Raving on "The Long Goodbye"
I just saw the first episode on Friday (or was it Thursday? lol) and I watched it again last weekend then yesterday (for the screencaps) and it is still awesome! The drama is based on the novel of the same title by Raymond Chandler. I'm planning to grab a copy of the book after I finish the drama.
Read the drama synopsis HERE courtesy of Jadefrost @ jdramas.wordpress.
First, the classic setting and the cinematography is AMAZING. This drama is visually stunning. The details like the newspapers, the cars, the buildings, the props, the costume, hair and make-up... everything is pretty! It also doesn't hurt that the actors are pretty to look at.
Acting-wise, I have nothing else to say aside from it being awesome because once Asano Tadanobu chooses his roles especially in dramas it should be anticipated that he chose a very good one to star in. I haven't really seen everything in his filmography but I know that he is a very good actor and is well-respected in the industry. Ayano Go did well too, in my opinion. Although, the gap between him and Asano-san is strikingly obvious. However, I really liked the way Banji-san and Tamotsu's friendship was built up. The scenes came across as convincing and sincere. I really enjoyed Emoto Akira's portrayal of media mogul who aspires to be a politician. He is also the father of the victim. I also liked Takito Kenichi's acting as Morita, a newspaper reporter, especially with his last scene in the episode.
Otomo Yoshihide (Amachan) did the soundtrack for the drama and he is a genius. The played in the background were perfect for the drama.
Anyway, I'll just let some of the screenshots to do the talking for me. XD
(Just click the images for a larger view.)
Basically, the first episode has introduced us to Banji-san and how he works. The episode also set-up his connection to Tamotsu and the Haradas. It also displayed how powerful Harada Heizo is. We also get to meet more interesting characters that will be on the spotlight in the coming episodes.
The episode ran at a slow pacing but it is very pleasing to the eyes. I enjoyed the coffee brewing scenes and even seeing the smoke from the cigarette looks really pretty. Did I mention that the crime scene might be the prettiest crime scene that I have scene in Jdramas? Yeah, I still think it is. The way the scene was done and the way the light was flowing in the hallway and in the bedroom plus, the white rose petals on the floor, some even stained with blood. I thought that it was a very poetic scene.
I hope my screenshots were able to justify the beauty of this drama. I had to edit the collage as some photos came off darker than the others. The drama is definitely best viewed in the highest quality available.
It might be too early for me to say this, but I think this will be the Best Drama for this year... at least in my opinion. :) I really encourage everyone to watch this! MUST WATCH!