Blackboard Part 3 - Yume SP Review

Title: Blackboard part 3 - Yume

AKA: Blackboard: Dream

Genre: School, Dreams

Broadcast date: 07 Apr 2012

Cast: Matsushita Nao, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Kato Shigeaki and Matsui Jurina.

This is the last one out of 3 stories about the school system changing in Japan.

Takizawa Momoko (Matsushita Nao), on the verge of a breakdown, runs home in tears after her pupils make a fool out of her. She has been bullied by her pupils ever since a student named Omiya Masaki (Kamiki Ryunosuke) begun to ridicule her and effecting the class. As she feels cornered and decides to jump from her terrace, but is pulled back by her mother, who talks sense into her. Not wanting to give up, she gets her act together and hits hard on the pupils actions. This she succeeds by intimidating the students with point loss and adding bad resumes if they don’t listen. Every student complies, except Masaki who says his famous line “I don’t understand”. When in class he refuses to do his assignment, Momoko notices that something isn’t right.

Maybe Masaki really doesn’t understand? This becomes the start of a row of misunderstandings…

Despite the fact that it reminds me of all other Japanese high school dramas, this one is much more a realistic story with the actual student issues. And the teacher really shows the hardships of being a teacher vividly. On the other hand the ending seemed a bit too cliché-ish, but that’s Japan for you. The characters, young and old, were portrayed well and show the growth of a young actor (Kamiki) which I enjoyed a lot.

That said, this is probably the one everyone would see considering the time.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Blackboard Part 2 - Ikiro SP Review

Title: Blackboard part 2 - Ikiro

AKA: Blackboard: Survive

Genre: School, School violence

Broadcast date: 06 Apr 2012

Cast: Sato Koichi, Shida Mira and Kanjita Shiori.

This is the second out of 3 stories about the school system changing in Japan.

Gota Akira (Sato Koichi) used to be a student of Shirahama’s (Sakurai Sho), and he has a hard time understanding the students hate for school, since he had a hard time being able to go to school at all. Never the less did he become a teacher, but with a different vision than most teachers. He became infamous in his previous school as a “violent teacher” meaning he uses corporal punishment towards delinquent students, which most schools are having a hard time dealing with, mainly ‘school violence’ meaning the school is getting vandalized.

On his very first day he meets the root of the problem, Furusawa Yukari (Shida Mira) who was forced into suspension, and has come back, but ruined several classrooms with two of her friends. When the two meet, Gota uses ‘his fist’ on the delinquents, and gets a lot of attention, not only by teachers, but also parents and the media..

I actually like this one more than the other one, even though it’s Sakurai. This one focuses more on the students and the school as a general, and also makes you wonder about different kinds of situations. Okay yes, the delinquent part does make it more my kind of genre, but on the other hand the storyline seems more school-related. The actors are doing a good job, even though it does get lengthy at the end. Somehow they manage to get it swirling in its own bad habits, but yet it has the flavor of excitement.. LOL.

It’s good, and worth 2 hours of your time - or mine at least.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Blackboard Part 1 - Mirai SP Review

Title: Blackboard part 1 - Mirai

AKA: Blackboard: Future

Genre: History, School

Broadcast date: 05 Apr 2012

Cast: Sakurai Sho, Oshima Yuko, Miyazawa Rie and Nakamura Aoi.

This is the first out of 3 stories about the school system changing in Japan.

In 1944 Shirahama Shohei (Sakurai Sho) proudly announced to his class that he would be going to war fighting the Americans in the Second World War. Encouraging his students to do the same after they graduate, he leaves filled with honor and pride, fighting what he calls the ‘Holywar’.

Three years later and the war has ended, Shohei returns home from the frontline, he is shocked how people from his own town are acting, and mostly how drastic the school system had changed. Losing an arm in a bombing situation, Shohei returns to find out that his father, brother and brother-in-law both lost their lives in the war, leaving him as the sole man in the house. Returning to school, he is offered a job, in which he decides to call together his former students, to see how they are. But out of 40 students 6 students join, blaming him for the loss of their friends. Realizing what he has done, Shohei starts to doubt his capabilities as a teacher…

Hmm, as I said before, I like school dramas, and I like Arashi, but somehow this didn’t go that far for me. It is very interesting, from a history point of view, but I didn’t really feel the ‘school’ in this. I liked Sho’s performance, and I enjoyed the special, I did honestly. But it was not what I had expected, and it didn’t really “fill” me, meaning I didn’t feel I got enough.

I can’t really say much, except that it has heart, and it shows a teacher growing with his pain and changing his life. I would recommend if you like history and if you like Sakurai Sho.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out 5 hearts