Taira no Kiyomori - just what the doctor ordered

[dangermousie]

I checked out the first episode of the just-started-airing taiga Taira no Kiyomori, about the Heian-era struggle for the shogunate between Taira no Kiyomori (who established the first shogunate) and Minamoto no Yoshitomo. The cast is to die for - Matsuyama Kenichi (!!!!) plays Kiyomori, Tamaki Hiroshi (!!!!) plays Yoshitomo, Matsuda Shota (!!!!) plays Emperor Goshirakawa, Fujiki Naohito (!!!!) plays Saigyo Hoshi, a legendary monk-poet, Fukada Kyoko (!!!! I love her, I don't care what anyone says) is Taira no Takiko (Kiyomori's wife. Mmmmm, this will be a hot OTP), and Daito Shunsuke (!!!!) is Taira no Iemori.



So, basically, this is the drama that stars almost every Mousie jdrama favorite ever.



The first ep was amazing visually and I loved the acting. I am going to wait for subs because I cannot follow Heian era politics with my lack of Japanese. But I cannot wait to dive in, and for now, have a few more caps from the gorgeous opening credits.

Comments

[timescout.livejournal.com]

I'd really love to take this on as well as it looks goreous but yeah, lack of subs is a hindrance. Does anyone sub these puppies anway? I haven't heard about anyone picking this up yet.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, most decent recent taigas get subs, either by subbing groups or via rips (apparently they get shown in places like Hawaii with subs). You can browse e.g. myasia's or d-addicts jdrama sections. I've never been able to find a taiga I wanted to watch that wasn't subbed - i.e. the really prettily-shot ones, with popular leads, like Gou, Yoshitsune, Fuurin Kazan etc. I am pretty sure this will pop up with subs eventually, it will just take a while.

[jennyhime.livejournal.com]

I want to see this basically but because of the language (really archaic japanese) I'm going to wait for subs.
The cast is amazing and it's especially nice to see Matsuken getting better parts.
Basically The tale of Heike is about him. When he took control over the Taira clan and entered into politics.He and Minamoto no Yoshitomo were allies at first but later on Kiyomori killed him. Kiyomori was also in a position to manipulate the court at his will and rise in rank. In the end even his own family turned against him and the exiled sons of Yoshitomo joined in it and in a way Kiyomori caused the downfall of his own family.
I don't know how loyal to history this will be, he wasn't a very nice fellow and Gou was critiqued for it's historical inaccuracies.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am going to wait for subs and distract self with Gou and Fuurin Kazan.

I am familiar with the rough outline of the Kiyomori v. Yoshitomo struggle but the details are a blank to me, so I won't be too picky about inaccuracies. As I can see it, it will go either of two ways - either the whole 'power turns nice person into monster, and he even turns against his best friend' (I find it significant that all the promo stuff seemed to dwell on Kiyomori and Yoshitomo being bffs) or 'he was a misunderstood woobie and history is written by victors so he got a raw deal in heike monogatari.' I can see the fun and point of either approach, so I am fine whichever.

I remember the whole 'he killed Yoshitomo, took his wife as his mistress and spared Yoshitomo's kids because she pleaded and that was his downfall' part (from history books and from drooling over Takki in Yoshitsune :P) I wonder if they are going to play that up as a big love triangle between two hot warlords and a fatal beauty. :P I am all for it, and not just because I want Tamaki Hiroshi to get some lovin' :P but because I always thought it was almost Shakesperean in the downfall - Kiyomori's uncharacteristic lust/love-driven act of mercy towards Yoshitomo's came back to bite him in the end. I believe Mukai Osamu is playing Yoritomo, right? That will probably be the first and only time in existence where I may like Yoritomo :P

[jennyhime.livejournal.com]

I never got into Gou even though it was done by the same team that did Atsuhime. Atsuhime was so much better and it was interesting because it was mote towards the end of the shogunate.

I'm guessing they'll go for the power will turn him aspect. Definitely one of the reasons for his downfall was sparing the kids. Don't know about the love triangle, but it seems they have taken some liberties (making Kiyomori a bastard child of the emperor and a court dancer)
Well have to wait and see how they decide on developing the relationship

Yoritomo will be portrayed by Okada Masaki.
As a bonus a article from the Japan times;
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fd20111230r1.html

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I meant Okada Masaki. I guess I have Mukai Osamu on the brain :)

[putu liza kusuma mustika (from livejournal.com)]

Anyone been watching this? I'm now on ep 38 and I love it. Not really rooting for Kiyomori nowadays, but since Okada Masaki's Yoritomo been showing since ep 31, it's getting more interesting for me. Oh, I actually love the first five Eng-subbed episodes (I hope the subber, Jaboze, is getting better), including the young Kiyomori. Didn't realise that Buchou Hotaru no Hikari was Saigyo Hoshi! I just tot, geez, that samurai is hawt!...

Swoon... (and i watched ep 31, 32, 36-38 without sub. Just guessing what's happening...)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I wish there was more subs. No subs = I can't watch :(