22 of 26 - and not a hedgetrimmer in sight
Mar. 1st, 2008 11:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerJust a little reflection on the rakugo stories. It's kind of interesting to watch the daily 15 minutes, with cliffhangers and hooks and conflicts, and to see how the writers have shaped this to fit the weekly 6 days. But there are so many loose ends and characters that seem to demand more time.
For example, the bartender's wife had a meltdown the other day, mostly there to feed us a little teaser and backfill about Ako (one of the key characters) coming back from Tokyo to the little town. So they didn't really go on to explain why she had this crying jag, just excused it as bad memories, go on . . . the bartender told us it was okay, and comforted her. Or the driver/salesman/arranger, who always seems to have a big smile and happy handshake. What's his story, aside from being the guy that the factory owner and others turn to when they want some odd job handled quickly?
Or Friday and Saturday, when we suddenly got a whole slab of background about the factory owner. His dad was a foreigner, and he grew up not knowing how to use chopsticks. So when his mother brought him to Japan, he had to learn, and felt awkward. But as he grew comfortable, those chopsticks from the little store were the ones that seemed right for his hand. So he wanted to learn how to make them. And . . . a whole lot more. But in two days, we just got enough to see that the story from his viewpoint was a bit different, and to set up the grandmother refusing to forgive him for leaving, but to end up hugging him and tears because he was a treasured child of the family. And . . . blast, there's a whole other story over there about him building a factory and world-wide reputation, to compensate for not being able to make artistic chopsticks.
Frankly, I can see how the last four weeks are going to trundle along and probably end in a stunning climax (the actors have started turning up here and there on TV, explaining that filming ended Feb. 22, and the end is in the can, but it's a secret!). But there are so many loose hairs drifting around - and that's both part of what makes this fun and what will make it as frustrating as can be when they wrap up some part of the main story and characters, but leave the rest unresolved.
Stay tuned, right?
For example, the bartender's wife had a meltdown the other day, mostly there to feed us a little teaser and backfill about Ako (one of the key characters) coming back from Tokyo to the little town. So they didn't really go on to explain why she had this crying jag, just excused it as bad memories, go on . . . the bartender told us it was okay, and comforted her. Or the driver/salesman/arranger, who always seems to have a big smile and happy handshake. What's his story, aside from being the guy that the factory owner and others turn to when they want some odd job handled quickly?
Or Friday and Saturday, when we suddenly got a whole slab of background about the factory owner. His dad was a foreigner, and he grew up not knowing how to use chopsticks. So when his mother brought him to Japan, he had to learn, and felt awkward. But as he grew comfortable, those chopsticks from the little store were the ones that seemed right for his hand. So he wanted to learn how to make them. And . . . a whole lot more. But in two days, we just got enough to see that the story from his viewpoint was a bit different, and to set up the grandmother refusing to forgive him for leaving, but to end up hugging him and tears because he was a treasured child of the family. And . . . blast, there's a whole other story over there about him building a factory and world-wide reputation, to compensate for not being able to make artistic chopsticks.
Frankly, I can see how the last four weeks are going to trundle along and probably end in a stunning climax (the actors have started turning up here and there on TV, explaining that filming ended Feb. 22, and the end is in the can, but it's a secret!). But there are so many loose hairs drifting around - and that's both part of what makes this fun and what will make it as frustrating as can be when they wrap up some part of the main story and characters, but leave the rest unresolved.
Stay tuned, right?
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 05:38 am (UTC)Let's just hope they don't rush things up too much and cram too much detail in the final week. One more month. Man, I don't want this Asadora to end yet. >.