[Drama] The Quiz Show II

Spring 2009

Episodes:

Starring: Sakurai Sho, Yokoyama Yu, Maya Miki, Matsuura Aya, Izumiya Shigeru, Oohashi Nozomi...

The drama revolves around a mysterious quiz show which offers the contestants a chance to make their dreams come true. But going through the quiz proves no easy feat for the contestants as the host and the director, who seem to know everything about the contestants, asked the contestants questions about their darkest, most secretive pasts.

Although the producer, Saejima Ryoko, objects to such a method of attracting high viewership ratings, everyone else seemed to agree to follow the lead of Honma Toshio, the suspicious director who has a strange, commanding presence over the host, Kamiyama Satoru.

Kamiyama lives in a dark, guarded room and appears to have lost his memory prior to hosting the quiz show abd suffers constant headaches with snapshots of his past appearing in his head occasionally.

Honma appears to bear a grudge but was able to work with Kamiyama to create a successful quiz show along with other crew of the show such as the diligent and driven Takasuji Reina.

*****

The theme song, I LOVE. I LOVE. So glad it is for this drama and not that other one with another member of Arashi in it.

It is only after really exciting dramas that I go by an episode-by-episode description of my thoughts because... uh... I am that psyched!

Episode 2

I have the first season, I guess watching it would clear some of my doubts about the show and I would know the path on which this drama will take on sooner. But I am so busy with my assignments and everything that I cannot really focus on it. Besides, it seems fun to wait a bit anyways. Just watch as the drama unfolds.

It appears that the amnesiac Kamiyama also has a multiple personality disorder and is controlled by the sneaky Honma for reasons that have yet to be revealed. I have a major presentation tomorrow and I am blogging about dramas. I rock.

Who the hell is this Misaki? Let me see, she drowned and Kamiyama was probably banging her before she died. Why does Honma appear to hate Kamiyama so? Perhaps Honma and Misaki are related? By blood? By love? I am going to make a daring prediction. I love predictions. I made one for Maou and I got it correct. This one proves a bit more twisted. Let me see... definitely not siblings, since their family names are different. Or Honma can be a fake name. Honma was banging Misaki when Kamiyama and all his Sakurai-hotness came along and snatched Misaki away. Something happened, like the boat Kamiyama and herself rode on went kaboom and then she drowned. Honma, pissed, decided to lock the amnesiac up and torture him. He is sadistic, that was why Misaki left him in the first place.

Someone hire me, I would be a good novelist.

The cast and the guests for this season appears to be much more famous as compared to the previous season. What a great cast, like Sho, Yoko, Maya Miki and Ayaya weren't enough, they had Aikawa Sho for the first episode, Minami for the second and then Narimiya Hiroki will appear for the next. Amazing.

I know Sho is like the star and all. He's the one people are tuning in to watch, but my goodness, Yoko turns me on like never before. What? I am only a girl. Kamiyama's constant headaches is getting old. Saejima's constant worries is getting annoying. YokoxAyaya seems to be a weekly thing. We like. Takasugi will be an important character before the drama ends. That, I think will happen since the cast kept suggesting it in the preview episode.

I didn't skip one minute and still the drama seems to just fly on by. It just fills my head with questions. I hate not knowing. Gah! I am putting my money on Honma being the mastermind psychic and Kamiyama is the puppet, chosen to torture. Evil!Yoko. Nothing more I can ask for. We look forward to next week's episode, with two presentations, 2 reports and one test in my head.

Reitings:

[M-Sta] NewS - Koi no ABO

24 April 2009

Holy shit! That hair. THAT HAIR! Is it a wig?

Uh, the PV was really boring I could fall asleep. The song is so-so with a slightly catchy chorus but I will not be moved to purchase it even if I can walk into a CD store and see it lying around.

The outfits were very "Saturday Night Fever" but gay. The dance moves were very "Saturday Night Fever" but they're not John Travolta, so it didn't sit very well with me. I can tell that they're trying to spice things up, doing a bit of disco, some crazy random things. Like how Koyama was trying to be funny with that ribbon.

After watching a few performances of Kanjani8's "Puzzle", I thought I was about to die when Yasu was singing. His voice is horrible. But at least the tune was somewhat on. Koyama's voice is not as horrible, but he might actually be tone deaf.

This single is... uh... to me, quite horrible. That is what happens when they put the duds in the center. What? It might sell. Miracles do happen. Like how Kame got into KAT-TUN and became the frontman. So, who knows? Disco might be coming back. I watched this week's "American Idol", guess what the theme was? Yup, disco.

Everyone else's shades were to goof things up and Shige and his newfound narcissism decided that he'd have a pair of cool shades instead. Wet blanket.

Yamapi's... thing on his head. It made him look like a prostitute passed her prime. But it brought a bit of fun and colour to his usually robotic presence. I guess that was good. Not doing very good with the looking-good part, but it was fun.

I guess fun was the theme. It did come across clear, but - I might be biased - but it really seemed like each member was just trying to be the center of attention. Maybe it is just me. I try to give people the benefit of a doubt nowadays. Massu forgot his moves. I saw. Nothing can escape my all-seeing eye. This was a fun performance all-in-all. Something we haven't seen from NewS in a while. Good for them. The crowd was reasonably pleased. I am actually entertained enough to overlook the fact that Tegoshi was trying to get on my nerves. I can't stand him at all.

One more thing. Their attempt at imitating Johnny's constant use of the word "YOU-tachi" is probably a lousy cover for them trying to suck up to the boss. I bet it is Pi's idea too. He did do that for that "Fever to Future" song too. Suck up.

Just because I feel like it, here's Tamaki Hiroshi with facial hair. There are few things I like more than men with facial hair and they are all either shiny or money. xD

[Buzz] Old, Drunk and Nekkid

It seems that I accidentally cropped the bottom part off. Reported by AFP, by the way. Photo by Reuters.

I was eating lunch as I flipped open today's paper. And a surprise was waiting for me on the last page of the entertainment section. There's a picture too! Not that I am unsympathetic, but I was laughing my head off - even if I had prior knowledge of the news - at the sight of such a report.

Firstly, I was surprised that the local newspaper actually reported a piece of news on a Japanese boyband. Secondly, it had to be such a disgraceful piece of news. You don't even see Amy Winehouse running around stark naked in public places. Unless you are at a nudist beach or something.

I am not like, happy over this. I'd just like to state that. More like indifferent, okay, that would be outright lying. I am slightly amused. But this is some serious shit. Not that anyone ever expected Johnny's boys to be squeaky clean. I never did. I expected orgies and drugs - in PRIVATE. I guess someone forgot to lock the door when the man was drinking.

Goodbye FNS Kayousai host position. A few months of suspension, maybe. Oh poor thing. You expect near 20 years of entertainment business experience would help you learn something. I guess sometimes, you just mess up.

Now, it is time we sit back and see how Johnny's Jimusho tries to cover the thing up. Hide the skeletons. Now this has got to have to a pretty big grave to shove it in. Lots of monay too. Oh well, gotta move on. I didn't plan on blogging, but I love dramas, controversies and bad press. I am, afterall, just human.

READ MORE. Because I love drama. Especially when it doesn't threatens the existence of entertainment shows that I watch religiously. Though I do watch SMAPxSMAP quite often. OMG, that show is the shizz. What is going to happen to it?

This is equivalent to Paul McCartney running around sans clothes in London back in the 1970s.

[Talk] Sadists Are Sexy

I am HOOKED on "The Quiz Show". And frankly, I haven't thought about watching "Smile".

The "Smile" storyline just doesn't attract me at all and I was watching Jun on Hanamaru Cafe and the preview showed Jun crying in a telephone booth or something. Well, that alone could have turned me off.

"The Quiz Show" one the other hand.

I would pretend that Yoko is reading this blog and then ask him to do unmentionable things with myself in presence, but then, I am trying to not sound so freaky. So, I am just going to say... he's hot in a creepy way.

The double-personality thing Sho's Kamiyama has going on is... okay, so, if you are an amnesiac, you don't just transform from a confident, cocky host into a crazy, panicky mental patient just like that.

The whole drama has a wtf thing going on. It is wtf that attracts the audience. I cannot help but wonder wth is going on with the storyline.

Both Yoko and Sho are GREAT in there. Not being biased, seriously. But Yoko has an evil Seishiro going on, that was all. But that alone was enough to prove that he can act, have you seen Yoko as Yoko? Sho... so very believable as a quiz show host, the type that makes you want to smack him or turn the TV off, but you don't because you are curious.

I didn't like Ayaya a few years ago, until I watched "Ao no Honoo", the girl is famous/popular for a reason. Maya Miki, always great.

[Drama] Love Shuffle

Winter 2009

Episodes: 10

Starring: Tamaki Hiroshi, Karina, Matsuda Shota, DAIGO, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Kanjiya Shihori, Tanihara Shosuke...


This drama is about 8 people who participate in a 'love shuffle' where partners are shuffled on a weekly basis. Each week, they will have a different partner to go on dates with and to get to know. Each person partake in this bizarre arrangement for their own reasons which will slowly be unfolded as the drama progresses. It all started when four residents of a luxury apartment building who live on the same floor were trapped, by chance, in the same elevator at the same time during thunderstorm which caused a power failure. The four - Usami Kei, Aizawa Airu, Sera Oujiro and Kikuta Masato began talking about various things in their lives and found that they are all dissatisfied with the path their lives are taking.

Usami Kei is a young man whose fiancée is the daughter of his boss. Due to this relationship he was quickly promoted to a high rank. When he thought their relationship was going well and that a wedding will soon follow, the fiancee, Kagawa Mei decided that she couldn't follow through the engagement. Not only Kei did not receive an explanation for Mei's actions, but Mei, who appears to still have feelings for Kei, might not know the reasons herself.

Aizawa Airu, a linguistic interpreter kind of person, is attractive and smart. However, she finds that her relationships never go well as she watches her current relationship with rich man Oishi Yukichi fall apart helplessly. Though Yukichi loves Airu, he just could not fill the void in her heart and make her happy. Despite being rich and good-looking, Yukcihi is timid and submissive, a clear contrast with Airu, an outspoken, rough young woman.

Sera Oujiro is a shady professional photographer who mainly takes pictures of models, gravure models, fashion models. Models. Smooth-talking and confident and good-looking, Oujiro seems to be able to have his way with women. But the woman he is sleeping with is an older, curvy, married woman named Kamijo Reiko. Reiko is a scorned wife whose husband does not see her as a woman. She feels unwanted and seeks to become promiscuous with various man.

Kikuta Masato is a mature, reliable psychiatrist who seems to be able to think rationally about the happenings around him while retaining an air of mystery about him. One of his patients is a young art major university student, Hayakawa Kairi. Her father is a strict man who forbids her to do anything besides art. She feels trapped by his restrictions and rules and subsequently becomes suicidal. Masato proposed a "Love Shuffle" amongst his neighbours, their partners and Kairi which might or might not be driven by his concern for Kairi as a patient...

The eight individuals agreed to the arrangement though some participants needed some persuasion. Will new couples be formed? Or will old couples reunite? See... I don't know. It is extremely confusing.

*****

Expected pairings, slowly gets rather boring, but overall good. I'd spend more time with this entry but I have to uh... prepare for a presentation for my report and some other stuff.

So here's a brief on. Couplings, you can tell from the second episode or third. Tamaki Hiroshi annoyed me, favourite character Matsuda Shota's up until the point where he got boring and broke down because he thought Kairi was dead.

Halfway through, they tried to play up the mystery, but when the explanation for the mystery was done near the end, they were just boring. It is like they build up the anticipation, but could not deliver the big boom towards the end. It is like... uh... they Y2K, if anyone remembers that shit. So, towards the end of 1999, everyone was all "OMFG, like what is going to happen?" and then 2000 came and there really wasn't that big of a fuss. Yeah, like that.

Also, there were a lot of factors they used to kick up the drama and 'mystery' if that's what you want to call it. I call it confusion. There were too many characters and limited time for character development. What you had was just a simple explanation of the characters' backgrounds when two of the characters were having a heart-to-heart conversation. Was not satisfactory. The 8 main characters were this drama's best feature, yet it caused the drama's worst. Also, the various reference to Japanese popular culture and other random references which were incorporated into their conversations can cause much confusion to those who don't understand. Considering the fact that I watched this raw... I am lucky to understand as much as I do.

I did, however, enjoyed. In fact, I haven't finished watching "Voice" and "Triangle", so it will be a little bit hard to decide which was the champ for the season for me.

Reitings: 3/5

[Drama] Boku no Aruku Michi

Fall 2006

Episodes: 11

Starring: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Karina, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Kohinata Fumiyo, Motokariya Yuika, Megumi, Suga Kenta, Tanaka Kei,

Ootake Teruaki is an autistic man who finds himself constantly quitting his jobs because of his colleagues who were too quick to judge and refuse to put in effort to understand his disability. With a doting mother who gave him endless encouragements and a patient, supportive childhood friend, Miyako, Teruaki gained a newfound courage to work at the zoo in which Miyako is the vet.

Initially, fellow animal handlers at the zoo were impatient with Teru's disabilities and were often irked by him. But as time goes by, they warmed up to Teru. Straightforward, hardworking and innocent Teru won the colleagues over and was gradually growing attached to Miyako.

When Miyako decided to marry her boyfriend, Teru and his family, worried that Teru might not be able to take it, slowly explains to Teru that things between the childhood friends will not be the same after the marriage. On the other hand, Teru's extraordinary ability to memorize word-by-word has allowed him to excel in his job. How will Teru be able to cope with the workplace without Miyako? Will Teru and Miyako's bond be broken by her marriage?

*****

Bah, I expected it to be as good as "Boku no Ikiru Michi". But it isn't. I am disappointed. The slow-paced storyline was okay. I am fine with slow-paced stories as long as there's enough character development and something special.

I didn't like the drama at all. Not to mention the fact that the ending is oh-so-predictable, the journey towards the ending is a boring one too. The only thing about the drama I like, is Karina. xD Kusanagi Tsuyoshi used to be hot, around... 1996. xD Well, times change.

Not every drama/movie about a mentally/physically challenged person is good. For this, the emotional attachment is lacked. I don't feel for Teru at all. Everything is just annoying. The majority of the characters are annoying. The only character I feel something for is Kohinata Fumiyo's character. His guilt towards his own son, who is also autistic, and how he tried to make up to it eventually. That's something. How an old man who made a mistake, a cruel one too, and then realized his own mistake when he was left alone, with no family. Oh course, the fact that he took the steps to make amends after getting to know Teru and getting to like Teru. Oh and the kid, the kid nephew. Isn't he that kid from "Kuitan"? Gotta love that kid.

Don't like the theme song. Don't like most of the drama. Don't like.

Reitings:
2/5