jdrama: xxxHolic
Jan. 15th, 2014 10:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meganbmooreThis is an 8-episode series based on the Clamp series. It seems to have somehow managed to fly way way under the radar. At least, I don't recall anyone actually talking about it when it came out.
When it comes to live action TV adaptations, I figure the only thing more frightening than trying to adapt a Clamp manga is trying to adapt a Kaori Yuki manga, but this one did a pretty decent job of it. All connections to Tsubasa and any other Clamp manga are done away with, and instead they opt to make it a more gothic series, focusing on the aspect of a boy who's hounded by ghosts who meets a woman who runs a supernatural shop that only some people can see, and who grants wishes for a price. The downside is that, while the humor isn't completely gone, it ends up taking itself a little too seriously at times, though that may not be as noticeable if you haven't read the manga and/or watched the anime.
For the most part, I thought the cast was pretty good. Watanuki's actor looked a little awkward in promotional pictures, but worked when actually in action, and Doumeki was a bit too pretty, but the actor made it work. I feel a bit sorry for Himawari's actress. She did a perfectly decent job, but the attempts to emulate Himawari's look from the manga made her look like an almost-grown woman trying to pass herself off as a little girl. The standout performance was Watanabe Anne as Yuuko. Not only did she managed to get Yuuko's otherworldly feel down and come across as far older than she looks, but she actually made Yuuko's more dramatic costumes and poses from the manga work. I still can't get over the fact that an actual human being can wear some of those clothes and look completely natural and comfortable. (I was going to include proof of this, but apparently I moved my caps off my laptop. I'm sure youtube contains proof, though, should anyone be curious.)
When it comes to live action TV adaptations, I figure the only thing more frightening than trying to adapt a Clamp manga is trying to adapt a Kaori Yuki manga, but this one did a pretty decent job of it. All connections to Tsubasa and any other Clamp manga are done away with, and instead they opt to make it a more gothic series, focusing on the aspect of a boy who's hounded by ghosts who meets a woman who runs a supernatural shop that only some people can see, and who grants wishes for a price. The downside is that, while the humor isn't completely gone, it ends up taking itself a little too seriously at times, though that may not be as noticeable if you haven't read the manga and/or watched the anime.
For the most part, I thought the cast was pretty good. Watanuki's actor looked a little awkward in promotional pictures, but worked when actually in action, and Doumeki was a bit too pretty, but the actor made it work. I feel a bit sorry for Himawari's actress. She did a perfectly decent job, but the attempts to emulate Himawari's look from the manga made her look like an almost-grown woman trying to pass herself off as a little girl. The standout performance was Watanabe Anne as Yuuko. Not only did she managed to get Yuuko's otherworldly feel down and come across as far older than she looks, but she actually made Yuuko's more dramatic costumes and poses from the manga work. I still can't get over the fact that an actual human being can wear some of those clothes and look completely natural and comfortable. (I was going to include proof of this, but apparently I moved my caps off my laptop. I'm sure youtube contains proof, though, should anyone be curious.)
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Date: 2014-01-16 07:34 pm (UTC)I am totally going to watch this just for that!!