I get hooked on the weirdest programs. Lately, I've been watching a lot of A&E's Paranormal State. It's not like Ghost Hunters on SciFi or anything. This is about a society/club from Penn State that go around investigating paranormal situations. Clients will contact the society and, if they think it is necessary, they will go check it out. It's not a great show. I think it needs to be one hour instead of just a half hour. There are definitely some other things they could expand on. Yet it's something that you get addicted to watching. Sometimes it's spooky, sometimes it's funny but it's always interesting.
iCarly
Now that you've watched the opening to iCarly, let me tell you more about the show. The main characters are Carly Shay, Sam Puckett, Freddie Benson and Carly's older brother (and guardian), Spencer. Carly, Sam and Freddie are middle-schoolers that run a video webcast called iCarly. While they don't really talk about how popular their webshow is, it seems that a ton of people watch it. (Note: There are clips and segments on the actual iCarly.com website too.) Spencer is the goofball of the bunch. Despite being 26-years old (and having attended law school for 3 days), he always acts like a little kid: running around and seeing the fun things in life instead of being a 'boring adult.' (He probably has a Seattle injury lawyer on call for when his stunts injure other people....) But he's definitely the most fun character.
I have to admit that, even though the show is aimed for kids and young teens, it is a pretty awesome. Carly is an upstanding, intelligent young girl that is a great role model for kids. Sam is the prankster who is always getting into trouble but everyone knows she really has a heart of gold. And Freddie, well, he's mostly around to help Carly and get picked on by Sam. I'd much rather watch this than another episode of Spongebob Squarepants.
Jdorama review: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Special
Title: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
Also known as: HanaKimi
Translation: For You In Full Blossom
Broadcast date: 10/12/08
Genre: Romantic comedy
Cast: Horikita Maki, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma
Plot: Six months have passed since Mizuki has left Japan. During a Valentine's Day contest, Nakatsu tries to figure out exactly when Sano fell in love with Mizuki.
What is good: More HanaKimi!
What is bad: This isn't the special episode that should have been filmed.
Letter rating: C
Overall: I really enjoyed the HanaKimi television series. So why did the producers decide to stick us with this? Instead of a special involving the boys' trip out to California to visit Mizuki, we get a slew of flashbacks. A majority of the special is supposed to take place between episodes 7 and 8. However, someone made a decision to introduce a new character, Julia, to try to get Sano to confess his love to Mizuki. Not only is Julia unnecessary but she is also annoying. I would have preferred a special dedicated to more of the hijinks of the various dorms instead of focusing on something that was already determined in the series - Sano loves Mizuki. There is no need to try to figure out the exact moment that it dawned on him.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Last night, PBS' Great Performances showed Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner's performance of Cyrano de Bergerac from the Broadway run in late 2007/early 2008. I thought Kline was magnificent as Cyrano. However, Garner overacted everything about Roxanne. I wanted to like her and perhaps the problem is that I went in expecting an amazing performance from her. She's lucky that she was paired with Kline. If it was a lesser actor, the show would have been toast.
Jdorama review: Hana Yori Dango Final
Title: Hana Yori Dango Final
Release date: June 28, 2008
Genre: romantic comedy
Cast: Inoue Mao, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, Abe Tsuyoshi
Plot: After Domyouji Tsukasa (Matsumoto) publicly announces his engagement to Tsukushi Makino (Inoue), his mother gives the couple a rare tiara called "The Smile of Venus." Unfortunately, it is stolen from the Tsukushi hotel room that night! Tsukasa and Makino set off on a worldwide trip to retrieve the tiara. With the help of F4, will they be able to save their impending marriage?
What is good: The on-screen chemistry between Matsumoto and Inoue is amazing. You'd think they were a real couple!
What is bad: There are a couple of things that aren't fully explained, though it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the movie very much.
Letter rating: A
Overall: Much like the two television seasons before the movie, the Japanese version of Hana Yori Dango has been amazing. All of the actors are immensely talented and, while the plot is a little wacky, it fits the show. It was interesting to see the rich boys actually traveling around the world and acting like adults. (Well, for the most part anyway.) I would have liked to have a little more closure with one of the F4 members but I suppose that mysterious aura is what made him so likeable in the first place. Also, I would have liked to have the head "bad guy" explained a little more explicitly. Though, perhaps if you have an intimate understanding of Japanese relationships, it doesn't need to be said. (It still would have been nice if they did say it.) Overall, this was an amazing series and an awesome ending to it. I even found myself crying toward the end of the movie. I'm not ready for it to end!
TV review: Jekyll
Yes, I am a little late on this one. Jekyll is a 6-episode series that aired on the BBC in June and July 2007. It is a continuation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. A brilliantly cast James Nesbitt stars as Tom Jackman/"Billy" Hyde. Alongside him are Michelle Ryan (who was in the Bionic Woman remake), Gina Bellman, Meera Syal, Paterson Joseph and Denis Lawson.
At first, I didn't know what to make of the show. A friend recommended my husband and I rent it so we did. By the end of the first episode, I was hooked. I had heard it was like the Showtime series Dexter, however, I don't agree with that. (Though, I should note that I've only ever seen one episode of Dexter.) In my opinion, it's more like My Own Worst Enemy but a lot more maniacal. I don't want to say too much without giving away the major plot points but this is definitely something you should watch. And since it's only 6 episodes long, it really is easy to watch in one afternoon.
Game review: Scrapbook Paige
At first, Scrapbook Paige looked like a game that I could play with my daughter. Unfortunately, it is just a little bit too difficult for her. You play Paige, a woman that makes scrapbooks for other people. Your job is to find all of the little pieces that might be needed for the next scrapbook. Then you need to match stickers to their shapes in order to create the actual scrapbook. The scrapbook section of the game is pretty easy. It's the hidden object part that can be difficult. In each location, there are a number of drawers that hold various things that scrapbookers use - stamps, jewelry pieces, etc. You need to find the list of objects within those drawers and each location has one piece that needs a riddle to be solved before it can be found. It is an interesting concept but it was just a little too much.
Music review: Hitomi wo Tojite by Ken Hirai
At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Ken Hirai's music. I liked the pop stuff but the bluesy songs that he's really known for never really interested me. Then I decided to sit down and truly listen to what he was singing. That is when I realized how amazingly talented the man is. "Hitomi wo Tojite" is one example of how well he can handle a ballad. A lot of the time, ballads come out contrived and boring. Yet Hirai manages to express that feeling of love without making it feel forced. I have to admit that nowadays, he's one of my favorite artists.
Game review: Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe
A little over a year ago, I played my first Build-a-lot game and I absolutely loved it. In May of this year, I played the sequel and it was still extremely awesome. Recently, the second sequel, Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe debuted. And it is just as amazing as its predecessors. This time around, you are sent into Europe to help fix up a couple of communities in different countries. I don't know if I can remember all of the countries but I know you go to England, Italy and I think Portugal. The fun gameplay is still the same. There are a couple of new building types and upgrades for you. I do have to admit that some of the levels are very difficult but the game is so fun that it's more of a challenge to get past those levels as opposed to being frustrating. Even if you find yourself getting frustrated, if you walk away from the game for a little while, you can come back knowing that you'll figure out the puzzle eventually. I love these games!
Game review: Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
The Mystery Case Files series is probably the best known hidden object game. A new MCF game has appeared - Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. You return to the scene of the original game in order to solve more mysteries. While the hidden object aspect of the game hasn't changed any, there are new additions. This time, you carry certain objects in your inventory so you can use them to open puzzles in other locations. For example, in order to get a key out from under a cat, you need to find some cheese to give to a mouse so you can capture the mouse to give to the cat. In some ways, it can be fun. However, a lot of the puzzles are extremely difficult. I had a such a difficult time trying to open the sun/moon puzzle that I was unable to complete it before my trial period ran out. Since there was no way to skip that particular puzzle, it was frustrating. I liked trying to find the various objects needed to obtain other objects but some of the puzzles were just too difficult. If you can put up with those pieces, I think you'll enjoy the game a lot.