--- In japan_kfss@yahoogroups.com, "Tim Stubbs" <firstuniversal@c...> wrote:
> Have you seen the suberb Japanese drama/comedy "Swallowtail
> (Butterfly)" from director Iwai? He also directed "Love Letter".

No, but I'll look for them.

> Anyone got any Japanese comedy or drama recommendations? Old or new?

Too many to name but my all-time favorite Japanese drama is probably too kinky
if
you've got little kids in the house. I love "Rampo," to me the perfect movie and
a
really good model of Japanese story telling, because it's non-linear and like a
koan.
( www.imdb.com/title/tt0110943/
?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxxPXJhbXBvfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxodG1sPT
F8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1 )

If you like Kinji Fukusaku and have seen any of his Jidaigeki or Yakuza
pictures, you
might like "Fall Guy," because he satirizes himself and the Japanese movie
industry,
but I think you need to see his non-satirical work to get the full impact of how
funny
this movie is. BTW, Fukusaku has a cameo in "Rampo."

My favorite comedy drama is more recent, "Samurai Fiction." I love this film to
pieces.
( www.imdb.com/title/tt0170544/
?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1zYW11cmFpIGZp
Y3Rpb258aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=20 )

My favorite comedy is "Warm Water Under a Red Bridge" ("Akai Hashi No Shita No
Nurui Mizu"), but again too kinky for little kids.
( www.imdb.com/title/tt0289054/
?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1ha2FpIGhhc2hpf
Gh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=20 )

I'm also fond of movies I didn't think I'd like, because they're so violent:
"Moon Child"
( www.imdb.com/title/tt0365514/
?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1tb29uIGNobGR8
aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=3;ft=21;fm=1 ) and
"Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl" ("Samehada Otoko To Momojiri Onna")
( www.imdb.com/title/tt0169222/
?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1zYW1laGFkYXxo
dG1sPTF8bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20 )