[Discussion] Maou (Ohno Satoshi & Ikuta Toma)

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Just finished watching & was quite impressed...though it's way darker than the shows I usually watch, it was very well done, & I just *had* to watch usually-goofy Ohno in a serious role.

As for the ending...I had a hunch from about ep. 7 or so onward. Crying

And I did actually cry when my hunch turned out to be right.

The whole thing feels very, very Shakespearian, or maybe it's Greek tragedies I'm thinking of?? I'm tempted to look up summaries & see if there's anything similar but it may just be the overall feel of the show.

DLing the extras now, I hope there's some NG footage of the serious characters cracking up. Tongue

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject: Ohno's acting... Post Rating: 0

I thought Maou was excellent. I love the OST Requiem, it was definitely a richly orchestrated and melodic soundtrack.

I would like to express my appreciation for Ohno Satoshi's acting.

Ohno Satoshi enjoys stage plays more than television acting, and has been doing more of those. Stage acting trains actors to be more 'in the moment' for they need to perform the same lines every single night. And you have to watch it as if it's happening right before your eyes every single time.

How that acting showed in Maou...

Look at his eyes when he's acting.

There is always something or someone there.

You sometimes see other actors and actresses express but somehow their eyes are empty? Like there's no actual thought in it? But you do get what I mean.

This shows Ohno's focus. Not only that...I don't know if it's just me, but I was more 'impressed' with his 'good' side character. It showed that his acting wasn't drawn from 'acting' it out, but a completely honest acting. From this particular actress I quote, "You must believe your character to the extent of being able to justify what he/she thinks even if you don't think that way in real life."

Another thing, when it's a subtle part of the script like his 'good side'....

Heck I honestly think acting out a normal scene (like just talking normally....imagine doing that in a school play with lines you and your friends have memorized. Listen to what your friends say and react to that. Don't think about how you react while listening to what she says and waiting for your turn) is way harder than acting out an emotional scene. Because it's a test of how much you've become your character. Let alone a normal scene with a character that's not like you (Maou X Ohno)...Naruse just can't be like Ohno. If he was just acting it as if it was just acting out a character then the subtle-ness wouldn't have been so intense. He gets in his character so much that he replies as if it was him. In short he wasn't acting....it was that natural and was definitely worked hard at. As you see that maturity in him while acting, you know that he was dealing with that kind of standard in his acting. (And that is the type of acting that can pass energy to a co actor so that HE can be able to react from that...which was especially shown in the last episode of the series in the last few intense exchange of lines of Naruse and Serizawa)

Sorry pinch

I like to express myself and just say how much Ohno made a fan out of me. Very inspiring performance. Another thing is.....aside from the acting talent he displayed, he also had that special 'IT'....so I think he was born to do what he's doing. And so, even if I love other Japanese actors so much as well, I somehow, dunno, I somehow can't imagine this role being played by them, and be able to give such a huge impression on me (believe me....I tried) Aside from Ohno's acting, Ohno HIMSELF, as the person he is and the way he interpreted it out from a deeper source than merely just a so called two faced lawyer-----which was the kind of performance I expected------it was all from him.

I am not saying I don't think this way about other actors and such. This is just a comment for Ohno's acting. I was so humbled by it ^_^

(Maaan pinch

I hope he's not the underrated Arashi member I hear he is....as I see from videos....it's just that...he doesn't like to impose himself pinch

But the few times he showed what he can do...boy does he blow me away.)

(WOW is this a school report?)

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:01 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Oh and ummm having said that.....I hate watching revenge plots...I watched it thinking I might hate it for all the killing and all the dark things happening every time and expecting THAT being the main attraction of the show.

But in the end it didn't say, "GET REVENGE AND EXPECT TO GO DOWN YOURSELF BUT HEY....HE DESERVED IT ANYWAY DIDN'T HE? AND THAT WAS A GOOD SHOW I PUT UP ANYWAY.".....it clearly had a message against that sort of mindset...so it kinda gave off a certain Count of Monte Cristo thing about it. Which I like about Maou. I LOVE how the character Shiori really tried for Naruse...like til the very end and to Naruse's breaking point. There is always hope while one is alive after all. I just don't see that much in shows.

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Shiori's actress was also convincing. Now THAT helped as well I think. It was a pleasant surprise she had great substance to her acting. Very simple and honest. She played a great role in that drama too. And Shiori not being a 'flashy' actress had a real impact on the drama too. As for Serizawa....haha I don't know. He wasn't really over acting I think but I think being THAT actor, I think that's how HE would do it if it were a real detective with that past. So it might be a characterization problem of how he interpreted it and maybe too much of himself showed? I don't know because I love this guy in his shows and he displays genuine emotions usually. I'm not sure really. But I kind of missed the other side of himself that he carried and suffered with all those years. Somehow it wasn't that believable until flashbacks built up. But having said all that...man I think he was just the right person for it. So I can't really say, he delivered the most crucial lines in the drama for me so convincingly and it helped the over all impact. AND ALSO MAAAAN I have a last song syndrome for 'Requiem'.....