Fruits Takuhaibin

About halfway through the drama "Fruits Takuhaibin~ Fruits Delivery Service and what a wonderful show it IS!!!

Returning to his hometown after his company in Tokyo went bankrupt, Shinichi Saita (Gaku Hamada) runs into an old acquaintance Misuji (Suzuki Matsuo) at a local restarurant who, upon hearing of his layoff, offers him employment at his business. 

What kind of business IS it? Shinichi wonders, but instead of explaining, Misuji simply takes Shinichi to the place, and after a brief introduction to the staff, including Masakane (Yosi Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) amd Mizuko (Fukiko Hara), learns that Misuji’s business is in fact an escort service under the name “Fruits Delivery Service!”

The girls themselves are the "fruits", and as he is introduced to the girls on hand, they’re even named after various fruits, and among the many he meets are

Ichigo (Rio Yamashita)

Mikan (Eri Tokunaga) 

Lemon (Rie Kitahara)

Yuzu (Rina Uchiyama)

Momo (Riko Narumi)

and Suika (Nuno Uraji)

He is then instructed to hurry up and deliver Mikan to her latest appointment! “B-But I haven’t even said I would accept the job…” he stammers, but he is whisked off, already employed by the company as far as they’re concerned!

And as he follows the girls through their various jobs and learns of their individual circumstances that led them to the escort business, the quiet and naive young man learns about life and all its harsh realities.

He will soon learn that the problems are a bit closer to home. On his first day back he runs into his high school friend Emi Motohashi (Riisa Naka), and upon calling up their mutual friend Oda (Tomoya Maeno), spend  happy evenings drinking up and reminiscing about the old days.

But what he doesn't realize is that Emi’s life since he’d departed hasn’t run as smoothly as he thinks, and though she keeps it a secret from everyone, Emi herself has gone over to the escort trade. How will this discovery affect their friendships and their lives?

LOVING the show so far and it’s a thrill to see which new actress will be the next “fruit” that gets introduced (each episode tends to feature one girl’s story), some are pretty, some tuff and coarse, and OH MAN the “Dragon Fruit” story STOLE THE SHOW for me!!!

This is one very touching and heartfelt drama and Saita is a perfect character to follow as he is both new and naive about the ways of the sex trade and yet kind and passionate about people and their well being. Easily the best character I’ve seen Gaku Hamada play!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Crimes of the Past Run Deep Red

While going through an old hard-drive  I came across a folder of old movies that I’d acquired at some point (though, truth be told, I don’t remember where or how) and one of them was a 2005 movie called Shinku (Deep Red) which I put aside to watch this afternoon. 

When I began watching it, I didn’t remember anything about the storyline or who starred in it, and I was thrilled to realize the movie starred pretty Rina Uchiyama and the dazzling Asami Mizukawa, a big, BIG fave of mine whom I’d JUST been talking about on reddit this morning (discussing her awesome role in the excellent Yume Wo Kanaeru Zo)…looks like the timing was perfect to check this one out!

 Deep Red is the tale of a girl named Kanako (Uchiyama) whose entire family was murdered one night while she was on a school trip as a child, and now, as a grown college student, seeks out the same-aged daughter of her family’s murderer. She finds the girl Miho (Mizukawa) working as a bartender, and without revealing who she is, Kanako befriends her to compare how her life has been since the incident as opposed to hers.

 There is a lot of turbulence going on in Miho’s life as the long-running trials of her father have finally come to a conclusion and he is sentenced to death. Part of her hates her father for committing the crimes and leaving her, but some of her bitterness is aimed towards Kanako’s parents, whom we find are not as innocent as they seem.

As the friendship between Kanako and Miho grows, one also gets a growing sense of unease as the details of the crime come out and we learn that Kanako has a hidden unstable personality that seeks revenge on Miho for what her father has done. Will the two girls’ friendship hold or will the animosity between the families continue to the present day?

Along with Rina (whom I hadn’t seen in anything since I think  “Strawberry on the Shortcake” YEARS ago), Maki Horikita stars as the younger Kanako. the always affable Takashi Tuskamoto appears as Kanako’s boyfriend, and the wonderful Yoshiko Tanaka as Kanako’s Aunt Saiko!

Can't believe I had this movie on my harddrive for so long without checking it out...I'm going to have to sort through these folders more carefully- who knows what cool movie I'll discover next? This was a really entertaining one!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com