Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi fanboy

Getting all Japan-o-philic in preparation for a June trip to Tokyo, I dipped back into the deep well of Japanese dorama available on the web. And I found Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, which is now my favorite show. And now I sit impatiently for someone to upload the latest episode (8th of 11, airing yesterday in Japan).

Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi (literal translation: "Penultimate love") stars Koizumi Kyoko as a lonely TV producer in her mid-40s, who, reflecting a real Japanese trend, moves to Kamakura to live in a traditional home close to nature and the sea. Instead of a calm, pre-retirement existence, though, she gets pulled into the maelstrom of the eccentric family next door.

For me the charm is the amazing, largely female, cast. Start with Koizumi Kyoko, who starred in the very first Japanese dorama I ever watched, Aishiatteru no kai!, back in 1989.

Instead of a teen idol transitioning into adult roles, Koizumi is now a mature actress transitioning into oba-san roles.

Adding to the shocking passage-of-time effect, is Moriguchi Hiroko, as one of Koizumi's sex-in-the-city style gal pals. She was an up-and-coming chatty tarento when I watched Japanese TV in Japan two decades ago.

Among the delightfully eccentric supporting cast is Uchida Yuki as a severely introverted Asberger's type, who speaks in long-winded monotone and

harbors a secret crush on Koizumi's character.

I am particularly fond of Masuwaka Tsubasa (in what is apparently her debut acting role) as a trendy young adult drama screenwriter.

Masuwaka hits the "gyaru" fashion and behavior notes hard. I find her appealingly alien, though I imagine folks in Japan have gotten used to this kind of thing by now.  Masuwaka, by the way, has recently been marketed as a singer, performing under the name, Milky Bunny.

Like all good dorama, the show is equally comic and heartwarming. Quiet moments of contemplation/realization abound, sometimes punctuated by the cry of the tobi (black kite) or, as in the scene below, accompanied by the barely audible crackle of the kerosene heater.

 

Nakai Kiichi (who was paired with Koizumi Kyoko in a drama back in the mid-90s), is very affecting as a sometimes prickly middle-aged widower who has sacrificed his own desires to be the pillar of sanity supporting his eccentric family. Will he end up with Koizumi? It seems pre-ordained but isn't entirely clear at this point.

Tastefully underlying the action are two songs by Yael Naim: "Far far," and "Go to the river," perfect for expressing wistfulness and the feeling of losing control respectively. (I ended up buying both from iTunes...)

For non-Japanese speakers, there is a very good fansub that has been graciously offered up by an efficient group a few days after episodes air. I usually rush and watch the raw upload as soon as it appears (at the risk of not quite grasping all the nuances)--the show is that good.

[UPDATE: The 8th episode has arrived, just moments after I posted this!]

[December 2012 UPDATE: A NEW episode, a "special" that advances the relational plot a tiny bit is now available.]

Anti-fashion cartoon from 1913

Life, May 8, 1913.

This 1913 cartoon anticipates our contemporary interest in the origins of consumer items (and their true non-monetary costs), sexist punchline not withstanding... [Click on image to read it]

New Harrison Cady Tumblr Blog

Harper's Round Table, January 21, 1896.

I've been collecting public domain images created by Harrison Cady. I thought Tumblr might be a good way to display them. Here's the link.

Friedrich Kittler RIP (rage comic style)

Click image to read small type

thanks, Dan Awesome's Rage Maker

Leaf Blower in Eden, or, The Industrialization of Suburban Landscaping

Just a project that comes to mind as I sit in my office trying to read over the roar of a giant lawnmower across the street.

Birding the Net

At last, a convergence of birding and advertising (Goodby is behind this campaign). Will probably see The Big Year this weekend.

Don't buy a used 2001-2003 RAV4

The transmission will die, thanks to faulty computer software. And if you are like me and unlucky enough to be just two months past the extended warranty, Toyota will not give you a break.

I haven't yet decided whether this kills my relationship with Toyota forever. But I no longer trust Toyota cars to last longer than ten years. The Hyundai alternative is looking rather attractive, I must say....