Man, I have just finished watching the most awesomest movie! Years ago I saw a super fun episode of Kuwazu Girai featuring Okada Masaki and one of my very, very favorite actresses, Aoi Yu, who were at the time promoting a movie called Raiou (The Lightning Tree) and the couple was so much fun and seemed to get along so well that when I found the movie up for grabs, I downloaded it right away!
First thing I gotta say is MAN, this movie is NOTHING like what the synopses I’d been reading had indicated- far from a typical romance separation by class, Raiou took that basic premise and took a MAJOR left turn with it, turning the movie into one featuring not only romance but Action, Adventure, and Human Drama- Beyond the tale of a high class young nobleman falling in love with a peasant girl, we’ve got the male lead Narimichi (Okada Masaki) as a prince plagued by illnesses that not only make his sickly but prone to bouts of delirium as well, meeting Rai (Aoi Yu), a gruff wild-child raised in the mountains by the assassins who stole her away from her family when she was just a baby. Put these two together and you’ve got a whole new tale on an old tale!
And the second and probably most important thing about Raiou is the awesome acting, ESPECIALLY on the part of Aoi Yu, my GOSH can this chick ACT!!!! MAN, her scenes were always so gripping, emotional and intense- I have to say that by the end of the movie, I was just DRAINED! Man, NOBODY sells a character better than her, NOBODY! What will this girl do NEXT?!
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On that note I made plans to get around to watching the movie, but to say that Aoi Yu is “in” this movie is like watching the Blues Brothers for Peewee Herman, seeing as how they both appear onscreen in each respective movie for about the same amount of time! But despite that setback, something about the Honoka’a Boy’s slow and calming pace really drew me in, and before you knew it, I was really enjoying it!
Starring Okada Masaki as the fish out of water, or rather a Nihongo stuck on the Big Island, the show details his adjustment to life in the Islands as opposed to his life in Japan. The show is crammed full of interesting and eccentric characters, (including a fun performance by Matsuzaka Keiko, (whom I ADORED as Ikushima in Atsuhime), and Baisho Chieko (as the spinsterly lady who falls for Okada) but make no mistake about it: The true “star” of this movie just HAS to be Sexy Hasegawa Jun! From the moment Okada’s character Leo befriends the exotic “local” girl Mariah, her sexiness totally captivates Leo’s thoughts (and ours) and with Hasegawa rockin’ the cute denim short-shorts and skimpy bikinis, you just CAN'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF HER!
Funny that until I watched this movie, I’d always believed :”Jun Hasegawa” to be an ACTOR, that is, a dude. What I didn’t realize is that there are actually TWO talents out there with the same name, a fact I sadly discovered when I tuned in on the drama Naka Nai to Kimeta Hi thinking I was gonna see some sweet local goodness and instead saw an up ‘n’ comin’ Johnny’s Boy. D’oh!
Living in Hawaii myself, I love going out to visit the outer islands, and I think this movie manages to capture the laid-back and relaxing vibe the islands give off perfectly! When the movie was over, I found myself strangely mellow, as if I'd just come home from a long, breezy visit to Honoka'a! AHAHAHAHAHA!
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My Favorite Drama of the Season!!
When I was at about the halfway point in the Hana Sugisaki/Ryuya Wakaba medical drama Unmet, I already knew without a DOUBT that this was going to be the best drama of the season, and indeed, the show only got better and better as it headed towards its conclusion, and at the final episode, easily exceeded my expectations!!Ryuya Wakaba was great as Sanpei Tomoharu, the charismatic "center" of the drama, and WOWWW, the level of acting Hana Sugisaki held in her portrayal as the amnesiac-but-still-positive Miyabi Kawauchi has to be her FINEST yet, conveying SO MUCH with just facial expressions, head tilts and body language, so much with few words and few gestures.
I’ve long said that I’m not a huge fan of medical dramas as they all tend to skew to the same tropes, however, while Unmet of course had some of it, I was constantly surprised by the directions they chose to follow, surprised by unexpected developments, all keeping me on my toes until I realized to myself: "HEY! I'm really INVESTED here!!!"
PS: I have to give a special mention of Chiba Yudai as Kota Hoshimae- he was the emotional character who stood in for us, the viewers, reflecting OUR feelings as he cheered happiness for Miyabi, crossed fingers for hope, and shed tears when misfortune befell our vulnerable heroine. It was his reactions that got the most out of me!
All of them together produced a strong, gripping drama, one I was totally invested in for the past few months!
I was having dinner with a friend over the weekend, and I gushed “MAN…Unmet is SO GOOD right now, and I'm praying that the last episode continues on the same trajectory...please, don't screw up the ending!!” And as I watched the last episode, besides crying my eyes out for MOST of the show’s duration, I was also very nervous about how it might end. But I need not have worried, for the drama delivered one of the best, concise and clear endings it could have, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief…even as I shed even MORE tears!
Aw Man, Hana Sugisaki MUST get some kind of accolade for this drama…it was the number ONE drama of the season, BAR NONE, and most of it was due to her and her wonderful creation of Miyabi. This was one real MUST SEE drama!
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Besides Keiko and Ryo Nishikido, Dakishimetai featured an all-star ensemble cast, including Eriko Sato and Aya Hirayama, albeit in minor roles.
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Everyone in this show was great, from the spazzy Oideyasu Oda, to the “puppy-dog nice guy” Eiji Akaso, and the doddering but kind and thoughtful Masashi Sada, but the duo of Tomoya Nakamura as Haneoka and Kasumi Arimura as Shoko might be the best pairing EVER!
From the beginning it was hilarious watching the two butt heads and bicker about their very different sensibilities, but it was even better as the two grew to respect and look up to each other, as as the show progressed, they became a true “ii combi” who, when partnered up, became a team no one could stop!
A drama that really made me feel good, and I’m sure you will too!
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Life on the road can be tough, but it’s all worthwhile for all the run-down lodgings they’ll encounter: From outdated phones, televisions, and light fixtures, dingy and humble washrooms, to well-worn beddings...and OOH! Stained Carpets!!!! ...this is a Boro Yado fan's DELIGHT!!!
Nihon Boro Yado Kiko is a fun and spirited show filled with warmth and sentimentality of yesteryear, and part of its authenticity is that Takahashi (and even Fukagawa) have real-life idol roots- Kazuya Takahashi was a Johnny’s entertainment singer in the 80’s (and really exuded that early boy-idol style)-
and of course Mai Fukagawa herself came from the first generation of Nogizaka46!
Maybe that's the magic formula that makes Nihon Boro Yado Kido such a great little ode to the glories of yesterday! Really LOVED it!
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Despite its abrupt (in my opinion) conclusion, I really loved the journey of these two guys set out for revenge and murder who meet two cool and savvy girls who happily join in on the ride, and I even liked the way they tied things up in the end with a nice little bow!
Of course a big part of my enjoyment of this drama came from the saucy Mayu Hotta (as well as Yui Sakuma, whom I only JUST realized was Yuka in Jikuu Tantei Oyu!), the scenes with the boys interacting with them really made the show!
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This show (Drama? Special?) is the one that really did it for me and pushed Tomoka Kurokawa from a passing fancy to a true "Crush" as I can't get her out of my head! The character of Yuna in Kanojo to no Tadashi Asobikata is such a great one- at first seemingly perfect and conceited, little by little, as she and Takeshi go through the motions at school and outside, you see how awkward and insecure she is about herself- moreover, you see just how much she really loves this guy. MAN! Tomoka really SOLD ME!!!!
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Strangely enough, though I really enjoyed Abe's crime drama SHINZANMONO, I had no IDEA that The Wings Of The Gryphon was a movie featuring the characters from it! I simply thought Hiroshi Abe , Junpei Mizubata, etc, wre playing stereotypical crime drama roles that I've seen them play a hundred times before! You would have thought the characters NAMES would have tipped me off, but honestly, I didn't remember what any of them were! LOL
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Remember that movie “Of Unknown Origin”, where Mild mannered Bart Hughes is so obsessed with catching a pesky mouse, at the end he ends up burning down his entire house to kill it? Think that, but with two pretty ‘n’ buxom gals instead of Peter Weller, and you’ve got the idea!
Can’t say that there was too much more than that as far as any deeper story goes, but BOY was it FUN watching these two beautiful girls bash each others’ brains out in true Wile E. Coyote/ Road Runner style, til each girl is a mess of blood and bruises! I’ve just become a fan recently of Nonami Maho, and I’ve loved Eiko Koike since I first saw her as a recurring guest on DOMOTO TSUYOSHI SHOJIKI SHINDOI, and it was awesome to see them let loose and go CRAZY!!!
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This movie was interesting and quick-paced, the fight scenes quick and stylized, and Ayase Haruka, besides being as pretty as ever (even dressed in rags!), is entirely convincing as the cold and ruthless Ichi. I loved every scene she was in, and especially liked the scenes with her and the little boy who shows her around the village and lovingly follows her around as she shuffles through town.
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I’ve thought about what makes an asadora like Toto Nee-chan so strong compared to some others, and it’s easy to see what it is: A CLEAR ADHERENCE TO A SINGULAR STORYLINE. From its very first scene (where you see the main characters already grown and succesful as magazine publishers), the stage is set: you are going to hear a tale of a family of three sisters who strive through wars and hardships to one day become publishing giants, and the asadora never wavered. Every arc and challenge the family met became a stone in the foundation of what they would become and what their fortunes and fates would be. From Tsuneko going to school as a child, all the way to success, you follow her through every step of her life, crying and cheering along the way with her.
Usually a show’s best parts are in the first half of the drama and there is some faltering at the second half, but Toto Nee-chan kept you interested with each new development, and I remember being at week 20 and STILL feeling as excited as I was in its first few chapters! And by the time of the show’s last great arc, I couldn’t stop watching, burning through the episodes to see what happened next, I was SO INVESTED and had to force myself to slow down! SUCH a great STORY!
Watching Tsuneko grow up and rise to the challenges to create her dreams in both work and family was a joy to watch and you felt sadness with every tragedy that befell her and warmth in your heart every time she successfully completed her one of her dream goals.
In asadoras, they tended to show the heroine’s entire life, from beginning, middle, and (sometimes) all the way to the end...in that same way, I’m impressed at how well Toto Nee-chan gives you the sense of time moving. People growing up, moving away, etc....
As each arc ends and the children grow older, you really feel like you’re witnessing a whole life’s work. In the latter chapters with the sisters running the publishing house, thinking back on the early episodes where she and her sisters were still living with Grandmother Takiko in Tokyo, it seemed a million years ago, it seemed like a completely different drama! It truly gave you the feeling of history, like those were the "olden days"...
I began watching this because of my love for Mitsuki Takahata, and I’m so glad I did, this asadora has been a tour-de-force for her and has absolutely become my favorite Mitsuki Takahata role and drama! Since picking up Toto Nee-chan, I’ve put her latest show “Muchaburi” on hold so as to not distract from immersing in the asadora, but now it’s done I can finally go back and catch up. Hope it measures up, because Toto Nee-chan has become the Mitsuki Takahata drama ALL others must compare to!
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Fune wo Amu: Watashi, Jisho Tsukurimasu
1 people found this review helpful
When I read the synopsis for Fune wo Amu, it was SO similar to the premise of the Satomi Ishihara drama Jimi Ni Sugoi, that I initially wrote it off as a copy and made no real plans to watch it. But I do love actress Elaiza a lot and felt I should at LEAST check it out once!
Well, sure enough, there are identical elements that are hard to deny- the “fish out of water” element of the stylish gal suddenly thrown into the stark and rigid department of editing, the stern but compassionate guidance of the elders in the section, the slow realization of the importance of the job, and the inevitable use of the skills in her own life, etc.
With a dictionary-themed show centered primarily around words and their meanings rather than a real “story” per se, this drama probably would have been better suited as 20 minute slices than full blown 45 minute episodes, nonetheless, this was a very sweet and heartfelt show that uses words to touch people's hearts and mend wounds. A nice, relaxing vibe to the show, and Elaiza Ikeda shines as the sincere newbie Midori.
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Scattershot but Satisfying
Despite this drama's wildly outlandish set-ups and unbelievable plot twists (really haven't seen this many expectations subverted since The Last Jedi!), I cannot deny the fact that I was THOROUGHLY entertained throughout the entire story of the three desperate women who do the unthinkable to get out of the unbearable situations fate has cornered them into!Atsuko Maeda, Anna Ishii and Mai Fukagawa excel as the three lead women, in particular Fukagawa came in really strong with her character!
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