[Drama] Jin

Fall 2009

Starring: Osawa Takao, Nakatani Miki, Ayase Haruka, Koide Keisuke, Takeda Tetsuya, Kohinata Fumiyo, Uchino Masaaki, Kiritani Kenta...

Minakata Jin, a doctor (neuro surgeon perhaps?) who has lost confidence in himself after he failed to safely remove a tumor from his fiancee's brain, found himself living in a state of despair since. His fiancee, Tomonaga Miki has been in a vegetative state since the surgery and Jin has avoided surgeries with the slightest bit of risk ever since.

One day, a patient who has been attacked on the face and is currently unrecognizable has been sent to the hospital. Jin performed a surgery on the man and removed what seemed like a fetus from the man's head.

When the mysterious man woke up, he attempted to escape (to an unknown place) with the fetus which was drenched in formalin, and some medical equipments. As the man attempted to jump from the building to return to a different world (his words, not mine) Jin, tried to stop the heavily injured man but fell from the stairs instead.

The next time Jin woke up, he found himself lying in a deserted forest with his medical equipments. Suddenly, a few men, clad in samurai outfit were fighting with their katanas. He thought it was a filming of some period drama until a man was cut in the head. The injured man is Tachibana Kyotaro.

It dawned on Jin that he traveled back in time to ancient Edo (modern day Tokyo). He eventually saved the life of Kyotaro and many others. While doing that, he was taken in by the Tachibana family, earned the trust of Kyotaro's mother Sakae and also the affection of Kyotaro's sister, Saki.

Jin then helped the country overcome the attack of the Cholera disease and was offered a teaching position at the Western Medicine Office. As Jin began to adapt to life in the Edo period, Sakamoto Ryoma, whom he got acquainted earlier on, brought him to Yoshiwara, which was THE red-light district to go to in Edo.

In Yoshiwara, Jin laid his eyes on Nokaze, a high ranking courtesan who looks like a carbon copy of Miki. Struggling with the doubts of the people of that period about his medical methods and his wish to return to modern day Tokyo, Jin attempts to make his way day by day... or something like that.

*****

I cannot stop watching this drama. It is present tense because I am still watching it. It is so good, I sat and watched 6 episodes of it without stopping except to pee and to drink. (I am on a diet... the thighs... the thighs are unsightly.) Anyway, this is the best I've seen in a while.

Firstly, I love period dramas. I love the costumes, I love how much green you get to see in them, I love the way they speak, I love everything about period dramas. Next, I love the cast. There's that annoying guy from "Sekai no Chushin, Ai wo Sakebu" movie! And coincidentally, Ayase Haruka was Aki from the drama version. And they're both in this! There's Takeda Tetsuya! He's that detective dude in "Byakuyakou". He also starred in that legendary drama "101st Marriage Proposal", not to forget, he's Kinpachi-sensei! There's Koide Keisuke! Nakatani Miki too... you get my drift...

I love movies, dramas centralized around the idea of time traveling. Love. This is because you will never know what happens until the end is revealed. This is because of the butterfly effect which was also mentioned in this drama. What happens now might cause repercussions in the future. You'll never know. Say, if I called the ambulance upon seeing a pregnant woman about to deliver, I might be saving... the ancestor of... uh... Darth Vader?

I love the idea that there's a possibility of traveling through time and be there to witness it when big things happened in the past. When Shih Huang Ti unified China, when Marie Antoinette was beheaded by the guillotine, when the Nanking massacre happened. Moments in history which, centuries later, will still be quoted as they are now. In this drama, it was the Bakumatsu. What Tokugawa Ieyasu started was put to an end. And Jin was there to see it. Cool eh?

Why the hell did they show the fetus during the 'opening' of each episode? Seriously, the fetus is scary. The freak factor in dramas and I have a love-hate relationship. Suspense and I, too, have a love-hate relationship. Mostly one-sided, but still...

I have to go finish it before I yakk. And Sakamoto Ryoma in this drama is total love. Hilarious, honorable, loyal. Makes me want to watch Ryomaden. But I really dislike Fukuyama Masaharu. It is something about the mouth. The character Ogata-sensei makes me T_______T. OMG so great and noble. I would have bawled in that scene where Jin was visiting him after finding out how much he did for him. I would have, had I not been thinking about how I have to work tomorrow. Sigh. OMG the end of Episode 07 was a tear jerking moment. OMG why?

It's a drama about humanity, love and sacrifice. You know, all that stuff you've heard before.

Now, there's that ending which I am so unhappy about...

I followed the drama for about 11 hours, take or give. I deserve a definite, clear ending, don't I? What is with that vague shit that they gave me? Seriously, what's with the trend nowadays? I want clear endings, who ends up with whom, who gets rich, how will they die, something definite. This ending is crap. What the fuck? And it isn't even good vague, it is bad vague. So the guy travels back to the future and there's Miki? What about Saki? Huh? I was rooting for her like crazy! Shit. I am unhappy. Screw this, was going to give it a 4.9. I'm giving it a big fat pile of shit now. Damn. Okay, I am cool, it is cool. Cool. Isn't it clear that there's a gap between the previous paragraph and this ending comment? I just finished watching and am so not pleased right now. So unfair, really. What about Saki? I tend to get too involved with dramas. You think? =D

So, like, what is up with the freaky fetus and the man who was injured? Like, seriously, a good drama will explain on those stuff. Or did I miss it? I tend to space off sometimes. So... no explanations? Sigh, the ending, the ending needs some editing. What a crappy ending for such a nice drama.

Reitings: 4.5/5 (Really crappy ending ruined it. No explanations on what seemed earlier on to be the key points to the drama. What will there be a second season? I hate second seasons.)

[Movie] Boku no Kanojo wa Cyborg

2008

Starring: Ayase Haruka, Koide Keisuke...

Kitamura Jirou was a lonely young man who had always celebrated his birthday by himself. He bought a present for himself, all nicely wrapped up and he ate spaghetti by himself at the same restaurant every year. But it was different the year before the storyline began as a flashback told us that the year before, Jirou met a a sweet, active, smiley happy girl when he was buying an Ayanami Rei figurine for himself. The two had a large meal together and escaped without paying. (Well, the woman ate, mainly. Jirou had his spaghetti and that was probably it.)

After escaping the restaurant's maitre d' who chased after them when they left without paying, Jirou spent a few strange but joyful hours with the girl and then they never met again. That was until his birthday the following year. He had a hunch that he would meet her again and meet her, he did, at the same restaurant. But the girl seem different, more frigid and unfeeling. The smile she was carrying around with her the year before was gone.

When the two were eating at a restaurant, a gunman attacked the restaurant and with superhuman strength and speed, the mysterious girl managed to get rid of the gunman. After they reached Jirou's house, the girl, through hologram produced by her eyes, sent Jirou a message from an old man who turned out to be Jirou himself, 65 years later. According to the future him, Jirou was supposed to be heavily injured that night, by the gunman's bullets, but he build a cyborg in the shape and form of the mysterious girl the year before and sent her back to save her. The future Jirou encouraged Jirou to live his life without regret and also that he could make the cyborg more human-like as they interact more. He also learned that he will face another great disaster in the future and it was hoped that the cyborg will help him overcome that as well.

And so begins the story of Jirou and his cyborg girlfriend.

*****

I heart Ayase Haruka. I'd kill to look like her. Spoilers begin.

Koike Keisuke's character in this movie is very endearing. Koide Keisuke has never been memorable for me. I have seen him in three movies and four dramas and because he is not hot in a way that stops you in your steps if you see him pass by, I missed him in everyone of these works as he played the sidekick dude or some minor character in these works of his that I have watched. His character in Nodame Cantabile was~ uh, you won't know it was him unless you look it up. xD Anyways, it is not that he's a bad actor, but probably a bit understated.

That aside, this is a really nice movie. I haven't seen a nice movie in a while. A nice movie that stands by itself with no strings attached (no prequels, no drama version.) I truly enjoyed it. It is sweetly romantic and very heartwarming. Irrealistic but the human-side of it is very moving. You get attached to things, even if you know you shouldn't. I got attached to crap like my textbook from past semesters, so it is very reasonable that Jirou would be attached to a cyborg who helped made his life so convenient and looks like Ayase Haruka and does so much for him. Despite her being... not human. I'd understand his disappointment when she doesn't understand his feelings.

And Ayase Haruka's acting in here is not bad at all. It is not like the pretty girl, but the pretty, fake expression cyborg. Some of her body actions are verging on robotic, which is good, considering the fact that she is playing a cyborg. You can see how her character grows more humanlike throughout her stay with Jirou. I love this character so much. She was created to serve and save this man. And she did so without fail. Even if the man vented his frustration of not having his feelings reciprocated by her on her. It is not like she did not want to feel for him. She's a freakin' cyborg for goodness sake.

My favourite scene is the one where the Cyborg girlfriend brought him back through a timeslip, to his hometown before it was burnt to ashes. Jirou was just looking around, reminiscing old times, seeing old friends and family when the Cyborg girlfriend just stood by and watched with a look of satisfaction on her face. It is as if her joy is to watch Jirou be happy. It was a very touching scene.

The ending is a tear-jerker and halfway through, I was wondering, who was that girl in the flashback who appeared so much more human than the cyborg and the ending explained everything perfectly. I love these movies where when you start to wonder if some scenes are just not going to be explained and then in the end, you go "AH~~~".

I love, love, love this movie. I love these moving romance flicks. OH MY GOODNESS I LIKE CHICK FLICKS. I LIKE CHICK FLICKS. I always thought I didn't. I read crime, mysteries instead of romance. My copy of "Wuthering Heights" is gathering dust on my shelf. I watched "Pulp Fiction" repeatedly and not "Titanic". But... that means squat because I now realize that I love chick flicks. That is a freakin' revelation.

I bawled like a five-year-old spoiled brat whose daddy wouldn't buy her a Barbie doll. What a disgrace. T_T But then it is not like it is unprecedented.

Just one thing. The timeline thing is confusing me. It is because of the earthquake and gunman incident that Jirou sent the cyborg back to save himself. Had Jirou not been hurt because the cyborg saved him, Jirou would still recreate the cyborg because she was and is clearly, the love of his life. But had the girl from the future who looks like the cyborg came back after the earthquake to live with him, then Jirou would have no incentive to recreate the earthquake. Which means that the cyborg would not have been created and subsequently could not be sent back to the past (2008) to save Jirou which means that Jirou would have had to be shot by the gunman AND suffered a lot of injuries in the earthquake right? But then, if we look at it from another perspective, the cyborg already saved Jirou and thus the past is the past. But then~ like, okay, you know? I give up. I think a lot of these crap everytime I watch a movie that involves traveling through time. Mostly I just confuse myself even more.

Perhaps I just have to kick back and enjoy the movie, which I did, tremendously. I would categorize this among the must-watch. I haven't watched such a good movie in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to people, that is, if they asked for recommendations.

Reitings: 4.5/5

P.S. I know I am supposed to go on a hiatus or something. But I had a really tiring day. So I slept through the evening. Now I am wide awake. So I watched a movie. And it turned out to be this movie which is too great to not blog about. xD

[Drama] Byakuyakou

2006

Episodes: 11

Starring: Yamada Takayuki, Ayase Haruka, Watabe Atsuro, Kashiwabara Takashi, Koide Keisuke...


It was Christmas Eve 2005 when Yukiho, dressed elegantly in an evening gown, spotted Ryouji, dressed in a Santa costume, drenched in his own blood with a pair of scissors attached to his abdomen. Ryouji was crawling towards and pointing forward, asking Yukiho to walk the other way... Yuki walked away, vowing to not shed a tear as she walked down the 'brightly lit' path. This led to a flashback on Ryouji's part as the two characters proclaimed each other as their replacement for the sun that they lost 14 years ago.

It all started like any puppy love would. Ryouji was a young boy whose mother cheated on his father with a worker. Yukiho was a year five primary school student who has a drunkard of a selfish mother. The two met and fell in love as kids always do. That was until Ryouji found out that his father has been paying Yukiho's mother money in order to take nude pictures of Yukiho. He subsequently killed his father upon witnessing him in that very act. Yukiho took the pair of scissors from him and the camera in an attempt to dispose of the evidence.

When two policemen reached Yukiho's doorstep in the process of investigation, Yukiho proceeded to stage her own mother's suicide to prevent her from revealing any information. Ryouji, upon realizing what Yukiho had done to cover his crime, found a letter from Yukiho that explains her actions. Ryouji pleaded for her to stay but understood that she had to leave as Yukiho gestured for Ryouji to leave by pointing towards a path. (The same way Ryouji gestured in the prologue.)

Yukiho had to wait 15 years to meet Ryouji again so that the case can no longer be reopened and the two of them will be forever free of blame. Ryouji did not know this when they have been separated for 7 years and he was beginning to think that Yukiho has embarked on her new life, leaving the old one behind. On the other hand, the veteran detective, Sasagaki was still unable to let go of the suspicious case in which he saw many loopholes. Then, the past started to come back to haunt them, leaving them with no peace.

*****

[Spoilers]

This drama saw the reunion of Yamada and Ayase after the success of their "Sekai no Chuushin ni Ai wo Sakebu". In addition to that, like "Sekai no Chuushin...", the theme song of this drama is also by Shibasaki Kou. However, upon seeing the banner of this drama, this drama struck me as having a darker tone to it.

I enjoy watching these two actors involved in the same project again. Ayase Haruka has a face that screams 'BORN TO BE AN ACTRESS'. The dark tone of the drama sparked my interest more! This is obviously because I have no taste for happy endings. Though this drama is a flashback drama, the prologue actually gave me no clue as to the progress of the drama. I love it, how unpredictable it is. Add to that the tragedy that befell these children and the tragedy waiting to befall them, ah~ yes, I have a hunger for tragedy just as otakus love the moe yaoi stuff.

This drama is trying to convey that once you make a mistake and lie about it. The lie will lead to more lies in order to cover the lies. And a long line of lies will just make the truth seem harder to cover. Yeah, shit happens. Sad. Oh well.

What I like about this drama is more than the bad shit that happen to the characters though. This drama has imperfect characters. There's no perfect protagonist, no wholly evil antagonists. This is how the real world is like. The drama struck me as incredibly realistic, good people sometimes do bad things. And then in order to protect themselves, they continuously plunge into an abyss of crimes. I originally thought that the drama, like most dramas, would emphasize on these two and their love for each other. But, in reality, as shown in this drama, it wanes. They commit the crime back in 1991 because they were young, the boy was in shock. The girl thought she found the love of her life. They were but 11 years old. As they grow older, their world widens. They slowly understand that they could have had so much better a life had they stopped somewhere, had they not do as much as they did. Perhaps their love was not as deep as they thought. Though there were instances where you'd think its love, then you'd think its a symbiotic relationship. Ah, nothing thrills me as much as complication.

Its amazing how unpredictable the characters can be. They change, though expected, since this drama covers such a long period of time. I blog as I watch, so that I can immediately type out the thoughts before forgetting them. I end up erasing the lot of them because of the twists and turns of the story. Love the drama though.

One thing that got on my nerves. Yamada Takayuki CRYING. No... WAILING. I actually thought that he looked hot at the beginning of the drama, then the wailing started. T_T Ruined my image of him. The cruel world outside can lead to moral decadence. A person who faced tough shit in life will be willing and able to do anything to protect themselves. It is when you have nothing to lose that you are truly able to do anything. Someone who has never seen hardships in life is unable to understand that. You get to see the character of Ryouji change. From a death-fearing boy who cries and gives up immediately, to someone who can do evil things, betray anyone without blinking once. After that, he changed again, constantly watching over Yukiho, helping her at all risks. Yamada Takayuki delivered an impressive performance though (not that this man is not known for weeping in dramas.)

The character Yukiho changed too. The perversion of the personality. Or was she never normal to start with? The mastermind behind the plot to cover up the crime committed by her first love at the tender age of 11, she later suffered a lot in life, that is true. But by episode 5, you see her true features. Attempting to backstab her friend whom her new crush eventually fell for. She saw it as unfair that she got to grow up happy and its that happiness that attracted Shinozuka - the hot crush. Yukiho attempted to convince Ryouji to do it for her, even though Shinozuka might not fall for her after the deed. But then it was revealed that she did things for Ryouji too. This drama is just full of twists and turns.

The bond between the two started out by will. The two thought their love could overcome everything, that their love will stay for all their lives. They were wrong. Dead wrong. Slowly, it appears that Ryouji was trying to repay the debt that him and his father caused Yukiho, believing that they are the ones that caused Yukiho's life to be the way it is. He will do anything to bring her happiness. The bond later became a burden that they have to live with, at times, they wished that it was not there. Its good to have leading characters that are not squeaky clean and generous all the time. ^^ The two of them justify their deeds by attributing them to the fact that they want to make the other happy, yet I doubt if they had one second of happiness doing all that. Its rather ironic, really.

Anyways, they knew that they are doing the wrong things. But a line recurred in the drama, "You don't have to tell me what is right, because I know it already." yet knowing what is right does not stop them from doing what is wrong. Both would not surrender nor stop protecting the other. And then there is the cop hot on their trails. Its rather... suspenseful, though you know that he is going to get stabbed, you wonder how. As the story progressed, the characters lose their conscience more and more. Not that Yukiho couldn't lie without flaw since she was younger.

The book, "Gone With The Wind" has been referred to in a lot of instances throughout the drama. For example, Yukiho's admiration for Scarlett's err... whatever. Then Ryouji, saying that she will go and be like Rhett Butler. Kashiwabara Takashi (or his character... who looks like him... yummy) appeared, reading an English version of this book. Of course it appealed to Yukiho. When asked of their types, they each said "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Rhett Butler" respectively.

Its a fucking tragedy. T_T Sadder than "A Litre of Tears". Oh... I think I am going to mope around for a few days.

Rating: 4.5/5 Just finished watching @ 3 something in the morning. No time for screencaps. Freakin' sleepy. Watched this in ONE day. T_T

[Movie] Koizora

2008

Starring: Aragaki Yui, Miura Haruma, Karina, Koide Keisuke...

The story opens as Mika boards a train and starts a monologue (or an imaginary conversation, really), talking to whom we would presume to be a man she loves. She was contemplating if meeting him was a good thing or a bad thing. A flashback ensues. Seven years ago, Mika was a freshman in highschool. It seems natural that people want to be dating when they enter highschool, Mika and her friends are no different. Occasionally wearing lip gloss to look better.

Mika's friend, Aya confessed to like a boy from another class who appears to be a junior delinquent with piercings all over his face named Nozomu. Nozomu and his bleached-blonde-haired friend met Mika and her friends for the first time that day, when Aya went to meet Nozomu. Oh yeah, Nozomu has the hots for Mika and Mika promised Aya to not be attracted to Nozomu.

One fine day, Mika was looking for her cellphone and found it nicely lined up among the books in the library and a boy's voice appeared as he called to help ease the effort of finding the phone on Mika's part. The boy refused to reveal his identity. Before she knows it, she is getting phone calls from the boy more and more often. And so before Mika is aware of it, a bond is formed through the daily phone calls made by a secretive, anonymous boy...

*****

Young love.

This story was originally made available only through cellular services or something like that. Then there was a popular novel based on the story. Then the movie spawned from it. And there was this big fuss about it way before it even released. So, even if you don't dig chick flicks, the curiousity driven by the fuss surrounding the movie will drive you to want to watch it.

It seems that Aragaki Yui is playing the same sweet, cute and naive role over and over again with no edge to the characters, nothing special. Your cute girl-next-door type. Which is exactly what the Japanese like in their top idols. When people thought Sawajiri Erika was like so, sure, they supported her. But when they show themselves as a bitch or just a bit less flawless, they turned their backs on her just like that.

Karina played Hiro's elder sister. Karina is so hot. xD Oh well, this is the type of story that portrays the sex life of kids nowadays and make it seem like its okay to have underage, premarital sex. Well I am not one to say its okay or not. But this is the type of movie that makes kids wanna go out and get knocked up.

Koide Keisuke plays the rebound boy for Mika. With a Kansai accent. xD No matter how often I hear that, from Ryo, from Kanjani8, from KinKi Kids, from Downtown, I still cannot get used to that. xD Especially in a movie. If its like owarai, then its suitable. But for movies... highly unrecommended. He plays a good guy. The type you'd bring home to meet your parents. But girls like bad boys. Period. I thought when I turned 20 that bad-boy fantasy will fade. Well... I am 20. It didn't go away.

I like thugs. I like those wannabe rebels who skip class and smoked underage. I don't know about now though. So likeD would be a better word. Ah young love. Its not a great movie. I feel like I am watching the same shit over and over again yet succumb to the tearjerking factor that these movies have.

I am watching it as I blog so... basically I don't know the ending yet... Okay, I know it already. Not telling though.

Chicks would love this movie. Depressing, predictable, cliched.

I have a thing or two to say about the big fuss about the movie. Totally overrated. TOTALLY.

Its that same story all over again. Its so familiar that you know you watched it in at least ten other movies. Its the sentimental thing that bring audiences in. Its the notion of young, first love that makes people watch it. Its the idea of a loving, loyal, protective boy whom every girl wants as a first love that makes girls fuss over the movie.

I won't call it a good movie. I call it a movie I like. I don't always like good movies.

Rating:
4.5/5

The hopeless romantic in me cannot give it a low rating.

Eff you estrogen. Its the estrogen that is making women weak for love stories like this. RAWR~

If you want me to TRY and be professional. Then the rating is 3/5. Ignoring the fact that I'm in a rather delicate state of mind now and any love story will make me bawl.

[Drama] Sasaki Fusai no Jingi Naki Tatakai

2008

Starring: Inagaki Goro, Koyuki, Koide Keisuke, Sakai Wakana, Furuta Arata...

Sasaki Norimichi met Ritsuko at a very confused time in his life. He is a lawyer with an ambition to help those who needed it. After he met Ritsuko, another lawyer with a personality that is completely opposite to his, they fell in love and got married. Yes, opposite attracts. Norimichi is a hardworking, clean-freak that loves to tidy things up. Ritsuko is a complete slob. This drama follows their marriage and about 2483q759 times of their divorce attempts.

*****

Love it. I love this drama!

It stars Goro-chan from SMAP and Koyuki! Its funnay!

I love it.

I don't know how to explain why I like this, I just do.

Its not finished yet, so I can't really say how it goes. But its good up to the 6th episode.

I like Koyuki, she's so... elegant and she looks like one of those ice queen corporate woman types. Although her character in here isn't. But yeah, she's cool!

In addition to that, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi of SMAP made a guest appearance. xD The combo of Goro and Tsuyoshi reminds me of that LOHAS thing at Utaban. xD xD

Johnny's crack me up.

[Drama] Gokusens

[Moved from my old blog.]

They are old, but I haven't watched either of them until the day before yesterday. I would make screencaps, but I am too lazy.

You see, I watch it on Windows Media Classic (my fave player, ever) but I cant make screencaps on it. I can only make it on VLC player. Which sucks by the way. The only reason I kept it is because of the screencaps function.

I stole the screencaps from here, cos a review without piccies is just boring. Not that any of my reviews are not boring. But in the future, when i read it again, I want pictures to stimulate the memories...

Gokusen:

Starring: Nakama Yukie, MatsuJun, Narimiya Hiroki, Oguri Shun, Ito Misaki.

2002

Nakama Yukie plays a character called Yamaguchi Kumiko, the heir to a yakuza family business. But her lifelong dream is to be a teacher. Her grandfather allows her to pursue her dream. She was made the homeroom teacher of 3D, the worse, most violent class in the school (Forgot the name of the school, I think its Shirokin.)

Ah, like every fictional work with the teacher as the main character, you would know that the teacher would capture the hearts of the students in the end.

MatsuJun is really hot. How come I never noticed that? He reminds me of Bugs Bunny for some reason. Narimiya Hiroki who played Nobu in the "NANA" movies was in here, and Oguri Shun who can be seen playing Sano in "HanaKimi" too.

Ya, and if you noticed, MatsuJun was Tsukasa and Oguri Shun is Rui in "Hana Yori Dango".

The theme song is "Feel Your Breeze" by V6. I was addicted to the song a loooooong time ago, not knowing that it is the theme for the drama. It is a good song.

The storyline is predictable and very, very cliched. But, I came to enjoy it because MatsuJun was really, really and I mean REALLY cool in here. But cool is not the word for it...

Oh it guest stars Wentz Eiji. Also, Ichikawa Yui made an appearance. I still don't like Yui. I tried... like in "Kurosagi". I thought she was okay at first... and then she got annoying again. Tsukamoto Takashi from "Taiyou no Uta" appeared in one episode as well!

To make it even MORE star studded, Matsuyama Ken'ichi of the Death Note fame is also in here. Playing a small part as one of the students in the class. This was 2002, they were all just staring out, I guess.

Gokusen 2:

2005

Starring: Nakama Yukie, Akanishi Jin, Kamenashi Kazuya, Koike Teppei...

Same teacher, different school, different bunch of kids. Same plot. Same predictable ending. YET completely enjoyable.

Akanishi Jin is adorable. I remember hating Kamenashi for no reason back then. I didn't like him even after I watched Nobuta wo Produce. BUT BUT BUT his character here is so...

Koike Teppei is his usual kawaii self.

There isn't really any difference in the storyline, making this season more boring than the previous one, cos you have seen it all before. Yet... the Akame+Teppei-ness of the drama is just entertaining.

I prefer Akanishi to Kamenashi.

That is because, to quote the Heyx3 host "His name is a combo of an animal and a fruit" Kamenashi. I think the kanji for Kame means a tortoise and Nashi means pear. xD The host, Matsumoto mentioned it 3 times that I have seen, in three different episodes.

He said it the first time when Shuji and Akira went on it, and then when KAT-TUN went on, he just had to bring it up again. And then when Yama~P revealed that him and Kame were rivals, Matsumoto was like "Ah that's because his name is a combo of animals and fruits right?"

Also, the actor for NANA's Naoki plays a small, practically mute role in here too. Well, not exactly mute, but he might as well have been. Wouldn't make a difference. xD

The theme song for Gokusen 2 is "No More Cry" and the insert song is soooo good.

It is "Kizuna" by Kamenashi himself. It is good. xD xD

Oh rating time:
Gokusen: 3.5/5
Gokusen 2: 3/5