Hold your horses people, the recap for episode 4 of Rich Man, Poor Woman is a-coming. Until then you can whet your appetite on the preview for episode 5, which shows us that the challenges are mounting for Hyuga and his grand personal data registry. One one side is Asahina, clearly peeved about Hyuga blocking his strategic alliance with the more established IT company, and on the other side is the emergence of competition for the project itself. Just because Vice Minister Fujikawa likes Makoto doesn’t mean Next Innovation has a lock on being the winning selection. But I’m not worried, because Hyuga strikes me as a man who relishes competition and doesn’t back down from unforeseen complications.
In this mix of thrumming business activity comes the growing love triangle between Makoto, Hyuga, and Yoko. I love how nebulous it all is, where the interest is clear but not overpowering, so that the characters can spend time together without a lot of nervous expectation. I would say Yoko has a head start and clean shot at Hyuga, so I expect Makoto to stop just crushing on him and start being a little more proactive on the romance side. She’s already one kiss behind, and if she wants to stop being so meek, she needs to grab the next one before her love rival scoops up the man of both their dreams.
Written preview for episode 5:
Hyuga and Makoto take the same elevator and Makoto is unusually quiet as her mind flashes back to seeing the kiss between Hyuga and Yoko. Which is when Yoko enters the elevator and the unsettled Makoto finds an excuse to quickly get off. Which leaves Hyuga and Yoko in the same elevator where there the atmosphere is prickling.
Hyuga starts to test the new interface for the personal data registry and heads to the countryside for beta testing with the team. They discover Aoyama growing tomatoes in the countryside, and he turns out to be a programming genius that suddenly retired years ago. He also happens to be Makoto’s online pal.
A few days later, Makoto and Hyuga’s beta testing at the countryside gets very unfavorable responses since people are not familiar with computers and don’t understand how to use it. As everyone is worried about what to do, they hear that the other IT company has formed a project team much larger than Next Innovation’s to develop their own personal data registry interface.
Asahina is surprised by something and tumbles down the stairs. Hyuga visits him in the hospital and is very worried about his accident. Hyuga tells Asahina that he’s met with Tono, one of the original employees of Next Innovation. Makoto does a favor for Asahina and brings books to Yoko’s restaurant, where she sees a smiling Hyuga there……
Now for some cuteness from the cast of RMPW. Here they are promoting for the drama on various talk shows. Ishihara Satomi revealed that she first worked with Oguri Shun on the Taiga Yoshitsune back in 2006 when she was a teenager so its rather weird for her to now have a chance to play his love interest. Shun confirmed that this drama is Japan’s take on Pretty Woman (clearly minus the whole being a prostitute part), and can I say how thrilled I am he’s back playing bona fide leading men. Tokyo Dogs was really his last legit television character. Check out the picture below and squee over how tinycutetiny Satomi is next to Shun. She’s one of the shorter actresses in her generation, and he’s easily one of the tallest leading men around. I need them in the drama to stand next to each other more. Sigh.
For those of you new to J-ent, Oguri Shun was the original flavor Hanazawa Rui in HanaDan before Kim Hyun Joong did it in Boys Before Flowers, and truly it was by the grace of pure acting intensity that Matsumoto Jun was able to sell us Domyoji because on looks and height…..no comment. It’s such a travesty that the first time Shun was able to work with Inoue Mao again was in Summer 2010’s giant stinker Juui Doolittle (brain = died). Anyways, the media is totally harping on how RMPW is Shun’s first project since he and Yamada Yu admitted they had secretly gotten married earlier this year, after not-so-secretly dating for the past four years. This was the biggest 2012 couple’s news in J-ent until scandal-prone Akanishi Jin announced his shotgun marriage to Kuroki Meisa (who worked with Shun in Crows Zero, come to think of it). I don’t know why, but the way Yamada Yu smiles resembles Satomi a bit and I think its cute Shun gets to work with his wifey’s little mini-me. Anyways, there is Yu flashing her ring and her smile at the press conference where her marriage to Shun was confirmed earlier this year. That girl could not possible smile any wider with her happiness. Lucky wench, heh. *so jealous*
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I cannot get enough of this show! Sucks that it only airs one episode every week... makes me look forward to my Mondays!
Love when Mrs.K spice it all. So much infos, K-interface!
Oh oh oh she's so adorable.. I may be repeating myself, but Ishihara is a fluffy marshmallow incarnate~ As for resemblance, I personally feel that she goes into the Ayase Haruka and Aoi Yuu category.. something about her giddy smile I suppose~ Oguri Shun... needs no words.
RMPW just keeps on getting better, and it has been just about 12 hours since I watched episode 4, and am already lusting for more. Oh show, what hath doth done to me? >.<;;
I actually kind of liked Juui Doolittle. To each their own? Lol.
Thanks for the goodies.
I am learning that one of the aspects J-doramas do better than K-dramas is in setting up a good love triangle. I know everyone doesn’t love Yoko, but she actually is a good match for Hyuga. Closer in age, same level of ambition, and they look good together. The shared romantic past gives her an advantage, too, since that sort of attraction doesn’t go away. If they hit it off nine years ago, the chemistry is real.
I had read that about this being a retelling of Pretty Woman, which is a Cinder-effing-rella story, remember?
So why isn't this a Cinderella story instead of the re-invention of a retelling of a Cinderella story with large lips, long legs, credit cards, oh, and sex?
I totally agree on the love triangles thing. I just watched Buzzer Beat, and even though I wanted to claw the second female lead's eyes out by the end (actually, I more wanted to claw the male lead's eyes out for wavering in his affections, but that's a story for a different post), I found myself feeling MUCH more sympathy for her than I've felt towards any comparable kdrama 2nd lead. Especially considering the production did everything short of tattooing "THIS IS A VILLAIN" in neon letters on her forehead to let us know that she's the love rival & she's a baddie.
I'm actually loving Yoko so far--she's straightforward, spunky, and hardworking. She and Hyuga also seem to have a genuine connection with real chemistry. If Makoto weren't so freakishly adorable/such a good balance to Hyuga, I'd be rooting for Yoko.
Is it next Wednesday yet?!??
I really like Yoko with the dude-chef at her restaurant (though he was a super jerk in ep 4). They have some good chemistry. They can definitely have their very own spinoff drama!
@asianromance: I really liked them together until episode 4 and was hoping they would end up together. You're right, though, he was a megajerk in episode 4. I hope they redeem him pronto and set Yoko up with him so she backs off Hyuga :).
Totally agree. In K-dramas, the 2nd female lead is often too evil/manipulative or trying too effing hard to get the guy's affection its unrealistic. Yoko is totally normal in her pursuit of Hyuga's affection and she's also driven and successful in her own right, not just going around trying to chase/stalk him as most 2nd leads in K-dramas do. ;)
Ah...lucky Mrs. Oguri Shun! He is the only Hanazawa Rui that I loved, I didn't know who he was then but his portrayal really sold me on the character. I mean, I adore ZaiZai and KHJ but not their characters in MG and BoF.
Anywayssss. I don't know why, I keep wanting to ship Ishihara with all her male co-stars. She's so cute and have so much chemistry with all of them, can't help it! She does have a resemblance to Yamada Yu but I think her appeal reminds me of Yu Aoi and Aoi Miyazaki, all have infectious smiles and effervescent charm. And since Shun-kun is taken, I suppose I'll stick to my Ishihara-Sato Takeru ship for now. Haha!
P.S. I am so obsessed with this. I will not be able to control myself if Hyuga/Shun is leaning on my shoulder too!!! ;)
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m83cxqDFs41rznk3ro1_500.jpg
Would you recommend any other Ishihara dramas? I just love her so much in this.
@rearwindow, you might want to start with H2 "Kimi to Itahibi", its an oldie but goodie. And then there's "Hanayome to Papa", its soooo cracktastic, I loved her with Taguchi. :D
ME! Memememememe! I am a rabid Satomi-Takeru shipper. How could I not. They are fricking Romeo and Juliet!
Their gorgeousness and chemistry slays me. And they are both single and age-appropriate. If they keep doing more projects together, they have the legs to become the next YamaKi. Shun's taken plus he and Satomi are totally brother and sister offscreen. But Takeru and Satomi bring to me the best sort of combustible chemistry on and off the screen. I <3333 them together so.
This is yet another reason I'm annoyed Takei Emi was cast in Rurouni Kenshin. Can you imagine Satomi screaming "Kenshin!!!" and then needing Takeru to go save her?
Oh god, I always want to watch this version of Romeo and Juliet (the *only* time I ever wanted to voluntarily watch Romeo and Juliet) and I can never never ever find anything online, and the DVD is so expensive *sob* I just want to stare at Sato and Ishihara together TT_TT
Ockoala *high fives*!!!! I loves them to death!!!!
i was just telling my friend who's in Japan for the past year that if there was one thing that I really regret not living in Tokyo, it would probably be not being able to watch them play Romeo and Juliet onstage. I know, its totally shallow but I can't help it! Perfect OTP is perfect. ;)
I love it. Thanks
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!
I'm totally waiting in agony for the next episode!!
As a big fan of HYD and especially of Hanazawa Rui, and although I love so much Hyun Joong oppa and Vic, the only Rui for me, is Oguri Shun as Rui his performance may never be overcome, but that's another story.
Thank you very much for the spoiler, god I can not wait for the next episode, Oguri as always giving a great performance, he is so beautiful in every scene I have to restrain myself not to scream like a fan girl