ANNOUNCEMENTS

I am sorry to announce that I have made a decision to officially close Cypsis' Blog.

All the reviews stay up as they are, but I will not write more reviews. Cypsis' Blog had many ups-and-downs during those 7 years and I have tried to give the best I could, but unfortunately my life has moved on so much that finding time for reviewing has become more and more difficult. Closing the blog is breaking my heart, but I have thought a lot about it and understood that it is for the best. I am very thankful to everybody who have enjoyed reading my reviews.
(PS. I am still continuing to watch Asian dramas and you can always find me on Mydramalist.com)

Thank you for all these 7 years. I hope that those 240 reviews made you happy. I truly had unforgettable time writing them!

Sincerely, Cypsis
01.01.2018
Showing posts with label Waki Tomohiro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waki Tomohiro. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Gokusen the movie (2009)



Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Kamenashi Kazuya, Miura Haruma, Takaki Yuya, Miura Shohei, Ishiguro Hideo, Nakama Junta, Kiriyama Akito, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Anan Kenji, Waki Tomohiro, Koike Teppei, Koide Keisuke, Hayami Mokomichi, Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Ichigaki Yuma, Sawamura Ikki, Tamamori Yuta, Kaku Kento, Irie Jingi, Morisaki Win, Ochiai Motoki
Synopsis: Yankumi has a new class, the former 2D, but guys still do not trust her. At the same time Odagiri Ryu become a teacher-in-training under Yankumi in Akadou. The last 3D has graduated some time ago and is finding his place in life and in their workplaces, but suddenly Kazama becomes involved with dangerous underground world, which makes everyone, especially Yankumi, worried.
Rating: 4/5
Read previous seasons reviews here: first, second, third

The movie is the best way to put an end to Gokusen series. It is heartwarming and final. It would be ruined if there would have been any more than it.
For the first time Yankumi has the chance to show that she meant her words when she said that she
will always be the teacher for her students, until now we have only seen her being updated with Kuma's doings. I just thought and understood that from all my teachers only my middle school teacher is updated of everyone's doings, but she was the closest to us too.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Gokusen (2008)


SEASON 3

Country: Japan
Format: 11 episodes + SP
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Miura Haruma, Takaki Yuya, Miura Shohei, Ishiguro Hideo, Nakama Junta, Kiriyama Akito, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Anan Kenji, Uchiyama Shiji, Enami Kyoko, Ryogoku Hiroshi, Waki Tomohiro, Koizumi Kotaru, Hoshino Aki, Hirayama Aya, Azuma Mikihisa, Ishihara Atsumi, Yamada Yu, Wakaba Ryuya, Kujirai Kousuke, Totani Kimito, Nakayama Masei, Hamao Kyosuke, Maeda Goki, Mayama Akihiro, Yazaki Hiroshi, Yuki Jutta, Warabino Tomoya,
Synopsis: Yankumi meets a new school and new students to who she must teach the meaning of friends and high school time.
Rating: 4/5
Read previous seasons here: first, second

I liked the third season more than the second, but less than first.
Yankumi has been teacher for already 7 years now and you can see how the time has changed her and how the age difference has widened with students .When in first season she was acting like a "buddy" with students and in the second she was the most like teacher, then in the last season she made it into "mama" - a great mother lion who protects her children. It is exactly what it seemed to me.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Gokusen (2005)


SEASON 2

Country:
Japan
Format: 10 episodes
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Koike Teppei, Koide Keisuke, Hayami Mokomichi, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Uchiyama Shinji, Anan Kenji, Tanihara Shosuke, Waki Tomohiro, Otoha, Inoue Jun, Azuma Mikihisa, Mizushima Hiro, Kawamura Yosuke, Nakamura Yuichi, Miura Ryosuke
Synopsis: It has been 3 years since Yankumi’s first students graduated and through accident Yankumi becomes a teacher at Kurogin High school. Her new homeroom 3D is again full of delinquents, who face fights, troubles, misunderstanding and possibility of expulsion everyday. With only 3 months left until graduating Yankumi must give her all to guide her students to the right path.  
Rating:
4/5
Read the first season review here!
Like some other viewers I had fears that second season might not be so good or I do not start to like the guys as much as I liked in the first season. Fortunately, just look at the cast, how can I not love them! Now I know that I had no reason to worry, because "Gokusen" stays "Gokusen". 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Gokusen (2003)


SEASON 1
 Country: Japan
Format: 12 episodes + SP
Genre: school, youth
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Waki Tomohiro, Ichigaki Yuma, Namase Katsuhisa, Utsui Ken, Kaneko Ken, Uchiyama Shinji, Ito Misaki, Nakasawa Yuko, Sawamura Ikki, Sakata Tadashi, Matsuyama Kenichi, guests: Ichikawa Yui, Wentz Eiji, Tanaka Kei, Hiraoka Yuta
Synopsis: Yankumi`s life long dream has been to become a high-school teacher. After passing her exam she becomes teacher to 3-D class at Shirokin Gakuen high-school. She does not know yet that her class is put together of delinquents and troublemakers, but neither know students that actually she is the grand-daughter of 3rd generation yakuza boss.
Rating: 4/5
At last I decided to watch "Gokusen" also known as one of the most famous school dramas in the history of school dramas and I cannot argue with that. There is something great about it that just hooks you on to the screen.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

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?)