Title:
X'smap ~Tora to Raion to Gonin no Otoko~ (The Tiger, The Lion and The Five Men)
Broadcasts: FujiTV, 25 December 2004
Duration: 96 mins (drama special 1-episode)
Genre: musical, fairytale fantasy, comedy, heart-warming, christmas drama
Casts:
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Takuya Kimura, Shingo Katori, Goro Inagaki, Masahiro Nakai, Hiroshi Abe, Yuuka, Naomi Nishida
Guest-stars:
Toshiaki Karasawa, Tamori
Sets in a fantasy world like in fairytale stories(realized by CG effects), with a different and unique directing style, makes this dorama becomes -one of a kind- and reminds us of Hollywood's Christmas movies. Also, the picture quality which uses widescreen, makes this dorama actually more suitable as a wide-screen movie.
The floating bridge, the imaginary town, the houses, the departement store building, all have weird unreal shapes like in fairytale stories, and all are made by CG effects.
I must admit, that this is the best musical japanese movie/drama, by far. Since Yuuka's Koi ni Utaeba is futsu...interesting enough, but still, futsu. And Goro Inagaki's Hoshi ni Negai wo(NHK drama) is really just something that will put you to sleep.
The scene opens with a kid in about 13-14 years of age, named
Leo...is telling crowd of people a sad story, about him and his younger siblings, one brother,
Toranosuke and one sister,
Hana. Toranosuke sit beside him, but Hana is nowhere to be seen. Leo tells them, that the 3 of them were ditched by their parents. Never feels happiness in Christmas Eve. When people got happy to see snow falling down, but for the 3 siblings, snow is only coldness that will make them more suffer. Until one day, Hana was kidnapped by some adult. While Leo is telling the story, and the people are crying along listening to their story, Toranosuke quietly picking money cash from the cashier machine, behind those people. But, suddenly, one of them sees what Tora is doing, so Leo and Tora try to escape. They run passing the floating bridge, laughing.....
Opening credits comes on with an instrumental theme which reminds me very much of Tim Burton's Batman The Movie's theme^^
Next scene, shows the merry atmosphere at Saint Departement Store, coz today is December 24th, people are buying christmas presents. All staffs busy promoting in front of the entrance, that Saint DS sells the best x'mas presents.
Then, arrive
Junior-sacho[Goro Inagaki], the Saint DS' president, with a limousine, entering the dept.store.
Junsaa[Masahiro Nakai], the police officer, is eating kare rice at
Masutaa[Tsuyoshi Kusanagi]'s kare foodshop, who got a call about the 2 siblings.
Next scene, is the busy scene at a mansion castle owned by the richest man in town,
Uji-sensei[Hiroshi Abe]. Leo and Toranosuke are spying on this mansion from outside, coz Hana is inside this mansion. Hana has been adopted by Uji, and Leo really hates Uji. He thinks Uji is such a bad person.
Meanwhile, inside the mansion, all maids and servants are busy preparing for Christmas eve. The x'mas tree ordered arrived, brought by 2 men named
Aji[Takuya Kimura] &
Oto[Shingo Katori]. Aji and Oto are actually 2 brothers of burglars who plans to rob the mansion, comes pretend to deliver the x'mas tree, but actually are trying to get a map of the mansion.
Aji and Oto are my most favorite characters in this story, coz Aji-Oto brings out the comical atmosphere the most, and really such 2 characters of clowns of the story. The 2 brothers are really noisy, always arguing even to little things, or laughing out loud without any specific reason, or singing out loud...xD Really funny! Aji, the older brother, is the most ambitious one about doing the robbery mission, his face looked scary coz he always widened his eyes, but also likes to laugh without any real reason. While, Oto, the childish younger brother, have weird manner, likes to eat lollipop candy, alot crazier than Aji, and if what he wants is not granted by Aji, he will wheep on the floor like a kid
Back to the story, inside the mansion...there's a female maid wearing glasses, who signs the receive receipt given by Aji. While signing, the maid tells Oto, not to eat lollipop while working. Suddenly, Oto puts the lollipop inside her mouth, saying, "Amai yo![its sweet!]". The maid is in awe, and remotely falls for Oto. Along the story, this female maid will frequently dreaming Oto as this manly kakkoi man, comes to save her...LOL! xD
Junior, the dept.store's sacho, have a son. But even in this x'mas eve, he cannot go home to be together with his son to celebrate xmas, but he only promised his son that the greatest and most expensive christmas present will be delivered to the house later.
At night, Aji keeps observing the smoke comes out of Uji's mansion's chimney, with his binocular. When the smoke stops coming out, he immediately happily calls out his brother, and tells him that it is time. Leo and Toranosuke quietly follows them, coz they want to bring Hana back.
Meanwhile, a woman named
Shibari-sensei[Yuuka] asked Junsaa, the police, about Leo and Toranosuke. Turns out, she knows about them...and tells him, that they are not real siblings...but they meet, have the same fate, then just refer themselves as siblings, since they're always together whereever they go.
While, Masutaa[Tsuyoshi] have a big secret... The old man who always sit on the foodshop's corner, since the beginning of the story...is actually his father. And this white-bearded and white-mustached old man, is actually the real Santa Claus! But this year, his father has retired. As his son, Masutaa have the job to replace him to be Santa Claus. Masutaa is having a dilemma about this....but finally, he determined to do this job with the flying Santa cart.
Inside this musical dorama, there's a total 3 musical songs...mmh, maybe 4...no, 5...if we count the song sung by SMAP at the end of the story^^
1. The song sung by the Saint Dept.Store people in the beginning of story, with the song and dancing ala musical Broadway. One of my most favorite musical song in this dorama! The title might be "Yatterannai ze, Kurisumasu!".
2. The song which also sung by the Saint Dept.Store people, about the xmas presents the customers bought. Oh, there's Maju Ozawa here, also sings(the long-nosed actress of Botan to Bara...she also was in Itazura na Kiss^^).
3. The song sung by Yuuka!! wahh, I loooove the song...such a sweeet slow song...the possible title is "Bokura no X'mas Eve"
Tells about Leo, Toranosuke and Hana's relationship.
hee....reminds of Yuuka's musical movie, seeing Yuuka sings here ^_^ up till now, im still wondering can Yuuka really sing, or was her voice dubbed? x)
4. The song sung by Oto[Shingo Katori]? haha, im not sure whether this is included or not, since the song is very short and sounds like Shingo just made up the tunes himself x) Possible title is "Aji and Oto", since its an introduction of Aji and Oto, when they first met Leo and Toranosuke. Since the lyrics are written below the screen, so perhaps, it is included as one of the musical song x)
5. "Song of X'smap by SMAP" in the end of the story, before the very last scene. Sukiiii!
*SPOILERS*
Funniest scene: When Aji, Oto, Leo and Tora were chased by Uji's men in the mansion. Since the mansion's map accidentally thrown away by Oto, they got lost. Aji said, "Have an announcement to make.....I think we're lost, hahahahaha!!" xD
Suddenly, a door is opened and its that female maid who falls for Oto....Oto asked her where is the exit, while putting the lollipop inside her mouth again. Actually, Oto said it normally, while laughing actually....but in the maid's eyes...Oto looks really kakkoi when he ask...LOL! The maid points a direction, then Oto yells, "Achi daaa![this way!]". Aji who is behind the door, rushed in pushing the door forcely, which made the maid pushed inside roughly...haha... xD
Also, another favorite scene of mine, is when Masutaa flying with the un-controlled Santa cart on the air. At the same time, Aji and Oto were pushed outside from the chimney...they meet....then Aji and Oto stuck on the un-controlled cart, flying away here and there!! haha, funny part is since Aji and Oto are wearing deer costumes...makes it looks like the real Santa Claus flying cart...!! xD
But for me, the story's ending is kinda sad....Leo and Tora cant be together with Hana again....
Althou, its fair enough, since Uji-sensei himself, also seems to love Hana very much, like his own daughter... *_* And also, Hana will have a better life in that luxurious mansion, of course....but really sad for the 2 brothers
But maybe the heart-warming part is that, Leo & Tora remains brothers in Hana's heart. And Hana also remains as Leo & Tora's sister in their heart...even though they are apart ^_^
saigo no kotoba: x'smap dorama saikou! suteki! yaru ne[well done], smap!!^o^d
_________________
"Let's create a world without war together"
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Log in
And the part where they argued on the santa clothes too! Both of them are so cute! And Junsa's cho kawaii look when he ate the curry rice! Argh... and also Tsuyopon's look when he rode the 'sleigh' for the first time! 
Goro always looks good with glasses~ ^_^
reading your summary, it was some what hard to understand, but I knew what you were talking about since I already saw it.. 
i wish if there will be english or malay sub vcd. 
i really wanna to watch it.
