Just a quick update before I actually go into a 3-week hiatus, I have seriously been too busy trying to juggle my responsibilities in general that I do not have time to blog anymore! Unfortunately, the world spins faster than I can actually keep up, which is why I may be a bit behind on my dramas.I really do think that the first episode was really enticing! I can't say the same for the next few episodes....though I am still not half way into the series!!
The crime investigation detective show "Boss" is one of the highest rating show in Japan 2009 Spring season; second to Mr Brain (Need to remind myself to watch Mr Brain as well next time).
Synopsis
This series revolves around a group of peculiar detectives in a new division created to fight against an increase in atrocious crimes. Osawa Eriko is a beautiful career woman who has just returned from training in the U.S. and is appointed as the "boss" of this division. But despite her intelligence and capabilities, she can never understand a man's heart, so she remains unable to find a husband. Even though the detectives are talented, they all have some kind of issue or flaw - Tokyograph
Synopsis
The story revolves around Kanzuki Shizuku, a young man who was estranged from his father, a world-famous wine critic with assets worth billions of dollars. When his father passed away, he left behind a wine collection worth a fortune, but in order to inherit it, Shizuku must solve a series of puzzles left by his father to identify 6 wines. His competitor was Tomine Issei, a prominent wine critic, whom his father adopted before his death.
In the father's house, the competition begins!
This show has won Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Actress at Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix - magazine readers of which the majority of voters are women in their twenties.
Ghost friends is a comedy, fantasy and slightly romantic drama.
Synopsis
A traffic accident occurred where both of her best friends died and she was the only survivor. Asuka discovered her her supernatural ability when she was able to interact with her deceased friends. This is a comedy story about a teenage girl who runs into mysterious happenings through her communication with ghosts. While trying to help make ghosts' wishes come true, she falls in love with a guy named Kaito who also has the ability to see ghosts. He turns out to be an incarnate ghost granted with the power to be in the real world to serve a certain purpose.
Majo Saiban - Majo means witch and Saiban means trial. This fictional story is based off the new jury system that is now being introduced and implemented into Japan.
I am just over half way watching this series and I have to say, what a brilliant drama! I am so glad that I started to watch this~ Bloody Monday was not so interesting and after the 2nd episode...I stopped watching that. So I took it off my list. The way that the drama is shot....makes it soooo dramatic haha....its new and exciting! It gives off the eerie and mind-twisting vibes!!
Anyway, Majo Saiban is a mind-twisting drama. I love that feeling of not knowing what is going to happen and then suddenly all is revealed in the end. WHOO! It keeps you guessing and its captivating as well, not like those really poorly written dramas where they string you along and it gets really tiring as well....Read under the cut for more information :D
Finished the whole series of Godhand Teru!! Hmm...after the first episode, I was thinking that this has got to be adapted from the manga.
Synopsis:
The story revolves around a young man named Mahigashi Teru. When he was young, his father, a brilliant surgeon, died in an accident, but not before saving Teru's life. As a result, Teru also aims to become a great surgeon like his father, devoted to never letting a patient die. As a clumsy newcomer at his hospital, he seems to be an unlikely savior. But whenever a patient's life is in danger, his true powers emerge in the form of his "god hands," allowing him to successfully perform even the most difficult operations.
The imprint of CPR left by his father on Teru's chest
Clumsy Teru
Cast
Hiraoka Yuta as Mahigashi Teru
Mizukawa Asami as Shinomiya Kozue
Kobayashi Takashi as Kataoka Mitsugu
Bessho Tetsuya as Kitami Shuichi
Watabe Atsuro as Yasuda Junji
Murakawa Eri as Sakura Ayano
Araki Hirofumi as Nishimura Manabu
Nakabayashi Taiki as Hayashi Naoyuki
Hasegawa Tomoharu as Iwanaga Osamu
It was absolutely delightful! I have grown accustomed to the characters as well haha I think that the combination of cast members was brilliant and not just the usual famous actors/actresses reprising in similar roles. Seeing as I don't know most of the cast members in this drama, it was also a good change.
In the drama, most of the operations performed uses medical jargon but there are also a few diagrams to explain it. Though I am pretty sure that you will need to look up some of these terms if you are not a medical student.
The only downside to it is that there is not enough historic explanation of the development of the characters covered in the 6 episodes. But because this is a tremendous effort requiring a lot of money and time, they decided to focus on the fact that it is a medical/surgical drama.
Reveal under the cut only if you have watched the complete series. Appreciate your comments :D
Been a while since I have posted anything! Looks like I can make it at least one post a week now....too many assignments to think about at the moment...I have no time to rest!
Muwaha the first episode of Nodame Cantabile! I just thought that this might look like a good drama and it turns out to be one of the most delightful and fun dramas to watch ever! By the way, the main character who is a girl is based off a real person playing the piano (and is messy); though the drama is fictatious.
Rhapsody of the weird pianist vs. the self-centered conductor (30 screencaps)
Prague is the beginning of a boy's tale~ set 10 years before
Maestro conducting the orchestra. His name is Vieira.
Looking back, he loved his lessons with Vieira when he was a young-un. But he wanted more than anything to conduct instead of learning the piano.
Unfortunately, he had to return to Japan because his mother wanted to. Therefore, he said his goodbyes to his teacher, Vieira, and will come back to once again be his pupil.
But the plane crashed (ahem I mean plane model) and caused a tramatic incident. Now he can't return because of his flight phobia. Interesting story right???? This is just the beginning! Reveal the full post to find out more! Or better yet! Go watch it and spread the love for it!!
Let's make some music for the coolest music-oriented Japanese dramas!
Nodame Cantabile and...
Uta no Onisan
Anyway~ as you can tell by the images, I am introducing both dramas in this post.
Please read the rules on the right-hand column and respect it :D
NODAME Cantabile!!!!! Its the best musical drama ever!!!! I mean I am a musician and I am sooo overwhelmed by how this is professionally done and that it does not tolerate "mediocrity". This drama/manga/anime not only expanded into a respectable genre that no one have been able to properly execute but it was done precisely so that musicians can fully enjoy it and those that don't understand music can pick it up straight away. I am amazed!! Well done!!!!! I enjoyed it a lot!
haha I just love this drama! I started watching the drama first. It seems like I don't want to revert back to the originally created manga or anime series!!
Uta no Onisan is just one of my favourite series ever!!! I don't know why but I guess I am becoming more touched each day in life and have come to appreciate the fullness of life that I have. lol I am soo cheesy. Also, the comedy spasms don't stop at all!! Its always good to have a good laugh.
Below contains synopsis and cast members gathered directly from dramawiki. This is just the start of the introduction!
Nodame Cantabile
Episodes: 11
Romantic Comedy
Broadcasted: late 2006; Specials - early 2008
Synopsis
Megumi Noda, or “Nodame” is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat.
Shinichi Chiaki, is Momogaoka’s top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he feels mired in Japan because of a childhood phobia.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame’s unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Because of Nodame, Chiaki got the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible. Main Cast
Ueno Juri - Noda Megumi aka Nodame (Piano)
Tamaki Hiroshi - Chiaki Shinichi (Piano/Violin/Conducting)
Eita - Mine Ryutaro (Violin)
Koide Keisuke - Okuyama Masumi (Timpani)
Mizukawa Asami - Miki Kiyora (Violin)
Saeko - Saku Sakura (Contrabass)
Takenaka Naoto - Franz Strezemann (Milch Holstein by Nodame)
Too many actors/actress to list so refer to dramawiki for more.
Synopsis
The story revolves around an unconventional children's show called "Minna de Utao!" Kenta is a young musician whose band breaks up and who gets dumped by his girlfriend. To top it off, his own family labels him as useless. Unexpectedly, he becomes an "uta no oniisan," a singing character on the children's show.
Nodame Cantabile's famous Rachmaninov Piano Concerto in C minor No.2 Op 18.
Chiaki - piano
Stresemann - conductor
A Orchestra collaboration for the mistress of the school.
This lovely song to be honest was one of the best ones that I have heard from Arashi! It is so serious and the compelling dance moves really topped it off. Not to mention the instrumental music that moves the whole piece.
Whoo go violins!! hahaha this piece I think, is pretty much different from the ones that Arashi used to sing; especially with the solo singer holding out the melodic line with the others harmonizing in the background with arpeggios....(that was done really well and difficult to accomplish sounding in tune)
The song is actually for the opening of Maou (with Ohno Satoshi in it). meh!!! I want to watch Maou!!!
Anyway, the drama would needed a motivating tune and mysterious parts. Arashi delivered it to the table! The feeling that I got from the music was cool yet sinister, but also sad and crying out in anguish at the same time.
I later on went to find the lyrics and sure enough, the music was filled with such emotions.
tomaranai toki ni hisomu ai wa kitto furisosogu ame no youni （こぼれ落ちた涙のあと 凍えそうな涙の色）
(koboreochita namida no ato kogoe souna namida no iro) 戻れない記憶巡る 全て奪われたこの世の果てに
modorenai kioku meguru subete ubawareta kono yo no hate ni
（こぼれ落ちた涙のあと 凍えそうな涙の色）
(koboreochita namida no ato kogoe souna namida no iro)
悲しみ…
kanashimi... たとえどんな終わりを描いても 心は謎めいて
tatoe donna owari wo egaite mo kokoro wa nazo meite それはまるで闇のように 迫る真実
sore wa marude yami no youni semaru shinjitsu たとえどんな世界を描いても 明日は見えなくて
tatoe donna sekai wo egaite mo ashita wa mienakute それはまるで百合のように 汚れを知らない
sore wa marude yuri no youni kegare wo shiranai 願いは透明なままで negai wa toumei na mama de
白く染まる花にひとり 何も変わることなく誓う shiroku somaru hana ni hitori nanimo kawaru koto naku chikau "I take your life forever, you take my life"
届かない声に残る 愛はそっと吹きぬける風のように
todokanai koe ni nokoru ai wa sotto fukinukeru kaze no youni （こぼれ落ちた涙のあと 隠しきれぬふたつの顔）
(koboreochita namida no ato kakushi kirenu futatsu no kao) 終わらない夜に眠る 夢の傷跡に残した痛み
owaranai yoru ni nemuru yume no kizuato ni nokoshita itami
（こぼれ落ちた涙のあと 隠しきれぬふたつの顔）
(koboreochita namida no ato kakushi kirenu futatsu no kao)
悲しみ…
kanashimi... たとえ僅かな光生まれても 嘆きは繰り返す
tatoe wazuka na hikari umarete mo nageki wa kurikaesu それはまるで嘘のように 消える真実
sore wa marude uso no youni kieru shinjitsu たとえ最後の羽を開いても 運命(さだめ)は変えられず
tatoe saigo no hane wo hiraite mo sadame wa kaerarezu 百合の花は儚げに 痛みは消えない
yuri no hana wa hakanage ni itami wa kienai 夢なら愛したままで yume nara aishita mama de
悲しみ…
kanashimi... たとえどんな終わりを描いても 心は謎めいて
tatoe donna owari wo egaite mo kokoro wa nazo meite それはまるで闇のように 迫る真実
sore wa marude yami no youni semaru shinjitsu たとえどんな世界を描いても 明日は見えなくて
tatoe donna sekai wo egaite mo ashita wa mienakute それはまるで百合のように 汚れを知らない
sore wa marude yuri no youni kegare wo shiranai 願いは透明なままで
negai wa toumei na mama de
English Translation
A flickering single light, fading away without healing the pain. "I take your life forever, you take my life forever" A single tear lightly falling, fading away without reaching the feeling. "I take your life forever, you take my life" Hiding in the endless time. Love certainly fall down like the rain. (The traces of fallen tears. The color of frozen tears.) The memories that won't come back goes around. Everything at the end of this world has been stolen. (The traces of fallen tears. The color of frozen tears.) The sadness... Even if I drew what ever kind of ending, my heart is still in mystery. Just like the darkness, the truth is coming close. Even if I drew what ever kind of world, I couldn't see tomorrow. Just like the lily, oblivious of impurity. My wishes are clear. A person vowing to a whitewashed flower, with the promise that nothing will change. "I take your life forever, you take my life" Left behind in the voice that won't reach. Love softly whistle like the wind. (The traces of fallen tears. Unable to completely hide the two faces.) Sleeping in the endless night, the pain remains in the scar of the dream. (The traces of fallen tears. Unable to completely hide the two faces.) The sadness... Even if a small light was born, the grief keeps on coming back. Just like a lie, the truth disappears. Even if I open my last wing, my destiny won't change. The lily that won't last long and the pain won't go away. I could only fall in love inside a dream. The sadness... Even if I drew what ever kind of ending, my heart is still in mystery. Just like the darkness, the truth is coming close. Even if I drew what ever kind of world, I couldn't see tomorrow. Just like the lily, oblivious of impurity. My wishes are clear.
And the final part is......
The REAL music video of the performance!!!! Cool dancing man! I think that Arashi did a really superb performance by far. It will be interesting to see if they will move from the "pop" repertoire into more emotionally engaging and confident songs singing harmonizing melodies with or against one another. That is what I hope to hear and they may start the trend with this song. Who knows???
.......keep on playing the music over and over again....it is such a good song when you take a break from everything; or listening to it on the bus on the way home. WAH!!!!!! so crazy over it!
Ohno is such a good singer....I have included his solo song as well - Take me faraway.
Enjoy the songs~~!!!
Current Mood: ~ I take your life forever, you take my life forever ~ lala
I want to watch this movie! I understand that it is a psychological movie with a split personality....the main character is a girl...but her split personality is a boy....the girl writes to the boy and the boy writes to the girl...both falling in love with each other...hey it isn't unusually..I think I have heard this elsewhere. Anyway, synopsis below...
Minato lost her parents, when she was very young. At that time she developed schizophrenia and her other personality Naito was “born”. Later, Minato has a pen pal, she can write about anything to him and she fell in love with him even though they’ve never met before. The only thing she knows about him is that he’s a boy of the same age. Minato starts to fall in love with a real boy. Naito becomes jealous of course and becomes a hindrance to their love.
The story starts from the beginning and the scene cuts to after the "incident". The story then unravels as you go on and the girl Minato is trying to uncover the "truth" behind the mysterious boy.
OOooo! This girl Horikita Maki is a very talented girl! My age and she is moving towards stardom very quickly! Apparently film directors are very fond of her face in horror films because when the light hits her face, she looks like a ghost....haha that was what I read!
She also appeared in Hanazakarinokimitachi-e-ban!!!!! Hana Kimi in short. She is 2nd row 5th person from the left! Surrounded by so many guys!!! Unfair!! Some of the guys have acted in kamen rider and/or power rangers lol
HA!! Oh man having a few laughs of my own!!! It is such a crack up!! Arashi no Aiba & Ohno!
Also!! THE worst part of all....Aiba english mixed video!!! AHAHA such a crack up! I can't stop laughing at it!!!
Well got to go! Very unsure about my exam!! But should be ok right??? I hope so! Pray to GOD! All the best for the rest of exams everyone!
HA! As if I am not working hard already I still have time to blog when I am nowhere near finishing 2 assignments to be handed in on Thursday and Friday!!! LOL having a break!
ANYWAY!!! Remember the manga that I had mentioned before? Zettai Kareshi??? Well the drama is out with Hiro Mizushima being the normal guy and Mokomichi Hayami being the figure/robot that is exactly like a human yet it has to learn the way of loving women. The reason being that this robot is to study the relationship between men and women so that the company supplying this robot called Kronos Heaven can develop better models in the future!!!
Quite funny although the manga is situated in High school in which I do not know how the directors of the drama will portray elements of the manga into a situation at the OFFICE!!!! It is so different!!! Yes I watched a little bit and I have to agree that the manga is better! Although the drama is quite comedic.
