Looks like they’ve decided on the title for it now, or at least that’s what I’ve heard/read.

The Korean HanaKimi will be known as “Beautiful You.”

WHUTTT???

“Beautiful You”

What the heck are they thinking? Even the Taiwanese version kept the original name. Even the Korean Hana Yori Dango kept the name, they just used the English translation of it .. aka Boys Over/Before Flowers. Why “Beautiful You”??? Hell .. I’ll even settle for the English translation of HanaKimi .. which is “For You In Full Blossom.” “Beautiful You” just reminds me of the drama .. You’re Beautiful. Not very original Korea/SM. If you’re going to borrow someone’s storyline, at least keep the original name. It’s only honorable. I guess it really shouldn’t matter much anymore, since I technically have zero anticipation/expectations for this. In my eyes, it’s already trouble/a wreck. I really hope they prove me wrong, but at this rate .. they won’t.

Since fuel has already been added to the burning fire, let’s just burn it all down now xD   Next thing you know, they’ll come out with some whack theme songs that definitely won’t top Otsuka Ai’s “Peach” or Orange Range’s “Ikenai Taiyo.” In which both songs are awesome and fun! They’re so fun .. heck .. even the Japanese cast sang them in the drama lol.

Let’s bring up an old favorable screen cap:

• Title: ＣＯＮＴＲＯＬ～犯罪心理捜査～
• Title (romaji): Control ~ Hanzai Shinri Sousa
• Tagline: 心が解ければ、事件が解ける。
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Police, psychological
• Episodes: 11
• Viewership ratings: TBA
• Broadcast network: Fuji TV
• Broadcast period: 2011-Jan-11 to 2011-Mar-22
• Air time:Tuesday 21:00
• Theme song:Ginga no Hoshikuzu by Kuwata Keisuke (桑田佳祐)

Synopsis

Segawa Rio, a quick-acting detective, gets transferred to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s Violent Crimes Division after she got shot during her previous case. She is made to work together with Nagumo Jun, a level-headed but eccentric psychology professor whose skills at behavioral analysis are the key to tracking down the criminals. There’s also Teranishi Kei, a shy young detective who’s had a crush on Segawa since their days at the academy…

Cast

Matsushita Nao as Segawa Rio :: Coming off her Gegege no Nyobu fame, Matsushita Nao stars as a detective who is forced to technically babysit Professor Nagumo. Although I like Matsushita Nao, this role felt kind of dry in terms of character and storyline. Sure she’s a strong headed detective with an immense sense of justice, but that’s nothing new. She portrayed this role adequately; however, I am used to the tough/cool images that Shinohara Ryoko is famed for. On the other hand, Segawa Rio isn’t hard-boiled in anyway. Actually, she’s quite goofy, doesn’t think before she acts, and sometimes annoying. If you look at the entire drama, she’s practically useless unless you need a runner. Overall, .. okay.

Fujiki Naohito as Nagumo Jun :: Oh Fujiki Naohito, a man who ages so damn well. Yet, why are you hiding your awesome looks behind the fur you call facial hair!? Tsk tsk tsk. Anyway .. after watching the first episode, Nagumo Jun reminds me of the drama Galileo. His character is  quite similar with the only exception being their field of study. Of course, if I had to choose, I’d pick Fukuyama Masaharu’s character any day. Why? Because his character had more substance compared to Nagumo Jun. Nagumo Jun seems to be lacking something that will make him a great character. Although he is my favorite character in this drama, something feels .. empty. Oh just on a side note, Nagumo Jun has a strange addiction to jam bread.

Yokoyama Yu as Teranishi Kei :: Why hello Yokoyama Yu! .. I BARELY noticed you in this drama despite being 2nd leading male. This isn’t the best role I’ve seen Yoko in, nor is it the worst. Actually, I never disliked you in any role. Although Teranishi Kei likes Segawa, it’s not enough to be a full fledged side plot in this drama. Although we do get to see the stoic Teranishi go a bit emotional in episodes 8-9, it’s not a huge deal. Not much else I can say besides the fact that he needed more screen time in this.

Storyline &* Relationships

I am aware that this section is about the storyline and relationships presented in this drama. However, there’s barely any relationships in this to begin/end with so we’ll just skip that part.

In all honesty, this drama reminds me of 3 shows/dramas: Galileo, MR. BRAIN, and Lie To Me. Galileo – because it revolves around a university professor who’s a bit strange. MR. BRAIN – because of the strange male lead who works directly with the police. Lie To Me – because he’s a psychology professor who concentrates on human behavior. Although this drama has aspects of all 3 shows, it doesn’t come close to their prowess and (I’ll just say it) awesomeness.

With each new case, the length of time it takes to solve them lengthen. I guess that’s just a simple plot device for most dramas. Of course, each case gets more complicated than the previous one. As each case builds up on suspense, we are left with the final case that focuses on Segawa Rio and Nagumo Jun. There is really isn’t anything I haven’t seen before in this drama. Although the cases are interesting (I’m only saying this because I love crime & mystery plotlines), they are also incredibly predictable. Sometimes the criminal isn’t obvious, but most of the time .. they are.

There is one thing/character that wasn’t predictable. It was Nagumo’s persistent university student that pesters him nonstop with questions about his lectures/lessons. I didn’t figure that she would be involved in the final case. I was wrong T_T That student created a fake kidnapping; however, the tables turned and she was really kidnapped. A ransom was asked for and her father forked over 100 million yen. YOU GOT JACKED! I won’t spoil it and say who the real culprit is .. however, I can tell you that it’s not someone surprising. At least, to me it’s not someone surprising. The best/most interesting case (in my opinion) was about Nagumo’s friend/former university rival. He challenges Nagumo to a murder mind game that only .. Nagumo can figure out. The murder plot is similar to Strangers on a Train. You’ll have to watch it on your own since I don’t want to disclose all details about it.

Overall, an average drama that lacks a lot of depth and needs a deeper plot. I was hoping that Yokoyama Yu/Teranishi Kei would be more involved in the drama as a whole, but he merely stands in the background as Segawa Rio runs around chasing after the bad guys .. ALONE. This is where I felt irritated the most. Normally, you do not go after a criminal BY YOURSELF and without a dang weapon. Nagumo actually points this out in episode 1. I guess she doesn’t learn her lesson -__-;; BAKA. But here, Segawa is running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to apprehend the suspects. Basic rules of dramas, movies, and .. heck .. police regulations! Amazingly, she comes out unharmed in all these circumstances. Just like how all the old James Bonds’ would be injured/banged up one day and miraculously scratch free the next.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Too many holes & lacks a bigger plot.

info &* synopsis credits to dramawiki

Part of the casting for the Korean version of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e will be based on fan votes.

What can I say? .. A LOT

And let the complaining/rambling begin.

First of all, REALLY!?!?!?  It’s bad enough that HanaKimi is getting a remake, this is just another way to put the series down. Netizens can vote for some of the characters .. truly utter crap to me. Not only are they not even bothering to cast properly, they are basically putting no real effort into actually trying to make this drama work. My hopes for keeping this drama IDOL-FREE is basically shot down now. I have taken a look at the prospective list of the leading cast. One word: horrendous. Most of them have no proper acting experience or training.

A friend had told me to not compare. Well I can’t help it! Especially with what’s going on. At this rate, they will ruin HanaKimi for me. I do not want to avoid watching this version altogether because I love the Japanese drama and the manga too much to not watch. Yes, I even gave the Taiwanese version a shot .. but, Ella looked too much like a guy and her facial expressions just screamed annoying/over-acting to me.

Why is SM doing this? I figure they’re trying to gain the success JYP had with Dream High. Although it may have had really decent ratings, there was nothing spectacular to me aside from a few good actors/actresses (yes, I’m talking about Eunjung) and a couple of poor/awkward actors/actresses (I’m not gonna bother to name them for I may be bricked by some overly obsessive fans. Don’t deny it; you know it was awkward too!). Everything else just seemed too trendy with no real substance. This is exactly what will/could happen to this drama. In all honesty, I’m just so disappointed that it all feels like they’re making a mockery of HanaKimi.

And most definitely, things will not change for the better. I can only hope but that will just be a waste of my efforts to even think that things can change for the better.

I’m going to try to make this post .. happier? Here they are .. MY LOVES:

Eat your heart out! xD

There’s going to be yet ANOTHER drama version of it.

Produced by SME.

Want to know what I think?

In all honesty, I really HATE this idea. There are already 2 versions of it, the Japanese one being one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE dramas. This has yet become another HanaYoriDango spectacle, I preferred HYD to BoF anyway. This is the first time I’ve written something other than a drama review. Why? Because this has fired me up (and not in an exciting way). The minute I read about this, my irritation just soared for the day.

I know people will say “Give them a chance” or “you haven’t even watched it yet so how can you judge?”  Well, I know all that. But wouldn’t you react the same way if something like this was being done to one of your favorite manga/drama? Also, this further confirms my suspicion that Korea is running out of drama ideas. They should turn their manhwas into dramas rather than using mangas so much. I also dislike the fact that many fans will start to judge/compare one of my favorite actresses/my Japanese idol, Horikita Maki’s, performance to that of the Korean actress that will star in this version. Although both styles may differ, it’s about the culture that the drama portrays from the manga. This, I thought, is what the Japanese version did so well. Although I know for a fact that the Korean version will focus heavily on the romance, as opposed to the Japanese version. However, this is what I thought was so great about it. The fact that everything was so carefree and sweet at the same time.

So .. YES, I am being butthurt about it. In addition, the actors from the Japanese version left such an impression of the roles they each portrayed. All those shoes will be hard to fill, or create a new portrayal of. Everyone from Mizuki to Sano to Nakatsu (especially YOU NAKATSU) to Oscar (really .. who can have this much high tension??) to our resident gay boy, Nakao (love you Kimura Ryo!) to the one and only ghost boy (Yamamoto Yusuke, you’re so awesome) to Dorm 2′s best player to set foot on this planet (Mizushima Hiro, come back soon please!) to even the Hibari 4 (yes .. even them). I’m not going to say I am excited, anxious, or anything like that. Am I anticipating it? Yes. Because I’m curious? Yes. But, also because I’ll have my hawk eyes watching each character and how much they could possibly ruin (or do better) for me. Even if some of my favorite Korean actors/actresses were to be casted, I probably won’t jump in fannish glee but I will be a little intrigued. And no doubt, SME will probably cast some of their idols. And I’m not the type of person to be excited about idols AT ALL. Yes, I watched Dream High but I definitely was not impressed by anything what-so-ever. I merely watched it out of curiosity and dumped it after the episode 2.

What I have been wanting to avoid for 3-4 years now, has suddenly been crushed within an hour -sigh-. I will leave you with the awesome cast that I dearly love:

And a great memory that will always be remembered:

This has been a Haejin complaint xD

• Title: バーテンダー
• Title (romaji): Bartender
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Comedy drama
• Episodes: TBA
• Viewership rating: TBA
• Broadcast network: TV Asahi
• Broadcast period: 2011-Feb-04 start
• Air time: Friday 23:15
• Theme song:Lotus by Arashi

Episode 02 Review

Viewer Ratings: 10.6%

The last time we saw Sasakura Ryu was at the entrance of Bar Lapin. Where is he now? Still at Bar Lapin, except he is now the new apprentice and has resumed his life as a bartender. Miwa enters Bar Lapin to see if what she’s heard is true and there he is. She welcomes him back to being a bartender and suggests he treat her to a drink. Hey, I would too ;] Immediately after her arrival, Kuzuhara Ryuichi comes in ..

I couldn’t help but notice the “exit” sign is near the bottom of the floor.
Doesn’t make much sense to me seeing as to how a person’s eyes aren’t on our feet.

Just what is our resident antagonist doing there? Well, he’s heard about Ryu from Kurushima and he’s here to test out Ryu’s skills. Our other resident bartender, Kaoru, asks Kuzuhara what he would like to drink. Of course, being the uptight ass that he is, he looks at Ryu and orders a Gin Fizz. It takes Ryu a minute to register that Kuzuhara is asking him to make the drink and proceeds to get the ingredients needed.  Let’s take a moment to discuss why Kuzuhara ordered a Gin Fizz. According to Mihashi, it’s a somewhat standard way to test a bartender’s skill. In that case, if I were to sit at a bar and order a Gin Fizz, would the bartender think that I am a bartender as well? Someone want to try that and let me know? x] So, Ryu is making the drink ..

Again .. that stiff spaced out look xD

As he was making the drink, Ryu notices something. But what does he notice? We do not know. How mysterious~ .. not. While Ryu pours the drink, he talks about what the “fizz” in Gin Fizz means. Naturally, this may seem like he’s an idiot, Kaoru and Miwa seem to agree as well. Even through all the awkward silence, Ryu still puts on a smile (in true Aiba fashion) and serves the drink:

With all the pretty lighting going on in this ..
I won’t be surprised if they win Best Lighting for some award.

Kuzuhara takes a sip and, instantaneously, he’s fascinated by it’s subtle taste. In thought, he contemplates on what could be in the drink and voices out that “it’s not a normal Gin Fizz, right? It’s an original, isn’t it?” Ryu tells him that he’s correct and that a normal Gin Fizz wouldn’t be boring for a professional/top-class bartender. A HA! So he did notice. Miwa is in awe and asks Ryu how did he know. Turns out that, aside from ordering a Gin Fizz, he noticed the calluses on his fingers from a shaker. Such a keen eye for detail! What are you doing serving drinks, Sasakura Ryu!? You should be in forensics or a detective xD Of course, Kuzuhara thinks of it as an arrogant action on Ryu’s part. What a jerk! Ryu tells him that he merely wants the person to enjoy the drink. Kuzuhara assumes that he put in drops of fermented rum; however, Ryu reveals to him that he put in wasanbo (refined Japanese sugar). So rather than syrup, he used something totally different. Kuzuhara, aka Mr. Perfect, then tells him that Ryu’s cocktail is ..

“far from perfect.”
You’ll see this look from him a lot.
Yes, the seriously-constipated look.

After he says that, Ryu ..

isn’t so happy.
It’s okay Ryu, at least you’re better looking xD

So that leads to ..

a staring contest.

Kuzuhara just leaves anyway. Everyone is left thinking/saying “what was that all about?” Ryu asks who that guy was. They tell him that he’s a genius bartender from Bar K, who appeared 4-5 years ago and has since been winning awards. The scene changes to Kurushima’s office where Miwa is shocked to find out that her grandfather is the one who told Kuzuhara about Ryu. -___-; really girl? Wasn’t that obvious from the get-go?? She asks him why he did such a thing. He tells her that it’s interesting to see two opposites compete and see who can make the “Glass of God.” Alright old man, enough with the “Glass of God/divine drink.” We get it. You want the ultimate drink that can get you wasted.

Now, we’re back at Bar Lapin where Ryu has finished all his tasks and this kind of irritates Kaoru, who of course he is jealous of him to a certain extent. Ryu asks him where he can find Kuzuhara and Kaoru informs him that it’s kind of impossible to enter his bar since it’s for “VIPs.” Are Big Bang fans allowed then? Mihashi immediate interrupts and states that it’s not entirely impossible. He then presents Ryu with ..

an invitation to bar-tend at the 1st Anniversary of Hotel Cardinal.
Who sent this invitation? None other than old Kurushima.

Mihashi suggests he accept the invitation. Next, we see Ryu at the restaurant eating yakisoba. I want someee. Miwa walks in and tells Ryu that she heard about him accepting her grandfather’s offer. The reason why Ryu accepted was to see a cocktail made by Kuzuhara. Miwa asks him if he has confidence in winning and, of course, Ryu has no idea what she’s talking about. She explains that although Hotel Cardinal has been around for a year, the main bar hasn’t been completed yet and they are looking for a real bartender to entrust it to. After that, comes an explanation about the “Glass of God.” Again, real tired of hearing this lol.

Scene cut! Miwa is working hard at the magazine’s office and gets a call from her energetic friend, Yukari. Why is she bothering her? Yukari wants Miwa to suggest a bar so she can take her older boyfriend there for Valentine’s Day. After getting off the phone, her boss tells her about specific topic issues in the magazines are prepared 2 months in advance. They have a nice conversation about her boss working overtime and Miwa as well. Her boss playfully asks “can you respect a boss who goes home and leaves her employees behind?”

Another scene change~  This time we see Yukari and her “boyfriend” at ..

Bar Lapin!
Joshima Shigeru guesting! Free drinks from his kouhai?

He tells her that they’re gonna have fun drinking until morning and she’s happy. He suddenly gets a call and takes it outside. As he exits the door, Yukari feels down and .. well downs her cocktail. Ryu notices and asks her for her next drink. She says “whatever you recommend.” As he gets a drink prepared, the boyfriend returns and tells her he must leave. As he leaves .. again, she looks depressed .. again. We now see Miwa working overtime at work ..

by herself .. boss nowhere to be found.
This is actually a regular thing we see.

Miwa gets a message from Yukari, asking her to have a drink. Thinking she’s done enough overtime, she heads to Bar Lapin. I would say so. The girl works too much if you ask me. They have a nice little chat about Miwa going to the bar alone often. Ryu asks Miwa what she would like to drink. She wants an Adonis this time and Yukari requests for one too. As he’s making the drink, Yukari admires the process. Miwa tells her about Ryu’s accomplishments and she’s astounded. As he gives them the drink, Yukari notes that a bartender’s fingers are kind of “sexy.” I would have to agree. I mean .. c’mon! Have you seen Mukai Osamu’s hands!? It’s a crime for a man’s hands to look that damn pretty. Yukari exclaims that she is becoming Ryu’s fan and Miwa ..

doesn’t like the sound of that~

Taking it further, Yukari asks if Ryu would have a drink with them. Miwa starts to tell her that a bartender can’t when he/she is behind the counter, but is cut off when Ryu agrees to have a drink. Afterwards, Miwa is walking along that bridge and stops to face Ryu. Ryu tells her that he’s not following her, she’s just merely walking in front of him. He asks her why she’s so angry and she rambles on about how he had a drink after Yukari asked. She keeps going on and on then asks him if he can win Kuzuhara this way. She’s not going to accept him if he doesn’t win.

Now, we’re at Hotel Cardinal and everyone is getting ready for the grand party:

The food looks SO GOOD~!

Ryu is getting his bar counter ready and Kuzuhara walks in with his pro kit. Ryu walks over to him and thanks him for the other day. Kuzuhara gives him a haughty look before the Kurushima’s greet them. I wanna hit Kuzuhara, Mr. I’m-so-much-better-than-everyone. The party is bustling about and both Ryu & Kuzuhara are making cocktails. Ryu’s side is much more crowded than Kuzuhara’s at this point. However, the happy atmosphere is short-lived as Kuzuhara reprimands his helper for not thoroughly cleaning one of the glasses and tells the guy to quit. The helper doesn’t quite understand and Kuzuhara drops the glass, causing it to break into pieces. This captures the attention of everyone in the room as he fires the guy instead. He proceeds to make the ordered cocktail. Many are whispering about and then start to crowd around Kuzuhara’s counter. Miwa wonders why in the world people are crowding around his counter after that incident. Kurushima explains to her that his true ability is to make people want to drink one of his cocktails. I’m just going to take a moment and call this such bull haha. It’s a drama, can’t do anything about it. But if this were to be more realistic, I would’ve called Kuzuhara an asshole and not give him a second glance. So now, the event is over and Ryu is heading to the elevator but stops short when he sees Kuzuhara. He tells him that he doesn’t like Kuzuhara’s way of doing things. The elevator door opens and Kuzuhara gets inside. Just before the door closes, Kuzuhara says: “If you don’t have things that are perfect, you can be a professional.” Okay, I do agree with that statement in a general sense. However, this guy is all about perfection that other people’s opinion don’t seem to matter. I bet he has no friends. Well, Ryu is left to think by himself with Miwa listening in around the corner.

At the publisher’s office, Miwa is contemplating about the events that previously happened. Next, we see her at Bar Lapin and Kaoru ..

happens to notice the bag of chocolate Miwa brought.

He tries to pry information/the chocolate out of her by mentioning that it’s Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, all Miwa says is “yep” and happily sits down. Poor guy, better luck next time. Sitting at the counter, Miwa attempts to give the chocolate to Ryu but is interrupted when Yukari walks in. Yukari then gives Ryu a bag of chocolate as a thank you for the night before. This makes Miwa feel awkward and she hurries out with the excuse of “having to work.” After some time, Ryu presents Yukari with a cocktail called Whisper. At the restaurant, Miwa is eating her sorrows away and tries to give the chocolate to the chef. But, that is thrown out of the water when his wife presents him with chocolate. She gives up and decides to just eat it herself. Her grandfather calls him and tells her to go to Bar K the next day.

While waiting at Bar K, Ryu walks in and they are both confused. Kurushima wants Ryu and Kuzuhara to make a cocktail. Great, more competition >_> Ryu refuses at first then Kurushima suggests that they make a cocktail for Miwa. Kuzuhara baits him into agreeing by basically asking if he’s running away. The two end up making a Manhattan ..

in complete unison.
Even if they’re personalities are the complete opposite,
they sure know how to be the exact same when making a drink.

As they are making the cocktail, we hear Ryu discuss the fundamentals of making the cocktail in his thoughts. He mentions that the key to making this cocktail is the timing of when to stop blending/stirring the mixture. Miwa then takes off her jacket and when Ryu notices, he stops stirring, cutting it short, as Kuzuhara continues to stir. Both pour the drink into the glasses and Miwa is told to taste them with her eyes closed. She picks Ryu’s as the cocktail she prefers but not before thinking about how different both drinks are despite it being the same drink. It all lies in the stirring time. Because Ryu cut the time short, the temperature is a degree or two higher. However, Kuzuhara calls Ryu inexperienced and questions Ryu’s Manhattan. Ryu takes a drink of the one he made and is ..

SHOCKED .. DEVASTATED
Looks like he’s about to jump ship!

But just what in the world is wrong? Kurushima asks Miwa to taste again and she is shocked as well. This time Kuzuhara’s taste better. What in the holy jebus is going on!? The world has turned .. Kuzuhara explains that because the stirring time was cut short, the flavor of the drink is all over the place. He goes on further to say, “When you aim to please the customer, and not for the completeness of the flavor, it’s the start of a bartender’s downfall. A bartender should aim for perfection.” Well, Mr. High-and-Mighty. Ever heard of the saying “nothing is perfect”? Sigh, it’s no wonder you always have that constipated/mean-spirited face. Do I sense a hint of an unfulfilled childhood? Someone get the dude a friend that  can tolerate his arrogant ass! It’s okay, Ryu. Everyone still loves you~! With that, Kuzuhara shoves past Ryu and leaves him at the counter. Now, Miwa and Ryu are staring out at the river. Ryu is talking about his utter defeat and once again .. looks as if he wants to jump into the water. Back at Bar K, Kuzuhara asks Kurushima if he will let him handle the main bar now. Kurushima tells him that he doesn’t know about that and this upsets Kuzuhara a bit.

Scene swap! Miwa is at work, wondering why she’s thinking about Ryu. Oh you naive girl, just admit you like him already. It’ll make it easier on all of us. She receives a call from Yukari to meet her at Bar Lapin. Yukari tells her that she broke up with her boyfriend. Miwa questions why and Yukari tells her about the drink Ryu served her the night before. Everyone remember? It’s the cocktail, Whisper. There’s a flashback to the conversation between Yukari and Ryu where he tells her that the drink signifies those to follow their hearts. That helped her to decide to break things off with him and there’s another flashback. In this flashback, she tells him that she wants to end things and walks away. As she’s walking away, he calls out her name and  ..

DOESN’T GO AFTER HER!
YOU BAKA!

It turns out that this was actually an affair! GASP! You naughty girl, being the “other” woman and shame on you Joushima! Adultery is never a good thing, tsk tsk tsk. Yukari tells Miwa that she was right about bars being a great place and thanks Ryu. Mihashi presents the two girls with a complimentary cocktail. So, after work Ryu is dragging his bike along and Miwa catches up to him, using the excuse that Ryu is merely walking in front of her and she’s not following him. A likely story .. for the both of you! Such terrible liars you guys are -sigh-. There seriously is an art to lying, I guess. Miwa then encourages Ryu to just be himself behind the counter. At this, Ryu smiles and asks her if she’s sure she’s not drunk LOL. She shoves a bag into his arms and he proceeds to eat the ChocoAgi, telling him it’s for Valentine’s Day. I love it but I prefer the red bean one xD He gets closer and states that there’s something different about her. “Isn’t your face a bit swollen??” Oh Ryu, that is no way to talk to a girl. Of course, it is cute how dense he appears to be. She gets mad and grabs the bag. Such a cute playful scene indeed ;]

Minna~ look! It’s the same place from HYD.
Where F4 beat the crap out of each other in Season 1.

And that’s the end of Episode 2!  When you look at it, not much happened at all. And .. everything so far is thoroughly predictable. I mean, we all knew that Ryu wasn’t going to win the Manhattan cocktail “competition” against Kuzuhara, it’s just way too soon. I’m more interested in the day he kicks Kuzuhara’s ass all the way across the Pacific Ocean and back. Speaking of Kuzuhara, something is seriously shoved up his butt. Typical of an antagonist, of course. I’m wondering when the day will come when someone pulls that metal pole out of his butt and hits him over the head with it to give him a sense of humanity. The little side story regarding Miwa’s friend, Yukari, was a bit cute and the balance between that and the main plot was nice. Poor Joushima didn’t get any love, but the dude has a family so his character doesn’t deserve any. So, who thinks that Miwa and Ryu are cute?? Sad to say, this isn’t a romance drama so anything romantic will most likely come at the very end where jdramas like to hint everything and give us practically nothing. I’m already prepared for that .. are you?

Until next episode~

Rating: 7 out of 10

• Title: バーテンダー
• Title (romaji): Bartender
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Comedy drama
• Episodes: TBA
• Viewership rating: TBA
• Broadcast network: TV Asahi
• Broadcast period: 2011-Feb-04 start
• Air time: Friday 23:15
• Theme song:Lotus by Arashi

Episode 01 Review

Viewer Ratings: 11%

Welcome! What would you like to drink? How about a glass of Arashi’s Aiba xD  So kicking, or should I say drinking, off this first round is a shot of a certain someone in a lovely trench coat at the airport. Anyone notice the plane was JAL? It would’ve been awesome if they used the Arashi jet instead ne. Anyway, the dude who just got off a plane is none other than ..

Sasakura Ryu!

Where is he? Japan. Why? We shall find out! But first, I’m going to take this chance to pimp out the nice little opening of the drama:

Nice huh!

Getting back on track .. we meet out female protagonist:

Kurushima Miwa and she’s late

And yes, she’s running. I’ve learned that if a girl isn’t running in one of these dramas, then it’s not normal. She has to run, rarely do they bike, and they almost never drive .. they must run! Anyway, the scene changes into a flashback where she recalls a conversation she had with her grandfather a year ago. He asks her “if all the people in the world became your enemy, and you can only have one ally, who would it be?” He answers his own question by saying, “A bartender.” That’s right! Not your spouse, lover, friends, or even kids. It must be a bartender. Let’s take a moment to find our own conclusions as to why this is the correct answer. My theory: you’re gonna die anyway, might as well have a friend who’s got unlimited booze. Am I right? According to Kurushima (this is what I will call the old man from now on), “only the chosen bartender can create the Glass of God.” Do it with me, oooh and ahhh. Cheesy? Yes. Dorky? Absolutely! Then again it is one of those dramas so ..  A bartender will never betray customers sitting opposite of him at the counter. o.O I beg to differ. There are crazy people out there. Apparently that “Glass of God,” can save a person. Well Miwa here thinks she’s found that person!

And she’s got all the info she needs~

So just what was she running late to? A bar-tending/cocktail competition. Supposedly, Ryu was supposed to be the surprise guest speaker at the event; however, her dreams were squashed when he wasn’t there. Why wasn’t he there? Who knows, no one does actually. He’s mysteriously disappared .. MIA. So she leaves and heads back to work dejectedly. What does she do exactly? Why she’s a journalist for some trendy magazine. But why is she looking for Sasakura Ryu anyway? Turns out Kurushima is looking for a bartender who can bake the Glass of God and he’s giving the task to all the bartenders in his many hotels. Oh yeah, forgot to mention Kurushima is LOADEDDD! As Miwa is thinking to herself, her boss walks in asking for her article and knows that she hasn’t done it yet. She constantly wonders why Miwa is so interested in writing about bartending and reminds her that th magazine targets young girls. And what better way to capture a young girl’s attention than to feature various idols and trends. They chat a bit about what makes a bar so interesting, Miwa has no answer and now she’s left to pull an all-nighter since she’s got an article due the next day.

The scene changes to a lovely little restaurant and we’re greeted with ..

OKONOMIYAKI~! I want some!

So why are we here? Other than the fact that they want us to drool over the food. Miwa is friends with the couple who owns/runs the little establishment. She talks to the wife about how much she wants to meet Ryu. Little does she know, he just walked into the kitchen through the back door making a delivery to the very restaurant! Coincidence? Of course, they are fated to meet because if they didn’t then we wouldn’t have a drama. The husband offers Ryu a drink (liquor) before he leaves and he takes it.

Nani!? Drinking on the job?? Tsk tsk tsk.

Miwa is quick to give up and crosses Ryu off her list of bartenders ..

Why hello there MatsuJun. I didn’t know you can bartend!
Don’t you just love how Arashi members seem to cameo in each others’ drama.
And they don’t even have to be physically there!

Miwa packs her things and prepares to leave. At the same time, Ryu leaves through the back and runs straight into Miwa. Pretty obvious it was going to happen right? Well, in their little bump, Miwa’s glasses break and it takes her a while to figure out that standing before her is Sasakura Ryu! He immediately tries to leave as fast as he can, all the while she’s rambling on about him and all the things she knows. She even knows his hobbies. Of course this freaks him out. Congrats! You’ve got yourself a nice little fanatic fan. So, he takes off leaving her in the dust on his bike. The next morning/day, we see Ryu working hard at a liquor store. We finally get to see what happened to Ryu in Paris.

He gets kicked to the curb!

His former employer tells him that he may be a professional bartender, but he doesn’t know what a true bartender is. And here I thought their job is to serve drinks. As he’s reminiscing, Miwa enters the store and walks straight up to him. She introduces herself and he wonders if she’s going around picking up men. We all know that he’s just avoiding her. He goes to help a customer really quick and she’s left staring at him. After helping out the customer, she tells him that she wants compensation for her broken glasses. Ryu tells her to wait until payday, she suggests he pay with his body. Yes, we all are thinking the same thing .. I know it!

These two were thinking the same thing as well LOL

So she sits around waiting for Ryu to show up. When he finally does, she wants him to make her a cocktail. Why didn’t she word it better haha~ she proceeds to pull out a bartending set.  He gives in and stares at her intently. Ryu points out that she’s got dark circles under her eyes and tells her to get some rest. He ponders a little and leaves, telling her to wait. The 3 wait for what seems like forever and he returns. What was he doing? Getting ice. Not just any kind of ice, pretty ice. I swear I have never seen such nice looking ice before LOL. He starts making her a drink ..

looking all pro and what not.

Once he finishes, she gets angry telling him that she wanted a cocktail and that she can see he made her mizuwari (basically a watered down drink with beer & hard liquor). Ryu tells her to just sit down and take a drink. She complies and .. A MIRACLE HAPPENS. Well, not really but she’s stumped as to why the mizuwari tastes so damn good. He explains that this is perfect for a girl who’s tired to drink before sleeping so that it won’t upset their stomach. Awww, how considerate!  With that, he leaves and she chases after him. At the bridge, she calls him out and tells him he’s truly a bartender. Very cliche. The next day, Miwa enters Kurushima’s office, Kurushima is delighted:

uhm .. Spongebob’s eager face?

and they have a nice lunch outside (in the cold no less), eating sandwiches. During their little lunch, she asks him if he’s going “there” again that night. He nods.

Later that evening, we’re at Bar Lapin. Miwa walks in and greets the two bartenders. Bar manager – Mihashi Jyunji and bartender – Sugiyama Kaoru. Upon her arrival, it’s pretty clear that Kaoru has a thing for Miwa and, naturally, she hasn’t a clue. Miwa informs them that there will be another guest later. A little time lapse later, Ryu walks in for the delivery and sees Miwa. Isn’t that nice Ryu? You have yourself a little stalker xD jk~ She tells him to stay a bit and after much refusing, he once again gives in. In fact, Miwa wanted Ryu to meet Kurushima .. obviously. Kurushima takes a seat and the two bartenders make various drinks from a martini to a Jack Rose. Why are they making so many drinks for the old man? None of the drinks satisfied him and he called them all no good. This upsets Ryu a bit and Kurushima tells him that he doesn’t know what it is to be a true bartender. And we all know that he’s really touchy on the subject, so Ryu proposes that if he can make a good cocktail then Kurushima will tell him what a true bartender is. Again .. with the cliche-like dialogue. Ryu makes him the cocktail that won him the prestigious competition in Paris – Reverie.

Couldn’t help but laugh at the look (or lack thereof) on his face.
I wonder if it’s normal for bartenders to have that deer-caught-in-the-headlights gaze.

After taking a sip, Kurushima gets up, says “no good,” and leaves. Ryu soon rushes out as well and Miwa is left sitting there feeling guilty. The next morning, we finally get to take a look at Ryu’s home on a boat.

Sing it with me!
I’m on a boat~

He wakes up and heads outside, wonder why the boat is rocking. As he opens the door, there is Miwa – rocking the boat to wake him up. o.O A simple knock can’t cut it so you have to give him sea sickness? She hands him a bag with a bun inside and he eats it. So why is his little stalker there? She wants to apologize for how things went down last night. She goes on to tell him how she just thinks her grandfather feels lonely and that he was close friends with the former owner of Bar Lapin. It’s all very touching but I’m not going to harp on the details because .. it’s kinda long winded and I’ve heard these kinds of talks before.

Next, Ryu is seen standing outside Bar Lapin waiting for Mihashi. Once inside, Mihashi tells him various facts about Bar Lapin the main point being that it used to be located in Yokohama. You know what that means~ FIELD TRIP! .. By himself. In Yokohama, he goes to various bars asking about Bar Lapin and no one seems to know anything. As he’s searching, he gets hungry and finds a curry shop that’s been in business for more than 36 years. As he’s inhaling his food, he asks for a glass of water. The old lady gives him a refill and he asks for ice. She tells him that the shop is so old, they don’t have any ice. He stares at the glass, looking like he’s come to a revelation.

The scene changes to Miwa and Kurushima entering Bar Lapin. What greets them? Ryu standing behind the counter. He makes a cocktail called Old Pal for the old man and guess what! He likes it~! Naturally, can’t have him fail twice in a row in a drama series. It’s just unnatural in the laws of dramas. Just what is so different? Why it’s the temperature, my dear Watson. Yes, that is the revelation that came to Ryu. You see back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, many places didn’t have freezers or refrigerators. Therefore, the cocktail he made was a “warm” cocktail. According to the drama, younger people will find this cocktail “warm” and would call it no good. So anyone want to conduct an experiment? Give old people “warm” cocktails and a “cold” one, then see which one they prefer. Since Ryu has won the little “bet” they have going on, Kurushima tells him that bartending is a way of life and any bartender can make the drinks taste the same. o.O  kinda vague don’t you think?  Afterwards, Ryu and Miwa are walking on that same bridge in cliched drama style. Nothing important is really being said here.

As they continue on their merry way, we’re taken to Bar K. There, Kurushima informs the bartender, Kuzuhara Ryuichi, that for the first time he found another person’s (other than him) cocktail that tastes good. This catches Kuzuhara’s attention and he proceeds to make Kurushima a drink ..

He just exudes “antagonist” don’tcha think?

Meanwhile, Ryu is pondering to himself on the same bridge. After standing there for a few minutes just staring, he comes to a decision that he “has to do this.” The next morning, Ryu is seen walking off his boat and rides his bike off into the distance, pedaling away. Where is he headed? To BAR LAPIN! Ha~ couldn’t stay away from your true calling Sasakura Ryu!

This concludes episode 1 of Bartender. What lies for our handsome/cute bartender? We shall see in Episode 2 with an appearance by Joshima Shigeru xD  JEs unite? LOL. Overall, this is an okay start. Not superb or amazing, pretty stable and likable. The most fascinating thing about this is when they make the various drinks. They make it look like an art when, normally, bar-tending seems so loud(?) and messy in real life. Of course, it all depends on what kind of bars a person goes to. I still can’t get over the look on their faces when they shake the shaker xD it’s just too funny to me LOL.

Well, until Episode 2~

Rating: 7 out of 10

• Title: バーテンダー
• Title (romaji): Bartender
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Comedy drama
• Episodes: TBA
• Viewership rating: TBA
• Broadcast network: TV Asahi
• Broadcast period: 2011-Feb-04 start
• Air time: Friday 23:15
• Theme song:Lotus by Arashi

Synopsis

Upon return from Paris, Sasakura Ryu spends some time wandering amiss, but after some time he decides to start anew by becoming a bartender. On a daily basis as a bartender, he helps solve the various problems burdening his customers, including work and love and family troubles, one cocktail at a time.

Furthermore, what will happen to the romantic relationship between Ryu, who seeks the best cocktail, and Kurushima Miwa, who is pertinent to his growth as a person. Also in the drama you’ll see the fateful showdown between Kuzuhara Ryuichi, referred to as Mr. Perfect, and Master Kase Goro.

Cast

Aiba Masaki as Sasakura Ryu :: N/A

Kanjiya Shihori as Kurushima Miwa :: N/A

Storyline &* Relationships

Since this drama is currently airing, I obviously have yet to develop definite opinions on the drama as a whole. I can say one thing though – bartending looks cool! Actually, make that 2 things. I was a bit surprised by the promo poster for Bartender. Usually, posters are wide; this one in particular is long. Yeah, I know that was a useless/stupid comment/observation. Gah! Nevermind. I DO have more things to say. So far, the drama isn’t half bad. It reminds me of Kami no Shizuku a lot. If you’re into alcohol (cocktails in particular), you’ll probably find this pretty interesting. I know I do. No, I’m not some kind of alcoholic or anything. I just find these kinds of things fascinating. I’ll try to do episode reviews for this, if life gives me the damn time to do so. Trust me, I’d rather be writing reviews than do a marketing research project, but my future depends on it. So hopefully, I’ll catch up on the reviews for this. At least, I’m following the drama closely each week :]

Episode Reviews
Episode 01
Episode 02
Episode 03
Episode 04

Rating: __ out of 10

info &* synopsis credits to wiki.d-addicts

Language: Chinese
Genre: Pop/Dance
Released: 25 February 2011

Tracklist

01. 太完美 (Perfection)
02. 命運線 (Destiny)
03. 幸福微甜 (Love is sweet)
04. 表白 (Off my mind)
05. True Love
06. 吹一樣的風 (My all is in you)

Ahhh, it’s been a while since I have written a review. I blame work and laziness! But this isn’t a random review. I will do my best to write more reviews from now on. But enough about me, let’s talk SUJU!…M!

I have been pretty iffy about Super Junior M since Hangeng’s lawsuit against SM. But after listening to the tracks, I was surprised. The vocals were definitely much better than their previous album, but I totally didn’t expect these song genre(s) with their concept. I had really anticipated a harder image concept  because that’s what I thought the concept was. But it was nice and surprising to see Eunhyuk and Sungmin also participate in this album with the remaining 6 members of Super Junior M.

Perfection (Title Track)

I will be brutally honest. I absolutely hate this song! I can barely distinguish each of the members let alone understand the lyrics. The only good parts of the song was Eunhyuk and Henry’s English raps. Other than that, I thought they picked a really bad song to be their title track. But I guess they wanted a track to attract fan’s attention. But for me, this song was a total turn off. But again, this was the only song (in my opinion) fitted perfectly with their concept pictures.

Destiny

My favorite song from the album! How I wished that they used this song as their title track. But in comparison to Perfection, this song isn’t as catchy. But I can certainly say that the vocals in this song is so much better than Perfection. To me, this song had a really romantic feel to it. And I really love how their voices harmonized in this song. Definitely the best song on the album.

Love Is Sweet

I seriously thought this song was a song off of an OST when I first heard it. I really like this song too, it has a very soothing feel to it. I feel that it is a song that I could listen to when I need to relax. I would recommend this song for relaxation.

Off My Mind

This song has Henry written all over it! I really like the tempo and the beat of the song. This is definitely a song that will keep your head bobbing. I love how this song has so many English words thrown in there. This is my second favorite song on this album.

True Love

The beginning of the song totally reminded me of a Super Junior H song. This song has that cutesy feel to it. This sounds like one of those songs that I can listen to when I need to be cheered up or the motivation to do chores (like when I’m cleaning).

My All Is In You

This song is quite good. I really like the tempo of the song. It wasn’t slow yet it wasn’t a dance track either. It sounds like something I can listen to in whatever my mood may be.

Overall, I think this was a pretty good mini album (since it only had 6 tracks, I’m pretty sure this is a mini album).  There are definite improvements on their vocals. I want to see what Super Junior M has in store for us in the future.

Ratings: 8.5 out of 10

Language: Korean
Genre: Pop/Dance
Released: 24 February 2011

Track List:

1. INTRO (THANK YOU & YOU)
2. HANDS UP
3. TONIGHT
4. SOMEBODY TO LOVE
5. WHAT IS RIGHT
6. CAFE

Uwaaa~ it’s been a while, hasn’t it? As usual, laziness combined with a crazy life has stopped me from writing reviews. Have no fear, I will not quit completely! This may seem like a random review post .. BUT it’s because some of the loves of my music life has returned after 2 LONG FREAKIN YEARS! Although in the meantime, I did find new loves -cough SHINee cough- (Yeah, I haven’t reviewed them .. yet ;] ). Seriously though, 2 years? Do they realize how much I’ve aged since then!? (Okay, I’m only 21 however it seriously feels like I’ve been waiting 10 years here. Can’t blame a girl for being overly dramatic xD )

Now I know they’ve been in Japan (musically) for most of the 2 years, but there’s nothing like listening to them in their native language ^.^  I’m counting on them to win MANY awards with this .. I hope. Alright, I guess I should stop my fangirl ramblings and get straight to the review. Here it is:

I know it’s not just me, but these guys sure like to CAPS LOCK their song titles. While that’s all cool and everything, I get tired of capitalizing everything xD

INTRO (THANK YOU & YOU)
This may be just an INTRO, but a simple INTRO it is not! Call me biased or whatever, this intro has a sick beat to it (thanks GD, I see your name all over the composer credits. I wonder how much your bonus is for composing the songs.)  Right in the beginning of this, you get to see how great their spelling is! “B-I-G B-A-N-G T-H-E B-E-S-T” Grammatically, however, not the best. They sure love to spell their group name in most of their songs, not that I’m complaining or anything .. it’s just .. I already know who you guys are, so. LOL. What I like about this INTRO compared to others is the amount of singing in it (despite them saying “I’m fine” & “Thank you & you”). Usually, most intros just have a few words saying how their back and yada yada with a few elongated “oh~” in between.

HANDS UP
Alright, I know this was featured on their Japanese single “Tell Me Goodbye” (great song, btw) .. but it’s still good! Seriously a catchy beat with a catchy hook. A good way to get the tension up before their title track. Party anyone? Not to mention that MY love Daesung is all over that chorus ;D   I seriously can’t casually listen to this song. I either have to dance or sing (or even both) whenever I hear it. Trying to complete homework while listening to this is a definite NO because I never get anything done haha. Enough said.

TONIGHT (Title Track)
So this is the title track for this mini-album. Great choice, I’d have to say. After getting your spirit up with HANDS UP, this is a great song to follow. Definitely a club-like song, especially with sounds of hands clapping in there. The mellow guitar part near the end is a good touch. As expected, lots of rapping in the beginning and throughout. Of course, this is the title track they’re going to be promoting so naturally we need to have TOP do something. I’m thinking the dance moves to this song are going to be easy, gotta help out TOP right? If anyone recalls GD&TOP’s promotions, you see GD all over the stage while TOP kinda stands around doing what he does best – dropping down those hot raps.  It’d be interesting to see them go back to harder dance steps like those “La La La” days. What’s interesting about this track is that no doubt it’ll sound the exact same when they perform it live. Not the fact that they’re awesome singers and can hold their own for sure, more like the crowd will sound the exact same with the clapping and the cheering. Can’t wait to see it~

SOMEBODY TO LOVE
Once again, a recycled song except this is off their BEAUTIFUL HANGOVER single. I actually preferred this song rather than BEAUTIFUL HANGOVER (once again, so much capitalization. At this rate, a lower-cased track title will stand out even more.) Despite this song having the same title as that Bieber song, this one I like more. The hook for this song is catchy as well. “Somebody to love~ I want somebody to love~” You know what I say, love ME damn it! What’s great about this track is that it’s not incredibly fast-paced. While HANDS UP is a Daesung centered chorus, SOMEBODY TO LOVE is a YoungBae (TaeYang. I prefer to call him by his real name xD ) centered chorus. And I sure as hell not complaining! The once rapper-turned-vocalist for the sake of BB has such a beautiful set of pipes.

WHAT IS RIGHT
THIS TRACK! I seriously LOVE this track! Compared to all the other tracks on this mini-album, this is my absolute favorite. It’s not too fast-paced and it’s definitely not slow, it’s perfect. And the beat .. don’t get me started on the music itself. It’s just too awesome. And again, the hook is catchy as hell. “What is right and what is wrong~” Let me tell you, everything with this song is RIGHT and there is nothing WRONG with it! Highly recommended if I had to say. There are no words to describe how good this song is, you’ll just have to listen to it yourself.

CAFE
CAFE .. I love this song too! Why? Because there’s no electronic in it, and it’s purely vocal. No autotune, just the way I like my music. It shows that they’re not just all about the electro-pop sound because this song has a R&B mixed with a bit of a jazz vibe. Some may not be able to hear it or have the same opinion as me, but I think it’s true. In the beginning, TOP’s “I remember” scared the heck outta me. Not because it was out of nowhere, but because his voice was extremely deep. Anyway, the flow of this song is very soothing. Then there’s TOP’s rap: “iced coffee, espresso, double shot”  – that’s a lot of caffeine boys! And I didn’t expect this song to actually involve a cafe, proved me wrong xD  Immediately following TOP’s deep voice, is a falsetto chorus (no doubt GD & Taeyang). Interesting balance. Then there’s Daesung solo lines <333  It’s been so long since I’ve heard him belt out, I nearly died. All-in-all, a REALLY GOOD SONG!

Another great thing about this mini-album is the track placement of each song. From the Intro to HANDS UP t0 TONIGHT and so on, it’s really great. There is a downside to this album and that would be the lack of tracks. 2 and a half years boys .. we’re dying for more. But as a fan, I’ll take what I can get. Another downside is the lack of harmonization that I am used to hearing from them. And there you have it! BB’s 4th mini-album has been reviewed and here’s something I rarely do, provide a download link! Yes, I’m that ecstatic about this xD  However, I do put a password for the MU link. Don’t worry, I have it provided below the link. And think of it this way, my links NEVER die ^.^

DOWNLOAD LINK
MU
Password: t0n1gHt

Rating: 8 out of 10

I must have missed them so much T_T
Glad to have you back BB!
This really is a good mini-album though.

• Title: 月の恋人
• Title (romaji): Tsuki no Koibito
• Tagline: Moon Lovers
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Romance
• Broadcast network: Fuji TV
• Broadcast period: 2010-May-10 start
• Air time: Monday 21:00
• Theme song: LOVE RAIN ~ Koi no Ame ~ by Kubota Toshinobu

Episode 05 Review

Remember when I was hoping things would turn around in my episode 4 review? Well, you can forget that because this episode is full of bull. Just when you thought things were going to turn around, they don’t. Instead, everything is going in the exact opposite direction. At this rate, the only person I want to be happy is Maemi. Everyone else can go psycho and kill each other for all I really care. Through all this, I really just have one question: “What the **** are you doing, writers??”  This drama is going to need about 10 episodes, rather than the slated 7 they have planned, to clear up everything and to raise it’s current standards. However, I have a few theories with where I think the writers might be trying to go. I won’t say them now, but after the episode 5 review (at the bottom).

In episode 5, nothing much happens to be honest. I guess if you’re a fan of Xiu Mei and Rensuke then you might be happy. Note, I said might. So it starts off from the Maemi and Kazami scene from episode 4, where she’s crying and he’s holding her. He turns her around and leans in, BUT Maemi pulls away. Knew it!! You just can’t have a kiss like that at the beginning of an episode. After she leaves the park, Kazami is sitting in Rensuke’s office, in the dark, thinking intently. Meanwhile, Xiu Mei is asleep on Rensuke’s couch and Rensuke is just .. kinda .. hanging around. It’s morning now and there’s a meeting at Regolith. Their sales has risen 140% and they plan on opening a new store within 100 feet of Mastpole’s stores in Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc. In order to reach their goals, they must open up a production line. Rensuke wants to have production line in India, but his subordinates do not agree. Later that night, Xiu Mei and Rensuke go out on a date. They start to talk about dreams and other ridiculously stupid things. However ..

they are not alone.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNN
If only that were a sniper, not a paparazzi -_-;

Meanwhile, Maemi is putting in overtime at Regolith. What else is new xD   Kazami pops up behind her and asks her if she wants to get some air. She agrees to go and they end up at a very nice restaurant that Rensuke had told Kazami about. As they are about to be seated, Kazami stops and Maemi bumps into him. Why did he stop? Well, it just so happens that Rensuke and Xiu Mei are dining there as well.

Awkward~~

To start some kind of conversation, Rensuke asks Maemi to come up with a new concept. REALLY!? Talking business at a time like this? Give the girl a freakin break will you! Well, I guess I’m not the only up a bit upset about it because Maemi complains exactly that to him. He doesn’t get why she’s so angry. And you know what happens when Maemi gets a bit upset .. yep, she rambles/complains by speaking so fast, I almost didn’t catch what she said half the time. This is why I love Maemi. She’s not afraid to talk back to Rensuke and put her foot down. Rensuke soon starts to retaliate a bit and things slowly go back and forth. Xiu Mei stops them from arguing because they are talking to fast for her slow brain. In order to ease the tension a bit, Kazami leans towards Maemi and takes her hand. She pulls away and excuses herself to the restroom.

Next, Yuzuki is at a photo shoot and she’s staring at an article about Xiu Mei. She’s a bit pissed and proceeds the shoot with much determination. Now, we see Xiu Mei buying mentaiko -_-;  She wouldn’t be buying it if Maemi hadn’t told her it was Rensuke’s favorite. While she’s shopping, she gets recognized by the people passing by. I guess she’s super famous not .. woo .. freakin .. hoo. Xiu Mei arrives home and Yuzuki shows up. Yuzuki challenges Xiu Mei to ..

ARM WRESTLING!

Xiu Mei wins and further explains how she had to carry desks everyday at the factory. Yuzuki is depressed and asks Xiu Mei – “Why does Ren like you?” and more questions along those lines. Xiu Mei and the two baldies offer Yuzuki chahan (fried rice) and they all eat. At that moment, Maemi is at the office and she’s remembering what happened the night before at the restaurant. Specifically how Rensuke shoved food into Xiu Mei’s mouth. Rensuke shows up about to enter his office and they make eye contact. Another awkward moment @_@  Maemi is the first to break the eye contact and his gaze lingers for a bit before it focuses on Rina and Tsuguo being noisy behind her.

At the Onuki household, Onuki shachou is returning home and Yuzuki is doing her nails. She’s quite sad about the whole Xiu Mei and Rensuke relationship. Her and her father have a heart to heart talk about who she is and stuff. A really nice scene actually. The next day, Rensuke enters the meeting room. Before he has a chance to start the meeting, his staff member brings up the subject and a prewritten article about his relationship with Xiu Mei. Needless to say, they are not pleased. They say it damages the image of Regolith and Rensuke agrees. He states that he will take care of matters. The scene has a time lapse and the staff from the meeting are talking about the production line being in India. Kazami enters and inquires their opinions on the company matters. He tells them to express their opinion and look further into the matter.

At the Chinese restaurant, Xiu Mei’s friend Ming has arrived. When Xiu Mei comes home, she sees him and they hug. Up in her room, they have a talk and he tells her how everyone in Shanghai is being fired one by one. Oh and he had an accident in Shanghai, injuring his left foot. Xiu Mei suggests that Rensuke probably doesn’t know anything about his and that maybe he can help. Ming is in a little disbelief and now knows that she’s in a relationship with him. We all know that Ming likes Xiu Mei, right? Good. Just making sure we all know xD

Back at the office, Maemi is working hard while Tsuguo and Rina are talking about the article. This makes Maemi a bit sad and we see her at a bar, throwing darts next. She misses the first round and attempts to try again. That’s when ..

Kazami comes to give her a quick lesson.
Teach me, Kazami~

After the lesson, Maemi is sitting on a couch watching a slide show of happy/romantic pictures. Kazami takes a seat next to her and blatantly tells her to “look at him as she would look at a man.” She’s a bit flustered as he goes back to throwing darts. There, Kazami states ..

that he “definitely will not lose.”

The next day, Rensuke is sitting in his office when Onuki shachou walks in. He gives him pictures of Ming and Xiu Mei together. Rensuke tells him to leave immediately and he does. He then stares at the photos in his hand, intently. The scene changes to Ming being thrown out of a publication office. There, he runs into Kazami.

HYD REUNION~~!

Ming tries to run away, but Kazami catches him and tells him that he’s “on his side.” Kazami takes him to a restaurant. While Ming is stuffing his face, Kazami is looking at the article/papers that Ming investigated. Next, Kijihata is eating his lunch and pulls out a resignation letter. Kazami enters and takes a seat in front of him. Kijihata tells him how and why he entered Regolith. Just as he was about to leave, Kazami stops him and tells him to hold on longer (meaning not to resign). He further tells him that things are about to change, but that the president is what’s going to change.

Rensuke enters the Chinese restaurant and runs into one of the baldies. Baldy babbles on about how Xiu Mei has a boyfriend from China and Rensuke goes up to see her. Once he enters, he catches them together and he asks her why she didn’t tell him about Ming. She explains how Ming is her friend blah blah blah. Rensuke then takes Ming by the arm and tells him to get out. Xiu Mei joins in the struggle and tries to soothe Rensuke. She tells him that he’s a nice person, reminds him how he helped her father, and asks him to help Ming. He then asks her “do you want me to help all your friends? That’s not possible.”  He orders her to move into the hotel and reminds her that she’s Regolith’s model. She refuses and tells him that she’s not a toy. Yeah, we know that already. She reminds him that he promised to help everyone. He gets angry and ..

tells her “don’t joke around.”

Violent, isn’t he? I say he’s way passed possessive now. He could possibly graduate to psychotic soon, don’t you think?  Ming is then thrown into a random hotel room by Kazami and Xiu Mei is back living in the hotel. Before Rensuke leaves, she asks him what he did with Ming. He ignores her and leaves. That night, Yuzuki finds out about what her father has been up to. She then tells him not to have people follow Xiu Mei and to leave them alone. He then tries to justify that he’s just playing the same game Rensuke is. Uhhhh .. helloooooo. Do you see Rensuke having someone follow your daughter around to create a scandal? No!  You can see the hurt in Yuzuki’s eyes and how disappointed she is in her father.

Rensuke and Kazami are at the office. Kazami hands Rensuke a ticket to Shanghai suggesting that it would be better to send Xiu Mei back. Yes, pleaaaassseee send that whiny brat back! Of course, Rensuke doesn’t want to and he tells Kazami to shut up -_-   On the rooftop, Maemi is lighting fireworks and Rensuke sees her. After he asks about the fireworks, she tells him that it’s a new concept for the new CM. He thinks the idea sounds good and tells her to go with that. Maemi asks Rensuke if it was okay to continue with Xiu Mei’s CM. She then tells him to stop running away and that he needs to decide what he wants to do with Xiu Mei. Rensuke then says “why do I have to tell you that?” I guess being friends for a long time means nothing?? -sigh- so aggravating!  Maemi’s face saddens and tells him that it has nothing to do with her. Just as she turns away, he tells her that he does not want to be separated from her. There you go! Was that so hard to say? If there’s anyone who can get Rensuke to say what he feels, it’s Maemi .. and ONLY Maemi. Well anyway, Maemi tells him that he’s already made a decision and to tell Xiu Mei. He quickly leaves and Maemi is left alone .. again.

At a cafe, Yuzuki and Rensuke are having a nice small chat. She tells him that she arm wrestled with Xiu Mei and that she’s a good woman. She gets up to leave, but not before telling him that her father is having someone follow/spy on Xiu Mei. Also, she believes that there’s someone in Regolith that’s leaking information. Yuzuki leaves and Rensuke pays the bill. On the table are four coins and that has him pondering for a few seconds. Maemi then arrives at Xiu Mei’s hotel room to talk about the new CM. Xiu Mei interrupts her and asks her about the article concerning their relationship. She doesn’t know what it says, but knows that it’s something bad. Xiu Mei starts to talk about how she thinks that she is a bother/hindrance to Rensuke. Once again, Xiu Mei only talks about herself. I’m so sick of this girl -_- because seriously, it may seem like she’s so pure and innocent but she’s just childish and selfish. Maemi then tries to assure her that she isn’t a hindrance and hopes that Xiu Mei can trust Rensuke. Xiu Mei tells her that she always says to trust Rensuke and how she knows him so much better. That’s right! She knows him better than you do, punk. Maemi denies it and tells her that after the CM, she’s quitting. Xiu Mei asks for the reason and Maemi tells her that working for him is tiring, which isn’t the real answer and we all know that. No need to hide it Maemi xD   Maemi tells Xiu Mei to protect Rensuke and the girl asks why. As if she’s come to a revelation, Xiu Mei asks Maemi if she’s in love with Rensuke. No freakin kidding! It took you 5 whole episodes to realize that!? Talk about slowwwwww.  Just then, Rensuke enters the room and asks to speak to Xiu Mei. Maemi leaves and ..

we are forced to watch Maemi walk sadly away .. again.
The writers really want us the feel the pain, don’t they?

Meanwhile, Rensuke and Xiu Mei are having their little talk. She tells him that if he can’t help the factory workers, then she’ll quit and go back to Shanghai. He says to quit, if she really wants to BUT he has one condition. Marry him. What the hell is this!?!? Asking her to marry him out of the blue, when we all know that nothing good can come out of it. My god, I give up on him I swear.

Maemi is once again at a bar, sitting outside. She then suggests to Kazami that they should have another drink somewhere else. As they are walking, she loses her footing on the steps a bit and hangs onto Kazami for support. There ..

he kisses her out of no where! O.O!!
I was thoroughly surprised here.

After the quick kiss, he walks away and she’s left standing there. A new day is here; Rensuke and Xiu Mei arrive at Regolith. Xiu Mei is set to work with Maemi and Rensuke is ready for his meeting. However, before the meeting can even start, Kijihata receives urgent info about an incident regarding their product. Turns out that a chair made by Regolith has exploded due to impure elements made into the cylinder of a chair. This is not the only incident; an earlier incident occurred two years ago. What will happen to the company now? Rensuke immediately tells everyone to be ready for the press and hurries to his office. Inside ..

Rensuke is in despair and cries out for the whole office to hear him.

Everyone outside of his office is looking concerned and he’s looking pissed. That concludes episode 5! Told you nothing much happened, well except for the “dramatic” end, if you can even call it dramatic. So far, everything is just messed up and I don’t think anything can really fix all that’s happened. Before, I said I have some theories and now it’s time to mention them:

Theory One – Kazami and Xiu Mei are secretly working together for revenge, or whatever. If this were to actually be true, then I won’t be surprised. Since the writers want us to constantly be kept in the dark, I’d say this was pretty obvious. Would my opinion of Xiu Mei change? Hell NO! I’d think of her worse because of her stupidly childish antics throughout the drama.

Theory Two – Xiu Mei will go back to China and Rensuke will follow her. And by follow, I mean he’ll chase after her and win her back. This would be the worse ending for me because these two do not have any chemistry and their relationship is based on nothing.

Theory Three – Kazami is working with Mastpole to bring down Rensuke. This one is pretty obvious right? I mean in the next episode (ep 6), Onuki shachou suggests to Yuzuki that Kazami is a good catch. And it seems like Kazami is trying to win over Yuzuki or something. He’s most likely the leak in Regolith if there is one.

Theory Four – Everyone goes crazy/psycho except for Maemi and kill each other off. I wouldn’t mind this ending, considering how jacked up everything is right now.

So .. for the next episode, supposedly Xiu Mei is going to go back to Shanghai. But, she also accepts Rensuke’s proposal knowing how Maemi feels about him. Either way, this makes Xiu Mei even more messed up than how she is now. She knows that Maemi is in love with Rensuke and still accepts his proposal!? Maemi has helped her out so damn much and she’s choosing Rensuke -_-;  Does friendship mean nothing to her? GAHHHHH!!!! Everything is just horrible, I’m too speechless to even express how I feel about it all. I’m not even going to hope for anything in the last few episodes. My only wish: Maemi’s happiness. That’s it.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Yes, it’s that horrible.

]]> http://dramaticallyincorrect.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/tsuki-no-koibito-episode-5/feed/ 6 Haejin Tsuki no Koibito TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 TnK - ep5 This has been a Haejin review.