Yoiko no Mikata (よい子の味方 -2003)

Starring:
Sakurai Sho as Suzuki Taiyo
Matsushita Yuki as Mita Shizuka
Fukiishi Kazue as Sakai Minako
Endo Shozo Sasaki Shuzo
Yazawa Shin as Kojima Kaoru
Yoshida Hideko as Yoshikawa Kiyoko
Hamada Mari as Yokoyama Sayuri
Matsushima Nahomi as Tanaka Rie
Itaya Yuka as Arai Erika
Otoha as Omoto Rumi
Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin (Gokusen)
Waki Tomohiro as KUMA (Gokusen)
Aiba Masaki
Ohno Satoshi
Saito Ryusei
Hirooka Yuriko

Ask any nursery-aged little girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she's bound to say nurse, florist, or ballerina. Ask any nursery-aged little boy what he wants to be when he grows up and he's bound to say policeman, fireman, sports player, or pilot. As for 20-year-old young man Taiyo Suzuki, however, he's had different aspirations all his life. Moved by his elderly nursery school teacher, Taiyo decided then and there that he too would also become one. Now, having passed the nursery school teacher examination, bright-eyed and eager Taiyo is out to make his mark on a totally female-dominated world. Posted at the Himawari Nursery School to cover for another teacher on maternity leave, Taiyo has but a few short months to prove himself to the female teachers and children's mothers who are arrayed against him that he is every bit as capable as the women. And more importantly, along the way, he'll make his mark with his sparkle and energy to be a true best friend to the children at the school as well. --- NTV



I love, love, love, love this drama. Why, oh why, was it so hard to find online? Well, because the fansubbers specifically pulled all those episodes off because they weren't giving permission to do so. Soooooooo..........................

I got a wild hair. I found the subbers. STORMY fansubs. I found their blog site. They had all episodes there ready for downloading. So I did. I'm so glad I made the effort.

Imagine Gokusen. Then imagine Gokusen in kindergarten. Yeah, Sakurai Sho is our beloved teacher. He himself had pretty much the same hang-ups as Yankumi. You wouldn't really imagine Sho-kun as a kindergarten teacher...but damn if it didn't work. He was wonderful. I think I cried every freakin' episode. They were so sentimental and happy. So happy that you couldn't help but tear up. Oh....episode 6 you'll cry not because of happiness. Sooooooo sad. Ugh!

If you have the time, Winamp, and HJsplit......download this freakin' drama! It's so wonderful. Sho-kun is excellent. So excellent enough to cry on a freakin' dime. I couldn't spill that many tears like he can....and they seem truly sincere!

Can I say I loved it? Yeah? I LOVED IT!!!!

I love you Sakurai Sho! Ohhhhhh, and Aiba, Ohno, and Matsumoto-kun made some guest appearances. Ohno-kun! I love you, too!

Sakurai Sho

Kisarazu Cat's Eye (2002)

Starring:
Okada Junichi as Bussan (Tabuchi Kohei)
Sakurai Sho as Bambi (Nakagomi Futoshi)
Okada Yoshinori as Ucchie (Uchiyama)
Sato Ryuta as Master (Okabayashi Shingo)
Tsukamoto Takashi as Ani (Sasaki Kizashi)
Sakai Wakana as Mouko
Abe Sadao as Nekota Kaoru
Yamaguchi Tomomitsu as Yamaguchi-senpai
Furuta Arata as Ojii / Ozu Yujiro & Shintaro
Morishita Aiko as Rose (The Second Generation Kisarazu Rose)
Kohinata Fumiyo as Tabuchi Kosuke
Yakushimaru Hiroko as Asada Mirei
Shima Daisuke as the cafe owner
Sunouchi Mihoko (須之内美帆子) as Setsuko
Narimiya Hiroki as Sasaki Jun
Hosono Yumiko as Igarashi Ichiko
Morishita Tetsuo as the school principal
Hida Yasuhito as the vice principal
Hiraiwa Kami as Miiko
Miyake Hiroki as Takeda (police officer)

Guests
Kono Yoichiro (河野洋一郎) as the math teacher (ep1,3)
Seto Masaya (瀬戸将哉) as the science teacher (ep1)
Kitaro as a thief (ep2)
Murasugi Seminosuke (村杉蝉之介) as the policeman (ep2)
Casey Takamine as Komine (yakuza kumicho, ep3)
Aikawa Sho as himself (ep3,5)
Masuda Keiko as Naomi (Master's sister-in-law) (ep4)
Schadaraparr (http://www.schadaraparr.net) as Danii, Kenii, Tonii (ep5-6)
Pierre Taki (ピエール瀧) as Sigourney Koike (ep6)
Kishidan as themselves (ep7)
Nakamura Shido as Inujima (ep7-8)
Kato Taka (http://www.katotaka.com/) as himself (ep7)
YOU as Mizuki Asari (ep8)
Watanabe Ikkei as Ucchie's dad (ep8)
Miyaji Masako as Ucchie's mom (ep8)
Aja (あじゃ) as Hitomi (ep9)
Azumi Shinichiro as Azumi (ep9)
Shibayama Kaori (柴山香織) as Chiharu (ep9)
Tsumabuki Satoshi as Little Yamada (ep9)
Maruyama Tomomi
Matsumoto Jun

Twenty-one year old former high school baseball player, Kohei (nickname: Bussan), learns that he is dying from cancer. He is told that he only has six months to live, and decides that he wants to do something daring and risky. He proposes to five trusted members from his former baseball club that they form a ring of cat burglars that would steal from those who commit crimes. His friends think it odd, but feel they cannot turn down a dying man's request. With only six months, how much could they do anyway? --TBS

Geez-a-lou! Another good one I've passed up originally. Why? Because I was a total, complete idiot. Baka!

This drama was totally original and was so touching. I will admit I thought this was about a guy who was diagnosed to die but the doctor screwed up or something happened and the diagnosis would change. Well, not true. He does have cancer. As Bussan described it....it effects the lymph nodes. So in other words he has lymphoma.

I wouldn't say this was the greatest comedy but the story is about a guy trying to live life day by day with his closest friends. In doing so, he learns about the greatest gift of all. Just thinking about it makes me sad. Okay, my eyes are burning because the tears are trapped behind my eyeballs. I want to cry. I really don't want to but yet I need to.

This drama wasn't really sad but yet we all know the outcome of the story..........that is what is so painful.

Surprising the cast did an awesome job. I've already known that Junichi-kun was a good actor. I've seen them all act before, actually. But in a serious role, Sakurai Sho was amazing. His character was a little bit more bubble-headed, I guess. But not used to him without his Arashi bandmates, this was definitely a better role for him without the dependence of Arashi.
*Oh crap an edit....I found more of Sho-kun's dramas and will definitely be watching them all! He and Ohno are my favorite Arashi members. They are so KAWAII! Ooops, I forgot that I saw him in Yamada Taro Monogatari too. My bad.*

Okada Junichi


Sakurai Sho


Narimiya Hiroki

Yellow Tears (Kiiroi namida / 黄色い涙-2007)

Starring:
Sho Sakurai - Ryuzo Mukai
Masaki Aiba - Shoichi Inoue
Kazunari Ninomiya - Eisuke Muraoka
Satoshi Ono - Kei Shimokawa
Jun Matsumoto - Yuji Katsumada
Yu Kashii - Tokie
Hirotaro Honda - Teikichi
Hanae Kan - Yasuko Muraoka
Chieko Matsubara - Kinu Muraoka
Mariko Miyamitsu - Mikako Yoshino
Kotaro Shiga - Hayashida
Kin Sugai - Yone
Tomoko Tabata - Kaoru Nishigaki
Mai Takahashi - Yumiko

The movie is centered around five friends as they end up spending the summer of 1962 shackled up together in a tiny studio apartment in Tokyo. The five friends are Eisuke - the manga artist, Shoichi - the singer, Ryuzo - the novelist, Kei - the painter and Yuji – the 5th wheel (?). The friends spend the summer in pursuit of their own ideals of personal freedom - being able to do what they want. In the process of pursuing their dream they learn firsthand that however ideal it may seem, its not as easy as they think. -- Lunapark6

Hmm? This movie was a little slow. No action, no sex (only by implication), no drugs, lots of silent moments and talking.

This movie was a growing-up/coming-of-age movie. It was really four guys with Matsomoto Jun making small appearances. Lessons learned, the guys realize that sometimes dreams can't make money.

I wouldn't recommend this for everyone. Even all the Arashi fans might not like this. It was not made for eye-candy visuals and for teenage thrills.

I really can't say if I like this movie or not. I feel like the story was trying to go one way but the movie didn't make the trip. Or it was made that way. Don't know. In actuality, this movie had it's poignant moments and wonderful quotes that (damn, I wish I had written down) at one point near the end, made me tear up. Okay, at that point, I was like "ahhhh!" *wipes wet soaked eyes*

Yeah, I guess I liked it. It started making more sense near the end. But in a way, it was sad.....sometimes growing up makes life a little difficult.

Arashi

PIKA*NCHI life is hard dakara happy (ピカ☆☆ンチ Ｌｉｆｅ ｉｓ Ｈａｒｄ だから Ｈａｐｐｙ」-2004)

Starring:
Satoshi Ohno/ 大野智 as Haru
Sho Sakurai/ 櫻井翔 as Chu
Masaki Aiba/ 相葉雅紀 as Shun
Kazunari Ninomiya/ 二宮和也 as Takuma
Jun Matsumoto/ 松本潤 as Bon

Wah! Finally, I've watched it! It's the sequel to [Pika*nchi: Life is Hard dakedo Happy], a movie starring the 5 Arashi members! (^_^)

Well, As we all know, [Pika*nchi] ended with Takuma(Nino) flying off to LA.
As expected with the sequel...it started off with Takuma coming back to Yashio.

And many things happened since he left,

Shun(Aiba) got accepted at Aogakku and eventually found an interest in crochet! and joined a class...then, he improved until he became a crochet sensei... yep, he's teaching crochet, yo!! And now, everything he wears is hand-made...by him. Very weird yet cute.

And...Haru(Ohno) is working in that grocery store owned by that lady whom he had sex with. And yep, he's still seeing her.

Bon(Jun) left Yashio to go on a trip to improve his cooking skills. He says he agrees with the municipality and it's okay with him to demolish the "poor" building. Haru is deeply scarred by this and considered Bon as a traitor, since they're trying to protect the building and Takuma's apartment.

And lastly, Chu(Sho)...has a family! Haha...yes, he met the gang leader of a female gang and after years of fighting, they eventually fell in love and lived together. Hahah...Then later on, his "wife" got pregnant and gave birth to the cutest little boy, who was named Teppeki! Hahah...and for the sake of their baby, Chu transformed and became the top salesman. Chu's the cutest dad ever!

Anyway, the movie was mainly focused on the boys trying to stop the demolition, etc etc.

And in the end, Takuma had to leave again...and before he left, Haru gave each of them notebooks which had "Life is Hard dakara Happy" printed on the front. He said, they'll write down the hard stuff and funny stuff that'll happen to them there. "The one who writes the sequel of the story is you", Takuma said. Well, of course...the guys didn't like the idea at first. But the leader, Takuma, said he'll write on it and the guys followed.

I love the opening and closing credits~ (^_^) the opening song was still Pikanchi...but more colorful and interesting X3 and the closing song is....Pikanchi Double!! Yeys! I love it...they showed the PV~~ (^_^) wooh~

And also, Nino sang his version of "Michi" which was reaaaally good! (><) really, Nino's solos are the best! Wah, anyway...watch it guys! (^_^) A must-see for Arashi fans~ (^_^) Yey for the boys~~<3>~~jennah13

Obviously, I found a "bubble-gummy" summarization of this movie. All I could find on the time I'm given. So many movies, so little time, ya know?

This movie, was a total meltdown for me. The first one wasn't all that but this one was even worse. Agh! The only good part of the movie was the fansubbers sarcastic comments at the end during credits...LOL! What a hoot! Oh! And the MV was nice anyway.

The whole movie was wishy-washy, made no sense. Okay, the fansubber that wrote the English needs to take more classes in writing English. Ugh! But what can you do. We depend on these guys to get these movies out quick and free to watch. So I should just shut my trap! God bless SARS and Dattebayo....the only fansubbers that I really love.........

Arashi

PIKA*NCHI life is hard dakedo happy (「ピカ☆ンチ Ｌｉｆｅ ｉｓ Ｈａｒｄ だけど Ｈａｐｐｙ」-2002)

Starring:
(Group Arashi)
*Matsumoto Jun as Bon
*Ninomiya Kazunari as Takuma
*Aiba Masaki as Shun
*Sakurai Sho as Chu
*Ohno Satoshi as Haru

The movie revolves around 5 old friends (portrayed by ARASHI) who live in a big apartment complex in Tokyo. Recently promoted to the status of senior high school students, none of them has a clear idea about the up-coming future and just spend all their time having fun. While entertaining themselves in Harajuku to relive their high school days, they encounter some unforeseen surprises…



This was kind of cute. I've never actually seen all of Arashi at once other than in MV's. It started out really well, the middle bored me, then it picked up at the end.

It wasn't all that great but I know for Arashi fans....I'm sure everyone is swooning. Not me. I'm a KAT-TUN girl!!

The movie just didn't make a lot of sense to me. A lot of mumbo jumbo. That's okay. It was enough to kill early morning boredom.

Arashi

Aishiteru! Saranghae! Wo Ai Nee! Means....I Love You!

Ah! I've decided to post some of the reasons of why I watch Asian dramas before I start posting links and reviews of my favorite shows. I have 3 reasons why I watch Asian dramas........

1. HOT Japanese men.
2. HOT Korean men.
3. HOT Taiwanese/Chinese men.

Aren't those good enough reasons. (My husband is rolling his big, brown eyes right now.) I know, I know, I know. Hey! There are some HOT chicks but I won't talk about them because I'm not that sort of gal. Hehe!

I spent most of my night in bed tossing and turning on how to put this into words into my blog. I wish I had a voice recorder because at that time in bed it sounded so much better. Who do I start with? What movies should I reference them to? Should I make it even and put the same amount of guys for each genre? But, nahhhh. I'll just put who I like and why. And for the record, literally, most of these guys started out in boy bands or were singers before starting out as actors, and/or doing both.

So let me start by saying that it will be the Japanese first since that is the genre I started with in the first place. And it will be the first guy that I liked from the beginning.

So let me begin.

JAPAN

Tamaki Hiroshi

My first drama ever was Nodame Cantabile. It's corny by American standards. That's only because it's based on a manga (comic). Some of the actions are exaggerated but if you can get passed that....you'll fall in love with the story. Hiroshi plays Chiaki. His character is an eccentric, clean freak compared to Nodame who is untidy, unstudious, and totally a marble head. Other notable dramas and movies I have seen him in........

Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi
Last Christmas
Remote
Waterboys
Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru

Oh did I mention that he can sing too?!!!

Kimura Takuya

Out of all the actors I mention, he is the very best so far by my standards. Agh! I get the eebie-geebies, mushy, heart squeezy feelings for this man. He isn't the best looking of them all but damn if his characters don't make you fall for him.

The very first drama from this talented guy that I happened upon and ended up having a Takuya marathon was Love Generation. Katagiri Teppei...mmmmm,mmmmm,mmmmm. Maybe it was the bad boy image? Long hair? Attitude? From this drama on, I watched maybe 3-4 other of his dramas back-to-back. Oh, my toes curl with delight. Takuya-kun is a member of the boy band called SMAP. Here are few more of my recommended shows for viewing from this guy.

Hero
Engine
Pride
Good Luck!
Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi

Oh damn! Just read that he's going to be in an American made movie called I Come with the Rain starring Josh Hartnett! Hot damn!

Kamenashi Kazuya

If only I were 10 years younger....*sigh*. So cute. Kazuya is a member of the HOT boy band KAT-TUN.

I never really paid much attention to this guy until I came across the drama called 1 Pound no Fukuin. This drama is another drama based off a Japanese manga. It's about a boxer who falls in love with a nun-wannabe. Very sweet. But the best out of his dramas, hands down, is the drama called Nobuta wo Produce (notice how my blog name resembles his...hehe! Here are few more shows from him that I recommend.......

Tatta Hitotsu no Koi
Suppli
Gokusen 2

Here's a song from KAT-TUN with Kazuya singing the theme to Gokusen 2....Kizuna!

*sigh*

.....and last but not least............

Matsumoto Jun

Mmmm,mmmm,mmmm! Kawaii (cute in Japanese!) *sigh* He is also a member of a boy band named ARASHI. I'm not much for their music, but hey, I can't like everyone.

This guy is a great actor. Something about him comes across as arrogant. Very tense for an actor and hard for me to see as a comedian even though he did have very many poignant, comedic moments in Bambino! and Gokusen (the first season....he was not in the second season with my Kazuya.) I first noticed this guy in the movie Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru. The movie is about a brother and a sister(fraternal twins) who love each other...and not in the sibling fashion. This might sound like a perverted movie but you forget they are related and you feel for them. A forbidden love that can't be accepted. Definite tear jerker. It makes you think about what is considered forbidden and accepted in society and why the rules are the way they are. What is even sadder is that they have loved each other since the day they were conceived. Man, tears are already forming. *sigh* Here's more from this great, young actor/singer........

Hana Dori Yango
Kimi wa Pet

KOREA

Oh yeah. This country produces the best dramas....EVER. You will find fan sites of Korean dramas and fanatics like myself who can't get enough. OMG! My Bi (Rain) is from here. *sigh, giggle, sigh*

Jeong Ji Hoon
Bi (Rain)

*saliva oozes from the corners of my mouth* I can't get enough of this man! My excitement mounts because a few months ago I found out that my main man will be in the Speed Racer movie coming out next month. It won't be a main part but who gives a damn! I'll be there in my theater seat drooling like a rabid dog in heat! He can act, he can sing, and damn if he can dance! *shivers*


Out of all of the Korean dramas, this one has been considered the best out of them all. There hasn't been another one that can compete with the ratings this one pulled out in the year 2004. The drama.....is called Full House! The ratings for this show went through the roof. Let's compare it to the year that JR got shot on Dallas kind of ratings. Whew! This drama is the drama that got me hooked. I've not watched American TV since. No more LOST, no more Desperate Housewives, no more Office. Why should I watch them when these dramas can't compare? They are more intense, more loving, more romantic....ahhhh. Bi (Rain) as he is called in the English language has this naive, childlike demeanor in his shows. He is so compelling. His face is so sweet. You can't help but be drawn into his innocence. Yeah, that is the word....innocence. There isn't any awkwardness, evil, mistakeness in his acting. It's sincere in it's primest form. Oh, let me count the ways I love this guy. If you want to start watching at least one Asian drama...this is the one to start you out on. Here's more from "my" guy. (The husband is rolling his eyes again..... ;) )

A Love to Kill
Sang Doo, Let's Go To School
I'm a Cyborg, but It's Ok

Lee Wan

Okay, this guy is gorgeous. Oh my! But that is not the only reason why I love this guy. I watched the most beautiful, saddest, romantic story with this guy as a main character. The story.....Heaven's Tree, or Tree of Heaven, depending on how that person wants to write it. I watched this story and afterwards cried so hard for so many hours. A+++++ is this show. OMG! You'll go through a year's worth of Kleenex in one sitting. Just thinking about it now, my nose starts to run and my eyes start to water. Story depicts the love of two step siblings. The girl is Japanese. Her father dies and her mother goes back to Korea and marries another man who already had a son from his previous marriage. The son is Lee Wan (Soon-suh). Even with language barriers, she only speaks Japanese and he only speaks Korean. They eventually fall in love. Oh God....the waterworks are going as I remember the story. All I can say is......if ever there was a true love....the story depicts it well!! I've seen him in only one other drama.....In-Soon is Pretty. This one was well-acted. A really good show. But because of Heaven's Tree, I had to put him in my blog.

Gong Yoo

Ummm.....yummo! Found that pic and had to post it up! Whew! *sweatin' bullets* LOL!

I've only seen one of his dramas and one movie. The movie he had a small supporting role...but it was quite funny. The movie was called.......My Tutor Friend. It was a cute, sweet film. Something fun to watch to get you out of your doldrums. The drama that shows his best ability was the drama called the First Shop of the Coffee Prince. This was actually my first Korean drama. The storyline catches ya like a shark on bloody meat. As soon as your hooked, all you can do is hang on because you aren't going anywhere. LOL! Definite must see, and hey, he's not bad to look at either. Hehe!

TAIWAN/CHINA

What is it about a guy, leather, and a crotch-rocket? Mmmmm. Why do I start with that question? Well, because the first guy I will talk about looked so damn good in a particular drama...that I've been following his shows ever since. And damn if he ain't the finest thing next to fine China.

Vic Zhou

OMG! He's the best looking out of them all! I swear! Another boy band member, he is a member of F4. F4 was created after Meteor Garden was created. Metero Garden is the Taiwan version of Hana Yori Dango...another Japanese manga. Does anyone see a correlation here?

And most of all, his hit drama MARS was out of this world (pun intended). Whew! MARS is highly recommended. Next to Heaven's Tree, this one will make you cry. Maybe not as long, but it will take you for one hell of a rollercoaster ride. That is for damn sure. MARS was another drama depicted from a Japanese manga. And this one my friends is why girls like guys on bikes. *fans self* Okay, okay....he's not just gorgeous but he really can act. He started out as an actor and continues to this day. I've seen almost all of his dramas............and they kick butt!

Love Storm
Silence~serious tear jerker....BEWARE!
Sweet Relationship
Wish to See You Again

Joe Cheng

This guy was the first Taiwanese actor I got to witness. I had just got done watching Itzura na Kiss (a Japanese drama and manga) and came across It Started with a Kiss the Taiwanese version of the manga. He was the main character. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! Kawaii!!! This drama is soooooo popular. It is the hottest thing searched on most video viewing websites. *cough, cough* Luckily, the Taiwanese decided to stick with the manga and have followed it pretty well. And with the drama being sooooo popular, they decided to continue the story further and have produced They Kissed Again (scroll down the page from the link to ISwAK). A very addictive show. The second show is still airing to this day.

Summer X Summer
The Rose

All in all, these are a few of my favorite men. Oh there are more. But I seem to come across these guys the most. There will be more to come...and I'll have new reviews to post. So keep a look out!

Sayonara!
Ahn nyung hee ke se yo!
Zài jiàn!
Bye!