[REVIEW] Kami no Shizuku - 09
Jul. 4th, 2009 04:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mecFinal episode!
The short version: Happy endings all round! ^_^
Kami no Shizuku - the final glass
Plot: Thank goodness for recaps! The last time I watched an episode was before my holiday, and seeing Kame in person drove all thoughts of Kame-in-drama from my head.
When we last left our heroes, Tomine was in a coma, Maki was keeping watch over him in the hospital, and we had one more wine left to go - Kami no Shizuku, the ultimate wine, which unfortunately makes me think of the Hand of God in 'Hikaru no Go'. Perhaps this is what would happen if you had Touya Akira searching for alcohol.
This series doesn't have the most interesting set of main characters, I'll admit, but they're not lacking in development. Why, in the last few episodes alone, we've seen Maki go from the Wicked Witch of the East to a real human being with actual feelings. Some of these feelings turn out to be suicidal, but they don't last long. Keeping watch over a comatose Tomine Issei would make anyone want to slash their wrists, I think.
Shizuku is much more cheery, striding into the office with a broad grin and a spring in his step. If only I didn't dislike his coat so much. It makes him look like he has terrible dandruff. The Taiyo Beer gang know it's time for the final round, though they're not entirely sure that such a wine exists, and they're rather more worried about it than Shizuku is. After all, once he's done with the contest, they'll have to go back to doing real work. Quelle horreur!
Time for Kiryu to open the final envelope. Robert looks like he's dressing to be part of a barber-shop quartet but can't quite get the hang of it. Before the description is given, Maki shows up and begs to be allowed to hear the will in Tomine's place. Today's wine, Kami no Shizuku, is eternity. Everlasting, always there, timeless, blah blah blah. Shizuku takes the will, as usual, but this time he gives it to Maki to pass on to Tomine. They have a gentleman's agreement to finish the contest together.
A new wine description calls for a strategy meeting, which means some quality time for the Taiyo Beer gang and Fujieda down at Monopole. Miyabi and Fujieda between them hit on the first clue - "terroir", the characteristics bestowed by geography, or so the subs tell me. Funnily enough, my A-level French exam had a whole section on viticulture in the writing section, so it was full of vocab I didn't know. I wish I remembered it - it would come in so handy now!
While the gang are busy speculating on possible interpretations of the will, Maki shows up (I like how she knows the best way to get hold of Shizuku is to look for a bar) to ask Shizuku to help his brother. Not, as you might think, by donating genetic material or anything like that, but by assisting with a reception for the French Food Industry Association, whose president and assorted flunkies are usually catered for by Kanzaki-sensei when they visit Japan. He selected French foods and suitable wines to accompany them, and never failed to impress.
Since Kanzaki Yutaka's death, Tomine had been selected to take over from him. Unfortunately, while he'd chosen the dishes (Japanese, in an attempt to surpass his father) he'd fallen into a coma before he'd selected the wines. Given that the reception is in three days, it seems to me as though he was leaving it till the last minute anyway! Not content with his regular task of hunting down legendary wines, Shizuku is keen to accept the burden from his brother.
It's a challenge, of course, so naturally, he turns to his work colleagues for assistance. Everything has to be perfect, or French-Japanese relations could be soured! Maki has a struggle on her hands to get the powers that be to accept Shizuku as a replacement - they've already found someone, who turns out to be Robert. Seeing how eager Shizuku is, he's happy to endorse the recommendation. Once permission is granted, the Taiyo Beer gang are on the case! They even have whiteboards, drinking everything they can think of to try to find the perfect wine for the dishes. How do they get paid for this?
It makes Shizuku so happy, though, that his colleagues are so supportive. How wine has brought them all together. He's such a sweetie, sometimes.
Meanwhile, things are not looking so good at the hospital. Maki reads the will to Tomine, who wanders (mentally) through caves of blue light while hearing the voices of the people who care about him, and occasionally people who used to dislike him. In a not-unexpected turn of events, Maki reveals that she's pregnant, a revelation witnessed by Sara, who has remembered how to dress. But shh, it's a secret! We see Tomine's fingers move once Maki leaves the room - did he hear? Does he know? Does he even want kids?
Time for the reception. Poor Miyabi looks terrified. She assists Shizuku, while the rest of the gang hide behind a counter. Badly. I haven't seen such a lousy attempt at hiding since Gokusen 3. Shizuku appears to be wearing eyeliner again, I might add. More Rescue promo? Or an effort to appeal to President Amoro? Whatever, we've got Shizuku speaking French again - quite a bit, actually - and it's adorable. He's very impressed by the president's skills in wine identification.
While Shizuku's being a fanboy and the rest of the gang are being terribly nervous, Tomine wakes up! It's a slow process, but he does, and he can see. Sara's the first one to find him, but all he cares about is what day it is.
Shizuku gets to show off his fancy decanting skills - check out Honma's face, it's priceless - but the president is a hard man to please, if the horror-movie organ music is any indication. Unfortunately, Shizuku's just realised that the wine to accompany the final dish won't be good enough. Are our heroes doomed?
But wait! Mere minutes after emerging from his coma, allowing himself and Sara just enough time to pretty themselves up, Tomine Issei arrives to save the day with a bottle of Japanese wine! (How often does the main villain get to save the day?) It's made from French grapes transplanted to Japan, and it's a hit with the president, who is very complimentary about it. Shizuku gets a round of applause, which he knows should really be for Tomine, but Tomine and Sara don't seem too precious about it.
Reception over, the brothers visit their father's grave, and Shizuku shows Tomine the letter his mother wrote to their father. He's grateful to Tomine for returning to keep their bargain, and Tomine's grateful to have had Shizuku's voice - amongst others - to guide him out of his coma. It's a moment full of manly thanks...and a clue, thoughtfully given by Tomine, to the identity of Kami no Shizuku. Shizuku looks so damned young here! I don't know if it's just the way the wind is flattening his hair or what, but he doesn't look like he's even hit twenty yet. And I'm pretty sure the BGM playing in this scene has come from Miami Vice. There's a definite Jan Hammer flavour to it.
Tomine and Shizuku, back in their respective offices, speculate separately on the wine - one passing on through the generations - and somehow hit on a candidate for Kami no Shizuku. Miyabi has mixed feelings about Shizuku completing his quest, and she's not the only one. Robert and Kiryu are kind of at a loose end too. Robert has the most relaxed attitude - he's a drunkard, and he's just going to keep drinking after this. No real plans. I'm sorry, why is this man respected by so many people?
Maki's back in the fur but minus the attitude; Tomine asks her to accompany him to the showdown. Shizuku and Miyabi arrive, slow motion, full of significant looks. Shizuku's tie is very pretty. Tomine goes first with his description of the wine, culminating in a thank you and a proposal to Maki! One happy couple down, one to go. The rest of the unveiling seems like an afterthought. Shizuku, too, has thanks to give - to his father, and of course to Miyabi. His don't come with a proposal. Both brothers have chosen the correct wine, but does anybody really care what it is by this point? I think not.
Robert asks both brothers to forgive their father, who will still not be winning any Parent of the Year awards, but they're both grateful to him in a way and they'll forgive him. Shizuku, in particular, is happy to have met his brother. Tomine's facial expressions have become 100% human now, especially when Shizuku calls him "niisan" (older brother). They have a very heartfelt handshake, lasting for ages, while both get all wobbly and tearful. If they were demonstrative types, they might've hugged, I suppose.
Kanzaki Yutaka is obviously the Japanese cousin of Bob Fraser, because he has no problem appearing in his own desk chair after death when Robert pours him some wine and tells him his boys grew up just fine. In wine terms, of course. Kiryu also has ghosts to lay to rest.
As for Shizuku...well, it's like Bambino all over again, only with France! Shizuku wants to go to France to study wine, and his boss is surprisingly nice about it, offering to keep his job open for a few years. They'll probably do more work with him gone, so I guess he can afford to do that. Everyone is very supportive, of course, though they will miss him.
He'll miss them too, but notably Miyabi, who is out on the roof, moping. I half expected him to ask her to go with, actually. Awkward, windblown conversation ensues, in which Miyabi tries to make like she's happy for him and Shizuku tries to explain how grateful he is to her. Miyabi has enough, starts to walk away, but stops dead in her tracks when Shizuku suddenly yells out, "Miyabi-chan!" Yes, that's the first time he's addressed her that way. My heart skipped a beat...and then again, when he yelled out "suki da yo!" (I like/love you). That's very informal for Shizuku, come to think of it!
Miyabi turns round, tells him to say it again to her face, and just as he manages to work up the will to do it she yells out that she likes him too! Cue 'One Drop', big smiles all round, and a slowmotion rooftop embrace in the sunshine. It's beautiful. They're incredibly cute together and they look so happy!
Two years later, scenes of Tomine and Maki taking their baby, Nao, for a walk, looking like the quintessential happy family. Sara's still the spokesperson for Taiyo Beer, office shenanigans continue as usual. Wine arrives at the office from Shizuku - wine he produced from grapes he harvested himself for the first time. It makes him think of Miyabi-chan. The gang eagerly give it a try, with the chief and Honma impersonating Shizuku and Tomine respectively. It was a wine full of smiles. ^_^
Finally, Shizuku running through the vineyards in the sunshine - happy, smiling, free, wearing plaid. Goodbye Kanzaki Shizuku, hello Kamenashi Kazuya.
Obligatory Kame commentary: He looked so happy! This episode had some lovely moments for him - speaking French, the touching, emotional bits, and of course those beautiful smiles. While I don't find Kanzaki Shizuku to be a particularly interesting character, I don't think it has anything to do with the way Kame plays him, and I find that when Shizuku stops being so one-dimensional and actual acting is involved, Kame is more than up to the task. Understatement is the name of the game in this series (aside from the obvious OTT bits) and Kame's brilliant at being just on the verge of tears, seconds away from some tormented emotional upheaval that you just can't do in a suit without looking a trifle odd.
Best Scene: Shizuku/Miyabi hug! (Though Honma's facial expression when he saw Shizuku decanting comes a close second.) Miyabi has her irksome moments but she is a lively, warm and quirky character, and she and Shizuku make a lovely team. I'm so glad Shizuku finally got a clue and told her how he felt; for all her brashness, she couldn't have told him first. It's a kids' romance, really - Shizuku says himself that he's still immature, though he's referring to the world of wine - and I like that we got a big, gleeful hug rather than what would've been a painful attempt at a kiss.
Conclusion: It's been a rocky road, reviewing Kami no Shizuku. There have been some fantastic high points but some unbelievable lows, too, and occasionally I did wonder if it was worth continuing. But I did, and I'm glad, because taken overall it really was a lovely series and the supporting cast were fantastic. It wasn't what I was expecting, given the mangaka. I thought more mystery, less shared wine hallucinations. Didn't get that. But what I did get made me enjoy it up till the end, and made me glad I continued.
And that's it for now! I don't know what I'll review next - has to be something suitably cracky - but I'm sure something will come along. I could always go back to Gokusen 2, I suppose. I'm about due a rewatch. ^_^ Thank you to those of you who've commented on my reviews, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them because I've sure had fun writing them!
The short version: Happy endings all round! ^_^
Kami no Shizuku - the final glass
Plot: Thank goodness for recaps! The last time I watched an episode was before my holiday, and seeing Kame in person drove all thoughts of Kame-in-drama from my head.
When we last left our heroes, Tomine was in a coma, Maki was keeping watch over him in the hospital, and we had one more wine left to go - Kami no Shizuku, the ultimate wine, which unfortunately makes me think of the Hand of God in 'Hikaru no Go'. Perhaps this is what would happen if you had Touya Akira searching for alcohol.
This series doesn't have the most interesting set of main characters, I'll admit, but they're not lacking in development. Why, in the last few episodes alone, we've seen Maki go from the Wicked Witch of the East to a real human being with actual feelings. Some of these feelings turn out to be suicidal, but they don't last long. Keeping watch over a comatose Tomine Issei would make anyone want to slash their wrists, I think.
Shizuku is much more cheery, striding into the office with a broad grin and a spring in his step. If only I didn't dislike his coat so much. It makes him look like he has terrible dandruff. The Taiyo Beer gang know it's time for the final round, though they're not entirely sure that such a wine exists, and they're rather more worried about it than Shizuku is. After all, once he's done with the contest, they'll have to go back to doing real work. Quelle horreur!
Time for Kiryu to open the final envelope. Robert looks like he's dressing to be part of a barber-shop quartet but can't quite get the hang of it. Before the description is given, Maki shows up and begs to be allowed to hear the will in Tomine's place. Today's wine, Kami no Shizuku, is eternity. Everlasting, always there, timeless, blah blah blah. Shizuku takes the will, as usual, but this time he gives it to Maki to pass on to Tomine. They have a gentleman's agreement to finish the contest together.
A new wine description calls for a strategy meeting, which means some quality time for the Taiyo Beer gang and Fujieda down at Monopole. Miyabi and Fujieda between them hit on the first clue - "terroir", the characteristics bestowed by geography, or so the subs tell me. Funnily enough, my A-level French exam had a whole section on viticulture in the writing section, so it was full of vocab I didn't know. I wish I remembered it - it would come in so handy now!
While the gang are busy speculating on possible interpretations of the will, Maki shows up (I like how she knows the best way to get hold of Shizuku is to look for a bar) to ask Shizuku to help his brother. Not, as you might think, by donating genetic material or anything like that, but by assisting with a reception for the French Food Industry Association, whose president and assorted flunkies are usually catered for by Kanzaki-sensei when they visit Japan. He selected French foods and suitable wines to accompany them, and never failed to impress.
Since Kanzaki Yutaka's death, Tomine had been selected to take over from him. Unfortunately, while he'd chosen the dishes (Japanese, in an attempt to surpass his father) he'd fallen into a coma before he'd selected the wines. Given that the reception is in three days, it seems to me as though he was leaving it till the last minute anyway! Not content with his regular task of hunting down legendary wines, Shizuku is keen to accept the burden from his brother.
It's a challenge, of course, so naturally, he turns to his work colleagues for assistance. Everything has to be perfect, or French-Japanese relations could be soured! Maki has a struggle on her hands to get the powers that be to accept Shizuku as a replacement - they've already found someone, who turns out to be Robert. Seeing how eager Shizuku is, he's happy to endorse the recommendation. Once permission is granted, the Taiyo Beer gang are on the case! They even have whiteboards, drinking everything they can think of to try to find the perfect wine for the dishes. How do they get paid for this?
It makes Shizuku so happy, though, that his colleagues are so supportive. How wine has brought them all together. He's such a sweetie, sometimes.
Meanwhile, things are not looking so good at the hospital. Maki reads the will to Tomine, who wanders (mentally) through caves of blue light while hearing the voices of the people who care about him, and occasionally people who used to dislike him. In a not-unexpected turn of events, Maki reveals that she's pregnant, a revelation witnessed by Sara, who has remembered how to dress. But shh, it's a secret! We see Tomine's fingers move once Maki leaves the room - did he hear? Does he know? Does he even want kids?
Time for the reception. Poor Miyabi looks terrified. She assists Shizuku, while the rest of the gang hide behind a counter. Badly. I haven't seen such a lousy attempt at hiding since Gokusen 3. Shizuku appears to be wearing eyeliner again, I might add. More Rescue promo? Or an effort to appeal to President Amoro? Whatever, we've got Shizuku speaking French again - quite a bit, actually - and it's adorable. He's very impressed by the president's skills in wine identification.
While Shizuku's being a fanboy and the rest of the gang are being terribly nervous, Tomine wakes up! It's a slow process, but he does, and he can see. Sara's the first one to find him, but all he cares about is what day it is.
Shizuku gets to show off his fancy decanting skills - check out Honma's face, it's priceless - but the president is a hard man to please, if the horror-movie organ music is any indication. Unfortunately, Shizuku's just realised that the wine to accompany the final dish won't be good enough. Are our heroes doomed?
But wait! Mere minutes after emerging from his coma, allowing himself and Sara just enough time to pretty themselves up, Tomine Issei arrives to save the day with a bottle of Japanese wine! (How often does the main villain get to save the day?) It's made from French grapes transplanted to Japan, and it's a hit with the president, who is very complimentary about it. Shizuku gets a round of applause, which he knows should really be for Tomine, but Tomine and Sara don't seem too precious about it.
Reception over, the brothers visit their father's grave, and Shizuku shows Tomine the letter his mother wrote to their father. He's grateful to Tomine for returning to keep their bargain, and Tomine's grateful to have had Shizuku's voice - amongst others - to guide him out of his coma. It's a moment full of manly thanks...and a clue, thoughtfully given by Tomine, to the identity of Kami no Shizuku. Shizuku looks so damned young here! I don't know if it's just the way the wind is flattening his hair or what, but he doesn't look like he's even hit twenty yet. And I'm pretty sure the BGM playing in this scene has come from Miami Vice. There's a definite Jan Hammer flavour to it.
Tomine and Shizuku, back in their respective offices, speculate separately on the wine - one passing on through the generations - and somehow hit on a candidate for Kami no Shizuku. Miyabi has mixed feelings about Shizuku completing his quest, and she's not the only one. Robert and Kiryu are kind of at a loose end too. Robert has the most relaxed attitude - he's a drunkard, and he's just going to keep drinking after this. No real plans. I'm sorry, why is this man respected by so many people?
Maki's back in the fur but minus the attitude; Tomine asks her to accompany him to the showdown. Shizuku and Miyabi arrive, slow motion, full of significant looks. Shizuku's tie is very pretty. Tomine goes first with his description of the wine, culminating in a thank you and a proposal to Maki! One happy couple down, one to go. The rest of the unveiling seems like an afterthought. Shizuku, too, has thanks to give - to his father, and of course to Miyabi. His don't come with a proposal. Both brothers have chosen the correct wine, but does anybody really care what it is by this point? I think not.
Robert asks both brothers to forgive their father, who will still not be winning any Parent of the Year awards, but they're both grateful to him in a way and they'll forgive him. Shizuku, in particular, is happy to have met his brother. Tomine's facial expressions have become 100% human now, especially when Shizuku calls him "niisan" (older brother). They have a very heartfelt handshake, lasting for ages, while both get all wobbly and tearful. If they were demonstrative types, they might've hugged, I suppose.
Kanzaki Yutaka is obviously the Japanese cousin of Bob Fraser, because he has no problem appearing in his own desk chair after death when Robert pours him some wine and tells him his boys grew up just fine. In wine terms, of course. Kiryu also has ghosts to lay to rest.
As for Shizuku...well, it's like Bambino all over again, only with France! Shizuku wants to go to France to study wine, and his boss is surprisingly nice about it, offering to keep his job open for a few years. They'll probably do more work with him gone, so I guess he can afford to do that. Everyone is very supportive, of course, though they will miss him.
He'll miss them too, but notably Miyabi, who is out on the roof, moping. I half expected him to ask her to go with, actually. Awkward, windblown conversation ensues, in which Miyabi tries to make like she's happy for him and Shizuku tries to explain how grateful he is to her. Miyabi has enough, starts to walk away, but stops dead in her tracks when Shizuku suddenly yells out, "Miyabi-chan!" Yes, that's the first time he's addressed her that way. My heart skipped a beat...and then again, when he yelled out "suki da yo!" (I like/love you). That's very informal for Shizuku, come to think of it!
Miyabi turns round, tells him to say it again to her face, and just as he manages to work up the will to do it she yells out that she likes him too! Cue 'One Drop', big smiles all round, and a slowmotion rooftop embrace in the sunshine. It's beautiful. They're incredibly cute together and they look so happy!
Two years later, scenes of Tomine and Maki taking their baby, Nao, for a walk, looking like the quintessential happy family. Sara's still the spokesperson for Taiyo Beer, office shenanigans continue as usual. Wine arrives at the office from Shizuku - wine he produced from grapes he harvested himself for the first time. It makes him think of Miyabi-chan. The gang eagerly give it a try, with the chief and Honma impersonating Shizuku and Tomine respectively. It was a wine full of smiles. ^_^
Finally, Shizuku running through the vineyards in the sunshine - happy, smiling, free, wearing plaid. Goodbye Kanzaki Shizuku, hello Kamenashi Kazuya.
Obligatory Kame commentary: He looked so happy! This episode had some lovely moments for him - speaking French, the touching, emotional bits, and of course those beautiful smiles. While I don't find Kanzaki Shizuku to be a particularly interesting character, I don't think it has anything to do with the way Kame plays him, and I find that when Shizuku stops being so one-dimensional and actual acting is involved, Kame is more than up to the task. Understatement is the name of the game in this series (aside from the obvious OTT bits) and Kame's brilliant at being just on the verge of tears, seconds away from some tormented emotional upheaval that you just can't do in a suit without looking a trifle odd.
Best Scene: Shizuku/Miyabi hug! (Though Honma's facial expression when he saw Shizuku decanting comes a close second.) Miyabi has her irksome moments but she is a lively, warm and quirky character, and she and Shizuku make a lovely team. I'm so glad Shizuku finally got a clue and told her how he felt; for all her brashness, she couldn't have told him first. It's a kids' romance, really - Shizuku says himself that he's still immature, though he's referring to the world of wine - and I like that we got a big, gleeful hug rather than what would've been a painful attempt at a kiss.
Conclusion: It's been a rocky road, reviewing Kami no Shizuku. There have been some fantastic high points but some unbelievable lows, too, and occasionally I did wonder if it was worth continuing. But I did, and I'm glad, because taken overall it really was a lovely series and the supporting cast were fantastic. It wasn't what I was expecting, given the mangaka. I thought more mystery, less shared wine hallucinations. Didn't get that. But what I did get made me enjoy it up till the end, and made me glad I continued.
And that's it for now! I don't know what I'll review next - has to be something suitably cracky - but I'm sure something will come along. I could always go back to Gokusen 2, I suppose. I'm about due a rewatch. ^_^ Thank you to those of you who've commented on my reviews, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them because I've sure had fun writing them!