[Discussion] Last Friends - Nagasawa Masami/Ueno Juri/Eita

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 14th, '08, 14:26

epi wrote:i am so torn about whether i should watch this or not because whenever i watch drama series i always have strong reaction towards it, especially in the case of people being mean to others because of character (like ryo in this series)

That's understandable... It's a hard scene to watch without wincing.

on the one hand i really really want to watch this because of juri ... i agree with what all of you have said here ... she has amazing acting skills and she has chosen well for her roles that portray the depth of her acting skills
i've watched her supporting roles in orange days and engine, and of course who could forget nodame
she owns all of those characters

And Swing Girls.

Salz · Post by **Salz** » Apr 14th, '08, 14:28

yatta
one more person who support Eita weird hair^^
well u should try to watch the series coz it really good with great cast^^
eventhough u might hate Ryo but u might also going to pity and feel for him when he cry and beg for forgiveness for his action and after that hate him again when he still continue his DV action....
well we might going to back and forth hating and pitying his character which will be fun^^

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 14th, '08, 14:45

Ryo plays the 'contradiction' theme pretty well indeed. Like watching a train wreck, you can't tear your eyes off even though you know something bad is gonna happen. I can totally feel Michiru's uneasiness while trying to pretend like there's nothing wrong when she sees him going through her mails. I'm looking forward to the Sosuke/Michiru/Ruka face-off in the 2nd episode.

In the meantime, smile~

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 14th, '08, 16:45

talongero · Post by **talongero** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:18

ill post some thoughts about the first episode...very disturbing...yet very good acting for the cast especially Juri-san. my sister hated this drama after watching the ending scene LOL shes a fan of nodame and quite shocked with the role of Juri in here. I said to her that Juri's role in this drama what makes her an amazing actress. im looking forward to the development of the characters. ive watched that interview bmwracer! Juri-san having quite a hard time practicing the motocross scenes...poor Juri-san I hope she wont get hurt anymore.

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:48

talongero wrote:ill post some thoughts about the first episode...very disturbing...yet very good acting for the cast especially Juri-san. my sister hated this drama after watching the ending scene LOL shes a fan of nodame and quite shocked with the role of Juri in here. I said to her that Juri's role in this drama what makes her an amazing actress. im looking forward to the development of the characters. ive watched that interview bmwracer! Juri-san having quite a hard time practicing the motocross scenes...poor Juri-san I hope she wont get hurt anymore.

I wouldn't worry about Juri-chan: along with being a gamer, she's a tough gal.

I think everyone was rather stunned/shocked in one way or another, but we'll get over it and move on with the story... And maybe that's what the director had in mind as well, rather than letting that plot point simmer/fester...

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 15th, '08, 13:49

bmwracer wrote:
epi wrote:i am so torn about whether i should watch this or not because whenever i watch drama series i always have strong reaction towards it, especially in the case of people being mean to others because of character (like ryo in this series)
That's understandable... It's a hard scene to watch without wincing.

on the one hand i really really want to watch this because of juri ... i agree with what all of you have said here ... she has amazing acting skills and she has chosen well for her roles that portray the depth of her acting skills
i've watched her supporting roles in orange days and engine, and of course who could forget nodame
she owns all of those characters
And Swing Girls.

It is like no one on here saw swing girls... She is a great actor, I hated her character in swing girls. But nodame is my favorite character of all time, and now juri as ruka is brilliant.

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 15th, '08, 14:16

jigenbakuda wrote:It is like no one on here saw swing girls...

Then they're missing out... It's not a thought-provoking movie by any means, but fun and exuberant...

She is a great actor, I hated her character in swing girls.

Really.....?

But nodame is my favorite character of all time

I'd have to agree... She took that role and ran with it big time... I can't remember anyone in any drama I've seen become the total embodiment of a character like Juri-chan did as Nodame...

Ack, I'm gushing... I'll shut my pie-hole now.

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 15th, '08, 14:56

bmwracer wrote:
She is a great actor, I hated her character in swing girls.

Really.....?

quote]

Oh well maybe I should clarify. Someone who steals her imouto's ps2 to sell for whatever is not nice. Plus she messed up a lot and blamed everyone else. Like buying the used instruments, lol. She was like, see good as new <break> WHY DID YOU LET ME BUY THAT? lol She was funny, but I hate people like her character. Also the gyoza scene at their baito, sekiguchi said it was a bad idea to have all of them over there, lol. The movie was hilarious but just did not like her character's personality, but did thoroughly enjoy the implied relationship between her and piano boy

No please do gush, because I am gushing over masami x juri So please gush over nodame, in fact gush over the nodame in the white composer wig like I did for 2 months after the SP

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 15th, '08, 16:11

jigenbakuda wrote:Oh well maybe I should clarify. Someone who steals her imouto's ps2 to sell for whatever is not nice. Plus she messed up a lot and blamed everyone else. Like buying the used instruments, lol. She was like, see good as new <break> WHY DID YOU LET ME BUY THAT? lol She was funny, but I hate people like her character. Also the gyoza scene at their baito, sekiguchi said it was a bad idea to have all of them over there, lol. The movie was hilarious but just did not like her character's personality, but did thoroughly enjoy the implied relationship between her and piano boy

I gotcha.

In all fairness though, it's a comedy, so those type of events are for comic effect... In real life, yeah, that's pretty rude/mean, but it's broad humor, so I didn't take it seriously at all...

Interesting that you would say those things about Swing Girls, but not be offended by the slapstick of Nodame: some people at the J-Dorama forum were rather put off by the exaggerated cartoon violence...

Oh well, can't please everyone....

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 15th, '08, 17:27

I saw Swing Girls! Around a year or so ago. Loved it. And yeah, I though Juri was awesome in it. ^^

Here's the subs for episode 1: http://suketeru.livejournal.com/23111.html

Haven't check it out yet myself but it's better than nothing so those who haven't watch it, go watch it now!

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 15th, '08, 17:39

bmwracer wrote:
jigenbakuda wrote:Oh well maybe I should clarify. Someone who steals her imouto's ps2 to sell for whatever is not nice. Plus she messed up a lot and blamed everyone else. Like buying the used instruments, lol. She was like, see good as new <break> WHY DID YOU LET ME BUY THAT? lol She was funny, but I hate people like her character. Also the gyoza scene at their baito, sekiguchi said it was a bad idea to have all of them over there, lol. The movie was hilarious but just did not like her character's personality, but did thoroughly enjoy the implied relationship between her and piano boy
I gotcha.

In all fairness though, it's a comedy, so those type of events are for comic effect... In real life, yeah, that's pretty rude/mean, but it's broad humor, so I didn't take it seriously at all...

Interesting that you would say those things about Swing Girls, but not be offended by the slapstick of Nodame: some people at the J-Dorama forum were rather put off by the exaggerated cartoon violence...

Oh well, can't please everyone....

Well I thought the violence in nodame was so darn cute, gyabo... I still laugh. Well juri is awesome, but now I can realize how awesome because subs are out... But can not seem to download them...

Edit: neeeevermind, I was blocking the scripts, duh, lol.

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 15th, '08, 19:06

jigenbakuda wrote:Well I thought the violence in nodame was so darn cute, gyabo... I still laugh.

Yeah, I wasn't bothered by it, either... I mean, it is a comedy, after all...

Well juri is awesome

She is.

saki-chan · Post by **saki-chan** » Apr 15th, '08, 19:24

uwa, there are softsubs for it too now? i think i'm gonna end up watching this ep three times: first raw, second soft sub, third from Kioku. haha, it's good enough for it, ne?

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 15th, '08, 19:42

saki-chan wrote:uwa, there are softsubs for it too now? i think i'm gonna end up watching this ep three times: first raw, second soft sub, third from Kioku. haha, it's good enough for it, ne?

It is without a doubt worth 3 watches. I am wanting another episode so bad now, but I guess I will rewatch.

scherzando · Post by **scherzando** » Apr 15th, '08, 22:14

Soft subs? Yea I think I'm gonna watch it three times too

Just finished watching the first ep yesterday.. How great is Juri, huh? I love her!! She really knows what roles to take.. I haven't been this excited about a dorama for quite some time.

Ooh I love Swing Girls!

Every Juri lover should see it!

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 16th, '08, 05:02

Alecsa-chan · Post by **Alecsa-chan** » Apr 16th, '08, 06:07

Hello guys! I finally have watched the full first episode and with subs. Thanks to suketeru@LJ

Now my thoughts

I was shocked from the veryfirst moment when i saw Masami pregnant. Thought to myself "wow this is a first in a jdrama with a je boy as she sure is expecting Sosuke's child O_O" Then i was like "is he dead ?!"
Someone said a few pages ago that probably Ruka killed Sosuke and she's now in jail. Hmmm that's a possiibility but i don't think that things will turn out so bad and creepy. At least i hope so ! Though i cannot see what else might happen to Sosuke. Maybe he will run away to recover or something and then he comes back all good and nice...

The opening theme! OMG i totally love it! All those words are so well selected to express eveyrone's major problem.

Masami's acting still reminds me of Rei from Proposal Daisakusen. In some moments she seems out of character completely. Maybe it's just me but i don't know....And when she was at Ruka's house together with the 3 friends it was supposed she was horified and petrified and scared because her boyfriend whom she loves so much beat her up but instead she was sad for a few seconds and then turned up all smiley and i mean with a very big large and almost laughing while toasting with the others. Iunderstand she was happy because she felt really protected and warmed there but i feel like Masami shouldn't have put so much happiness into the scene.

Then the Ryo x Masami scene. This was PERFECT. I like how Ryo plays his role and i must confess that when he was asking Michiru what guy was she seeing behind his back i was super scared because i was sure he would beat her up. My heart was beating so fast and i almost couldn't rezist the tension

But it wasn't that the scene when he beat her up as she gone to bring to him the photo album. I was kind of relieved but i knew that sooner or later she would end up all beaten.
Then the moment came. I couln't help myself and felt a bit of a hateful sentiment towards the guy. Does it mean he's a good actor in this kind of role or is it the general atmospehere of the drama ? Or is it just me?

I just think that Sousuke is very mad because of all those women that beat up their children and now he has on whom to free all that.

I feel that Ueno Juri is the best actress in this drama as his character is somewhat hard to play. Of course the others are great actors too but Juri is just on top of the best I just hve to mention that i love the background music that starts everytime Ruka is shown. It's so fitting. A mix of weird sentiments that gives that song.
I liked their first meeting after 4 years. First it was shown from Michiru's perspective and later on we could see Ruka's feelings when she saw her there standing in the street.
And then was when she received the message and ran to their shared place even though she knew that Michiru might not be there. Isn't the one who wrote the plot the best?

And the director too.

As for Asami Mizukawa as Eri hmmm. Asami Mizukawa was in my opinion the cool type, the stylish girl. And she was like that in almost all of the dramas i saw with her. Now there's like a 360 turnaround and she plays a kind of grotesque character. Ok maybe this is not the right word but it can't seem to find the good adjective right now. I'm waiting to see how her story develops coz i have no idea what problems she might have other than maybe the unrequitted love of Takeru (Eita) ?!

Eita on the other hand looks super cool. I love his hairstyle especially when he's at the bar with Ruka and Eri

I knew he's a great actor and now i'm just hoping for more scenes of him. Is Takeru the first to notice Ruka's agony and her love for Michiru?

In the next episode seems like Ruka will encounter Sosuke and takes Michiru's part. I really wonder what Sosuke will say.

I just woke up and wrote this much. Last night after watching the episode i had much more in mind and lots to tell but i forgot. Weird is that even now after waking up i still have the creepy feeling the drama has created.

I'm sorry for writting that much

wuff · Post by **wuff** » Apr 16th, '08, 08:02

raspberry wrote:
yunizuka wrote:

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 16th, '08, 09:36

Just finished the first episode, and I'm feeling a little sick . . .

My head and gut were in two completely different places during the Sosuke/Michiru scene. My head was thinking "hmm, this background music is really good, but they should let the scene play in a single continuous take without so much of it. Masami's lost a little weight. Good for her!" My gut was thinking "oh God, he's beating her without any feeling!" No release, no outward anger, no end to it. Punch. Kick. Kick. Kick. Stop. Hug. Go to sleep. The coldness of it -- the matter of fact roteness of it -- was terrifying. And the way Michiru and Sosuke close out the scene is perfectly done too. She's pacing him to calm down, and she's too in shock, too much in danger, to cry. It's like I felt tense during it, and then I felt happy when Ruka leads her to the party and I felt sweetness when she kissed her . . . but then after that, when the episode ended, I started to feel sick recalling the beating.

What I love about Ueno Juri's performance here is how she's almost in continuous, impatient motion. There's not one second where she's relaxed, even in the very last scene. Her eyes dart around the periphery with mistrust and stare down strangers with passive aggression. And her mouth is so clenched. If I stay here too long, somebody might catch me. She feels like she's stealing her moments with Michiru. Director and writer did a great job leading both actresses in their parts -- everything felt perfect.

Ruka's feelings for Michiru is even a little terrifying in her own right. Even in the most tender qualities, there are still hues of deep frustration, deep envy. She even rushes her kiss to Michiru. Her heart cries for her; her gut says "do it now before she catches you!!!" She kisses her for loving reasons; but it doesn't look like she expressed her love. Even in secret, it's too rushed, the essence too censored by fear. She felt her lips; she got her wish; but did it feel empty?

In various scenes, Juri's eyes show love; but her mouth still screws up into a ball of knowing anguish. There is no release. She could be Michiru's savior. She could be the worst monster of all. I don't know and I love that I don't know.

Love Eita's hair. He's SO adorable!

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 16th, '08, 09:47

Alecsa-chan wrote:Hello guys! I finally have watched the full first episode and with subs. Thanks to suketeru@LJ

Now my thoughts
I was shocked from the veryfirst moment when i saw Masami pregnant. Thought to myself "wow this is a first in a jdrama with a je boy as she sure is expecting Sosuke's child O_O" Then i was like "is he dead ?!"
Someone said a few pages ago that probably Ruka killed Sosuke and she's now in jail. Hmmm that's a possiibility but i don't think that things will turn out so bad and creepy. At least i hope so ! Though i cannot see what else might happen to Sosuke. Maybe he will run away to recover or something and then he comes back all good and nice...

The opening theme! OMG i totally love it! All those words are so well selected to express eveyrone's major problem.

Masami's acting still reminds me of Rei from Proposal Daisakusen. In some moments she seems out of character completely. Maybe it's just me but i don't know....And when she was at Ruka's house together with the 3 friends it was supposed she was horified and petrified and scared because her boyfriend whom she loves so much beat her up but instead she was sad for a few seconds and then turned up all smiley and i mean with a very big large and almost laughing while toasting with the others. Iunderstand she was happy because she felt really protected and warmed there but i feel like Masami shouldn't have put so much happiness into the scene.

Then the Ryo x Masami scene. This was PERFECT. I like how Ryo plays his role and i must confess that when he was asking Michiru what guy was she seeing behind his back i was super scared because i was sure he would beat her up. My heart was beating so fast and i almost couldn't rezist the tension But it wasn't that the scene when he beat her up as she gone to bring to him the photo album. I was kind of relieved but i knew that sooner or later she would end up all beaten.
Then the moment came. I couln't help myself and felt a bit of a hateful sentiment towards the guy. Does it mean he's a good actor in this kind of role or is it the general atmospehere of the drama ? Or is it just me?

I just think that Sousuke is very mad because of all those women that beat up their children and now he has on whom to free all that.

I feel that Ueno Juri is the best actress in this drama as his character is somewhat hard to play. Of course the others are great actors too but Juri is just on top of the best I just hve to mention that i love the background music that starts everytime Ruka is shown. It's so fitting. A mix of weird sentiments that gives that song.
I liked their first meeting after 4 years. First it was shown from Michiru's perspective and later on we could see Ruka's feelings when she saw her there standing in the street.
And then was when she received the message and ran to their shared place even though she knew that Michiru might not be there. Isn't the one who wrote the plot the best? And the director too.

As for Asami Mizukawa as Eri hmmm. Asami Mizukawa was in my opinion the cool type, the stylish girl. And she was like that in almost all of the dramas i saw with her. Now there's like a 360 turnaround and she plays a kind of grotesque character. Ok maybe this is not the right word but it can't seem to find the good adjective right now. I'm waiting to see how her story develops coz i have no idea what problems she might have other than maybe the unrequitted love of Takeru (Eita) ?!

Eita on the other hand looks super cool. I love his hairstyle especially when he's at the bar with Ruka and Eri I knew he's a great actor and now i'm just hoping for more scenes of him. Is Takeru the first to notice Ruka's agony and her love for Michiru?

In the next episode seems like Ruka will encounter Sosuke and takes Michiru's part. I really wonder what Sosuke will say.
I just woke up and wrote this much. Last night after watching the episode i had much more in mind and lots to tell but i forgot. Weird is that even now after waking up i still have the creepy feeling the drama has created.

I'm sorry for writting that much

At my thoughts

Alecsa-chan · Post by **Alecsa-chan** » Apr 16th, '08, 09:59

jigenbakuda wrote:At my thoughts
I thought that juri-chan was in love with eita. Maybe not love , but I think that she liked him. It is just they way they acted in the bar, and when he asked to move in. I believe masami's betrayal (she was talking about it in the beggining, that she betrayed juri-chan) was that she took eita from juri (the first boy she has had) and it might be eita's baby. Eita might have confronted ryo and died in the process. Wild theory, but it makes a lot of sense to me...

I don't know what to believe anymore but i'm sure the ending will give us a shock.

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 16th, '08, 13:35

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 16th, '08, 15:53

haruna_hamasaki · Post by **haruna_hamasaki** » Apr 16th, '08, 15:58

Where to watch all these clips?

kirakira_luv · Post by **kirakira_luv** » Apr 16th, '08, 16:37

after finish watch ep.1 i thought i love this drama <333

koyama22 · Post by **koyama22** » Apr 16th, '08, 20:23

Wow! Super good first episode! I think all of the actors/actresses are perfectly cast for their parts. Mizukawa Asami really adds a brightness to the drama, I really like her weirdness and the way she expresses her character. Ueno Juri is also playing quite a different character in this drama, and pulls it off perfectly; she's a great actress. And Eita is good(well, when isn't he good? haha), and his hairstyle is pretty weird, but cool.

Elien · Post by **Elien** » Apr 16th, '08, 21:03

I´ve just finish the first episode and i think it´s cool

I like the actors, they are doing great job. My favourite character is Ruka so far, I kinda understand how must she feel, sticking out a bit from "normal" girl type. And all your theories makes me smile (I meen it in a good way ;o) )

Is it only me or do you also think that it´s stupid to ride cross/mountainbike in a city and put on that think which make it stand

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 17th, '08, 01:25

@koyama22,

I thought Masami acted well in her part too. Thoughts . . .

@Elien,

Hopefully Eita's story features more in Episode 2. On paper, I think his character is the most complicated.

Jackiki · Post by **Jackiki** » Apr 17th, '08, 01:56

Really enjoyed this first episode!! It's almost like a "Nodame" reuinion, but in a very different world. Should be an interesting season...

I'm trying to start up a blog with drama reviews and other stuff - I don't know if I'll continue it, but this drama was my first attempt at a review! If you're interested, take a look: http://tmijs.blogspot.com/

I'd love any comments!!!

Can't wait till the next episode!

scherzando · Post by **scherzando** » Apr 17th, '08, 03:35

@Belleza: Wow, some in-depth review.. Nice.

bmwracer and ^Yuuki: Where could I download all those clips of Masami and Juri doing some shows? Man I want them!

Jackiki: Just read your review.. man, spot on.

I agree with you on so many points..

Thank you to whoever read whatever I just typed. TMI indeed.

On a side note, I just heart Prisoner of Love (and all the songs in Hikki's HEART STATION album, actually) It suits the dorama perfectly. I just love the opening song clip.. With the whiteness and everything. Especially when Juri screamed with the text "Agony".. Kyaa~

koyama22 · Post by **koyama22** » Apr 17th, '08, 04:07

Yeah, Eita's character is really interesting to me...I wonder how he will develop.

Many of the females on here seem to dislike Nagasawa Masami; I don't think she's the best actress either but, to me(as a guy, at least), she is pleasing to watch. She is definitely cute.

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 17th, '08, 04:40

scherzando wrote:bmwracer and ^Yuuki: Where could I download all those clips of Masami and Juri doing some shows? Man I want them!

I got all of my videos from Veoh.

strawberrynkiwi · Post by **strawberrynkiwi** » Apr 17th, '08, 04:52

I am a Masami fan but I do agree that she just keeps playing the same roles over and over again. So far everything I have seen her in is... lovely girl a little bit stubborn, then her and her laugh. (Everyone should wait for Masami in The Hidden Fortress) I enjoy watching her actor though, she does make subtle changes in her roles. Maybe it is hard for her "look" to be casted in other outstanding/interesting role.
But too bad, she is popular in Japan, especially to mens in their 20s-30s. Apparently everyone wants to get marry with her. I agree, she has the Japanese qualities of a good wife, by her "public image"

I have to say Juri is doing great. The hair cut looks great. I love her character... so hot

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 17th, '08, 04:54

Many of the females on here seem to dislike Nagasawa Masami; I

Japanese female audience are nowadays love/hate with Masami (and I went through my "Aki!!!" phase too but she's WAY overexposed nowadays.) Whereas, uhh, they're "love to hate" with Erika-sama. If *she* played Michiru, the female audience would be cheering for Ryo.

I'm really tickled to death that Juri and Masami get along so famously. I didn't think it was possible to put these two divas in the same show, let alone the same stage

@scherzando,

And, I know this is subjective, I personally cannot get how come a person, especially a woman, can stand being treated (abused) like that.

I saw a lot of that with friends (MY parents were sweet to spoiled ol' me

), so the Michiru/Sousuke scenes -- at least as how the director and writer intended the scenes -- played pretty true to me. Sousuke isn't so overcome with rage that he can't control himself. Rather, it's so easy for him (for lack of a better statement, he pleasures himself with this violence -- it lets him expel his jealousy from his body) to fall back on old patterns, as if somebody you hated was acting as you. Sousuke's very disassociated from Michiru when he beats her. There's almost no feeling. And Michiru herself is probably thinking along the lines of "Bad Sousuke is out now. Look at this spot on the floor. Look at this spot on the floor. Look at this sport on the floor." You just survive it and then try to forget it. At least he cares, you think. He's not really like this, you think. He's trying, you think. It's better than having nowhere to go, you think.

The other side is, when somebody who would never do that to you comes along, you don't know how to have a friendship/relationship with that person. You feel distant from that person too. And this is where Ruka comes in. Ruka would never do that to her. Then again, if Ruka explodes, HER rage would be truly monstrous. She is not a brutal person, therefore she will not know if brutality arrives in her heart. Her violence would come purely from the heart, and it would be as chaotic and incendiary as Sousuke's violence is methodical and cold.

So, if Michiru is more selfish than her pitiful appearance, Ruka is more dangerous than her alienated situation is, perhaps moreso than Sousuke. Ueno Juri is going to win another award for this role.

She just came off as a very fake, very empty character to me.

Yeah I don't think Michiru's deeply, deeply attached to Sousuke. They have a codependent relationship. She wants to be taken care of, perhaps "owned", and Sousuke wants to nurture/protect/control somebody.

On a side note, I just heart Prisoner of Love (and all the songs in Hikki's HEART STATION album, actually)

It's definitely one of her best albums. Certainly the most personal. Even now, Prisoner of Love makes me think more of her marriage than the show.

zeiroc · Post by **zeiroc** » Apr 17th, '08, 06:21

First off I just enjoyed reading everyone's opinion, theories and feeling towards the first episode. While I do agree with what everyone says about the complexity of these characters and I am also very excited with the cast...I must say that it wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

Don't get me wrong I love the complex storyline about love, but I just hope the writers don't screw up the character development and how they are intertwined in each other's lives. It's officially a year since I started watching j-doramas and I LOVE the fact that they are at most 11 episodes each, but this first episode of Last Friends seemed too rushed. Like the writers, director and editors just added too much gunpowder in the barrel.

Timing of the episode: Is it me or did anyone feel like the story was rushed without being too plausible? First off, the revelation of the violent beast side of the boyfriend? Can I just say that there should have been more incidents to provoke the guy to smack and kick his girlfriend like 50 million times??? Like geez...that was TOO MUCH. Second, the *gasp* LAST SCENE??? I was seriously doubting the show screaming "wait...she ain't gonna kiss her right????" and too my surprise she actually did it. So much for making such poignant pregnant moments on dramas huh?

Music: While I love the theme song and insert quiet version of Hikaru's "Prisoner of Love," but I think there was an excessive use of score/music...especially the girls choir humming thang... As mentioned in some earlier posts, the music was jarring indeed. I felt that it was distracting how the music was used excessively, exploiting the moment. I agree that music can heighten the emotion and the scene, but this is where the director needs to have faith in the actors' abilities to convey. I felt like the director tried to use the music to take us by the hand and walk with us through the scenes as if we weren't smart cookies ourselves to decipher a "disturbing" or "happy" moment. Come on...reading all these assumptions and theories regarding the future direction of this drama makes me give major props to all of you

Editing: Sorry, but my eyes got too distracted and tired from all these fast cuts. I get the point of the editors using them to create a sense of intensity and pandemonium, but they were just too excessive becoming too distracting. Becoming something like a low-level B-movie.

Acting: Can I just say that Juri and the character Ruka totally rocks my socks!! I think the cast did a superb job...except I couldn't help but dislike Ryo and Masami. First off, (please don't hate me) JE boys are too feminine and not really the best actors out there. Sure, Ryo looks appealing to the eyes, but for crying out loud that guy struts down the street like he's a runway model. (i.e. when he's on duty for his child social service). Dude, drop the "i-look-hot-model-ego" and become a REAL person in a business suit.

Masami...based on my observations for ProDai...this gal is good at being "herself." However, I feel sorry for how she is always stuck in the cute, lotus blossom roles. I couldn't help but scream with frustration at how she takes on that role as the model Japanese woman who rarely speaks for herself, but takes in the fault....

But thank goodness this drama has outspoken and lively female characters who take a stand for themselves. By the way...is this the first female x female scene in a J-Dorama? I couldn't believe my eyes!

Phew....sorry for writing too much...I hope I made sense, but I just had to get that off my chest. Despite my "harsh" or nit picky opinion...I am still excited to see what and how this drama unfolds. I am just glad that this drama is stepping "beyond the boundaries"...where I hope it isn't there to to criticize, but to develop and open minds into these issues of relationships. Most of all I am very grateful to be on the boat ride with all of you. Can't wait to read and discuss the upcoming episodes with you all.

Oh, and thank you suketeru for soft subbing this first episode.

p.s. guess this ain't going to be something like Coffee Prince huh? Cuz I didn't laugh at a single scene at all

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 17th, '08, 08:16

@zeiroc,

Is it me or did anyone feel like the story was rushed without being too plausible? First off, the revelation of the violent beast side of the boyfriend? Can I just say that there should have been more incidents to provoke the guy to smack and kick his girlfriend like 50 million times???

Pacing seemed about right for a topical J-drama. One difference between a J-drama and K-drama treatment of the same subject would be that the latter would lean toward a character study whereas the former uses situational evidence to draw out the themes.

For example, a "K-drama" treatment might have spent about half the episode covering the issue of the cell phone. Maybe throughout the episode, we see Michiru and Sousuke playing phone tag at their respective jobs. The stuff about her family situation and his abusive past would not have been included, but we would maybe observe through conversations that something was "off." Then, toward the end of the episode, Sousuke spies Michiru's phone and then we would have seen the fight. This would seem like a less complete treatment of Michiru/Sousuke, but you get a similar picture of Sousuke's duality and Michiru's present unhappiness. Episode one would have also covered Ruka and Takeru's story as well. The viewer would pick up that Michiru and Ruka were the "two leads" and Sousuke and Takeru were the "support", but Michiru and Ruka wouldn't actually meet until episode 2.

Because Michiru is our narrator, the first episode spent most of the time drawing out her life with all her situations. Her misery and marginal lifestyle are drawn very literally (and to a degree, same is true with Ruka; neither are subtle.) The arc of the first episode is really how Ruka's starting to enter into Michiru's life again. We actually know much less about Ruka and Ryo than we think we do; we just know how each treats and feels toward Michiru in very different ways. Takeru and Eri essentially make token appearances; their situations need to be covered too. I don't think we'll get a proper handle on everybody until episode 3 or 4.

Editing: Sorry, but my eyes got too distracted and tired from all these fast cuts. I get the point of the editors using them to create a sense of intensity and pandemonium, but they were just too excessive becoming too distracting. Becoming something like a low-level B-movie.

That's one thing I liked about the episode, how the director shaped much of the episode like a thriller. Ruka's chase kinda reminded me of Run Lola Run.

When she's swinging around a curb, the camera actually follows her.

And there's just SPECTACULAR crane and tracking shots used throughout the episode. How many cameras were they using? The scene with Ruka and Michiru talking underneath sakura blossoms made me swoon. It was a continuous take starting from medium distance. As the lens slowly lowers down, the blossoms, which were somewhat obstructing our two girls, starts to reveal them, and then we go from a medium shot into a close up. Sigh!! As I watching that, it *kinda* reminded me of the first scene in Ruler of Your Own World. Beautiful, beautiful!!

Another thing I loved was the ground-level camera placements during the Michiru/Sosuke buildup scene. Because it's like that, the room starts to look very small, which is how the scene feels. Like that they're not enough distance that can protect her from him.

Realistically, I don't think the show can keep up this stylish delivery (especially since there's no SMAP lead to uhhh "subsidize" the costs of doing it that way.) But I was absolutely loving what was obviously a heavily storyboarded episode.

Sure, Ryo looks appealing to the eyes, but for crying out loud that guy struts down the street like he's a runway model. (i.e. when he's on duty for his child social service). Dude, drop the "i-look-hot-model-ego" and become a REAL person in a business suit.

I was a little worried about Ryo in this role. First, he as a Johnny is going to feel really uncomfortable alienating NEWS fans with this very abusive character. Second, he's known more as a cool weather kind of actor. Maybe not as bland as Pi, but not especially scary. But I thought he did okay. I don't think Sosuke's character is going to be a "chew the scenery" aggro type anyway.

There's a lot of rehearsal work done in J-dramas, and you can pick up that Masami and Ryo probably got the most direction. The thing with Masami is that before 2006, she was just a up and coming actress who was coming off a hit movie and was landing support parts in bigger ensemble dramas. She was much more serious in interviews, and she wasn't being promoted as the new Nanako/CM Queen. I thought she had potential -- she delivered the emotional foundation in Dragon Zakura, and the best scenes were between her and Abe Hiroshi. Same with Yasashi Jikan, which was a lower key and moving human drama with her and Nino.

To Ueno Juri's credit, she hasn't let Swing Girls and Nodame Cantabile type her as an actress. It's really about the work for her, not any idol image. Same with Inoue Mao.

I couldn't help but scream with frustration at how she takes on that role as the model Japanese woman who rarely speaks for herself, but takes in the fault....

Yeaaahhh . . . but Micheru needed to be depicted that way, probably to establish rapport with the female audience. If she was proud like Cleopatra, maybe she wouldn't be in this mess anyway. Then again, maybe Ruka doesn't adore her as much as she does either.

Cuz I didn't laugh at a single scene at all

Have no fear. Eita's hair is here!

untitledmelody · Post by **untitledmelody** » Apr 17th, '08, 09:18

Gosh this thread sure has grown a lot since I last posted! Everyone here anticipating ep2 that's gonna air in less than four hours? xD

I didn't know suketeru@LJ has soft-subbed ep1, that's awesome. And I accidentally read a bit of your spoiler, Alecsa-chan. I'm feeling kinda disturbed now. I think I'll still wait for Kioku's hardsubs to be released. Don't want to watch it over too much because it'll just grow stale on me. The last time I checked Kioku's page, they're 66.6% on editing, so hopefully it will be released within the next few days. *prays hard*

Someone posted a link to that variety show that a lot of people has been posting (and re-posting I think) the screencaps of... The clip can't load on YT. Can someone else care to re-post the link? Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
Alecsa: No no, don't worry, you did put them under the spoiler tag. Just that I accidentally clicked on it and read the first few lines. LOL Eeee~ I'm itching for ep2 now. <_< That sounds weird. I think I'll just go shower now. *scuttles off*

Elien · Post by **Elien** » Apr 17th, '08, 09:19

zeiroc wrote:
Ryo looks appealing to the eyes, but for crying out loud that guy struts down the street like he's a runway model. (i.e. when he's on duty for his child social service). Dude, drop the "i-look-hot-model-ego" and become a REAL person in a business suit
.

I like how everyones theories colaborate

[/quote]

Alecsa-chan · Post by **Alecsa-chan** » Apr 17th, '08, 09:28

untitledmelody wrote:I didn't know suketeru@LJ has soft-subbed ep1, that's awesome. And I accidentally read a bit of your spoiler, Alecsa-chan. I'm feeling kinda disturbed now.

I'm really sorry. Where? Is it my fault?! i thought i used spoiler tags

edit: i did use spoiler tags

edit2: ah ok i was feeling guilty.

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 17th, '08, 12:01

Yeah~ Nice to see some great discussions going on here now that most have seen it with the soft-subs. My thoughts are pretty much along the same lines as belleza's. Masami Nagasawa might not be the chameleon that is Juri Ueno but she fits the role alright. And I thought her acting was decent enough. Juri still steals the show though. Don't think any other actress would have pulled it off as convincingly (seriously, playing a JE boy's enemy of love...^^;).

scherzando: Some of the links have been posted a few pages back so you might wanna check those out. The one I just posted though, is from Waratte Iitomo(not the Spring Special) episode on the 10th of April. I got it from a private community. I think there's at least 4 shows they went to promote that day. The rest should be up on youtube or veoh.

Episode 2 should be airing in Japan around this time. *waku,waku* =3

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 17th, '08, 13:29

^Yuuki wrote:Juri still steals the show though. Don't think any other actress would have pulled it off as convincingly.

She's terrific, ne?

I think there's at least 4 shows they went to promote that day.

That explains why the two are wearing the same clothes on all of those shows..

Meecha · Post by **Meecha** » Apr 17th, '08, 14:04

hmm, is it just me who didn't feel quite satisfied watching ep 2

felt like everything just out of place, i dunno, i just don't get that same feeling when i watched ep 1

untitledmelody · Post by **untitledmelody** » Apr 17th, '08, 14:33

^Yuuki wrote:Ryo plays the 'contradiction' theme pretty well indeed. Like watching a train wreck, you can't tear your eyes off even though you know something bad is gonna happen. I can totally feel Michiru's uneasiness while trying to pretend like there's nothing wrong when she sees him going through her mails. I'm looking forward to the Sosuke/Michiru/Ruka face-off in the 2nd episode.

In the meantime, smile~

This link doesn't work for me, the video won't load on YT. Does anyone know anywhere else that I can watch it? Did someone mention it's the Waratte Iitomo Spring Special? Just need to confirm so that I can d/l it from here at DA cos I think it has been uploaded.

Yes, I agree that Juri steals the show in this drama, because of her contemplative character. She conveys her thoughts really well through her facial expressions, I can really feel her emotions. It's even more apparent in ep2.

Nomanymore · Post by **Nomanymore** » Apr 17th, '08, 14:36

I've just finished it a moment ago, & what to say.. uhm I don't think there's much things to explore in this eps , uhm,

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 17th, '08, 14:56

You guys are fast! My connection is too bad to watch anything live...It appears that Ruka said something pretty nice in the episode...

untitledmelody: Yep. From Waratte Iitomo! Spring Special. I have no problem loading it. But that's only some of the compilation of scenes with 'Last Friends' from the show. It's on veoh in 3 parts too.

khaibest · Post by **khaibest** » Apr 17th, '08, 14:57

where did u guys watch it online??

untitledmelody · Post by **untitledmelody** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:09

Hi Ran!

^Yuuki: Thanks for the clarification. I guess it's no harm to d/l Waratte Iitomo since I'm following three dramas this season. xD About what Ruka said... I heard it but can't remember now... What's that kanji in the sentence?? LOL "My Michiru"... Sweet.

khaibest: Via live-streaming on programmes such as Keyhole TV or TVUPlayer.

Nomanymore · Post by **Nomanymore** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:23

Streaming links

http://fourlc.com/channel1/5/08fh/20080417_595.html
http://fourlc.com/channel1/5/08fh/20080417_596.html

@untitledmelody : I know, Asami is one of reasons I watch this drama so I'm little demanding, I guess lol

Debitto24 · Post by **Debitto24** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:26

I saw 2nd chapter, but i couldn´t see all episode because i had go to hospital...snif snif..i wanted see it!!!! So interesting...Michiru is becoming more stronger..i love her!!!!! And of course i love Ruka (or ryuka i don´t know so well what´s the right name...) so lesbian, yeah!!! My japanese friends told me they love that serie heheh, i´m so happy, because i thought, kiss between girls....because anime or manga is normal but real (well series..) different ne?...so happy!!!!!

If you wanna see japanese tv you can do:

KeyholeTv: http://xorsyst.com/japan/watch-japanese-tv-online/

If you wannasee tv and radio around the world you need that: http://www.radios.com.br/

Post by **lilswtangel** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:29

The first episode was so good that it left me speechless.

I wrote an entire character analyses and semi-review on my livejournal (which I'm too lazy to copy and paste here ^^;;) last night and felt that this series is definitely one that's worth waiting a week for the next episode.

Everyone's characters are so complex and I can't wait to see their development and how they will influence each other as the story progresses.

^Yuuki · Post by **^Yuuki** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:35

^Yuuki: Thanks for the clarification. I guess it's no harm to d/l Waratte Iitomo since I'm following three dramas this season. xD About what Ruka said... I heard it but can't remember now... What's that kanji in the sentence?? LOL "My Michiru"... Sweet.

Basically it means "Don't touch my Michiru!!". I don't know in what condition it was uttered but possessive Juri-chan~ Me likey. =3 Unlike Sosuke's type of possessiveness, this was probably said while trying to protect Michiru instead of being jealous. Just hope it stays that way...but Michiru is making things hard ne~ Though I understand that it's really not that easy to escape from such a relationship if you already have issues to begin with...Well, still 9 more episode to go so of course it won't be that easy.

And about the debate on who's gonna die as indicated in ep.1's beginning....

zsuness · Post by **zsuness** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:36

I have to say, I really liked the 2nd ep.

I find it quite believable that Michiru would stay there.. and it's not to stay there 'to be bullied" but I guess she still has faith in that relationship and in Sosuke, though obviously she becomes more and more aware that Sosuke is a wee bit obsessive.. I think the worry on her face when he shows up at the beauty salon or at the hospital shows that she's just getting to know him (both his faces).. and while a lot of ppl would just pack their stuff and get out of there asap, many wouldn't.. for various reasons. I dunno if the concept or the motivation behind Michiru staying at Sosuke's even after the beating is because 1) no matter what, Michiru loves Sosuke 2) she's confused and weak/afraid (and hey, lets not pretend that everyone's so strong, ok? ppl can be weak.) 3) the other option, to go back home to her unloving mother is as bad as this. At least Sosuke loves her. Probably. In his own way. So she believes.

Sure, it seems, the best option for her will be the house, so I'm wondering when is she going to move in with the others.. not that a moving would solve a psycho obsessive bf problem..

That hair-cutting scene was really intense, imo. Both were brilliant in it. I think Masami is quite good at portraying Michiru. I can feel her fear. Ryo's getting better at this character. Finally, in ep2 he managed to make me forget it's him there acting. I blame it on the rushing of the plot that in ep1 I found myself fangirling over Ryo instead of freaking out at the DV stuff... I think they made up for that in this episode, though I hope they will explore Sosuke's side in more depth..I have to say, I don't like how conscious the switch between public!Sosuke and dv!Sosuke appear now. --> lol, I hope they won't use such clichés as Sosuke doing something with Ruka's bike and cause her some injuries or whatever.. that photo album/crossing out the name is already lolable.

Can't wait to see Ruka beating the crap out of Sosuke.

I wonder who's gonna die in the end.. I feel like Sosuke's death would be quite obvious. And I don't think it's Ruka.

khaibest · Post by **khaibest** » Apr 17th, '08, 15:37

hey untitledmelody thnx for the info!! =)

zaq · Post by **zaq** » Apr 17th, '08, 16:08

thanks for the links Nomanymore...

*resumes* the quest for the DL links... *

Rori · Post by **Rori** » Apr 17th, '08, 16:12

Nomanymore wrote:Streaming links

http://fourlc.com/channel1/5/08fh/20080417_595.html
http://fourlc.com/channel1/5/08fh/20080417_596.html

@untitledmelody : I know, Asami is one of reasons I watch this drama so I'm little demanding, I guess lol

Cheers for the links!

Post by **lilswtangel** » Apr 17th, '08, 16:46

ah thanks for the clarifications and inputs, everyone

I hope new fans of Nishikido Ryo won't take his role as Oikawa Sosuke to heart and end up mixing up the two. I know lots of fans did that when they watch "1 Litre of Tears" and would mix up Ryo with "Haruto". =X

I have a friend who's determined to separate Ryo and his roles by calling him Sosuke when referring to this drama because she believes that Ryo is no longer "Ryo" but "Sosuke" there. I think I'll do the same because I don't want to associate Ryo-chan as anyone but himself, wells with the exception of his role as Sekino Hiroyuki (Sekki) but that's a different story.

crabbyrat · Post by **crabbyrat** » Apr 17th, '08, 18:14

@lilswtangel: Actually your prediction was mine as well!

I hope people won't mistake Ryo for Sosuke either. But I'm also hoping that people who admire his acting abilities from this drama will become fans of Ryo.

Thanks for the streaming links!

Rori · Post by **Rori** » Apr 17th, '08, 18:52

Episode 2

lzydata · Post by **lzydata** » Apr 17th, '08, 19:35

Ahh the week felt so long. Thank you so much Nomanymore! I can't believe how soon we are able to watch it. (Raw, that is.)

To Belleza on the J-drama/K-drama thing: IMO a lot simply has to do with how a K-drama is normally about twice as long as a J-drama (16 x 60min versus 11 x 45min), so the story doesn't start settling until ep3 or 4. It's probably also got to do with their broadcast schedules: it's so important for a J-drama to capture as big an audience and as much attention as possible with the pilot, whereas 2 eps of a K-drama are shown every week. I can see why some folks thought things were kind of rushed in ep1, but I was comfortable with it.

Pacing is such a strange thing. Last season's Bara no nai hanaya felt fast because it was deliberately edited in a choppy way and it sounded like everyone was cutting into everyone else's sentences. The plot actually advanced far more gradually. Apart from whether you like the story or not, the staff certainly did a fantastic job creating that illusion.

Ep2:

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 17th, '08, 21:22

It's probably also got to do with their broadcast schedules: it's so important for a J-drama to capture as big an audience and as much attention as possible with the pilot, whereas 2 eps of a K-drama are shown every week.

That's especially true nowadays , since it seems much more rare now for shows to build on ratings from the first episode. Probably should be noted that this episode, like many pilots, ran about 15 minutes longer than the other episodes would run. A lot of things were introduced into the story. I think it would be kinda shame if most of the episodes ran below 10.

Pacing is such a strange thing. Last season's Bara no nai hanaya felt fast because it was deliberately edited in a choppy way and it sounded like everyone was cutting into everyone else's sentences.

Yeah, that could be a signature style of this director. He also worked on Bara No Hai Hanaya and Galileo; the connection with the latter seems more clear when you think about how the Michiru/Ryo scenes were shot and edited. Given the casting, the show probably has a plus production budget, which would also make for a more stylish show. The tracking shots in this show were just out of this world!

Post by **lilswtangel** » Apr 17th, '08, 21:24

thanks lzydata for the great recap of episode 2.

I was skimming through it but since I tend to get lost without subtitles, your summary was a great help in understanding it further.

According to suketeru @ lj, she's considering soft subbing episode 2 as well~
http://suketeru.livejournal.com/23111.h ... 31#t175431

Her subs for episode 1 were pretty great between~

But I'm still grabbing Kioku's hardsub version when it gets released.

Call me crazy, but I tend to collect my dramas RAW with soft subtitles AND the hardsubbed versions when a Fansub group picks them up.

jigenbakuda · Post by **jigenbakuda** » Apr 17th, '08, 22:03

lilswtangel wrote:
According to suketeru @ lj, she's considering soft subbing episode 2 as well~
http://suketeru.livejournal.com/23111.h ... 31#t175431

Her subs for episode 1 were pretty great between~ But I'm still grabbing Kioku's hardsub version when it gets released.

I should go encourage her, I really think her subs were great. I was very impressed, it was very good. <scoots over to suketeru's page>

bakababa · Post by **bakababa** » Apr 18th, '08, 00:49

Another awesome episode!

And...the rating is UP !!! to 15.9% now. I hope it's going to be higher and higher, over 20% !!!

oceansportrait · Post by **oceansportrait** » Apr 18th, '08, 01:55

Here are my thoughts on episode 1:

Nishikido Ryo...all I have to say about him is....LEARN TO WALK PROPERLY! What is up with these JE kids? I first noticed his "walk" in the Ichi Rittoru no Namida drama, but it became GLARINGLY obvious in the Ichi Rittoru no Namida special where he played the "doctor". He walks like he thinks he's a friggin' model. I mean, I understand that in JE you have to do everything you can to be noticed, but if he's serious about becoming an actor he has to BECOME these characters. And a doctor doesn't walk the way he does. Nor would a child welfare worker walk like a runway model ^^;

zeiroc · Post by **zeiroc** » Apr 18th, '08, 02:08

@ belleza:

Thanks for your kind response to my long long post

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 18th, '08, 03:00

oceansportrait wrote:Nishikido Ryo...all I have to say about him is....LEARN TO WALK PROPERLY! What is up with these JE kids? I first noticed his "walk" in the Ichi Rittoru no Namida drama, but it became GLARINGLY obvious in the Ichi Rittoru no Namida special where he played the "doctor". He walks like he thinks he's a friggin' model. I mean, I understand that in JE you have to do everything you can to be noticed, but if he's serious about becoming an actor he has to BECOME these characters. And a doctor doesn't walk the way he does. Nor would a child welfare worker walk like a runway model ^^;

LOL.

There's one of your differences between actors (Juri-chan) and wannabes (Ryo).

lzydata · Post by **lzydata** » Apr 18th, '08, 03:19

Thanks lilswtangel. I'm glad my recap helped even though it's totally incomplete and biased

As a fellow watcher I know the feeling of anticipation all too well, but as a subber (I'm doing Edison no haha now) I also realize it's hard to do subs quick and well unless you're already obsessed with the drama. So kudos to Kioku and suketeru.

belleza wrote:That's especially true nowadays , since it seems much more rare now for shows to build on ratings from the first episode. Probably should be noted that this episode, like many pilots, ran about 15 minutes longer than the other episodes would run. A lot of things were introduced into the story. I think it would be kinda shame if most of the episodes ran below 10.

bakababa wrote:Another awesome episode!

And...the rating is UP !!! to 15.9% now. I hope it's going to be higher and higher, over 20% !!!

Yeah belleza, I should have mentioned the 15-min topup thing. Heck, Iryu 2's pilot was two and a half hours.

Maybe I'm just elitist, but in my experience ratings aren't really helpful in determining whether you will like a show or not, unless they're very very high (in which case you should check it out, if only to know what the fuss is about) or very very low (in which case the drama probably does suck). But isn't it amazing that the ratings for Last Friends are picking up?

Nishikido Ryo's walking: I guess in ep1 I wasn't really paying attention to his character (before the DV), but it's just like oceansportrait and someone before said. Maybe the director is wising up; I don't recall any Sousuke walking scenes in ep2. Good enough for him to look scary standing there in the street staring up at Michiru, like he's there the whole day.

untitledmelody · Post by **untitledmelody** » Apr 18th, '08, 03:38

Wow, so many 'commentaries'. Is it just me or is this drama surrounded by more hype than usual dramas? The Japanese studios should produce more controversial plots then. xD

^Yuuki: Thanks for the clarification about that line. Yes, Ruka's obsessiveness is different from Sousuke's.

About Ruka and her body, does anyone think she is going/went for a sex change operation? I know that sounds really far-fetched but if it was some other problem concerning urology, I don't think it'd actually be embarrassing to share a changing room with other people. Actually, I thought that the reason why Ruka looked uncomfortable in the changing room was because she was harassed by her trainer, like someone mentioned before here.

On Ryo's walking: LOL Yes I also noticed his model-ish gait in ep2... Not so much ep1 though. And yes in the 1 Litre of Tears SP, it was really obvious because he was filmed walking along outside the hospital building. Yeah JE boys were trained to walk that way, you seen the same thing in MatsuJun's walking and also YamaPi's (though his is considerably less obvious).
bmwracer: Whoaaa Isn't calling Ryo a wannabe kinda taking it a bit too far? Though I'm his fan so I might be biased (haha)... Still, he's doing a good job as Sousuke. My take is he's just conditioned to walk like that and it's hard to break such habits. It takes more effort, so maybe it'll be better as the drama progresses.

lilswtangel: I should shake hands with your friend. I tell myself to disassociate Ryo from his characters as well, especially Sousuke. That's why I'm always referring to him as Sousuke when talking about him in the drama. In fact I tend to do that with other actors too (when I do remember their character's name. =P)
What drama was it that Ryo acted as 'Sekki'?

Post by **lilswtangel** » Apr 18th, '08, 03:48

@untitledmelody: I think it's great that you are able to disassociate an actor from his/her roles. Not many people can and I can honestly admit that there have been once or twice when I ended up hating on an actress/actor for the villainous roles she/he portrayed.

Sekki (Ryo) is the main character from the jdrama, "Ganbatte Ikimasshoi". It also stars Uchi Hiroki (ep 1-2 before he got suspended) and then Taguchi Junnosuke (ep 3-10 replacing Uchi).

PrettyBoysFansubs subbed it and they used to be available on Dara's Nishikido Ryo site (Ryotan.net) and her PBF site but they are currently closed so you can grab the downloads over at her livejournal: http://dontcallmeboo.livejournal.com/

sorry for being off-topic everyone~

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 18th, '08, 04:19

Just finished watching Episode 2... So far, so good.

scherzando · Post by **scherzando** » Apr 18th, '08, 05:02

Just finished watching ep2..

bmwracer wrote: There's one of your differences between actors (Juri-chan) and wannabes (Ryo).

LOL.

Thank god people noticed his catwalk too! I didn't really pay attention to it on the first ep, but his strut became more obvious on the second ep! Man, he has got to stop it! It kinda reminded me of Kimura Takuya (who I lovelovelove). I'm a huge fan and I might be biased, I think he's a wonderful actor but sometimes he couldn't keep his idol image behind too. In Karei Naru Ichizoku, he kinda strut and I just wanted to scream "Act, damnit! You're Manpyo Teppei now!"

Hands down to Juri.. Man this girl is awesome!

@Izydata: There's a heart arrow from Michiru to Takeru? Seriously? *too lazy to check* Ooh.. so we ain't seen nothin' yet, huh? Still a lot more twists and turns to see..
That was Candy? Why did it look like some cheap movie?

: (Heath.. may he rest in peace)
I agree that good actors should know and be aware of what they are capable of and should choose roles that suit them. Of course they have to look for challenges, but if the role doesn't suit the actor, then, shikata ga nai wa.. Being a good actor doesn't mean he should play a difficult role just because it is difficult, ne? He should know whether he suits the role or not..

belleza wrote: Certainly the most personal. Even now, Prisoner of Love makes me think more of her marriage than the show.

Yea what's the story behind that brief marriage? IMO ever since Deep River, Utada continued to make great, solid albums. I didn't listen to Exodus (does it really suck?), but I just love Deep River, Ultra Blue and, of course, Heart Station. Sorry, OOT.

lzydata · Post by **lzydata** » Apr 18th, '08, 05:08

Yeah I have the raw now. Just to touch up on what I said before:

bmwracer · Post by **bmwracer** » Apr 18th, '08, 05:18

scherzando wrote:Hands down to Juri.. Man this girl is awesome!

That, she is.

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[Discussion] Last Friends - Nagasawa Masami/Ueno Juri/Eita

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