Thursday, February 9, 2012

High school fighten'

I have added another title to my live action recommended list.

I've been bad and will try to add new items at a faster pace.

This time I bring you a title that has been a sleeper and is worthy of a larger audience.

Crows Zero
Director: Miike Takashi
Screenplay: Mutô Shôgo
Based on a work by: Takahashi Hiroshi
 
This is a prequel to the famous Crows manga about boys attending Suzuran, a tough high school where status depends on fists. The film is actually a complex one with unique characters and varied motivations. No one has ever taken control of Suzuran and transfer student Takiya Genji is determined to do so. From a solitary new student to building alliances he gains more power to challenge Serizawa Tamao and his team. Complex characters, fun lines "Don't dis the poor", great music and action. I often say that the Crows stories could be recast as a story with samurai vying for power. It just happens to be sent in a working class area of metropolitan Tokyo.
 
Order Crows Zero on DVD from The Right Stuf
 
Order Crows Zero on Blu-ray from The Right Stuf

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Soapy gals

This week I actually have three entries. All related to the same type of sex trade business and their female staff.

I also discovered some edits in the Japanese editions of Maison Ikkoku from before and after the introduction of the term soaplands into the language.

The entries are:

sōpu-jō (soap jō, soap girl) ソープ嬢

torukoburo (Turkish bath house) トルコ風呂 or トルコぶろ

toruko-jō (Turkish girl) トルコ嬢