1001 Movie Box | Movie Review & Trailer | TV Series » Japanese TV Series

Absolute Boyfriend

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:35:06 +0000

Zettai Kareshi / 絶対彼氏。/ Absolute Boyfriend is Japanese drama series. With tagline “Kanzen Muketsu no Koibito Robot / The Completely Perfect Boyfriend Robot”, the story is about the Robot maker, Kronos Heaven, that finally develops “Night Tenjo”, the perfect male humanoid programmed to be devoted and completely loyal to his lover. They choose Izawa Riko to take part in a 5-day free trial. At first, Riko only sees Night as a household appliance. Asamoto Soshi, a distinguished young executive at her company, is also has feelings for her. The story is based on manga by Watase Yu.

Casts:
Hayami Mokomichi as Tenjo Night
Mizushima Hiro as Asamoto Soshi
Aibu Saki as Izawa Riiko
Sasai Eisuke as Shirasagi Yuki
Ueno Natsuhi as Ito Mika
Satoi Kenta as Hirata Hajime
Nekoze Tsubaki as Adachi Kyoko
Komoto Maki as Sato Nozomi
Kaji Masaki as Tanaka Yoichiro
Yamada Meikyo as Asamoto Shiro
Minemura Rie (峯村リエ) as Yoshioka Tetsuko
Erena as Ono Chiho

Water Boys Finale

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:25:36 +0000

Water Boys Finale / Water Boys 2005夏 / Water Boys 2005 Natsu / Water Boys 2005 Summer is a Japanese mini series. Tanaka Masatoshi is having troubles getting into medical school, something he blames on all the time he spent on synchro two years earlier. While on a research trip to a remote southern island of Japan, he is forced into coaching a newly formed three member boys synchro team. Tanaka has to come to terms with his past and begins questioning his future, while the three boy synchro team dream of life off of the island.

Casts:
Eita as Tanaka Masatoshi
Koide Keisuke as Uehara Kensaku
Hiraoka Yuta as 名嘉尾悟
Emoto Tasuku as Koma Shunichiro
Konishi Manami as Uehara Kyoko
Sakai Ayana as Kakihara Rena
Takizawa Nonami as Buritani Michiru
Ukaji Takashi as Koma Toshimichi
Matsushige Yutaka as 名嘉尾大悟
Masuoka Toru as Uehara Kosaku
Watanabe Misako as Kakihara Haru
Kubo Akira as the head teacher
Mori Yoshiyuki as the principal
Nagumo Yusuke (南雲勇助) as Hotta Zenjiro
Tonesaku Toshihide as Hatori Manabu
Kashii Yu as Hanamura Kyoko
Ishii Tomoya as Ishizuka Futoshi
Tanaka Kei as Yasuda Takashi
Manabe Kaori as Sakuma Megumi
Nakayama Katsumi
Sekiguchi Kimiko
Nakajima Ben
Kanbe Hiroshi
Kumabe Yohei (隈部洋平)
Fuwa Hisashi (不破央)
Hiraizumi Sei
Ishihara Yoshizumi
Yajima Kenichi

Water Boys Season 2

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:21:53 +0000

Water Boys 2 / Water Boys Season 2, a Japanese TV series, is about the former all-girl Himeno High School opened its doors to male students, but remains a female-dominated institution with the majority of students being girls. One day Eikichi Mizushima transfers from prestigious Aoba High School in Tokyo where he was a member of the swimming team. While his father is away in New York starting a new business, Eikichi has decided to come to Himeji and live with his grandfather Kamekichi.

Casts:
Ichihara Hayato as Mizushima Eikichi
Nakao Akiyoshi as Yamamoto Yosuke
Saito Keita as Kawasaki Senichi
Koike Teppei as Iwata Iwao
Kimura Ryo as Sano Hideki
Ishihara Satomi as Yazawa Shiori
Suzuki Emi as Kitagawa Kozue
Asami Reina as Oba Kayo
Asakura Erika (朝倉えりか) as Utae
Nakahodo Hitomi (仲程仁美) as Kitagawa Terue
Kaneko Takatoshi as Saotome Hijiri
Yamaguchi Sayaka as Ohara Natsuko
Kimura Midoriko as Kashiyama Reiko

Water Boys Season 1

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:19:02 +0000

Water Boys Season 1, a Japanese drama series. Total 11 episodes, the story is about five high-school boys brought fame to a small town in Japan. What was so unique was that they formed a “men’s synchronized swimming club.” Their involvement and struggles while learning synchronized swimming – known to be a sport for girls – brought much attention to their school and town. Two years since that summer, the boys of Tadano High School are still in the club. Water Boys is about how the young boys fight to learn synchronized swimming, fall in love, and enjoy friendship with one another. Written by Hashimoto Hiroshi, music by Sato Naoki.

Casts:
Yamada Takayuki as Shindo Kankuro
Moriyama Mirai as Tatematsu Norio
Eita as Tanaka Masatoshi
Ishigaki Yuma as Takahara Go
Ishii Tomoya as Ishizuka Futoshi
Miyaji Mao as Onishi Asako
Kashii Yu as Hanamura Kyoko
Tani Kei as Principal Ozaki
Fuse Akira as Head Teacher Yamaoka
Sugimoto Tetta as Sugita (swimming club adviser)
Manabe Kaori as Sakuma Megumi (synchro club adviser)
Kikuchi Maiko as Onogawa Shizuka
Takahashi Hitomi as Shindo Miwako
Asano Kazuyuki as Shindo Kanichi

Ikari Yukiko as Shindo Hitomi
Emoto Akira as Mama (of a bar)
Tokui Yuu as Chi-mama
Yashima Norito as Isomura Kiyomasa
Tamaki Hiroshi as Sato Katsumasa
Takenaka Naoto as Mr. Isomura
Nishida Naomi as the newscaster (ep1)
Fujimura Chika as a synchro swimmer (ep2)
Hiraizumi Sei as Tatematsu Kensuke (ep5,9&11)
Yamamoto Michiko (山本道子) as Tatematsu Shoko (ep5,9&11)
Aibu Saki as Hayakawa Atsumi (ep7&11)
Kitamura Eiki as a lifeguard (ep8)
Yamada Meikyo as the mayor (ep8&10)
Watanabe Dai as Takahara’s friend (ep11)

Nodame Cantabile Shinshun Special in Europe

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:31:44 +0000

Nodame Cantabile Shinshun Special in Europe / のだめカンタービレ　新春スペシャル　ＩＮ　ヨーロッパ is a Japanese mini series. This 2 night special takes off during their graduation, where Chiaki-senpai & Nodame left for Europe. The first special centered on Chiaki’s story, the story tells about Chiaki’s dream to be a conductor. Nodame on the other hand attended the conservatory to attain her dream to one-day play the piano for Chiaki. After her hard work, Nodame was given a chance to have a mini recital. During the recital, Chiaki saw her worth and realized that he cannot go on with out her.

Opening theme: Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven, arranged by Hattori Takayuki
Ending theme: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, arranged by Hattori Takayuki

Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi aka Nodame
Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi
Eita as Mine Ryutaro
Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora
Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi
Wentz Eiji as Lantoine Frank
Becky as Vishnyova Tanya
Yamaguchi Sayaka as Namiki Yuko
Giry Vincent (ジリ・ヴァンソン) as Jean Donnadieu
Ishii Masanori as Katahira Hajime
Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori
Takenaka Naoto as Franz Stresemann
Kichise Michiko as Elize
Yamada Yu as Son Rui (ep2)
Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi
Endo Yuya as Okochi Mamoru
Kondo Koen (近藤公園) as Tamaki Keiji
Sakamoto Makoto as Hashimoto Yohei
Matsuoka Rinako as Suzuki Moe
Matsuoka Emiko as Suzuki Kaoru
Kimura Ryo as Takahashi Noriyuki
Hashizume Ryo as Kimura Tomohito
Sakurai Chizu as Aizawa Maiko
Yamanaka Takashi as Iwai Kazushi
Kobayashi Kinako as Kinjo Shizuka
Fukada Aki as Inoue Yuki
Kojima Tenten (小嶌天天)

Original writing: Ninomiya Tomoko Nodame Cantabile (manga)
Screenwriter: Etou Rin
Producers: Wakamatsu Hiroki, Shimizu Kazuyuki
Director: Takeuchi Hideki
Music: Hattori Takayuki

Official site: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/nodame/index.html

Nodame Cantabile

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:16:24 +0000

Nodame Cantabile / のだめカンタービレ is a Japanese drama series. This romantic comedy has total 11 episodes. Based on the hit comic book with the same title by Tomoko Ninomiya, this is a fun-filled quirky romantic story of two very opposite people. The opening song is Symphony No. 7 in A major by Beethoven, and the ending song is Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. Both are arranged by Hattori Takayuki.

Megumi Noda or Nodame, is an extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher. She prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend’s lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.

Shinichi Chiaki, is Momogaoka’s top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he feels mired in Japan because of a childhood phobia.

They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame’s unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Because of Nodame, Chiaki got the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people’s musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.

Casts:

* Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi aka Nodame (Piano)
o Morisako Ei as young Nodame
* Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi (Piano/Violin/Conducting)
o Fujita Reo (藤田玲央) as young Chiaki
* as Mine Ryutaro (Violin)
* Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi (Timpani)
* Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora (Violin)
* Saeko as Saku Sakura (Contrabass)
* Uehara Misa as Tagaya Saiko (Vocal)
* Takenaka Naoto as Franz Strezemann (Milch Holstein by Nodame)
* Akiyoshi Kumiko as Momodaira Minako
* Endo Yuya as Okochi Mamoru (Conducting)
* Iwasa Mayuko as Ishikawa Reina (Piano)
* Takase Yukina (高瀬友規奈) as Tanaka Makiko (Piano)
* Kondo Kouen as Tamaki Keiji (Clarinet)
* Sakamoto Makoto as Hashimoto Yohei (Oboe)
* Matsuoka Rinako as Suzuki Moe (Flute)
* Matsuoka Emiko as Suzuki Kaoru (Clarinet)
* Yamanaka Takashi as Iwai Kazushi (Contrabass)
* Kobayashi Kinako as Kinjo Shizuka (Viola)
* Fukada Aki as Inoue Yuki (Cello)
* Kojima Tenten (小嶌天天) as Kanai Kento (Horn)
* Inoue Yoshiko as Suganuma Saya (Vocal)
* Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi
* Nishimura Masahiko as Tanioka Hajime
* Toyohara Kosuke as Eto Kozo
* Shiraishi Miho as Eto Kaori

* Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori (Rising Star: Oboe)
* Mukai Osamu as Kikuchi Toru (Rising Star: Cello]
* Hashizume Ryo as Kimura Tomohito (Rising Star: Violin)
* Namioka Kazuki as Katayama (Rising Star: Horn)
* Sakurai Chizu as Aizawa Maiko (Rising Star: Flute)
* Kimura Ryo as Takahashi Noriyuki (RS: Violin – new concert master)
* Kuroda Chieko as Miyoshi Seiko (Chiaki’s mom)
* Hatano Hiroko as Kawano Keeko
* Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Sakuma Manabu
* Kichise Michiko as Elise
* Ito Takahiro as Segawa Yuto (Nodame’s childhood piano classmate)
o Ogawa Koki (小川光樹) as young Segawa
* Zdenek Macal as Sebastino Vieira
* John Hesse as Kyle Dune (Kiyora’s professor)
* Manuel Doncel as Professor Auclair (Judge in Maradona Competition)
* Iwamatsu Ryo as Noda Tatsuo (Nodame’s dad)
* Miyazaki Yoshiko as Noda Yoko (Nodame’s mom)
* Betto Yuki (別當優輝) as Noda Yoshitaka (Nodame’s brother)
* Eto Kansai (江藤漢斉) as Noda Saburo (Nodame’s grandpa)
* Ohkata Hisako (大方斐紗子) as Noda Shizuyo (Nodame’s grandma)
* Yashiba Toshihiro as Momogaoka teacher
* Masuda Keita
* Nagaoka Mami (photo stills)

Screenwriter: Etou Rin
Producers: Wakamatsu Hiroki, Shimizu Kazuyuki
Directors: Takeuchi Hideki, Kawamura Yasuhiro (川村泰祐), Tanimura Masaki
Music: Hattori Takayuki

Akechi Mitsuhide

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:53:17 +0000

Akechi Mitsuhide / 明智光秀 / Kami ni Ai Sarenakatta Otoko / 神に愛されなかった男 is a Japanese drama series. The story is about the life of Akechi Mitsuhide, a trusted aide of Oda Nobunaga and Hashiba Hideyoshi. He will do whatever it takes to protect the Toyotomi clan. Written by Sogo Masashi (十川誠志) and music by Kanno Yugo.

Director: Nishitani Hiroshi

Casts:
Karasawa Toshiaki as Akechi Mitsuhide
Nagasawa Masami as Hiroko
Oizumi Yo as Akechi Hidemitsu
Honda Hirotaro as Niwa Nagahide
Yanagiba Toshiro as Hashiba Hideyoshi
Ryu Daisuke (隆大介) as Shibata Katsuie
Yajima Kenichi as Takigawa Kazumasu
Yamazaki Ginnojo (山崎銀之丞) as Takenaka Hanbe
Takasugi Ko as Hachisuka Masakatsu
Asari Yosuke as Mori Ranmaru
Fujii Koji (藤井康次) as Sakuma Nobumori
Hiraga Masaomi as Nakagawa Shigemasa
Sasaki Mao as Tama
Matsumoto Tiara (松本妃亜羅) as Shigeru
Konishi Manami as One (Hideyoshi’s wife)
Ito Hideaki as Hori Hidemasa
Tanihara Shosuke as Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Kamikawa Takaya as Oda Nobunaga

Nobuta wo Produce

admin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:08:14 +0000

Nobuta wo Produce / 野ブタ。をプロデュース / Makeover is a Japanese drama about school life. With total 10 episodes, this drama is about Kiritani Shuji, a popular guy who gets along with everyone, from the jerks to the nerds to the just plain weird. The one person Shuji cannot stand is Kusano Akira. To Shuji, Akira is just plain annoying. He laughs, talks and acts funny. Things heat up when a new student comes to school. Her name is Kotani Nobuko, a girl who has no self confidence at all and is content at being made fun of and bullied in school. Shuji and Akira come to an accord that in order to make use of their “youth” they will “produce” Nobuko as the next popular girl. One of the conditions, however, is that nobody should find out that they are working together as a team to make this concept possible. Unveiled here is the story of true friendship between three unlikely candidates who would not have been friends if not given the special circumstances.

Casts:

Kamenashi Kazuya as Kiritani Shuji
Yamashita Tomohisa as Kusano Akira
Horikita Maki as Kotani Nobuko
Toda Erika as Uehara Mariko
Ukaji Takashi as Kiritani Satoru
Fukaura Kanako as Kiritani Nobuko
Nakajima Yuto as Kiritani Koji
Okada Yoshinori as Yokoyama Takeshi
Kimura Yuichi as Sebastian
Fuwa Mansaku as Iehara Yasuo
Takuma Seiko (たくませいこ) as Kuroki Hiroko
Imawano Kiyoshiro as owner of the Gooyoku diner
Takahashi Katsumi as Hirayama Ippei
Natsuki Mari as Catherine
Yanagita Erika

Theme song: Seishun Amigo by Shuuji to Akira (Kamenashi Kazuya and Yamashita Tomohisa)
Original writing: 『野ブタ。をプロデュース』 by Shiraiwa Gen ISBN 4-309-01683-9
Screenwriter: Kizara Izumi
Producer: Kono Hidehiro
Directors: Iwamoto Hitoshi, Sakuma Noriyoshi (佐久間紀佳)
Music: Ike Yoshihiro
Official site: http://www.ntv.co.jp/nobuta/

Beautiful Life

admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:07:11 +0000

Beautiful Life / ビューティフルライフ, is a Japanese romance drama series. With total 11 episodes, it tells a story about Kyoko, a young woman with an unhindered spirit despite being physically bound to a wheelchair due to illness. Shuji, a stylish and popular fashion magazine hairstylist, are brought together in a fateful traffic incident. Despite their confrontational meeting, they soon find themselves falling in love, with Shuji drawn to her courage and enthusiasm and Kyoko attracted to his ability to look beyond her physical limitations and into her heart. However, Kyoko’s protective older brother and her worsening condition begin to test the bounds of their love for each other and threaten to end their beautiful life together. The story is written by Kitagawa Eriko. Theme song is Konya Tsuki no Mieru oka ni by B’z. Music by Mizoguchi Hajime.

Casts:
Kimura Takuya as Okishima Shuji (Hairstylist at Hot Lip)
Tokiwa Takako as Machida Kyoko (Librarian)
Watabe Atsuro as Machida Masao (Kyoko’s brother)
Mizuno Miki as Tamura Sachie (Kyoko’s colleague & friend)
Ikeuchi Hiroyuki as Okabe Takumi (Hairstylist at Hot Lip, Shuji’s friend)
Hara Chiaki as Ozawa Mayumi (Hairstylist at Hot Lip, Shuji’s ex-girlfriend)
Nishikawa Takanori as Kawamura Satoru (Hairstylist at Hot Lip)
Matoba Koji as Miyama Kouzou (Volunteer)
Moro Morooka as Tsuchiya (Owner of Hot Lip)
Koyuki as Nakajima Satsuki (Shuji’s ex-girlfriend)
Omori Akemi as Machida Kuniko (Kyoko’s mother)
Kawarazaki Kenzo as Machida Yoshio (Kyoko’s father)
Katagiri Hairi

Official site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/drama_archive/b-life/

14 Sai No Haha

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:41:06 +0000

14 Sai No Haha / １４才の母 / 14-year-old Mother / Juyon-sai no Haha / Mother at Fourteen is a Japanese TV series. The story is about Shida Mirai, the young actress of Jyoou no Kyoushitsu fame, plays an average high school student who becomes pregnant with her lover’s child. The drama will show her gradually maturing as the circumstances around her change.

Casts:
Shida Mirai as Ichinose Miki (14)
Tanaka Misako as Ichinose Kanako (43)
Namase Katsuhisa as Ichinose Tadahiko (45)
Miura Haruma as Kirino Satoshi (15)
Muroi Shigeru as Kirino Shizuka (48)