Sunday, July 18, 2010

The ratings for "Moon Lovers," the drama series that just ended in the coveted Monday 9 p.m. slot at Fuji TV, were not as high as expected despite the participation of heartthrob Takuya Kimura. Maybe a younger Johnny's idol, Jun Matsumoto of Arashi, will have better luck with "Natsu no Koi wa Niji-iro ni Kagayaku" (Summer Lover Sparkles in Rainbow Colors).

Matsumoto plays Taiga, the son of a perennially popular actor (Shiro Ito). Taiga has tried to follow in his father's footsteps but his management company can't find work for him, and he spends most of his time hanging out with other "unsellable juniors."

One day while indulging his hobby, sky diving, Taiga loses control of his parachute and lands in a forest. Fortunately, a woman named Shiroi (Yuko Takeuchi) is passing by and she helps untangle him. When she learns who Taiga is, she is very excited, since she has been a huge fan of his father's all her life.

A year from now terrestrial TV signals will end, and in the spring of 2012 Tokyo's new digital broadcasting tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, will be completed. The Sky Tree will be the tallest integrated steel structure in the world, rising 634 meters.

NHK's documentary series, "Wonder × Wonder" (NHK-G, Sat., 7:30 p.m.), will present a special report on the progress of the Sky Tree's construction, focusing on the cutting edge technology being employed.

Safety and speed are the main concerns, and the program shows how workers deal with the high winds and dampness when they're near the top of the structure. Because so much of the job involves problems that have never been addressed before, the designers have had to think outside the box. NHK looks behind the scenes to explain the science and "common sense" behind their ideas.

CM of the week

Calorie Mate: The setting is a typical office, the protagonist a new employee who is still getting used to the routine. Colleagues tell him to do something one minute, and then change their minds the next. "That's different from what you said earlier," he says to his superior. "Oh, really?" the superior answers without giving it a second thought. "I don't need that any more," another says when he hands in some work. "You should think for yourself," a male supervisor advises him and then the next moment a female supervisor says, "Do exactly what I say."

Late at night he's still at the office when he notices a man in a yellow track suit outside the window gesturing at him. The Yellow Man, played by comic actor Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, throws him a box of the instant energy food Calorie Mate. "When unexpected things happen," says the message on the screen, "make a drama out of it."

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