I had to do my math a few times to confirm that it’s been 22 years (22!!!) since the career making J-dorama Long Vacation that launched into J-dorama leading man super stardom Kimura Takuya. It’s not his highest rated J-dorama but it was definitely the one that put him on the map and made him a heartthrob throughout Asia for anyone who watched Japanese doramas. It also launched the career of second leads Takeuchi Yutaka and Matsu Takako, but for the actual leading lady Yamaguchi Tomoko it was like a phoenix rising then vanishing. She actually retired after the dorama to become a full time housewife to also famous leading man husband Karasawa Toshiaki and since then went nearly 20 years without acting. She’s recently come back to the small screen but the big news is that she’ll be making a cameo in Kimutaku’s currently airing dorama BG: Personal Bodyguard where she will be playing his estranged ex-wife. Ahahahaha, OMG I love the reunion and how twisted meta is it with Sena and Minami. So happy to see her back onscreen with the same incredibly winsome smile!
long vacation wasn’t really my thing but this is nice!!
Such exciting news…I have alaways loved her. Such a warm and beautiful smile as her trademark☺
Couldnt agree more. Yamaguchi Tomoko’s smile is sunshine!
It was definitely my favorite J-Dorama at that time.22 years ago!
First dorama I ever watched and iI was hooked! I was visiting my older sister in Hong Kong at the time and she introduced me to the show. I remember how my cousin and I would spend the day sight seeing and shopped till we dropped. And then we would rush back to sis’ house to catch the episode airing that night. Good times…:))
hahhaha… I am watching BG…a very solid drama… I have been going back to J-dramas since K-dramas are so blah… 🙂
Same. I find K -dramas seriously lacking in plotlines. The first two episodes draw you in with interesting concept but goes flat there after. Its like the writers are too lazy to flesh out the characters and make the story logical. Been going back to J-doramas and J-food porns like Kantaro and that food warrior show.
kdrama is nice in the 1st half but most often not rewarding, Jdrama works the other way around
@op So true! And I find the acting in k-drama so exaggerated. So is the directing, seems the k-directors want the scene to have a big impact, and so they make it into an unrealistic, laughable scene. Too many scenes to name.
Me too. Loving BG… and some other ones airing this winter. Looking forward to the KimuTaku and YT upcoming episode.
The very first scenes of the Long Vacation were so well-acted and sooo funny that hooked me completely. The bride in her wedding kimono looking for the runaway groom and the poor roommate who was late for work (or maybe his piano contest?) trying to get rid of her. It was definitely like a theatrical play. Just loved it from the start…
I need to watch this great OTP again?
Did they not have the best chemistry or what?!? ! Kudos to writer, director, cinematographer and the actors of course…that first episode was awesome!
I totally agree! Great chemistry, great drama!!
omg I recently watched the drama long vacation.
Does she not age? In the first photo she even looks younger than him.
I loved Long Vacation. Wow! More than two decades ago and yet she doesn’t look like she has aged.
It quite interesting how Kimu Taku has the baby face and yet he looks a lot older than YT in this pic.
This is too adorable. 22 years and that made me feel so old. I was one of the few who actually fell for Yutaka Takenouchi (who cpuld forget his line “Even Doraemon can play piano” ?) instead of Kimutaku. But Sena and Minami are a great match. How much I miss the old J-doramas. This made me all sentimental again. ?
Who could forget Yutaka Takenouchi in the drama?!! His bad boy character stole many hearts and some say at one point in the drama, Kimu Taku’s character was overshadowed by Yutaka’s bad boy/music genius character. Loved Yutaka in Heaven’s Coin, With Love, Ice World, etc.
He made me love him in Heaven’s Coins -even in that crazy second season. He was so handsome in Rondo too. I think in Long Vacation the acting of the OTP was on another level, though.
Meant to say the popularity of Yutaka’s role was at one point more popular than Sena in drama. OTP’s acting was the best among all I’ve seen so far.
@Kalel
Funny how a great actor can make us sit through hours of terrible drama writing back in the days. Haha..,We’ll no more for me as I’m at te point in my life where that hour’s time is precious and can’t be wasted on such.
la la la love song….
Running to my storage room to dig out LV’s soundtrack CD now. ❤️❤️❤️
memory memory ah~~ LV was one of my first jdorama that started it all for me.
Oh snap. I’m walking down memory lane right now. This was the first asian drama I ever watched and the one that got me hooked on this addiction. I remember loving Minami’s character, loving the chemistry of Minami and Seno and thinking Yutaka’s character was so cool though looking back he’s probably an ass. And who can forget the amazing OST?
“I wanna make love, I wanna make love song”
only bad part about LV second male having affair with the second lead female. dude must be 10 year her age. one thing u can look forward to watching japanese drama. there going be old dude having affair with young female.
He looks younger then her 22yrs ago. Now, he has aged more than her….
I quit watching BG after 1st episode. Im more interested to satomi’s unnatural and yamaken’s todome ni kissu (hope it’s the correct title). Kimutaku in the last was really handsome and cute. I still remember watching him on LV and what generation, forget the title. At the time, i was too young to understand love. I just followed my aunt watching it. Lols. Time has passed so fast.
I mean in the past* typo
I really liked Long Vacation and I love Kimu – Taku. He is not a very talented actor but he comes of as very sincere and he has a lovely voice (I’m a sucker for a voice I like).