Actor Ikuta Toma will play the lead role in the upcoming film ‘人間失格 / No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku)’, which is based on the famous Dazai Osamu novel with the same title. The book cover of the novel published by Kadokawa was renewed in October, and has since then been featuring a photo of Ikuta. After the cover was revised, the book has so far sold over 100,000 copies. More are being printed to meet the demand. In response to those sales figures, Kadokawa decided that for a limited time period all 10 Dazai novels will have Ikuta appear on the covers; the campaign has started on December 15th, and the new versions are now on sale in bookstores all across Japan. It will be the first time that the lead actor of a film adaptation of a novel appear on the covers of all the works written by the author.

The main character of the film ‘人間失格 / No Longer Human’ is a young man named Yozo (Ikuta), who from when he was young has difficulties socializing with other people. Although anxious and confused, Yozo’s exquisite appearance and inborn attractiveness never fails to mesmerize the people around him, regardless of their gender. What will be the ultimate fate of Yozo? Aside from Ikuta, the star-studded cast includes Iseya Yusuke, Terajima Shinobu, Ishihara Satomi, Morita Go and more. Arato Genjiro is the director. Ikuta is also scheduled to star in the film ‘ハナミズキ / Hanamizuki’ which will premiere in summer next year. Be on the look out for more from Ikuta Toma!

cre: Mj+

goshh…

i really miss this guy!! LOL

i wanna see this movie,since the novel really greattttttttt!!!

this the OFFICIAL SITE of this movie..

i dunno why Link not working ..

jya… this site: http://www.ns-movie.jp

this the cast ^__^

share by: dee4hero.wordpress

You may forget the past, but the past never forgets you.

A young detective, Serizawa Naoto finds himself facing his dark past when he continuously receives tarot cards from a mysterious man named Amano Makoto, each containing its own meaning. Soon after he receives each card, one person close to him who is linked to the death of a classmate he accidentally caused 11 years ago will die.

Meanwhile, Naruse Ryo, a two-faced lawyer who was nicknamed “The Angel” by the media for always representing the poor struggles to keep his perfect revenge plan for his dead brother progressed when he is drawn closer to Shiori, a girl with a supernatural ability.

Maou which means Devil is a story of vengeance and humanity. Despite his bitter grudge towards the murderer of his beloved younger brother, Naruse begins to crumble apart as he learns that his actions hurt the people that he actually loves. Serizawa, on the other hand, feels responsible for causing Amano to become a monster.

This story left me breathless as I wondered things like, “Who’s next?” and “Will Naruse leave his devil mask for Shiori?”. Several tears managed to escape while watching this drama, especially during the time when Naruse told himself that he has no right to fall in love.

Of course, some may hate Naruse for his actions. However, to me, he is just a person who is trapped by his hatred towards the people who snatched his life away.

Maou is not enjoyable watch because of its heavy plot. But it is surely a must watch, especially for those who love suspense and thriller stories.

• Title: ヴォイス
• Title (English): Voice
• Tagline: 命なき者の声
• Tagline (romaji): Inochi Naki Mono no Koe
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Medical, mystery
• Episodes: 11
• Viewership rating: 14.5 (Kanto)
• Broadcast network: Fuji TV
• Broadcast period: 2009-Jan-12 to 2009-Mar-23
• Air time: Monday 21:00
• Theme song: Setsuna by GReeeeN

Synopsis

A group of five medical students take on the task of conveying the “voices of the dead.”

Kaji Daiki fails to get into a popular heart surgery seminar but is somehow accepted into a seminar on forensic pathology. When he approaches professor Sagawa and asks him why he ended up in the seminar, Sagawa challenges him by asking why he wants to study heart surgery. Daiki replies that medicine is meaningless after the heart stops, but Sagawa counters that medicine also applies to the dead.

And so, together with fellow students Ryosuke, Kanako, Teppei and Akira, Daiki begins to explore the mysteries of death.

Cast

Eita as Kaji Daiki :: Eita always plays interesting roles and this is no exception. Kaji Daiki is a super tall, super cute college dork who gets put into the forensics seminar rather than the cardiac surgery one he so wanted. Little does he know, he has a calling for forensics science actually. Everything about this character is just cute; except for his fashion sense. He can be seen constantly wearing a long teal duffle coat, blue slacks, and a striped, long sleeved shirt. Questionable? I’ll say xD   Most of his interesting and funny scenes are with Ishimatsu Ryosuke (Ikuta Toma) and Kuboaki Kanako (Ishihara Satomi). Also, Daiki has a knack for asking/questioning everything with a “doushite (why?)”  And this, naturally, drives everyone else crazy. A memorable scene of this would be in the beginning of episode 7. Why? You’ll have to watch it to find out. All in all, Eita = one of the best<3

Ikuta Toma as Ishimatsu Ryosuke :: Not a very interesting role for Ikuta Toma this time. Ishimatsu Ryosuke is Daiki’s classmate and close friend, who’s father wants him to take over the hospital but he refuses to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue his own goals. Of course, it’s obvious that Ryosuke went into forensics just to spite his father but can you blame him? His father is anything but kind and easy-going. Unlike Daiki, I do approve of Ryosuke’s wardrobe. Call me simple, but I really like it. He’s constantly wearing a hoodie underneath a parka and blue jeans with Timbaland shoes (?) well that’s how it looks to me. Overall, nice role for Toma :]

Ishihara Satomi as Kuboaki Kanako :: The last time I saw Ishihara Satomi in a serious role was Water Boys 2. Here, Kuboaki Kanako is a serious medical student who enters into forensics to figure out the truth behind her mother’s death. Now, she isn’t 100% serious all the time. When she’s in the presence of Kaji Daiki, a different side of her comes out (a hilarious one at that). Daiki knows just what buttons to push to get a great reaction out of her. These two are really amusing to watch in each episode. Satomi does a great job portraying Kanako in a sense where she doesn’t overact anything.

Endo Yuya as Kirihata Teppei :: This nerd who is interested in forensics because of one thing. Can you guess what it is? I’ll give you a hint: his favorite tv show in America. Still don’t know? This show is the first of it’s kind on CBS. If you guessed CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, then sekai!! Give yourself a cookie for getting the correct answer. Teppei becomes even more interested in DNA testing at the lab. He provides the comic relief (along with Hanei Akira [Sato Tomohito]). Endo Yuya is awesome playing Kirihata Teppei!

Sato Tomohito as Hanei Akira :: I usually see Sato Tomohito in very minor roles (aside from this and the recent Untouchable with Nakama Yukie). Hanei Akira is one of Daiki’s classmates in the forensics department. Akira chose this field of study because it saved him from being charged as a murderer in his past and now he hopes to help others in the same situation, innocent and accused. Although he looks tough, he has a weak stomach for autopsies; which I find really hilarious. Job well done for Sato Tomohito in this drama ^_^

Storyline &* Relationships

If you think that this drama is about autopsies and murders, then you’re wrong. Voice is about the victims, or deceased, and their final moments before they passed. With the help of Kaji Daiki, Ishimatsu Ryosuke, Kuboaki Kanako, Kirihata Teppei, and Hanei Akira, the deceased has a chance to let their “voice(s)” be heard to the ones they love and care about. Unlike the usual forensics we see, this is about character and life itself; very moving.

In the lab, there are 3 other characters that help our 5 students. They are Sagawa Fumihiko, Natsuigawa Reiko, and Kaburagi Makoto. Sagawa Fumihiko is the head professor of the forensic studies depart. He is the one responsible for Daiki’s random transfer into the forensics seminar. Why? Because however many years ago, Sagawa-sensei met a chibi Kaji Daiki who is a very peculiar child that recognizes death in weird ways. Strange? Hell yeah. Coincidence? Only in dramas like these where fate always seems to lead you down the right path; if only that were true in real life. Then we have Natsuigawa Reiko, the assitant professor who’s too serious for her own good. And last but not least, there’s the ever-so-strange Kaburagi Makoto, the Perfume-loving dna tester. Now, on to the relationships!

Relationship #1: Hanei Akira and Kirihata Teppei. Don’t go jumping to conclusions, these two are not gay for each other. Rather, their friendship is what caught my attention. It’s very obvious that Teppei is dead scared of Akira, but that doesn’t stop him from making fun of Akira unconsciously. And when he does that, Akira yells and chases after him like a rampaging bull full of anger. These two are just too funny to not watch x]

Relationship #2: Natsuigawa Reiko and Ishimatsu Ryosuke. These two are hard to find a connection with. It was obvious that Ryosuke liked Reiko, but I didn’t feel the chemistry that I would have liked to see. Instead, I saw friendship and understanding more than anything else. It would’ve been better if Ryosuke developed feelings for Kanako instead, that could have been really cute and it’d be nice if Daiki had a little competition haha

Relationship #3 (my favorite): KAJI DAIKI and KUBOAKI KANAKO!! These two are wayyyyyy tooo cute not to like them. They bicker, help each other, investigate together, etc.; what more could you ask for. Daiki loves to poke fun at Kanako for certain things and the reactions she gives are just priceless. Plus, you can tell he gets a real kick out of it. At the end, you see Kanako and Daiki walking along the side walk with luggage. If you think they’re running away together, oh I wish that were true. But no, Kanako is leaving to study abroad and she’s making Daiki carry her luggage. As she’s about to board the bus, I thought they were going to kiss. However, that’s just my wishful thinking. Of course, it’s only natural that they don’t kiss because this is a Japanese drama and they are very scarce on romance; especially if the genre of the drama is anything but romance. Damn you Japanese dramas! Give me my couple!! >.<;

Overall, this drama is a light-comedy with heartwrenching stories and subtle romance mixed in with medical terms. Again, if you’re looking for murder and what not, then this drama isn’t for you. But, if you’re looking for something cute and heartwarming, then here you go! .. watch it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

I wanted Kanako and Daiki to end up together.
But once again, I’m left deprived.

This has been a Haejin review.

Ikuta Toma

Johnny’s member Ikuta Toma talked about his recently meeting Arashi member Matsumoto Jun.

Ikuta “For the first time in ages I went out to eat dinner with Matsumoto Jun. Afterwards we ended up going to Matsumoto’s house…I had a great time talking about lots of different things. Matsu-Jun [Matsumoto] is a very earnest person. He’s a great source of motivation. While we were talking we discovered that we were using the same perfume. We ‘argued’ who should switch to a different one! ‘I’ll change first!’ ‘No, I will!’
That reminded me of when we had costarred in the theater production ‘Stand by Me’. We quarreled practically everyday (laugh). We fought over the most insignificant things. But hey, we were just middle school students back then.
Now those ‘brats’ have grownup, and there we were talking while having a drink…gee, we’ve matured a lot (laugh).”

Matsumoto Jun

Fans would definitely have wanted to be there between them! The two longtime friends must have been surprised to find that have unwittingly been using the same perfume. Does anyone know exactly what brand they’re using? As they grow older they are bound to continue being good friends and also be good influence for each other!

Source: MJP

]]> http://pipaproyect.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/scans-taki-segunda-toma/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:02:46 +0000 amixeh http://pipaproyect.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/scans-taki-segunda-toma/ http://galleryofnaru.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/its-almost-december/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:36:32 +0000 nisrina http://galleryofnaru.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/its-almost-december/

WAH UDAH MAU DESEMBER YAH? SELAMAT TAHUN BARU………………=.=

cepet banget ya padahal kayaknya baru kemaren tahun 2008. ah kangen banget 2008 bener bener tahun yang sa-ngat-me-nye-nang-kan. 2009? banyak masalah.

ah kangenbanget sama 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pengen balik puter waktu ke tahun 2008 lagi, bareng bareng sama clst. >_<

semoga tahun 2010 nanti menjadi lebih baik, amin. ah akhir akhir ini gua banyak masalah nih, nilai nilai jelek, terus yagitu deh. untung aja tadi udah sharing sama cerita cerita sama si kakek karim, lumayan mengobati (?) habis si itu………………..itu sih grrr.

eh hari senin besok ujian semester loh, dan gua belo belajar sama sekali haha berasa pinter lo na. padahal udah janji sama bu welly biologi gak bakal remed. doain ya semuanya!!!!

lovelife? ah gua bukan tipe yang nyeritain kayak gituan di blog, its-just-not-my-style (sok inggris =_=) tapi seru loh kalo kadang baca tentang itu di blog orang (habis baca blog diah ehe) yang penting i ♥ toma ikuta dan i ♥ arashi =_____________=”

udah lama ya gak ngefreak tentang toma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ah gua masukin satu fotonya, lihat baik baik.. o__O

^%*&^!$#@%$#^%$&&:”:}{}?><?><#@$#@%$#^%$^%$^

hem gue lagi suka nonton dorama nih, Ryuusei No Kizuna (yg dibawah) tinggal 1 chapter lagi tapi ngadet mulu, fck. Quiz Show juga, subtitlenya ga muncul gitu kalo di dvd player, sedangkat cd drive laptop gue lagi rusak, fck (terlalu banyak fck hari ini =_=). Nodame Cantabile in Europe untung aja udah selse hihihi seru loh! terus gue juga nanti mau ke kober lagi, beli Voice sama Majo Saiban (full of toma) sama Smile (full of matsujun) lol. ah tunggu saja deh habis ujian langsung menggila dorama fufufu.

eh gua baru nyadar tag toma di blog gue ada 3, “toma”, “toma ikuta” sama “ikuta toma” kinda weird =__+

udah ya ngantuk, salam dege! =3=

YA_____________HA!! (gaya mehanda adi)

Tomohisa Yamashita and best friend Toma Ikuta may be forming a new unit called “Iku & Pi” a.k.a. “the ikemen unit.” Well at least just for one night.

Yamapi who just finished his first solo concert at Yokohama Arena, had one his best friends make a special guest appearance during the second half of the show and they instantly formed “the ikemen unit.”

Both of them joined Johnny’s Entertainment in 1996 and became really close friends. So when it was decided that Yamapi was to have his first solo concert, he immediately called Toma and asked him to make an appearance.

“It’s like a dream come true to have both of us on the same stage,” Yamapi stated, and with a happy smile, “It was like going back to our JR. days.“

The last time they were both on stage was seven years ago when both Yamapi and Toma were part of Johnny’s Jr.

Source: sanspo

Credit: suitestaboo@wordpress

High School Farcical
Part One

by Ender’s Girl

With a precious few exceptions (like Nobuta wo Produce), high school-based J-dramas seem to be nothing but an endless wasteland of sheer inanity, where people are one-dimensional buffoons and situational plausibility gets pimped out for cheap laughs. In this world, school IS a joke. Literally.

I give you Exhibit A:

Groundhog Day with the Gokusens

The Cast:
Nakama Yukie, Utsui Ken, Namase Katsuhisa, and a truckload of Johnnies, Johnny-types, Johnny wannabes, and Johnny rejects… plus the seasonal posse of Angry Young Rebels aka Yankumi’s Core Group

In a Nutshell:
Young math teacher Yankumi + her homeroom class of toughies and teenage dirtbags = Too much violence, waaaaaay too much playing hooky, but not enough algebra. (Stand and Deliver this ain’t.)

(SpoilLert: Ehhhh… the whole damn nutshell IS the plot.)

[Recommended companion track: “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus]

I finally gave Gokusen a try because of all the hype surrounding the series/franchise/commercial juggernaut. And I suppose anyone would’ve found the story *marginally* enjoyable… if they were FIVE years old, that is. Sitting through the Gokusens I kept feeling like frikkin’ Bill Murray in Groundhog Day: You’re forced to relive the same episode over and over and over again, watching various permutations of the same rehashed situations: The baaad, baaaad boys of Class 3-D are mean to Yankumi! Yankumi gets tough on them! The boys get into various scrapes/fisticuffs with the Criminal Elements of Society! Yankumi saves her “precious students”–because Yankumi is really… a Yakuza scion trained in the age-old art of a$$-kicking! So the boys inevitably end up learning Valuable Life Lessons! Like… Obey your elders! Choose your battles wisely! Learn to appreciate your teachers! Finish high school, and reach!your!potential! Follow your heart! (Hahaha)

Really, they could’ve done ALL OF THIS with just one SP and achieved the same result–instead of 3 seasons, 2 SPs and a feature film.

But for purposes of comparison: Gokusen 1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gokusen 2.

Gokusen 1 is definitely less frenetic and less cartoonish than G2, and loads more enjoyable. (And the 3-D classroom of G1 looks so… normal, unlike that pigsty from G2. *shudders*) I actually found myself emotionally involved at some level–the Kumai boy’s (Waki Tomohiro) story in particular. And Nakama Yukie has great chemistry with Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin, G1’s Alpha Male of the Angry Young Rebels. Nothing sexual or anything (she’s his frikkin’ teacher, duh), but their scenes make the viewer wish for some post-graduation romance, haha. NOW I understand why there are like, 1 million YankumixShin shippers out there (…and why the Kame haters increased by 1 million when the movie came out this year, lol).

And it’s interesting to see MatsuJun and Oguri Shun in their career-making roles (this was way back in 2002, after all)… even more interesting to see how they looked before the advent of eyebrow threading and orthodontia, lol.

<Now this is the part where my three regular readers get whittled down to two. (Run away!!! Run away!!!)>

Yes, I watched Gokusen 2 for Kamenashi Kazuya, yes Kame that sick little skank from KAT-TUN, because I’m a Kame Kompletist, and that’s what you DO when you’re a Kompletist, you watch all his dramas no matter how Krappy, and don’t even get me started on the Krappiest of them all, Gokusen is decent compared to the other things I’ve seen Kame in, oh my eyes, my eyes… /end of run-on sentence. Well, the only thing I liked about Gokusen 2 was… Kame. (Surprise, surprise.)

But was it just me, or did he actually have some chemistry with Nakama Yukie, as well? Heh heh heh… Not in a YankumixShin way, of course, but… Kame’s character (Odagiri Ryu, this season’s Alpha Male of the Angry Young Rebels) is the only one in his class who doesn’t treat Yankumi like she’s their teacher/buddy/bodyguard/knight in shining armor. I actually like how the Yankumi-Ryu dynamic is developed in this drama.

Oh, and I liked the music of the second season, particularly that horribly infectious “No More Cry” by D-51 as the theme song, and “Kizuna” (hehehe) by Kame as the insert track.

Awwww, looky, someone’s feeling left out ‘coz E.G. didn’t mention him, not even once…

I think the best thing about the Gokusens would be Yankumi’s interaction with her granddad (Utsui Ken) and their Yakuza homies (Anan Kenji, Uchiyama Shinji, Kaneko Ken–hilarious, all). Entertaining stuff, if hardly realistic. The producers/writers obviously wanted to make the Yakuza angle as benign as possible, considering the school kids and tweeners who (presumably) made up the lion’s share of the TV audience. Yankumi’s gramps is portrayed as this kindly old man who couldn’t hurt a fly, but all the time I was thinking, “He’s a frickin’ MOB BOSS… how many people has he had killed, anyway?” But then pretty much everything else in the Gokusens is trivialized, so it’s easy to see why the writers glossed over this, er, little detail (Yakuza! = Organized! Crime! Syndicate!). Durrrr…

And as for Gokusen 3… hahahahahahha I’m not THAT shtooopidddd…

(But I’ll be watching Gokusen the Movie once the DVD is released, so I guess I AM. Doh!)

Exhibit B:

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e / For You in Full Bloom

The Cast:
Horikita Maki, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, Mizushima Hiro, a dog, and more truckloads of Johnnies, Johnny-types, Johnny wannabes, and Johnny rejects

In a Nutshell:
Girl travels halfway across the globe to help Serious Sporty Guy “find himself,” but first needs to pose as a guy to get into Serious Sporty Guy’s all-boys school. This other dude, Funny Dorky Guy, completes the requisite love triangle.

(SpoilLert: None!!! Because I am Kind and Generous…)

But first, let’s sing…

The Hana Kimi Tiny Toon Adventures!

We’re tiny, we’re toony,
We’re all a little looney,
And in this cartoony,
We’re invading your TV!

We’re comic dispensers,
We crack up all the censors,
On tiny toon adventures
Get a dose of comedy!

I really don’t have to continue writing about Hana Kimi because that song from the Warner Bros. animated series sums it up beauuuutifully. But I will anyway, hahaha.

So why did I slog through this high school farce-o-rama? Because Oguri Shun is Love.

Repeat after me: Oguri Shun is L-O-V-E. Love. Okay, so maybe he isn’t classically handsome–but then this is Japan, so who is, right? Lol. (The only classically handsome J-actors I know would be Karasawa Toshiaki, Fujiki Naohito, Tsumabuki Satoshi, and (a pre-anorexic) Tamaki Hiroshi… Yep, that’s about it… Oh no, not you, KimuTaku, I never found you classically handsome, sorry… Nope, not even in Good Luck!… Back of the line, buddy! Lol) Back to non-classically handsome Shun: But there’s something about good acting that makes a character (and the actor playing him) so… compelling to watch. Towering over everyone else, Shun may look a bit too… mature to be playing a high school student on Hana Kimi (*ka-ching!* understatement of the year! hahahahaha), but but BUT I never would’ve found this drama tolerable without him in it. Yep, without him as Sano Izumi aka The Serious Sporty Guy, I would’ve chucked my DVD out the window right after Episode One.

Amid the crazy, meandering stupidity of Hana Kimi, Shun brings a certain… gravitas, and a core of believability to the story. I’ve seen him in pretty good productions (Hana Yori Dango, Stand Up!) as well as pretty awful ones (the abortion that was Yuuki, and now, Hana Kimi), but I was blown away by his performance in each one. He really seems to understand, as in really understand what each character is about–no matter how well, or how poorly written that role is–and he has that gift (yeah, the one soooo few actors have, lol) of inhabiting a character and making it his own, despite crappy writing/direction or mediocre co-stars. Shun can make whatever character he’s playing feel like a real person, whether the material is hardcore comedy, or more serious fare.

It also helps that his character on Hana Kimi is (writing-wise) the meatiest of the lot: the whole character arc of Sano Izumi is developed (i.e. his internal conflict, his motivation, his worries and insecurities, his family baggage) and so you really get to witness his personal journey throughout the drama. But then this is Shun, so even with the character of Sano being the best-written on the entire drama, a lesser actor may have messed it all up just the same, lol. And yeah, I’d totally believe his character was this record-breaking track star–with that super athletic body of his? *wolf-whistles, lol* Baby baby baby. You can (high)jump me anytime, lolz. (PLUS, sporting that jet-black hair, and walking around in those to-die-for Nike track suits, Shun certainly looks his cutest among all the dramas I’ve seen him in. Oooh-la-la!!!)

Then there’s Ikuta Toma aka “The Johnny That, er, Johnny Forgot” (lol), as Nakatsu Shuichi, the Funny Dorky Guy who develops feelings for Horikita Maki’s character–which naturally convinces him that he’s gay, which naturally generates more laughs for the story. I thought that Toma’s “dark” (lol) turn on Hana Yori Dango 2 was rather laughable, but he really surprised me on Hana Kimi. Providing the comedic foil to Shun’s straight-arrow character, Toma is freaking hilarious as Nakatsu Shuichi–typically J-com, but never completely over the top. And I like that as an actor, Toma doesn’t balk at making fun of himself, and is refreshingly unselfconscious despite all the outrageous situations his character finds himself in. Nakatsu doesn’t realize right away that Horikita Maki is a SHE, and it is this (erroneously based) Gay Awakening of his that provides the drama’s funniest moments. (Nakatsu’s 5,866 nosebleed scenes were highly amusing, and I was LMAO during the scene when he goes all moony over Ashiya Mizuki (Horikita Maki) at the okonomiyaki parlor, and the camera zooms in on his expression, with water dribbling from his mouth and love cataracts glowing in his eyes.) At least I had fun watching Toma, even if the rest of the comic acting from the cast felt so fake.

But oh dear, Horikita Maki: the weakest link of the three. I was HOPING to see a Girl acting like a Boy (same kind of role that Amanda Bynes NAILED!!! in the 2006 film She’s the Man–aka Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” for the MTV Generation, heh), but it was sooooo frustrating to watch Maki Not. Even. Trying. Or. Acting. Like. She. Was. Trying. What we have instead is a Girl who still acts like a Girl but has everyone thinking she’s a Boy because: 1) the boys at Osaka High are THAT dumb, and 2) the writing decreed that nobody would ever find her out until the last episode. Durrr. Maki doesn’t even lower her voice, or walk like a dude, or adopt other mannish mannerisms–things Amanda Bynes did in She’s the Man, with delightfully hilarious results. She’s the Man was so entertaining (despite being–yessss, another high school rom-com) because Bynes attacked her role with an almost gleeful gusto, and wasn’t afraid her Disney/Nickelodeon-weaned image would take a beating by appearing in a gender-bending role, or by deglamorizing herself to the point of being unrecognizable. The whole film is really about the comedy of errors that ensues as Viola (Amanda Bynes) tries her darnedest to fit into the all-boys school, despite getting into a lot of hairy near-scrapes, compounded even more by the maddening proximity to her super-stud of a roommate, Duke Orsino (Channing Tatum).

On the surface it may not seem fair to pit Hana Kimi against She’s the Man. “Comparisons are odious,” as the saying goes. But they ARE inevitable. And cultural differences aside, the only valid point for comparison between Maki’s turn on Hana Kimi and other gender-bender roles would lie in the believability of the performance: did the actress play a girl playing a guy to a convincing degree? Horikita Maki = not in my book. What made me want to tear my hair out was watching this insipid, half-a$$ed effort from her that would’ve been pleasantly watchable–if her character hadn’t pretended to be a guy from the start. She’s SUCH a girl here, and what astounds me even more is how the writing loves to make her character dress up in ladies’ formalwear (e.g. the pageant, then later the dance contest), then later makes a big deal of her being outed as a girl, when everything about the drama (the writing, Maki’s unconvincing acting) somehow conveniently forgets how bloody important it is for Ashiya to act as boyishly as possible, and not give even the barest hint that she’s actually a girl!!! Argh!!! *self-destructs*

Granted, Japan is crawling with bishounen types, so mannishness (even in men) may not be as idealized as in other cultures. But Maki didn’t even play androgynous convincingly, IMO. She obviously got poor direction from The Director, who (with The Writer) ought to take the brunt of the blame for the whole phony treatment of Hana Kimi. The effectivity of a performance (or lack thereof) is really the net effect of the writing, the direction, and the actor’s own interpretation of the role. Which is why it’s SO important for actors (especially those serious about TEH CRAFT!) to view their portrayal as a collaborative process. And this can only be achieved if the actor and director truly understand how the character was written and share in the same creative vision. But if all the lead star ever does is mouth her lines and hop when the director says “hop,” and never really goes deep into her character, then that’s another story altogether, heh.

What’s best about Hana Kimi: Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, the Nike track suits, and the dog.

And the worst? Everything and everyone else. Especially YOU, Maki, you… GIRL.

***
Photo credits: crunchyroll.com, dramawiki.com, hallyudorama.com, kitine.wordpress.com, soompi.com, ampf.vox.com

Tomohisa Yamashita and best friend Toma Ikuta may be forming a new unit called “Iku & Pi” a.k.a. “the ikemen unit.” Well at least just for one night.

Yamapi who just finished his first solo concert at Yokohama Arena, had one his best friends make a special guest appearance during the second half of the show and they instantly formed “the ikemen unit.”

Both of them joined Johnny’s Entertainment in 1996 and became really close friends. So when it was decided that Yamapi was to have his first solo concert, he immediately called Toma and asked him to make an appearance.

“It’s like a dream come true to have both of us on the same stage,” Yamapi stated, and with a happy smile, “It was like going back to our JR. days.“

The last time they were both on stage was seven years ago when both Yamapi and Toma were part of Johnny’s Jr.

source: sanspo

Закончив съёмки в дораме “Majo Saiban”*, Тома взялся за работу над фильмом, где он будет играть главную роль. Съёмки в самом разгаре.

Вот что рассказывает сам актёр о своей новой работе: ” В данный момент мы снимаем новый фильм. Моей партнёршей будет Арагаки Юи-тян. Фильм выходит под названием ‘ハナミズキ / Hanamizuki, это адаптация знаменитой одноимённой песни исполненной Хитото Йо. История начинается  со времени, когда главные герои учатся в старшей школе, и продолжается, показывая 10-летний срок их отношений. У меня не так много опыта участия в сериалах, где сюжетная линия построена на “большой и чистой любви”, поэтому мне ещё предстоит научится стольким вещам и я учусь чему-то новому каждый день. Пожалуйста, ждите премьеры фильма в следующем году. Я буду стараться чтобы этот фильм вам понравился. Когда мы снимали сцены на Хоккайдо, нам посчастливилось опробовать столько морепродуктов. Боже, морепродукты Хоккайдо – самые лучшие. Хотелось бы попробовать   “икура-тян” (икра лосося) ещё раз.”

Песня  ハナミズキ / Hanamizuki (Цветущий кизил) в исполнении Хитото Йо (Ё)

*Majo Saiban, или “Суд над ведьмой” полностью переведён на русский язык фансаб-группой Томато.

Ok we all know Kenichi is the “official” L, since he interprets him in the movies, and I LOVE HIM! Soooo cuuuuuute! But what if other people had taken that character?

1) yAY! kENICHI lol

2) woot Mizushima Hiro XD he’s already dress-up! XD

3) this is hyde in a pv… im not sure which one, someone gave me this screencap. Anyway, i do remember that hyde made an L cosplay for HYDEIST but i can’t find  it T_T

4)Found it! =]

5) How about ikuta?

Anyway, that’s it for now. If anyone finds some pics… why dont u share with me XD lol

The official website for Genjiro Arato‘s film adaptation of Osamu Dazai‘s novel No Longer Human has been updated with a new teaser.

A quasi-autobiography, the novel was Dazai’s final literary work before committing suicide on June 13, 1948. This film was made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Toma Ikuta stars as the self-destructive, Dazai-based main character who can’t seem to veer off his despair-ridden path in life. According to Tokyograph, Satomi Ishihara will play the woman he married, though he had several other women in his life.

“No Longer Human” will be released by Kadokawa Pictures in 2010.

Source/Credit NipponCinema

Let’s face it Yim, you are totally white washed. Quick! Top 5 things that define me as Asian!

1. Love white rice

2. Love Faye Wong

3. Love Domo-kun

4. Love Chinatown

5. Was born into a family restaurant where I was forced to sell pseudo Chinese food to the White Man everyday, whilst being whipped by my overtly Asian Mom Boss Creature, whilst struggling to beg for mercy using my level 96 Chinglish vocabulary, whilst I battled with my half blindness due to the upward slant of my eyes which prohibited the use of my peripheral vision and me being able to look up and down without moving my entire head.

Whilst.

So in order to balance out the whitey in me, I was looking for a good Asian drama. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, didn’t really matter. Just something easy to watch without me having to devote too much brain power to follow.

Fooouund iiiiiit: Hana Kimi.

In short, it’s about a girl who impersonates a boy in order to attend an all boys boarding school so she can persuade a certain boy who is her high jump idol to continue doing high jumps after he quit because of an injury. I know, edgy right? Okay the concept seemed kind of silly to me, but I gave it a chance because it happened to be one of the more popular dramas listed. Am I glad I did!

Hilarious. All 12 episodes are total slapstick humor. The characters are a riot. But the ultimate reason as to why I completely loved watching Hana Kimi?

Ikuta Toma. Aside from being a total cutie pie, his comedic timing is just so on. Here are just a handful of my favorite scenes (spoiler alert; also these are links to the actual episodes that you can watch on Youtube, but the clips should start at the Ikuta scenes.) Enjoy!

Class is not over

Going steady

Water intake

Love beyond gender