Sakuragi Kenji is a destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcyle gang trying to guide failing high school students with an average score of 36 into Japan's most prestigious educational institution, Tokyo University (Toudai).
"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!"
For no other reason than Sakuragi's personal ambition, he has advertised his intention to produce 5 successful Toudai applicants from the students of a nearly bankrupt failure of a school.
"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!" He will get them from this lowest of all schools into Japan's number one!!
Our protagonist, Sakuragi Kenji, played by Abe Hiroshi in his first role as a high school teacher, is a must see in this summer's new show. This third rate lawyer soon becomes the homeroom teacher for the special advanced class aiming for Toudai University entrance. Hasegawa Kyouko costars as english teacher and Sakuragi's opponent, and Yamashita Tomohisa from NEWS and Nagasawa Masami also appear in the role of students. This awaited original work and fascinating world view is brought to you from the popular serialized comic in Shuukan Morning (Kodansha) and has even been updated!
In addition to revealing essential test taking techniques for everyone who wants to know how to get into Toudai, Dragon Zakura will also teach the essentials of living one's life.
I really love this drama! in fact, i've finished it for two days cuz i cant wait to get to the last part and see if they made it to Toudai! Yamapi was hot here and Teppei was sooo cute and adorable! The three girls, Naomi, Kobayashi and Yoshino were also kawaii! While watching Naomi (played by Masami Nagasawa) i knew she looked really familiar. Then i remembered she was also the girl from the other dorama Last Friends and she looked like the korean actress Yoon Eun-Hye. I cant really seem to get away from high school dramas. heheh. This drama seemed to be like gokusen but far far better.
This drama is a remake of the popular suspense drama The Devil that was aired in Korea last year. Ohno Satoshi will be playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, one of which is a kind hearted soul and the other who is plotting revenge, using his brilliant mind, on the person who killed his relative. On the other hand, Ikuta Toma will play the double lead role of the man, who has become a detective due to his dark past, who is pursuing the mysterious series of murders and fighting against the devil (maou).
Cast
Satoshi Ohno as Ryo Naruse
Toma Ikuta as Naoto Serizawa
Ryoko Kobayashi as Shiori Sakita
Kei Tanaka as Hitoshi Kasai
Shogo Oshinari as Mitsuru Souda
Tomohiro Waki as Yosuke Ishimoto
Misa Uehara as Kaoru Takatsuka
Mai Shinohara as Eri Nishina
Shimizu Yutaka as Yamano Makoto
Iida Kisuke as Ishihara Kanrikan
Tonesaku Toshihide as Kurata Takashi
Kichise Michiko as Serizawa Mari
Gekidan Hitori as Serizawa Noriyoshi
Miyake Yuji as Nakanishi Hiromichi
Ishizaka Koji as Serizawa Eisaku
Takeuchi Toshi as Hideo
[Secondary cast
Kouno Hiroki as young Ryo
Kimura Haruki as young Naoto
Masuyama Kayano as young Shiori
Uemura Yuto as young Hitoshi
Honma Haruo as young Mitsuru
Nakamura Ryunoshin as young Yosuke
REVIEW
Okay, i still cant get over the ending. anyways, let me just compose myself because I want to start at the beginning. damn, my heart is still breaking. Anyways, Ohno is playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, Naruse-Ryo, who appears to be kind and at the same time, plotting the revenge for his brother who was killed 11 years ago. Toma plays the character of Naoto Serizawa, a detective with a troubled past. You see, it was Serizawa who killed Naruse's brother. Shoot, sorry this time i really cant make kwento the whole story cuz it's so complicated. I liked this drama soo much. I mean, this is Riida's first lead role in a drama and toma's in here too! Toma and Ohno had bleached hair the last time i've seen them but for this series, they dyed it back to black, which is just sooooo damn good and damn better. I guess it gave him a more mysterious look as supposed to his dark character in this drama. I mean, can you imagine an evil, revenge-driven guy with a bleached hair? It was kind of weird first when i heard Toma and Ohno will starr in a suspense thriller because they used to be the funny guys. Toma was superb and soo hilarious in Hana Kimi. When i saw his look in Maou, my jaw dropped. literally. His black and spiked-just-right hair made him so manly. When he has this serous look, it made him look tougher.... all in all, it made him look hot. heheh. I wasnt used seeing him like that. He's usually the nice guy who doesnt get the girl in the end plus he was crazy and funny! but here ...his role here was total opposite and yet he was able to pull it off very well. It made him versatile. I wonder what roles would he be getting next.
Now, Riida or Ohno. He totally deserved the award as best actor in Nikkei Grand Prix. He really looked like the devil and his acting was so good. in Arashi, he has the best voice but it was Jun who had more dramas. Nino was really fine too. It was said that his eyes are enough to portray emotion in his series. He made me cry in an episode of Yamada Taro Monogatari. Just watching Ohno as Naruse leaves me a heavy heart everytime i see him. I see a lonely guy with suppressed feelings. Shiori-san gave him support and was always there to cheer him up and though in his heart, he wants to reciprocate the love and care of Shiori-san, he cant. Like what he said, he has no right to love.
Naruse carefully planned his revenge. He was sending tarot cards to his targets, the meanings behind each tarot has a significance on who or how they're going to die. He called himself as Amano Makoto, which later on, Naoto realized is s actually an anagram for Manaka Tomoo, the deceased older brother of Hideo whom he stabbed 11 years ago. Naruse planned to kill them not with his bare hands but by manipulating the people around the target, causing misunderstandings and conflicts. The goal is for them to hold grudge and kill each other. Then, he would stand as the defense lawyer, pissing off Naoto, who, as a detective, wants justice served for the victims. The first targets were Kumada, the defense lawyer who handled the case 11 years ago and Naoto's friend, Yosuke. Naoto was utterly frustrated because Naruse was able to prove that Kumada's death was due to self-defense and Yosuke died from chronic asthma attack which is a natural death. Naruse wanted to make Naoto feel what he felt 11 years ago. Hideo, his brother died and he felt there was no justice because Naoto's dad who was influential, manipulated the case. Thus ending with an acquittal for a justified self-defense. Bearing the agony for the loss of Hideo, his mother also died due to a heart attack. The hurt and bitterness motivated Naruse to make Naoto pay for his sin of escaping his murder.
Naruse succeeded on his plan. His three other friends died. Same with the lawyer, reporter, also his brother and Father. The last episode where his brother and Dad died made me shed some tears. Huhuh.. I remember nung nakakulong na yung brother niya for killing his friend Souda, sabi niya kay Naoto na he, pertaining to himself, was a good-for nothing brother. Then sabi nya na alagaan daw niya yung dad nila and nararamdaman niya talaga na siya yung gusto ng father nila na mgsucceed sa family business. huhuh...kakalungkot talaga. Kasi i really find his brother kind, parang teddy bear. Sobrang gusto nya i-please yung dad nila. He was totally ecstatic nung sya pina-take charge ng dad nila sa isang project. Then nung ngpakuha sya kay Naoto ng sigarilyo, before lumabas ng door si Naoto, sabi nya na yung nga, alagaan yung dad nila. Pagbalik ni Naoto, nasa floor na yung brother nya, lifeless. Nung wala si Naoto ngyosi sya ng potassium cyanide kaya ayun nalason siya. it was suicide. Naalala ko nun, yung dad ko walang work for one year. syempre malungkot kami kasi nghirap kami, nabenta house namin tas kami pa ngpadala sa kanya ng money sa Japan. Pero kahit ganun, nilakasan ko loob ko at hindi sumama loob ko sa dad ko. Masipag naman yun kaya lang nawalan sya talaga ng work. Nagworry nga ko nun baka madepress sya tas mg-harakiri yun, ancient suicide ritual ng japanese.. kasi mas gugustuhin pa nila mamatay kesa ma-dishonor dahil ng-fail sila. Thankful ako kasi my dad is a very strong person. alam ko may mga bad habits din sya like naninigaw sya ng kasambahay namin dito. Ganun lang talaga sya mgbigay ng instructions pero di naman personal yun. He's kind and understanding. Never sya ng-expect and ng-demand saken na maging successful. Basta daw kung san ako masaya dun ako. Wala lang, naalala ko lang dad ko sa mga scenes na yun. Isa pang napaiyak ako nung ngmamadaling pumunta yung dad ni Naoto sa hospital kasi ng-suicide si Noriyoshi. Hay naku pag naalala ko naiiyak talaga ko. hinawakan nya hand ni Noriyoshi tas binasa nya yung iniwan na note. Sabi dun: Dad, forgive me for causing you trouble. Teary-eyed yung dad. Sabi nya, akala nya na yung ginagawa niya para maging successful sa business at maging maganda ang reputation ng Serizawa, yun yung best para sa mga anak nya. Yun daw pala ngtulak kay Noriyoshi palayo sa kanya. Nakatayo lang sa tabi si Naoto and tears are building up sa eyes niya. tas nung palabas na sya, sabi nung dad sa kanya: no matter what happens, you two are my sons." Tumango lang sya tas nung nasa labas na sya, he broke down crying. Naisip ko nun lahat ng pain ni Naoto nang isa-isa namatay friends nya, lahat ng malalapit sa kanya. Naalala ko nung namatay si Yosike, magbabagong buhay na sana sya nun kaso ayun...napunta sa wala. Nung sabi ni Naoto sa kanya na papautangin sya para makapagtayo sya ng restaurant. niyakap nya si Naoto tas sabi nya mabuti talaga syang kaibigan. Kaya yun, masakit kay Naoto nung na-deads si yosuke. After that, nasa bahay na yung dad nila and he was looking sa photo album. Tinitingnan nya yung picture nilang tatlo, sya kasama si Noriyoshi saka si Naoto. Tapos inatake sya sa puso. He died right there and then. Hayz, tama na nga. On the lighter note,ang ganda nung truth na OST, parang naging Jrock na ang arashi. Ganda ng song and haunting yung theme ng music video nila.
I'll leave you now with a screen cap from the last episode which really tore my heart..Naruse wants Naoto to shoot him. Kill him. Naruse now gave a reason for Naoto to kill him after plotting all the murders on his family and friends. Although Naoto's brother's was due to suicide and his dad died because of heart attack, he was still to blame. But Naoto just cant pull the trigger so instead, he dropped it to the floor. Naruse picked up the gun, placed it to Naoto's hand, pointing it to his abdomen. He really wants Naoto to shoot him. They fought over the gun until the trigger was pulled. It hit Naoto. He dropped lying to the floor. Naruse told Naoto to hold on. Naruse dialled on his phone to ask for help, his hands were shaking. And what Naoto did really brought me to tears. He reached out and gently stopped Naruse from dialliing. He said, "It's okay like this," Naruse's face showed remorse and regret. Naoto also told him to live. Live with all his might. His last words were, "Forgive me. and forgive yourself.": Shiori then came running and saw Naoto and Naruse, both lifeless. Yeah, Naoto didnt know that Naruse was stabbed. When Naoto died, He sat beside him and waited until his end. He placed the harmonica on Naoto's hands. It was the harmonica Naruse gave his brother hideo. oh man, i have to stop know or tears will show up again.. I'll continue tomorrow. Oyasumi.
"TRUTH" Maou OST Artiste: ARASHI
Yurari yureru hikari hitotsu itami iyasu koto naku kieru "I take your life forever, you take my life forever" hirari ochiru namida hitotsu omoi todoku koto naku kieru "I take your life forever, you take my life"
tomaranai toki ni hisomu ai wa kitto furisosogu ame no youni (koboreochita namida no ato kogoe souna namida no iro) modorenai kioku meguru subete ubawareta kono yo no hate ni (koboreochita namida no ato kogoe souna namida no iro)
kanashimi... tatoe donna owari wo egaite mo kokoro wa nazo meite sore wa marude yami no youni semaru shinjitsu tatoe donna sekai wo egaite mo ashita wa mienakute sore wa marude yuri no youni kegare wo shiranai negai wa toumei na mama de
shiroku somaru hana ni hitori nanimo kawaru koto naku chikau "I take your life forever, you take my life"
todokanai koe ni nokoru ai wa sotto fukinukeru kaze no youni (koboreochita namida no ato kakushi kirenu futatsu no kao) owaranai yoru ni nemuru yume no kizuato ni nokoshita itami (koboreochita namida no ato kakushi kirenu futatsu no kao)
kanashimi... tatoe wazuka na hikari umarete mo nageki wa kurikaesu sore wa marude uso no youni kieru shinjitsu tatoe saigo no hane wo hiraite mo sadame wa kaerarezu yuri no hana wa hakanage ni itami wa kienai yume nara aishita mama de
kanashimi... tatoe donna owari wo egaite mo kokoro wa nazo meite sore wa marude yami no youni semaru shinjitsu tatoe donna sekai wo egaite mo ashita wa mienakute sore wa marude yuri no youni kegare wo shiranai negai wa toumei na mama de
*currently watching maou* my new youtube account: http://www.youtube.com/user/itsmenoriko
LIAR GAME (2007)
Synopsis
Kanzaki Nao is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million yen in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi, who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help.
READ: I could only speak for myself but this drama is much recommended! specially if you're a jdrama newbie or if you're into psychological thrillers/dramas. I enjoyed this myself so if you're interested to watch this drama then STOP READING FROM HERE. My review will contain major spoilers.
Cast
The Players
* Toda Erika as Kanzaki Nao * Matsuda Shota as Akiyama Shinichi * Kitamura Soichiro as Fujisawa Kazuo * Wada Soko as Eto Koichi * Iwasa Mayuko as Ishida Rie * Sakamoto Makoto as Ono Wataru * Morishita Yoshiyuki as Tsuchida Yasufumi * Ippongi Shingo as Makita Tomoyuki * Otaka Hiroo as Kida Noriyuki * Umishima Yuki as Takamura Yoshimi * Doi Yoshio as Sajima Kenta * Nakagome Sachiko as Aso Hiromi * Izumi Masayuki as Okano Kenya * Aoki Hajime as Kinoshita Keigo * Mizuta Fumiko as Kawamura Chisato * Hatakeyama Akiko as Nozoe Keiko * Yukishima Naoki as Sugawara Yuji * Sakamoto Mitsunari as Nishino Takahiko * Kobayashi Kinako as Kayama Harumi * Baba Yuki as Hanayama Tetsuo * Yoshimura Tamao as Iimura Jun * Kitahara Hitomi as Nakaya Kazuko * Suzuki Kosuke as Fukunaga Yuuji * Suzuki Kazuma as Yokoya * Taguchi Hiroko as Takada Michi
REVIEW:
I need a break from melo-dramatic dramas so I tried watching Liar Game, a psychological thriller starring Matsuda Shota and Erika Toda, both starred in Hana yori Dango. From Episode 1 I was hooked and, the plot was very interesting. It has some kind of Death note feel into it. It made me think a lot. The game began when Nao Kanzaki, a very honest girl, went home and received 10 million yen which has a card that says she will participate in a Liar Game. She needs to deceive her opponent and must get the 100 million yen from him. The game will last for 1 month and on the 30th day, the LG Secretariat will have to retrieve the money given at the beginning of the game. 100 million yen that is. And the money one will get from her opponent is the cash prize. If you lost the 100 million yen, it will be your debt. Kanzaki, who is very trusting was deceived by his teacher when she seeked for help, confident that he will help her. Not Wanting to have a 100 million debt and desperate enough, she seeked help from a genius swindler, Akiyama shinichi, who just got out of jail.
Akiyama had a terrible past that linked to him as a swindler. Akiyama helped Nao to get the money from his teacher in the condition that they'll split the cash prize. They observed the teacher for a whole month from a rented house near the teacher's place. Nao became uneasy because the teacher wont step out of the house leaving no chance to follow him and get the money. Nao believed that the money was placed in the bank. Akiyama just kep quiet and pointed on the calendar. The 31st day pointed on a Sunday which means there's no way he can get the money on the retrieval day.
Akiyama's conclusions:
1. If the money was really in the bank, then why would the teacher stay in the house all the time knowing that the money is safely at the bank? Besides, the dont even know what bank it was.
-possible reasons could be he doesnt want to run into Akiyama, a swindler who may also use violence to get the money. Atleast he will be sure that at home, they couldnt reach him. FLAW: since the teacher knows he's being observed all the time, he knows there could be a possibility they will follow him at the Friday before the retrieval. Also, if he hid the money somewhere in the park or anywhere, then why would he stay home? Knowing that someone may get lucky and dig the money from the ground.
They made a plan to prove whether the money is in the bank or at the teacher's grounds. They created a small fire on the teacher's place and went in. They hid somewhere while watching the teacher's movements. They saw that he was about to call the someone, most probably the fire dept. But he changed his mind and placed the phone back to the receiver. Therefore that proves the money was just in that room.
Why? 1. He didnt call the fire dept. because they would ask him to move out of the room. 2. He didnt need to check the money somewhere else becasue it's just right there.
Nao and Akiyama appeared in the room, told the teacher that the money was in that room and not in the bank. The teacher just laughed and affirmed. He showed the safe which contains the money from a small cabinet. It's an old model, real heavy and you cant pry it open. Akiyama assured that opening that safe is just a piece of cake for him and that he wont use violence. With that, Nao and Akiyama went back to their place, leaving the teacher on wondering how they would plan to get the money.so comes the retrieval day and Nao is getting more worried cuz Akiyama doesnt seem to care anymore. 10 minutes before the retrieval time which is 5 in the afternoon, Nao rushed to her sensei's place, begging and crying to give back her 100 million. Still, to know avail. At exactly 5pm, a guy from LGM arrived and began to verify the money from Fujisawa. Fujisawa dropped with relief. After an hour, his doorbell rang and ran to see who arrived. 3 women came in and said they're from LGM. Fujisawa was flabbergasted. He then realized that he was fooled. He rushed upstairs and saw Akiyama with the money with a smirk on his face. Akiyama gave the suitcases filled with 200 million to Nao and the real dealers declared Nao Kanzaki as the winner. you just have to watch to know how it hapened.
I love everything about this series. As a swindler, Akiyama knows how to deceive people by doing mind games. He observes people and realizes their weaknesses and he can even see through a tiny flaw. Akiyama majored in psychology but a dark past made him a swindler. His mom committed suicide because she was deceived. His mom doesnt know how to doubt people. Seeing that her son could not finish college because of her debt, she took the easy way out. thus, when Akiyama saw how naive and idiotically honest, Nao was, he remembered his mom. This series had a good camera work, the seetings were dark, like the warehouse used from the minoirty game. There are dark hues everywhere. Lots of weird laughter from guys with strange haircuts. It's very anime-ish, the way the characters are portrayed and how they look like. I also love the opening credits! Erika Toda looked really pretty in the red dress. Super mysterious naman si Shota. Sometimes, im annoyed with her character because she's naive and sometines, really dumb. specially in the third round, Akiyama did a lot to save their team and she did another dumb thing. And while looking at Akiyama, im wondering how this young and really handsome guy be a swindler? heheh. Im really amazed with his intelligence and his ability to do damage control when he knows somethong goes wrong from his plan. Nung ressurection round, natawa ko nung sinabi ng LGM secretariat na personal "belonging" ni Nao si Akiyama. heheh. Wow, gusto ko rin siya maging personal belonging! lololz. I know Nao wont be able to make it kung wala si Akiyama buti nalang dumating siya.. ang sweet! Talagang knight in a shining armor...hahah. Saka wala palang love story dito. Unless siguro magkaron ng sequel kase sa last episode, meron pa daw round 4 but they're still waiting for instructions. Im really hoping na may sequel, i want more of akiyamaand Nao. Sama narin si mushroom head saka si mini-mushroom! hahah. Ja.
MATSUDA SHOTA PROFILE
* Name (romaji): Matsuda Shota * Profession: Actor * Birthdate: 1985-Sept-10 * Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan * Height: 181cm * Weight: 61kg * Star sign: Virgo * Blood type: A * Family: Father/actor Matsuda Yusaku, mother/actress Matsuda Miyuki, older brother/actor Matsuda Ryuhei, aunt/actress Kumagai Mami * Talent agency: Ken-On (http://www.ken-on.co.jp/)
TV Shows * Bara no nai Hanaya as Kudo Naoya (Fuji TV, 2008) * Rokumeikan (TV Asahi, 2008) * Atsu-hime as Tokugawa Iemochi (NHK, 2008) * Jotei as Date Naoto (TV Asahi, 2007) * LIAR GAME as Akiyama Shinichi (Fuji TV, 2007) * Hana Yori Dango 2 as Nishikado Sojiro (TBS, 2007) * Regatta as Yagi Seiya (TV Asahi, 2006) * Top Caster as Iga Shunpei (Fuji TV, 2006) * Aru Ai no Uta as Nanase Takumi (TBS, 2006) * Hana Yori Dango as Nishikado Sojiro (TBS, 2005) * Yankee Bokou ni Kaeru (TBS, 2003, SP)
Movies * Hana Yori Dango Final (2008) * Waruboro (http://www.waruboro.jp/) (2007) * Nagai Sanpo (http://www.nagai-sanpo.com/) / ???? (2006) * Youki na Gang ga Chikyuu wo Mawasu (http://www.yo-gang.com/) (2006)
Kiritani Shuji is the popular guy who gets along with
everyone, from the jerks to the nerds to the just plain weird. The one
person Shuji cannot stand is Kusano Akira. To Shuji, Akira is
just plain annoying. He laughs, talks and acts funny. Things heat up
when a new student comes to school. Her name is Kotani Nobuko,
a girl who has no self confidence at all and is content at being made
fun of and bullied in school. Shuji and Akira come to an accord that in
order to make use of their "youth" they will "produce" Nobuko as the
next popular girl. One of the conditions, however, is that nobody
should find out that they are working together as a team to make this
concept possible. Unveiled here is the story of true friendship between
three unlikely candidates who would not have been friends if not given
the special circumstances.
-credits to dramawiki
REVIEW:
As i said last time this was my first yamapi series so i was sooo excited to watch it and see what the fuss is all about. I've laready seen the two of three main characters here in a drama before. i've seen Kame in Gokusen 2 and Maki horikita in Hana Kimi. Though it's my first seeing Yamashita tomohisa (yamapi) in a drama, i was a bit reluctant cuz this is another high school drama which im now tring to excape. Sure enough, as i watch the first episodes, i thought, i would have enjoyed this better if I were in high school. Some people said this drama was boring and for some, it was a funny light-hearted drama. Anyway, let's talk about the characters now. Shuji (played by Kazuya Kamenashi) is popular and well loved in school cuz he can get along with everyone. The only person he cant stand is Akira cuz he finds him weird and just annoying. Then comes a newcomer in school, her name was Nobuka. She has no self-esteem which can be seen by her body language. She hangs her head low (gomen, i dunno 'nakayuko' in English hehe), had her hair covering her face, you can barely see her eyes. and she has poor posture. Some of her female classmates bully her everyday and she doesnt fight back. On some twist of fate, Shuji got closer to Akira (Yamapi) and they decided on doing something that will be memorable for them. And that is producing Nobuta. The three of them meets constantly at the roof top of their school and they will advise Nobuta on how to act and what to say in certain circumstances. I find it funny and weird cuz in reality, there's no Nobuta. It seems like she lived in a box and dont know how to act properly and talk to people. She cant look straight into the eyes and looks on the ground instead while talking. Honestly there's not much funny scenes here. The only time I remembered that I laughed is when Nobuta said 'It was fun today' when she was just about ot start a date with Shittaka-kun. Their classmate who likes Nobuta. It was a double date and Shittaka, together with Mariko and Akira were waiting for Nobuta and when she arrived she said 'it was fun today' when in fact she should say it to Shittaka when they end their date. I hope you got what I meant. Of course when she said that, Shittaka was surprised but Akira tried to explain for her. I guess she was practicing saying it a couple of times that she forgot when to actually say it.Yamapi was supposed to be funny, but he's not really funny...like real funny you know? He was funny in a way because he's supposed to be weird, and when he talks, he speaks like he's drunk. He acts like a little kid. He was adorable, very kakkoii!!! I wished it could have some love story but it was just real friendship with the three of them I guess. I think Nobuta likes Shittaka even though their date didnt turn out well. yuo could watch this drama and throughout the ending, you'll understand why I said so. Shittaka even told Akira he would still want to go out with her. I was rooting for Yamapi and Nobuta though. But then i also like Shuji with Nobuta but maybe it would be better if he'd would continue dating Mariko (Erika Toda). Mariko was a nice girl and she's having her lunch daily with Shuji. One time he asked her if they are really going out or are they a couple cuz it's unclear to her. Shuji told her the truth and she was heartbroken. At first, i thought it was her who kept on sabotaging Nobuta. Apparently somebody knows the whole nobuta producing because Akira and Shuji received pictures of their secret meetings. Anyways, the reason I said i was rooting for Nobuta and Akira because Akira liked nobuta. He told Shuji he wants to quit producing because he wants nobuta to be only his'. Wooww. He was quite serious in that scene. i also liked that scene on the ambulance. Akira slowly grabbed Nobuta's hand and gently placed it on his cheek. He said, 'See? It's not dirty.' then he touched Nobuta's palm. My heart like, totally melted in that scene. The next scene was funny, he was already lying in bed when he realized what he did. He was so embarassed!! Hahah. Oh my...very high schoolish but very sweet... *slaps myself*. Yeah, this drama were a bit dragging when it was nearing the final episode. There are some characters that i didnt really think were important, like the teacher, the vice-principal who laughs like a witch. But I believe these minor characters do help in the concept of nobuta producing. They give insights to these high school kids on what's important and what to believe as they go thru life's challenges.
As I watched this drama, I felt a bit sad. It's just that i wish I spent my high school in Japan. I love their uniforms, miniskirt, long sleeves with ties and long socks! very kawaii! I thought, i could have also been a Nobuta and two cool and pretty guys will make me the most popular girl in school. They could be my best friends and we'll go to school riding a bike and hang out in the park or the rooftop. We'll make those little pig keychains and sell it to school. that was just some of my it-could-have-beens. Maki horikita was excellent in playing the low self-esteemed Nobuta or Nobuko. Kame was very natural and Yamapi was also great being baka (stupid). His role was very adorable and just cute!! looking forward for more series of him--yung seryoso na sya! heheh. The ending made me sad though but I know it shouldnt be. Akira and Shuji transferred to another school and Nobuko was left. When Shuji transferred to another school, Nobuta persuaded Akira to follow him. Thus, Akira and Shuji were together once again. Nobuta, though her bestfriends were gone, knew that anywhere they are, they'll be okay. Just like that willow tree at the start of this series. Overall, this is a drama that you'd love to watch when you're in, and let me say, High school. If you're not in HS anymore like me, this drama will make you sad. Heheh, i was just kidding but it was partly true. Im still young at heart anyway. lolz. If you're not patient enough, well you might find this drama boring and slow-paced. For me, Kame, Maki and Yamapi are enough for me to endure those dragging parts. A lighthearted drama which will make you believe that three different people can build an extraordinary friendship.
Also known as:
Son-in-law / Married Couple Talk / My Husband
Synopsis
Comedy-Drama starring pop group TOKIO's Nagase
Tomoya and rising female actor Takeuchi
Yuko. Nagase stars as an icy-cool pop idol, Sakuraba Yuuichiro, who is
actually a happy go-lucky smiling guy/idiot. After falling in love with Sakura
(Takeuchi), trouble ensues after agreeing to marry into Sakura's family (she
only has 3 sisters). Of course, more trouble follows trying to hide his
marriage from his adoring/rabid fans. A light dorama worth watching.
-credits to wikipedia
My first Nagase Tomoya drama. Before i watch a drama i try to search for
comments and since i've seen Mukodono as a recommended drama in most forums
i've visited then i thought this might be interesting. I havent seen a jdrama
yet that i found boring (except for one, Pride). This drama started off as
Sakuraba Yuichiro (Nagase Tomoya), a famous singer and hearthrob with his
manager Hakozaki go through a throung of adoring fans. Yuichiro appeared as a
cool and tough guy with a serious face. This is the Yuichiro his fans know and
love. When the press and fans are out of sight though, he appears to be the
exact opposite. he's wacky, very child-like, and talkative.Beyond his fans'
knowledge he was going out with Sakura Arai (Yuko Takeuchi). Sakura understood
that Yuichiro cant be recognized by his fans thus she agreed to keep everything
a secret. Six months though their relationship, they agreed to marry. This is
where all the drama began. Yu met the family for the first time. Sakura had a
big family. She had three older sisters, two nephews and of course her dad. Her
mother passed away and a brother took off a long time ago. The first sis is a
divorcee and most of the time appears to be annoying, the second one is a
single parent who are afraid of men and the third is working in a radio station
who wants to become independent soon. Of all the sisters of Yuko, i like
Satsuki cuz she's the kindest to Yu. I'm most irritated to the second sis cuz
most of the time she's doesnt like Yu. Of course at first, they were awed and
amazed to see the most popular singer of Japan inside their house but they
treated him like an ordinary family member doing his own share of duties and
must abide by their rules. Yu was very happy and eager to be married to Arai
family because he longs to have a family. He said that he would build a cozy
home with Sakura. Yu was an orphan and so he never had a chance to feel what
it's like to have dinner with family or go to a family holiday. The family
members were hesitant if Yu could survive or adapt with their lifestyle plus
they have to be careful with their actions because Yu's manager, Hakozaki made
an agreement that everything will be under utmost secrecy. Otherwise, Yu's
career will go down the drain once the secret leaks. They dislike him at first
but seeing his determination, they gave him a chance. Each episode showed the
problems and heartbreaks of each family member with their personal lives.
Seeing his new found family, in difficult situations Yu made his way to help
them and earn their trust. Not everything goes smoothly though. Yu had the best
intentions but sometimes it doesnt turn out well. Like when he saw 8 year old
Tsutomo (son of second sis) being bullied by some kids, he felt sorry for him
and gave him a bicycle. He promised too that he would meet him the next day at
the shrine to practice. The next day, something very important came up and Yu forgot
his promise. He just realized this when Tsutomo came home late with a policeman.
He apologized to Tsutomu but the kid ran off too his room and cried. Azusa, the second sis
scolded Yu and told him he shouldnt give promises he cant keep. Yu felt bad but
he wanted to make it up to Tsutomu. He told him Tsutomu that he’ll be waiting
in the shrine every morning until he Tsutomu comes to practice. Days passed but
still no Tsutomu. The kid got bullied once again and this time he decided to
meet Yu. Sakura went to Yu at the shrine and it began to rain. Sakura felt sad
for Yu but she knew that her husband wont be stopped until Tsutomu shows up. He
said it’s an agreement between boys. Yu and Sakura were relieved when Tsutomu
arrived. That was a very touching scene. The three of them were crying. They
practiced until Tsutomu learned how to ride. By the way, Whenever Tomoya wears a cap and glasses he looks
so much like Jerry Yan of F4.
Gomen it was too long. Im not going to make kwento
everything. Oh and did I say Aiba-chan is here? Heheh. Though he has a minor
role (he’s Ryo, son of first sis) it was enough seeing him even just for a few
seconds. He was really kakkoi in that pink rabbit suit!! Hayzz.. syempre may
episode din for him. He’s got a crush on their sensei (teacher) and one time he
follower her and was surprised too see her enter a club. Well, I guess you know
what happens next. This was similar to an episode of Gokusen where the pretty
teacher was also working as a hostess. Oh and I really love the song used in
the series Hitoribocchi No Haburashi (aka toothbrush)! This was the only song
played by Tomoya from the entire series. Of course, there are no secrets that
will remain unveiled so that was exactly what happened in Mukodono. Tomoya
Nagase was really great with his transition of character. From being cool and
tough to being zany, crazy and idiot! Hahah. He may have overdone it at times
but I guess it brought out the charm in him. He was also good in drama. He
looks like a kid when he’s crying. I’d say the role fits him well. Yuko
Takeuchi (Sakura) is also a good actress. I love how Sakura always stands by
Yu’s side and she has a cute smile. Aiba-chan was good, I wish he had other
series that has more exposure. I love Hakozaki, the old guy who plays the
manager and also the bleached producer guy, they were effortlessly funny and
serious if the scene calls for it. They weren’t really strict with Yu and
supported his marriage and they did their best to still keep Yu’s career. If
Yuichiro had bestfriends in the series, aside from Sakura, he had Hakozaki and
the producer guy. They believed in him even during the darkest time in his
career.
To sum it up, I like this drama. I’ve always loved
family drama. I’ve watched a couple of family dramas like summer snow and one
litre of tears. One litre of tears really made me cry, I wish I had made a
review. Actually I made an MV of 1 Litre of tears and uploaded it to youtube.
If you wanna see it, just go to http://www.youtube.com/itsmenoriko.
It’s the only remaining jdrama video I have in my account. Just yesterday, my
Hana Kimi Japan MV was removed by Fuji TV for copyright infringement. It’s not
only TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) now. There’s a massive ban of fan-made
videos and uploaded series taken from Japanese dramas and I heard, same with
animes too. Heck, I was looking for Maou (drama of Arashi’s Ohno Satoshi) and I
cant find it anywhere. It’s licensed so crunchyroll and veoh cant upload it. I
found it in mysoju.com but the links were broken. Damn annoying. Im kind of
worried right now. My first youtube account was suspended and so I created a
new account. This is now my second copyright infringement in the second
account. I was thinking of removing my 1 Litre of tears MV because it might
also be removed soon and my account will be suspended too. The bad news is, I
don’t have a back-up of my remaining videos, because my PC was suddenly
reformatted by my brother without saving my files. I guess before I remove that
video I should save it same with my other Korean and Taiwan drama MVs.
You might be thinking what's the big deal? Plus you might also think im wasting my time making those. It was just a few but i took my time to make them. I dunno, it just makes me happy. Actually, i ponder about it myself, im 24 years old, still childish and watching japanese dramas. And when i look around me, some of my classmates now do have families, have kids and careers. While mine is till unidentified. Of course i have dreams too but still waiting for the right time and opportunity. I know i cant do these all my life so i make the most of it right now.
Im now on the third episode of Nobuta wo Produce (my first series of Yamapi! yey!!) starring Maki horikita, Kamenashi Kazuya and Yamashita Tomohisa or yamapi. Befire i finish Nobuta, I should be done with Strawberry on a Shortcake, another jdrama. Actually i finished watching it before Mukodono so before i totally put it out of my mind, i should have done a review of it already.
A drama adaptation of a popular comic written by Sekiya Tetsuji. Matsumoto Jun plays the overenthusiastic protagonist from Fukuoka who comes to Tokyo with the desire to become a chef. The drama will display cooking skills and the Italian language.
QUOTE:
People who can't handle work in front of them has no right to talk about their dreams.
REVIEW:
What made me decide to watch this jdrama is probably obvious,. It's because of Matsujun. Actually, ive watched the first three episodes last year in crunchyroll.com and for some reason, I wasn't able to finish watching it online and while looking for some dvds recently, I saw Bambino and though I have a lot of other choices, actually I was having a hard time dciding what to buy (if I could, I'd buy everything I like but then I thought it's a waste since I could watch other dramas online), I was looking at different titles and I thought, 'What the heck, it's Matsujun anyway. That could be enough reason to finish the drama even if it does turn out as a crappy cooking story. Well, from the synopsis I've read, i know Jun plays a chef and I thought it's pretty interesting story. So anyway, I was pretty excited to watch Matsujun again ina drama, the last time a series of him was HYD 1 and 2 and his movie Boku wa imoto ni koi wo suru. Ok, so I was excited to watch it andI had some snacks to go along with it, my usual dvd marathon setting and so it started as Ban Shogo (jun matsumoto) working as a chef in a small Italian restaurant in at his hometown in Fukuoka. The head chef was like his second father who taught him of Italian cuisine and also as his mentor. He had a girlfriend, Eri, and they shared an apartment. Eri was a waitress in that restaurant. The head chef gave Ban-kun an opportunity and chance to work in an upscale restaurant in Tokyo, named Baccanale where his colleague and long time friend was the head chef. He went there, all dazed and determined to be a chef and introduce his own pasta. He started as a dishwasher and was exposed to how busy, chaotic but well-organized kitchen the restaurant is. He appeared to be cocky and was despised by the chefs who are working at the kitchen. Alright so fast forward, no need to bore you with details, For a while, Ban went back to Fukuoka to finish his studies but then realized that he wanted to be a chef so he went back to Baccanale. He was assigned first to the dining hall as a waiter. Actually most of the episodes are from the dining hall compared to when he worked in the kitchen as a chef (this was later on with the drama). The chef told him him to work in the dining hall first because seeing how people react to their food is essential before he becomes a chef. He was named Bambino by the way because he seemed to be a baby who's working or learning to his way up. Working as a waiter gave Ban a deep struggle simply because, like what he said in the drama, he went there to be a chef and not smile or cut bread. He was frustrated because he doesn't like what he does. He constantly breaks plates and glasses which makes others a bit uneasy. His co-workers in the dining hall were supportive of him and taught him how to love the job and make the best for what is in front of him. The chefs in the kitchen are a bit different though, they're stricter and made Ban face the hard truth that you have to persevere to get or reach the most important goal in your life.Even they treat him a bit harshly, they still have a soft spot for Ban because they were once also a bambino. Seeing how his co-workers understand his mistakes and support and encourage him, Ban did his best to learn. From how to set and serve the dishes to being sincere with the customers. Day by day, he learns something new and soon enough, he was happy and contented, seeing that his experiences had made him a good and reliable waiter. Seeing how happy the people are when he serves them their pasta dishes made him feel warm. A year after working in the dining hall, Ban was promoted to be a chef. He was ecstatic to be finally working in the kitchen and doing what he does best – cooking. He was only there there for quite a short time. He applied for a job in countless restaurants in Italy and after a while, he got an offer. He bid his goodbyes and gratitude to everyone in Baccanale and went to Italywhere he started all over again.
What I really love with Japanese dramas are that it was shorter (compared to kdramas) and has good dialogues. This drama was a bit dragging on the middle part and well, like most dramas, it was predictable. But the pasta was superb and I became so hungry while watching it. It was like 10 in the evening and I called Jollibee (a local fast food) to order spaghetti for delivery only to find out the branch in my place was already closed. I thought it was a 24-hour delivery. Anyway, the serving and appearance of the pasta and desserts were really appetizing.. Bambino had a strong support cast. Everyone in Baccanale was goodlooking (chefs, waters/waitresses and the daughter of the owner who was also the manager or supervisor I think) except for the dessert maker who was odd and weird. He doesn't really talk much. Everyone's acting was fine, specially Jun, Karina (plays chef Asuka) and Katori. The head waiter was also amusingand looks like half Japanese/Italian. There was someone though, the kakkoi young guy in the kitchen who could have done better. All in all, it's a good drama to watch specially if you're a Jun Matsumoto fan or if you love cooking. Not much of a love story though. Ban left Fukuoka and his long-time girlfriend Eri to continue his dream of becoming a chef in Tokyo. Actually, Ban asked Eri to go with him to Tokyo but the latter declined, saying she has her own life and that he was being selfish to think of himself. Even though they parted with a heavy heart, they both were still good friends. Eri even went to Baccanale to see the place where Ban will eventually fulfill his dream. The actress who played Eri was familiar. I also saw her in Yamada Tarou Monogatari as Taro's teacher. In Bambino, she seemed to look a bit older for Jun. Wasn't really strange since most of Jun's leading ladies were older than him.
I was supposed to post some screencaps but I had a hard time finding them online. I'll see later if I can capture some screencaps on my dvd. Ja ne. =)
1. Sul Kyung Koo
2. Jang Dong Gun
3. Song Kang Ho
4. Lee Byung Hun
5. Won Bin
6. Lee Young Ae
7. Choi Min Sik
8. Bae Yong Jun
9. Kwon Sang Woo
10. Jun Ji Hyun
11 Cha Seung Won
12. Kim Jung Eun
13. Ha Ji Won
14. Park Shin Yang
15. Cha Tae Hyun
16. Jun Do Hyun
17. Jung Woo Sung
18. Son Ye Jin
19. Song Hye Kyo
20. Kim Ha Neul
21. An Sung Ki
22. Choi Ji Woo
23. Jang Jin Young
24. Moon Keun Young
25. Han Suk Kyu
26. Kim Hye Soo
27. Park Joong Hoon
28. Moon So Ri
29. Lim Chang Jung
30. Ryu Seung Bum
31. Yoo Ji Tae
32. Cha In Pyo
33. Yang Dong Keun
34. Jung Jun Ho
35. Lee Jung Jae
36. Lee Mi Sook
37. Lee Bum Soo
38. Kim Sun Ah
39. Lee Mi Yeon
40. Jo Seung Woo
41. Kim Hee Sun
42. Shin Ha Kyun
43 Yoo Oh Sung
44. Jo In Sung
45. Lee Eun Joo
46. Kang Dong Won
47. Jo Jae Hyun
48. Lee Na Young
49. Um Jung Hwa
50. Jung Jae Young
credits: soompi.com
This is a credible list bacause it's not only based from net votes but it's drafted
using the more scientific criteria of each actor's box office power, tv ratings, award winning history, overseas reputation, CF power, film guarantee.
