She's Just The Cutest Thang! More Erika Toda

This is what you would call "running a subject to the ground", but I just HAD to share more Toda Erika goodness via her zany turn as cute n' klutzy Saki in GALCIR. So there I was, screen-capping like an Erika- Obsessed Otaku when I noticed that in this one particular passage, Erika neatly runs though her whole catalog of cute expressions in a mere 10 second span! This is after Angel Hearts leader Remi has made a big announcement, and absent-minded Saki has been daydreaming in the back of the clubhouse. She suddenly realizes everyone is staring at her, and reacts accordingly... Obsessed? Moi? Surely You jest...Ahahahahaha...

Zany Antics with Toda Erika in GALCIR

Since I apparently didn't do enough gushing about super cutie Toda Erika in my last post, I will continue the rambling on in this one!

As I may have mentioned here and there, I'm really not too sure just exactly WHICH drama it was that I first set eyes on Erika Toda, but I do know that it was the twin pronged attack of dramas BOSS and Ryusei No Kizuna that brought her too my attention, and as you can see, I've never come back! From there I've seen her in so many different dramas, but in all of those shows, none have been as zany as this one (Galcir is a comedy with a capital "C"!) and it's hilarious to see Erika throwing herself into the role with such abandonment! Really, this show is as wacky as they come, and as far as Physical comedy goes, Buster Keaton ain't got nothin' on Ms. Toda: whther they be pratfalls, slapstick violence or plain all-out nuttiness, Erika's got 'em ALL!

Much of the comedy comes from the point of Erika's Saki character battling it out against Fujiki Naohito's cowboy Shinnosuke. The humorous war they have going on with each other produces the greatest laughs as she's either karate kicking him out of frustration...

Accosting him to demand 5000 yen compensation for the grief he's giving her...

Or even tripping him up just for the fun and entertaining sake of picking on him:

But the fun doesn't end there, for Saki is as klutzy as they come, and in between tripping over her own feet as she's trying to get away from Shinnosuke...

she still finds time to battle with Yaguchi Mari in a trough of mortar mix...

and duke it out with Namase Katsuhisa (the town's neighborhood leader) in a hostess bar...

as well as get punched out by her Galcircle leader Remi in a deranged fit of possession!

In the end it doesn't matter, because no matter what the situation, somehow, Saki always ends up on her butt!

From beginning to end, with all of the absolutely nutty situations Saki gets into each episode, Erika Toda has been an absolute joy to watch and seeing her go through such hilarious antics each episode has certainly brought her that much closer to my heart!!!

The Lovely Ladies of GALCIR

I acquired the zany Naohito Fujiki comedy drama GALCIR awhile ago, but at the time I’d just finished watching Kou Kou Kyoushi and though I know there are many of you out there that like that drama, I just wasn’t in the mood for more Fujiki after that, so onto the shelf Galcir went.
It might have remained forgotten there if not for my current love of Iwasa Mayuko. While perusing her data sheet on dramawiki, I saw GALCIR listed, and thought, “Hey! I have that drama!” So I dug it up, and I am so very happy I did! Starring Fujiki as a spacey Japanese Cowboy who shows up in Shibuya to help the population of para-para dancing street-wise young ladies solve their problems, this show was REALLY a SCREAM!
Besides being hilarious as heck and sporting one of the catchiest ending credits ever (just can’t stop smiling whenever it comes on!), the show naturally featured a WHOLE BEVY of beautiful young actresses both whom I’d seen in other dramas and some who I’m seeing for the very first time!
After seeing Mayuko in Deep Love and Mei-Chan No Shitsuji, it was quite a switch to see her playing the sexy and sassy Rika, the tuff but amicable ganguro who’s singing and dancing in all her scenes! I just loved seeing her in such flowery girlish dresses, complete with suede boots and bleached-out hair done up in jewels and ribbons!
Actress Suzuki Emi, who will forever be burned in my heart as uber-babe Kisakura Karen in that wacky Jin Akanishi drama YUKAN CLUB, is here as Remi, queen of the Shibuya gal groups and reigning leader of the gal circle ANGEL HEARTS. Already striking with her tall posture, her appearance gets an added oomph by have Remi wearing the shortest cutoff shorts allowed on prime time TV!!
Another old love making an appearance on this show is Aragaki Yui, whom I’d fallen in love with back in DRAGON ZAKURA as her kogal-ish turn as Yoshino. Strangely enough, her performance of Nagisa is a more "tomboyish" take of a Kogal than the very girly one she played in Zakura!
Satsukawa Aimi is another one that looks almost unrecognizable to me because the last character I saw her play (that of persecuted Kiyomi in Funuke Domo Show Sme Love You Losers) was such an introverted and mousey girl- here, (though she’s still a bit meek) is a brighter and decidedly sunnier girl!
One of the girls that I’m seeing for the very first time is cutie Nishida Natsumi. Her portrayal of third-in-command Angel Heart Ran reminded me an awful lot of Nozomi Sasaki, and I actually had to check the dramawiki stats to make sure that it wasn’t her!
aguchi Mari plays Yurika, the Angel Heart that, at 23 is considered the “granny” of the group is a feisty bundle of pure energy, and as anyone who has seen old Morning Musume in their prime know, this is PURE MARIPPE unleashed! Really, this character couldn’t be any more similar to our beloved “Shorty” of the group!

And then we come to Toda Erika. Though Galcir is more or less an episodic drama where each episode focuses on a different girl’s trouble, this show is clearly hers. As klutzy but determined Saki, she is the girl that holds the group together and is the thread that ties that wacky Cowboy into the Angel Hearts and their problems. Watching Ms Toda in action has made me remember just how fun and sexy she really is! Though I began watching this show for Mayuko Iwasa, GALCIR has instead re-ignited my fire for Erika-chan!!! In fact, there are even MORE Erika Toda gushings coming in the next few posts!
Another added bonus is that just like MASSUGU NA OTOKO, the show once again features appearances by both Kamiwaki Yuu AND Miura Rieko! Kamiwaki’s role in the Angel Hearts is more or less a “face in the crowd” one…
But Rieko’s one is an entirely different role, where she plays the neighborhood’s “dorky” lady, and Rieko’s beauty is hidden behind glasses and pinned back hair! Whenever she’s in the scene, the old men always yell at her, “What are you doing here, ugly?!” Ah…but is she hiding something from them all…? Too Funny!
Right about now Galcir is really as good as it gets... A drama chock-full of beautiful actresses featuring stories with ridiculous comedy balanced out by dramatic situations with heartfelt solutions, GALCIR is a one of a kind hit!

A Melancholy Film: Kuki Ningyo "Air Doll"

Doona Bae as Nozomi in Kuki Ningyo

When I picked up the movie Kuki Ningyo (Air Doll), the story about an inflatable sex doll that comes to life and goes out exploring the world when her owner is at work each day, I thought I was in for a cute, light-hearted, quirky comedy...
BOY was I wrong about that!

Air Doll: Doona Bae

While Air Doll does have its quirky moments, and Korean actress Doona Bae is extremely adorable as Nozomi, the sex doll come to life, this was much much more than a light comedy. While following  Nozomi's search for the meaning for living and happiness, she discovers the world and people around her are just as much in confusion about the very same things as she is. When she proclaims to a lonely old man that she is "empty inside" (as she's full of air), he sadly notes that a malady of that kind is not such a rare thing for people.

As she searches deeper and deeper into the answers for her existence, we see Nozomi's wide- eyed innocence slowly turn to sadness and detachment as she is faced with the reality of "real life" and as if to punctuate how bitter living can be, we are also given insight into the people around her, where we realize Nozomi is just one of a thousand people coping with their own personal hardships from day to day.

Without giving away any spoilers I have to say that the movie ended on SUCH a somber tone that when it was over, I just could NOT shake off this feeling of utter loneliness! That's quite a movie to make me feel like that! Ahhhh, man, I'm depressed! Somebody better give me a comedy, QUICK! Time to re-watch "Summer Time-Machine Blues" to pick me up!

The Massugu Na Otoko Cavalcade of Stars

Been watching the highly entertaining Ryuta Sato drama MASSUGU NA OTOKO, the story of a very “Tsuyoshi Kusanagi” type of guy named Matsushima Kenichiro who can’t help but help people in need, even at the expense of his own well-being. So far, the episodes have been great, and one of the things that makes this drama such an easy one to watch is the sheer abundance of GORGEOUS LOOKING WOMEN!Starring the ever-precocious Fukada Kyoko as Sato’s primary nemesis/love interest Kurita Narumi (and looking entirely pinchable, I must add), it’s a fine return to the Kyoko I love: sassy, pretty and wholly dressed up the prettiest outfits! But the easy-on-the-eyes female cast doesn’t end there!As Kurita’s struggling wannabe-actress roommate we have the luscious Sasaki Nozomi (whom I haven’t seen since her appearance as jet-setting hot-as-hell model REMI in “The Handsome Suit” movie) as Kayashima Yuki, Narumi’s friend in need, the only character who seems to know what she’s all about. As two Hottie Tokyo girls struttin’ their stuff, Kyoko and Nozomi really light up that screen!

Also along for the ride are the always affable Shihori Kanjiya and sultry Takizawa Saori as the friends of Sato and his co-workers. Though she had a cool demeanor in her recent Ryomaden appearance, Kanjiya’s portrayal of Yoshino, the girl who secretly likes Kenichiro, is the good ol’ buddy-type girl we’ve come to know and love from shows like LOVE SHUFFLE and BUZZER-BEAT.

Takizawa, on the other hand, is portraying a desperate cougar-type of lady, and she’s REALLY dialing up the ALLURE here! Quite a different persona from the hard-as-nails character Midori she played in SEIGI NO MIKATA! Whoo, look at this dolled up look here! My My, that’s nice!

Now, as a huge AAA fan, I’m quite ashamed to say that I didn’t recognize Misako Uno as Matsushima’s cute little sister Mina until the second episode!!! In my defense I have to say that she plays QUITE a different persona than I’ve been used to with her AAA gig. Where she seems very professional and leader-like in the group, in Massugu Na Otoko, she is this cheerful, chirpy (and slightly ditzy) girly-girl, a difference that I highly approve of! And what made this show even BETTER was the appearance of two of my favorite Japanese personalities of yester-year; One of them being the still extremely adorable Miura Rieko as Matsushima’s Boss’s wife (as well as next-door neighbors), and it was SUCH a thrill to see Misako and Rieko sharing the same screentime together, almost like the gap of past j-pop goodness had been bridged! Both of them soooo cute!

I’m about halfway through this drama, and it doesn’t look like it will be boring me any time soon! With its the engaging stories, extremely likable lead (in Ryuta Sato) and the bevy of gorgeous ladies (I didn’t even get around to mentioning the bartender girl and secretary either!), this is ONE drama that I’ll be watching til the very end!!

Favorite J-Pop Singles: Mizuki Arisa / Dakishimete!

When Princess Princess called it a day back in 1996, they made the rounds on just about every music show to promote their final tour and say their farewells and my favorite appearance out of all of them was their last time on long-running music show MUSIC FAIR.

The formula of Music Fair was usually to pair up a newer, up-and-coming artist with an older, established artist, but for Puri Puri’s last show they decided to invite a few artists who were friendly/connected with the group, and to that effect, brought in artists Moritaka Chisato, Moriguchi Hiroko and a pretty, leggy young model by the name of Mizuki Arisa.

Now, although I would get to know Mizuki pretty well later with her ditzy appearances as Izumi Asakura in the triple-season+ and still going drama NURSE NO OSHIGOTO, at this time I think I only knew her from her latest single that was out at the time, Arisa’s 10^th single DON’T BE SHY…So I knew she sang, but wasn’t sure if she could keep up with Chisato and Hiroko (not to mention Puri Puri themselves!), but once I heard her in action, I’d never doubt her again! She sang along in a ROCKING Princess Princess Medley, and easily kept the pace with Okui Kaori and the girls!

I was so impresses by her that the next day I went out and bought that Don’t Be Shy single, but truth be told, that song (reminiscent of the TK productions that were saturating the marker at the time) didn’t quite captivate me like her performance on Music Fair. In fact, it wasn’t until months later when I’d rented some older MUSIC STATION shows that I got to see some of her earlier songs, and of all of them, the one that finally did it for me was the super-happy and totally danceable DAKISHIMETE!!

First off, the song was just this great pop tune, perfect j-pop as only this time period could produce, but what really sold me was Arisa’s PERFORMANCE! She was SOOOO happy singing this song, and I really loved how each time she sang the chorus, when she sang the lines “Dakara”- she would pause and smile this cherubic beaming smile before finishing with - “Dakishimete, Yo!!!”

Then of course it all build up to the guitar solo and while she does her little dancing, she shows off those long, long legs I mentioned earlier, and I have to add too how pretty that white dress she was wearing was! I suppose on the rack it looked like a normal sized outfit, but draping her legs, ended up looking like a mini! Ahahahaha!

From there I totally got into Arisa’s music, getting all of her other singles including her awesome debut song “Densetsu No Shojo” as well as the later Nurse No Oshigoto Themes, “Promise To Promise” and “Days” and what became my OTHER favorite song from her, “Forever Love”, which will make its way onto my blog soon enough!

Let’s check out Arisa Mizuki’s DAKISHIMETE!!

Crush Of The Day: Iwasa Mayuko

Watching the dark and moody drama DEEP LOVE based on the writings of mobile-phone guru YOSHI has opened my eyes to just how wonderful an actress Mayuko Iwasa is. I mean, I’d seen her before in the wildly wacky comedy drama MEI-CHAN NO SHITSUJI, but all I remembered about her turn as fellow student Ryuonji Izumi was that she was a very (if a bit dour) pretty girl.

Now here comes Deep Love. MAN, what a 90 degree turn from those bright and fun high school comedies, this one is a gloomy, bleak and heartbreaking melodrama about the sordid underside of one schoolgirl’s life, where betrayal and heartbreak has closed up her heart and sent her spiraling down a road of drugs, violence and prostitution. But through it all you can sense that underneath is a good girl just waiting for a chance to emerge once again.
Mayuko is just BRILLIANT as the emotionally flawed Ayu! Though her character is silent and morose for most of the show, what you read in her expressions speaks volumes. Something about the way she coldly looks at things with her beautiful but withdrawn eyes makes you instantly understand the hurt and pain she’s been going throughout her life, a life that has brought her to this state where the only way she can face up each morning is to detach herself from any kind of feelings, saying to herself, “If you had a heart, you wouldn’t be able to survive”. A really HEART-WRENCHING show!
Besides its great acting and story, another admirable thing about DEEP LOVE is its commitment to the pacing of the show. Nothing is rushed, particularly in the scenes with Ayu, and the viewer is there to watch and observe the goings on just as Ayu is experiencing them herself. When she is presented with a new insight to a certain subject, we will see her thoughtfully ponder on it, and then her thoughts appear onscreen as text-messages, mantras for her to go by: “If You Die, That’s It.” and “People shed such Beautiful Tears”.
Another thing about Deep Love is how BEAUTIFULLY the scenes are shot! The composition and framing of the scenes are VERY artistically done, and so may of them seem like they could have been framed photograph prints handing on a wall! I mean, take for instance this scene of Ayu talking to her friend Reina. Simple enough, but it is pulled back to show the colorful graffiti and even the slow water trickling down the slab in the foreground.
Or this one with Ayu leaving after talking to the old woman she sees every morning (and who will change Ayu's life) look at the buildings and streets, so beautifully framed and shot!

Just about the only thing that strikes me as “off” about this drama is that opening Credits song “Delighted” by LEAD. I dunno, but in MY opinion, this song doesn’t match the feel of the drama AT ALL, and actually takes me out of the “mood” of the show every time it starts. Not helping things is the fact that during the song, they show upcoming scenes (read: spoilers!) from the drama! Thus, this is an ABSOLUTE MUST FORWARD!!! The ending theme, however, is just INCREDIBLE, a sad and melancholy song that TOTALLY captures the feel and loneliness of the show. Sung by Sato Hiroko, the lyrics to the song AI GA WATASHI WO SUKUTTE KURERUNO just tears your heart out when listening to it at the end of each episode:

Deep Love- Why Do I Want Love?
Deep Love- Can Love Save Me?

My interest in Mayuko sent me searching online looking for more information on this beautiful actress, and I must say with all candor how thrilled I was to read in her Dramawiki stats that she was "an actress and gravure idol" GRAVURE IDOL? Well, I just couldn't imagine moody Miss Iwasa running about in a bikini, and made a HUGE effort to get my hands on some of her video magazines to see for myself, and as you can see here, Mayuko was INDEED a perky bikini model, (and a STUNNING one at that!) making me all the more impressed by here acting skills, because you would NEVER have thought the girl playing Ayu in Deep Love was ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO a genki idol girl!

Thanks to this drama, I now absolutely LOVE Mayuko Iwasa, and I’m excited to watch some of the other dramas she’s in, even to the extent of digging out HANAZAKARI KIMI TACHI E and making an effort to watch the drama past the first episode! AHAHAHAHAHA!

I’m really wanting to see more shows featuring Mayuko playing lead roles as most dramas seem to only have her appearing as a guest in a single episode. Funny that DEEP LOVE was a lead role for her, as it actually was an earlier drama for her, years before MEI CHAN came out! Hopefully we'll be seeing even MORE stuff from this talented actress!!

*Once again a BIG THANKS to the fine folks over at TIMELESSUBS,

for without their hard work I would never have been able to enjoy this drama (as well as so many others)!!