Hotaru no Hikari (ホタルノヒカリ -2007)

Starring:
Ayase Haruka as Amemiya Hotaru
Yoshida Riko as young Hotaru (ep1)
Fujiki Naohito as Takano Seiichi
Kuninaka Ryoko as Saegusa Yuuka
Kato Kazuki as Teshima Makoto
Takeda Shinji as Jinguuji Kaname
Itaya Yuka as Yamada Sachiko
Yasuda Ken as Futatsugi Shouji
Asami Reina as Sono Minako
Watabe Gota as Sawaki Shun
Shibue Joji as Tadokoro Junpei
Matsumoto Marika as Murota Suzuko
Matsushita Sara as Kasumi Hatsuko
Maruyama Tomomi as Goutokuji Ken
Matsunaga Hiroshi as Yamaguchi Takatoshi
Kurotani Tomoka as Miyuki

Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. It's a glamorous job but Hotaru's private life is totally the opposite of glamorous. She lives alone, and when she isn't working she's mostly lazing about her rented house in training wear. She's not interested in men. In fact, she isn't interested in anything. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto.

Her landlord is a bar owner, and one day his son, who has just separated from his wife, comes to inspect the rental property, not knowing that someone is living there. He is shocked at the mess, but not as shocked as Hotaru. He turns out to be her boss, Takano. -- Japan Times Online

I fell in love with this drama. And yet again, another one that I threw away because I wasn't patient.

This was a well thought out show. Every single person is always looking for that perfect love. Sometimes we find it. Sometimes we don't. This was all about how one person fights for what she wants but comes to realize that the person right beside her was the love she wanted and didn't know it.

Yeah, this had my main man Naohito-kun in it. How did I let him go the first round? Was I stupid? I think what originally turned me off was the fact that he was married, going through a separation, and I felt that I wasn't going to watch a married man get the hots for this young girl. Oh, but it wasn't about that. Definitely a good show with some really good, funny moments.

I didn't really like the ending much though. I felt they could have given us viewers a little more of the "couple" being more loving. But hey!....can't always get what I want. I know. At least she picked the guy I wanted her with most!!

Since I have a buttload of "my man's" pics already up....thought I'd give y'all some more new eye candy! Kato Kazuki......GORGEOUS!!!

Kato Kazuki

Kamen Rider The Next (仮面ライダー The Next-2007)

Starring:
Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 - Masaya Kikawada (黄川田 将也, Kikawada Masaya)
Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 - Hassei Takano (高野 八誠, Takano Hassei)
Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 - Kazuki Kato (加藤 和樹, Katō Kazuki)
Kotomi Kikuma - Miku Ishida (石田 未来, Ishida Miku)
Chiharu Kazami - Erika Mori (森 絵梨佳, Mori Erika)

Actors Masaya Kikawada and Hassei Takano are returning from MASKED RIDER THE FIRST as Takeshi Hongo (Masked Rider 1) and Hayato Ichimonji (Masked Rider 2) respectively, while Kazuki Katou steps into the role of Shiro Kazami (Masked Rider V3). 22-year-old Katou previously appeared in the MASKED RIDER KABUTO (Kamen Raidaa Kabuto, 2006) TV series as Daisuke Kazama, the alter-ego of Masked Rider Drake, as well as the series’ accompanying theatrical film MASKED RIDER KABUTO: GOD SPEED LOVE (Kamen Raidaa Kabuto Goddo Supiido Rabu, 2006).

2 years after the events of MASKED RIDER THE FIRST, rumours are spreading of vicious murders, which are always accompanied by the song of a young pop idol named Chiharu. After Chiharu disappears, her older brother Shiro Kazami goes in search for her, and inevitably finds himself in the hands of the organization “Shocker”. It is here, where a new generation of Riders are being created, that Shiro Kazami is transformed into Masked Rider V3.



I really wanted to watch atleast one Kamen Rider episode or movie. I wish I hadn't. Or maybe this was just a bad movie and I shouldn't judge just this one over the rest of the series. All I know is that it might have appeased my children but it was just a long, Japanese version of Power Rangers. Ugh! I've done my share of Power Rangers in my lifetime (I have 2 boys who have watched a number of series). And after doing research have learned that the American version of Kamen Rider IS the Power Rangers. (Damn, I admit we own a few episodes. Argh!)

If the rest of the series' are over-dramatized, over-produced, over-acted stunts, movemements, and dialogue. I don't want to watch it. To each his own. I know I might get hate mail for this one since the series' are popular in the Asian market. I was expecting more out of this because OF the popularity. Ehh! And so many popular Japanese actors have at one time or another been in one of the million episodes out there.

Kikawada Masaya


Hassei Takano


Kazuki Kato