Of Swords and Parasols

Much like the first series, save that they figured out what parts we liked and what we cared less about, so it's all about conspiracies, Eriko being awesome and pwning criminals, Nodate being more charming and likable than anyone that smarmy has any right to be (Takenouchi Yutaka has the superpower to be likable?) and the rest of the cast being adorable and kooky. Like a lot of jdramas that get second series that keeps most of the original cast (not that many do) general dynamics are more ironed out. Thankfully, there were no cases that made me wonder what the writers were on (I maintain that that rape case from the first series was someone trying to get fired) though there was one case where I actually didn't want them to catch the killer (It involved a vengeful assassin and a little girl he saved from abuse, ok?).

My only real complaint is that Erica Toda's character was gone for so much of it, though I did like the two female characters they replaced her with, and did like what they did with her character. Sadly, no one really seemed to have the same kind of character arc that Kimoto had in the first series, though. I am, hoever, more ocnvinced than ever that Eriko and Nodate have semi-regular drunk sex (it's canon that they're used to waking up in bed semi-dressed after getting drunk, and they go out drinking a lot. They also apparently have keys to each other's apartments, and have secret signs that only they know.)

The ending implies that a third series is a possibility, and I can only hope that such a wonderful thing will truly one day exist.

I haven't watched any of the other time travel kdramas that came out earlier this year (Queen In Hyun's Man is the only one of them that I've had any interest in, but I haven't tried it out yet) and so I'm free of any time travel lethargy other kdrama fans might be having. (And this one has also been in the making for much longer than any of those.)

Set late in the Goryeo period (mid-14th century-1351, to be precise) this starts of was a manhwa-illustration style animation recounting the legend of Hwata, a Chinese surgeon, ending with his going through a portal and ascending to Heaven. Then we switch to the actual plot, in which the Goryeo prince and his new bride (from an enemy nation, because where else would she be from?) are attacked while stopped overnight at an inn. The queen is injured and the prince's advisor just happened to conveniently spot a magic portal that he assumed led to Heaven nearby. (Why was there a magic portal? WHO KNOWS. People also shoot lightning from their hands and kill cockcoaches with flute music in this show. THESE THINGS JUST CONVENIENTLY HAPPEN.) Under the assumption that it leads to Heaven (Because where else would magic portals that just randomly appear with no explanation lead?) a general, Choi Young, goes through the portal to find Hwata* or one of his apprentices, only to end up in the present. He gets directed to a medical conference by a monk who assumes he wandered off a drama set, and sees a presentation by a plastic surgeon, Eun Soo, and decides she's the doctor for him. (In multiple ways, apparently, given later semi-conscious statements.)

Before tossing her over his shoulder and carting her back to the 14th century, he decides to test her skills by...giving a security guard the same injury to make sure she can fix it. (You just went WTF. So did I. So did Eun Soo, but she thankfully has a practicality override when faced with a crisis.) THEN he took out a police squad with his lightning powers, grabbed a riot shield for a souvenir (he later uses it as a boomerang), tossed her over his shoulder, and carted the poor woman back to the 14th century.

As you can tell, the crack is mighty with this one. Very mighty indeed.

Though, with Eun Soo firmly entrenched in the past, I suspect the crack will calm down soon and the more serious political plot will take over. (I'm ok with this, though I hope it keeps some of the humor.)

So far I like it a lot (between it an Arang and the Magistrate I think I prefer it right now, though larger because of a preference for the heroine-but that's kind of like "I like ice cream and cheesecake but I like cheesecake a little more" and I am exceptionally fond of both ice cream and cheesecake). One thing I particularly like is that Eun Soo doesn't know she's travelled to the past (she's gone from "homicidal cosplayer" to "accident on a drama set and they abducted a doctor to avoid the police"** to "really bizarre abduction by strange cult" to "I DON'T CARE WHAT'S WITH THIS PORTAL JUST TAKE ME HOME!") because every thinks she's from heaven and so knows where she is and is just annoyed to be there, and the modern world is so different and alien that Choi Young just assumed heaven had giant buildings and bright lights and weird hinking metal things and people magically in tiny boxes. I'm sure she'll figure it out soon once she starts learning who the historical people are.

But I'm exceptionally fond of how her reaction isn't to shriek and hide under the table (this or utter petrification would be my reaction) or magically adjust to the new world in hours. Instead she takes up residence in Denial Land and tries sneaking away when she thinks no one is looking (this almost works)*** and bribery. I'm not sure where it's going (I have a feeling that Eun Soo is going to be able to return to the present eventually and Choi Young-a real historical figure who lives quite some time past when the drama is set-ends up reincarnated, which seems to be the usual "happy" ending for these types of things, and I don't know how I feel about that) but I like it and I like all the characters except the king and his advisor, both of whom I dislike quite intensely. (Well, I have no opinion about any of the villains yet.)

I hope the lightning powers get explained. As near as I can tell, it's some sort of physical manifestation of emotional control/reaction. Choi Young's doctor friend (from the Goryeo period, not Eun Soo) has the same ability, only apparently much more controlled and with a lot more precision, and I'm thinking Choi Young learned it from him.

*In the context of the rest of the plot, I'm guessing we'll eventually learn Hwata was also actually a modern doctor.
**When you've been forcibly abducted by an armored dude a foot taller than you who almost killed someone to test you and dragged you off to be surrounded by a couple dozen people just like him, you're allowed to come up with utterly improbable and/or ludicrous theories.
***She needs to just get Choi Young alone and wait for one of his naps. That boy is always napping, even at utterly inappropriate times.


In unrelated (mostly) news, Rich Man, Poor Woman bounced back this week after a couple of rather lacklustre episodes, though it wasn't as good as the first 4 episodes were. Too much Rich Man (and his eccentric brilliance and angst) not enough Poor Woman (and they seem to have largely forgotten her memorization and research superpowers, even though they were referenced this week.)

(Yes, DOGS is capitalized. I’ve noticed this frequently happens when Japanese titles get translated into English.)

I’ve decided that, while I dislike most US procedurals for their devotion to loving depictions of dead and mutilated corpses (especially female ones) and people (way more men than women anytime I turn on one that isn’t named Bones) with very serious faces talking about death and doom, (Look, it is VERY possible that I just have terrible luck in channel surfing.) I like Japanese procedurals because they go “Gosh, we have cops and dead bodies and deadly conspiracies. Clearly, the best thing to do is fill our show with adorable and wacky characters who bicker a lot and make dramatic statements about devotion and the importance of everything ever!”

The plot, such as there is one, is an angsty super cop who’s been working in the US the last few years, Sou, and an ex- biker gang leader are assigned the protection of Yuki, a young woman who has amnesia and a mysterious connection to the mafia boss who killed Sou’s father when he was a kid. (Yes, this “mysterious connection” is milked for all the drama and angst it’s worth. Why do you ask?) But really, the plot is “Oguri Shun looks good with short hair and pointing guns and angsts a lot, Mizushima Hiro makes a lot of funny faces and is kind of weird, and Yoshitaka Yuriko isn’t convinced delicate amnesiacs should twiddle their fingers and fret, and is not overly impressed by your claims that your angst is bigger than hers, and there are lots of other kooky characters.” There are episodic police plots, but they’re basically an excuse for the characters to interact and be funny and adorable together.

Though the ending is WEIRD. I mean, mystery and procedural jdramas typically have sequel-bait endings, but this one starts that way and skews into “WTF?” Not to mention apparently resetting Sou’s character growth back to the first episode and ignoring certain dramatic confessions (even while flashing back to them).

Ending credits (sadly with -all the versions I found on you tube had the sound disabled):



SOU: I am manly and brooding and look like an adult since my actor has cut his hair and dyed it black! I get really really photoshopped and wander angstily through the rain with a determined expression. This is what happens you’re on a fishing trip with your father when wee and he gets shot in the head by an assassin and you are splattered with his blood.
MARUO: I am scruffy and also photoshopped in the rain. I’m doing my best to look angsty and brooding, but it kind of doesn’t fit my character at all, and I so hate having this serious expression on for so long. But at least I get to show off my hair in the rain.
YUKI: I am lovely and delicate and the bright and shining ligh-screw this. Let’s ditch the rainy alleys and softly lit forest and go have a threesome.
SOU: I can deny you little even if I pretend otherwise! What’s a threesome?*
MARUO: Threesome! I mean, wait, no, I’m straight. I think.** Can I go back to making goofy faces now? This serious thing is hard.



*I am firmly convinced that Sou either only has hypothetical knowledge of sex, or is in deep denial of a very kinky nature. Or maybe both.
**He does, in fact, question his sexuality due to his response to the idea of Sou leaving.

I love this cosplay. I think it's the hat:



Rion is working on offensive strategy. Suoh is learning self-defense. I think she's doing better.
 

There was an eyepunch.  I missed the punch itself, but here are the...results...



WENT NUTS AND SUCKED ON THE VAMPIRE'S BLOOD WTF?



Fortunately, His blood is only V8, and so easily replenishable.

No pictures today because internet is being wonky.  Otherwise, you'd get to see vampire "pulsing vein" vision, a woman in a cheap wolfmask, Rion cosplaying as both Red Riding Hood and a fairy godmother, and maybe even Suoh delicately clenching his amulet and scurrying away in order to avoid giving into bloodlust, and a woman looking utterly bored at a werewolf attack.

While I am feeling moderately charitable towards vampires, I decided to check out interest in the proposed watch-a-long for Vampire Host, the jdrama about a host club full of vampires. Based on a Kaori Yuki manga. Curse you, Kaori Yuki!

Given the differing schedules and time zones of people who have already expressed an interest, I thought a post for a set number of episodes for comments/spoilers would be the best way to do it, instead of trying to organize group chats.

The viewing schedule poll is at LJ.