Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go (特急田中３号/ Tokkyu Tanaka San Go-2007)

Starring:
Tanaka Koki as Tanaka Ichiro
Tsukamoto Takashi as Hanagata Kei
Akiyama Ryuji as Momoyama Seiji
Kuriyama Chiaki as Meguro Terumi
Kato Rosa as Shibuya Kotone
Hiraiwa Kami as Kojima Riko
Kaito Ken as Makita Joji
Okouchi Nanako as Kato Miharu
Sakamaki Keisuke (坂巻恵介) as Kimura
Minami Shuhei (南周平) as Sasaki
Kimura Ryo as Tanaka Jiro
Endo Kenichi as Tanaka Katsuji
Saito Keiko as Tanaka Shizue
Yoshiyuki Kazuko as Tanaka Haru
Hirooka Yuriko as Momoyama Saori
Omi Toshinori as Momoyama Makoto
Sudo Kentaro (須藤謙太朗) as Momoyama Seitaro
Toyooka Masumi as Izumi
Hashimoto Jun as Master
Takahashi Issei as Mishima Ken
Nozuki Takahiro (野月貴弘) as Tetsu A
Minamida Yusuke (南田裕介) as Tetsu B
Tomikawa Kazuto (富川一人) as Tetsu C

Guests
Takagi Maria (gokon, ep1)
Tachibana Ayano (gokon, ep1)
Yamaguchi Misa (山口美沙) (gokon, ep1)
Tomikawa Kazuhito (ep1)
Tanaka Subaru (田中彗) as Tanaka Ichiro as a child (ep1)
Tanaka Juri (田中樹) as Tanaka Jiro as a child (ep1)
Passion Yara as a worker (ep3-4)
Manami (愛実) as Miki (ep3,4,8,9)
Noguchi Seiko (野口聖古) as Hitomi (ep3,9)
Takahashi Hitomi as Meguro Keiko (ep3,9)
Shitara Osamu (設楽統) as Terumi's father (ep3,8)
Takahashi George (高橋ジョージ) as George (ep3,10)
Harada Fumiaki (原田文明) as Professor Yamakawa (ep4)
Ato Kai as Professor Fujii (ep5)
Kikuchi Kinya as Kodera (ep5)
Denden as Maegi (ep7)
Kinami Haruka as Yoshie (ep7)
Kobayashi Katsuya as Iwashiro (ep7)
Nakagawa Reiji (中川家礼二) as Shimaoka (ep8-10)
Kamenashi Kazuya as Shibahara Toru (ep9)
Yokomi Hirohiko (横見浩彦) as Tetsu (ep10)
Kimura Yuko (木村裕子) as Tetsuko (ep10)

After two years of preparation, Ichiro Tanaka finally enters a university disdained as a third-class one. Out of his ardent desire to become popular with girls, he by chance steps into the world of the railroad “otaku” (commonly called “tetsu”), getting deeply involved in the fascinating railroad world. This drama portrays Ichiro who, together with those lonely “tetsu” guys he meets there who “want to be popular so badly but are not,” develops love and friendship and grows mature as a person. --TBS

LOL! I can't believe I loved this drama. The only reason I watched this in the first place was because of Tsukamoto Takashi (*kawaii*). Tanaka Koki was brilliant as the crazy-in-love Ichiro. LOL! This was a sleeper hit with me. I would never have really watched this based on the synopsis. Well, I'm glad I did.

Again, those Japanese and their morals, HAHA! They took the basis of the train system and made it into what we would call a metaphor of life. Every episode based something of how a train works and it's counterparts that would symbolize our daily life and our love. Truly a hit with me.

Okay, and the best part of it was the unknown fact in episode 10......Kame made a guest appearance that I wasn't expecting. *kawaii* So now I had Tanaka Koki, Tsukamoto Takashi and Kamenashi Kazuya to look at. Oh, how my heart trembled with delight.

The first episode took me a good 3 attempts to watch. I'd start and then find something else to watch. The first 10 minutes was really baka. LOL! But again, if I just beared through it, which I did this time, became a wonderful drama/comedy. Tanaka Koki has wonderful comedic timing and that face of his and his expressions were just adorable. (Okay, I wish he didn't pluch his eyebrows because I really don't like that)

This is truly something for everyone to watch. The theme would be......to never give up and when the chips are down to just keep trying and to not stop smiling.

Lovely drama. Wonderful.

Tanaka Koki

Wow look.....he's so cute with hair. He's really a hottie in disguise! LOL!

Oh looky....see how much cuter he is with eyebrows! Damn straight....he's hot!


Kamenashi Kazuya

Umm, this like turns me on but yet at the same time.....Kame looks toooooooooo much like a girl. And, umm......that frightens me!

Smile (Sumairu seiya no kiseki/スマイル 聖夜の奇跡-2007)

Starring:
Natsuki Harada
Rosa Kato
Kumiko Mori
Mirai Moriyama
Anri Okamoto
Rikiya
Jiro Sato
Saya Takagi
Yoshiko Tanaka
Kei Tani
Sachie Hara
Kenji Sakaguchi
Naoko Iijima

After sustaining a career-ending injury, tap dancer, Shuhei Sano (Mirai Moriyama), arrives in Japan's snow-bound, northern island of Hokkaido with hopes of marrying his longtime girlfriend and figure skating instructor, Shizuka (Rosa Kato). But his plan quickly runs afoul on Shizuka's father, a local business magnate and ice rink owner, who is not ready to relinquish his daughter. Without good reason to deny the couple, however, the father reluctantly agrees to give his blessing if Shuhei can coach a local junior ice hockey team to their next victory. Despite having no prior knowledge of the game nor any skating experience, Shuhei accepts, unaware that the team has NEVER won a single game.

The"Smilers", as they seem unfittingly named, are a handful of self-proclaimed"losers","misfits" and"rejects" from other teams. More than talent, they lack any semblance of teamwork, motivation and confidence. But to everybody's surprise, Shuhei proves himself ready for them, employing an odd mix of child psychology, genuine concern and a few ingenious tricks to get the team to play to their potential and win!. Flabbergasted, Shizuka's father ups the ante by making his daughter's hand conditional upon winning the regional tournament − a goal that will require nothing short of a miracle given the near invincibility of the defending champions − a slick, well-financed hockey team run by a megalomaniac.

Just as Shuhei's magic and the team's hopes begin to wear thin, a beautiful young figure skater idolized by everyone at the rink becomes hospitalized with a terminal illness. With her chances of recovery as slim as the team's tournament victory, suddenly, the team has its battle cry. But will it be enough?




Wow! This was a really good movie! It's like Pride blended with the Mighty Duck movies.

I will tell ya now. This is a family movie for everyone! And that you will need a few tissues at the end. Okay, I'll admit I probably cried more than I should have but today I've seem to have hit emotional movies today. LOL! That's okay though. I need to cry now and then.

This was a heartwarming, touching, loving, friendly, heart-tugging, eventful rollercoaster ride. The story revolves around the hockey team but I don't think it was really about the hockey team, per se. It revolved around the relationships outside the hockey arena and the kids who made the plays. And we can't forget the coach, who didn't lose hope when his knee gave out and he was no longer allowed to dance on stage. But instead, he chose to his second choice in life that dealt with teaching children. Awe-inspiring, it is!!

Moriyama Mirai


Tamaki Hiroshi

I can't help myself with Tamaki-kun! This is THE man who changed my life forever! Yeah, him! I happened upon Nodame Cantabile, watched it, and had to have to watch more Japanese drama....then Korean....then Taiwan/Chinese. I fell in love with him and had to watch everything with him in it. The only thing I still haven't seen is ROCKERS! Anyone know where I can watch it/buy it English subbed.....EMAIL ME!!!!!

Sakaguchi Kenji