Tags
Sunday was Chinese New Year so I will begin this Trailer Weekly with 恭喜发财! (Gong xi fa cai!). I actually ventured out to London’s Chinatown with a friend, fully intent on enjoying some Taiwanese food but the restaurant I had in mind had a queue about a mile long, even at 3 in the afternoon. In the end we opted for Japanese (vegetable & tofu tempura bento, plus lovely gyōza) and later watched a Japanese film at my friend’s house (Ghibli’s 「おもひでぽろぽろ」/ Omohide Poro Poro/Only Yesterday, 1991, after initially considering 「火垂るの墓」 / Hotaru no Haka/Grave of the Fireflies, 1988, even buying some comfort food and then copping out. Jajaja…). Anyhow, it ended up being a pretty un-Chinese Chinese New Year, despite all intentions. Ah well.
In terms of this belated Trailer Weekly, I thought it was time for another ‘Special’, with J-actresses that I know from doramas as the focus: Anne, Karina, Koyuki, Yoko Maki, Ueno Juri and Takeuchi Yuko.
- 「映画 妖怪人間ベム」 (Eiga Yokai Ningen Bem/Humanoid Monster Bem, Japan, 2011)
Bela (yes, she bites).
Directed by Kariyama Shunsuke. I’m choosing this for Anne, but if I’m honest, that’s not where my interest for this film started. That would be J-actor Kamenashi Kazuya (who featured in my first Dorama Special Trailer Weekly). As I was working my way through his film/TV-ography, I stumbled across the dorama「妖怪人間べム」(Yokai Ningen Bem/Humanoid Monster Bem, 2011), a story about three monsters, Bem, Bela and Belo, who wish nothing more but to become human. It’s pure awesomeness (I marathoned it in one night
). Those yokai were hideously ugly, but their inner loneliness really tugged at my hearstrings. Belo (Susuki Fuku) was so kawaiiiiiiiiii, Bem (Kamenashi) had such deep sadness inside of him that made me want to cry – and insist that the actor henceforth only play these kind of withdrawn, quiet characters. But then there was also monster #3, Bela, played by Anne. Anne is one of those high-profile actresses (from an acting family, with Watanabe Ken as her father, successful as a model and in the entertainment industry) that I never paid much attention to, but her Bela was one super-cool lady that I could not help but adore. Now I want more of Yokai Ningen Bem (hence the choice of movie), but I also want to see what else Anne has done because she definitely got me interested here. And I’m even happier now knowing that she is the female lead opposite Sometani Shota in the upcoming dorama 「xxxHOLIC」.
Anne + Sometani in a manga-adapted dorama with fantasy elements. xxxHOLIC can only be fabulous (premieres February 24, 2013).
- 「パレード」 (Paredo/Parade, Japan, 2010)
Manga face painting during a Love Shuffle pyjama party (a drunk Tamaki Hiroshi at work).
Directed by Yukisada Isao. Karina is another actress I sort of always ignored because I never found her particularly notable in the doramas she starred in. Both in「 フリーター、家を買う。」(Freeter, Ie wo Kau, 2010) and「バンビ～ノ！」(Bambino!, 2007) her characters were the same kind of too-perfect (overly gorgeous, flawless and so obviously superior to the male lead) love interest that simply bored me, but then came「PRICELESS ~あるわけねぇだろ、んなもん！~」 (PRICELESS~Aru Wake Nedaro,n namon!~/Priceless, 2012), where she played a similar sort of role but was also quirky – enough to make her obsessively number-crunching persona simply hilarious. 「ラブシャッフル」(Rabu Shaffuru/Love Shuffle, 2009) further confirmed my change-of-mind about Karina. The film: Paredo sounds like a slice-of-life story that could in fact have worked equally well (better?) in dorama form: it is about four individuals in their twenties who share a flat in Tokyo. Although they live together, they also respect each other’s privacy and keep some distance, never asking too many questions. It’s only when a blonde-haired teen appears in their apartment one day that things get turned upside down. Initially assuming that the boy is a friend of one of them, they realise that no one actually knows him. News reports about deadly attacks on women in the neighbourhood also raise their distrust. It’s a comedy with an increasing chill factor. Note: Love the poster!
- 「信さん・炭坑町のセレナーデ」 (Shin-san Tankoumachi no Serenade, 2010)
Pet looooove.
Dir. by Hideyuki Hirayama. Koyuki stars in this. Now, if I never end up seeing the film, I actually don’t care so much – not because I’m not interested in it, but because Koyuki will forever be Sumire-chan for me. Dorama addicts will know what I’m talking about -「きみはペット」(Kimi wa Petto, 2003) of course, which is totally bizarre but easily one of my top-5 Japanese television series. I just love it to bits! Koyuki played the sexy, chain-smoking power woman that kept a human pet (with the equally memorable and oh-so-kawaiiiii Matsujun as Momo). While I have seen Matsujun in plenty of other (convincing) roles, I’m not sure if watching Koyuki play another character will work for me, but, well, I might give it a try with Shin-san Tankoumachi no Serenade, set in 1963 Japan. Koyuki takes on the role of single mother Michiyo that returns to her hometown Fukuoka with her young son. There she meets Shin-san, a hardened teen boy, whose parents are dead. Raised by uncaring relatives, Michiyo is the first one to give him a sense of motherly love. (Note: I reviewed the K-film adaptation of Kimi wa Petto a year ago, with plenty of comparisons to the J-dorama.)
- 「グーグーだって猫である」(Gou-Gou Datte Neko Dearu/Gou Gou, the Cat, Japan, 2008)
Nodame. Probably better not to know what she’s thinking.
Dir. by Inudo Isshin. With Ueno Juri it is a bit like with Koyuki: Ueno is Nodame – of 「のだめカンタービレ」 (Nodame Cantabile, 2006 for season 1 and 2008 for season 2, plus two movies) - forever. But I did watch some of her doramas before and after already, namely「素直になれなくて」 (Sunao ni Narenakute/Hard to Say I Love You, 2010) and 「オレンジ デイズ」 (Orenji Deis/Orange Days, 2004) so the hurdle isn’t quite the same. The movie that I’m most interested in with Ueno is 「幸福のスイッチ」(Shiawase no suitchi, 2006) but I can’t find a trailer for it so I went for Gou-Gou Datte Neko Dearu instead because Inudo Isshin directed it. Ueno doesn’t play the lead in this one, but is a prominent secondary character: she is the worrying assistant to Asako, a 40-year old comic artist who is devastated over the loss of her cat until she adopts Gou-gou.
- 「すーちゃん まいちゃん さわ子さん」 (Suchan Maichan Sawakosan/Sue, Mai and Sawa: Righting the Girl Ship, Japan, 2013)
Osozaki no Himawari: Face-squashed by Ikuta Toma. There could be worse things in life, no?
Dir. by Minorikawa Osamu. Although not everyone took to Maki Yoko‘s doctor character in 「遅咲きのヒマワリ～ボクの人生、リニューアル～」 (Osozaki no Himawari ~Boku no Jinsei, Rinyuaru~/Late Blooming Sunflower -My Life Renewed-, 2012) because she did act rather cold at times, I enjoyed not only the dorama but also Maki in it. The actress’s film- and TV-ography is quite extended, although she has been offered lead roles only recently (she has two more interesting but as yet trailerless movies coming up this year). In Suchan Maichan Sawakosan she is one of a trio of former co-workers. Plot details are somewhat scarce, but it seems like a slice-of-life movie about three women in their thirties – nothing too exciting but realistic and relatable.
- 「天国の本屋～恋火」 (Tengoku no Honya – Koihi/Heaven’s Bookstore, Japan, 2004)
With Kimura Takuya in Pride.
Dir. by Shinohara Tetsuo. I have seen Takeuchi Yuko in a number of doramas - 「夏の恋は虹色に輝く」 (Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku/Summer Romance Shines in Rainbow Colors, 2010), 「薔薇のない花屋」 (Bara no nai Hanaya/Flower Shop Without Rose, 2008) and「プライド」 (Puraido/Pride, 2004), the last one probably being my favourite. Takeuchi is one of the few Japanese actresses that looks older than her age (I don’t mean this in a bad way) and perhaps because of that often ends up in noona-romance roles (like in Natsu no Koi). I have no idea whether that applies for Tengoku no Honya – Koihi, but the plot is certainly intriguing: Kenta, a pianist, wakes up in a strange room which turns out to be a bookstore in heaven. He learns that each human is given one hundred years of life, but if they die before they go to this place. In the bookstore he also meets Shoko (Takeuchi), a pianist he admired on earth, who has been unable to compose since she arrived there. A parallel story unfolds on earth.
Anne Watanabe was wasted in Ninja Kids!!! where she had little to do except look pretty and worried. Humanoid Monster Bem looks like fun as does xxxHOLiC.
Su-chan Mai-chan Sawako-san looked really good. Maki Yoko looks promising.
I’ve developed a phobia regarding Koyuki ever since watching Pulse. “Lady, there are ghosts! Run!”
I’m not surprised Anne was wasted in Ninja Kids. I had a harder time finding worthwhile films for J-actresses – I don’t think there are as many interesting roles and they get typecast a lot. Karina and Maki Yoko play mostly similar characters in their doramas and films – I still want to watch them, but I wish they had more of a chance to branch out and challenge themselves with different roles. I also found it very telling when you google their names, for half of them you get pictures in their underwear (or type in ‘top Japanese actresses’ and you’ll get a whole lot that started out as gravure models).
I’m not going to blame the actresses, I think they are just trying to succeed in the (Asian) entertainment industry in the way it’s sadly still demanded… When we get female (K) action film characters described as “a bounty hunting trio composed of beauties” and the production lauded as “a film with strong female characters as we have never seen… before” and as “a fresh and unique adventure”, I think we are still in a sad state (this is how the upcoming K-film The Huntresses is being advertised by Kofic). I mean, when was the last time you heard an action film with male leads described as featuring “a bounty hunting trio composed of gorgeous hunks” (or something like that?).
Are you criticising Koyuki? I worship her. My drama-watching life would be so much poorer without her Sumire-chan! (And without Matsujun’s Momo – they are an inseparable pair.) Whenever I need a laugh, I just watch the two of them!
-making huge generalisations – No entertainment industry is exactly innocent of this but the Asian entertainment industry is very highly orchestrated and the production line approach to mainstream entertainment means that the types of roles we like seeing are relegated to the more indie end of the spectrum. That said… or written to be more exact…, I cannot think of a female equivalent of Koji Yakusho, an actress who is given interesting roles in both mainstream and indie sectors that are totally different and allow them to show their talent. Hikari Mitsushima and Fumi Nikaidou seemsto be a rising stars willing to branch out in different roles and we have familiar names like Makiko Watanabe who crops up in a number of interesting roles – making huge generalisations –
I’m sure Paul will have a but more to say on this
I’m not criticising Koyuki so much as I think the performances I have seen have been interesting. The majority of characters in Pulse aren’t meant to run around battling ghosts (like they did in the US remake) so her getting that reaction from me is fine. I still wouldn’t want to have to drag her through a supernatural apocalypse though!
Speaking pretty much exclusively about Japan I think it’s something that is cyclical but currently there are very few (younger) women who are in film based solely on their acting ability and lots are idols, it’s a huge shame but it’s not hugely different for men, most roles (probably more tv roles for men) are dominated by idols, just look at the list of current and previously on the books Johnny’s Entertainment idols and see how many movies and tv shows they’ve starred in, giving examples of three Johnny’s Entertainment boy bands KAT-TUN, Arashi and SMAP, they saturate the market whether it be drama, movies or entertainment shows, they’re everywhere (some of Alua’s favourites are Johnny’s Boys!).
Producers and Directors must have a hard time, imagine you start casting for a tv show or movie, you want it to be a success and you have a choice, either cast amazing actors and actresses who are unknown or cast a massively popular idol who’s mostly competent at acting, you would have a hard time explaining to your boss why you took a risk with an unknown over guaranteed cash from using an idol.
The real shame is the disappearance of smaller independent-ish movies where up and coming actors and actresses can cut their teeth, this is something that will change again but the movies will be / are smaller and lower budget than ever before.
This isn’t anything new though it’s been happening since the seventies, some earlier examples of this are Hiroko Yakushimaru and Kyoko Koizumi both were idols (I can’t think of male equivalents, I’m sure there are)
So let’s not forget that there are flash in the pan idols and those that stick around, it’s almost like they’re cutting their teeth in a different way, Jason mentioned Hikari Mitsushima, even she has a past as an idol so maybe they see it as the most viable route.
Oh, I’m sooooo with you on your Koyuki and Ueno adoration.
They’ll forevaaaaah be Sumire and Nodame for me. Wait, that’s kinda sad for them, as actresses, but this is how fandoms work. That actually reminds me of THIS hilarious picture:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0uy6jSOEu1r3jsrko1_500.jpg
Hmm, I watched the 5 trailers recently added on WOWOW website and….err, I now fear the worst. How to say it kindly….well, it sorta looks cheap. In some plans, the make-up on Anne looks awful (think B movies) and I’m not speaking of the spooky sequences I’ve seen. I was about to say that I’m afraid Anne may not have “it” to play Yuko (I’ve seen some facial expressions that disappointed me in that it felt “acted”) but I’ll reserve that for when I see at least a whole episode. Show, prove me wrong!
I haven’t watched any of the trailers or teasers for xxxHOLIC but….NOOOOOO don’t tell me it doesn’t look good. It would be such a waste, because I do think they have the right cast (I’ll fully vouch for Sometani, not quite as much for Anne since I’ve only seen her in one dorama). Of course, I’m also speaking as someone who hasn’t yet dared to tackle the gazillion-chapter manga. Fingers crossed that the show does prove to be amazing (or at least really good). There isn’t much to watch drama-wise at the moment (well, there is a lot of unsubbed stuff I can’t watch) and I want something worth my while!
Well, I have to revise this judgement, thanks to the 5 minutes trailer you can see here:
I waaaaay prefer this, compared to the trailers, which were not appealing (IMO). There, I can enjoy the directing (and SOMEYEAHTANI). I paste here what I wrote on a friend’s blog:
I can’t pinpoint it, but I think that what bugged me with the trailers was that we had a patchwork of weird scenes and it just didn’t clicked. Also, the actress playing the Jorougumo scares me, in a bad way. She reeks of a bad porn starlet.
The little excerpt slowly introduces you to the story, and I enjoyed it. Mostly because we have Sometani, but even Anne isn’t bad. It’s just that I think she’s too frail to play the powerful and wild Yuko.