DONE WATCHING:
Kimi ni Todoke (2010 live action movie)
I tried to read the manga... couldn't get past the first 2 chapters since the art was just lousy and the story seemed uninteresting. I tried to watch the anime and couldn't get past the 1st ep - because it just mirrors the manga. But then the manga is still on-going, so there's more to the story, I guess. But for me, it's like reading - more like plodding through- the diary of a teen in love. Riiigghht. *yawns* And yet I am puzzled as to why this story has captured the attention of many people - mostly I presume, teen girls and the hopeless romantics. Maybe I'm too jaded about HS love story dramas. But then, I still went ahead with the movie. And as expected - no major plot, just a simple problem of 'how can I get my feelings across to you...' and resolving some issues about HS gossip, and then the end. Tabe Mikako captured the manga character perfectly, and Haruma Miura has indeed the looks of a HS heartthrob. But still it wouldn't make me want to know the rest of the story.
Crying Out with Love from the Center of the World (2004 movie adaptation)
After watching the drama, I also checked out the film adaptation which came out first. There are many differences from the drama, mainly that in the movie, the story focused more on the teen couple, Saku and Aki, while families and friends were hardly shown. The story of course is more fast-paced and less dramatic and drawn-out than the TV version. Nagasawa Masaki portrayed Aki as a cool, flirtatious girl while Moriyama Mirai's portrayal of Saku was less passionate than Yamada Takayuki's but more naturally convincing.
Kabe Onna Yama Onna (Fuji TV, 2007)
'Wall Woman, Mountain Woman' is a comedy about two women with huge differences in breast sizes... Honestly, this drama helped me get through a depressing week. Nothing like a cheesy, fun, silly, sexist comedy to lighten up your mood. Despite some rude, unnecessary (for me but I'm sure not for the men watching) close-up shots of cleavages, I enjoyed it immensely. Just don't take this drama seriously, and you'll be fine. It's my first time to have watched Fukada Kyoko (Marie) in a drama, I think she managed to pull off such a lovable ditzy role of a 'Mountain Woman.' And so goes for Ito Masaki (Megumi), too, who was tagged as the 'Wall Woman.' She wore a lot of white outfits in this drama - those white pants definitely looked great along with her tall slender frame *green with envy*. I miss Nishima Hidetoshi (Iguchi) from "Real Clothes" and I'm glad to see that he was here, too... which reminded me to go and watch 'SCHOOL!!' already since he was recently in that drama as well.
NEXT ON MY WATCHLIST:Koukou Kyoushi (TBS, 1993)
SCHOOL!! (Fuji TV, 2011)
