Mousie's two jdrama picks - Guilty and Taiyou no Uta

[dangermousie]

Thank you everyone for the recs! Please keep them coming - the more the better as I want to go on an epic jdrama binge (a semi-related question - is Buzzer Beat worth it? I love me some Pi).

Out of all the recs, I am going to start of two of them tomorrow. They being the revenge/conspiracy drama Guilty and the angsty romance Taiyou no Uta. Why those two?

I loved the first ep of Guilty which I saw a long time ago. I have a huge thing for Tamaki Hiroshi, especially when he eats his meals properly. I love revenge stories and love that the avenger in this is a woman. Win win win.

As to Taiyou no Uta, if there is anything I am a sucker for, it's for doomed and forbidden love. Throw in Yamada Takayuki (does anyone break on screen as beautifully?) and I am set.

I dare you to watch this MV and not want to check it out:

Comments

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

Buzzer Beat - I really dislike the female lead. I'm told there were hot kisses later, but I'm more interested in liking the characters. rainscene did a pimp post on it.


Guilty - I really enjoyed it. I was totally shipping the OTP.

Taiyou no Uta - I hated that drama. I much preferred the movie version of the story with Yui.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Don't like Yui and prefer dramas to movies so drama version it is :) I am pretty spoiled for the story and it sounds exactly like my thing I am in it for crying YT, hopefully not having sex with a corpse this time.

I saw the first ep of BB a long time ago and thought the female lead was adorable :( I wanted to squish her :P

mmmm, Guilty. I kinda hated the heroine in the first two eps (killing someone who is only tangentially responsible for frame-up, and using their best qualities against them is evil - when she made that businessman kill himself on platform by threatening his pregnant wife, I hated hated loathed her - also stupid - what would she do if she met a real psycho who didn't care about others?) But I love creepy/grim revenge stories even if I don't like the avengers so Guilty it is.

[littledelusion.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Buzzer Beat. It was a bit simple, but it seemed pretty realistic and upbeat. I though the love story was enjoyable and there was</I. some pretty smexy kissing times. Plus, Yamapi giving cute lead girl intense stares of LURVE. C'mon!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee, sounds adorable.

[jpookemon.livejournal.com]

I wish the Taiyou no Uta MV didn't have all the seizure triggering white flashes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The other one had a Taylor Swift song. Pick :P

(tbh, I didn't mind the flashes)

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Buzzer Beat. To an unhealthy degree bc it's the best Pi drama that isn't Nobuta, where no OTP happens that is squeeworthy.

Anyways, did I mention I have an undying love of Yamapi?

I rec'd BB to my sis and she really enjoyed it, too. It's got a great OST, and a very simple yet effective love story.

And since Pi and Keiko really hooked up after the drama ends, at least you know the drama has genuine lead couple chemistry rather than pretend.

I don't think BB is a good dorama, per se, just that it works somehow and I adore it. So. Cute.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love Yamapi in principle but dramawise, he's hit and miss for me. I was obsessed with him after Kurosagi (I know you hate it, but I spent months after it borderline rpshipping him and Maki), liked him a lot in Nobuta (which is a drama I dislike - it's exceptionally well-done but very much not my thing), sort of had an on-off thing with Prodai and stayed far away from Code Blue.

I actually think fellow Nobuta alum Kame picks dramas that appeal to me more/appeals to me more as an actor, even if I don't find him sexy the way I do Yamapi (not into girly looks at all).

I am awfully excited about his upcoming boxer drama though. And also, Buzzer Beat, here I come.

[akatsukichii.livejournal.com]

Good luck with Taiyou no Uta I remember going in to shock in the last episode and then crying my eyes out...I mean what kind of ending was that???

(not to say that I didn't like it...:D)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love my drama angst so...

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

I liked Taiyou no Uta. It isn't amazing or anything, but it tugs the heartstrings. ♥

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am in the mood for that sort of thing.

Also, I realized I never finished Innocent Love because my external hard drive died.

Time to remedy, perhaps?

[calixa.livejournal.com]

Buzzer Beat is SO worth it. Yamapi is hit or miss for me as a romantic lead but he has amazing chemistry with the lead actress in BB and she is incredibly gorgeous and adorable. PLUS THERE'S KISSING. YAMAPI IN A REALLY, REALLY GOOD KISSING SCENE. IN A JDRAMA. Will wonders never cease?

[calixa.livejournal.com]

Also, Taiyou no Uta was not bad. I like the main actor a lot - EMO EYESSS I call him... because... well... you'll know why when you see him crying - and it was pretty to look at. Though obviously it has a sad ending.

[lastingdreams8.livejournal.com]

Buzzer Beat is worth watching :)

As for a rec, I think Taiyou to Umi no Kyoshitsu is really great, if you like high school dramas.
Voice is also very good.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay for BB, will definitely check it out.

Not a high school drama fan, sorry :)

[blobofcolour.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Yamapi, have you watched 'Puropozu Daisakusen'? That's the only Yamapi drama I like after Nobuta. I know you like Kurosagi but I gave up after 2 episodes.
By the way, can I ask why you dislike Long Vacation? Just curious because you seemed to like it in the beginning judging from your old lj posts I am not stalking you :p

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was cute (ProDai) even if I didn't madly love it.

Re: LV - I think I ranted about it too much in LV posts as is, so I'll try to be brief - (a) boring (b) HEROINE I HATE HER WITH THE FIRE OF TEN THOUSAND SUNS. I have that problem often with jdrama heroines in older dramas - insane and loud and awful does not equal cute and free-spirited.

I wanted a truck to run her over after listening to her for 5 minutes.

[orangebreeze.livejournal.com]

If you liked Kurosagi you will like Buzzer Beat, I think :)
In the beginning both of the leads were a bit stiff but they got over it pretty soon. The whole cast felt like a big, happy family XD It looked like they where having loads of fun.
The only problem I had was that the conflicts came from them not talking, which is something I really don't like. It's no real conflict, if you ask me, so it bores me :/ And makes me mad.
But yeah, check it out :3

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I saw the first ep and soooooooooooo cute.

[singing-tree.livejournal.com]

Buzzer Beat is lovely. It's really mellow, but the characters are so likable and cute.
Plus, it actually features Yamapi as a normal human being.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOLOL re Yamapi.

But yes, first ep is adorable.

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Ohhh! Instead of Guilty + Taiyou no Uta you should start Himitsu no Hanazono + Taiyou no Uta!

I didn't like "Guilty". The lead actress, for some reason, is really annoying. And the plot itself is boring. If I wanted to see this kind of drama, I'd watch Majo Saiban instead.

Here's my movie recs (I don't know which ones you've watched, so I'll just put everything):

- Heavenly Forest
- Sono Toki wa Kare ni Yoroshiku (Say Hello for Me)
- Kimi ni Shika Kikoenai (Only You Can Hear Me)
- Sunadokei / Sand Chronicles
- Kagen no Tsuki / Last Quarter
- Cyborg Girl (Koide Keisuke + Ayase Haruka = WIN)
- G@me (this one is AWESOME! Fujiki Naohito + hot kisses + spy action + great plot)
- Tenshi no Koi / My Rainy Days

Seriously, these are all worth checking out. What better way to restore your love for Japanese dramas than to start by watching the movies? It's way easier to watch than a whole drama!

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

Where did you watch Sunadokei and is it subbed? :o

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

Buzzer Beat is a very sweet love story. And it doesn't hurt that Keiko is irresistible. Pi's not too bad either ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

First ep is squishable adorableness!

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

Erika, I <3 that talented feisty thing and will watch her in anything. I rem I liked Taiyou no Uta, but other than a couple of scenes of singing, nth struck me as memorable.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Just saw first ep and looooooooooooooooooooove.

Has she been in some scandal or something?

[jennyhime.livejournal.com]

I never finished Guilty, but it did seem good and Miho Kanno has always been a good actress she has a perfect evil glare.
Taiyou no uta, seen both the drama and the movie and suprisingly for me the movie was better. Yui had nice spunk and I though it was adorable how she harassed her crush and ran of and he is all huh.
Erika can be a good actress unfortuntely her attitude sucks and blames everyone one else for it.
But Yamada Takayuki is so cute I just want to take him home, he was the cutest otaku in densha otoko.
Actually if you even have the time I would recommend Atsuhime. It is long but I think the story and acting is good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6EYEypPp_0&feature=related

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMG Atsuhime is so long but I am tempted.

[(Anonymous)]

Does the Taiyou no Uta drama have the same story as the movie? I only saw the movie for Yui(!).

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's the same story. I actually prefered the drama version.

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely say give Buzzer Beat a try. I really loved it, hahah.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

First ep was super cute.

[vert-gazon.livejournal.com]

You might like Atami no Sousakan. It flew under the radar but it is absolutely fantastic. Amazing cast of actors (Odagiri Joe, Fuse Eri, Matsushige Yukata, etc.) and plotted tightly from beginning to end.

It's a bit quirky yet serious when it needs to be with beautiful cinematography. I highly recommend it.

Summary:
The story begins with the disappearance of a school bus and four high school girls. Still unsolved three years later, the case gets revived when one of the girls reappears. Odagiri plays a sharp national investigator searching for the truth behind the incident, which leads back to a seemingly peaceful town.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I have never even heard of this but it sounds fabulous. Thanks!