スマイル / Smile (2009)
to play while reading
This is a story of love and justice
of a man who lived his life heroically.
Yesterday I finished watching Smile.
I usually can't say whether I liked something or not right after I watch it. I need to sleep on it.
Yesterday night, when we finished co-watching with ice_axel I immediately thought that on my j-drama rating Smile would go up to #2, making Momo slide down to #3.
This morning, however, I already think that to a certain extent it goes up to the top spot, sharing it with Hanadan. No, Hanadan won't be dethroned, co-ruling the kingdom is possible though.
This drama is so special in so many ways. Sometimes it was really impossible to imagine that the same series would be the cutest and the angstiest at once. But that's what Smile is.
On the one hand, it is a story of racial discrimination inside one race. When the colour of your skin makes you an outsider, a scapegoat. (I never thought of chauvinism as scary before I watched this. Well, now I do. Like... really, I do.) On the other hand, this is a love story between a young man who doesn't even believe that he can ever be loved by anyone and a girl who doesn't need the words to express the way she feels.
Vito is half-Filipino and apparently it doesn't serve you any good to be a half-Filipino in Japan. All the miseries of this world seem to be upon him. How could all of this happen to one person during such a small period of time? It wouldn't in real life. But we have a drama here where everything is possible.
The angst inevitably comes during every single episode but if with other dramas I could just sit and watch 4, 5, 6 eps in a row, here it just wouldn't happen. Too much pain.
Also, I admit it, Oguri Shun is god. The god of acting. I'm pretty sure he is the Johnny Depp of Japan. Seriously! Hanazawa Rui will. never. be. the same. again. Not after seeing Shun play Hayashi. It's like heaven and hell. But really, I bow to your skills, Oguri-san.
This character also gave me the scare of my life. I have a phobia, the thing I cannot endure seeing. It's a man beating up a woman with his feet. That's one of the reasons why I never rewatched Mr and Mrs Smith though I love both Angelina and the movie. It is just... despicable.
But speaking of characters, this drama is a champion for the number of amazing people in it. The family Vito lives in, the lawyer who fights for him, the prison guard, all of them, except the a priori bad guys of course. All of them have so much love in their hearts that it makes you smile.
However painful the plot twists and cliffhangers are, it doesn't matter well, hell yes it does cause you are constantly dazzled by the cuteness of the couple dubbed Hito (人) by Andie-chan.
Vito and Hana ♥
ビトと花ちゃんはすごくかわいいです!
I mean, look at them!
If this isn't cute, I don't know what is...
What always amazes me in j-dramas is the fragility of emotions. All of it is so real that you believe every second of it. Just one word, or a glance, or the touch of a hand, or a smile. We never notice how precious those are. And yet these little things can melt hearts. They can take even the most hopeless ones out of the shadows.
Hana does things that, quite stereotypically, are done by a man. She basically conquers Vito's heart, steadily, step by step. It takes a lot of courage to do that I think. But that's a thing I'd totally do too.
I may have thought that I will never ever rewatch this because of the neverending angst and pain in this drama. But for this...
...for this I surely will.
PS I think I'm gonna buy a pig trinket. Just saying.
PPS This man hair really is awpervsugoisdfiysizguy amazing. Yes, I'm a perv, so what? :D
all caps credit to nana_komatsu7 @ smile_jdrama
This is a story of love and justice
of a man who lived his life heroically.
Yesterday I finished watching Smile.
I usually can't say whether I liked something or not right after I watch it. I need to sleep on it.
Yesterday night, when we finished co-watching with ice_axel I immediately thought that on my j-drama rating Smile would go up to #2, making Momo slide down to #3.
This morning, however, I already think that to a certain extent it goes up to the top spot, sharing it with Hanadan. No, Hanadan won't be dethroned, co-ruling the kingdom is possible though.
This drama is so special in so many ways. Sometimes it was really impossible to imagine that the same series would be the cutest and the angstiest at once. But that's what Smile is.
On the one hand, it is a story of racial discrimination inside one race. When the colour of your skin makes you an outsider, a scapegoat. (I never thought of chauvinism as scary before I watched this. Well, now I do. Like... really, I do.) On the other hand, this is a love story between a young man who doesn't even believe that he can ever be loved by anyone and a girl who doesn't need the words to express the way she feels.
Vito is half-Filipino and apparently it doesn't serve you any good to be a half-Filipino in Japan. All the miseries of this world seem to be upon him. How could all of this happen to one person during such a small period of time? It wouldn't in real life. But we have a drama here where everything is possible.
The angst inevitably comes during every single episode but if with other dramas I could just sit and watch 4, 5, 6 eps in a row, here it just wouldn't happen. Too much pain.
Also, I admit it, Oguri Shun is god. The god of acting. I'm pretty sure he is the Johnny Depp of Japan. Seriously! Hanazawa Rui will. never. be. the same. again. Not after seeing Shun play Hayashi. It's like heaven and hell. But really, I bow to your skills, Oguri-san.
This character also gave me the scare of my life. I have a phobia, the thing I cannot endure seeing. It's a man beating up a woman with his feet. That's one of the reasons why I never rewatched Mr and Mrs Smith though I love both Angelina and the movie. It is just... despicable.
But speaking of characters, this drama is a champion for the number of amazing people in it. The family Vito lives in, the lawyer who fights for him, the prison guard, all of them, except the a priori bad guys of course. All of them have so much love in their hearts that it makes you smile.
However painful the plot twists and cliffhangers are, it doesn't matter well, hell yes it does cause you are constantly dazzled by the cuteness of the couple dubbed Hito (人) by Andie-chan.
Vito and Hana ♥
ビトと花ちゃんはすごくかわいいです!
I mean, look at them!
If this isn't cute, I don't know what is...
What always amazes me in j-dramas is the fragility of emotions. All of it is so real that you believe every second of it. Just one word, or a glance, or the touch of a hand, or a smile. We never notice how precious those are. And yet these little things can melt hearts. They can take even the most hopeless ones out of the shadows.
Hana does things that, quite stereotypically, are done by a man. She basically conquers Vito's heart, steadily, step by step. It takes a lot of courage to do that I think. But that's a thing I'd totally do too.
I may have thought that I will never ever rewatch this because of the neverending angst and pain in this drama. But for this...
...for this I surely will.
PS I think I'm gonna buy a pig trinket. Just saying.
PPS This man hair really is awpervsugoisdfiysizguy amazing. Yes, I'm a perv, so what? :D
all caps credit to nana_komatsu7 @ smile_jdrama