Just finished watching Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 (2004).  It has an all star Asian cast–Tony Leung, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Kimura Takuya, Faye Wong  and Maggie Cheung.  The story is set in the 1960s in Hong Kong, although the fim was actually shot in Shanghai.  A journalist and sci-fi writer, Chow Mo-wen (Tony Leung Chui-Wai), writes a novel about “2046″ using the room number next to his hotel room as an apt title into the future–2046, that place in time where you can recapture lost memories and lost love.  Many people go there and never come back, except for one man, Tak, (Kimura Takuya) , who went to 2046 to look for his loved one, but failing to find her, returned from 2046. Along the time travel back to present, he falls in love with an android   attendant (Faye Wong)  and asks her to come back with him but receives no reply. At first, he thought the reason for such is the delay in android’s  reaction due to the long time journey but later, he realizes that the android never loved him; that she could be in love with someone else.  Incidentally, 2046 is also the number of the hotel room where  Chow Mo wen  made love to his one and only love Su Lizhen.  2046 is actually the continuing story of Chow’s unconsummated love.  Chow fell in love once with Su Lizhen, a married woman. (In the pre- and sequels, Days of Being Wild (1991) and In the Mood for Love (2006), the Chow-Su Lizhen romance is played up more). As a result of his frustrations, Chow has had  affairs with several women who occupied Rm 2046 in Oriental hotel,   including  Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi)  who desperately loved him.  Just when I thought Chow was falling in love with Bai Ling, when the latter asks if   they  start their relationship all over again  (“Why can’t it be like before?”) , if she could borrow him for just that last night before she leaves for Singapore,  Chow  said ” This is simply something that I will never lend.”  In fact, while he was nursing his sad fate over his lost love by gambling in casinos in Singapore, he was rescued by Black Spider (Gong Li) , a  woman also bearing Su Lizhen’s name.  Chow asked her to  come with him but Su declined.   Chow reflects ” I know why she declined.  In love there is no substitute and she knew.”  The scene ends with Chow going into his own 2046 and returning from there.

The movie was nominated in April 2004 for the Golden Palm Award at the 2004 Cannes film Festival. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the movie, because it isn’t anything like the super productions that leaves one in awe.  Why do I like the movie?  Of course, Kimura. my idol  is there and though his role was short, he really exuded that “X factor” that really is so appealing on cam.  I thought he was a great actor here–I love the voice;  those expressive eyes; he had kissing scenes here though shadowed by dark lighting so couldn’t really gauge  if he was a good kisser here.  Kimura plays  a Japanese businessman who  falls in love with the eldest daughter, Wnag Jing wen (Faye Wong)  of Oriental Hotel’s owner. Wang Sun, where   he stayed while on a  businesstrip  in HK.  Wang had objected to her daughter falling in love with a “Japanese” and because of anguish over the forbidden love, had to be placed in a mental institution. Wang ji wen also moved into 2046 before Bai Ling.  Jing wen  helped Chow in writing the novel 2046 which he later changed to 2047. Chow also helped in the correspondence of the two by having the mails from Japan coursed through him.  There was a hint that he also fell in love with Jing-wen although   the love never prospered because he realizedd that the girl “never loved him at all.” Jing-wen later leaves for  Japan until we hear the hotel owner happily announcing that he was going to Japan to attend his daughter’s wedding.  The daughter had asked Chow to change the ending of 2047  to a happier one. 

Zhang Ziyi was really very beautiful here and her acting received raved reviews. 

But I felt sympathy for Chow and I thought the development (or nondevelopment) of  Chow’s character  was great–thanks to Wong Kar Wai’s great directing. Tony Leung isn’t as handsome as Kimura, but he sure knows how to act and superbly portrayed the playboy- yet- desperately- seeking -the- love- of- his- life Su Lizhen Chow.   

BTW, in the first part, there was reference to a certain bar girl Lu-LU who fell in love with a “Chinese-Filipino” from a rich family but who died young so left Lulu broken hearted…

Wish a greater role for Takuya Kimura in another Wong Kai War film.

Just finished watching the 12 episode J-drama  ”Beautiful Life” (TBS,2000) starring Kimura Takuya as Okishima Shuji, a 27-year old talented and popular hairdresser and  Tokiwa Takako as Machida Kyoko, a 27-year old physically handicapped wheelchair bound librarian with an incurable  disease.  Both met “on the road” under not so friendly circumstances in the beginning, but later the animosity gave way to a stormy love relationship.  This was the focus of the “love story”–the development of the relationship between a supposedly “normal” person in the character  of Shuji and a not normal (?) person in the character of Kyoko as they struggled with so many personal issues related to their “circumstances.”  Kyoko fell in love with Shuji because of Shuji’s being a person with a “barrier free” heart, a pun on a “barrier free” environment  where physically challenged people can move freely around.  Shuji was a guy who have never said the cliche “I will protect you”  to Kyoko; instead he said the unusual “We will face the challenge together” .  Neither did Shuji display any pity but rather had a unique way of  viewing Kyoko’s  physically challenged circunstances by saying “I wonder how the world looks like from a 100 cm height.”   Kyoko says she finds strength in Shuji; after all Shuji never gave up their relationship when he found out that Kyoko had a terminal illness; instead he even pursued her  (I thought I would hear the following line from Shuji when he learned that the Kyoko he loves will soon die:  “I would rather die having loved you even for a minute, than not having a chance to love you at all.”)

Takuya was very convincing as a  hairstylist (it was said that Takuya became a licensed hairstylist after that drama) but I really was so amazed at the last episode when he was shown for the first time putting on make-up for the dead Tokiwa.  Having seen Takuya play “macho” roles, I felt quite uneasy seeing  Takuya weild his cutting scissors through a woman’s hair; but all the more when he put make up on a woman  (in my country, the best hairstylists are mostly gays, you know….), but sasuga Takuya, he was able to get away with it.

The other actors were good as well.  I liked Kyoko’s brother, Masao (Watabe Atsuro)’s acting the best–he was cute as the bumbling and clumsy brother of the smart Kyoko.   Both Kimura and Tokiwa won Best Actor and Actress in the 24th Television Drama Awards, as well as  Atsuro and Mizuno Miki (role as Sachi, Kyoko’s best friend) for best supporting actor and actress.  In fact, according to drama-wiki, this drama holds the record for the most awards won from the television Drama Academy awards. Other awards went to: Best Newcomer: Nishikawa Takanori (satoru, the rival hairdresser); Screenwriter: Kitagawa Eriko; Best Director: Shono Jiro; Best Theme Song (Konya tsuki no mieru oka ni” by B’z) and Best Opening.

According to several drama database sites, as of March 2000, it was the second most watched drama ever in Japan with a 41.3 % rating with the no 1 drama being way back in 1983 with a 45.1% rating. I wouldn’t say this was my personal best drama starring Kimura Takuya  (I like Long vacation better and loved Takuya’s acting  in Pride and Miliion Stars Falling from the Sky).  However, I liked my learnings from the relationship bet the two characters–consider the feelings of both parties in a relationship (Kyoko would always say that she didn’t want Shuji to be disadvanatged with the relationship  so she would break their relationship without considering how Shuji feels ; that is Shuji on the other hand feels “disadvanatged” by not continuing the relationship with Kyoko).

Beautiful Life is the 12th J drama of Kimura Takuya that I have seen so far, and judging from the character that he played here and interviews I read about him, Shuji’s character seem to echo the real Takuya–straightforward, candid, rather than saying that he doesn’t really care about what people will say ; I may be wrong but he may be  a person who doesn’t get affected or mind what people thinks of him or his actions (although being in showbiz and being looked upon as an “idol” I don’t know how he practices this because he has a great responsibility as a “role model’ ).

Just as aside.  Kimura smoked a lot here and this reminded me of one side of Kimura that I do not appreciate–he IS a smoker in real life. I wish he would soon realize that smoking is not healthy not only for the smoker himself but to non-smokers as well.

It took me some three months to finish Concerto (Or Kyousookyoku 1998, TBS).  In November, I eagerly started watching Concerto after seeing that Miyazawa Rie is the love interest of Kimura Takuya here.  Also, the actor who I used not to like before_Tamura Masakazu_ also stars.  Kimura Takuya is Takakura Kakeru, a self-learned architect in his 20s struggled for four years to get the break he needed–that is, to build St Mary Church in Kamakura.  His idol who became his mentor,  Ebisawa Kousuke (played by Tamura) hired him after recognizing his extraordinary talent.  Both Kakeru and Ebisawa are in love with Hana, played by Miyazawa.  The two are involved in a love triangle against the backdrop of Kimura’s struggle to reach the top of his profession and Tamura’s enlightenment after falling from the apex position of his profession.  Both guys learn from each other and alternatingly giving up their love for Miyazawa because of their respect for each other.  Although  the story is interesting,  it couldn’t compete with my busy sked during the Christmas season and some family emergencies that kept me away from watching any dramas.  I thought Kimura was hot here, and I began to like Tamura’s character here, especially his stuttering. I didn’t quite like Miyazawa’s acting here –I thought she was a bit overgrown for her cutesy acting.  Didn’t find any real romantic moments here–no kissing scenes at all!  BTW, I’d like to note that the OST is basically Burt Bacharach’s music from the 70s like the theme “Alfie”.  I also heard “Walk on By”, “A HOuse is not a Home”, “April Fools” “I Say A Little Prayer.”  Anyway, I am so glad I have finished waching the drama.

I noticed that the Taiwanese dramas of the comedy/romance genre I like best are either based on Japanese mangas or usually adaptations of the original Japanese dramas (which are also based on a Japanese manga) shown ten or so years ago.   Are there differences, aside from the language, of the two versions?  Which one is better?

Generally, one noticeable difference is the length.  The Japanese versions will usually have about ten or so episodes while the Taiwanese ones will have around 15-20 episodes.  The t-drama versions would usually have several subplots and will try to stick as much as possible to the original storyline; the j-versions’ plot are usually centered on the main plot and would slightly have a “modified” storyline compared to the j-manga on which it was based.    Second difference is that the t-dramas would usually have an OST with a main title song and several pop songs which lyrics are related to the song.  These songs would usually be played in scenes where the actors are in a contemplating or reflective mode, scenes where the actors would usually be looking out the window or lying awake in bed while scenes are flashbacked. Thus a viewer would have to listen carefully to the lyrics of the songs to get an enhanced understanding of the scene.  The j-dramas OST are usually composed of one main title song and a so-called “insert”song .  The rest are background music and thus have no lyrics.  I noticed j-dramas have less or even zero reflection scenes of the t-drama mode but there are also flashbacks.  A third difference is the ending–for t-dramas, the endings are happy, boy and girl live happily ever after type of endings; in the j-dramas, one doesn’t directly see a straightforward ending where the girl and boy live happily ever after, although this is implied.  This leaves the viewer to expect a “drama special-SP” of two episodes to follow.  In the SPs, the “happily ever after” ending usually happens. 

Now, let’s see the four cases of the comedy/romance genre taiwanese and japanese dramas that I have watched and give my personal (subjective?) rating.

Hana KImi–I like the J-version better because I found the lead actress, Ella Chen, in the t-version not appealing.  Maki Horikita as Mizuki Ashiya was better (in fact, she won the Best Actress award in the 54th Television Awards in Japan).  Further, the j-version starred Oguri Shun (aka Hanazawa Rui of Hana yori dango fame) as Izumi Sano.  Oguri is one of my favorite actors, which explains the bias. 

The t-drama “It Started with a Kiss”(ISWAK)  vs j-drama “Itazura na Kisu”.  I like the t-drama version better.  It was funnier, acting was good although sometimes exaggerated, the actors had better chemisty esp Ariel Lin and Joe Chen, OST was excellent, the longer length allowed for development of the story, the ending really made me feel good.   The j-version, although made ten years earlier was also okay because acting was likewise good.  (BTW, the  lead actor is far more handsome than Joe Chen. ) Plot was short and really focused on the two lead charaters; absolutely no subplot. The lead actress’ acting was not as ” naturally cute” as Ariel Lin; she was really “trying hard” so her acting was exaggerated to the point of irritating. The title song cute for its time. 

“Sweet Relationship” (t-drama) vs. “Oishi Kankei” (j-drama).  Again, ST is a remake of OK which was shown in Japan ten years ago.  I like the t-drama version better because the lead actress, Patricia Hsu, was so convincing whenever she describes the food she eats.  Although I like Nakayama Miho (the lead actress in the -j version), it was Patricia that pulled it off better.  The J-version is more realistic though, but the t-version funnier.  Again, the length of the t-drama allowed for more development of the storyline, although the subplots were sometimes boring and tended to draw the focus away from the main plot.  I was a bit disappointed in the acting of Vic Zhou, one of my favorite t-actors.  His acting didn’t exude “authority” that his role asked for, in contrast to the Japanese actor who played the same role in the j-version.  (BTW, this actor looks better than Vic).  Vic looked  emaciated here and his facial expression was almost the same throughout (although he really looked  great when he smiled). Although both Vic and Patty looked good together, their chemistry was lacking  (maybe due to Vic’s “tired” acting).  But the ending of ST is better, as the j-version ended with the chef going to Paris with his girlfriend and leaving Nakayama Miho in Tokyo, with the promise that he will come back to Toko after two years to taste Miho’s cooking.  (I have a feeling there is an “SP” to provide the closure to the story, but have searched the internet endlessly for one but in vain).  Again, the t-version OST is good and I like Vic Zhu’s sweet relationship main song and Alan Kuo’s “Don’t say goodbye”. 

Meteor Garden (t-drama) vs. Hana Yori Dango (j-version).  Definitely, HYD lords it over MG.  Why?  I will save the comments for another day.

“Tokyo Tower” (The Movie, 2005) adds to my list of J-doramas with this older woman-younger guy love relationship.  This time, Tooru Kojima falls madly in love with a married friend of her mother.  The friend, Shifumi Nakazono,  is 21 years older, tall like a model, attractive, a socialite.  Tooru (played by Juinichi Okada) and Shifumi started their relationship three years ao when Tooru was 18 years.  Soon, Tooru’s mom (a divorcee) finds out and tells Shifum to leave alone her son.  Tooru goes to study in Paris, while Shifumi divorces her husband.  Shfumi goes to Paris to look for Tooru and I guess they live happily ever after.

Another older woman-younger guy relationship that didn’t end happily is that of Koji (Jun Matsumoto) and Kimiko.  I thought that it would have been better if the story only focused on Tooru and Shifumi to have more impact.  Providing the opening song is Nora Jones.  Not really a touching  movie  as Moho no Jouken, but Okada Juinichi is hot.  Is he the same guy as Junpei Oribe in HYD or the guy in Hana Kimi who thought he was a gay (Nakatsu) because he fell in love with that girl (Ashiya Mizuki) who posed as a guy because she is in love with Izumi Yano (played by Oguri Shun).  (I just opened the site of Hana Kimi and found out that Nakatsu is not Junichiro Okada.

    It’s been a while since I last wrote my thoughts about Asian drama.  So far, I’ve written about Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas that I have seen, but not about Philippine dramas.  I have not seen any Philippine dramas because they have not interested me until “My Girl–Philippine version.” When I heard that the TV station ABS CBN made an adaptation of the Korean hit drama (and one of my all time favorites)-My Girl- I became curious and watched it.  I was hooked!  The lead Philippine stars (unknown to me until this drama) –Gerald Anderson playing the hotel executive Julian in the Philippine version  (that is, the role of Lee Dong Wook as Gong Chan in the Korean version) and Kim Chiu playing the “fake” cousin of Julian (that is, the role played by Lee Da-Hae as  Joo Yoo Rin in the Korean version) are great actors.  At first I thought that they were too young for the roles (Both are not yet in their 20s; they were winners in the Philippine version of Big Brother–first Teen edition  in 2006)  but they are so good they could get away with it.  And both Gerald and Kim are so cute together. 

I am so glad the Philippine version was able to adapt the drama to Philippine culture and situations.  Julian (Gong Chan in the Korean) belongs to an aristocratic Spanish family while Jasmine (Yoo Rin in the Korean) is a street smart Chinese-Filipino girl. Julian’s lost cousins parents were victims of landslide vis the Korean version where the parents were victims of the Kobe earthquake. 

 I thought the Philippine cast is far good looking than the Korean cast, but I prefer the Korean OST than the Philippine OST.  There are new songs composed solely for the Philippine version like “Sabihin Mo Na” (Tell Me Now) by Philippine singer Yeng Constantino.  Moreover, Philippine dramas are usually dragging, but this one is fast paced.  And just like their  Korean counterparts, the lead actors here are also “fashionistas.”

I don’t know how many episodes there are and until when I would be glued to the TV daily during weekdays; but I do look forward to being at home by 9pm so that I could watch my latest favorite drama.

I have been writing about recent Tv dramas that I have watched-mostly Japanese and some Taiwan dramas.  However, I have not written about my favorite drama–a Korean soap–Goong or Princess Hours (2006).  I saw it in March 2007-the third drama I have watched since i became a Korean, Taiwan and Japanese drama addict in February 2007- but I have started to watch it (Goong) again.  Moreover, I have successfully downloaded additional songs from the soundtrack–one of my favorite OSTs too.  BTW, this is the only TV drama I have watched that is not based on a Japanese manga; it is based on a Korean manwa.

The plot is simple–a handsome, intelligent but detached prince (Lee Shin played by Joo Ji Hoon) at age 19 years and in his senior year has to marry a doe-eyed spunky girl (Chaeyong played by Yoon Eun-Hye) about his age with whom he has been bethrothed from childhood by his king grandfather and the girl’s grandfather. The prince and his wife-to-be are from the same elite art high school in Seoul.  (Note: There is no monarchy in Korea now since it is said that the Japanese destroyed the Korean monarchy when it colonized the country).  Now, adding more texture to the simple plot are the previous relationship (first love) of the prince with another schoolmate (Hyo Rin) an aspiring and talented ballerina, who dumped him when he proposed marraige, and the undying love of the second prince Yul for the prince’s wife.

Simple as the plot may be, I love the acting and the storyline.  It is one of the most romantic dramas I have ever watched.  Also, the setting and costumes are great; moreover, the what-if-Korea-was-under-a-constitutional monarchy-storyline is really great.  It showed some traditional Korean sports, the Korean monarchy way of life, although I have not verified these with actual Korean history.   I heard that this is a big budget production, despite the appearance of newcomers Joo Jee Hoon and Park Eun-Hye.  I also think that  the kissing scene in Episode 23 is the best I have seen so far, in terms of the chemistry between the two lead stars and the effect the scene has on me.

It is too bad the two lead stars are not really prolific in making dramas–Joo Jee Hoon has “The Devil” which I have started but have stopped watching and I have seen Park Eun-Hye’s “First Shop of Coffee Prince” which I also enjoyed. Other than that, I have not seen these two stars again, although I have to see if Joo Jee Hoon has finished making the movie “Antique.”

*photo from kristabelle16 on Flickr

It’s 1:30 am on a Tuesday, I mean Wednesday; I have just finished the last episode of Maho no Jouken on crunchyroll with no hitches (that is, no buffering every 1 minute, unlike Why Why Love which was stressful to watch because of continuous pauses–I had to open three sites just to watch WWL).  I was so touched–the lessons from this love story is just awesome–so true, I was so touched that I cried in the last episode.  It is not a melodramatic film–no overacting; no foolish and unrealistic pa-cute stuff unlike the other dramas  that I have watched so far (WWL is example).  The Matsushima Nanako (Michi Hirose here, the 26-year old HS teacher; btw, she was Tsubaki, the sister of Tsukasa Domyouji in Hana Yori Dango) and Takizaki Hideaki (Kurosawa Hikaru here, the 17 year old HS 2-C student of Michi) was superb.  I think Takky is the cutest (handsomest) Japanese young actor so far; far goodlooking when compared to all my favorite actors like Mike He Jun Xiang and Oguri Shun.  I am looking forward to watching Yoshitsune,  and Boku no Madonna. 

BTW, this was the “Forbidden Love” that the Muslim salesgirl was egging me to buy when I purchased Tokyo Love story, HYD and Gokusen.  She said it was very nice and a bestseller but I didn’t believe her because I didn’t know the actors; besides, the title alone suggested it was not a romantic comedy. 

I think it was worth the loss of sleep;  despite some doubts about whether Michi regaining consciousness was real or just a dream, I still think it was for real so I am really glad that the story has a happy ending.