Checking out a few Japanese dramas this season because you know I love variety. Up first is The Mysterious Thief Yamaneko. I first came because I saw Hiroki Narimiya name in the cast list and then the synopsis caught my attention – about a thief who robs the rich for the poor? Sounds like an underdog story right up my alley. But after episode 1, I’m unsure whether I want to proceed. It started out quirky…then went darker and then got a little bit disturbing by the end.
Wow. What a though-provoking movie. It’s not about romance, superpowers, or horror. It is a social commentary, addressing the power and manipulation of social media and internet bullying. The medium used in the film is the big blue bird most of us have – Twitter. Many use it to tweet about their daily life, others use it to say unpleasant things while hiding behind an online identity. Replace twitter with any other social media services, and you have yourself a new anonymous face. Suffice to say, at the end of the movie, it makes me aware of the things we ought to say and the things that should be left unsaid. It’s always nice to be kinder to one another.
A much better episode, in that we have many genuine character interactions and less teeny-popper Sakura pining after Hiroto. A different topic arises, one that is relatable to many women that age, and we see that love might not be Sakura’s greatest dream. Age catches up to everyone and whether one is ready to transition to the next stage or not depends on their outlook of life and what treasures they have right next to them.
It’s not far, Sakura. Just look past that barbed tongue of his.
If the writer’s intention for this episode was to get me riled up, then he/she has accomplished that goal. Truth be told, the Last Cinderella hasn’t been any different from its predecessors of the same older-woman-younger-guy theme. I want it to be different but it’s been hanging in that safe zone up til now. Regardless of the overused theme, I enjoyed the drama as a whole because of the lovely cast and deft directing. However, episode 3 exhausted me with its drama cliches because 1) They’re not doing anything to absolve the problems, 2) I had to restrain myself from reaching into the screen…
Not a lot of action happens in this episode because our girl is hovering between 2 options. 1) She could try and date the younger guy or 2) Stay away from the ‘child’. She does make a decision by the end of episode 2, thanks to the encouragement of many. As for the whole drama, there are stuff I can’t wait to see blossom and there are elements I want to see less of. Fair enough.
Our Cinderella is not your typical beautiful flower cast to the side of the road by her selfish, greedy relatives. As a matter of fact, we aren’t introduced to her family at all (yay!). Stressed-out by the naysayers, she’s literally harvesting a beard, comparable to that of Justice Bao. Episode 1 is fast-paced and beautifully shot, placing us right the middle of her ordinary life. And how magically complicated it’s about to become, flanked by a young, handsome pursuer, and a snarky middle-aged man.