2007
Episodes: 11
Starring: Nagase Tomoya, Aibu Saki, Sato Ryuta, Ohkura Tadayoshi, Koike Eiko...
A young man named Akira traveled to a rural countryside on behalf of her mother to watch a movie when a really old, broken cinema was to put up its last showing. Akira's mother, a songstress who decided that she would retire after her father, Akira's grandfather's death. She expressed that it would be a meaningful, life-changing movie that Akira will be watching, called "Utahime". As Akira arrived at the cinema, he found out that the cinema was closing because the owner's mother passed away the month before and it was written in her will that this movie - written by James Taro, about a man who lost his memory and the women who loved him - be the last movie the cinema will show. As Akira was looking at the pamphlet of the movie, the scene switches to a 1950s Japan and a man who looks exactly like Akira was riding on a bicycle, delivering reels of films.
Taro, Akira's grandfather, turned out to be a live-in worker at the local theater - Orion za(the one Akira was to visit half a century later.) The owner of the restaurant gladly took him in to live with the owner's wife and his young daughter - Suzu. It was later revealed that Taro was in the army before he arrived in this small town, he was found by Suzu and her father, drifting in the river and was saved by them. He woke up remembering nothing of his past and the war, not knowing where he was from. His only hint was a broken pocket watch without a chain. The family took Taro in and the four of them lived happily together but was often interrupted by the local Yakuza gang.
The drama follows Taro and Suzu's life in the small town, how they overcome the problems of everyday life and how Suzu loved Taro, how Taro avoided her love for fear of complication if and when he remembers his past... and then there is a little but expected twist. This is the negative point of flashbacks. You can tell what will happen because the fragments of the future often contain hints. And I am a master at flashbacks as I realized, back in high school, I wrote a lot of essays and about 90% of the stories I wrote are flashbacks. Oh how I loved the hint dropping incorporated at the beginning. ^^
*****
O_O I actually thought Nagase Tomoya and Aibu Saki look cute together. To think I was always on Team Ayumi. Tsk tsk tsk. The love between their characters is apparent very early on. The ending I can also pretty much predict.
Nagase Tomoya seems to be playing a character with a wee bit more depth than his previous characters that I have seen such as that "Mukodono" dude and the "My Boss My Hero" dude. Dual personality. Savvy.
Ohkura Tadayoshi's James prances around with a lovely hairstyle. I like! His character's obsession with James Dean is absolutely hilarious. xD Am starting to remember him already! Yes, I had a period of time where I forgot Ohkura. xD He is always rebelling without a cause in the drama. xD
The theme song "SEISYuN" by none other than TOKIO has a nice retro feel to it. Though I have to say... in episode 2, when Nagase was trying to sing "Jailhouse Rock"... what the hell?! Its... T_T horrible. The pronunciation, I mean. He could have spent a few more days learning it, really. It turned out to be a complete joke. And I know I am being hard on him, but still...
The viewership rating is a stunningly LOW 7.9% on average in the Kanto region. WOW. xD That's something... Anyways, I do not start something I don't finish. (Well, not really. Just thought it sounded cool to say that.) So I finished it.
Sato Ryuta playing a bad guy... I was pessimistic from the beginning. A person with that face cannot play a bad guy. Turns out, I was right. His character is the perfect idiot.
[Spoilers from episode 7] Taro's wife, played by Koike Eiko appeared, I think that its really selfish that the family kept it from him. Sure, James and his determination to fix the ideal couple up is admirable, sure, of course you would want the person you are closer to to be happy instead of some unknown stranger. BUT, BUT, BUT, its just unfair. Let Taro make the choice! Taro should have the right to make his own choices. No one would be happy if they have to keep the secret from Taro, definitely not Suzu. She might have to live in fear of Taro remembering the past suddenly and blaming them for not telling. Suzu is too selfish and stupid for keeping Taro like that, praying at the temple for Taro to stay. Even if he stays, she won't be happy knowing that he might remember anytime. Its so annoying that people are no farsighted enough to see that secrets are crap!
[Spoilers from episode 10] Miwako is so great that she could have been wrapping up her husband and giving it to Suzu graciously and Suzu is so selfish that she did not tell Taro that he has a daughter. Bitch. Miwako~~ thou art great. She understands, you see, that if she forces Taro to go back, neither of them would be happy. She could even admit that he fell for another girl and accepted the fact that he doesn't love her anymore. Hows that for being mature? T_T Poor thing.
[Spoilers from episode 11 - finale] Its so unfair that they portray Taro to be someone who just go back to his life pre-war for his daughter and his daughter is the sole reason for him to go back. Its unfair. Does Miwako mean nothing to him? Yeah, yeah the main characters have eternal love. Whatever. I think I will gag. Taro wrote a script based on their love story which was to be the film that Akira traveled so far to watch. James added the finishing touch, thus the James Taro~ double first names. xD I kinda had a feeling that Akira and Ruriko were to resume the story that their respective grandparents failed to complete earlier on. I was right! And I knew Suzu was going to marry Croissant. Croissant is such a great guy inside, despite being a crybaby. Sabako outlived all of the others. Sabako is great.
Now what does this drama tells you, kids? You don't always marry Mr. Right. Life is about compromise... even if it means that you will marry a crybaby named Croissant. T_T
Rating: 3/5
Was a bit slow for my taste.
Episodes: 11
Starring: Nagase Tomoya, Aibu Saki, Sato Ryuta, Ohkura Tadayoshi, Koike Eiko...
A young man named Akira traveled to a rural countryside on behalf of her mother to watch a movie when a really old, broken cinema was to put up its last showing. Akira's mother, a songstress who decided that she would retire after her father, Akira's grandfather's death. She expressed that it would be a meaningful, life-changing movie that Akira will be watching, called "Utahime". As Akira arrived at the cinema, he found out that the cinema was closing because the owner's mother passed away the month before and it was written in her will that this movie - written by James Taro, about a man who lost his memory and the women who loved him - be the last movie the cinema will show. As Akira was looking at the pamphlet of the movie, the scene switches to a 1950s Japan and a man who looks exactly like Akira was riding on a bicycle, delivering reels of films.
Taro, Akira's grandfather, turned out to be a live-in worker at the local theater - Orion za(the one Akira was to visit half a century later.) The owner of the restaurant gladly took him in to live with the owner's wife and his young daughter - Suzu. It was later revealed that Taro was in the army before he arrived in this small town, he was found by Suzu and her father, drifting in the river and was saved by them. He woke up remembering nothing of his past and the war, not knowing where he was from. His only hint was a broken pocket watch without a chain. The family took Taro in and the four of them lived happily together but was often interrupted by the local Yakuza gang.
The drama follows Taro and Suzu's life in the small town, how they overcome the problems of everyday life and how Suzu loved Taro, how Taro avoided her love for fear of complication if and when he remembers his past... and then there is a little but expected twist. This is the negative point of flashbacks. You can tell what will happen because the fragments of the future often contain hints. And I am a master at flashbacks as I realized, back in high school, I wrote a lot of essays and about 90% of the stories I wrote are flashbacks. Oh how I loved the hint dropping incorporated at the beginning. ^^
*****
O_O I actually thought Nagase Tomoya and Aibu Saki look cute together. To think I was always on Team Ayumi. Tsk tsk tsk. The love between their characters is apparent very early on. The ending I can also pretty much predict.
Nagase Tomoya seems to be playing a character with a wee bit more depth than his previous characters that I have seen such as that "Mukodono" dude and the "My Boss My Hero" dude. Dual personality. Savvy.
Ohkura Tadayoshi's James prances around with a lovely hairstyle. I like! His character's obsession with James Dean is absolutely hilarious. xD Am starting to remember him already! Yes, I had a period of time where I forgot Ohkura. xD He is always rebelling without a cause in the drama. xD
The theme song "SEISYuN" by none other than TOKIO has a nice retro feel to it. Though I have to say... in episode 2, when Nagase was trying to sing "Jailhouse Rock"... what the hell?! Its... T_T horrible. The pronunciation, I mean. He could have spent a few more days learning it, really. It turned out to be a complete joke. And I know I am being hard on him, but still...
The viewership rating is a stunningly LOW 7.9% on average in the Kanto region. WOW. xD That's something... Anyways, I do not start something I don't finish. (Well, not really. Just thought it sounded cool to say that.) So I finished it.
Sato Ryuta playing a bad guy... I was pessimistic from the beginning. A person with that face cannot play a bad guy. Turns out, I was right. His character is the perfect idiot.
[Spoilers from episode 7] Taro's wife, played by Koike Eiko appeared, I think that its really selfish that the family kept it from him. Sure, James and his determination to fix the ideal couple up is admirable, sure, of course you would want the person you are closer to to be happy instead of some unknown stranger. BUT, BUT, BUT, its just unfair. Let Taro make the choice! Taro should have the right to make his own choices. No one would be happy if they have to keep the secret from Taro, definitely not Suzu. She might have to live in fear of Taro remembering the past suddenly and blaming them for not telling. Suzu is too selfish and stupid for keeping Taro like that, praying at the temple for Taro to stay. Even if he stays, she won't be happy knowing that he might remember anytime. Its so annoying that people are no farsighted enough to see that secrets are crap!
[Spoilers from episode 10] Miwako is so great that she could have been wrapping up her husband and giving it to Suzu graciously and Suzu is so selfish that she did not tell Taro that he has a daughter. Bitch. Miwako~~ thou art great. She understands, you see, that if she forces Taro to go back, neither of them would be happy. She could even admit that he fell for another girl and accepted the fact that he doesn't love her anymore. Hows that for being mature? T_T Poor thing.
[Spoilers from episode 11 - finale] Its so unfair that they portray Taro to be someone who just go back to his life pre-war for his daughter and his daughter is the sole reason for him to go back. Its unfair. Does Miwako mean nothing to him? Yeah, yeah the main characters have eternal love. Whatever. I think I will gag. Taro wrote a script based on their love story which was to be the film that Akira traveled so far to watch. James added the finishing touch, thus the James Taro~ double first names. xD I kinda had a feeling that Akira and Ruriko were to resume the story that their respective grandparents failed to complete earlier on. I was right! And I knew Suzu was going to marry Croissant. Croissant is such a great guy inside, despite being a crybaby. Sabako outlived all of the others. Sabako is great.
Now what does this drama tells you, kids? You don't always marry Mr. Right. Life is about compromise... even if it means that you will marry a crybaby named Croissant. T_T
Rating: 3/5
Was a bit slow for my taste.
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