Time Sure Flies!

Mikura Mana in Eikyuu Shushoku Shiken

Man, you know you’re getting old when you’re watching a drama (in this case, the new show “Eikyuu Shushoku Shiken”) and realize that the 29 year old woman you’re seeing onscreen is in fact Mana Mikura, the actress you’d LAST seen playing one half of the Noda twins in the 1996 NHK Morning Drama Futarikko!

Kana and Mana in Futarikko

Funny, but I hadn’t even realized that both Mana AND her sister Kana have actually been continuously acting in dramas since Futarikko! Oh, how the past 19 years have somehow slipped by…..
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

An Absolutely AWESOME Drama!

Aragaki Yui and Okada Masaki

Just finished watching episode three of the new detective drama “Okitegami Kyoko no Bibouroku”, that quirky show starring Aragaki Yui as the titular detective whose motto is “Speedy Resolution!” because her memory resets every day, and It.  Is.  So.  FREAKING GOOD!!!!!!! 

Okada, Oikawa Mitsuhiro, Aragaki,  Arioka Daiki & Uchida Rio

Mums the Word

  Kyoko Okitegami is yet ANOTHER fabulous role of Yui’s, a loveable, fun and dependable character whom you enjoy just watching walk, stop and muse over things; her malady which causes her to lose her memories when she goes to sleep each night makes for a woman who appreciates and is in awe of the multitude of things we take for granted each day, simply because, to her, every wonder is the first time she’s seen it!

Observing Everyday Wonders

Kyoko Approves!

 Equally intriguing is the growing attraction Masaki Okada’s character Kakushidate Yakusuke has for her- he really likes her, and as each episode ends, it really is pretty heartbreaking watching him say goodbye to her after they’ve wrapped up the case, knowing that the next day he will once again be a complete stranger to her!

Ahhh, man, I’m loving this show SO MUCH! You know, at first I though that Okitegami’s malady was going to be nothing more than a “quirk” of the detective, but so far, they’ve managed to dream up some pretty freaking great plots written around her memory loss, and I just can’t wait to see what happens next!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Hitsudan Hostess, Again

Kitagawa Keiko as Saito Rie in Hitsudan Hostess

Man, I just finished watching the awesome Kitagawa Keiko movie (rather, television special) Hitsudan Hostess again for the UMPTEENTH time, (gushed about it before here and here)...how I love this show!!! I know that it has a fairly predictable plot and there are a lot of regular j-drama cliches in it, but BOY, this true story of a deaf woman named Saito Rie who uses her beautiful writing skills and poetic style of thinking to overcome her handicap and become the number one hostess in Ginza ALWAYS captivates me! 
Watching it again, I realize it comes down to two things: One, I love nice handwriting, and I really love watching her write down all her notes, and Two, oh my gosh, Keiko's acting is sooo good here, she really brings out Rie's anguish, heartaches, and determination, movies like this remind me why I love her so much!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Putting In My K-Pop Order!!

Well, I've been waiting a long, Long LONG time for this, but SM Entertainment have FINALLY gotten around to releasing the BRAND NEW f(x) album 4WALLS this coming Tuesday, So I scrambled to Kpoptown to put in my order!!! Along the way I also added the new SNSD album "Lion Heart" which I've been putting off buying since I knew the f(x) release was gonna happen eventually and wanted to ship combined... Didn't realize it would be MONTHS! But MAN, at least it's finally HAPPENING!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Notes On "Jishaku Otoko"

Mukai Osamu and Aibu Saki in Jishaku Otoko

Decided to watch the Aibu Saki Mukai Osamu movie “Jishaku Otoko” and HEY! Nobody told me this was a SEQUEL! Took me about 25 minutes crammed full of flashback scenes to realize that what I was seeing was the continuation of either a drama or another movie SP!

Jishaku Otoko is a movie about a guy named Oba Shosuke (Mukai) whom they call “Magnet Man” for his ability to pair up potential couples together so well. His so-called girlfriend Shion (Aibu) works for a matchmaking company and besides managing the company’s events, she’s struggling with a floundering relationship with Oba- seems though he’s great at pairing up other couples, he’s not so good at his own lovelife!

 Despite coming in so late to the game, I enjoyed the flick, and WOW- one thing I was amazed to note was that though I’ve known actress RYO since her debut in Long Vacation way back in 1996, this was the FIRST TIME I’d EVER thought she was SEXY and PRETTY, man she was so HOT in this show! 

The Illustrious Ryo

Ryo as Oshima Mariko

Maybe it was that this was the first time I’d seen her playing a rich, socialite woman, or maybe it was that she’d gained some weight since those early days (she was always so thin) or maybe it was just those lush false eyelashes, and heavy mascara, but WOW, her portrayal of  Oshima Mariko, a woman who is constantly threatening to sue the matchmaking Company because her dates always dump her had me all turned on throughout the movie!

Oshima (Ryo) meets Oba (Mukai)

Ryo with Ito Mamiko,  Kiriyama Renn, Aibu Saki

A brash and bossy woman who has no problem telling off everyone when she feels she's been slighted, and when her romances fall flat, she is always back in the office, giving hell to Shion, the other employees and even the poor manager of the Matchmaking Company (Jun Kaname) !

Above and Below:Telling off Himuro (Kaname Jun)

Ah, but this wouldn't be a J-drama if it didn't wrap up nice and clean, and even Mariko softens up by the end of the show...we even get to see her smile! 

Man, still so surprised to realize how attracted I am to Ryo...she is really one actress that I've NEVER had ANY interest in before, and now am quite curious to see what she's gonna do next!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Okitegami Kyoko no Bibouroku

Aragaki Yui as Okitegami Kyoko

Just started watching the new Aragaki Yui/Okada Masaki  detective drama "Okitegami Kyouko no Bibouroku" (Kyoko Okitegami's Memorandum), and MAN is it FUN! This drama tells the story of a detective named Okitegami Kyouko who has a condition where her memories are reset whenever she falls asleep...so it is IMPERATIVE when she's investigating a case that she SOLVE it before the day is done!

 Kyoko is hired to investigate a theft accusation by a man named Yakusuke Kakushidate (Masaki Okada ) who may be the unluckiest fellow in Japan- when he goes to school birds flying by poop on his head, when he goes for a job interview, a meteor crashes in front of him, and whenever there is something missing, he is always the one suspected!

And so when an important SD card disappears from the manager's desk,  poor Kakushidate is naturally the one blamed! Lucky for him, Kyoko is on the case! Once she arrives, introduces herself and tells everyone about her strange malady, she turns into a pro investigator and becomes the coolest, level headed person there! 

For things she has to remember for more than one day, she writes them on her body (MEMENTO style) but for everything else, it's a problem that must be solved before she goes home for the day!! Neat, organized and thorough, despite the urgency of the hour, it's actually really relaxing and soothing watching her go through the clues with such care and clarity...

 Such a big fan of Yui "Gakky" Aragaki, especially when she's in playful and imaginative ones like this, and her role of Okitegami Kyoko is another fun one! CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE EPISODES!!!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

A Song To Make You Smile: "Odoru Pompokorin" by BB Queens

I was watching BB Queens performing their wonderfully catchy song “Odoru Pompokorin” (ending theme song for the classic and everlasting "Chibi Maruko-chan's first series) on the great old "Yoru No Hit Studio" show, and suddenly wondered, "Hey, just how successful WAS this single when it actually came out?" 

 I knew the song had some popularity (just by watching Chisato Moritaka, Akina Nakamori and CoCo all onstage and singing along with BB Queens for a genki performance on an old Music Station clued me in to the song's endearment) but I wanted to know how MUCH! Time to go onto wikipedia nd do some studying...

Chisato Moritaka, Rieko Miura & Erika Haneda of CoCo, Akina Nakamori
dance the Pompokorin with BB Queens in background

MAN, what a surprise- Odoru Pompokorin (Dance the Pompokorin) was #1 Song of 1990, 1990's Record Taisho Song Winner AND it was a Certified Gold seller?! WOW… this was truly THE POWER OF CHIBI MARUKO-CHAN!

Sing Along with BB Queens!PA PA PARAPPA!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

When Marnie Was There

Just watched the latest (and possibly last?) film from Studio Ghibli, the sweet and melancholy "When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Marnie)and I really loved it- The tale of a girl named Anna who befriends an ethereal girl namd Marnie living in a seemingly abandoned house on a lake is already as dreamlike as they come, and when you add the flourish of Studio Ghibli's wonderfully mesmerizing and mystical scenes, it becomes nothing short of spellbinding!

 I had a bit of a dilemma deciding if I was going to watch the Japanese version or the English one. Usually, of course, I go straight for the Japan one, but I really like Hailee "True Grit" Steinfeld and wanted to see it with her voicing. I knew that whichever I watched first would end up as the "real" version for me , so in the end, the voices of Kasumi Arimasu, Nanako Matsushima and Hitomi Kuroki beat out Hailee Steinfeld, and it was the Nihongo version I watched!
PS: Reading up on the movie, I found out that all these years, I've been pronouncing Stdio Ghibli's name incorrectly- It's not GIB-lee, but rather JIB-lee!! Well, better later than never, LOL
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Legends Of Otomejuku: The Lovely Ms. Rieko Miura!

Rieko Miura

Just finished wrapping up the highly enjoyable mystery drama “ Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko No Uso” and while I loved Ishihara Satomi and AKB48 alumna Yuko Oshima in it, the one actress that I took particular notice of was Rieko Miura. As you all know, CoCo was the gateway drug that first got me into J-pop, j-dramas and everything else Japan related, and at the center of it was a big fascination with the adorable anime-voiced princess, MS. Miura Rikeo herself!

Reiko in her adorable CoCo Days circa 1991

 While I watched her in it, it impressed me how far she’d come since her early acting days when Coco had just broken up…the first thing I remember seeing her in was an episode of 1996’s “Mokuyo no Kaidan” show with SMAP’s Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (back then BOTH of them were just starting out dabbling in acting) I was so thrilled at seeing her in a show, for the Rieko Miura fan back then, it was a real EVENT!

Mokuyo No Kaidan (1996)

with Tsuyoshi Kusanagi in Mokuyo no Kaidan (1996)

 From there I saw her in shows like TABLOID and the NHK Asadora AGRI, but you know, back then, she always still seemed like “Reiko from CoCo in a show” … I’m trying to remember when it was when she crossed over from being an IDOL and transformed into a bonafide ACTRESS, and for me, it was when she appeared in GALCIR. She was so great as the dorky wife of the local shopkeeper, and when she revealed her beautiful persona underneath, that was an added bonus- I got to see her be goofy AND sexy! But more than that, I somehow felt that she was finally  “Rieko Miura, Actress (trivia: she used to be an idol!)” and all her roles from then on proved me right!

The Dark and Dorkier sides of Rieko in GALCIR (2006) above and below:

 She strengthened her acting chops in a terrific supporting role in the Misaki Ito/Kyoko Fukada comedy “Yama Onna Kabe Onna “ , it was here that I truly realized she had made the transition from "girl" to "woman". Man, she was so good in this role as the seasoned senior manager of the store, really like the mother hen taking care of both Misaki and Kyoko!

With Fukada Kyoko In Yama Onna Kabe Onna (2007)

After this show, they FINALLY gave Reiko her own drama with her as the lead actress. The show was called “Suite 10”, and I was so excited and couldn't wait to watch it! Unfortunately, no channel picked it up here so I never got to see it! ARGH!

Suite 10 (2008)

To date, even with the advent of the internet and J-drama sharing sites, I’ve still never found someone who had the show, so it's still on my wishlist! I'm not sure how this drama fared during its initial airing, but to date, this remains Reiko's only lead actress drama..
.The next drama I saw her in was the Yusuke Kamiji /Aya Ueto drama “Celeb Bimbo Monogatari” where she honed what would become THE signature Reiko Miura role: The Eccentric, Melodramatic and Extremely Beautiful Woman!

with Ueto Aya in Celeb to Binbo Taro (2008)

with Kazama Morio in Celeb to Binbo Taro

 It was this character you'd see her bring out in shows like the aforementioned Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko No Uso, sleek, sly and sexy! Like I said, I really loved her performance in this show as the sultry Agent S, marvelling at how she became this strong, confident actress, seemingly right before my eyes!

wi Shosuke Tanihara in Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko No Uso (2010)

She could still revert back to playing the sweet and innocent girls if she wanted to, as evidenced in shows like MASSUGU NA OTOKO and UTSUKUSHII RINJIN, where she played more homey, down to earth roles. By this point, I was so confident in Rieko’s success as an actress, that seeing her in these, I simply thought, “huh, Reiko’s in this…” then I stepped back and thought to myself, “you know, ten years ago, you would be flipping out with excitement that Reiko was in a show!” It made me happy that she was so firmly entrenched in the drama biz that I could take her appearances for granted!

with Misako Uno in Massugu No Otoko (2010)

with Dan Rei in Utsukushii Rinjin (2011)

Koko Ga Uwasa no El Palacio (2011)

While not as successful as Hiromi Nagasaku from her sister Pony Canyon group RIBBON, Reiko has managed to stay a relative consistent mainstay in dramas, especially when playing the older femme-fatale vixen types, much to my approval! 

with Sawajiri Erika in First Class (2014)

Recent dramas from her include the Rena Tanaka drama “Utsukushiki Wana” as well as the Erika Sawajiri drama “FIRST CLASS”, and she’s still there playing sharp witted and beautiful women, roles that prove that the cute little genki girl from CoCo TOTALLY had what it takes! Here's to your continued success!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com