GOLD Review

Title: GOLD
Genre: Drama, Family, Sport
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2010-Jul to 2010-Sep
Cast: Amami Yuki, Nagasawa Masami, Mikami Kensei, Matsuzaka Tori, Takei Emi and Sorimachi .

Saotome Yuri (Amami Yuki) owns a major sports gym and aesthetic salon. She is famous for the way she raises her children and is often called on TV shows to talk about her point of view, which are also written in books that she writes. Her older brother was an athlete, almost going to the Olympics, but unfortunately ends up in an accident. This leaves Yuri with the desire to fulfill his greatest wish to get gold, so she raises all her children to become athletes, be it swimming or running, just so that they can get gold. This sounds rough said so bluntly, but the wish to get gold is not only Yuri’s dream, it became the dream of her children as they grew up under her strict rules and ways of living.
Their lives change when suddenly situations happen of which they had not expected…

I started this drama mainly because of the cast: Amami Yuki (BOSS, Queens Classroom, Kaiji) and Sorimachi Takashi (GTO) are two of my favorite ‘non-idol’ celebs and actors. It was like those typical Japanese dramas with the typical touching speeches occasionally, so didn’t really expect much of it. Seriously, this drama caught me off guard. It really didn’t expect it to be so mature and tough, like really. It’s very serious, and very harsh sometimes, made me go like ‘whaaaat?’. On the other hand, it had its downs, like sometimes the actors weren’t really expressing the character that mainly happened in the beginning, but towards the end it became somewhat crazy. I mean wow, I thought they would all end up in some mental institution if they continued… I actually am not sure whether or not to recommend this, because the drama is, especially for j-dorama fans, very serious (like Last Friends kind of serious, maybe one or two inches more). And if you don’t have patients you’ll stop watching it, like immediately.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

BOSS 2 Review

Title: BOSS Season 2
Genre: Crime, Detective, Comedy
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2011- to 2011-
Cast: Amami Yuki, Toda Erika, Takenouchi Yukata, Hasegawa Kyoko, Mizobata Junpei and Tamayama Tetsuji.

This season continues two years after a terrorist situation, where the team got split up because of an incident that happened shortly after. Osawa Eriko (Amami Yuki) is back, older, louder and much bossier, putting the team back after her friend and boss Nodate Shinjiro (Takenouchi Yutaka) becomes director. As Kimoto Mami (Toda Erika) is blamed for the mishap that happened in their last incident, she is transferred and new members join the team. But the team has trust issues towards Osawa, believing she is the one that threw Kimoto out, making them lag in action.

I love this series. Watched season one and thought it was different; funny and somewhat realistic. To be honest I watched season one because of Toda Erika, but ended up being a big fan of Amami Yuki (the one that plays boss), now waiting eagerly for subs on one of her newer dramas. Different than season 1, season 2 is a bit loose at the beginning, with random cases, but ends up pretty thrilling, was very excited at the last episode. On the other hand, the last scene(s) are a bit disappointing. Was at least expecting a big POW, or something... To sum up, good/great watch, but not too wowing: P

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3,5 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
Waaah, I really missed this drama, I love how japanese dramas (not saying tht other dont but mostly japanese) make you really excited and looking forward to watching the drama. This one did too, a lot of things happen and its actually a really good drama when talking about quality. It did start out a bit weird, it was confusing because you dont really get to know anything from the end of season 1, but I guess that was because of the ending. Still really great, but I missed a bit that.. they are always successful, you know that at the end of every episode its gonna end good. But again not necessarily a con, just me maybe got a bit tired of it, some times its really complicated and you feel like an idiot watching it but thats mostly typical japanese dramas lol. But if you have watched season one definitely watch this one too, its great.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3,5 out of 5 hearts

Kaiji Movie Review

Title: Kaiji: Jinsei gyakuten gêmu.
AKA: Kaiji
Genre: Suspense
Origin: Japan
Release date: 2009-Oct-11
Cast: Fujiwara Tatsuya, Amami Yuki, Namase Katsuhisa
Tatsuya Fujiwara, Matsuyama Ken'ichi and Yamamoto Taro.

Ito Kaiji (Tatsuya Fujiwara) is an average worker, and has no meaning in life. One day, by accident, he meets Endo Riko (Yuki Amami) who tells him that he owns millions of yen, which he had lend. Kaiji, who doesnt know anything about it, freaks out saying that he doesnt have the money pay her back.
Then Riko invites him to join a competition on a ship that is going to make him get all the money, so he can pay back. As he joins the competition, he finds out that it is no ordinary game. In order to join the game, you have to borrow 3mio yen, but there are interests in every single minute. All hell breaks loose as every single player fights to stay in the game.

I can explain this movie in 2 words: insane and weird. The entire movie happens extremely fast, so I didn't really have time to step out and question everything. My mind became fixed on cheering for Kaiji, since he had over 100 mio in debt. Some things were disturbing, like the rich people eating dinner and watching gamers fall off a rooftop. For Ken'ichi Matsuyama fans, you wont get dissapointed, since his character is worth watching. The pairing up with the Death Note cast is so great that I actually replayed the 'bonding' scene over and over again.
If you like mind games, watch it. If you like Light and L together, watch it.

☆☆☆½ / 3.5 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
Mi layk dis muvi. Though I did get a bit confused,, i had a hard time catching up. It got really complicated at the end but that might just be me bit slow.. hehehe. I was like "Did he do it? Or maybe not, maybe he's trying to confuse him, or he wants him think that he wants to confuse him, or maybe this is just really simple? .." yeah and i gave up thinking bout that couse from my point of view its impossible to predict that. But dude seriously awesome movie. Its like money make people insane,, well not all but most people. Like so insane like when they never get enough money and when they got lots of it they dont know what to do with their lives anymore so they just watch poor people fight for their freedom and their lives and so they take advantage of them. Aaargghh most rich people just suck. How bout using ur money for something helpful. Idiots. Taking advantage of Light and L. Freaks, no life, they should b the ones working underground day and night for nothing.
Im gonna give this movie 4 ☆'s cause its bout poeple fighting againsk those STUPID rich dudes ! Fightoo-o! + Lighto-chan ^^

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥/ 4 ♥'s out of 5