Yamazaki Kento and Kiritani Mirei’s J-movie Adaptation of Cute Manga Heroine Disqualified is a Box Office Hit
Once in a blue moon a cutie will come along that strikes my fancy, acting talent or lack thereof bedamned, and then I just want to follow along with his career. That’s totally what happened when I stumbled upon current manga adaptation It Boy Yamazaki Kento thanks to the hot mess that was the LDK movie adaptation which came out last year. I actually saw him earlier in Suikyu Yankees with another cutie I adore Nakajima Yuto, but LDK was when I sat up and said “Well, what do we have here?” Too bad that movie was bizarrely superficial and wasted a solid original manga story, plus Goriki Ayame was so miscast as the female lead I have no words.
Faring better for my cherubic-faced Kento is the just released movie adaption of popular shoujo manga Heroine Shikakku (Heroine Disqualified or No Longer Heroine). He plays the male lead opposite Kiritani Mirei, and based on the trailer she’s hitting the role perfectly without being overactingly annoying (like Ayame did in LDK). Sakaguchi Kentaro rounds out the love triangle in this story where Mirei’s character has been in love with her best guy friend played by Kento her whole life just waiting for him to love her back that way, only to have him suddenly date another girl in school while the school playboy develops an interest in her. In a huge upset, the movie just opened in Japan on 9-19 and had more ticket sales on the first day over the same day premiere of part 2 of the Attack on Titan live action.
Trailer for Heroine Shikakku:
I’m an easy public for kind of movies :p I think it’s not easy to resume a long story in one movie.
But for now, I’m waiting for Our Times ! I love the song and the trailer is good !
Our Times looks so good. Cant’ wait to see that one.
Kyaaa I agree. This has same “Awwwwww <3" feels as Our Times. 🙂
Wow! Yamazaki Kento is on his way to stardom for sure. He gives off a Song Joong Ki vibe. Definitely a candy cutie!
Looks cute. I’m a sucker for first love stories if done right.
hahahaha, this does look hilarious. Mirei shows off that she has some comedic chops like in Arakawa under the bridge.
Apparently the mangaka was happy about Mirei’s casting as she had modeled the character on Mirei.
Oh oh oh I actually read this short manga a few months ago and surprisingly enjoyed it!
every adaption has to have a fireworks festival scene. lol
Yamazaki has done quite a few terrible movies – lightweight manga adaptations that do nothing to show his talent and further his career (well, they might gain him fangirls, but not roles with respectable directors that can actually benefit him). I really hope he scores some better projects in the future because rom-coms that everyone will have forgotten after half a year don’t make a lasting career.
Jinx! however was quite alright, given the genre it fell into – went quite a bit darker than teen romances normally do and, surprisingly, had some substance.
But the one film of his that I would recommend is his very first: Kanseito (Control Tower), an indie production. There he showed his real potential and was also paired with an actress of talent, Hashimoto Ai, not the starlets and idols that he’s been starring opposite pretty much ever since.
Fortunately, his next partners are Suzu Hirose and Nikaido Fumi, both solid actresses (Suzu despite being a near-newbie).
I think his agency is pushing him to replace Fukushi Sota as the ikemen heartthrob like Fukushi replaced Mukai Osamu as he got married. It’s not a good move as Kento can act while Fuskushi can’t (I tried with his new dorama and I just gave up after 10 minutes)
He also just finished with the asadora Mare with Tsuchiya Tao with whom he did a film with, Orange?.
Tsuchiya I wish would get some heavier material, she used to before she made it big but now not so much.
This has the ‘feels’ for the old movies and doramas I used to love from Japan. Wayyy back in the early 2000’s. I miss those days. I hope this is as good as the trailer makes it feel/look.
he doesn’t do it for me though he’s very cute I’m tired of this flower boy trend in japan even though most polls show that people prefer manlier actors, anyway if he’s a good actor then I do hope he will replace fukushi sota coz I can’t stand that wood block being cast in anything major anymore
my favourites in the new generation are Masahiro higashide coz he’s a good actor and he’s the hottest of the newbies and sometani shota coz he’s the best actor
Yamazaki Kento.. I only know him as L in death note drama. He looks different without eyeliner..