Preview of Gou ~ Himetachi no Sengoku 江～姫たちの戦国 (NHK 2011 Taiga Drama)

I've never been able to finish a Taiga drama so far. My previous attempts to watch a Taiga have always been in vain because I usually give up after 2 or 3 episodes. There are many reasons for this which includes the difficulty in understanding the dialogue (the way of speech is very different from modern Japan), the overdose of masculinity, my lack of knowledge on Japan's history and the length of Taiga dramas which is usually more than 40 episodes. So why am I previewing this drama?

Firstly, it's because of Ueno Juri. I admit that I'm a fan of hers so when I heard that she's in her first period drama as the lead character, I was tempted to start watching.

Secondly, the cast lineup is very attractive. Suzuki Honami makes her return to acting after a long absence since her marriage. Toyokawa Etsushi is simply amazing as Oda Nobunaga (I can understand why the story said that Gou was fascinated by Oda who was her uncle :-p), Tokito Saburo grabs my attention despite his short "lifespan" in this story (his character killed himself in the first episode), plus Mizukawa Asami, Kishitani Goro and lots of familiar names in the cast list. It's a visual treat especially when you consider some of these people don't appear too much in TV dramas these days. Those who want to see Mukai Osamu will have to wait for some time. He's going to be the 3rd husband of Gou so it will be ages before he makes his appearance.

Thirdly, the story's approach is not as dry as what I observed in other dramas I attempted to watch. Somehow, I've always had the impression that Taiga dramas are all about men's battles with one another and it gets really boring after some time. However, Gou is more than about men's battles. When the attention focuses on a woman's life, there will inevitably be aspects such as love and family thrown into the equation so it helps to balance the story. At least from what I've seen in the first episode, I like what the story is offering so far.

Last but not least, having NHK World makes it a whole lot easier to watch Gou. Watching a Taiga on a computer screen is very different from a TV screen, not to mention having to wait for the drama to load.

I have no idea how long I will be able to watch this because 47 episodes is something I've never attempted. I don't think I'll give up due to lack of interest but I just hope that I won't forget to record the show on Sunday nights.