Fan reviews: Tentai Kanzoku

Eve · 3 Oct 2012

Well acted, written and directed.
Fully developed, compassionate and realistic.
LOVED IT!

MonsterZero65 · 18 Aug 2010

This is an outstanding drama with a wonderfully talented cast. I really felt it captured the essence of true friendship. A group of friends who remained friends through good and bad times.

Jackykero · 18 Mar 2009

Nice dorama about friendship and about complex love relationships.
I thought that the plot was interesting and the cast really did a great job, all of them, but unfortunately that there was not enough. Not enough excitement (the pace is moderately slow), not enough characters (it explores so many characters but then none really deeply), not enough surprises or twists (and some fake ones).
All in all, I think it had all that it takes to make a grand dorama but was a little short of everything.
Still a very nice watch with great actors and a good time spent in front of the TV.

bettebogart · 7 Nov 2008

A solid drama about true friendship, a bunch of kids who have graduated from college a few years ago but have grown apart. The story gets a bit overblown and melodramatic at times but it's held together by the all-star cast. It's more of a soap opera, like a Japanese version of an American twentysomething TV drama. I had recently seen Sakaguchi Kenji in something else and he was excellent in it, but I thought he overacted quite a bit in this. However, Koyuki, Kou Shibasaki, Ito Hideaki and Joe Odagiri are all excellent and I think Joe actually rises above the material. Not one of the truly great dramas, but highly enjoyable if you enjoy friendship dramas or any of the actors. The music is excellent as well.

Mint · 8 May 2008

The theme of friendship can be an overtly done theme in the realm of Japanese dramas but somehow this drama approaches it with a refreshing, mature and realistic take.

The main characters are bound by an astrological society that they joined in college, where deep friendships and love then bloomed. The story takes place a few years after graduation where the characters try to relive their carefree and insouciant youth in their busy lives. What's captivating are the backup stories of each of the characters that are somehow entangled to all of them and the rise of emotional upheavals that bring them closer than before.

The presentation of loss, failure, unrequited love, moving on and adulthood is handled with finesse and reflects a depth of reality wherein the world can be unfair and not everything is peaches and cream, which sets this drama apart from other syrupy ones. I love this drama for its unpredictable and realistic storyline that is solidified by engaging characters.

The cast did an amazing and insightful job in this underrated drama and should be given full credit.

edjie · 20 May 2007

Its a great drama!...I'm only up to episode 9 but am really hooked!. The characters and the whole plot is so real and i know people (including me!) can relate to it. Especially people who are already in the workforce and busy or would love to make more time for their family and friends. Love Kenjie (Yuka) in this film! so carefree!

monta · 3 Mar 2007

one of the must watchs out there! splendid casts! great story...
beautiful friendship. very strong chemistry between the characters.

Wynter · 19 Jan 2007

When I first started watching this drama I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The first episode was really dense and dark and I felt a little tense. It was completely unlike the last drama I had recently finished. No matter what the feeling, if a drama can make you feel something this intense, itfs doing something right.

This was a grand drama. Itfs about that transition in your life when all your dreams and aspirations about the future battle against the reality that exists before you. The drama was real and raw. So raw. You actually feel like a voyeur when youfre watching the characters rebel against the plot.

All of the characters were absolutely brilliant in their roles. I was quite taken with Satomifs (Tabata Tomoko) story, but it was Konishi Manamifs acting as Ida Yuri that impressed me most by the end of the series. Ifve seen her in a number of dramas playing a number of characters, but it wasnft until this specific role that I appreciated her acting ability. She was marvelous.

Watching the drama made me feel nervous because it felt so real, and the end was so uplifting that I feel inspired to find the hidden courage within myself. Well done.

MonsterZero-65 · 24 Oct 2006

Fantastic cast in this drama! I was very impressed with this show. I was not all that excited about it reading the description but I enjoyed every episode. The story was well written, and the characters developed nicely. The soundtrack was good too. I really recommend this drama.

extravale · 13 Jun 2006

great cast all over. interesting plot, many sub-stories and kakkoii boys, expecially odagiri joe.

keax · 11 Mar 2006

love BUMP OF CHICKEN and MIKA NAKASHIMA!

Senator · 27 Sep 2005

Really sweet & touching story about a bunch of friends
Wish i had friends like that too =D
*Thumbs Up*
Cried so much lolz

I'd say the perfect drama for the youths seeking directions in life.... or just something to warm up those fuzzy needy hearts

madsky · 27 Jul 2005

I originally got this drama because I'm a Koyuki fan and I also wanted to see Sakaguchi, but I was pleasently surprised. The entire cast was great. It's a drama about a lasting bond of friendship between 7 individuals, and how it helped them through struggles in their life. There were many touching moments (I especially liked the part when the old people gave Satomi the picture) and I was glued to the screen from start to finish. The ending was sad and I was a little bit disappointed in the last episode, but overall it does deserve a 9 out of 10.

joe_cute · 27 Apr 2005

okay

TeruJoe · 27 Apr 2005

o.k

donna8157 · 3 Feb 2005

This really was a great drama, one of the few really, really meaningful dramas that I've seen thus far. I loved how the series developed each character and there was not one person out of the Sagittarius group that I disliked. In fact, I could almost say that I admired each one of them to a certain extent.

The theme of friendship is really strong in this series and the fact that they were able to pull through so many of life's struggles because they helped each other was really touching. I also liked how it dealt with the idea of achieving your dreams, no matter what they are, no matter what position you are in. The positive note overlies the fact that there were so many downs in each person's life. I really loved this series.

I believe each actor and actress did a superb job. ^_^

stellaowen · 9 Jan 2005

I would say this drama is one of the better ones around, at least those shown by the local tv station. Only caught it from epi 5 or 6, but got hooked. Every epi, there is something that touched my heart. Its really a good drama really, wish people would have bothered to watch it despite it not having the usual well known jap artistes. Joe Odagiri is kakoii! haha

mochi · 3 Jan 2005

I'm about halfway through the show. Plotwise the show was kind of weak from somewhere around the beginning, having parts which occassionaly made me snigger in disbelief. The gorgeous cast and the habit of watching a Jdrama every sunday night had me following the show though, and it's good i did that because the plot has grown so much more engaging. Yuka/Tomoya is especially enchanting and portrays so well the struggles inside him your heart goes out to his character when he decided to, at a function, to --- i wont post further more cos this would be a potetial spoiler! ---

i'm glad they're showing this over here every sunday night now, there would be something to look forward to each weekend! also the ending theme song by Mika Nakashima is wonderful and sums up the mood perfectly.

Maine · 24 Dec 2004

Great songs featured in the show, so-so plot, actors who can act and good-looking people in the show== quite a good drama

UWFShooter · 11 Jun 2004

If you've never seen, or for some reason can't remember, Ai to iu na no moto ni, go for this one, the faces here are fresh and talented but the plot is WAY too similar. And then people in this site dare compare Boku Dake no Madonna to Long Vacation...