---> NODAME CANTABILE

*for the 11eps Series, Broadcast period: 2006-Oct-16 to 2006-Dec-25
*for the 2 Specials, Broadcast period: 2008-Jan-04 and 2008-Jan-05
*for the 1st Movie, Theatrical release: 2009 December
*for the 2nd Movie, Theatrical release: 2010 April


To write a review OR not to write a review, that is the question…

I believe that the best time to write a drama review is immediately after watching or in the course of watching it. but since the series started way back in 2006, and with the manga just ending late last year and the final addition to the live action drama coming out only this year, I’ll do my best to give you an idea of what NODAME CANTABILE is all about, IN ITS ENTIRETY.

NC is one of the three doramas that I absolutely adore and needless to say watched countless times, the other two are HYD and Pride. Im watching it again today for the nth time to create more excitement within my asiandrama infested brain in preparation for the much awaited NODAME CANTABILE THE FINAL SCORE 1 & 2(i waited more than a year for this), whose hardsubbed video links fell into my lap, brought by an angel that doesn’t need much harrassment but just needs to be reminded by loud screaming hints. Thank you *beep*, I owe you one, AGAIN !

…it is the journey of 2 gifted musicians, Megumi “Nodame” Noda and Chiaki “Senpai” Shinichi. SHE is from humble beginnings and has a natural and exceptional talent. She could have been a child prodigy in piano but unfortunate events that happened in her childhood prevented that natural course from taking place. BUT, as fate would have it, her soul found its way back to her love for piano and music again. HE on the other hand has been born to a “cultured” background and has been trained in various disciplines in music even at an early age. An unfortunate event also in his childhood now prevents him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a world renowned conductor of a symphony orchestra. When the paths of this 2 fascinating characters crossed …their destiny was put back on its right track.

…it is a romantic comedy. What sets it apart from the others that are of the same league, and, what makes it a cut-above-the-rest is that, it was created/produced/executed in the most picturesque, the most musically satisfying AND in the craziest, wackiest possible manner :) The style of storytelling here(specially evident in the series) is like literally ripping a page of the manga/anime and putting real actors to act and move onscreen in exactly the same manner. I would always refer to it as an “anime‘ish” style. First time I saw glimpses of that style was in HYD, but on a much smaller scale. So, to say that its different is a huge understatement!

The NC manga and anime have a cult following. I am not one of them. I have never heard of NC before this, therefore, it is safe to say that I watched it without any expectations. On the other hand, the expectations of its loyal followers are super mega high, cant blame them, I would be too if I were in their place. BUT, lo and behold, I have often heard it described by these NC crazed fanatics as “more anime than the anime” AND “even better than the anime”. You know how it is when you read a really good book and it was adapted into a movie, more often than not, the movie pales in comparison to the book. No matter how much budget the director is given, the screen adaptation could not rise up to the level of how you have imagined the whole thing in the confines of your mind …for some reason, THAT is pretty difficult to do. BUT somehow in this case, with the production that they have presented to the public, the creators of this drama has gained the highest respect of the most avid and rabid of NC fans.

…true enough, NC is ONE CLASS ACT. The story, the musical scoring, the cinematography, from the production set to the fashion styling to the lighting, it is simply …amazing :) From my experience from watching doramas, aesthetics and mere visuals is NOT a priority in japanese drama productions, so to see something like this(eye candy) from them is …oooh la la. Nodame’s “look” is rural and perky, Chiaki Senpai is rich, sleek and sophisticated, Masumi in that afro is retro, Ryuu with those clothes and hair is punk rock, Tanya(from the specials and movie) is slutty, and Maestro Franz Strezeman is, is, is …loud and tacky like a pimp! …haha…love those characters :) the kimonos, the tuxedos, the costumes, the music school, the concert halls of Paris, Prague and Tokyo, the chateau in France, the church …all visually attractive and pleasing to the eyes. And the music …aaahhh… it is heavenly !!! Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is STILL beautifully ringing in my ears for days each time i re-visit this drama, not to mention masterpieces by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Brahms, Strauss, Chopin, Bach …love it to the max! every musical piece that they played was grand, crisp, passionately performed …I am awestruck most of the time. If you’ve seen the drama and you saw Nodame’s reaction each time Shinichi conducts an orchestra, the way she is brought to tears at the mere beauty of the music, I HAVE THE SAME REACTION, i swear, no kidding :)

finally, the LOVE angle, *woot, woot* its kinda similar to how the Itazura na Kiss/ISWAK/PK couple are. SHE is obsessed and focused on him and He is indifferent and coy but oftentimes nice and caring towards her. the romance between the leads is an important part of this drama and it makes you feel sooo d*mn good just to see and witness how love developed in the middle of all that wonderful music. When a man cooks for you, bathes you, worries about your well-being, lets a messy person stay and gives you a key to his squeeky-clean apartment, & gets jealous when another guy shows interest in you ...if that is not love, then i dont know what else to call it. Men in denial are absolutely bad for my fangirling, it sets it up to dangerous levels ..haha.. Just love it to pieces when Chiaki Senpai would look for Nodame among the sea of people in the audience after each important performance, and Nodame cheering him on in her “girlfriend seat”, mukya!!! Sooo sweeet! what's in a hug? watch and see how Chiaki Senpai gave Nodame a back hug in her hometown ...now that's what i call a passionate/heartfelt hug that says L O V E. So much for Chiaki Senpai’s hesitance to join Nodame’s “Weirdo’s Forest”, he did eventually take that step before the second of the 2 specials ended …GYABO!!!

Who ever said the Final Score is not as good as the series and special? On the contrary, the movies are a continuation of all that craziness and brilliance combined. All the superlatives that ive written above, including the ooohhhs and aaahhhs, the gyabo! and mukya!, and the over-the-top fangirling about the lovestory of the leads are the same for the movie so, i see fit not to write a separate review for the 2 movies. If there’s a difference at all, the movies tackled a different set of issues in addition to what is already presented previously. This time the plight of the struggling musicians was highlighted, Nodame’s fear that her Chiaki Senpai’s career is moving so fast she was being left behind is creating havoc on her sanity, making her even more insecure, irrational and depressed. And, the question of whether Nodame would have been happier if Chiaki Senpai just let her be a kindergarten teacher in Japan as she had initially intended to be before he came into her life was in the center of Chiaki's mind in the Final Score.

If I have one complaint at all, it’s the marked and significant loss-of-weight by Chiaki in the 2 specials and in the 2 movies. Why??? Did he or somebody in the production really think he looked better with that weight loss??? NOT!!! Minus Pogi(handsome, in my native tongue) points Senpai!

The acting honors for this drama goes to …Ueno Juri who plays Nodame. She has displayed a wide range of emotions and acting skills that is not easy to do in this kind of production. She played innocent, absurd, sensitive, eccentric, amusing, irrational …and yet, totally and absolutely believable as a gifted pianist. Two thumbs up :)

Plastic Alert …Maestro Strezeman’s nose is plastic! In fairness to the actor, I don’t think it was a surgery but merely prosthetic makeup because he is playing a German conductor who also happens to be a shameless pervert. Still I was distracted, they could have done better than that, although I have to admit, getting a Japanese actor to play that part made the character funnier.

Finally, the ending. Should I say …MORE, MORE, MORE, and ask for an encore? Sure, I wanna see more of see Nodame and Chiaki Senpai’s love and struggles in their lovelife and musical careers together BUT, they have gone thru all the possible conficts in the more or less 20hrs of live action drama. What more was not addressed??? What possible twist in the story could have made it more beautiful??? ACTUALLY, I couldn’t think of anything more to add except perhaps what’s in the hearts and mind of every Nodame Cantabile fan …a piano concerto that will be conducted by Chiaki Shinichi featuring Megumi Noda on the piano.

I was debating whether I should deduct some points for not giving me the exact ending that I want BUT I cant, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PRODUCTION AS IT IS. I was going to give it a 10 out of 5(REALLY!) had they given me THAT concerto, so I guess Nodame Cantabile should just settle for…

*rating: 5 out of 5 (BRAVO!)

*credit to the uploader "jiyenpoi13

---> ENGINE

*Broadcast period: 2005-Apr-18 to 2005-Jun-27



*short synopsis of ENGINE* Jiro Kanzaki is a daredevil racecar driver who feels no fear driving at speeds that even top racers dare not attempt. An unexpected trouble forces him to return home to Japan for the first time in years and until he finds a new job as a racer he has no choice but to stay with his hardheaded father, his nagging sister, the 12 children of the foster home his father runs, a snobbish male teacher, and a stubborn female teacher. Jiro's return home brings a breath of fresh air that influences the people around him. However, he is still unaware that he too will eventually be influenced to change the way he thinks and lives.

OMG! And I mean, O M G !!! this drama is simply …beautiful ! I don’t know how else to describe it …ok I’ll try. It’s the kind of drama that will simultaneously make you laugh and cry. The story is amazing and the storytelling is what I may describe as, exquisite and the cast …holy cow, too d*mn good! To think that this one has been on my hardrive for quite some time now and I was hesitant to watch it ‘coz when I read the story is doesn’t seem interesting enough even if it is a Kimutaku starrer. I guess, that’s precisely the reason why I delayed watching it, im afraid to be disappointed with a drama that starred him. D*mn, I should have known better, he sure knows how to always pick a winner! (please excuse the excessive use of expletives people, I cant help myself :D)

I have a weakness for simple dramas with no frills. In their plainness and simplicity, I have no other distractions and am more focused on what a particular drama has to offer, aside from the elaborate set and the fashion styling that is. In this drama, every episode takes you on a journey from a starting point of watching something good that turns into something better until it eventually turns out that, it could get even better. That is exactly the case in this one. It is rare for a good drama to sustain a certain level of excellence until the very end, in ENGINE it definitely succeeded in doing just that.

Kimura Takuya as Jiro is excellent as usual, no need to expound on that, no surprise there, at least not from me. The eyes, the body language, the rawness in his acting is classic Kimutaku. He’s the type that exudes COOLNESS PERSONIFIED without any effort at all, unlike some actors whose self image is way bigger than it actually is. And please don’t ask me who these people are, to me they have always been a big joke …haha, gomennasai. Back to The Man, he seems to excel in this kind of “sensitive guy” roles, even if the “sensitivity” is paired with brashness, immatureness, irresponsibleness, rudeness …whatever …‘ness …haha… Here, inspite his not-too-refined nature, and for somebody who once uttered the words “I hate kids”, Jiro finds himself the “accidental” hero of the children in his father’s foster home. How THAT unfolded is the brilliance of the writer and the director and where the beauty of this drama lies.

I was not too happy with the character of the female lead here on the first few episodes. How can I like her when she herself says “ I am logical, very ordinary and too uptight”. Precisely, her being too uptight is what drove me off the wall in the early episodes, BUT, I began to warm up to her by episode 5 because of her sensitive acting before that episode ended and by episode6, when she played “Do Re Mi” on the piano, she totally won me over :)

Im so used to seeing Kimura Takuya dominate a drama with his presence and he may be the star in this one, BUT, while he may have done his part in stamping his seal here, im afraid he would have to share equal billing and share the glory with the ensemble cast of kids in this particular project. They are the best group of kids that I have seen in any of the asian dramas that I have clapped eyes on. Each one has a story to tell and how heartwarming those stories are. Each one, was given their moment to shine and boy …shine, they certainly did! the tears, the laughter, the struggles, the pain of these poor young souls are so real, one cant help but be totally affected by them. They are capable of making you cry without even trying too hard, I would describe it as sensitive acting loaded with innocence. Watching them onscreen is like being taken on an odd mixture of emotions, one moment youre smiling and laughing and the next moment, there are tears in your eyes. Some of them so tiny and yet so good at their craft, my hats off to these kids :)

There’s the overweight kid who puts mayonnaise on everything that he eats, there’s the misunderstood violent kid who needs some anger management, there’s a smart teenager who’s afraid to dream because she’s certain it will never bear fruit, there’s another smart kid who is a first class cynic, there's the chronic liar who thinks the truth is so boring, there's the wannabe starlet, there's the cutest toddler, Nanae, and so on. There are so many wonderful scenes here but Aoi’s goodbye to Jiro is the cutest exchange ever and Shunta’s scene where he ran after Jiro and the minibus is one of the best scenes and exchange of dialogue in the entire drama.

I would have wanted to write about the result of the race but that would be a major spoiler for the others who may be thinking of watching this drama. How he finished the race though was wonderfully cheesy, but still …wonderful. Suffice it to say, there are lessons and reasons why the results are such and it is something we can all reflect upon. I admire dreamers mainly because it is someone ive aways hoped to become but not yet succeeded in being one. Here, Jiro is the dreamer, the optimist and his opposite is Genii sensei, not exactly a pessimist, more of a pragmatist, a control freak who wants to be prepared for every eventuality. To tell you honestly, more often than not, in real life, I have a feeling, the latter is always envious of the former.

Before rating this drama, lest I be accused of favoring this drama because i am fan of F1, lemme just say for the record that im not as gung-ho about F1 as I used to be …well because to begin with, my team Ferrari is not winning the constructors trophy these days and, I never liked their choice of Fernando Alonzo as their #1 driver. Besides, don’t be misled by the title of this drama, it is not at all about racing and sports. To me the ENGINE being referred to here is the one that runs the human body. Its what drives us to get up when were down ...its what drives us to go on after a failure ...its what makes us see the brighter side of things when everything else is so dark and gloomy. this engine runs not on fuel but thrives by believing in "never giving up against all odds" ...this engine is called, The Human Spirit.

what's not to love in this drama ...thought provoking, entertaining, heartwarming, optimistic, etc, etc, etc …Love the story …love the script …love the casting …love the music …love ENGINE, the drama :) :) :)

*rating: 4.99 out of 5



...the theme song from this drama...
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin’ for
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there’s nothin’ but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin’ but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day…