When it rains, it pours 24 Thursday Nov 2011
I was reading random post in Arama and stumbled upon some news that totally blew everything supposed-to-be-awesome in my day. After a lot of gender-bender anime adapted to live action dramas/movies last season, it’s expected that people would be exhausted to adaptations and would start utilizing the awesome ideas of and for, the new generation. I thought the fad would end there. I am sadly mistaken. There are a couple of hits and miss. But since I am in better mood today, let’s do little a J-do recap.
2011 Summer Dramas:
1. There’s Ikemen Desu Ne, adapted from a Korean drama You’re Beautiful whose original Korean male lead is Jang Geun Seuk (Mary Stayed Out All Night, Hong Gil Dong, Beethoven Virus, One Missed Call: Final - there’s a lot more but it’s the bias in me talking hence the selective titles) with Park Shin Hye (Goong, Heartstrings). I love the original version and caught glimpses of the Japanese adaptation. And I must say that it did better than I imagined, thanks to the timeslot and it’s kakoi cast from JE’s hormones-inducing male factory. I’m waiting for the english subs before the actual verdict, if I still haven’t loose interest that is. Try listening to the Japanese version of I Will Promise You, it suits my liking better. FT Island’s version is great with Honki’s soothing voice, but I’d go for the edgy (including some rapping) Kismai X Yaotome Hikaru.
2. Next up is that of the successful manga and anime, Ouran Host Club. I was a huge fan of the anime, and a bit of the manga so this would be my obvious choice to anticipate. Unfortunately though, amongst the torrent of danso (gender-bender) dramas, it took the huge blow of 1.1% initial rating and 2.8% average - the worst among the midnight dramas of the same timeslot. Even with Yamamoto Yusuke (Kamen Rider Kabuto, Himitsu no Hanazono, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e 2007, Atashinchi no Danshi) in it, I did not watch an episode as the rest of the cast itself is too painful to bear. Only if I could push them too far away from each other, I’d probably consider.
Here’s the clincher, there will be a movie coming this March 2012. And 2PM’s Nickhun is given the part of a original (non existent) character to pull market.
3. Hana Kimi was a huge hit in Japan. Adapting the manga to a full-blown drama with drool-worthy ikemen does that to your eherm, 17.3% average ratings. But it seems that it wasn’t enough as original (the only thing that’s original if you ask me) crew of the hit 2007 series were summoned to re-create it. Hanazakari no Kimitachi E 2011 - Ikemen Paradise simply irks me for it is a too-soon adaptation of an already iconic adaptation. Adding an AKB48 is barely tolerable, even. Still, nobody does Mizuki best than Maki. End of story.
The list of other 2011 summer dramas.
A Bit of Anime-turned-Movie:
Other castmembers here.
After the downpour of drama adaptations, movie adaptation of Rorouni Kenshinand a Hollywood- styled Akira is all that matters. Sato Takeru (Kamen Rider Den-O, Rookies, Ryōmaden, Bloody Monday 1 and 2 - again excuse my biases) is set to star as Meiji Era swordsman Himura Kenshin under the directorial wing of the equally flawless director Keishi Ōtomo (Ryōmaden).
There are so many links regarding Akira but I’ve got a clean and concise list of what’s going on. You might get annoyed, peeved, or even excited. It’s up to you.
But if you were to ask me if it’s really going to be “westernized” what they must do would be the following: First replace the director, then make sure to cross-out emo Kristen Stewart and deadpanned Rob Pattinson. Place Helena Bonham-Carteranywhere in the movie plus Gary Oldman and Leonardo Di Caprio - then I’m sated.
Also, I enjoyed GANTZ 1 and 2 (starring Ninomiya Kazunari and Matsuyama Kenichi) and I am looking forward to Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo title roled by Ikuta Toma with those intricately-designed yukata! Both have strong following for their popular anime/manga versions so there’s a huge room to fill. In Genji Monogatari Sennenki I expect that the basis will still be that of the original novel. GANTZ like its manga did not disappoint, with its two-part movie. It still stuns me whenever I see Nino act so “high-caliber”-different from the others, especially from idols like him. Though later on, the overwhelming feeling of being proud to be an Arashi fan foreshadows it all.
Since I mentioned MatsuKen, I might as well drop his yet another manga-turned-live action movie Usagi Drop (or Bunny Drop). I hate the feeling of MatsuKen forcing himself to mature. Or at least it looks like that to me, or was it just because he just got married to Cougar Town’s Koyuki?
Next!
Just a brief mention of a 2011 movie starring Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei (who on first glance looks so creepily like his brother) that’s totally off-topic but worth talking about. Tada’s Do-It-All House.
And something we didn’t see coming (insert-sarcasm here*).
One of my all-time faves Kyou, Koi Wo Hajimemasu by Minami Kanan would be adapted into a movie. Scroll a little and you would see a news about the impending drama live action of Switch Girl (Aida Natsumi) casted by Seventeen modelNishiuchi Mariya (I have no idea who is she, but comments seems to be nicer than ordinary, so she must be good) and the innocent subject of my ear-shattering squeals Kiriyama Ren, from my Kamen Rider Double fixation and yes, the recentHana Kimi remake (see what I am talking about?).
Aside from that, Ranma 1/2 has been confirmed and by the looks of it, Tendou Akane is the main character.
Good news is that Akuma-Junji will be with his posse Eita and Oizumi Yo in a Getsu 9 drama called Lucky Seven. I am thankful for two reasons though, first Sato Shinsuke will be directing (he also directed GANTZ) and most importantly, this is a freshly written story about (the cliche of) “love and(or) problems of women“. The story focuses on the seven members, three men and four women, that operate a small detective agency in Kitashinagawa, Tokyo. Teamwork is definitely going to be a strong theme of the drama, but it will be the original and thrilling cases that are going to keep the viewers at the edge of their seats.
And something I’m personally very excited about would be Ohno‘s new drama SP with Sato Ryuta and Maki-chan‘s Umechan Sensei with NHK. Another good thing about NHK is their new Taiga drama starring Tamaki Hiroshi andMatsuyama Kenichi.
Of course, there’s a lot of dramas and movies coming up this fall, but for heads up try watching Kazuya Kamenashi’s Yokai Ningen Bem. Good news. It’ll show you how silver-haired turtle Kame acts way better than that of the dead fish-eye akaShuuji. Grows to show that he’s changed. For the better. Applause! Bad News?This is from an anime. Again.
For curiosity’s sake, here are the 2011 Fall Dramas to fall for. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Also, you can try clicking some of the photos. I will post updated links using them.