Something that has always perplexed me is why anime fans don’t watch more Jdramas. I’m sure this could be for any number of reasons but many dramas are based off anime  (Hana Yori Dango, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, GTO, Nana, etc.) and some seriously seem to have been animes in a past life. That’s where Samurai High School comes in.  It’s got all that you ever wanted in an anime ridiculous faces, great acting, awkward shots focusing on things that aren’t important and the absurdest characters in strange places. Yet still these two worlds will never meet eye to eye I suppose.

In that way it’s kind of like the plot for this show. The main character Mochizuki Kotaro (played by Miura Haruma, who also was in Gokusen 3) is an unsuspecting and frankly average high schooler who shares the name of his ancestor, a heroic general from the Sengoku period. While for normal people this would just be an omen of good luck when Mochizuki meets a strange librarian things start to change. When trying to save a classmate he bumps his head and turns into his samurai ancestor!

It’s all in this book! I swear!

The first episode starts out with Mochizuki in a battlefield in Sengoku Japan, about 400 years ago when samurai were overtaking something in Osaka. I’m the first to admit I don’t like history very much. He’s woken up in class and tries to explain himself but he’s in math class so there’s very little reason to be dreaming about history. As a punishment the teacher assigns him a paper on the Campaign he was dreaming about. On his way home some girls harass him for money but evetually he heads home. On the way he sees a library sign that leads him to believe he can find books about history in there.This smile makes me smile. Oh ho ho ho~

The creepy librarian woman sees his name of the paper to sign out books and brings him a very special book which glows. Inside the book is the tale of a boy the same age (17) and same name as Mochizuki.

The second-hand embarrassment is so high right now.

When he gets home instead of writing his paper he pretends to do samurai moves with a ruler. At that point he gets a call from his best friend Ai who sees their classmate Nakamura in trouble. He does what any good samurai would and runs to the rescue.

Yanki’s are pretty bad ass but even I think I can take these girls. Especially if I were 6′2″…

Nakamura is kind of a helpless boy. He stutters and looks down all the time but because he’s played by Shirota Yuu (former D-boys member) I forgive him. Mochizuki is immediately scared and stutters out a bunch of nonsense. When he tries to defend himself he trips down a flight of stairs and hits his head.

Somehow as a samurai Mochizuki has perfect hair and a TON of eyeliner. Very stylish for the Sengoku era.

The bump on the head makes his ancestors personality come out. Even when we (the audience) can hear the real Mochizuki on the inside he seems powerless to make his own body move. Samurai-Mochizuki easily takes care of the three pansy girls while freeing Nakamura. He does this with the ruler that was still in his pants ^^;;. He moves in to kiss Ai but then this happens.

Warning: May explode when kissed.

He wakes up as normal Kotaro and has trouble trying to explain to Ai what happened. He doesn’t have time anyway because Nakamura has already gotten himself in trouble with those yanki girls again. This time Nakamura has let them talk him into stealing watches. Mochizuki runs to try and convince him not to do it but ends up there at just the wrong time.

Neither of these men is articulate enough to explain that three evil girls did this.

They are taken the police station, picked up by their teacher and manage to clear their names in front of the board while the girls get off scot-free. There’s a long scene of lamenting where Nakamura tells Mochizuki that they’re both weak and so they can never win at life and it’s as simple as that.

Stop moping you pretty boys this isn’t a Final Fantasy game!

When he arrives home Mochizuki’s father tells him that he is the ancestor of the samurai bearing the same name proving something that we’ve pretty much known all along. The yanki girls from before kidnap Mochizuki and Nakamura a few hours later to beat them up for some reason even though everyone got off without more than a slap on the wrist.

Look, they brought friends…

They throw Mochizuki out the window when he fights back and he bumps his head and turns into a samurai again so he can kick butt with a broom!

Becoming a samurai also puts his hair in a ponytail for some reason?

He beats all the bad guys up and the day is saved with no thanks to Nakamura because he pretty much cowered on the ground and made sad noises the whole time.

I’m trying not to read anything sexual into this but I have trouble.

♥ It’s a bromance ♥

Final Thoughts:

If you have some time and you’re out of anime (amazing but it happens) then I would definitely tell you to give this series a watch. It’s a pretty great series and there’s already has five episodes out. I had a ton of fun watching it and even my fiance kept starring at my screen to try and watch it with me. Unless I get some overwhelming response I don’t think I’ll be blogging other episodes of this but I figured maybe every now and then I’d show you guys a great Jdrama that’s anime-ish. This one gets a full 5 stars out of 5 for wild ride awesomely acted ridiculous anime-esqe comedy.

Confession Corner:

I have something to get off my chest and I won’t be able to move on until I do. I started watching this for Shirota Yuu. You do not know this about me but I am in love with the Sailor Moon Musicals and Yuu played Tuxedo Mask from 2003 to 2004 (where I fell in love with his body singing). Someday I may bring you some Sailor Moon musical reviews and recaps but until then I leave you with this picture:

Some of you may be watching this kdrama remake of a jdrama remake of a tdrama adaptation of an anime adaptation of a manga (OK it’s probably just an adaptation of the manga, but it’s way more fun to say that way). To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the manga; I dropped it pretty quickly and only know the basic outline of the plot. The thing that made me watch this version is simple: my undying affection for Koo Hye Sun. Sure, Pure 19 was sweet and all, but it’s her wide range of absolutely adorable facial expressions that endears her to me. With visions of her in my mind, I plunged into the first episode of Boys Over Flowers.

What I found was a new kind of rage inside myself.

The show begins innocently enough, with Geum Jan Di, daughter of a dry cleaner, delivering laundry to the most elite escalator school in S Korea, Shinhwa School. At the same time she is on her way to deliver the clothes, a boy enrolled in the school is facing a brutal attack by the hands of several students, so severe, in fact, that he decides the only way to end the ridicule is to take his own life. Jan Di, realizing that this man, Lee Min Ha, is the designated recipient of the laundry, tries to get him to pay first, before jumping (lol). Min Ha tells her to bill it to his family, then jumps, but it a daring move, Jan Di manages to catch him before he can fall.

The whole scene is captured on camera and film by a crowd of student onlookers, and Jan Di quickly finds herself at the heart of a national debate on bullying in elite schools, and the powerful Shinhwa Corporation decides that the only way to save face in this is to offer her a spot in the prestigious school.

Reluctant at first, Jan Di decides to attend Shinhwa. Soon after her first day, she realizes that the boy she saved was being bullied by a group of students known as the Flower 4, or F4. Apparently, these boys are the sons of the richest and most powerful families in S Korea, and they practically run the school. If you get on their bad side, they can make life a living hell for you simply by placing a card with their symbol in your locker. The would-be jumper Min Ha found one of these in his locker that fateful day.

Sounds great, right? Off to a neat start, with lots of promise. Let me tell you what I hoped might happen:

Strong-willed Jan Di, who was brought up to respect others and herself, is the first person ever to stand up to the sadistic and sociopathic F4. Galled by her arrogance, the F4 sets to make her life just as miserable as every one else who crosses them. As it turns out, the leader of the F4 is none other than the son of the owner of the Shinhwa corporation, and he is every bit as cruel and soulless as you would imagine. Though hurt by their cruelty, Jan Di refuses to be embarrassed by what she sees as the fault of the F4. Feeling sorry for them, she decides that they should learn a lesson in humility.

During the first few weeks, while dealing with constant ridicule from the other students, she finds a friend in Min Ha, the man she saved from a suicide attempt. Her bravery led him to find it within himself to stand up to F4 himself, saving Jan Di from a brutal attack by a group of beautiful but sadistic girls in the locker room. Grateful and impressed, they begin a journey to teach the students of Shinhwa academy that it is personal integrity and kindness towards others that is the way to get ahead in life, not birthright and pettiness.

Through many adventures together in the school, a romance grows between our heroine and Min Ha, who as it turns out is the heir to a modest but substantial fortune that his parents made in the textile business, leading to a partnership between Jan Di’s father and Mr. Lee, wherein Mr. Guem becomes the president of the dry-cleaning branch of the Lee empire. Jan Di and Min Ha fall madly in love, and together they are ale to turn the student body against the F4, showing them for what they really are: spoilt, cruel, unhappy people. Some of the F4 are able to find redemption, but the worst one, ringleader heir of Shinhwa, so disgraces his family that the show ends with him taking his own life, just a few blocks from the wedding of Jan Di and Min Ha.

What really happens:

Jan Di does in fact attend Shinhwa Academy, and her independent attitude does draw the ire of the sadistic and cruel F4. However, Min Ha is nowhere to be found, and is replaced by a weak-willed girl who drops Jan Di like a bad habit at the first sign of trouble, even though just days before Jan Di stood up for her in front of F4. The things done to Jan Di are more than most people could bear, but her can-do attitude allows her to stay on top of her emotions and not give in to the F4.

Here’s where the problem comes.

F4 is known throughout the school, and they are seen doing such unreasonable things are: pouring juice on someone’s very expensive shirt with little or no provocation, slamming a cake in a girl’s face in from of the school for simply offering them a bite, and strong-arming students into licking their shoes when they are dirty. Jan Di knows all of this.

The first thing the students do to Jan Di once she is marked for unreasonable cruelty, under the demands of F4 of course, is steal her desk. Fair enough; even the horrible things they write on her desk when she finds it are ok with me as far as pranks go. Then, though, they hit her with a barrage of eggs and summarily douse her with flour. I felt it it my soul when she started crying, and I really have to give it up to Koo Hye Sun for her excellent performance during this scene. Afterward, she goes to her quiet happy place on the school grounds, a stairwell she has visited every time she needs to vent about the harsh treatment handed down to her by the F4.

Who should be there but one member of F4, the kindest member Yoon Ji Hoo. Remember now, this is the kindest out of the 4 pricks, so he’s like the Mussolini of the Axis powers. He so kindly gives his handkerchief to Jan Di and tells her not to worry about returning it. Now I know from knowledge of the plot that this becomes her first love interest, but I have to ask: why? Why does this man, who though admittedly attractive failed to stop the abuse Jan Di suffered, appeal to her as a potential mate? Where is my spunky and strong-willed heroine? Who replaced her with a cowering, timid coward?

To make matters worse, Ji Hoo participates in the fouling of the school swimming pool; one of the only reasons Jan Di wanted to come to school at Shinhwa was their excellent pool and her desire to swim again. After she single-handedly cleans the pool, she it attacked in the locker room by a group of boys. The 1st ep ends with the boys engaged in a full-on sexual assault that looks to be leading to rape.

I have no doubt that the second episode will begin with Ji Hoo stopping the rape from happening, and that their romance will begin there. What the fuck, women of the world? How could you ever harbor any emotion other than repulsion and hate for a member of a group that basically organized and condoned a gang-bang on your ass? I fail to see how any one member of the F4 can find redemption enough in the eyes of Jan Di to be worthy of her, and I think that the horrible things they have already done precludes them from any redemption in my own eyes, so I can never be happy with a conclusion that pairs my beloved Jan Di with the cruel and heartless leader of F4.

Unfortunately, it is that very conclusion towards which we are racing in this show, and I wait with bated breath for my next glimpse of Hye Sun, though her talent is wasted in this psychotic fantasy. I leave you with a gallery of the only redeeming part of this show: Hye Sun’s adorable, exaggerated facial expressions ^_^

Also, after a longer holiday than I had planned, I’m back ^_^;;

So I was waiting for my food at a new local café and started watch the TV it was a Korean film a rather old Korean Film, 200 Pound Beauty or something like that. So yeah I kind of loitered at the restaurant until it ended ordering a few more things and eating slowly. Good thing it was a slow day and yeah I tipped better that day too. At any rate it was a good film and I admit I nearly got teary eyed in public at the end but was able to hold them back by summoning all the hatred from my being.

So like every Korean romantic comedy it starts out fairly light hearted and getting kind of serious at the end. The story centers around a heavy weight singer named Hanna whose voice while excellent is not enough to make her desirable or even marketable as pop star as I guess in East Asia ad contracts make more money than selling music given the rampancy of piracy in those parts. Pity perhaps if she were American she could have been another Arethra Franklin, though, in the modern era such a replay of history is rare and the Queen of Soul was once an average sized lady. Such is the pathetic state of her weight that even her father with his failing memory is wondering why she gets larger. Even her best friend says she is fat and the public face of her voice idol, Ammy, uses Hanna’s condition as a weapon to ridicule her and frustrate her advances on the producer. In the end after being humiliated and accepting the truth that she was being used Hanna tries to commit suicide once again. Thankfully her other job as a sex phone operator brings her into contact with a customer who happens to be a plastic surgeon.

Yeah he’s that kind of asshole.

Opting to change her life rather than end it Hanna convinces her customer to perform an operation on her. The doctor resists at first and tells Hanna that she might die from the amount of work needed. In this light the doctor is not wrong given that there is a mandatory 2-3 month recovery time between operations and the risk of death is ever present. Now I am not sure if there was a message intended by all this on whether or not Hanna was being vain or weak for wanting the operation. The way I see it is Hanna needed a crutch in life like all people. Hanna had her unrequited love and once that was dashed she had nothing else. Not to mention that being called ugly and fat by a person you thought was trustworthy is going to hurt one way or another. Hanna did not take my kind of action and get even and cut off Ammy’s nose to spite her face, but being the kinder gentler soul that she is, she wanted to get a new lease on life.

Hanna’s solution was dangerous, but ever since I met people who under went involuntary plastic surgery to put them back together again after combat or other unforeseen accidents while on duty I am now far more hesitant to condemn this sort of thing. I use to think it cowardly but after being regaled by stories of what these brothers in arms told me it takes some courage to go under the knife or at least overwhelming desperation. I suppose even the bravest of us fear getting slowly cut up on some table while having you innards exposed while the doctor operates on you as you are asleep but alive with those awful looking instruments. More over there is always the fear that you might wake up in the middle of it or be aware of the operation but immobile and helpless. If we suppose that it is what is on the inside that counts then it should by standard reasoning that even if the outside was surgically modified it is irrelevant because what was on the inside was not altered, i.e. the soul. Contemporary sentiment is that plastic surgery is for beautifying the rich and not about democratizing beauty and leads to a more shallow society. Perhaps this is somewhat true but if we look at those who undergo plastic surgery we can usually tell who they are (e.g. Micheal Jackson and Janet Jackson). In this film women who do undergo plastic surgery are for all intents and purposes become Frankenstein’s monster. A being that is not human any more but born of human artifice rather than being the work of nature or some higher being.

Go Fortuneteller Guy only in for the first five minutes and yet still able to score a bit of poster space.

Hanna was obese and had she continued being obese then complications would have set in that would have made life difficult, arthritis, diabetes, heart trouble, etc. I won’t mince words and I think that people who are obese are just as fool hardy as those who opt for plastic surgery given the health risks inherent in both. I am glad that they are happy with themselves in either case, but in the case of obese people I cannot help but feel that they are devaluing their lives by remaining in their condition. It’s not right that they get ridiculed for being fat, but I think that ridicule for being foolish is in some ways justified given the health complications, more so if they have a family to raise. I am part of a military tradition that demands physical fitness because running around in the sand box with a full combat load and body armor requires endurance and those who are sluggish or tired will probably get themselves killed and/or get others killed as well.

I’ll say this much just because you have plastic surgery does not mean your beauty is guaranteed. Even then it is in the eye of the beholder. While society holds some unrealistic standards for beauty and desirability somewhere deep inside due to our ancient genetic programming man the creature is programmed to find the healthiest mates to procreate. It’s not simply vanity, but it is coupled with the biological desire to have spouse of sound fitness levels so that they might produce fit offspring. If you doubt the savagery of man you need look only at war to realize how despite civilization man has not moved completely beyond his more savage instincts.

I know the feeling, every time I walk around with flak and rifle, lots of stares and a wide berth…

Though in all probability they writer probably did not intend for the audience to ponder so deeply given that they had to redo the nose the first time around. Hanna’s new jaw also had some kinks to work out as well. Truth is if the doctor was that good he’d be making mad money. In any case Hanna’s reasons were not easily condemned because her previous existence wasn’t great and by that time she could no longer look at herself in the mirror and be happy. She wanted to transcend into another existence and in a way she became a butterfly though by means of a man made cocoon. I was a chunky fellow before I signed my ass to Uncle Sam and it is not easy to lose weight at a whim. It took a long time and two angry intimidating drill instructors to get my fat ass in shape, and now I am capable of running, jumping, and shooting to standard. Besides it was the only time in my life in recent memory that I had an abundance of free time to involuntarily work out, and it really did help that they pushed us all to our physical limits.

The scene where Hanna is enjoying her new corporeal form was understandably happy in over tone. I know I was happy when I came back home after basic an me mum no longer berated me for being fat and lazy. Now it’s just for being lazy. When she got her new dress I knew that she probably felt better than me when I needed new pants. Her new more gorgeous self did get a lot perks early on to the point of absurdity. Though it is true Hanna’s new look was something that money could not buy; only black mail could that. I found it funny how Ammy the typical idol was manufactured and yet the all natural beauty is some how still prized. Oh the delicious hypocrisy. I am glad Hanna didn’t lord it over her friend Jung-min that much about her new form factor. I was delighted when that sleazy salesman got his just deserts. In a way that doctor was right beauty is attitude, supposing that you at least look average.

Despite the mandatory big lie that comes mandatory for this kind of tale Hanna stayed largely true to herself. Given that Ammy was AWP camping at her dad’s place. The whole near love scene was masterfully done. Hanna was so afraid of being found out that it killed the mood in short order. I like how they worked in her old phone sex operator talents to skirt the whole thing. When Hanna’s lie was unraveled it was poignant how even though she was pretty now that she was still stigmatized. The final reconciliation with her dad was touching along with her admission of who she was. The songs were pretty good, though it was rather obvious that they used a fat suit as the way she carried herself was not accurate. It was a happy ending for Hanna as she could now dance with the dad in the light of day. My favorite minor character would have to be Dr. Lee though because the man has mad skills. His advice was awesome, especially how he berated Ammy as being a terrible actress and a woman who opted for less than perfect surgical methods. All in all it was good film that nearly extracted tears from this soulless monster.

Not an anime, but hey, this was adapted from a manga and there was an anime with 2 seasons adapted from the same source, so I think it has its place here.

The dorama (drama) for Honey and Clover is finally here. I’m sure the English subs will be out sooner or later, but in the meanwhile, here’s a sneak peak at the first episode, and yours truly purely subjective view on the characters, plot, and themes of this manga-turned-dorama.

Resolutions are crappy, but for the sake of bringing it to the readers early, I used a source that is fast but hard on the eyes.

By the way, keep in mind that I’m a newcomer to the entire Honey and Clover franchise. I’ve not read the manga, I’ve only watched the first episode of the anime, and my only reason for watching the drama is because I have a starry-eyed and heart-pounding crush on Ikuta Toma, a.k.a. the actor who plays Yuuta.

The Characters

Played by the incomparable Ikuta Toma, Takemoto Yuuta is the narrator and main protagonist of Honey and Clover. He’s rather easily bullied by Morita and Mayama, his two closest friends, but on the other hand the ability to take it all in good humor is an illustration of his character.

In the first episode, he falls in love (at first sight) with Hagu, the heroine of the tale. And I feel for him, especially when he is perceptive enough to see the attraction between Morita and Hagu. And the way he accepts it even though it must hurt him.

Ikuta Toma did a really good job here. I couldn’t decipher much of Nakatsu (of the Hama Kimi Japanese version fame) in his acting, and yet I can’t help laughing at his antics and the way he gets so good-naturedly bullied. And poor guy, he seems to be unable to shrug off the curse of being the guy who loves but is not loved back.

At least there isn’t a lack of Hagu and Yuuta scenes in the first episode.

The costume he has on though, deserves some more mentioning. He’s wearing shorts, for heaven’s sake! He looks sooooooooo young. And the hair style!!! He looks completely like his early Johnny Junior days.

Played by a fifteen year old Narumi Riko, Hanamoto Hagumi is a shy, quiet, and genius painter who is a first year student in the art school everyone is attending. I can’t say much about her, except that she looks a lot more mature than her age, to the state of looking even a bit older than Toma as Yuuta.

She also looks like a ghost in certain scenes, because of the baggy white sack (I suppose the PC term is dress) she’s wearing. Very eerie looking.

By the way, I have absolutely no idea what is so great about her painting that won first place in the competition. Sure, great colours, but how on earth did that surreal mix of orange and red depict sakura blossoms over a pool? Obviously, I don’t have much of an artistic scene.

Played by Noda… I mean Narimiya Hiroki (Gokusen, Nana), Morita Shinobu is handsome and quirky, and apparently hides a talent for sculpture under that playboy appearance. Initially, just from watching the first episode, I thought that he likes Yamada, but then from research on Wiki it turned out to be otherwise. Nonetheless, I find him interesting enough.

I especially like that sculpture he did. Very evocative, very vivid. Much nicer to me than Hagu’s painting.

I also like the way he can be serious and playful. He’s cute. Looking forward to more with him.

Played by Mukai Osamu (don’t know what else he played), Mayama Takumi is a bespectacled architect-to-be who has a crush on his boss, Harada Rika, an older woman. He is also the crush of Yamada, and brushed her off most cruelly in the first episode. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how this calm looking guy could go all insensible and ran through the rain because of a phone call from his crush.

His interactions with Morita is also something very enjoyable to watch.

Harada Natsuki plays Yamada Ayumi, the clay sculpture girl who is in love with Mayama and a good friend of the other guys. She seems quite nice, with none of the cattiness in those stereotypical school dramas. The actress also has very expressive facial expressions. She reminds me of some dramas that I’ve watched, but I just can’t remember what.

The Story…

Yuuta, a third year student of an art school, walks under the sakura blossoms in thoughtful silence. As he stops to admire the beauty of falling petals, something seems to call his attention. He turns his head to see a girl kneeling by the pool, dropping petals into water. And so he falls in love at first sight.

Unfortunately, from a distance his friends call his name, and he is grabbed by Morita and thrown into a push cart being pulled by his other friend, Mayama. The force of Morita’s grasp pulls a button off his shirt, and the girl picks that button up as Morita and Mayama kidnaps Yuuta.

The purpose of kidnapping Yuuta is apparently because of the famed curry that some club is distributing to all first year students. Yuuta, in his shorts and sweaters, looks young enough to pull it off, which is why Mayama and Morita have grabbed him. Unfortunately, Yuuta is found out, and they have to find another way to obtain the curry.

And so the three of them sneak into the club’s kitchen, disguised as the next shift. Just as they are about to eat the curry on the plate that Morita has produced, they are interrupted by Yamada, who is the owner of that plate, something that she had made in anticipation of a contest. Yamada attempts to kick them, but only Yuuta is unable to avoid the blow. Yamada then yells for the club to come back, and Yuuta and company flees.

Through the speakers, a teacher calls for Yuuta to meet him for attempting to murder him by not parking his push cart properly. That push cart has crashed through the teacher Hanamoto’s bike, dismembering it immediately.

All four of them go to Hanamoto-sensei’s room, where Yuuta tries to defend himself but could not, and they share a moment of bickering friendship. At that moment, a crush comes from inside Hanamoto-sensei’s room, and they went in to see Hagumi (Hagu) lying in a pool of pink paint. Yuuta is surprised (pleasantly, I think) to see that Hagumi, introduced as Hanamoto-sensei’s relative, is the girl he had seen under the sakura blossoms.

Yamada and the three guys have lunch, and Mayama mentions a book that he needs to be able to write up a paper, so that he could apply to join some masterclass. Hearing this, Yamada immediately sets out to look for the book through many, many, many bookstores. In the meantime, Yuuta and his two friends are starved back inside the apartment that they apparently shared (in different rooms).

Hanamoto-sensei shows Hagu around the school, and Hagu sees Morita’s sculpture, and is completely stunned. She is then inspired to paint. Running back to her workroom, she begins to furiously paint with swatches of pink.

Back in the apartment, Yuuta and company meets a returned senpai (didn’t quite get his name) who provides them with ham. After gorging on a feast of ham, that senpai talks about many words that are made up of two syllables. (I don’t quite get this significance, but maybe it’s cultural, or a nod to people savvy to the franchise.)

That night, Yuuta and Morita spend the night over at Mayama’s place. Yuuta and Mayama talk about Yuuta’s crush on Hagu, and Yuuta wants to hear Hagu speaks (up to this point, she has not yet spoken).

The next day, Morita sells an obnoxious sculpture (I think it’s ugly, by the way). They meet Yamada on the corridor, who shows Mayama the book that he is looking for. She asks for an Italian dinner in return for that book. While Mayama agrees at first, he then received a phone call from his boss, Rika, who asks him to work for him. Agreeing immediately, he drops everything (including his application for his master class as well as the promise he has made to Yamada) and runs off in the rain.

Yamada is left forlornly clutching the book to herself, while Morita and Yuuta look on in sympathy.

Morita and Yuuta then see the results of the art competition that Morita had participated and won for 7 consecutive years. This year, though, Hagu’s painting is the winner. When Morita sees Hagu’s painting, he stood there stunned for a long moment before running off, which Yuuta desperately chasing after him.

When Morita finally bursts into Hanamoto-sensei’s room, he hugs the surprised Hagu (looking completely normal and cute, for once) by hugging her. Yuuta, watching from the door, is shocked and probably don’t feel all that jolly.

After being separated by Hanamoto-sensei, Morita tells Hagu how he is touched by the painting. And Hagu, speaking for the first time in the drama, replies that she loves his sculpture too. Yuuta, standing at the doorway, got his wish of hearing Hagu speak, but he does not understand why he doesn’t feel happy about it. (baka… why else?)

Yamada is crying over her clay, and Morita arrives. They talk, in very subtle context, about Yamada’s crush. Morita cheers her up. In the meantime, Yuuta talks to Hanamoto-sensei about Hagu’s genius, and how Hanamoto-sensei would have run away if he had Hagu’s ability. Yuuta is thoughtful.

Mayama, together with Rika, hand in Rika’s project and leave. Rika drops a bomb on Mayama about him working for her ending soon. Mayama is stunned by unable to say anything.

Morita cheers Yamada up by saying that a war cannot be won on an empty stomach. And so, hearing from Yamada about the temperature of the oven (in which she uses to turn shaped clay into ceramic, he says that it’s perfect.

Morita calls Yuuta, who is looking at Hagu’s painting. After which Yuuta calls Mayama.

On the way to the convenient store, Yuuta sees Hagu and finally manages to talk to her. After that, they go together to meet up with Morita, Yamada and a returned Mayama, whereby it is revealed that Morita had apparently used the oven for making ceramics to make pizza. (eeks. Think about the hygiene…)

They take the pizza, drinks, alcohol, and assorted others back outside until the sakura, and they talk, eat, and bond with each other. Yuuta thinks about how they will always remember this moment when all five of them are together.

Afterthoughts

I love Ikuta Toma, but for the first episode, Morita is the one who shines through the most. Poor Yuuta, though. I root for him, I really do.

This dorama is full of beautiful imagery, as befits the tale of art students, I suppose. The sakura blossoms are probably the most prevalent imagery, and that, when put together with the soulful music, is an awesome blend.

I have no experience with Honey and Clover beforehand, so I am pleasantly surprised with the blend of seriousness and comedy. I think the best way to describe it is a humorous romance, because in the end, the key issue of this show seems to be about relationships; the love triangles (Yuuta, Hagu, Morita; Mayama, Yamada, Rika; Morita, Yamada, Mayama) are important, but I personally think that the best part of the show is the interaction between friends. Because outside of the love triangles, there is so much chemistry between the characters that it’s very easy to see that they are best of friends.

For a first episode, this is actually pretty well done in terms of character development and plot movement. There is story to tell here, and there isn’t any dragging of feet like a lot of dramas. I like it, and I’ll be watching more of it.

And of course, Ikuta Toma is still the best.