[Movie] Noriko no Shokutaku

2006

Starring: Fukiishi Kazue, Tsugumi, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Mitsuishi Ken...

Noriko, 17 years old, lived in Toyokawa. Very unhappy and dissatisfied with her family's simple life in a small town. Her father, Tetsuzo, a reporter for a local newsletter that reports trivial things which he believes represent happiness. Mother Taeko is a great painter. Sister Yuka and Noriko were close. The family of four appears to be a happy family, that is until one night, the electricity went off and Noriko was gone, onboard a train, leaving for Tokyo.

It turns out that Noriko went there to meet a friend she met on the BBS known as Ueno Station 54 or Kumiko. Noriko changed her name to the one she used on the BBS, Mitsuko. Yuka soon followed in her sister's footsteps.

Confused by their daughters' behavior, Tetsuzo and Taeko embarked on an information search and was close to discovering their whereabouts when Taeko committed suicide. Tetsuzo soon went to Tokyo to search for his daughters. His findings on the organization that is behind his daughters' disappearance was shocking yet did not discourage him to try and get his daughters back.

And yes... this story is somehow connected to the movie that is "Suicide Circle"...

*****

Holy shit, this is some weird shit that I am watching.

Geez, you get it but you don't. You know? Its... its... freaky.

This story, though connected with the other movie, is another movie by itself, with a different plot and different characters. What connects the two movies is a fine thread only.

But yeah, I like this movie better than the other. This movie shows how a normal, happy family could easily breakdown just like that if a family member took the wrong step or how fragile happiness is.

Rating:
3.5/5

[Drama] Bambino

2007

Starring: Matsumoto Jun, Karina, Sato Ryuta, Mukai Osamu...

Ban Shogo is a naive wannabe chef from Fukuoka who was very proud of his dishes and skills, that is until he was sent to a high class Italian restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo for exposure. Ban slowly learned that he boasted about his skills too soon. From his fellow colleagues in the kitchen of the Baccanale restaurant, he slowly sharpened his skills and improved his efficiency.

*****

I kinda like this drama because of the cast, and the theme song and the food. I like to watch people cook. Makes me happy. Cos well, you know how girls really can't stuff their faces with food... especially when you don't exercise... and... this isn't the place to talk about it. xD Back to the drama...

But yeah, its a good drama, I like it very much and I can't stop watching it. Its cliched, of course. It that familiar storyline that you seem to know very well yet cannot pinpoint where is it that you have seen it before. Most probably because every story about a determined young man with an ambition follows the same formula.

Young cocky man has ambition, thinks he's close to achieving something big. Young cocky man realizes the competitive world out there and his own uselessness. Young cocky man works hard. Young cocky man succeeds. Everyone warms up to young cocky man. Somewhere along the line, young cocky man is no longer young cocky man but young almost-omnipotent man. xD Okay, not omnipotent, but extremely skilled and stuff.

And oh crap, is that Nobuo Kyou that I spotted in episode 10? I am not sure cos there isn't any record or anything of him on the cast list. Is it? I am convinced it is. That S.O.B. is plaguing me, ruining Oscar and Ren for me... now he keeps appearing in small roles here and there. RAWR HIM. RAWR.

Rating:
4.5/5 (May be biased... Can't help it though. ^^)

[Drama] Yamada Taro Monogatari

Starring: Ninomiya Kazunari, Sakurai Sho, Tabe Mikako, Oshinari Shugo.

2007

Yamada Taro is a really exaggeratedly poor high school boy studying in a prestigious high school through a scholarship and a caring principal who is also the principal to his father who was a student of the school. Because of his apparent good looks and talent in both academics and sports, everyone in his school assumes that he is rich. Rumours went flying around about him being some heir to a big fortune or a family with old money thus his elegance and poise.

Mimura Takuya on the other hand is the real thang. He comes from a family that made its fortune from the flower arrangement business. (Its like the tea drinking business only that its more flowers than tea.) He is the only grandson and he is freaking rich, freaking hot and freaking cool.

Tabe Mikako plays Ikegami Takako, a girl who aspires to marry into a rich famiy. The life she fantasizes about is one of glamour and stuff. When people just assumed Taro to be rich, she fell for him. But then things got interesting. So many twists and turns. And Mimura is hot.


The two became the school's idols. Girls faint at their smiles, saying how perfectly hot and rich they are. Takuya became curious about Taro and slowly warms up to him and became good friends, often helping Taro when he needed. He sees helping Taro as a challenge, fixing Taro's life as a game, yet views their friendship as something important. And Mimura is hot.

This is the main theme of this drama. A simple boy whom everything assumes to be rich. A good natured, happy, family oriented boy. The fact of the matter is that he did nothing to try and hide his poverty but his riches are actually assumed by his classmate, but what will happen when his actually situation is revealed? Will his popularity sustain? And Mimura is hot.

Oh my gosh I cannot watch it anymore...♥

The light that shines from this drama is too overwhelming for me I could pass out from the sheer greatness of the great light!

The only description about the drama would be...

"Fecking Good"

Nino's acting is... like... freaking good. ♥ (O.o) I actually underestimated that little hobbit. Even though his character, the title character, Yamada Taro is really WAH, it is the supporting actor that appealed to me. Probably because liking Nino feels like liking at 15 year old although he is like... 24. It is a complicated thing... will explain later.

But Sho... is like... wah. The perfect prince character... ah... nevermind. I finally realized that Sho is hotter than Jun. I finally realized why does Sho has so many uchiwas with his name during concerts. Sho and Jun are the most popular ones I think... But I can't choose, you know? Aiba is sweet, Ohno is hilarious, Nino is just... rude in a Ryo way (we know why Ryo is likable...), Sho is WAH, and Jun is caring.

The female lead character is hilarious! At the beginning you don't care, she is just there. Then you get annoyed with her. In the end, you will like that character! She is hilarious I tell you, towards the end, I mean.

Oshinari Shugo's character started out totally annoying too. But I tell you, towards the end, there will be a big surprise. Gay love perhaps?

Oh and Ohno appears in the last episode... he appeared for less than a minute, but a memorable appearance he sure did make. Inside jokes as well! I like how they adapted the air guitar that Arashi learned from G no Arashi to the drama's beginning when the song played. I like how they made an insert story with Arashi's air guitar thingy. I like how Ohno's appearance brought forth an inside joke about Ohno being an Okama Taisho. WAAAAAAAAAAH ♥♥♥

The moment I saw that back of the body, I knew it. I knew great excitement was ahead.And yes, his less than a minute appearance commanded more screencaps than the rests' 10 episodes.Because he is Riida Ohno. Ohno is like... stuff...
I effing love Arashi. ♥

Why does Nino have to keep playing pathetic characters like this?

First he is a virgin in a school full of um.. experienced. Then he is a boy with a hopeless crush on a girl who turned into thumbelina. Next he played a soldier sent to die on an island he cannot protect. Now he is a poor guy in an exaggeratedly poor family.

And Sho's character, Mimura Takuya (A play on KimuTaku's name I reckon?) totally has the hots for Nino's Taro. This is after all an adaptation from a Shoujo manga. Shounen-ai perhaps? Ufuuufuu. Like... omfg are the Arashi boys not having enough member ai on variety shows? Now even in the fictional world they want to love each other like that! ♥

Its love ♥ I tell you. I am not even fangirlingly making this up. I mean in the drama... hell none of the Arashi members are gay, we know that. *cough* or not.

I mean the drama. ♥

Spoilers ahead.

This drama, contradicts completely with what I believe. I believe that I would be happier with money but unhappy than not having money but happy. This drama is trying to send you the message that money cannot buy happiness.

I want to be one of those great people who say that money cannot buy happiness and that they'd sacrifice money for whatever happiness that cannot be bought by money. But here is the frank and materialistic part of the talk. Money is important.

If I were to choose between money and the happiness money can't buy, which Sheela and I talked about, I would most definitely choose money. Money can buy certain happiness, of course there are things that money cannot buy, but without money, I think one is most certainly unable to be happy.

But yes, this drama is promoting the right way of thinking. And my way of thinking is not the socially accepted point of view. But I am one frank person... ^^ Monay is of great importance. Of course there are certain things that I won't give up in exchange for money, like say, family, freedom and... um... yeah, that, love. Because without those, the money you have will lose its meaning right? Whatever, let's pretend that I didn't just say that cos its freaking embarrassing.

Ciao.