alexandral: (Pink Panther - Shocking)
alexandral ([personal profile] alexandral) wrote2009-04-16 04:22 pm

What is wrong with Police in Japan? Plus, let me show to you the worst haircut of all times

During the Easter holidays I have watched two Japanese dramas I had heard to be very dark and depressing, but I found to be very life-affirming: "Ryusei no Kizuna" and "Last Friends". Both dramas are now in my list of favourites and both confirmed my lately developed love for Japanese dramas.

"Ryusei no Kizuna" : a story of three children whose parents were murdered. I loved this quirky dark drama, and all it's inhabitants. I am really interested now in the works of Higashino Keigo, the screenwriter that also wrote the script for "Galileo". I have already got his "Byakuyako", but the work demands caught up with me and I haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

"Last Friends": a story of group of friends, each affected by some of the most difficult problems of our society: child abuse, prejudice, domestic violence. The only big minus for me was that I started this drama as the result of my watching "Ryusei no Kizuna", when I wanted to see more of gorgeous-looking Nishikido Ryo. But it happened that in "Last Friends" Nishikido Ryo played evil Oikawa Sosuke, the character that I wanted to murder with my own hands. The story also left me with a question - do they not have any Police in Japan? Why someone can just go around, beating and raping his girlfriend and other people and WHERE IS THE POLICE? Where are the domestic violence shelters, etc. etc? Why does everyone has to be so powerless agianst one single tyrant?

And!!! I have been watching Asian dramas for quite a while now, I have seen many weird clothes and many weird haircuts. I have even become un-sensitized to weird haircuts. Until I saw Eita (playing Mizushima Takeru) with what has to be the worst haircut of the century.

See: The worst haircut in the history of ever.














[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think Eita is capable of having a good haircut. It's like he's allergic.

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Yep, the one he had in "Unfair" was pretty bad too, and I kept thinking - aren't The Police supposed to have uniform haircuts by some regs or something???

But nothing could have prepared me for "Last Friends".

[identity profile] uisceros.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Poor Eita, he always has the crazy hair...

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I like how you are not at all surprised. :D The guy could have lloked quite decently otherwise and he played a really nice character, but nothing could make me like him "in full". D

[identity profile] uisceros.livejournal.com 2009-04-17 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I got used to the crazy hair when [livejournal.com profile] princess_dexter did a picspam of him! I think it's requisite for him Eita's hair to be weird and fluffy :D

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I am getting used to it. I think he was in "unfair" (or may be am getting confused). Anyways, i want to re-watch "Unfair".

[identity profile] dianora77.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL The third still is my favourite. It's like the hair is trying to escape from his head out of sheer mortification. :P

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I am absolutely horrified by the atrocious white patches.

[identity profile] scottishlass.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Heee ... th eonly weird hairdo I like on Eita is his Nodame Cantabile look, with the bleached spikes :) But in Last Friends he looks as if he tried to hide his fly away ears and tried to focus our sights on the hair and not the ears :)

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
It was a success in this case - I totally didn't notice the ears, but every time I saw his hair I wanted to giggle. :D

[identity profile] scottishlass.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I always notice his ears in stills ... when he is animated I tend to forget them ... but once he appears in a static picture .. there they are DUMBO :D

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Now I've noticed them I won't be able to forget. But I notice that this shape of ears is not unusual among Japanese drama actors.

[identity profile] meles-kuila.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow...That cut is atrocious....

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I mean - the shape is bad enough, but WHITE PATCHES???

[identity profile] miss-dian.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Much as I dislike Eita's haircuts, he still can pull them off thanks to good looks :D Hope you had a great Easter break!

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
I am still so-so about his looks, I need to see him in something where he plays a romantic hero. :D Do you have any of his dramas to rec?

I hope you had a great Easter break too!!!

[identity profile] miss-dian.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmmm. No recs I'm afraid. I have only watched Nodame Cantabile, Anego, and Kimi wo Petto, all of which you've watched too. But for a general drama rec, have you watched Gourmet?? Food porn galore!! ^^; And watching Kim Rae-won cooking is a privilige :D

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
** is very interested** Romance story with food??

[identity profile] miss-dian.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately romance is not this drama's forte, but yes, I guess there is some OTP-ness since Kim Rae-won and the lead actress go well together ;-)

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I might get to it later!!!!!!!

[identity profile] vierran45.livejournal.com 2009-04-16 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Eita's haircut was horrible, though I really liked his character.

If you want to see a good drama with Nishikido Ryo, I recommend 1 Litre of Tears. Though I have to warn you that it really lives up to that name in being a complete tearjerker based on a true story :(.

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I really liked his character too!

"1 Litre of Tears" is not my thing - I don't really like terminal illness stories. I find them depressing and also I think sometimes they feel like exploitation of people's suffering.

[identity profile] timescout.livejournal.com 2009-04-17 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
I liked "Ryusei no Kizuna" well enough though I wouldn't call it dark nor depressing myself, despite of the storyline. I found it mostly quietly funny. Guess I mainly watched it because of Nino, I tend to like his stuff. :)

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I like Nino too, but I was more about Nishikido Ryo and Kaname Jun in this drama. As you, I thought the daram to be quirky and funny. Oh gosh, I just realised that Kaname Jun is in "Atashinchi no Danshi". i am so watching this ASAP.

[identity profile] mnemo-syne.livejournal.com 2009-04-17 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm really glad you liked Last Friends. It's one of the few dramas I actually finished. XD

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
YAY! I am so glad you liked it too. It is one of the drama I think are actually GOOD.

[identity profile] mnemo-syne.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
It was quite gripping. The girl playing Ruka was so good. Plus it was interesting to see those topics in a drama, at least to me, since I don't watch that many!
ext_51847: (NC - Rock!)

[identity profile] hyperhippot.livejournal.com 2009-04-18 10:30 am (UTC)(link)
LOL poor guy, but after a lot of horrible Eita's hairdos I've come to realize that he's the only one guy who actualy wears those haircuts with pride, and in fact they are most needed or his ears would fly free all over the place!
anyway he rocks whatever crazy new hair style he wears, right?

I didn't finished watching Last friends, loved it at the begining but then a mix of standard roles and most of all the presence of Nagasawa Masami made me stop, but at the point I quit I remember all I wanted was to see how Ruka and Takeru taking all kind of pointy stuff to hunt and pierce Sosuke to death.

[identity profile] alexandral.livejournal.com 2009-04-30 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
anyway he rocks whatever crazy new hair style he wears, right?

So agree. :D

Do you not like Nagasawa Masami ? I tought her to be very cute, even in her quite wet-blanket role of Michiru.
ext_51847: (TY longing (timescout))

[identity profile] hyperhippot.livejournal.com 2009-05-02 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure about her, I just find her...plain, it's not the first time I have this feeling with and actor, Fujiki Naohito and Joo Ji Hoon didn't give me any good vives at first but then made me change my mind wiht brilliant displays of good acting, so maybe Nagasawa Masami will be on that list too :)