Stand Up!! Review
An oldie, but a show that's been on the top of my "to watch" list. Originally, I started this drama right when I finished Boys on the Run but a new work schedule didn't allow me a chance to sit down, enjoy this drama, and see it through until the end until now. The question is, are my memories still intact from when I first started watching the show? Let's begin, shall we?
Synopsis: Four schoolboys find themselves the last virgins left at school. During the summer holidays, a girl they knew as children 11 years ago moves back to the neighborhood. Despite their childhood attraction to her, they realize she is a mere shadow of the "princess" they all thought they knew. This story of summer - love, friendship, school, family, the hypocrisy of adults, complications of life, experience and failure is set in an everyday shopping district and shows the clumsiness of children who have developed a little later than their peers. It's a bright romantic comedy that both young and old can appreciate.
In the past, I've read drama descriptions that, essentially, recap the entire first episode and leave the other nine to ten episodes to be a mystery. You could call this synopsis a definition of the slice of life genre but, after finishing the show, it fits. There isn't a thing you could take out or add that could make it any more perfect.
Important Characters:
Asai "Shou-chan" Shouhei - our main POV boy who is just trying to find love
Iwasaki "Kenken" Kengo - train obsessed kid
Udagawa "Udayan" Hayato - ultimate pervert, show him the panties!
Enami "Kou-kun" Kouji - soccer captain who sleeps with his eyes open
Owada Chie - the former princess turned geeky girl
Breaking it Down: To be completely honest, the first few episodes of this show were quite strange to watch. I don't know if its because I'm watching these dramas through a Western lense, and also thirteen years after the drama aired, but it was off putting to watch. Maybe its because the people I surrounded myself with were always fine with people having sex or I just never noticed the adults caring about teens doing it. Either way, the strict enforcement of the four main boys not being able to hook up nearly had me drop the drama....which seems to be a reoccuring theme with some dramas I watch.
Either way, this drama became one that quickly latched onto my heart. It masqueraded itself as a silly "boys just trying to get laid" tale but really had deeper themes that drove the plot forward. Despite being a 12 year old drama, its amazing to see how some of these themes still hold true today, especially the portrayal in the sexual side of relationships. The theme of each episode taught the four main boys a lesson that they applied to their daily lives.
The characters in the show felt pure and honest, as if you took a walk down the street of New York City and you would be able to experience each of these people. The friendship between Shou-chan, Kenken, Udayan, and Kou-kun felt realistic. They faught. They argued. They helped each other succeed. They cared about each other more than words could describe, and each of them protected Chie like a sister. They dreamed of love, of perfect summer memories, and of course, their first time.
The most impressive thing about the show is how the character development is subtile but is still noticeable. In the beginning, we meet four boys, desperate to lose their titles as "virgin." After a summer, we not longer see four children pining after any female that looks their way. We see four men who have become confident with themselves and are ready for what the future holds...kind of.
Score: 3.5/5
Final Thoughts: Stand Up!! is the type of drama that will get its fair share of laughs out of you but is really a coming of age tale. The story shows that anyone can have a heart of gold and love can come from unexpected places.