Shopping King Louis (16 Episodes)

((summary is taken from AsianWiki))

A romance takes place between Kang Ji-Sung (aka, Louis) and Go Bok-Shil. Louis is from a rich family, but he has lost his memory. Go Bok-Shil is a woman with a heart like an angel. Louis learns about true love after meeting Go Bok-Shil.

Watch or Download: HULU, VIKI

Chinese Paladin 1 (34 Episodes)

((summary HEAVILY edited from Drama Wiki))

Li Xiao Yao (Hu Ge) is an orphan who lives with his Aunt, whose considered a lazy trouble maker by many. When his Aunt falls ill, he's instructed to travel to a mystical island to retrieve the antidote to save her. Once there, he runs into Zhao Ling'er (Liu Yi Fei), a young and naive girl who claims Xiao Yao's the savior who rescued her many years before. Though he's confused and denies it, he quickly falls in love with her, and they get married at the insistent prodding of her nanny/grandmother. Soon after, however, the island is attacked by the same mysterious men who sent Xiao Yao there to retrieve the antidote, and Ling'er is forced to send him away in order to protect him.

Once home, Xiao Yao quickly awakens to find his Aunt healthy, but after a sudden confrontation with the men who attacked the island, his memory is stolen, and he forgets all about Ling'er and their subsequent marriage. Though the two are easily reunited, to stay together they must battle not only their own crippling self-doubts, but demons and monsters, the evil Lunar Sect, and the cruel hand of destiny itself.

Watch or Download: Youtube

Nine: Nine Time Travels (20 Episodes)

((summary taken from Drama Wiki))

Park Sun Woo (Lee Jin Wook) is given nine chances to travel back in time to solve a crime that happened 20 years ago. However, this is not without consequences as his involvement in the past effects the lives of many, including his own. 

Watch or Download: Dramafever, HULU, viki

Poetry (시)

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

An elderly lady in her 60's (played by Jeong-hee Yun) works as a caregiver for a disabled man & raises her grandson alone. She has to endure the onset of Alzheimer's disease and also learns that her grandson was one of the attackers of a junior high school girl that committed suicide. Through all of this and to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a poet the elderly woman starts to take a poetry class and composes poems ... 

Download: Asia Torrents , Yellow Cinema

Aoi Tori (Blue Bird)

((summary taken from aznv.tv))

Aoi Tori / The Blue Bird / 青い鳥

With the start of a new school term, there is no longer any sign of Noguchi, the bullied student who attempted suicide, and everything seems to have returned to normal. But stuttering substitute teacher Murauchi (Abe Hiroshi) gives a swift kick to this guise of normalcy by bringing Noguchi's desk back to the classroom, and stammering "good morning" to his empty chair everyday. His gesture becomes a pointed and painful daily reminder to both the school staff and his troubled students, especially guilt-ridden Shinichi (Hongo Kanata) who participated in the torment of Noguchi.

Download: Jdramas at Livejournal
Watch Online: Aznv.TV , DramaCrazy

What's Up Fox? (16 Episodes)

EPISODE 01-16

((summary taken from dramawiki))

Single 33 year-old Go Byeong Hee works as a reporter for a sex magazine. She wants more romance and a more respectable life but isn't sure how to get it. 24-year-old Park Chul Su, mechanic and world traveler, is the younger brother of Byeong Hee's best friend. He's a free spirit and not concerned with what the world thinks.

One night the two old family friends get drunk and wake up in bed together. Go Byeong Hee wants to forget it ever happened, especially since a good marriage prospect has just made an appearance. Unfortunately for her Chul Su has other ideas....

Funny, quirky, and often unusually risque by Korean drama standards, What's Up Fox? is an enjoyable romp from start to finish. Don't miss out.

(From the writer of My Name is Kim Sam Soon).

Download: Jdramas at Livejournal , SilentRegrets
Watch Online: Aznv.TV , MySoju , DramaFever

Shining Inheritance (28 Episodes)

EPISODE 01-28

((summary taken from dramawiki, edited by me))

Brilliant Legacy / 인생은 아름다워 / Chanranhan Yusan

Go Eun Sung's life is similar to Cinderella's. After her father died, her step-mother took away all of her assets, and her Autistic younger brother, Eun Woo, suddenly disappears without a trace. Despite this, Eun Sung preservers and works really hard to fulfill her dreams. When the rich CEO of a food company suffers amnesia and can't remember who she is, Eun Sung takes her in and cares for her.

However, Eun Sung doesn't know that she's the grandmother of Sun Woo Hwan, a man she's constantly clashed with . . . or that Hwan is the man her step-sister loves. Will the two be able to put aside their bickering long enough to realize how they truly feel about one another? Or will they remain enemies till the very end?

(Shining Inheritance had an average rating of 30% during its run, and because of its success, was given a two episode extension. And Han Hyo Joo and Lee Seung Ki both received Hot Drama Star Awards at the 2009 MNET 20s Choice Awards.)

Download: Jdramas at Livejournal , SilentRegrets 
Watch Online: DramaFever , MySoju , DramaCrazy

Koukou Debut (MANGA)

13 Volumes - 52 Chapters

((summary taken from wikipedia & onemanga.com))

Koukou Debut / 高校デビュー / High School Debut

Haruna Nagashima devoted all her time and energy to softball in middle school, and now that she's made her high school debut she's decided to give her all to a new goal: Getting a boyfriend and falling in love. However, she has one small problem. Since she never paid any attention to fashion in middle school she has no idea how to go about attracting a boyfriend. A chance encounter with Yoh Komiyama, a handsome and popular boy from her school, provides her with the opportunity she needs. If he coaches her on how to become attractive, surely she can find herself a boyfriend! Due to Haruna's persistence, Yoh eventually agrees to coach her, but only on one condition: if she promises not to fall in love with him.

A one-chapter short story called "Enren Debut" ("Long-Distance Love Debut") was released soon after the manga finished it's run. It takes place shortly before Koukou Debut's original ending.

Author/Artist: Kawahara Kazune
Genre: Comedy, romance, school life, shoujo
Status: Complete, August 2008

Suicide Club/ Sucide Circle

Warning: This is NOT your typical horror film. Suicide Club is disturbing, thought-provoking, and not for the casual movie-goer or thrill-seeker: If you go into this expecting to be frightened or constantly jumping out of your seat, you're bound to be disappointed. And confused. Both of which are terrible combinations.

This review is basically an attempt to clear up some misconceptions, confusion, and general questions viewers may have experienced after watching this film. I don't claim to be an expert--FAR FROM IT--but since this is one of my favorite Japanese horror films, I wanted to at least attempt to explain what it is about this movie that I find so engaging. I really think its one of those movies that deserves (and probably needs) a second look. Without it, many people have a tendency to process what's only on the surface, and miss what the director is truly trying to say--about Japan, technology, suicide, and society in general.

So from here on out, spoilers will be unavoidable.

Download: MyAsianCinema , SilentRegrets , AM-Addiction
Watch Online: Aznv.TV , DramaCrazy

Capital Scandal (16 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-16)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

This drama is set in the 1930's when Korea was under the rule of Japan. Na Yeo Kyeong was the owner of a book store and she was also a freedom fighter. Seon Woo Wan was the playboy son of a rich family and he became involved in the independence movement through a bet with his co-workers to win Na Yeo Kyeong's heart. His father paid for the education of his worker's son, Lee Soo Hyeon, and was disappointed to find him working for the Security Branch of the Japanese government. Cha Song Joo was a famous gisaeng who ran a high class brothel.

Secret

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))
Lun (Jay Chou) lives with his father, Chiu (Anthony Wong), the music teacher of Tamkang Secondary School. Both of them are very good at music and piano. This is the first day Lun admitted to Tamkang Secondary School. When he walks through the campus with his classmates, a mysterious piano solo draws his attention. He follows the song and finds that an ethereal girl is playing piano in the old music room.

The piano girl is Yu (Guey Lun-Mei), one of Lun's classmates. She is always late for school and hence sits next to Lun at the back row. The two become intimate friends and spend a lot of time together. "What's the melody you played the first day we met?" asked Lun, "That's my secret." Yu whispered in his ear.

As the graduation day approaches, Yu decides to tell Lun her secret...

Prince Turns to Frog (30 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-30)

((summary taken from azntv))

  Prince Who Turns To Frog / 王子變青蛙 / Wang Zi Bian Qing Wa

The fairy tale goes... After the princess kissed the frog, it turned into a handsome prince and they lived happily ever after...

Yeah...right.

When you visit a little town called Guan Mei, you may meet Ye Tian-Yu (Chen Qiao En). At first glance, she may seem as a shameless, money-grubbing, deceiving little schemer. And when you meet her family at their little grocery store called "Qian Lai Ye" (Money c'mon in), you will find the shameless, money-grubbing, deceiving little schemer trait runs in the family. But, please don't prejudge them. They are actually very kind-hearted townsfolk, as Shan Jun-Hao (Ming Dao) finds out when he gets involved in a mysterious car accident and loses his memory.

Okay, fine. The accident is not so accidental.

Shan Jun-Hao is a general manger of Senwell Hotel, in which his family owns 60% of the shares. His cold-hearted, cut-throat management style pisses quite a lot of people inside and outside of the hotel. So on the day of his engagement to his childhood friend, Fan Yun-Xi (Zhao Hong Qiao), he gets kidnapped. Not someone who takes it lying down, he fights for the control of the kidnapping car. The car crushes into a side railing and falls down a cliff. Luckily, he survives the crash and manages to climb back up onto the highway. Unfortunely, he is immediately hit by an oncoming car and knocked unconscious.

And, who hit him? A little hint: The guilty party takes him home, finds out his memory is lost (Hence, not remembering who he is, and most importantly, not remembering she hit him), and recruits him to work in her family grocery store.

The Host

I’m not normally a fan of “monster” movies… they usually lack originality, believability, and likable, sympathetic characters. Plus, the monsters almost always look fake and ridiculous.

The Host, however, made me rethink the monster genre completely! The entire film was so well done I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Maybe because the movie revolves around the rescue of a child… so you really want the heroes to succeed. All the characters were interesting and had depth: I loved how they all seemed so distant at the beginning of the movie, only to become unbelievably close in the face of the crisis. It was really inspirational…and sad. One of the most heart-breaking scenes in the whole movie is the beginning, when they all come together to mourn Heon Sae who they think has died. When they lose it and start rolling around on the floor, fighting and throwing blame… it manages to be funny and extremely sad, all at the same time… it’s such a great, powerful scene.

And considering the plot, everything was actually very believable—if a mutant monster was ever created through dangerous toxic waste, I can imagine it behaving/looking a lot like the creature in this movie. I was surprised how realistic it looked, and how creepy it could be—I definitely wouldn’t want to go up against that thing!! The human reaction too, was very strong—the initial curiosity, which quickly turns to disbelief, fear, and panic—it was perfect. I loved how the crowd was originally throwing it food, and treating it like it was harmless… if a situation like this ever happened, I’d bet money people would be acting exactly this way!

It was all very believable… right up to the way everyone who came in contact with it was quarantined and isolated. Even the American government stepped in, and managed to screw things up.

I just loved the main family. Every single one of them was likeable, and the way they banned together in order to save their youngest was inspirational and beautiful. We can only hope our own families would go to such lengths during a tragedy, and do so fearlessly and bravely. I cried so much for them… I almost wanted to dislike them, so that it wouldn’t be so painful to watch. Truthfully, this was like a really well thought-out, acted, and directed revenge-and-rescue drama. The only difference is that the foe they’re facing is a freaky, killer monster… and their own government.

I really can’t stop gushing about this movie. It quickly became a favorite of mine, and is one that I wouldn’t mind watching again and again. Perhaps it’s because my expectations were so low to start with… but whatever the reason, this is a terrific film.

I really think this is a movie that almost anyone would enjoy. So trust me and watch it, okay! I promise that in the end, it’s more than just a “monster” movie. ;)

My Rating:

Liar Game (11 Episodes )

(EPISODE 01-11)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

Kanzaki Nao is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million yen in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi, who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help. -- Rikayla (Updated by Backalley)

Que Sera Sera (17 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-17)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

Kang Tae Joo (Eric) is a player with charm and good looks who always dates rich women. One day, he finds a strange poor girl named Han Eun Soo (Jung Yoo Mi) sleeping in front of his door. Although he initially despises her, he eventually finds himself falling for her. Cha Hye Lin (Yoon Ji Hye) is the daughter of a rich shopping mall CEO. Her first love, Shin Joon Hyuk (Lee Kyu Han), dumps her at her father's request. Hye Lin buys herself a new boyfriend to make her ex jealous. That man is Kang Tae Joo, and during their contract relationship, Hye Lin begins to fall in love again. However, Tae Joo already has a girlfriend and he can't forget her as easily as he has forgotten all the women in his past. This drama is basically about the redemption of Kang Tae Joo from bastard to human.  

Coffee Prince (17 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-17)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?  

Strange Circus

Beautiful. Disturbing. Haunting. Disgusting.

I am at a loss—again, this director has blown me away. First, I must warn you: this film is not for everyone. The plot alone is enough to turn most people away: there is sex, incest, gore, disturbing images and more. Yet, those who manage to stay till the end will find it’s a thought-provoking, thrilling, horrifying movie. If you’re looking for some kind of film to weigh it against, Old Boy is the first thing that comes to mind.

The acting in this was, to put it simply, brilliant. This is the type of movie where the actors are forced to go through the entire spectrum when it comes to portraying a character: Iseei Ishida was amazing as Yuji. I can just imagine how nervous the writer must have been while penning this—they would’ve needed someone spectacular to bring to life such a complex character—same goes for Masumi Miyazaki. Somehow every actor in this film pulled it off. I wonder if any of them won any awards for this, or if it was too shocking to garner that kind of attention. How the girl playing young Mitsuko pulled it off… I’ll never know. I hope it didn’t scar her! I’d never let my kid play that kind of role, no matter who the director was!

The story was beyond grotesque, and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. It’s a hodgepodge of genres, and I’m having trouble narrowing it down when it fits into so many: mystery, thriller, horror, psychological, with some eroticism thrown in. And for those who like a good revenge-film, look no further. You can’t get any better than this, lol.

One other thing though: the concept of reality in this movie is extremely blurred. It's hard to distinguish what's real and what's not… and to be honest, I don’t think we’re supposed to know. I think that's one of the uses for the circus--the show the internal minds of the characters, through a warped and twisted glass. The use of the circus really was genius; as was the use of guillotines.

When you get down to it, most people would consider this movie sick and twisted. Brilliant, yes… but it’s also hard to watch. I don’t think I could bring myself to watch it again. It’s hard to deny though, that this is a work of art.

Also, I’m starting to suspect that Sono Sion is incapable of making a bad movie. But now, I need me some romantic fluff. Looks like I’ll be leaning towards a nice Korean romantic comedy next. I’ve earned a break from the nasty, disturbing, thought-provoking films. I need something that will allow my mind and stomach to rest. ;)

My Rating:

She's on Duty!

This movie is just as awesome the second time around. I just love it to death! It has the perfect blend of action, comedy, and romance, and I just can't seem to get enough! Of course, I'm probably the only who thinks this, but I don't care. I can watch this over and over again and never get bored. Bare with me, as I try to figure out what it is about this movie that I like so much... ^_^

Yes, it is very cliche, and the plot resembles just about every other movie in this genre... but it just blends it all together so perfectly, that I don't seem to care. Think Miss Congeniality meets Never Been Kissed, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what this movie is like. But at least in this version, there's no cheesy message at the end that's supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

The acting, of course, was top-notch. Then again, Kim Sun Ah is one of my favorite Korean actresses, so I knew she wouldn't disappoint. Plus, as an added bonus, she's one of those actresses who isn't afraid to kiss on screen, and make it look realistic. I don't know how many movies and dramas I've seen where the main characters are supposed to be sharing this passionate, intimate kiss... and the girl is just standing there, looking uncomfortable, lips tightly closed. Grr, it completely ruins the moment. Kim Sun Ah is one of the rare exceptions, so I always know that at least as far as romance is concerned, I won't be disappointed!

And I never even realized that Gong Yoo played No-Young! That made me like that character even more! (As if I needed a reason to like him more than I did, lol). He was awesome in Hello My Teacher, so now I'm curious to see him in other roles.

Another thing I loved about this movie were the fight scenes. Honestly, I don't know much about that sort of thing--what constitutes a good fight scene, as opposed to a bad one--but I LOVE the ones in this movie, regardless! Maybe it's because the main character is a female protagonist, as opposed to a male, so you get to see a girl kicking butt for a change. haha, and she just does it so well--she's very nonchalant, and almost business-like. I guess there's just something about a girl taking on 10-15 guys at once (and winning!) that makes it all the cooler.

I also have to point out how awesome the music is. Any movie that has the guts to play an Irish song during a big, pivotal fight scene, has my respect. And I really liked the ending song... and since there are very few movies that can keep me listening throughout the credits, I felt I had to mention it.

The only problem I had with it, was the fact that we never really got to find out the name/history of one of the main characters. I would say their name, but I don't feel like putting up a spoiler warning for something so small, lol. Besides, anyone who watches it will know who I'm talking about...

Jane is just an awesome character... and I think that's the reason I like this movie so much. She's very no-nonsense, and just very, very cool. And her chemistry with No-Young is fantastic... them together, is the other reason I liked this movie. ;)

Anyway, to sum up, I adore this movie. It has the perfect balance of everything I love, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. This isn't the type of movie that will hook everyone-- especially if you're looking for something original or artsy. But if you're just looking for something fun, entertaining, and funny, to pass a couple hours... well then, you can't go wrong with She's on Duty. Either way, there are definitely worse things you could be watching. Plus, this is actually the second time I've watched this, and I'd happily buy it/watch it again, so I simply must give it top marks.

For me, this is another version of a perfect movie. And I don't care if everyone else thinks I'm insane for thinking so (which many probably do). She's On Duty is awesome... and nothing they say can make me change my mind. So there! :P

My Rating:

형사 (Duelist)

Before I begin, there is something I should probably let you in on: this is the type of movie you'll either love or hate. I loved it, as shown by my glowing review and 5 star rating... but this is due to my own personal taste, and not much else. Whether or not a film critic would see this as a brilliant film, I have no idea... but for me, the movie addict, that's exactly what I thought this was.

This movie was amazing. The acting, the story, the directing, the setting, the costumes, the fight scenes, the visual effects—seriously, I could go on and on. I was constantly amazed while watching it. Like I said, I'm not a film student or anything, and I normally only watch movies for entertainment... but I also love a movie that is willing to go beyond the standard edge-of-your-seat mentality, and use actual film techniques in order to tell the story. It's movies like these that remind me that film can be more than just entertainment--they can be a form of art too.

That’s one of the reasons I love watching Period movies and dramas—I’m so rarely disappointed with them, and they’re always entertaining and engaging. Duelist was no exception: everything was so vivid, so entrancing, and so surreal. I just couldn’t get enough.

As usual, one of the main things that drew me to this movie was the fantastic chemistry between the male and female leads. Every scene they appeared in together had me captivated—I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. All they had to do was just look at one another, and you could literally feel the sparks flying off the screen; watching them duel was like watching an intricate, beautiful dance. Whatever it was, it sure wasn’t fighting!

I love how on the surface they seemed very different: the man, known only as Sad Eyes, a lonely, tortured soul, nearly unrivaled in combat; the woman, Nam-Sun, a bad tempered detective, who half the time, acts like a wild, untamed animal, and yet is capable of holding her own against this highly skilled sword-fighter. Despite their apparent differences, there seems to be an unspoken kinship between them... as if they're connected in a much more basic, primitive way... but the only way they know how to express it, is through fighting.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve been this impressed with a movie couple in a long time. Usually, because of the time constraint, I have trouble getting as emotionally invested in the pairing as I'd like to--something that comes easily when I watch dramas and anime's. But here, I felt they got it just right—not too little, not too much. I was hooked from the moment their eyes met. Heck, even when she was freaking out, and casually tossing food at him, I was thinking what a cute couple they make, lol… yeah, I’m a little messed up, but I don’t care. J

One thing's for sure: Kang Dong-won and Ha Ji-won are amazing actors. To be fair, I've seen them in many other movies and dramas (actually Kang Dong-won was in Temptation of Wolves, which I reviewed earlier), and there isn't a project of their's yet, that I haven't enjoyed. Plus, this movie is very reminiscent of Damo which I absolutely loved (and which Ha Ji-won also starred in) so that could be another reason why I loved it so much!

Oh! And the music in this movie was beautiful… it fit each scene perfectly, and really added to the tension. I was very impressed—same goes with the directing. In a movie like this, if you don’t notice the varying camera angles, freeze-frames, and brilliant use of colors… then you’re missing out on much more than you realize. This isn’t just a typical action/martial arts movie. It’s a form of art.

The only problem I had with this film, was that there were several parts towards the end that were a little confusing--but even then, I was too interested in the character interaction to care. They could have stopped a climactic fight and started singing 'I have a lovely bunch of coconuts' and I would have sat there, enthralled.

Wow. I really have it bad for this movie, don't I?!

In conclusion: this is a movie you really need to see. If you can't make it past the first 10 minutes, then consider yourself one of the haters, and resign yourself to the fact that we'll probably never have similar tastes in movies. If, however, you loved it, and sat on the edge of your seat from start to finish... you may show me your gratitude in the form of cookies and flowers. ^_^

My Rating:

Nodame Cantabile (Episodes 01-11)

EPISODE 01-11

THIS is what dramas should be like.

Insane characters? Check.

Riveting story? Check.

Amazing soundtrack? Check.

Hilarious, over-the-top moments? Double check.

No wonder I LOVE this drama!

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. Several times, I laughed so hard, I cried!

Nodame Cantabile is based off the manga of the same name, and though I've never read it, while watching it, you can tell. I mean, things happen in this show that you just don't expect to see happening in the real world: people being pulled off a giant rock with no concern for human safety, and then physically dragged away; someone being punched out of nowhere and sent flying; a homosexual with an afro who intends to express his overwhelming feelings of love by playing the timpani.

And of course there's also a rock-and-roll loving violinist, a mongoose-wearing piano player, a talented musician who can't study abroad because the thought of air-planes AND boats, sends him into a near-seizure; and a crazy, perverted maestro who seems to prefer chasing women than actually conducting.

Yes, folks. THIS is my kind of humor, lol.

Yet, despite all of this, there IS hidden depth to this drama. It may seem silly and exaggerated at first, but if you stick with it long enough, you'll discover that there really is a touching story beneath the gags and jokes. These characters DO grow and mature throughout the course of its 11 episodes, and it's amazing and inspiring to watch it happen. And of course the soundtrack compliments it beautifully (and I'm not even a fan of classical music).

All of these characters are easy to love--which makes them even more fun to cheer for--and there's not one of them that you don't wish to see succeed.

As for the romance... I wasn't disappointed with it at all. There are cute, sweet, moments scattered throughout the episodes, and though it may not "officially" happen until later in the series, they're such a perfect couple and compliment each other so well, that I really didn't mind the wait. Plus, they're freaking hilarious together! I've definitely never seen another couple like them before, in dramas or in anime. I'm just so glad they adapted this manga--I can't believe I'd never heard of it before!

Some of my favorite scenes were when they were performing in concert. Whether it was the orchestra, or just one of the piano competitions, while watching it I was deeply moved--and I know next to nothing about music--I couldn't even tell you if they were playing it correctly or not! But the passion they have for music... it's just amazing. You can almost feel it when you're watching them play. Some of my favorite moments was when Nodame would be inspired after hearing Chiaki perform, and she'd run off, desperately searching for a piano so she could play too--soundlessly miming the piano movements in the air as she ran.

I envy someone who can be so passionate about something they enjoy. Any drama that can successfully blend humor with realistic situations and characters like that (and in such a strange, believable way) deserves 5 stars.

I highly *highly* recommend it. I'm definitely adding it to the list of my favorites!

My Rating: