A GTO "Revival"

Hard to believe it’s been over 25 years since the original GTO~Great Teacher Onizuka aired back in 1998, and yet it’s hard to deny once you’ve checked out the new GTO-REVIVAL” special that aired a few weeks back and see how much everyone has GROWN and AGED since then!

Not sure what prompted this “reunion” special, but you can’t deny the drama’s impact at the time (it was WILDLY successful and besides specials and the like, also gave us  a reboot series to boot), and just looking at the stars in the series whom have returned, had a VERY pedigreed cast as well, some of whom have gone on to HUGE stardom! In anticipation of the 2024 Special, I just HAD to dig up the 1998 show and watch some of it again! Such memories!

Back then, actors Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima were both enjoying popularity as “hot” names, and FujiTV did well to showcase them in this new drama about a former delinquent who becomes a teacher at an unruly school, but who knew how many others would soon become household names as well?

Nanako Matsushima

Oguri Shun

Nakamura Aimi

Ikeuchi Hiroyuki

Yamazaki Yuta

Tokuyama Hidenori

Kubozuka Yosuke

Fujiki Naohito

For a lot of them, GTO was among their earliest dramas, and the first place I saw most of them as well! 

Of course, the main draw of the series was the kakkoi Takashi Sorimachi as the tuff “Great Teacher Onizuka” and Nanako Matsushima as the pretty, wide-eyed and innocent Azusa Fuyutsuki. Their chemistry was never in doubt, and, as everyone knows full well, the two eventually ended up getting married in real life as one of THE de facto “power couples”  of our time! 

Taking these screencaps, it reminds me of how much we all were head-over-heels for Nanako Matsushima back then…Knowing her for her svelte and commanding roles as of late, it’s a pleasant surprised to see her so young, vibrant and girly!!

Speaking of which, it also tickled me to see actress Tae Kimura, another actress nowadays more famous for her motherly and matronly roles here as Azusa’s sexy jet-setter best friend Miyuki! Oh my, we all were so young once!!

In GTO Revival, it is now the year 2024 and the still unpredictable and elusive Eikichi Onizuka is doing various odd-jobs like Uber-eats and Takoyaki hawking, until he is called in by a politician for a job involving a school where some shady dealings are going on...

The man is Kikuchi (Kubozuke), and, as a former student of Onizuka’s, knows  his unorthodox ways tends to produce results, and asks him to return as a teacher to investigate.

The always antsy Onizuka has no real desire to return to teaching, but after a meeting old, familiar faces, including Yoshikawa (Shun Oguri), Watanabe (Yuta Yamazaki) and Murai (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), all former students, he finally agrees and goes “back to school”!

Ikeuchi Hiroyuki

Oguri Shun

Yamazaki Yuta

Tokuyama Hidenori

Back on a campus and back to CLASS! Seems like it's fate when he sees the room number, but can it be like old times?

Once in front of the class, he introduces himself in his usual gruff manner, but the students are mostly non-plussed!

Of course,  what would a school drama be without its kids, and in this we see a representation of all the “newer” talent of the upcoming generation, including: 

Rikako Yagi

Mei Hata

 Wataru Hyuga

Momoko Kobayashi

...among others!!!

We also have Sae Okazaki as the harried teacher Miyu Ayahara saddled with bringing Onizuka up to date, and Shinya Kote as the new “blowhard’ principal Goji Fujiyamada who protests Onizuka’s ways as much the same way the vice principal and teachers did in the original!

We also have a couple of cameos, one by Naohito Fujiki as Saejima, now working in government, who happens upon Onizuka pushing his motorcycle downthe highway (where he is drafted into helping!)

anda special appearance by Nanako Matsushima as Onizuka’s now-wife Azusa, who can be seen trying to call him at various points in the show, to no avail! Seems she's still enjoying the stewardess life abroad!

What can you do with a couple like this? Hope it doesn't reflect their relationship in real life, LOL!

I must say, it was QUITE entertaining to revisit the characters and see what the actors and actresses have been up to- so many of them have become such big stars I’m amazed they got them to appear! 

One actress I was hoping to see again was Aimi Nakamura, the girl who played Miyabi Aizawa. As some of you may recall, I really liked her and was thrilled when she made a sort-of return to entertainment with a saucy video release in 2012, sadly, she has not done much since 2013. Was really hoping to catch up with her!

Aimi in 2012

All in all a FUN way to spend the weekend!! Now it's time for a LONG VACATION reunion special!! LOLOL Crosses fingers!!!

Happy Haruka Fukuhara Hijinks

Been watching the second season of the Tomohisa "Yamapi" Yamashita realtor drama "Shojiki Fudousan" and have been mostly enjoying it (though I never liked the way they gave him back his "curse" of having to tell the truth in order to continue the story), in no small part due to the still uber-cute antics of Haruka Fukuhara as the sweet and spazzy Sakura Tsukishita! As I watch the show, there will always be these little bits that just tickle my funny bone and just HAVE to grab and make clips of, some of which I've shared below!!

There's a potential new client for the agency, but despite Tsukishita making it VERY clear she'd like the assignment, supervisor Okawa would prefer Fujiwara else take it. But when Fujiwara refuses to take it, Tsukishita is there to demurely offer herself again for the job! (She gets it!)

Tsukishita has had a long-standing love/hate relationship with rival company MINERVA's ace Ryoko Hanasawa (Kana Kurashina), and seating next to each other in a restaurant, they try to top each other ordering extra garnishments on their ramen, resulting in a whopping bowl for each, LOL!

...and there's something sweet about ending each episode with Tsukishita and Nagase (Yamapi) constantly bickering amongst themselves even as they walk off into the sunset! Somehow those two ALWAYS get under each others' skin! HAHAHA

Just a few reasons why Haruka Fukuhara is slowly becoming a huge fan favorite among J-drama philes everywhere! Why, it seems only yesterday she was charming the heck out of us in "Unlucky Girl"!!

She still got it, and even MORE!

Hana no Ato~ After The Flowers

Keiko Kitagawa in Hana no Ato~ After The Flowers

A very early Keiko Kitagawa film from 2010, starring n Keiko as Ito, the only daughter of a Clan official set to be married in a political matrimony in the near future. However, before that can happen, she happens to meet a young at a cherry blossom viewing, who seems to know her and calls her by name.

His name is Eguchi (Shuntaro Miyao), and he tells her he’s heard of her skill at a recent sword-fighting tournament, and wishes he had been there to try his hand against her. This intrigues the young woman, and she finds she cannot get him off her mind! 

With the help of her father (Jun Kunimura), she sets up an invitation for Eguchi-a home visit where he can view the garden, share tea, and have that battle of swords with each other!

They have a feisty duel overseen by her Father, and though Ito is ultimately bested by Eguchi, she admires the way he takes her head-on, never pandering, and the single touch of her arm by him when she stumbles affects her more than she’d like to admit!

However, time goes on, and both Eguchi and Ito have their own pre-arranged marriages to commit to, so they go their own way. Her fiance (Masahiro Komoto) has arrived back in town from his travels and begins stopping by to visit her. Or is it to mooch of the fine food and drink?

And so it goes, with Ito and Eguchi only occasionally crossing paths from afar. A relationship between them is not meant to be, but that single day duelling with swords nonetheless binds them, at least in mind.

As for Eguchi, his new life entails becoming the clan political envoy and he is sadly among  those jealous and who would seek to do him harm, such as the man named Fujii (Ennosuke Ichikawa) . And when Ito hears word that somehow Eguchi has committed suicide by seppuku due to an error in protocol, she cannot believe such a stalwart man could be so irresponsible. She suspects foul play, and though she has her own upcoming marriage to consider, uncovering the truth of Eguchi’s situation becomes her top priority.

And what she uncovers grates her soul and calls within her the shared code of the samurai that she and Eguchi once shred, knowing that to restore his honor calls for an act of revenge!

Bit by bit she tracks down the evil ones responsible and, with her own life at stake, means for them to woe the day they decided to cross those she cares about!

Holy HANNAH was this a good movie!!! Such great acting with a GREAT cast, great pacing, and I love how the way it builds up to its inevitable conclusion just like a Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western...and the scenery! Someone on a forum once recommended that you see Hana No Ato at the  best quality possible because of the film’s cinematic beauty, and WOW, were they right! Every scene was so colorful, moody and picturesque!!

An all-around AMAZING movie!!!

Your Monthly Keiko for April

 April showers bring colorful flowers, including the radiant Keiko herself!

Don't know who was in charge of the calendar numbers, but you can barely see them! Lucky that fans like me are strictly getting these calendars for the sheer Keiko beauty and not on the dates at all!

PS: As some of you have noticed, I've been having fun decorating the sidebars with gifs and found a perfect CM of Keiko's to accompany her "Monthly Keiko" Image Gadget!

A perfect CM to showcase Keiko's "Cool Beauty"!