J-Drama: Toshi Densetsu no Onna

This police-detective comedy drama stars Nagasawa Misami as Otonashi Tsukiko. A newly assigned detective who is cooky and has amazing deductive skills but is so obsessed with linking crimes to urban legends or myths. She does her best in connecting the crime on each episode to a major Japanese urban myth, but always ends up solving the crime and proving otherwise.

As a rookie detective who is young and attractive, she never shy in using allure and somewhat seducing suspects, persons of interest and fellow officers to get information and favors. She also admits to it that it is the reason why she wears such skimpy skirts that shows much of her legs.

The series also explains the premise and origins of various urban myths that is made famous around Japan. If you love crime-mystery dramas and a bit of the occult and superstitions, this is a light hearted series for you.

... Although I got into it first because Misami looks like my crush, Otsuka Chihiro during her "Attention Please" days...

In the Net: Adult Wednesday Addams

Came across a little gem in YouTube...

Imagine if Wednesday Addams (from the Addams Family) grew up and tried to be an independent modern woman.

Created, written and starred by actress Melissa Hunter, its a funny take on a girl like little ol Wednesday facing the woes and troubles of a modern woman.

Anime: Hanasaku Iroha

Whew!... haven`t really wrote anything here in a loooong time. Well, life has been a roller coaster ride of mostly downs...but anime always somehow gets my ass off the pity couch and experience the world once more.

I have myself a list of anime titles I collect from Facebook with the various anime and cosplay groups I belong to, mostly cute and light hearted comedies, but this one I got from a fellow blogger and photographer Mack-niisama. On the top of his recommended list is a series called "Hanasaku Iroha".

Its a slice of life - school life - coming of age - love - comedy story/ tale of a girl, who was brought up to rely on no one else, to suddenly be plunged into the world of the service-hospitality industry by being a waitress in a traditional inn run by her grandmother.

Aside from dealing with the detached relationship she has with her grandmother, she also has to deal with the wide variety of personalities of the staff she had to work with, which pretty much looks negatively at her "do it all/ know it all" attitude. Add to that the seemingly whirlwind romance and love triangles she gets mixed with...especially with her childhood friend whom she left behind.

With so much stacked against her, she always gets herself and the people around her into funny and "kilig" (yes...its a valid word now in 2016...look it up in the dictionary) situations that makes you yearning to see more each episode. Unlike most anime, this one is not open ended. But it does leave room in the end of its 26 long episodes for a sequel or a few "omake" OAVs at best.

The production, animation style and character design and development is really superb. PA Works, the animation studio that worked on the series, did a very good job with the animation. Its reminiscent of their past works such as Angel Beats and Another. Very human like motions that exudes frailty, motion, action and emotions. Just the thing that added to my "addiction" to the series.

In the end, you can never get enough of the misadventures of the characters in the series. although it was a long series by its standard. You will be glad you went through the journey with them.