"Fufatsu no Spica" at First Glance
It’s one of those dramas that most people would probably skip over, because it seems like another one of those inspirational high school dramas where you reach for your dreams, have cheesy teenage romance moments, while throwing astronomy/space into the mix, but even with a generic basis, I’m already enjoying myself:)
The actors/actresses bring to life their characters, and that’s what works!
I know nothing about the anime or manga it was created from, so I don’t know if it’s living up to its expectations, but I really like it at first glance:)
Not a lot of people know this about me, but the first ‘dream’ I ever had as a child was to be an astronaut. Maybe that’s happened to us once in our lifetime/childhood, but science fiction and the universe out there has always interested me. I never got the chance to go to space camp like some kids do, but watching this makes me feel like I am:D It’s a little silly to think so, but I feel as I’m taking on the same challenges as they are ^^
Kamogawa Asumi (Sakuraba Nanami )- Leading female character who’s dream is to be an astronaut (much like everyone else in that program). We find out that her dad was a part of that Aerospace school too and was involved with an accident with a shuttle named “Lion” a decade before. During its maiden launch and destruction, Asumi’s mom got killed in the blast, and during the funeral, her dad told her the story of the Twin Spicas. “It appears to be one star, but it’s really two, helping each other shine. It takes 350 years for its light to reach us, etc. Your mom is not alone, dear.”
Asumi wants to fly to space and ‘accompany’ her mom up there, along with her dad. Of course, her obstacles include her dad’s resistance of the idea of involving her daughter in the things he was previously in love with, especially since he was behind the “Lion’s” accident (although facts on that are still unclear, but will be dealt with, I’m sure).
In the first episode, we find out that she’s a really earnest person, a fast runner, someone who loves water rockets, and a person who’s very good at helping others/making others cooperate as a team.
As for the actress, she’s only 16, and she’s really adorable. I remember seeing her in “Akai Ito.” She seems very enthusiastic and the other actors in the cast say that she’s very serious and not at all nervous when filming. She states that a lot of what this drama shows, especially the professor’s lines, can be useful and applies to the real world.
I definitely agree with that and it’s what draws me in :)
Fuchuya Shinnosuke (Daito Shunsuke)- Leading male character who is Asumi’s childhood friend. Reasons for joining the academy are clear, but we’re not sure if he really loves space or not…we’ll see. At least he’s got the chops to get into the school though, and in any case, provides some of the comedic relief:) Nicknamed Fuuchi, lol, a very cute name:P
This is my first time seeing Daito act, although I’ve got a feeling I’ve seen him in snippets here and there. I remember he was in one ep of “Love Shuffle.”
Fuuchi~~
Fuuchi iu na! /Don’t call me Fuuchi!
Datte, Fuuchi jang~ /But you are Fuuchi~
Ya know, there’s this annoying person I know…and he’s just like you!
You praised me!
It’s not praise!
Suzuki Shu (Nakamura Yuichi)- man, that name can be a tongue twister:P
I’m already in love with this character, no thanks to my bias towards Yuichi ♥ He plays the genius who doesn’t act at all like he is one:D He’s the other half of the comedic relief and he doesn’t seem like he can read the atmosphere very well…but in fact, he is VERY good at reading peoples’ characters. He observes very well and gives directions with a nonchalant air, making him a very good leader.
I’m so excited that Yuichi has a main role. He’s one of the more prolific D-Boys, so I’m glad ^^
In the previous serious role that I’ve seen him in, which was Kamen Rider Den-O, he was very serious and rarely ever smiled (if not for the help of Zeneb), so watching this goofy side to him is awesome!
Omi Kei (Takayama Yuko)- Supporting character and friend to the leads. At first, she’s got the misconception that Asumi got into that program due to her connections by her dad, but later finds out that it doesn’t matter. She’s sort of the runt of the group, but I think she’s got redeeming qualities yet:)
Ukita Marika (Adachi Rika)- Supporting character and rival to the leads. She’s the second highest scoring person to get into the program, next to Shu, and she’s really not friendly. Well, she’s just really competitive and doesn’t trust others, so she’s just naturally got her wall up. In any case, at the end of the episode, we see her feeling a bit lonely because her mom is a Diet member (I guess that’s a political affiliation in Japan), so she’s constantly busy. I think that will be addressed eventually, and maybe her friendly side will come out:)
Kamogawa Tomoro -Asumi’s dad. He was against her going to his alma matter (and I’m presuming ex-job), but he supported her anyways. Don’t know much about him yet, except that the actor was a minor, yet key person in “Godhand Teru.”
Sano Takahito- A strict professor who seems to want to weed out the achievers as soon as possible. I’m not sure if his ‘good’ nature will come out later, but he wants to make sure only the true/real astronauts stay in this program. He doesn’t want people who can’t do it sticking around. Either that, or he’s just trying to make the students tougher so they can deal with the stress and criticism needed to complete their future jobs.
I feel as if his lines are a little disheartening if not realistic. His words also apply to the real world, so I like it. It’s tough to know the truth, but we have to deal with it anyways.
Haijima Ryoko -A lady astronaut who’s assisting in teaching the students. Seems very nice and understanding, and since she knows that it takes to do the job, she’s also more compassionate. She says that as long as you have the skills, any reason to doing this job will be ok:) The actress played a similar character in “Akihabara@DEEP” as Yui-san, so it was nice seeing her again:)
Kiriu Haruki (Mukai Osamu)- He plays a sempai at the school :D
That’s all we really know from the first episode. That, and he shares the same bus stop with Asumi-chan. They exchanged a rather one-sided conversation one night after meeting earlier that day. Both like stars, the Spica constellation, and water rockets. Something is gonna develop between these two, I can feel it:P
Perhaps some people will be watching this drama solely for him, but I don’t see anything wrong with that:D
Onishi Kojiro- The coach. We don’t really know much about his background except that he’s got an awesome announcer mike (or whatever it’s called) (above).
So far, the drama has gotten rather poor ratings (3%), but is that normal for shows that only have 6-7 episodes? It’s kind of like “Godhand Teru,” in a way. I feel like no one’s really paying particular attention to these ‘low end’ dramas. It’s predecessor was “Ghost Friends,” which was also one of those fantasy high school dramas that probably no one watched, gr:/
And I admit, it’s nothing extraordinary compared to some currently airing shows, but it’s not like the acting is terrible. In my opinion, the cast is pretty solid, even if the plotline is a little on the childish side:P
Hmph, ohwell, I just want people to watch it:P
Also, I saw on Tokyograph that BOSS just hit 20% on their ratings. Wow. I went back and finished ep 4 and I’m like ‘oh, this is picking up!’
~Eye candy~
I happened to watch NANA right before this show, so I’m interested in this guy. I just refer to him as Takumi (his character in the movie) :P
Recently, I’ve really started to enjoy Erika Toda’s acting:) She’s also super pretty!
♥