Last Friends

bmwracer wrote:
People seem to be reevaluating the drama over at D-Addicts: the overly positive vibe during the airing of the drama is now going the other way.....

Ahhhh good good. I figured they were too busy drooling over Ryou to notice that he actually played a jackass.

Wynter wrote:Ahhhh good good. I figured they were too busy drooling over Ryou to notice that he actually played a jackass.

Well, there are still those there (and here, but they disappeared) who are accusing members as being haters... :beaten:

Also, there seems to be a lot of recent debate as to Masami-chan's performance...

bmwracer wrote:Also, there seems to be a lot of recent debate as to Masami-chan's performance...

O?

bmwracer wrote:
Also, there seems to be a lot of recent debate as to Masami-chan's performance...

bingo!

just finished episode 8. and somehow, i don't hate Michiru/Masami anymore. maybe it was just her character ne? i mean

Spoiler — click to reveal

getting her hands forced to cut someones ear and STILL makes breakfast for that person the next morning?! wth...

but she still makes a lousy scared/freaked out expression though.

phlargo wrote:
Haha.. I really like the onomatopoeic representation of that annoying melody. They always drop something significant in these dramas, don't they? Always too many obvious plot advancing clues!

it's addictive. i keep imagining if someone said to me something like 'I lost my keys' and then i intentionally make that melody :hehe:

yeah. the scene where the book was dropped wouldn't really make a difference.

Wynter wrote:
Wise decision. But I think they're also catering to the many people who DID enjoy the drama, and who would probably demand a movie.

Personally I think they're doing it all too soon and fast. They're not even giving people a chance to stop and think about what they've just seen.

I certainly agree with you, they are catering to the many people who actually enjoyed the drama. When you have a cash cow, milk it for what it's worth. No problem with that, I'm sure the suits behind the drama couldn't possibly just leave money on the table by not doing a movie.

I think it's possible to do a movie without the Nodame crew, and have the movie simply focus on Sousuke. His past and his relationship with Michiru. After all, quite a few of us complained about Sousuke not being fleshed out, with hardly any little background. On top of that, there are apparently quite a few fans smitten with Ryo's awesome, convincing acting. While there are gallons of paint drying on walls and cardboard cutouts around the world that might argue otherwise, not to mention the few critics we have here on the forums, there is simply no denying that there are fans of Ryo's acting. Ryo alone would guarantee ticket sales, so there's really no need for Juri-Chan and company to be around.

Masami-chan would still be needed to reprise the role of Michiru. After all, the high ratings can be attributed to the DV scenes, which shocked viewers week after week. Well, shocked is stretching it a bit. If anyone is somehow shocked after the first DV scene or two, you probably might want to see a doctor. That, and I wholeheartedly recommend the SP. If being shocked by the same DV scenes over and over is your thing, then boy that SP is going to have your heart racing. Might want to have some sedatives nearby. Anyhow, back to Masami-chan. She needs to be there, for Sousuke. While some of us would like to see Sousuke beat himself up, you can't have DV scenes without Michiru. I wouldn't be surprised if they threw in a few during the movie. Shock and awe, with a script written with probably the same amount of intelligence as our wonderful President.

Besides the SP, with the subtlety of a kick to the stomach, shows that Sousuke is the main focus of the drama. So there's no need for Juri-chan, Asami-chan and Eita to be around. Those who enjoyed watching the drama, those who were pulled in by Ryo's awesome acting can enjoy a two-hour movie of Sousuke with the same facial expression throughout while he beats Michiru.

Seriously, lame sarcasm aside, the fans of the show can have Ryo and Masami. Particularly the ones who are so enthralled by Ryo's acting and his portrayal of Sousuke. It's a win-win situation for everyone: Ryo fans get to see two hours of him on the big screen, raking in money for the suits, while Juri, Asami and Eita move on to things that the rest of us will enjoy.

Wynter wrote:
Ahhhh good good. I figured they were too busy drooling over Ryou to notice that he actually played a jackass.

You're too generous. Being a jackass would have at least given Sousuke some kind of personality to like or hate. We didn't hate Sousuke for being a monster; we hated him for wasting all the screentime that would have been better served with Ruka, Takeru, Eri, the coffee mugs......

Wynter wrote:O?

Yup.

Her clueless puppy dog performance throughout the drama was apparently as one-note as her DV counterpart...

Here'd be one hell of a movie setup for this show: a 10-second loop of Sousuke kicking Masami in the stomach for about 90 minutes! Not like they did anything else with the SP anyways. :beaten:

deseipher wrote:Seriously, lame sarcasm aside, the fans of the show can have Ryo and Masami. Particularly the ones who are so enthralled by Ryo's acting and his portrayal of Sousuke. It's a win-win situation for everyone: Ryo fans get to see two hours of him on the big screen, raking in money for the suits, while Juri, Asami and Eita move on to things that the rest of us will enjoy.

WORD. :victory: :applaud:

Kijinnmaru wrote:You're too generous. Being a jackass would have at least given Sousuke some kind of personality to like or hate. We didn't hate Sousuke for being a monster; we hated him for wasting all the screentime that would have been better served with Ruka, Takeru, Eri, the coffee mugs......

I would've preferred staring at the coffee mugs (with or without coffee/tea) for 90 minutes than to endure any of Sosuke's scenes. :bleh:

bmwracer wrote:
I would've preferred staring at the coffee mugs (with or without coffee/tea) for 90 minutes than to endure any of Sosuke's scenes. :bleh:

:hehe: That sounds like the annual Yuletide Log they have on during Christmas, maybe they can hire some decent hand actors to pour coffee into them! :hehe:

deseipher wrote:

I certainly agree with you, they are catering to the many people who actually enjoyed the drama. When you have a cash cow, milk it for what it's worth. No problem with that, I'm sure the suits behind the drama couldn't possibly just leave money on the table by not doing a movie.

I think it's possible to do a movie without the Nodame crew, and have the movie simply focus on Sousuke. His past and his relationship with Michiru. After all, quite a few of us complained about Sousuke not being fleshed out, with hardly any little background. On top of that, there are apparently quite a few fans smitten with Ryo's awesome, convincing acting. While there are gallons of paint drying on walls and cardboard cutouts around the world that might argue otherwise, not to mention the few critics we have here on the forums, there is simply no denying that there are fans of Ryo's acting. Ryo alone would guarantee ticket sales, so there's really no need for Juri-Chan and company to be around.

Masami-chan would still be needed to reprise the role of Michiru. After all, the high ratings can be attributed to the DV scenes, which shocked viewers week after week. Well, shocked is stretching it a bit. If anyone is somehow shocked after the first DV scene or two, you probably might want to see a doctor. That, and I wholeheartedly recommend the SP. If being shocked by the same DV scenes over and over is your thing, then boy that SP is going to have your heart racing. Might want to have some sedatives nearby. Anyhow, back to Masami-chan. She needs to be there, for Sousuke. While some of us would like to see Sousuke beat himself up, you can't have DV scenes without Michiru. I wouldn't be surprised if they threw in a few during the movie. Shock and awe, with a script written with probably the same amount of intelligence as our wonderful President.

Besides the SP, with the subtlety of a kick to the stomach, shows that Sousuke is the main focus of the drama. So there's no need for Juri-chan, Asami-chan and Eita to be around. Those who enjoyed watching the drama, those who were pulled in by Ryo's awesome acting can enjoy a two-hour movie of Sousuke with the same facial expression throughout while he beats Michiru.

Seriously, lame sarcasm aside, the fans of the show can have Ryo and Masami. Particularly the ones who are so enthralled by Ryo's acting and his portrayal of Sousuke. It's a win-win situation for everyone: Ryo fans get to see two hours of him on the big screen, raking in money for the suits, while Juri, Asami and Eita move on to things that the rest of us will enjoy.

Gomennasai... but I'm not sure if you're hating on the drama and the CHARACTERS, or the ACTORS who play the characters...

If you're talking about the characters, then I'm whole heartedly with you on this one.

Kijinnmaru wrote:
You're too generous. Being a jackass would have at least given Sousuke some kind of personality to like or hate. We didn't hate Sousuke for being a monster; we hated him for wasting all the screentime that would have been better served with Ruka, Takeru, Eri, the coffee mugs......

But isn't this the fault of the writers, and not the actual character? If you're gonna hate the character, you're gonna hate for their actions.

bmwracer wrote:
Yup.

Her clueless puppy dog performance throughout the drama was apparently as one-note as her DV counterpart...

Yikes! I thought she did a decent job with the role given to her, and this is coming from a person who doesn't even like Masami...

bmwracer wrote:
I would've preferred staring at the coffee mugs (with or without coffee/tea) for 90 minutes than to endure any of Sosuke's scenes. :bleh:

I want Takeru's mug. :mrgreen:

Wynter wrote:

Gomennasai... but I'm not sure if you're hating on the drama and the CHARACTERS, or the ACTORS who play the characters...

It's more so the drama and characters, but I still find it hard to believe there are those who found Ryo's acting to be anything beyond good, much less convincing. I didn't think it was a stand out performance in anyway. He did well with what he had, but he had so little to begin with. That, along with the crummy writing, is a point I've made before. It's not so much Ryo's fault, but the writers. I don't give Ryo any more credit than he ought to have. The Sousuke and Michiru characters weren't all that great to me, not developing beyond what was given in the beginning. Yet we kept getting fed with the two, which was disappointing.

Hope that clears it up. :victory:

deseipher wrote:

It's more so the drama and characters, but I still find it hard to believe there are those who found Ryo's acting to be anything beyond good, much less convincing. I didn't think it was a stand out performance in anyway. He did well with what he had, but he had so little to begin with. That, along with the crummy writing, is a point I've made before. It's not so much Ryo's fault, but the writers. I don't give Ryo any more credit than he ought to have. The Sousuke and Michiru characters weren't all that great to me, not developing beyond what was given in the beginning. Yet we kept getting fed with the two, which was disappointing.

Hope that clears it up. :victory:

It does, and you've spoken exactly how I've thought. Thanks. :good: But I have to add, I was also disappointed in Eri's character. She was so underused. And Ogurin was just useless.

Wynter wrote:

It does, and you've spoken exactly how I've thought. Thanks. :good: But I have to add, I was also disappointed in Eri's character. She was so underused. And Ogurin was just useless.

I was honestly expecting something more after Eri went over to the hospital to talk to Sousuke, but sadly we were only given hints about what Eri might have been through in her past. While her marriage to Ogurin might have been a sign saying she's moved forward, it came so suddenly that it hardly makes any sense. I can't say that the drama could've gone on without Eri, as she was there to provide support for Ruka, but it certainly would've been nice to know more about her.

deseipher wrote:It's more so the drama and characters, but I still find it hard to believe there are those who found Ryo's acting to be anything beyond good, much less convincing. I didn't think it was a stand out performance in anyway. He did well with what he had, but he had so little to begin with. That, along with the crummy writing, is a point I've made before. It's not so much Ryo's fault, but the writers. I don't give Ryo any more credit than he ought to have. The Sousuke and Michiru characters weren't all that great to me, not developing beyond what was given in the beginning. Yet we kept getting fed with the two, which was disappointing.

Yeah, boyeee....! :victory:

That "relationship" was supposed to be the main focus of the drama and it was terribly out of focus....

Oddly, I gave Orange Days a 7/10 like this drama, but Orange Days was much better all around than this drama... I'm revising my vote: Last Friends gets a 6/10.

deseipher wrote:

I was honestly expecting something more after Eri went over to the hospital to talk to Sousuke, but sadly we were only given hints about what Eri might have been through in her past. While her marriage to Ogurin might have been a sign saying she's moved forward, it came so suddenly that it hardly makes any sense. I can't say that the drama could've gone on without Eri, as she was there to provide support for Ruka, but it certainly would've been nice to know more about her.

And not even just fleshing her out more, but giving her more substance in the present as well.

bmwracer wrote:Oddly, I gave Orange Days a 7/10 like this drama, but Orange Days was much better all around than this drama... I'm revising my vote: Last Friends gets a 6/10.

And you should give Orange Days are higher grade. :mrgreen:

Wynter wrote:And you should give Orange Days are higher grade. :mrgreen:

I figured someone would say that, but LF is more deserving of a demotion... :P

Wynter wrote:

And you should give Orange Days are higher grade. :mrgreen:

I agree, seven oranges out of ten just seems a tad low for a great drama as Orange Days. :sweat:

As for Eri, yes, it would've been nice if there more substance in the present as well, to see her cope with her situation and any resolution to it. Besides, more shots of Eri in her flight attendant suit would definitely been nice :mrgreen:

bmwracer wrote:
That "relationship" was supposed to be the main focus of the drama and it was terribly out of focus....

You could say the relationship was in focus, on the DV part of it. :sweat: I guess too focused on one aspect, and the writers didn't have the competence to zoom out by adding more substance.