thtl wrote:

Sorry for going off topic a bit. DougFunnieee, are you a Swing Girls fan in general, or a Mizuta Fumiko fan in particular?

Both. I love Swing Girls and because of the movie I became a Mizuta Fumiko fan.

DougFunnieee wrote:

Both. I love Swing Girls and because of the movie I became a Mizuta Fumiko fan.

In case you don't know the following web site contains a lot of links to various cast members of Swing Girls.

http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/anglewings/linklist/

thtl wrote:

In case you don't know the following web site contains a lot of links to various cast members of Swing Girls. http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/anglewings/linklist/

Oh, that's great. I've only been to mizutafumiko.com, but I haven't checked out any of the other cast members yet. Thanks!

I'm currently following the drama version. ( actually never knew there was also a movie ) and I found it rather cute. Actually, I'm perplexe about the storyline and as I read the spoiler I think it was a bit unrealistic. But guess I'll just watch till the very end before voicing my opinion. ... but hey, such twisted-ending is surely cuter than a a preditable "Myo-got-a-twin-sister-that-has-lost-memory" and all that, right ? so yup. I'll continue the drama will see the ending and I'll comment later on.

I first thought Hiroki and Mimura looks strange side-toside. But I've changed my mind as I found their character really cute together. Mimura is lovely looking. So far, until episode 7, I found it a bit cliché with few scenes but I can get over it so good drama so far.

DougFunnieee wrote:

I need to re-watch the movie, but I think it's some sort of mental panic disorder. That's why he doesn't surround himself with other people or else he'll freak out, and also he can't exert himself too much.

ohh so des ka..but in the dorama, it seems different..he had pain on his chest...but, anyway, thanks soo much for the info! I got to watch the movie...

MokaGirl wrote:

I'm currently following the drama version. ( actually never knew there was also a movie ) and I found it rather cute. Actually, I'm perplexe about the storyline and as I read the spoiler I think it was a bit unrealistic. But guess I'll just watch till the very end before voicing my opinion. ... but hey, such twisted-ending is surely cuter than a a preditable "Myo-got-a-twin-sister-that-has-lost-memory" and all that, right ? so yup. I'll continue the drama will see the ending and I'll comment later on. I first thought Hiroki and Mimura looks strange side-toside. But I've changed my mind as I found their character really cute together. Mimura is lovely looking. So far, until episode 7, I found it a bit clich� with few scenes but I can get over it so good drama so far.

waahh..then you can tell me what's takumi's sickness...

I'm not quite sure what exactly is his sickness actually. Just know that he has to do thing on his own rythm: let's say can't take the bus or else. Can only do bycycle or not he'll get sick. Is there a name for it ? I can't say ... Gome.

Out of Topics: I saw Swing Girls too !!! Really enjoyed !!! It was way better than I thought. I watched it out of boreness but it turns out really entertaining.

The novel (I read a Chinese translation) explained Takumi's sickness in more detail, but still didn't give it a name. Apparently it is some kind of imbalance of chemicals in his brain which gives him acute anxiety attacks in certain situations, such as when he is closed in with a lot of people.

Off-topic: Glad to find another Swing Girls fan, maybe we can start a thread...

Ohh...thanks sooo much for the explaination...the dorama really make me feels soo curious bout his sickness...i understand now...thanks soo much minna on the explainations!!

I've seen the movie, and cried watching it. Bought the drama version too and is gonna see it when I have the time. I've also read the book, which is even more sad and touching than the movie (since they tweaked a few things from the book).

Though when I showed the movie to my friend, some of them kept screaming "Is she a ghost?!" and others couldn't figure out what the heck happened

But it's an awesome movie (and the theme song's by OR!! woot!) and an awesome story. I look forward to watching the drama version (more OR songs!)

yup!! I really love the OST..esp KIzuna, by Orange Range...just love the song....I love the song played while watching the ending clips of the dorama....soo sweet..

I just finished watching the drama, and felt compelled to write a few words. To those of you who haven't, and are going to, watch the movie and/or the drama, don't worry, I won't put in any spoilers.

The most obvious difference between the movie and drama versions is the depth of the drama - not surprising considering the drama has 5 times as much time as the movie to tell the same story.

While both versions deviated from the novel, it seems that the drama tries to maintain the details in the movie.

I am a big fan of Takeuchi Yuko, so I make no apologies in saying I prefer her in the role of Mio (movie) over Mimura (drama). Both Nakamura Shido (movie) and Narimiya Hiroki (drama) does the job well, although Nakamura's appearance actually fits better with the description of Takumi in the novel. Yuji was played by Takei Akashi in both versions, and I can't think of anyone better for this role.

Another grip I have with Mimura is that she seemed a bit 'big" (as in large-framed) for the role of Mio. Again I prefer Takeuchi.

What surprised me was the similarity between the two young Mio's. Otsuka Chihiro (movie) looks more like a young Takeuchi than Kurokawa Tomoka's (drama) portrait of the young Mio. The two young Mio's, however, looked almost identical.

I've read a couple of reviews in which the reviewer compared 'Sekai no Chuushin' to such classics as 'Love Story' - they preferred 'Sekai' over 'Ima' because they think 'Sekai' is more intense, and they don't like the quasi-sci-fi plot of 'Ima'.

While I liked 'Sekai' a lot (I watched the movie), it is really about closure - or lack of. Aki died because she was ill, and Sakutaro was love-sick for 17 years because he cannot let go.

Mio, however, chose a predicted death-at-an-early-age because of love. She knew exactly what's in store for her if she seeked out Takumi, and yet she did. While Takumi was also love-sick part of Mio, in the form of Yuji, will always be with him.

There is no sacrifice in 'Sekai', hence IMHO 'Ima' is a more positive portrait of love.

MokaGirl wrote:

Out of Topics: I saw Swing Girls too !!! Really enjoyed !!! It was way better than I thought. I watched it out of boreness but it turns out really entertaining.

Off-topic and late: Great to see another person enjoy Swing Girls. Definitely one of my favorite movies. I wish we could start a thread, but it would just get moved to the Japanese movies thread.

Attempt to stay on-topic: Is the drama better than the movie?

EDIT: I changed my question because I realized where I was asking this question.

DougFunnieee wrote:

Attempt to stay on-topic: Is the drama better than the movie?

Personally I prefer the movie because it is tighter (less time to play around with side lines) and the cast is better.

After a few hours of sleep (since finishing the drama) my finger itched so much I just have to doe out a few spoilers. Read on at your own demise!

*The Plot*

The plot line of the movie and the drama are very close, and they deviate a little from the plot line of the novel. I'll highlight some obvious differences.

Mio & Takumi's school days

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

The novel did not give such graphic details of their time at school, and certainly did not include the sprinting competition scene where the winner cheated and Mio killed the lights. I thought this was a very nice touch. In the movie Mio took a little more initiative - she used her influence in the students' commitee to get a seat next to Takumi. In the drama Mio and Takumi sat together in the last year of their junior highschool days, whereas in the movie they sat together for 3 years in senior school. In the novel and the movie Takumi did not move to another town. In fact Mio town to go to college.

Mio's traffic accident

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

In the novel Mio's accident had nothing to do with Takumi, whereas in the screen adaptations she had an accident when she ran after Takumi, although the circumstances leading to this were different in the movie and the drama.

Mio & Takumi's love scene

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

Specifically I mean their making love at home just before she was about to leave as the rainy season was ending. In the novel there was a fairly detailed description, even mentioning that Mio felt painful - and they figured out at that point she was probably a virgin. In the movie the scene was also quite explicit - I don't mean in a erotic sense, only that it was made very clear they are having sex. In the drama we only get to see Mio laying beside Takumi, and Takumi saying that this was the old familiar feeling. We didn't actually know they had sex until Takumi read Mio's diary.

Mio's diary

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

In the novel Takumi was writing a novel about Mio's return. Mio found out she was supposed to be dead from reading the manuscript. In the screen adaptations Mio's diary told the whole story. I really loved this part, especially in the screen adaptations Takumi found out a lot about Mio from the diary - how she really had a crush on him; why she came to him after he brushed her off; and the 'truth' behind her 'return'. In the novel Mio wrote a letter to Takumi to explain her 'return'. She left this letter to an old man for safekeeping, and asked this person to give Takumi letter after she was gone again. The diary was much more romantic...

Mio & Takumi's reunion

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

Specifically I mean Mio coming to see Takumi after she woke up from her accident. In the screen adaptations Takumi was working in a daisy field when Mio walked in unannounced. In the novel Mio called Takumi's home, found out he was out travelling, and left a message to meet him in a town. Takumi came, they were reacquainted, and made love for the first time (for Takumi, but it was actually Mio's second time).

*The Characters*

There are difference between the screen adaptations and the novel, even among the movie and the drama.

Mio

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

In the novel there is no background information on Mio. In the movie her family owns a stationery store; in the drama her family is well-to-do, and her mother a retired teacher.

Mariko

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

In all 3 versions Mariko was Takumi's co-worker. Only in the drama version did it say that Mariko was also Mio's best friend from her school days. Personally I prefer that Mariko was not an old friend of Mio's - Mio would have asked Mariko to "look after Takumi and Yuji" before her own death if they were close friends. In the novel and the movie it seemed more creditable that Mio would pop this question to Mariko during her 'return'; and since so know Mariko's response (Takumi will not love anyone other than Mio), so did not asked Mariko during her 'normal' life time. However in all 3 versions, Mariko certainly had feelings for Takumi.

Ryoko (Mio's mother)

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

She did not appear much in the novel, and only mentioned in the movie. In the drama she played a rather prominent role. She gave a sense of grief to Mio's death, and add a more realistic element towards Yuji's character.

The Kikuchi's (Cake shop couple)

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

The cake shop was not mentioned in the novel, and only briefly featured in the movie. I liked the way it added some kind of continuity to Yuji's life. In the movie the cake shop owner kept the shop open so he can deliver the last cake to Yuji. I think that was sweet too.

Takumi's doctor

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

There was no such character in the novel. In the movie it was a male doctor (Noguchi) and in the drama it was a female (Hongo). In the screen adaptations Takumi confided to his doctor, who supported him emotionally.

Yuji's teacher

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

Played by You in the movie and Megumi in the drama, this character was not featured at all in the novel.

Ogasawara (Mobile shop guy)

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He only appeared in the drama and, from what I can see, only acted as a comic relief.

I nearly forgot there was another version of "Ima" - a manga. Don't bother with this because it deviated too much from the novel. Even the rainy season did not feature in the manga!

DougFunnieee wrote:

Off-topic and late: Great to see another person enjoy Swing Girls. Definitely one of my favorite movies. I wish we could start a thread, but it would just get moved to the Japanese movies thread.

I took a look at the Japanese movies thread and it is dismal - no management at all and all movies are sort of mixed together.

If we start a thread in the Japanese Entertainment Discussion board do you think we'll get kicked to the movies thread?

i really love this drama... i'm crying in every episodes
very curious with movie version,, i'll looking 4 it...
narimiya hiroki (did i wrong?) sometimes he looks too young to be a father..but mimura very pretty!! she is so sweet....
and..yuki. he's the best. very cute!!

it has a good story, really curious with the novel too, wher can i find it? in the bookstore in my place? i dont think so

this is my fave drama!!!

thx 4 all the spoiler, so i really understand the story now

I recently bought ImaAi movie DVD, and absolutely LOVED it. I decided to make hardsub for the movie since I have some spare time during winter break.

I know there's softsub for this, but it's not very good, and there's no more seeders. So if you've never seen it, and want to, expect to see it uploaded on torrentbox and possibly isohunt or thepiratebay at beginning of next year!

Subbed trailer: http://www.sendspace.com/file/1x61bo
scroll down for the link

I just finished watching the drama. I absolutely loved it. I read the reviews before watching it, and have to disagree with most of them. I didn't find it slow paced at all. Well, then again, I should add that I haven't seen the movie version yet, so there really wasn't anything for me to compare with. I'm going to try and watch the movie too.

I just want to say, that I highly recommend this drama.