HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY, YAMAPI!!!!!!
Hope he has an awesome birthday! ;) (He totally deserves it)
And because I'm going through some sort of withdrawal symptoms and am a fangirl and whatnot I decided to compare the characters he's portrayed in various dramas... although only in the ones that I've seen. XD
Shun Mizuno (Ikebukuro West Gate Park, 2000)
The mysterious, quiet artist
Shun is adorable and intriguing. There's so much mystery around him that just isn't explained. He lives by himself, although he's just a kid. What happened to his parents? How does he survive??? He had no other friends or acquaintances before becoming "part of the group"? For his age he is definitely mature, even though he seems to be an innocent (and confused?) kid deep down. His friends and girlfriend are much older than him. ;)
Ken Nagashima (Shounen wa Tori ni Natta, 2001)
The sweet and positive boy with a fatal disease
His heart is physically weak, but otherwise he is such a good-hearted, sweet and kind kid. In fact at times I thought he was too good to be true, and everyone around him comes off as selfish and mean. He has all the reasons to be a difficult brat, and he should be allowed to, but noo.... despite being scared, he looks forward into the future and tries to encourage those around him and raise their spirits, instead of moping around. This character and the whole film made me cry so much... I feel like crying just thinking about it.
Tadashi Otomo (Long Love Letter, 2002)
The popular, pretty boy
Seems a little apathetic and unfeeling at times, almost like wearing a mask, but obviously it's not quite so. When it counts, he shows much more, even to the point of being a hero. I liked him best when he interacted with Takamatsu and Ikegaki, because with them his "human side" was so much clearer. ;) He provided a few positive (and not so positive) surprises along the way with his unpredictability. ;)
Koushirou Nabeshima (Lunch no Joou, 2002)
The easygoing playboy
Got to love his positive and laid-back attitude (seems to every now and then forget that he actually has to attend school XD). ;) Despite being the youngest of the brothers and the one to be left without attention (some of his family members don't even know his age!), he seems the most mature. He doesn't let emotions affect his actions, and though he seems even overly mellow he shows more than once that he actually has something going on in his head. The older brothers could learn from him. Kudos to surviving in the weird family ;)
Kengo (Kenken) Iwasaki (Stand Up!!, 2003)
The smart and sensitive train freak
I liked him immediately. ;)He's smart, weird and later reveals that his emotional sensitivity is on an incredibly high level. He isn't capable of showing much on the outside, but his friends know better, and at times he proves how much he cares and thinks, slthough he's so lost in his own world and obsession (trains, train timetables, reading) that he's totally oblivious of what’s happening around him (has probably no idea how popular he is among girls). I especially liked the fact that he seems to read everywhere. ;) (The scene when knocks over a row of bicycles because he is reading while walking, and Sho-chan dutifully lifts them up is memorable)
Yuusuke Yajima (Dragon Zakura, 2005)
The passionate and emotional musician
Yuusuke wears his emotions on his sleeve, and especially at the beginning he shows A LOT of anger (mostly for a good reason) and speaks up immediately to voice his opinion. Incredibly stubborn but levelheaded enough to see common sense. He also has a charismatic and inspirational presence and the makings of a natural leader; His best friend and girlfriend followed him to the "Todai group" and he just seems to have a certain amount of influence on the others. I liked his close relationship with Hideki and interaction with the other characters. ;) Yuusuke grew on me as the series progressed. Although he wasn't my favourite at first, he was at the end. Despite being the worst although trying the hardest, he kept on showing even more dedication, learned how to balance reason and feelings, and grew up so much as a character. I felt proud of him. XD
Akira Kusano (Nobuta wo Produce, 2005)
The eccentric, benevolent idiot
Who doesn't love Akira??? (If those people exist, there must be something wrong with them) I absolutely adore this character! He is just too lovable with his quirkiness, honesty, straightforwardness, simple-mindedness, odd habits, his laughter, and "catchphrase" "Kon!"
Akira's the one responsible for the funniest parts of the show (and actually some of the most touching ones too).
I really liked how Yamapi played the character. This was the first series I watched, and I quickly decided that the actor responsible for the portrayal of Akira was seriously good (and I couldn't be biased there, because I didn't know who Yamapi was... but I guess this series was the foundation of my fangirliness) This amiable character charms by just being honestly his true weird self. ;)
Kurosaki (Kurosagi, 2006)
The angsty swindler
After NwP I watched Kurosagi (regardless of who was in it. I had planned this beforehand). Some time between these series I had become a fan... I'm not sure when exactly, but following this I was scarily obsessed and not much fit into my head for a few weeks. *cough* Also while watching the series I kept on marvelling how hot cool Yamapi Kurosaki was. (Yup, I love his look in this. While Akira is my favourite character, Kurosaki is my favourite look XD). Full of vengefulness and (a lot of )angst with a cold and mysterious air to him, it's not too surprising that he attracts people. For me I think the awesomeness of his character and the biggest attractions of the series besides watching Yamapi were his disguises, ability to portray different roles, and kick ass as a super smart swindler. In addition he hides his vulnerable true self behind his cold exterior. Did I already mention angst? XD
Shintaro Sakai /Mineji Sakai (Byakkotai, 2007)
The nonchalant good-for-nothing / the loyal warrior
I can't say much about Shintarou. He definitely seemed like a lazy, rude, good-for-nothing, but he was kind of amusing at that. It seemed though that his personality was later influenced (for the better) by learning more of his ancestor... Mineji, who is naturally a dutiful, ambitious young warrior not afraid to die. He keeps up a brave face, despite everything, and thinks a lot about his obligations discarding almost everything else. I liked that on the other hand he was portrayed as a youngster, with human emotions and the tendency to break down, but of course he can't have too many faults, being the hero of the series. ;)
And as I mentioned in the previous entry I liked the relationship between him and Kuma, and him and his friends. ;) A great way to show the side of an essentially normal kid, instead of a constant warrior.
And yeah from the trailer of the upcoming series (I hopefully will be able to watch)
Ken Iwase (Proposal Daisakusen, 2007)
Random note: For Yamapi this is his third character called "Ken"...
And yes, the first thing I obviously noticed about Yamapi was his awesome acting, but I suppose I was later drawn to his character and individually special charisma. From what I’ve seen he seems like a sensitive and caring person, with the serious and hardworking side balanced by the childish, silly one. XD. He truly values friendship and gives the impression of a person with depth to him. ;) Despite his popularity he does appear to keep his feet on the ground, with a needed amount of confidence. He’s not perfect, recognises his faults, which make him more human and likeable (the faults and recognition of them). Imperfection is beauty, after all. ;)
I guess... all in all I really admire him as an entertainer and human being. ;) For younger kids I think he serves as an awesome role model. ;)
Hmm... that took long to put together (guess I had too much to say and had problems of expressing myself and making it short.) XD so even if you're not interested you'd better at least view, because I put effort into it. It almost turned out to be an essay.
For once I don't feel too bad to be reminded of how old I'll be XD.
22 is special, because it's two twos.
(yes, that’s how good I am at expressing myself)