Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu

僕たちの恋愛には、タイムリミットがある。

There's a time limit on our love.

Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu (僕の初恋をキミに捧ぐ/I Give My First Love to You) is a touching 2009 Japanese romantic film that focuses on the love of two kids that grew up together - but one of whom has an incurable illness. It stars Inoue Mao, Okada Masaki, Harada Natsuki, and Hosoda Yoshihiko. The summary is as follows:

Takuma, a boy who is told he will die before he’s 20, and Mayu, a girl who is in love with him… The story begins when they are little kids. Mayu, whose father is a doctor, meets Takuma, who is hospitalized in her father’s workplace. They develop feelings for each other, but Mayu learns of Takuma’s grave illness and that he will die before he turns 20. The distraught children make one promise for an uncertain future. Time passes, and the girl becomes a young woman, and the boy, a young man. Mayu continues to support and love Takuma. On the other hand, Takuma, who knows his days are numbered, pushes away his feelings for Mayu and distances himself from her. He cannot stand to see her cry or hurt her more than he already has. Then Mayu meets another man who has feelings for her, and Takuma meets a woman who has the same illness, and their feelings for each other begin to waver. Misunderstandings, unsaid thoughts, the frustrations and chagrin of youth… What will become of their love while the clock keeps ticking away in Takuma’s life?

I'm a sucker for tragedies. It also helps that I like Inoue Mao and I still remember Okada playing Sekime in Hana Kimi. :) So I wondered how they would be together in a movie with a storyline that could even be said borders on being overdone, but I have faith in them. ^^ Well, I actually began watching this without subs, but even though I understood some, it wasn't much. I finally found a subbed version, so I watched it again - much better. It's really cute and I love the development between the characters from when they were little kids up till their first year of high school. You don't feel like you're missing out and the acting didn't make me cringe. Instead, it just made me feel all giddy inside - and incredibly sad at those moments. I enjoyed it greatly and I admit that I was tearing. A lot. It's a bit uncomfortable when people are around you and it's at one of those moments in the movie, even with the headphones on.

And your dad making strange comments like, "Is that you? She has your hair! Wait... her face is also like yours too!" My parents seem to think Inoue Mao and I resemble one another; it happened with Hana Yori Dango as well and they asked me why I took a picture of my eye and posted it online. -__- I had just started watching the first scene where they shot a close up of her eye. I think she's too pretty, haha. Plus, my hair is never manageable. Sorry, off topic.

Like I said, it was sweet and endearing and it was touching and heartbreaking at other moments. It touched upon topics like death, organ donations, and love - it was especially memorable when you see an 8 year old make up his will, all colorful-like with drawings and such. There are the mandatory ups and downs and all in all, I loved it. :) Plus they look really good together, haha. I kept on rewatching my favorite scenes.

You can watch it here.

My Girlfriend is an Agent

My Girlfriend is an Agent (7급 공무원/7 Geum Gongmuwon/7-grade Civil Servant) is a 2009 Korean romance-comedy-action film reminiscent of Mr. and Mrs. Smith - well, if I've ever watched the movie, that is. :) It stars Kim Ha-neul, Kang Ji-hwan, Ryu Seung-ryong, and Jang Young-nam. The summary is as follows:

A Russian organized crime group is set out to steal an advanced chemical weapon from Korea and two secret agents are out to stop them. One is a veteran secret agent named AHN Soo-ji who is a master of all forms of martial arts and envied by her comrades. Another is a rookie named LEE Jae-joon who’s never been out on the field and always goofs up on the job. The two agents don’t know each other’s secret identity. All that they know is that they hate each other. As a couple that is... Soo-ji and Jae-joon were once a passionate couple until Jae-joon couldn’t take her lies anymore. But all Soo-ji was trying to do was hide her secret identity. Nonetheless, the two went on their separate ways and by coincidence bump into each other years later while out on the job. As the two work out their screwy relationship, they go behind each other’s backs to fulfill their mission to save the world.

I actually have to say the synopsis is pretty spot-on. Anyway, like I mentioned before, when I read a description of the movie, I was intrigued for it reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or at least of what I thought it was about, having never had watched it myself. I like comedy and I like action - a little romance thrown in for fun doesn't hurt either - and so I was pretty enthusiastic about watching this. I got what I wanted as well. Despite the fact that they're supposed to be saving their country, sometimes things just happen at the most inopportune times (for her) or because of unfortunate decisions (him). It's cute and funny though sometimes makes me do a facepalm, because, really, if the intelligence service of my country actually ran like how it did in this movie, I'd be amazed it's still standing.

However, there is a fair share of action and violence that is interspersed with humor (i.e. losing a gun in a middle of a room full of "real" guns loaded with bb's and shooting bb's at each other while trying to find the real one) which got me cracking up on occasion. I do like the touch of real Russian actors/actresses as the villain, not because I see them as villains though they are usually portrayed as such, but because I've always liked the Russian language and how it sounds. Of course, I could only spot one word: spasiba meaning thank you. Oh yes, and the whole love and romance thing - it was utterly ridiculous and all the troubles came due to pure misunderstanding. -__- I hate that, but I suppose. It's also ironic how in the end, he's also lying to her as well for the same reasons. They also end up breaking up about three or four times. -dies-

You can watch it here.

Kiss Me, Kill Me

Kiss Me, Kill Me (킬미/Kil Mi) is a November 2009 Korean romantic dramedy film, focusing on a woman who's intent on committing suicide and a man who's a professional assassin. It stars Shin Hyun-jun and Kang Hye-jung. The summary is as follows:

A professional & quiet killer, Hyun-jun. He arrives at a house where he expects a man to be killed by him, but he only finds a girl to expects him to help her suicide. She shouts at dazed Hyun-jun. "What's the matter? It's your job, so you just kill me" She decides to kill herself after the loss of 7 years love, but she feels unfair that she just commits suicide calmly with overdosing sleeping pills. "You should do it by yourself. I am not a helper for suicide." He gets angry at her, forgetting what he does. Hyun-jun & Jin -young begin to meet like this. While they continue to meet, quiet Hyun -jun gets talkative, and Jin Young only dreaming of death begins to think of tomorrow. What a shame for both! Why do they meet day by day in spite that they always argue in vain?

Although this film is categorised as romance, I didn't really begin feel it until the middle and you don't really see it until the very end and even then, it isn't delved into that much. There are several funny moments, but they're not the obnoxious in-your-face humor, which I rather enjoyed. I'm also all for morbid humor, which was why I chose to watch this in the first place. However, within the dynamics between the two main characters, one of whom is still suffering from a break up who seems to just go by each day reluctantly and indifferently, and the other who has a job killing people and comes home to a mother who seems to be constantly intoxicated with an overworked toilet - it's interesting to see how they affect the other at the end. There's also a theme of how sometimes, the things you least expect will happen (mini spoiler: like his mother being diagnosed with uterine cancer instead of liver cancer - in fact, her liver was fine). I did love the two characters though - they amused me. ^^

All in all, I give it a 7.8/10. I don't know where I got the 0.8 from, but it feels like a good score.

You can watch it here.

Hear Me

Hear Me (聽説/Ting Shuo) is a Taiwanese romantic movie that was released in August 2009, coinciding with the Deaflympics. It stars Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, and Michelle Chen Yan Xi. The synopsis is as follows:

Cheerful delivery boy Tian Kuo delivers lunch boxes to a local hearing-impaired swimming team. He holds a torch for hearing-impaired cutie Yan Yan, who's often at the pool to cheer on her older sister Xiao Peng. Yang Yang wholeheartedly supports Xiao Peng's dream of competing in the Deaflympics, even if it means working multiple jobs and giving all her time to her sister. Yang Yang slowly falls for Tian Kuo's goofy charms, but the burgeoning romance opens a rift in the sisters' relationship.

This movie is full of everything: drama, love, and laughs. Oh, and a slight hint of angst. A majority of the dialogue is in sign language, so it took me a while to get used to silent dialogue and it got to the point that when background music came on, I was slightly startled. O_o So yes, subtitles are a must. Also since some lines are in Taiwanese and I believe one line was in Cantonese. However, love blossoming between two people using only sign language to communicate is pretty interesting. Honestly, the somewhat silent nature of half of the film gave me a glimpse as to how life could be if one lost one's hearing.

But anyway - it's amazing how much emotion can still be conveyed even if it were all communicated through hand motions and facial expressions - I give all the actors and actresses props for that. I also love the twist at the end of the film and I will say nothing more on that note. ^^ I rewatched that part three times before I could move on, haha.

You can watch it here.

My Girl

My Girl (マイガール) is a 2009 Japanese family drama starring Aiba Masaki, Yuka, and Ishii Momoka. The summary is as follows:

The story revolved around a 23-year-old man named, Kazama Masamune. During high school, he had a girlfriend four years older than him, but she suddenly leaves to go abroad. Six years later, he receives news that she has passed away. In addition, she secretly gave birth to Masamune's daughter. Now the five-year-old daughter, Koharu, is returning home to Japan, and Masamune must raise her.

I had actually started this drama two months or so ago, but then I got distracted and school got into the way. Now that school has ended and I have several days' break before finals, I watched the two last episodes and completed it. ^^ Anyway, like the synopsis says, it's about a young guy who suddenly realises that he has a daughter. It suggests that a lot of hilarity may ensue - but not really, though I'm not trying to say that there weren't any. It's more of a drama with a lot of cute and sweet moments, focusing on the trials and tribulations of being a young and single father suffering from the sudden loss of his one love and pursuing his dream as a photographer as well as the cute antics and dynamics of having a new family. The topic of sacrifices for someone you love is also a major theme towards the end.

First off, the girl is absolutely adorable. I like kids from afar, but they tend to grate on my nerves if they're in my presence for too long. lol... however, the girl is just cute! And it makes sense that she won an award for her role in this drama. :) Secondly, although I didn't speed through the entire drama (I attribute that to the fact that I've been in the mood for more fast-paced, action-filled material), I did enjoy it. I liked seeing their relationship progress from "OMG, I have no clue what to do" to "I love you and I want you to be happy."

You can watch it here.

Stage of Youth

Stage of Youth (青春舞臺/Qing Chun Wu Tai) is a January 2009 Mainland Chinese drama starring Han Geng (from Super Junior and Super Junior-M), Joey Yung, Huang Yi, Kenny Kwan, Yumiko Cheng, Zhang Jun Ning, as well as a cameo appearance by the rest of Super Junior-M in the last episode. The summary (taken from here) is as follows:

Xia Lei (夏磊) is a young man who loves to dance. His father is a top archery athlete and because Xia Lei's mother passed away, he missed the opportunity to compete in the last Olympics. His father wants him to follow in his footsteps, yet Xia Lei only has a passion for dancing. After going through conflicts with his father, meeting constant challenges and tribulations, and gaining determination, he finally reaches his dreams and becomes the new generation of dancing stars.

I've actually been watching another drama on and off but I've also been busy with school. HOWEVER, at the same time, I've become increasingly enthralled with Super Junior. ^^ So when I found out that a member of the group was in a drama, next thing I know, I found myself looking for said drama, and here I am. Anyway, dramawiki has this listed as a romance, but honestly? It isn't. :] There does seem to be some unrequited love floating around and we'll leave it at that. It's also a mere 12 episodes long and is done for Chinese-Korean relations as well as for the Olympics.

Anyway, everyone's Chinese accent is different with Han Geng and Huang Yi (and Zhang Jun Ning, but he's only there half the time) having the only Mainland/Beijing accent and it sometimes threw me off - turns out it makes sense since everyone else is from Hong Kong. You get used to it though. Anyway... I didn't expect too much out of this since I was merely watching it for Han Geng and the fact that Super Junior-M was guest staring (but only at the very end -__-) - and to practice my Chinese. However, I admit that I still came back for more. ^^ The plot is pretty interesting but I honestly don't get how a 2-person duo turned into Super Junior-M (why didn't they all star in it???), but I suppose. You do get a glimpse at how hard it is to make it big. There are the usual conflicts except this time, it's between the father and son instead of coming from some sort of romance (though there is a smidge of that). You do see a lot of dancing, photography, and archery. The singing only comes at the end. I have to say that Geng's acting isn't all that bad either. So yay! The people are also very nice to look at. :)

You can watch it at DramaCrazy, but half of them (mainly the last few) aren't subbed in English quite yet.

Ohitorisama

Ohitorisama (おひとりさま) is a 2009 Japanese romantic comedy drama between a man and a woman that have a ten-year difference in age. It stars Mizuki Alisa, Koike Teppei, Matsushita Nao, Tachibana Keita, and Maya Miki. The summary is as follows:

33-year-old Akiyama Satomi is a history teacher at the prestigious all-girls high school she once attended. She has earned the nickname "ohitorisama" (meaning "one person") for her perfectionism and capability to handle any work by herself. At the same time, the name also refers to her lack of romance. One day, a young man named Shinichi arrives at the school as a temporary instructor. He's ten years younger than Satomi, has only worked part-time jobs, and has neither money nor status. Although the other female teachers and students find him cute, he is completely not Satomi's type... or is he? Will love blossom between this unlikely pair?

I was actually supposed to finish this drama two weeks ago, but the last episode wasn't really subbed until today. And even then, only 80% of it was subbed. It was enough, though annoying. :) Well, as for the reasons for my decision to watch this: it was short (10 episodes long), it seemed cute, the plot was somewhat refreshing with the traditional roles reversed, and Koike Teppei was in it (he's just adorable). When I finally watched it, it didn't lose me, though Teppei's character did annoy me half the time, but made me want to pinch his cheeks the other half. The romance is gradual and when it finally gets there, it sort of plateaus off but it isn't really elaborated until the last 15 minutes of the last episode. I'm somewhat disappointed about that but really, what was I expecting with only ten episodes? For that, I'm quite content that nothing was rushed and you sort of get an epilogue type thing. An epilogue of about 2 seconds long, that is, which really isn't an epilogue at all.

The only thing was that it was obvious the woman was older and at some points, the relationship seemed to even border on being categorized as "wrong" - not that I have anything against age or anything. Just with Koike's boyish looks and innocent charm, lets just say the director and whoever casted him for the role did really well. I did like the conflicts the two had as well as how they differed due to age and maturity (as well as personality) but in the end, everything worked out. My reaction to this? It was cute, entertaining, and their chemistry was somewhat there (I suppose), but I'd say it isn't the best, nor is it something to completely ignore - especially if you've got some time on your hands. After all, it's not like there are too many dramas that center on a 33-year old woman and a 23-year old man.

As of now, all of the episodes are up on MySoju (though the last one needs to get better subs) and only 9 are up on DramaCrazy. Oh wait - DramaCrazy has all of them, but the last one is done by the same subbing group as MySoju.

Mulan (2009)

Mulan (花木蘭/Hua Mu Lan) is a November 2009 Mainland Chinese film depicting the adventures of Mulan - minus the talking Mushu and the partying ancestral spirits. It stars Vicky Zhao Wei, Chen Kun, Hu Jun, Jaycee Chan (Jackie Chan's son!!), Liu Yu Xing, Nicky Li Jiu Zhe, and Vitas. The summary is as follows and is largely taken from here, with the exception of the italicised word which I edited myself (the synopsis off of Wiki includes some spoilers, though shorter in length):

In Northern Wei Dynasty, little Mulan (Xu Jiao) has ambition to become a soldier fighter for his kingdom one day. However, since she is a girl she is not permitted to join the army. As a grown up Mulan (Vicki Zhao Wei) suddenly finds an opportunity when his retired soldier father Hua Hu (Yu Rong Guang) gets drunk and soon she dresses as a male army and takes over his place.

After entering the army barracks, Mulan has to undergo harsh and intensive training, making herself courageous and soon win the respect of the battalion’s Vice Commander, Wentai (Chen Kun). During the training session Mulan meets up with her childhood friend, Xiao Hu (Jaycee Chan). One day Wentai suspects there’s a woman among the male army troops and a strip search is required.

In order to avoid her identity to be exposed to everyone Mulan finally reveals her real identity to Wentai after she confessed of stealing the jade pendant. Her punishment is execution but is later released when the Rouran tribe invades the kingdom for tin and iron. Mulan’s first real battle ends with a success and soon she is promoted to be the Vice Commander and always fight the battle along with Wentai.

It is friendship at first for Mulan and Wentai but later turns into romance for both of them. The Rouran tribe then strikes back with a stronger army under the leadership of Modu (Hu Jun). The attack arrives unexpectedly and the Wei’s army is significantly reduced and Mulan now faces the toughest battle of her life. She must choose whether to surrender her kingdom to Rouran or sacrifice her love for the sake of her kingdom…

I remember Disney's Mulan. I thought it was rather cute and funny, entertaining, and it touched upon war but honestly? It was obvious that it was aiming towards a younger audience. So when I heard of this new movie coming out and saw the trailer, I decided that it was definitely more realistic. :) Not to mention I know that Zhao Wei's a good actress. And so I watched it once I saw it online - and I dragged my sister along as well. She actually (initially) kept on comparing it with Disney's Mulan. I have to admit, it was good. Real good - I greatly enjoyed it. It wasn't a blood bath nor was it absolutely devoid of the gore and grit of war, but it portrayed it fairly well (not that I've ever been to war, but as far as I know, it was a good reenaction of it). In addition to that, it also played out the psychological aspects of it as well as separating emotion away from warfare. There was a good deal of it dedicated to Mulan's struggle between her female 'need' to express emotion and what she had to do. At this point, I should also say that there are some humorous lines... of course, I find humor in some of the most morbid of things, so it may just be me. ;)

Although there's no historical proof that Mulan actually existed, this movie certainly made it realistic enough. Of course, there was some romance in there but a lot of it was inhibited due to war and one's duty. There was a lot of that actually; the ideas of duty, sacrifice, patriotism, and the 'greater good' came up quite a bit. I admit I was touched and there was a moment in there where I felt like my friend who I met in China; she had announced, most impressed, that she was proud to be Chinese whilst we were trekking on the Great Wall. I was all gung-ho for the Wei to win as well. ^^ HOWEVER, I enjoyed this movie for its realism and realism you'll get - the ending isn't a clear-cut, Disney-styled happy ending. My sister learned that soon enough and she was sniffling like mad starting from halfway through the film and ended up having to blow her nose at least five times. She also repeatedly asked me if she had to watch it and made frequent trips to the restroom. Anyway, aside from the content, the acting, and the reaching-across-to-the-audience, there were other factors that lead me to watch it. First off, Jackie Chan's son is in it. I knew he had a son, but I didn't really know much more than that so I was curious. Second of all, Nicky Li's in it too - his Xiang Tai Duo/想太多 is a classic! Third point: Vitas (aka the Russian dude whose Chinese isn't all that bad) has a set of impressive vocal cords and I give him props for that. Even though his lines in the film are limited.

You can watch it on DramaCrazy.

Take Care of the Young Lady

Take Care of the Young Lady (아가씨를 부탁해/Agassireul Pputakae) is a 2009 Korean romantic comedy drama. It stars Yoon Eun Hye, Yoon Sang Hyun, Jung Il Woo, and Moon Chae Won. The summary is as follows:

Of the high-rolling top 'hot celebrities' of the wealthy upper class in Korea's high society, Kang Hye Na is the one desired by the men, feared and hated by the women. Being the only successor to the largest conglomerate company, Kang San Group, Kang Hye Na has both the looks and the background. She is the owner of the ‘Lady Castle’ and lives a ‘princess-like’ life with her servants. Until one day, out of pure coincidence, she comes across Seo Dong Chan who turns her life upside down. Not only does he make her do community service, he even kidnapped her... and now he's the new household manager!!! Even after stepping on him, crushing him and biting him, he still doesn't run away. She may have finally met her match...

I originally decided to watch this because Yoon Eun Hye was in it and after watching her in Coffee Prince, she became one of my favorite Korean actresses and I felt like I should support her. Plus, I knew that her role in this drama was completely different. It also helped that the summary appeared to have some potential. :) Well, I have to admit that the first 3 or 4 episodes dragged a bit for me but I'm fairly sure it was because I was still stuck on the last drama. Another factor was the fact that it took some getting used to Eun Hye's character - she was rude, arrogant, and pretty much had the biggest attitude problem ever, although it changed throughout the series. I did like the feisty-ness of it, but compared to her old character as Go Eun Chan, it was opposite in most every way. Anyway, once I got into it, it turned out to be pretty good. The acting was good (as if it could be bad with Yoon Eun Hye in it) and the romance going on was a bit different in a sense but she did eventually end up with the main male character. There were the characteristic cute and sweet scenes that I never get tired of, no matter how many dramas I watch, and I loved how the two eventually got together (even though I was originally rooting for Guy Number 1).

All in all, I have to say this drama wasn't a waste of time and deserves to be seen and at only 16 episodes, it's not that long. You can watch it at MySoju (with bordering-on-mediocre subtitles) but as of today, episodes 1-5, 10, and 15-16 are all listed as "broken" so I downloaded those particular episodes.

You're Beautiful

You're Beautiful (미남이시네요/Minami Shineyo) is a 2009 Korean romantic/comedic drama. It stars Jang Geun Suk, Park Shin Hye, Lee Hong Ki, Jung Yong Hwa, UEE, and Kim In Kwon. The summary is as follows:

Tae Kyung and On Yu are in search of a new member for their idol group, A.N.JELL. However, Mi Nam suffers an injury at the last moment. So Mi Nyu, his twin sister, is asked to step in for her brother. The rest of the drama follows the behind-the-scenes life of an idol group.

I've actually heard of this since it first came out because I listen to FT Island, of which Lee Hong Ki is a member, but when I first heard of the synopsis, my first thought was "...behind-the-scenes life of an idol group...?" Well, I finally caved in and as my first drama after over a month of being drama-less, I say it's a good pick. First, the actors (and actress) are not all that bad to look at. The OST just ROCKS (I immediately got hold of it after just the fifth episode and it's currently on my playlist). The acting is quite good as well. And the plot? Well, it seems like there are more and more dramas out there with a girl playing a guy (which is sort of ironic since historically, males played both female and male parts) but I like it. The whole "idol group" part of it made it different instead of having school as a setting. Of course, there are the mandatory cliche obstacles found in dramas and I was so fed up with [insert person's name here] that I fired off my mock gun at [insert person's name here] several times.

HOWEVER, I can guarantee a happy ending (big surprise), though with a large amount of twists and turns to finally get there. Park Shin Hye, who plays the twins, makes a good girl and guy. My sister actually got it right the first time and saw her as a girl, but the next time around, she totally mistook her for a guy - in fact, she went all "That guy in the glasses is SO CUTE." She's also adorable. All the guys have their trait characteristics and brings flavor to the story... although it's strange that [spoiler] they all end up liking her [end spoiler]. Anyway, I couldn't stop watching this even though half of it does scream of a generic drama and even though it took me a grand total of three days to complete, I blame it on the fact that amidst all this, I was packing and coming back home as well as hanging out with the family. And I was busy for half of today.

Favorite points:
(1) It made various parodies of songs with dance routines to go with it. ^_^
(2) It acknowledged the existence of fanfiction (or panpick). haha...
(3) I seriously love that scene in the market in Episode 11. That made me squeel.

You can watch it at either MySoju or DramaCrazy.Net and there's a total of 16 episodes.

Smile

Smile (スマイル/Sumairu) is a 2009 Japanese romance drama. It stars Matsumoto Jun, Aragaki Yui, Nakai Kiichi, Koike Eiko, Tokuyama Hidenori, and Shun Oguri. The summary is as follows:

Hayakawa Vito has a Filipino father and a Japanese mother, but he was born and raised in Japan and has never visited the Philippines. The ever-smiling Vito works at Machimura Foods during the day, and at night, he works a part-time job trying to make his dreams come true. One day during an incident at a bookstore, he meets a girl named Mishima Hana, who lost her ability to speak due to an accident. But even though she can't speak, Vito is drawn to her beautiful smile. However, Vito becomes wrongly suspected by the police for a crime, and after meeting the lawyer Kazuma, the issue begins to grow... Together, Vito, Hana, and Kazuma will go through challenging times and have to overcome many obstacles.

I watched this because (1) Matsumoto Jun is in it and (2) it deals with more serious issues in Japanese society such as prejudice and discrimination against foreigners as well as criminals. Although this drama is categorized as "romance," there's also an equal amount of justice/law in it. It's about a boy who, due to his mixed race, is brought through hurdle after hurdle, first joining a gang, then repenting, then being pulled back into it and suspected because of his race, even though his nationality is Japanese and has never stepped foot in the Philippines. Not to mention his name's foreign - written in katakana and everything (ビト, or Bito). It was sort of frustrating at points where fingers were automatically pointed at him if anything went wrong - or even when he was just walking down a street, a policemen stopped and asked for his ID. I think the drama condensed all prejudices all into one so this was probably a lot, but it probably does happen quite a bit. Not just due to race either - people's view of someone also changed due to their background history or even due to familial relations.

The way this drama was made, you get a glimpse of what happens in the future (2015) and the "present" with flashbacks, all contributing to the full story which is revealed in the end. It is revealed at the beginning when you see the lawyer visiting Vito who is in jail. They reminisce and laugh and as they do so, we go back to the beginning where everything started. The rest of the drama is also shot in this kind of format. I found it pretty interesting because even though you do get hints, there are some surprising spots. I could even say it was inspirational. :) But yeah, all in all, it's a pretty good drama. Oh yes - the romance in the film is present, but it isn't the only thing.

You can watch this at either Drama Crazy or MySoju.
Picture taken from here.

Niini no Koto wo Wasurenaide

Niini no Koto wo Wasurenaide (にいにのことを忘れないで) is a 2009 tanpatsu starring Nishikido Ryo, Tanaka Rena, Yamada Ryosuke, Kuroki Hitomi, Jinnai Takanori, and Shirakawa Yumi. The summary is as follows:

Kawai Keisuke is a young man who aspired to become a physicist since he was young. His hopeful parents send him to an expensive college prep school, but at the age of 15, during his third year of junior high, he is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Told that he only has one year to live, he falls into despair, giving up on treatment and even lashing out against his own mother. Ultimately, with the support of his family, he struggles with the tumor for eight years before dying at the age of 23.

I seem to be on a roll with watching movie-length 'dramas' based on a tragic story of someone who dies way before his/her time. Anyway, because it's movie length, it doesn't go into great detail like 1 Litre of Tears did, but then again, I mainly watched it because Ryo was in it. :) The acting was pretty good and it does focus on what the family goes through. What made this stand out to me is how the main character actually got angry, threw some things around, and even got around to using physical violence to get his frustrations out instead of the [somewhat] docile acceptance of their fate that is present throughout the other tragic tales of a terminally ill teen.

I suppose because of that, it was more "real" - not that the others weren't but this one showed the denial stage of the whole process as well as the sinking acceptance that was more than just crying and asking the heart-breaking question of "why me?" Other than that though, it was similar to the other dramas of the same genre - but I still watched it for Ryo. ^_^

You can watch it here.