Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Densha Otoko


* Title: 電車男 (でんしゃ おとこ)
* Title (romaji): Densha Otoko
* Also known as: Train Man
* Genre: Romance, comedy
* Broadcast network: Fuji TV
* Episodes: 11
* Viewership ratings: 21.04%
* Broadcast period: 2005-July-07 to 2005-Sept-22
* Air time: Thursday 22:00-22:54
* Theme songs:
o Opening theme: Twilight by Electric Light Orchestra
o Ending theme: Sekai wa Sore wo Ai to Yobun da ze by Sambomaster


Synopsis

A true love story turned to bestselling novel, created from the Internet BBS, 2channel to blockbuster hit movie. Ito Misaki plays Aoyama Saori, working as an office lady at a MNC, gets into trouble with a drunkard on a train. She's saved by Yamada Tsuyoshi, played by Ito Atsushi. As a form of appreciation, she sends him Hermes teacups. Having no experience with the opposite sex, Tsuyoshi decides to ask for help on the Aladdin Channel BBS on how to interact with Saori.

Cast

* Ito Misaki as Aoyama Saori (25)
* Ito Atsushi as Yamada Tsuyoshi (23)
* Shiraishi Miho as Jinkama Kisuzu (26)
* Sato Eriko as Sawazaki Kaho (25)
* Sudo Risa as Mizuki Yuuko (30)
* Hayami Mokomichi as Aoyama Keisuke (23)
* Sato Jiro as Kuroki Fumito (40)
* Maekawa Yasuyuki as Oikawa Naoto (28)
* Horikita Maki as Yamada Aoi (17)
* Koide Saori as Takeda Karin (17)
* Gekidan Hitori as Matsunaga Yuusaku (30)
* Toyohara Kosuke as Sakurai Kazuya (38)
* Akiyoshi Kumiko as Aoyama Yuki (48)
* Kishibe Shiroo as Yamada Tsuneo (48)
* Sugawara Eiji as Kawamoto Shinji (27)

Aladdin Channel Users

* Oguri Shun as Minamoto Munetaka
* Rokkaku Seiji as Ushijima Sadao
* Yamazaki Shigenori as Asano Shinpei
* Sakurai Chizu as Hashizume Ryoko
* Nukumizu Youichi as Ichisaka Susumu
* Gashuin Tatsuya as Tominaga
* Nasubi as Couple man
* Tamura Tagame as Couple girl
* Matsuo Satoru as Thespa
* Nomizu Iori as Kagami Moé
* Kikuma Yukino as Housewife
* Yamanaka Takashi as Fuyuhiko
* Yashiba Toshihiro as Freeter
* Namioka Kazuki as Music otaku
* Doi Yoshio as Conductor
* Kakeda Makoto (掛田誠) as Middle-aged man
* Murakami Wataru (村上航) as Military otaku
* Kojima Tenten (小嶌天天) as Prep school student
* Yumita Makoto (弓田真好杜) as Bodybuilder
* Mizuno Tomonori (水野智則) as Moeta
* Nakajima Yoko as Sachiyo
* Toyonaga Toshiyuki (豊永利行) as Sharp-dressed man
* Kase Takao (加瀬尊朗) as Good looking man
* Ebihara Keisuke (海老原敬介) as Tobita Koki

Guests

* Yamada Takayuki (ep1, SP)
* Hanahara Teruko (ep1)
* Kikuma Yukino (ep1)
* Tsukaji Muga as Kinoshita Koichi (ep1-2, 10-11)
* Izumiya Shigeru (ep1, 11)
* Zheng Longjin (鄭龍進) as Tezuka (ep1,3,10)
* Shirosaki Jin (ep2)
* Katsurayama Shingo as Seno (ep3-4)
* Kaitou Aiko as Hayama Kaoru (ep4, 5)
* Ohkura Koji (ep5)
* Horiuchi Ken as Akiba Kanpei (ep7-8, 10, 11)
* Yamashita Shinji (ep8, 9)
* Kajiwara Yuta (梶原雄太) as Japanese soldier (ep10)
* Ito Takahiro as Chubo (ep10)
* Shoji Yusuke (少路勇介) as Evangelion otaku (ep10)
* Toda Keiko (ep11)
* Sonim as Tiffany (SP)
* Iwasa Mayuko as the girl who tricked Guitar Otoko (SP)

Production Credits

* Original writing: Nakano Hitori
* Screenwriters: Muto Shogo, Tokunaga Tomokazu
* Producers: Wakamatsu Hiroki, Kawanishi Taku, Suzuki Yoshihiro
* Directors: Takeuchi Hideki, Nishiura Masaki, Kobayashi Kazuhiro
* Music: Face 2 fAKE

Recognitions

* 46th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Drama
* 46th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor, Ito Atsushi
* 46th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress, Shiraishi Miho
* 46th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Director, Takeuchi Hideki

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Saturday, July 9, 2005

Dragon Zakura


* Title: ドラゴン桜
* Title (romaji): Dragon Zakura
* Format: Renzoku
* Genre: School, drama and comedy
* Episodes: 11
* Viewership ratings: 16.41
* Broadcast network: TBS
* Broadcast period: 2005-Jul-08 to 2005-Sept-16
* Air time: Friday 22:00
* Theme song: Realize by melody
* Insert song: Colorful by Yamashita Tomohisa

Synopsis

Sakuragi Kenji is a destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcyle gang trying to guide failing high school students with an average score of 36 into Japan's most prestigious educational institution, Tokyo University (Toudai).

"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!"

For no other reason than Sakuragi's personal ambition, he has advertised his intention to produce 5 successful Toudai applicants from the students of a nearly bankrupt failure of a school.

"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!" He will get them from this lowest of all schools into Japan's number one!!

Our protagonist, Sakuragi Kenji, played by Abe Hiroshi in his first role as a high school teacher, is a must see in this summer's new show. This third rate lawyer soon becomes the homeroom teacher for the special advanced class aiming for Toudai University entrance. Hasegawa Kyouko costars as english teacher and Sakuragi's opponent, and Yamashita Tomohisa from NEWS and Nagasawa Masami also appear in the role of students. This awaited original work and fascinating world view is brought to you from the popular serialized comic in Shuukan Morning (Kodansha) and has even been updated!

In addition to revealing essential test taking techniques for everyone who wants to know how to get into Toudai, Dragon Zakura will also teach the essentials of living one's life.

Cast

* Abe Hiroshi as Sakuragi Kenji

Special Advanced Class

* Yamashita Tomohisa as Yajima Yuusuke
* Nagasawa Masami as Mizuno Naomi
* Koike Teppei as Ogata Hideki
* Aragaki Yui as Kosaka Yoshino
* Nakao Akiyoshi as Okuno Ichiro
* Saeko as Kobayashi Maki

Ryuzan Highschool Faculty

* Hasegawa Kyoko as Ino Mamako
* Nogiwa Yoko as Tatsuno Yuriko (School Director)
* Saitou Yosuke as Vice-Principal Kondo
* David Ito as Ochiai Masanao
* Ando Ryoji as Miyabe Umetaro
* Tsukiyama Mayumi as Asami Kazuko
* Aoyama Masaru as Inaba Tsutomu

Special Advanced Class Teachers

* Terada Minori as Akutayama Ryuzaburo (Literature)
* Kaneda Akio as Kawaguchi Hiroshi (English)
* Kobayashi Susumu as Ain Shutaro (Physics)
* Shinagawa Toru as Yanagi Tetsunosuke (Mathematics)

Family of the Special Advanced Class

* Ishino Mako as Yajima Setsuko
* Miho Jun as Mizuno Yuko
* Mizutani Momosuke as Okuno Jiro
* Kato Kazuko as Okuno Miyako
* Sunaga Kei as Ogata Atsuo
* Aihara Yuko (あいはら友子) as Ogata Mariko
* Kurita Yoko as Kosaka Megumi
* Iketani Nobue (池谷のぶえ) as Kobayashi Mitsue

Supporting Casts / Guests

* Yazawa Shin as Yamamoto Nozomi (Mamako's friend)
* Murakami Hiroki (村上大樹) as Tanaka Yoshio
* Karahashi Mitsuru as Sawamatsu Yasushi
* Onodera Akira as Atty. Okabe (Sakuragi's friend)
* Hirota Masahiro as a Shuumeikan Student
* Ishii Kenichi as Saito (the customer of Naomi's mother)
* Gunji Ayano (郡司 あやの) as Abe Saori
* Hori Akari as Toda Asumi (Maki's friend)
* Hashizume Ryo as Kuriyama Shota
* Katsura Asami (桂亜沙美) as Sakuma Miyu
* Ojima Naoya as the base player of Ogata's band
* Kitamura Eiki as a student of Todai
* Mino Monta (みのもんた)


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