My JDrama Chronicles - Part XIII
I'm skipping over part XII which is not yet finished, to this drama because it's still fresh in my mind. Normally I tend to stay away from older drama because most of the JDoramas don't really stand up to the test of time but this one caught my eye...
YASHA (2000)
(夜叉)
11 Episodes
Main Cast: Ito Hideaki, Abe Hiroshi, Kashiwabara Shuji
Synopsis:
Based on a Manga by the same name this weird story deals with gen manipulation and as a result of those experiments with a genetically engineered boy called Arisue Sei. At the age of 12 he is taken away from his mother and best friends Moichi and brought back to NeoGenesis, a research company in the US which apparently owns him.
8 years later he is their head researcher and a genius scientist who is sent to look into a strange virus outbreak on a Japanese island.
He's accompanied by his bodyguard Kurosaki Ken because it seems that Sei is a coveted commodity and much desired by rival companies.
While trying to identify the virus that killed all inhabitants of the island, he meets his childhood friend Moichi again who knows nothing about Sei's origin or real abilities. The two bond again and spent time together.
Soon after Sei is mistaken for a certain Rin Amemiya and tries to find out why there seems to be someone looking exactly like him. It turns out that Rin is his twin brother and has known about him all along. Rin is thrilled to finally meet his brother and vows that they'll never be enemies but always work together.
Conflict arises though, because Rin's surrogate father is no one else than the same Amemiya who took say from his mother and supposedly killed her.
As the story unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that Rin may not be as friendly and harmless as he seems and that there's a devious plan already in motion that Sei has yet to figure out. Will his involvement in this whole business pose a danger to his friends and will Sei be able to stop the wheels already turning?
Comments:
This story had me captivated almost from the get go. Right in the beginning you have an (almost) sex scene with some nudity which struck me as unusual for JDorama...not that is has anything to do with the story;)
The subject matter is unusual as well and I really liked the ending because it was thought through to the end and left me strangely satisfied. Ito Hideaki was simply brilliant as both brothers Sei & Rin and I really had the feeling that there were two totally different characters. Abe Hiroshi doesn't really have many lines in the drama but as usual a great screen presence:)
The relationship between Sei & Moichi was certainly interesting because to be honest they seemed a bit like a pair of star crossed lovers instead of "just friends" although of course nothing happened;) Although I always like happy endings and I was sad that almost everyone is dead at the end, it was only a natural progression of the story and I didn't feel cheated...it ended exactly like it was supposed to...with a little bit of hope because of a new live being born. I can recommend this drama to anyone who likes a bit of SF and suspense... it is totally worth your while! Ah, before I forget...the title song by Sting called Desert Rose has me totally fascinated and I'm singing it all the time;)
The only drawback - if you can call it that - are a few repetitive flashbacks which I can easily forgive in the grand scheme of things!
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
YASHA (2000)
(夜叉)
11 Episodes
Main Cast: Ito Hideaki, Abe Hiroshi, Kashiwabara Shuji
Synopsis:
Based on a Manga by the same name this weird story deals with gen manipulation and as a result of those experiments with a genetically engineered boy called Arisue Sei. At the age of 12 he is taken away from his mother and best friends Moichi and brought back to NeoGenesis, a research company in the US which apparently owns him.
8 years later he is their head researcher and a genius scientist who is sent to look into a strange virus outbreak on a Japanese island.
He's accompanied by his bodyguard Kurosaki Ken because it seems that Sei is a coveted commodity and much desired by rival companies.
While trying to identify the virus that killed all inhabitants of the island, he meets his childhood friend Moichi again who knows nothing about Sei's origin or real abilities. The two bond again and spent time together.
Soon after Sei is mistaken for a certain Rin Amemiya and tries to find out why there seems to be someone looking exactly like him. It turns out that Rin is his twin brother and has known about him all along. Rin is thrilled to finally meet his brother and vows that they'll never be enemies but always work together.
Conflict arises though, because Rin's surrogate father is no one else than the same Amemiya who took say from his mother and supposedly killed her.
As the story unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that Rin may not be as friendly and harmless as he seems and that there's a devious plan already in motion that Sei has yet to figure out. Will his involvement in this whole business pose a danger to his friends and will Sei be able to stop the wheels already turning?
Comments:
This story had me captivated almost from the get go. Right in the beginning you have an (almost) sex scene with some nudity which struck me as unusual for JDorama...not that is has anything to do with the story;)
The subject matter is unusual as well and I really liked the ending because it was thought through to the end and left me strangely satisfied. Ito Hideaki was simply brilliant as both brothers Sei & Rin and I really had the feeling that there were two totally different characters. Abe Hiroshi doesn't really have many lines in the drama but as usual a great screen presence:)
The relationship between Sei & Moichi was certainly interesting because to be honest they seemed a bit like a pair of star crossed lovers instead of "just friends" although of course nothing happened;) Although I always like happy endings and I was sad that almost everyone is dead at the end, it was only a natural progression of the story and I didn't feel cheated...it ended exactly like it was supposed to...with a little bit of hope because of a new live being born. I can recommend this drama to anyone who likes a bit of SF and suspense... it is totally worth your while! Ah, before I forget...the title song by Sting called Desert Rose has me totally fascinated and I'm singing it all the time;)
The only drawback - if you can call it that - are a few repetitive flashbacks which I can easily forgive in the grand scheme of things!
Rating: 5 stars out of 5