Well, the latest NHK morning serial drama has wrapped up after its 6-month run. "Ume-chan Sensei" finished its time on Japan TV last night all happy and stuff. It didn't have nearly the scope and sturm und drang of its predecessor, "Carnation"; the story spanned a mere 16 years or so for this one as compared to the latter's near-century. And despite some of the tensions that have to pop up in a serial, it only took a mere episode of 15 minutes to get everything back into balance for the most part. Just like its setting in the immediate postwar era, "Ume-chan Sensei" was more of a gentle slice-of-life and day-in-the-life series with the oft-thrown in batch of comedy. Went down smooth. According to the teaser for the next serial which will premiere here on Sunday night, it looks like the new serial will be set in the present-day.
Just went through the fourth episode of "Haruhi Suzumiya". It's the one where all of the cards have been laid on the table by the three time travelers investigating Haruhi, with Kyon as the representative of the viewers. I mentioned in my last entry on the anime that Haruhi reminds me a bit of Lucy Van Pelt. Well, after watching this episode, I'm starting to think that the "Peanuts"analogy can be further expanded. Kyon strikes me as a far more competent Charlie Brown just because he's the male protagonist who has to watch all that is going on with a skeptical and cynical eye, Mikuru is the much put-upon Linus of the anime, while Nagato seems to be a Snoopy/Marcie hybrid. The newest guy is Koizumi....well, he seems to be the most well-adjusted fellow of the SOS Brigade, so I guess he wouldn't have a Peanuts equivalent. Franklin, perhaps?
Glad that I did read the summary about the series online. I would've been absolutely lost with the series without it.
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| courtesy of tarale from Flickr |
