Belle's Top 20 Asian Drama Actors; #16 - Yamashita Tomohisa
Name: 山下智久 (やました ともひさ) (Yamashita Tomohisa)
Former Name: 青木智久 / Aoki Tomohisa
Nicknames: Yamapi, Tomo-chan, TomoPi, Pi, P-chan
Age: 23
Birthplace: Chiba, Japan
Height: 175cm
Charm Points: Killer stare. Killer bod. Extreme dorkiness. Radical hairstyle changes (well, recently anyway). The ability to appear smexy while being extremely dorky (may I repeat the dorkiness). The ability to have pretty features but look extremely manly. (Notice my extreme use of the word extreme.) Did I mention the pouty lips? (Notice also that almost all my descriptions of his charm so far have to do with his looks. Yup, this is where my shallowness kicked in.)
The Magic of Yamapi: It's all in the intense stare and the pretty boy looks, really. If you get reeled in the first time you watch him, you're going to keep on watching for more. 0_0 That's his magic. I started watching j-dramas he's in after seeing Nobuta wo Produce (which he was brilliant in). But I only ended up being happy half the time and disappointed the other half. He's really a pretty hit-and-miss sort of actor. When he's good, he's really good (acting = wow, I forget he's Yamapi and get absorbed in the character he's portraying!), which is why he's on my list. When he's bad, he's horrible (acting = wooden).;;; Ahem, due to the special nature of his acting skills, I've added some new segments to the drama portion below...
You've Probably Seen Him In: That wonderful j-drama I'll never forget, Nobuta wo Produce, a drama which focuses on the value of friendship and the hard process of growing up rather than being one about romance. Yamapi plays the role of weird kid Akira who sticks to popular (on the outside he's cheerful, on the inside he hates people) Shuji like a cold sore, truthfully the only person who understands Shuji's personality and helps him to open up. Together, they help Nobuta, a scary-looking but really just sweet and socially inept girl, realizing along the way that she is actually the one helping them. :) Akira's character is seriously annoying at first. He walks like he's always drunk and talks in a sing-song way. But then you realize you already love him, his selflessness and quirks and all. XD And Yamapi does a really great job making this all show.
You Should Check Him Out In: That beautiful drama Dragon Zakura with Abe Hiroshi (that should be enough reason to watch this, actually) playing a lawyer-turned-teacher (to enhance his career) and his quest to change his silly students' attitudes on their studies and life. Think Gokusen or GTO, only he's stern and very authoritarian in his ways. Yamapi plays the lead student here and he's good. Two thumbs up!
You Should Decide For Yourself If You Want to See Him In: That award-winning drama Proposal Daisakusen. Yamapi plays Ken, a cowardly young man who's attending the wedding of the girl he loves. Their version of a 'fairy' (actually an old man with crazy hair) appears to give him a second chance by traveling through time via their old photographs. Can he change the future? I felt so-so about this drama although it has received a lot of rave reviews. The concept is interesting (and the catch phrase -- with Yamapi posing dorkily -- "Hallelujah...chance!" is addicting) but the truth is, I didn't like Nagasawa Masami's acting here. I also couldn't feel their chemistry (but you could say they're already an old love team since they were partners in Dragon Zakura, too). Its take on romance, however, is quite realistic (and all the more heart-wrenching) and Yamapi ain't too shabby in this so it's worth a closer look. ;)
You Should Avoid Him In: That weird j-drama Lunch Queen. This drama snagged a lot of awards but I didn't like the heroine so naturally, I didn't enjoy the drama as much as I thought I would. Yamapi plays a young, popular, playboy student, the brother of chefs who own a small restaurant. The thing about Yamapi here is...the way he acts reminds me of himself rather than his character. That Robin Hood drama Kurosagi. I personally turned this off after the second episode but a lot of people seem to like it so don't take my word for it. ;) You might end up loving it, too. Yamapi plays Kurosaki, a swindler bent on revenge. He robs from swindlers and gives the items back to their original owners. But the interesting concept of the show is destroyed by the fact that they focused almost entirely on his love life rather than the robbing. Plus, the whole swindle and give back thing gets too repetitive.
Why He's On My List: Okay, the truth is, I wasn't sure where to put Yamapi on my list since I've 'outgrown' my taste for his acting. I almost didn't put him in my list, at all, but his Akira in Nobuta wo Produce was just too unforgettable. ;) I love his character there so much. The dorkiness is just a plus. And then there's that shallow part of myself that loves how he looks. XD
Yamapi's strong points are his eyes and lips...
...and he knows it...
...oh so well.
Did I mention he likes to angst, too?
I'd angst, too, if I suddenly got a hairstyle like this.
But he pulls it off so well.
Okay, maybe not this one.
We interrupt this picspam while Pi-chan takes his lunch (while watching himself on TV XD Or is that someone else? :P;).
Where were we again? *distracted* I've totally forgotten.
Oh, right. In his spare time, he poses for pr0n to please his fans. XD
And earns a lot of money for it!
He also sings in his boyband, News...
...while wearing dorky shiny purple outfits like this.
We understand, Pi, it's all for your fans...
...because we know you love us so much...
...and your puppy, too.
We love you, too. <3
Even when you pose with pink flowers...
...and pose dorkily like this.
We interrupt this picspam because Pi's lips feel a little dry.
Do that kissy-kiss face for us again, please.
This is Yamapi in full gear.
But sometimes he likes to let his hair down, as well...
...and have picnics in the grass under the sun. :)
Images from:
Asian Fanatics