Who has watched a Taiga in your lifetime? Any Taiga will do. My last one was 2010’s Ryomaden due to my Fukuyama Masaharu bias, but I mostly skip all the ones in in the last decade or so. This year’s Taiga is the female-centric Gou headlining Ueno Juri, so it sorta makes sense that next year’s Taiga swings the opposite … Continue reading →
Man, I do not want to be the drama going up against the upcoming TBS 60th anniversary dorama/annual KimuTaku offering Nankyoku Tairiku, which premieres October 16, 2011 on Sundays. This will surely wash the stink of Tsuki no Koibito off, because who can resist Kimura Takuya in a period drama (set in the 50s), in an exotic locale (filmed on location in … Continue reading →
How is this not the OTP? Practical and down-to-earth butt poor girl meets calculating and acerbic nerdy billionaire heir. Yes yes, I know Kyoya in the manga/anime of Ouran High School Host Club isn’t even guy2, but the drama is definitely setting him up to be guy2, so that’s my canon and I’m sticking with it. The problem isn’t even … Continue reading →
Do you want an even larger scale version of Ouran High School Host Club, a story that has already evolved from manga to anime and now to live-action drama. I want! And my wants appear to be immediately fulfilled, because the cast of Ouran attended a fan meeting in Tokyo last week and announced that they will be starring in … Continue reading →
This drama? Is wonderfully cute. I’ve been indifferent to Aragaki Yui since she gave such a placid performance in Code Blue, so she doesn’t exactly call to mind determined, blunt, and cranky young lawyer Ayukawa Wakaba, a gunning for private jet and Manhattan penthouse type of character. Boy was I wrong. Zenkai Girl with Yui and Nishikido Ryo (as yummy … Continue reading →
J-doramas have officially gone off the cross-dressing end this Summer, with not one, not two, but THREE girl-crossing-dressing-with-a-bunch-of-guys dramas out at the exact same time. And two are remakes to boot. Where’s the originality Japan? I checked out all three purely out of curiosity, discovering that while two made me run away screaming, one was an insane and infectiously adorable … Continue reading →
I recently came across a lovely compendium of all the AnAn Magazine covers that KimuTaku (Kimura Takuya) has ever graced. It perfectly encapsulates the Crown Prince of J-ent and his evolution from free love hippie boy toy to serious thespian goofy SMAP member. It’s incredible to consider his legacy and longevity in an industry that typically values the next-big-thing. Currently … Continue reading →
I’m back with another addition to my “Pimp That Drama” series – not a recap or a review, but rather my musings on why I love a certain drama. I love distinct seasons – the crisp Autumn air, the muggy Summer heat, the damp Spring scent, and the dry Winter chill. Just like some foods are best consumed at a … Continue reading →
On a special episode of SMAPxSMAP to be broadcast on July 18th, Jang Geun Seok will be a special guest on the show’s “Bistro SMAP” segment, cooking and goofing off with KimuTaku and co. A few K-stars have appeared on the show in the past, and it’s a testament to Jang Geun Seok’s sky-rocketing popularity in Japan that he gets … Continue reading →
Why? For the sanity of Koala, why? WHY? I can keep typing the same word over and over for the rest of the post. Seriously. Why? Doramas, you are officially on my shit list this Summer. Sometimes the lack of knowledge is a blessing, because I just discovered that Fuji TV is remaking its own blockbuster drama just four years … Continue reading →
Not sure if anyone is interested in checking this out, but the upcoming TBS J-dorama remake of the popular K-drama You’re Beautiful is scheduled to premiere in two weeks. The remake stars a new slew of J-ent idols, which may or may not rocket them to stardom the way HanaDan made Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun. Speaking of which, Ikemen … Continue reading →
Jung Woo Sung isn’t just in a new relationship (with you-know-who), he’s also making his Japanese television debut next month in the upcoming Fuji TV J-dorama Good Life – Arigatou, Papa. Sayonara. Crap, the title already does not bode well for the happiness meter. The drama is based on best-selling Korean novel Kashikogi by Cho Chung In, which has already … Continue reading →
King of J-entertainment KimuTaku (Kimura Takuya) has settled on his 2011 J-dorama project, and it’s a doozy. Something this large in scale and scope, the 60th anniversary drama for TBS, only one man has britches big enough to carry the show. And he’s bringing 19 huskie dogs along with him! KimuTaku’s next dorama will be a TV-version of a true … Continue reading →