Mike Yokohama - Shinji Aoyama

[Don Brown]

>i was wondering if anybody on the list can comment on the success of this
>series in
>japan. I heard that the first episode (most terrible time in my life) was
>released in the US on
>dvd, but is this also a part of the 12 TV parts, or a seperate movie?

The Hama Maiku saga starring Nagase Masatoshi began with a trilogy of films 
directed by Hayashi Kaizo: "Wa ga Jinsei Saiaku na Toki" (The Most Terrible 
Time in My Life), "Haruka na Jidai no Kaidan o" (Stairway to the Distant 
Past) and "Wana" (The Trap). Despite sharing some recurring characters, the 
narratives are self-contained. The first two films are well worth a watch, 
but the third is a bit of an incoherent mess and doesn't really add much 
overall.

The 12-part TV series from 2002 revived the character and introduced a new 
supporting cast including Matsuda Miyuki, Koizumi Kyoko, Ichikawa Miwako, 
Murakami Jun and a bevy of ex-gravia models. It again featured unconnected 
stories, each with a different director, and despite screening in prime 
time (I think it was on around 9 or 10pm on Monday nights) each episode 
managed to preserve the filmmakers' distinctive flavor. I think that this 
was largely responsible for the generally poor ratings the series received; 
its 'indie cinema'-esque style gave a lot of leeway to the directors, and 
probably non-plussed the wider viewing audience accustomed to the usual 
orthodox TV drama fare. A bit of a grand experiment really, and one I 
thoroughly enjoyed, but on the other hand I think it would have been better 
suited to a midnight slot which is where most of the more interesting telly 
ends up. 

Don Brown