'1 Pound no Fukuin' episode 1 comments
I HATE BOXING.
Ahem, I had to get that out of the way. I really, really hate boxing. And yet, thus far, I love this drama. Go figure. ;)
Also I have to get this off my chest: I've basically had enough of the Kamenashi-as-a-boxer-what-is-this-a-joke? comments because clearly some people have one image (heavy weight) of a boxer fixed in their minds. I don't get what is so hard to understand: Kousaku is in the fly weight category and if he goes over it by even a little, he's forced into the next higher category which pits him against guys who far outweigh him. He's a talented boxer in his own weight class and a sucky one outside of it. That seems straightforward, doesn't it?
It's not really possible to write long, analytical meta for this kind of over-the-top comedic drama, and yet, I feel compelled to write something, so here's what I liked. And loved. :D
- The takoyaki! Gosh, it looked so good. I wanted to reach into the screen and grab one for myself.
- Kousaku is such a dope. When Ueda-san tries to explain that he wouldn't be suited for a heavier weight class ("If you gain 5 kg, it'll be like carrying a 5 kg child while fighting"), Kousaku contemplates it for a moment and replies: "well, fighting with one hand might be too hard"). *SMACK*
- Katsumi (Yamada Ryosuke) is super annoying. Already I want to smack Katsumi for his chiding comments to Kousaku and his amazement that his mother's favorite hasn't given up already. Hmmm. I wonder if this is my protective instinct toward Kame's characters. I hate the sour-mouthed spoilsports.
- It seems so cruel to make Kousaku eat with his fellow boxers when he can only eat a tiny dish of rice! They don't really seem to understand the psychology behind dieting.
- Ahem, WHY is Kousaku working part-time at a restaurant that makes his favorite food? I was afraid we would see him openly drool into that beef and pork bowl!
- I find it hilarious that both Kousaku and Seiko-san call Sister Angela "Maria-sama" (Holy Mary)!
- I object to Kousaku being called a dog! >.< And uh, why does Dragon Kanzaki taunt him with the hamburger if he actually WANTS to fight him. That seems really stupid in retrospect, considering that he needed that fight with Kousaku. Tempting Kousaku out of his weight class doesn't make any sense.
- This drama has a high concentration of adorable Japanese children. I'm overwhelmed by their cuteness! They seriously rival Kame.
- I don't see how even the strongest resolve in the world could have withstood all those children endearingly offering Kousaku the food they had prepared from their own dishes like that with such sweet faces and selfless generosity. It would have been cruel to resist them!
- I love, love, love the face-off between Sister Angela and Kousaku when she convinces him to fight again. It's seriously one of my favorite moments in episode 1 and it reminds me that when Kame gets that face on, he can be a bit scary.
- Kame looks so GOOD as a boxer - his moves look so authentic and natural. I would never have believed that he hadn't been doing it for years. Watching him train is a joy, and I don't mean the shirtless scenes, either. I mean, all of them. I particularly love it when he stops during his runs and shadow boxes for a few minutes.
- I like how this drama humanizes his opponents: they aren't just guys for him to beat up and vice versa, but the drama lets us (and Kousaku) into their lives and makes us care about them, which is nice. Kousaku's final opponent in episode 1 is fabulous for this - I love how he wants to win once more just so his sublimely adorable child can see him win at least once in his life. The scene of the father and son singing together in the bath squished my heart up!
- The scene of Kousaku and Sister Angela walking home under the canopy of lights was GORGEOUS! I love this sentimentality in the Japanese drama aesthetic - it might seem cheesy to frame scenes thusly, but after the unrelenting cynicism I often find in Western media, I do enjoy these sorts of moments when they lay it on a bit thick. Kame looks so pretty under pretty lights. ;)
- When Kousaku falls in front of Sister Angela, and he says "I look so lame" - GAH! That was another squishy moment for me. Poor kid.
- I love the moment at the end when Onimaru hugs his son.
- And Kousaku finally gets to eat that beef and pork bowl. The food in this drama looks so good that it makes me hungry!
Some general comments:
+ I really love Kobayashi Satomi as Seiko - I think she's doing a fantastic job, and also, I love how adorable her younger self was. SO CUTE.
+ Kame is fantastic, enough said.
+ Kuroki Meisa is growing on me. I think I'm in the minority when I say that I'm not completely convinced yet - there's something about her that bugs me (A LITTLE, NOT A LOT), but I can't put a finger on it. She's quite severe, which is appropriate to her character, and I really like her interactions with Kame (so it has nothing to do with him or their chemistry)...I don't know. *shrug*
+ I love Sister Grace. I love the requisite jdrama "indulgent leader" character - often this role has been inhabited by principals in school dramas, and here we get the hodgepodge-loving Sister Grace who sees an opportunity for Sister Angela to help a soul in need. Bless her!
+ I really liked the music in the first episode, which surprised me.