Michiru played by Nagasawa Masami (Proposal Daisakusen, Sailor Fuku to Kikanju) is severely beaten by Sosuke played by Nishikido Ryo (Attention Please, Ganbatte Ikimasshoi) for making the mistake of saying “My Ruka” while defending Ruka played by Ueno Juri (Nodame Cantabile, Jodan ja nai!). Michiru flees to Ruka’s pleading for help, who helps her in and Takeru played by Eita (Atsu-hime, Orange Days), uses makeup to help cover-up the worst of her injuries. Ruka wants to know how many times Sosuke has beaten her, but Michiru says it’s never been this bad before but can’t even come up with a figure on how many times he’s assaulted her. Ruka tells her she needs to breakup with him, even if he says that he loves her, violence isn’t love. Eri played by Mizukawa Asami (Iryu, Pride, Saiyuuki) says that Sosuke has become a complete stalker and worries that he might follow her back to the house from work. Ruka says she’ll need to change jobs and not to answer his calls, and then she asks Takeru if he can do anything to get Michiru work. The next day Ruka calls her father and warns him not to give out any information about her because her friend is being stalked. Like any typical father he’s worried that Ruka’s the one being stalked but she assures him that she’s not.I said it after the last post, I won’t forgive Sosuke, emotionally I’d love to see him beaten within an inch of his life and then thrown in prison for the rest of his miserable life. But from a social perspective what I’d really like to see is that the guy is given some psychological help and kept separated from Michiru by whatever means necessary. This episode we learn some mitigating circumstances for his actions and for Michiru’s too. Michiru probably needs as much counselling as he does, not just for the violence that Sosuke has done, but for her family life as well.Download the Raw video from the bit torrent tracker here; English soft subs can be downloaded here. Screen Shots of the previous episodes are here.
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The drama opens with a flashback to a baseball game, it’s the ninth inning 2 outs and 1 strike away from a win, when the batter hit by a ball strikes the apologizing pitcher with his bat,which causes a riot involving both teams and even the spectators. Sato Ryuta (Utahime, Bambino!) as Kawato Koichi runs and talks on his phone, Asano Kazuyuki (Attention Please, Ganbatte Ikimasshoi) as Ikebe Shunsaku the head teacher complains to the principal played by Ibu Masato (Detective Conan 2, Hataraki Man). The principal responds that he’d hired the teacher implying it was his responsibility. Koichi arrives at the Futagotamagawa High School to begin his first day. There’s a fight going on in the hallway that he tries to intervene in but is stopped by another teacher when a motorcycle roars through the hall knocking down a student. The teacher yells at the motorcyclist that he’s trash from the baseball club. The baseball club members enter the club room to find their captain Aniya Keiichi played by Ichihara Hayato (Long Love Letter) on the couch with a half naked girl. Shirota Yu (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Seito Shokun!) as Shinjo Kei arrives in time to see Koichi’s first encounter with the head teacher, then all the club members head for the assembly to see the new teacher.As I said many times in the past I’m not a sports fan but I do enjoy sport dramas and anime. That said so far in the 1:40 minute opening episode they only had about 1 minute of baseball. So far this drama seems more similar to GTO then to Ace Wo Nerae or Ganbatte Ikimasshoi. In addition to the actors I already mentioned two of the club members are Koide Keisuke (Nodame Cantabile, Gokusen 2) as Mikoshiba Toru and Sato Takeru (Kamen Rider Den-O, Shinigami no Ballad) as Okada Yuya and playing a teacher is Fukiishi Kazue (Bambino!, Yamada Taro Monogatari) as Mayumi Rie. I liked the first episode a lot, and from what I’ve read the series is going to cover the entire manga so it’ll have more episodes then a traditional Japanese drama. After the first episode I’d recommend this to fans of GTO or Gokusen even if they don’t care for sports.Download the first episode RAW video bit torrent file here, soft subs by Skewed and Timeless are here.
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The drama begins in 1508 three men are being tortured, one is hung upside down, another is set on fire the last is crushed by a boulder, because they would not reveal the location of their treasure. The man who was hung, curses the executioners. The scene switches to the classroom where Ayukawa Misako played by Ishihara Satomi (Hanayome to Papa, Ns' Aoi) is teaching English class using her method of associating English words with a Japanese sound alike. When she catches Tsukamoto Yoshio played by Nagayama Kento doing his math homework, and then quickly discovers that both Imamura Shinichi played by Yamamoto Yusuke (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Kamen Rider Kabuto) and Kanzaki Akira played by Kimura Ryo (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Nodame Cantabile) are also. Yusuke offers the excuse that they’d been busy over the weekend (FIRST EPISODE). Later Misako complains of the boy’s behaviour to the coach who promises to teach them a lesson. Matsuo Yuko played by Iwata Sayuri (Yukan Club, Jigoku Shoujo) is in a café with Yusuke explaining that at a temple in the mountains there is a curse where every 100 years three people die. Yusuke doesn’t believe it, but Yuko requests that he accompany her the following weekend to the temple, because the temple priest has offered a prize of 1 million yen and a cow to anyone who can solve the puzzle. Yusuke is on the roof discussing this with Yoshio and Akira when Misako arrives she discovers what they have planned and she decides that the three will escort her to the temple so she can win the prize.I love Ishihara Satomi portrayal of Misako especially when she’s in evil mode. She manipulative and rotten, like when she complains to the coach about the three boys she’s tricked and abused. I have a feeling this is going to be a totally random drama like Yukan Club with little or no story connecting the puzzles. That said if you enjoy mysteries and don’t mind the random overall nature of the show I think you’ll enjoy this drama I know I am.Download the RAW video bit torrent file here, soft subs can be download here. furransu and the rest of the fansub group are doing an amazing job, releasing the soft subs for episode 1 on May 1st and the 2nd episodes on May 2nd.
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While I'm not exactly a fan, I've been following Ueno Juri's career ever since Swing Girls. With every film/series, I notice that she always chooses a role that is different from the one that she played beforehand. Her role in Swing Girls requires her to be a spunky high school girl whereas in Summertime Machine Blues, she plays a geeky and rather quiet college girl (and Eita's love interest). I don't think I need to highlight how different her role in Nodame Cantabile was in comparison to her role as Ruka in this series. It's also interesting to see her working with Eita over and over again. Although they seem to work together quiet frequently, their interaction in each projects are distinctly different. Takuma/Haruka in Summertime Machine Blues are reluctant couple whereas Nodame/Mine in Nodame Cantabile are goofy friends who get to drive Chiaki mad. Ruka/Takeru, on the other hand, is more like unrequited love mixed with deep friendship.
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At a Japanese style mansion an old man has gathered his family as he lays dying, they enquire where is the thing that he’s told them he’s hid? But he reaches out to his granddaughter Matsuo Yuko played by Iwata Sayuri (Yukan Club, Jigoku Shoujo) and dies not saying a word as she grasps his hand. The scene shifts to a high school kendo club, the coach has called an end to practice and encourages them about the approaching nationals. Three of the club members Imamura Shinichi played by Yamamoto Yusuke (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Kamen Rider Kabuto), Kanzaki Akira played by Kimura Ryo (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Nodame Cantabile) and Tsukamoto Yoshio played by Nagayama Kento meet a woman standing by the front gate. Mistaking her age, they tell her this is a boy’s school and try to direct her to a girl’s school nearby but she corrects them asking to be shown to the principal’s office, then she invites them to wait for her, so they might all go out for tea. They eagerly agree and wait at the front gate for her, but after the last train has departed they realize that they’ve been stood up. The next day in English class the coach comes in and introduces the new teacher Ayukawa Misako played by Ishihara Satomi (Hanayome to Papa, Ns' Aoi).After seeing Satomi in a couple of other roles where she’s played the sweet innocent girl, roles that really suit her, it quite a refreshing change to see her in this mystery comedy as the two faced teacher that really only cares for herself. It’s amazing to see her transform from the cute personality that she uses for authority figures to how she treats the boys when they’re alone. Yusuke and Ryo both from last summers hit Hanazakari no Kimitachi e may have landed in another good school comedy. I’d recommend this to fans of twisted mysteries like Yukan Club or Galileo.Download the RAW video bit torrent file her, soft subs can be download here.
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The episode begins where the last left off, Ruka played by Ueno Juri (Nodame Cantabile, Orange Days) has thrown herself across the prone figure of Michiru played by Nagasawa Masami (Proposal Daisakusen, Sailor Fuku to Kikanju) when Sosuke played by Nishikido Ryo (Attention Please, Ganbatte Ikimasshoi) picks up a chair, Ruka defiantly tells him not to touch “My Michiru”. Takeru played by Eita (Atsu-hime, Orange Days) still back in the hospital room with Ruka’s father and brother decides to find out what’s taking Ruka so much time and goes to look for her. He sees what’s occurred in the lounge and grabs Sosuke from behind demanding to know what’s going on. Ruka asks Sosuke why he hit Michiru, but Sosuke denies hitting her, saying that they were just playing around and the chair fell over. Michiru apparently to scared to contradict him, agrees that what he said is true.I really hate Sosuke, in most Japanese dramas, anime and toku the protagonist must confront an opponent then over the course of the series the opponent changes or our point of view changes and the opponent becomes less then completely evil sometimes even sympathetic, like Croissant no Matsu in Utahime or Mele in Gekiranger or Miyako Miyazaki in Bamboo Blade, all characters that start out portrayed as evil and then either change or our viewpoint changes and I come to really like them and understand where they are coming from. This will never happen in this drama. I will never no matter how sympathetically Sosuke portrayal becomes, ever come to not hate this character. Download the English hardsub bit torrent files here. Screen Shots of the previous episodes are here.
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801 Media 801 Media Aurora Publishing Aurora Publishing May Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 3 Broccoli Books Broccoli Books CMX CMX May 7 Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 2 Dark Horse Dark Horse May 7 Eden: It’s an Endless World, Vol. 10 May 14 Appleseed, Vol. 2 Blood +, Vol. 2 Red String, Vol. 3 May 28 Berserk, Vol. 28 Path of the Assassin, Vol. 11 Del Rey Del Rey May 6 Hell Girl, Vol. 2 Kitchen Princess, Vol. 6 Nodame Cantabile, Vol. [...]
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VISIT OUR FORUMS Manga of the Month Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya When John Fuller of New York’s branch of Kinokuniya was asked which manga sold best in Japanese but did not do anywhere near as well in English his answer was Nodame Cantabile. At first he thought it was because there was no English language version of [...]
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Anime DVDs April 29, 2008 Buso Renkin - DVD Set 1 Champion Joe Death Note - Volume 4 Kujibiki Unbalance - Volume 1 Witchblade - Volume 6 Manga April 29, 2008 Air Gear - Volume 8 Alive - Volume 4 Aventura - Volume 2 Dororo - Volume 1 Hell Girl - Volume 2 Kitchen Princess - Volume 6 Nodame Cantabile - Volume 13 Puri Puri - Volume 5 April 30, 2008 After School [...]
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Michiru played by Nagasawa Masami (Proposal Daisakusen, Sailor Fuku to Kikanju), Ruka played by Ueno Juri (Nodame Cantabile, Orange Days), and Eri played by Mizukawa Asami (Iryu, Pride) are having breakfast. Ruka gives Eri miso soup as a hangover remedy, Eri wonders about Takeru played by Eita (Atsu-hime, Orange Days) true character because he seems to be hiding something but appears to be such a nice guy. Michiru appears lost in her own thoughts, but seems to recover as Ruka walks her to the train as she hurries to work. Ruka wonders why Michiru was crying the previous night, she’d seemed both so happy and then sad. Ruka wonders if she’d known could she have done something about it. The evil beautician played by Nishihara Aki (Hana Yori Dango) criticizes Michiru as soon as she arrives at the shop, later when she looks out the shop window she sees Sosuke played by Nishikido Ryo (Attention Please, Ganbatte Ikimasshoi) staring up at her from the street below.This show is definitely for adults with the mature themes that it deals with and as I said in my first post about this drama if it wasn’t for the terrific cast and the great acting job they’ve done so far, I wouldn’t watch this show, it’s a little too tragic for my tastes. That said I enjoyed this episode even more then the first and I’ll be sure to catch the third when the subs are released for it.Download the Raw video from the bit torrent tracker here; English soft subs can be downloaded here or download the Kioku hardsub release from here. Kioku also released a v2 of the first episode at that same link. Screen caps of episode one are here.
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