bmwracer wrote:

2015??

Yes, UTB will air it around then. I'm guessing they will air the 3 seasons of Iryu Sosa, which will take most of 2014 (11+8+9+ x wks if UTB airs the special). Plus, Partners 12 hasn't completed its run in Japan yet.

creidesca wrote:

Yes, UTB will air it around then. I'm guessing they will air the 3 seasons of Iryu Sosa, which will take most of 2014 (11+8+9+ x wks if UTB airs the special). Plus, Partners 12 hasn't completed its run in Japan yet.

I thought it was a typo... 2015 seems a long way off.

The 2014 taiga 'Gunshi Kanbei' starts on Feb. 22nd: http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1921.htm

As with most taigas, a "star" in the lead instead of an actor, but a real good supporting cast.

'Akumu-chan' starting Feb. 24th 9pm: http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1781.htm

Looking at the cast, good news Keiko Kitagawa and Yuka. Bad news, Gackt.

Starting this Sunday, March 3rd they'll be showing 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu TV JOHN': http://utbhollywood.com/en/variety/kyarypamyupamyutvjohn/index.php

Fortunately it will air at 10pm which should prevent any small children from being psychologically scarred for life.

gaijinmark wrote:

Starting this Sunday, March 3rd they'll be showing 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu TV JOHN': http://utbhollywood.com/en/variety/kyarypamyupamyutvjohn/index.php Fortunately it will air at 10pm which should prevent any small children from being psychologically scarred for life.

LOL.... Looks like weird wild stuff.

If you're into ramen special program March 16th at 9pm: http://utbhollywood.com/en/variety/ramenkingdom/story/1/index.php

Starting March 27tn, 9pm, 'Aibou 12': http://asianwiki.com/Aibou:_Season_12

gaijinmark wrote:

If you're into ramen special program March 16th at 9pm: http://utbhollywood.com/en/variety/ramenkingdom/story/1/index.php

Duly noted.

March 23rd and 30th at 9pm they'll be showing 'Kasha': http://asianwiki.com/Kasha

'Hanzawa Naoki' starting April 6th 9pm: http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1870.htm

KSCI is airing the "Freeter Ie o kau" Special: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Freeter,_Ie_o_Kau.#Special

April 2nd, 9th, and 16th from 9pm to 10pm. The Special itself is only two hours long but they're stretching it to 3 hours so expect a lot of commercials.

"Mikeneko Holmes": http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1746.htm

Starts Wed. April 23rd, 9pm.

18.2 is going with a game show after Keiko Kitagawa's drama ends on May 12th. Starting on May 19th they'll be showing "Himitsu no Kenmin Show".

Here's basically what it's about:

Himitsu no Kenmin Show (�閧�̃P���~��show), roughly translated as Prefecture's Secrets Show. It follows along the variety show format, with panelists representing a handful of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Although the show addresses culture, language, and customs, about 80% of the show's information is organized around food and drink and all kinds of local variations and specialties.

One of the first segments is called "himitsu no gochisou" (secret delicacy) which usually introduces the viewer to a local delicacy specific to a certain area in a given prefecture. The delicacy in question is introduced mysteriously... Announcer: "we heard that people in southern Miyazaki prefecture enjoy a dish that people in Tokyo would consider very odd..." Locals are showed in small soundbites, "of course we eat that", "I really enjoy its crunchy texture", "well, it's fish, but not really fish". Announcer: "not really fish? To find out what they're talking about, we went to the local supermarket..." Fishing for more information, we find the fish department of the supermarket... Announcer: "just like most supermarkets, in the sashimi section we find fresh fish, like maguro, saba, kinmedai... but next to the maguro, there's something we've never seen before (the item covered up from the viewer). Interviewing the fishmonger at the supermarket, "we sell more of this than any of the other items in the cold case..." After the commercial break, the panelist representing Miyazaki prefecture reveals: "those are maguro intestines! In Miyazaki prefecture, it's a regular delicacy to eat maguro intestines!" Audience and panelist moan in disbelief. Then the segment continues with the interviews with the fishmonger, locals, with a home visit to see how the ingredient is cooked and served, and finally, a food historian/prefectural expert on the history of the dish. Then the featured dish is brought into the studio for the panelists to sample, with most of them agreeing that it's really good. Each week, there's a new unfamiliar "gochisou" introduced from a different prefecture.

One of the final segments of the show follows a fictional married couple, Higashi Kyo-ichiro (Higashi=�� Kyo=�� =Tokyo) and his wife Harumi as his job is transferred from one prefecture to another. He meets his boss and his wife (usually real people) who invite the couple over and serve them local delicacies which they've never seen before, and later Kyo-ichiro is taken by his boss to a local food plant for a business introduction (also with the actual workers of the plant), where he encounters odd local items as well as familiar national brand items, and then stopping for lunch at a local spot usually serving a variation of a dish that Kyo-ichiro has never encountered. Then we see Harumi with the boss's wife out food shopping at the local supermarket, where Harumi looks around and finds a number of unfamiliar items, or is surprised by the plethora of choices of a given item (e.g., varieties of curry in Tottori prefecture, varieties of sashimi fish in Chiba prefecture, varieties of shiitake mushrooms in Oita prefecture), among other regional specialties.

Himitsu no Kenmin Show highlights the diversity of Japan's local traditions. Most of what we might consider a singular "authentic" Japanese food in the US (or outside of Japan) have so many delicious variations. In almost every episode, there's a moment of incredulity when locals are told that most others in Japan have never heard of a local specialty, or that their local variation is different from most others in Japan.


Edit: Found a blogger who gives a better idea what it's all about: http://radiusedcorner.blogspot.com/2013/08/favorite-foodie-television-part-one.html

^ Watched the first episode. Pretty interesting and funny at times as well. I just hope every episode isn't about sweets. Looking at all that sugar made my teeth feel like they were about to fall out.

18.2 will be airing "Tonbi" http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1801.htm.

Starting July 6th in the 9pm timeslot. I thought Masaaki Uchino was great in this.

Starting Wednesday, July 23rd in the 9 pm timeslot UTB will be airing "Natsu no Koi wa Nijjiro ni Kagayaku": http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1562.htm

On the upside Yuko Takeuchi. On the downside Jun Matsumoto.

"Doctor X" will be taking over the "Aibou" timeslot, 9pm on Thursdays starting September 18th.

Might be a "Doctor X" marathon. Since it's in the old "Aibou" slot they'll probably run "Doctor X 2" after that and if "Doctor X 3" has finished it's run in Japan by then they could show it as well.

18.2 has a new show starting on Sept. 19th @ 9:30 pm: http://utbhollywood.com/en/program/variety/megaten/

I have no idea what this is about, but Tokoro George can be funny so it might be interesting.

"Tonbi" is finishing up it's run, starting Oct. 5th in the 9pm slot they'll be showing "Legal High": http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1739.htm