japanentertainment:

With various new dramas heading our way and kicking off in January, goo decided to ask its users, “Which upcoming drama for this season are you looking forward to most?”

Check out what the pollsters on goo chose as the most highly-anticipated upcoming dramas of January 2012 below!

1. Lucky Seven

2. Strawberry Night

3. Taira no Kiyomori

4. Risou no Musuko

5. Dirty Mama!

6. Hungry!

7. Ending Planner

8. Renai Neet

9. Saigo Kara Nibanmeno Koi

10. Stepfather Step

TOKYOHIVE

fuckyeahasianmusic:

School Food Punishment

Why has no Jdrama featured their music? It makes no sense to me.

Title: GO (2001)

Director: Isao Yukisada

Cast: Yosuke Kubozuka, Kou Shibasaki, Shinobu Ōtake, Taro Yamamoto

Synopsis: Based on the novel of the same title by Kazuki Kaneshiro, the film stars Kubozuka Yōsuke (Sugihara/Lee) and Kou Shibasaki (Tsubaki Sakurai). It tells the story of a Korean boy born and raised in Japan (Kubozuka) and his love story with a Japanese girl (Shibasaki). The central theme of the movie is the integration problems of a Zainichi Koreans in Japanese society. - Courtesy of Wikipedia

Why this film is awesome: Go is easily one of my favorite films. Not one of my favorite Japanese films. Not one of my favorite Asian films. One of my favorite films. It mainly concentrated on the racism that is present in modern Japanese society but, if you’ve experienced any discrimination, in any society, then you’ll be able to relate to this film. 

Not only did the director make this film visually stimulating, but the cast, specifically the film’s lead Yosuke Kubozuka, were wonderful. Kubozua has a natural fierceness and spontaneity about him that made him perfect for this role. It also helped that he was surrounded by a cast that was willing to embody the film’s ambiance. The intensity and vulnerability that was shared between Kubozuka and Shibasaki (the actors that portrayed the main love interests) were captivating. They were especially a welcome pause in the combative world of the main character.

The most interesting aspect of GO is that while we are thrust in the world of this jaded teen who has built this seemingly impenetrable shell to the world and the judgment that has isolated him from society is, at its core, a love story. Sure, it’s not your perfect, run of the mill romantic comedy but it further proves the point that The Beatles may have been right all along: All you need is love. We may not be able to change the world and the ignorance that comes with it but, sometimes, acceptance from the one person that matters to you could make all the difference in the world.

Toda Erika

Horikita Maki

TBS’s Unubore Deka (Conceited Detective) (うぬぼれ刑) (July 9) (Friday)

Synopsis: “Unubore” (Nagase Tomoya) is a single detective that not only falls in love easily (mainly with female suspects that he is investigating) but is also guilty of being very conceited. He convinces himself that all of these women are in love with him. When he finally finds these suspects guilty, he gives them a choice between arrest or his marriage proposal. If his methods seem unorthodox for a detective, it could be because Unubore is actually a former criminal who was given an ultimatum: either he uses his skills to help the authorities find criminals or go to jail. Guess which one he chose.

Note: Unubore is Japanese for conceit.  The main character’s name will never actually be used.

3 Reasons this series MAY be awesome:

1. First things first: This is the third collaboration between Nagase Tomoya (one of my fav actors) and Kudo Kankuro (one of my fave scriptwriters)!! I love both of these men but, most importantly, their first collaboration was the TBS drama Ikebukuro West Gate Park, which I love with every part of my being. Both of them handle odd storylines really well and everything they have done (together or individually) has always been welcome and refreshing.
2. The cast. Nagase Tomoya, Ikuta Toma, Nakashima Mika, Arakawa Yoshiyoshi, Kaname Jun….In other words, the cast is AMAZING! AND there will also be cameos from talent such as Aoi Yuu, Koizumi Kyoko, and Toda Erika! Have you noticed how many exclamation points I’ve included in this point? That’s because the cast is that AWESOME!!!
3. The plot. I’ve always said plot is important and, while the plot for this series is unusual, you have to admit, it’s immensely appealing. If it was being handled by a lesser scriptwriter and lesser actors I would be worried but that’s not the case with this one. No, I have all the faith in the world that this team can pull off this storyline successfully. 

Trailer

Tsuki no Koibito (Moon Lovers) - Episode 7

There were so many great Rensuke/Maemi moments in this episode. Thank God, because episode 8 is supposed to be the last episode and I would HATE the writers if they didn’t have these two end up together. The possibility of them being the end couple is the ONLY thing that has kept me watching. Well, that and Matsuda Shota. He’s an asshole but he’s sexy as hell.

Alex

Kimura Takuya