I Just Wanna Hug You

I have wanted to see this for quite some time, I think mentioned it earlier this year! Anyway it's finally out on dvd so I was able to watch it.
Despite knowing how it would end I'm happy I saw it. It's a really good story of life and it touches you, I think they made a good movie out of it. I hope the families both Tsukasa's and Masami's are happy with the outcome!
If you are able to find this movie, please watch it ^^

★★★★

Title 抱きしめたい ―真実の物語― / Dakishimetai - Shinjitsu No Monogatari
Director: Akihiko Shiota
Writer: Akihiko Shiota, Hiroshi Saito
Release Date: February 1, 2014
Runtime: 122 min.

Story
Set in Abashiri, Hokkaido. Tsukasa (Keiko Kitagawa) got into a severe car accident when she was a high school student. She still suffers from the aftereffects of that accident, with memory impairment and needing to use a wheelchair. Nevertheless, she tries to live life to the fullest. Tsukasa then falls in love with taxi driver Masami (Ryo Nishikido), who likes playing basketball. Even though they have various difficulties, they try to make a happy family together, but they encounter another serious situation.

Cast
Kitagawa Keiko as Yamamoto Tsukasa
Nishikido Ryo as Koyanagi Masami
Kamiji Yusuke as Tonden
Saito Takumi as Sonomura
Hirayama Aya as Natsumi
Kubota Masataka as Junpei
Tsunogae Kazue as Koyanagi Masami's mom
Kunimura Jun as Koyanagi Masami's dad
Fubuki Jun as Yamamoto Tsubasa's mom

HERO 2014

It started two weeks ago, but I'm a bit behind. Oh have I waited for this!!
First time I saw Kimutaku in this role was back in my teens, and although he has gotten older, you can still recognize him so much, it's like he never done anything else..hahaha
Although I miss some of the old cast I have high hopes for this. I wonder what kind of funny "tv-order-goods" will be brought out this time!

Title: HERO
Episodes: TBA
Broadcast period: 2014-Jul-14 -
Air time: Monday 21:00
Broadcast network: Fuji TV


Plot
Kiryuu Kohei has returned to the Josai branch of the Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office which is now headed by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ushimaru Yutaka. Kiryuu’s new assistant is the dignified, beautiful but coarse Asagi Chika.

Cast
Kimura Takuya as Kiryuu Kohei, Josai Branch Prosecutor
Kitagawa Keiko as Asagi Chika, Josai Branch Secretary
Sugimoto Tetta as Tamura Masashi, Josai Branch Prosecutor
Hamada Gaku as Uno Daisuke, Josai Branch Prosecutor
Masana Bokuzo as Ido Shuji, Josai Branch Secretary
Yoshida Yo as Baba Reiko, Josai Branch Prosecutor
Katsuya (勝矢) as Kosugi Keita, Josai Branch Security Guard
Matsushige Yutaka as Kawajiri Kenzaburo, Josai Branch Prosecutor
Yashima Norito as Endo Kenji, Josai Branch Secretary
Kohinata Fumiyo as Suetsugu Takayuki, Josai Branch Secretary
Kadono Takuzo as Ushimaru Yutaka, Josai Branch Headquarters Deputy Public Prosecuto

Kuryu Kohei's returning!!

I found out something amazing yesterday, in the drama world ^^
KimuTaku's HERO, from 2001, is doing a comeback! It's the first time in 7 years Kimutaku will play this role!
However this time it will be without Matsu Takako. Instead we'll see Kitagawa Keiko! It's their first time to act together since Tsuki no Koibito from 2010.
Some old cast members like Kohinata Fumiyo, Yashima Norito, Kadono Takuzo, and Tanaka Yoji, will also return to this new season! Other new cast members are Sugimoto Tetta, Hamada Gaku, Yoshida Yo, and Matsushige Yutaka.

For all of u who have missed out on this drama... well... "HERO" is about an, well, unconventional prosecutor named "Kuryu Kohei" of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office, Jousai branch. The drama was also adapted into a movie in 2007.

The new season of "HERO" will begin airing sometime in July on Fuji TV (Monday's 9:00 pm).

info @ Oricon

ディアフレンズ

Also this movie I found by chance on Youtube. And well.. I blame Kei-chan for this one too!
It was interesting, I think I have missed out on Kei-chan's earlier work, I mean she was more fierce and angry back then ^^
This movie too brings up an interesting topic about how life can become, hardships and friendship.
It is adapted from the manga "Dear Friends" by YOSHI, and art by Watanabe Ayu.

★★

Title: ディアフレンズ (Dear Friends)
Release dates: February 3, 2007
Running time: 115 min.

Story
Dear Friends follows a high-school student named Rina who believes that friends are not necessary and that they can only be used in times of need. Thus, she is unable to maintain a decent relationship with her friends and classmates. Her family's relationship is also lacking; her father does not care much about his family and her mother is over-protective.
Rina spends a lot of her time going to a club in Shibuya where Yousuke is the disc jockey with her friends Hiroko and Emi. Yousuke falls for Rina, but her attitude has a feral edge, and they neck but stop short of having sex.
After obtaining a large amount of money under false pretenses (i.e. claiming she is pregnant when she is not and forcing the guy [not Hiroko's boyfriend or Yousuke] to pay for the abortion) and spending it on a bottle of Dom Pérignon (which she sprays over everyone at the club), Rina collapses on the dance floor. She eventually discovers that she has cancer (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) and becomes hospitalized for an indefinite amount of time. In the hospital, she is not visited by her family, but by one of her classmates named Maki. Although Maki tells Rina that they were friends in primary school, Rina does not remember her, so Maki takes the opportunity to re-connect with her. A young girl, Kanae, who is also hospitalized tries to become friends with Rina, but she holds fast onto her mantra of friends being unnecessary.
Throughout her hospitalization, Rina begins to lose hope as her well-being falls apart...

Cast
Keiko Kitagawa as Rina
Yuika Motokariya as Maki
Airi Toriyama as Hiroko
Hatsune Matsushima as Emi
Masaya Kikawada as Yousuke
Mao Sasaki as Kanae
Avery Fane as Club DJ
Naoko Otani as Rina's Mother
Ren Osugi as Rina's Father

Info @ wiki

筆談ホステス

I found this by chance when browsing around youtube the other night. As Kei-chan was starring in it I thought it would be interesting to watch. It was a good story, and I liked it a lot.
As always having some kind of handicap it is difficult, especially in places where people are not as nice about it.

★★★

Title: 筆談ホステス 〜母と娘、愛と感動の25年。届け!わたしの心〜
Hitsudan hosutesu 〜 hahatoko, ai to kandō no 25-nen. Todoke! Watashi no kokoro 〜
Conversation by writing skills Hostess ~ Mother and Daugher, Love and feelings through 25 years. Report! My heart~
Air time: Jan 10, 2010
Broadcast: TBS

Story
Born into strict home in Aomori, Saito Rie lose hearing at age of one year and 10 months by the after-effects of meningitis. Rie gradually drops out of high school and instead get involved with alcohol, tobacco, and shoplifting. She becomes a so called "bad daughter of Aomori". Later, Rie find herself accepted and join a hostess club. This is also where she gets to know the work of hospitality and acceptance despite of being deaf. She also gets to know the dream of a hostess, to work in Ginza, Tokyo. This drama tells the story of Saito Rie who becomes the number one hostess of the "conversation by writing skills".

Cast
Saito Rie - Kitagawa Keiko
Saito Satoshi - Fukushi Seiji
Kawahara Miharu: Toda Naho
Segawa Kozo - Sasano Takashi
Shimada - Haruta Junichi
Ikenami - Ishii Kota
Kobashi Fumio - Inoue Jun
Saito Shiro - Nashimoto Kenjiro
Nagai Kyoko: Tezuka Satomi
Saito Emiko - Tanaka Yoshiko

抱きしめたい ―真実の物語―

I've found a new movie I want to see, this came out a few weeks ago. so I'm hoping for the dvd!
It seems to be a very sweet story and I like the actors ^^

Movie: 抱きしめたい ―真実の物語― / Dakishimetai - Shinjitsu No Monogatari (Want to hold you ~A true story~)
Release Date: February 1, 2014
Runtime: 122 min.

Story
Set in Abashiri, Hokkaido. Tsukasa (Keiko Kitagawa) got into a severe car accident when she was a high school student. She still suffers from the aftereffects of that accident, with memory impairment and needing to use a wheelchair. Nevertheless, she tries to live life to the fullest. Tsukasa then falls in love with taxi driver Masaki (Ryo Nishikido), who likes playing basketball. Even though they have various difficulties, they try to make a happy family together, but they encounter another serious situation.

Movie is based on a true story. Japanese broadcasting station TBS air a documentary on the couple on July 3, 2011

Cast
Kitagawa Keiko as Tsukasa
Nishikido Ryo as Masaki
Kamiji Yusuke
Saito Takumi
Hirayama Aya
Sato Eriko
Sato Megumi
Kubota Masataka
Terakado Jimon
Tsunogae Kazue
Kunimura Jun
Fubuki Jun

info @ Asianwiki

謎解きはディナーのあとで The Movie

OMG... I just checked some stuff for my flight tomorrow and guess what!!!

They are showing Nazotoki wa dinner no ato de -The movie on the flight, with Eng subs!!!!

I start to feel that this trip is gonna be even more awesome than I thought!

Last summer when I visited Japan there were posters all over the place. But I missed out on the movie as it was released later during that summer.

And now i get to see it with English subs ^^

Screen shots from SAS entertainment catalogue

It's all Arashi. Sho-kun on the flight.

Arashi doing CM at the airport then their concert!! ^^

An all Arashi week ^^

Official trailer

独身貴族

I'm a little bit behind, been busy the past weeks.
However I anticipated this drama, and guess why? The story and actors of course ^^
I'm also surprised to see Ito Hideaki in his short hair, I'm so used to his longer hairstyle, it almost feels like another person. He look more manly now...haha
As for Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, I can so picture him to get married and be a great father.. so to see him like this, like a misfit is funny ^^
As for Kitagawa Keiko, well, she'll just be herself I think! From all the interviews I have seen with her I have gotten the vibe she's not so girly girly, so therefore this will be even more interesting ^^

Title: 独身貴族 (Dokushin Kizoku)
Episodes: TBA
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Broadcast period: 2013-Oct-10 - 2013-Dec-??
Air time: Thursday 22:00
Theme song: Shareotsu by SMAP

Story
At present, over 47% of the male population in Japan aged between 30 ~ 34 are single. While for women, the no. goes up to 60% for those in their late twenties. It is not that they are unable to get married. Rather, they all choose to remain single, as they believe that marriage is not the be all and end all. Life holds more promising things beyond marriage, and thus they are all celebrating life as a single. This drama takes a look at life from the perspectives of these men and women.
Hoshino Mamoru is the President of a film production company, having taken over the position from his father. He is an excellent creative director, but he detests chaos and hence prefers to remain single. His brother, Susumu, works at the same company, taking care of the business side of things. Currently undergoing divorce proceedings, Susumu has had to move out of his marital home.
Haruno Yuki is disillusioned with men, after having gone through several failed relationships. She wasn't making great strides in her career either, and so one day, she decided to quit her job and pursue her dream of becoming a scriptwriter. In order to pay the bills, she takes on a part-time job at a maid agency. Before she knows it, she gets her chance to make her dream come true!
It could be Fate, or just plain coincidence, but the 3 of them are plunged into each other's lives; The "Affluent Single", the "Divorced Hero" and the "Marriage Refugee". Will a pivotal moment happen upon them? Will the "Affluent Single" decide to give wedded bliss a chance?

Cast
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi as Hoshino Mamoru
Kitagawa Keiko as Haruno Yuki
Ito Hideaki as Hoshino Susumu
Fujigaya Taisuke as Kawagoe Yuta
Renbutsu Misako as Ogata Sumika
Hiraiwa Kami as Genozono Reiko
Nishihara Aki as Obara Saori
Sasai Eisuke as Kobayashi Seiji

info @ dramawiki

パラダイス・キス

After long time I'll finally watch the japanese movie called パラダイス・キス
also known as パラキス

Starring: 北川 景子, 向井 理, 山本裕典 and 大政 絢

The movie is built on the manga with the same name!!

I've been longing to see this movie for a long time!! It was released in the theatres in Japan last June! I finally got it, so happy... Great start to my weekend!! :)

Trailer


See you later (^0^)

A new drama with Sho-kun

I've been looking forward to this.. the new drama starring 櫻井翔 and 北川景子.
The drama is called: 謎解きはディナーのあとで, Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de.. also known as Nazotoki.

Story
Kageyama is a butler working for a rich heiress, Reiko Hosho. Needed by detectives, Reiko is a novice detective that lacks a few deductive skills. Because of this, Kageyama is relied on by Reiko to help solve cases. Kageyama isn't afraid to use sharp words against Reiko either. This drama not only focuses on the detective cases, but the relationship between butler and heiress.

I'm so happy to see Sho-kun again, and there will also be a new song from 嵐
迷宮ラブソング(Meikyu Love Song).
The first ep aired today, I want to see it asap but due to school work I won't be able to see it until next Thursday...

Anyway.. Sho-kun ganbatte!!! I hope I'll enjoy this drama! So far all I've heard seems great!!