More Zettai Kareshi

Zettai Kareshi, or Absolute Boyfriend, is almost coming to an end. With only four more episodes to go, the plot is getting more interesting and perplexing. Night, the love robot, is ever so determinely making a place for himself inside Riiko’s heart. On the other hand, Riiko has fallen for her chief Asamoto Soshi. Meanwhile, Riiko’s “friend” Mika is still plotting away trying to steal Night. However, what’s more interesting aren’t these intermingling love interests but the meaning to being human. Night, though a robot, acts more human than anyone – albeit a perfect human. Devotion toward those you care about, being caring toward your love ones’ feelings, and always finding ways to help those around you. Aren’t these the very qualities everyone aspire to have? But to be fair, these are only the characteristics of a human. What truly defines a human is emotion. With emotion comes courage, happiness,and sadness; somewhere between happiness and sadness is…love. With Night being a robot, can the presense of emotion makes him a human? Still very tough questions.

I’ll leave you with the ending theme song of the show: Okaeri (welcome home) by ayaka.

Who Are You? – R

Broadcasted in 2008
17 Episodes
Overall Rating: A-

Mail Cast:
Go Ah Rah – Son Young In
Yoon Kye Sang – Cha Seung Ha
Kang Nam Gil – Son Il Gun
Jin Yi Han – Shim Jae Ha

I have previoulsy wrote a summary about this show already, so I won’t go into it again. It’s simply about a ghost taking over a living person body. That’s about it. However, despite the simplicity of the storyline, other good points make this show stand out. One being actor Yoon Kye Sang humourous way of acting when he becomes Son Il Gun. Another is actually the simple storyline. Multiple love triangles are thankfully not all that ubiquitous or blatant (although it is there nontheless). There’s also not a big evil villain either. Contrastingly, viewers feel sympathy for the “villain.” The show takes a healthy stab at the holyness that is parental love. Do you rather leave a hefty inheritance behind for your children or a long-lasting memory of happiness for them?

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – R

Toki wo Kareru Kanojou or The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki Kare for short) is an animated movie from Madhouse studio. The film is a sequel to a book by the same name from author Yasutaka Tsutsui. The story is about Makoto Konno — a tom-boy with short hair, a big appetite, and two boys as her best mates. They are Chiaki Mamiya, a red-headed boy very much like Makoto in lazyness and personality, and Kousuke Tsuda, the brainy person in the group. The three friends enjoy playing baseball or practicing their throws with one another. With the coming summer vacation, they eagerly think up things to do before time flies by. On a “nice day” as predicted by the weather-forecaster, Makoto rides her bike to her aunt’s work place for her mother. Unfortunately, since yesterday, her luck has been on the downside and it seems to have reeked into today as well. As she tries to stop her bike, the brake stops working and she collides with an ongoing train. She dies. Today isn’t such a “nice day” after all. However, she is awaken seconds later at a spot before she collides with the train. How did that happen?

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda
Based on a novel of the same name by Yasutaka Tsutsui
Released in 2006
Overall Rating: A+

JDrama Blast!

After getting hook on Who Are You?, I became the drama addict that I was once again. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to watch the last two episodes due to the subs not being ready. Therefore, I decided to try something else while I wait. Again, unfortunately, I got hook on these as well AND the subs and series are nowhere close to being finish. So I thought why not spread the addiction around?

Zettai Kareshi / Absolute Boyfriend
Riiko Izawa (played by Saki Aibu) is a temp worker (don’t really know what that means) at a Dessert Company called Asamoto. They specialize in coming up with new and tasty desserts for various stores. Riiko is but a lowly employee whose job mainly consist of getting the cakes ready to be tasted during meetings, getting everyone coffees, and doing paperwork. Normal stuff, right? Well, that’s how she is as well – quite a normal girl. However, maybe because of this that she hasn’t been very lucky in the relationship department. In comes Gaku Namikiri (played by Sasaki Kuranosuke) from Kronos Heaven. He has created the perfect thing for someone like Riiko, a perfect boyfriend. The boyfriend, however, is a robot and is programmed whatever Riiko wants in an ideal boyfriend. Riiko, initially thinking Kronos was some sort of match-making company, accepted their offer in finding the perfect boyfriend for her. However, once the perfect boyfriend arrives, Riiko is startled to say the least as she has to awaken the robot with a kiss. The robot (played by Mokomichi Hayami) has everything Riiko would ever want in a boyfriend, but she can’t get through the fact that his love is programmed and thus artificial. But…will this change? Would a person prefer the wavering heart of a real human being or the programmed devoteness of a robot?

Binbo Dashi
Kazumi Koyama (played by Shun Oguri) is a Junior in college. He knows many people and everyone depends on him…for money. Kazumi is a kind-hearted person that cannot say no to anyone in need. Sadly, everyone seems to be in need of money the most. So, beside school and his part-time job at a local restaurant, Kazumi most frequents the ATM machine. As a result, people simply began calling on him whenever they need money. Before Kazumi realizes it, he has accrues 1,000,000 yen ($10,000) in debt! To pay back the loan to the bank, he asks a mysterious man who everyone with large debt turns to – Omu Omu (played by Yusuke Santamaria). He agrees to lend Kazumi the million yen if he can glue about 50 boxes of paper into envelopes. Kazumi agrees thinking he can depend on his friends. When his friends did came, Kazumi is elated. Sadly, his “friends” had thought that they were being paid for the work (212 people came). In the end, Kazumi had another debt of 1,110,000 yen to pay back his friends. Some friends they are. Now with a new debt and mounting interest, what will become of Kazumi? Thankfully, he is an optimistic person who always try to look on the bright side of things. Making friends with some local people who in-debted like himself, they strive to end their spending habits and rid of their debts. Can they do it in a world where the urge to posess various objects overshadow everything?

Who Are You?

It seems like I haven’t been following my own schedule lately. First, it was because I was too busy with school. Now that it’s over, I’m too busy catching up on all the gooie-goodness that is Asian Cinema. Since the last post, I haven’t seen any Hong Gil Dong. Instead, I am completely captivated by Who Are You? staring Yoon Kye Sang and Go Ah Ra (Ara for short). I haven’t finish the series yet, but would like to do a brief synopsis for those who are interested.

Who Are You?’s basic storyline is about a ghost taking over another person’s body. The only interesting point is the ghost can only take over for three hours each day for 49 days in total. After the 49 days, the spirit must leave the Earth after he has settled everything. Though the storyline is nothing new, especially to the Asian audience who have long had a fascination with the spirit world, the drama catches my attention through its actors and the message of the drama. People rarely appreciates what’s near them. Only when it’s gone or become broken do people began noticing its presence and their dependence on it. This applies to those around us as well. Son Young In, played by Ara, has a father who she feels she has nothing in common with. At the age of 20, she wants to move out of the house and into the dorm as soon as possible. Her father Son Il Gun, played by Kang Nam Gil, knows he’s been a bad father but still loves his daughter very much. Young In’s hatred for her father is soon tested when she has to confront the dead body of her father. Police tells her it’s suicide, but she knows it can’t be true. But with his death she is freed from her father’s annoying presence. Will she feels this way given her feelings about her father?

Relieve Sigh…It’s Over!

Well everyone, I’m officially done with finals and my art projects. What was the first thing I did? Went straight to watch Hong Gil Dong of course! I also checked out the other show that I reported earlier: Who Are You? Both shows have wrapped up quite some time ago so all of the subbing should be complete too.

Hong Gil Dong – What started out as a fast moving storyline about a young man trying to prove his worth to his father and to the world has now turned into some sort of Sailor Moon-esque show. After Gil Dong was able to get away from all the accusation, he teamed up with a group of bandits to help the poor. And so, the story is advancing through these new enemies which Gil Dong defeats one after another through various means. However, the bad thing is that the events aren’t very strung together well. Everything seems to jump from one place to another quite a bit. The only thing that’s saving this show in my eyes is the relationship between Gil Dong and Yi Nok. They act quite naturally whenenver they’re hear each other and by far better actors that some of the other cast members. I feel kina let down right now actually seeing how I save this show to watch when I’m done with everything.

Who Are You? – It’s a romantic comedy and I just saw parts of the first episode thus far. However, from the opening I’m already laughing. That’s gotta be a good thing, no? The story line is just as I told before except the girl (don’t remember people’s names yet) lives with her DAD not Grandfather. He’s quite a blundering person who has garnered quite a bit of dept trying to woo this woman (he’s a widow). Everything is funny and the acting very natural. The cold antagonist that will soon be the main girl’s love interest is also funny. He has germophobia. That’s funny just by saying it. A very funny scene happens when he is negotiating a deal when he spot a grotesque nosehair sticking out of the other guy’s nose. It’s very little, but when the camera zoom it – it’s hideous! Very funny.

Last Scandal of My Life – Another new drama that’s wrapping up as well. Story’s about a poor mom being a maid to a superstar and they fall in love. It’s a comedy so there’s of course a funny twist. The movie star and the mom were once classmate and the star-dude had a huge crush on her. However, over the years she has changed and not the beautiful girl he used to remember. He, however, has stayed young through the power of Botox. Their initials meeting where not at all amicable as neither recognizes the other. I think it’s really funny from what I’ve read so stay tune.

Coming up next, some reviews! But you’ll have wait after I wake up tomorrow. ‘night, all!