TV is sparse.

I’m a bit torn on this series. It was over-ambitious, often to the point of looking silly. But it also cared about its characters such that I found myself worrying about them. Add to this, a couple of real surprises in the final two-episode finale, and this had enough redeeming features to make it worth my while.

But, as I said before, if I hadn’t been subbing it I doubt I’d have stuck with it until the end. And that would’ve been a shame, since the final two episodes were pretty good.

Meanwhile, Matsuda Shota’s attempts at acting were undermined by his long fringe which often curled around under his nose, so that it resembled a mustache. How he got through some scenes without sneezing, I’ll never know.

Still watching: Sennyu Tantei Tokage

This police drama tries very hard. It throws together all the right ingredients for a tense cop show, but it lacks a certain something. Perhaps it’s biggest failing is that the murders committed seem to be for very petty motives. This series has seen people killed by jealous fashion models and parents determined to get their kids into a good school. It never quite makes sense.

So much so, that when they do talk about the criminal mastermind who they suspect is behind this, he (or she) never seems terribly frightening. I hope this will improve as the series reaches a climax, but really, it should already be ramping up the tension. I thought the episode with a telephone scam set-up was a step in the right direction, but since then, there’s been little to worry about.

We shall see what happens during the finale, but I suspect it’ll back away from any real sense of danger. It’s the sort of show where everyone looks as if they’re doing something dangerous and the (very impressive) soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. For most of the time the charade works, but then the writing falls flat or the budget couldn’t stretch to one more special effect, and we’re reminded of how flimsy the storyline really is.

Still watching: Sennyu Tantei Tokage

Three episodes in and this has become a guilty pleasure. There's no doubting that this is not a drama for people who like clever dialogue, deep characters or even stories that make sense. On the other hand, I can't fault its unashamed lack of interest in such things. It has energy, and it rushes forwards with great urgency, even if there's not much of an ending to rush towards. Three episodes in, and the motive never seems suitable for such a serious crime.

It makes no sense that criminals can't shoot straight, or that undercover agents dress entirely in black to break into a well-lit apartment on a sunny day. But equally, I've found myself getting quite caught up in the moment, even getting a bit excited at a couple of scenes.

But perhaps its main benefit to me is how easy it is to sub. The clichés come tumbling out, one after the other, and it doesn't need much time to come up with something suitable. To be honest, I think I could sub just the first twenty-five minutes and then leave the rest unsubbed, and people with only the barest grasp of Japanese would be able to watch to the end.

And although the subs are easy, I do find myself finding excuses that mean I don't have to do them. For example, today before I sat down to do some subbing, I decided to take down the shelves in the bathroom and give them a good clean. I mean, they won't wash themselves, right? I think this kind of blatant delaying tactic says something about the show. If I wasn't subbing this, would I watch it? I don't think so, no.

Currently watching: Sennyu Tantei Tokage

Hmm, this is the fourth murder mystery in a row that I'm writing about. I'll have to make an effort and watch something different tonight.

In this drama, the police are taking drastic measures against crime, and are hiring private detectives to operate outside the usual laws that the police have to follow. This is where our hero, nicknamed Tokage, comes in. An ex-cop whose partner died in an operation went wrong, is asked to go undercover in various cases. He's accompanied by an assistant, a rookie who is keen but naive.

Matsuda Shota is fine as the cop, even though he's playing it exactly as he did in Liar Game. Well, if it's not broken, don't fix it, I suppose. Renbutsu Misako is also good as his assistant, adding a bit of humour without seeming obvious or distracting. And the minor characters are well defined, too, including two officers who do not appreciate Tokage's efforts, and some very cynical but pragmatic managers.

This is my subtitles project for the season, and it's certainly different from Biblia Koshoudou... There's a complete lack of literary references, and instead it's mostly smart one-liners and threats. It's full of energy and excitement: A lot of fun.

Just finished: Biblia Koshoudou no Jiken Techou

This series was a charming but, frankly, over-long series of mysteries based around literature. It was entertaining, and I admired how each episode managed to involve some piece of literary history. But at the same time, while the stories were clever, they didn't really need forty-five minutes.

Episode nine, in particular, should win an award for longest exposition. The mystery was revealed after about twenty-five minutes, followed by twenty minutes of slow reaction shots as each tiny aspect of the story was drip-fed to the viewer piece by piece.

Plus AKIRA, in the lead male role, didn't really have much to do except repeat the last line of the previous speaker, or go "Ah!" at moments of high tension. Gouriki Ayame was very good, though, really quite convincing in the role of timid book-keeper but often the best lines went to the supporting cast. In particular, Suzuki Kosuke as the interfering coffee-shop manager, Fujinami.

It was a nice, warm, cosy piece of drama and it certainly captured the feel of a dusty second-hand book shop. And the stories were interesting, and they certainly made me want to go out and read the books they talked about. This, at least, makes it all worthwhile.

Still watching: Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou

This has turned into a nice little show. Not earth-shattering, or anything like that, but quite sweet in its own way. But I do wish the episodes were five minutes shorter. Each time, they start to explain the crime, I look at the time, and I realise there are still ten minutes left.

A lot of those minutes are taken up by the criminal explaining why they did what they did, and most of the time they're designed to bring a tear to the eye. Whether they do or not depends on how much you like books, I suppose.

It's been cleverly put together, though, with a sort of washed-out sepia-tone style, as if you can see the dust hanging in the air. It's a nice effect, and gives everything a timeless look. The director also seems to be a big fan of dramatic footsteps whenever someone important enters the shop.

And is it my imagination or are Shinokawa Shioriko's smiles getting wider and happier, as if she is slowly coming out of her shell. Maybe by the end of the series she might even laugh.

Just finished: Poison

And so this semi-serious murder mystery comes to an end. Bad guys are punished and good guys walk away victorious. It was an entertaining piece of drama that went from light and humorous to being quite dark in places.

This was one of those shows where you sort of wanted the bad guys to win. Most of the best bits concerned Ayabe Yuji who played the part of Matsui, the villain who brought havoc to all he met, while he watched with an unconcerned air of detachment.

Sano Shiro was great as the ultimate mastermind behind the crimes, especially since he only had two episodes to build up such an important character.

Compared to them, the actors playing the police weren't as interesting. I think Sasamoto made the same speech about her father four times during the series. But the cynical cop Chiba at least offered some light relief.

By the way, the psychological experiment mentioned about students given roles of prisoners and guards really did happen.

Currently watching: Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou

So this is my newest subbing project, chosen simply on the basis that I like second hand bookshops.

This series is one of a type that I haven't seen in Britain. It's a kind of murder mystery without the murder. In this show, clues left behind in a second hand book are put together to tell a story about the owner of the book. It's similar to shows like Voice and Shinzanmono. These dramas are more about uncovering hidden family secrets than whodunnit (although Shinzanmono did, in the end, focus on a murder).

The opening episode is neatly structured and cleverly done, apart from a terribly contrived chance meeting at a coffee shop. The directing is good, even if it does try far too hard to make Gouriki Ayame look angelic. And there's nothing bad about the acting so far. Nothing too great either, though. I got the feeling that the characters, for this episode at least, were just there to move the very clever storyline along.

We shall see how the characters develop. At the moment, it's hard to tell, but that could just be because it's early in the series. But so far, it looks like this may be a neat little mystery series. It's adapted (from the novel of the same name) by Aizawa Tomoko, who adapted Kagi no Kakatta Heya for TV, so let's hope it continues at the same level.

Currently watching: Poison

But with d-addicts out of action for the past two days, I wonder how far I'm going to get through this series. I've got the first three episodes, but then what? Worrying times...

Anyway, Poison is my subbing project for this season, and I'm enjoying it. The story is that a scientist has developed a poison that leaves no trace and doesn't kill until twenty-four hours has passed, giving the murderer a chance to make a perfect alibi.

But this is no ordinary scientist. This scientist likes to appear in subways and offer to lend this poison to anyone in need. It's pure pantomime, a bit silly and quite a lot of fun. As the villain of the piece, the scientist gets all the best lines.

The police get involved, and they're a typical partnership: an old cynical cop and young enthusiastic type. And caught up between them is the murderer himself, who is a journalist who is sent to cover his own crime.

It's a good storyline, not too deep, and an enjoyable way to pass half an hour. Now, if only d-addicts was up, I could start posting the subs...

Just finished: Tokkan

Well this highly enjoyable series ends with a bit of an odd ending. I'll be honest, as I was translating I was afraid that I was missing something very important, because the various bits of the story didn't seem to fit together.

In the final episode, the Tokkan faced disciplinary proceedings after the person he was investigating attempted suicide. As this story unfolds, there's something about a senile old woman owning the mortgage, an unborn child, something about whether or not a message was a suicide note. In the end, none of these seemed to matter, since the charges were dropped anyway. Maybe there was something to link them, but like I said, I could've missed it. I really need to start studying Japanese properly again.

But enough about me. The series was an enjoyable crime show, where the crimes were of a less deadly type than usual. Inoue Mao was great, and it was nice to see the development from muttering incompetent to someone who can at least raise their voice and look people in the eye when necessary.

And that's the main theme of the series: how she grows because as she leaves the safety of her desk and goes out to deal with real people. No one else seemed to change much, but that was okay since it wasn't their story.