Tu_triky wrote:

Threw you a softball pitch on that one.

Yup, it was a fat one.

bmwracer wrote:

Yup, it was a fat one.

To get back on track,

^ Stylin'...

Did anyone see Ken Watanabe in "Dokuganryu Masamune", Taiga drama from about 1987. I'm sure many of you weren't even born yet but it was terrific. He was exceptionally good-looking in his younger days (and still is) and it was kind of comical to see him tower over the other actors. I called the station that broadcasts the Taiga dramas (can't remember the name) a couple of years ago asking if they could rebroadcast the drama but they said the licensing fee would be too much. I know my kids and a lot of other people would have enjoyed watching the drama and him. He was very dynamic in it.

Sengo wrote:

Did anyone see Ken Watanabe in "Dokuganryu Masamune", Taiga drama from about 1987. I'm sure many of you weren't even born yet but it was terrific. He was exceptionally good-looking in his younger days (and still is) and it was kind of comical to see him tower over the other actors. I called the station that broadcasts the Taiga dramas (can't remember the name) a couple of years ago asking if they could rebroadcast the drama but they said the licensing fee would be too much. I know my kids and a lot of other people would have enjoyed watching the drama and him. He was very dynamic in it.

The local station that broadcasts the Taiga dramas would be KSCI-18...

I first saw him in Tampopo, but I didn't make the connection until I read his bio after The Last Samurai was released...

bmwracer wrote:

^ Stylin'...

Yeah, he looks really debonaire in that photograph.

Tu_triky wrote:

Yeah, he looks really debonaire in that photograph.

Dashing and deboner...

bmwracer wrote:

Dashing and deboner...

There's something chic & timeless about a black & white photograph.

Tu_triky wrote:

There's something chic & timeless about a black & white photograph.

It does give a picture a more dramatic effect.

bmwracer wrote:

I felt a little sad when I saw this picture. The actor is Otomo Ryutaro, and Tampopo was his final film; he committed suicide the year it came out. As the picture shows, he was old and frail when he made the movie, a far cry from his days when he was one of the best and most popular actors working during the golden age of jidaigeki films. Back then he was a physically imposing figure, very strong and robust. He made many many films in his career, including a number of series movies--I think he was the best Tange Sazen, a role most fans of jidaigeki would probably identify him the most with.

bmwracer wrote:

It does give a picture a more dramatic effect.

Very true.

shin2 wrote:

I felt a little sad when I saw this picture. The actor is Otomo Ryutaro, and Tampopo was his final film; he committed suicide the year it came out. As the picture shows, he was old and frail when he made the movie, a far cry from his days when he was one of the best and most popular actors working during the golden age of jidaigeki films. Back then he was a physically imposing figure, very strong and robust. He made many many films in his career, including a number of series movies--I think he was the best Tange Sazen, a role most fans of jidaigeki would probably identify him the most with.

Sad.

Sounds like he had one heck of a career, though.

bmwracer wrote:

Sad. Sounds like he had one heck of a career, though.

I know he had a one heck of a bowl of ramen...made me salivate.

All kidding aside, Tampopo is probably the greatest "food" film ever made.

Tu_triky wrote:

All kidding aside, Tampopo is probably the greatest "food" film ever made.

Hmm, just talking about it is prompting me to reserve some time this weekend to watch it again...

bmwracer wrote:

Hmm, just talking about it is prompting me to reserve some time this weekend to watch it again...

Hehe. You would be better served by reserving some time for a bowl of ramen and a side of gyoza w/ rayu.

Tu_triky wrote:

Hehe. You would be better served by reserving some time for a bowl of ramen and a side of gyoza w/ rayu.

There's a thought: if I had a laptop, I could watch the movie while slurping some ramen at Mottainai.

bmwracer wrote:

There's a thought: if I had a laptop, I could watch the movie while slurping some ramen at Mottainai.

You obviously appreciate the point. I'll shuddup now.

Make it the Sapporo Miso ramen, man!

Tu_triky wrote:

Make it the Sapporo Miso ramen, man!

That's what I usually get... Love the richness of the broth.

But I'm digressing.....

bmwracer wrote:

That's what I usually get... Love the richness of the broth. But I'm digressing.....

My fault.

Tu_triky wrote:

A fan getting a little too close.