Ouroboros Review

Title: Ouroboros

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Action

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2015-Jan to 2015-Mar

Cast: Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma and Ueno Juri.

Growing up as orphans Ryuzaki Ikuo and Danno Tatsuya never had a place they called home, until they arrive at a children’s home run by Kashiwaba Yuiko (Hirosue Ryoko). The two grow very fond of Yuiko, due to her caring personality and big heart, and start seeing her as the only adult they trust.

Everything changes drastically when they one-night witness four men leaving a bleeding Yuiko, after shooting her. This leads them to vow, to find the men, take revenge, and kill them. Several years later, they both are grown: Ryuzaki Ikuo (Ikuta Toma) is a detective with a perfect arrest record, and Danno Tatsuya (Oguri Shun) is a don in the underworld. Waiting for opportunities and clues to find the assailants behind Yuikos killers.

After an alleged suicide, Ikuo arrives at the crime scene and becomes the partner of Hibino Mizuki (Ueno Juri). Soon they find out that the suicide isn’t a suicide, and suddenly the clues start dropping.

The two start their mission, now without caring about their capture…

This is one of the few revenge dramas that I’ve enjoyed in my 10+ years of watching dramas. It is a typical drama meaning a tiny bit cliché, but with good twist - had me wondering a few times. I like that it was delivered as it is, and was not apologetic about its characters. We were made aware from the beginning how things are, and how the situation will be. And yet we are wondering at the end, if there might be a better life for these guys in the future.

This is as said one of the few ‘revenge’ dramas I like, and funnily enough it once again stars Ikuta Toma (the other revenge drama I enjoyed is Maou in which he stars in). Oguri and Ikuta are amazing actors, so the duo is actually perfect in almost every sense. At first, I didn’t really understand Ueno Juri had to be in it - they didn’t use her characters potential at all, but she is interesting to watch, and a great actress, so it’s not a complete waste.

To sum up: a great drama with good plot and great screenplay. Recommendable!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

MIRACLE: Debikurukun no Koi to Mahou Movie Review

Title: Miracle

AKA: Miracle - Debikurukun no Koi to Mahou / Miracle - Devil Claus' Love and Magic

Genre: Romance

Origin: Japan

Release date: November 22, 2014

Cast: Aiba Masaki, Eikura Nana, Han Hyo Joo and Ikuta Toma.

Hikaru (Aiba Masaki) is an unsuccessful manga artist, who not only is unable to get a breakthrough, but is indecisive in everything he has ever done. His best friend Anna (Eikura Nana), a competent and rather successful sculpturing artist, has always been protective over Hikaru. She knows everything about him, and has had a one-sided love for him which Hikaru hasn’t grasped at all.

Though unsuccessful, Hikaru draws ‘Debukuru-kun’; Santa’s evil counterpart, and post flyers all over the town at night. This is his form of stress release, as he is the ‘sorry’-type – apologizing every time something happens.

One night he bumps into Tae Soo Yeon (Han Hyo Joo) whom he falls immediately falls for, and believs he is destined to be with. After explaining the situation and Soo Yeon to Anna, Anna realizes who that woman might be – her project boss. So she promises Hikaru she’ll help him. Will Hikaru meet his destined woman?

Again a movie I picked up from the Japanese variety, though this one has another factor for me watching, and that is mainly because of Aiba Masaki. I think I have almost watched everything available online of Arashi drama/movie and this is no exception. This is the first Aiba romantic drama – in the actual sense of romance being the center of the movie, so I had to watch it.

The overall idea of the movie very Japanese as there has to be a bit of an odd characteristic, in this case the animated Devil Clause who is always in Hikaru’s mind, but that doesn’t weight too much to the movie, not does it annoy you too much. Surprisingly you feel kind of like Devil Clause is Hikaru’s mind, which is also quite interesting. Aiba as Hikaru was okay, I kind of feel all his character’s overlap – they are all quite cowardly to some extent, but I guess that is his image? And Eikura Nana as Anna was quite good at keeping her character real... Maybe she growing on me?

Now to the good part: is the movie recommendable? Well, I half-enjoyed it, as I was half-bored with it. The movie lacks somewhat depth, which is translated in the overall story to be honest. But then again, the acting somewhat has a bit of charm… So I dunno, maybe? Haha..

☆☆½ / 2½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Unubore Deka Review

Title: Unubore Deka

AKA: Conceited Detective

Genre: Comedy, Detective, Romance, Suspense

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2010-Jul to 2010-Sep

Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Ikuta Toma, Kaname Jun and Arakawa Yoshiyoshi.

“Unubore” means being conceited and overestimating your own abilities when it comes to wooing girls. Our lead (Nagase Tomoya) in this story is called ‘Unubore’ by everyone he knows, because he simply is thinking that every girl falls in love with him. After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend/fiancé, Unubore lives by falling in love with any girl after the 3 seconds stare - meaning after 3 seconds of they look at each other it means love at first sight. One day he enteres a bar where 4 other unubore guys are staying: actor that can’t get pass the corps role Honjo Sadame (Ikuta Toma), a narcissistic patisserie Matsuoka Seishiro (Kaname Jun), a glamour photographer Anai Kiichi (Yagahi Ken) and the leader/master who is over his 50’s Kurihashi Makoto (Bando Mistugoro). They all boost each other’s conceitedness, by overestimating themselves.

But surprisingly every time he falls for a girl she ends up being a criminal, so he ultimately asks them a question: will you sign the marriage papers or will you go to jail?

Yeah.. Uhm, this is so slapstick humor that I couldn’t even laugh. I think I kind of tried to see it as funny and ended up rolling my eyes even more. Though it has some scenes that make me face palm myself because of its ridiculousness, but someone these people are so dumb it’s not even funny. The huge and famous cast couldn’t even save this sinking ship, but you could kind of enjoy it because of the crazily conceited guys and their way of seeing life and women. The story though is so silly and yeah.. Ridiculous.. I can’t think of any other word.

So recommendable? I wouldn’t, but you can give it a try.

☆☆ / 2 out of 5 stars

♥♥ / 2 out of 5 heats

Bokura Ga Ita Kohen (part 2) Movie Review

Title: Bokura Ga Ita Kohen

AKA: We Were There, Part 2

Genre: Romance

Origin: Japan

Release date: April 21, 2012

Cast: Ikuta Toma, Yoshitaka Yuriko and Takaoka Sousuke

This movie continues 5 years after the departure of Yano.

Takahasi Nanami (Yoshitaka Yuriko) fresh from the university, is in search for a job, but for some reason isn’t able to land one. Takeuchi Masafumi (Takaoka Sousuke) finally gets a job and the two celebrate it, but the conversation mainly is about the school reunion that same week. It’s been 5 years since Yano Motoharu (Ikuta Toma) left and 3 years since he last wrote to Nanami, but Namami firmly believes that Yano will return, and can’t seem to let go, or rather refuses to do so.

Takeuchi destroys the dream of Yano ever returning by telling her a secret he’s been caring around: that Yano had returned a couple of years ago in secret, telling Takeuchi to take care of Nanami and that he is never coming back, which breaks Nanami’s heart.

Nanami, trying to forget Yano by focusing on work, getting more out and dating, starts to love life again, but that all changes when she one finds out about his whereabouts…

Compared to the first part the second part is a bit more grown up and serious, which I think is on purpose. The magic is that it is able to keep you entertained for another 2 hours after what happened in part 1. I think it was a really good idea parting this story in two, even though I was quite annoyed  at it at first because of it, I believe that it was a smart move, due to the growth that happens - which would’ve been little too sudden to be if it happened immediately.

Toma and Yuriko are a good couple, and great actors, and to be honest they fit their characters well. The thing that amazes me is how good the storyline is written, like these people actually react as normal people would - at least most of the time. Not that perfect human-being-mightiness that happens most of the time in either drama or movies.

To sum up, both movies, worth a watch - if you are into love stories.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Bokura Ga Ita Zenpen (part 1) Movie Review

Title: Bokura Ga Ita Zenpen

AKA: We Were There, Part 1

Genre: Romance

Origin: Japan

Release date: March 17, 2012

Cast: Ikuta Toma, Yoshitaka Yuriko and Takaoka Sousuke

This movie is based on the manga by the same name.

Takahashi Nanami (Yoshitaka Yuriko) is a high school freshman, known to be completely honest in everything she says. When the classmates talk about boys, she isn’t really interested, until she meets the favorite topic Motoharu Yano (Ikuta Toma) on the school rooftop, sitting alone. She is immediately infatuated by Yano, and when he asks her to sit with him she can’t say no. While conversing, she notices how he seems sad and without will to live, so she begins to worry about him. Later that day, she and her classmates happen to talk about him, and he speaks rudely to her, she gets angry and leaves after calling him ‘the worst’. Being told that for the first time in his life, Yano is stunned, so he tries to make up for it, by helping her with her class duties. Slowly Nanami falls for Yano, but finds out about his past scars of his dead ex-girlfriend, whom he cannot forget. While sitting with him in class, she accidently confesses to him. Yano, not really loving her, tells her to date him, but for the honest and proud Nanami dating someone without genuine feelings is just cruel, so she refuses him. After a while, they start dating, but due to Yano’s past, he starts to ignore her, until Yano’s best friend Takeuchi Masafumi (Takaoka Sousuke) threatens to take Nanami away from Yano, because he is in love with her himself.

So he decides to take care of her, but can Yano forget his past love, and start loving Nanami, who loves him more than anything?

(Sorry about the lousy review, not my finest moment)

The one thing that hit me while watching this movie, was how typical of a manga storyline it is - with the entire honest and innocent girl meeting popular and complex boy - fall in love and get obstacles involving their pasts. And I never really expected it to be good, because the clichés and the storyline isn’t easy to live up to - but it surprised me how good it actually is. It is a real Shojo manga type, but yet manages to keep me interested, which isn’t that easy - since I’m not in that category, or prefer not to be due to the typical clichés. 

But Yoshitaka and Toma do great jobs, and make it seem genuine; also manage to entertain me most of the time. The negative is that everything seems so sudden, and sometimes I became confused, which is common in Shojo, but not that great for movies. 

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Hanamizuki Movie Review

Title: Hanamizuki
Genre:  Romance
Origin: Japan
Release date: 21 August 2010

Cast: Aragaki Yui, Ikuta Toma, and Mukai Osamu.

Hirasawa Sae (Aragaki Yui) and Kouhei Kyochi (Ikuta Toma)met by accident as they both were running late for exams; Sae in an all-girls high school, and Kyochi in a fisherman’s high school. When their train stops, they run after the bus, only to miss it. Sae then sees a car and asks Kyochi to drive it, which ends with the car crashing in the gutter. Kyochi takes the fall for it - and gets severely punished by his father, and Sae gets suspended for hanging around with ‘that kind of boy’. Feeling bad Kyochi tries to apologize to her, only to be rejected, but as they start conversing they both open up.

Sae starts cram school, and Kyochi gets a part-time job, so the two take the train together home, soon friendship becomes love. Everything’s great until Sae passes her exams, and leaves for Tokyo to study: the two separate.

In the beginning, they keep in touch through phone, but as Sae meets Kitami Junichi (Mukai Osamu), a senpai that is - like Sae’s passed away dad- a photographer, gets her involved with school activities and a job, she ends up not having time for Kyochi. The two meet for Christmas after a long while, only to end up fighting. They manage to make up, but as time passes, life take unexpected turns and their views on live changes. Will their love be able to maintain the hardships to come?

Now I can’t help and compare this movie with the movie I watched recently: Architecture 101. Two countries, same theme, but completely different stories, and feel to it. Really.

This movie follows two people’s lives, loads of things happen and yet manage to keep me entertained, and that is something very hard to do. I don’t really like ‘life stories’ - am going to now - mainly because I watched some that didn’t really make me sit. And then this pops up, and for some reason, it made me really bubbly inside, both sad (mostly), and smiley. It’s a really good movie, and very enjoyable.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Voice Review

Title: Voice
Genre: Medical, mystery
Episode: 11
Broadcast period: 2009-Jan-12 to 2009-Mar-23
Cast: Eita, Ikuta Toma, Ishihara Satomi, Endo Yuya, Sato Tomohito, Izumiya Shigeru, Yada Akiko, Tokito Saburo aso.

A group of 5 young medical students take a seminar on forensic pathology. Not many students pick forensic pathology and those who do pick it dont last very long, working with dead people isnt something anyone can do. Ryosuke, Kanako, Teppei, Akira and Daiki, who is somehow accepted for the seminar even though he didnt apply, are faced with the task to listen to the voices of the dead, to find out their story and their last words to their family and friends. These 5 students with very different personalities bond, grow and work together and even try to gather clues outside school, they become immersed in solving the mysteries.

I didnt expect to like this drama at all. At first i thought it wouldnt be interesting but it sure was. I think japanese dramas got this thing, they're special because they show a different side of things or go into depth with a subject and make you think about things. I really liked the characters especially Daiki and his "Naaandee!?" all the time. We usually (or at least i ) dont think about things that are part of our daily routines, we dont think why we do as we do and why some things happen, so it was a really nice twist to the drama. Also of course Ikuta Toma, who i always enjoy watching. It also had a lot of humor (most japanese do) so it wasnt all serious.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½/ 3.5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict
OMG, another good one.
When I watched this drama some time back, I fell in love with Eita (didn‘t like him in Last Friends), and made me watch most of his drama after it. Even though I watched Voice because of Toma, I was head over heels with Eita.
This drama is a very “Japanese Medical” drama, meaning: few people, completely different personalities, finding themselves in the work they get.
It’s recommendable, even recommended it to Jenji, so if you haven’t watched it, GO! It’s a nice drama.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts