Coolest samurai anime I've ever watch!!!

Gabungan antara budaya hip hop dan samurai era, jadi bikin satu kesatuan baru yang gila...

Anime ini bercerita tentang perjalanan tiga pengembara, Fuu, Mugen dan Jin untuk mencari samurai berbau bunga matahari-nya Fuu. Sepanjang perjalanan, Mugen dan Jin yang sama-sama kuat terus-terusan beratem (kaya' Sanji dan Zorro di One Piece lah -- agak lucu juga karena seiyuu Mugen adalah Kazuya Nakai yang juga nyuarain Zorro), Fuu-lah yang biasanya maksa mereka untuk berhenti...

Di dalem perjalanan ini, mereka ketemu dengan orang bule (gay) yang dikejar2 pihak berwajib, maen basebal lawan orang Amerika, Fuu sempet masuk ke rumah bordil, dan lain lain.

Yang unik dari anime ini, didalemnya banyak ditemuin hal2 yang mengejutkan. Pada episode awal kita bisa ngeliat kalo ada anak pejabat daerah (Daikan) yang kimononya ada garis tiga-nya (ciri khas merk terkenal, Adi**s), trus samurai yang ambutnya di cat pirang dan pake anting, samurai yang beat boxing dan lain lain...

Si tokoh utama sediri, Mugen, berantem dengan menggunakan teknik Capoeira, trus pake celana pendek, ber-anting dan pake wrist band. Kalo Jin lain lagi dia pake kacamata frameless yang jaman sekarang banget... Malah kacamataya kalo digadein bisa bayar ongkos penginapan mereka... Dan saring pedangnya Fuu pake gantungan macemnya henpon. Pokoknya nyeleneh banget deh...

Judul tiap episode anime ini terdiri dari dua kata yang huruf depannya sama, misalnya kaya Baseball Blues... (itu doang yang gw inget soalnya episode paling lucu). Banyak orang yang bilang kalo anime ini sewarna sama the legendary Cowboy Bebop karena directornya sama. Karena gw belom nonton Bebop I really can't tell.

Walo pun banyak yang aneh2, tapi inti cerita anime ini cukup berisi tapi ga bikin bosen... Gambarnya dinamis banget... Musiknya kebanyakan bernuansa Hip Hop, R&B... Openingnya berjudul Battlecry (The Nujabees feat. Fat John), dan ada beberapa ending song. Yang paling menarik perhatian gw sh cuma dua You (Kazami) dan Shiki No Uta (Minmi).

Tiger and Dragon

The dorama tells about a Yakuza/Rakugo apprentice named Yamazaki Kotora (Little Tiger), and a son of a Rakugo master, Hayabashi Kotatsu (Little Dragon). Kotora is Kotatsu father’s disciple, a very passionate one, while Kotatsu himself – despite being a genius on Rakugo – left his family and rokugo to manage a small clothing store. Along the story, Kotora tries to persuade Kotatsu to return home and take his father’s name as a Rakugo artisan. It turns out that the Oyabun that Kotora served is his rokugo master’s friend in the past, and was a Rakugo artisan himself.

During his apprentice, Kotora live on his Shissou’s (Master) house who have 5 other apprentices other than Kotora, which called Donta (his biological son, Kotetsu older brother), Donkichi, Donkatsu, Donburi and the youngest one (who the shissou often forgot the name) Udon. There are also Sayuri – the shisou’s wife -, Tsuruko –Donta’s wife who was a famous Enka singer, Saya and Taro the magos.

Rakugo – it’s my interpretation from the movie, if you want further infos please googled or wikied it – is Japanese sitting down comedic act. The artisan usually told a funny story which occurred in Edo period. Each of the stories usually have a different moral in it and somehow, some audience is already familiar with the story at the beginning.

The artisans have to act out different characters that the stories tell. So he have to mind the head movement (which character facing which way in order to talk to other character). Voice tone, pace, pitch, mimic have to be different in order to differentiate each character. Sound though ya…. ^^

I watch this dorama after I know that the screenplay was written by the same person who write screenplay for Ikebukuro West Gate Park (which I love with all my heart). I was hoping the same gloomy and dark atmosphere like IWGP did, but I was wrong. I thought the movie will be full with Japanese cultural terms, assuming the main storyline is about Rakugo. But it turns out to be fun to watch; tho I don’t really get all the jokes. Just like IWGP, this dorama captured the audience (me) right from the start, unlike some other doramas that took slow pace at first.

As usual, Nagase Tomoya of TOKIO taking the role as good hearted Yakuza, Kotora, while his chibi friend, Kotetsu is played by Okada Junichi of V6. I don’t know why, but I found Nagase-san is very attractive in the dorama. Perhaps because his short hair (usually he has a longer hair). Dang! Who would’ve guess that Nagase-san is one of Jhonny’s boys with that Yakuza look. Oh, there’s also Tsukamoto Takashi who playing the role as Ryusekai Ginjiro, the Yakuza’s son – Kotaro’s apprentice.

Get this quiz from Dini's Blog....

*Listening to Depapepe's Piano Sonata No. 8 on C minor (Pathetique)*
A question... If they play play guitar, should the music called Guitar Sonata no. 8???
Dupdudududdup dup dup dudududup dup dup...

1. The phone rings; who do you want it to be?
>> Sho Sakurai!! Sho Sakurai!!!! Sho Sakuraaaaaaaaaaiiii!!

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
>> Nope

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
>> Listener.. Only my close circles know that I'm a blabber...

4. Do you take compliments well?
>> Nope.. I tend to get sloppy every time I got compliments

5. Do you play Sudoku?
>> Numbers tends to freak me out (except it's written on money bill)

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
>> Probably yea...

7. Do you like to ride horses?
>> Yep!!

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
>> No T^T... Ga pernah dapet ijin nginep diluar rumah.. Baru dapet ijin waktu kuliah... (lah jadi curhat)

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
>> Rhapsody: a Musical Adventure -- I was a game freak..

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it?
>> I do not mess around with other people properties no matter how sexy they are...

11. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
>> Dunno...

12. Do any songs make you cry?
>> Currently?? Saigo No Kawa (Trans: The Last River) by Chemistry. About a dead person saying a goodbye message to his/her most important person...

13. Are you continuing your education?
>> Still struggle not to get DO-ed

14. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
>> I practice every Saturday morning with my Communication Psychology lecturer as the target.

15. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
>> My Sanjiiiiii!!!! My life depend on it...

16. How often do you read books?
>> Trying to finish at least one every month

17. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
>> I'm a today person...

19. What color are your eyes?
Black... As millions other Asians

20. How tall are you?
>> 155 cm... Chibisuke!!!!

21. Where is your dream house located?
>> Somewhere near sea

22. Do you have a secret fetish?
>> Fingers!! And bunny incisors!!

23. Have you tried sushi?
>> Yep.. Love it!!

24. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
>> Of course!! Complete with the ABG's victory-sign-and-three-fingers-wide-grin pose

25. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
>> Nani kore???

26. When was the last time you were at Church?
>> I think about 4 years ago in China Town area...

27. Where was the furthest place you travelled today?
>> My campus outside the town

28. What was your favourite job?
>> Editing videos!! Love it!!

29. Do you like mustard?
>> so so...

30. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
>> Sleep.. Not much of an eater

31. Do you look like your mom or dad?
>> More of my dad

32. How long does it take you to shower?
>> 5 to 10 minutes

33. Can you do the splits?
>> When I was younger yea... Now, I have Iron gate flexibility

34. What movie do you want to see right now?
>> Eager to see Dragon Ball the movie next year to see how much it sucks.. I heard they also making Tekken the movie with Kuriyama Chiaki (the crazy Japanese byotch in Kill Bill 1) as Ling Xiao Yu..

35. If you could fast forward your life, would you?
>> Sure! I love spoiler!!!! Nyahahah

36. What did you do for New Year's?
>> Don't have any plan sih...

37. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
>> Not really.. The little boy ghost remind me of my neighbor's son...

38. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls?
>> Nope...

39. Do you own a camera phone?
>> Yeah...

40. Do you have an "ex box" with pics and letters from past lovers?
>> I want an XboX!!!! oh... sorry... no...

41. Was your mom a cheerleader?
>> Huahahaha... My mom was the class clown...

42. What's the last letter of your middle name?
>> It's common for in Indonesia to only use one name (tho it'll be hard for me to make a passport later on)

43. Do you like your middle name?
>> Ouch! That hurts...

44. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
>> 3-4 hours... 5 tops...

45. Do you like care bears?
>> Used to...

46. What do you buy at the movies?
>> Tickets??? Huehehehe... Popcorn...

47. Do you know how to play poker?
>> Nope, sucks at cards game anyway

48. Do you wear your seatbelt?
>> Yes

49. What do you wear to sleep?
>> Tshirt and shorts

50. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
>> Dude.. ANYTHING could happen in Jakarta.. When I say anything... I mean A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G

51. How many meals do you eat a day?
>> 2

52. Is your tongue pierced?
>> Nope... Mahal!

53. Do you like funny or serious people better?
>> A little of both... Mostly funny..

54. Ever been to L.A.?
>> Nope

55. Did you eat a cookie today?
>> Nope... Si rian ga bawa... jadi ga bisa minta

56. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
>> I live to steal music and spread the wealth to the one need them.... I'm a Robin Hood of the pirate musics!!

57. Do you hate chocolate?
>> Nope.. I HATE cheese tho...

58. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
>> About the way I act and the way THEY act...

59. Are you a gullible person?
>> I may appear to be, but I'm not...

60. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
>> Huahaha!!! of course not!!!! There's a thing called ANIME (and JDorama -- in the mean time) !!!! Yeay!!!

61. If you could have any job what would it be?
>> A film maker

62. Are you easy to get along with?
>> Not really, people tends to ignore me...

63. What is your favorite time of day?
>> Midnight where the internet connection is fast, free and no one bugging me from watching and downloading Arashi's videos on Youtube!! Nyahahahaha...