Change

[sweetestdownfall]

Anyone watching Change? It's the new Kimura Takuya drama about politics. He plays the youngest person to be prime minister in Japan. The drama tackles and handles the conflicts and issues during his rise to the position and during the ruling period. It's surprisingly good. It reminds me a lot of Hero

[jade_frosts]

I've been watching Change every week. I'm thrilled to see my favourite actors Abe Hiroshi and Fukatsu Eri in the drama but I feel that their talent is being underutilised especially Abe in his role as the strategist.

Change is rather reminiscent of a few of Kimura Takuya's recent dramas - Engine and Hero - except that he has been elevated to a higher plane this time playing the prime minister. But other elements remain the same despite the difference in the role tha Kimura Takuya plays as Asakura Keita compared to his other roles. Kimura Takuya's mannerisms, facial expressions and range hasn't matured and it shows clearly. Evidently, Keita will win over some of the cynical skeptics in Nagata-cho over like Kimura's other characters have done. For a drama that touts change, I'm not sure if it will ever live up to its lofty title.

The delight I get from watching Change, is seeing the backroom dealings between veteran actors like Terao Akira. Other than that, it's quite mundane.

[jade_frosts]

I watched Ep5 last night and it was hard to keep from sniggering at the dismal state the episode sank to. I felt sorry for my favourite actors, seeing them reduced to such a spectacle. Before Ep5, Change was tolerable but it just seemed to self-destruct in Ep5 with a very long, unfathomable, unfunny scene involving the sudden and bizarre introduction of Nirasawa's daugther and the presence of the US trade representative in Keita's house that didn't fit in with the tone of the drama.

Change is only for Kimura Takuya fans. There are certainly better dramas to watch this season than this one.

[sweetestdownfall]

I'm not going to lie - episode 5 was very disappointing. I enjoyed episode 4 and had high hopes for episode 5, but it was such a disaster.

I was really frustrated with the PM. He wasn't acting like a prime minister. I understand that he's still growing accustomed to the role, but it's impolite to keep someone waiting like that for so long, even if they did come unannounced. And it wasn't just anyone - it was the American ambassador. Despite their decrease in popularity, the US is a superpower and the key player in international relations. There are some people that should not be left waiting, especially for such unnecessary silliness.

What upset me most was the American response to the lame speech given by the PM. That speech makes him a formidable negotiator?? Then he went on to tell the bureaucrats and SP what a great boss the PM was when he didn't really do anything. There was no demonstration of greatness.

That being said, I will continue watching because I believe it can still improve and kimutaku looks amazing in a blue suit.

[jade_frosts]

Ep5 was ridiculous in many ways. In contrast, Ep6 was a marked improvement although I certainly didn't believe a deal can be struck with the opposition so easily. Even if Keita's zeal and sincerity reminds some of the politicians of themselves when they first entered politics, I'm sure any savvy person in such an arena wouldn't be so altruistic as to offer him any help without asking for concessions or promises in exchange. Realism is a problem in Change.

Anyhow, things might get interesting in the coming episode, Ep7, when Kanbayashi decides that he has had enough of Keita. The predictability of each episode is wearing the drama down.

[jade_frosts]

The scriptwriter obviously cannot resist gags. In Ep7 it was the very unfunny attempt at humour by making Keita's mother repeatedly call Nirasawa, "Nirakawa". Complete with sound effects.

And then when the end came and called for a range of emotions from Kimura Takuya, all we got were long shots of him standing with his back to the camera with his head bent supposedly in sorrow, anguish, frustration? Maybe they were trying to show him as a solitary and forlorn figure but I felt impassive. By the time the camera finally relented and showed a closeup of him crying, I was lost to the cause and quite tempted to throw my arms up in the air at the director who wiped out Fukatsu Eri's very commendable acting in the earlier scenes and obviously squandered a golden opportunity to make the episode a standout.

Hardly impressive.

[jade_frosts]

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Date: From 12 May 2008, Mondays, 9.00 p.m.
Station: Fuji TV
Official Website: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/change/index.html

Synopsis
Support ratings for the Cabinet is at a 10 year low. During that time, the ruling party's legislator for Fukuoka, Asakura Makoto, and his eldest son Masaya, his successor, are killed in an accident. It is decided that a by-election will be held. To the ruling party, it is an election they cannot lose because it will influence the general election. While they're finding it hard to decide on a candidate, Kanbayashi Masaichi (Terao Akira), the leader of the ruling party, and secretary Miyama Rika (Fukatsu Eri) direct their focus on the second son Makoto had cut off.

At a Nagano elementary school in snow covered Yatsugatake, Asakura Keita (Kimura Takuya) is the teacher in charge of its fifth graders. Well-liked by the children in spite of their teasing and able to do his beloved star gazing to his heart's content, Keita leads a fulfilling life.

Rika arrives in Nagano to visit Keita. She has come to persuade Keita to run as a candidate but he has absolutely no interest in politics. Keita dislikes his father's way of life and refuses to listen to her. After Keita graduated from high school, he left Fukuoka to attend university in Shinshu because he wanted to live in a place with beautiful stars, and eventually became a teacher. But Rika won't give up. For the sake of the election victory, fielding a relative is best in the battle about to be staged. First, Rika presses Asakura's wife, Takae, to run for the election. In front of his mother, who has collapsed from strain but is about to stand as a candidate, Keita is no longer able to refuse. He reluctantly agrees to annouce his candidacy.

Upon returning to Fukuoka, Keita is given a hearty welcome by supporters. Nirasawa Katsutoshi (Abe Hiroshi), a man from the election headquarters arrives.

This man states that "election is the only permitted legal war". He is an election strategist sent to secure electoral victory. With Nirasawa's appearance, everyone including Rika is overwhelmed as he rapidly sets out a strategy to win this brief and decisive election.

And so Keita's election campaign finally begins ...

Cast
Kimura Takuya as Asakura Keita
Fukatsu Eri as Miyama Rika
Abe Hiroshi as Nirasawa Katsutoshi
Terao Akira as Kanbayashi Masaichi
Kato Rosa as Miyamoto Hikari
Fuji Sumiko as Asakura Takae
Kazama Morio as Kudo Mitsuteru
Nakamura Atsuo as Onoda Asao
Ito Shiro as Ukai Takehiko
Horiuchi Keiko as Tsukioka Rumiko
Kamiyama Shigeru as Nihei Hisashi
Obayashi Takeshi as Kakiuchi Tatsuhiko
Ishiguro Ken as Ubukata Tsuneo
Nishimura Masahiko as Momosaka Tetsuya
Hiraizumi Sei as Gunji Toshio
Suzuki Kosuke as Akiyama Tarokansuke
Yajima Kenichi as Nishi Seiji
Horiuchi Keiko as Tsukioka Rumiko
Okura Koji as Danbara Dan