Day Three Hundred and Eighteen - Yamada's First Time (B Gata H Kei): Episode 7, "Insert Obligatory Swimsuit Episode Here."

Okay, yes, I have to admit... this series is super cheesy, but I stand by my previous assertion that it is Love, Japanese Style and, while it's not exactly the most ground breaking or informative sex comedy out there, it still has this odd sort of charm despite it's reliance on tropes and silly contrivances (like Yamada's rival for "School Queen/Idol,"  the extremely rich girl transfer student, Kanejo, who is desperately in love with her own brother).

This episode is, like all the rest, split into two short plotlines, the first of which revolves around swim class, which gives the girls time to compete and become jealous/morose over body image issues (a good stepping off point for discussion), and the second concerns summer vacation time as Yamada attempts to crash Kosuda's family camping trip (which includes her semi-secret rival, the clumsily cute Miyano).

Both parts are rather light on development, but feature the dichotomy of Yamada's life, as she tries so desperately to be a sex diva (and fails miserably) while unwittingly beginning to fall in love, her concerns for Kosuda's attentions slowly shifting from mercenary and single-minded to complex and a mystery even to her.

I have to say that Yamada's much put upon friend and confidant, Miharu Takeshita, is my favorite character... mostly due to her no-nonsense attitude about life and the sheer amount of fluff and craziness that she has to suffer through (and suffer, she does) by being Yamada's best friend. Seriously, the only other character that comes close is Miyano... and that's just because she's so damn moe, it almost hurts.

That's not to say I don't laugh at Yamada's antics and really do want to see her and Kosuda get together, it's just that her motivations are so puerile and her tsundere attitude towards, Kosuda, the supposed object of her attentions? Let's just say I didn't like that sort of archetype even when I was first introduced to it back in the Evangelion days (really, the only time I've enjoyed it was maybe when it came to The Melancholy of Suzamiya Haruhi).

While I could point to sex comedies that are better out there in the anime universe (Seitokai Yakuindomo comes to mind), Yamada's first time is still one of the strongest titles available on Netflix. I just wish that other production companies would license their titles for the Instant Stream instead of getting the wide range of quality (both good and bad) that we do now courtesy only of Funimation.

I also want to point out that it comes both dubbed and subbed, like most titles on the Instant Stream, which makes me very happy. I realize that many people don't want to read their dialogue, but I'm a purist and prefer the original Japanese language tracks, even though I don't speak the language, myself. Having both means no one is left out, and that's awesome.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Thirty-three - The Cider House Rules, "I have no idea what Michael Caine saw in Tobey Maguire"

Right around the turn of the millenium, Tobey Maguire was the go-to guy for these sort of coming of age/waning grace films. In 1999, it was The Cider House Rules where he was the focus and Caine was the support. In 2000, it was Wonder Boys where Michael Douglas was the focus and Tobey the support.

I hate to say it, but I think I prefer it when Tobey is in the latter position. It's just hard to get a believable emotion out of him.

Set in the 1940's, The Cider House Rules tells the tale of an orphan (Maguire) trying to find his place in the world. Raised to be an obstetrician by Dr.Larch (Caine), who runs the orphanage where unwed mothers give birth to unwanted children... or don't, Tobey's character, Homer Wells, decides in the first act to avail himself to the good nature of a young couple coming to the orphanage for an illegal abortion (Charlize Theron and Paul Rudd) and escape the life that has been set before him, namely, taking over the orphanage.

Over the course of the second and third acts, Homer lives life apart, becoming an apple picker and falling in love with Charlize Theron's character Candy, who is heartbroken at being separated from her lover, the Army Pilot Wally (Rudd). They have a beautiful affair that lasts the winter until word comes of both Wally and Dr.Larch's fates.

I really liked The Cider House Rules, I just wish they had found someone other than Tobey to play this role. Throughout the entirety of the film, he plays Homer with a detached pleasantness that worked for him really well (ironically enough) in Pleasantville, but doesn't feel right inhabiting a character going through so much emotional turmoil.

Be it leaving his childhood home or finding his first love (lucky him that it was Charlize), I get nothing from Tobey but a sort of goofy neutralness that makes me wonder if he's just high all the freaking time. I mean everyone... Theron, Caine, Delroy Lindo... heck, even Rudd outshines Tobey in terms of emotional range in this film.

That said, it's still an interesting period piece that deals with some heavy subject matter, namely the ethics and morality of abortions. Sure, it's a little heavy-handed with its message and telegraphs its main crisis a bit too early, where Homer has many first act objections to what he considers to be an unethical practice, but it manages to smother doubt and awkwardness by introducing an even darker aspect to the film with the normally affable Mr.Rose (Lindo) and his daughter (Erykah Badu).

As far as coming of age films go, it true that the film is more than a bit plodding and predictable, with no real surprises other than the Rose situation, but it still manages to be pleasing and redeeming, never really succumbing to the cheese that hovers just around the corner, waiting to be unleashed via bad editing or scoring.

Quick shoutout to J.K.Simmons who plays Theron's father for a few scenes and Kieran Culkin who has a small role at the orphanage. Always good to see them both!

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~