What are you watching?

[Jubei]

Right now, I'm about halfway through the most current season of Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. I've watched very little of Supergirl other than the crossover episode with Flash (which was fun). Since CW picked up the show and said they will re-air the entire first season, I'll probably catch up with it then.

Also working my way through the final season of Person of Interest, the current season of Suits and Deadliest Catch.

On the DVD front, recently acquired the full run of Gundam Wing and Macross Frontier. Still undecided if I want to purchase the R-rated version of Batman v Superman. The wife also snatched up the second & third seasons of Avatar the Last Airbender. Been awhile since I watched both of those so that should be fun re-watching. Also considering picking up the second season of Star Wars Rebels. The season finale was phenomenal and the news that Thrawn will be canonized in the upcoming third season has me excited for it's premiere.

[Jubei]

A really great SciFi series from the late 70's / early 80's was Blake's Seven which appears to only be available on region 2 DVD through Amazon. Been a reeeeally long time since I have watched any of the episodes, but I do remember always enjoying it when I did watch it.

Being a long-time Doctor Who fan, I've always heard of Blake's 7 but have never seen it. I wish they would release a new Region 1 or Region Free collection of it.

Another cult classic sci-fi show of the early 80s is UFO, created by Gerry Anderson of Thunderbirds fame if I'm not mistaken. I recently came across it on Hulu I think, really surprised to find it but have fond memories of this trippy series.

[Jubei]

I've been watching BBC's Merlin show. I'm about halfway through season 3, and I think it's great.

Merlin is a fantastic show, loved the twists and tweaks they added to the characters and the lore. The conceit of Merlin covering up his magical powers to Arthur by portraying himself as a bumbling simpleton may grow stale but I did like how their friendship grew and developed as the series went along.

[Steve Hubbell]

Just threw in the DVD of "Unperishable Sword" (Koken wa Orezu-Tsukikage Ittoryu - Toei, 1960) starring Koji Tsuruta, Hibari Misora, and Yoshiko Fujita in a story of a samurai seeking revenge for the death of his sensei. It is based on a novel by Renzaburo Shibata. Just picked up the DVD from the post office on the way to work Monday so looking forward to seeing if it is as good as it sounds.

Leave it to Steve... master of Samurai movies! How was it? Do you recommend it?

It was good, but then again, I always enjoy a good samurai film from the golden era of Toei cinema. I am not very familiar with Koji Tsuruta, seems he was more involved in Ninkyo eiga or chivalrous yakuza films. He was a several films with Toshiro Mifune, including the Musashi trilogy.

Funny part of this movie is that every time this samurai encounters an unfamiliar woman, she falls in love with him. And within the first fifteen minutes of the film, he encounters three different women (two of which turn out to be sisters). Lot of action, several different story-lines and plots going back and forth. Hibari Masora is always great in a film, one of Japan's cinematic treasures.

[go]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dji_Tsuruta

[Spam Musubi #7]

My friend recommended a two other SyFy shows: Dark Matter and Killjoys. I haven't watched Killjoys yet but Dark Matter is a great show. It's a cross between Firefly and Memento. Strange Things is also very good. Thanks for the recommendation.

[BuckRogers]

Avatar the last Airbender. I'm finishing season three. Fun fact: my dad's cousin was married to Mako, the voice of the uncle. Unfortunately, Mako died during the second season.

Peace, maka

We just picked up Season 2 of The Legend of Korra three weeks ago and my five kiddos and I just LOVED it. So I bought the complete Avatar, the Last Airbender series and we are now loving that.

Too cool that you were related, via marriage, to Mako! That guy was awesome! Didn't he also do the voice of Aku in Samurai Jack? Also was in the second Conan movie, if I remember correctly.

As for what to watch: We are always rewatching Firefly (best TV Sci-fi EVER in my opinion) and Dr Who. We watched some Dark Matter and while it is definitely PG-13, it still makes the cut in my house when the younger kiddos have headed to bed!

[Maka]

Too cool that you were related, via marriage, to Mako! That guy was awesome! Didn't he also do the voice of Aku in Samurai Jack? Also was in the second Conan movie, if I remember correctly

Mako was a trailblazer for Asian-American actors. He was one of the founders of the East West Players that was in response to the limited acting roles for Asian American back in the 1960s. I remember seeing him in Coppola's Tucker and being proud that Mako was in a film by the director of the Godfather and Apocalypse Now. My earliest memories were seeing him in the m.a.s.h. TV Show.

I haven't watch Samura Jack but Wikipedia confirms your memory. . https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mako_Iwamatsu

Peace, maka

[BuckRogers]

Too cool that you were related, via marriage, to Mako! That guy was awesome! Didn't he also do the voice of Aku in Samurai Jack? Also was in the second Conan movie, if I remember correctly

Mako was a trailblazer for Asian-American actors. He was one of the founders of the East West Players that was in response to the limited acting roles for Asian American back in the 1960s. I remember seeing him in Coppola's Tucker and being proud that Mako was in a film by the director of the Godfather and Apocalypse Now. My earliest memories were seeing him in the m.a.s.h. TV Show.

I haven't watch Samura Jack but Wikipedia confirms your memory. . https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mako_Iwamatsu

Peace, maka

Wow! He's even cooler than I knew!

As for you, haven't watched Samurai Jack? Guess you know what you need to watch when you get a moment!

Really class act stuff. Not just slash and bash by any means. Beautiful art, in my opinion.

[Eltanin]

I watched Stranger Things last week, and enjoyed it very much.
I am currently binge watching Friends, as I never watched the series in its entirety (only random episodes on TV).

As for the series currently on break between seasons, I watch pretty much everything comic related (except Preacher which I didn't start yet), plus GoT, Homeland, House of Cards... and probably a few others I can't remember.

[Warren]

Too cool that you were related, via marriage, to Mako! That guy was awesome! Didn't he also do the voice of Aku in Samurai Jack? Also was in the second Conan movie, if I remember correctly.

First and second. That voiceover intro is difficult to forget!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTBlatoJXA

I'm kind of in awe at the connection to Mako, myself.

[jabba359]

I've been watching Game of Thrones this past month and am almost caught up. I only have the most recent season to go now. For all the hype the show gets, I think it's fairly good, but Fargo and Better Call Saul are still my favorite current television shows.

[go]

Dear Reader,
I am watching Rumiko Takahashi's Rin-ne, known as Kyōkai no Rinne in Japan.
I am also watching Ranma1/2 to catch up.
I began with Inuyasha, Mermaid Forrest, etc.
Arrow is a DC comic presented as a tv show. I really enjoy it at that level.
I am looking forward to more Gotham and Vikings.
Journeys in Japan.
This show is amazing.
The episode on chrysanthemums totally changed the way i garden.
I also watch Penn and Teller's "Fool Us".
My favorite you tube is "That Pedal Show" with a new episode each Friday.
Enjoy!
Best wishes to all!
go

[Steve Hubbell]

I have been on a Hashizo Okawa kick lately, and have watched a bunch of newly acquired DVDs and a few older ones which I had not yet gotten around to watching.

Toshiro Mifune might be the most popular and recognized "samurai" film actor around the world, but in Japan Hashizo Okawa has been one of the most loved actors in cinematic history. He also carried over a film role onto Japanese television in the later 60's which he then appeared as in a record setting 888 episodes of the series.

KUSAMA NO HANJIRO KIRI NO NAKA NO WATARIDORI (1960) Directed by kokichi Uchide
Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage (Hashizô Ôkawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata)

ÔDEIRI (1964) Directed by Kôsaku Yamashita
Giant Rumble (Hashizo Okawa, Tetsuro Tanba)

YOJIMBO ICHIBA (1963) Directed by Teruo Ishii
Wanted: Bodyguards (Hashizo Okawa, Hiroki Matsukata)

HATAMOTO YAKUZA (1966) directed by Sadao Nakajima
Yakuza Vassal (Hashizo Okawa, Junko Fuji)

OEDO HYOBANJI BINAN NO KAOYAKU (1962) Directed by Tadashi Sawashima
Good Rascals (Hashizo Okawa)

WAKASAMA ZAMURAI TORIMONOCHO: BENIZURU YASHIKI (1958) Directed by Tadashi Sawashima
Case of Young Lord 7: Red Crane Mansion (Hashizo Okawa)

WAKASAMA ZAMURAI TORIMONOCHO (1960) Directed by Yasushi Sasaki
Case of Young Lord 8 (Hashizo Okawa)

WAKASAMA ZAMURAI TORIMONOCHO BURAKKU TSUBAKI (1961) Directed by Tadashi Sawashima
Case of Young Lord 9: Black Camellia (Hashizo Okawa)

Whether playing the role of a samurai or a yakuza or a samurai pretending to be a yakuza, Hashizo Okawa always does a great job.

[jabba359]

I've been watching The Man in the High Castle recently (having finally caught up on Game of Thrones a couple weeks ago). It's been a while since I've read the Kafka novel, but I feel like the show took the very basic scenario and is telling a completely different story. Not that one is better or worse than the other, just different. Only one more episode left, then to figure out what shows are up next (though I see Marvel's Luke Cage is coming out next week, so that'll go on the list for sure).