A Million Stars Falling from the Sky: owns me

[dangermousie]

I have just started watching A Million Stars Falling from the Sky, a 2002 jdrama starring Kimura Takuya and Fukatsu Eri.

The drama (the Japanese name is Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi) is written by my favorite jdrama writer, the same woman who wrote Tatta Hitotsu No Koi, Aishiteiru to Itte Kure, Orange Days etc...

The story? When the drama opens, a young rich woman has killed herself but the police suspect this was no suicide but a murder staged to look like a suicide. A few details lead to a police detective suspecting that a chef's assistant Ryo (Kimura Takuya) had something to do with the woman's death, but the whole situation gets much more complicated when Ryo meets and complicatedly connects (on a very different level from his usual superficial-loathing relationships) with the detective's strong-willed younger sister Yuko (Fukatsu Eri).

I have been warned this is a very dark drama and it is, even one episode in. And you know? One episode in...I LOVE IT!!!!! Why didn't I watch it sooner? It's so good. We are basically only introduced to the set-up and the main characters in the first episode (we see the crime scene, the detective, Yuko and Ryo have a first meeting etc) but I am already drawn in.

Kimura Takuya is amazing. I have just finished Pride and it's a huge contrast between Halu in Pride and Ryo. But the same intensity (and kissing ability, whoa, no wonder that rich girl wants him) is there. When he is on screen, it's basically impossible to look at someone else. And even one episode in, you can tell there is something 'off-kilter' about Ryo (maybe he stares too long, or maybe his smile is too sharp) but you can't help but be drawn in anyway. And what little I've seen of Fukatsu Eri so far, I like. She comes across as sharp and strong and interesting and also a little off-kilter (though not in a predatory way, like Ryo).

Not to mention the premise is one of my favorite things: tarnished men and women who save/damn them, is so my thing, in fiction.

You know, it occurred to me after this ep. If they wanted me to be interested in Mawang remake, they should have cast Kimura Takuya as the Lawyer and Katori Shingo as the Cop (hey, they are both in SMAP, they should play off well each other) and Takeuchi Yuko as the woman involved with both of them. It would have been perfect.

Oh, and here is a MV for the drama, made by the awesome walkwithheroes. It's spoilery as hell (I mean it!!!!) but it's really good.

Comments

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

What I love about Ryo is that he is both light and dark ... through Yuko his darkness becomes both much lighter and yet darker. He is loathsome yet lovable, he is ruthless yet he is a little boy lost. I love Sora Kara. A lot of ppl say that they like this dorama the least because it is so dark and Takuya doesn't play the shining hero, but I like it for the fact he is not the hero. Here he showed for the first time he can do more than being the KimuTaku sensation.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like that it's so dark, because it's not dark to be emo or show off, but for a reason, and it makes sense storywise and characterwise. It does have a good plot, but the story is so character-driven.

And Kimura is amazing in this: his character is not a good person but I can't help but be drawn in. He is so good!

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. You really hat to love or love to hate him ... you are appalled and yet you can see slowly why he turned out to be such a guy. And with the backstory slowly unfolding ... *sigh*

Btw, didn't you post photos of your house ones? I do remember you had a blue house and I would love to see those pics again, as I'm collecting ideas for our future house. I looked in your tags under house but no pics *sniff*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've gotten to the part where we see his nightmare flashbacks and I am so curious what that is about.

Let me look for the pics and get back to you. After a certain time I usually go back to my personal entries and private-lock them. I'll pm you the pic.

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've gotten to the part where we see his nightmare flashbacks and I am so curious what that is about.
*nods* and good thing you like stuff like ... SPOILER: *I'm in Love with My Little Sister* and *Temptation of Wolves*.

Thank you, that would be lovely. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL...yeah, I don't mind the 'Temptation of Wolves' thing here at all. I mean...this would be the ultimate evil joke of fate: having Kimura Takuya as a brother :P What a waste :)

[anenko.livejournal.com]

. . . did that vid end with both of them dead?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup.

Sorakara is superdark.

There is one spoiler for this which is both brilliant and FUBAR (and is not in the vid).

[anenko.livejournal.com]

I may watch the series, even with the dark ending. I'm okay with tragedy and angst, so long as I know what to expect ahead of time. That's one of the difficulties I'm having with dramas--I need good, detailed spoilers to let me know how much heartbreak I'm in for, and it's hard to find them.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Let me know how many spoilers you want and I'll be happy to provide.

[mzsugarrat.livejournal.com]

I think I needs too see this...when I feel the irresistible need to have my heart broken in 1000 pieces:)
But still...damm it sound/seems good^-^ So yeah, got to see this somewhere in my future even thou I just know this gonna make me depressed;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It is good, but yeah, be warned: depressing.