Ikebukuro West Gate Park Special

Bukuro Saiko!

Wiki link @ D-addicts

Makoto is back in the 2:11 hour special (although there are some songs which account for around 15 minutes), things have moved on some 3 years later and Makoto is now homeless as his Mum sold out his shop to a building company. Reluctantly he gets dragged into investigating a suspected "Bone smasher" - someone is putting homeless people to sleep and then proceeding to break their bones.

Alot of the cast have changed appearance wise (original series came out in 2000), Hikaru and Yamai the main culprits - unrecognisable at first. While Makoto, Takashi, Ritsuko, and other main protagonists haven't aged much.

In between finding the culprit, we get to see a Ramen related gang war, Makoto's real father's history and some bits of humor.

There are typical scenes which made the original series funny and the same feel is translated to the special. What might be missing is the real raw street feel you got in the series with locations like the police station, the train station, hostess club thingy, hotels, shops and of course Makoto's home.

Generally its a nice addition and welcome progression to the original series - a must watch if you have seen the original IWGP series but decent viewing even if you haven't.

I would give it a 6.5 out of 10 - not killer material like the original series.

Technorati tags: Ikebukuro, west, gate, park, bukuro, iwgp, makoto, j-tv, review, drama

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PS2 Memor32 Chips

http://uk.gizmodo.com/2007/11/08/chipping_a_ps2_just_got_really.html

Mod chips are getting easier!

Groups are slowly finding ways to bypass the MagicGate encryption system on the PS2 Memory card slots. By using updated DVD software (which installed to a PS2 memory card as the PS2 did not feature upgradable firmware) as a base to understand the signing process for the memory cards, Memor32 acts as gateway and allows users to upload unsigned code to execute from the memory card.

PS2 Backup games do need to be burned as fake DVD movies (IE need to have a DVD Video files on the disk to trick the PS2 into excepting the disk (used to be able to that with Data CDs - tricking the PS2 by making them with Audio tracks)) but then using the unsigned executables to boot the games...

More on this as it develops and also the potential for a free version..

Technorati tags: ps2, mod chip, memor32, magicgate, dvd

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Long time no post...

Hello Folks.

I haven't posted anything in a while.

Why?

Simply because I haven't been bothered!

The J-Drama seen has dried up a little - some not so hot series are being aired this Winter (or Fall, I can't remember) and I am just waiting for Hard subs to arrive (I have run out of room for 700MB an episode and just sticking to 300MB subbed ones).

What's in store this month?

I am going to be doing an Unboxing and review of the new Nokia N95 8GB exclusively on the Gadget Igloo.

There will be no more waiting for Sars to released the IWGP Special (yes it is out - 2 hours worth! But shoddy quality...), but there are only 3-4 episodes of Life out so far? What about Hotaru no Hikari? Hard subs haven't finished yet. And the hard subs for this season are crawling away (Yukan Club and Galileo the only ones to note at the moment).

So really there isn't much to report - maybe the return of PRISON BREAK (YES!!!) and SMALLVILLE (NOOOO!), as well as the demise of Bleach and the rise of Naruto!

So there is something to shout about this month!
See you soon.

Technorati tags: anime, naruto, bleach, j-tv, drama, life, hotaru no hikari, smallville, prison break, n95, phone, yukan club, galileo

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Bleach 138-139 Summary

Finally things are back on track.

Aizen sends his espadas arrancar to earth accompanied by Grimmjaw.

The Soul society goes into red alert and Rukia heads back leaving Inoue to come back later.

Ichigo is also allowed to leave; he meets up with Grimmjaw and explains how that he has changed in one month.

One espada is missing, Aizen has sent him on a special task which we are yet to find out, but it seems Aizen is able to awaken the Hoguko just for a short time 2 months before schedule.

The quality was better and the pace was top notch too.

I am looking forward to this week's since there is no Naruto to watch till next week.

This week it finally happens, the Arrancar finally go after Inoue while she is in between the real world and the Shinigami world.

Ichigo pulls on his Hollow mask and acknowledges that he will have to beat Grimmjaw in 11 seconds, and proceeds to decimate him but just before delivering the final blow his mask cracks and breaks off, giving Grimmjaw the chance he needs to get some hits in on Ichigo.

Hitsugaya tries to stop one of the 3 other Arrancar from releasing his Zanpaktou and promptly gets backside kicked. 1 released Arrancar Espada is enough to handle the 3 remaining Shinigami.

Urahara arrives just in time to free Matsumoto from the Arrancars grip on her, but is instantly attacked by the newest Arrancar (created by Aizen at the start of the last episode).

There are just 2 Shinigami escorting Inoue to the real world when suddenly the Arrancar that was missing enters the Dimensional gate and kills off the Shinigami and orders Inoue to come with him or he will kill off her comrades – he shows images of Hitsugaya, Ichigo and Matsumoto getting beat down.

Finally Bleach has come out of reverse and is looking like value for money – shame the episodes are just too short.

There was no preview this week – possibly to hide Inoue’s decision or to hide something big from next week!!

 

Technorati tags: bleach, episode, summary, anime

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Life Episode 1 - Summary

Wiki entry @ D-addicts

Long time was taken in the release of the first episode of Life by SOS fansubs but was it worth the wait?

Defiantly, Shiiba Ayumu played by Kitano Kii stars in this reality check for the Japanese world, laying down the hard facts and bare truths of the issues kids face today in all schools across Japan and most of the world.

The first episode throws down scenarios such as suicide, self mutilation, bullying, discrimination, domestic neglect as well as peer pressure, domestic pressure, sadism, seclusion and other problems - and this is just from the first episode!!

Ayumu wants to stay close to her best friend in high school and gets her to give her major revision help for the entry exam. Surprisingly Ayumu passes the exam and her friend doesn't, prompting her to turn on her as she spent more time helping Ayumu then revising herself. distressed Ayumu gets a worried call from her friend's Mum that she hasn't returned home from school.

Ayumu goes looking for her only to find her dead in a pool of blood from what appears to be the result of jumping off the school roof.

Ayumu locks herself away for days overwriting her face on all of her many photos with her deceased friend, retracing her thoughts and deciding she was the reason her friend's dream was snatched away and then decides it better she wasn't alive and starts cutting away at herself with a pair of scissors.

Jump ahead to the new term at the new school and she is a wreck and wants to be left alone. One girl sees this as an opportunity to find someone who she can open up to - she is so adored by other classmates she can't dare express her true feelings to the others in the class.

Hence a bond of unusual friendship grows between Ayumu and the popular girl, but as she gets pulled into her close circle of friends she sees how other girls getting bullied or singled out for rough treatment but stays quiet due to the fact she doesn't want to make her new friend upset (see what happened to her last friend?) and watches on as one girl gets rough time.

Last scene sees Ayumu try consoling her friend after she was dumped by her boyfriend. Thinking she has done enough she lets her friend go home only to turn and see her standing in the path of an oncoming train.

Talked about cursed! cant wait for another episode, this episode had quite alot so I didn't mention the minor subplots like the domestic pressure, the sadist boyfriend who is trying to meet his father's expectations of top marks by hitting on a teacher, and others.

Clearly one to watch although on the side of caution as it is hard hitting and the wiki summary mentions it deals with bullying and rape.

Clearly a departure from the rosy anime/manga inspired school flicks we are used to.

Sarg.

Technorati tags: life, episode, j-tv, drama, preview, summary, sos

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Lack of Posting this month

Hi, for those who do read this blog.

I have had little chance to post during July and August due to doing extra shifts at work.

I am doing extra shift till mid Sept, so I am afraid there won't be any posts till then.

Come September it will be time to write up reviews for the pick of the Summer J-Dramas (yes I have still been watching them) and previews of the Autumn shows.

Also Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Bleach and Naruto catch ups (Yes Bleach is back on track and Naruto is progressing well).

Also a whole slew of Man United photos to upload to Flickr.

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Updates?

Hello folks, sorry for the lack of updates recently.

I have either been unwell or at work!

I still have to write up summaries of Yamada taro monogatari, Ushi no negai wo, Tantei Gakuen Q and Yama Onna Kabe Onna all of which I have seen and First Kiss with Inoue Mao! There will be a preview of Life (which I don't think has been subbed yet) as well as the current state of Bleach, Naruto (not much happening there) and Higurashi.

Stayed tuned, I am in Manchester this week to watch Manchester United's friendly with Inter Milan and also the Charity Shield match vs Chelsea - so lots of Photos to upload next week!

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Hotaru no Hikari - Drama Summary

Wiki Entry @ D-Addicts

Haruka Ayase (Tatta Hitotsu no Koi, Byakuyakou, Sekai...) stars as Hotaru Amemiya in this Manga adaptation.

This show starts off easy going, but you soon get an idea of Hotaru's character - even though she is in her 20s she has no interest in finding love and all her spare time is spent at home being lazy and messy. This all comes as a shock to the new home owner - her boss (Fujiki Naohito), who is forced out of his wife's home and comes to live here only to find the place a tip thanks to Hotaru "squatting" at his parent's home.

Hotaru's life starts to evolve when a new employee named Makoto (Kazuki Kato) comes back to the company after studying in London and develops a liking for her - you can see her reaction to getting a peck on the lips in the photo above!

The funniest point of the episode was when her boss finally decides to let Hotaru stay (considering he is still married etc) because she isn't from the female race! She has no traits from opposite gender, so he agrees to let her stay - calling her a "dried fish"!

This drama demands your attention with bold contrasting characters, conflicting life styles of Hotaru and her boss and her almost childish reaction to falling for the new boy at work (since it has been so long since she was last interested in a guy).

This is being hard subbed by DoReMi so don't expect it to be released as quick as say a soft sub, which is a shame as I clearly didn't get my fill from one episode - a must watch, but not in small doses!

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Links to most softsubs

Hey, if you are like me and you cannot wait for hard subs to come out on D-Addicts, then this may be of interest.

Here is my collection of links to pages (mostly at D-Addicts) with the current soft subs for those series.

Most are from this season (summer 07) and there are some from last season (Spring - Liar Game, Bambino, Jodan Janai, Hotelier, Jikou Keisatsu 2 and Proposal Daisukusen).

Please feel free to share this link with anyone it's my google notebook and will be updated when a new season starts or a new drama is on my watch list:

http://www.google.com/notebook/public/11986609191240181779/BDUkRQgoQuYSGp6si

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Papa to Musume no Nanokakan Episode 1

Wiki Entry @ D-Addicts

Aragaki Yui stars as Kawahara Koume and 16 year old high school girl and her beleaguered father Kawahara Kyoichiro (played by Tachi Hiroshi).

The show starts off with the father lamenting the fact he cannot confirm his existence - his wife ignores him and his only child refuses to talk to him. One day on their way back from the home of Koume's grandmother the train stops in a tunnel and there is some sort of accident.

Only 3 people survive, 2 of which are the father and daughter but they soon realize when the wake up in hospital that they have switched bodies!

Now, I know there has been loads of US films about father & son or Mother & Daughter switching places but I don't think I have seen two different genders swap over?

The show is great with lots of detail paid to the characters inheriting their previous habits (Koume in her father's body - she talks like a girl, has girly actions and texts at lighting speed :-) and it is quite amusing to see them getting to grips with their new bodies, Koume tells her father to keep his legs together when seated, while her father has to prepare a whole book to help Koume get to work and full dossier on all his workmates!

Other bits of comedy are in bits like when they first need to go to the toilet or when they go for a bath (nothing 18 rated thank you).

Koume has to deals with issues at work like the customer who doesn't think highly of women and gets told off by Koume, while her father has a fatherly chat with the high school boy who is trying to run away from the responsibility of being a father.

Big notice is their dialect, Koume continues to talk girly in her father's body while her father talks slowly and surprisingly polite - much to the surprise of her school friends - so they have the challenge of trying to fit in to their surrounding environments too.

Big thing at the end of episode 1 is when Koume's father agrees to go on the date Koume had arranged over a week ago, but Koume can't trust him in her body so ends up trying to spy on him!

This series will grow on you, there is good humor and of course you get to see lots of Aragaki Chan on screen too - so it is a win win deal!

Technorati Tags: papa to musume no nanokakan, episode, 1, summary, j-tv, jtv, japanese, drama

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Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - Summary

Wiki Entry @ D-Addicts

Extract from Wiki:

"Horikita Maki (Teppan Shojou Akane, Kurosagi, Nobuta wo Produce) plays a Japanese girl (Ashiya Mizuki)in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi played by Oguri Shun(Hana Yori Dango) compete in the high jump on television. She begins to idolize him, and decides to move to Japan to attend the same school as him. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol."

Well, well, well. This is purely a school comedy of sorts, there is not much school either - poor Maki Chan she must be well embarrassed in this role, having her hair cut, no makeup, have to wear something to flatten her chest etc.

She disguised herself as a boy to get transferred into this all boys school which has everyone in dorms.

In the 1st episode everything went so quick, she got into the same dorm room as Sano kun, won a marathon to become popular and even have her identity revealed. I was left thinking maybe the story is moving too fast.

But in the 2nd episode Ashiya san is trying her best to convince Sano kun to return to his sport, while the school doctor who discovered Ashiya's real gender is actually supportive of her as long as it is to get Sano back into the track and field team.

I might grow to like this, it has humor and lots of well known actors and also trying to figure out why Maki Chan looks so strange!

Technorati tags: hanazakari no kimitachi e, j-tv, drama, review

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Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai episode 1

Yes it's a new anime and what a mouthful to say or type!

This episode seems to be a summary one, trying to explain some of the bizarre occurrences of the 1st season, the series as a whole is based on Type-Moon's PC game of the same name (I think), season 1 had several mini stories taking place at the same time just in different dimensions/time planes (I think) all of them ended in some gruesome bloody death. This episode tries to tie some of them together, we follow on about 20 years into the future returning to the scene of the carnage. There was only 1 survivor of the catastrophe and even she seems mentally disturbed - seems she wants things to go back to how they were.

This sets the stage for future episodes back in the original timeline and more psychological horror of some sort - yummy can't wait!

Technorati tags: higurashi no naku koro ni kai, anime, review

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Bleach

On a side note - Bleach is still airing fillers, this week seems to be a football related one...

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Naruto Shippudden Episode 19 Summary

Sorry for the delay - but there isn't much to report on this one.

As you know Team Gai are up against a new enemy - clones of themselves. This means Team Kakashi are left to take on the Akastu members themselves but even this is split further with the old granny and Sakura taking on the puppet master and Kakashi and Naruto going after the fellow with the model bombs who has the body of Gara.

There is nothing else to be said in this episode, only thing of interest is the new ending (screen above) which seems to be a story in a comic book fashion depicting life at a middle school where Naruto has just joined, the music is easy going and nothing to write home about.

Believe

it or not Naruto is taking yet another 2 week break - what the fu*k!

Technorati tags: naruto, shippudden, episode, 19, summary, anime

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Naruto Dattebayo info and new must watch Anime

Seems that Dattebayo (the group who sub Naruto) mentioned a week or so ago that due to some issues they wouldn't be subbing Naruto anymore, this week they announced it as a joke and released Shippudden episode 19, that leaves me to think that last week there was no episode aired. Anyway review will be up tomorrow.

Bleach episode 131 and 132 are still fillers so I will not bothered with them for now.

A return for the gorish anime Higurashi no Naku Koro ni means I will add another anime to my already tiny weekly watch.

More impressions on the new series are here at Random Curiosity:

Permanent Link to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai - 01

Technorati tags: dattebayo, naruto, bleach, anime

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Proposal Daisukusen Review

Yes I did actually finish watching this one!

D-Addicts Wiki Entry

"Yamashita Tomohisa and Nagasawa Masami play a young man and woman who have been friends since elementary school. Yamashita's character, Iwase Ken, is obstinate and unskilled in love, but he fell long ago for the lively and cheerful woman, Yoshida Rei, played by Nagasawa. But Rei is about to get married to another man. While Ken and other friends from high-school attend the wedding ceremony, a fairy appears and sends Ken back in time, giving him a second chance to win the girl he loves."

Yamashita Tomohisa (Nabuto wo Produce, Dragon Zakura, Kurosagi) plays the part of the useless guy (Ken) who you end up wanted to knock out cold because he is so useless at saying anything of use to Rei (Nagasawa Masami - Dragon Zakura), but what is interesting is that you follow the characters through different intersections of their life (high school, University and beyond) and you see Rei change and develop as a character as she gets older - of course its the same actor and all that, just they put more effort into the script.

While you see Ken try his best to "make a difference" to the present by trying to make his mark on Rei in that segment of his past. What makes this show interesting is that he doesn't always get things his own way, and even ends up giving up towards the end and that's when you can tell there is nothing more he can say to Rei to change her mind.

But you can see with each time travel he is making subtle changes to the present Rei's affections towards him and some of his friends are changing too. 

The last few episodes have twists aplenty and even I was gasping when episode 9 finished, and his contrasting actions in episode 11 were completely unforeseen.

This series is a very low key romantic story which has the viewers willing Ken on in his bid to change the present, I feel this is one that will stay timeless due to its completely unusual story.

I would recommend everyone watches this series at least once!

Technorati Tags: japanese, drama, review, proposal, daisukusen, yamashita, tomohisa, nagasawa, masami

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J Drama watch list Summer 2007

Dramas to watch this summer!

Hanazakari No Kimitache e

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Hanazakari_no_Kimitachi_e

Extract from Wiki:

Horikita Maki (Teppan Shojou Akane, Kurosagi, Nobuta wo Produce) plays a Japanese girl in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi played by Oguri Shun(Hana Yori Dango) compete in the high jump on television. She begins to idolize him, and decides to move to Japan to attend the same school as him. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol.

This drama has the Kawaii Maki Chan and one of the best young male performers in Japan at the moment Oguri Shun a winning line up!

This is based on a hit manga and should be worth watching, but I can't see how they can make them look young (although they pulled it off with Proposal Daisukusen!).

Show kicks off on the 3rd of July.

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First Kiss

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/First_Kiss

Extract from Wiki:

In this romantic comedy, Mao Inoue (Hana Yori Dango) stars as a selfish girl named Mio Fukunaga. Because of a serious illness, she lives in the U.S. for medical treatment. Before undergoing an important operation, she returns to Japan, where she meets the older brother she has been separated from since her parents' divorce. She finds Kazuki (Hideaki Ito) leading a good-for-nothing life, but he shows his seriousness when he resolves to find a way for Mio to experience her first kiss. Yuta Hiraoka plays the love interest, a rookie doctor.

There isn't much of a lineup in this one, but it will be interesting to see how well Inoue Mao can rise from the ashes of her success with Hana Yori Dango and establish her self in the J Drama world. Yuto Hiraoko was a real talent and shone well in Proposal Daisukusen so will be interesting to see how they hit off on screen.

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Detective School Q - Tantei Gakuen Q

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Tantei_Gakuen_Q#Renzoku_Series

Extract from Wiki:

Adapted from the manga by Tadashi Agi(Seimaru Amagi), Tantei Gakuen Q revolves around a team of genius students studying in a detective academy run by a famous detective, Morihiko Dan.

Kamiki Ryunosuke and Shida Mirai (Suppli, 14 sai no haha) star in this drama, I am interested to see Mirai's progression since 14 Sai no Haha (not seen all of that series yet).

---------------

Hotaru no Hikari

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Hotaru_no_Hikari

Extract from Wiki:

Haruka Ayase stars as the title character, Hotaru Amemiya, in this adaptation of Satoru Hiura's "Hotaru no Hikari" manga series. Hotaru is a twenty-something office lady who has become a "dried fish" - she has "retired" from love, and she prefers to spend her time lazily at home. Then one day, her world gets shaken up when she unexpectedly ends up living with her boss (Fujiki Naohito). To complicate her life even further, she begins to find romance with a new employee named Makoto (Kazuki Kato).

Ayase Chan (Tatta Hitotsu no Koi, Byakuyakou)is back after a break after Tatta Hitotsu, and we all know about Naghito from Proposal Daisukusen (seems a lot of actors from that show are getting new roles!) but Kato Kasuki seems a new comer, this is another show I might look at 1 or 2 episodes to see if it whets my appetite.

-----------------

Others to watch out for:

Yama Onna Kabe Onna

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Yama_Onna_Kabe_Onna

Starring Misaki Ito (Densha Otoko, Suppli)

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Jotei

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Jotei

Starring Kato Rosa (newbie) and Matsuda Shota (Fresh from Liar Game).

------------

Seven days of Daddy and a Daughter

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Papa_to_Musume_no_Nanokakan

Starring Aragaki Yui (My Boss=My Hero), comedy type.

Technorati Tags: jtv, drama, japanese, summary, summer, 2007

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Bleach Episode 129 & 130

I hadn't watched Bleach last week as I knew it was a filler, therefore I am even more disgusted that this week's is also a filler, seems the whole mini story will be dragged on for a little while longer - I am so disgusted I am not even going to bother reviewing them - there was no non filler scenes at all...

Technorati Tags: anime, review, bleach, 129, 130

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Naruto Shippudden 18 Summary

This episode again is just transitional before the real fighting begins.

Neji uses his eyes to look past the barrier and can't explain what's happening, but Kakashi discovers that this is a Five Seal Barrier and would require all five seals to be removed at once.

Neji pinpoints the seals and the other 4 are in distant locations.

Team Gai split up 4 ways and locate all the remaining seals.

Meanwhile Akatsuki member's are starting to leave and Sasori tells Itachi that the Kyuubi will be his and he and the his colleague stay behind to welcome the outsiders.

All 5 seals are removed and Sakura destroys the boulder, at the same time some enemies are beginning to appear in front of each of Team Gai's members.

Inside the hideout it seems as though the monster/statue thing that was used to contain the monster sucked out of Gaara is transported elsewhere as the head of Akatsuki cast some seals and they both vanish from the "hideout". Team Kakashi know they are already too late when they see the two remaining Akatsuki members sat on the lifeless body of Gaara.

They didn't need to figure out who has the Kyuubi inside of them when Naruto flips and starts calling up his Kyuubi strength in a bid to launch an all out assault on the Akatsuki.

Again not much content in this episode, I am a bit disappointed with the quality as there were some scenes where the quality had dropped a bit. Looks like the fighting will start next week, but seeing as it might be split into 5 fights I expect this might take sometime before any more story progression...

Technorati Tags: anime, naruto, shippudden, 18, review, summary

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Liar Game - Summary

LIAR GAME D-Addicts Wiki Entry

This is a must watch. If you are like me and enjoy watching things like Hustle on the BBC and enjoyed Kurosagi then this is a must watch!

I call it a psychological suspense type of show in which the lovely Toda Erika (as in the picture above; features in the last 2 episodes of Hana Yori Dango 2 also in Nabuto wo Produce) plays the dumb Kanzaki Nao - who is so gullible she gets tricked by just about anyone and cannot see the dishonesty behind what people say or do, ie she never doubts what is said.

She gets accidentally snared into a deadly game called Liar Game, where each contestant is sent 100 million Yen (around £40 million) to their house and they cannot refuse entry once they open the cash (which she had already done), you are chosen an opponent who you must steal his money from in order to win. You have 30 days to do this. If you win you keep half (100 mil), if you lose you owe the Liar Game Secretariat 100 mil which they will take back by making you take out a loan or something.

She is assigned her old High school teacher as an opponent, thinking that she can confide in him, he tricks her into handing over her money (for safe keeping) and she manages to enlist the help of a ex con genius con man called Akiyama Shinichi (played by Matsuda Shota - Hana Yori Dango) to try and win her money back.

The plot thickens when they realize they are in something allot deeper then just this one opponent...

I enjoy the action (up to episode 4 so far) in terms of suspense and not knowing what the game or Akiyama will throw up next. Akiyama is less sharp in comparison to Kurosaki but the tricks and cons he has up his sleeve are only shown at the last given moment - so you are kept guessing till the end.

I recommend this above all the other J-Dorama I have seen this season, of course having the nice Toda Erika alongside the sly and sharp Matsuda Shota is a winning combination!

Technorati Tags: japanese, tv, j-tv, drama, liar, game, toda, erika, japan, matsuda, shota, review, summary

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