What Dorama Are You Watching?

IronPoke · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject:

I was actually pleasantly surprised by Gokusen 2. I was expecting to not like and totally hate the new characters and long for the days of old with Sawada and Uchiyama frolicking in the fields ... ahem ...

Anyway, the new flock of boys are just as kind-hearted and likeable as the original class, and the storyline seems to be progressing in much the same style as the original series. This does not mean that the show is missing some of what I loved about the first series.

spoiler

The old head teacher is back, one of my all-time favorite characters. His presence is somehow muted, however, most likely for the fact that he is no longer an antagonist to the storyline. He and Yankumi are helping each other, in fact, so I feel that that sort of steals from the comic charm I saw in the first series when he would reprimand Yankumi and make a fool of himself. His second in command is an annoying midget with a shriek. I miss the one in the first series who was slightly dumb and slow to speak, he complemented the rigidity and uptightness of the head teacher much better.

The head of the Oeda clan, Yankumi's grandfather, is back, too. I feel like his screen presence is a bit less, too. He's the other one of my favorites, so it hurts me to see his role diminished. His jewels of wisdom, however, still shine through with each small scene. The rest of the Oeda clan still play some part in each of Gokusen's episodes. Tetsu's mustache is back... makes you wonder why!?!? Minoru is still fat. Moving along...

Kuma is the only recurring Class 3-D character. His presence makes the most sense since his father died and he took over the restaraunt. Seeing him, however, just makes me miss the old crew. Even his scenes are small so you start to wonder why all your favorite characters, if they're still there, don't show up as often.

It is because Yankumi dominates the screen. And this is my major beef. Her naive and ideallistic speeches of "Let's shed hot tears and sweat in the springtime of youth!" and "Fight-oh!" have gotten so old that I have to avert my eyes each time she gets on her soapbox. On the other hand, when she throws sweetness aside and goes into Yakuza mode, I pay attention. Her success in the first series has given her much more of the limelight this time around. As a result her actions are all the more flamboyant and over the top. Her tough-girl scenes are still wonderful.

I must say that the fight scenes in this show are much better choreographed than the first. The idiocy of all the fights being in a warehouse somewhere still remains rather apparent. I have not seen any blatantly STUPID plot stuff like in the first series where Uchiyama says "The gang we're after is in the old warehouse!!!" when he and his buddies just spent 5 minutes running all over a school campus and got nowhere. The searches for friends in downtown Tokyo still occur, however, much to my chagrin. Is Tokyo really this small!?!?

That ends my rant for Gokusen 2. Other than these things that I feel are flaws, Gokusen 2 still makes me smile and teary-eyed, which is why I loved the first one. I'll continue watching, maybe as the episodes drag on, Yankumi will take a back seat to a wonderful ensemble of characters that I felt helped to truly characterize a great story.

In other news, I watched a bit of Hotman 2. Seeing Takashi Sorimachi again made me smile. He is in a father-figure role as the big brother of a family of 5 kids who share the same mother. She passed away and the fathers are nowhere so Takashi has to mentor and lead. The series bares a quiet humor but it seems family-oriented and not really for teens. I haven't seen much however, so more teen-accessible stuff could come into play later on. Takashi is as expressive and funny and gut-wrenchingly honest as when he played his greatest role ever as GTO. I'm loving this series, though I don't feel it is for everyone. It's a serious drama with a slice of life plot. Making sacrifices for love of one's family seems to be the theme which makes me like the series all the more. Nodes and Grin, pay attention. I think you two may want this drama. If you haven't already found it or watched it, SARS has subbed 10 of 12 episodes, I believe.
_________________
Mugen Rocket!!!

jjjynx · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:39 am Post subject:

My tv's gonna show that starting next week...I'm pretty sure it's 2, a bunch of weapon weilding kids tried scaring her, right?

IronPoke · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject:

Did you find out if it was 1 or 2, jynx?

I'm almost done with Hotman2! Great series, I really enjoyed it. The story is even more endearing now that it's almost over. SARS has just one more episode to go before it's done.

In the meantime while waiting for new episodes of that, I've been watching Cheap Love, which I hear is a great Takashi Sorimachi classic. I've seen 6 episodes so far and really like it. It's somewhat slower paced than more contemporary dramas but it's still got the original bad boy himself doing what he does best. I'm sure some of you have already seen it, but I've never seen it mentioned here. It's a cute love story, but at the same time I feel that the lead female role is way too quiet and inexpressive. Good entree before the main course, though it's still a good drama in its own way.

I also tried watching Ikebukuro West Gate Park, but it had nudity and violence. I was rather surprised since I thought it was supposed to be funny. Maybe it's a humor only the Japanese recognize...? I guess it's more suited to violent perverts like Dread, but I didn't like it too much.

Now that Hotman 2 is almost over, and Gokusen 2 doesn't seem to be subbed very quickly, I'm on the lookout for another good drama. Do any of you have any suggestions? I was considering the Trick series, seasons 1, 2, and 3, but now am not quite sure.
_________________
Mugen Rocket!!!

jjjynx · Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:31 pm Post subject:

It is 2....and I miseed 2 episodes this week...which means life's catching on me....either that, or XenoSaga.

IronPoke · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:54 pm Post subject:

Do NOT watch Cheap Love. I'm telling you all this for your own good.
_________________
Mugen Rocket!!!

jjjynx · Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:51 am Post subject:

Trick series are....well.....okay I prefer Kindaichi.

swollenlymphnodes · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:36 am Post subject:

Musashi!!!!

It's the series of the month on d-addicts. Too bad the months almost over. But there should be quite a bit of seeds.

Sworn rival and friend Dread should apreciate this. It's actually done quite good.
_________________
nodes aka GTBaka
PDT_Zamourai_11

eh?
*Eternally Lurking*

GrinfilledCelt · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject:

Oooooh! I'll get it right away! It spin a while since I watched a dorama, just the live action ova of Death Note since they finished Gokusen.
_________________

Songs for the flash frozen.

swollenlymphnodes · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:50 pm Post subject:

And another Highly recommended dorama to watch.

I haven't been this enraptured by a dorama since GTO.

Hana Yori Dango you can get it from Sars.
_________________
nodes aka GTBaka
PDT_Zamourai_11

eh?
*Eternally Lurking*

Anime Otaku Chik · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:00 am Post subject:

Aahhh Hana Yori Dango is really popular right now... What is it about though, exactly?
_________________

jjjynx · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:29 am Post subject:

=.=' errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................................that's pretty old....oh wait.....it's the west.........

well it's about a poor girl getting scholarship into a rich school, and then falling in love blah blah with one of the guys in the richest group of 4...I forgot their names, and after that getting all sorts of trouble from the men's mother and also three way relationship happening among them and lotsa others stuffs, still as usual skipping parts from the comic..........

Well, I'm jjjynx, so I read the manga, but I really didn't like the series that much, it's really really meant for girls....

Anime Otaku Chik · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject:

Of course it's for girls. XD It's shoujo. Didn't the dorama just end though? And Utada Hikaru's song "Flavor of Life" was the theme song for the last season.
_________________

swollenlymphnodes · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

Yes the series just finished like last month or something. And Utada Hikaru's song is used a lot in series 2.

You can see a little shoujo flair, like how they dress F4. But the drama is not. You don't get that same feeling. It's just a really good love story. I will put it at second behind GTO on my favorite Dramas of all time.
_________________
nodes aka GTBaka
PDT_Zamourai_11

eh?
*Eternally Lurking*

Dread_Knight^Samurai · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

Sworn rival ehh... not bad. We should strengthen our brotherly bond through a contest of sword fight. Oh no...I'm getting excited...the mere thought of it...

Where do I get it? Direct download would be nice. Musashi...f it's about that sword saint Miyamoto musashi I would truly enjoy plus you did say it's done pretty good.
_________________
The mark of my divinity shalt scar thy DNA.

GrinfilledCelt · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:15 pm Post subject:

Get it here. The first episode is on page three. I've gotten the first four episodes but only watched the first so far. It does look very good. Fifty episodes is quite a slog to download. This one looks like it's worth it though.
_________________

Songs for the flash frozen.