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DDFB2UK
Likes Japanese tv/film/books, Alyson hannigan, Wrestling and sitcom's.
Dislikes too many to mention but mostly children on the web saying OMG, LOL and Troll!
Reviews
Men doru: Ikemen aidoru (2008)
Persona OSU!!
I have to admit that I'm a big fan of Harem Manga and J-Drama with favourites like Rabu Hina (love Hina in the western market) & Hana Kimi. I actually came across this show while in Japan on holiday.
Admitedly my Nihongo is a little poor but there was so much physical Humour from the farcical gender-bending that it was simple to understand. The cast make for a great show even though the only actor I actually knew from the show was former Gravure model/pro-wrestler Yin-Ling of Joytoy in the role of the ditsy secretary, Marylyn.
The main storyline is regarding the rise of a three piece boy-band, Persona, but there is a secret they all share...they are girls! Hinata, Nami and Asahi are solo idol singers who fail to even pass auditions as singers. However that is until Nami and Asahi find a phone charm that belongs to a investigative reporter who has been captured by The Mob. Kuroda, a mobster, sees them and they immediately go on the run and disguise themselves as male dancers. Saeko Konohamatsu, president of a talent agency, sees them & intuitively knows they are girls dressed as boys and signs them to record deal but they have to keep up the pretence that they are men at all times. Cue Handsome men worrying that they might be gay and the fun ensues!
The Music industry is wonderfully sent up in this comical drama especially with the things idols have to put up with to be even acknowledged in japan, the endurance test just to have their debut single played on TV is sad yet funny.
Death Note: Desu nôto (2006)
The most engaging Manga/comic to Film Adaptation
*Possible spoiler (if you have never seen the Anime or Manga)in Paragraph four*
I have been an Otaku for many years now, Having grown up with The Incredible Hulk on TV, Superman and Batman at the Movies I can say with out a shadow of a doubt that this adaptation of the Death Note tale is quite simply the most engaging I have ever seen.
The problem with taking Comic or indeed Manga to the big screen is that they have to rely on the fan base to make up the budget of a movie but still be able to allow growth by introducing a wider audience to it. But when you consider over 25 million copies of Death note have been sold the world over, budget was never going to be a problem.
Fujiwara Tatsuya was clearly a good choice for this film in my point of view having seen him in Battle Royale I & II, Sabu and Kamen Gakuen he is my second favourite Japanese actor ("Beat" Takeshi Kitano being number one). I can't really blame Ken'ichi Matsuyama for His depiction of L in the film, I blame myself. I couldn't help thinking of the Anime version of L. In all fairness though, He put in a good performance right down to the way that he would pick up the phone or sitting awkwardly exactly in the manner of the Manga "L".
The Adaptation for this although not a strict adherence to the Manga is still top notch throwing in little extra's to swing our way of thinking such as Light reading Nietzsche's book Beyond Good & Evil or that Shidori had been his girlfriend for longer than just the bus ride to the amusement park or even the way that Misa-Misa was subliminally placed through out the film to keep us fan-boys hooked for the next film instalment. The CGI Ryuk was a little on the rough side but when you consider how well Tatsuya had dealt with talking in to thin air, you tend to forget such things.
They could have gone one better for my review if on the credits at the end they had made a joke about "the names have been changed in order to protect the innocent from Kira".