Gakko Ja Oshierarenai (学校じゃ教えられない！-2008)

Starring:
Fukada Kyoko as Aida Mai
Tanihara Shosuke as Himuro Kensaku
Ito Ran as Kageyama Meiko
Naka Riisa as Yokoyama Eri
Nakamura Aoi as Mizuki Kazuki
Maeda Goki as Narita Shizuya
Asakura Aki as Kenjo Hitomi
Kato Mizuki as Suzumura Rei
Norizuki Kohei (法月康平) as Inai Shintaro
Natsume Suzu (夏目鈴) as Kameda Maho
Yanagisawa Daisuke (柳沢太介) as Nagasaki Kiyoshi
Morisaki Win (森崎ウィン) as Nishikawa Tomu
Yagyu Miyu (柳生みゆ) as Yoshizawa Kana
Miura Aoi (三浦葵) as Shingyoji Natsume
Matsumoto Hiroya (松本寛也) as Ma-kun (ep2&6)
Natsumi Elena as Meiko's daughter (ep8-10)

Fukada plays Mai Aida, a woman in her third year as an english teacher at a private all-girls high school. Due to declining enrollment, the school decides to admit its first male students. Those five freshmen initially feel they're in paradise, but the concerned Mai tries to help them adjust by creating a social dance club and inviting five girls. Those ten students become the focus of the drama, which is described as a story of love and adolescence.

I really liked this drama. I little off the beaten wagon but generally fell along the same guidelines about being an individual and trusting yourself and your friends.

I was a little disappointed in the end. I don't know why. I guess I was hoping for a more general climax to the story but it didn't accomplish that goal. Maybe I was hoping that Kazuki would end up "confessing" his love for Hitomi, who obviously loves him. Well, atleast a little something that I had been waiting for happened at the very end. *smiles*

I really loved Tanihara Shosuke's character. I new it would be good from the time his first scene aired. He was a sweet, eccentrically loveable character. His usual norm for being studious but yet his OCD was what made him so loveable at the same time.

Since this show was about young love, it wasn't surprising that most of the pairs became girlfriend/boyfriend. The backdrop of the story being that of a social dance club. This was definitely a show for young adults and pre-teens. A sweet show but yet I felt it could have been a little more in depth in character. Since it was only a 10-episode series, I feel they left too much character definition behind.

Hachi-One Diver (2008)

Starring:
Mizobata Junpei as Sugata Kentaro
Naka Riisa as Nakashizu Soyo / Ukeshi
Kohinata Fumiyo as Suzuki Hobbito
Yasuda Misako as Muguruma Rika
Date Mikio (伊達みきお) as Kakuta Goro
Tomizawa Takeshi (富澤たけし) as Hidaka Yasuo
Kinoshita Yukina as Tsukishima Misaki
Watanabe Tetsu as Tsukishima Fumio
Guests
Tsuruno Takeshi (つるの剛士) as Kazuya Yoshihide (ep1,9)
Kyo Nobuo as Mamushi (ep2)
David Ito as Katsura (ep2)
Osugi Ren as Jinno Shintaro (ep2-3,6)
Gekidan Hitori as Mojiyama (ep3-5)
Ikeda Tetsuhiro as Iruka Ichiro (ep3,6)
Kyomoto Masaki as Kirino (ep5-7)
Omasa Aya (大政絢) as Sugata Ayumi (ep6)
Hakamada Yoshihiko as Kasuga Kyosuke (ep8)
Oshinari Shugo as Kasuga Tomoya (ep8)
Fuku Matsumi (ふくまつみ) as Mikado (ep9)
Ishibashi Renji as Kirishima Seijuro (ep10)
Toda Naho as Kirishima Nagi (ep10)
Morimoto Leo as the TV drama director (ep11)

Sugata Kentaro used to be one of the most hopeful trainee to be a professional Shogi (Japanese chess) player, but fails at the final test. Now he has become a "Shinkenshi," a gambler who plays Shogi for money, and boasts his 182 wins in a row. But he is devastated when he is beaten completely by a young woman known as "Ukeshi" who takes any challenges and never loses. As Shogi means everything to him, he decides to train himself harder to become the strongest player. Based on a popular comic, this comedy drama is about a young man's exciting journey to reorganize his life through a series of tough challenges in Shogi guided by a mysterious girl. --Fuji Creative


I so totally fell in love with this comedy/drama! It was unique. Quite unique. The story had me at the very beginning to the point I couldn't move from the sofa. I watched it all today. It's only 11 episodes but they are only, roughly, 30 minutes long.

Shogi, the Japanese chess game, has me intrigued enough to give it a go. Problem is....where does one find it in the U.S.? I guess I could find an online beginners game, huh?

The story, even though it rests primarily on the game, is mainly about not giving up on your dreams. To just keep fighting on and not giving up because the road will keep going as long as you do.

I did a check up on Mizobata Junpei. He was in Hana Kimi??? I think I might have to hop through some episodes to see him. It seems once I find a "new" guy...he isn't new. LOL! I was really excited to see him and really believe that he will be in the "in" crowd.

Mizobata Junpei