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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


<EPISODE 4>

Another great episode that just flew by. I'm starting to really warm up to the Kanbe character. There is something about him that is very honest and real—it's quite refreshing when we compare Kanbe to his stiff and politically sly contemporaries. I can see why Kanbe was a "strategist" and not a warrior. Though he wasn't necessarily skilled on the battlefield, he appeared to be a very "go with the flow" type of person who didn't get too strung up over the small stuff. He sort of took things as they came, instead of getting upset over things that he simply couldn't control.

A great example of this was the marriage that Lord Kodera arranged for him. Kanbe could have protested, especially since talk of this marriage came about so quickly after Otatsu's death. However, Kanbe agreed and decided to go through with it. Luckily for him, the girl who he was supposed to marry didn't want to have anything to do with Kanbe—so her younger sister, Oteru, was sent off as a bride instead. Luckily for both Kanbe and Oteru, they had met before and taken a fancy to each other already, so it worked out perfectly for both of them. I feel like that was Kanbe's reward for not complaining and defying his father and Lord Kodera. Kanbe has an open and positive outlook on everything, and so, he is sort of naturally rewarded for that.

Oteru seems like the perfect match for Kanbe. They're both dynamic and not bound by tradition and what other people think is acceptable. I'm excited to see how their marriage turns out. The only potential problem is that Oteru's older brother is Kanbe's rival and doesn't seem to care for Kanbe. However, the father seems nice enough, so hopefully Kanbe will be okay with this family. I thought it was very nice for Kanbe and Oteru to visit Otatsu's grave after their marriage. I'm sure Otatsu will be happy that Kanbe was able to find someone who cares deeply for him and can really understand him well.

By the way, I remember the Oteru actress from JIN. I believe she played the geisha in that drama. We've seen her in some other productions, too. Great actress!

I was also interested to see Kanbe's father make the decision to retire from his position as head of the Kuroda family and let Kanbe inherit the title. He did this because Lord Kodera was being increasingly distrustful of him, and since Kodera liked Kanbe so much, perhaps the Kuroda family would be safe. Kanbe's father knew Lord Kodera wouldn't do anything to the Kuroda family if Kanbe was heading it, so this was the perfect opportunity to retire. Great decision. Though Kanbe was weary about taking over the family, his father is luckily alive and well, so he can still advise Kanbe on political matters—even if he is retired.

I'm starting to like Lord Kodera. Though he's always been standoffish with Kanbe's father, he seemed genuinely happy that Kanbe was taking over the family. Plus, I thought it was sweet when he told his own heir (still a baby) that Kanbe was like an older brother to him. Lord Kodera probably envisions a situation where the Kodera and Kuroda families are bound together one day—under Kanbe and his (Lord Kodera's) son's leadership. Perhaps this is the beginning of a great alliance?

Looks like we're starting to see the "real" Nobunaga come out, now that Mino has been officially conquered and renamed "Gifu." Nobunaga invites the Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to come to Gifu so that they can begin their march to Kyoto together. Nobunaga was quite the charmer, wasn't he? I loved the scene where he told Shogun Yoshiaki that he wouldn't build him a castle because he didn't need it—he'd be back in Kyoto soon enough.

I don't know what to think of this Akechi Mitsuhide. He seems different from all the Mitsuhides we have seen before. But then again, we can say the same for Nobunaga! LOL.

Excellent Taiga. Can't wait for next week! We're in mid-1568. Episode 5 airs next Saturday.
3/23/2014, 7:38 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


Ah, so that's where I remember Teru from! Yes, she played the top geisha very well in JIN. Maybe that's why, during the Kanbe episode, I had a strange flashback to the grand geisha walking in her procession with those very tall, black okobo that were worn only by the highest ranking geisha. The Teru actress likely stimulated that special memory. It was the first I learned about those "shoes" and how the geisha had a unique way of walking, slowly dragging each shoe out and around in a half-circle arc... and the sound they made.

Watching Strategist Kanbe is noticeably different from my viewing experience with Yae's Sakura. The hour flies by!

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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


Yep, that's her! For the first half of the episode, I couldn't for the life of me remember where we had seen the Teru actress. Her face and voice was so very familiar, but I couldn't narrow down which drama she was in, or which character she had portrayed. I had to look her up on DramaWiki, but as soon as I saw JIN listed in her filmography, I made the connection and remembered that she was the top geisha! She was a fascinating character in that drama and one of my favorites. Teru seems like she'll be just as fascinating and memorable in this drama, so I'm looking forward to it.

I totally agree with you about Kanbe, Nchristi. Yae's Sakura felt like it was dragging on and on at times, especially when it got too dark around the middle. With Kanbe, it feels like so much is jam packed into each episode! The story keeps on moving and it's very interesting. Great start!
3/23/2014, 9:44 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


<EPISODE 5>

This Taiga is so very sad, isn't it? We've only seen five episodes, but already Kanbe has lost so many people who were close to him. First it was Otatsu, then his grandfather, and now the Mori father and son. Mori's father was Kanbe's guardian ever since he was a child, and the son was Kanbe's #1 vassal and his best friend. What a traumatic experience for poor Kanbe to lose these precious people in such a short amount of time... not to mention that Otatsu and the Mori father & son were all killed at the hands of the evil Akamatsu clan. I was so happy Kanbe was able to get his revenge and defeat the Akamatsu once and for all.

Though he was able to get revenge, I'm sure Kanbe will feel a great void in his life now that Mori Buhe is gone. Buhe had been in Kanbe's life pretty much since he was born, and even if he gets new vassals, they won't replace the special place Buhe had in Kanbe's heart. I thought it was so sweet how Buhe's final wish was that Zensuke, the other vassal, would take care of Kanbe now that Buhe wouldn't be around anymore. Zensuke was the "junior" vassal now, but he's pretty much the main vassal now that Buhe is gone. It'll be very interesting to see the relationships and alliances between the vassals.

So surprised that Kanbe is already a father! It seems like just yesterday that he was just a kid. LOL! He and Teru are now the proud parents of a baby boy, who will succeed the Kuroda family someday. I'm glad Kanbe's father is around to enjoy his grandson now.

I lost a little respect for Lord Kodera after seeing how he and his army pretty much abandoned Kanbe at the site of the battle. I'm sure Kanbe won't forget it, either, since he was left to face the entire Akamatsu force alone, without any support from Kodera. I wonder if Kanbe increasing his vassals is in order to eventually 'declare independence' from Kodera and go out on his own?

Speaking of Lord Kodera, I can't stop staring at his red nose and that funny face he seems to make in just about every scene he is in. LOL! emoticon

Oda Nobunaga has marched into Kyoto and installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as Shogun. Unfortunately, it looks like that alliance was short-lived and Nobunaga is already getting too big for his britches—at least in Shogun Yoshiaki's eyes. Hmm.

I don't remember seeing this Takenaka Hanbe character in any of the other Taigas of this period. I found it interesting that he specifically asked Hideyoshi to serve under him—as opposed to under Nobunaga. Hanbe isn't happy with the fact that Nobunaga killed his brother and as such he refuses to kowtow to him. I'm curious to see what Nobunaga will think of that. Will he be okay with Hanbe serving Hideyoshi? Or will this be a point of contention? I think we're starting to see shades of the Nobunaga we're more familiar with.

I really like Lady Teru, Kanbe's wife. She's supportive and I hope they can spend many happy years together.

We're in mid-1569. Episode 6 airs next week. This has been a great Taiga, but I hope we can see some "happy" and light-hearted episodes without all the tragedy...

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 3/29/2014, 10:15 pm
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


<EPISODE 6>

Another exciting episode last night!

I feel really sorry for Kanbe. He certainly has a lot on his plate to deal with, including political drama and the loss of his FIL, Princess Teru's father. His FIL was his only ally in the Kodera castle, and now that he died, Kanbe was without an ally. He didn't need all the trouble with his vassals. After Buhe's death, Kanbe got a few new vassals but none of them were getting along. I thought it was nice that Kanbe took in Buhe's younger stepbrother as his vassal. This way, there would be some continuum and Buhe's legacy wouldn't be forgotten. I was relieved that there was some unity between the vassals by the end of the episode.

How noble of Kanbe not to take a concubine. Even though he and Teru were having trouble producing another child, Kanbe refused to take another wife or concubine—even after his FIL urged him to do so! I'm curious if this is historically accurate, or whether Kanbe will keep his promise and remain loyal to Teru. It was certainly rare during the Warring States Era for samurai not to have multiple wives or concubines, so I'm very curious about whether or not this was historically accurate, or whether Kanbe always remained loyal to his Teru.

Lots of focus on Nobunaga. We're seeing a more familiar side to Nobunaga—his brutal massacre of the Buddhist monks in 1571, to his march on Kyoto and the ultimate deposition of the final Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshiaki. In 1573, Nobunaga sent Hideyoshi to march on Yoshiaki's castle. He was deposed as Shogun and put under house arrest—the Ashikaga Shogunate was effectively defunct. It's always interesting how Nobunaga didn't claim the title of Shogun after the last Ashikaga Shogun was put under house arrest. He could have easily done it, but he refused to take the title. I guess it is part of how Nobunaga thought he was above the fray and too good for earthly titles.

I hope we see more of the dynamic between Nobunaga's wife, Onou, and Nobunaga's mother. It's very interesting to see this, especially since the recent Taigas have pretty much ignored this fascinating family dynamic. Love seeing Mariko in the role of Onou. She's hard to recognize but she's doing a very good job so far. Very understated, but great portrayal of Nobunaga's wife so far. Hope she has a bigger role in this drama.

As for Nobunaga, I still am not a big fan of the way he is being portrayed here. Something is "off" about the actor, but now that we're getting to see a more familiar time in Nobunaga's life, perhaps it will start getting more and more normal.

I know nothing about the history of Himeji Province (where Kanbe lives) so I'm curious to find out what happens to it during this last stage of the Warring States Era. Lord Kodera's traditional enemies, the Akamatsu, have been defeated, but now they are surrounded by Nobunaga on one side and the Mori clan (Nobunaga's rivals) on the other side. It'll be a matter of time before Himeji becomes threatened by its more powerful neighbors. I'm curious to find out what will happen to the Kodera and Kanbe's own Kuroda clan.

Loved the scene where Nobunaga tested the one warrior's trust by placing a dumpling on the edge of his sword and telling the warrior to take a bite. If he took the bite, then it meant he trusted Nobunaga and would follow him. If he didn't, it meant that he didn't trust him. I'm glad the guy ate it—otherwise, Nobunaga would have probably cut him down on the spot! I guess it was his lucky day, since he ended up getting a castle as a reward.

We're in 1573. Episode 7 airs next Saturday! Great Taiga so far. I'm enjoying it very much.
4/6/2014, 6:13 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


<EPISODE 7>

Can't believe we're already on the seventh episode. This one just keeps moving right along!

I really appreciate all the scenes with Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. I never saw the Hideyoshi Taiga, and so it's my first time really seeing all the backstory with how Hideyoshi was taken under Nobunaga's wing and then promoted. It really shows us a more personal side to Hideyoshi, especially since he's introduced much later in most of the other Taigas we've seen—after he's already become a lord. In this one, we're seeing Hideyoshi's humble roots, and I find that very enjoyable and interesting to watch. For example, I thought it was really cute watching Hideyoshi excitingly tell his wife, O-ne, that he has just become the lord of a castle!

Another aspect of the Nobunaga-Hideyoshi story I particularly like in this one is the fact that we're seeing a much closer relationship between the two. In other Taigas, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi are sort of on the periphery and we don't get to see them much. In this drama, though, they are part of the main cast, and so we really get a chance to see just how much of a huge role Nobunaga played in Hideyoshi's life. We're also exposed to Nobunaga's personal life, as well, and I think that's something we don't really get to see much in the Taigas.

I had no idea that Nobunaga's wife, O-nou, didn't approve of his brutality. The actress portraying her (Mariko from Second to Last Love) did an excellent job portraying how angry yet concerned O-nou was with her husband. She was upset that he murdered women and children, but she was also worried about him—would Nobunaga incur divine punishment for razing Buddhist temples and murdering innocent women and children? I appreciate that the Taiga writers in this one aren't giving us a 'watered-down' version of Nobunaga, like some of the other Taigas do. The talk about painting the skulls of fallen enemies in gold and drinking wine out of them is historically accurate—an example of the brutality employed by Nobunaga and his armies. Some other Taigas paint a 'lighter' picture of Nobunaga, but I appreciate that this one keeps things rather historically accurate.

That being said, I can't get used to this Nobunaga character! I'm loving Hideyoshi, though. He feels so natural in this role—it makes sense that it is his second time portraying Hideyoshi. He's totally morphed into the role!

I'm glad Kanbe spoke his mind and convinced Lord Kodera to side with the Oda instead of the Mori. I have a feeling that the Mori clan was trying to get the Kodera on their side so that they could be the shields against the Oda invasion. If Kodera signed with Mori, Oda would have to attack them first—thus, they would be sacrificed while the Mori readied their troops. I don't think the Mori were genuine in trying to get the Kodera on their side. So, I think Kanbe made the right call. Now, the Kodera clan will side with Nobunaga, and Kanbe will be the official envoy to go to Gifu and meet with Nobunaga personally.

Though I agree with Kanbe's decision and am glad he stood true to his morals, I just have two concerns. One is the fact that the husband of Kanbe's SIL (Teru's sister) is firmly allied with the Mori. I hope we won't have a situation where siblings have to be on opposite sides—that's always heart-wrenching to watch. Also, though Kanbe convinced Lord Kodera to side with the Oda, most of the vassals are firmly pro-Mori. While Kanbe is visiting Nobunaga, what if the other vassals try to convince the lord to switch sides? If Nobunaga hears that the Kodera switched sides while Kanbe is still visiting him, his life could be in danger.

We're in late 1575. Episode 8 airs next week! Can't wait for the Kanbe-Nobunaga showdown.
4/13/2014, 6:59 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


Very entertaining Taiga Drama.

Liked your comments regarding Hideyoshi. Takenaka Naoto's portrayal of Hideyoshi is very similar (i.e. running quickly to take a seat after being late to Kanbe's mtg with Nobunaga) to his portrayal in the Hideyoshi Taiga Drama back in the early 90's. If my recollection is correct, this series, interestingly enough, has a lot more Sengoku fight scenes than compared with Hideyoshi.

Another interesting item in terms of characters in this Taiga Drama, is the recycling of former Mori Motonari Taiga Drama characters (i.e. Sakyonosuke Kushihashi was a counselor to Motonari, Masamoto Kodera was also a counselor to Nobunaga, albeit an evil one, another middle-aged Kodera counselor, I don't know his name, was a general in the opposing army of the Amago (sp) clan).

I prefer Taiga Dramas that feature battle scenes in addition to a compelling story line. Nobunaga, Mori Motonari, Aoi-Tokugawa Sandai, and Kanbe seem to fit that bill.

Toki wa ima.
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


Welcome to CJKDramas, Toki wa Ima808! We're very glad that you're joining our discussions, and we hope you'll continue to share your thoughts and comments about this drama, as well as others. It sounds like you've watched quite a lot of Taigas—we're quite big fans of the Taiga genre here on the board, as well.

Welcome aboard! emoticon
4/17/2014, 6:27 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


<EPISODE 8>

Exciting episode. I've definitely been enjoying this Taiga more than Yae's Sakura, and I hope this one will stay just as interesting for its entire run. The acting is really above average, too.

Takenaka Naoto as Hideyoshi really steals the show. His portrayal of Hideyoshi feels so polished and natural, as if he has played Hideyoshi before... wait, he has! emoticon I think this will be my most favorite portrayal of Hideyoshi yet. It makes me really want to find the Hideyoshi Taiga and watch it. If only the older Taigas weren't so hard to find!

One thing I really like, though, is the fact that we're seeing a much more personal side to Hideyoshi. In other Taigas, he's usually portrayed as someone already in power—with considerable influence. Here, though, we saw him from the very beginning, when he was still a poor farmer who was Nobunaga's sandal keeper. Now, he's at the point where he has been promoted to a samurai and just received his own castle. Plus, we see the dynamic between Hideyoshi and Nobunaga's other vassals. Hideyoshi is resented and mistrusted by Nobunaga's older vassals, and so he and Kanbe have sort of become fast friends. Hideyoshi has taken Kanbe under his wing and has promised to 'protect him' against Nobunaga and the other vassals.

I can see why Hideyoshi is impressed by Kanbe, though. Hideyoshi has always seemed like the type to be fascinated and taken by 'smart' people, or people he deems to be 'superior' to himself. So, I can see why he's taken a liking to Kanbe—Hideyoshi probably thinks that he can put Kanbe's strategic talents to use at some point. I'm glad that Hideyoshi and Kanbe will be teaming up against the Mori clan together.

What a relief that the Kodera clan has decided to support Nobunaga. Mr. Oda would not be very happy if he took Kanbe in, only to hear that the Kodera decided to side with the Mori. I just worry about the family of Kanbe's wife. Her brother and sister seem to support the Mori, so I'm hoping we won't see any bloodshed and familial division over this Oda v. Mori business. If something happens, I'm sure Kanbe's wife will support her husband, but I can't imagine how she would feel about seeing the fate of her brother and sister. We can only hope everyone decides to support Nobunaga...

I found it interesting that Nobunaga gave Kanbe his sword! I have to say, I was sitting on the edge of my seat when he pulled the sword out... I thought he was going to challenge Kanbe to a duel or something! Nobunaga is a man of few words, but he's probably seen what kind of a person Kanbe is and has decided to support him. This should be an interesting alliance.

It is really refreshing to see how loyal Kanbe is to his wife. I wonder if this business about him refusing to take a concubine was historically accurate? If so, it must have been awfully rare in those days.

I wonder what Takenaka Hanbe, Hideyoshi's other military strategist, means by wanting to "test" Kanbe? From the looks of the previews, it doesn't look fun!

We're still in 1575. Episode 9 airs next week!
4/20/2014, 8:11 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama:軍師官兵衛 (Strategist Kanbe)


Interesting comment regarding Nobunaga and sword. If I am not mistaken, wasn't there a recent episode where Nobunaga offered a food item at the end of his sword. A similar event occurred in previous Taiga drama. In that particular episode, it was Akechi Mitsuhide who was at the receiving end of the food item. It occurred after Mitsuhide had upset Nobunaga during a conference with his generals. It looked like it was all over for Akechi until Hideyoshi quickly intervened and slid himself between Akechi and sword and "stole" (ate) the food item right off Nobunaga's sword. For his impertinence, Hideyoshi earned himself a swift kick from Nobunaga but for Akechi, it earned him a reprieve.

Kanbe is definitely different especially from someone like Ieyasu, who himself had many concubines who bore him sons when he was at an older age (i.e. Aoi Tokugawa Sandai). Of course, Ieyasu's wife died (was killed) at a relatively younger age so it just may be that Ieyasu did not have to concern himself with the feelings of his wife. In that Taiga drama, he stated that he preferred healthy women capable of child-bearing who were not necessarily pretty or well-connected. Ieyasu was frugal person and did not want to have high-maintenance concubines. These younger sons were later groomed and assigned by Ieyasu to manage castles in strategic locations: Kishu (Kii), Nagoya and Mito after he became Shogun. It made sense to have many sons, especially at a time when battles were a constant threat to their lives and death through diseases were prevalent. For me, I would rather prefer to assign castles to a capable son than to a non-relative vassal.

Also am wondering about Kanbe's in-laws, but it does create more drama and suspense to have them being competitive toward Kanbe rather than to have them following Kanbe's lead.

I think Hanbe's test was to find out what Kanbe is capable of. In other words, was Kanbe's promise of unifying the 3 main lords of Harima just a boast or a reality. I suspect that Hanbe may have also been slightly jealous of the praise that Hideyoshi had been giving Kanbe.

Toki wa ima
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