TV: Flashes | Guides | Tips | Reviews | Cooking | Ethnic | MENU
Subpages: Favorite Cooking Hosts | Cooking Show Sampler | With Love Review
Click TV | TV Guide

TV With Love Review 5/10/98

FLASH - "With Love" is available on CD, but I didn't see it in English yet as of 8/10/01. See www.videocds.com/japan/with_love.htm.

With Love....this was their site, but not now??

[The last show was 7/5/98, but there may be a video and there are three CD's; see notes at end.] I don't usually watch soap operas but, since this one is sandwitched in between Ryori No Tetsujin and Kuishinbo Banzia, it often gets on the VCR. Well, over the last few months I got hooked. It's the story of a conservative girl and a slightly unusual guy. They aren't looking for anyone, but over the last few months they keep bumping into each other, then they start saying hello, and tonight they end up with friends at the same dinner. Suddenly, he gives her a little kiss, to which she does not respond. Then he tries to kiss her again, and she slaps him. They go home, to their own places, to think about what happened. And, there is also a computer angle with another plot. What hooked me is that this is more like the old-fashioned romances, like before the 1970's. So far I don't remember any T&A, sex, or violence (or only very minor). Why can't they find actors, plots, emotions, visuals, and sound tracks like this in the USA? ***I'm looking for a CD of the sound track -- found it, see note at end.***

6/21/98. Big Show. She almost marries the wrong guy, the old boy friend. But, when she hears the friend play the piano, she knows he's the one she fell in love with on the internet. Watch his fingers as he decides what to play. Watch her eyes as she figures it out and thinks about what to do. And hear the music; it's the tune he sent to her over the internet. Maybe they'll show flash backs on the 6/28/98 show. The end of this show may be among the best seven minutes in TV drama and music.

7/5/98. The last show, but I hope they will repeat it or make more shows. Not the ending I had expected, but good.

*Each show lasts almost an hour, so don't tune out at the intermission. The show is on Sunday night, on KSCI channel 18. Time and schedules are irrelevant at this station, but try sometime between 7:30 and 8:25 p.m. Or, tape everything between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., and get all the KSCI shows in this review. In Japanese, but it works without understanding the language.

*Revised since date shown

Note for "With Love"(7/31/98): I did find three CD's at Asahiya Bookstores U.S.A. in Torrance, CA at 310-787-0700.

- A single is "Toy's Factory TFDC-28085", by "My Little Lover", titled "Destiny", and dated 1998. Track 1 is the main vocal from the show, the one that starts with the two guitar notes. Track 2 I don't like, and track 3 is the music from track 1. I got the last one on 6/10/98 for $9.70 plus tax.

PS - At first I didn't appreciate the instrumental bridge on tracks 1 and 3 between 3:20 and 3:47. But, after hearing it a few times, I think almost anyone in music (maybe even J. S. Bach) would be proud to play or write something like this.

- Another is "Sony SRCR 2220", by Taro Iwashiro, titled "With Love, Original Soundtrack", and dated 1998. They ordered it for me, and I got it on 6/27/98 for $30.80 plus tax. There are 13 tracks, and the more I hear them, the more I like them.

- The last is "Sony SRCL 4345", by Takashi Hasegawa Works, titled "Once in a Blue Moon", and dated 1998. I got this on 7/26/98 for $22.00 plus tax. It is six tracks and is mostly a different version of the previous tracks, but good on it's own.

PS -- Thanks to everyone who helped with this music; it is magic to me. Please do more music, and get more distribution in the U.S.A.

I did hear "Destiny" once or twice on Hey!Hey!Hey!. See review page.

Flashes | Guides | Tips | Reviews | Cooking | Ethnic | MENU