Roppongi Class おわり

Back in July, I did not think much about the first episode of Roppongi Class, likening it to a one-dimensional melodrama about the rich persecuting the poor, summing up my thought with these sentiments: 

"I only began watching [Roppongi Class] for the Yuko Araki goodness, and while she is very, very good in it, I REALLY don’t have the stamina to sit through another one of these “Corrupt People in Power Persecuting the Innocent” kind of dramas like the aforementioned "Hanzawa Naoki”… Unless this turns into some kick-ass movie a la “Fukushuu No Miboujin” where the persecuted parties are the ones with the upper hand and gleefully extract their revenge on the crooks, I’m probably going to pass on this one…"

WELL, fast forward to three months later, and Roppongi Class has delivered ALL of that, and MORE, making it one of the most amazing dramas I’ve seen and my vote for BEST of the SEASON! I’ve long said that what makes a good movie to me (or drama series), is the amount of scenes and passages that I just have to watch again.If there’s a drama that has lots of scenes that I like and want to rewatch, you can bet it will become a fave, and Roppongi Class has it in SPADES! This drama is simply OVERFLOWING with incredible dialog, gripping scenes and emotional moments!

Another thing I found wonderful was how DENSELY packed this drama was, so much themes, motifs and mini-arcs going on within its borders… I had no idea how many ideas they had ‘bookended” until, one by one, they all wonderfully resolved by the show’s last episode.

Not just story arcs, but the characters themselves- absolutely NO ONE was wasted in this show. Every character who is introduced in this show, from the Cops, Criminals, Businessmen and Con Artists, all of them “go” somewhere within the story, and I was impressed how they managed to tie it ALL up for a HIGHLY and WONDERFULLY satisfying conclusion!

Though in my first watch I noted how Actor Teruyuki Kagawa always played these powerful bad guys as to be almost typecast, I MUST say that as the show went on and I saw how much of the show's "stakes" hinged on believing the evil and POWER of the antagonist, I realized there were few actors who could carry such a HEAVY role with such command, and in it, he was BRILLIANT!!!

And I can’t finish this praising of Roppongi Class without GUSHING about incredible Yurina Hirate, the sole person whom, to me, was the absolute “heart’ of the show, and it was so sweet to watch her go from a flighty  and arrogant waif to someone who becomes the rock of the group!!!

I remember at the time of the first few episodes, hamanosilence said:

"Techi will probably be the Kataomoi Character here which seems to be the most interesting so far, even though the whole brat with an attitude is a bit too much in the beginning."

The “brat" thing WAS a bit much, but sure enough, this prediction TRULY came to fruition when she became one of the most vibrant and DAZZLING characters EVER, taking me for a LOOP and KNOCKING me OUT, as evidenced in my feverish GUSH about her weeks ago! I simply can’t imagine ANY other person playing Aoi!! (PS: Why in the world is Yurina Hirate called “Techi????”)

I originally watched this show in a smaller file format (hardsubbed by the amazing Citrine Subs team), but I am really going to have to get ahold of HQ file copies- This is a wonderful, wonderful show, one that I will be rewatching for years to come!

Enthusiastically posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com!

Your Monthly Keiko

Keiko getting ready for the brisk Autumn season in this month of October!

Ishiko to Haneo~Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu? おわり

 As most of you have figured out by my constant posts about the show, the courtroom drama Ishiko To Haneo was pretty much my favorite show of the past season, and tonight the final episode wrapped in the same way it has been throughout its run- intriguing and FUN and with a whole lot of HEART!

I had mentioned in my initial take on the show that I wasn’t overly invested in the actual legal cases that the firm took on, and for the most part, that stayed true throughout the show. But it was the charisma and chemistry of the CAST that had me tuning in each week, and in that, it EXCELLED!

Everyone in this show was great, from the spazzy Oideyasu Oda, to the “puppy-dog nice guy” Eiji Akaso, and the doddering but kind and thoughtful Masashi Sada, but the duo of Tomoya Nakamura as Haneoka and Kasumi Arimura as Shoko might be the best pairing ever!

 

From the beginning it was hilarious watching the two butt heads and bicker about their very different sensibilities, but it was even better as the two grew to respect and look up to each other, as as the show progressed, they became a true “ii combi” who, when partnered up, became a team no one could stop!

I mentioned charismatic. And how about PHOTOGENIC??? Man, They gave me so many great shots of them side by side that could be any one of their perfect promotional shots, that I spend every episode happily screencapping away!

And speaking of screencapping, What can I say about the lovely, lovely Kasumi Arimura thatI haven’t already gushed incessantly before? But it must be said- she was So beautiful in this show, further cementing her in my eyes as one of this generation’s’ perfect princesses!

A drama that really made me feel good, and I’m sure you will too!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

That Was Seiran Kobayashi

 More from the "How Time Flies" department when I discovered that the runaway teenage girl in an episode of "Ishiko to Haneo" from a few weeks back was none other than Seiran Kobayashi, an actress I noted years ago for her cute appearances in both Youkame no Semi (as the daughter of Dan Rei):

...and in Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku as Yuko Takeuchi's daughter!

When i first saw her name in the credits, my first thought was "Was there a little kid in this episode?"before realizing it had been YEARS since I'd seen her and she was now playing more appropriate high schooler roles!

above: with Rin Kataoka

Good to see she's till making it here in the biz!

Some Fave Ishiko To Haneo Passages

 
As we slowly make our way towards the end of the fine drama "Ishiko To Haneo" I'm still marvelling at how wonderfully paced this show is - Scenes that focused on"beats" of a scene with good characters and great dialog, scenes that I rewound and re-watched over and over!

"The Ballpoint Pen No-Go"

The first case together and Shoko is finding Haneoka's crude and blunt methods will take some time to "smooth out"!  When he says he has a plan to get a client to confide in them, she goes along with it...til she finds she's meant to be cheese-cakey bait in his plans!

"Just Shopping for Snacks"

I love how this whole scene is shot while the gang is shopping at the convenience store. They could have jsut shot them talking at the office, but instead chose a eye-pleasing backdrop which also helped you learn their personalities more. I wonder how many takes this must have taken!

"The Subject Was Bean-Sprouts"

The Legal Team is slowly coming together and they seem chummy as they come home to  a curry dinner! But Haneoka rubs Shoko the wrong way when he makes fun of her frugality with her bean sprouts!

"Seems they Don't Eat Natto"

After some time, Shoko begins to feel bad that she hasn't made enough effort to get to know Haneoka in any kind of meaningful way. So she decides to ask him out for drinks, but she does it in her eccentric Shoko way, much to Haneoka's befuddlement!

I don't know WHY, but I can watch these scenes over and OVER!

I was talking about how much I love this drama, and yet, for the most part, the legal cases themselves aren't all that interesting to me- NO, the thing that makes me tune in every week is the characters, the dialog, and YES, the wonderful pacing! It's an ART, and I can't wait to see MORE!

PS: Subtitle translations done by the awesome aoinousagi!!!

The "Renai Mangaka" House Makes an Appearance!

WELL,It’s been a little while, but the Renai Mangaka House made a long overdue appearance in the latest episode of Junai Dissonance, this time as the Family Home of Manami Usui (Manami Higa), bitter wife of main character Masaki Nitta (Yuto Nakajima) where they have harsh words at the gate!

As some of you may remember, this deja-vu home gets its name from the first drama I saw it in, the romcom Renai Mangaka with Riho Yoshioka going to work for a fabled artist...

Thought it was a one time thing til I saw it as the Ballet Studio that Kana Kurashina and Yoshihiko Inohara visited in The Company a few weeks later!

I was like, "HEYYYY, I KNOW that place!!!!"

Ya can't really blame 'em for using it- it's a really nice place that instantly gives off "affluent" vibes!

Wonder where it will appear next!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Your Monthly Keiko

 It's Keitan For the Month Of September!

Oh My, she's looking particularly sultry here....