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.

Just finished: Galileo 2

When I started this blog I promised myself two things: One, I wouldn’t watch something just so I could review it and two, I wouldn’t force myself to write a review of something I had seen.

And that’s the problem I have now. This series has just drifted past my eyes in a pleasant but unremarkable manner, and now it’s finished I don’t really have anything to say about it. This, in itself, is quite a criticism.

Yoshitaka Yuriko was not a great replacement for Shibasaki Kuo (or even Kitamura Kazuki). Her character was too ill-defined, bossing around her superior at work but whining at the genius scientist. And as for the scientist, Fukuyama Masaharu can comfortably walk through each episode without really trying. It was up to his assistant, played by Watanabe Ikkei, to inject a little energy into the show.

And the two-part finale was a disappointment. It was a lot better than the slightly silly finale of series one, but I couldn’t help but notice that the solution wasn’t very scientific. But it was nice to see Aoi Yu back on TV in episode 8, playing an actress who used to be popular but, after a couple of dud films, isn’t so famous any more. I wonder how she prepared for that role...

Recommended: All About Lily Chou-Chou

I've been trying to write this review for the past few days. Bit of a tricky one, this.

At its most basic, this is a dystopian vision of school life, where bullies prosper and anything fragile is crushed underfoot. At the same time, the film itself is both bullying and fragile. If some scenes are difficult to watch due to their content, they are also difficult to look away from because of the endlessly inventive way the film is shot.

Throughout the film, messages from an internet forum are flashed on the screen. While the authors of these messages may or may not be the same people in the film - that's left for the viewer to decide – but it shows the one space in their lives where teenagers can be honest with their emotions.

This film is at times unnervingly accurate with its portrayal of teenagers and how they react to their first musical love. There's a nice scene where someone starts a fight because they like the early work Lily Chou Chou did before she went solo. This reminds me a lot of various discussions I had when I was that age about The Mission/Sisters of Mercy or Joy Division/New Order. Although I never got into a fight over it.

The film is both free-form in its storytelling, with stories slowly blending into one another, and at the same time it feels quite episodic. It can also be quite confusing to watch – minor characters from earlier in the film pop up as pivotal characters later on. To be honest, I stopped trying to remember who each person was by the end of the film. But I don't think that really affected my enjoyment of the story. Instead the people involved became anonymous receivers of whatever events were unfolding. I'd become as dispassionate as the lead character, the bullied who becomes the bully.

A fascinating film.

Recommended: Shokuzai

* spoilers... *

One for the film students, this. Of course, everyone else can enjoy it, too.

This short drama ends on an episode that reveals that the murder in episode one was itself meant as a means of revenge – to get the mother to atone for a misdeed she'd done in the past. And while the drama held my attention, I found myself appreciating all the neat little touches that added to the look and feel of the show.

As the story unfolds, the director, Kurosawa Kiyoshi, makes great use of colour and light to illustrate the scene. The events of the present day are washed out and grim – almost shot in black and white, flashbacks to the past are in full colour, and the moment of revelation around which the final episode is based is shot in a glaring blast of dazzling white light.

 Plus, there's a recurring theme in the last episode of empty institutions. The former training centre, abandoned and desolate, or the police station barely half full while work is being done on the building. This seemed to fit in with the theme of how the things we rely on are transient, like family and marriage. And how fragile the concept of revenge really is. Even us, as viewers, have spent the past four episodes seeing the mother as the wronged character only to find ourselves having to adjust our ideas.

This is, I think, the best looking Japanese TV series I've seen. It shows how important it is to take a little care with composition and an idea of what each scene is trying to say and getting that across in the camerawork and the photography. Perhaps a couple of scenes early on jar a little –sometimes people's reactions seem to be more about moving the story on rather than being about what that person is really feeling. But overall, the way the events move from one to the next towards the final confrontation with the murderer is fascinating.

Just watched: Hula Girls

Continuing on my journey through Aoi Yu's filmography, I arrive at this 2006 film. Hula Girls tells the story of the establishment of a large holiday spa with a Hawaiian theme in the middle of a bleak coal-mining town. The theme is a common one: people facing economic ruin find an escape through entertainment. Brassed Off and The Full Monty sprang to mind when I started watching this, although Hula Girls has the advantage of being based on a true story.

Set during the 1960s, the film begins with the mine owner's grand idea for a new tourist attraction. He is greeting by scepticism from all sides: the mining community and the dance teacher brought in from Tokyo. But as time goes on, and adversities are overcome people slowly begin to accept the idea.

Occasionally, though people seemed to change their attitudes for pretty simple reasons and with little warning. The mother of the lead character is, for most of the film, against her daughter being part of the dance group. But she only has to see her daughter dancing once to change her attitude.

But despite this, its still quite a touching film. And while most of the attention goes to Aoi Yu, I was also impressed by Yamasaki Shizuyo's performance as the shy, bumbling giant of the group. This film is a pleasant way to spend two hours and is made all the more worthwhile by the fact that you know the resort is still going, and the hula girls are still dancing after all these years.

Avoid: Tamatama

After seeing Aoi Yu in episode one of Shokuzai and remembering how great she is, I felt like filling in a few of the gaps in my knowledge of her filmography. But I certainly make a poor choice with this film.

At fifty minutes long, it's the directorial debut of Komatsu Mayumi whose previous work was in commercials and music videos. And if you can image the kind of poor characterisation and weak storytelling that you get in a commercial, but stretched out to almost an hour, then you've got some idea about how bad this film is.

The film is set in Ireland. A sort fantasy version of Ireland where people seem baffled by foreigners or spend their days sitting in fields. And even if you ignore this bizarre version of Ireland, the film's attempts at whimsy or charm just fall flat. There is one bit, where a boy is describing some pebbles he's found that resemble other natural things – that bit is quite nice. But that's about it.

Considering how quickly the scene changes, the film drags. The acting is stiff and unconvincing, and the script doesn't ask Aoi Yu to do anything much except look a bit confused. And to be honest, I couldn't make it to the end. Even at just fifty minutes, this film is a real struggle to get through.

Currently watching: Shokuzai

Now, this is why I watch Japanese dramas. After a run of nice but unremarkable detective shows and historical dramas, it's been a while since anything's really made me sit up and take notice. The publicity for this drama certainly caught my eye with its high quality cast and interiguing storyline. And at least the first episode has justified the hype. Thank God someone subbed it. I did try watching without subs, but halfway in I gave up. This isn't the kind of show you can watch and it's okay if you just get the gist. It's too subtle for that.

The story is about four women who witness a murder of a classmate when they were children, but are unable to remember the murderer's face and so he is never brought to justice. The mother of the victim has promised revenge for this.

Episode one follows one of the women in the present day. She is now a nurse, but still lives under the shadow of the event fifteen years ago. She has difficulty relating to people and when she meets a man who seems to understand her, and he asks her to marry him, she agrees.

Whatever marital bliss she was expecting is short-lived, as things start to go wrong in a most unexpected way. And it all seems to be linked to the murder. But how much influence the victim's mother has is never made clear. Is she deliberately setting things up to fail, or has she just sown the seed of mistrust in the woman's head and waits for it to take its course?

The show looks very nice. It's directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi, who also made the film Tokyo Sonata, and the two have a very silimar feel. Very thoughtful composition, and very cleanly shot. The acting’s great and the story walks the fine line between unreal and unrealistic, never becoming so odd that it just seems absurd.

It’s still early days, but so far, so perfect.

Looking forward

Reading the summaries for the dramas starting in January doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. There are a lot of brilliant but unconventional characters who annoy their colleagues but, in time, they grow to respect each other. The other recurring theme is that a death in the family prompts a career change. Either way, it’s pretty grim out there, with only WOWOW seemingly making an effort. Nevertheless, here are the shows which, at the moment, I’m looking forward to.

Shokuzai

Number one on my list of things to watch is this series. An interesting storyline and a very strong cast have caught my attention. The story is about four women who, as children, witnessed a murder but couldn’t remember the man’s face. The mother of the murder victim blamed them for the murderer never being found and now, years later, those events are about to have their consequences...

I’m paraphrasing, but it’s something like that. Aio Yu (Camouflage and lots more besides) and Sakura Ando (Love Exposure, Soredemo Ikite Yuku) head the cast. I’m excited by this. It begins on the 8th.

Lucky Seven

Eita and Matsumoto Jun star in this detective series. Again, the overall theme of the show appears to be a clash in styles of two very different detectives. But the two strong leads (and Naka Riisa too) give me some hope for this.


Honjitsu wa Taian Nari

Of January’s new dramas, this has the best storyline, at first glance. Five wedding ceremonies are to be held at the same venue on the same day. A message arrives demanding that they all be cancelled or receive “punishment from heaven.” Who sent the message and why?

This seems to be a slightly different take on a mystery theme. I shall keep an eye out for this.


Suugaku Joshi Gakuen

A male student with no interest in maths accidentally enrols in a maths class with some high-flying female maths students. I’m being very optimistic by recommending this one. It looks like one of those terrible romances where different women take turns in falling for the male lead, but perhaps there’ll be some maths in there too? I know, it’s crazy, but Liar Game was a success so maybe they'll try and tap that market. I’ll give this one episode to persuade me.


Stranger 6

This Japanese/Korean/Chinese production revolves around three agencies trying to stop a terrorist attack. It’s by WOWOW so hopefully it’ll be more sensible than Bloody Monday.


There are also new dramas for Nakatani Miki and Nagasawa Masami which I’m kind of interested in, but not especially. Nakatani Miki stars in Seinaru Kaibutsutachi a new hospital drama, and I don’t enjoy those due to them usually being staffed entirely by doctors who have piercing eyes and a habit of demanding that they save someone’s life, even if it breaks every rule in the book.

Nagasaw Masami’s drama, Bunshin, has the weakest storyline as far as I can tell. A woman sees another woman on TV who looks just like her. And so begins her journey into her family's murky past. That could go anywhere. It could be brilliant, it could be daft.

Watching again: Camouflage: Aoi Yu x Yottsu no Uso

There comes a point in life when funerals start to outnumber weddings. A recent death in the family is, I think, the point in my life when that begins to become true.

The evening when I heard the news was strange. It was too late in the day to get a train to go to my family and so I was rattling around in my flat, not knowing what to do. I needed some background noise to distract myself, and I returned to the first story (eps 1-3) of Camouflage.

The story is about how a woman deals with the sudden death of her boyfriend. It’s always been a favourite, and this time it seemed especially appropriate and comforting. That evening I watched it all the way through twice.

Episode three especially caught my attention. In this her cat turns into a middle aged man. She is appalled about how un-catlike he is in human form, and somewhat surprised about his simple way of thinking. While cat owners like to think of their pets as enigmatic and wise, this episode portrays them as a bit frumpy and dumb.

It’s touching and funny, especially her appalled reactions to the cat/old man who she used to pet and cuddle. But despite this, they start talking and as they do, he shows how his owner can overcome her grieving.

Strictly speaking, the episode is just a story written by the boyfriend who dies in episode one so it never really happens, but the meaning is clear: it’s okay to go for a day without recalling their memory - that doesn't make you a bad person. It’s a sweet little tale, and is (as I’ve said before) my most-watched piece of drama. It never gets old and, as I move through life, it seems to teach me something new every time.

Just watched: Welcome to the Quiet Room

This film from 2007 first got my interest through the title alone. It seemed so menacing, yet so peaceful. What could it mean?

The synopsis is a woman leads a stressful yet apparently successful life, until one day she wakes up in a psychiatric hospital, strapped to a table. She spends the next couple of weeks trying to piece together the events of the last day that she can remember, and trying to connect with the other patients in the ward. At first it seems like a fairly predictable story in which a sane person is trapped in a mental institute, but before long her memories start to unravel and the story changes direction.

The lead role (Sakura Asuka) is played with the right mix of arrogance and weakness by Uchida Yuki, as she tries to find her feet in her new world. And to my surprise, the cast held two familiar faces. Or at least, two familiar names. The first is Aoi Yu as Miki, the first patient to befriend Asuka, and the second is a great performance by Kudo Kankuro (better known as the writer of Tiger and Dragon and Unubore Deka) as Asuka’s boyfriend. He’s perfect as the wiry nervous TV writer.

Checking on Asianmediawiki, I noticed that the writer, Matsuo Suzuki was also responsible for Koi no Mon. This is certainly much more thoughtful than that enjoyable comedy, and quite different in tone and style although there is the occasional moment of cartoonish humour. This film is smartly written, and nicely structured as Asuka’s memories slowly bubble to the surface, threatening to ruin her recovery.

Re-watching: Camouflage: Aoi Yu x Yottsu no Uso

Since it’s up on Silent Regrets [edit: well, it was while Silent Regrets was there...], why not write about it again?

This show from 2008 is a twelve part series containing four stories based on the theme of Lies. It’s the same concept as Ueno Juri to Itsutsu no Kaban, and perhaps is similar to this year’s Tofu Shimai, starring another upcoming actress, Yoshitaka Yuriko. I don’t know for sure because, despite my efforts, I can’t find it on the web anywhere. Sad face.

The format of each episode is that there's a short drama section which is between some interviews and specially comissioned photos. It’s a bit like watching the DVD extras of something before you’ve watched it.













Story one (episodes one to three) is great. It begins with the death of a boyfriend, and tells three stories based on the events that follow. Episode two, in which Yu’s character keeps herself asleep with pills so she can dream about him, is a favourite of mine and is an episode I keep coming back to. So is episode three, with Nukumizu Youichi as her cat who takes on human form.

While the first two are filmed in a naturalistic style, the third part is performed on a stage and filmed as a theatre piece. It neatly finishes the narrative, with the story explaining, from a cat’s point of view, the basics of being happy. I love these episodes – they’re beautifully shot and acted, and it’s interesting to note in the interview bit afterwards, Aoi Yu says she hasn’t acted in a theatre setting before so she was quite nervous.

 
Story two (eps four to six) has quite a different feel. It concerns itself with unrequited love – the boyfriend being unable to tell Yu how he feels about her. Meanwhile, Yu has a hobby (Is that the right word? How about “fetish” or “compulsion”?) of running as far and as fast as she can for ten minutes while inventing stories about why she’s running. The stories she comes up with are quite funny, and so is the bumbling boyfriend, but after the comedy the story ends on quite a tragic note. Or does it? I’m not sure I understand the ending, so I can’t really say.

Story three (eps seven to nine) is one of those pieces of drama which you don’t really like until you watch it again, and then you remember the good bits about it. The story is about three sisters who share an apartment. Episode seven is shot in the style of a sitcom, episode eight in the style of a daytime soap opera, and episode nine is supposed to be the final episode of a long running series.

It’s difficult to write about this one. The sitcom bit is funny, and the soap opera bit is over-acted (and why do they have such shiny faces in that episode?) which leaves the third part to be the sensible one, and it focuses on a confession about one of the sister’s love life. It doesn’t have much of an identity, and so it’s a bit forgettable. Until you watch it again.

Story four (eps ten to twelve) is almost as good as story one. From the same director as “One Million Yen Girl”, this is a sort of semi-sequel, as we see more of Aoi Yu’s character in the film. The first part is about a college student who is caught out on her constant lying. I really like this, not least because Aoi Yu does a bit of cosplay (as a raccoon).

The second is a real gem, and tells the tale of two of Yu’s co-workers who fall in love and, being poor, both try to sacrifice too much for the other’s happiness. The third is a tale about Aoi Yu splitting up with her unfaithful boyfriend, and not being believed when she tells people she’s not that upset about it. It’s shot in such a style that you can only Yu’s face when she's talking to others - they're shot from behind, or are standing up while she's sitting down, etc. It's quite disconcerting.

This series is certainly among my favourites. So much so that when I went to Japan, picking up a cheap (relatively speaking – it was still about £75!) DVD box set of this was on my list of things to do. By the way, that’s where I got the scans for this review from. This show is inventive and original and it's one that I often come back to, and it never gets old.

Going cold turkey from d-addicts

Hmmm, when I click on my link to d-addicts, instead of the usual forums, all I see is smartly dressed woman and a list of links about drug rehab. It tells me that the domain name wasn't updated. So all that's left is for me to sit tight and wait. At least it'll give people a chance to cool off and appreciate it a little more. I kept noticing people on the Subtitles forum getting more and more impatient recently.

Tsk. Kids, eh? They don't know how lucky they are.

EDIT: According to this thread on Jdorama, the domain has been renewed, and all that needs to happen is for stuff to be updated. Phew.

Jeez, and if that isn't enough, I can't navigate around the No Many More site without it transferring me to some site about watching TV from China. What the hell's going on out there?

So, I guess that leaves Silent Regrets, if you really need your J-drama hit. And, hey! Look, they've put Camouflage up! So it's not all bad news...

UPDATE: It's back.

Currently watching: Unubore Deka

Alongside Atami no Sousakan, Jikou Keisatsu and Zettai Reido, I've been overdosing a bit on detective series recently. Especially those with a comedic twist. Unubore Deka tells the story of a detective who thinks he's irresistible to women, and who falls for the women who commit the the crimes he's working on, and he's aided by useless advice about love from his friends at a local bar. Add to this his boss is married to the same woman who left him broken hearted some years ago. Oh, and he lives with his dad who writes up his adventures, which are then shown on TV as a drama with a friend of his in the lead role.

If it sounds complicated, it all becomes clear once things get started. Well, perhaps the TV series bit doesn't work so well, but at least it gives Ikuta Toma something to do, and he is funny as the talentless-but-attractive actor who's out of his depth as a drama lead.

Of course, most of the praise goes to Nagase Tomoya as the main character. His performance is just the right side of over-the-top, and he displays some faultless comic timing. He's helped by a top script that's very funny and sharply written (and big thanks to the subbers for their great work on this). It's a little formulaic, but even four episodes in, the writers have started to have fun with the format. I'll be following this to the end, no doubt.

J-dramas that should be shown in the UK

I sometimes try to work out which J-dramas would make it onto British screens. Unlikely, since UK television has an aversion to any foreign shows with only Wallander from Sweden having a series on BBC3, although an episode of the Italian detective series Montalbano was shown once in 2008.

Given the nature of British TV, of course, most Japanese stuff simply wouldn't make it. The female characters are often too subservient or girly, or in the case of hard-hitting dramas, the bitter pill of social injustice is smothered by a sweet sub-plot, in which the teenage thug really does love his mother, or the murderer was trying to avenge the honour of his father.

So, here's my list of shows that would comfortably make it onto British screens. Not necessarily prime-time on a major channel, but they could find a home somewhere and not look out of place. I've put them in order from “no changes at all” to “needs quite a bit of work done to it”. And I've added where in the schedule they might fit. Ah, I missed my vocation – I should've been a programme planner.

1. Jikou Keisatsu
I've only recently started watching this, which is why I haven't mentioned it before. This is a detective series in which a policeman has a hobby where he investigates crimes that happened over 15 years ago and so cannot be brought to trial. Directed by Satoshi Miki and starring Odagiri Joe and Aso Kumiko, it's very funny and intelligently written. I'd put this on instead of Atami no Sousakan (same director, same cast) because Atami's constant Twin Peaks references would have people complaining it was just a rip-off, but this stands on its own two feet and I think it needs no changes at all to work abroad.
Channel: BBC2 or Channel 4, around 9 or 10 o'clock

2. Ueno Juri no Itsutsu no Kaban
No need for explanations, since I've written about this before. This series of short dramas is quiet and quirky, and would work fine pretty much as they are.
Channel: BBC2, after Newsnight. 11.15 ish

3. Galileo
I watched this ages ago, and keep meaning to write about it, but never seem to find the time. A scientist genius is used by the police to solve seemingly impossible crimes. The writing is great, and the explanations never disappoint in their ingenuity.
Channel: Late night ITV3, I reckon

4. Ashita no, Kita Yoshio
When people think of the Japanese, they tend to think of high suicide rates so I do wonder if this show (about a man who's decided to commit suicide in eleven days) would only reinforce that stereotype. But the series is so good that I'd take that risk.
Channel: BBC3 or 4 perhaps?

5. Akihabara@Deep
Definitely not prime time, but would easily fill a gap for cult movie-watchers and otaku. Some of the jokes may not make any sense to the British, but what the hell. Put it all on. Its energy and originality should be enough.
Channel: E4... or perhaps it could just make it onto Channel 4

6. Camouflage
While this show is excellent, I can't se your average UK viewer sitting through the intro and outro of every episode. So with a bit of editing, I think you've got a very strong four part series.
Channel: similar to Itsutsu no Kaban, so again BBC2, after Newsnight. 11.15 ish

7. Lost Time Life
The first J-drama I ever watched and still one of my favourites. But let's be honest, not all of the ten episodes are great and the one about food is simply too Japanese. People will ask themselves: what's so great about sukiyaki? Cut it down to a six-parter and you've got something special.
Channel: late night BBC3

8. Anego
Another series I haven't written about yet. Hmmm, I feel like I should apologise. Anyway, this show is about an office lady who hits 30 and has no husband and no sign of any coming soon. A sort of Japanese Bridget Jones. Shinohara Ryoko is fantastic in the lead role, and while the storyline may be a bit wobbly in places, this could work. Just about. A bit of editing, maybe?
Channel: Hmm... E4?

9. Puzzle
This series is great. Funny and mysterious. Unfortunately, episode one relies on a word puzzle that most British people would get in seconds, thus making the audience wonder what all the fuss is about. Not sure how you'd get round that. It'd need a lot of editing. After that, though, this would work fine.
Channel: E4

10. Liar Game
This would need a complete remake. The female lead is too passive for British audiences, and the number of crash zooms in an average scene is ridiculous. But if they do make it for British audiences, I think it would work well. Geeky things are in vogue just now.
Channel: Hey, if you give it to Steven Moffat, BBC1!

Recommended: Satoshi Miki films

Several years ago, some friends and I went for a walk up a hill. It was a sort of saddle shape so it had two peaks, and once we'd reached one, we looked at the other, and decided that the other one was higher. So we set off to that one. But once we'd arrived and looked back at the other peak, we started thinking that perhaps the first one had been higher all along.

The only reason I tell this story is because that's how I felt trying to work out which of Satoshi's films I like most. Although I've only seen three, the choice is surprisingly difficult, and whenever I make a decision, I immediately start to change my mind. "Turtles are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers" is perhaps the funniest, and it has one scene with my "dream team" of J-drama together at last: Ueno Juri, Aoi Yu and Nukumizu Youichi (even if the scene is barely two minutes long). "Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia" has the best story and Kikuchi Rinko (Liar Game 2, Moteki) in it and Fuse Eri is hilarious playing a sweet-guzzling teenage boy. Lastly "Instant Swamp" makes most sense as a story (despite the flying dragons), and has the strongest lead performance from Aso Kumiko.



So take your pick. You can't go wrong, if you don't mind stories that aren't in any hurry to get to the end. Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but it's one that gets better each time.

Still watching: Dr Koto's Clinic

Every now and again, when I'm in the mood, I sit down and watch another episode of this series. For some reason, it lends itself quite well to long gaps between viewings as the characters and storyline are never so complex that you might lose some of the more subtle aspects.

* spoilers, yeah? *

In the ninth episode, Aoi Yu's character's history catches up with her as her estranged husband turns up at the clinic uninvited. I won't give away what happens between them, but suffice to say her husband was seriously ill. I admit I laughed when he said that. Does that make me a bad person? But I figured of course he was ill: otherwise there's no reason for him to be on the island!

Anyway, the series is as relaxing as ever, despite the high number of locals with life-threatening illnesses. I think I have just two episodes left, so it just remains for me to find the time to sit down and watch them.

I am success

Wow, has it really been a week since I last posted? Since then I've been to and come back from Tokyo, where I found a second hand (but pristine) Camouflage for around seventy five pounds. I can't see it getting any cheaper than that.

And I went to Akihabara, as if the rest of Tokyo wasn't enough of a sensory overload, and found the little shrine that they use in episode one of Akihabara@Deep.

But perhaps most surprising of all was when I was sitting in a park, when I realised that a reflection of a crane in a building looked like Godzilla!

Breakfast TV and late night drinks

Today I watched a bit of breakfast TV. I turned on just in time to see that Aoi Yu has a new sponsorship deal. I didn't get the brand name - it's a kind of drink.

Then I watched the morning unfold with sports news (the Olympics are over) and something about the Japanese Wikipedia not being as big as the English one (this is news?) and an awful lot of celebrity bits. One story seemed to be about an actor who'd died. I heard the word "shinde" as they were talking about it, but when they showed the newspaper article the story was taken from, I couldn't see the kanji for "shinu" in the headline. Plus, the story in the paper beside it seemed to be about a girl wearing a bikini punching the air, so I was kind of distracted.

Apart from that, I've found a nice bar near my hotel. I've been in both nights so far, and they seem to be a friendly bunch. Last night I sat beside a very drunk salaryman who ploughed through several whiskies and veered from English to Japanese and back again as he spoke to me. The staff are friendly too, although the owner doesn't like Bump of Chicken: "too pop", he says. But his unfeasibly attractive girlfriend, who was working there last night, does like BoC so what does he know?

Recommended: One Million Yen Girl

I’m on a bit of an Aoi Yu trip at the moment, what with Dr Koto’s Clinic, Osen and now this film, One Million Yen Girl and the Nigamushi Woman. In this, Yu plays a woman who gets a criminal record after she’d removed all of her flatmates possessions in revenge for him throwing a cat out of the flat, which then died.

Rather than put up with all the local gossip about her, she decides to travel from town to town, looking for work so she can save one million yen to get her own place. So the film is episodic in that each of the three jobs she does has its own little story. During her travels she writes cheerful letters to her younger brother, unaware that he’s being bullied at school.

While the central theme is at first appealing – no ties, free to wander, the horizon is your next destination etc, by the end the film is clear which of the two lives it considers more worthy: the brother’s inability to leave his problems behind lead to him facing them square on. When Aoi Yu’s character receives a letter from her brother and learns about the troubles he’s had, she decides to return to her family.

It’s a low-key drama or, if you prefer, an even more low-key comedy. It’s similar to Camouflage (and the TV channel WOWOW had a hand in producing both) and in fact, Aoi Yu’s character in this film makes an appearance the TV show too. I really enjoyed it - the episodic nature meant that no story outstayed its welcome, and the ambiguous ending (was her last line meant for her ex or for the audience?) left me pondering for some time.

Just finished: Osen

Going by national stereotypes, you'd be hard pushed to find two more dissimilar countries than Italy and Japan, but in some ways their cultures parallel each other closely.

The most obvious of this is their attitude to food. A constant bemoaning of modern methods and a nostalgia for what used to be, coupled with an almost orgasmic appreciation for the food itself means the two are, to my mind, very similar.

As such, while watching this programme, I found myself thinking this would work very well on Italian TV. It's a cosy, warm-hearted show set in a top-of-the-range restaurant intent on preserving the old ways despite the constant pressures to modernize. Aoi Yu stars as the drunken yet respected owner who bumbles from one event to the next, dispensing wisdom along the way. She leads a band of devoted kitchen staff, including a stern head chef, enthusiastic new boy, and frustrated assistance chef.

The writing is pretty formulaic. At least the writers are aware enough of this to put in a scene where one character (who's threatening the restaurant) is about to eat, and he says something like "I suppose this food will be so delicious I'll change my mind?" which is exactly what happens.

It's a reassuring cup-of-hot-cocoa kind of show that tells its viewers that however grey and bland modern life may be, there is another way. A simpler, more noble way, where everything took ages but was worth it in the end. Which is more than can be said for the show. Apart from Aoi Yu being a cute drunk, there's not much to recommend it. The supporting characters are all pretty bland, although it does get better as the story goes on and it ends on a fairly bleak note.

I'm not sure what to make of the show's central theme. I'm all for the Slow Food movement, but I do wonder how practical it is. And the restaurant was at the high end of the market, so preserving these traditional foods would seem to benefit only the wealthy. Still, leaving the socio-political debate aside, this is a well-meaning, rose-tinted drama that should appeal to foodies.