Summary: Noir was produced by Bee-Train (makers of .Hack//Sign) in 2001, and it is meant to be the first in a trilogy of shows with the "girls with guns" theme. The two leads characters, Mireille Bouquet and Yuumura Kirika are on a quest of self-discovery within the larger parameters of them both being top-of-the-line assasins.
Review: An amazing show. There are many action anime shows produced each year. Few have a specific moment in which a terror or thrill grips your heart and sends a chill down your spine. Noir is one of those shows. In the first episode, when Kirika dispatches the final soldier sent to assasinate her, and the blood-red sun sets behind her, there is a singular impulse to finish the show.
Both Kirika and Mireille are admirable women characters. An interesting facet of the show is the realism with which its creators approched the show. None of the characters in the show ever turn into chibi forms, sweat large singular drops of sweat, or grow into a giant. All characters consistently remain within the bounds of the probable, physical world. The guns are all modeled after specific models of guns, and even the gunshots are meant to mirror the actual sounds of the specific models of guns. Amid all this realism, there is hidden symbolism and meaning. The entire show is open to interpretation and significance. Kirika and Mireille are neither perfect, nor invulnerable. However they are never used as the "woman in the refridgerator" as American comics have been accused of using their women (this is the theory that American comics victimize their women, typically putting them through some kind of tramatic event merely as a plot device for their male characters). Both characters must be awknowledged as incredibly skilled and talented. They invoke respect from characters male and female throughout the entire series.
Now to address the shoujo-ai aspect of the series. *sigh* what is with shoujo-ai? Anyway, this does not become a factor until the final episodes of the show with the introduction of another assasin, Chloe. Whoe is disturbing from the moment she makes her entrance. However, this too is within the bounds of reality. There is almost no fanservice in Noir. Even the character of Chloe merely provides more psychological depth and interpretation for the show.
The soundtrack is noticable throughout the show. In fact it is a major contribution to the overall crisp animation and themes of the show. I bought both soundtracks for the show at full price because they were so awesome.
As the show rushes madly along toward conclusion, the audience can only tensely sit at the edge of their seats. With the final moments of the show I remained breathless and as the song hit it's final closing notes I sat stunned. I'm looking forward to watching Madlax (part two in the trio) and this spring's El Cazador de la Bruja.
Here's one of the Best AMV's I've ever seen. It was made with some of the most amazing scenes from Noir. Don't worry, you can still watch the AMV without spoiling the show.
Summary: Kimura Takuya (Consistantly voted Hottest Man Alive; front-man of SMAP) plays Jiro, a failed racer. Although he has dreams of being an F1 racer, his hot temper and proud demeanor have cost him his career. Now, when he has nowhere left to turn, he returns to his old home, which his father has turned into an orphanage, the Kaze no Oka Home. There he meets the teacher, played by Koyuki (Kana from IWGP, and the main character in "Kimi wa Petto"), and the kids. Each kid has a unique circumstance which lead them to Kaze no Oka Home. Kaze no Oka Home, although striving to be a stable home for the children, struggles with legal problems. Selfish Jiro, who has always been only concerned with his own success, must take the lead.
Review: Thoroughly enjoyable show. Although there are a few episodes where the pace could have been speedier, every kid at the home becomes dear to you.
The reaction to Kimura Takuya as Jiro is: Ahh, he really deserves that title of hottest man alive... ahhahahha. Well the character of Jiro seems to be a stock drama character at first. Similar to Makoto in IWGP, Jiro is another hot-headed and simple-minded manly man, getting the ladies on both sides, he never fails to impress in the end. However, Kimura Takuya realistically portrays the man til the end.
Nakajima Yuuto is really cute as usual; his acting skills really shine here in Engine where he has to play a cold and distant young boy. It's a little creepy that he has to play such a child, seeing as how his usual roles are much more cute. In one of his early roles, it is interesting to see Nakajima's skill on display.
Koyuki plays the typical idealistic woman teacher. It was a bit annoying to see such a stereotypical woman character in a drama. I was frustrated as I waited for her to open her eyes and become the strong teacher we all knew she would become in the end. However, this was made up for with her good looks. This is her second best good-looking role, in my opin.
Here's Jiro's racecar. The races are one of the unique factors of the show. Each scene involving racing was especially interesting and captivating. The cars really do look like "pocket rockets" or toys when they are shown racing around the track. It was very impressive footage and shooting it must have cost a lot. In fact this entire drama is so chock full of stars, along with the racing that this must have been the most expensive drama in 2005. The race scenes were very informative and in the end I came away with a much appreciated better knowledge of the way races, cars, and racing works.
The kids in the show are very lovable. Many are really cute! The individual stories of the kids were not a chore to work through. The plight of the Kaze no Oka Home becomes very tense toward the end. Each character has grown to become special to the viewer. This is one of my favorite pictures from the show because it captures each character looking very happy and contented. Part of the message of the show, which i thought was unique and touching was: The children all know that nothing lasts forever, through their personal experiences and hardships they have matured and grown in order to accept this fact, finally they all come to realize that they must enjoy each moment all the more because it is fleeting.
From close to far: Ueno Juri (Nodame from Nodame Cantabile) plays an 18 year old Hoshino Misae and the eldest in the home. Her character is refreshing and quickly becomes a viewer favorite. I enjoyed every scene she shared on screen. Her character was a nice foil or contrast to Koyuki's naive teacher character. Ueno's acting is always on the mark. Misae is mature, responsible, and reasonable. Her serious good-looks are a welcome contrast to the typical "cutesy" Japanese girl.
Next to Misae we have Kaho as Ninomiya Yukie (she was the sister in Joou no Kyoushitsu). She plays a cute and shy girl. What they call "painfully shy" girl. I liked her. Then there's the girl who is in love with Hello! Project (Company which runs Morning Musume, Biyuden, W, Melon Kinenbi, and Matsuura Aya), and dreams of being an idol. I liked the scenes where she sings along to idol songs. That was amusing and understandable! That fat boy was kind of gross how he loved food. But his story was very very touching. His acting skills are superb and he overcomes any kind of physical lacking with an outstanding story. Akira, the lying boy comes next, he and the other little boy are adorableeeeeeeee.
This side of the table is full of really touching stories. The first boy, played by Shioya Daisuke, played by Ishida Houshi (the main character of the live action Grave of the Fireflies) quickly became one of my favorite characters. He's really really good-looking. He's hot. That may seem shallow. But for girls that's what it's all about. Hahaha. No really, I admired his stamina, his courage, and his outstanding morals. Everything he did in the show, I would do in the same position. Daisuke's strenghth of character really shines in this show, he's one of the outstanding children in the Kaze no Oka Home.
Next comes the famous Toda Erika (Tatta Hitotsu no Koi, Nobuta wo Produce, etc), always beautiful, cute, and pretty, she once again shines in an acting role. Again, although not the main character, she enriches the drama and her sole appearance in the show provides a key reason for watching. The show keeps one guessing about her character, Harumi's, true life story until close to the end, but when things come to a head, unexpectedly, her story is one of the most touching in the show. Harumi and Daisuke together, contribute to two of the most powerful moments in Engine. Although seemingly flighty and dumb at the beginning, Harumi's dreams are realistic, modest, and admirable. She matures immensely over the course of the show and is my second favorite character, tied with Daisuke.
Arioka Daiki (from Johnny's Entertainment group J.J. Express) is a serious boy intent on taking care of his sister, seated next to him. I loved how tough he tried to be and the care with which both siblings took care of each other.
Overall a worthwhile show, there is a character for every viewer. Celebrity eye-candy abounds in a show with a solid storyline. At first appearing stereotypical, Engine soon grows into more than just a family drama, encompassing various issues and topics.
Closing Song: Nennensaisai (Every Year, Every Age) by Hitoto Yo
Summary: Katakura Kippei is a slightly less than ordinary (nice way of saying below average?) high school student. However he's really good-looking and something of a player. There's really only one girl at his school who can't stand him, Kokoro. One day when he comes home, he finds his entire family gathered at the table, his mother and father, grandmother and grandfather, older sister, younger brother, and a little girl. The girl, Yuzuyu, is 5 years old and turns out to be Kippei's cousin. Her father passed away, and her mother, unconfident in her ability to raise her child alone, has somewhat abandoned her in the care of her older sister's family. Kippei's older sister charges him with the care of Yuzuyu. How will it work out? Is kind of what the story is about.
Review: I really liked this anime, although it may not seem like I did from the 7/10 shock-face rating. However, I really did enjoy this show. There were parts where I was like, "ok, let's get on with the story already!" mainly when yuzuyu was being silly, or when kippei and kokoro were having their angsty love story.
Here you see the love Kippei and Yuzuyu have. So cute. I really did think it was cute after a few episodes. Although the show never really delved too deeply into angst or problems, I'm happy about it. It was a realistic show and very enjoyable to watch. One wants Yuzuyu and Kippei to have happy times. In fact I probably wouldn't have minded watching an entire episode of mindless drivel of them just going through a normal day and having fun, that's how much you come to like the characters in Aishiteru ze Baby.
Facing us in this picture is Kippei's older sister, Katakura Reiko. The head you see is Yuzuyu's mother. She annoyed me but at the end of the show I came to terms with the mother and gained a greater understanding for her situation. Kippei's older sister is awesome. One of the great characters in the show you wish you see more of. I barely knew her real name because Yuzuyu is so awestricken by her that she only calls her "Onee-sama" (sama is an extremely respectful term, and Onee-sama means something like "deeply respected Older sister"). Kippei himself, though so displeasing in conduct at school, defers to his older sister. She really reminds me of Nakazawa Yuuko from Hello! Project. Nakazawa and Onee-sama are both the scary-beauty types. They can scare you into anything, but you'll be too awed by their beauty and sharp-tongue to care.
This is Kippei's younger brother, Katakura Satsuki. He's only 12 but there's a really hilarious backstory to him (don't worry, no spoilers). Mature, very mature, since birth (HAHA), he's a very quiet boy. He rarely appears in the show, but he also cares deeply for Yuzuyu. by the end of the show I had grown quite fond of him and wanted to see more about this kid!
Satsuki's girlfriend and their story together was also cute and likable. Although I became upset at her when she was being stupidly girly in the bathroom, her anxiety turned out to be cute in the end.
Another intriguing character presents herself in Kippei's family. She is Yuzuyu's cousin, Miki. As you can see in this picture, which i love, Miki is a fierce warrior inside a school-girl casing. At first you are inclined to think, who is this stupid upstart girl? Then you realize that she actually is likable and understandable. She really seemed like a brat until I gave her a chance and watched the episode about her. It seems like all the youngins in Kippei's family are cool!
Of course, there was a really strong moment when Miki-chan does something quite incredible to Yuzuyu. Although it might not seem very important, it was tied to the overall storyline and the realism of the story. I was really upset at that time, but I later understood why Miki-chan (SPOILER) told Yuzuyu that she knew where her mother was. It is understandable that a kid of 14 would be unaware of the kind of damage she could do to a 5 year old when she's being selfish. In the end it was reconciled when Miki's reasoning is revealed.
Another excellent side-story was the story-line involving a little boy in Yuzuyu's class. It was very upsetting, but the strives the parents take to overcome their ugly sides was a positive outcome. I was satisfied at the end, but I wish there was a slightly longer conclusion to the story.
One of the characters who I had difficulty accepting was Kokoro. She's the girl in Kippei's class. I don't like the name Kokoro for a girl, it is so girly and vulnerable sounding that I really hate it. What made her grow on me was her bluntly negative attitude toward Kippei. I did want their relationship to work out. I got a bit annoyed by the scenes where she's all emo, but that's probably because I'm over teenage angstyness already. One of the things which also annoyed me about Kokoro was her earrings. Watch the show and you will notice her piercings switching from ear to ear and switching around on her ear. In the final two episodes it stablizes, but at first it was quite amusing. What you have to tell yourself is that she has multiple piercings on both ears and maybe she isn't wearing all of her earrings all of the time, so that you can accept it. It's pretty funny. I did like her character by the end, but I have to say I prefer it when she's being cold and distant to Kippei than when she cries on his shoulder.
Yuzuyu goes to kindgergarten and that brings a whole new element to the show. Although I'm already so old, I thoroughly enjoyed the growth Yuzuyu and her friends go through at the school. I liked the realism of the characters too. We all can say we know a snobby, mature kid like Marika.
Overall the show was very enjoyable. Although originally I only picked it up because I was itching for some anime and it was the only title I recognized, I don't regret watching it! I recommend it to everyone. It's a delightful show and there are a lot of small moments that really impress you or make you laugh. The characters really grow over the course of the show. The end is also satisfactory.
Theme Song: Sailor Fuku to Kikanjuu by Hoshi Izumi (Nagasawa Masami)
Stars: Nagasawa Masami, Tsutsumi Shinichi, Ogata Ken, Nakao Akiyoshi, Koizumi Kyoko, Mori Ren, etc.
Summary: On a normal late spring day, Hoshi Izumi is called out of class by her teacher. The news he has to tell her changes her life forever. Suddenly thrust into the title of 8th generation boss of the Medaka Gumi (Yakuza) of Asakusa, she must deal with trying to uncover a possible conspiracy that leads her to a high-ranking government official, with the possible mistress of her father, and with questioning who her father really was. She also wonders what the purpose of life is for the first time.
Review: Sailor fuku to Kikanjuu means Sailor Suit and Machine Gun. You're intrigued. Go watch it.
The setting of the show is set mainly in Asakusa which as you can see is a very picturesque town with a lot of nice shots of the surrounding buildings and shops. I liked the shots of the festival, the temple, and the streets, especially in the first few episodes.
The gumi was really cute and likable, although some of the characters (the computer guy) got annoying at times. All were lovable by the end of the show, Kinzo-san was especially endearing. His love for his nephew was understandable and cute.
Although some viewers might get frustrated with Hoshi Izumi's character and how naive they percieve her to be, they need to understand that she is just a normal high school girl. If you think about the girls at your high school, how would they react if thrust into this sort of situation, and you'll be a lot more understanding. Hoshi actually acts in a very admirable way, trying to stay true to her own morals the entire time.
In this screenshot you can see a bit more of the nice neighborhood of Asakusa and also Sakuma Makoto and Hoshi Izumi walking. I like the clothes the Yakuza members wear, especially Tsutsumi Shinichi's character, Sakuma Makoto. Sakuma Makoto was a really likable character. Very different from the flaky older brother he played in Lunch no Joou. I should say, he was a very admirable character. Through the end his loyalty to Hoshi Izumi is really touching. Supposedly he won a best supporting actor award for this show.
The suprise ace of the show is Nakao Akiyoshi's character, Kembo. He's really cute in it!!! Although his hair put me off at the beginning, (it's very surprising as you can see), his character was so cute. Nakao Akiyoshi should be commended for his role in this show. He convincingly plays a role entirely different from any of his previous roles, which shows his tenacity as an actor. (He previously played a dork in Dragon Zakura, a wild kid in Kimpachi Sensei, and a hot younger brother in Brother Beat). He has really grown up into a nice looking young man.
Lastly, Nagasawa Masami, who plays Hoshi Izumi, is wonderful in this spot. She's really cute with short hair and I think she should keep her hair short (it's long now). Although she keeps that (cute) characteristic hesitant jerky way of fluttering her hands, she successfully plays the character of Hoshi Izumi. If played by any other actress, Hoshi Izumi could have quickly spiraled into downright annoying or stupid, but in the hands of Nagasawa, she skillfully passes through each stage of Hoshi's struggle and takes the audience along with her.
While the show has been criticized for poor writing, I think I disagree. The show is pretty well written. I think the show is a bit short for the material it needed to cover. At only 7 episodes long, the show sometimes tries to be overly ambitious and can't quite get the reaction it was hoping for. All the actor/tresses in the show are really great, and any problems in the show can not be attributed to them. If the show were perhaps one episode longer, I think that it would have been able to have a smoother transition. Although the show is not the kind you will watch years from now for the 10th time, it is DEFINITELY worth watching through once, and is one of the BEST dramas to come out in the 2006 fall season.
The show eventually becomes very dark, but if you didn't realize this from the beginning, you're a fool. However, the writers skillfully manage to keep the show's lighthearted feel and rescue the end from despair. They always manage to change up the mood with cute moments to balance the intense ones. Ogata Ken's character was really really creepy!!! After seeing him as the cute grampa-type character in Ruri no Shima, it's a real shock to see him as this kind of guy! Also creepy are the cops. But then again, cops are kind of creepy in real life, deshou?!
On a final note, the song is really interesting. Nagasawa's voice is very similar to Nakazawa Yuuko (of Hello! Project, former member of Momusu, check her out! she sings good enka now) in tone and style! In fact, I thought it was Nakazawa Yuuko at first, until I looked it up. Overall I liked this show a lot, and I plan to get it on DVD.
Stars: Tanaka Koki, Toda Erika, Kamenashi Kazuya, Ayase Haruka, etc.
Summary: A "pure-love" story set in Yokohama. Hiroto (Kamenashi Kazuya) is a boy crossed in love. He's 20. He's poor. The only things he's got going for him are his cute younger brother, Ren, and his two nice friends, Ko (Tanaka Koki) and friendly boy whose name I forgot. He and his friends crash a rich people party and meet two college girls, Nao and Yuuko. For some reason, Nao and Hiroto fall in love. Ko and Yuuko are also attracted to each other. Unfortunately the stars are conspiring against all of them, even the friend whose name I forgot and even against the cute younger brother, the stars also haven't forgotten to conspire against both Hiroto's parents AND Nao's parents. You gotta hand it to the stars in this one. They're all over this show. They're crossing everyone left and right. The minute Hiroto or Nao dares to get happy, it's time for the clouds to join in and start raining all over EVERYONE's parade. There is some merit in the fact that this drama was specifically written for Kamenashi. The woman saw him in Gokusen 2 and loved his acting so much that she wrote this story for him.
Review: one shock-face for Tanaka Koki whose acting was top-notch for a bottom-feeding show. one shock-face for Toda Erika because her acting was also pro, and her character was very likable. and one shock-face for the combined acting talents of the other 10 or so cast-members, and also for the cuteness of the little brother and the fact that I actually made it through the entire show.
Well isn't it just great for Kame that that woman loved his acting so much? I personally hated his character in Gokusen 2, can we say "OROCHIMARU"?!?! Please, get a personality in your acting. I'm so fuckin suck of the stoic brooding troubled guy acting. Matsumoto Jun does a stoic brooding tough guy, but for soem reason it is still engaging. However, Kame's acting as Hiroto in this show is very standoffish. It is difficult to believe that he and Nao actually love each other. Also (spoiler alert!) their mouths are like moving away from each other in the first kiss scene. Look for it! Tatta Hitotsu no Koi has got to be one of the gayest jdramas of all time. Strike that. I'm really sorry. Gay people of the world would be offended that this show was even associated with them. This show was a disaster. You readers may be wondering why it got a rating of only three shock faces. The sad fact is because it sucked. If you like this show, please, do comment and let me know why you liked it.
This show is just overly dramatic. It's not fun-dramatic like IWGP, it's not exciting-dramatic like HYD and it is not sad-dramatic like 1LT. It's just over the top, and unengaging. It was difficult to force myself to watch the entire show. The redeeming quality of the show was in the side-storylines. Ren, the little brother of Hiroto, is so cute, however (spoiler alert!) he disappears in the 9th episode and never returns. There was hope in the Ko, Yuuko relationship which was cute and lovable, unlike the Hiroto/Nao relationship which is just too full of ridiculous drama, however (spoiler alert!) they don't remain together. Ko marries a big fat ugly old woman in the 9th episode. It's really horrible. It's quite a shock and comes out of nowhere. In fact, it's kind of an insult to Tanaka Koki. It's like they are saying the only kind of woman he can get/ is suited for is one who is bigger, uglier, and fatter than he is.
I will now go into further detail on why I hate the show. Ayase Haruka is the main reason. I KNOW she's a good and capable actress from her performance in "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu" wherein her character was lovable and cute. However, in this show, she's a stupid, whiny little bitch!!! You just want to slap her. Even the most patient of people will want to scream "grow-up and stop crying, you pussy!" Even cats were offended by the previous sentence. Even they don't want to be associated with Ayase Haruka. Nao is babyish throughout and consistantly uses a hesitant, whiny tone which could make a baby crawl under your truck's front tire and wait for the end. SPOILER ALERT! I will now go into further detail on what I thought about the show:
A bit too long at parts, but Tanaka Koki and Toda Erika were ace in it.
EP04
I don't think this episode is particularly sad or moving on the Nao/hiroto relationship plane; it wasn't very shocking or touching for some reason. they are always having long awkward conversations. i felt like i was bored and the scene was cliched though toda erika's (yuuko) acting was really really good. the most touching and original scenes in this episode are tanaka koki (ko) and toda erika (yuuko)'s date scenes. you can't help cheering for ko. and he's surprisingly cute although his character always plays the fool. also what is with the brother characters being soo adorable? hiroto's brother, ren, is soo cute. and so is nao's brother, he's all nerdy, but still hot!
EP05
this is a very enjoyable episode. from beginning to end. is it my favorite episode? i do not know. if you think so, just leave a comment and we can discuss it. in any case, tatsuya's (nao's brother) protectiveness is so adorable, ren is cute again, toda erika and tanaka koki are sooo cute and good actor/tress! even kame and ayase are cute together. o the drama of this episode. my heart broke for koki. toda erika is a good actress because although she is that way, you still don't hate her, and want things to work out! the whole date was cute, hiroto's nostalgia got boring!!!
ep06
Toda Erika and Tanaka Koki are really good in this. the brother, ren, is really cute. hiroto and nao are still boring as hell. in fact i watched the whole dam drama, and i can't believe it sucked so bad. the end of the first one was so disappointing. i can't believe it got on air. i guess kame was obligated to do it since she wrote the story FOR him, but still, i feel bad for the guy. hitotsu no KOI is so disappointing, it's like you want your life back. hitotsu no BOI will hopefully be better as i work through the original >_<; and hopefully make it into the drama it should have been.
You can tell that the screenwriter in the original hitotsu no koi version wanted so much to be expressed in the hiroto/nao troubled relationship, like the awkwardness of first love, how unsure the two would be around each other, the innocent character of the sick girl who was experiencing everything for the first time contrasted with the manliness of hiroto who had been forced to grow up quickly, and the pure love relationship which withstands all. she wanted to show with the ko character that things don't always work out, and that the weird guy doesn't realistically have a happy ending all the time. but all of this >_<; failed and it was just really awkward for the viewer to watch; not cute awkward. the scenes which were realistic were depressing instead of affirming. the way the story was so focused on nao and hiroto made the rest of the characters boring and undeveloped. the end was unsatisfying. and it has to be one of the WORST jdramas i have ever seen. hitotsu no boi, hopefully will work out better.
ep07
gah, honestly i am getting sooo sick of this show. i just got more time on my hands than usual, and this is the result. how do i explain the original travesty of a show though? i guess they had loaaaaaaaads of time on their hands. anyway, koki and toda erika are so cute in this episode. hiroto is brooding and stoic. nao is stupid and immature.
EP08
toda erika (yuuko) and tanaka koki (ko) so cute in this episode!! i can't care less about nao's stupidity already. gah.
EP09 this was such a fucked up episode. If you watch it from episode one and make it to Episode nine you will want to shoot yourself in the fucking face. After everything Ko and Yuuko go through, they were very cute together and then you are betrayed quite suddenly and harshly by the director and screenwriter. At that moment you can kill them. Some may argue that this is more realistic, as Yuuko should go on to med school and what does Ko expect, he is only a truckdriver, but their relationship was one of the few redeeming qualities of the show, and to be so disappointed and thwarted, even in that aspect brings about homocidal instincts. It's like "o they couldn't just crush me by making a shitty show like this, they had to make the defeat complete and total by making even the characters i acutally LIKED suffer". great.
EP10 LAST EPISODE!!!! Yay. Tanaka Koki is very lovable and does an excellent job, his character is pretty clever. Ko and Yuuko's relationship is cute how they work together. Nao is mature now! yay! her brother is still dorky! ren has disappeared off the face of the planet! When Nao comes off the bus you are like "you fucking idiot, your bags and shit are still on there!!!" then Hiroto is confessing his love and you are like, "you fucking idiot your bags and shit are still on there!!!!" and then she tells the bus to go and you are like "you fucking idiot, your bags and shit are still on there !!!!!!" and it goes on and on. Until the predictable yet cute ending where they run after the bus.
If you want to see a show worth watching that is similar to Tatta Hitotsu, but better, I resplit the entire show, cut out the crappiest parts and uploaded it onto megaupload. So if you are interested in the version where Kame is likable, Ayase Haruka's character is not a selfish, stupid, whiny lil bitch, and Ko and Yuuko actually marry EACHOTHER, then follow this link:
