jondy78

The Story::
The story took the more interesting parts of the manga/anime, but at times it seemed that the story dragged... the ending was much better than the anime, but I wish it was more "finalized." The movie was a disappointment.
The Actors::
The chemistry between Sorimachi and Matsushima were on point! Although not the greatest actors, its easy to see why these two are so popular. Sorimachi was PERFECT as Onizuka. Matsushima was elegant as the beautiful Fuyutski. All of the students were decent, but the standout was Kubozuka (I recommend the movie "Go") and Ikeuchi.
Summary::
Kinda long winded and preachy at times, but the chemistry between Sorimachi and Matsushima makes this an enjoyable show to watch. Definitely a must for teachers.

The Story::
The first episodes were so fun to watch, full of youth and energy, that, when the story concluded, I was left feeling really annoyed. I dont like watching these types of shows. But, I definitely agree that the way the story was played out made the show the hit that it is today. It did not give the cliched ending, and although I kinda guessed what might happened, I was still on the edge until the very end.
The Actors::
This was Dohmoto and Hirosue's show. They played the characters so well and convincing. Although Dohmoto got annoying sometimes with his preaching, he remained a generously kind and classy young man. Hirosue's charm convinced me to be her fan :)
In Summary::
If your looking for a drama, this is it. Like everyone said, make sure you have the tissue ready, especially for eps 10 & 11.
"Otsukimi" portion of episode 10 are my favorite scenes in all of the jdoramas! That alone made the show worth watching :)

Great Story::
The story is all about life, love, and relationships. All of the lives were intertwined with each other which makes for interesting interactions between the characteres... the love match-ups kept me guessing until the very end.
Great Acting:
Yamaguchi (Minami) steals this show. Her acting was very believable, real and natural.
Kimura (Senna) fits the role of the loner pianist perfectly.
The hidden "gems" in this show were::
Inamori (Momoko) was hilarious!!! She has the best facial expressions!!
Hirosue Ryoko, although a small part, was such a stand out that I ended up watching another of her dramas (Summer Snow) and now I'm a fan :)
In Summary:
A great show you can watch over and over... for the laughs and the beautiful faces. My favorite jdorama!!!