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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


<EPISODE 13>

A very sad episode, and not the type of ending that I saw coming. I had a sinking feeling that Ume would be a victim of this battle between the Tokugawa and the Uesugi, but when we saw her back safely in the castle, with Baby Sue in her arms, I was relieved that she was back with her family safe and sound. Who would have known that she snuck out to check on her brother and the other soldiers right in the middle of the fighting. This move would cost Ume her life.

When the narrator commented at the very end that the Tokugawa lost thousands of troops and the Uesugi lost only 50, it made me think of the fact that the number of casualties in war is meaningless for the families and loved ones of the victim. Yes, the Sanada got away with only losing a small number of forces, but for the families of those troops and civilians (like Ume) it was like losing the world. War is hell.

Ume's stubborn streak finally got to her. She was a wonderful person, and could have been the love of Genjiro's life. However, I think she didn't quite understand the grave nature of situations and didn't know how to take advice - such as when Kiri pleaded with her not to leave the safe castle in the middle of a battle. Why would Ume do that? I don't know why she felt that she had to go 'help' the troops when her presence was much more needed in the castle, to help her family stay calm - not to mention looking after her baby daughter. Once Ume feels like she must do something, she does it despite what anybody tells her, and unfortunately, this was a costly decision.

Watching Genjiro grieve over Ume's corpse was so difficult to watch... he will not take this easily, I suspect.

At least Genjiro's mother finally made peace with Ume before this tragedy. I can't imagine how conflicted and guilty she would feel if she were still giving Ume the cold shoulder.

As for baby Sue, I suppose this is where Kiri will come in. She has already promised to raise Sue now that Ume is gone. Since Kiri and Ume were good friends, perhaps Genjiro will feel more of a bond with Kiri now that his wife is gone. Not necessarily a romantic connection, but I suspect Genjiro won't be so annoyed or irritated with Kiri all the time. She might even become an emotional rock for him.

The Sanada chased the Tokugawa away, but at what cost? Nothing really got resolved, and as somebody mentioned at the end of the episode, it is very likely that the Tokugawa will return at some point. All that happened was the loss of life, and Genjiro losing his only love.

Next week, it seems that a new story arc will start. We might see a new Genjiro - who will be forced to 'grow up' after losing his wife at a young age and so early on in their marriage. The previews look interesting!

We're still in 1585. Episode 14 airs next week!
5/23/2016, 7:20 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


<EPISODE 14>

It looks like a new story arc has officially begun, with Genjiro leaving the "countryside" and becoming acquainted with more national figures, like Hideyoshi. I'm excited to see this new chapter of the drama. Part 1 was interesting, but it was getting to a point where the story needed to move on, and we are finally at that place now, with Genjiro in Osaka meeting with Hideyoshi.

Accompanying Uesugi Kagekatsu to Osaka and Kyoto was the best thing for a grieving Genjiro to do. Staying behind would only remind him of the major loss he had just had to go through. Losing his beloved wife in such a manner, and not being able to be by his infant daughter's side must have been traumatic for poor Genjiro. Now, he will be able to focus on cultivating a relationship between the Sanada clan and Hideyoshi.

By 1586, Hideyoshi had already been named Regent and was the undisputed leader of a nearly unified Japan. By the time he built Osaka Castle, most clans had declared loyalty to him - with the exception of the Hojo and the Tokugawa. The Uesugi realize it is futile to continue resisting and very quickly agree to a meeting in order to declare loyalty to the Regent. Knowing the Sanada, they might take their time with declaring allegiance to Hideyoshi, but it seems like Masayuki expects Genjiro to feel Hideyoshi out while he is in Osaka and make a decision on the entire clan's behalf.

Masayuki has an immense sense of trust in his son, doesn't he? He hasn't even had a chance to consult with Genjiro but already trusts whatever decision he will make regarding Hideyoshi. No wonder Genjiro's brother feels inferior to him - as the older brother and heir, he is the one who should be doing this, but Masayuki trusts Genjiro with all the major decisions. I wonder if this small spark of jealousy will be a point of contention for the brothers going forward?

We are briefly introduced to Hideyoshi, who seems to be more goofy than usual in this one. Sanadamaru is supposed to be a 'comedy' and so we might see the return of a more slapstick-influenced Hideyoshi in this one.

Ishida Mitsunari made his debut and is more villainous than ever. He seems haughty and snobbish (which is similar to most portrayals of Mitsunari over the years) and already he has a bone to pick with Genjiro. We have no idea why, but from the minute they met, Mitsunari is already ignoring Genjiro and going out of his way to treat him badly.

We were also introduced to Chacha, who has not yet become Hideyoshi's concubine but is already living in Osaka Castle. She is played by Yuko Takeuchi, who has been in many classic dramas over the years. The fact that NHK got her means she will be an integral part of this drama, and judging by the way she is already flirting with Genjiro, she seems like she will be a main character going forward. The close relationship (whether it was romantic or platonic) between Chacha and Hideyoshi's various vassals (including Mitsunari and Genjiro) has been chalked up to be nothing but a historical rumor, but many Taiga dramas hint at it and since this drama is about Genjiro, I suspect we'll get a major helping. In any event, I am glad we will be seeing Yuko Takeuchi!

Tokugawa Ieyasu is so funny in this drama. His terrified face during the earthquake was somewhat entertaining - I don't think he was so much scared of the shaking being an earthquake... I get the feeling he thought the shaking was from Hideyoshi's forces attacking his castle!

Kiri accompanying Genjiro to Osaka - I wonder if this will lead to something new in their relationship? With Ume gone and Genjiro's daughter Sue being raised by Ume's brother, I suspect the pressure will be on Genjiro to find a second wife - particularly someone who can be useful politically.

We are in 1586. Episode 15 airs next week!
5/30/2016, 10:06 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


<EPISODE 15>

I'm definitely liking the Osaka story arc so far! Genjiro has been set up as a character already and we have gotten to know a lot about him in the first 13-14 episodes, so now that he is interacting with all these popular historical figures who we already know loads about, the story has become even more interesting to watch. I am really enjoying this Taiga more than I ever thought I would - 90% of it is thanks to our Sakai Masato! After the lackluster portrayal of the heroine Fumi in last year's Taiga, Genjiro is so fascinating to watch - especially his funny facial expressions when he is put on the spot.

I didn't know much about Sanada Yukimura (Genjiro) before this drama other than the fact that he was a Toyotomi loyalist and served Hideyoshi's family. This episode seems to set up that premise, with Hideyoshi taking an instant liking to Genjiro. Like someone mentioned to Genjiro, once Hideyoshi finds a spirited youth he takes a liking to, he will do anything to make sure that person serves him for life. Well, I guess that is what is happening here.

The only thing that puzzled me is why Hideyoshi told Uesugi Kagekatsu to abandon the Sanada in the event of a certain Tokugawa/Hojo invasion. At the same time, he is cozying up to Genjiro. If Hideyoshi didn't like the Sanada's reluctance to declare loyalty to him, wouldn't he rather keep Genjiro hostage and make Masayuki come to Osaka? Instead, he seems obsessed and fascinated with Genjiro.

This is my theory, putting into consideration Hideyoshi's passion for political maneuvers and shenanigans. Hideyoshi wants the Sanada to serve him directly, and he wants to cut the cord with the Uesugi clan. So, in forcing the Uesugi to abandon the Sanada, it will leave the opportunity for the Sanada to become a direct Toyotomi vassal wide open. Once Ieyasu invades, the Sanada will realize this is a fight to the death to keep their clan alive - and it will be a fight they will have to win by themselves, since the Uesugi have been ordered to step away. This will give Hideyoshi the opportunity to step in and save the day, making Sanada Masayuki thankful and indebted to him... thus giving Hideyoshi his loyalty. It's a bizarre idea, but my speculation at this point of what Hideyoshi might be thinking.

Plus, if Masayuki hears his favorite son Genjiro speaking positively about Hideyoshi, he might be more likely to declare loyalty to him.

I wonder why they are referring to Hideyoshi's wife as Nei in this drama, and not One or Nene like in previous dramas. Hmm. As for Chacha, she seems awfully flirtatious - she and Hidetsugu (Hideyoshi's nephew and heir) were giving each other the eye. I suppose this drama is going to take all those rumors about Chacha's infidelities and bring them to the surface.

Watching the close-knit nature of Hideyoshi and his relatives made me realize that even in 1586 (where we are now) Hideyoshi had just become Regent and still acted like he was back in the village, having fun and enjoying days with his family. He had yet to be plagued with paranoia and obsession with power - especially towards his family members.

Speaking of family members, I sense a little sibling rivalry between Genjiro and his older brother coming up. Masayuki openly favors Genjiro, and even his wife has noticed that Masayuki is reluctant to support or praise his older son - despite the fact that he is the heir to the Sanada family. Masayuki did concede that his older son will be of more use to the family during peacetime, so we shall see.

Excellent episode. #16 airs next week. We are still in 1586.
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


Very enjoyable Taiga series. Entertaining, amusing characters, and educational in regards to the Sanada clan.

Toki wa ima.
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


<EPISODE 16>

Great to see you back, Toki wa Ima!

I, too, am enjoying this drama very much - more so now that Hideyoshi is in the mix. Love both the comedy and the more dramatic parts.

This is the only time I have seen referenced the culture shock Hideyoshi's family faced at their newfound wealth and political status. They went from a poor farming family in rural Japan to being the relatives of the most powerful man in the land. Everything from clothing to cuisine was different, and it must have been so difficult for the family to get used to their new life in Osaka Castle.

Wasn't it something how Hideyoshi strategically and smoothly kicked out Uesugi Kagekatsu from Osaka Castle? With Uesugi out of the mix, Hideyoshi gets to 'kidnap' poor Genjiro and hire him as his personal bodyguard of sorts. What an experience this must be for poor Genjiro. He is in the big city for the first time in his life, and he has been exposed to lots of people he would have never otherwise seen. I am surprised he has been handling him so well! Then again, Genjiro has always been sharp and quick on his feet, so he will be just fine.

Chacha is getting a really bad edit in this drama. Gou portrayed Chacha as a victim of her circumstances, who ended up falling for Hideyoshi partially against her will. Here, she is portrayed as a flirtatious trickster who is playing Hideyoshi for a fool - using him to receive expensive goods while flirting with just about every young man in Osaka Castle. We will never know which Chacha was the 'real' Chacha, but I somewhat feel bad for the reputation she has been left in the history books.

Genjiro better be careful! No matter how much distance he keeps from Chacha, she is going to keep following him around. It is as if she likes seeing him all nervous in front of Hideyoshi - I have no doubt that Chacha knows exactly what she is doing. If Hideyoshi sees, he will not be a happy camper!

Interesting how Hideyoshi's nephew and heir, Hidetsugu, has the hots (seemingly) for Kiri. Will we see a love triangle develop here?

And the political shenanigans have begun! I didn't believe Hideyoshi for one minute when he promised to ask the Tokugawa not to invade the Sanada's homeland. Everybody knows that if the Tokugawa invade, the Sanada will be crushed. It is up to Hideyoshi whether he will stop Ieyasu's invasion or not - well, I suppose everything lies in Genjiro's hands. He will have to use his smarts in order to convince the Regent. Will he be able to? What will he have to sacrifice?

The previews for next week look interesting. I had completely forgotten about Matsu - Genjiro's long-lost sister!

We're still in 1586. Episode 17 airs next week.

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Re: Genjiro


At last we are beginning to see the real manhood come to the fore with Genjiro. He was always rather puzzled and not quite sure what to do and now he is ready for action when he thinks the Sanada maybe in trouble. He certainly does not trust Chacha and her tricks. I don't think he will be caught in any situation with her. I hope not. I found it hard to accept this Chacha character after seeing the one in GOU. The treatment of the whole story in this taiga is much closer to the people themselves and everyday happenings. It is not leaving spaces for us to fill in. We see how they live and talk and treat one another. I find that so interesting. I really like Genjiro. He is really grown up and now seems ready to take on any situation in which he finds himself.
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


Yes, Genjiro is really maturing and starting to come into his own. He lived in a very tight-knit family and this didn't give him a chance to truly shine. Now that he is out on his own, he has no choice but to shine in order to survive. If the great Hideyoshi has taken a liking to him, then Genjiro can get along with just about anybody!

Regarding Chacha, I wonder which of her personas (the character we saw in Gou versus the Chacha portrayed in this drama and others like it) was the "real" one. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire, so I do suspect that Chacha might have had her share of gentleman callers in Osaka Castle, especially after Hideyoshi's illness and eventual demise. But, who knows. History is written by the victors, and I fear that Chacha's "reputation" may be due to some negative things the Tokugawa regime spread about her during the Edo Period.

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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


Sanada Maru is a very disappointing drama so far…

You should keep in my that the stories of Ume and Kiri are almost entirely fictional. They are based on real persons (who only little is known about) and the familiy ties are correct however there is no proof that Hotta girl (Ume) died tragically or that Nobushige had any great feelings for her for example.
However unlike Kiri, Ume’s character wasn’t annoying and Kuroki Haru is a good actress.

Kiri (Naiki’s daughter) is pushed into every possible and impossible scene like a Mary Sue even though in reality she was totally irrelevant for the Sanada Clan and did virtually nothing. Sadly the writers have declared her the heroine which is totally stupid and ruins the drama.

There will be a girl in the future (I won’t spoil who it is except if you really want to know) who was extremely important and decisive for Nobushige’s life in reality and who now sadly thanks to Kiri won’t be the heroine and her importance will be neglected and attacked thanks to Kiri.

It’s definitely NOT educational or an accurate depiction of the Sanada clan. The story of Nobushige’s sister (Mura)matsu for example is meh as well.

I have seen up to episode 23 so far and I they still haven’t developed Nobushige’s character. He just meets all kind of famous persons and runs from point a to point b like a servant boy.

I also think that the youth part was way too long and took forever. All the actors were way too old to play this and nothing particularly exciting happened in Nobushige’s youth in reality which is why I thought that it dragged.

On the theme Chacha: There were no rumours about Chacha and Nobushige in reality. The rumours were about Chacha and Mitsunari. Alternatively Chacha and Harunaga Ono.

Sanada Taiheiki was a better depiction of the Sanada clan in my opinion however I still like some side characters in Sanada Maru.
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


Welcome to CJKDramas, Fumichan! Hope you will stick around and participate in the drama discussions with us. emoticon

Just a quick note that our board follows the viewing schedule based on what is being aired on UTB Channel 18.2, a local Southern California station that airs Japanese dramas. Episode 16 aired last week, and 17 will air this coming Saturday. Just letting you know so you know where we are at, in case it will help as you write your comments and responses.

I figured that Kiri is fictional. Like in the previous drama, Burning Flower, NHK likes to take a relatively unknown historical figure and then tie that person into relationships with various people who probably never ever met them. Fumi, last year's heroine, probably never met Sakamoto Ryoma, for example - but they had to devote an entire filler episode to that. Kiri is quite annoying, and I find it hardly unlikely that she became O-ne's personal attendant, as we saw in last week's episode.

With the Taiga dramas, I suppose we have come to accept that they are not always historically accurate, and that there may be many scenes which are completely fabricated and never took place. Some dramas pull it off better than others. One major reason I have enjoyed this drama more than other recent ones is the presence of Sakai Masato. Though he was too old to portray the child Genjiro, I could watch him in just about anything and still enjoy it, LOL!

Japanese history is fascinating and I wish the Taiga writers wouldn't alter it too much for the sake of entertainment - it is entertaining by itself already even without creating characters like Kiri.

Thank you for joining our board, and hope you will post again in the future!
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Re: J-Drama: 真田丸 (Sanadamaru)


<EPISODE 17>

This drama is trying to change our mind about Tokugawa Ieyasu! He was always portrayed as a political mastermind who was ten steps ahead of his adversaries, but here, he is being shown to be a clueless buffoon who had no idea what he was doing.

Take that scene where Hideyoshi and Ieyasu meet for the first time, for example. Ieyasu asks Hideyoshi for his surcoat - after all, with Ieyasu working for Hideyoshi now, he won't have to go into battle anymore and can stay safe and sound inside the walls of Osaka Castle. Well, according to this drama, Hideyoshi was the one who came up with that speech - Ieyasu had nothing to do with it! I don't think historians know who came up with that whole spectacle, but this drama is trying to make Ieyasu look like a fool, so it makes sense that they had Hideyoshi come up with the whole thing.

That being said, it is interesting to watch Ieyasu being portrayed as a bumbling fool. He is always the crafty and politically savvy villain in all the other dramas, so this is a very interesting perspective. Hideyoshi, too, seems almost absent-minded at times. They are trying to paint the picture that the advisors (Ishida Mitsunari for Hideyoshi, and Honda Masanobu for Ieyasu) were the real political masterminds. That might have been true!

I got a kick out of the portrayal of Princess Asahi, Hideyoshi's sister who was forced to divorce her husband in her 40s and marry Ieyasu. She was not happy, was she!? That tearful reunion between Asahi and her mother when she was sent as a hostage to Ieyasu was quite emotional. This aspect of history has been ignored in other Taigas, so I'm glad it was portrayed here.

Hideyoshi was able to bring peace to the Sanada, and now, both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu have decided to let bygones be bygones. Will Masayuki heed his son's advice and make a pilgrimage to Osaka to pledge allegiance to Hideyoshi? He should! The Hojo are still around, and Masayuki will need Hideyoshi's help if they were ever to invade. It's ironic that Masayuki is ignoring his older son's advice to make a pilgrimage, but I can see him changing his mind if the advice comes from Genjiro. As we've said before, Masayuki favors Genjiro by far.

Please, Genjiro, keep your distance from Chacha! She is trouble. I was just as surprised as Kiri was when Genjiro pretended that he and Kiri were lovers in order to get rid of Chacha. However, this might have been a mistake. Chacha might consider it to be a "challenge" to break Genjiro and Kiri up so she can have him for herself. Hmm...

The Matsu storyline doesn't interest me at all. It looks like they are going to pull the amnesia card and make it look like Matsu forgot about her family after she got separated from them. It's not historically accurate, but I hope they don't focus on this filler and instead spend time on other, more interesting parts of the story.

I still like this drama, though! We're in late 1586. Episode 18 airs next week!
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