A Blast From the Past: Riho Makise!!!!

The last chapter of the Ayami Nakajo drama “Enmadou Sara no Suiri Kitan” ended in spectacular fashion with a double-episode conclusion, and the guest star they had for the lead character was none other than Miss Riho Makise, an actress I haven’t seen in DECADES!!!

Oh MY how I loved her back in the early EARLY days of my J-drama fandom- Her role as the adorable Nao in the wacky 1996 comedy "Shinon Nari" co-starring Hiroshi Mikami, made me a huge fan of her spazzy and frantic behavior, but had not seen her in ANYTHING since!

Riho was quite gripping as the main character in the last story which involved a young girl named Ritsuko Niiyama who is killed through child abuse but is given a second chance to live by Sara. But after 35 years of a hard life, Ritsuko is murdered by an unknown person and is sent up to Enmadou Hall for a final judgement.

Declaring the second chance she gave young Ritsuko as a child a complete waste, Sara announces her banishment to Hell. But a plea by Ritsuko to be given yet another chance gives Sara pause, and she is told that if she can guess who murdered her, she will have one more chance at life.But in doing so, she must confront her problems with her daughter, husband, co-workers and Mother!

Was so great seeing Riho again, it was like getting updated on whatever happened to the Nao character later in life, LOL. A very introspective episode and a fine way to send off the series, and a WONDERFUL blast from the Past!

Crush Of The Day: Kasumi Arimura

 Now that the drama Nee-chan no Koibito is all completed and subbed, it was time to begin watching it, and MAN, is it great! The story of a bright and optimistic young woman working to take care of her three younger brothers and who meets a gentle young man with a  troubled past is completely captivating on its own, but what REALLY did it for me was actress Kasumi Arimura in the title role of Momoko Adachi!

Holy Cats, Kasumi is SUCH a dazzling ray of sunshine that she just brightens up EVERY scene, making for one totally enjoyable drama experience! I tell you, she was so cute  that I found myself screencapping left and right, and before I knew it I was crushing on her HARD!

Been years since I first saw Kasumi Arimura as the precocious Miyabe Masaki in the Erika Toda  Keizoku drama SPEC:Birth:

Even in that SPEC drama I noted how sassy the young Kasumi was, gushing about her on the blog here, and I was curious to see what she would do next! I saw her next as Jun Matsumoto’s little sister in the drama “Shitsuren Chocolatier” and she would play little sis to another Johnny’s actor Aiba Masaki in the suspense drama “Yokoso Wagaya E. Am I sensing typecasting here? LOL

She finally grew into starring roles as the main heroine of such dramas as “Itsuka Kono Koi wo Omoidashite Kitto Naite Shimau” and later “Soshite Ikuru”, both fine dramas but oh so sombre!

After the odd “Arimura Kasumi no Satsukyu” (in which we see a fictional life of Kasumi's)

 it was time for something a bit more bright and FUN, and we finally got it with the utterly GENKI drama “Nee-chan no Koibito” !!

Good gravy, could Kasumi possibly be any more ADORABLE??? EASILY her BEST role yet!!

Now If you'll excuse me, I gotta get BACK to finish watching this AWESOME drama!!!

Bartenders, Bandmen and Beauticians, Oh My! Fumika Baba in “3B No Koibito”

Haru Kobayashi (Fumika Baba) was once an optimistic girl but when her fiance confesses to her that he’s married on their wedding day, she turns into a pessimistic recluse who now doesn’t trust romance.

But romance is just around the corner, or so a customer at the pet groomers she works for announces. And though she doesn’t quite believe it, she WILL encounter three different men over the next few days!

The first is an arrogant guy (Kenta Kamiya) who knocks her phone out of her hands while she is on her dating app. She will later find that this flashy guy is Yuu, a member of an up and coming rock band!

At work that day, she meets a friendly guy who has brought his dog for grooming. This guy is Shintaro (Hiroshi Nakahara), and he asks if can sit in and watch her work, as he is a haircutter by trade and wants to see what she does.

She later goes drinking at a bar with her friend Asami (Arisa Yagi), who wants to check out the bartender. The bartender’s name is Yoshi (Dori Sakurada) and though Haru doesn’t see much in him, something between the clicks, and the guy tries to kiss her!

After taking a very drunk Asami home, Haru comes home to find her apartment blocked off. Seems someone was playing with fireworks and the place caught on fire! With nowhere to go, she is invited to stay with her outgoing Grandmother.

She thinks she will spend a nice, quiet time there, but right off Granny announces that there are three guys renting out rooms at the place. 

And the guys? You guessed it:
Shintaro,

Yuu,

and Yoshi!

A flabbergasted Haru doesn’t know WHAT to make of things but is further surprised when Grandma says she is leaving for an extended trip, leaving Haru alone with these guys!

She is nervous at first, but when she sees the camaraderie they have during dinner, she thinks it may not be so bad living with these three!

But even as she thinks it, a strange girl enters the house and proclaims herself Yoshi’s girlfriend! And from the back come girlfriends of Shintaro and Yuu as well!

How on earth will Haru EVER get through this situation??

Though she’s been around doing bit parts for awhile now, this is only the second drama I’m seeing Fumika in and the first where she is the lead!

Looks like a fun show, we’ll see where this goes! 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.com