Currently watching: Keiji 100kg

What with work, subbing and catching up with seven episodes of Mythbusters, I haven’t been watching much Japanese drama this week. I did take a look at Keiji 100kg. I almost decided to sub this one, but I saw it was set in Kyoto, and Kyoto-ben (the local dialect) just baffles me.

This is a light-hearted cop drama where the main character is a newly-promoted detective. He’s also overweight, and most people seem to find this surprising. He helps to solve murders that take place around Kyoto’s maze-like streets.

Two episodes in and it’s okay. The crimes are nothing too devious, and the solutions are fairly clever. Ishizuka Hidehiko is fun to watch in the lead role and most of the appeal of the show relies on him. He has to walk the line between adorable fat man and ace detective.

It’s not bad. Even surprisingly good, considering some of the dramas this season, but surely this series demonstrates that the genre of “detective with a funny quirk” has run out of ideas. Hasn’t it?

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.

Looking forward: Sakasama no Patema

I don’t watch much anime, but I do try to follow the career of director Yoshiura Yasuhiro. He created the series Time of Eve, which I loved, and most recently he’s been working on a film to be released later this year.

There's a lengthy teaser (four six minutes excerpts from the film) and it serves as an excellent introduction to the themes of the film. A colony of people live underground in a claustrophobic den of tunnels and rooms. There they look for food in long-since abandoned parts of the colony, and they daren't go outside. Then, one day, a girl is exploring in one of the forbidden areas when she is attacked by someone who can walk on ceilings. In fact, who can ONLY walk on ceilings.

And this is the basic premise of the story: two societies (one underground, one above ground) have different senses of gravity. One falls down, the other falls up. When the two meet... well, that's when the teaser ends.

It's an enticing idea, and I'm already impatient to see what happens next. The film revisits a previous theme of Yoshiura Yasuhiro work: The cramped living conditions and dreams of a better world can also be found in his short film Pale Cocoon.

Pale Cocoon

However, this feature film loses Pale Cocoon's bleak world view and replaces it with more acceptable themes of friendship and understanding. But despite this more commercial feel, and it's simple idea, the style of the film (so far) is excellent. I'm especially impressed with the way that the sky can suddenly seem so threatening – an endless pit into which you could fall.

Japanese or Korean actors who could play Doctor Who

In the UK right now, a major cultural shift is taking place: the actor who plays the lead role in Doctor Who (technically speaking the character is called “The Doctor”, not “Doctor Who”) is stepping down, and now we have months of speculation about the future of the show and who will take over.

So, as I was wondering who I’d like to see in the role, I thought, if language were no barrier, which Japanese or Korean actors could take the role? Who has the required air of alien-ness and childlike qualities? This is the list I came up with. It's in order from "unlikely" to "you know, I think this might work!"


Nukumizu Youichi

One of my favourite actors, even if he only ever plays one role: the downtrodden ordinary man. But I think he’d be good at this. Something about his self-deprecating sense of humour appeals. I’m not sure how good he’d be at action scenes, though.

Kimura Takuya

To be honest, he’s practically already played Dr Who. His performance in Mr Brain was a great example of eccentric genius, all nervous smiles and sudden bursts of energy. And his character’s constant bemusement at how other people think or feel is another aspect that I found quite Doctor-ish. The down side is that he never does two series of the same show, effectively ruling him out for this role.

Abe Hiroshi

Putting to one side the fact that Abe Hiroshi could play any role and be brilliant, I think he’d be great in this. He has physical presence, but also a subtlety in his acting which I think would fit perfectly.

Kuriyama Chiaki

I poo-pooh the idea that the Doctor must be played by a man (otherwise the British Empire will fall or something like that) and I’d be very pleased if producer Steve Moffat chooses a woman for the next series. And if so, why not the striking and unique Kuriyama Chiaki. She's a decent actress who knows how to do an action scene.

Bae Doo Na

In Air Doll, the role she played was of a newcomer to a strange world, and I think she has the right qualities of slight eccentricity and vulnerability necessary for playing the Doctor. Maybe her boyfriend (?) Jim Sturgess can convince her to go for the part.

Odagiri Joe

Slightly alien air about him? Check. Eccentric taste in roles? Check. Can do comedy and drama, even in the same scene? Check. Well, I can’t find anything wrong with this idea. Plus, he speaks English (at least, he studied drama in the US). He could actually do this! Please? Pretty please? Someone send the producers of Dr Who a link to this page, and then when he gets the job, you can all thank me later.

Currently watching: Haitatsu Saretai Watashitachi

In a time of J-drama drought, the TV channel WOWOW comes to the rescue. This is a charming drama about a man who, after a failed suicide attempt, finds seven letters from years ago and decides to deliver them.

Despite the heavy themes of suicide and alienation, it retains a sense of humour. Each letter has its own little story and I did enjoy episode two, with its tale of hero-worship and adversity. But I do worry that there’s only so many times you can argue about whether there’s a point to life before it gets repetitive.

The music is interesting, too. Mostly trumpet and accordion. It seems like the director is a fan of Mitani Kouki or perhaps European arthouse cinema. It certainly made a change from bland, licensed J-pop and it added to the drama's jolly but slightly unsettling atmosphere.

Also there is one character, a doctor, who is perhaps the first character in a J-drama to react to the beautiful lead actress (Kuriyama Chiaki) in the way any normal person would: with a big old comedy double take. Viewers of Japanese TV series often have to suspend belief and imagine that Inoue Mao or Karina are ugly because everyone keeps calling them that. Finally, there’s someone in J-dramaland who’s noticed how good looking their co-star is.

Plus, for some reason, I really liked the fact that it was snowing in episode one.

Best Running Man Episode part two

It’s been almost a year since I wrote my last list and now it really is very out of date, so here is a new run down of the best episodes since then.

(UPDATE: Another list, covering more recent episodes, can be found here.)

A lot of people prefer the episodes where it's just the seven regular members, but I think there's nothing better than when Running Man has a good guest. Having somebody new to play against really adds to the show, and when it works, it's just brilliant. Of course, when it's just the seven regulars, that's when the production team bring out their most cunning games, so I'm happy either way.

I tried to be strict, keeping this list only for the very best. And I found myself leaving out some classics, such as the Rage Virus, Reincarnation and the Jackie Chan episode. Nevertheless, these are the episodes of the last year or so that I thought were a cut above the rest.


Episodes 109, 110

The guests are Olympic athletes Park Tae Hwan and Son Yoen Jae. These two episodes contain almost everything I admire about Running Man. First, they take two non-entertainers and make them comfortable enough that they can joke around with the rest of the cast. It also demonstrates the quick thinking of the production team when a storm hits Korea, meaning that the first part of filming had to be staged in one room with improvised rules. Lastly, it shows how well the cast and crew work together when one team complains that their cameramen aren’t laughing at all so that means they won’t be on screen much when the show goes out, and also in the scene where the PD can’t get them to shut up so he can explain the rules.

Add to this two exciting elimination games including twists, traps and betrayals, and a lot of fun challenges before that, and this is my favourite couple of episodes in the last year or so.


Episode 123, 124

I've written about episode 124 before, and it's brilliant elimination game in which one player is voted as king, and is therefore invincible until a new election can be held. But apart from this, I really enjoyed the two guests, the laid back actor Gosoo and the feisty actress Han Hyo Joo. These two contrasting characters really add to the chemistry of the show.

Apart from the elimination game, there's a funny but cruel breakfast game (can't eat until you've completed it) and an evening food preparation game.

Episode 98

It starts off with the theme of a school trip. It's all very light-hearted and fun, apart from some enigmatic messages from mystery schoolgirls. Then, that night, a zombie apocalypse breaks out and one by one the RM team become infected, while the rest have to find a solution to solve the problem.

Beautifully put together and, since there's no real visual difference between the zombies and non-zombies, it's as much a guessing game for the viewer as the players. And I especially liked the clue about the “infected” members of the Running Man cast not liking the dark.

Episode 120

Let’s face it: water is funny. And this episode serves up three games based on this idea.

The first is perhaps my favourite RM game ever, in which everyone in a team has to get into a car and then use water pistols to knock cans off walls while being soaked by hoses. Then there is a pronunciation game (punishment: being catapulted into a swimming pool) and then a water gun elimination game.

Episode 131

Having two fighters made this into a physical ordeal that the RM regulars were never going to do well at. Both Chu Sung Hoon and Lee Si Young are funny, but I tip my hat to Lee Kwang Soo who has the nerve to take on Chu Sung Hoon in a physical battle. But the games also involve a quiz and a round of ddak-ji, so the two fighters can't rely totally on their strength.

Episodes 95-97

This Running Man trilogy starred footballer Park Ji Sung, who turned out to be a surprise highlight of the show, especially in episode 97 when Yoo Jae Suk can't be there to film and he has to fill in as the host.

The superhero-soccer game is a treat, and the other guest, IU, does very well not to be overshadowed by the internationally famous sportsman. Plus, Rio Ferdinand makes an appearance. That means if I ever meet him, we'll have something to talk about.

Episodes 133, 134, 136

For a start, I thought Dong Hoon was a great guest. Very funny, even if sometimes it looks as if he's not sure what's going on. And I enjoyed Macau Tower as a location. I suffer quite badly from vertigo, and I was squirming with fear as I watched this and laughing at the same time. A peculiar feeling. Then in episode 136 there’s an elimination game which, despite taking up half of the show, never gets dull. Plus, it looks very nice, with distant tree-covered mountains and boat trips through caves.

Episode 137

Perhaps the jokes about Noh Sa Yeon being heavy get a little tired, but there’s no denying that this is a fun episode. Kwang Soo, Yoo Jae Suk and UEE make an unexpectedly good comedy team. All three "princesses" put in a great performance, making life hell for their male team-mates. I did feel sorry for them, though, during the swimming pool game where it is clearly very cold if you're not in the water.

Just watched: The Ghost in the Well

The story of a woman who haunts a well is so well known in Japanese folklore that sooner or later, you’re bound to come across it. In fact, there’s a good chance that it was the story that lead you into Japanese culture in the first place, thanks to the film Ring.

This film from 1957 is based much more closely on the original folk tale: a woman throws herself down a well rather than face punishment from her lover, a samurai.

At only forty-five minutes long, it spends most of that time explaining the story behind the haunting and when she finally does come back as a ghost, she doesn’t do much except make him feel a bit guilty.

Perhaps I was expecting too much. I was kind of hoping for an early version of Ring, or some proto-version of J-horror. Instead, I got a nice but unremarkable folk tale. Although the shot of wet footprints through a corridor was quite chilling.