Length : Surpassingly too long for such few tapes of (if I am not mistaken) 12 episodes but do refer to Seagull's review for more accurate info on the duration.
Plot:
No plot at all. But let's just assume that the poor excuse of a plot in this series is a plot....By the way, I can't remember the names of the actors, but I am sure you do know that the guy I am talking about is Yutaka, whose name I shall use and the rest I shall use the words..."heroine", the "other guy". Basically, that's about the cast in this series. Plus 2 high speed modems and 2 really big computers.Norika Fujiwara does not count.
This is a love story between two lonely souls who found each other in the Internet and became intimate friends, sharing deep emotional pain and secrets about one another, under false identities with false backgrounds. In real life, Yutaka is a struggling musician that has immense talent whilst our heroine is a bank clerk that has low self esteem and wouldn't mind being walked all over. they met as they worked in the same building but the first encounter did not go so well. Yutaka may be good looking and super cool, but in the girl's eyes he is arrogant. To that gut the girl seemed too quiet and too docile. Though Yutaka in his personal life has an occasional bed mate in the form of Norika, a famous and beautiful DJ, he does not love her. you see he once loved this woman when he was in a rock band but one day, with just a note saying "So Long", she left. And he never saw her since. And he didn't understand why she just left. Whilst our heroine was once in love with a man but was hurt for reasons I genuinely can't remember. So she became even more recluse and at work, she had no respect by her boss. But as they met each other everyday, surprisingly they became friends, often seeing each other and greeting each other, whilst on the Net, they became "lovers" and they began to fall in love with the unseen person at the opposite end. In real life, Norika tried her damnedest to get his love but to no avail. he can't let go of his past love, and when he could, after seeing her again but this time a happily married woman with two kids, he fell for this unseen woman. Whilst our heroine was pursued by this successful executive that had the genuine intention of wooing her for marriage but with all the wrong moves.But she loved only that unseen guy. After many missed encounters, on the day of the girl's engagement our hero played the song which was the real reason how they met on the internet and she knew it was HIM. She ran after him but he denied all knowledge of the internet meeting and went on with his life, until he realize at last he loved her and ran after her and well, kinda confessed his love for her. And they began their relationship miles apart by exchanging e-mails.
Why,What,Where,When,How...:
What brought them together on the Net?
He sent a song to someone via e-mail but got the wrong address, and it was sent to her instead. She loved the song so much she wrote a letter to that guy saying "Who are you?". He deleted that letter. Much later she wrote again apologizing for being so rude and writing to him. And this time he wrote back and that was the start of it all.
What was the lie about backgrounds?
He said he was an aspiring musician now a music teacher in a primary school in Tokyo. She said she is in Paris, he dream destination.
What made that other guy fall for her?
She ain't pretty but that other guy liked her very much because she was the only one that insisted on paying the bill when they had dinner with some other girls. And he liked her quiet nature, and that she will make a good wife.
What made her not like this other guy?
On the first date, he mentioned hotel. On the second date, again hotel. Every time we see this guy, he was like a sex starved maniac, but he was actually much more than that. She didn't like his strong way of approaching the relationship and I can't blame her. He looked like a jerk to me at first.
What made her say yes to his proposal?
She once almost met our hero but she was late because of work that she could've said no to but being the timid her, she couldn't. Later her friend gave her an advise, that it is better to have something real, rather than the internet guy who is just a dream that may not be genuine. moreover, this other guy is very educated, has lots of money that can give her security, and her lifelong dream..to live in Paris. So she said yes.
What then made her ran out of the engagement party?
Our hero came and without really knowing she is that woman on the net(though he suspected it because the way she said certain things), he played the song that made them meet. It was then she knew, and ran after him, and told him of her identity and his response was a laugh and a few discouraging words and he walked off.
What did she do wrong then?
Nothing actually. He didn't want to spoil things for her because the other guy may be a jerk at first, then really creepy and now a perfect gentleman, could provide her for everything in life that he couldn't. Moreover he can't forget about his old love.
Then why did he changed his mind?
Simple. He saw his old girlfriend again, now a married woman with 2 kids. And she told him why she left. they may have been in love, they may have been passionate about each other, but after a while, he wasn't listening to her anymore. There was no communication and the woman left because of this lack of communication. It was then that he realised his problem and he also realised, in a way he could open up to our heroine, like our heroine could open up to him. And that was where later on her flew to Paris for work but actually he was there to see her, but there was no one to see.
Where was she?
Why did I say the jerk-creep was a gentleman? He took her to Paris, and she even wanted to spend a night with her, and she began to unbutton her blouse which was something he wanted all along. but he stood up, walked right up to her and buttoned her blouse. He even gave her a plane ticket back to Tokyo, because he finally realised she does not love him.And loving her much more, he would want her to be truly happy, and the best way to be truly happy is to be with the person she truly loves.
So what was the ending?
They met, exchanged many words and he had to leave to Paris for work, and so they exchanged mails everyday.The End.
?
Comments:
This is the worst Japanese series I have ever seen. But I tortured myself all for Yutaka who was super sulky and yet super cool and thus super sexy. They found the right look for the girl, plain and not that outstanding because frankly if she is THAT beautiful then her social life would have been much more than in the series. But they found the wrong actress. The failure of this series is 3 fold. Mainly the length of the series. I know, TVB has 100 episodes and nobody is complaining more so a mere 12-15 episodes which is considered long for Japanese standard. But consider this, a story about two lost soul that could've just met but time and time again they never did, and they drag nd drag and drag, for me that's very long and a torture. And thus that is the second problem. the storyline. not compelling at all. not much thing is happening. japanese series is always very straightforward in its plot, they focus on one particular couple/scenario and that is why 6 episodes could make a great series. That is how you really get to know the characters and feel for them. But in this series, too much focus which makes it ultimately boring. Especially the ending scene where I though the perfect ending would've been them hugging and exchanging a loving kiss, no words spoken because they have said it all in the e-mails. But thatw as not what happened. Having dragged the story for so long with so little to talk about, that almost final scene had them on the roof, talking and exchanging whatever they said in their e-mails to each other. So frankly if you have misssed the first few correspondence, have no fear because you get a recap for a whole of 15 minutes or so. And that got to my nerve. And when they did finish reminiscing old mails, they hugged. And that's about it. Which comes to the third problem. Yutaka is a wonderfully cool and good actor. His eyes speak volumes, loneliness and pain. But our heroine could not act. She made her character into a pity little thing but to me, her character is not pitiful but lonely. She could not project that weakness. She looked very strong to me. Not being beautiful is not my main concern because she has? the looks for the character but she simply can't act. She spoilt the whole series and don't get me started on the chemistry factor between the two leads. Our Yutaka, you could see him oozing all his longing for this girl in his usual cool aloof manner, but she oozed nothing in return. They are not compatible and I am sure there are many Japanese actresses that are not too pretty but could act better. I was not suprised why this series was a bomb.?
Is this better than....
TVB's Web Of Love? I haven't watch that one but I doubt TVB's version of iNternet love is good. Maybe Tom Hank's You've Got Mail? Frankly the western one is much much better. But personally I like the original version of Tom Hank's new version, starring Jimmy Stewart in the movies called " The Shop Around The Conner". It's about the same thing but the only difference is there wasn't any e-mails then so it was snail mail. Watch this one. You'll love it.
So what is your recommendation:?
Buy the soundtrack. I love the ending song.And I think it was by a group called My Little Lover, or something like that. And if only the ending was like in the ending song. Japanese series has this weird ending scenes, that aren't about the next scene you'll see, aren't scenes from the series accompanied by the song but are scenes that may have connection to the whole series in spirit but is totally independant and totally not in the series itself! Funny! But I love the song. Buy it. If you're a Yutaka fan, watch this one unless you hate his overly long hair and skinny appearance. I thought he looked cool. Other from that reason, avoid this one like a plague. Boring boring boring. If I were to adopt Seagull's rating system, I'd give it an F for FAIL. A very tired looking series.
Any Interesting Stuff :
Norika Fujiwara is very big in HK but is she that big in Japan? And is she that beautiful? I agree her body is perfect but to me, she is plain if not for that body. As for her? acting, I guess she will do. I? saw China Strike Force which was good?? until I saw Jackie Chan's Accidental Hero which made me realise why Jackie is Jackie.
That other guy in real life is a rock singer who could play a guitar. He could act, that's for sure.
This role was tailor made for Yutaka, mainly because of his two great features. Hie eyes, the way he would stare at a person, which I totally agree for choosing Yutaka and his VOICE. It seems that he has this deep rich voice. That I do not know because I watched the mandarin version. But I did hear his two words, "This is ..." in English and believe me when I say MY Sorimachi's voice is no where as deep as his.?
By the way, Yutaka is a mommy's boy. When he was at the worst in his career, going nowhere and living alone, when he couldn't even afford a ciggarette, he would call home and would go home to his parents and let them mother him. Cute! He looks like Louis and even has the same closeness with his family as Louis with slight difference. Louis once said that he is still living with his family because whenever he worked late or away from home and he would missed their quarrels so much that he would call home and when he heard thsi parents quarreling, he would cry and missed not being at home with them.
Silly Observation:
I have seen a few Japanese series. Other than MY Sorimachi, who has? a beautiful voice and tends to be very expressive in his acting, the other Japanese guys are so robotic. i mean they stand up too straight, even when they're running they reminded me of that mercury guy in Terminator 2, always straight, they never shout, always talk in deep tone of a voice, sometime quite expressionless and consistently too darn thin! I think that's quite silly for an observation but are all Japanese actors like 50kg below? But yet they looked strong unlike the HK artists that looked like theyr;'e gonna fanit. And just 40 years ago we laugh at the Japanese for being short, really short and has that kind of a carrot top for a hairstyle, and too fair so a bit sissy. Look at them now. All almost 6 feet tall, still thin but tanned thin, and they're the trendsetters in fashion! How much has changed since then. And 10 out of 10 actors would have at least one scene with a cigarette or one picture with them smoking.
And do notice how that girl talk and walk in this series. Even when she was holding the cup whilst brushing her teeth, she had to put the toothbrush down because she has to use both hands to hold one cup! And the way she sit, so darn straight, and legs never 1mm apart. I find that pretentious, at least in that actress' performance. I am sure in real life also they're like that. They whisper, they never laugh out loud, so there aren't any spontaneity in them. But can't blame them because that was how they were brought up. But from all my silly observations, my silly conclusion would be that Japanese, they're mild mannered, polite, extremely soft spoken, very apologetic and very disciplined. WIth great posture, beautiful skin and lots of hair, on top of his head of course! BUT till now they never ever say sorry for WWII.Pity.I almost like them. But I must admit, they make great series, and good songs. But not this one reviewed.
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