Yukan Club - Episode 08
Dec. 8th, 2007 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mecAww...Miroku's a lovely boy. It's not his fault his parents are insane. Sorry, folks, this is a very short one.
Yukan Club 08
Plot: Miroku's lunatic mother, the legendary Chiaki, bursts back into his life at just the wrong moment during world's most serious Jenga tournament, ensuring that he's stuck cleaning the club room for a month. She's back because her husband made her a promise to give her flowers at a certain amusement park every year on her birthday, or they get a divorce. This year, things don't go according to plan - Tokimune receives an explosive bouquet of flowers (not quite what he'd ordered from the florists, but its so hard to find good help these days) and has to battle an unfortunate bout of tummy trouble while his son and his friends try to track down the destructively jealous Keiko-chan. Can Yukan Club get Tokimune (and some non-exploding flowers) to the theme park in time to save his marriage? Of course they can, because nobody would ever dare to give Miroku a speeding ticket.
In other news: Miroku attempts to cry at Keiko's touching story but has to turn away to cover his failure while everyone else in the room manages to produce real tears. Probably does his crying elsewhere when it finally hits him how close his parents came to divorce.
I would like to say good things about this episode, because there were a lot of them, but there were also things that bugged the hell out of me. I appreciate that the target audience for this series is people younger than me, but enough with the 'digestive disorders for comedy purposes' thing, okay? It's not funny, and all it does is drag the show down a few more levels. I like to watch a series and not feel that I'm being talked down to.
Also, the adults overact like crazy - sorry, Tokimune, you lost some love from me this week. It's a wonder Miroku turned out sane at all, with parents like that.
Gender and sexuality are big issues for me, and one of the things that irritates me most about dramas is that when there are instances of homosexuality, they tend to get camped up a lot for comedy purposes. Now, what I did like was that nobody held Keiko's gender against him - hell, everyone was encouraging Tokimune to kiss him at the end and it was because he didn't want to kiss anyone other than his wife that he didn't. And okay, I get that he was a crossdresser, and so if he was going to adopt feminine behaviour while attired as a woman, fair enough. But when he was disguised as the delivery guy, we're supposed to know he's Keiko because he's wearing one earring? Hmm...let's take a look at Miroku's ear, shall we?
Right, onto the fun stuff. The many pictures of Tokimune amused me no end, particularly when one actually started smiling after Chiaki blew it a kiss. Goodbye, reality. Hello, Yukan Club. Why does he need one of those in his office, though?
His sidekicks amused me too, as usual. Yeah, I agree, they really ought to start looking for a new profession. The things they have to do for their crazy boss...
Speaking of crazy...uh, Seishiro, to make a guy jealous of men, you don't need to put them in dresses first, do you? But if you really feel the need to dress up as a girl and get Bido and Miroku to go along with it, be my guest. Bido is such a cute girl! Love that he sat down afterwards and immediately started primping in the mirror. (Where did they get those outfits in the police station, anyway? It was sealed! Were those appropriated from hookers?) Seishiro was cute too - even when he wasn't wearing the wig. But I guess Kanjani8 members are more used to spending time in drag! As for Miroku...he makes a very broad-shouldered girl. (Jin has lost his slender, girlish body!) But damn was he pretty (without the wig too). The earrings were a bit big for my taste, but since he looks a lot better in make-up than I do... But really, Miroku - keeping your cellphone in your bra?
Miroku's actually pretty clumsy, isn't he? Walking into the chair like that. I don't know why he bothers to play Jenga at all! So it kind of fits that he ends up as this big, brassy, clutzy gal with not a hell of a lot in the way of coordination, who's half out of his dress before he's even sat down - and I do feel sorry for him, having to snuggle up to his father like that. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that.
Obligatory Jin commentary: Aww...he may not be as convincingly girly figure-wise as he used to be (though I'm sure they could've found a more flattering dress for him), but he's still so, so pretty! And personally, I think he did a good job showing fear, worry etc. given Miroku's situation in this episode. Because he's got a lot at stake here - death and divorce, two fairly big risks, especially for a kid who's still in high school - and as much as his dad annoys him, he really does love him. My favourite moment of his, though, wasn't the crossdressing. It was actually right at the beginning, when Chiaki sneaked into the club room and blew his hair, and he made this cute, girly little fainting motion. Reminded me a lot of Kimeru collapsing in Dream Live 2, was it? The one with the bowling. Girliest Fuji ever, that boy.
Best scene: Karen and Bido getting sidetracked during the search through the police station, stopping to flirt with random people and having to pull each other away. But I guess Bido actually getting in the lift with that female officer would've been a little inappropriate.
Conclusion: Not much I can say, really. The plot was simple, involved a lot of running around but not much brainwork (though nice plan, Miroku!), and the kids got overshadowed by the adults a lot. Miroku's parents are very sweet together but they're obviously crazy, and as far as the romance aspect goes...well, I thought it was kind of cute, with everyone desperately cheering them on and supporting them.
Next week: Is that the outfit Jin was wearing in Popeye? Must fish out my magazine and check. Looking good! Blood, knives, billiards and gambling - it must be getting closer to Christmas!
Yukan Club 08
Plot: Miroku's lunatic mother, the legendary Chiaki, bursts back into his life at just the wrong moment during world's most serious Jenga tournament, ensuring that he's stuck cleaning the club room for a month. She's back because her husband made her a promise to give her flowers at a certain amusement park every year on her birthday, or they get a divorce. This year, things don't go according to plan - Tokimune receives an explosive bouquet of flowers (not quite what he'd ordered from the florists, but its so hard to find good help these days) and has to battle an unfortunate bout of tummy trouble while his son and his friends try to track down the destructively jealous Keiko-chan. Can Yukan Club get Tokimune (and some non-exploding flowers) to the theme park in time to save his marriage? Of course they can, because nobody would ever dare to give Miroku a speeding ticket.
In other news: Miroku attempts to cry at Keiko's touching story but has to turn away to cover his failure while everyone else in the room manages to produce real tears. Probably does his crying elsewhere when it finally hits him how close his parents came to divorce.
I would like to say good things about this episode, because there were a lot of them, but there were also things that bugged the hell out of me. I appreciate that the target audience for this series is people younger than me, but enough with the 'digestive disorders for comedy purposes' thing, okay? It's not funny, and all it does is drag the show down a few more levels. I like to watch a series and not feel that I'm being talked down to.
Also, the adults overact like crazy - sorry, Tokimune, you lost some love from me this week. It's a wonder Miroku turned out sane at all, with parents like that.
Gender and sexuality are big issues for me, and one of the things that irritates me most about dramas is that when there are instances of homosexuality, they tend to get camped up a lot for comedy purposes. Now, what I did like was that nobody held Keiko's gender against him - hell, everyone was encouraging Tokimune to kiss him at the end and it was because he didn't want to kiss anyone other than his wife that he didn't. And okay, I get that he was a crossdresser, and so if he was going to adopt feminine behaviour while attired as a woman, fair enough. But when he was disguised as the delivery guy, we're supposed to know he's Keiko because he's wearing one earring? Hmm...let's take a look at Miroku's ear, shall we?
Right, onto the fun stuff. The many pictures of Tokimune amused me no end, particularly when one actually started smiling after Chiaki blew it a kiss. Goodbye, reality. Hello, Yukan Club. Why does he need one of those in his office, though?
His sidekicks amused me too, as usual. Yeah, I agree, they really ought to start looking for a new profession. The things they have to do for their crazy boss...
Speaking of crazy...uh, Seishiro, to make a guy jealous of men, you don't need to put them in dresses first, do you? But if you really feel the need to dress up as a girl and get Bido and Miroku to go along with it, be my guest. Bido is such a cute girl! Love that he sat down afterwards and immediately started primping in the mirror. (Where did they get those outfits in the police station, anyway? It was sealed! Were those appropriated from hookers?) Seishiro was cute too - even when he wasn't wearing the wig. But I guess Kanjani8 members are more used to spending time in drag! As for Miroku...he makes a very broad-shouldered girl. (Jin has lost his slender, girlish body!) But damn was he pretty (without the wig too). The earrings were a bit big for my taste, but since he looks a lot better in make-up than I do... But really, Miroku - keeping your cellphone in your bra?
Miroku's actually pretty clumsy, isn't he? Walking into the chair like that. I don't know why he bothers to play Jenga at all! So it kind of fits that he ends up as this big, brassy, clutzy gal with not a hell of a lot in the way of coordination, who's half out of his dress before he's even sat down - and I do feel sorry for him, having to snuggle up to his father like that. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that.
Obligatory Jin commentary: Aww...he may not be as convincingly girly figure-wise as he used to be (though I'm sure they could've found a more flattering dress for him), but he's still so, so pretty! And personally, I think he did a good job showing fear, worry etc. given Miroku's situation in this episode. Because he's got a lot at stake here - death and divorce, two fairly big risks, especially for a kid who's still in high school - and as much as his dad annoys him, he really does love him. My favourite moment of his, though, wasn't the crossdressing. It was actually right at the beginning, when Chiaki sneaked into the club room and blew his hair, and he made this cute, girly little fainting motion. Reminded me a lot of Kimeru collapsing in Dream Live 2, was it? The one with the bowling. Girliest Fuji ever, that boy.
Best scene: Karen and Bido getting sidetracked during the search through the police station, stopping to flirt with random people and having to pull each other away. But I guess Bido actually getting in the lift with that female officer would've been a little inappropriate.
Conclusion: Not much I can say, really. The plot was simple, involved a lot of running around but not much brainwork (though nice plan, Miroku!), and the kids got overshadowed by the adults a lot. Miroku's parents are very sweet together but they're obviously crazy, and as far as the romance aspect goes...well, I thought it was kind of cute, with everyone desperately cheering them on and supporting them.
Next week: Is that the outfit Jin was wearing in Popeye? Must fish out my magazine and check. Looking good! Blood, knives, billiards and gambling - it must be getting closer to Christmas!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-08 06:10 pm (UTC)Only two episodes left of the show. Awww.. I have to wait till after New Year to see it, going to Vietnam in two days, so I'm also too lazy to write my review. Maybe later. ^^;;
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-08 08:17 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think so too. It's like Yuri's parents - when they're speaking to each other, anyway! It would be nice to see more of the two of them together, but as Chiaki's gone off to Italy or wherever it was now, I guess that won't be happening.
LOL, at first I didn't know it was his mom, since he calls her Chiaki-san...
I thought step-mother, at first, but then when he explained about her preferences in what she wanted to be called, it made sense.
Only two episodes left of the show.
I forgot it was only 10 - we're so close to the end! *wails* I hope when Kame's new drama starts, subbers decide to do that one really quickly too and then I can do the same routine with it. If only we could get them in the same series, darn it...
Awww.. I have to wait till after New Year to see it, going to Vietnam in two days, so I'm also too lazy to write my review. Maybe later. ^^;;
I'll look forward to reading your thoughts! (Not in a creepy, mind-reading way, obviously!) Well, I hope all goes well in Vietnam! ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-08 08:56 pm (UTC)It's good to have anyone to share thoughts about the drama, I really like drama discussions.
And yeah, I'll try to have a good time in Vietnam (I will I think). ^^