Water Boys ( ウォーターボーイズ -2003)

Starring:
Yamada Takayuki as Shindo Kankuro
Moriyama Mirai as Tatematsu Norio
Eita as Tanaka Masatoshi
Ishigaki Yuma as Takahara Go
Ishii Tomoya as Ishizuka Futoshi
Miyaji Mao as Onishi Asako
Kashii Yu as Hanamura Kyoko
Tani Kei as Mr. Ozaki
Fuse Akira as Mr. Yamaoka
Sugimoto Tetta as Mr. Sugita
Manabe Kaori as Miss. Sakuma
Kikuchi Maiko as Miss. Onogawa
Emoto Akira as Mama (of a bar)
Tokui Yuu as Chi-mama
Takenaka Naoto as Mr. Isomura
Yashima Norito as Isomura Kiyomasa
Tamaki Hiroshi as Sato Katsumasa
Takahashi Hitomi as Shindo Miwako
Asano Kazuyuki as Shindo Kanichi
Ikari Yukiko as Shindo Hitomi
Nishida Naomi
Katayama Reo as Kitajima Daichi
Aibu Saki as Hayakawa Atsumi
Hiraizumi Sei as Mr. Tatematsu

Synchro Boy Group
Hojo Takahiro
Fujisawa Yosuke
Arakawa Yu
Kato Koki
Nozaki Tenma
Tanaka Kei
Shiozawa Hidemasa
Isaka Tatsuya
Hamada Hiroyuki
Abe Atsushi
Ebata Hiroki
Ichitaro
Chikada Shintaro
Takeuchi Taiyo
Kawamoto Takanori
Sekita Atsushi
Hyuga Takashi
Namiki Nobuyuki
Washizu Isanori
Shin Shinichiro
Wakizaki Tomohito
Watanabe Dai

Two years ago, five high-school boys brought fame to a small town in Japan. What was so unique was that they formed a "men's synchronized swimming club." Their involvement and struggles while learning synchronized swimming - known to be a sport for girls - brought much attention to their school and town.

Two years have passed since that summer, and the boys of Tadano High School are still in the club. The Fuji Television drama "Water Boys" shows how these young boys fight to learn synchronized swimming, fall in love, and enjoy friendship with one another.

I cannot believe I put this show off for so long! I watched the movie (actually I think the movie was the first Asian movie I saw for the first time. I'm almost positive because I did a Tamaki Hiroshi search and that came up. I'm STILL looking for Rockers! Errrr)

Okay, I loved this. Oh yeah, Eita in a speedo! Hello!?!! Ishigaki Yuma in a speedo. Oh yeah baby! LOL! This is probably the only drama where I thought Yamada Takayuki looked decent. Yeah, he's a great actor. Really great! But his looks don't give me the.....*sigh*. Ya know?

This was a great family comedy/drama. I loved the end with all the choreography and stunts. The music was cool too! This wasn't the greatest of all dramas go but it was really fun to watch. Oh and Moriyama Mirai didn't disappoint in his comedic role. His facial expressions crack me up. He, also, isn't a "looker" but he too has that "somethin', somethin'", aura, appeal.......whatever that draws your attention to him. Love him! I'm never disappointed in his roles whatsoever.

Have fun. Sit down. Grab a soda. Watch the show.

Hojo Takahiro


Tanaka Kei


Tamaki Hiroshi


Eita

Hana Kimi (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - Ikemen Paradise, 2007)

AKA: Hottie Paradise!



The HOTTIES:
Oguri Shun~Sano Izumi
Toma Ikuta~Nakatsu Shuichi
Daito Shunsuke-Sano Shin
Shirota Yuu-Kagurazaka Makoto

First Dormitory Students
Ishigaki Yuma as Tennoji Megumi (Dorm Leader)
Takahashi Mitsuomi as Daikokucho Mitsuomi
Takeda Kohei as Kitahanada Kohei
Suzuki Ryohei as Akashi Soichiro
Sato Yuuichi as Tetsukayama Shota
Hayakawa Ryo as Gotenyama Sakyo
Matsushita Kouji as Shojaku Ren
Nishiyama Sousuke as Shichido Soma
Hagiwara Tatsuya (萩原達也) as Ishikiri Hiroto

Second Dormitory Students
Mizushima Hiro as Nanba Minami (Dorm Leader)
Kimura Ryo as Senri Nakao
Okada Masaki as Sekime Kyogo
Yamamoto Yusuke as Kayashima Taiki
Igarashi Shunji as Noe Shinji
Mizobata Junpei as Saga Kazuma
Sakimoto Hiromi as Kyobashi Arata
Chiyo Shota as Yodoyabashi Taichi
Tajima Ryo as Arashiyama Jyo
Shimegi Enoku as Tannowa Kyoichi
Okada Hikaru as Takaida Riku
Ikeda Jun as Kamishinjo Itsuki
Shibasaki Keisuke (柴崎佳佑) as Minase Manato

Third Dormitory Students
Kyo Nobuo as Himejima Masao (Oscar M. Himejima, Dorm Leader)
Kato Keisuke as Yao Hikaru
Watanabe Toshihiko (渡辺俊彦) as Imamiya Sho
Takahashi Yuta (高橋優太) as Shijo Haruki
Matsuda Shouichi as Kuzuha Junnosuke
Miyata Naoki as Saiin Tsukasa
Furuhara Yasuhisa as Ogimachi Taiyo
Ojima Naoya as Kaizuka Kohei
Suzuki Kota (鈴木康太) as Uenoshiba Kanata
Nakada Yuya as Katabiranotsuji Ken
Kawakami Yu as Korien Genji

St. Blossom's Academy
Iwasa Mayuko as Hanayashiki Hibari
Matsuda Madoka as Kishizato Juri
Kiritani Mirei as Amagasaki Kanna
Kurose Manami as Imaike Komari
Taira Airi as Abeno Erika

The drama is based on the popular manga of the same name by Nakajo Hisaya. Horikita plays the protagonist Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese girl in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi compete in high jumping on television. She begins to idolize him. Sano gets injured one day in America while trying to help Mizuki escape from some gangsters. He stops high jumping ever since. Mizuki blames herself for the incident and decides to go to Japan and help Sano find his love for high jumping. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy in order to meet with him again.



So many cute guys, not enough blog space. *sighs then frowns* I had to watch this again. Why? Well, it was one of the first jdramas that I watched. At that time, I didn't know who Oguri Shun, Mizushima Hiro, Shirota Yuu, Ishigaki Yuma, or anyone else was at the time. I was a newbie through and through. Watching it again, I'm more aware and appreciative of it this time around. Oh, Oguri Shun.....*sighs*.

If you noticed when they showed torso shots, his left breast is sunken in. At the time I didn't realize but he has a genetic disorder called Pectus Excavatum. It was quite obvious this time around since I couldn't take my eyes of his absolutely cute self. The disorder didn't matter though. In pics, I'm sure they photoshop those to hide the minor problem. I say MINOR because it definitely is no big deal.

If you haven't seen this drama, why haven't you? This is any drama fanatic favorite. You'll know by all the forums that worship this show. I have to agree, the hottie factor is HUGE!!!

There were so many things I missed the first time. This time around, I was able to focus and be aware of its testosteronal surroundings. Hehe!

I think I might watch Nodame Cantabile again because I miss Chiaki....*smiles* Tamaki Hiroshi was my first love....*sighs then giggles*

This time around...I'm putting pics of the not so popular guys and because I don't have enough space to put more Oguri Shun up. (OMG! I can't believe I said that.)

Who to put? Who to put?

Toma Ikuta


Shirota Yuu

First noticed him in the movie Prince of Tennis, loved the manga/anime had to see the live-action. He did Tetzuka so well. They picked an "ace" when they chose him for that part. He always plays the "cool" characters.

Okada Masaki

Azumi and Azumi 2: Death or Love

Azumi
Starring:
Aya Ueto .... Azumi
Oguri Shun .... Nachi
Narimiya Hiroki .... Ukiha
Kohashi Kenji .... Hyuga
Kaneko Takatoshi .... Amagi
Ishigaki Yuma .... Nagara
Nagayama Eita .... Hiei
Endo Kenichi .... Sajiki Isshin
Odagiri Joe .... Bijomaru Mogami


Azumi 2
Starring:
Ueto Aya as Azumi
Ishigaki Yuma as Nagara
Kuriyama Chiaki as Kozue
Oguri Shun as Ginkaku / Nachi
Kitamura Kazuki as Kanbee Inoue
Endo Kenichi as Kinkaku


Orphaned as a little girl, Azumi (Aya Ueto) is raised in the forest with a group of ten children by their master (Yoshio Harada), who trains them to be peerless assassins. Azumi and Nachi (Shun Oguri) are the strongest of the fighters. When the group comes of age, the master gives them one final test. He tells them to team up with the person to whom they feel closest. Then he tells them to kill that person, explaining that an assassin never gets to choose whom to kill. The teens reluctantly fight to the death. Then the survivors are brought out of the woods to begin their work, assassinating the corrupt warlords who are preventing peace in the land. The assassins, particularly Azumi, perform their missions with flair, but complications arise. One of the teens (Takatoshi Kaneko) is poisoned by a ninja's blade, one (Kenji Kohashi) falls in love with a circus performer (Aya Okamoto), and Azumi begins to question her desire to live the violent life of an assassin. Meanwhile, one warlord (Naoto Takenaka) cleverly escapes their blades, and together with his bodyguard Kenbei (Kazuki Kitamura) and a "monkey-faced" ninja, Saru (Minoru Matsumoto), they find Bijomaru (Jô Odagiri from Bright Future), a violent madman, release him from prison, and unleash him upon the young team of assassins. Azumi, based on the manga by Yu Koyama, is the first of cult director Ryuhei Kitamura's (Versus) films to be made within the Japanese studio system. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide


Aaaagh! I was going to review this last night but I watched both Azumi's back-to-back and it was late. Plus, I was not in the right mind to post this review. OMG! This movie, especially the first one, was AWESOME. What movie can make you cry in the first 10 minutes? This one did and I cried throughout this one and the second one. Why? Why? Why did the have to kill Nachi at the very beginning? It wasn't fair. And Eita? He is one of Japan's most popular actors! Did he even have a line. Killed right before Nachi! They killed off 2 of Japan's finest in less than 0 minutes. Sheesh!

The suffering Azumi went through. Uuuugh! No girl, woman, whatever should have to lose the man she loves...TWICE!! I was wanting a freakin' happy ending when I realized Oguri Shun was back in the second movie. Whyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!! So for almost 4 hours straight I was a blubbering idiot. Oh don't get me wrong the action was awesome. I started out watching these two movies all alone and gradually a member of my family would start asking questions or sitting next to me about what they heard or had seen. Next thing you know, I have both my sons and my husband sitting next to me. And I, of course, am the only one bawling like a baby.
My only complaint with the movie was the second one. I felt the second one was put together toooooo fast to accomodate the first movie and Azumi fans. The quality wasn't as good and the script seemed rushed to fit what they needed into a 2 hour movie. Hell, there should have been more depth in Azumi's and Ginkaku's relationship. And why was Nagara in the second movie? He didn't do anything except get killed and make me cry even more. That was my only complaint. If you don't want to see Oguri Shun get killed again, don't watch the second one. Don't torture yourself like I did. The first Azumi movie was the best anyway. But if you feel you need some kind of completion then go ahead and watch the second one.

Odagiri Joe

I have to make this comment about Joe. Damn! He is such a versatile actor. I'm looking forward to watching Mushi-shi! He can play good guys, bad guys, whatever-kind-of guys well. If you have to see him at his full potential then watch Shinobi. I saw the anime so I couldn't watch the movie only because well....I know the ending. LOL!

Narimiya Hiroki


Kohashi Kenji


Eita

Ace wo Nerae!

Surprisingly this was really good. Actually this was reminiscent of the manga/anime Prince of Tennis!They should have named this the Princess of Tennis. LOL! With the exception that Oka Hiromi wasn't a tennis prodigy but trained hard and made the "big time". Where as Echizen Ryoma, was the tennis prodigy but had to prove himself to the top players that just because he was small didn't mean he wasn't talented. Anyway....that's a whole other review.

Ace of Nerae translated means "aim for the ace!" Oka Hiromi is our heroine. After watching Ryuzaki Reika play tennis, Hiromi wanted to play tennis. So she joins the high school tennis team with awful results. After encountering Munakata Jin several times, she discovers that he is in fact the new high school coach. And many of the team members don't like him because of his intense training. We learn later that the coach had set his "sights" on her and vowed to take her to the "top". To the dismay of the starters, the coach makes Hiromi one too. Teased, tormented, and bullied, Hiromi suffers her first year as a starter but vows to keep up the training to become strong. Coach wasn't the only one who set their "sights" on her. Todo Takayuki, a starter for the boys tennis team, has started to like her. But coach isn't too thrilled because their affection is affecting her play. Takayuki abides by coach's wishes and stays away so Hiromi can become the best player. The drama proceeds to show Hiromi's improvement as she works her way to the top. But coach is hiding something and to save Hiromi, he doesn't tell her.

I really like this. I guess because it was all about girl power. It was about overcoming adversity. It was accepting what we can and can't do and improving upon it. Let's just say it's uplifting and you won't be disheartened. *smiles*

I have to say I liked the character who played Todo Takayuki. Cutey patootey!
Yoshizawa Hisashi

I really look forward to seeing more from him. Second pic is my favorite.

Ishigaki Yuma

I'm a little peeved because I can't find any recent pictures of him! Eeergh! And if I did they were character pics. Eeergh! Anyway, I've seen him sooooo many times in the past few months because almost every show I've seen has him in it. LOL! Too funny. He's been in H2, Gokusen, WaterBoys, Engine, and Hana Kimi (and I've seen them all!)