Entertain your BRAIN Robert J. Terry 11/2005

Magicbell Communications
Presents Inspirational Programs and Drama

This past January 2, 2005, Magicbell Communications, Inc. began broadcasting on KXLA, Channel 44. The lineup it presents includes religious programs and a Japanese dramatic series. It tries to offer something for everyone, and best of all, the programming is subtitled in English.

Magicbell Communications starts its broadcast at 6:30 pm every Sunday. First on the schedule is Mutually Sustaining Life, A Buddhist Call to a Troubled World (in English). In this program, the host. Rev. Dr. Kenneth Kenshin Tanaka explains to viewers what Buddhism is all about and the teachings of the Buddha. The purpose is to foster a better understanding of Buddhism and he addresses the spiritual and religious concerns of people today in the 21st century.

The program regularly invites guests to explain their expertise in a variety of areas. Each show is introductory in nature for those who know little or nothing about Buddhism. The programs are based in part on The Teaching of Buddha, a book published by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism whose website is at www.bdkamerica.org). This 600 page+ book is distributed to hotels and ryokan (Japanese inns) throughout Japan, much as the Gideon Society does for the Bible. It is formatted in the taiyaku style, with Japanese and English on facing pages. Those desiring further information can contact the Society for Buddhist Understanding, c/o MTI Corporation Los Angeles Office, 16925 East Gale Ave., City of Industry, CA 91745, Tel. (818) 961-9661.

Next up is Light of Life, (Seimei no Hikari, with English subtitles) which starts at 6:44 pm. This program introduces many people who were influenced by Teshima Ikuro Sensei (an ardent Christian who is now deceased). It shows a variety of places, as well as the people living there, and interviews those people about their experiences in life. This isn't like any of the other religious programs the viewer may be used to seeing. It is more in the way of a documentary-style program, and it focuses on each person's experience and their life, their hardships and how they were able to overcome them. There are touching moments in each and every episode.

A new drama series started at 7:00 pm, c starting Takashima Masanobu, and Mizuno Maki. That introduced the first season of the Central Ikegami Police series and subsequent seasons have been added over the course of the year. This drama depicts human emotions and family love through incidents that occur within the Central Ikegami Police Station precinct of Tokyo in a positive and moving manner.

The Chief of Hon-Ikegami Police Department, Shiina Keisuke (Takashima Masanobu), has the reputation throughout the department of being a lazy and useless man, although he passed the National Police Agency entrance exam with the highest score of his class. Keisuke merely prefers to lead an unassuming life avoiding all the politics swirling around in the department. However, he shouldn't be underestimated! In critical situations, his sharp intuition and knowledge about people and the layout of the town bring a unique point of view and hunches, which help him solve crimes. Moreover, he is not interested in promotion at all, so he gives credit for his achievements to his subordinates and continues to pretend to be a lazy idiot.

Takashima is an enormously popular actor. He also appeared in the UTB comedy/drama. One Boyfriend Down, which has just ended. With any luck there will be sequel to the program. It might also be pointed out that in general the acting on Japanese television is on a higher level than that found on American television. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there are fewer opportunity available for actors in Japan, compared to the situation in America. There are fewer motion pictures made and the ones made are less widely distributed. (In 1951, Rashomon won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, but it was only judged as the fifth best domestic film of the year by Japanese film critics. However, Rashomon was the only one of the group to be given an international distribution.) So even the finest actors can be seen on ordinary television programs.

In Central Ikegami Police, a variety of unusual police officers and other characters display their abilities while they argue and cheer each other on as they solve cases, and their activities invite laughter, tears and warm memories. The reader should tune in and see what it is all about.

Mutually Sustaining Life, Light of Life and Central Ikegami Police, Sunday evenings at 6:30 to 8:00 pm on KXLA, Channel 44. Subtitled in English.