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

Tiger and Dragon (タイガー＆ドラゴン -2005)

Starring:
Nagase Tomoya as Yamazaki Kotora / Hayashiyatei Kotora / Tora / Toraji / Toravolta
Okada Junichi as Yanaka Ryuji / Hayashiyatei Kotatsu
Ito Misaki as Megumi
Nishida Toshiyuki as Yanaka Shoukichi / Hayashiatei Donbei / Shishou / Don-chan
Shoufukutei Tsurube as Nakatani Ken / Ken-chan (Shinjuku RyuseIkai Kumicho)
Tsukamoto Takashi as Nakatani Ginjiro / Gin-gin
Takuma Takayuki as Hyuuga Jun
Gin Pun Chou as Yanaka Sayuri
Abe Sadao as Yanaka Ryuhei / Hayashiyatei Donta
Nekoze Tsubaki as Yanaka Tsuruko
Shunputei Shota as Hayashiyatei Donkichi
Hoshino Gen as Hayashiyatei Dontsuku
Fukami Motoki as Hayashiyatei Donburi
Asari Yosuke as Murata Susumu / Hayashiyatei Udon
Aoi Yu as Risa
Kiritani Kenta as Chibi T / Takeshi-kun
Arakawa Yoshiyoshi as Awashima Yukio / "Jumptei Jump"
Omi Toshinori as Ta-chan (Soba Shop owner / Rakugo Fanatic)
Hankai Kazuaki as Hanzou (Oden Stand Owner / Rakugo Fanatic)
Matsumoto Jun as Yoshiko
Itou Shuuko (伊藤修子) as Nakatani Shizuka
Emoto Karin (江本花琳) as Yanaka Saya
Horaguchi Shinya (洞口信也) as Manabu
Hiroishi Keiichi (廣石恵一) as Kariya
Koumoto Junichi as Liu-san
Fukazawa Atsushi

Guests
Hiroshi (ヒロシ) as Death Kiyoshi (Sp&ep7)
Sugawara Daikichi (菅原大吉) as Tamotsu (Sp&10)
Oomori Nao as BOSS Kataoka (ep3)
Takada Fumio (高田文夫) as Takadatei Babahiko (ep3,7,10&11)
Morishita Aiko as Mizukoshi Koharu (ep4&11)
Furuta Arata as Maruo (ep5)
Shimizu Michiko as Marimo (ep5)
Yakushimaru Hiroko as Shiraishi Katsuko (ep6)
Kohinata Fumiyo as Yanagitei Koshin (ep7)
Takaoka Sousuke as Kaneko (ep8)
Kitamura Kazuki as Tanabe Yasuo (ep8,9,11)
Ino Manabu (猪野学) as Tetsuya (ep9)
Shoji Yusuke (少路勇介) as Yasuji (ep9)
Hashimoto Jun as Kaji Rikio (ep9-11)

The tale of Tiger & Dragon revolves around Rakugo, a traditional form of Japanese comedy that can look back on an impressive 400 year long history. Nagase portrays the Yakuza follower Toraji who goes to a Rakugo performer to collect debts, while Okada plays Ryuji a talented Rakugo player who wants to leave behind the old fashioned world of Rakugo for good. Shortly afterwards these two very different characters happen to cross paths through a girl named Megumi and that's when all the real trouble starts igniting.

Wow! This drama was so confusing. It's overly fast-paced. The first episode should have clued me in right there because it took me a couple of tries to watch this.

I'm not saying this show was bad but hard to keep up with. It would throw you into the Rakugo stories and then the "reality" stories and you would have to fend for yourself to figure out the show.

The show's actors were superb! Why I haven't fallen in love with Okada Junichi until now....I don't know. And Nagase Tomoya must love the "yakuza" characters he plays because he fits into those parts so well. LOL! And let's not forget the cute Tsukamoto Takashi. So I stuck in there with this drama because the eye candy was delectable.

I don't recommend this show for everyone even though there were some moments that were so funny. Again, its fact paced and the dialogue can be quick. So some jokes it took a while to catch on too. Some of the Rakugo was even lame...or maybe it's because the story was lost in translation. Literally. I know sometimes it's hard for translaters to do. So I'm not "beefing" on them. Just some words can't be translated to or from the Japanese language.

Well, it was entertaining in its own right, if you could get past the Rakugo, but that's hard since the show revolved around that entirely. Ahh well. To each his own. I'm posting pics of more eye candy any way................................................

Okada Junichi


Nagase Tomoya

Chuushingura 1/47 (忠臣蔵 1/47 -2001)

Starring:
Kimura Takuya as Hirobe Yasubei
Okada Junichi as Oishi Chikara
Fukatsu Eri as Horibe Hori
Sato Koichi as Oishi Kuranosuke
Matsuyuki Yasuko as Fujimi
Tsumabuki Satoshi as Takada Gunbe
Tsutsumi Shinichi as Asano Takumi-no-kami Nagonori
Matsu Takako as Aguri (Yozeii)
Kobayashi Satomi as Oishi Riku
Ohsugi Ren as Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu
Watabiki Katsuhiko as Kobayashi Heihachiro
Kaneda Akio as Ono Kurobe
Kamiyama Shigeru as Kanno Rokurozaemon
Ikeuchi Hiroyuki as Shimizu Ichigaku
Atarashi Katsutoshi as Hara Soemon
Harada Ryuji as Kataoka Gengoemon
Arai Yasutoshi as Maebara Isuke
Kawabata Ryuta as Takebayashi Tadashichi
Sugiura Naoki as Horibe Yahe
Tsugawa Masahiko as Kira Kozukenosuke
Washio Machiko


A story based on the popular kabuki drama. In 1701, Asano Naganori, attacked Lord Kira Kozenosuke with his sword in the Edo Castle after Lord Kira had taunted the young, usually mild mannered Asano. Although Lord Kira's wound was superficial, Asano was ordered by the Shogun to commit seppuku - suicide. Lord Kira, an important retainer of the imperial household, did not receive any reprimand. Asano's land and all the possessions of his family were confiscated.
Thus all this former retainers became Ronin (samurais with no lord).


In 1702, the 46 Ako Ronin (one was already dead) lead by Oishi Kuranosuke (Asano's chief adviser) came back to revenge on their fallen lord against Lord Kira and were victorious.

The 46 Ronin were ordered to commit seppuku later by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
~ http://www.nt2099.com/DORAMA/database.html

I didn't realize how old this was. Then as I'm publishing it.....2001! I thought it was recent since crunchyroll just put it out. I don't know why I thought that. Ehhhhh.

This was a really, really great film. It should be.....it's got Kimura Takuya. (I forgot to add him to my list. *blushes*)

This drama was a wee bit confusing. I should say a little bit rushed. Yasubei and Hori's story was almost non-existent. I understand this was about the Ronin's but if they were going to go all out about his betrothal and marriage to Hori....they could have atleast shown a little bit more about them. It was hard to except he loved her when he treated her like she was his servant only. I couldn't get that. It was obvious she loved him. And I know he was a samurai and lived like one but......ehhh, I don't know. Something was missing there.

I was disheartening to realize the conclusion of the story. You come to love the ronin and Yasubei and to know that their fate was to do harakiri....ehhhh. Whyyyyyyyy?

I love the early years of Takuya-san. He was such a cutey!!! And we all know his acting is superb!!!

Hard Luck Hero (2003)

Starring:
Junichi Okada - Takashi Asai
Yoshihiko Inohara - Naoto Ishii
Masayuki Sakamoto - Tadashi Ikeyama
Hiroshi Nagano - Kenta Kishimoto
Go Morita - Kenji Fujita
Ken Miyake - Yuji Fujita
Sansei Shiomi - Tetsuo Mishima
Susumu Terajima - Shingo Shibata

Japanese pop superstars V6 make their feature-film debut in Sabu's Hard Luck Hero. The project began as an idea for a music video, but was expanded into a feature. Asai (Junichi Okada) is working in a restaurant when his frantic co-worker Ishii (Yoshihiko Inohara) comes to him to ask a big favor. Ishii is involved in fixing a kickboxing match, but his Thai fighter, who is supposed to lose in the second round, is a no-show. Asai reluctantly agrees to fill in. Meanwhile, two young salarymen, Ikeyama (Masayuki Sakamoto) and Kishimoto (Hiroshi Nagano), looking for a new place to eat lunch, have unfortunately settled on the café where the kickboxing match is to take place, and are joined at their table by a yakuza boss and his henchman. Fujita (Go Morita) and Kudo (Ken Miyake) are two punks who need to pay off a debt, and take up a dare to steal the boss' briefcase. Naturally, the kickboxing match does not go off without a hitch. Bullets fly, and soon all six young men are on the run, with yakuza and the cops chasing after them. Sabu cuts back to the action at the match again and again, showing it from each pair's perspective, until the audience has a clear picture of everything that went wrong. Kudo has a potentially fatal gunshot wound, and Fujita is desperate to save him. On the run, Kishimoto begins to regret his decision to give up auto racing, while Asai and Ishii are simply trying to survive.

This in actuality was an extended music video from what I've read. This mini movie is no more than maybe an hour long...if that. V6 has a knack for comedy. Their timing is always perfect and innocently believable. Maybe that is why they have been together for as long as they have.

With lots of flashbacks to intertwine with each pair of V6 members who were teamed up together, shows how they were all connected in someway.

It's a fun, quick movie to kill the time and make you smile. *smiles*
V6

Holds Up Down (Hôrudo appu daun-2005)

Starring:
Arata Furuta - Maeda
Go Morita - Masaru Hiramatsu
Hiroshi Nagano - Yusuke Hoshino
Junichi Okada - Koichi Sawamura
Masayuki Sakamoto - Masami Kiba
Yoshihiko Inohara - Choji Kimata
Ayumi Ito - Kyoko Miyazaki
Yu Kashii - Rinko Akai
Ken Miyake - Yutaka Sagawa

Dressed head to toe in Santa Claus outfits, this not-so-dynamic duo decide to hide their cash “earnings” in a train station locker, only to discover that neither of them has the correct change to operate the locker itself. Along the way, the two thieves decide to steal from a nearby street musician named Sawamura Koichi, but to their complete surprise, he chases after them. Even worse, Hoshino Yusuke and Kiba Masami, two gung-ho police officers, decide to join in on the chase, along with Hiramatsu Masaru, a concerned citizen who becomes an interested party himself. Considering all this manic excitement, just how will it all end for these two Christmas-themed robbers?

LOL! This movie was a riot! I laughed myself hoarse. Screamed "OMG!" a thousand times. It was so stupid....it was funny. Kind of reminded me of some of the stupid Saturday Night Live skits but in an 1.5 hour time frame.

The action, comedic timing was perfect. LOL! They even had some kung-fu action at the end that was a bit tooooo long but enjoyable all the same. I'll probably watch V6's first movie together sometime soon. I hope it's as funny as this one was. LOL! I'm still laughing.....

Who would have thought!?

Miyake Ken



Inohara Yoshihiko


Sakamoto Masayuki


Morita Go


Nagano Hiroshi


Okada Junichi


V6