Antique (アンティーク-2001)

Starring:
Takizawa Hideaki as Kanda Eiji
Shiina Kippei as Tachibana Keichiro
Fujiki Naohito as Ono Yusuke
Koyuki as Izuka Momoko
Abe Hiroshi as Kobayakawa Chikage
Enari Kazuki as Yoshinaga Shota
Nishino Taeko (西野妙子) as Uchino Akane
Tsuji Kazunaga (辻萬長) as Munakata Katsuo
Manabe Kaori as Shimazaki Tamami
Muta Teizo (牟田悌三) as Kanda Genichi
Yachigusa Kaoru as Shirai Fukiko
Ikuta Etsuko (生田悦子) as Tachibana Hiroko
Kimura Midori (木村翠) as Shirai Eiko
Kobayashi Susumu as Noma Atsushi
Nonaka Isao as Kisha Saeki
Aoki Tadahiro (青木忠宏) as Muto Tadahiro
Konishi Manami as Nakano Itsuko
Nagatsuka Keiji (長塚圭史) as Onizuka Toru
Imai Eri as Namiko (Toru's girlfriend)
Nakagoshi Noriko as Makino Junko
Shiraki Makiko (白木美貴子) as Obayashi Yukiko
Oshima Yuko (大島優子) as Obayashi Kayoko
Sudo Risa as Toyama Midori
Murano Mia as Takeuchi Hideko
Masu Takeshi as Ono Keisuke
Hosokawa Naomi as Ono Reiko
Suzuki Sawa as Morooka Mieko
Nishiyama Mayuko
Uematsu Mami


This story is about four men who work in a confectionary. Tachibana Keiichiro (Shiina Kippei) is the owner; Ono Yusuke (Fujiki Naohito) is the superb baker that has a mysterious and mesmerizing aura; Kobayakawa Chikage (Abe Hiroshi) is the waiter and close bodyguard of Tachibana; and last but not least is Kanda Eiji (Takizawa Hideaki), the ex-boxer who loves cake so much that he becomes a waiter at 'Antique'. This is a refreshing, yet heartfelt comedy about the 4 very unique personalities that work until the wee hours of the night at the small confectionary. The series follows the romance, family life, and most importantly friendship that these 4 men from different generations experience.

This is a confectionary with a "flavor" not like most. Located in the middle of an ordinary residential area, "Antique" stays open until 2 a.m. Every single thing in the shop is antique, in fact even the sherry glasses that water comes in look like they would cost 50,000 yen. On top of this, all the sweets that are sold are unbelievably delicious. The thing that is most peculiar about "Antique" though is that all 4 of the men that work here are very handsome, and each has an interesting past. Those that frequent the store also have a story to tell.
Edited Excerpt from JDorama.com

Okay, I loved, loved, loved this drama. Maybe it's the older dramas, I don't know, but they seem to keep my interest much longer. Maybe the stories aren't rehabilitated or reconditioned into another story. Again, I don't know.

My only upset with this movie, was with the subtitles. I wish SARS or another top notch Japanese subber could redo this. The only episodes I could find online were Chinese subtitled and then resubbed into English. Well, the person or persons who subbed them totally screwed up. I hate having to translate someones latent scope of the English language. (Example....past tense, future tense, present tense) It took me forever to figure out this person's usage for "milk oil" was really "cream". Eeergh. So here I sat for almost 2 days having to translate English to where I could undertand what the cast might be saying. I got through.

Anyway, this might seem a little boring to some. I thought it was sweet. I have to say that Ono was freaking GORGEOUS! That beautiful face! Aaaagh! *dreaming* Those bedroom eyes simply melted my soul. The one scene with he and Kanda, showing Shota-kun how to kiss a girl, was so freakin' amazing. I have to say I felt my heart quicken. It was sooooo sexy! Even if it was between two guys....well, those of you have read my blog know I'm fascinated with "yaoi". HEHE!

Give this one a go. If you can handle the subtitles, and let me tell you, you won't find any better subs because I've checked everywhere.......watch it!

Fujiki Naohito

Romeo and Juliet (

Starring:
Takizawa Hideaki as Morita Hiromichi
Nagasawa Masami as Kihira Juri
Tanaka Misako as Morita Tokieda
Yamashita Shinji as Kihira Reizou
Miura Tomokazu as Morita Giichi
Takenaka Naoto as the professor

"Romeo and Juliet" is about a female college student and an injured young man she meets on the street. They fall in love, not knowing that the girl's police detective father is in the midst of a manhunt to find the young man's physician father, who is wanted for murder. Japan Times

What an interesting idea. Thankfully the ending was far more better than what Shakespeare had written. Everytime I think of that story or remember the 1969 classic movie version, I think of giving Shakespeare the old man some poison too.

Taking a more realistic, present spin on the classic gave it more of a real world view of how we can overcome society's grasp on true love and the harsh realities of fate. Sometimes we take too much to heart and make something so easy to overcome that we make adversity a mountain instead of a molehill.

Hiromichi and Juri not only were foresaken to not see each other but their parents also had a history to each other as well. In the present case, Juri was not allowed to see Hiromichi because Juri's father was investingaing Hiro's father. Intermingling personal relationships would have tampered his investigation. On a personal note, it would have made him look bad. Hiro was not allowed to see Juri because of the fact that it was Juri's father investingating and his mother didn't want her son dating the daughter of "that guy".

But in all, the story wasn't about their parents even though their selfishness is what caused the whole fiasco. Love is love and shouldn't be messed with for their own sakes. The love was that of their children who overcame their parents selfishness and adversity.

The drama wasn't spectacular but the fact that is was of current situations made it seem more tolerable and fantastic.

Takizawa Hideaki

I couldn't help myself with the torso shots....he's looking so manly now! Goodbye little boy and hello big man! Whew! *drool runs down from the corner of my mouth to the bottom of my chin*

Satomi Hakkenden (里見八犬伝-2006)

AKA: 南総里見八犬伝 / Nansou Satomi Hakkenden

Starring:
Takizawa Hideaki as Inuzuka Shino-Moritaka
Komuro Yuta as young Shino
Ayase Haruka as Hamaji
Kanno Miho as Tamazusa & Myouchin (2 roles)
Nakama Yukie as Fusehime
Watabe Atsuro as Chuudaihoushi - Kanamari Daisuketakanori
Nagatsuka Kyozo as Satomi Yoshizane
Ohsugi Ren as Ougigaya Tsusadamasa
Kyomoto Masaki as Ashikaga Shigeuji
Takeda Tetsuya as Komiyama Ittouda
Jinnai Takanori as Akaiwa Ikkaku
Sano Shiro as Makuwari Daiki
Tomosaka Rie as Funamushi
Izumi Pinko as Kamezasa
Oshio Manabu as Inukai Genbachi-Nobumichi
Yamada Yu as Inusaka Kenotanetomo
Katsuji Ryo as Inumura Daikakumasanori
Ozawa Yukiyoshi as Inuyaama Dousetsutadatomo
Shouei as Inuta Kobungo-Yasunori
Yamashita Shoon as Inue Shinbeemasashi
Sato Ryuta as Inukawa Sousuke-Toshito
Yamashita Shinji as Sugikura Kisonosukeujimoto
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Yamashita Sadagane
Kaneda Akio as Yokobori Arimura
Sakaguchi Taku as Ootasuke Tomo
Kohinata Fumiyo as Ootsuka Hikiroku
Tanabe Seiichi as Oboshisa Mojiro
Watanabe Ikkei as Higami Kyuuroku
Sugimoto Tetta as Inuzuka Bansaku
Miura Rieko as Kumi
Kurokawa Tomoka as Nui

Known as the "greatest samurai novel in Japan", this drama is based on the novel. The tragic romance of a princess and the adventure of eight heroic samurai.

The story takes place during the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai in Awa, a tiny province that is currently a part of modern-day Chiba Prefecture. Fuse, princess of the Awa-based Satomi clan, spiritually gives birth to eight warriors who are scattered across different areas of the region. Because the spiritual father of these warriors was a demonically-possessed dog, these warriors came to be known as the Hakkenshi (八犬士), with hak (八), or hachi, meaning "eight", the ken (犬) meaning "dog", and the shi (士) meaning "warrior". (The word "den" (伝) at the end of the title means "legend", so the title of the series translates out to "The Legend of the Eight Dog Warriors".)
Throughout the series, each dog warrior recognizes the other through three distinguishing features: a last name starting with the word "inu" (meaning dog), a birthmark in the shape of a peony (the emblem of the Satomi clan) and a bead containing a kanji character that reflects eight of the fundamental virtues of Confucianism. They are:

kō (孝) - filial piety; devotion
gi (義) - duty and obligation, but it can also be translated as righteousness
chū (忠) - loyalty
shin (信) - faith
tei (悌) - brotherhood; brotherly affection
jin (仁) - sympathy and benevolence, but note that, according to Confucianism, "jin" is also the greatest and most perfect virtue of all. It should come as no surprise that the bearer of this bead also happens to be the most powerful warrior of the eight.
chi (知) - wisdom
rei (礼) - courtesy, but this can also be translated as proper form, i.e. an extensive knowledge and proper observation of tradition and manners

Inuzuka Shino Moritaka (犬塚 信乃 戍孝) - Bears the "kō" bead of filial piety; his birthmark is on his right arm. His father bore the responsibility of returning the Murasame sword to the Ashikaga Shogun, but before doing so, committed seppuku in protest of the local feudal lord, thereby transferring the heavy responsibility onto Shino's shoulders. He is engaged to Hamaji.

Inukawa Sōsuke Yoshitō (犬川 荘助 義任) - Bears the "gi" bead of duty; his birthmark is on his left arm. At the age of 7, his father was forced to commit seppuku after criticizing the Ashikaga Shogun, and his mother perished from the cold winter during the resulting pilgrimage from Izu. This left him under the cruel parentage of Hikiroku and Kamezasa, who gave him the undignified name of "Gakuzo" and forced him into indentured servitude to pay back the debt of his mother's funeral. He secretly loves Hamaji, thereby making him Shino's main rival.

Inuyama Dōsetsu Tadatomo (犬山 道節 忠與) - Bears the "chū" bead of loyalty; his birthmark is on his left shoulder. His father was killed by rival lord Uesugi Sadamasa, making him hell-bent on revenge for the sake of his clan. In addition, he is Hamaji's half-brother. His mother was assassinated by Hamaji's biological mother (his father's second concubine), who became jealous due to her inability to bear a male heir. Particularly during the beginning of the series, Dōsetsu is ruthless, selfish, and a reckless loose cannon in the group.

Inukai Genpachi Nobumichi (犬飼 現八 信道) - Bears the "shin" bead of faith; his birthmark is on his left cheek, underneath his left eye. The stereotypical "crazed enforcer" of the group, he is introduced as an inmate in the Shogun's prison, most likely jailed for his uncontrollable behavior (or perhaps just his sharp tongue). He is allowed a chance to win back his original post if he is successful in killing Shino. Compared to the plot exposition of most of the other major characters, not much of his origin is revealed or even implied during the series.

Inuta Kobungo Yasuyori (犬田 小文吾 悌順) - Bears the "tei" bead of brotherhood. Kobungo has been friends with Genpachi for several years prior. He is of large stature, but silent demeanor - a stark contrast from his darker past, when he would succumb to fits of alcohol-induced rage and random violence. His father's death was the unfortunate result of just such a brawl, causing his nature to become passive and non-confrontational.

Inue Shimbei Masashi (犬江 親兵衛 仁) - Bears the "jin" bead of benevolence. He is Kobungo's nephew, and was originally known as Inue Daihachi. Following the skirmish at the Shogun's palace, Shino is given refuge at Kobungo's inn, but Kobungo's brother-in-law (Daihachi's father) offers to turn Shino over to the authorities in return for a reward that would help keep his family afloat. Kobungo refuses to sacrifice Shino, and a fight ensues, resulting in the deaths of Daihachi's parents. Kobungo takes it upon himself to raise the child along with Genpachi and Shino, but sometime after the group temporarily splits up, a vision of Princess Fuse and Yatsufusa appears. Telling Kobungo that the child will be safe under their care, he willingly hands Daihachi over to be raised in an otherworldly realm. Some time later, the child returns, fully grown, extremely powerful, and with the new name of Inue Shimbei.

(Note: The name of this character is actually Shimbee (しんべえ), but this produces somewhat of a conflict as far as Hepburn romanization is concerned. Since the bee sound is similar enough to the bei sound, he will be referred to in this article as Shimbei.)

Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo (犬阪 毛野 胤智) - Bears the "chi" bead of widsom. When he was a child, a local feudal lord murdered Keno's father in an attempt to obtain the two legendary flutes in his possession, but was only able to find one of them after the incident. The other had been presumed lost. Since then, Keno has sought to regain both flutes and has also plotted an elaborate revenge against the family that killed his father. He is a celebrated flautist and dancer, but is disguised as a female under the pseudonym of "Asakeno", which is most likely a means of evading suspicion of his ultimate intent.

Inumura Daikaku Masanori (犬村 大角 礼儀) - Bears the "rei" bead of courtesy; his birthmark is on his buttocks, much to his embarrassment. He is first introduced in the story as Kakutarō, son of Akaiwa Ikkaku, a talented swordsman who, unbeknownst to everyone in the village, was demonically possessed by an evil cat spirit many years ago. Kakutarō's wife, Hinaginu, was given the "rei" bead as a keepsake memento, but swallowed it down when Kakutarō's stepmother demanded that she relinquish it. Since that incident, Hinaginu's stomach bulged, as if pregnant, sparking talk of an affair with another man. When confronted by Akaiwa about her "unborn child", she mortally stabbed herself in the stomach with a knife to prove to everyone that she wasn't pregnant. Meanwhile, the cat spirit's possession of Akaiwa had advanced rapidly, forcing Kakutarō to execute his own father. With no one else left in his life, he renames himself Daikaku and joins the Hakkenshi.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! I loved, loved, loved, loved this made-for-TV movie. This was a beautiful story.

This story....wow! A great cast, story, cinematography......wow! I highly recommend this to everyone.....EVERYONE!

I truly don't know what to say because I don't want to give away any of it. Just watch it. I truly felt this story and the magic behind it. *giddy*

Takizawa Hideaki

Oshio Manabu

Yamashita Shoon

Boku Dake no Madonna

Oh man! I hate to say this....I only made it to episode 6 and stopped. This story sucked big time. As soon as it took one step forward, the next episode took two steps back. It was soooooo boring. I couldn't keep my attention to it. I kept stopping and looking for other things and then would come back. The only thing that kept me as long as the sixth episode was Takizawa Hideaki. Period. His character was sweet and endearing. But he had no place in this drama. The story just couldn't take off. I don't think the writer's of this drama knew what to do either. I think they took this great, young actor and just threw him to the sharks in this storyline. I first saw Takki in the show Antique but didn't finish it. Not because the story was bad but because the video streamer had bad copies or something and I couldn't stand watching distorted pictures with subtitles timing off. Can drive a sane woman mad...ya know? Anyway, to each his own if they liked Boku Dake no Madonna. I thought the premise was good but they just couldn't keep this story happening. It was just STUPID. Sorry.


Starring:
Takizawa Hideaki as Suzuki Kyouichi
Hasegawa Kyoko as Kataoka Surumi
Koizumi Koutaro as Nakano Takashi
Shimatani Hitomi as Imamura Keiko
Konishi Manami as Shimada Rie
Ogata Naoto as Honda Yoshitaka

Kyoichi Suzuki is an average college student in his junior year. Although he's not in one of the top universities, he's satisfied with his college life studying architecture. Kyoichi left home and is finally on his own, living in a beat-up apartment in Tokyo. However, this apartment building is home to some out-of-the-ordinary residents, who are always bugging Kyoichi. His next-door neighbor hits Kyoichi up for a loan when he finds out that Kyoichi just got paid. His other next- door neighbor who works at a nightclub, always calls Kyoichi, demanding him to come pick her up, because she's so drunk. Other than that, Kyoichi is satisfied with his normal life, until he meets a girl one day...

Kyoichi comes home from his part-time job as a night-time security guard. He returns to his room to find a girl sleeping on his bed-a girl he has never seen before. She looks a bit older than Kyoichi, and is quite beautiful. Kyoichi can't believe his eyes.

Kyoichi closes the door, and goes outside to the entrance of the apartment, to make sure he's in the right apartment and room. There's no mistake. He returns inside...but the girl is gone.

There's nobody in his room. Was it just his imagination? Was he hallucinating? Kyoichi can't understand what just happened.

Later, he discovers that something is missing from his grocery bag-the Chinese noodles he was looking forward to eating are gone...

This is how Kyoichi first meets Surumi Kataoka. After they meet, Surumi continues living in Kyoichi's room.

She points to an apartment visible from Kyoichi's room, and says that the guy living there dumped her for another girl. Surumi says that she's waiting to check out the girl she was dumped for. Kyoichi doesn't know if he ought to believe her or not.

All Kyoichi knows is that while Surumi is such a charming girl, the expression on her face is sad at times.

Kyoichi is not that disappointed about sharing his room with a cute girl. He starts to think that this lifestyle may go on forever, until one day, Surumi suddenly disappears-just like the day she suddenly appeared. All she leaves for Kyoichi are unanswered questions.........

Takizawa Hideaki


He's so much cuter than on the drama. I didn't realize until I saw some PG-17 pics. Whew! *It's getting hot in here* I'm looking forward to seeing more of his dramas. His face is to die for! Now I must go and youtube him and hear some of his music...........