Attention Please (アテンションプリーズ-2006)

Starring:
Ueto Aya as Misaki Yoko
Nishikido Ryo as Nakahara Shota
Maya Miki as Mikami Tamaki
Aibu Saki as Wakamura Yayoi
Uehara Misa as Hirota Saori
Koizumi Kotaro as Tsutsumi Shuusuke
Kohinata Fumiyo as Sakurada Shinya
Otsuka Chihiro as Sekiyama Yuki
Nanase Natsumi as Kinoshita Asami
Otomo Minami as Higashino Haruka
Fueki Yuko as Asou Kaoru
Takahashi Mariko as Kagawa Reiko
Koichi Mantaro as Watanabe Makoto
Asano Kazuyuki as Wakamura Shozo
Inoue Jun as Dazai Shinichiro
Mano Yuuko as Murayama Mizuho
Hoshino Natsuko as Takemoto Rie
Tanaka Sogen (田中聡元) as Ooki Mitsuya
Ishikawa Maki (石川真希) as Chief Nagano
Guests
Takaoka Sousuke as Tsukasa (ep1)
Higashihara Aki as Tsukasa's girlfriend (ep1)
Yamasaki Shizuyo as Yoshimura Chiemi (ep1, 11)
Sai Ryoji as Saori's gym mate (ep3)
Moriguchi Yoko as Katsuragi Shiho (ep5)
Yatsu Isao as the taxi driver (ep6)
Yamasato Ryouta as Okaba Goro (ep7, 11)
Asami Reina as Kubota Rina (ep7)
Yamaguchi Nikki (山口日記) as Oshima Megumi (ep7)
Takuya (たくや) & Kazuya (かずや) as the twin passengers (ep9)
Ichikawa Chieko (市川千恵子) (passenger, ep9)
Arai Kazuo (新井量大) (passenger, ep9)
Mori Koko (森康子) (passenger, ep9)
Rui Hisashi (塁央) (passenger, ep9)
Komuro Yuta (passenger, ep9)
Kuroda Shiho (黒田志保) (passenger, ep9)
Kimura Kaela (木村カエラ) as herself (ep10)
Fujimoto Shizuka (ep10)
Yamada Meikyo (passenger, ep11)
Izumi Akiko (passenger, ep11)
Shibuya Asuka as the newcomer trainee (ep11)

Losing her mother at a young age, Misaki Yoko (Ueto Aya) was raised amongst three brothers. Yoko is a slightly boyish girl who is bullheaded and hates dishonesty. Ever since she was young, she enjoyed the company of boys over girls. She starts a band with four of her boy friends and becomes the lead singer. Then one day, one of the members of the band, Tsukasa, gets a job at a bank in Tokyo. Due to Tsukasa leaving town, the band breaks up and though Yoko finds herself lonely, she puts on a strong act in front of Tsukasa. She can't tell Tsukasa how she truly feels for him. On the day Tsukasa leaves for Tokyo, Yoko goes along with the band members to the airport to see him off. The guys get excited when they see some cabin crew ladies and Yoko has no idea why. She reminds them that even she can wear a uniform, but the guys only make fun of her. That's when Tsukasa tells Yoko he wonders what she'd look like dressed in uniform. This is when Yoko decides she wants to work as a Cabin Attendant.

Hmm? This was absolutely a cute drama. No doubt. I had my doubts but watching Misaki grow as an adult was pretty hilarious to see. I myself sometimes find myself not really wanting to grow up either. I guess we all keep a bit of the kid of ourselves hidden away somewhere.

I was a little disappointed in the "romance" between her and Nakahara. We all knew it was there. We expected it but they never really made the connection. Yeah, the special after the drama ended showed a little more concern for their romance but still they left us wondering..."What the hell?" Damn, a hug would have surficed. So that left me a little bummed.

So if you watch it, don't expect a lot from the male and female leads. But in all, this drama was quite amazing and I actually learned something about the behind the scenes activities of a cabin attendant. LOL!

Nishikido Ryo

Last Friends-The Final Episode

I finally watched it. The end.

This has got to be one of the best Japanese drama's yet. The ending was astounding. It was everything that I had hoped for and wished for and dreamed of. You won't be disappointed. It's sad, reverent, happy, and glorious.

Eita, Ueno Juri, Nagasawa Masami, Nishikido Ryo.....thank you for making it such a wonderful experience in my life.

This is what a show is supposed to be like. MEMORABLE.

I have tears of joy!

Last Friends

Starring:
Eita - Takeru Mizushima
Asami Mizukawa - Eri Takigawa
Masami Nagasawa - Michiru Aida
Ryo Nishikido - Sosuke Oikawa
Juri Ueno - Ruka Kishimoto
Aki Nishihara

Last Friends deals with issues such as domestic violence, sexless couples, and other problems that people suffer today. The youths in this drama are all suffering from different issues. They come to live together in a share house.

Hair stylist assistant Michiru Aida comes across Ruka Kishimoto, her best friend in high school. Ruka is living in a share house with her friend Eri, and is aiming to become a motocross racer. Ruka invites Michiru to live with her in the share house, but Michiru declines because she has plans to start living with her boyfriend Sosuke Oikawa, who works at the child welfare division at the ward office.

The same day at the same store, hair & make-up artist Takeru Mizushima bumps into Ruka and picks up a cup that she dropped and broke. Takeru chases after Ruka to return the cup, but she mistakenly thinks that he's trying to pick her up. Ruka yells at Takeru and walks away.

Soon after this, Michiru moves in with Sosuke. She is filled with happiness when Sosuke promises he'll never leave her side, whatever happens. But one morning, Michiru wakes up to find Sosuke looking at her cell phone checking her text messages...



Okay, okay, okay. I finally broke down to watch this. Why, oh why, did I wait so damn long? I think this is the best Japanese drama yet. This drama is like no other. The love-quadrangle is fascinating in its own right. I really don't know who to route for.

I have to say it's hard to watch Nishikido Ryo play the villainous boyfriend, Sousuke. We've seen him play the sweet, innocent boyfriends in the past. So to see this is really disheartening but yet we see the realm of acting that Ryo-kun is able to portray. He has really grown up. *sigh*

Eita, well, I love him like a rabid-dog in heat. Everytime I see him, I melt. He has already established himself as an A-class actor. This time around his character, Takeru, has been sexually abused by a family member and he has a hard time of accepting physical affection of any kind. Some start to believe he is a gay male because he can't be around women physically. (Oh why did the fashion department dress him the way they did. They made him look too "girly". Ah well, he's still a hottie!)

Juri-chan, our Nodame Cantabile sweetheart, is not even relatively close to this character. Ruka is a sweetheart in her own right but in a different fashion. She plays a masculine female who is in love with her best friend. Her best friend, Michiru, is the woman being abused by her boyfriend Sousuke (Ryo-kun).

Two other characters fit in to the maze of friendships but are more co-stars that keep the dialogue going. The first episode was a slow go but once the show established itself...whoa!...I was hooked like catfish bait. So far there are only 8 English subbed episodes with only 16 scheduled episodes to be shown...so we are halfway there. I can't wait for the next episode.

Eita

This pic is from Nodame Cantabile...Mine Ryutaro!


Nishikido Ryo

Isshun no Kaze ni Nare (一瞬の風になれ Become a Moment of Wind-2008)

Starring:
Uchi Hiroki as Kamiya Shinji
Fukuda Saki as Taniguchi Wakana
Nishikido Ryo as Kamiya Kenichi
Hasegawa Jun as Ichinose Ren
Igarashi Shunji as Kagiyama Yoshito
Endo Yuya as Negishi Yasuyuki
Tanimura Mitsuki as Torisawa Keiko
Hojo Takahiro as Moriya
Nakamura Tomoya as Momouchi
Uchimura Teruyoshi as Miwa-sensei
Tajima Ryo

The story is about, Shinji, a freshman in high school who has found his calling in track and field, especially sprinting. Once a soccer player who idolized his brother enough to want to surpass him. Realizing this wouldn't happen, he quit soccer and joined the T&F club. The coach realizing that Shinji had potential has regarded him. Later Shinji was asked by the former captain of the team to replace him as captain as Shinji was a special motivator and asset to the team. As the years pass, Shinji finds friends, strength, and love while out on the field. Will he be able surpass his brother and accomplish his goals?



I've only seen the first 3 episodes of this...since the fansubbers haven't released the 4th and final part which is driving me crazy. I've put it in my favorites to keep a lookout for it.

This show is based on a short novel which I haven't seen yet but have read that it's way better than the drama itself. If that is true, then I'd better go and find an English translated version quick. This drama is good. I love sport stories that leave you uplifted and hopeful. I like this one especially because I AM A RUNNER. I totally understand the feeling of wanting and loving to run. (Just 30 minutes ago I ran over 7 miles.*smiles*) Just watching this drama inspired me to get off my ass and move! And I did..............

Tanaguchi: I can't become a hare, but I'll become a fast tortoise. *ahhhhhh!*

Uchi Hiroki


Nishikido Ryo


Igarashi Shunji


Endo Yuya

Ganbatte Ikimasshoi (Give It All)

Starring:
Suzuki Anne as Shinomura Etsuko
Nishikido Ryo as Sekino Hiroyuki
Uchi Hiroki as Nakata Saburo (ep1-2)
Taguchi Junnosuke as Nakata Saburo (ep4~)
Aibu Saki as Yano Rie
Iwasa Mayuko as Kikuchi Taeko
Satsukawa Aimi as Nakazaki Atsuko
Fujimoto Shizuka as Nakaura Mayumi
Ishida Yuriko as Oono Hitomi
Ikeuchi Hiroyuki as Oono Ken
Aijima Kazuyuki as Fukuda Shouichirou

"Someday, Somewhere, By chance."

Suzuki Anne plays Etsuko Shinomura, a girl who wants to start a girl's crew team at her school. However, in order to do so she needs to find at least 4 other members. She is met with many challenges during each episode - ie. finding enough members, bearing the weight of being captain, going through training, and experiencing some setbacks. However, with the help of her coach, childhood friend (Nishikido Ryo), and the rest of the boy's rowing team, she and the rest of her team are able to overcome those obstacles. A sports drama about hope, hard work, and perseverance

Etsuko Shinomura, at first glance, seems to be a courageous and active girl. Actually, she has low self-esteem but hides it by acting boldly. She's a typical teenager who is interested in boys. Etsuko lives with her family: her always cheerful mother, her father who runs a dry cleaning shop, and her lighthearted grandmother. Four years ago, her older sister entered the prestigious Kyoto University. Since childhood, Etsuko hated being compared with her smart sister. Although she successfully entered the famous Matsuyama High School this spring, she soon falls behind the others. One day, she happens to see four boys from the school's boat team rowing in unison. This sight lights a fire in Etsuko's heart, and she is determined to establish a girl's boating club. The problem is, not only does she hate sports, she also has anemia. Despite her difficulties, she actively takes part in forming a new club.

Hiroyuki Sekino is Etsuko's neighbor and a member of the boy's boat team. He used to be overweight when he was younger, but now, he's turned into a tall handsome young man. He has a lot of friends because of his friendly personality. Hiroyuki is always in a good mood. What his friends don't know is that when he was a member of his middle school's soccer club, the pressure caused him to have a breakdown. At home, his parents' attention always went to his smart young brother. Etsuko has an uneasy feeling when she finds out how much girls at school like Hiroyuki. When they were kids, Hiroyuki and Etsuko never got along. Always fighting and quarreling, Hiroyuki once pushed Etsuko off a jungle gym. What Etsuko doesn't know is that Hiroyuki always has had a crush on her.

Saburo Nakata belongs to the Rugby club. His tall figure and handsome looks capture the girls' attention at school. Contrary to his idol-like looks, Saburo is actually a serious and dedicated guy. Brought up in an all-female family, he's seen plenty of the negative side of women. That's why Saburo is a bit timid when it comes to romance. He's not only brilliant, he's also a great athlete and is hoping to enter the prestigious Tokyo University. His dream is to get a job that will touch people's hearts. Saburo's "never give up" attitude is a positive influence on Etsuko and the girls who tend to give up easily.

Rie Yano is the typical honor student. She shoulders the burden of her parents' expectations and is aiming to enter a national university and go to medical school. Rie is moved when she sees how dedicated and passionate Etsuko is when it comes to the girl's boat club, and decides to join the club herself. She has a tough time balancing her studies and club activities, but with her rich knowledge of Science, Rie makes a big contribution as a member of the maintenance crew. As the expert mechanic, she makes her presence on the team felt by all.

Taeko Kikuchi stands out in the boat team with her bright-colored hair and pierced ears. Before joining the team, her strong personality gave the false impression that Taeko was the leader of a group of juvenile delinquents. But when she became friends with Etsuko and was moved by her passion for boats, Taeko joins the team. Soon, she becomes an essential member of the team. Her only weak point is that she's short-tempered.

Hitomi Ohno was the star member of the award-winning girl's squad when Matsuyama High School previously had a girl's boat team. When Etsuko asks Hitomi to coach her team, she happily accepts, and teaches the girls the excitement of rowing. Hitomi's husband Ken, is the coach of the boy's boat club and still active in boat rowing. They've been married for four years, but Ken's worries about continuing the sport has created a gap between the couple.

Yukio Shinomura is Etsuko's father and the owner of a dry cleaning store. He takes pride in what he does and refuses to buy computers and other new equipment for his store. Yukio likes to do it the old-fashioned way. While Yukio is always displaying his love and affection for Etsuko's elder sister, he seems strict when it comes to Etsuko. He often calls her a good-for-nothing, but Etsuko doesn't know that her father says these things to hide his true feelings. Yukio actually loves Etsuko more than anybody and cares for her greatly. He soon becomes the leader of the group cheering for Etsuko's boat club. ~~FujiTV

This story was strong and inspiring. Nothing like the previous dramas I've seen. Not long, drawn out, until you can't stand it no more, that you have to fast forward to the last episode to put yourself out of your misery, type drama. It was enjoyable for every second of it. It would have been nice to see another season.

What happened to Shinamuro Etsuko and Sekino Hiroyuki? That was left to our imaginations. Ugh.

This story will leave you with a happy feeling but yet sad at the same time. You'll relive your high school days (if your as old as me) and wish to go back to those joyous years of springtime youth. *sigh*

Nishikido Ryo

Ryo-kun is a member of the Japanese boy band, NEWS and KATANI8. He is also a co-member with Yamashita Tomohisa. I was pleasantly surprised with Ryo-kun. He is not only pleasant to look at but evidently a wonderful actor. He had me believing in him. Great job. I've seen him in other dramas and am proud to say that I can't wait to see more of him. *kiss, kiss, kiss, hug, kiss*

Taguchi Junnosuke

Junnosuke-kun is another member of the popular Japanese boy band, KAT-TUN! Not as popular as Kame or Jin, he is special in his own way. Junno-kun is more wholesome in a sense. He has more of the pretty face and has the best smile of them all, IMO. I have yet to see him in a sort of bad boy image but yet I can't see him in that way and I'm assuming the roles he is given are in the same agreement.