Nana Seino Shines in "Hapimari"

Dean Fujioka and Nana Seino in HAPIMARI

Hapimari~Happy Marriage?! is about as basic and generic as a Japanese Drama can be, with all the usual tropes and cliches…but Nana Seino is so DARN cute in it that I just HAVE to watch every episode! 

Nana Seino as Chiwa

Dean Fujioka as Mamiya

 Nana stars as Chiwa, a good-hearted and hard-working girl who is struggling financially because of her good for nothing father’s gambling problems, and when we meet her, she is in the middle of juggling two jobs, a day job at an electronics store....

..and working as a hostess at a cabaclub in the evenings...

One night at the host club she is met by a stiff young man who insults her for working as a hostess, causing her to get fired when she throws a glass of water in his face.

The next day at her Electronics job, the strange man is back, and she finds that he is a wealthy businessman about town named Hokuto Mamiya (Dean Fujioka), and has come looking for Chiwa with a mystifying offer...

He will take care of all her financial woes if she will do one thing: MARRY HIM! Chiwa is an old fashioned girl who believes in marrying for love, to marry for money seems wrong, and even if she WERE to marry for cash, why marry such a stiff, unfriendly and scolding person??? She adamantly refuses.

She tries to get back on with her life, but her father’s gambling debts are coming back to haunt him, and even though they struggle with meager meals each evening to stretch out their pennies, they simply can’t get ahead.

It all comes crashing down when thug debt collectors come looking for Chiwa’s

father and decide to take her instead to “work for them to pay off the amount”. Just at that moment, Mamiya returns, and once realizing the situation, with his checkbook, instantly pays off the debt. 

Chiwa has no choice but to reluctantly marry this strange person. But what is this deal all about? Why did he choose HER of all people? Is the marriage for real? And, of course, the real question that everyone can already guess: Will Chiwa end up actually falling in love with Hokuto??

This drama seemed like a LOT of other recent dramas and movies, especially the Emi Takei movie “Clover” (where she is proposed to by her stiff supervisor), and  the Kyoko Fukada drama “Please Love The Useless Me” where Kyoko’s superior takes care of the addled girl’s problems (and Dean Fujioka starred in both and seems to be playing pretty much the same guy here, LOL) There’s even bit of  Sekai Ichi Muzukashi Koi” in it with Norika Fujiwara trying to advise her boss about how to better woo a girl.

So yeah, very predictable and basic plot, but BOY, Nana is sooo adorable in this, I’m already in love!!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

TWICE on Running Man!!!

TWICE on Running Man

Ahhhh, this is a GREAT time to be getting into awesome JYP powerhouse group TWICE as they are appearing on more and more shows and events, and I was THRILLED to find while catching up on my episodes of Running Man that the girls appeared for the final challenge of Episode's 302's Race! Granted, the girls weren't "official" guests in that they only appeared on that final challenge, but they really made the most of the time they were there!!

Blue Team

White Team

They divided the nine Twice members into the two Running Man teams, Mina, Dahyun, Jungyeon and Tzuyu joined the White team (JongKook, Haha, Jihyo and guest star Yeo Jin Goo)...

and Momo, Nayeon, Jihyo, Chaeyeong and Sana joined the Blue team (Jaesuk, Sukjin, Kwangsoo and Gary)!

Now that the teams were established, it was time for the game to commence, and YES! The final challenge was none other than a good old-fashioned NAME TAG RIPPING RACE!

The thing about guests on a Name-Tag Ripping race is that the guests are sometimes shy to chase and attack other members, but I was happy to find that the girls were really going for it, giving it their all, especially when it came to competing against each other!
The object was to find "Secret Lunchboxes" with hidden clues,and it was very cute watching the girls wander around aimlessly looking for these things....

Nayeon and Momo asking for hints

Mina and Song Jihyo

Meanwhile TWICE Jihyo looking under Mannequin Skirts....

"I can't find anything".

Jaesuk and Sana

Jong Kook and Tzuyu

Tzuyu sees something interesting? 

Mina having a ball

But of all the girls, I'd say Dahyun seemed to be the most able and willing, readily hunting her group members down and wrestling away their their tags, as poor Sana learned early!

Chaeyeong and Sana looking for clues...

When suddenly Sana sees out of the corner of her eye...

A wild Dahyun Attacking! (With Jin Goo assisting)

Sana pleads for mercy...

But is immediately taken down, LOL!

Sana: "Dahyun ripped my Nametag"

And Momo, WOW! She was one who really fought tooth and nail against having her nametag ripped, even resorting to lying down on the floor as she is assaulted by both Tzuyu AND Jungyeon!

Nayeon wasn't much help as she was busy being attacked by Dahyun, Haha and Jongkook!

This was yet another fine example of the girls great chemistry and charisma, and I was to later read that Running Man producers liked them so much that they promise to have Twice back again, this time as official guests!!!! Can't Wait!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com