I've not felt this much of emotions for a long time. It was like a roller coaster ride, maybe even more excitement than that. Through that one character (though the acting was pretty bad), I felt so much of her. The music didn't help in me regaining my composture but instead, made it even worse. I find myself hooked onto it, like as if it was me feeling all those pain she was going through. It must be the theme song, Prisoner of Love. Hail Utada Hikaru.
So, at last my desktop decided to be good after I went through the trouble of uninstalling every "weird" programs. Well, poor college student is after all too poor to afford a computer "doctor" to heal it. Well, thankfully, it now allows me to get my hands on Last Friends. I have been waiting for it forever and the wait was ほんとに worthwhile.
DRAMA STILLS AHEAD! and lots of NISHA's きもち and what went through her head (the thought of me going through the video again seem to overwhelm me a little too much. I need more time to recover.)
Last Friends is mainly about Michiru Aida (Nagasawa Masami from Proposal Daisakusen), an assistant hairdresser who is constantly being abused both at work (by her senior colleague - Hiratsuka Reina (Nishihara Aki from Hana Yori Dango)) and at her home, where she co-habits with her domestic violent (DV) boyfriend, Oikawa Sousuke (Nishikido Ryo from One Liter of Tears). Ironically, Sousuke works in a Child Welfare Department.
A day before she was going to co-habit with Sousuke (previously she was staying with her mother who brings home her boyfriend to make out with), Michiru bumped into her old bestie, Kishimoto Ruka (Ueno Juri from Nodame Cantabile). It had been 4 years since they met up, so it was a pleasant surprise for both of them, but even more for Ruka because she secretly is in love with Michiru.
Ruka works in motocross and that further reveals the masculinity side of her. Also, she almost always seem to be talking about wanting equality between man and woman so that gender will never be a barrier.
We are also introduced to Ruka's house mates (they live in a really beautiful house!), Mizushima Takeru (Eita from Nodame Cantabile) who works as a make-up artiste at day and bartender at night (love the bar's atmosphere), Takigawa Eri (Mizukawa Asami from Yamada Tarou Monogatari - don't recall her though) who works as an air stewardness whose colleagues ignore her existence, and Ogura Tomohiko (Yamazaki Shigenori from Proposal Daisakusen - don't recall too), Eri's colleague. In each episode, the drama reveals more of the character's personality and pasts, which will make us hook to the drama and scream for more. Through each others' strength, they look at the positive side of life, and always have fun when they get together even though they have their individual problems. (Be reminded that though the story starts with a preggy Michiru, it continues by showing Michiru's flashbacks).
Episode one stills ahead (and some of nisha's random comments about it).
Nisha spanks:
That is super fake lah! Can't they like make it seem more real? And the way Nagasawa walked was super hilarious! This pregnant role so did not fit her since she didn't pull it off that well.
Nisha spanks:
Pretty sky! So blue!
Nisha spanks: And blue curtains to match it! Darn, I would love to live in such a beautiful house. Oh wait! I should not say this until 'Ruka and mate' 's house is revealed.
Nisha spanks:
I love the opening song and visuals! Kudos to whoever came up with the opening credits visuals because it really did capture the essence and meaning of the drama and what to expect. And good job to Utada Hikaru for that moving song that oh-so-frequently make me cry while watching the drama. (What an irony that I'm thanking someone for making me cry.) The song went well with each of the drama's situation.
Nisha spanks: Of course, Ryo's かっこい -ness made the drama even more worth watching for. Oh my, he looked so perfect in the beginning... Doesn't he?
Nisha spanks: Look, they were so happy together the night Nagasawa cohabited with Ryo, I mean, Michiru co-habited with Sousuke. But, the next day, ...
Nisha spanks: Sousuke doubted Michiru of having an affair with another man. Apparently, 'man' at question is Ruka (and i've to say she's one hot-looking boyish girl! So into her, man!).
Nisha spanks: And that's what will happen when you have a doubtful boyfriend, Michiru. So much for that perfect boyfriend disguise in the beginning: Present to girlfriend, nice guy who cares so much for kids. But, I've to say, though this is a really sad scene, it didn't seem so. This scene was saved because of Ryo's serious and rather ah beng (okay, all jap guys are rather ah beng) acting. Otherwise, it would have been comical because of Nagasawa's really bad acting.
Nisha spanks: Ryo looks so good even when he is acting as the bad boy. Just look at that! He was so into his character lah. But it is sad that he is not the lead (like every other drama he acted in)
Nisha spanks: The part when I really started crying like a little girl who was ditched by her parents. Nagasawa's acting was perfect in this scene. She is born to cry. And make others cry with her. Actually Nagasawa really has the face of a girl going through DV (watch episode 3 to find her all beaten up. She looked super horrible. Okay, being a meanie here.)
Nisha spanks: That's Ruka, the culprit (in my eyes) who started Michiru's misery (actually no, since Sousuke will still be a DV boyfriend even if Ruka didn't reappear in Michiru's life). My my, I was cheated into believing that she was a boy in the beginning when Michiru was looking through her high-school photographs (beofre the flashback). She can really pull off as a boy lah. And so far she can pull off the lesbian character really well (Note: This is the first time I'm watching Ueno Juri acting).
Nisha spanks: He is Takeru and it is already very obvious that he has a thing for Ruka. Eita is good-looking, but really dude, do something about that mood-swinging hairstyle. I mean, sometimes it looks good on him and other times bad. I've never seen his other dramas, so I am not sure whether he is always this mild-mannered or just to fit in the character he is doing so.
Nisha spanks: She's Reina, the evil colleague of Michiru. I was expecting her to be Michiru's nice friend (must be the influence of HYD), but she ended up being an evil bitch, espcially when she gets all jealous when Michiru pleases a customer and Reina will use her heel to stab Michiru's foot. So abusive. She can pair up very well with Sousuke. They can both abuse each other. Hmms- They should start thinking of the special drama, which will evolve around a love-hate-abusive relationship of Reina and Sousuke (and to also show what will happen when two supporting actors act together. Meanie Nisha acts up again.)
Nisha spanks: Ruka ran for Michiru! Isn't that so sweet? That was a moving scene too - the umbrella scene when Ruka acted as if it's normal to run for her friend. But, it can be overrated in a sense that, in reality, this kind of stuff happens so seldom. maybe 2% of the world's population? make it 1%. so many will find it cheesy, but I am immune to cheesy scenes, so my heart melted during that scene. i actually enjoy it!
Nisha spanks: The pretty house! I really like the setting of the drama. The house, the hair dresser's, the motocross place, the bar, everywhere! It seem as though the crew took extra effort to make sure they chose the perfect settings. And I applaud the effort. The setting makes me want to be with the characters and make it look so lively. Thumbs up!
Nisha spanks: TADA! Such a passionate kiss. Nagasawa seem to be more comfortable with kissing a girl than guy. The kissing scene with Ryo was pretty bad, but that was so much better than the kissing scene with Yamapi in Proposal Daisakusen. That was really bad to the extent that Yamapi had to pull the uncomfortable Nagasawa close to him. Practice makes perfect! So Last Friends should give her more time to practise kissing with Ueno Juri.
Actually though I knew that there is a possibility that Ruka is a lesbian in the beginning of the show, I didn't expect it to be true for a peculiar reason that lesbians are not shown as the centre of the drama, until now of course. But, I am glad with this taken angle, though it might be risky (but, i'm sure i will enjoy every bit of it!).
I've watched till Episode 3 and am waitng for Episode 4 subs. I can't wait!
