GoddessCarlie.com

Dragon Zakura - Episode 1

Dragon Zakura
ドラゴン桜
Episode 1

Sakuragi Kenji is a destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcyle gang trying to guide failing high school students with an average score of 36 into Japan’s most prestigious educational institution, Tokyo University (Toudai).

For no other reason than Sakuragi’s personal ambition, he has advertised his intention to produce 5 successful Toudai applicants from the students of a nearly bankrupt failure of a school.

Our protagonist, Sakuragi Kenji, played by Abe Hiroshi in his first role as a high school teacher, is a must see in this summer’s new show. This third rate lawyer soon becomes the homeroom teacher for the special advanced class aiming for Toudai University entrance. Hasegawa Kyouko costars as english teacher and Sakuragi’s opponent, and Yamashita Tomohisa from NEWS and Nagasawa Masami also appear in the role of students.

From Drama Wiki

A new series I’m reviewing!

Bambino! - Episode 4

Bambino!
バンビーノ!
Episode 4

Ban’s back home with his Girlfriend but he dearly misses that place he went to with the food and stuff. So he decides he’s going to quit university, pack his bags and move to Tokyo permanently to pursue his career as a chef. But Eri, the girlfriend, doesn’t want to give up her whole life just for Ban. So she goes on a journey to that restaurant that I forget the name of, to see what Ban is all about.

Who’s subbing what: Summer 2007

Sorry for the lack of quality updates guys. I’ve been sick (and I still am sick). So I’ve got lots of reviews I need to catch up on.

Anyway, who’s subbing what next season? The subbing groups are starting to announce what they are subbing, and here’s who’s subbing what
First Kiss - First Kiss, Inoue Mao’s new drama, will be both hard and soft subbed by BON fansubs.

Hana Kimi - The much anticipated show staring Horikita Maki and Oguri Shun, will also be hard and soft subbed by BON fansubs.

Yamada Taro - This drama, staring the boys from Arashi Sho and Nino, will be hard and soft subbed by the Stormy Team.

These are the three I’m looking forward to. Another one (the one I’m looking forward to the most) - 7 Days with Daddy and Daughter - hasn’t got a fan subber yet. I wish my Japanese was good enough to offer the service but alas it isn’t yet. Here’s fingers crossed it’ll be picked up!!

Other shows picked up by Fan Subbers:
Sushi Oji - Hard subbed by Love Song
Life - Hard subbed by S.O.S. Fansubs
Juken no Kamisama - Hard and soft by D-Fansubs

So, what are you planning on watching next season?

Hiragana - た to と

On to the た row. I have always found this row as the easiest to master.

Lesson 4 -　た to　と

た - TA
This one is so easy! It already looks like “ta” in English. You can’t get any simpler than that.

ち - CHI
Picture this as a ball of cheese with a fancy tooth pick.
Remember, don’t confuse さ　and 　ち. This sheet I have explains chi as cheese, but the way I originally remembered it was it looked like a cute chibi character from an anime. picture the curve as a cheek and the top bit as an ear. (or maybe this is just me?)

つ - TSU
It’s a giant nose and it’s sneezing - “tsu!”

て - TE
a broken tennis racquet.
I think this one is easy to visualise, as is:

と - TO
A profile view of a toe with a torn sticking out.
I always picture this as a toe with a giant hangnail.

Oh, and I never said these were perfect! Yes, some are really stupid, but perhaps you can see your own images in the hiragana, something you can relate to yourself. As with my example with “ち” - come up with your own stories so that you can make them stick. In fact, if they are your own story, it’s probably more likely that you will be able to remember them. Good luck on your hiragana-learning journey.

Next is な to の »

Japanese Movies on the Internet in 2 Years

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

The Japanese government plans to establish a new law within two years to facilitate the distribution of movies and video programs on the internet by simplifying procedures to win consent from copyright holders, according to a draft plan.

The planned law will be designed to sort out a complicated set of related laws so as to activate content businesses and give consumers easier access to them.

At present, the distribution of movies and video programs over the internet need to secure consent from holders of copyrights, trademarks and all other related rights.

The time-consuming and costly process hinders the widespread use of them via the Internet.

The plan will be officially endorsed at a meeting on May 31 of the government’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, which will be attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

I’m trying to find more information about this but I swear search engines hate me. All news articles point back to this one. It does not mention TV shows, but never the less, I wonder how things might change in two years time in the fan subbing world.

Liar Game - Episode 6

Liar Game
ライアーゲーム
Episode 6

The Restructuring Game. Although it sounds like they are saying “Restore Game” in Japanese. Which is guess is also what they are doing - restoring people back to the main game so that they can play in round three. Cause yes, that is what this episode is about, getting people back into the game. I feel like I’m repeating myself and I probably am, but all well.

So how will poor Nao fair without Akiyama-sama? I’m not sure she has a brain, so perhaps this could get interesting. Or perhaps not…

Hiragana - さ　to そ

Time for some more Hiragana! I hope it is going well for everyone. I think separating these into bite size posts makes you see how easy these are to learn. We are onto the さ row now, so let’s go!

Lesson 3 - さ to　そ

さ - SA
A samurai sword and the cut it has made.
(For this character, remember that the curve goes to the left, so not to confuse it with ち “chi”. While it looks like this could be confusing, I always found it rather easy to remember that one went left, the other right. But I could just be weird).

し - SHI
The way she wears her hair.
(Picture that this is hair on the back of the head that flips up at the tips)

す - SU
Soon the flower will grow.
(for this one, picture a little seedling sprouting)

せ - SE
The sun setting.
(I see the horizontal line as the horizon and then picture the sun setting)

そ - SO
Sewing machine.
(It’s easy to picture this as a zig zag stitch from a sewing machine)

Tune in next time for another thrilling instalment of Learning Hiragana with Carlie.

Next is た to と »

Liar Game - Episode 5

Liar Game
ライアーゲーム
Episode 5

Finally Round Two concludes. Will Akiyama somehow win over Velma The Mushroom Man, No. 15 Glasses Lady and Elvis? Oh the suspense! And what will Nao do now that she is out of the game?

Summer 2007 Dramas - MORE!

Ah, some information about MORE dramas have been released. And one sounds really good! It’s making me excited. I might be watching four or five dramas next season, I’m not sure how I’ll keep up (and then my monthly download limit… ahh!!). Here’s the information from Drama Wiki.

肩ごしの恋人 - Katagoshi no Koibito

Based on the Naoki Prize-winning novel, “Katagoshi no Koibito” by Yuikawa Kei, the drama revolves around two friends who approach love with opposite perspectives. Hayasaka Moe(Yonekura) is an office lady who cannot decide on marriage while her friend Ruriko declares that she cannot live without love.

This drama stars Yonekura Ryoko and Nagai Masaru (but I don’t believe I’ve seen them in anything else sorry!)

While that Drama sounds a bit of alright, wait till you hear about the next one…

花ざかりの君たちへ - Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
I’ve heard of this one before, I remember reading about it, but I had completely forgotten all about it. But here it is again, so I have to mention it.

The drama is based on the popular manga of the same name by Nakajo Hisaya, which has already been dramatized in Taiwan. Horikita plays the protagonist Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese girl in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi (Oguri) compete in the high jump on television. She begins to idolize him, and decides to move to Japan to attend the same school as him. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol.

Stars Horikita Maki from Nobuta wo Produce, Oguri Shun of Hana Yori Dango and Ikuta Toma (remember his guest roll as Junpei in Hana Yori Dango 2?)

Ah, it’s all so exciting. What dramas are you thinking about watching next season?

Proposal Daisakusen - Episode 4

Proposal Daisakusen
プロポーズ大作戦
Episode 4

The gang has just graduated from High School. At school, graduates give their second button to a girl who asks for it, as sort of a declaration of love. Ken wants to give his second button to Rei, but “accidentally” gives it to some other random girl. So he tries to get his button back to give to Rei.

Also, the gang is feeling a little let down, like there is supposed to be “more” to graduating - so they go back to school to make it more of a memory.