Mar. 27th, 2013 01:46 am
MahoEkiBan Ep 11: Drama Notes
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earth_colorsEp. 11: "We'll accept any request from the beautiful widow"
Episode Synopsis. "After a month, you have to move..." The old landlord discusses apologetically with Tada about the impending changes in the building where Tada Benri-ken is renting an office. "It's okay," Tada says, "this was our deal anyway..." The conversation is interrupted by a phone call for Tada. It was from a proprietress of a well-known restaurant in town. He and Gyoten are asked to sort out the belongings of her deceased husband. "She's a beautiful widow, you know..." The landlord informs Tada beforehand. Still, upon meeting her, Tada is taken aback by how young and lovely she is. Gyoten notices and starts teasing him, especially when she asks Tada alone to help her in her restaurant and to drive her to and from work. "She likes you that much, huh?" But Tada insists it's just a job. However, as he spends more and more time with the lovely widow...
Meanwhile, there's a mysterious man wearing a hooded jacket watching them from a distance...
(info and pic: tvtokyo)
Drama Notes:
Miura Shion. The original author of "Tada Benri-ken" was born in Tokyo, the daughter of Miura Sukeyuki, a well-known Japanese classics scholar. Her first book Kakuto suru mono ni maru (A Passing Grade for Those Who Fight) was published a year after graduating from college. Before the age of 30, she already won her first writing award, the Naoki Prize, for "Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken". Last year, she won the Booksellers Award for the novel Fune o amu (Assembling a Boat). She is said to be an avid reader of manga, especially of the "boy's love" sub-genre. It's also reported that Miura has already started writing the third installment of "Mahoro", entitled "Mahoro Ekimae Kyousoukyoku", publishing several stories in a magazine from 2010 to 2011.
(info: booksfromjapan) (pic: asianwiki)
Adapting from the original work. Episode 11 is adapted from a story called "Nigeru Otoko" from the second Mahoro book (same title as the drama). Director One shares how he creates a script from another author's original work:
"I often work off original novels. That's why I do have my own rules or something like my own thinking process of doing it. It is based on what's written in the "Images of compound eyes" by Hashimoto Shinobu-san who was a script writer for many of Kurosawa movies... Once, Hashimoto was asked about his "rules for creating a script from a novel" by Itami Mansaku-san who was his mentor. Hashimoto-san would analyze an original work as a "cow." He says, 'First, I'll observe every cattle from outside the fence. Once I find 'the one,' I'll enter the fence and slash the throat and bring back only the blood. I want only the blood.' Although this was a very dramatic and exaggerated expression, I can truly relate. So I do use this as my base for working with an original novel. I believe I must 'kill' an original work once...
However, in my case, I must determine what is the charm point of the original work and not just blood, if I must, I'll also take some meat as well. However, I do believe you must 'kill' the original work first.
In order to do this drama, first thing I showed to Miura Shion-san was my original scenario that I've written. It was my step to 'killing the original.' For me, working with the original novel is very close to the remixing of music. Instead of doing a cheap copy or a cover, just take the best parts, remix and arrange."
(info: trendy) (translation: danburi)
"As a part of Benri-ya's work, I'm sure they'll be hired as a clean-up crew for bankrupt shops. There, they'll find things that they might be able to sell and bring back to the office. That's the story I chose behind a scene. It doesn't stand out much but you'll find a barber shop chair in the office too. Maybe they found the "Golgo 13" comic books (from ep. 8) at a barber shop that was getting demolished. Maybe they brought the books back to the office to sell at "Book Off" (Japan's largest chain of used bookstores) or something...
I wanted to put many things in the office. But I had to be careful not to put too many things that are in good taste (It'll ruin the feel of Mahoro world). If you're not careful, it'll become like an art scene you can find anywhere. That's not a popular thing right now so I am being really careful not to look too stylish (laughs).
However, you can just go after realism alone. As part of the drama set, I do pay attention on how to match the items with scenes and how to fool around with the background. I do calculate those things.
For some items, I did specify the location. "Golgo 13" was one of those. They were placed in areas where it can be conveniently reached by hand. It was the best item for men to pass the time with (laughs).
Along with swim suit ads from beer companies. And many rental video shops are going out of business lately so you'll see many VHS packages stacked high everywhere..." "Sato-chan, (the elephant mascot), you’ll find in front of many pharmacies, I wasn't sure if it'll work or not. It looks a little trendy, too... I thought it may be a mistake to put it there but maybe they'll be able to sell it for a high price so... It's okay (laughs)."
(info/pix: trendy) (translation: danburi)
Flower Companyz. This four-man band has been around since 1989 and hails from Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. Their song, Beautiful Dream, is the opening song for the drama. For lyrics and translation click HERE.
(info: ja.wiki) (official website: flowercompanyz)
Episode Synopsis. "After a month, you have to move..." The old landlord discusses apologetically with Tada about the impending changes in the building where Tada Benri-ken is renting an office. "It's okay," Tada says, "this was our deal anyway..." The conversation is interrupted by a phone call for Tada. It was from a proprietress of a well-known restaurant in town. He and Gyoten are asked to sort out the belongings of her deceased husband. "She's a beautiful widow, you know..." The landlord informs Tada beforehand. Still, upon meeting her, Tada is taken aback by how young and lovely she is. Gyoten notices and starts teasing him, especially when she asks Tada alone to help her in her restaurant and to drive her to and from work. "She likes you that much, huh?" But Tada insists it's just a job. However, as he spends more and more time with the lovely widow...
Meanwhile, there's a mysterious man wearing a hooded jacket watching them from a distance...
(info and pic: tvtokyo)
Drama Notes:
Miura Shion. The original author of "Tada Benri-ken" was born in Tokyo, the daughter of Miura Sukeyuki, a well-known Japanese classics scholar. Her first book Kakuto suru mono ni maru (A Passing Grade for Those Who Fight) was published a year after graduating from college. Before the age of 30, she already won her first writing award, the Naoki Prize, for "Mahoro Ekimae Tada Benriken". Last year, she won the Booksellers Award for the novel Fune o amu (Assembling a Boat). She is said to be an avid reader of manga, especially of the "boy's love" sub-genre. It's also reported that Miura has already started writing the third installment of "Mahoro", entitled "Mahoro Ekimae Kyousoukyoku", publishing several stories in a magazine from 2010 to 2011.
(info: booksfromjapan) (pic: asianwiki)
Adapting from the original work. Episode 11 is adapted from a story called "Nigeru Otoko" from the second Mahoro book (same title as the drama). Director One shares how he creates a script from another author's original work:
"I often work off original novels. That's why I do have my own rules or something like my own thinking process of doing it. It is based on what's written in the "Images of compound eyes" by Hashimoto Shinobu-san who was a script writer for many of Kurosawa movies... Once, Hashimoto was asked about his "rules for creating a script from a novel" by Itami Mansaku-san who was his mentor. Hashimoto-san would analyze an original work as a "cow." He says, 'First, I'll observe every cattle from outside the fence. Once I find 'the one,' I'll enter the fence and slash the throat and bring back only the blood. I want only the blood.' Although this was a very dramatic and exaggerated expression, I can truly relate. So I do use this as my base for working with an original novel. I believe I must 'kill' an original work once...
However, in my case, I must determine what is the charm point of the original work and not just blood, if I must, I'll also take some meat as well. However, I do believe you must 'kill' the original work first.
In order to do this drama, first thing I showed to Miura Shion-san was my original scenario that I've written. It was my step to 'killing the original.' For me, working with the original novel is very close to the remixing of music. Instead of doing a cheap copy or a cover, just take the best parts, remix and arrange."
(info: trendy) (translation: danburi)
The Benri-ken office. Director One talks about decorating the Benri-ken office:
"As a part of Benri-ya's work, I'm sure they'll be hired as a clean-up crew for bankrupt shops. There, they'll find things that they might be able to sell and bring back to the office. That's the story I chose behind a scene. It doesn't stand out much but you'll find a barber shop chair in the office too. Maybe they found the "Golgo 13" comic books (from ep. 8) at a barber shop that was getting demolished. Maybe they brought the books back to the office to sell at "Book Off" (Japan's largest chain of used bookstores) or something...
I wanted to put many things in the office. But I had to be careful not to put too many things that are in good taste (It'll ruin the feel of Mahoro world). If you're not careful, it'll become like an art scene you can find anywhere. That's not a popular thing right now so I am being really careful not to look too stylish (laughs).
However, you can just go after realism alone. As part of the drama set, I do pay attention on how to match the items with scenes and how to fool around with the background. I do calculate those things.
For some items, I did specify the location. "Golgo 13" was one of those. They were placed in areas where it can be conveniently reached by hand. It was the best item for men to pass the time with (laughs).
Along with swim suit ads from beer companies. And many rental video shops are going out of business lately so you'll see many VHS packages stacked high everywhere..."
(info/pix: trendy) (translation: danburi)
Flower Companyz. This four-man band has been around since 1989 and hails from Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. Their song, Beautiful Dream, is the opening song for the drama. For lyrics and translation click HERE.
(info: ja.wiki) (official website: flowercompanyz)
