Kaidan Botan Doro: Beauty & Fear (2019)

Allow me for once to start from...the end; namely, the ending credits: that eerily beautiful waltz, the sheer atmosphere conveyed by that fog and by the eponimous peony lantern, the creepily slow movements...and those absolutely fascinating, kimono-clad "bijin" who, with one feeble gesture, suggest we follow them - something that I suspect most of us would do, even knowing that it might not be a good idea...well, all this could serve as a perfect metaphor of the impact this dorama had on me.
Despite all the caution I might have wanted to exercise (I must confess I was quite worried that this might end up being another victim of the "westernization" of the Jdrama scene [*]), still I got drawn in right away by the perfect photography, by the very good acting, by the lovely music,
and last but not least by the sheer beauty of the afore-mentioned "bijin" gracing the ending credits - Kamishiraishi Mone and Toda Naho (BTW, the latter must have a portrait, hidden somewhere in her attic, which ages in her place; no, seriously, she's basically as attractive now as she was in "Shomuni", two whole decades earlier! I'm impressed - and hopelessly charmed, of course). Perfect 10!

[*] of course I should've known better than to fear anything like that from NHK, which instead managed to deliver a modern but at the same time loyal rendition of this traditional tale.

Read More

D'une beauté envoûtante

C'est une belle histoire.....qui mérite d'être transmise d'une génération à l'autre. Elle a été réalisée comme une pièce de théâtre mais a toujours la qualité d'une série dramatique japonaise normale.

J'ai fait la connaissance de nouveaux et merveilleux acteurs. Je pensais que l'actrice principale ne faisait que des comédies romantiques, mais c'est une actrice assez mature. Ce n'est pas effrayant mais c'est étrange et la durée de 4 épisodes est tout simplement parfaite.

J'ai adoré la musique, surtout le thème final. les personnages sont tellement bien écrits que même en 4 épisodes on en voit toute la profondeur. Je suis fan des contes populaires comme celui-ci, si vous aussi, vous devriez absolument regarder ça.

Read More