Attention Please (アテンションプリーズ-2006)

Starring:
Ueto Aya as Misaki Yoko
Nishikido Ryo as Nakahara Shota
Maya Miki as Mikami Tamaki
Aibu Saki as Wakamura Yayoi
Uehara Misa as Hirota Saori
Koizumi Kotaro as Tsutsumi Shuusuke
Kohinata Fumiyo as Sakurada Shinya
Otsuka Chihiro as Sekiyama Yuki
Nanase Natsumi as Kinoshita Asami
Otomo Minami as Higashino Haruka
Fueki Yuko as Asou Kaoru
Takahashi Mariko as Kagawa Reiko
Koichi Mantaro as Watanabe Makoto
Asano Kazuyuki as Wakamura Shozo
Inoue Jun as Dazai Shinichiro
Mano Yuuko as Murayama Mizuho
Hoshino Natsuko as Takemoto Rie
Tanaka Sogen (田中聡元) as Ooki Mitsuya
Ishikawa Maki (石川真希) as Chief Nagano
Guests
Takaoka Sousuke as Tsukasa (ep1)
Higashihara Aki as Tsukasa's girlfriend (ep1)
Yamasaki Shizuyo as Yoshimura Chiemi (ep1, 11)
Sai Ryoji as Saori's gym mate (ep3)
Moriguchi Yoko as Katsuragi Shiho (ep5)
Yatsu Isao as the taxi driver (ep6)
Yamasato Ryouta as Okaba Goro (ep7, 11)
Asami Reina as Kubota Rina (ep7)
Yamaguchi Nikki (山口日記) as Oshima Megumi (ep7)
Takuya (たくや) & Kazuya (かずや) as the twin passengers (ep9)
Ichikawa Chieko (市川千恵子) (passenger, ep9)
Arai Kazuo (新井量大) (passenger, ep9)
Mori Koko (森康子) (passenger, ep9)
Rui Hisashi (塁央) (passenger, ep9)
Komuro Yuta (passenger, ep9)
Kuroda Shiho (黒田志保) (passenger, ep9)
Kimura Kaela (木村カエラ) as herself (ep10)
Fujimoto Shizuka (ep10)
Yamada Meikyo (passenger, ep11)
Izumi Akiko (passenger, ep11)
Shibuya Asuka as the newcomer trainee (ep11)

Losing her mother at a young age, Misaki Yoko (Ueto Aya) was raised amongst three brothers. Yoko is a slightly boyish girl who is bullheaded and hates dishonesty. Ever since she was young, she enjoyed the company of boys over girls. She starts a band with four of her boy friends and becomes the lead singer. Then one day, one of the members of the band, Tsukasa, gets a job at a bank in Tokyo. Due to Tsukasa leaving town, the band breaks up and though Yoko finds herself lonely, she puts on a strong act in front of Tsukasa. She can't tell Tsukasa how she truly feels for him. On the day Tsukasa leaves for Tokyo, Yoko goes along with the band members to the airport to see him off. The guys get excited when they see some cabin crew ladies and Yoko has no idea why. She reminds them that even she can wear a uniform, but the guys only make fun of her. That's when Tsukasa tells Yoko he wonders what she'd look like dressed in uniform. This is when Yoko decides she wants to work as a Cabin Attendant.

Hmm? This was absolutely a cute drama. No doubt. I had my doubts but watching Misaki grow as an adult was pretty hilarious to see. I myself sometimes find myself not really wanting to grow up either. I guess we all keep a bit of the kid of ourselves hidden away somewhere.

I was a little disappointed in the "romance" between her and Nakahara. We all knew it was there. We expected it but they never really made the connection. Yeah, the special after the drama ended showed a little more concern for their romance but still they left us wondering..."What the hell?" Damn, a hug would have surficed. So that left me a little bummed.

So if you watch it, don't expect a lot from the male and female leads. But in all, this drama was quite amazing and I actually learned something about the behind the scenes activities of a cabin attendant. LOL!

Nishikido Ryo

Ushi ni Nagai wo: Love & Farm (牛に願いを Love & Farm -2007)

AKA: Wish Upon a Cow: Love & Farm


Starring:
Tamayama Tetsuji as Takashimizu Takashi
Koide Keisuke as Mano Tohei
Nakata Atsuhiko as Wakamatsu Ryuta
Aibu Saki as Fujii Ayaka
Karina as Suenaga Mihoko
Toda Erika as Chiba Kazumi
Tanaka Kei as Ashizaki Katsuya
Arimura Miki as Takashimizu Yuri
Hamada Mari as Tsumura Kyoko
Aijima Kazuyuki as Yoshida Muneyuki
Ichige Yoshie as Ashizaki Fukiko
Kohinata Fumiyo as Teranishi Yutaro
Osugi Ren as Takashimizu Hiroki
Asaka Mayumi
Nakajima Tomoko as Miyamoto Natsumi
Nakamura Shido as Kato Akira
Fujimoto Shizuka
Kanai Yuta
Kurita Yoko
Tachibana Ayano (ep01)
Hiraizumi Sei (ep04)
Oka Mayumi

Six agriculture students travel north to Hokkaido for first-hand training and experience in a farm setting. The story focuses not only on their daily life and their growth as young men and women, but also on the economic situation in the region, which received national attention earlier this year when the national government cut off aid to the struggling city of Yubari. -- Tokyograph

This was suprisingly a very, very good drama. I cried a few times during some of the episodes. I laughed at their simple but sweet comedic moments.

Tamayama Tetsuji has done it again! I'm so in love with this guy. He's amazingly versatile. I would never have thought he would play a dairy farmer. What was so amazing was...he seemed in his element milking cows and helping birth a calf. OMG! He stuck his hand up in there. I'm pretty sure that was a real cow!!!

All the players were wonderful. Koide Keisuke is amazing always when he plays the sweet, shy, naive characters. He's very comfortable as an actor.

I'm always telling everyone I know....Japanese (mainly) dramas have metaphors of life. They teach and believe in the way of living. I really like these most. I don't feel drained after a drama. So I smile as I type this because this drama believed in the symbolism of family and the live of a dairy farmer that are becoming extinct.

A definite must see......................