mizsymurda wrote:

umm i really think GTO.. but there are alot of other dramas..cuz all dramas I watched so far..seem to have a message.. ..maybe Forbidden Love?? ppl know that love is ageless?!

The question is what's the message in GTO that YOU want people to learn from and to broaden their horizons? For me, I can't come with anything stimulating out of that series, other than to maybe always carry around a condom. It would be interesting to see if someone else got something out of GTO.

--- groink

Hmmm.. The themes of Konna Koi no Hanashi and Boku no Ikiru Michi are very similar.
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It might sound silly, but I thought of this one: http://jdorama.com/drama_599.htm
Language is not always a barrier, or something, hehehe

And I kinda thought of this one too: http://jdorama.com/drama_490.htm

I studied psychology, so that one came to mind...about being more patient and understanding to people different from you in ways other than economically and physically, and seeing some of the world from their perspective (a little bit).

KouSeiya315 wrote:

And I kinda thought of this one too: http://jdorama.com/drama_490.htm I studied psychology, so that one came to mind...about being more patient and understanding to people different from you in ways other than economically and physically, and seeing some of the world from their perspective (a little bit).

Kimi ga oshietekureta koto

Aaaaaah! That's a series I definitely should go out and look for. Add that to my list...

--- groink

Forbidden Love: the Michi/Hikaru freakshow was believable enough to cause the chaos that it did within the obligatory 11 episodes. Bra-friggin'-vo. Yeah, love might transcend, but it can also ask, "just what in HELL is going on here?!?!?" sometimes, too.
I like to think this show shocked an entire nation.

Dessin: what guilt! What blue! A 12-episoder disguised as one of them surreal perfume TV ads. Unforgiving, and keeps you rivited through its entire run. Zany. I think this one EMBARRASSED an entire nation. Ah, heck, so did Forbidden Love.

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It would be interesting to see if someone else got something out of GTO.

I got a lot out of Tomoko's storyline. Sometimes I'm an insecure person and Tomoko didn't think much of herself so she wanted to be Miyabi. When she realized how important it was for her to find her own strengths and find her own identity she gained a lot of confidence and I was really touched

I also liked 'Forbidden Love's message. This sounds corny but I think that love is the best thing, and when two people really love each other I don't see anything wrong with it no matter who they are. A lot of people see couples out of the ordinary and they hurt them for it and I don't agree with that. Michi said something in the show along the lines of "These laws aren't made to protect people, they're made to punish those who don't conform to society's standards," and when she said that I was just like "Damn girl, that's deep."

Other dramas that I learned from were "Beautiful Life", "One Million Stars Falling From The Sky", "Be Nice To People", and "Shomuni" (yea I know it sounds crazy but I think theres's some positive messages in there ^_^)but I'm tired so I won't go into details about how all these shows touched me right now

Thank you Groink for making a nice topic like this

Miseinen, the 1995 dorama starring Issei Ishida, Takashi Sorimachi and Shingo Katori as a retarded boy. A very universal theme of friendship, undergoing difficult circumstances to adulthood.

Beautiful Life, for teaching me about loving and being sacrificial, of just giving love and not just expecting it.

Most doramas about friendship touches me, particularly Miseinen and Wakamono no Subete. Wakamono no Subete is dark but very subtle, about friendship, love, sacrifice, family bond, guilt, mental disturbance, all into one.

I'll think some more.
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groink wrote:

Kimi ga oshietekureta koto Aaaaaah! That's a series I definitely should go out and look for. Add that to my list... --- groink

I'm surprised you didn't get that! Tomosaka Rie is a great actress (I first saw her in Haru Ranman and she was great in that). You should give Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta Koto a try.

Precious Bamboo wrote:

"One Million Stars Falling From The Sky"

Bamboo, not to sound stupid, but what struck you about that one? I'm not saying it to be smart, hontou ni. I just haven't seen it in a long time and I don't remember anything specific that would apply here I may be forgetting something from it...

WD, I didn't see all of Miseinen...but uh, didn't most of them make fun of Deku because he was mentally retarded (or at least not take him seriously)? But they called him Deku for a reason Since I didn't see it all, did they all eventually value Deku, defend him, and stop calling him Deku? Yes, there was the growing-up theme, though.

Groink,
Was thinking about this the other day, but slightly different. I'd ask...

If someone were to ask you (Groink or anyonce else that's seen a LOT of doramas) what would be the first 6 pack of doramas you would recommend watching for someone that's never seen doramas before, what would they be?
-PCM

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Bamboo, not to sound stupid, but what struck you about that one? I'm not saying it to be smart, hontou ni. I just haven't seen it in a long time and I don't remember anything specific that would apply here I may be forgetting something from it...

I haven't watched the show in a while either so I can't remember the character's names but I thought it was interesting how the characters who were treated badly acted compared to Sanma's character and his 'sister', and how Shibasaki Kou's character changed a lot after Sanma's character made her feel more important and how his adopted sister changed after Kimura Takuya's character fell in love with her . LoL yea this sounds vague because I can't remember everything but I remember that when I was watching it there were a lot of things about people that I never thought of before and it made me wonder if the scriptwriter was a psychologist because it was so interesting .

IMO: Song of the Canefields

Really makes you realize the importance of family and how you should never take them for granted as you could be parted from them one day without notice. Cherish your family everyday as they will not be with you forever.
idk, just my take on it. That drama made me want to be a better son, nephew, grandson, brother and cousin by thinking about what I could do for them rather than what they could do for me.
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ahochaude wrote:

IMO: Song of the Canefields Really makes you realize the importance of family and how you should never take them for granted as you could be parted from them one day without notice. Cherish your family everyday as they will not be with you forever. idk, just my take on it. That drama made me want to be a better son, nephew, grandson, brother and cousin by thinking about what I could do for them rather than what they could do for me.

Agreed.

Phew.. tough one
Actually in most doramas there must be something that that got me thinking, and in a way find out more about myself and what i want from life... cos different characters have different point of view, and at the very least it helps to understand how other people will react under certain situation, and know that i'm still sane if i'm doing the same..
There are few though that left some taste long after watching it, one is Dangerous Relationship. Can't say it's my fave dorama, but it shows the dark side of human nature, people looking so incapable from the outside can actually show surprising achievements if given the chance of a different life...I guess it taught me not to underestimate people around me...

I'd have to say Koi ga shitai x3 was very good in terms of discussing people's places in society in a fun way, and calls into question the idea of relationships, loneliness, and love that aren't in usual romance dramas.

GTO the TV series I got just about absolutely nothing from. The GTO manga I did get some good ideas from. I'm currently watching Kinpachi (I think Kinpachi 6?), and I'm learning a few things from that (mostly from the Chinese proverbs that Kinpachi uses). Although mostly superficial in its treatment, Kinpachi does touch upon serious issues (gender dynamics, psychology, importance of family, death, etc.).

And of course, Shota no Sushi for teaching me how REAL sushi is made. =) But no, a lot of drama is very superficial and don't really make me think too deeply. It's just for entertainment purposes for the most part.

Sadly enough (or greatly?), I find myself learning more points from watching anime. Hikaru no Go and Planetes spring to mind as good dramas that involve strong character development and self-reflection.
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I think that the length of taiga dramas alone (not to mention the detailed costume and set design) suggests how they should be heeded. I dunno if there was a day after any Musashi episode that I didn't want to attack (once I got to work, uh, was another story ; hah, just kidding, I work for my money, lemme tell ya. And, actually, I'm glad to incorporate some of Musashi's Musashiisms throughout the day. Hmmph).

After having watched the initial 12 episoder of the Shinsengumi's efforts, and currently watching the longer Shinsengumi! there's a bunch to be learned 'bout the team effort under the auspices of the accounts of this great band of protectors and fighters.

ahochaude wrote:

IMO: Song of the Canefields Really makes you realize the importance of family and how you should never take them for granted as you could be parted from them one day without notice. Cherish your family everyday as they will not be with you forever. idk, just my take on it. That drama made me want to be a better son, nephew, grandson, brother and cousin by thinking about what I could do for them rather than what they could do for me.

agreed...and that no matter how tough the situation is, there is always a reason to smile.

there are boku no ikiru michi and boku to kanojo to kanojo no ikiru michi. the former, to treasure life and every single minute there is. the latter, to love the ones around us.

as for GTO, it 'inspires' me. though not a very realistic portrayal of a teacher, it sorta reminds me that no student is hopeless. and all of us teachers(at least my friends and i... ) want to be a GT'X'

I think From the Heart (Kimi ga oshietekureta koto) is an important one to watch. It was my first look at autism. I thought Tomosaka Rie did an excellent job portraying autism. It was cool, cuz I learned more about autism in classes. I think its important to learn about the various disabilities peoples have so we don't just label them as retarded or helpless.

i've yet to finish watching aruganon ni hanataba wo, but the first episode was pretty good. it was pretty sad that haru's mother left him and the children teased him for being who he is. for an autistic child, love is very important and these children may even have a talent in one area or another.

Wow, this is a great topic! I like these types of dramas too (what I call "serious" dramas). But actually, about the debate of GTO (and other similar shows), I guess that it really depends on the mood of the person watching the show... if I'm not in the mood for the show, then no matter how good the message is, I just won't get it... same thing for the other way round... btw, I'm one of the people who doesn't get inspired by GTO...

Anyway, here's the list of doramas which I find inspiring:
(May contain Spoilers!)

- Flowers for Algernon: Think that those who've read the novel should know more than me... Well, it teaches me to cherish the simple things that I took for granted, like being able to read a book. As Haru became intelligent, he cherishes his new found hobby of reading, and yet after he reached his peak, he gets complacent and actually looks down on people, something which we sometimes do. Yet when his intelligence drops, he realizes his mistakes and starts to cherish the people around him again. Many similar doramas cover such themes, such as Konno you no Hanashi, Itoshi Kimi e, Boku no Ikiru Michi...

- Dr Koto's Clinic special: Quite a stupid, typical flash-back special, but I like the part where Dr Koto's "ex-student" goes all the way to help the elderly woman. Teaches me to get out of my comfort zone and to reach out to help the others... and also that no matter how f***up you used to be, you can always change for the better a step at a time...

- Renai hensachi: The ending of the first story... reminds us not to look down on others, and not to always push the blame to others...

- Miseinen: Like what WD said, teaches us about friendship... although they initially make fun of Deku, in the end, they actually protected Deku when he accidentally shot a person. Good when you're all stressed up as it tells us to relax and ditch the stress for a carefree life like them

- The Last Song: Some episodes are very inspirational... like the one where the "ojisan" fork out his hard-earned money to help his girlfriend cure her blindness, even when he knows that he'll be ditched if his girlfriend saw his looks...

- When the Saints goes marching in: Similar to what Groink said

Guess that this is getting too long, so I'll stop here...

I just finished watching a fairly new drama called "Hikaru To Tomoni" (Together with Hikaru)...man...they don't call that time slot "Tears Wednesday" for nothing!

It's about how a mother copes with her 7-year-old autistic son, but she can only do so with the support of the friends and family around her. Unlike a lot of Japanese dramas, "Hikaru to Tomoni" has a very realistic atmosphere and manages to hit home at least once per episode. I don't think I have a heartstring left that hasn't been tugged at yet!

What makes it even better is that even though it has such a heavy plot, it's not dark at all! There's enough humor to keep you smiling so you don't get all depressed after watching it like you would with such dramas as Miseinen and Seija No Koushin.

The cast really helps as well. Shinohara Ryoko is at her very best portraying a genuinely caring mother who wants the best for her son, and by doing so, sometimes gets irritated and over-whelmed. It's Hikaru's teacher's job (played by the great Kobayashi Satomi) to make sure that Hikaru's mom does not push Hikaru too hard and to make sure she doesn't get over-heated. Takeda Shinji is also great as a weak and naive teacher who still tries his best....I'd forgotten what an awesome actor he was!

I'm having such a difficult time describing my thoughts for this drama in words...but I can say for sure that no time will be wasted with this drama! You just have to see it for yourself! Really gotta applaude NTV for this one!!