GiraGira ( ギラギラ -2008)

Starring:
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Nanase Kohei
Maya Miki as Sonobe Yuki
Hara Sachie as Nanase Momoko
Miura Shohei as Shoji
Sato Tomohito as Ichikawa Kenta/Hideyoshi
Abe Tsuyoshi as Eiji
Ashina Sei as Yuuna
Tanaka Yoji as Fukami
Kotegawa Yuko as Jinguji Rena
Ishibashi Ryo as Katsuragi Taisei
Yamazaki Hajime as Tahira Hiroshi
Yuki Jutta as Toma
Sakimoto Hiromi as Yuki
Sakuragi Ryosuke (桜木涼介) as Akira
Nishiyama Sosuke as Rikuto
Yuji as Ken
Matsumoto Hiroya as Ren
Nagamachi Taro as Ryo
Matsushita Kouji as Leo
CHIKARA as Sakuya
Suzuki Mie (鈴木美恵)
Fujisawa Karin
Shikanai Daishi as Haruki
Guests
Igarashi Shunji as Eagle (ep1-2)
Hara Mikie (原幹恵) as Sayo (ep1-2)
Toda Keiko as Asaoka Misa (ep1)
Mitsuya Yoko as Kyoka (ep3)
Kobayashi Emi (小林恵美) as Saki (ep3)
Nonami Maho as Kazuki Sarina (ep4)
Kikawada Masaya as Sachiel (ep6)
Nishihara Aki as Hime/Oohara Maiko (ep6)
Wada Masato as Kazuma (ep7-8)

Based on a hit manga, this adaptation depicts the life of a married man Nanase Kohei after he returned to his former job as a male host. He woos the clients with his gentle and caring nature, and soon retrieves his former credit as the ace of the club. However, the transition back for this middle-aged man is not without its challenges. Afraid that his wife will find out about this job, Nanase is also garnering jealousy and displeasure from the younger hosts. Throughout the course of his employment, he demonstrates to others that hosting should not be the vulgar occupation it has become where the entire goal is to make the women frivolously spend money, rather, it is about a human connection that is so often overlooked.

This was a pretty good show. Not the overly best. It started out really interesting but got sorta of boring near the middle. It was the same old, same old where Kohei had to save the day and the woman. I wanted to see more character development with Shoji and the other hosts at the club. More so of Shoji since he was the closest to Kohei.

The ending was sort of abrupt and ended differently to that I thought it would. It was a happy ending but sort of lame. This show was a great boredom buster if and when I ran out of my other dramas to watch. I will say there was plenty of eye candy galore and was pleasantly surprised to see Wada Masato (Shigeshoshi) in the last two episodes. I am so looking forward to his dramas. He is a great actor and hidden talent in the Japanese TV world. If I were to see him on the Tokyo streets one day, I'd be all over him like "a fly on poo."

Another talent, that is starting to show up more often than not is Igarahi Shunji. Cute, not handsome, but something about him draws your attention to him. And he, too, costarred with Wada Masato in Shigeshoshi.

Miura Shohei


Wada Masato

Gokusen 3 ( ごくせん -2008)

Starring:
Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko (Yankumi / Ojou / Kumichou) (Math Teacher/Class 3D adviser)
Namase Katsuhisa as Sawatari Goro, Kyoto (School Vice Principal)
Enami Kyoko as Akagi Ryoko (Board Chairman)
Utsui Ken as Kuroda Ryuichiro (Kumiko's grandpa / 3rd Generation Oedo Yakuza Boss)
Anan Kenji as Wakamatsu Hiro
Kaneko Ken as Asakura Tetsu
Uchiyama Shinji as Tatsukawa Minoru
Ryogoku Hiroshi as Sugawara Makoto
Takaki Yuya as Ogata Yamato
Miura Haruma as Kazama Ren
Ishiguro Hideo as Honjo Kengo
Nakama Junta as Ichimura Rikiya
Kiriyama Akito as Kuraki Satoru
Miura Shohei as Kamiya Shunsuke
Waki Tomohiro as "Kuma" / Kumai Teruo (Former student of Yankumi)
Azuma Mikihisa as Baba Masayoshi (PE Teacher)
Koizumi Kotaro as Natsume Seichi (School Doctor)
Hirayama Aya as Takano Aoi (English Teacher)
Hoshino Aki as Ayukawa Sakura (School Nurse)
Sato Jiro as Yajima Hosaku (Japanese Classics Teacher)
Sakigake Santaro (魁三太郎) as Hatoyama Yasuhiko (World History Teacher)
Ishii Kota as Tsuruoka Keisuke (Physics Teacher)
Ishihara Atsumi (石原あつ美) as Kumai Ami (Kumai Teruo's wife)
Yamada Yu as Kazama Kaoruko (Kazama Ren's sister)

Class 3D
Ito Ryusuke (伊藤竜翼) as Ashida Ryusuke
Uefune Hiroto (上船弘人) as Ikeda Hiroto
Kanno Atsumi (菅野篤海) as Ishibashi Atsumi
Kido Yuya as Okuma Yuya
Kujirai Kosuke (鯨井康介) as Ohira Kosuke
Kobori Shinpei (小堀慎平) as Okada Shinpei
Koyanagi Shin (小栁心) as Katayama Shin
Shimizu Ryotaro (清水良太郎) as Katsura Ryotaro
Chiba Keisuke (千葉恵佑) as Saito Keisuke
Terada Shinya (寺田慎矢) as Suzuki Shinya
Totani Kimito (戸谷公人) as Takahashi Kimito
Nakayama Masei (中山麻聖) as Tanaka Masei
Hamao Kyosuke (浜尾京介) as Terauchi Kyosuke
Maeda Goki (前田公輝) as Hamaguchi Goki
Mayama Akihiro as Gen Akihiro
Maruo (まるお) as Hosokawa Maruo
Yazaki Hiroshi (矢崎広) as Matsukata Hiroshi
Yamada Ryohei (山田亮平) as Miki Ryohei
Yuki Jutta (夕輝壽太) as Murayama Jutta
Yuji (ユージ) as Yamamoto Yuji
Wakaba Ryuya as Yoshida Ryuya
Warabino Tomoya as Wakatsuki Tomoya

Guests
Omiya Taro (ep1,4,11)
Hojo Takahiro (ep3)
Kaneda Akio (ep5)
Shindo Gaku (ep5)
Kusumi Kaoru (楠見薫) (ep5)
Hirayama Keiko (平山慶子) (ep5)
Mashita Yuuki (真下有紀) (ep5)
Kojima Haruna (ep6)
Masu Takeshi (ep6)
Suzuki Hiromi (鈴木ひろみ) (ep6)
Matsuda Satoshi (ep7,11)
Fukuda Moe (福田萌) (ep7)
Kudo Aya (工藤亜耶) (ep7)
Miyazaki Yoshiko (ep8)
Takiguchi Yukihiro (ep8)
Shibuya Momoko (ep8)
Yagami Ren (ep9)
Nadaka Tatsuo (ep10)
Tokoshima Yoshiko (ep10)
Take Yutaka (武豊) (ep11)
Aoki Sayaka (ep11)

Miura Haruma, Nakama Junta, Kiriyama Akito


OMG! I'm shocked this has ended so soon. It seems like yesterday I just started watching this. Ugh!

Again this was pretty much the same theme, different year with the exception that this year didn't end with everyone knowing that Yankumi was yakuza. I was hoping that finally that Yankumi would finally find love with the doctor. Why do they make her suffer so? Does this mean we might get another Gokusen? Who would the main guys be this time if there was? I wish..........

I was surprised that I caught myself tearing up near the end when Ren got hurt and was in critical condition. To watch Yankumi break down.....yeah, it got me good. Damn tears!

Another good year, another set of good kids, and another round of teaching the basics in self reliance, self worth, friendship, and love of school. This show should be shown in schools because of the set of values it teaches.....in the States especially.

I really loved this season because I'm so in love with Haruma-kun! Just got done with Binbo Danshii too. Now I have to go on the hunt for more of this cute guy! He's got the looks and he's got the ability to become great!

Miura Haruma