Kat's Spotlights
NOTE: Posted from Newest to oldest.
J-drama: Code Blue
Code Blue ~Doctor Heli Kinkyuu Kyumei is the one of the new summer drama from Fuji TV, that started July 3, 2008. It's got an incredible cast, including Yamashita Tomohisa, Toda Erika, and Aragaki Yui. It's a medical drama that is about a new system in Japan - flight doctors. Using a helicopter (What they call a Doctor-Heli) they treat patients on site.
There are four doctors-in-training, working under the guidance of experienced flight doctors:
Aizawa Kousaku (Yamashita Tomohisa)
He is a seemingly amazing doctor who is incredibly knowledgeable and calm and composed at all times. He is obsessed to improve his medical skills, which often causes some friction with others. This obsession makes others misunderstand his personality, whose character is influenced by his tragic background.
Shiraishi Megumi (Aragaki Yui)
Shiraishi’s character is always passive and defensive and does not like to have conflicts with others. Her fear of failure prevents people from seeing her awkward side, and she is often timid in severe situations.
Hiyama Mihoko (Toda Erika)
Hiyama is a typical female doctor in the Japanese medical society, graduating from a private medical school funded by her wealthy parents. She is aggressive and hates to lose. However unlike Aizawa and Shiraishi, her emotional personality often results in tears or arguments with patients.
Fujikawa Kazuo (Asari Yosuke)
He's one of the four in the group of interns, yet is the only one unable to actually ride the helicopter. His skills are not comparable to that of Aizawa's, and therefore he is denied the ability to do so.
If blood makes you scared, this is probably not the right drama for you to watch. It's filled with drama, blood, and all the works that comes along with the hospital surroundings.
The Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer [album]
The Jonas Brothers are an American pop rock bank from New Jersey made up of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Recently, they started in the hit Disney summer movie, Camp Rock.
A Little Bit Longer is their third album which was released August 12, 2008. The highlights of this album are definitely are BB Good, Burnin' Up which shows more of an oldies side, and A Little Bit Longer which is a slow ballad, but shows a nice calm side to the Jonas Brothers.
Southern All Stars - I AM YOUR SINGER [single]
Southern All Stars are a Japanese pop rock band that was formed in the mid 1970s made of a few Aoyama Gakuin University students at the time. The Southern All Stars have been one of the best-selling music groups in the past 30 years of Japan, selling more than 47 million albums and singles in the country alone so far. They have had over 40 top-ten hit singles and 16 number-one albums on the Japan's Oricon Charts as of 2008.
I AM YOUR SINGER is their 53rd single which was released August 6, 2008. I love how the main singer sings. Mainly, his english is superb, and therefore he sounds like he sings Japanese with an accent. Most of the tunes are pop, yet have their elements of folk tunes which makes them quite unique.
Nakagawa Shoko - Shiny GATE [single]
Nakagawa Shoko is a Japanese idol and talento (being an actress, voice actor, illustrator, and singer). Nicknamed Shokotan, she's most known for her anime fandom. Shiny GATE was released August 8, 2008 and is her 5th single.
She has a great voice, as far as being a woman. She has one of the best voices I've seen that can actually express songs like anime themes, even if they aren't supposed to. All her songs sound like anime themes and are quite entertaining to listen to. The entire single has an extremely happy feel to it. So, if anime themes are something you like, this is definitely worth a listen.
Download Preview: Nakagawa Shoko - Shiny GATE [single]
Leah Dizon - Communication!! [album]
Leah Dizon is model, singer, actress, and idol in Japan, who was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She's Chinese, Filipino, French, yet began modelling in Japan in 2006.
Communication!!! is her second album, which was released August 20, 2008. She's known for having a weak voice, and not really being able to sing. And, in reality, I agree with all that. But this album supplies some amazing tunes and lyrics, if you are able to ignore her weak singing voice. She co-wrote 10 of the tracks and composed two herself. With everything from Rock to R&B, there is a vast array of different tracks that can interest many.
Download Preview: Leah Dizon - Communication!!! [album]
J-drama - Last Friends
Last Friends is a Japanese drama that started in April. Modern topics such as love, sex, rape, sexual identity disorder, and DV (Domestic Violence) are brought up in this drama, revealing a very serious, emo-like drama. It's not the usual comedy or romance styled drama, and that's one reason I have liked it so far.
The story's based around 5 main characters, and their suffereings. Michiru (Nagasawa Masami) is an assistant beautician who's bullied at work. There are problems at home for her, and she starts living with her boyfriend Sousuke (Nishikido Ryo) who works at the Child Welfare Division. He becomes a DV guy. Ruka (Ueno Juri) and Michiru are reacquainted. Takeru (Eita) is a hair and make-up artist and Eri (Mizukawa Asami) is a flight attendant. Takeru, Eri, and Ruka become housemates.
Within the first episode, we find out that Michiru has a really nice boyfriend. And, at the end, we find out how bad a boyfriend he really is. He wants her to move in with her and once she's moved in, he beats her. Sousuke is over jealous and it takes him over, making him blinded by rage and unable to comprehend that he loves Michiru to that extent. Anyone that she meets, whether it be a guy that she has to cut hair for, or a friend, he gets mad because she meets with them. Because Michiru loves Sousuke a lot at this point, she gives into him a lot.
Throughout the series, Michiru goes back and forth between her new friends and her boyfriend. Other times, she's just trying to run away from her boyfriend who seemingly stalks her to try to get her back.
I highly recommend it, especially since the actors and the roles are just matched so perfectly. Nishikido Ryo is the perfect person for the role of Sousuke. Though, almost every episode so far, there has been some act of violence of some sort. In many parts while watching, we wish, if only Sousuke could just stop being violent to Michiru, and then there'd be a happy ending. But we know that's not possible.
Slight Warning: All the topics that are brought up in this drama are pretty heavy. So if you're not looking forward to a very complicated plot, you're not gonna be interested in this drama.