Sunday 25 April 2010

Currently watching: Sunao ni Narenakute (It's Hard To Say I Love You)



There's something exciting about watching a series around the same time as it's being transmitted. First, you have to be impressed by the skill and speed of the fansubbers, and also for the geeky thrill of being bang up to date and reading things on forums that refer to something that happened yesterday as opposed to several months ago which is how long it usually takes me to get around to watching something (e.g. Bloody Monday 2 - still haven't made a start on it).

This series sees Ueno Juri and Eita feature in a drama about a bunch of people who met on twitter, and meet up for a drink. Although I've only seen the first two episodes, it looks like being a tale of loves, laughs and lies with everyone having a secret burden to overcome while they tip-toe through these fledgling relationships.

It makes a nice change to see Juri in a normal role, after the oddballs she's recently played in 5 Bags and Nodame. Meanwhile Eita is playing a struggling photographer, just like he did in Lost Time Life, right down to having the same make of camera. Talk about being typecast!

Added to this is a Korean salesman (Hero JaeJoong) who can't seem to sell anything, a guy (Tamayama Tetsuji) being sexually harassed at work by his female boss, and a suicidal pregant woman (Seki Megumi). And some other stuff as well, but it's too early to say how they all fit together. But so far - just two episodes in - I'm enjoying it. The characters all have something to endear them to the viewer, and each episode definitely leaves you wanting more.

6 comments:

  1. oh man, you should have watched Juri and Eita's previous colab in Last Friends... because I suppose you haven't since you didn't mention it.

    Unlike Sunao (by the way, I haven't seen episode 2... are subs out yet?), LF's first two episodes would have left you eager to watch more, and it's definitely Juri's more complex role to date. Sure, I hate Ryo - thanks to him playing Sousuke - and he does take over half the show because fangirls were giving the show rating... but it more than makes up for it with Juri, and Eita. And also try to catch those Eri, my Love clips, because they're good. Especially the one with Masami Mizukawa doing impersonations.

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  2. "official" subs are now on d-addicts, but someone on Livejournal knocked together some subs for ep 2, so having no patience or will-power, I watched it with those first.

    I never saw Last Friends, although I'd heard about it. Perhaps the downside of following people discussing this on forums is that now the end of Last Friends has been completely spoilered. (Is that a word?) Maybe I'll give it a go after this is done.

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  3. nah, the ending doesn't really matter... I mean, who really cared about Sousuke? In fact, the ending is probably the weakest.

    Performance-wise, wow. Juri.

    No spoiled [that's the word] ending matter.

    In LF, I couldn't wait for episodes, so I used to watch them twice LOL once with no subs, and then subbed... but since I didn't really liked Sunao's first ep, I can wait xD

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  4. I'll try it after Sunao has finished. Same actors, same writer - if I watch both at the same time, it could get confusing.

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  5. is it the same writer?
    I remember I checked the Sunao's creator on some Wiki page, and can't recall if LF was listed.

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  6. Oh, you're right, it's not the same writer. I must have got confused with everyone on d-addicts comparing the two and in amongst those were some posts saying how the writer has previously done such-and-such a plot.

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