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ローゼンメイデン 
I meant to write this 2 weeks ago but obviously that didn't happen because I had more pressing thing to attend to. Unfortunately this means that I'm now 4 episodes behind, or rather, 3 episodes behind now that I've completed this one. I'm sorry for the brief summary but I can't possibly complete the series if I do my usual long-winded summary. Besides, I'm sure most people have already seen the episode and don't see the need to read the plot. Overall, I don't find this episode to be as enjoyable as the others but it's probably because the mood between all of the characters are so awkward. I think I've said this before but this is a good example as to why sharing a house with people that you have a crush on is not a good idea. When things unravel, things become uncomfortable and sooner or later, someone has to move to make things right again. Moreover, there's no telling what will happen to the friendship afterwards.
Utada Hikari - Prisoner of Love (27.3MB, PSP/Quicktime format)
I first heard Utada Hikaru when she sang Hikari/Simple and Clean, the main theme for SquareEnix's/Disney's PS2 game, Kingdom Hearts. I thought the song was fantastic whether it was in English, Japanese, or instrumental. I found out back then that Utada was born in New York to Japanese parents but moved to Tokyo in late 1998. Her birth name is actually 「宇多田光」(her first name written in Kanji instead of Katakana as usually seen in her official performance name). Despite this, I don't pay much attention to her other songs just like I don't pay much attention to songs by other singers unless they really catch my attention. Fast forward summer 2007, Rebuild of Evangelion was released and the film came with a main theme, Beautiful World. I think that song is pretty good and sounds like a representation of what the characters in the movie should feel about their life. Despite this, I don't think the song was memorable as a stand-alone song.
Wow at the ending of this episode. I never expected that one although it'll be weird if it turns out to be true. I just don't see how the series will end if the main antagonist is already gone before the end of the series. Apart from that, however, I think that this is probably the most disappointing episode thus far. I just don't like the mood of the episode in general and there doesn't seem to be much plot left. With only 4 more episodes left, I really hope that the writers will speed up the pace a little bit and finally reveal some backstories. They really need to stop teasing us (or creeping us) with Takeru's backstory and just get straight to the point. I also think they need to tone down the use of Prisoner of Love as a theme song. I personally love the song but after hearing it for the umpteenth time, it does get a bit repetitive. Plus, I don't like the slow version that they use in the series in comparison to the normal one used in the opening.
*sigh* Why do I always get into crappy situation like the one I'm in now? FYI, I'm typing this from my office now because I can't get into my apartment. I foolishly forgot to bring my key with me when I left the place this morning. I know I should call Locksmith but it's late at night and I don't feel like waiting outside until the guy comes and they usually don't tell you when they'll come. Oh well, at least I still have an internet connection here or else, it'd be mind numbing waiting until morning. Anyway, moving on to the actual series, unfortunately this episode sees the rating goes down a little bit. I wonder if this is because the episode feels a bit repetitive? As usual, Eri and Ogurin don't get too much screentime either. Eri did provide some advice for Ruka in this episode and is it just me or did everyone else also get the impression that Eri knows the truth about Ruka? And although she said otherwise, I still think that Eri doesn't actually cope with loneliness all that well. If this is true, then expect to see a change in her mood starting from next week.
I just found out from the official website that there's some kind of cell-phone based, short drama spin-off series called "Eri, My Love". The series will be distributed every week and the story will show Eri's private life, which is not shown much in Last Friends. That sounds interesting and a good thing for Mizukawa Asami since her character hasn't exactly been getting much of a focus here. But I feel like I'm missing out on the story even though the website claims otherwise. I hope we'll get to see it as well someday. On a happier note, DramaWiki points out that this episode actually got a 19.9 rating, a 4.0 jump from its usual 15.9 rating. This puts it on the same level as a normal Nodame Cantabile episode. I hope that this increase is not just a one-off incident though atlhough I admit that I didn't expect this drama to end up being this popular even though it features at least 3 principal casts from Nodame Cantabile. But the writing has been quite good and the characters' motivation are easy to understand/sympathize even if you can't put yourself in their position.
While I'm not exactly a fan, I've been following Ueno Juri's career ever since Swing Girls. With every film/series, I notice that she always chooses a role that is different from the one that she played beforehand. Her role in Swing Girls requires her to be a spunky high school girl whereas in Summertime Machine Blues, she plays a geeky and rather quiet college girl (and Eita's love interest). I don't think I need to highlight how different her role in Nodame Cantabile was in comparison to her role as Ruka in this series. It's also interesting to see her working with Eita over and over again. Although they seem to work together quiet frequently, their interaction in each projects are distinctly different. Takuma/Haruka in Summertime Machine Blues are reluctant couple whereas Nodame/Mine in Nodame Cantabile are goofy friends who get to drive Chiaki mad. Ruka/Takeru, on the other hand, is more like unrequited love mixed with deep friendship.
This episode seems to be a lot more obvious about where it wants to go in terms of ending. There are a lot of narrations and dialogue which were designed to reveal the past as well as the final fate of each main characters. While I suspect it'll be dark through and through, I am mostly impressed with the characterizations that each actor has given to their character. As expected, Ruka and Michiru's stories continue to unravel in this episode but what surprised me is the development that they've given to Takeru. I have a theory about his past but I'm not sure if it's correct or not. At this point, I'm not sure if Eri will receive a specific character development but for now her character is mostly associated with Tomohiko. Either way, I hope the show can remain interesting for the remainder 8 episodes. Things move at a really fast pace now that I can't help but wonder if the writers still have a lot to tell. It looks like the story could easily be resolved in 6 or 7 episodes (instead of 11).
Despite my initial reservation, the second episode entertained me more than I expected so I think I'll stick with this for a while. I do have to try to shorten the summary though since it's a killer on my time. The worst is probably the screenshots, which can take ages to produce but let's see what happens. Anyway, I still find it weird to Ueno Juri, Eita, and Mizukawa Asami playing characters that are so different from their characters in Nodame Cantabile. This is partly why I feel uncomfortable with the series. Everytime I see Takeru looking at Ruka like he's in love with her, I feel like this is all wrong because it feels like I was watching Mine and Nodame behaving in out of character manner. I have to keep reminding myself that Ueno Juri and Eita now play two completely different characters called Ruka and Takeru. On a more positive side, the soundtrack for this series is wonderful. It's not just the OP that sounds good but also the BGM. My favorite is the one that plays when Ruka and Michiru part ways in front of the train station at the start of this episode.
OP Theme: 「Prisoner of Love」 by Utada Hikaru - AVI version (22.3MB) | PSP version (10.7MB) | YouTube version
I was going to write about Kyouran Kazoku Nikki after this but because I had to go to a party, I can only write the summary for this drama. I'm sorry about this but I'll try to cover it after the next batch of 2nd episodes that will come soon. Anyway, as I promised, here's the review for Last Friends, the new J-drama that airs on Fuji TV. This drama turns out to be much better than what I had imagined. While there's nothing new or extraordinary about it, it tells the story well and the actors are very capable performers. It's a bit shocking to see Ueno Juri playing a character with a completely different personality from Nodame but this series show that she has a good acting range. What impresses me the most, however, is Utada Hikaru's OP theme, Prisoner of Love. As one might expect, the song is a constant presence throughout the series. The producers even shot a specific opening for the series where the actors get to look around in confusion while red ribbons fly all over the place. Having said that, I'm still not sure if I'd continue watching this. I find the theme a bit too depressing and I still haven't finalized my Spring 2008 viewing schedule.
