Bara no nai Hanaya (薔薇のない花屋 -2008)

Starring:
Katori Shingo as Shiomi Eiji
Takeuchi Yuko as Shirato Mio
Shaku Yumiko as Ono Yuki
Matsuda Shota as Kudo Naoya
Motokariya Yuika as Shizuku's mother
Bito Isao as Hirakawa Tatsumi
Terajima Susumu as Shijo Kengo
Ikeuchi Junko as Hishida Keiko
Miura Tomokazu as Anzai Teruo
Yagi Yuki as Shiomi Shizuku
Imai Yuki as Hirota Shogo
Supporting Cast
Aoki Shinsuke (ep1)
Funaki Sachi (舟木幸) (ep1)
Nishiyama Sosuke (ep1)
Sekiya Kento (関谷賢斗) (ep1)
Chijiwa Yoshiyuki (千々和義之) (ep1)
Hanako (はなこ) (ep1,4)
Isono Arisa (磯野光沙) (ep1)
Kawanishi Mizuki (河西泉妃) (ep1)
Matsumoto Hinano (松本妃奈乃) (ep1)
Morimoto Seina (森本聖菜) (ep1)
Abe Ayuha (阿部歩羽) (ep1)
Tada Hikaru (多田煌琉) (ep1)
Kyo Nobuo (ep2)
Minami Yoshiko (南風佳子) (ep2)
Abe Minami (阿部未菜美) (ep2,4,7,10-11)
Ebisawa Kanna (海老沢神菜) (ep2,4,6,10-11)
Ueyama Naomi (上山奈織美) (ep2,4,10-11)
Yonezawa Shiori (米澤史織) (ep2)
Mihara Iona (三原伊織奈) (ep2)
Kawakura Keizo (川倉けいぞう) (ep2)
Yasuoka Nao (安岡直) (ep2)
Kawachi Namie (河内浪江) (ep2)
Yoneda Takuya (米田拓也) (ep2)
Minami Yoshihiro (南好洋) (ep2)
Urushibata Takeyuki (漆畑武征) (ep2)
Mizusawa Shun (水沢駿) (ep2)
Amano Hiroyuki (ep3-4)
Kubota Maki (ep3)
Izumi Takaomi (和泉貴臣) (ep3)
Watanaka Yuzo (渡仲裕蔵) (ep3)
Ninomiya Satoshi (二宮聡) (ep3)
Nishina Akiko (仁科亜季子) as Anzai Kumiko (ep4,8)
Sakamoto Makoto (ep4)
Takaku Chigusa (高久ちぐさ) (ep4)
Mitsunobu (光宣) (ep4)
Yamanashi Hana (山梨ハナ) (ep4-6)
Dangan Jacky (弾丸ジャッキー) (ep4)
Koichi Mantaro as Hayashi Hisanori (ep6-8)
Sueno Takuma (末野卓磨) (ep7)
Tomioka Masafumi (富岡真史) (ep7)
Izutsu Taichi (井筒太一) (ep7)
Tamayama Tetsuji as Kamiyama Shun (ep8-11)
Nakane Toru as Soma Fuyuhiko (ep9,11)
Maeda Ken (前田健) (ep9)
Matsuda Saki (松田沙紀) (ep9)
Shimazaki Nobuo (嶋崎伸夫) (ep9)
Yoshino Yoshiko (よしのよしこ) (ep9)
Goshu (剛州) (ep10)
Nishikawa Yoshiro (西川洋禄) (ep10-11)

Shiomi Eiji is forced to become a single father when his girlfriend passes away while giving birth to their daughter, Shizuku. Desolate after the loss of the woman he loved, Eiji has little time or desire to even consider remarrying, working part-time jobs just to make ends meet. The one thing that gives meaning and joy to his life is Shizuku, but even that begins to trouble him when Shizuku begins acting strange, hiding her face by putting a cloth over her head when around other people.

One day after opening his flower shop, Eiji comes across a blind woman standing by the door, taking shelter from the rain. When he invites her to come inside the shop, she at first refuses, but later gives in to Eiji's kindness. They become intimate friends and she slowly grows to depend on Eiji's sincerity and goodheartedness. After rescuing her a following evening when she walks into the street and is nearly struck by traffic, Eiji himself inexplicably discovers the cold of winter that has saddled his heart all these years slowly melting away...

This was an absolutely, wonderful, exciting, suspensful, fulfilling drama. OMG! Totally loved this. Okay, let's not forget that Shota-kun and my favorite actor of all-time Tetsuji-kun were in it. Some serious eye-candy for me. No joke.

Why, oh why, is my Tetsuji-kun always a bad guy? He sort of redeemed himself at the end but yet......I just wanted to jump through the screen and plant a wet-juicy one on him.

This story was a serious tear jerker with a happy ending. I won't lie....as you all who have read my blog know....I'm a big wuss. LOL!

There were a few parts that were slow but the show never lost its quality. Shota-kun was awesome as the young, immature Baka! I wasn't sure how they could redeem him from his orneryness at the beginning. But, his story came out well in the end. Ahhh.....KOI.

All the characters were well played. I loved them all. Really a truly touching, loving story.

Matsuda Shota

Regatta

Starring:
Hayami Mokomichi as Ozawa Makoto
Aibu Saki as Odagiri Misao
Matsuda Shota as Yagi Seiya
Wakatsuki Chinatsu as Tajima Chikako


Makoto is a promising oarsman at a University regatta team. One day, he loses his best friend by a tragic accident which he believes and blames himself for the very cause. Although he once leaves the team out of tremendous sense of responsibility, he finally decides to return by the encouragement of Misao and his teammates, and moreover, for the love and passion of regatta. He is determined than ever to become a top class oarsman and struggles to fulfill his dream to participate in the Olympic games. Through the severe practices and competitions of regatta, Makoto learns the bitterness and difficulties of life. Rivalry with teammates, agonies of love and friendship… The first ever drama of the rising actor Hayami to perform as the leading role! --TV Asahi

I'm so glad that I followed up on this one. After watching Ganbatte Ikimasshoi, I remembered I had wanted to see this one because of Hayami Mokomichi. And to my most happiest, fascinating discovery of finding out that Matshuda Shota was in this as well. I so definitely fell in love with him in Liar Game. Sugoi! *shivers run down my spine*

Regatta started out at a clip and kept on sailing from there. I was not bored at all. I was fascinated with the ups-and-downs of Makoto. I wanted to jump through the screen and hug him and tell him "it will be okay." *sigh* I wasn't impressed with Yagi and his attitude but eventually warmed up to his cold nature/warm heart. I didn't know who to route for when it came to "woo-ing" Misao. I was a little disappointed with the ending because I wanted to see Makoto and Yagi's name as the top names to head to the Beijing Olympics...not Taki's name. Eeergh.

If you are a Shota-kun and Moko-kun fan, you will NOT be disappointed.

Hayami Mokomichi

They say he's part Cambodian or some Southeast Asian country. Not sure if that is true but that would totally explain his coloring. He's very dark for a Japanese man. Ah but it makes him cuter. He is so very tall. Geez! Every show the poor guy has to duck into a room through the door or he'll smack his head. That what makes it hard to find "sexy" pics of him because he is so tall and lanky. His muscle mass is stretched thin. He is in no way ugly...hell no! In actuality, the naivete and pureness of his face sets him apart that sometimes I feel you can reach his soul. Very special indeed.

Matsuda Shota

Now this is a FIIIIIINE Japanese man. He seems to always have a severe look to him so that is why he always makes a wonderful villain or antagonist. And that is a real good thing because we all love to love the "bad boy". And I so love this bad boy!!

Shota-kun looks Japanese. He doesn't seem "Americanized". I don't exactly know how to explain it. I guess after watching so many dramas, many of the actors have been prettied up so much that you can't tell what nationality they are from unless you see their kid photos. That is why I love Kame, Kimura Takuya, and Matsuda Shota. Their ethnicity shines through. No actor or actress should change their looks to accomodate the fray. I love the shape of their eyes, the severity of their eyebrows, the shape of their noses, and the way they walk. God, I love the way they walk. That is a big turn on to me.

Aoi Haru (Blue Spring)

Kujo~"Aren't there some flowers that aren't meant to bloom?"
Sensei~"I'd like to believe all flowers were, eventually."

Things aren't looking so great at Asahi High. This all-boys school has a high drop-out rate and the boys are intellectually challenged since most skip school. Many are on drugs, they smoke, and in gangs. Sounds like any American inner-city high school right?

The new leader of the senior class is Kujo (Matsuda Ryuhei) whose general apathy is punctuated by moments of violence and physical prowess by those who challenge his control. All he had to do was play a "clapping" game on the roof that required him to hold on to the roof rails while standing on the outside. If you mess up, you fall to your death. Aoki (Arai Hirofumi) has been his best friend since elementary school and is considered his "gopher" in the gang, which Aoki doesn't like. Yukio (Takaoka Sousuke) learns to play the guitar but ponders killing and eventually does by killing Ota (Yamazaki Yuta) in a bathroom stall. Kimura (Oshibe Yusuke) was a pitcher on the baseball team but has been having a losing streak. Feeling down on his luck, he decides to quit school and join the yakuza (mob) his brother is affiliated with. Yoshimura (Oshinari Shugo) wants to join Kujo's gang but lacks the know-how to do so. His only option is to be their look-out and scout while they do nefarious deeds. The Ghost (Eita) is a sickly kid who sleeps through class, runs off during lunch, and takes care of the sakura trees that surround the school yard. (I've no clue really why this character was in the movie...seriously! Maybe so we could look at a sweet, cute Eita as a kid. *smiles*) All the while, Kujo considers quitting school.

Kujo~"Aren't there some flowers that aren't meant to bloom?"
Sensei~"I'd like to believe all flowers were, eventually."



All I can say is..is that this was a freakin' AWESOME movie. I'll admit that this movie isn't for most. The teen angst was amazing! Totally amazing. Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi!

Matsuda Ryuhei



And for those of you who didn't know...he's the older brother of Matsuda Shota of LIAR GAME! OMG! I didn't review Liar Game. Or I thought I did and it didn't save. What the.....?????