Starring:
Nagasawa Masami as Aida Michiru
Ueno Juri as Kishimoto Ruka
Eita as Mizushima Takeru
Mizukawa Asami as Takigawa Eri
Nishikido Ryo as Oikawa Sosuke
Yamazaki Shigenori as Ogura Tomohiko
Nishihara Aki as Hiratsuka Reina’
Baisho Mitsuko as Aida Chinatsu
Nagashima Mitsuki as Kishimoto Shogo
Shibuya Takeru as Higuchi Naoya
to Yuko as Shirahata Yuko
Tanaka Tetsushi as Hayashida Kazumi
Asaka Mayumi as Kishimoto Yoko
Hirata Mitsuru as Kishimoto Shuji

Last Friends is the story of people who have been hurt and continue to be hurt. They try to escape it, but they can’t. The only thing they can do is try to cope. Michiru is a budding hairdresser with a careless mother and a father she doesn’t ever speak to. She has a kind boyfriend, Sousuke, but when she moves in with him, he begins controlling and abusing her. Ruka is Michiru’s friend from high school and the two coincidentally met again. She’s a motorcross racer but holds a deep secret. Eri is a flight attendant who is friends with Takeru, a hair and make-up artist by day, a bartender by night. Through Eri, Takeru and Ruka become friends, and through Ruka, Michiru and Takeru become friends. Like Ruka, Takeru holds a secret from his childhood.

Last Friends is one of those dramas that evoke so much emotion from you while you’re watching. I think this is because the drama attempts to talk about a lot of serious issues in an up-front, not beating around the bush manner.

If we look at Michiru’s story with Sousuke’s abuse - why does she put up with it for as long as she does? Her father was an alcoholic and abused her mother; she knows what happens, she knows it’s wrong. Sousuke is also the product of an abusive household. By day, he is a kind child welfare worker, but his life is so paradoxical because he goes home and abuses Michiru. But Michiru stays with Sousuke because she says that she has never felt like she was loved until she was with Sousuke. Because she feels loved for once in her life, she continues to stay in this dangerous relationship. Anyone who has learned about basic family sociology knows that the percentage of people from abusive households that become either abusers or victims of abuse is quite high.

The things that Sousuke does to keep Michiru in line are so ridiculous that I just don’t want to believe that stuff like this happens. For example, when Sousuke sees Michiru cutting a man’s hair at her workplace, he asks her to cut his hair. She agrees, but when they set everything up, he grabs her scissors and attempts to cut off his ear. It’s only when Michiru cries that she won’t cut a man’s hair again that he stops. Most people would just say let him cut off his ear, who cares? But Michiru is so deep in this relationship that she just can’t. So, she suffers at her workplace because of his new rules for her life.

I think one thing drama wanted to express is how difficult it is to get out of this situation. It’s not just getting her away from him; it’s not as simple as that. First off, Michiru has to want to be saved. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Even if Michiru was taken away from Sousuke by her friends, if she still loves him and wants to be with him, she’ll just go back. And then even after knowing that he’s bad for her, she cant help but still feel a connection because of their similar backgrounds and their history together.

Getting away from that, both Nagasawa Masami and Nishikido Ryo were great in their roles. It’s amazing how Ryo can look so kind and second later be beating her up. It’s also interesting that a Johnny’s guy was cast as the wife beater; I suppose this gives him a new depth. There is also a very interesting interview he gave regarding his character.

Onto to Eita’s character, Takeru. His backstory isn’t revealed until over half way into the series, and even then it’s barely ever mentioned or explained. I don’t know what the writers were trying to accomplish with this, especially since everything else doesn’t seem to be hidden to the viewers. Generally, it seems that his story takes a back seat to Michiru and Ruka. I’m not sure I understand the point of making him a main character while his back story is barely discussed. Even at the end when it’s finally explained, it seems like a bit of a cop out. On all the short teasers, it says that Takeru has a phobia of sex. I don’t want to spoil things for people who haven’t watched (even though the nature of reviews makes it impossible to have no spoilers at all), so all I’ll say is that the explanation makes no sense to me.

As for his character, Takeru is the kind of friend that everyone should have. Do people this kind and gentle actually exist? While others are worried about their friend, Takeru goes the extra mile to see how they are doing. I was impressed with Eita’s portrayal, though I have to admit that the stylist choices for his clothes are kind of strange. I can understand why they wanted him to be a little more feminine in his wardrobe, but wouldn’t it actually be more realistic if he were a little better dressed? He is a stylist after all and works in the fashion industry.

As good as Nagasawa Masami and Eita were in their respective roles, I have to say that Ueno Juri blew me away with her portrayal of Ruka. A lot of the time when you see actors and actresses in different roles, it’s not always the character you see but the actor. In Nodame Cantabile, Ueno Juri was perfect as the spacey Nodame. And here, she takes a complete 180 turn with the boyish Ruka. Her voice and mannerisms were completely in synch with this new character. Before this, I didn’t really follow Ueno Juri’s career, but now I think I’ll have to go back and watch some of her previous works, because that’s really how much she impressed me.

It was also a treat to see Mizukawa Asami as Eri, though like Takeru, Eri didn’t seem to have much of a back story. It seems to me that she is type to bottle up her feelings and not always tell people what’s bothering her. She puts on a happy face even though she feels lonely or sad. In the end, I don’t think this was dealt with completely, although her ending is pretty happy.

I also have to talk about the opening theme sequence. Is it amazing or what?? The white backdrop with the red strings of fate whirling around everywhere was really interesting. A couple of other observations: in the promo image, Takeru is the only one with his eyes open. And in the ending images of the opening sequence, everyone is completely in white except for Sousuke’s black tie. It would be nice if the Prisoner of Love PV that followed this same concept. Or if there was a Last Friends version of the PV.

Overall, Last Friends was an amazing series. Not only was the storyline very well written, the acting was also top notch. I was a bit disappointed in how some of the loose ends in the some side stories weren’t tied up properly, but this was definitely the best drama of the season for me.

Buy the boxset: Japan Version

Shinku

Starring:
Uchiyama Rina as Kako
Mizukawa Asami as Miho
Kohinata Fumiyo as Kako’s father
Ogata Naoto as Miho’s father
Uchida Asahi as Akira
Tsukamoto Takashi as Takumi
Horikita Maki as young Kako

I recently watched a movie called Shinku. It’s about two girls. One is a college student whose family was murdered (Kako); the other is the daughter of the man who murdered the other girl’s family (Miho). Eight years after the murder, he is finally sentenced to death. Kako is now a pretty college student with a boyfriend and plenty of friends. Miho is a tattooed bar owner married to an unfaithful and unkind man. Kako wants to meet Miho and she starts visiting the bar that Miho owns. The two form a kind of friendship, but Kako seems to have something else in mind, a revenge of some sorts.

I really like the cover. It’s so beautiful and I love how Mizukawa Asami (Miho) looks so tragic, while Uchiyama Rina (Kako) looks calculating. Also the use of colors and the lighting on the two leads is just gorgeous.

This film is actually quite gory at some parts. Even though I don’t usually get very grossed out at blood, it got to me a little. Well, the film is called Shinku (deep red), naturally the color played a large role in the film’s palette.

Despite its goriness, I really enjoyed this film. The two leads give a very good performance and the two timelines fit in rather well. The movie flips between the past and present, so while we are watching Kako and Miho’s relationship grow, we are also finding out why Miho’s father murdered Kako’s family. The scenes with young Kako are especially interesting and the dream/subconscious conversation she has near the end is particularly compelling.

Something that I kept wondering about while I was watching was if Miho knew who Kako was. If she did, would their relationship have been different? And when did she find out who Kako was? I also wondered if Kako knew what her father did, because he is not exactly innocent. I think this film was successful in its crime and punishment/revenge exploration.

I don’t really want to give much away, but I will say that Shinku is an excellent film to watch. Definitely heavy but a very good physiological thriller. Some sites have called this a horror film, but I don’t agree. I strictly stay away from horror films (I even turn away from horror film trailers!), so I think it’s safe to say that if I don’t think it counts a horror film, it really isn’t. When I first read the synopsis, I thought that this movie had to be good, and I’m glad it was (otherwise I would have just wasted my time, right?)

Buy this movie: J Standard Edition

New season, new dramas! Here are my first and pre-impressions for some of the dramas this season.

Last Friends
It’s the story of people who have been hurt and how they are coping with it. It deals with many issues such as domestic violence and sexuality, so needless to say, this series is rather mature and serious. Not only does it have an amazing cast with Nagasawa Manami, Ueno Juri, and Eita, the story is interesting and compelling. Add to that a GREAT OP sequence and I think I’ve already decided that Last Friends is going to be my favorite of the season. And isn’t that promo images so beautiful?

Zettai Kareshi
I was pretty hesitant to pick this up mainly because I have read enough of the manga to know that I don’t really like it. But then they cast Mizushima Hiro and I really like him, so now I’m watching it. And Maya Miki also plays a role in it, which is definitely a nice addition because I have always enjoyed watching her. The writers have changed the setting from high school to a cake company, which was probably smart, considering the nature of the show. Don’t know how long I’m going to keep watching it because it’s kind of bothering me right now.

Around 40
As the title implies, it’s the story of people who around 40. And as series a series with older actors and actress just means that it’s the veterans of the business who are again taking leading roles (as opposed to mother/father to leading roles). Basically the story of three women, one who wants to get married, but has high standards, so she has a lot trouble (also because she is very intelligent). Another is a housewife who is tired of just staying at home and wants to get back into society again. The last is a fashionable magazine editor who vowed never to get married, but did anyway. Stars Fujiki Naohito as the love interest of the main character

Kimi Hannin Janai yo ne?
Every mystery series is pretty similar, but they each have different gimmicks. In Kimi Hannin Janai yo ne? (You’re not a criminal, right?), the leading girl, Morita Sakura, has an amazing memory and can remember the tiniest details. She happens to get caught up with Usagawa Kyosei, an detective who is pretty crappy and falls in love with female suspects. The male lead is played by Kaname Jun, who was the villain in last season’s Ashita no Kita Yoshio. His character here is very comedic, so it’s strange for me to watch him here. Also because, he was also in the Taiyou no Uta drama where he played another very series character. And as I’ve said before, I can never resist a good mystery!

Ryokiteki na Kanojo
Based on the South Korean movie, this drama pretty much follows the same formula of the movie (or at least as far as I’ve watched to far). I’m not really a big fan of the movie…I could never understand why the guy just took all of her abuse. I am interested to see how the writers are going to stretch a movie into an entire drama, though. And how they integrate the change in setting from college students to working people. But actually, I never finished the first episode, so…

Hokaben
A lawyer drama with Ueto Aya starring as a rookie lawyer who wants to help the weak and works for the pro bono section. Her law firm is the largest in the nation, but the pro bono section only has one other lawyer - her boss. So far, it seems like this drama is going to focus on some heavy subjects and the first case is separated into two episodes (which she’ll probably win). Also stars Kato Shigeaki for Johnny’s fans.

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Puzzle
This one is like a mystery, but not exactly. It starts Ishihara Satomi (who I’ve always thought is really beautiful) as an English teacher who isn’t really very proficient at English. She’s selfish and arrogant in front her students, but acts meek and kind in front of her coworkers and the rest of the work. But she’s really smart and can solve puzzles and ends up solving various mysterious things with three of her students. And speaking of her students, is this a HanaKimi reunion or something? Because 2/3 of her students are from the main student cast… So far, though, it’s really fun and Ishihara Satomi is great.

Nodame Cantabile

Starring:
Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi aka Nodame
Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi
Eita as Mine Ryutaro
Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi
Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora
Saeko as Saku Sakura
Uehara Misa as Tagaya Saiko
Takenaka Naoto as Franz Stresemann
Endo Yuya as Okochi Mamoru
Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi
Nishimura Masahiko as Tanioka Hajime
Toyohara Kosuke as Eto Kozo
Kondo Kouen as Tamaki Keiji
Sakamoto Makoto as Hashimoto Yohei
Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori
Mukai Osamu as Kikuchi Toru
Hashizume Ryo as Kimura Tomohito

Nodame Cantabile is a Japanese drama that aired in the fall of 2006. It was broadcasted on Monday nights on Fuji TV. Based on the manga of the same name, Nodame Cantabile averaged rating of 18.79%.

Nodame Cantabile is the drama for all of us orchestra dorks (or more generally, music dorks). It takes places at Momogaoka Music Academy, focusing on the life of Chiaki Shinichi and his strange relationship with Noda Megumi, nicknamed Nodame. Chiaki is the top piano student at the Academy, as well as a talented violinist, but secretly dreams of conducting. He longs to return to Prague, where he spent his childhood, but feeling trapped in Japan because of his phobia of flying and sailing. He wonders what his future in music will be like, since one must study abroad in Europe to truly have a career as a conductor. Soon after, he transfers to the conducting division of the school.

He and Nodame meet coincidentally and she falls head over heels in love. Chiaki, however, is repulsed by Nodame since she is everything he is not - messy, dirty, and very eccentric. She is also a piano student. Though she cannot even read a piano score correctly, she is ridiculously talented and chooses to play by ear.

One day the famous conductor, Franz Stresesmann, comes to Momogaoka and requests to start a new orchestra. The students are surprised to see that the new orchestra is not made up of all the top students, but all the underachievers! Stresesmann takes Chiaki as his one and only pupil and as Chiaki begins to conduct, he realizes that this orchestra is made up of people like Nodame; talented and into the music, but cannot follow a score or the conductor. It’s the story of an up-and-coming conductor and an eccentric but talented girl who loves him.

Nodame Cantibile is one of the most hilarious dramas I’ve watched. All the characters are so full of life and totally exaggerated. A lot of the manga-actions are also translated into live-action. Like when Chiaki hits Nodame, she goes flying across the room, rolling around and everything. At first, it’s weird, but after a few of them, it becomes much more fun and it sticks out less (especially since everything is so wild).

A huge strength in this story in the uniqueness of each character…they are all very different, so there is no getting people mixed up (which is sad but happens to me sometimes). And since they’re all so different, there should be at least one character you will like. The most entertaining part of the show is the interaction between all the characters; it is so fun and energetic…sometimes I can’t understand how the actors and actresses didn’t just break out laughing with all the extremities of the script.

Even though there is a lot of slap stick comedy, there is also a huge amount of character development and two plot arcs included. I thought the cast was excellent; they all fit and looked the part.

There’s almost no reason to not watch Nodame Cantibile. Well, that’s not true. If you don’t like music, Nodame will be hard to watch (and listen!). If you don’t like comedy, there’s way too much in this story to overlook it. But that’s probably it. It’s a super fun drama with an interesting plot and relatively fast pace.

Buy the boxset: Japan Version