Saka no Ue no Kumo

based on non-fiction novel 'Sakanoue no Kumo'; 
wrote by Shiba Ryotaro (1923-1996).

a famous author.. 
one of the greatest japanese writer in this century.
- based on one of his well known novels .. which described historical events happened in Japan and North-East Asia continent. he also did cultural writings about the link and relationship of Japan with the rest of the world. 
- Saka no Ue no Kumo was wrote and published in year 1969. and it's taking 10 years for the novel to be completed.

- Basically the background story took the set of World War Zero: The Russo-Japanese War period.
 

theme song: 

Stand Alone composed by Joe Hisaishi [vocalised by sarah brightman]
written by Kundo Koyama, and recorded with the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

broadcast:

NHK took 5 years to transform the novel into TV version with a budget around 60 million yen.
and the filming took
about 2 years .. which Russia and China included as the filming location.

Autumn 2009 [episode 1-episode 5] = 5 weeks
Autumn 2010 [episode 6-episode 9] = 4 weeks
Auumn 2011 [episode 10-episode 13] = 4 weeks

for 2009 broadcast:

29.11.2009
Episode 1 - The Juvenile Land

6.12.2009
Episode 2 - The Blue Clouds

13.12.2009
Episode 3 - The Nation's Rumbling

20.12.2009
Episode 4 - The Start of The Sino-Japanese War

27.12.2009
Episode 5 - The Overseas Student

casts and relationships:

motoki masahiro, abe hiroshi, kanno miho, matsu takako, kagawa teruyuki etc.
if not mistaken, ken watanabe did the narration.

motoki and abe are brothers... miho and kagawa are brother-sister ...
they were born as poor village people. meanwhile, matsu is a lady from a rich family.
abe and matsu will ended up as husband and wife.
while motoki and miho ... we'll see if they gonna re-united again.
coz from what i understand, motoki's wife will be ishihara satomi.

official site:

http://www.nhk.or.jp/matsuyama/sakanoue/

time for music

1. Time for music   [Song-Lyrics: Matsu Takako] = JAPANESE

2. 500Miles   [Song-Lyrics: Hedy West] = JAPANESE

3. RAINBOW CONNECTION   [Song-Lyrics: Kenny Ascher &Paul Williams] = ENGLISH

4. Kimi to nara (If I'm with You) [Song-Lyrics: Matsu Takako] = JAPANESE

5. Nobara Saku Michi [Song-Lyrics: Ichikawa Somegoro] = JAPANESE

6. LONG AGO // HALF SIXPENCE [Song-Lyrics: David William Heneker] = ENGLISH

7. Kitto Tsutaete (Certainly Said) [Song-Lyrics: Matsu Takako] = JAPANESE

8. I NEED YOU [Song-Lyrics: Gerald L. Beckley] = ENGLISH

9. Getting Tall [Song-Lyrics: Maury Yeston] = ENGLISH

10. So Long [Song-Lyrics: Matsu Takako] = JAPANESE

So 6 japanese songs + 4 english songs.
i must say, matsu's English songs are amazing..
very fluent.
i can't believe it.
i mean, she was good with the slang and pronunciation.
and she even differentiate the music.. we could listen to her various styles of singing.

i really love her version of 'rainbow connection'
and 'long ago/half sixpence' sounds so Broadway.
while 'getting tall' is so soothing and mesmerize.
duu, listening to her voice, you can eventually imagine her in 'sounds of music' or any english musical.
i love 'i need u' too.. just pay attention to those lyrics.
hontou ni sugoii..

and i'm glad no sahashi's name mentioned.. hehe.
anyway thnx so much to David Campbell for music arrangement.
...............................

i heard those songs preview in sony music site:
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/?80008552_BVCL-...VCL-20015_10SFL

now, by referring to the songs preview...
let me help you with the short verses sang by her:

  

I NEED YOU

... i need you, like the flower needs the rain, you know i need you, guess i'll start it all again, you know i need you, i need you, i need you, like the winter needs the spring, you know i need you, guess i'll start it all again, you know i need you, i need you, i need you...  

LONG AGO/HALF SIXPENCE

... it was not for me, it was not for me, i made up my mind, if your love was blind, it was not to be, but now at last it's no longer long ago, for now i know you're mine as you're mine long ago...

[*those words do remind me of dec 2000 followed by jan-mac 2001... 
.... 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006-2007, 2008-2009 and so on*]

RAINBOW CONNECTION

...someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me. ohhh.. all of us under its spell, we know that it's probably magic. have you been half asleep and have you heard voices? i've heard them calling my name....

[*hehe, do u know about amamiya being comfortable on kuryu's shoulder.. same as well as teppei who was comfortable on riko's arm. well, they confessed themselves.*]

 

GETTING TALL

scraping knees, trying shoes, starting school, paying dues, finding there's no way, we can spend a lifetime playing ball, part of getting tell ... learning more, knowing less, simple words, tenderness .... 

[*i dunno why i kept imagining matsu sang this song to a boy. err, a son maybe..*]

500 miles by takako matsu

[just a rough translation of the cover song by matsu.
really reminds of ano hito .. THE SECRET SOUL.]

Song: 500 miles
Artist: Takako Matsu
J-Lyrics: Imawano - cover of HedyWest
Composer: HedyWest

When you arrive at the next train station
Far away from the city
500 miles to a strange city

500 miles we go out
Mittsu one or two hands and feet
and counting 500 miles memories

My friends, dear gentle I
Goodbye house memories
I dream reflection in the window of the train
I want to leave the lower heart
Keep it keep it keep it keep it
It will keep the sad

When you arrive at the next train station
500 miles away of this city

the original J-lyric
http://www.ailrc.com/html/609/YGXOZSP.htm

......

here the mp3 download.. her lovely sweet voice.
i didn't like original hedy west song.. but the japanese version is really good.
500 miles by takako matsu [7MB]

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3586e6

bridge of bright shiny morning

 by mizuki arisa.

autumn 2009

my WATCH 2009 Autumn Drama:

• Fumo Chitai [Fuji TV]
• JIN [TBS]
• Saka no Ue no Kumo [NHK]
• Untouchable [TV Asahi]
• Ohitorisama [TBS]
• Tokyo DOGS [Fuji TV]
• Liar Game Season 2 [Fuji TV]

...............................................................

i'm quite happy both JIN and Fumo Chitai did well for their first episode.
i dun expect high rating actually.. as fumo chitai is considered heavy story which is based on the famous novel. jin probably a bit fun as the drama is based on the famous manga.

and i'm so happy knowing J-viewers watched Fumo Chitai drama, mostly because they're fans of karasawa, fans of amami, fans of takeno... and fans of amami-takeno, haha.

ah, glad. certainly said those two will become the epic dramas. the best from TBS and FujiTV.

i've watched few volumes JIN manga previously.. and i'm satisfied watching JIN drama, so far. the flow really smooth. and so many favorite stars there.

and Tokyo DOGS just started.. from beginning till the end of Episode 1... i can't stop laughing. muahaha.. my comment? choooo cute, choo funny, sugoi, kakkoi, saiko!^^ i watched Tokyo DOGS purposely because of my favorite girl YURIKO YOSHITAKA. my combi wish yuriko yoshitaka with osamu mukai actually. however, to see her with oguri shun and mizushima hiro is A-MUST! and otsuka nene!! i miss her and i love her roleplay. oh, we were born on the same day. so can i considered otsuka nene as my elder sister? :P

i love this season. normally i watched 1-2 dramas per season..
but for this Fall 2009, 7 dramas?! crazy.

but because those story lines quite balanced, my brain should be ok, i think. after heavy historical fiction theme [Fumo Chitai], then exciting time-slip Edo drama [JIN], then funny and cool special investigation theme [Tokyo DOGS] ... i already started watching nakama yukie. phew, now i'm gonna start to watch mizuki arisa... also erika toda.

ten ten

on 10.10.2009, japanese theater will screen line of great movies. imagine, when i check the schedule... my favorite actors and actresses did the four five movies which start their road-shows on the same day. sugoii~

[edited: haha.. i'm wrong.. there's another more.. make it five movies released on same day.. yaabe~ ooo, my pocket money]

so here, my must-find 10th October 2009 Movies:

•  Villon's Wife
  

based on osamu dazai's novel. A MUST-WATCH... best director category for Montreal World Film Festival 2009. i heard from one of the judges... the Commission were thinking deep and discussed whether to award this movie on Best Actress category or Best Director category. so yes, with her overwhelming acting, unofficially.... matsu takako was world-recognized and almost got the title!

from the talks and reviews by international and japanese audiences who already watch this movie..
one word: RECOMMENDED.

Casts: matsu takako - asano tadanobu - tsutsumi shinichi - tsumabuki satoshi - hirosue ryoko.

 Official website: http://www.villon.jp/

• Samayou Yaiba / The Hovering Blade 

- based on a 2004 novel written by Keigo Higashino.
- directed by Shoichi Mashiko
- actor akira terao has been cast as the lead and yutaka takenouchi as the co-star besides shiro ito.
- music by kenji kawai
- in original story, the set was in summer... but in the movie, director decided to change it into winter. i bet the dark, gloomy and white snow really give a great impact. same feeling when i watch akira terao in his Yasashii Jikan drama! i love veteran actors [akira terao and shiro ito] and of course, my takeno. :) oh btw, this movie also screened at Montreal Festival Film last time.

The story revolves around a man named Nagamine (Akira Terao) whose daughter is brutally killed by two boys. However, due to their ages, the boys are protected from prosecution by Japan’s Juvenile Act. Driven by his own mounting anger and despair over the loss of his daughter, Nagamine decides to track the boys down and take the law into his own hands. At the same time, Nagamine himself is tracked down by detectives who investigate this case [Yutaka Takenouchi and Shiro Ito] to prevent more killings.

official site;
http://yaiba.goo.ne.jp/index.html

• Hikidashi no Love Letter / Listen to my Heart
  

- director is shinichi mishiro
- casts: takako tokiwa, nakajima tomoko
- besides tokiwa and nakajima tomoko.. the rest casts are unfamiliar to me.. therefore it sounds sweet and warm.. so, i'm looking forward to this movie.

A radio DJ, Mao starts a new program called, "Love Letters from the Drawer" to assist people who need an extra push to send out their simple yet very important message for their loved ones. Through her radio show, various characters come to light as everyone awaits for a miracle to happen. A miracle which can occur only by them expressing their true feelings...

official site;
http://www.hiki-koi.com/

• Pandora no Hako / Pandora's Box

- Based on the 1945 novel "Pandora no hako" by Osamu Dazai.
- another osamu dazai's novel. probably my big reason to watch this... because of  Yosuke Kubozuka.
previously he said he gonna quit acting, to concentrate his new career as singer.
lol, trust me, he should do acting and quit singing.
and i'm glad he changed his mind.
kubozuka hasn't change much, right.
still cute ...  the king of ikemen for period. ^^

Set shortly after Japan's defeat in WWII, "Pandora no hako" follows a young man named Risuke (Shota Someya) who has contracted tuberculosis. He travels to the countryside to a unique nursing facility to receive treatment for his disease. At the sanatorium all the patients and nurses go by nicknames and Risuke decides to reinvent himself as Hibari.

During his stay, Hibari develops realationships with other patients and nurses. After Hibari's friend Tsuikushi (Yosuke Kubozuka) gets discharged from the nursing facility, Hibari writes to him about his relationships with Dakesang (Mieko Kawakami) the chief nurse and Mabo (Riisa Naka) another nurse that is bright and seems to like him.

official site;
http://pandoranohako.com/

• Kaiji
  

- Based on nobuyuki fukumoto’s gambling manga “Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji”.
- directed by toya sato.
- casts: fujiwara tatsuya, amami yuki and kagawa teruyuki. aa.. those three are my favorites!


a down-and-out gambler named Kaiji who’s forced to board a gambling ship to clear his debt. His situation quickly turns dire, but he finds his instinct for self-preservation improves his gambling ability by leaps and bounds whenever his own life is at stake.

official site:
http://www.kaiji-movie.jp/

Jane Eyre Tokyo

last september, Jane Eyre The Musical was performed at tokyo for 1-month period. adapted from Broadway musical, starring Matsu Takako, Hashimoto Satoshi and Konishi Ryosei. music by Paul Gordon. writer, lyricist, and director by John Caird. 

just sharing some stuff here. all in rm file.. you can watch it at any real player.
these three clips... are interview about their personal life and opinion/experience doing this musical play.
keep on watching. coz behind-scene footage were inserted in between or at the end of talks. i feel great when listening to the songs. can't wait for ost cd and dvd.

1- Jane Eyre - Matsu talk and footage.rm [66.02MB]
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2z33ag

2- Jane Eyre - Hashimoto talk with Matsu's behind footage.rm [62.55MB]
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ybucd6

3- Jane Eyre - Konishi talk with Matsu's behind footage.rm [55.49MB]
http://www.sendspace.com/file/6pqgmi

O-matsu as usual... giving her superb extravaganza.
i heard they got standing ovation and three curtain calls during opening night.

oh fyi, ryosei once act in japanese Les Miserables as the handsome Marius.[also a guest for episode 3 of 'Love Game' drama.] lately, i got soft spot on him.. haha. hope he'll do well... like tatsuya fujiwara. some tidbits of ryosei on my Refreshment blog.