"I Know Everything About You."

Ever since I became serious in my commitment to learn Japanese, I've been watching many (MANY) dramas. Not only has it helped propel my comprehension to a level I wouldn't have achieved otherwise, I generally find the plotlines far more interesting than the "insert character A into setting B and throw in plot twist C" formula in which American TV seems to be firmly and stubbornly stuck. Because of this, someone suggested I shift the focus from specific actors to specific SHOWS, without having to squeeze four or five different programs into a single blog post. Another friend of mind had said he liked how I reviewed shows, and made them sound interesting even to someone doesn't watch them. So...why not? At least for now, so long as I actually have shows to talk about.

First up is a show that's currently airing, The Quiz Show Season 2 (AKA Quiz Show Golden.) It's wildly popular, especially since it features two "idols"--Sakurai Sho from Arashi and You Yokoyama from Kanjani8. Because of these two, several fansub groups have been working diligently to translate each episode as they come out. Of these groups, SBK is probably the most well-known. They recently made filling out a lengthy application a requirement to join their community, to which a number of new would-be members complained. SBK replied with a rather caustic response, although speaking as someone who adores pithy comebacks, this was possibly the best line ever: "So why are you complaining? We got better things to do: That thing called life in the real world, enjoying our own hobbies, and fansubbing this moon speak so you people know why Sho is convulsing on the floor." (Found here.)

So why IS Sho convulsing on the floor? That brings me to my actual review. The Quiz Show Season 2, quite simply, centers on revelation. Not the Bible book, but the revelation of secrets that the characters may not want anyone to know--or may not want to know themselves.

In a (very) dark parody of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?", Sakurai Sho plays game show host MC Kamiyama as various players do their best to win their "Dream Chance"--that is, if they answer every question correctly, the show will grant any wish up to 1 hundred million yen. The trick is to answer ALL the questions correctly, no matter how personal they are...or how much they reveal about the contestant's sordid past. Which means even if they win, they could wind up destroying their lives.

The MC goes a long way in aiding, goading, and oftentimes outright mocking the contestants. "Watashi wa anata no subete o shitte imasu" ("I know everything about you") is probably one of the most disturbing phrases anyone could ever hear--especially when it's true. This makes Kamiyama a frightening and charismatic force, who manages to be both sympathetic for and scornful of the contestant at the same time.

And yet Kamiyama is not without his own past demons, which surface frequently in a most startling manner. The MC's strings are being pulled invisibly by the cold, calculating man behind the camera, Honma Toshio (You Yokoyama). In fact the drama's very first scene features a dazed Kamiyama in a mental ward, being guided out of his room by Honma. The latter seems to hold a grudge against the host for something Kamiyama can't remember, from an accident several years earlier which left him without most of his memories. This leaves Kamiyama completely dependent on Honma, which makes the man's questionable motives all the more terrifying.

Even if the viewer had never seen Sakurai Sho in a drama before, there's no question his acting skills are well above par. He manages to capture the dual nature of Kamiyama's character perfectly, sarcastic and witty one second while shaking uncontrollably in the corner the next. The way Kamiyama changes in the seconds before he steps onstage highlights this two-sided enigma so the viewer always knows there's more behind the facade than what's being shown.

This drama is still in production. Here's a short clip of the end of episode 1, which gives you a glimpse of the show's intensity. This scene reminds me of a snake wrapping itself around its prey...at any rate, you can find the full episodes at SBK's livejournal, or a few other groups who are currently subbing it. A man on the verge of a breakdown at any moment driving others to their own breaking point, all at the whim of a vengeful man whose motives are still unclear, make for one exciting show.

Hi(gh?)

Brief update because I'm sick, and tired, and tired of being sick.

At any rate, before I go on with my explorations in the world of Japanese dramas, something is continually being brought to my attention by well-meaning (if annoyingly adamant) folks regarding a controversy that recently surrounded one of the stars of the BEST J-DRAMA EVAR, Maou.

Apparently a couple of photos have been circulating, taken at a party Satoshi Ohno attended back in 2005 where he appears to be (very) stoned. Now, he already addressed this situation when Maou was still being filmed last year (2008) and admitted to smoking marijuana once, and to my knowledge his career hasn't been adversely affected (although, by Japanese cultural standards, he did come dangerously close to losing his "idol" status.) Despite this, his fans in America still seem to make a big deal out of it, even though many of them state it's "no big deal".

Keeping all talk/debate of the legality of marijuana use and the inherent ethical arguments aside, I can only point to this clip on YouTube that shows Satoshi the way he NORMALLY is and ask...how could they tell?

From High School to Tarot Cards

Sometimes, when I'm watching a series because a certain actor is in it, I'll discover the talent of another actor in that series and will start to follow their career as well. That's how I discovered all of the actors so far, and Ikuta Toma is no exception. I found him while watching a series that guest starred Shirota Yu, and have followed his work from some of the wackiest comedy I've ever witnessed to some pretty damned depressing drama.

Ikuta has been in the TV camera's eye since he was a child. Joining the male idol agency Johnny's Entertainment at a young age, he performed in several variety shows and singing groups before settling firmly into acting. Most of the shows he's in are available online, but I'll concentrate on four of them in which he's a primary character:

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e


Possibly the most famous series he's acted in, and the one he became best known for outside Japan. In this unlikely but likeable story, high school girl Ashiya Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to sneak into the school her idol Sano attends, in the hopes she can convince him to return to the sport of high jumping. Ikuta plays Nakatsu, Sano's dorky but sincere best friend who suddenly finds himself in a quandry when he falls for Mizuki--who he thinks is a boy. (And speaking for the entire Hana-Kimi community, I don't think anyone will ever hear the phrase "Ore wa homo ja nai!" again without giggling.) Be on the lookout for Shirota Yu, who plays Sano's main high jump rival.

Maou












Links to all episodes: http://www.mysoju.com/maou/
Watch it. Just...watch it. If you never see a single other Japanese drama in your entire life, WATCH THIS ONE. It has everything a drama needs, all wrapped up in eleven episodes. Out of all the shows I've seen, this one has stayed at #1 on my list ever since the finale. Ikuta stars alongside fellow Johnny member Satoshi Ohno (best known as the leader of the Japanese boy band Arashi, who also performs Maou's opening theme "Truth") in this remake of the Korean drama Ma Wang. Ohno plays the devious lawyer Naruse Ryo, who masquerades as a hero of the people to hide his plans for revenge against police detective Serizawa (played by Ikuta) who killed Ryo's brother as a wayward youth. Sending messages via tarot cards, he proceeds to terrorize Serizawa and threaten everyone he holds dear.

Akihabara@DEEP


If Maou is the greatest series ever, this is by far the weirdest. I wish I could say more, but I honestly don't know what I would say. Maybe someone needs to understand the otaku culture a little more to "get" half of what was happening. At the same time, there were certainly elements that didn't need any translation: the story focused on social outcasts fighting a big corporation (sometimes literally) as they discover who they really are inside. But some of the scenes, not to mention the subject matter, got surprisingly intense for something that seemed to be along the lines of a bizarre comedy. Ikuta plays a graphic designer named Box, with an OCD that requires him to wear gloves at all times and a severe phobia of women to the point he foams at the mouth if one touches him. And he's one of the more normal characters. Like I said, weird.

Hachimitsu to Kuroba


I haven't finished this series yet, so I can't say too much about it. But the story is told mainly from the POV of Ikuta's character Yuta Takemoto, an art student who falls in love with the shy but gifted "Hagu" but doesn't know how to express it. So far it seems to be a cute coming-of-age type story, although the characters are in college.

Next up: a few other actors who caught my attention while watching Hana Kimi.