I keep writing and rewriting this post because I can’t decide if it’s going to be a first impressions or a recap. Who’s watching Rich Man, Poor Woman, the latest Getsuku (月９ or Monday@9) to hit our radar. Twelve minutes in, I was squarely on the fence. And then the “it” happened. The magic moment in any drama where a wavering attention span clicks to full alert because something captivating happens onscreen. She…..is standing outside his building, completely depressed and staggering off. He…..is riding in the glass elevator zipping up right behind her. The title song comes on in full force as the camera joins him inside the elevator. He turns and smiles, like he’s excited about the unknown and what’s to come. He’s the rich man, she’s the poor woman, and I’ve become pretty much addicted to my first dorama of the Natsu season. Perhaps the reason is because Oguri Shun has decided to stop playing weirdos and freaks and realize he’s actually a good looking guy with serious acting chops. Or maybe it’s rising young actress Ishihara Satomi reminding me of a young Horikita Maki. I have to confess the reason likely is I love the theme song and can listen to it all day, plus the story is really strange in an intriguing way. Come check it out with me.
Getsuku’s no longer have an automatic must-watch appeal for me, or for most viewers in Japan. Recently I dropped Lucky Seven after a few episodes because I lost interest, and really the last Getsuku to keep me riveted was Zenkai Girl. But a few of my fave J-doramas have been Getsuku, such as Pride and Buzzer Beat, but so have some major turkeys like Tsuki no Koibito. Long story short, Getsuku no longer guarantees ratings, but the curious in us still checks in, ne? Which is why my reaction to RMPW leaves me so discombobulated. This dorama marks Oguri Shun’s return to romantic leading man status, and he’s literally playing the J-version of Mark Zuckerberg, but with a unique mental affliction. I kid you not, this dorama feels like The Social Network mashed together with Imouto wo (i.e. Tokyo Cinderella Story). I can’t say it’s good, only that I am right and hooked. With leading lady Ishihara Satomi playing beautifully off Shun’s spastic and random performance, plus Arata being all cryptic and cool with Aibu Saki finally not playing the leading lady to annoy me, two episodes in and this feels like the good ole days of dorama crack addiction all over again.
Check out the awesome trailer first before going any further:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTYMMe4j178
Nice, right? Oguri Shun plays Hyuga Toru, a 29 year old IT wunderkind who started a company in his dinky apartment with friend Asahina Kosuke (Arata). While Hyuga’s got a few wires uniquely aligned in his brain that makes him super smart but also socially devoid of boundaries and niceties, his relationship with Asahina and their company Next Innovation is clearly a rip-off of Sergey Brin and Larry Page and the Google origin story. Suffice to say, Hyuga is the CEO, butt loaded, and has a secret affliction called prosopagnosia (face blindness) whereby he cannot put a name to a face, To make matters worse, Hyuga is secretly looking for a woman named Sawaki Chihiro which is even harder when he doesn’t know what she looks like. Pretty quickly we also learn that Hyuga has serious mommy and abandonment issues. Don’t they all?
Ishihara Satomi plays a Todai college student facing the cruel realities of modern day job hunting in Japan for the soon-to-be minted graduate. Armed with a top-notch education, she’s nevertheless rather timid and lacking in self confidence. Her claim to fame may be her crack memorization skills that doesn’t necessarily translate to the needs of the modern corporate workforce striving for innovation. In other words, Hyuga thinks and acts outside-the-box, this girl is squarely locked in one. Oh, and she identifies herself as Sawaki Chihiro the first time she meets Hyuga, when he’s denigrating her abilities and personality in an auditorium full of job seekers at Next Innovation. No wonder the title for episode 1 is called “The worst way that the man with 250 billion yen in assets and the woman in employment search hell met”.
So far the two leads are carrying the show, though Arata’s character Asahina is intriguing by how much he seems to know but is keeping close to his chest. Aibu Saki plays Asahina’s younger sister Yoko, who is an overseas trained chef just arrived to run the Next Innovation restaurant. She doesn’t annoy me, though her hairstyle makes her forehead seem insanely huge, and so far her presence in this dorama feels superfluous. All she does is try to make Hyuga remember her name and pop in to make a quip or two. It’s weird that this is a Getsuku because the production values feel all over the place. In some places its pretty epic, and others it feels chintzy. Oguri Shun has a dreadful hairstyle, but those of us who are familiar with Shun’s oeuvre know that dreadful hairstyles are his trademark by now. This dorama actually reminds me of a K-drama, what with the Cinderella elements (complete with her losing her shoes – I know!), makeover sequence, the birth secrets, and the upcoming love square.
I’m all caught up on both episodes aired so far, and if episode 1 was intriguing, episode 2 ramped up the intensity factor until suddenly everything clicks. I’m dying to find out if Hyuga ever finds his mommy, which is clearly the driving reason he wants Next Innovation to convince the Ministry of Internal Affairs to allow it to create a personal file registry on every single person in Japan. I’m pretty certain I know why Chihiro knew Hyuga’s mom’s name, and I rather believe her reason that she blurted out the name on-the-spot. But now she’s backed into a corner, though with Asahina in the know, I’m curious if that will bring them closer together later. To be honest, normally I want a dorama to bring more romance, and while RMPW is clearly a rom-com, one of rare ones at that, for some reason I’m not cheering for Hyuga and Chihiro developing feelings for each other yet. I rather like their crackling chemistry and the way he can’t seem to get her out of his mind. In short, this story is like an odd little duck and I’m amused by its weird waddle.
RMPW Opening Title Sequence:
So the million dollar question is: shall I recap it? I’m seriously debating whether folks want to discuss it, but worried the dorama will turn into a train wreck or be all illusory rom-com and end up with zero romance or comedy left. When I have trouble making up my mind, I just stop thinking about it and toddle off to do other more fun things. Such as watching the title sequence over and over again.
YAY! ~ same here. i’m loving the drama. from the leads, to the story, to the OST. i’ve been watching out for this for months when i read that Oguri Shun will be be its lead actor. i have been looking for a drama to get my momentum back for jdorama. K-dramas have been my staple for the past 2 years for lack of jdoramas that keep me hooked. This one is a winner… so far. so good~
The lead girl is so uber beautiful, like I instantly had a girl crush by the end of epi 1. While you think she looks like young Maki, I feel like she’s an Ariel Lin doppleganger – look at her lips! To top it off, her clumsy mannerism brings about even more Ariel-in-ISWAK deja vu.
I see the Ariel Lin resemblance after you said that, but my original thought (based solely on appearance) was that she could be Janine Chang’s cute little sister.
I was thinking Janine Chang as well! But I don’t see Ariel Lin assemblance at all.
I was thinking Janine Chang as well! But I don’t see Ariel Lin semblance at all.
Recap please!
I’m really enjoying it and would love to hear umm…read your thoughts.
me too…i really enjoyin this show..
their acting is daebak!!!!!
i fell in luph w/ jdorama once again….
recap plz….
sankyu ^^
definitely watch this..becuz i’m a fan of ogurin and aibu saki.. 😀
and the story its self looks promising..i hope it’ll be good till the end..
Just loved the 2 first episodes. Really good and different, with a solid script so far. I’m in love with the all cast, including the secondary, third, fourth… characters. Clearly a lot of elements of K dramas, but the GOOD ones. Hooked, line and sinker. Anyone knows how many episodes or if the ratings are good in Japan?
Check this, if it helps!
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Rich_Man,_Poor_Woman
I’d love it if you recapped it. So far it’s my favourite jdrama of the current season. I always love Ishihara Satomi, Oguri Shun, goes without saying, so I’ve really been looking forward to this. The story is different from what I expected, but I really like it. It’s quirky and interesting, and I like the fact that you’re not sure about a lot of characters motivations and true characters.
I always have a crush on Ishihara Satomi, she’s so cute. I love her in Hanayome to Papa, it’s also one of those rare jdramas that focuses quite a lot on the romance aspects. Voice, bull doctor made me even love her more. She got such nice chemistry with all of the male co-stars that I just ship her with every male lead she has. Oguri Shun has been so-so for the past few years, in Hanakimi, in Tokyo Dogs, i think his male co-star performance outshined him. He lost the appeal to me after Hana Yori Dango. I prefer him as Rui the most. This drama had me going gaga again over him!!!
I love it when a Jdrama gives me the romance aspect, more please!!
I’m so shipping this couple even though Oguri Shun is married. =p
Just started watching this like 2 hrs ago, and am loving it… Then i checked your playground and was surprised to find this post…
And please recap!!!
And is it just me or does the lead actress look like Aya Ueto?? I noticed it on the other drama she had where she played a fake psyhic…
Out of topic, but was I the only one who just found out that Oguri Shun is already married??!! Where have I been??
You are not alone (: I am one of his fan too but also found out on one of the comments in tumblr ! he’s married to Yamada Yu in march 2012 – errr… if I get it right. anyway, it doesnt affect his excellent performance here though at the time I drop this comment, RMPW reaching ep 10 and no ‘kissing’ yet could be one of the factor? ha ha! wait till the end of RMPW and we’ll see… cheerio 😉
I’m the same, just finished both eps and came to the playground to find Ms Koala talking about it! It is a must recap, or at least offer a forum for those of us who is seeing potential in this! Am loving the intriguing side plots so far too!!!!
Recap! Recap! Recap! 😉
I’m behind with JDramas, and I always make sure to catch up. I hear this drama in jdoramas community. And I keep an eye to it. I add it to my watch-list. 🙂
Surprise. Surprise. I did not expect to find this Jdrama here.
I’m sold on it and cannot wait to watch all of the unfolding revelations.
Yay! 🙂
Yes please! Just finished episode 2 and I’m really hooked to this jdrama. Thanks! 🙂
Usually J-drama is super slow but this is upbeat and promising … will keep watching !
I’m watching too, holding my breath that it’ll have good ending. Like someone else said, it’s been 2 years since I jumped ship to Kdramas, but that was mainly because there were absolutely no Jdramas that interested me. I did watch Hungry! not too long ago, but the ending was reaaaaalllly disappointing. I’m excited to watch Oguri Shun again and I’m liking the lead actress so far, so I hope this drama doesn’t disappoint.
Yaya…totally into this drama.I rmb koala saying “you know you r addicted to a drama when u can’t stop thinking bout it”And damn it I kept thinking of this one,can’t concentrate wit anything.I dunno what’s d reason for my addiction,mayb the storyline,perhaps the cast.anyhow,I’m glad there is something I can hang on to after BIG.
I wondered when you gonna post something about new Oguri drama. Don’t wanna read post,first impression…
I started to watch drama, so far so GOOD for me. Let’s keep it that way.
Ahhh, drama made craziness on DC,jump never seen.
Did I mention Oguri is my best from Japan.
Anyone watching, “Beautiful Rain”?
Yes. I iz. Not had a chance to check for subs but watched the first two eps raw. And I am terrible at understanding Japanese but I say it’s lovely. A friend said it feels ‘asodorama-like’ and I have to agree in that it may feel a tad manufactured but it still has soul. And acting is lovely, Ashida Mana is doing really well — surprise surprise!
This one appears to be a “keep watching” for me…..I hope you do as well. 🙂
It has heart and all of the little ppl are adorable.
Satomi is one of my fav actress. Im pretty pretty sure she debuted before horikita maki. But that’s maybe because i watched h2 dorama first then nobuta wo produce. But if u havent watch h2 manga adaptation then it’s a must watch. U’ll fall in love with her instantly. XD. At east im glad she gets to pair up with shun and gets a good drama. Weee
I was just snooping around pages when I found the trailer and I was like this actually looks good. This is my first Japanese drama, I usually only watch kdramas. Too bad is only one ep. Per week cause I’m already addicted.
Wait a minute.
How did this suddenly appear on your site?
I just finished Ep 1, and was going to bemoan the fact that I just picked up another crack drama that is currently airing!
I LOVE IT! Tingles tingles and more tingles. It’s smart and smart is shekshi.
The colors, the editing, the pace, the lead and the supporting characters.
OF COURSE YOU SHOULD RECAP IT!
Will you have time?
Damn damn damn
It’s a new one, which means the subs can never be fast enough, and there will be the dreaded wait between episodes, but it’s too late, I am already hooked.
Now on to Episode Two!
Yeahhhh Jomo, Mrs. K should do the recapping…
Ep 2…you’ll see, When man speaks from the heart he yells.
Oooh! Watched 2.
You know it is good when while you are watching something, you note to self which scenes you want to rewatch.
Well well, look who I found here – mtoh, jomo and Mystith. Lol.
I watched ep 2 two days ago. Definitely in love with this one. Recaps would be nice too koala, if you decide to. This first impressions was nice though. Thanks. 😀
Hehe. Look who’s here! “Smart is sexy”: Oh yeah! 🙂
Woohoo! I am not the only one! I watched it from day one and saw my Shun-kun doing his Shakespearean acting and I am hooked – line and sinker. I can’t stop blabbering about it! Can’t wait for Monday.
(I feel like I am cheating on Gong Yoo, my first fave, for he is doing extremely well in his drama but for some reason, I am liking this one more.)
Thanks for writing about RMPW.
I’m enjoying the drama.
I always take a look at anything Oguri Shun is doing, even if I don’t always stay until the end. He is a wonderful actor.
I still think he is playing an oddball and I like his hair.
One thing I haven’t been sure about, does he recognize Chihiro? No one in the drama has commented one way or the other, yet in the last episode two he was able to find her on campus by himself. I take that to mean he recognizes her, and has done so since he heard her name.
I think her face is one he can’t forget since he associates it with the name Chihiro (especially since he’s been searching for her all this time too). I’m also thinking that they’ve met before, which is why she knows the name Sawaki Chihiro is important to him, and his problem with remember names and faces would explain why Hyuga doesn’t remember her real name or that he’s maybe met her.
I thought Chihiro was his disappearing mother’s name?
He’s searching for her online in the beginning, isn’t he?
Did I jump to a conclusion here?
And, why isn’t anyone pointing out to him that he recognizes her and remembers her from the first meeting?
I am no expert on this issue, but wouldn’t someone with this affliction be awesome at remembering voices to overcompensate? His other senses would take over?
So glad you posted something about Rich Man, Poor Woman! They had me at the elevator scene too, I replayed it like 20 times (mainly for Oguri Shun’s smile hehe). It really was such a beautiful shot of the two leads and it totally described the drama in 10 seconds. This may be the drama to get me out of my Jdrama funk since it’s the first one I’ve watched all year.
I think you should do recaps (or at least mini recaps) for RMPW. It seems like a fast paced drama with lots of comedy, banter, romance, and well drama. For me Jdramas never fail to keep me intrigued since they usually have less episodes than Kdramas, thus they must keep the story going faster and ditch a lot of unnecessary filler.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that RMPW will only keep getting better with each episode, but if it doesn’t at least we can all stare at Oguri Shun some more (btw I don’t mind his messy do in this drama, better than the Dolittle drama hair lol).
Totally agreed with everything you said
I’ve watched till ep3. So far, story continuous to be captivating. Hoping it will continue to be interesting.
Off the topic, did anyone watch Mou Ichido Kimi ni, Propose? I highly recommend that Jdrama too!
Thanks for the brief introduction Ms Koala! 🙂
Well I managed to catch the first 2 eps coz it’s the wkend! 🙂 🙂
The show and its premise has been qt entertaining so far.
Oguri Shun really does a great job portraying the character and his quirks right down to a T.
I’m not too enamoured with the lead actress though. Her doormat personality and incessant crying really makes me cringe at times. I mean the girl has brains and a solid degree from Tokyo U the lack of confidence her character has really doesn’t match up to her credentials no?
The second lead Asahina is qt intriguing which makes me wonder whether he has a darker side to his character.
I guess I’ll still continue with the drama to see if the show manages to deliver a solid storyline coz the actors are all qt competent at the moment.
OMG i am loving this drama! I have only ever watched ONE jdrama in my life which was Hana Kimi, which was so zany but entertaining and addictive. In my mind all jdramas are like that, with weird logic and exaggerated expressions. So I’ve always preferred kdramas.
But I’ve been hearing that rich man poor woman was a good drama, and checked it out since I was bored. And BOY DO I LOVE IT. It’s like the perfect mix between a kdrama and jdrama.
I like that the female lead is actually smart and not some infuriating dumbass. She’s intelligent, works hard, and believes in herself – which is kinda rare for drama heroines. And the male lead is idiosyncratic and quite a hoot to watch. I’ve never found Oguri Shun attractive until now.
And the shot of him going up the elevator with this wonderful sense of anticipation while she was all miserable and depressed at the bottom of the building was beautifully shot to contrast their differences at that point in time. That was also the moment when I decided I’d love this drama.
Thanks Koala for this post! I look forward to more! 😀
Not all Jdorama are like that. You should watch Long Vacation, that one’s also a good one.
Oh I would also recommend Orange Days and Slow Dance 😀
YES! I’m hooked on this drama too!
It’s been such a long time since we got a good romance Jdrama!
Pleeeease recap! T__T
Weird and quirky did you say? Just the kind of stuff I love.
Besides, I’m not watching any kdrama at the moment besides Big (which is starting to lose some steam for me. I’ll probably wait until it comes out on dvd and then marathon it.)
I had taken a break from j-drama for over a year now because they tend to bore me. This weekend I decided just to watch c-drama & j-drama to see what’s out there & if they can hold my interest for over 15 mins. I am very happy to say that this show does and already have me addicted. This couple is so fun and quirky, I am laughing a lot and enjoying myself which has not happened to me for j-dramas in a long while. I sincerely hope they keep this up.
Our OTP has characteristics about them that make you dislike them (he’s a genius ass, she has low self esteem) but at the same time it is those differences that make them work for each other. We have not been given the true heroine name thereby adding the mystery & intrigue as to who she is & how she is connected to our hero. Although she lacks confidence & naive she is bright and when our hero pisses her off her true character/potential comes out, she becomes more confident in her self. For him, though in his eyes she seems ordinary & pathetic she makes him more human and therefore memorable no matter what happens. (I won’t give out spoilers, but for those who will watch it or have done so, do understand what I am referring to).
So I am really looking forward to the upcoming episodes. Ms. Koala, should you choose to recap this show, thanks in advance for doing so.
Have a nice week.
I’ve been wondering should I watch this or not. Satomi is older then Maki (Satomi 86 Maki is a 88’er)and I think she reminds me more of Ariel Lin
Satomi’s last drama annoyed the heck out of me (Bull doctor) but when she has the right part she can be charming.
Shun is good looking but I think he avoids playing the pretty boy leads so he even portrays complete weirdos or badass gangsters.
Aibu Saki, I’ve liked some of her work but she gets typecast a lot so when she has the right part like Satomi she is a winner.
Huh. You are tempting me to watch my first jdorama in months…well, more like a year.
Woah, I’m really feeling a connection with Mrs. Koala! As soon as I finished watching RMPW I was instantly hooked. Thought of recommending it to you but thought you were into romantic comedies (plus i know you didn’t like Saki). RMPW might fall into this category but it does start out with a good story doesn’t it? Aibu Saki is starting to change her image of a goody goody girl! Don’t know why Mrs. Koala has a distaste for her but she does having good acting chops. On another note, Shun’s wifey has a lead role in “Vision, The woman who can see murder”. Nobuaki Kaneko (Buzzer Beat-Yamapi’s rival)is the other lead. Wifey lacks acting chops but the story itself is intriguing. Some watch worthy j-doramas are finally starting to come out!
I have been watching the following Summer Japanese Dramas 2012:
Rich Man, Poor Woman when it first started on 09-JULY-2012.
GTO(remake)when it first started on 03-JULY-2012.
Tokkan ~ Tokubetsu Kikuzei Choushuukan when it first started on 04-JULY-2012.
Vision ~ Koroshi ga Mieru Onna aka Vision – The Woman Who Can See Murder – when it first started on 05-JULY-2012.
Higashino Keigo Mysteries – Omnibus drama of 11 works from Higashino Keigo’s collection of short novels when it first started on 05-JULY-2012.
Ghost Mama Sousaen ~ Boku to Mama no Fushigina 100 Nichi aka Ghost Mama Sousaen when it first started on 07-JULY-2012.
Sprout when it first started on 07-JULY-2012.
Summer Rescue ~ Tenkuu no Shinryosho when it first started on 08-JULY-2012.
I also visit tokyohive.com – the latest buzz from Japan.
I also visit allkpop.com – breaking k-pop celebrity gossip and news!
I like Summer Rescue, and for a silly, make’s me sleepy so I can go to bed, I watch Beginners.
Thank you Ms. Koala! I was surprised when i opened your blog and this is the 1st post. I was looking last night all over sites any Rich Man Poor Woman reviews and nowhere to find. This is my 1st jdrama, so far I’m lovin it, from the cast, story and the song. Already watched it twice over the weekend and never get tired of it specially because of Oguri Shun. Yay! Looking forward to your recap. Again, thank you.
I love this Jdrama too! ^^ I just hope that the lie of her lying what her name is found out and taken care of because I hate for a lead relationship to start off with a deception. Nothing goood comes off of it. 😛 haha!
Has anyone found a working download site?
I found a couple, but ended up going down that:
SKIP AD, wait for d/l, DOWNLOAD,SKIP AD, wait for d/l, DOWNLOAD,SKIP AD, wait for d/l, DOWNLOAD,SKIP AD, wait for d/l, DOWNLOAD…
rabbit hole.
Take a look at this site, it usually works and the files are small.
http://doramax264.com/12608/rich-man-poor-woman-j-drama-2012-a-must-see/
I was just thinking about starting this drama, so I would certainly love it if you decide to recap it! I’ve been waiting for Oguri Shun to do something else I felt like watching lol. There’s never enough romance in jdramas, in my opinion, but when they do have it, it’s so lovely and amazing. I adore Buzzer Beat and Pride.
I watched the first two episodes yesterday and I love it. Please recap it. <3 I'm seriously anticipating the next episode. 😀
Thanks for the recommendation, Ms Koala. Found it interesting enough to follow, and Ishihara is a bijin. However it is really off putting how a “cool” company in Japan equates female staff for having beauty as a criteria. That is sad, and I am a guy working in the IT world. Shoganai desu.
Everyone I know who watches Asian dramas seems to be talking about this so I tried it and OMG! I’m so in love with this drama! I hope you’ll get to recap it. It’s one rare jdrama. I really really hope it’ll turn into a gem.
I would love it if you recapped this!! I got hooked to it from the first episode and the only time I remember getting hooked to a J-Drama was Hana Kimi! I love the chemistry between the 2 characters and I’m going insane just waiting for the new episode! <3
I’ve been lurking on your website for over a year and a half now reading recaps and loving your site, and I totally think you should recap this show! I absolutely love it so far! I was thinking of righting a mini first impressions over at my blog as well, though I’m not sure I need to seeing as you’ve already done it!
Have read so many good things about this dorama. Will be watching when time permits….hopefully by then more episodes will be out.
To me the lead actress looks like Janine Chang with glimpses of Ariel Lin.
Very cute show, I really enjoyed the first 2 episodes! Please recap this one 🙂
I watched two episodes and found the drama intriguing and fresh.
Koala, are you going to keep this format? Would you please consider going back to the old one that was more user-friendly?
No pressure. Thanks a lot!!!
Why is the older one more user-friendly? I’ve kept almost everything the same format-wise, other than the layout of the landing page article formatting going from one column to two columns. Everything else is the same structurally, but the colors and fonts have changed is all. If you can tell me why you think the older format was more user friendly, I can see if I can incorporate those features here. But I’m scratching my head because the features are all the same and in the same places. This new format even has the mobile view and full view options for smartphone access.
I preferred the old format too! One column was better instead of two! Now it looks weird when I open the site.
It’s a matter of getting used to it. Sooner or later, it won’t bother you at all.
A user will most likely scan the page for a single field. But for scanning purposes, two columns will always require a more scattered eye-fixation path than a single column, simply because the eye-gaze also have to travel both vertical and horizontal. One-column design is very user-friendly, especially when you use pictures and the eye tends to gaze at pictures first. Gazing at pictures in two dif. columns breaks the pattern and leads to confusion.
I’m going to add this to my watch list. I love love love Satomi Ishihara (not such a Horikita Maki fan…) and always find Oguri Shun projects to be interesting. Just watching the trailer, I can’t believe Arata has aged so much. It feels like yesterday I watched Ping Pong.
Side note: I don’t mind the two columns! I actually think it’s pretty cool but it looks disjointed when one post is longer than one beside it. Would it be possible to display just the anchor picture and a short remark about what the post is like before the jump? So that the posts are the same size side by side and above and below and it looks like four equal squares? (I hope that made sense…)
have to agree with KNGadrama. I still cant get used to the three columns. I think there are new themes where you dont have to click older post to go to older post and you only scroll down to view the older posts which is convenient. that’s another thing. but 2 colums with (1 menu, 1 article) is easier to the eye. XD
The last dorama I wasd into like this was also Zenkai Girl <3. I started Lucky Seven but haven't finished it yet. Its ok but doesn't get me in the heart, worse because Eita is no longer appearing as of ep 5. His character was the best. Ah, I digress…
I'm loving RMPW. I already hate that she's used a lie to cement a place in his mind and I can see the conflict that will arise from this. Looking forward to that~!!
You see, recaps will be sooo gooodddd 😉
Love the fact he/she is loving her/his name, but soon it’s gonna be all about persona.
I actually just tuned into this earlier this week, but so far I am loving it… Except for Oguri Shun’s hair (it’s an absolutely raggedy mess)
I’m still wary of it since I’m not as crazy about Jdoramas as much as I am when it comes kdramas (or lakorns and twdramas), but for some reason this drama is hitting the right notes for me. Like you said, it might be because it’s more like a Kdrama than a Jdorama…
I never felt that Oguri Shun is handsome, nor liked his hairstyle before. But when I first started to watch this drama, I’ve fell in love with his character’s looks. So weird, because I am not sure why I like him now. This is the first time I like him in a role, I can see his act, and he is talking more I guess. I love the leading lady as well(never seen her before) and the story too. If you’re going to recap it, I’m going to read it for sure! I am waiting for this more then the kdrama Big. Strange I know.
Haha this drama really ruined my exam period (which eas dragging so long anyway). But i know how you feel. The 1st week that i watched it, i was so feverish about it that i seriously needed to write about it, so as i could have this gem in my life. It’s possible though that i’m exaggerating 😉
Koala you have great taste in drama. You are the one to got me interested in Jdrama because you mentioned operation proposal with Yamapi. And this summer I dound myself watching more Jdrama than Kdrama (something I never thought would happen because I thought Jdramas were boring) but than i watched Jin and it was the beginning of a good relationship.
Koala also got me to watch Bu Bu xing xing. I swore I would never watched a chinese drama because I could never handle the high pitch sounds, but that drama was awesome.
So I just wanted to say that Koala has excellent taste in drama. If she says it’s good, I will watch it. I am on my way to rich man poor man now.
Yes Please!
Please recap it..It’s been so long for dorama recaps *puppy eyes*
OMG Watched first episode I am totally hooked.
Please recap if you can. Than you so much
I’m enjoying this drama so far and it’s been a long time since a jdorama’s caught my eye. Besides the Oguri Shun factor, I’m also really enjoying this drama because of Ishihara Satomi- who, like others have pointed out, looks like cross between Janine Chang and Ariel Lin, some of my fave TW actresses- and her Chihiro character.
I do cringe sometimes because I’m quite a bit like Chihiro and when Hyuga says anything mean about her, I feel like I’m being torn apart and want to kick him in the balls (getting kicked in the balls hurt for all guys, including crazy geniuses).
after a long time off no J-drama…i want to see this!
Sooooo glad you wrote about this. I was on the fence about watching it and now I definitely want to check it out. Thank you! 🙂
Please recap it. . .PLease!
wah, koala!!!! i’m so happy that you have written about this jdorama, whether you recap this or not, i’m still happy for you to have an article on your blog for this one . . . i have been watching out for this drama since it’s an Oguri Shun lead but i was surprised to have enjoyed the whole 1st episode . . . it is really a change from his previous works and i’m just happy that this time he is in a lead romantic role . . . love it that you have written about it!!!
It’s the first dorama in a while that I’ve actively watched instead of banking and marathoning. Me likey!
i loove oguri shun and almost all casts .. but i dont think i’ll dig it .. i dont like cinderella story kind of drama …
but thank you .. nice news 🙂
Just wondering if you still didnt give a peek at all on RMPW?
it’s NOT a cinderella story. why not try now and its almost finish and you can watch – zooming from ep 1 to ep 9! I waited week after week and watched it RAW then watched again after being subbed… yes, that’s how bad I am and I think so many others suffered the same as I do. ha ha! join us soon?
if you do, give us a shout! would love to read your comments. see ya. cheerio 😉
haha at least im not the only one who thought that the 2nd lead girl’s hairdo looks horrible…i was sucked in by the drama too even though im not big on jdoramas but ur recaps will help me with watching and understanding it…if the drama goes all haywire u could drop it anytime..no pressure ^___^
will watch this drama for arata!!!
Please recap it!! I love this drama!! 😀
please recap it!
I wasn’t sure about this dorama at first…until this scene:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7cquyeXYn1rziofuo1_500.gif
Gah, I can’t wait to see them fall in love. And does anyone else get a Buchu and Ahomiya vibe from these two? 😀
P.S. I was totally shipping Ishihara Satomi and Sato Takeru. They look perfect as Romeo and Juliet in their stage play.
http://www.rj-2012.com/gallery.html
omg i so second your comment, lol i totally got that feel too & thought i was the only 1 XD gah this almost makes me wanna go watch HH again so i can relive those buchou moments <.<;;
I was surprised to see this! I just watched the first 2 episodes yesterday after reading about it on dramabeans’ open thread and completely hooked to it. Hopefully they will keep the momentum until the end. Its been a while since the last jdrama I watched. But I cant believe when I check that this drama is ONCE a week. Omg, the waiting!
i agree…hana kimi,nodame cantabile and its zaniness is only but a genre in j-dramas….there are lots of really really good ones out there!!
Shun Oguri is the best..I’m watching this bc of him..
and you are right this drama feels somewhat like a k-drama..esp on how it handles the romance parts..
After reading your article I decided to watch it, even raw. Your recaps will be very helpful to better understand this dorama and enjoy the story. Please, if you have some free time, do the recaps:)
RMPW had not been on my radar, but after reading your impressions and watching the trailer I want to check it out. If you do recap, I would love to read & discuss with the playground!
Love this show.
Hey playmates, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been in here
On to the main topic
I heart this show and will ride the crazy train til the railroad ends.
I really like this show especially Oguri-san, I just like him as a person, he’s awesome
And I totally agree Auntie K, Ishihara Satomi is totally a younger Maki (love her).
I’ve got my ticket to this train as well as Tokken(too funny) and Vision.
I guess I have my doramas for the later part of summer but I sure do miss Answer and Kagi tho
Cya round mates
Thanks for the mention on “Answer”. I just started it and it looks good. I was searching for something to watch after Kagi while waiting for some Kdramas to be fully subbed or air.
After Kagi <3 I picked up Ataru. Now I'm watching Answer, Beautiful Rain, RMPW and Vision [I have to know who the tormented spirit is and why her].
Oguri Shun gives me a Cha Ji Heon-feel (Ji Sung in Protect the Boss), I think it’s because of the hair, and maybe a bit because of the crazy. And I really appreciated PTB, so I’ll keep on watching this one.
And recap? Yes yes yes please. A recap for a j-drama, that would be a nice treat, even av baby recap would be nice.
Thanks so much Koala for sharing about this drama! Oh such love!
Ishihara Satomi reminds me so much of Ariel Lin! Especially their mouths!
Koala-chan,
I read some comments about the old format and I have to say I also prefered your old format, it was less brighter and for that reason it was better to read and I liked more the front page (home) with the headlights on the vertical order and not side by side, but I can get use to that.
Don’t take it personal, but, please, at least consider changing the colour of the page’s background for a less brighter colour, it would be nicer for readers to be able to stay longer at your page without getting their eyes tired.
pls recapp!! but it’s super killing me to watch jdrama coz only 1 ep/week!!
i say recap it! 😀 😀 😀 even if it turns into a trainwreck, it’s sure to be a fun one no?
I agree with your write up completely. Even though its got the same ingredients as any other rom com, its the actors who are making it work for me. And I too love the theme song. The elevator scene was awesome. My fav moment of the couple so far is the one at the Uni when he comes to visit her.
And as someone else commented, Ariel Lin’s character in “It started with a kiss” came to my mind, while watching the lead actress with her bangs and being all sloppy.
It’s been i-don’t-know-how many years since my last J-drama, and this drama got me hooked back to them!! After reading your write-up of this, I thought of giving a try on this new drama and guess what?! totally fan-girling on Oguri Shun and I think this drama has some refreshing start for j-drama. Love it and keep our fingers crossed that it won’t fall apart in the middle/end
I am pretty pumped to check this out now it does appear to be quite intriguing and I haven’t seen a good j-dorama in a long time! Plus my love of Oguri Shun is a little ridiculous, dating back to the day of Hana Yori Dango!! Ahhh I shall definitely be watching this, I need something good right now with all the K-Drama’s being delayed due to the Olympics. Thanks for brining this to my attention Koala-Unnie!!
After Ouran,this is the first drama that I watch in full. Tried to watch Moichido (Takenouchi), but somehow left it in the middle. Hope it have good ending and not hangin. Sprout is also quite good, 3 eps so far and still lurking.
Just finished subbing:
Rich Man, Poor Woman episode 06
リッチマン、プアウーマン第六話
Take the subtitles at:
http://paroissien.com
follow my subbing on Twitter
https://twitter.com/EricParoissien
EricParoissien !!! just get to this site and found your message here 🙂 so happy that I can now thank you directly for the excellent subbing which is daunting but to have one great drama like this and much awaited each time being aired, must be exciting?
TANKS of thanks all along! great job!! 😉
Hello minna, If you could drop by http://www.youtube.com/user/akosieunice002/videos watch my fanmade MVs of Rich Man, Poor Woman //much appreciated 🙂
I freaking love this drama