J-Drama Deja-Vu: That “Affluent” Apartment

 

Whenever a drama needs a shortcut to show that a particular character is succesful, they rely on  what I call the “Affluent” apartment, an apartment set made to suggest wealth and/or success!
I first took notice of the place in the wildly fun drama “Oyabaka Seishun Hakusho” where  novice youtuber Negoro (Junki Tozuka) has gone viral and hit it big. Suddenly loaded with dough, what better way to indicate his newfound status than a ritzy apartment?

This was a very impressionable set, with a faux brick facade on one side, a gorgeous penthouse view on the other, an artistic styled staircase to the bedroom…and an antique African-styled mirror against the wall!

With these unique features, you had a very easily identifiable abode, one I instantly recognized next time I saw it in  "Toshi no Sakon", where Wakana Aoi moved in with the highly succesful Terunosuke Takezai:

 then the romcom "Usokon" with Neru Nagahama and Fuma Kikuchi:

This one was a surprise-I did not realize til I re-watched the Ikuta Toma drama "Ore no Hanashi wa Negai" recently that the affluent Kana Kurashina lived in the same apartment as well!! Watching it, I jumped up, saying "Hey!! it's the affluent apartment!!!" LOL

 ...and when that fancy apartment made an appearance in the latest episode of the new "Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai" series  (as the home of the svelte Rinko Kikuchi), I just HAD to “speak out” about it finally!!!

I'm sure I've seen this place in many more dramas but just didn't recognize it, and I'm sure there's more to come as well!!! I'll certainly be on the lookout for it!

366 Days with Alice Hirose

The first episode of 366 Nichi aired on April 8th, and in the following days as I waited for the show to be subbed, twitter was inundated with reviews of those who’d seen it, and none of it was particularly positive: boring, bad ending, etc, these were the usual comments, and after all these assessments, I wasn’t sure what to expect... WELL, I’ve finally gotten to watch the first episode for myself, and…I STILL don’t know what to make of it!  Our story:
Alice Hirose stars as a girl named Asuka Yukihara in high school going through life harboring an unrequited love for her classmate Haruto Mizuno (Gordon Maeda). Though she likes him and he seems to like her, as usual with dramas like these they both think the other isn’t interested in them and despite all their friends (Ryota Bando, Neru Nagahama, Keito Tsuna) knowing how much these two care for each other, after graduation, they go their separate ways.

Fast forward to the present day where the classmates of old hold a mini-reunion at the old school,  and of course everyone attends. After the party, the gang goes out to drink, and Asuka and Haruto  promise to keep in touch. She isn't sure what he thinks of her, but Asuka's feeling haven't changed...

 In the following days Asuka tries to reach out, but due to circumstances, they do not meet until set up by a friend. Finally alone to talk things out, the two are able to convey their true feeling to each other and get things out in the open for the first time in their lives!

Having finally revealed their hearts to each other, a new path opens up for the two…but there is a terrible tragedy up on the road ahead for them- one that threatens to tear them apart from each other once more...

That’s how the first episode leaves us, and I’m not sure just what kind of drama is going to follow. Is it going to be a tragic melodrama as the cast deals with the events of the accident? Or, as I suspect, will it be more of a mystery show, with Asuka and gang learning about Haruto’s personal life that he has kept away from them? Also some mystery about the Keito Tsuna character Kazuki. I guess time will tell exactly what this drama ’s gonna be about.  I’ll be checking this one out if only for the Alice Hirose goodness, but I’m crossing fingers this doesn't turn into another sloggy romance flick. I JUST got through with her LAST generic romcom “My Second Aoharu” and don’t feel like sitting through another!!!!