31 Oct 2012

Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2 (ひとつ屋根の下 2)



It has been around a week since I finished my, probably favorite, drama of all time.

Hitotsu Yane no Shita is kind of a family drama (I don't really like the description but I assume it fits here), where you can find both sadness and happiness. It's very emotional, though sometimes you sense the exaggeration (nothing new, it's a Japanese drama).

I totally loved the first season, thus it really saddened me there were no subtitles for the second one. Back then I've decided I'll watch it after my Japanese will be good enough to understand what's going on.
However, I changed my mind and decided to do it much, much sooner. I've already started studying Japanese at the University, true, but it doesn't change the fact that I wasn't able to understand much of what the characters were talking about. Knowing the first season I could guess some things.
Besides there is always an overall image - although my Japanese is weak, I had a feeling I know what more or else is going on.

I had been literally swallowing the series - every episode felt like 5 minutes or even less. I just didn't want it to end so soon - I don't really remember having such situation with any other series.
At first I was worried whether I won't be bored! (no English subtitles)
It may sound a bit abstractive to say this (language barrier after all), but the second season appeared for me to be a bit worse. Maybe not worse, but you it was too depressing sometimes - no much fun as in the first season.
But mind me - it's not that there was none! Furthermore... I couldn't understand many gags which surely were going on out there.
What is a VERY important fact, a new main character (not from the family) appeared in the series (actually there were two - Kuroda Yuki as Hayakawa Masumi) - Matsu Takako as Mochizuki Miki. An amazing actress. I never had a favorite one not did I even pay attention, but now I guess she is in.

Finishing the series gave a me an enormous feeling of nostalgia. As always, it's sad to end something you've been really attached to by such a long time. When I watched the first season, I know there is still a one more behind me. But now? I'm just done with it.

About the music... Opening is really amusing and you will probably like it after few times as it is the main theme of the drama.
There actually is an original soundtrack - There are tracks I like (my favorites - "Like a rainstorm", "After the rain", "Going home", "Wait for you", "When you love me", "Faith") , but there are songs I don't (for example Nicki Richards - Good for you... Ble).

At the end... Please, listen to the opening song. At first it may sound very silly to you, though...



I don't spoil. If you want to talk about the plot message me somehow.

20 Oct 2012

Glory to Takeshi Kitano

Just a little reflection after watching the last (though "Outrage 2" is coming soon) movie by Beat Takeshi, still the greatest contemporary Japanese director in my opinion.

Unfortunately, I haven't been watching the movies chronologically and thus, the "watched yesterday" movie is "Kantoku Banzai" instead of "Outrage". Accidentally that was the best way to "pause" my journey with Kitano's movies what is obviously related to the story of this really amusing film.
Takeshi Kitano, a director, actor, painter, stepping dancer and so and so on... (it's easier to find something he cannot do)...plays himself, or so I interpret it.
It's a film about creating a new story for a movie, or rather attempting to write a new story. So we actually see many plots, whereas most of them are really short ones - Throughout the movie Beat Takeshi thinks about all kinds of story-lines he might produce - comedy, horror, yakuza, drama...
All I can it is a fantastic comedy and I have been laughing really loudly.


The upcoming Takeshi's movie is Outrage 2, what doesn't really make me feel excited - Outrage was quite an ok movie, but nothing special. I expect the second part to be of similar kind. While I keep waiting for that one, I also hope Kitano-san will give as something else in the future - again, something outstanding, what I could entitle as one of the best movie I have ever seen (like it was with "Dolls" for example). He is not young anymore, but as for director, it is still fair enough.

I would like to end my short speech with a link to one of the best yt (which is not on yt anymore, ekhm) clip ever. Hope you have not seen it before. Kitano Takeshi banzai!