Tags
absolute boyfriend, Aibu Saki, Asamoto Soshi, Hayami Mokomichi, Izawa Riiko, Mizushima Hiro, Tenjo Night, wataese yu, zettai kareshi
Robot maker, Kronos Heaven, finally develops “Night Tenjo”, the perfect male humanoid programmed to be devoted and completely loyal to his lover. The company chooses temp worker Izawa Riko to take part in a 5-day free trial. At first, Riko only sees Night as a household appliance. But when she finds out how deep Night’s devotion to herself is, Riko finds herself falling in love with him. Joining the love triangle is Asamoto Soshi, a distinguished young executive at her company who has feelings for her. —Fuji TV (as cited in DramaWiki)
Directors: Hijikata Masato (土方政人) (ep1-2,5,8,11), Sato Genta (佐藤源太) (ep3-4,7,10), Kitagawa Manabu (北川学) (ep6,9)
Screenwriters: Nezu Rika (根津理香) (ep1-3,5-6,8-11), Fumishima Rei (文島礼) (ep4), Nihei Junpei (二瓶遵平) (ep7)
Based on the manga, Zettai Kareshi by Watase Yu (Fushigi Yugi, Alice 19th, etc)
Main Characters:
Hayami Mokomichi as Tenjo Night
Mizushima Hiro as Asamoto Soshi
Aibu Saki as Izawa Riiko
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
No. of Episodes: 11 + 1 Special
Broadcast Network: Fuji TV
Airtime: Tuesday 21:00 ; Special: Tuesday 21:00-23:00
Broadcast Period: 2008-Apr-15 to 2008-Jun-24 ; Special: 2009-Mar-24
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
Contrary to what one may think, I did not find out about this drama because of the upcoming Taiwanese version starring Korean actress, Koo Hye-Sun (Boys Over Flowers as Geum Jan-Di) and Jiro Wang (member of Taiwanese group, Farenheit).
This drama was an “accidental” find for me and if I hadn’t asked for my best friend’s help for a video before, I never would have been able to watch this. I was browsing through her downloads, found that she has a Japanese series with only 11 episodes then copied it. I have a certain partiality to Jdoramas mostly because among all the “imported”/”international” dramas that I am aware of, the Japanese style and aesthetics suit me best. Short, direct and heartwarming. No wasted episode. =)
No, I didn’t watch this immediately after copying it. It took me about a month before I played this on my computer. And that was just because one day, I got bored.
And thank heavens for that boring day. Haha!
Anyway, THIS DRAMA IS AMAZING!
Now pardon me for the ‘all caps flair’ above but really, I think that this is quite a treasure among the mainstream dramas we find these days. With all the hallyu wave and country remakes, we probably have seen it all. Love triangles with a bitch in one corner, a mom/dad/grandfather/grandmother who opposes the relationship of the main characters, one of the couple gets amnesia, one of them is the son/daughter of the person who made the other’s life miserable, etc, etc.
This, however, was a breath of fresh air.
Fantasy-like at the out-front, what with a robot as one of the main characters, but I think the drama still managed to get grounded on reality. The plot was simple, a girl gets a robot that was still under experiment and supervision, lives with him (it) for weeks and eventually falls in love with him (it). Another guy joins the story, this time a human being, and that was the only other ‘complication’. Nobody dramatically suffers from all the antagonism.
The thing is, unlike most other dramas, the third member of the triangle wasn’t someone you’ll hate. At all. This is what got me sitting at the edge of my seat, confused of my own feelings. I didn’t know who to root for–Asamoto Soshi or Tenjo Night. Honestly, these characters are so lovable that it hurts to see them both looking good when either was together with Izawa Riiko. I like them both so much that I hated the idea of one going heartbroken. =(
I am, however, pleasantly (no, earth-shatteringly) surprised at how the plot developed. The ending, in particular, was totally unexpected, yet ultimately real. Watch it and you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. =)
A robot developing its own will, emotions and memories was nothing new but I have to give credit to the people behind this because I swear I would have been totally disappointed if not for the superbly written script and the excellent acting from Hayami Mokomichi (Tenjo Night). I think that he practically owned this character (making it a great challenge for Jiro Wang to give his own interpretation). The robotic actions, voice and expressions were all just right–perfect. His presence was enough to make you laugh and cry and love him all the more. If anything, I would call him adorable. The character was clearly developed seeing as how Izawa Riiko was almost ‘cruel’ and ‘insensitive’ to the robot with human features. Thank heavens, they did not rush the feelings of love that developed in Riiko. It would have blown it. =)
Acting-wise I think everyone did a good job although sometimes, I find Aibu Saki’s expressions a bit exaggerated but that was to be expected among Japanese actresses. Hehe.
All in all, I can say that this drama would make you laugh, giddy and most of all, cry in happiness and sadness. Keep a box of tissue handy if you don’t want to look totally wasted after crying buckets. =)
P.S.
This drama made me rediscover Mizushima Hiro (Asamoto Soshi), love his acting (and looks, haha) and realize that he was in Hana Kimi (2007) as Nanba Minami (Dorm 2 leader). Finding out he’s now a writer/novelist endeared him to me. Hehe. A trivia though, he married Ayaka, the one who sang Okaeri, this drama’s theme song. =)
P.P.S.
Hayami Mokomichi was in Gokusen 2 as Tsuchiya Hikaru . I also found out that he’s half-Filipino. At least that’s what most people in forums say. How cool is that? =)
P.P.P.S.
I almost forgot! Haha! Don’t watch this drama when you’re hungry. The desserts would make your mouth water. 😉