BrightestStar

I don't agree with the inclusion of Nodame Cantabile. As friends yes there used in comedic ways that might not be acceptable in real life, but once the lead actor felt he had feelings for her it changed. It was NEVER self- sacrificing. There's a difference between choosing a career for the sake of your boyfriend and choosing it because you want to prove to yourself that you're as good, if not better.

Also if you watched the SP and the movies (especially the last movie) you'll see how she doesn't do things for his sake but for her, and the relationship between them is pushing each other to be ambitious and not choose the easy path, to compete and get better and farther in their career rather than her following him. He's the INCENTIVE not the purpose.

I don't mean to be overly defensive but I just want to clarify how I view it.

Otherwise yea there are many issues in the portrayal of females in not only kdramas, but also j-doramas (thai would be a whole other story lol) and many others.

Awe thanks :D everytime I read my reviews I feel they are missing something and need improvements. I think the antagonists here were the most intriguing. I wanted to write more but it have had already written too much!

I'm with you it's no masterpiece. And also I'm one of those that don't like the "insta-love" lol. Hold your breath on flashbacks :P

"The real cool ones fell down to hell"

Seriously I'd go to THAT hell any day :D

Pure fun for what it is! Hilariously funny. I love the world constructed, the characters. Everyone was soo into it!

But, but... What about the sister's story??

Enjoyable typical story with a fairytale-ish feel to it.

Not sure why it's called "after the storm" since all the events of the movie happen during or before :P

It's a slice-of-life movie. Not sure what drew me to it but it really had my attention the whole time. Abe Hiroshi is so great at playing a pathetic character that you can't help but root for, despite completely understanding his wife for leaving him. I guess I would've been less empathetic if he didn't feel threaten to be cut off from his son all the time, when he truly cares about being a decent father for him, and does genuinely care for him.

Kiki Kirin steals my heart as always. Man her since her the most heartfelt and emotional. I love her scenes with characters individually or when all together.

Maki Yoko and Ikematsu Sosuke where also great, and awesome as always ;)

overall enjoyable but took me forever to finish. I can't put my hands on exactly what but it just didn't grab me. I still enjoyed the acting. My favourite is Tsutsumi Shinichi, but there's also Fukikoshi Mitsuru, Kenichi Endo, Kamiji Yusuke, and Takayuki Yamada as always.

I love the cast, the guest stars, the acting, the directing, the flashback effects, the music. The writing is weak, and some dialog too cheesy or didn't make much sense.

A:"I'm like you" - B:"What makes you think so?"

A moment later...

B:"You're just like me" - A:"I'm nothing like you"

And I had no idea where they were getting at!

I don't know I just don't like it. It's trying to be grand but it's boring.

Corrected thx. I think I was being too harsh I rerated 6 instead. It's very personal for me but when a drama feels like a burden to finish then I become harsh. This one took me 16 episodes to get into. It took me that long to get into Gou but Gou then kept getting better with very good last 10 episodes. This one went back to being boring after episode 31-32. The last episode was good.

Maybe because the subs I watched were no good but I didn't get the point of it..

here: http://jdramacity.livejournal.com/280258.html

There is really nothing special about this drama. It's predictable, it's repetitive, and mostly it's very cheesy. I would've rated it less, but there's something about the main character that made me give it an extra point, and that is his genuine kindness. There was a moment he really got to me and I got invested in the character, but yea he kept spewing cheesiness lol. Still entertaining while it lasts but ultimately forgettable.

Without realizing it, 8 episodes in, this drama has been building a pretty solid story line. It's slow but by now I'm really invested + it's pure fun and a great reflection of the show-biz industry in Japan.

Well overall not so bad. Ji Bai made me think he's some sort of superman in the last couple of episodes. Also some scenes I'm got a hard time believing. And so many unanswered questions glossed over with a wedding, as if that is enough to make viewers forget about it. Well not for me!

One thing I appreciate in this drama is music used effectively. I especially like the piano soundtrack used in some scenes + the camera work + xu xu's comics.

Also Wang Kai looked naturally cool there. Not the most challenging roles for him but a good one for fans (my favourite of his performances is his role in the movie "A Murder Beside Yanhe River")

I think it's the 90s charm, where actors act like natural human being as opposed to today's robotic take on life. Also the music has to do with it lol + having to was Takenouchi being this charming was a plus :P That alone makes it worth the watch although there was more to watch and enjoy despite the weak writing. I think it's the actors, they felt comfortable and had chemistry.

That's why we love to have you here :D

Lovely review! It's spot on about the message of the movie. Just wondering though, where did you get that quote at the beginning of your review?

Despite the theme of death and disappearance, this movie is about the celebration of life and human connection. I love the different shot and the camera work in the movie. I was confused though about certain scenes and events. Also my favourite scenes were those with "Tsutaya"

Thanks great article :D Although I thought Kimura Yoshino was the lead in Boku no Yabai Tsuma :S I wish the specials get subbed!