What’s up, my Tangy Toyboxers? Ready for another weekly mega-cast of Japanese live-action comedies, pretty lead actresses, and former gravure idols? Ready for another massive 100-plus photo onslaught? If not, better get back to sleep. But if you are, then lean back, turn on the frequency, pump up the volume, and plug in your otaku-lobes, haha. Okay, let the mega-cast attack begin…
Part 1 of 3 > Gokusen, Gangsters & Graduates
Haha, oh wow. If you thought I raved about “Nodame Cantabile” and Juri Ueno last week (Blog 207), think again. Even more than “Nodame”, I truly love the “Gokusen” live-action drama starring the captivating Yukie Nakama! All three seasons! Plus their specials! Wow, it all began in November 2006, when I first watched the anime version. Here’s my anime speed-review back then.
Gokusen (1-13) [50]. Finished 25 November 2006. WHOA! Hilarious high-school-meets-yakuza hijinks! Maximum 4 of 5 stars for a half-season!
Here are a couple of large wallpapers to give you a tiny taste of the anime style.
Now, since the “Gokusen” anime download was already packaged together with Season 1 of the “Gokusen” live-action drama, I couldn’t help but watch the comedic drama immediately, lol. And with the first episode, I was hooked! Yup, Yukie Nakama‘s performance as the double-edged Yankumi is captivating and mesmerizing. But not only her, the rest of the cast of gangsters, teachers and delinquents are laughingly colorful and unforgettable as well, lol. So much so that I’ve followed their five-star antics from Season 1 (2002) to Season 2 (2005) to Season 3 (2008).
Here are a couple of Season-1 wallpapers.
And here are several Season-3 images of Yankumi’s family, colleagues and students.
So earlier this year, when I learned of the existence of a “Gokusen 3 – Graduation Special” (2009), I just had to look for the download! Although I found an unsubbed version a few months ago, I finally located an English-subbed version a couple weeks ago. And finally watched the 90-minute special yesterday on 27 June 2009! It’s simply incredible how after its 3 seasons and 7 years, the series can still take me from out-loud laughter to sniffling eye-blurring tears. Incredible. Yup, no doubt, another 5 of 5 stars!
To celebrate, here are 81 screencaps from the 90-minute special. How many times can you spot the infamous Aki Hoshino? Here’s the first screencap.
Here’s the second screencap. Let the fake captions begin!
“Mmmm, what hentai should I buy today?”
“Mmmm, what hentai store should I try first?”
“Hmmm, traditional hentai?”
“Let’s ask Aki Hoshino. Aki-chan, what’s your favorite hentai?”
“Ohhh, nice ecchi sketch!”
“What!!! Ecchi sketch of Yukie-chan?”
“Hahaha, nice ecchi sketch of Aki-chan!”
“Umm, okay, we’re ecchi dorks.”
“Don’t give up hope! Think of hentai!”
“Umm, okay, we’re dead ecchi dorks.”
“Fear not! I am the Ecchi Rider!”
“Oops, wait, Ecchi Rider? No-no-no, I’m not the Ecchi Rider!”
“Ecchi! Ecchi! Ecchi!”
“Heyyy, stop crowding my hentai!”
“Awww, I look good in this hentai!”
“Fight-oh! Ohhh! More ecchi!”
“Yo, that’s my bread. Like my Pops used to say, ‘No bread, no hentai’.”
“No bread, no hentai? Huh? What the frak is that?”
“Bad news. Someone found Aki-chan’s hentai.”
“Heyyy, let go! No food, no hentai!”
“Ahh, I miss the good old days of ecchi.”
“More bad news. I admit it. I found Aki-chan’s hentai. But I enjoyed it.”
“No, I don’t like gay hentai. Not anymore.”
“But I spent my allowance to get the gay hentai for your birthday!”
“Dammit. Why didn’t we get any gay hentai too?”
“Hmmm, not sure. He might’ve spent his entire hentai allowance.”
“Sigh. Ecchi is so expensive nowadays.”
“Hey bastards! Give our gay hentai back!”
“Sorry. We couldn’t help it. They stole our gay hentai!”
“I am so disappointed in you boys. I’m supposed to take the first peek!”
“Forget it! No hentai, no friendship!”
“What am I supposed to do, Gramps? They took my ecchi sketch.”
“The only thing you can do. Draw yourself a new ecchi sketch.”
“Yo bastard. If we return your bread, will you return our gay hentai?”
“Too late. The gay hentai is ours now.”
“Yours? Since when?”
“Since we’re the ones who actually created that gay hentai.”
“If I spend less on food, I can spend more on ecchi.”
“Ah, boys, here you are. Why so serious?”
“Us? Oh, we don’t have any money to buy gay hentai.”
“Watch out. If you don’t watch out, the Ecchi Rider will beat you down.”
“Hey boys! What’s up? Why so satisfied?”
“They bought what? Hetero ecchi?”
“So they gave back Aki-chan’s hentai? Awww.”
“Impressive! The gay hentai they created is exquisite!”
“I’ve finally decided. I want to become a gay-hentai artist!”
“Are you serious? A gay-hentai artist? What will your sister say?”
“Funny you should ask. She wants to become a lesbian-hentai artist!”
“That’s right! We’re heading there now! We found the hentai thieves!”
“No hentai, no friendship! No hentai, no friendship!”
“Boys! Boys! Where are you?”
“Whoa! Look at them go! Such ecchi friendship!”
“Huh? Want a piece of me? Want a piece of my hentai?”
“No ecchi, no friendship! No ecchi, no friendship!”
“Aki-chan? You want to become a lesbian-hentai artist too?”
“Hmm, now that you put it that way, a gay-hentai artist doesn’t sound so bad!”
“Freeze! Don’t move! Where’s my ecchi sketch?!?”
“I’ll ask one more time. Where’s my precious ecchi sketch?”
“Don’t you realize how precious ecchi is?”
“Please. We’re so sorry. We needed to take back our ecchi!”
“Please believe us. No ecchi, no friendship!”
“Very well. You may enter. After all, I used to be a lesbian-hentai artist myself.”
“Aki-chan, I never told anyone before. But your lesbian hentai is the best!”
“Like Ecchi Rider always says, ‘Ecchi is sooo precious’.”
“Ecchi is as precious as friendship. No ecchi, no friendship.”
“Yeah, I’ve finally decided. I want to become a gay-hentai artist!”
“Yeah! Let’s do it! Let’s all become gay-hentai artists!”
“Hooray! They did it! They’re gonna become gay-hentai artists!”
“Hey boys. What’s up?”
“Oh my god! You didn’t have to!”
“Awww! Thank you sooo much!”
“Your very first gay-hentai production!”
“Fight-oh! Ohhh! No ecchi, no friendship! No hentai, no friendship!”
“Ahhh, another class of ecchi haters.”
“Fight-oh! Ohhh! More ecchi!”
“Hey boys. Do any of you know just how precious ecchi is?”
“Huh? Precious?”
“Like my Pops used to say, ‘No bread, no hentai’.”
“No-no-no, I think he meant to say, ‘No ecchi, no friendship’. Right?”
Hahaha, so how’d you like my fake captions? Didn’t you learn something new about life, friendship, brotherhood, hentai and ecchi? No? Well, then, you didn’t let go of reality and sanity long enough, lol.
Part 2 of 3 > Yukie Nakama the Gravure Idol
Haha, speaking of ecchi, more gravure idols? Sure, why not? Repeating my search pattern with Juri Ueno last week (Blog 207), here’s Yukie Nakama from her “Pastel” (1997) photo book. And just like Juri-chan’s 18-year-old photo-book debut, this also appears to be Yukie-chan’s photo-book debut at the tender age of about 17-18-years-old. A full 5 years before her smashing success in “Gokusen”!
Here are 21 photos from the 70-80-page book. Feel free to enlarge the pics, lol.
Well, that’s all for now. Like I wondered last week, “maybe I’ll trickle a few more photoshoots in the near future”. Not only featuring Juri-chan, but Yukie-chan too, lol. Who knows? Maybe even Aki Hoshino? I mean, Aki-chan was in “Gokusen 3” after all!
Part 3 of 3 > You People, ProWerks & Possibilities – Part 2
Heyyy, my Tangerine Toyboxers! Remember my previous “You People” post back in May? Back in my Blog 202, Part 5? Well, to those who’ve forgotten, here’s a friendly reminder. And to those who’ve never known, here’s a tiny taste from Friday, 08 May.
Well, more than a month later, on Wednesday, 17 June, when I thought I no longer had any more scenes to play, I returned to play the silent-and-stoic “Asian businessman” once more, hehe. It was a pain to throw the constricting tie-and-jacket back on. But it was a pleasure once more to see Kelly the bespectacled director, Charisma his production guru (and wife), Will the leading man, Jon the boom operator, and Denise the script writer. And once more, it was a blast! Funny how 5 takes to film 5 seconds can feel so draining! Like a compression chamber! Compressing 5 hours of energy and pressure into 0.5 hours of time and focus.
Here’s Charisma, Jon and Kelly. Photos taken by Will.
Here’s me, the goofy Charisma, Jon and the baffled Kelly. I hardly recognize myself!
Awww, the goofy couple, lol.
A-ha! Denise joins the scene as I fill out some paperwork.
A closer view.
That’s it! As far as I know that’s my final scene for “You People” (2010). Who knows? But one thing’s for sure. I can’t wait to see how the final cut turns out! Can you?
Well, that’s all, folks! Another weekly mega-cast of Japanese live-action comedies, pretty lead actresses, and former gravure idols has come and gone! As always, let’s thank the gracious guest-starring gravure girls who graced my broadcast! Thank you, Yukie-chan, Aki-chan, Juri-chan and Charisma! Okay, maybe Charisma wasn’t a gravure girl. At least, I don’t think so, lol. In any case, time to give my elbows, forearms, wrists, hands and fingers some time to rest.
Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.
Final Flashback
“Oops, wait, Ecchi Rider? No-no-no, I’m not the Ecchi Rider!”
I remember my parents were watching Gokusen live action at some point of time. (They seemed to like it.) I was too lazy to watch, haha.
Yukie Nakama looks very different as well..though I reckon I’d probably look different as a 20+year-old as compared to a 17-year-old. =)
.-= jenn´s last blog > Terminator Salvation – Strange Names and Holey Games =-.
@Jenn-chan: Hahaha, yeah. It could be the best, most-riveting, most-spellbinding film or series out there, but if parents get involved, it kills the enjoyment almost immediately!… Ah, I agree, Yukie-chan as an 18-year-old versus a 30-year-old, is pretty different. But compared to non-Asians, her difference is barely noticeable, lol. I guess that’s one thing in our favor, ain’t it? ^_~
Gokusen is one of the worst J-Drama’s I’ve had the misfortune to watch, its just horrible. The same bloody thing every episode and cheesy speeches that bore me to tears.
.-= Joe´s last blog > How to: Working Holiday Visa =-.
I think one of those girls, and maybe one of the guys, was in the Absolute Boyfriend LA…. But I’m not positive. They just look really familiar.
The anime version is coming up on my Netflix soon. If I like it I’ll have to look for the LA version.
.-= Kris´s last blog > Gunbuster =-.
Point #1: Wow, another anime-cum-live action post, Jayman! This is really an interesting thing you have put in here.
I remember hearing Nodame Cantabile from one of my friends, and I didn’t particularly liked it. After some shots of it through Animax and your previous blog post, I somehow became more intrigue by it. Maybe I won’t make the jump for any live-action series yet, but any other interesting ones you can recommend? I know that last time, people were talking about “Train Girl” or something like that… A story about how an otaku met a girl in the train and try to get her to fall in love with him through an online community of otakus. That sounds interesting, so I might catch that up.
Point #2: Sorry that I wasn’t able to come to your blog for a very long time. Somehow, I felt that I’ve lost commitment to blogging and having no time (since I’m very bad at time management lol), so I’ve been ignoring all my otakurean comrades and their posts. I’d figured that I’ll start slow again, so I thought that I start with this post here, and gain back the feeling of loving to blog again. I’ll be kickstarting my blog (again?!) with the old URL (see above) so hopefully I’ll be able to maintain this for awhile longer.
Point #3: Well, I hope point #3 will come after this! ^^
J-Dramas/Movies are good but i think they overact sometimes. Anyway, i’m gonna watch Gokusen this weekend, it looks good.
Ohh and speaking of J-Dramas, i can say that my favorite is “Tokyo Friends”.
@Joe-man: Awww, haha. I guess we can agree to disagree. Come on, gotta lighten up a bit. Encourage your sense of humor… and insanity!
@Kris-chan: Ahh, “Absolute Boyfriend”. Wait, that’s the android series, right? Yeah, I think that lead android guy was in “Gokusen 2” too. Is his name Hayami Mokomichi? This guy? I guess I might have to watch “Absolute Boyfriend” next, haha. ^_~
@J85-man: Heyyy, what’s up? Yeah, if you’re trying out live-action, try the “Densha Otoko” (Train Man) series. Classic beauty-and-the-geek story, lol. I haven’t seen the film version, so I’m not too sure about that. But the series is hilarious! And Misaki Ito is gorgeous! Coincidentally, Misaki-chan appears in “Gokusen 1” and the “You’re Under Arrest” police comedy too… As for blogging, take your time. Everyone’s got their own passions and responsibilities both online and offline. I’ve been there, done that. So I know the feeling. Don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to.
@Shagh-man: Hahaha, of course, they overact! That’s why I love them. It’s just like an anime, right? Ahh, not only “Absolute Boyfriend”, I guess I might have to check out “Tokyo Friends” too, eh?
@jayman: y’know, come to think of it I don’t think a drama or anime has ever made me laugh, a smile at most. Some comedy shows I enjoy but they only ever amuse me, not have me rolling. If I wanna laugh I gotta watch some british comedy like the office or the IT crowd, or a few american shows like family guy.
Gaki no Tsukai is one japanese show that I do find hilarious, but that type of slapstick comedy doesn’t work well in a scripted show imo.
@jusuchin85: Stand Up!!, Densha Otoko, Byakuyakou, Great Teacher Onizuka and Nobuta wo Produce would be good dramas to start with.
The guy in this image somehow reminds me of one of the gangsters in the ‘Infernal Affairs’ movies- don’t remember his name though:
http://www.xjaymanx.com/xjaymanx_2007/Images-toybox-2009/xjaymanx_0208_gokusen_3_graduation_special_10153.jpg
I’ve heard of Gokusen before. Always thought of it as a female GTO, hehe. Although, Bousouzoku vs. Yakuza… Onizuka might wet his pants, but I suppose she won’t be able to kill the indestructible man, lol.
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Dreams of Lost Shoes =-.
well at least I know you’re still alive…..
.-= Miko´s last blog > Blog 67: Shinjuku Koen with Taka =-.
I saw the Gokusen anime. It was funny. I’ve not gotten into any live action shows. I barely watch any live action shows on American TV either. Live action TV for me is mostly sports and news. From the screencaps it looks like a funny show though.
.-= super rats´s last blog > Kuniko Isn’t Funny =-.
@Joe-man: Ahh, I see. Sounds like you’re probably a serious guy with specific tastes. Makes me wonder how you ever stick with anime to begin with, lol.
@A20-man: Ah, yeah, I know who you’re talking about! Classic mole-versus-mole film! Another spectacular acting performance by Tony Leung (Hard Boiled, Red Cliff). I think you mean the crime boss with the white hair, right? But he was probably Chinese, while this bleach-haired guy (who appears in “Gokusen” 1, 2, and 3) is Japanese… You know, never saw “GTO” but I think you’re right about the similarity. At least, from what I’ve heard. There might be some unrealistically and comically destructive “Gokusen” fight scenes, but yeah, no “kills”.
@Miko-chan: Good to know, lol.
@Happy-Rats-man: Yeah, funny if you aren’t like Joe above, haha. But I’m starting to get back into foreign live-action again. Like everything else, happens in phases. I guess I experienced the “too much anime” phase, and needed to take a break to regroup and refresh myself. The only American TV shows I’ve kept up with are “Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles” (Season 2) and “Smallville” (Season 8). Not much else interested me either. ^_^
@Jay:
Yeah, Mokomichi was the lead in Absolute Boyfriend (Night Tenjo, the robot).
Jing Irie also has a small role in AB.
I thought I saw Aibu Saki up there too (as, I guess, one of the teachers) but it’s not her (or she’s not listed). They look similar though. This is her: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Aibu_Saki
Apparently Mizushima Hiro (the other lead in AB) is also in Gokusen (2).
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Mizushima_Hiro
.-= Kris´s last blog > Gunbuster =-.
I wonder what’ll happen if Yankumi meet with with Onizuka. A riot? Probably.
.-= RyoBase´s last blog > The Fallen of Gaming PC? =-.
Yup, I know. They do look rather similar, don’t they? Short and stocky, with a look that just shouts out “I’m the funny guy here”, hehe.
GTO is about a former street racer who became a teacher. The manga was insane, but the live-action series was changed here and there- they made it a lot tamer. Onizuka falls off a building every few volumes… the stuntmen wouldn’t be able to handle all the insanity he goes through, I suppose:p Still, it turned out pretty good.
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Dreams of Lost Shoes =-.
@Kris-chan: Night Tenjo? Gahhh, already giving things away? But I’m starting to download “Zettai Kareshi” now, first episode so far. So you won’t spoil me too easily, lol. Don’t think I’ve seen Saki-chan or Jingi before (I think you meant Jingi not Jing), but Saki-chan looks pretty cute, lol. Ahh, Hiro looks vaguely familiar, but he was probably one of the supporting class members. Then again, who wasn’t a supporting “Gokusen” alumni?
@RyoBase-man: Actually, if I ever saw “GTO”, I think Yankumi might fall in love with Onizuka! Hahaha! Although Aprilius20 might have a better prediction?
@A20-man: Just like Kris-chan, already giving things away? I guess I’ll have to add “GTO” to my infinite list, both anime and live-action. Wait, 43 anime episodes? Whyyyyy? Luckily, the live-action is only 12 plus 1 special. Then again, if I can finish all 95 episodes of “Kenshin”, I suppose 43 ain’t too bad, eh? Oh yeah, care to answer RyoBase-man’s question above?
…. What did I give away? The story is about a girl who buys a sex-bot that she names Night Tenjo. You could read that in the most basic and simple story summary. Like a DVD sleeve. That’s what it’s ABOUT. So I’m not sure how I spoiled something?
.-= Kris´s last blog > Gunbuster =-.
@Kris-chan: Hehe, didn’t mean to make you defensive… Ah, but you assume that I read *any* basic summaries before diving into or downloading a series. The first tidbit I didn’t know, till you mentioned it, was that she names him Night Tenjo. And now the second tidbit was that he was a sex-bot. Oh well, not heavy spoils, but I suppose I can manage to momentarily forget those facts for now. ^_^
Zettai Kareshi… it’s being shown right now on terrestrial TV- I’ve watched one episode, and it seems OK. Some years ago a friend told me about it, but for some reason I kept hearing ‘hentai galaxy’ instead^^;;
Onizuka x Yankumi? No idea how she is, so I can’t really tell. A riot is quite likely… I suppose we can expect some sexual harassment on Oni’s part.
Ahaha, it’s not much of a spoiler. Saying ‘Onizuka falls off a building every few episodes’ is like saying ‘fish don’t drown easily’. I haven’t watched the anime though- just the live-action ones (all of ’em) and the manga, which was superb.
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Attention Please: Eat this and Forget =-.
@A20-man & @Kris-chan: You know what, having watched the first 2 episodes of “Zettai Kareshi”, while it isn’t mind-blowing, it’s still pretty good. Heart-breaking. Heart-warming. In fact, I grew near-teary-eyed towards the end of each one. Not only Night/Hayami’s noble rescues, but Soshi/Hiro’s cream-puff childhood. But nope, no “hentai galaxy” yet, lol.
Ahh, haven’t seen “GTO”, but if Onizuka is a harasser, then Yankumi might initially be repulsed. But if he has a soft tender side, and she inadvertently sees it, she might fall in love with him too, lol… Hmmm, after “Zettai” and hearing about “GTO”, looks like I’m beginning to fall back into Asian live-action again. Not just Hong Kong or Korean, but Japanese as well!
Zettai Kareshi is…OK. It’s funny, the guys are cute (but Soshi is missing his glasses, which is annoying…actor is still good looking though, with his adorably pouty lips). The story is…eh.
The manga that it’s based on is written by Yuu Watase, who writes some of the worst female characters I’ve ever seen. Shallow, wishy-washy, flaky. When you read the manga it’s like, “OMG why is Soshi even bothering with this girl” (but it’s OK Soshi, ~I~ love you at least). And the ending is awful. The ending for the LA isn’t much better.
But it’s entertaining, and the stuff with Soshi and the pastries and all that is very sweet. (In the manga, they’re HS students, so there’s none of that sort of stuff in there.)
.-= Kris´s last blog > Midori Days =-.
Haha, that might indeed be the case. Anyhow, all I’ll tell you is that the anime supposedly (I haven’t seen it) follows the manga quite closely, but the L-A is quite different- even Oni’s character was changed a little. But still good stuff, nonetheless.
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Attention Please: Eat this and Forget =-.
@Kris-chan: {Sigh} I’ve still only watched the first 2 episodes of “Zettai”, and you still insist on influencing my opinion, haha. So far, I like the live-action. With or without the manga spoilage, lol. But time will tell. Maybe I shouldn’t mention what I’m watching (which is what I typically do), so I can avoid the indirect “can’t help it” spoilage by others, lol. Oh yeah, since A20-man already suggested “GTO”, anything more in the live-action drama you can reveal? Yup, I was joking. >_<; @A20-man: Eh, I'm not too worried about manga, since I try to avoid them anyway, lol. Not for artistic purposes, but for economic reasons! Cool, thanx for your discretion. Although I may have to plug my ears if Kris-chan is still around. {Shhh} Don't tell her that someone recommended "Tokyo Friends", or I may get an earful.
But, I didn’t spoil anything! :(
All I told you was what you find out within like the first 5 or 10 minutes of the show. I mean, if someone saw it on my bookshelf and asked “What is that about?” The only thing to tell them is “it’s about a HS girl who buys a sexbot.” That’s not spoiling anything. :( It’s like telling someone that the Lord of the Rings is about a group of people trying to destroy the evil Lord Sauron by destroying his ring. It doesn’t give anything away; that’s just what the story is ABOUT. You can read that much on the back cover.
If you’re just trying to tease me or give me a hard time, that’s mean. :( I’m way too easy to tease; I take everything so seriously, lol.
.-= Kris´s last blog > Midori Days =-.
@Kris-chan: Awww. Not mean, not really. I know where you’re coming from. But from my perspective, I’m the type of viewer who occasionally avoids the one-line summary too! I mean, the name “Lord Sauron” would be too much. Is it too hard to believe that sometimes I simply want to dive into a film or series without *any* information? At all? So the title and a poster is enough, lol… Then again, when someone “spoiled” the death of a major “Harry Potter” character for me, I forgot about it by the time I watched the film anyway, haha. Go figure.
I guess I’m a complicated guy.
@ Joe: Thanks for the list of recommendations. I’ll definitely look into it. ^^
@ Jayman: It would seem to me that Misaki-chan is quite popular those days in drama series. She just reminds me of Tanaka Rie, who would be in almost any anime series that is popular or in need of a seiyu-lift!
Just one thing though; can a J-Drama be as similar to its anime counterpart? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting high expectations on the comparisons! ^^ But, what I’m looking at is the potential to be as entertaining as the original?
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > What Happened While I Was Gone… =-.
@J85-man: Hmmm, I guess it depends on individual preferences. For me, both the animated and live-action “Nodame Cantabile”, “Gokusen”, and “Death Note” are highly entertaining in their own ways! It’s also illuminating to see how live-action interprets, if not enhances, the anime version. Then again, not everyone necessarily enjoys them equally. So it depends on your tastes. Just try it out and see what you think!
@ Jayman: Hmm, I particularly enjoyed the Death Note movies. But one thing did gripe me: the fact that the actor playing Light was a bit to rigid/static to me. Maybe because he was trying too hard… but casting that aside, it would seem that it turns out quite enjoyable in the end.
They cannot depict what is similar to the anime/manga, but even if they made their own plot storyline, then it would sometimes turn out well in the end… Just make sure that it doesn’t fall into Hollywood’s hands! (just like how Dragonball and Street Fighter turn out to be *gasp*)
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > What Happened While I Was Gone… =-.
Hahahaha, your subtitles captions for the screencaps are always hilarious! I am not familiar with Gokusen at all. I’d have to say her gravure pictures are very sweet and innocent as opposed to some of the typical pornographic with gaping mouth stares that you usually get, haha.
.-= Jem´s last blog > 1 year and 478 figures later… =-.
@J85-man: Haha, that’s funny, I thought Tatsuya Fujiwara (the same guy who played Light and the lead guy in “Battle Royale”) seemed pretty geeky to play Light, lol. And the special effects for Ryuk took a bit of getting used to. But yeah, in the end, still entertaining! LOL, true, Hollywood tends to ruin things. Haven’t tried “Dragonball” and “Street Fighter” yet. But I have to admit, “Iron Man” (2008) was pretty impressive. Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges were awesome in that!
@Jem-chan: Ahh, thanx! Similarly, I wasn’t familiar with any of Yukie-chan’s work until “Gokusen”. But if you can’t tell already, I’ve been a fan of hers ever since! Actually, she also appeared in the live-action version of “Basilisk” called “Shinobi: Heart Under Blade” (2005). Sadly, no porno in that one. In case you’re curious, lol.
Iron Man was something! It was my favourite movie last year (after The Dark Knight); partially because I’m quite bias towards Marvel characters. Then again, X-Men didn’t make the cut for me. I just felt that Iron Man fits the bill as one movie which “blows me away”…
The same thing can’t be said for “the biggest blockbuster of this summer”… AUTOBOTS, ROLL OUT (of Hollywood, they are bringing our franchise to shame) ^^
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > What Happened While I Was Gone… =-.
Ahh, Gokusen. I have friends who love Asian dramas and they’ve been bugging me to watch certain titles, with Gokusen being one of them. I’ve never been a big fan of J-drama though. I remember watching Hana Yori Dango and only thought it was okay-ish, though all my other female friends who watched it were bawling at the end. I probably just need to try more of them before I find ones that I like.
But dang, all the guys in Gokusen look as if they take care of their hair more than I do.
.-= Coco the Bean´s last blog > Cosplay Finished! + Pre AX post =-.
Someone mention Death Note? I’m nuts about the series, especially the manga version. Please excuse me as I let out a shrilling fanboy scream…
I didn’t mind the movies, or the way they changed the plot too much. The major thing that bugged me was the ending, being a hardcore Light supporter. I didn’t really like Fujiwara’s acting either- all smiles, and too chubby. Then again, as I’ve said elsewhere, I don’t really think it’s possible for anyone to look as good as Light did in the manga and be oh-so-devilish><
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Attention Please: Eat this and Forget =-.
Woot! Found another Gokusen-fan! After watching the anime when it first released, and falling in love with it. Just had to watch the Live Action to see how it goes. Been chasing every series ever since. TIll today, I still think Sawada Shin was the best “bad boy” among all three series. The others from season 2 and 3 felt a little too “pop”.
@ RyoBase @ aprilius
I have been begging for a crossover to see how everything would go if Oni and Yankumi ever met since season 1. But I gave up at some point. Lol!
Do allow me share with you one of my favorite Yukie wall-ie which has graced my desktop since Gokusen 1 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/39911315@N08/3701188868/sizes/t/
.-= blur´s last blog > Quickie before Kurokami =-.
@J85:
The Nodame anime and live action are very similar. There aren’t a whole lot of obvious differences. Of course the LA does focus on the musical performances a bit more, which it can, as there are people playing instruments instead of static or barely moving animations of people playing instruments.
I also agree that the Light in the Death Note LA movies was rather off. He didn’t have the same show of intelligence and cunning as his animated counterpart. However I did think the guy playing L was totally spot on.
PS – Iron Man movie was awesome.
@Jay:
Could you direct me to a good, full DL(or DLs) of the Gokusen LA?
.-= Kris´s last blog > Midori Days =-.
@J85-man: Haha, yeah, I don’t favor Marvel or DC Comics either way, but “X-Men” never really stuck to me after the first film. Surprisingly, both “Iron Man” and “Dark Knight” were impressive! Hmm, haven’t seen “Transformers 2” yet. But according to the anti-hype, maybe I should wait, lol.
@Coco-chan: Haha, no worries, I think K-drama and J-drama takes some getting used to. But personally, once I got used to the filming-and-acting styles, it can get emotionally addictive! Yeah, for newbies, like when I first started out, the Japanese hair styles of the guys can be quite amusing or shocking. But when you begin to understand their styles as “statements of individuality” especially for school systems with a uniform dress code, then it begins to make sense and it becomes familiar. Slightly different in America where clothing makes those same “statements of individuality”… But yeah, from “Gokusen” to “Densha Otoko” (series not movie) to “Nodame Cantabile” and now starting “Zettai Kareshi”, if you let go of your preconceptions and prejudices, every one of these J-drama live-action series have moved me to tears and near-tears. So I definitely understand your friends!
@A20-man: Haha, please, no girly screams. True, I don’t plan to read the manga, but I didn’t mind the differences from anime to live-action. I still haven’t watched the 3rd live-action film “L – Change the World” spin-off though. I agree, didn’t prefer Tatsuya much. But if any actor could tackle Light’s role, perhaps that lead guy who played the brilliant conductor Chiaki-sempai in the “Nodame Cantabile” live-action? His name was Hiroshi Tamaki? He might’ve fit the part better.
@Blur-man: (I’m assuming you’re a guy, lol.) Heyyy, welcome to the Toybox! Yeah, been a fan of “Gokusen” and Yukie-chan since 2006. Simply awesome entertainment! Haha, I can understand the “pop”. But that’s part of its signature style, right? Seasons 2 and 3 were just as great. Regarding wallpapers, maybe I’ll throw another Yukie-chan bikini photoshoot into my next mega-cast, lol.
@Kris-chan: Haha, “barely moving animations of people playing instruments”. Exactly, lol. Okay, here are the best “Gokusen” torrents I can find. I only use IsoHunt.com and searched for “gokusen sars” where SARS is the fan-subber:
“Gokusen 1” (4.44 GB in 12 files)
http://isohunt.com/download/89205357/gokusen+sars.torrent
“Gokusen 2” (4.25 GB in 10 files)
http://isohunt.com/download/20247737/gokusen+sars.torrent
Unfortunately, the entire “Gokusen 3” hasn’t been packaged into a single torrent yet, so you’ll have to download those episodes individually. Moreover, I see the “G3” special, but not the “G1” and “G2” specials. I’m pretty sure they exist somewhere, but I can’t find them, lol. In any case, enjoy!
@ Kris: I remember someone pointing out that Nodame live action is slightly better than its anime counterpart, in a sense of the playing style. Like you mentioned, it’s more realistic than watching animated characters playing! ^^
L’s character is spot on, as he truly portrays the character perfectly. The eyes, the characteristic, everything! But, Light is just plain… He didn’t have that ruthless look which was so famous in the manga and anime. Oh well, nobody’s perfect, right? lol
Iron Man is the next best thing after Spider-Man (although the 3rd movie put me off a little!)
@ Jayman: To tell you the truth, I never really watched any Batman movies after what happened to the George Clooney edition (God, that was terrible and ridiculous!), even Batman Begins. After watching the Dark Knight, I felt that it’s a nice twist the way Christoper Nolan took. Very dark, and very intriguing. Truly a masterpiece!
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > What Happened While I Was Gone… =-.
@J85-man: Actually, if you think about it, *ANY* actor could’ve played “L” since his character is so distinctive. Just mess the hair, add the eyeliner, and *ANY* guy could be “L”, lol… As for “Dark Knight”, I don’t think Christopher Nolan deserves as much credit as Heath Ledger. Heath’s unbelievably believable performance is what made the film what it was. Truly and unpredictably frightening!
Lol! Yeah. I’m a guy the last time I checked. :p
Thanks for the warm welcome. And I’ll be looking forward to em bikini pics. ;p
.-= blur´s last blog > Black owns Grey =-.
@ Jayman: Yeah, Heath put on an unforgettable, masterpiece of a performance that is never seen by an actor in a long time. He truly brings up the name of the Joker in the most sinister way possible. Wicked, if you ask me…
Although I credited Nolan for changing the direction on how Batman was supposed to be: dark and intriguing. It’s very unusual to find superhero movies that are like that; most of them just wants to show the superhero to the audience, and make them go, “Ooh, ahhh…”. Although the title was “The Dark Knight” and was supposed to be targeted at Batman, but the set up made it look as if it was the Joker who should be the main man to look out for. Perhaps I was waiting to watch the movie after he passed on 5 months’ before…
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > What Happened While I Was Gone… =-.
@Blur-man: Haha, just don’t tell us how you “check” yourself. No prob. And I’ll try to remember the bikinis!
@J85-man: Yup, wicked, twisted, yet piercingly clear. As for “dark and intriguing”, I think “The Matrix” (1999) started the ball rolling in that direction, followed by the 9/11 horror in 2001. Understandably, entertainment followed that direction. For me, probably tbe best example of that darker “reinterpretation” is Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagined “Battlestar Galactica” (2003-2009) which took the campy old 1978 series and tossed it into the wicked and twisted post-9/11 flames… As for the Joker, I don’t remember the timing of Heath’s passing, but if it happened *before* Nolan fully cut the film together, I’m not surprised if Nolan threw the spotlight even more on Heath’s final performance.
@J85:
“Yeah, Heath put on an unforgettable, masterpiece of a performance that is never seen by an actor in a long time. ”
Eh? You don’t watch many movies then. Geoffrey Rush, Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp pull that off in every single movie they make. So do Cate Blanchett and Emma Thompson.
I’m not knocking Heath’s performance (which I thought was wonderful), nor do I mean any offense, but to say that his performance is the best example of acting in recent times is pretty narrow minded when there are others who pull it off every single time, and he managed it once. :) Had he lived longer, I’m sure he would have done it again, but everything prior to the Joker wasn’t much.
.-= Kris´s last blog > Midori Days =-.
@ Jayman: It is quite an interesting read on Wiki about how Heath approach the character development: Cast Of The Dark Knight. It seems that he locked himself in his home for a month and then practised lines of the Joker, until finally he got what he wanted. And he portrayed the Joker as what he likes, not what Christopher told him to do. We know how that turned out…
I think we’ve discussed about The Matrix before; that really took the levels of movie-making to a different height. With its complex storyline and complex characters, it really is a unique movie when it first came out. I remember watching the movie countless times when I got the VCD (yeah, we had VCD before).
But I don’t get how the 9/11 incident change the perspective of the direction of movies. Care to enlighten me? ^^
@ Kris: Lol what I meant was that when he performed how he performed on that one instance, it was unforgettable. I think my attention span was focused on The Dark Knight when Jayman and I were discussing about super hero movies. So, hoped I didn’t tick ya? ^^
But I do agree with your choices there, Kris-chan. Most of them really performed well whenever they act, especially Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett. When they enter the screen and utter those first few words, it just astounds me how much presence they give out.
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > Another World -Kyou Arc- =-.
@J85-man: Well, simply put, the U.S. never witnessed such a massive terrorist attack, on such a massive scale of death and destruction, within her own boundaries before. So in a way, the American consciousness shifted from childhood to adulthood overnight. Naturally, the American entertainment industry (e.g. Hollywood) would feel that same “loss of national security” or “loss of national innocence”. Grittier. Deadlier. More twisted. More horrific. Of course, I can’t speak for other countries. Perhaps they never felt a “national safety” as high as America. But after 9/11, Americans felt that safety disappear.
-pops by- Oo, Zettai Kareshi. Yeah, I was kinda o.O that the storyline was so different from the manga. (It actually became a pastry show. Not that I really minded, they looked really delicious. XD) But speaking of Watase Yuu-sensei, I liked Ayashi no Ceres~! >.> <.< Likessss. XD
"@J85-man: Actually, if you think about it, *ANY* actor could’ve played “L” since his character is so distinctive. Just mess the hair, add the eyeliner, and *ANY* guy could be “L”, lol… "
Not true~~ Matsuken was solid in it. Though I have to admit I did like his voice. -wry- But yeah, not ruthless..and in L Save the World (or something), I liked how we saw more of him. Though by all accounts, it was a rather-predictable film.
.-= jenn´s last blog > Ai Hime vol 1-3 [End] – Groan, forbidden love shoujo again? =-.
@Jenn-chan: {Catches your pop} Haha, since I tend to avoid manga for budgetary reasons, I don’t mind altered storylines! As long as the story stays solid. Ahh, never saw “Ayashi no Ceres”. Although I did give her 52-episode “Fushigi Yūgi” anime 5 of 5 stars, lol.
As for “L Change the World”, I’m planning (hoping) to watch it this weekend. I never said Kennichi was *bad*, I’m just saying *almost any* decent male actor would be good. Then again, Tatsuya as “L” would probably be horrible, haha. Heyyy, since J85-man above mentioned the Joker, what about Heath Ledger as “L”? Intriguing…
@Jenn:
I just assumed that they didn’t want to make a TV drama where the main characters were HS kids and sex dolls. In book form it’s not that weird, and it can fly in animated form too, but when you put real people in it….. I mean, half the manga is just Night trying to get Riiko to have sex with him. And the rest is Gaku trying to get Riiko to have sex with Night. So…I could see why they might want to change it to adults.
.-= Kris´s last blog > Midori Days =-.
@Kris-chan: {Covers eyes from potential spoilage} Gahhh!
@ Jayman: Hmm, when you put it that way, then I can see why more movies…no, the entertainment industry as a whole is shifting their perspective to cater for the wider audience whose mindset have been affected greatly after 9/11. Thanks for the insight. I wish that the entertainment industry as a whole takes this approach, as more people are adapting this mindset. I’ve just came back from meeting up my friend, and he has seen some changes on how I perceive movies right now. Not as before where comedies and slapstick humour interests me, but more like the intriguing and deep thoughtful ones. The same can’t be said of anime though lol…
Hmm… Heath Ledger = L in live action Death Note? Intriguing? Yes. But suitability, then I would say maybe. If he takes the same approach during his script rehearsal as the Joker (by making an impression of how he perceive L to be, in his own way) then maybe it could be a successful cast! But if we judge by his performance as the Joker and put in into the L character, then it would be a little…weird? lol
.-= jusuchin85´s last blog > Another World -Kyou Arc- =-.
Hmm, but then who’d play Light? There aren’t many out there who can pull off the (Devious) bishounen look- maybe Johnny Depp? I’ve heard of a Hollywood adaptation some time ago, but no new news so far. As for L:CTW, I think I was one of the few people in the audience who wasn’t sad at the end. Being a hardcore Light fan, I was happy when L finally kicked the bucket, although much later than in canon:p
LOL at ‘just assumed that they didn’t want to make a TV drama where the main characters were HS kids and sex dolls’. Isn’t that illegal, haha. And I spot an Ayashi no Ceres reference, yay ~fanboy squeals for Toya~^^;;
.-= aprilius20´s last blog > Gundam 00: Gravure Idols, Rock Bands, and Scrap Metal =-.