Maou (魔王 -2008)

Starring:
Ohno Satoshi as Naruse Ryo/Mannaka Tomoo
Kouno Hiroki as young Tomoo (11 years ago)
Ikuta Toma as Serizawa Naoto
Kimura Haruki as young Naoto (11 years ago)
Kobayashi Ryoko as Sakita Shiori
Masuyama Kayano as young Shiori (11 years ago)
Tanaka Kei as Kasai Hitoshi
Uemura Yuto as young Hitoshi (11 years ago)
Oshinari Shugo as Soda Mitsuru
Honma Haruo as young Mitsuru (11 years ago)
Waki Tomohiro as Ishimoto Yosuke
Nakamura Ryunoshin (中村竜之慎) as young Yosuke (11 years ago)
Uehara Misa as Takatsuka Kaoru
Shinohara Mai as Nishina Eri
Shimizu Yutaka (清水優) as Yamano Makoto
Horimoto Takaya (堀本昴弥) as young Makoto
Iida Kisuke as Ishihara Kanrikan
Tonesaku Toshihide as Kurata Takashi
Kichise Michiko as Serizawa Mari
Gekidan Hitori as Serizawa Noriyoshi
Miyake Yuji (三宅裕司) as Nakanishi Hiromichi
Ishizaka Koji as Serizawa Eisaku
Takeuchi Toshi (竹内寿) as Mannaka Hideo
Guests
Ninomiya Kazunari as Kumada Masayoshi (ep1)
Asaka Mayumi as Mannaka Yoshimi (ep1,2,4)
Morishita Tetsuo as Kumada Takahiro (ep1,2)
Kitaro as Hayashi Kunio (ep1,2)
Okunuki Kaoru as Shintani Tae (ep2-)
Ono Momoka (大野百花) as Shintani Sora (ep2-)
Musaka Naomasa as Ikehata Takahiro (ep4-7)
Yuka as Naruse Makiko (ep4-7)
Tanino Ota (谷野欧太) as the real Naruse Ryo (ep5-)
Shimada Kyusaku as Osumi Kazuma (ep5-)

This drama is a remake of the popular suspense drama The Devil that was aired in Korea last year. Ohno Satoshi will be playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, one of which is a kind hearted soul and the other who is plotting revenge, using his brilliant mind, on the person who killed his relative. On the other hand, Ikuta Toma will play the double lead role of the man, who has become a detective due to his dark past, who is pursuing the mysterious series of murders and fighting against the devil (maou).

OMG! OMG! OMG! This drama rocked my world and then some.

This was the very first drama that I had to wait patiently for but it was so hard. I would check all drama websites for updates. I would scream and curse if it wasn't posted yet. *Nothing against the subbers. I swear!* I just loved this drama so much. I loved Arashi's opening theme. I loved the actors. I loved the script. I loved the whole damn thing from the bottom of my heart.

It was sooooo hard to hate Naruse (Ohno). You understood his dilemma, his pain, and his revenge. Ohno-kun was perfect for this role. He balanced the evil and angelic parts so well. His face was the perfect picture of self-righteousness and fallen angel. As the story went on, it got so hard to see the evil in him but only the spiral of the hurricane that had swept him out into the abyss of retribution.

I wasn't at all sure how well Toma-kun was going to pull off the character of Serizawa Naoto. All I can see is the dumb, goofy guy from Hana Kimi. Well, taking on the serious role of the rebellious but yet law abiding detective fit him perfectly as well. Every episode, I would silently weep for him and the travels he had to take to receive redemption. *sigh* It was like, how much more should he suffer after carrying the weight of guilt of his past sins? How much more did he have to suffer?

I will say that as I watched the ending...the last episode...I felt myself tense up. I wasn't sure how this would play out. I didn't want a crappy ending. But there was hope...this is a Japanese drama after all.

As it got closer and closer....my heart ached. Then I got angry. Then I cried some more. Then this "whoosh" of air was expelled from my chest as I realized I was holding back my breath and the pain of my tears. The ending became PERFECT. I won't say if it was a happy or sad ending but will say that I now have a runny nose and tear stained cheeks. Tears of joy? Or happiness? You decide.

Ohno Satoshi

Look at this pretty face.......*sigh* Can I keep him?

Yoiko no Mikata (よい子の味方 -2003)

Starring:
Sakurai Sho as Suzuki Taiyo
Matsushita Yuki as Mita Shizuka
Fukiishi Kazue as Sakai Minako
Endo Shozo Sasaki Shuzo
Yazawa Shin as Kojima Kaoru
Yoshida Hideko as Yoshikawa Kiyoko
Hamada Mari as Yokoyama Sayuri
Matsushima Nahomi as Tanaka Rie
Itaya Yuka as Arai Erika
Otoha as Omoto Rumi
Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin (Gokusen)
Waki Tomohiro as KUMA (Gokusen)
Aiba Masaki
Ohno Satoshi
Saito Ryusei
Hirooka Yuriko

Ask any nursery-aged little girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she's bound to say nurse, florist, or ballerina. Ask any nursery-aged little boy what he wants to be when he grows up and he's bound to say policeman, fireman, sports player, or pilot. As for 20-year-old young man Taiyo Suzuki, however, he's had different aspirations all his life. Moved by his elderly nursery school teacher, Taiyo decided then and there that he too would also become one. Now, having passed the nursery school teacher examination, bright-eyed and eager Taiyo is out to make his mark on a totally female-dominated world. Posted at the Himawari Nursery School to cover for another teacher on maternity leave, Taiyo has but a few short months to prove himself to the female teachers and children's mothers who are arrayed against him that he is every bit as capable as the women. And more importantly, along the way, he'll make his mark with his sparkle and energy to be a true best friend to the children at the school as well. --- NTV



I love, love, love, love this drama. Why, oh why, was it so hard to find online? Well, because the fansubbers specifically pulled all those episodes off because they weren't giving permission to do so. Soooooooo..........................

I got a wild hair. I found the subbers. STORMY fansubs. I found their blog site. They had all episodes there ready for downloading. So I did. I'm so glad I made the effort.

Imagine Gokusen. Then imagine Gokusen in kindergarten. Yeah, Sakurai Sho is our beloved teacher. He himself had pretty much the same hang-ups as Yankumi. You wouldn't really imagine Sho-kun as a kindergarten teacher...but damn if it didn't work. He was wonderful. I think I cried every freakin' episode. They were so sentimental and happy. So happy that you couldn't help but tear up. Oh....episode 6 you'll cry not because of happiness. Sooooooo sad. Ugh!

If you have the time, Winamp, and HJsplit......download this freakin' drama! It's so wonderful. Sho-kun is excellent. So excellent enough to cry on a freakin' dime. I couldn't spill that many tears like he can....and they seem truly sincere!

Can I say I loved it? Yeah? I LOVED IT!!!!

I love you Sakurai Sho! Ohhhhhh, and Aiba, Ohno, and Matsumoto-kun made some guest appearances. Ohno-kun! I love you, too!

Sakurai Sho

The Drummer (Jin. gwu / 戰·鼓 -2007)

Starring:
Jaycee Chan - Sid
Tony Leung Ka Fai - Kwan
Angelica Lee - Hong Dou
Supporting Roles
Roy Cheung - Ah Chiu
Josie Ho - Sina
Kenneth Tsang - Stephen Ma
Hei-Yi Cheng - Carmen
Ruo-yu Liu - Lan Jie
Chih-chun Huang - Sifu
Glen Chin - Uncle Tak
Ken Lo - Long
Eugenia Yuan - Kwan's wife

Cocky Sid insults Ma in front of the latter's men, leading Ma to demand both of Sid's hands on a platter from Sid's father, Kwan (Tony Leung Ka-fai), who runs a rival gang but owes Ma a favor. Kwan tracks down Sid and dispatches him for safety to Taiwan, in the company of deputy gang leader Chiu (Roy Cheung).

Third reel finds bored Sid and ever-watchful Chiu in a Taiwanese village, above which Sid one day finds a reclusive community of Zen drummers who also practice tai chi and martial arts. Mesmerized by their open-air exercises, Sid asks to join -- and is tentatively accepted. He's equally mesmerized by their most junior member, Hong Dou (Lee Sinje, aka Angelica Lee, from "The Eye"), but she coquettishly snubs him.

Bi injects a fair measure of light comedy, leavening the gangster material and also making Sid a likeable ne'er-do-well. Latter's inauguration into the live-rough community is handled with charm and humor, and tight editing (with copious fadeouts) keeps things moving along. By never taking itself too seriously, pic manages to stir a spiritual element -- the mystical properties of traditional drumming -- into what is basically a genre movie.



Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! This was an excellent freakin' movie! I was so stupidified. I couldn't believe that Jackie Chan's son could act so admirably. I've seen him act before but it was the usual kung-fu Hong Kong hype. That's okay in itself but this movie was not anything close to the Hong Kong norm, in that their wasn't a bit of martial art action other than Tai-Chi.

This movie was about patience and loving yourself. Sometimes life gives you a door that you wouldn't normally take but sometimes that door is the better door to open even if it leads to climbing your way up than taking the easy way up on an elevator.

You could say this was about drumming but yet......no.

The movie, yes, did get slow sometimes but it was pleasant and I loved the way it flowed. It didn't stop and make you watch a scene for seconds....stop....another pretty scene....stop. Nope. The story started out fast......slowed....but stayed at a good pace...and then climaxed. Wow! Jaycee...I have more respect for you than ever.

Princess Princess D (プリンセス・プリンセスD - 2006)

Starring:
Kamakari Kenta as Yutaka Mikoto
Fujita Rei as Shihoudani Yuujirou
Sato Takeru as Kouno Tooru
Saito Takumi as Arisada Shuuya
Adachi Osamu as Sakamoto Akira
Nakamura Yuichi as Hanazono Otoya
Shibuya Kento as Minamoto Kurou
Kazuma as Mori Ranta
Ishiguro Hideo as Kujouin Haruka
Minami Shota as Koshino Masayuki
Sato Haruhiko as Harue Wataru
Yoshihara Hiroshi as Tadasu Takahiro
Yamamoto Kohei as Nadashou Kaoru

In all-boys school with a tradition of Princesses (boys chosen to attend school functions dressed up as girls to alleviate the tension between the students), Yutaka Mikoto, Shihoudani Yuujirou and Kouno Tooru are this year's chosen Princess team. Dissatisfied with the half-hearted efforts of the current Princesses, Hanazono Otoya creates his own team of Dark Princesses to rival for the students' attention.

Based on the shoujo manga Princess Princess (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Princess_%28manga%29), by Mikiyo Tsuda.

Hmm? This was an average drama. It was okay. Not the best. In actuality, it bored the crap out of me the first few episodes but held on for improvement which it did.

It wasn't overly funny. I guess you could say this was a boredom buster since all my favorites have completed already or I'm waiting for updates of new episodes. I don't think I would have held on for those few episodes but had nothing else to do.

The guys were cute. That wasn't a lie. But the story wasn't all that intriguing. A little yaoi here and there but nothing that had my heart go pitter-patter.

This drama, to me, had no focus, no moral to the story, no learning experience. It was okay fun...thankfully the story picked up or I would have killed 4 hours of my not-so-exciting life.

Kamakari Kenta

The Prince of Tennis (2006)

Starring:
Kanata Hongo - Ryoma Echizen
Yuu Shirota - Kunimitsu Tezuka
Hiroki Aiba - Syuusuke Fuji
Hiroki Suzuki - Syuuichiro Oishi
Masato Wada - Sengoku Kiyosumi
Osamu Adachi - Eiji Kikumaru
Hirofumi Araki - Sadaharu Inui
Yoshikazu Kotani - Takashi Kawamura
Masaki Kaji - Takeshi Momoshiro
Kousuke Kujirai - Kaoru Kaidoh
Ryuuji Sainei - Keigo Atobe
Rikiya - Egate Mcleod Higaki
Goro Kishitani - Nanjiroh Echizen
Hitomi Shimatani - Sumire Ryuuzaki
Sayuri Iwata - Shion Higaki
Kouji Date - Choutarou Ohtori
Tokio Emoto - Gakuto Mukahi
Genki Ishii - Jirou Akutagawa
Daiki Nakae - Yuushi Oshitari
Junpei Suzuki - Shishido Ryou
Kazutoshi Yamakawa - Munehiro Kabaji
Yasuka Saito - Shinji Ibu
Yuuki Fujiwara - Akira Kamio
Daiki Sano - Aoi Kentarou
Eiji Moriyama - Genichirou Sanada
Juri - Hikaru Amane
Mitsuyoshi Shinoda - Sasabe
Kenta Kamakari - Sasabe's friend #1
Takashi Nagayama - Sasabe's friend #2
Yusuke Ishibashi - Referee
Shun Takagi - Masaya Sakurai
Ruito Aoyagi - Bystander
Ryou Washimi - Bystander
Takumi Saito - Bystander

Kanata Hongo stars as tennis prodigy Echizen Ryoma who, after winning four consecutive victories in the USA, is brought back to Japan by his father and enrolled in the prestigious Seishun Academy Middle School, famous for its tennis team.

Ryoma soon finds himself the only first-year on the school team, playing alongside school captain and national player Tezuka Kunimitsu, cool-headed Oishi Syuichirou and the acrobatic Kikamura Eiji. He also attracts the attentions of Higaki Shioin, a strange and quiet girl who watches him attentively from the bleachers. Can Ryoma successfully juggle sports, school, girls and life in a new country to earn the title Prince Of Tennis?



This is my second time to watch this. I really wanted a refresher course but maybe I should have rewatched the anime's instead since they are more closer to the manga than anything else.

I'm not saying this is a bad movie. Not at all. It's just hard to fit a year's worth of manga into two hours. They did their best. It was fun to watch but if you have read the manga and watched the animes...well, this would be a disappointment. Luckily, I saw this first before anything else. So I wasn't a wee bit angry. And I'm still not.

I hope they make a PoT 2. They need to finish the manga out....even if we have to have a 3rd movie. They pulled a 3rd Deathnote out of their asses...they can do the same for PoT.

I love the manga/anime series so much! I hated the fact that it ended. I, actually, balled like a baby. I was a blubbering idiot. Yeah, I know you're laughing. *Ha-Ha*

Platonic Sex (Puratonikku sekusu -2001)

Starring:
Saki Kagami - Aoi Kadokura
Joe Odagiri - Toshimi Iwasaki
Maho Nonami - Akemi Yamaguchi
Kenjiro Ishimaru - Yoshio Kadokura
Toshie Negishi - Yukiko Kadokura
Taishu Kase - Makoto Kanai
Hiroshi Abe - Hideyuki Ishikawa

It is Aoi's (Saki Kagami) seventeenth birthday. She has been raped by her friends and deeply shocked. She turns to her family for support and comfort only to be rejected. She decides to do away with herself and is about to jump from the roof of the school building, when she receives an e-mail message on her cell phone. It was a wrong number, but she finds consolation in the message and decides not to kill herself. However, she cannot bring herself to go back home and wanders the streets. She is picked up by Kanai (Taishu Kase) who was scouting around for girls, and begins to work at a bar as a hostess, calling herself "Ai." She starts selling herself and encounters Ishikawa (Hiroshi Abe), a shady character who spends a lot of money in a reckless way. Ai leads a day-to-day existence for money with Akemi (Maho Nonami), the most popular hostess at the bar. Her sole consolation was in exchanging e-mail messages with Toshi (Joe Odagiri), the one who had sent her that e-mail by mistake. Ai does not tell him how she makes a living, but comes to love him, and moves in with him. However, the production of the five pornographic videos, which she had agreed to do in exchange for five million yen, had already begun by then....



This was a surprising movie. Maybe I'm a little hentai but I thought this was like a sex movie. LOL! Okay, it had sex but not what you think. There was only one part in there that left me thinking "Woah!"

Instead this was a thought provoking movie that told a story of innocence lost and parental idiocy. The father beat the crap out of her. Why? She was gang raped but it was her fault? Something wrong with that. Yeah, I would have left home too.

When I realized that my Jo-kun was in this movie, I was all giddy inside. This guy totally rocks my world in TV and film. He didn't let me down in this movie. His portrayal of Toshi was stunning. Rough on the outside but all gooey in the middle. That is Odagiri Joe. His vulnerability always shines through. His kind heart is always on the outside and that is why his vulnerable characters always shine through.

This movie is dark with bits of light that shine through. The beginning and the end are significant...so pay attention because they coincide with the other. The most beautiful moments are those words and sentences they exchange over their cell phones.

Don't expect a happy ending....I was. In the end, I was brought down to my knees spilling more tears............

I should look like a raisin....I don't know how much more water I have left in my body from all these crying moments.

License To Live (1998)

Starring:
Hidetoshi Nishijima - Yutaka
Shun Sugata - Shinichiro
Lily - Sachiko
Kumiko Aso - Chizuru
Sho Aikawa - Kazaki
Yoriko Douguchi - Miki
Ren Osugi - Murota
Hiromitsu Suzuki - Kurume
Kosuke Toyohara - Doctor
Kôji Yakusho - Fujimori
Masahiro Toda - Akira Ueda
Michiko Yamamura - Ueda's Mother
Taro Suwa
Akira Otaka - Garbage Man
Masaharu Ishibashi - News Announcer

Twenty-four year old Yutaka wakes from a coma after 10 years, only to find that the family he remembers from before the accident has fragmented. His parents have spearated, his sister moved to the US, and he can't even find his mother. Confused, he tries to find old friends, only to discover he has nothing to talk to them about. He sets about bringing his family back together, but is halted in his tracks by a chance encounter with the man responsible for his accident.

This was an overly slow movie. Slooooooooooow! Lots of still shots. And those stills were seconds long.

The focus of the movie was to show how Yutaka's life had changed in the 10 years he was in the coma but instead it showed that maybe being in a coma wasn't so bad.

I was terribly confused as to why his family didn't take the first plane, train, automobile to his side once he had awaken. Instead we find him with his father's best college buddy who was not so interested in being the babysitter.

This was listed as a comedy but to me it wasn't that at all. Yeah, there were some cute moments that had you smile but not so much so to make you laugh. The best moment, I thought, was when Fujimori dragged Yutaka to an exotic massage parlor. But after the experience, it wasn't all that to him. Even though he was in a 24 year old body, his brain still functioned as that of a 14 year old....so sex wasn't the experience he had imagined or not imagined...depending on how you look at it.

Surprisingly, it was the last scenes at the very end of the movie that had me. Yutaka-"Did I actually exist?" Fujimori-"Yeah, you existed." And then the surpising ending that had me in tears. It was so sad. Just thinking about it now makes my heart ache......................

It was hard getting through this movie because it wasn't an action nor comedy. But the ending was worth the time...............

Vampire Host (2004)

Starring:
Matsuda Satoshi as Suou
Komukai Minako as Kanou Rion
Sano Shiro as Tenran
Nobukawa Seijun as Tomoda Tomoyo/Diana
Suzuki Ryoji as Azuma Mamoru
Kuranuki Masahiro as Moegi
Kojima Yurie as Aiga Shiho
Yamamoto Isao as Shian
Yakura Ryou as Asashi
Shimode Jouichi as Kogane
Kei as Sakura
Fujita Tsuyoshi as Azuki
Guests
Fujimori Yuko (ep1) as Suruga Shoko
Kojima Yurie (ep1) as Aiga Shiho
Fukui Yukari (ep2) as Kojima Saki
Yabuki Haruna (ep2) as Okumura Maya
Yamada Yukinobu (ep2) as Ozawa Naoki
Sakaki Anna (ep3) as Inugami Mai
Inoue Aoi (ep3) as Satou Erika
Kotono (ep3) as Takagi Runa
Takizawa Ryoko (ep3) as Takamura Satsuki
Murata Mitsu (ep4) as Katsuragi Yuji
Sakurai Yuka (ep4) as Ami
Kinoshita Mari (ep4) as Kaori
Shimomoto Akira (ep4) as Ryoko
Otani Mitsuho (ep5) as Kurusu Hitomi
Kojima Yurie (ep5) as Aiga Shiho
Ito Shuko (ep5) as Yokoyama Seiko
Ando Nozomi (ep6) as Reira

Based on Kaori Yuki's short "Bloodhound". It looks like there have been some mysterious vampire-like murders going on, and who else does hyperactive, loud-mouthed Rion suspect but Suou, a devishly handsome worker of a male host club. (Well, along with everyone else working at the club.)



I loved and hated this drama.

I hated it because this was the first Japanese drama that left me lifeless....needing more. I have to have more.

I loved it because this was the first Japanese drama that left me lifeless....needing more. I have to have more!

God. I sit here with my heart torn to shreds because I feel like this was too short of a perfect drama.

It was gothic....dark and inhumane. But yet.....romantic and kind. The character of Suou...while intensely funny and gorgeous....was played by the perfect actor (Matsuda Satoshi). This drama was just plain perfect in everyway. This was definitely a comedy but yet the themes were intense and thought provoking. When this drama ended I cried for hours because I wanted the perfect ending. Why isn't there another season of this?

What in the hell happened in the end? I'm so confused. Is she a vamp or not?

Suou....come back!!!!!!!! *damn, I can't stop crying!* I've never fell in love with a character as much as this one.

Matsuda Satoshi

Love is Elsewhere (Oi ching maan sui -2008)

Starring:
Pak-ho Chau - Joe
Cheuk-lap Hung - Sing
Pak-yu Chan - Sung
Sherman Chung - Ching
Hei-Yi Cheng - Sandra
Chelsea Tong - Kelly
Charmaine Fong - Maggie
Yun Hui - Sing's uncle
Yan Ng
Patrick Tang Fung Chi-Ho

This whole story revolves around this shop named "love love soho" internet cafe ran by Ar Ching (Sherman Chung) and Ar Sang (Jason Chan). This shop gives out non-professional psychological help to friends about love. Ar Ching and Ar Sang decided to go to Beijing to study when they earned their first hundred thousand... but Ar Ching's old flame Martin (Louis Cheung)'s appearance made their relationships worse...

A young doctor, Joe (PakHo Chau), used to have Maggie (Charmaine Fong) as his girlfriend. But then he got bored of the relationship and broke up with her. She was very upset that she schemed a revenge. She introduced Joe to her pretty cousin Kelly (Chelsea Tong), who is back from Canada for holidays. Kelly is supposed to date Joe and then dumps him, so he will understand how Maggie feels. Kelly managed to attract Joe and the two begins dating. Slowly Kelly finds herself actually falling in love with him. She wanted to get out of Maggie's plan but it was too late. Maggie also framed Joe by selling a photo of him passing medicine to her friend on a gossip magazine, with a headline "Young doctor sold drugs in a soho club". Kelly felt very guilty and left...

Ar Yue (Yumiko Cheng), is a young painter. She promised she would say yes after her boyfriend Ar Ho (Patrick Tang), a broker, has proposed to her 100 times. Ar Yue always noticed Ar Sing (Ken Hung), a delivery boy for a nearby restaurant, peeking at her when she was painting in her shop. Ar Sing kept sending hot soups over for her and finally took her to see him sing at a local club. Mr. Johnson, Ar Yue's favorite artist, wanted to rape her and Ar Sing saved her. Then Ar Sing brought her back to her house and cleaned her house for her. Ar Yue invited him to lunch to thank him. Ar Ho, busy with the finance market work, often misses his appointments with Ar Yue. Finally, when he asked her to marry him the 100th time, she said no and broke up with him. After Ar Yue and Ar Sing met, they spent a night together. Next morning Ar Yue was not sure she wanted to be with Ar Sing and told him to leave her. But later, she changed her mind and went to see Ar Sing at his club. But Ar Sing was too upset to perform.

This was a cute movie. I wouldn't say it was slow, I just felt that they had too many hands in the cookie jar. They had three separate couples with different love stories. The first couple, owners of SoHo cafe, I thought had some redeeming qualities but the story fell fast because we see the ex-boyfriend once and then we the audience have to figure out that story. Okay, jealousy, and then it got confusing because I couldn't figure out why Ching was always mad.

Joe and Kelly were interesting but again there wasn't enough time to promote their relationship. Okay, she was working for her cousin to get Joe back but she eventually fell for Joe but how could she really when she spent most of the time avoiding him. ????????

Then we have Sing and Yu. Hmm? I couldn't understand how she could dump her boyfriend of God knows how many months/years because he was doing his job. How was he supposed to know she fell and sprained her ankle? How was he to know she would get psycho blitzed and almost get raped by an overly horny Engishman? Okay, Sing was always there to the rescue but he was a peeping Tom with nothing else to do. Yes, he was cute but I felt if they wanted to portray this relationship..there should have been more story.

This could have been an awesome movie but it was enough to say "Ahhh." I just wasn't given enough time to fall in love with the characters or it could have been a tissue fest.

But there was some definite eye-candy...fo' sho'.

Jason Chan

Did you know he was a former Power Ranger? The series Power Ranger: Ninja Storm....the green ranger. There ya go...you just learned something. LOL!

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

Evasive Inquiry Agency (2007)

Starring:
Lee Min Ki as Moo Yeol
Ye Ji Won as Hee Kyung
Ryu Seung Soo as Yong Soo
Lee Eun Song as Eun Jae
Extended Cast
Park Hee Soon as Baek Min Chul
Yoon Moon Sik as Lee San
Yoo Tae Ho as Jo Man Ki
Lee Han Wie as Jang Taek Soo
Lee Hae Young as Kang Seung Ho
Ryu Tae Ho
Lee Jong Goo
Choi Dae Hoon
Kim Yoo Jung
Choi Yo Han
Tak Sung Eun
Lee Dong Ho
Jo Gyu Chul
Lee In Chul
Choi In Sook
Kim Ja Ok (cameo)
Park Hwi Soon (cameo)
Kim Si Duk (cameo)
Yoo Yeon Soo

Moo Yeol is a taekwondo instructor who falls for Eun Jae at first sight when she comes and asks him to help her find gold treasures at the agency. Hee Kyung is a tarot card master and Yong Soo is a manhwa shop owner who passes his days with no dreams nor hopes but gets involved in the gold hunting simply for fun. Moo Yeol, Hee Kyung, and Yong Soo gather together at the empty Inquiry Agency office and they discover a dead corpse in the basement. The four of them later decide to start a treasure hunting project.

This is also a drama without a love story.

OMG! I so fell in love with this drama. It was nothing, I mean nothing, like I expected it to be. First off, I didn't think it was a comedy because the very beginning started off at the end of the show and there was fighting.

From that point on, the whole gist of the story changed and we follow the characters until they get to that point of the story. But, the characters in general, were histerical. OMG! It was hilarious. Lee Min Ki is a comedian. Even though he plays a young oaf, his hotness exuded through the screen. They can dress him all like a beggar but he still is one hell of a fine piece of male specimen! LOL! His character, while innocent, was the most buoyant. He was oafish, dumb, and love-lorn. But out of it all, he acting skills and character shined through. My God, he was just a riot!!!

I won't leave the other characters out. Hee-kyung and Yong-soo were the eldest of the group. Yong-soo was the tarot card eccentric/swindler. Money hungry but true to her friends the most. Hee-kyung is the manga cafe owner. While lazy, seemed to be the smartest. Having learned everything he needed to know through reading mangas. You have to see that. I was laughing so hard. Then there is Eun-jae. Moo Yeol (LMK) falls head over heels for her. She is rich, beautiful but very arrogant. Eventually we see her open up and change for the better and see a glimpse of attraction towards the love-struck Moo Yeol.

This story was fun! After every episode, they had "extra" scenes that were probably the most funniest things ever. They were scenes supposedly cut from the episode. So you get to see something that might not have been answered. Some were outrageously funny. I always looked forward towards the end to see what would happen. My favorite one.....well it includes Lee Min Ki and a towel. Ohhhhh, I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard!

This is probably one of my most favorite dramas ever. I can't believe this was passed up by me a long time ago..............................

What was I thinking??

Lee Min Ki

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

Magang Hotel (2007)

Starring:
Seok-Hun Kim
Seong-eun Kim
Sang-ki Jo
Hee Jin Park
Roe-ha Kim
Il-seob Baek
Hyeon Woo
Kil-soo Park
Dang-hyeong Lee
Hee-seon Son
Ki-seok Do

Korea's crime world is in turmoil after its biggest gangs have decided to go corporate--eliminating redundant "employees" to cut costs! Now one gangster in danger of losing his "job" must prove his worth by extorting a huge sum from a local hotel.

Two rival gangs decide to send two men each to a rural hotel to force the owners to repay their debts, but they underestimate the will and resourcefulness of the hotel staff.



LOL! This was a cute movie! I wasn't so sure but I saw a few reviews that said it was worth watching....so I gave in.

It has an interesting plot, good characters, and a surprising momentum that keeps you interested.

Sometime the comedy went a little over the top but that was okay because it kept you laughing at some really outrageous moments and kept the story from getting boring.

This was a great boredom buster. Enjoy!

Coffee Prince (2007)

Starring:
Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan
Gong Yoo as Choi Han Kyul
Lee Sun Gyun as Choi Han Sung
Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo
Extended Cast
Kim Ja Ok as Han Kyul's mom
Choi Il Hwa as Han Kyul's dad
Kim Young Ok as Han Kyul's grandmother
Park Won Sook as Eun Chan's mom
Kim Chang Wan as Hong Gae Sik (ex-Coffee Prince president)
Kim Jae Wook as No Sun Ki
Kim Dong Wook as Jin Ha Rim
Lee Un as Hwang Min Yeop
Lee Han Wie as Mr. Ku (the butcher that likes Eun Chan's mom)
Han Yeh In as Go Eun Sae (Eun Chan's sister)
Kim Jung Min as DK (Yoo Joo's ex-boyfriend)

The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?


Yep, had to watch another that I've seen before. Actually, this was the first, EVER, Asian drama I watched. I was hunting for anime really. I found an Asian channel that hald anime they showed only at night so I looked online to see what they aired and Coffee Prince caught my attention after reading the short synopsis. So I did a hunt and started watching it. From that point on.....I have been addicted ever since.

I'm not saying Coffee Prince was the best but I thought it was good. Enough so that I wanted to see more from Korea but ended up watching a Japanese drama afterwards (Nodame Cantabile). So my love officially started.................This was almost a year and a half ago............

Ahhh!!

This isn't the best of all Korean dramas but it was good enough to keep me hooked. I think I liked the idea that Han Kyul fell in love with a "guy" and let all inhibitions go because the love was more important. Okay, it was good that the "guy" wasn't actually of the male variety. Hehehe!

I thought that this story showed that love was the most important factor of the story where as gender took a second role. It was quite funny at the beginning. I'm not saying it lost its comedic output as the story went on but the hilarity of it disappeared. The coffee "princes" took over that role. Oh and those princes were some serious eye candy. One of those "princes" is the late Lee Eon who passed away just a couple of weeks ago. And let me say this that after watching this show, there wasn't a moment when his face appeared that my heart "hurt". Kim Jae Wook, is he Korean? The name is definitely but he looks Japanese all the way. I'm so confused?????

A definite feel good show without the typical Korean drama ending. I felt good afterwards and hope they make a second season but then that won't happen because our Gong Yoo is doing his mandatory 2-years "voluntary" military service. Ughhhhh!

Kim Jae Wook


Lee Eon

R. I. P.