Second Impressions

Well it has been a while since my last post and I just finished watching some episodes of the doramas that have been reviewed in the previous posts. It may sounds a little bit odd but let’s have a second glimpse of the things that we have been watching.

Anyway hereby are some my brief comments on the doramas. all points are outlined since I am too lazy to write long paragraphs.

First Kiss (up to episode 7)

• Masaru is not a gay, he has a crush on Mio
• I still cannot be convinced of the young doctor, Yuki sensei’s act whether his role is really significant in the story. Personally think that only little of his actions give influence to the development of the story. He is cute and looks innocent but that’s all..if this role were eliminated in the story, I think little would change.
• Still looking forward to which direction this story will go.
• Nevertheless the soundtrack “kokoro” by Kasumasa Oda is worth to be collected. It sounds so romantic even I cannot understand the lyric fully.
• Watching this picture, I think now I understand why it is called first kiss…only one kiss in the whole series? oouch!!

Yamada Tarou Monogatari (up to episode 9)

• Nino as Yamada Tarou is still very kind and so family oriented. I am touched by his acting. Moreover the friendship between Taro and his best friend, Mimura (Sakurai Sho) is also one good reason to keep watching the dorama. Both Nino and Sakurai are connected to each other.
• “TAMA no KOSHI-proverb of marrying rich guy” I don’t know why but this sentence keeps playing in my mind when I look at Ikegami Takako (Tabe Mikako). At the first time I thought this character was very annoying and materialistic but soon I can see that she trully has an honest feeling for Tarou even she realizes Tarou is not an “ojii-sama”. Tabe Mikako is not that beautiful but lately I think she is pretty cute and funny.
• Guess what principal Ichinomiya is my favourite character….
• I love the solidarity of Tarou’s siblings and family and also Takako’s parents…learning that being a part of a family is something that cannot be measured or replaced by money.
• Do not watch this dorama if you are looking for romantic comedy drama..(obviously Takako’s scenes when she is imagining Tarou as her lover are not counted).
• At last..I love the soundtrack “Happiness” performed by Arashi where Ninomiya and Sakurai are there too!! you should watch the clip, it is on youtube.

Hotaru no Hikari (up to episode 5)

• I still have one subbed episodes to watch
• I can’t help falling forTakano kujou, he’s so adorable as an adult, a supervisor, and a friend. Hotaru might not know what is happening with Takano and his wife who was just found cheating on him but still Takano listens and helps Hotaru sincerely with her love relationship.
• Finally Hotaru confesses her love to Teshima because of the appearing of god of Love, who is no other than Takano’s gay-to-be best friend (he always acts that he has feeling on Takano). If you watch the dorama you’ll understand why this guy is Hotaru’s god of Love. Accidentally he locked Hotaru & Teshima in that meeting room.
• It seems that Hotaru will end with Takano instead of Teshima…I have no comments now although I am still hoping Teshima will be Hotaru’s choice.
• Ok hereby two pics of the kissing scenes (totally rooting for Teshima, sorry for Takano’s fan)

Ok…that’s all for now

Currently I am also watching Hanakimi (Hanazakari no Kimi tachi e/For you in full blossom) and Yama Onna and Kabe Onna (Mountain woman and wall woman–you know exactly what the meaning of the title, right guys?)

Hotaru no Hikari-Dried fish girl

Imagine how to make those salty dried fish….first of all kill the fish (for sure) and dry it under the sun until it becomes really dry hard and crispy. Then get ready with a plate of white rice and hot sambal…hmm can’t stand the temptation. Well honestly it is just my imagination I cannot make dried fish for real.

However, not few can’t stand that typical smelly dried fish that is considered “stink”

Don’t you think it is kinda hard to imagine if himono (dried fish) is used as a metaphor of a girl in her twenties who prefers staying lazily at home after work to joining date event like goukon? According to Yamada nee-san, Amemiya Hotaru’s senior at her workplace, himono onna is described as follows:

• In the morning she appears as normal office lady but in the evening she turns to be someone else who is:
• Directly going home after work and never joining any group events
• Not interested to have a relationship with man
• While at home, she will have her hair tighten like a samurai
• Wearing old jersey and unfashionable t-shirt
• Like drinking beer after work and making that loud satisfied voice afterwards
• Her companion is only strayed cat, the one and only she can talk to in the quiet evening…
• Holding a big stuff animal like hugging someone as she doesn’t have someone to hug

Moreover according to Hotaru’s manager, Mr. Takano, Hotaru is himono onna because:

• When the first time they met, Takano found her sleeping at back terrace covered by newspaper as her blanket just like a piece of dried fish
• The way she talks is not like a girl
• She has not even a bit of elegance
• With other words she is finished as a woman XD (hiroi na ano kujou…but I can’t stop laughing when he is trully saying that in front of Hotaru).

Will Hotaru retire from her habit as himono onna when finally she falls in love with Teshima, an American graduate interior designer? That is what I am looking forward by watching this dorama.

Characters:

Amemiya Hotaru (cast: Ayase Haruka):

Hotaru is a girl in her twenties who is working as an office lady at an interior design company. Everyone in her office thinks that she has a boyfriend as she directly goes home after work. None knows she is actually a himono onna until her manager, Takano-san moves in to her place.

I am quite surprised that Ayase looks pretty grown-up in this dorama. Compared with when she was playing Aki, a high school leukimia girl in sekai no chuushin de, ai wo sakebu she is looked more mature. I like her role as Hotaru very much even sometimes I think she overreacts.

Takano Seiichi (cast: Fujiki Naohito)

Takano-bujou (bujou–>manager) is a mid-age man (around thirty something) who has just been left by his wife because he was too busy with his job and unconsciously ignored her. In order to avoid keeping thinking about his wife, he decides to move back and plans to live alone at his parents’ house, which coincidently the house now is Hotaru’s residence. Without Takano’s knowing, his father has made a very-informal-handover contract with Hotaru that allowed her to stay forever in the house. Having a tidy and well-organized personality, Takano cannot stand with Hotaru’s lifestyle, which he finds it very messy and yet confusing. At first Takano thought that was Hotaru’s way of getting rid of him from the house. Later on he finds out that it is just her lifestyle. Yet Takano finally decides to live together with Hotaru and voluntarily becomes Hotaru’s adviser in her love story.

Together both Hotaru and Takano learn and support each other in their love-relationship life.

I don’t really know about Naohito except that he was cast as Hanazawa Rui at the first Japanese version of Hana Yori Dango (unfortunately the rating was not as high as the latest one). However, judging from Hotaru no Hikari he does act very well so far and he turns to be my favorite actor in this dorama. Even though I really expect that later on he will reunite with his wife rather than with Hotaru (who is obviously much younger than Naohito).

Teshima Makoto (Kato Kazuki)

In Jdorama.com, he is seemed to be a new face in dorama world. However according to wikipedia, Kazuki-kun is an actor and a singer who also used to play a role in Kamen Raider series (WOW!! just knew that). As Makoto Teshima, he pictures a young intelligent cool interior designer (but sometimes he looks a little bit lame and pesimistic..just my personal opinion). He is not my favorite but I love it when he makes Hotaru feels “doki-doki” especially that surprise kiss in the first episode.