Why I love Nobuta wo Produce & DMV
I can't believe how much I love Nobuta wo Produce. Time and time again I go back to it in my head, remember all the small and big details that made the drama amazing and sometimes even tear up. I want to cry because of how beautiful it is and because of how much I miss that kind of friendship in my life. But NwP is not only about friendship. It's also about growing up (and growing up to be a good person), about finding your place in the world, about cherishing those around you, about believing in yourself. NwP is about infinite kindness, forgiveness, love and inner strength. NwP is about magic, creativity, unity, and even peace! Nobuta wo Produce is a master piece both in cinematography and literary world. It's never cliche, never cheesy, it never throws things at you and never tries to teach you anything. It's always subtle, always sincere, earnest, and always touching. It invites the viewers into it's world of magic, let's them explore it and draw their own conclusion. But there is no ambiguity or anything obscure, it's simple and beautiful and universal. And again it's not forced in any way, it's just there. And if you give it some of your time and attention it will certainly captivate you and leave you in complete awe. It still didn't let go. I wish I could find something as good as NwP, but I watched many many dramas and nothing has come close.
1) Akira. AKIRA PERIOD. He is dorky, funny, weird and clinging. He's entertaining in many ways, sweet with his love for Nobuta and kind to everyone around him! He is strong physically and mentally. He's a real man. He gives up everything (and I mean everything, even his love for Nobuta) to save their friendship. One of his phrases "Nobuta and Shuiji come first. Then comes Akira" says everything about him. He's a bigger man than anyone had expected him to be. That stupid evil bitch Aoi gave him the picture thinking she would destroy him and their friendship. She couldn't even fathom the kind of friendship they have and the kind of person Akira is. I guess it's also important to mention that Akira is also very human and not at all perfect. He makes mistakes and he becomes very jealous and yet he is still so endlessly kind and forgiving and sweet. He is the best character I've encountered in any fiction. I love Akira beyond words and want to marry him (and have sexual intercourse with him or Yamapi, but that's completely irrelevant)
2) The crazy vice principal Catherine. She's is amazingly cool, omniscient and magical. She always appeared in the right moments and always had something pertinent to say. From her "Please help Shuji become a better person" in the first episode to her answer to Aoi's question "Have you ever went to a place you regret?" - "Yes, I have. But my friends have always brought me back."
3) The monkey hand!! The monkey hand! It was one of the first "magical" instances introduced in the drama. At first I was like "what? why?" but then it didn't really matter at all and I've come to understand everything "magical" in NwP is metaphors. Very good metaphors. Anyway, the monkey hand saved the willow tree (the willow is also amazing btw) and gave a chance to Nobuta to get rid of Bando. But Nobuta canceled her wish and said that she will learn to live in the world where Bando exists. Ah, so cool.
4) The live spirits in episode 4 (I think). I cried in that episode. It made me realize just how important it is to cherish our days in school, the worry-free days filled with adventures and explorations. The spirits come back because they love their school so much, and miss their friends and their youth. But the reason I cried was because I totally understand them since I went to a school like that in a country where I'm originally from and we also had festivals and we also had one class together (instead of separate classes with separate people like here in America) and everyone was as close in school as they are portrayed in NwP. I left that school when I was half through my education and of course I had none of that in the American school. I feel like I missed out and I can't help but wonder whether 10 years down the road I will be stuck at a lousy job and terribly missing my high school days and my youth. Probably.
5) Bando's character (I realize they are many characters in the drama like Shuji and Nobuta that are simply amazing and deserve to be in the list but I'm just discussing the most interesting and unique sides of NwP that I enjoyed). Her character is very realistic. She's the girl that we are suppose to hate but of course we can't after we find out that the world is cruel to her also (specifically her boyfriend). And it's so great that she can change and throw flower petals on Nobuta instead of water. "People can change," says Nobuta. Oh, yes.
6) Goyokudou bookstore where only good-looking people can read. It's so amazing that Nobuta can find escape there. Because that's a different world that the owner created.
7) The haunted house. How can a haunted house be touching? I wondered that too. And then "The person whose hand you are holding is very important. Don't let go of it even when you come out of the darkness."
8) Nobuta's "It's bad" when she tries different lunchboxes. It's so good that the drama decided to do it that way...To show that to be popular or in effect to be appreciated by others one doesn't have to lie, or be fake or to change oneself. You can be just yourself and if you work hard and if you are sincere then that's enough. And if people appreciate you then that's great and even they don't (like what happened to Shuji when no one believed him) then that's fine too, because there will be close to you people who will always support you (and God that's enough too!)
9) The questionnaire about post graduation plans and their answers. Akira's "To be a dime on the street", Nobuta's "To learn to live while smiling" and Shuji's "Become a good person." OMG.
10) Mariko's kindness and support. ("It's lonely being lied to," she says to Nobuta. And Nobuta replies "Lying to others for a long time is lonely too.")
And many many other things and lines that I didn't include here. I don't think it's possible to do justice to NwP with any kind of review or words though.
Finally, I found a worthy NwP fanvideo. The music is good and somehow it fits the drama. It seems that the video doesn't have a message or a purpose but just shows different scenes from the drama. But from the scenes it's pretty easy to piece out Akira's, Shuiji's and Nobuta's friendship and just how close they are.
1) Akira. AKIRA PERIOD. He is dorky, funny, weird and clinging. He's entertaining in many ways, sweet with his love for Nobuta and kind to everyone around him! He is strong physically and mentally. He's a real man. He gives up everything (and I mean everything, even his love for Nobuta) to save their friendship. One of his phrases "Nobuta and Shuiji come first. Then comes Akira" says everything about him. He's a bigger man than anyone had expected him to be. That stupid evil bitch Aoi gave him the picture thinking she would destroy him and their friendship. She couldn't even fathom the kind of friendship they have and the kind of person Akira is. I guess it's also important to mention that Akira is also very human and not at all perfect. He makes mistakes and he becomes very jealous and yet he is still so endlessly kind and forgiving and sweet. He is the best character I've encountered in any fiction. I love Akira beyond words and want to marry him (and have sexual intercourse with him or Yamapi, but that's completely irrelevant)
2) The crazy vice principal Catherine. She's is amazingly cool, omniscient and magical. She always appeared in the right moments and always had something pertinent to say. From her "Please help Shuji become a better person" in the first episode to her answer to Aoi's question "Have you ever went to a place you regret?" - "Yes, I have. But my friends have always brought me back."
3) The monkey hand!! The monkey hand! It was one of the first "magical" instances introduced in the drama. At first I was like "what? why?" but then it didn't really matter at all and I've come to understand everything "magical" in NwP is metaphors. Very good metaphors. Anyway, the monkey hand saved the willow tree (the willow is also amazing btw) and gave a chance to Nobuta to get rid of Bando. But Nobuta canceled her wish and said that she will learn to live in the world where Bando exists. Ah, so cool.
4) The live spirits in episode 4 (I think). I cried in that episode. It made me realize just how important it is to cherish our days in school, the worry-free days filled with adventures and explorations. The spirits come back because they love their school so much, and miss their friends and their youth. But the reason I cried was because I totally understand them since I went to a school like that in a country where I'm originally from and we also had festivals and we also had one class together (instead of separate classes with separate people like here in America) and everyone was as close in school as they are portrayed in NwP. I left that school when I was half through my education and of course I had none of that in the American school. I feel like I missed out and I can't help but wonder whether 10 years down the road I will be stuck at a lousy job and terribly missing my high school days and my youth. Probably.
5) Bando's character (I realize they are many characters in the drama like Shuji and Nobuta that are simply amazing and deserve to be in the list but I'm just discussing the most interesting and unique sides of NwP that I enjoyed). Her character is very realistic. She's the girl that we are suppose to hate but of course we can't after we find out that the world is cruel to her also (specifically her boyfriend). And it's so great that she can change and throw flower petals on Nobuta instead of water. "People can change," says Nobuta. Oh, yes.
6) Goyokudou bookstore where only good-looking people can read. It's so amazing that Nobuta can find escape there. Because that's a different world that the owner created.
7) The haunted house. How can a haunted house be touching? I wondered that too. And then "The person whose hand you are holding is very important. Don't let go of it even when you come out of the darkness."
8) Nobuta's "It's bad" when she tries different lunchboxes. It's so good that the drama decided to do it that way...To show that to be popular or in effect to be appreciated by others one doesn't have to lie, or be fake or to change oneself. You can be just yourself and if you work hard and if you are sincere then that's enough. And if people appreciate you then that's great and even they don't (like what happened to Shuji when no one believed him) then that's fine too, because there will be close to you people who will always support you (and God that's enough too!)
9) The questionnaire about post graduation plans and their answers. Akira's "To be a dime on the street", Nobuta's "To learn to live while smiling" and Shuji's "Become a good person." OMG.
10) Mariko's kindness and support. ("It's lonely being lied to," she says to Nobuta. And Nobuta replies "Lying to others for a long time is lonely too.")
And many many other things and lines that I didn't include here. I don't think it's possible to do justice to NwP with any kind of review or words though.
Click to viewFinally, I found a worthy NwP fanvideo. The music is good and somehow it fits the drama. It seems that the video doesn't have a message or a purpose but just shows different scenes from the drama. But from the scenes it's pretty easy to piece out Akira's, Shuiji's and Nobuta's friendship and just how close they are.