Risou no musuko (2012)

Country: Japan
Format: drama in 10 episodes
Genre: family, school, comedy
Cast: Suzuki Kyoka, Yamada Ryosuke, Fujigaya Taisuke, Sawamura Ikki, Nakajima Yuto, Takeda Kohei, Irie Jingi, Emoto Tokio, Kaneko Nobuaki, Waki Tomohiro, Miyoshi Ayaka, Kendo Kobayashi, Suzuki Anju, Moromizato Daisuke, Yoshinaga Jun, Hayashi Kento,
Synopsis: Suzuki Umi is single mother whose life's purpose is to get his son to buy a house for her. Despite the fact that they are poor, she wants to grow Suzuki into perfect son by giving him expensive Meifu private school and stuff, but things change dramatically when Dachi leaves Meifu for delinquent boys school, where Umi started her part-time job, in order to protect mom from other guys. What is really "perfect son or mother"? What is the most important in their lives? and all other questions arise in their minds and hearts...  
Rating: 4/5 (Actually it is 3,5, but I do not have this half system)
Before watching it, I thought that Daichi is some Oedipus-complexer guy and wanted to see it because of Fujigaya Taisuke, but it turned all up-side-down as I fell in love with Yamada’s 

 acting and found out that he really does not have Oedipus-complex and „he is not a mama-boy, "he just loves his mother“. Yamada Ryosuke’s acting is seriously one of the high-lights of the drama – you can see him sweet, laughing, crying, beaten up, beating up, angry, bath-scene, cross-dressing. Maybe love-troubles are the only things that are missing, but at the same time there are girl-troubles and Daichi is not that interested in women. You can really say that Daichi is late-bloomer and as a male he is useless, but as a son he might be perfect, may be too perfect, but you seriously must watch it till the end to have a conclusion of their story. But there were some annoying things about him – 

firstly, holding your pointing finger up while running to school is not normal, that only made me realize how weird and short are Yamada’s fingers. Secondly I did not like that he had to repeat the Australia story all the time, but as I understood then this was like a good luck charm to make the punch work – it was with all the other characters and their moves too. On the other hand, (not making fun over Yamada)  Yamada pulled everything off and he even sings a couple of lines in the movie – so if you want his version of “Happy birthday” then try to record it.   

 Mother, Umi-san, was actually a great mother – it seemed that she might be too self-centered 

and stuff, but as the drama goes on, she gets aware of her maternal instincts as she starts to worry about him much more. Umi-san is very good at manipulating with Daichi, so he would do anything to please her. She has some small dreams and secrets of her own, but because of Daichi and poorness, she has lost her feminine side and will to do anything else. She has a big appetite – eating 3-4 people portions at once  (reminds me at the moment, eating 2 people portions as a meal.. woah.. I might end up fat by the end of this year .

Kobayashi Kouji is involved with Daichi’s life more than once and things get once more complicated and then calm down again. He is the one character who I ended up hating and then a bit loving again. He is weak, mama-boy, lying son of a bitch. Gomen, but his mother is worst bitch, who actually made me cry in the last episode. I bet that each child will hate and be afraid of this kind of mother, but because she is mother, the child still loves and respects her. I must say that Nakajima Yuto suits into this geeky weak worm-like role, but I feel like he was pretty much the same in “Sensei wa Erai”.
There are many-many-many different characters in drama – each episode extends the cast 

 and Kaneko Nobuaki even plays 4 different characters.  Also there are Goro-san, Habu, Wanikawa, Hyozuka, Zou-san, Tanba and his sister,  Minoru-san, Ikeda-sensei and etc. With whom all kind of jokes are connect to. From second episode till the end you will laugh. I do not know why they made the first episode depressing and not funny at all, but from second episode it is great comedy.

I know that I have not mention much about other characters, but it is because they mostly have one episode about them, but Mifune Kengo is an exception as his story goes on and on till the end. Fujigawa Taisuke was sooooooooo hot(?)They do not show Mifune that much nor let you 

fully understand him, but he is that kind of character who makes one appearance in episode and you know that you love that character. Compared to Daichi and all other characters, he is mature, manly, strong and wise at the same time. I most enjoyed UmixMifune relationship. They were great buddies – listening each other’s problems and stuff . Mifune saw the ideal mother in Umi and I do not really know what Mifune was to Umi – maybe a second son?    

It did not get higher stars because it is the drama you watch and have a great laugh and then do not watch it again.. at least for me. But I do recommend if you want a break and want to enjoy Yama-chan’s acting (getting too personal with the chan-thing?)

Sensei wa Erai (2008)

Country: Japan
Genre: school
Format: movie
Cast: Nakajima Yuto, Yamada Ryosuke, Arioka Daiki, Chinen Yuri, Yusuke Santamaria, Karina, Abe Tsuyoshi
Synopsis: Souta (Nakajima Yuto), Wataru (Chinen Yuri) and Rin (Arioka Daiki) are students, who of public junior high school. They find their teacher Uzaki (Yusuke Santamaria) really annoying (His nickname is even "Uza-Ken", which literally means "You´re annoying"/ "You must be kidding"). As they get in contact with their old classmate Hayato (Yamada Ryosuke), they start to change the teacher into more appealing person. 
Rating: 1/5
To start with, the junior high students are not cool at all, but they understand it much too late. (Maybe it is just the system, that everybody who are older than yourself look cool to you, but when you reach to that point, you realize that actually it is nothing like that?) At the same time, I understand that their (high school students) life is hard too. The part of "growing up, but still being a child" is harsh for everyone, ne?

Souta (Sou-chan)- I find him the most foolest and childish ones! xD He was just so epic in everything he did - cool clothes? buying underpants from Shibuya (there's nothing wrong with that, but you'll understand what I mean if you watch it xD), studies, room0. He was like most comical character in it.  I liked the brothers relationship in it.
Wataru (Wata) - it was funny that Souta and Wataru were bestfriends - it seemed like they were the tallest and the smallest in the class =) but Wataru was such a mamaboy O.o Everything was like "mama will do!".

Takekura (Takeshita/Rin) - Arioka Daiki was the star of the movie for me =D His face expressions were so funny and all his character was cute. I think that knowing the "7 wonders of Uzaken" brought him really bad luck. yeah, bad luck with girls. He is the only character who is dragged into love-triangle, which is soooooooo sweet :) Ahh I wish that there would be not that rare to find that honest and brave guys in real world.

Gunjou (Hayato) - He was just annoying character. Yamada Ryosuke is all cute and totally idol-like in it, but the character was really like WTRamen!??? O.o (I am going to finish high-school in spring and even for me it was hard to understand what he was saying) Gunjou was the type of "Let's make the world a better place!" Yaaaaay!!! -.- not.... His overhelming kindness was actually annoying, because it seemed so fake.

now to the teacher... he totally deserved his nickname, but I think that he was the same as my written school-policy: Teacher and human are not the same. He/she can be the best person in the world, but totally suck in teaching. At the same time, there is a saying that "If a students really wants to learn, then he/she do not need any teacher at all, so there is not great or bad teachers. (Oh there are bad teachers - like languaege teachers, who teach you wrong pronounciation and wrong language rules. I have many teachers in my school /mostly older women/ who are like grannies in personality, but as a teacher no one respects them.). I liked that Uzaken was not a puppet and tried to make them the real thing themselves. It was cute how the 5th wonder was true, but in the other way xD (Watch the movie, to find out :P)
I like that it actually combines the really funny scenes with sad scenes. Just like school is all about - funny things, love-scenes, jealousy, giving your best and sad parts, which might make you cry in future too.   

AAHH! NOW I REMEMBER!! For some seconds it shows a scene, where there is a magazine on the table! /XD Yeah, on the cover of it was Yamashita Tomohisa.. It was a great surprise ^^





SPOILER review!: the end was really sad. It must have been mentally hard for guys when Uzaken collapsed. I know that once in my school a teacher collapsed in front of the class and was taken to the hospital. I think that a experience like that will remain to the memory for a long time, especially when you do not know what is wrong with other person. In the end I still started to cry, because when Aoyama-sensei (nurse) said, that she loved the sound of Uzaken's slippers, I reminded some personal issues, so if you really want to say something to other person, then just do it, before it is to late. even if it is just something about their slippers.

Nobuta wo Produce (2005)

Country: Japan
Genre: school life, comedy
Format: drama 10 episodes
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Kamenashi Kazuya, Horikita Maki, Toda Erika, Nakajima Yuto, Wakaba Ryuya, Okada Yoshinori, Natsuki Mari, Daito Shunsuke,
Synopsis: Kiritani Shuuji (played by Kamenashi Kazuya) is a popular guy, who wants to appeal to everybody, except Kusano Akira (Yamashita Tomohisa), who Shuuji finds REALLY annoying. There comes a new student into their class - Kotani Nobuko - a girl without selfconfidence. Shuuji and Akira find that they may use their youth to make Nobuko into school´s most popular girl.  
Rating: 5/5

AMAZING!!!! XD THE BEST SCHOOL DRAMA and one of the most famous dramas of all. Many now-addicts have started their drama-addiction exactly with this amazing piece of art! And I consider myself as one of them. I remember clearly how I found it and I must admit that I just read the synopsis and saw Yamashita Tomohisa's and Kamenashi Kazuya's pictures and I was already in love with it. Also this drama led me to Johnny's, who now are a big part of my life (do not say I should get a life! I have totally normal social life!!!).
 Yamashita Tomohisa´s acting is soooooo great - his face expressions and the way he plays Akira are over the top. I know many, who say that he is annoying, but please, people, make a distinction between the actor and the character!Akira is childish, eccentric and has a weird accent, but he is also strong (veery strong - no wonder Yamashita Tomohisa got role as Joe in "Ashita to Joe"), competitive and cuuuuute!

I loved the scenes where Akira showed his manly side, it was like "WOOOOW" O.o (hot!)  Many Yamashita Tomohisa's fans' call the "Nobuta wo Produce" time as "The Akira-period" in Yamashita Tomohisa's life xD For me Akira is definitely the best characther he has ever played. (I think I said the same thing in "Buzzer beat" review about Naoki, but Naoki is like the hottest characther, but Akira is the best in every way) .
Disturbing was that Kamenashi Kazuya was so skinny (Thank god, he has some meat on the bones now.  Otherwise his acting was great too, but I was kinds annoyed by Shuuji's characther. He was faking and cared about his popularity, but not about the people around him. His popularity really shrunk down in the end xD Beside Kamenashi Kazuya talked the same way as in "Tatta hitotsu no koi" and it was really tiring as it is so monotone and sleepy. And Shuuji was put in the place of God, who is superior -.- But I loved him after his popularity had plummeted xD he was much more human then.

Horikita Maki did not have many lines as Nobuta, but she was the best! She gave you the real Nobuta like!! amazing! But I do not understand how Nobuta was able to get into this kind of situation for just that little thing in past. Childhood trauma? abusing, DV and stuff like these leave horrible marks in future, but not misunderstanding some things.. It looked like Nobuta is reaaaally shy, but she had so many times where she was so confident in herself that I almost fell from the chair!
One really important person was the vice-president. She said the things that have a deeper meaning and make people think again about things. I found all other teachers weak and stupid. They must give students the security in school. The school-bullying is a serious problem and teachers should do more about it! It is horrible when you are bullied while there are so many people around you and still no-body helps. (Let's make a world a better place and stand for each other!).
And lastly Toda Erika in role of Mariko. She is soo pretty and her obentos seemed sooo tasteful :P. other stuff under the spoiler review. Sorry

The little things of drama. After watching this you will know exactly how to make "Kon-kon", "Nobuta power", "Akira shock", "Bye-cyclie! -bye-bye-cyclie" and  Kame's kawaii-popular-mode. There are sooo many funny scenes which mostly are lip-ads. It teaches you to end your Japanese date perfectly. Girls just must say: "Kyou wa tanoshi kata desu!" ("It was great today/ I had a great time/ etc. you get the point of it, ne?). I loved the reason why Shuuji's dad married with Shuuji's mom, even though she was mostly abroad. To marry just because then you will have the chance to meet her at least once a year, but otherwise he would not had seen her even for that one time. Sooo cute!!! (all those people who are in this kind of situation and are thinking about a divorce and people who whine that their lovers are not spending enough time with them, should put that by ear!). Further more, Shuuji's mother's name was Kiritani Nobuko, what (dadadaaa)is the same as Nobuta's! The reason why Shuuji's dad screams "NOBU-DA!", was that it was a shortening of "Nobuko darling". Kawaii desu ne? Also you see that one Nobuta gym t-shirt ends up in Africa. Hint-hint Shuuji's mother was social worker in Africa for some time :P (It actually was not mentioned in drama, but I just made my own conclusions)

In the episode of school festival watch for the second, when Shuuji screams "I AM NOT KAMENASHI KAZUYA!". It made me like, "yeah, right you're not!" xD It is tooo funny xD Many of you might not get the November 4th thing in episode 4 - you must know some things about Japanese languaege. If you write 114 (11 = November, 4= the date), then 11 looks like ii-s (same way pronounced "ii") and 4 in Japanese is "yo", which gives you "ii yo" (means something like "great", that's why it is called a great day). Watch out for the ending piggy song "Seishun amigo" by Shuuji to Akira (At first I did not get the point, but it is so adorable and stupid xD) aaa! the song Yamashita Tomohisa is singing in episode 7 is "Oyome ni oide" by Fukuyama Masaharu (Only that Yamashita Tomohisa sings it in slow-version). Also my friend said that in some episodes you can see people dancing far Shuuji&Akira "Seishun Amigo" dance, but I have not seen it myself (so going to look at it xD)

The cute side-characters were James and Shiitaka. I liked James, because he was only half-Japanese and made drama more international-level xD and Shiitaka.. he was just sooo stylish, cute and hot. I so want that Wakaba Ryuya could get his big time! (He actually has acted in many famous things like "GANTZ", "Gokusen 3" and he also acted in "My boss, my hero" and "Sensei wa Erai", which both I have seen, but I cannot remember him at all! :S I think he has not have any lead-roles at all. Okey, he was a lead in "4TEEN", but year then was 2004)
I saw a dream of "Nobuta wo produce" after rewatching it and I woke up with nose-bleed O.o....

SPOILER review: I thought for a long time that Mariko is the bitchest person of all, but she turned out to be the best one. But it was so horrible what Shuuji made to her!!! :S Girl's heart is very fragile and it hurts much, when a guy you like says it is all a lie. I liked her especially in the end, I loved that she became Nobuta's friend,but the real end... that was just O.o weird.. Shuuji and Akira just left her, I know it was her wish and blablablaa, but still! It was a bit... gay-ish (btw. I love gays, so I am not so homofob!) Two guys playing in the sea..?
I cannot understand how people always fell in love with wrong people??!! Nobuta broke even my heart when she choose Shuuji over Akira. Akira was always by her side, but still she started to love the "popular guy who everyone likes" -.- NANDE?? :S it is too sad... I wonder if they were going to ever meet again. I so hope they were xD
I still believe that it might have worked out between Nobuta and Shiitaka.. I would have not mind that in this way xD
and a special thing... AOI IS A CRAZY BITCH!!!!