Monday, June 23, 2014

DramaQueen favorite Jdorama Part 1


Title: Itazura Na Kiss 

Starring: Kashiwabara Takashi (Kassy), Aiko Sato

Theme song: Steady 

Singer: Speed

Year of broadcasting: 1996

Story line: Irie Naoki (Kassy) is the smartest boy in the whole school. He is a good looking genius and he is great in sports too. You almost could not find any fault in him. On the other hand, Kotoko    (Aiko Sato) is a silly girl from class F. She is average looking, loud and clumsy. She has a one-sided love for Naoki Irie. 

My thoughts:

I love Itazura Na Kiss because of the chemistry between the main leads and the romantic comedy story line. Kassy did well as the cold, serious, good looking genius Naoki Irie. Yes, Kassy was my first Japanese drama crush. Who can resist a Ikemen (handsome boy)? He was the last century representative of Japanese pretty boy!

On the other hand, Sato Aiko is annoying with her high pitched screaming but I am impressed with her portrayal of the brave Kotoko. At least, she left a great impression on me. Both Irie and Kotoko have strengths and weaknesses. The highlight is how they complement and complete each other. At the end of the day, they actually bring out the best in each other. I like Kotoko determination and her persistence in what she think is right. She is the one with the gusto to correct Naoki Irie mistake. 

Sadly, my happiness was cut short with the rushed and abrupt ending of the drama. Although I know that Naoki Irie have shown signs of liking Kotoko, we need more obvious evidence such as Naoki Irie doing something to show his love for her. Even till the end, he 'suddenly' realized that he like Kotoko and wanted her to stay with him? At the first place, he did not seem to get 'jealous' or 'upset' with Kotoko over Kin Chan. What is the point of having her good friend Kin Chan in this drama? It was only much later did I know about the anime and discovered that this drama did not follow the original manga. Therefore, not many people can accept the changes.

The character development was lacking and it seems like a romantic comedy that is not to be taken seriously. That was such a shame since We know how much potentially this drama has judging from the Korean and Taiwanese adaptation of this manga. I always hope that the Japanese will produce another season after this drama was aired in 1996 and we will see this onscreen couple again. However, the wish never came true until 2013, but the both of them appeared in different episodes. Despite my disappointment with their cameo, i still hope that they will have a chance to reunite with each other in another drama.


Title: Majo no Jouken 

Starring: Hideaki Takizawa (Tackey) and Matsushima Nanako.

Theme Song: First love

Singer: Hikaru Utada

Year of broadcasting: 1999

Story line: The story is about a forbidden love between Michi (Nanako) a teacher and a student Hikaru (Tackey). One of the hottest and controversial J-drama that debuted in1999. 


My thoughts:

It had been over a decade long since I watched this drama. It has a great impact on me when I first watched this drama. It was common sense why the society will condemn this action even during these days. As Asian, we are a conservative society that does not condone this behavior. The relationship is definitely doomed right from the start. 

Tackey is my second J drama crush and he was only 17 years old then. He has a well crafted jawline, puppy eyes, bouncy lips and flawless skin. Nanako and Tackey acted very well in their respective role. The two troubled people finding comfort in each other and develop feeling for each other. 

The ending is open ended and really depends on how we want to view it. Overall, I find that this drama was very depressing but I like the way the director execute the story. 


Title: Beach boy

Starring: Sorimachi Takashi, Takenouchi Yutaka 

Year of broadcasting: 1997

Theme song: Foever

Singers: Sorimachi Takashi and Richie Sambora

Story line: Upon getting thrown out of his girlfriend Fujiko's apartment, Hiromi (Sorimachi) decides to head for the Ocean. En route, he crosses paths with Kaito (Takenouchi), an elite employee of a large multinational company in Tokyo who is running away from his problems at work after losing a  key client.

My thoughts:

I was still studying in school when i watched this Jdorama and instantly fall for the main characters. They were the coolest guys i have ever seen in a drama. During those days, Sorimachi Takashi and Takenouchi Yutaka were the hottest "It' guys in Japan! I like the background setting of this drama about the bottle that was cast into the ocean and how at the other side of the world, someone actually picked up the bottle. This is actually a small world where we can connect to each other even by throwing a bottle into the ocean. 

What are the chances of having two good looking guys in a beach for a short vacation? There goes the fantasy head of the little girl in my heart. The story was simple and i like the contrast between the lead actors. Their difference was like the Sun and the Moon but they can click so well in this drama. I like the way the cast interacted with each other. There is something refreshing because the story focused on friendship instead of the usual romance. I like the way the story progressed from the main characters trying to escape something in their life to finally facing their fears and eventually begins to appreciate the ocean. 

The story is like a long vacation where we get to see eye candies and find out the story about each characters. In the process, we get to know each one of them like a friend that listens to their stories unfolds with each episode. The cast did a good job in acting out their roles and the director created a dynamics for the cast to interact with each other. Some of it was brief and the scriptwriter did not explain certain details. Nonetheless, this drama is worth watching because of the interesting characters and story.  
























































































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