[Drama] Yamato Nadeshiko

Autumn 2000

Episodes: 11

Starring: Matsushima Nanako, Tsutsumi Shinichi, Azuma Mikihisa, Yada Akiko...

Jinno Sakurako hates being poor. She hates poverty with all her heart. Being unable to bear another day of living in poverty, she left her hometown of Fukuyama for Tokyo with her father's bank book on the day of her highschool graduation.

She sought for opportunities to change her life of poverty in Tokyo as she used her father's money for a makeover. Armed with only her beauty, she looked around for ways to meet rich people. That was when she saw a commercial airplane flying pass, thus she decided that rich people travel a whole lot and that being a stewardess will boost her chances of marrying into money.

As a stewardess, Sakurako was able to come into contact with many rich men and went with them on group dates with other stewardesses. She played the ground despite convincing her many boyfriends that they were exclusive as she sought for the richest man she can meet. More importantly, she sought for men with a horseowner's pin - a symbol of ultimate riches.

When she found a man named Nakahara Osuke wearing that very pin, she seduced him with all her power while her previously most prospective suitor, Tsukasa, proposed to her. She thought she found the rich man of her dreams in Osuke, but to her disappointment, Osuke was a humble fish-shop owner. Sakurako went back to Tsukasa but found Osuke a frequent passerby in her life. Will Sakurako fall for Osuke or will her love for money triumph over her feelings for him?

*****

This is one of my favourite dramas! I love it! I actually watched it a while back, but I was busy. So this is up now. Matsushima Nanako was like, the biggest thing back in her time. She was like... like... BIG, in more ways than one, of course. And as I was watching this show, it hit me... Sawajiri Erika looks so much like her. So much. A creepier, bitchier version, of course.

This drama is laced with certain comedic moments where Sakurako would lecture her fellow stewardesses with her philosophy on men, marriage and money. And she would come up with arguments that will beat the crap out of love idealists. I totally support her view. I wished that the ending will not be a cliched one, to my disappointment, of course.

This drama had high viewer ratings after a couple of years of ratings drought in getsuku dramas and the theme song was the initial drive for me to watch it. It is a great song, Misia's "Everything". I have almost no complains about the drama, except how Yada Akiko's character was annoying with all her morals and crap and the leading man is... so... average. I know, the character is supposed to be average, BUT, you see... it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of prettiness in here that is NOT female would it?




















Ratings: 4.5/5

[Drama] Majo no Jouken

[Moved from my old blog.]

1999

Episodes: 11

Starring: Matsushima Nanako, Takizawa Hideaki (Tackey), Kuroki Hitomi and a bunch of others

Matsushima Nanako as Hirose Michi, The pervy student fancier

Tackey as Kurosawa Hikaru, the student who got his teacher preggers. Way to go!

Ah stories of forbidden love. From "Romeo and Juliet" to "Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru", to "Majo no Jouken". Why is it that people like to watch other people being in deep trouble?

Why is it that people like to watch people cry and suffer? Well, if I have the answer to that, I wouldn't be addicted to watching Majo no Jouken now would I? This drama is so extremely, very, very watchable. People should watch this drama, and watch it, and watch it and watch it.

Okay, I think I got my point across.

Aww...

People in dramas are so judgmental. People in reality are so judgmental. You are so judgmental. I am so judgmental.

It is human nature. Imagine this. If your teacher were to date a classmate of yours, what would your reaction be? Would you judge them along with the crowd, pointing at their out of the ordinary actions and then tell them how inappropriate it is?

Or would you give them the benefit of the doubt that it is indeed love that they have between them and feel that there is nothing embarrassing about it?

This was the case for Hirose Michi, a high school teacher who initially minded a lot about what people think of her, about how people would judge her and her actions. She has a loving fiancee and demanding parents. On the other hand, Kurosawa Hikaru, a high school student who was newly transferred to the school Michi teaches in. He is the heir to a hospital and his mom loves him unconditionally. The teacher and student finds themselves having a lot in common as both are submitted to a lot of pressure and lost themselves while trying to satisfy others.

This was how it began. The love story between a teacher and a student.

Tackey's old nose is, like, way cuter than his new nose... I heard that he went under the knife cos he broke his nose... whatever.

Truth is, in reality, we would all disapprove of it. It is odd, it is weird, it is wrong. BUT, when people portray it oh so romantically in dramas, we would judge the people who are judging them and then side with the star crossed lovers.

Anyways, that was what happened with me when I watch the drama.

And no, I won't tell you how it ends.

They sacrificed everything for each other by the 6th episode.

Matsushima was 26 when she was filming this drama, Tackey was 17.

Ah love, the excessively glorified human feeling. Dramas like these grow impulsive feelings in people.

The progression of the drama is too fast, too unexpected, too dramatic.

I like.

And the kissing scenes were totally, totally fake... no tongue.

Another important thing about this drama and why it was so great is that the theme song is… yes, that song. The most famous Japanese song of our time – ‘First Love’ by Utada Hikaru. People who don’t speak Japanese know it by heart, people who don’t give a crap about Japanese pop know it. They all know it.

And oh what is that? Tackey is so great? Oh yes he is. xD

Anyways, people should not be inspired by dramas to do freaky stuff. One day, they'll look back and regret it.

But awww.... T_T The drama is T_T

17... I am 20. He is now 25. But he was 17 here. I shouldn't be... I shouldn't!

Ini memang salah

I tell you, its all in the dramas. In dramas, pretty boys play characters that are either WAH or totally idiotic. Both of which are extremely lovable. Thus, fangirls are attracted. Unrealistic? Definitely. But if we want realistic stuff, just bring a stool and sit on the streets la… surely we’ll get some realistic dramatic happenings.

It is the dramas.

Now Tackey is WAH.

Right, just what I need, another Johnny's for me to collect PVs, performances and stuff. Not that my Tackey & Tsubasa collection is small prior to this. Now it just has to get bigger...

Cos Tackey is WAH.

Awww... Tackey!

My totally unfair rating?

4/5

xD It is good... I finished it so fast...