Last Friends

This is a Japanese Drama about complicated relationships.

A friend of mine said she was currently watching this, so I decided to watch it as well. At first I was really hesitant because the premise sounded to convoluted for my liking. Sometimes it gets painful to watch the show because of the violence. At the same time I can’t stop watching because I really want to know how everything gets resolved.

Michiro has a live-in boyfriend Sousuke, who beats her, but is kind to children and is a social worker. Michiro has a high school friend named Ruka, who she thinks is just “tomboyish” because she’s a motocross racer, but in reality Ruka has always been in love with her but couldn’t tell anyone who she really is even her family. Takeru on the other hand, works as a hairdresser and lets everyone think he’s gay when in fact he’s in love with Ruka. These three are the main characters and they all live in a “sharehouse” with Eri and another guy.

I think Sousuke is one of the most pitiful characters I’ve ever seen in an Asian drama. He’s just sick. A pathetic guy unable to have a real loving relationship because he’s just crazy possessive. A person like that can’t be right in the head. I felt sorry for him towards the end because in that one moment of clarity, in his desire to show a “normal” response to love, he makes another crazy decision. But ultimately, that act set everyone free so I can’t really be sad about the outcome.

Last Friends has such a serious theme and it’s really not for everyone’s liking. Superb acting by Ueno Juri by the way. I saw her in Nodame Cantabile and that was a rom-com. In this drama she’s a lesbian —completely different and so believable! I wouldn’t have recognized her if I didn’t read the credits.

Two new favorites: Akai Ito and Nodame Cantabile

I just finished watching these two J-doramas. they are completely different from each other but I love them both!

Akai Ito is a drama but it wasn’t boring or dragging, it was really well written in my opinion. The story is based from a phone novel that was very popular in Japan.

Nodame Cantabile was based on a manga, then it became a tv show and now they’re making a movie!It’s just my kind of comedy–a bit exaggerated with some slapstick elements. The comedy is very Japanese (if you watch a lot of their shows , you know what I mean) but it’s not as exaggerated as ….Hana Kimi or Atashinshi no Danshi. I really like Ueno Juri  who played Nodame and the longer I look at Tamaki Hiroshi, the guy who played the character Shinichi Chiaki, the more he grows on me. LOL!

I would definitely recommend these two shows!

Here’s Nodame Cantabile the movie trailer:

I wish the two leads would finally be together in the movie. In the series , it was totally one sided, then the special, it was always kinda vague, even at the end. haha! Why is it that most Asian dramas have very “chaste” kisses? It’s more of a smack really. hahaha!

Ikuta Toma for KFC

He does a weird dance in this commercial.

He’s still cute though. hehehe. I loved him as Nakatsu in Hana Kimi. He’s also a good singer and dancer. Too bad his English is awkward. Sigh. Can’t have it all I guess.

If you don’t believe in his star power, just take a look at this video of him below. It’s Toma in character as Nakatsu, I think, and it’s only 5 seconds and very silly but it has almost 100,ooo hits!

I watch it over and over and it’s still KAWAII! hahaha!

Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)

Actors:

Mocomichi Hayami as Tenjo Night (the robot)

Mizushima Hiro as Asamoto Soshi (the boss)– I previously saw him in Hana Kimi

Aibu Saki as  pretty Izawa Riiko (the girlfriend)

Plot:

Kronos Heaven develops a robot, programmed to be the “ideal boyfriend”. Riiko is chosen to be the first owner of the Night-series model.

My Comments:

This is an absolutely hilarious show! I really loved it. I also think that Hayami is totally gorgeous! He’s tall, dark and handsome!  *lol* He’s  the latest addition to my ever growing list of Asian hotties!

I love how Night ( I think they meant it to be Knight, as in Knight in shining armor.) is so innocent and so devoted to Riika. He does everything for her, cheers her on, helps her, supports her, loves her. He is thoroughly her “ideal boyfriend”!  And as the show progresses, you will see that he develops real feelings for her, that overrides his own programming. It’s kinda weird though, watching the girl fall in love with a robot. You get a sense that she’s very lonely.

I loved the last episode and I cried a bit at their separation and mostly because of Night’s self sacrifice.

In my opinion, the Series Special was totally unneeded–although I was glad to see Hayami again.

Erika Sawajiri married this guy

This is late news, but I just recently got to watch 1 Liter of Tears, a Japanese drama starring this sweet faced girl, Erika Sawajiri. She’s really cute and I like her a lot.

I can’t believe she married this guy:

Dang! What made her marry this old dude? He must be filthy rich! I read some news about the pre-nup of these two and all I can say is…whoa. The “contract” says the guy will pay Erika a sum of around 220K US dollars Each time he cheats and has sex with some other woman. And he will pay even more than that amount if he has sex with another woman without using a condom. And there’s also something about Erika getting 90% of his assets if they divorce.

That’s a pretty nice deal don’t you think? *lol*

See how she used to look like:

No more innocent looking photos from this girl.*lol*

Hana Kimi (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e)

I just finished watching the Japanese live version of Hana Kimi. The given English title is “For You in Full Blossom”.

According to Wikipedia , Hana Kimi was originally a shōjo manga series written by Hisaya Nakajo. The manga was serialized in Japan in the bi-weekly Hakusensha manga magazine Hana to Yume. This manga series has ended at volume 23 in August 2004 in Japan with a special ending released December 2004, and a extra special, showing Kayashima’s point of view in the story, released in 2007.

The Tv series is only 12 episodes long but it’s obvious from the ending that they are going to make a part 2 of the series. The story revolves around Ashiya Mizuki (Horikita Maki) who enters an exclusive all-boys school just to help a famous high-jump athlete named Sano Izumi (Oguri Shun) get back into the sport after an accident.  The boys of the school are unaware that Ashiya is really a girl! The series is quite funny, with a lot of Japanese nuances.

In my opinion , Mizuki has a lot more chemistry with the other male actor Nakatsu Shuichi (Ikuta Toma) who plays her bestfriend/love interest than with her “real” love interest Sano.  I like Nakatsu a lot while Sano is boring!

If you wanna laugh, I recommend this series.

What I’m watching now: Fushigi Yuugi

I’ve been watching this manga series since yesterday and I’m hooked!Fushigi Yuugi in English is “Mysterious play” or better yet, Mysterious Game.

The story circles around a 15 year old Japanese girl named Miaka Yuki who gets transported inside a an ancient story book called  The Universe of the Four Gods. Inside the novel she discovers that she is the Priestess of Suzaku and destined to gather the seven Celestial Warriors of the god Suzaku in order to summon Suzaku and obtain three wishes. She falls in love with one of the “Suzaku Seven” called Tamahome. But at the same time one of the seven, called Hotohari, is also in love with her. Hotohari also happens to be the Emperor of Konan. Other warriors (so far) are Chichiro and Nuriko (who’s wonderfully gay).

It gets a little more complicated by episode 12 (which is where I am ) because her best friend from school named Yui has become the Priestess of Seiryu and is now her enemy.

I like the comedic elements as well as the love story and adventure. What girl wouldn’t like a show where the main character has two handsome boys falling in love with her and fighting for her? LOL! Oh Tamahome! Hotohori! LOL! In fairness, pogi si Tamahome. Hanep naman ang buhok ni Hotohori. At pareho silang magaling makipagbakbakan. Pagsamahin ang mga characteristics na yan at meron ka nang Edward Cullen. LOL!