Remote (リモート -2002)

Starring:
Domoto Koichi as Himuro Kosaburo
Fukada Kyoko as Ayaki Kurumi
Konishiki as Bob Kato
Nagura Jun (名倉潤) as Otaguro Keibu
Tamaki Hiroshi as Shingo
Sakai Miki as Sakaki Naomi
Kimura Yoshino as Sakaki Yuka
Takasugi Ko (ep5,6)
Waki Tomohiro as Fudo Shinichi (ep6)
Matsumoto Rio as Karen Chikumagawa (ep8)
Kinouchi Akiko
Eita as Sawamura Keisuke
Inoue Yoshiko

Locked away deep in his home and hiding a secret that keeps him there, Detective Kozaburo Himuro remains ever vigilant in his duties of police work. But how does the wunderkind detective investigate crime scenes without ever stepping out of his home? Enter traffic cop Kurumi Ayaki. She's a young lady who's about to marry and resign from the force when tasked with being Himuro's eyes and ears on the beat. While on the scene of the crime their only means of communication is via mobile phone. Together they investigate a series of mind-boggling murder mysteries that put them, particularly Kurumi, in constant danger. Can Kurumi keep up with Detective Himuro, and the fast-paced and dangerous work of criminal investigation? -- NTV

Okay, this was another one of those dramas that took me a few attempts to watch. Am I nuts? Some of the harder ones for me to watch are usually the better ones. LOL!

This was another good one. Tamaki-kun was insanely hilarious! It was so strange to see him in that part. I guess compared to Nodame Cantabile it was like seeing a fish walking. Ya know?

I fell in love with Domoto Koichi! I never realized how cute he was and how well he can act. I'm so used to seeing his "other half", Tsuyoshi.

Again this was another drama, even though the story was awesome, the ending left me befuddled. I wanted more. They left us with the thought of another season and the "love" story wasn't quenched. Even though Tamaki-kun is one of my faves of all time, I was all over Koichi-kun like syrup on a pancake. Why must they torture me so?

Definitely worth seeing and great time-killer. And, yeah, Koichi-kun is definitely something to look *gulps* at!

Domoto Koichi

Water Boys 2005 Natsu (WATER BOYS 2005夏)

Starring:
Eita as Tanaka Masatoshi
Koide Keisuke as Uehara Kensaku
Hiraoka Yuta as 名嘉尾悟
Emoto Tasuku as Koma Shunichiro
Konishi Manami as Uehara Kyoko
Sakai Ayana as Kakihara Rena
Takizawa Nonami as Buritani Michiru
Ukaji Takashi as Koma Toshimichi
Matsushige Yutaka as 名嘉尾大悟
Masuoka Toru as Uehara Kosaku
Watanabe Misako as Kakihara Haru
Kubo Akira as the head teacher
Mori Yoshiyuki as the principal
Nagumo Yusuke (南雲勇助) as Hotta Zenjiro
Tonesaku Toshihide as Hatori Manabu
Kashii Yu as Hanamura Kyoko
Ishii Tomoya as Ishizuka Futoshi
Tanaka Kei as Yasuda Takashi
Manabe Kaori as Sakuma Megumi
Nakayama Katsumi
Sekiguchi Kimiko
Nakajima Ben
Kanbe Hiroshi
Kumabe Youhei (隈部洋平)
Fuwa Hisashi (不破央)
Hiraizumi Sei
Ishihara Yoshizumi
Yajima Kenichi

Synchro Participants
Pe Jyonmyon (ペ・ジョンミョン)
Sano Yasuomi
Fujii Atsunori (藤井貴規)
Kawagishi Ginji (川岸銀次)
Sugiura Yugo (杉浦由悟)
Tashiro Koji
Tomikawa Kazuhito
Nakano Shintaro (中野真太郎)
Takahashi Mitsuomi
Taketani Atsushi (竹谷敦史)
Yanagibashi Tomonori (柳橋朋典)
Ueda Shinsuke (植田真介)
Kawasaki Ryuichi (川崎龍一)
Tamaari Yoichiro (玉有洋一郎)
Iwato Hidetoshi (岩戸秀年)
Sato Yuki
Kora Kengo
Kan Yuta (菅雄太)
Okada Yuki (岡田雄樹)
Takeuchi Tomoya
Nokubo Naoki (野久保直樹)


Tanaka Masatoshi is having troubles getting into medical school, something he blames on all the time he spent on synchro two years earlier. While on a research trip to a remote southern island of Japan, he is forced into coaching a newly formed three member boys synchro team. Tanaka has to come to terms with his past and begins questioning his future, while the three boy synchro team dream of life off of the island.



Can I be any more in love with Hiraoka Yuta? I'm not joking here. He is soooooo cute. OMG! I was in heaven watching this film. Yuta-kun in really, really, really skimpy speedos. I can't keep my tongue in my mouth. Let's just say the pause button was used tremendously just so I could get really good visuals of him. OMG! Yeah, Yuta-kun is now in my top 5 "I gotta have" list. Why does he have to be so young? I wonder if he likes older women....LOL! Okay, okay, okay....I'll stop dreamin'.



This film, other than eye-poppin'-candy galore, was just another Water Boys film. Same story, different time, with different guys other than Eita. The only difference in this movie was that not only did they have to save the festival but the town as well from land grubbers. Of course, there was a little bit of romance.....poor Yuta-kun didn't have a girl....and great choreography in the water. The ending sequence, to me, was just a little bit more risque than the last few series and movie. But nothing rated "R" about it.



Just a fun movie but nothing to get overly excited about (well, other than Yuta-kun in an overly skimpy outfit).



If I lived in Japan, I would be his #1 stalker fan. LOL! YUTA-KUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Water Boys ( ウォーターボーイズ -2003)

Starring:
Yamada Takayuki as Shindo Kankuro
Moriyama Mirai as Tatematsu Norio
Eita as Tanaka Masatoshi
Ishigaki Yuma as Takahara Go
Ishii Tomoya as Ishizuka Futoshi
Miyaji Mao as Onishi Asako
Kashii Yu as Hanamura Kyoko
Tani Kei as Mr. Ozaki
Fuse Akira as Mr. Yamaoka
Sugimoto Tetta as Mr. Sugita
Manabe Kaori as Miss. Sakuma
Kikuchi Maiko as Miss. Onogawa
Emoto Akira as Mama (of a bar)
Tokui Yuu as Chi-mama
Takenaka Naoto as Mr. Isomura
Yashima Norito as Isomura Kiyomasa
Tamaki Hiroshi as Sato Katsumasa
Takahashi Hitomi as Shindo Miwako
Asano Kazuyuki as Shindo Kanichi
Ikari Yukiko as Shindo Hitomi
Nishida Naomi
Katayama Reo as Kitajima Daichi
Aibu Saki as Hayakawa Atsumi
Hiraizumi Sei as Mr. Tatematsu

Synchro Boy Group
Hojo Takahiro
Fujisawa Yosuke
Arakawa Yu
Kato Koki
Nozaki Tenma
Tanaka Kei
Shiozawa Hidemasa
Isaka Tatsuya
Hamada Hiroyuki
Abe Atsushi
Ebata Hiroki
Ichitaro
Chikada Shintaro
Takeuchi Taiyo
Kawamoto Takanori
Sekita Atsushi
Hyuga Takashi
Namiki Nobuyuki
Washizu Isanori
Shin Shinichiro
Wakizaki Tomohito
Watanabe Dai

Two years ago, five high-school boys brought fame to a small town in Japan. What was so unique was that they formed a "men's synchronized swimming club." Their involvement and struggles while learning synchronized swimming - known to be a sport for girls - brought much attention to their school and town.

Two years have passed since that summer, and the boys of Tadano High School are still in the club. The Fuji Television drama "Water Boys" shows how these young boys fight to learn synchronized swimming, fall in love, and enjoy friendship with one another.

I cannot believe I put this show off for so long! I watched the movie (actually I think the movie was the first Asian movie I saw for the first time. I'm almost positive because I did a Tamaki Hiroshi search and that came up. I'm STILL looking for Rockers! Errrr)

Okay, I loved this. Oh yeah, Eita in a speedo! Hello!?!! Ishigaki Yuma in a speedo. Oh yeah baby! LOL! This is probably the only drama where I thought Yamada Takayuki looked decent. Yeah, he's a great actor. Really great! But his looks don't give me the.....*sigh*. Ya know?

This was a great family comedy/drama. I loved the end with all the choreography and stunts. The music was cool too! This wasn't the greatest of all dramas go but it was really fun to watch. Oh and Moriyama Mirai didn't disappoint in his comedic role. His facial expressions crack me up. He, also, isn't a "looker" but he too has that "somethin', somethin'", aura, appeal.......whatever that draws your attention to him. Love him! I'm never disappointed in his roles whatsoever.

Have fun. Sit down. Grab a soda. Watch the show.

Hojo Takahiro


Tanaka Kei


Tamaki Hiroshi


Eita

Nodame Cantabile (のだめカンタービレ -2006)

Starring:
Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi aka Nodame (Piano)
Morisako Ei as young Nodame
Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi (Piano/Violin/Conducting)
Fujita Reo (藤田玲央) as young Chiaki
Eita as Mine Ryutaro (Violin)
Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi (Timpani)
Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora (Violin)
Saeko as Saku Sakura (Contrabass)
Uehara Misa as Tagaya Saiko (Vocal)
Takenaka Naoto as Franz Strezemann (Milch Holstein by Nodame)
Akiyoshi Kumiko as Momodaira Minako
Endo Yuya as Okochi Mamoru (Conducting)
Iwasa Mayuko as Ishikawa Reina (Piano)
Takase Yukina (高瀬友規奈) as Tanaka Makiko (Piano)
Kondo Kouen as Tamaki Keiji (Clarinet)
Sakamoto Makoto as Hashimoto Yohei (Oboe)
Matsuoka Rinako as Suzuki Moe (Flute)
Matsuoka Emiko as Suzuki Kaoru (Clarinet)
Yamanaka Takashi as Iwai Kazushi (Contrabass)
Kobayashi Kinako as Kinjo Shizuka (Viola)
Fukada Aki as Inoue Yuki (Cello)
Kojima Tenten (小嶌天天) as Kanai Kento (Horn)
Inoue Yoshiko (井上佳子) as Suganuma Saya (Vocal)
Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi
Nishimura Masahiko as Tanioka Hajime
Toyohara Kosuke as Eto Kozo
Shiraishi Miho as Eto Kaori
Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori (Rising Star: Oboe)
Mukai Osamu as Kikuchi Toru (Rising Star: Cello]
Hashizume Ryo as Kimura Tomohito (Rising Star: Violin)
Namioka Kazuki as Katayama (Rising Star: Horn)
Sakurai Chizu as Aizawa Maiko (Rising Star: Flute)
Kimura Ryo as Takahashi Noriyuki (RS: Violin - new concert master)
Kuroda Chieko as Miyoshi Seiko (Chiaki's mom)
Hatano Hiroko as Kawano Keeko
Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Sakuma Manabu
Kichise Michiko as Elise
Ito Takahiro as Segawa Yuto (Nodame's childhood piano classmate)
Ogawa Koki (小川光樹) as young Segawa
Zdenek Macal as Sebastino Vieira
John Hesse as Kyle Dune (Kiyora's professor)
Manuel Doncel as Professor Auclair (Judge in Maradona Competition)
Iwamatsu Ryo as Noda Tatsuo (Nodame's dad)
Miyazaki Yoshiko as Noda Yoko (Nodame's mom)
Betto Yuki (別當優輝) as Noda Yoshitaka (Nodame's brother)
Eto Kansai (江藤漢斉) as Noda Saburo (Nodame's grandpa)
Ohkata Hisako (大方斐紗子) as Noda Shizuyo (Nodame's grandma)
Yashiba Toshihiro as Momogaoka teacher
Masuda Keita
Nagaoka Mami (photo stills)


Based on the hit comic book by Tomoko Ninomiya, this is a fun-filled quirky romantic story of two very opposite people.

Megumi Noda, or “Nodame” is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend’s lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.

Shinichi Chiaki, is Momogaoka’s top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he feels mired in Japan because of a childhood phobia.

They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame’s unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Because of Nodame, Chiaki got the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.

I'm crying right now. This is my second time to watch this drama. I finally got the nerve to download the series and specials associated with NC. I'm not crying because this was sad because it had to end. I'm not crying because I'm so happy for Nodame and Chiaki. I'm crying because I remembered that feeling I had when I first watched this. The music, the actors, the story. *The tears won't stop......* I'm crying because I fell in love............

This drama will always be my first love. It really wasn't my first "drama" because the Coffee Prince was the first ever. But it was this drama that sucked me in hook, line and sinker. I was captivated. Tamaki Hiroshi was just the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. This drama was so entertaining. I wanted more and was so happy they made specials to finish it off even though the manga is still being written. *Which reminds me that I need to read the latest chapters........*

My heart aches. I've moved on to new drama's and movies. And when I decided to go back and watch this again I didn't realize all the famous actors and actresses that were in this. Yes, I new Hiroshi-kun, Juri-chan, and Eita-kun were in this but as the faces flashed by my mouth opened and dropped, then closed and smiled. Going back to the day when I decided to watch this drama, I was a newbie to Asian culture and the language. My only reference was the anime Naruto. LOL!

I cry because this drama will never tire me out. This was a masterpiece in my heart. There will never be one that can top this. Oh, there have been several close calls but nothing will overtake this one.

Everyone should watch this drama....over and over and over and over again. The music is breathtaking. I can sit and listen to it for hours and dream of Chiaki-kun. *sigh*

I dearly hope that they will make a second season because Nodame and Chiaki's story isn't over yet.......................

Season of Snow (Silver Season) (Giniro no season/銀色のシーズン -2008)

Starring:
Eita - Gun Shiroyama
Rena Tanaka - Nanami Ayase
Tetsuji Tamayama - Yuji Kobato
Munetaka Aoki - Jiro Kaminuma
Eriko Sato - Erika Kitazawa
Tetta Sugimoto - Tokoaki Miyabe
Jun Kunimura - Masayuki Seto
Ellie Toyota

A struggling town in the Japanese Alps finds itself in a desperate search for tourists to its publicly-run ski resort. Unable to compete with the swank resort on the other side of the mountain, local officials and inn owners have struck upon an idea to offer a wedding-and-ski package, complete with a wedding ceremony at a charming snow chapel they have built on the mountainside. The town welcomes its first customer in the beautiful Nanami Ayase (Rena Tanaka) who has arrived ahead of her fiance so she can learn to ski down the ceremonial “rice shower” slope without falling. The townsfolk’s biggest concern, however, lies with three young down-and-out local skiers who constantly disrupt life in the town with their skiing antics and shady schemes to wring money out of unsuspecting visitors. One of them is Gin Shiroyama, a former world class mogul champ who was the local hero until a terrible spill effectively ended his career. Feeling guilty for the tremendous pressure they placed on him, the townspeople have chosen to leave Gin alone, letting him get away with anything. But they’re quickly running out of patience. When Nanami hires Gin as her skiing instructor, it sets into motion a snowballing chain of events that could change everyone’s future for the better, if it doesn’t bury the town first.



OMG! Can I be any happier today?



I just downloaded the torrent for this movie. Okay, I'm a little illiterate when it comes to bittorrents but I finally figured out how to make the English subtitles prevail! Woohoo!



First off.....my Tetsuji-san and Eita-san were in this. Eye candy! Oh heck yes! Picture in your head....a naked Eita sitting on a shower bench. Oh yeah! There was that...........



I wasn't all that thrilled with the romance thing that happened in the movie. I thought this would be more on the skiing than love. Oh well. I was hoping for more competition than anything else. And.....they didn't go into detail with Tetsuji-san's character as to why he quit the Hokkaido All-Stars team. I was hoping for a competition with him in that. *sigh*



But on the upbeat....the views were spectacular. It was filmed in Canada even though they gave the impression it was in Japan. The cast was great. It was just the script that could have been better. Less mushy and more skiing. The very beginning was sooooooo coooooool! I can't explain it but just imagine them do x-games type stuff. I guess that is what had me believe the story would be more about that.



The metaphor for this story is......never look down, look straight ahead. If you fall down, get back up and try again. That is the gist of this story. Never quit, never say die, never stop but finish it to the end...............


Eita


Tamayama Tetsuji

Loss Time Life: Cameraman ( ロス：タイム：ライフ -2008)

Episode 1

Starring:
Eita as Nakayama Haruhiko
Koichi Mantaro as Shinoda
Fukiishi Kazue as Iwata Yuriko
Oshima Yoko
Nakagome Sachiko (中込佐知子)
Inagaki Rinka (稲垣鈴夏)

The title is taken from the Japanese term for stoppage time in soccer. In each episode, the lead character will be in a situation where he or she is about to die. Time suddenly stops and a mysterious group of referees appears, who grants the protagonist extra time based on the time wasted during that person's life. The story will explore the ways that each of the characters decides to spend that extra time. -- Tokyograph

Inspiring but yet sad depiction of getting a second chance to right a wrong or finish what you started before you die.

This first episode had me bawling my eyes out. They are still red and puffy mind you.

Eita plays the character, Nakayama Haruhiko, who is a newspaper cameraman who reports the scene in his pictures. But yet, his pictures, even though accurate accounts, never truly told the human side of the story. After given an assignment to investigate a drug bust, things get scary and he's caught by a gun wielding drug pusher. The drug pusher shoots and then time stops before the bullet hits him in the head. Haruhiko is given the chance to make use of this time to fulfill the things he wanted to do.

After helping a woman give birth, he decides to find his ex-girlfriend who left him because he chose his job over her. At this time, he calls her and a little girl answers the phone. It's his ex's daughter. Saddened, he gives up and goes to the nearest park and witness his ex and the little girl playing. Sometime later the little girl comes over and talks to him and discovers the little girl is HIS daughter. Before his time is up, he takes a picture of himself and gives her the camera. Then proceeds back to the scene of his death.

His time is up.................

9 Souls (ナイン・ソウルズ-2003)

Starring:

Koji Chihara
Yoshio Harada ... Torakichi
Asami Imajuku ... Kishin
Jun Inoue
Itsuji Itao
Misaki Ito
Jun Kunimura
Kotomi Kyono
Akaji Maro
Ryuhei Matsuda ... Michiru
Takako Matsu
Onimaru ... Shishido
Kiyohiko Shibukawa ... Saruwatari (as Kee)
Anne Suzuki
Mame Yamada ... Shiratori
Eita ... Michiru's brother

A convict in an isolated prison stumbles upon a hole in the wall and nine men break out. Some of the escapees have a definite goal but for others it is just a spur of the moment decision. Each of the convicts is carrying a baggage of difficult memories. The men take a van from someone they know and head for a primary school near Mt. Fuji to pick up some hidden loot, but when they get to the school, all they find is a small glass key in a time capsule. The men are dumbfounded. But, as they continue on their journey they begin to experience a strange new sense of possibility. Their thoughts turn towards the unfinished business in their lives before they were locked up and one by one they decide to act. But where will their resolutions lead them?



Surprise, surprise!! This was really good. A bit slow but that really doesn't bother me if the script and acting are good. Ryu-san is Rhu-san as usual. The perfect part I think for this. Those sad eyes are perfect for this role. He did kill his father, after all. He doesn't speak much in the movie but then that is okay. It's what his body says that makes the perfect point. LOL! It was a bit funny when they all dressed up in drag. Ryu-san was so kawaii!!!

Another shocker of the film, and trust me I did some searching on this and they don't even mention him in any reviews, is Eita. I got all excited and bubbly when I saw that Michiru's (Ryuhei's) brother was Eita. *sigh* This was not the typical role for him. He plays the loud, obnoxious, spoiled, out-of-control, bad boy wannabe thug. I about spewed my Diet Mountain Dew on my brand new sofa when I saw him. Let's just say in one scene Michiru walks in on his brother getting a blow job, that blew my mind. It's so hard to see him in this role but yet he did the part so well.

The movie starts off with Michiru killing his father. It ends with Michiru...................

It was funny but in a weird sort of way. All of the men had endearing qualities even though all of them killed somebody in their own fashion and reasoning. You learn to like them even though they are murderers and hope that they survive...........................

Eita


Matsuda Ryuhei

Last Friends-The Final Episode

I finally watched it. The end.

This has got to be one of the best Japanese drama's yet. The ending was astounding. It was everything that I had hoped for and wished for and dreamed of. You won't be disappointed. It's sad, reverent, happy, and glorious.

Eita, Ueno Juri, Nagasawa Masami, Nishikido Ryo.....thank you for making it such a wonderful experience in my life.

This is what a show is supposed to be like. MEMORABLE.

I have tears of joy!

Medaka (めだか-2004)

AKA: Night School

Starring:
Mimura as Meguro Takako
Harada Taizo as Shiina Ryousuke
Eita as Sakuragi Taku
Sudo Risa as Kawahara Yukiko
Yamamoto Taro Yabe Hiroki
Kinouchi Akiko as Kawashima Taei
Hiraoka Yuta as Takasugi Junpei
Kuroki Meisa as Yoshizumi Asuka
Izumiya Shigeru Kariya Rokuro
Yamazaki Shigenori as Oyamada Osamu
Ichige Yoshie as Meguro Mizue
Kohinata Fumiyo as Taneda Naofumi
Asano Yuko as Kunimi Shouko
Hayashi Ryuzo as Morimura Seiji
Kato Koki as Takei Kou
Asahina Eri as Yamamoto Eri
Endo Yuya as Nemoto Yuuya
Sato Megumi
Sato Kazuya
Izawa Ken (ep1)
Kaku Tomohiro (ep3)
Koide Keisuke (ep3,5)
Sakai Wakana as Kariya Keiko (ep7)
Katayama Reo
Yanagisawa Takahiko
Masana Bokuzo


Takako Meguro's dream has always been to get married and quit her job. But one day, she finds herself working as a teacher at a night school. At first, she is unmotivated and doesn't take her work seriously. But she soon finds out that work at night school is tougher than she thought. There's a high-school dropout, a businessman, a cabaret girl, and many others—every student is either strange or extraordinary in one way or another. Half of the students are older than Takako, and she discovers that one of the students was her classmate in elementary school.

Now that she sleeps during the day and works at night, Takako is unable to attend drinking parties to meet guys. She starts to think that's how life is, and she should go with the flow.

But one night an incident ignites Takako's passion for her job, which explodes into an angry scolding of her students. --Fuji TV

OMG! I found a drama with Eita! I love him! He's just so my type! Tall, dark, and....oh, so gorgeous! HEHE!

I have to say that the Japanese like to shove down your throat school-life morality! I don't know how many shows that I've seen the teacher teaching hard-to-teach kids. Let's see....Gokusen and GTO are some examples. This one is a bit different as the "kids" are a mosaic of drop-outs of different ages.....a few older than the teacher herself. The setting....night school. Definitely different....but as the "kids" learn about themselves the teacher learns as well.

I've never heard of this drama until I literally fell upon it. This one is totally underrated. This one needs to be pushed to the masses!!

Endo Yuya


Hiraoka Yuta

Just had to add a few guys that you don't normally see up front and in leading roles but their supporting characters make major impacts....and they're cute too!

Last Friends

Starring:
Eita - Takeru Mizushima
Asami Mizukawa - Eri Takigawa
Masami Nagasawa - Michiru Aida
Ryo Nishikido - Sosuke Oikawa
Juri Ueno - Ruka Kishimoto
Aki Nishihara

Last Friends deals with issues such as domestic violence, sexless couples, and other problems that people suffer today. The youths in this drama are all suffering from different issues. They come to live together in a share house.

Hair stylist assistant Michiru Aida comes across Ruka Kishimoto, her best friend in high school. Ruka is living in a share house with her friend Eri, and is aiming to become a motocross racer. Ruka invites Michiru to live with her in the share house, but Michiru declines because she has plans to start living with her boyfriend Sosuke Oikawa, who works at the child welfare division at the ward office.

The same day at the same store, hair & make-up artist Takeru Mizushima bumps into Ruka and picks up a cup that she dropped and broke. Takeru chases after Ruka to return the cup, but she mistakenly thinks that he's trying to pick her up. Ruka yells at Takeru and walks away.

Soon after this, Michiru moves in with Sosuke. She is filled with happiness when Sosuke promises he'll never leave her side, whatever happens. But one morning, Michiru wakes up to find Sosuke looking at her cell phone checking her text messages...



Okay, okay, okay. I finally broke down to watch this. Why, oh why, did I wait so damn long? I think this is the best Japanese drama yet. This drama is like no other. The love-quadrangle is fascinating in its own right. I really don't know who to route for.

I have to say it's hard to watch Nishikido Ryo play the villainous boyfriend, Sousuke. We've seen him play the sweet, innocent boyfriends in the past. So to see this is really disheartening but yet we see the realm of acting that Ryo-kun is able to portray. He has really grown up. *sigh*

Eita, well, I love him like a rabid-dog in heat. Everytime I see him, I melt. He has already established himself as an A-class actor. This time around his character, Takeru, has been sexually abused by a family member and he has a hard time of accepting physical affection of any kind. Some start to believe he is a gay male because he can't be around women physically. (Oh why did the fashion department dress him the way they did. They made him look too "girly". Ah well, he's still a hottie!)

Juri-chan, our Nodame Cantabile sweetheart, is not even relatively close to this character. Ruka is a sweetheart in her own right but in a different fashion. She plays a masculine female who is in love with her best friend. Her best friend, Michiru, is the woman being abused by her boyfriend Sousuke (Ryo-kun).

Two other characters fit in to the maze of friendships but are more co-stars that keep the dialogue going. The first episode was a slow go but once the show established itself...whoa!...I was hooked like catfish bait. So far there are only 8 English subbed episodes with only 16 scheduled episodes to be shown...so we are halfway there. I can't wait for the next episode.

Eita

This pic is from Nodame Cantabile...Mine Ryutaro!


Nishikido Ryo