About Last Friends Viewership and SP

20 06 2008

『ラスト・フレンズ』、最終回22.8%、次週は特別編を放送

 最終回直前となった先週12日(木)の第10回目の放送が、ビデオリサーチの調べで視聴率20.7%を記録(関東地区 世帯視聴率)、終盤に向けて注目度が高まり続けるフジテレビ系ドラマ『ラスト・フレンズ』。19日(木)放送の最終回は22.8%を記録したことが、分かった。

 ドメスティックバイオレンスや性同一性障害など、現代人の抱える様々な悩みや問題を真正面から取り上げるもので、人気俳優らのシリアスな演技も話題。20.7%をマークした第10回目では、錦戸亮ふんする及川宗佑が自殺し、19日放送の最終回への関心も高まっていた。

 第1回目は視聴率13.9%で放送スタート。回を重ねるごとに衝撃的な展開が話題を呼び、また長澤まさみ、上野樹里、瑛太、錦戸亮らのシリアスな演技も注目され視聴率も上昇した。

 なお、次週は特別編として『もうひとつのラストフレンズ』が放送されることが発表された。

Here’s my irresponsible translation:

“Last Friends” Final Episode 22.8%, its SP will be Broadcasted Next Week

Last Thursday, 12th, was the broadcast of the 2nd last episode and the Video Research reported a 20.7% viewership ratings in the Kanto region, making for the continuation of anticipation for the final episode of “Last Friends” on Fuji TV. The final episode aired on the 19th reportedly achieved a 22.8% viewership rating.

Domestic Violence, gender identity disorder and sex phobia, the frustration and problems were portrayed realistically by popular actors and actresses with serious acting skills. The suicide of Oikawa Sousuke, played by Nishikido Ryo, marked a 20.7% viewership rating, raising the anticipation for the finale that was going to air on the 19th.

The first episode started with a 13.9% viewership rating. The recap of these controversial topics will once again have Nagasawa Masami, Ueno Juri, Eita and Nishikido Ryo whose serious acting skills will definitely raise the viewership ratings.

Next week, we will see the broadcast of the Special, titled, “Once More of Last Friends”.

click to see the original image





Ryo’s Eito Ranger Jweb 19.6.08

20 06 2008

∞(エイト)レンジャー 锦户亮
17.6.08 2102h

Tomodachi ga biiru wo nonde masu.
Boku wa kuruma na node nomimasen.
SHIITOBERUTO wo shikkari shimete, Osaka no michi wo hashirimasu.

Minasan mo jibun no michi wo anzen ni toki ni daitan ayumi mashou

My friends are drinking beer.
I’m driving, so I’m not drinking.
Seat belt buckled up properly, dashing on the roads in Osaka.

Everyone, too, dash on your own path daringly when it’s safe


Woke up super early today! [Considering I slept at 4+am this morning, lol~]

And saw this entry already being posted, so I have to get it out fast fast too! ^_^

Ryo’s entries can be made into Japanese textbooks, lol~ Really useful! XD

He’s really sensible ne~ Drink don’t drive, drive don’t drink!! ♥

So glad he’s not working his ass out but properly resting~! ^_^ Yokatta ne~

By the way, the viewership of last night’s final episode of Last Friend, 22-2309h, is 22.8%.. -_-” It’s already not bad, coz it’s over 20% but it’s not higher than the “particular scene sequence” in the previous episode. Argh, what’s gonna be in the SP? Don’t tell me that they’re gonna cut a lot of footages from the drama and then add in only a few new clips?? -_-”

I’m gonna miss him for the coming 4 days, lol.. Because I’ll be flying off to Bangkok with my 3 other friends! And well, I haven’t pack!! LOL~~~!! XD

Take care lots~! ♥





Last Friends [Last Episode]

19 06 2008

Just finished watching Last Friends finale, episode 11~ Next week, there will be a Special. So fast ne? Usually SP will be aired a few months after the drama ended. -_-” That scriptwriter woman really couldn’t wrap things up in 11 episodes as planned right from the beginning. -_-”"”"”"”"

Spoilers ahead.

Well, I only understood like, 50% of the dialogue, but the gist of it is pretty clear. While watching, it’s easily predictable, what will happen next. Like, we guessed that Michiru’s plate will definitely break and that if Ruka doesn’t need to go hospital, they can never “accidentally bump into” Michiru, because Michiru definitely has to go hospital on a regular basis.

But there are times when I guessed wrongly: I thought Michiru died after giving birth [because of the way the nurses were rushing around -_-"] and then Takeru and Ruka will look after the baby from then on and live happily ever after. LOL~~~

Questions unanswered:

What’s the deal with Takeru and his sister and parents? He did talk about them.. But is that how the scriptwriter decided to end Takeru’s story?! Just like that?? By talking?! And when he’s talking, there wasn’t any flashback clips! Incredible. -_-” And what’s best? He never finished talking about what his sister did to him. WTF?! -_-”"”"”"”"”"

So it’s up to our imaginations what his sister did to him that caused him the development of sex phobia -_-” Yeah.

Takeru took so damn long to realise that they should look for Michiru? So, suddenly, one day, he went to borrow a bike from Ruka’s senpai and then up and go look for Michiru. What was he doing the past 6, 7, 8 or 9 months?? I mean, I understood that Ruka feels that there’s no more need to go look for her love, because she didn’t reciprocate her love, but Takeru?? -_-”

Where’s Michiru’s mum? She suddenly appeared in Michiru’s room and then now? Suddenly disappeared.

So we know that the bully senpai is also DV-ed by her boyfriend. But, so?? She looked as if she knows that Michiru is being DV-ed as well. No, she looked scared that other people will find out that she is being DV-ed, because she said something about how nice life is “since you’re living with a man” to Michiru. But yeah, so??????? Is there a point in showing us that the senpai is being DV-ed? And what’s the point of letting Eri know that? She doesn’t know the girl. O, is it to tell the audience and Eri that, DV is really common..?? -_-” The writer loves to leave open ends hanging.

Funny/weird/angry things:

1. The characters can’t die from simple things like car or TRAIN accidents. They can only die if they purposely want to die. Please see Specimen 1, Ruka and Specimen 2, Sousuke respectively. *rofl*

2. When something breaks, somebody’s gonna get hurt. See Example 1, broken lamp twice, injuries happened at the same corner, Example 2, broken purple mug handle and Example 3, broken restaurant plate.

3. It’s a torture to see “Michiru” act. Throughout the drama. Is that sadness? Is that how she show how touched she was? Is that a surprised look? Is that how gently people scream when giving birth? Gosh. That’s it. She wasn’t such a torture to watch in Proposal Daisakusen, you know.. Sigh..

4. Aida Rumi, that’s the baby’s name. WTF? Michiru’s surname + Ruka’s Ru, Takeru’s Ru + Michiru’s Mi [WTF, she also has a "ru" -_-"] So the baby came from nowhere but from Michiru’s body only?! Huh huh?! Grrrrrrr..

5. Ru, ru, ru, wazzup with that in all the 3 names?! No, 4 names. Tsk. -_-”

Overall

Bad ending, lol. Only Ogurin and Eri is “happily ever after”. Maybe the 3P can get “happily ever after” too, but.. -_-” Let’s pray for the baby to grow up healthily mentally.

The whole show deviated from its original theme or intent. Because she [scriptwriter] wants high ratings, she deviated to focus more on Sousuke-Michiru-DV and neglected Ruka’s lesbian love and Takeru’s sex phobia and Eri’s loneliness and Ogurin’s indecisiveness. She was digging so many holes at the same time.

She could’ve let Sousuke died trying to save the little kid from being hit by the train. So at least it shows that Sousuke is not all bad and that everyone at the sharehouse can have a peace of mind. Then develop the complicated triangle of Michiru-Takeru-Ruka. At the same time, let Ogurin have a not-too-long-not-too-short period of divorcing his wife and show us whether he did it or not [coz how could he marry Eri without first doing that?! -_-"]. Meanwhile, Eri goes out with other guys while she waits for the indecisive Ogurin to divorce his wife [so as to show the desperation of loneliness].

LOL, is that better or worse? I dunno~~ *whistles*

Well, enjoy the following 4914px-long compilation. I missed a few shots: 1. Ruka and Takeru eating in a shop, 2. Ruka and Takeru sleeping inside the tent, 3. Takeru holding the baby after Ruka’s turn and some other minor shots.

Screenshots compiled by me, taken by super helpful girls





山下智久の日记 vol. 1764 17.6.08

18 06 2008

山下智久の日记 vol. 1764
17.6.08
4:36PM

Konbachiwa!

Went to Osaka today yo!

During the day, I also went to eat the udon that Ryo-chan recommended!
Really delicious!

As for why I went to Osaka

It’s to see the doctor helicopter

Due to it being the Osaka city center, there is a doctor helicopter on the roof yo!

But taking the city center into consideration, noise has to be reduced, the helicopter is one size smaller than the one in CODE BLUE!

I must continue to work hard everyday!


Code Blue is starting sooooooon~~~~~~ Even though I have a phobia of helicopters due to some trauma, I still wanna see this drama, lol~ Medical dramas are always very nice to watch and I like to learn more, I think it’s because I took Biology before~

Udon that Ryo recommended? I also wanna eat!! XD





Last Friends OST!

17 06 2008

Revised translation of song titles:

1. イーチ・リビング(ラストフレンズメインテーマ)~~Each Living (Last Friends main theme)
2. グッド・フェローズ(タケルのテーマ)~~Good Fellows (Takeru’s theme)
3. エターナル・コース(モトクロスのテーマ)~~Eternal Course (Motorcross theme)
4. マインド・ベンダー(宗佑のテーマ)~~Mind Bender (Sousuke’s theme)
5. スパイラル・ハート(瑠可のテーマ)~~Spiral Heart (Ruka’s theme)
6. オン・オフ(レースのテーマ)~~On Off (Race theme)
7. ディア・フレンズ(友情のテーマ)~~Dear Friends (Friendship theme)
8. インナー・サークル(苦悩のテーマ)~~Inner Circle (Troubled theme)
9. レイジー・デイズ(日常のテーマ)~~Lazy Days (Daily theme)
10. リトル・シャイン(小さな微笑みのテーマ)~~Little Shine (Little Smile’s theme)
11. ブラインド・リマインダー(誰にも言えない悩みのテーマ)~~Blind Reminder (Theme for “A secret that cannot be revealed to anyone”)
12. スナップ・ショット(美知留のテーマ)~~Snap Shot (Michiru’s theme)
13. アイコール・ユアネーム(若者たちの仕事のテーマ)~~Aikouru Yuaneemu (Young people’s work theme song)
14. メモリー・レイク(不安な気持ちのテーマ)~~Memory Lack (Uneasy feeling theme)
15. コールド・ブレイン(ドメスティックバイオレンスのテーマ)~~Cold Plain (Domestic violence theme)
16. フレンド・シップ(それぞれの愛の形)~~Friendship (Various love patterns)
17. ドロップ・モーション(シェアハウスのテーマ)~~Drop Motion (Sharehouse theme)
18. シークレット・ポエッツ(孤独のテーマ)~~Secret Poets (Lonely theme)
19. ブランニュー・シーズン(エリのテーマ)~~Brand New Season (Eri’s theme)
20. レッド・ストリングス(絆)~~Red Strings (Accompaniment)
21. Prisoner Of Love (Inst.Ver.)(主題歌ピアノストリングスver)~~Prisoner of Love (Instrumental Version)(Theme song Piano Strings Version)

Very nice soundtrack! The following list is in order of my preference~

4. マインド・ベンダー(宗佑のテーマ)~~Mind Bender (Sousuke’s theme)

What can I say? Best song! This is the most successful song coz it captures the feeling he gives off! I love the arrangement too! Truly a song that I’ll never get sick of listening all the time.

5. スパイラル・ハート(瑠可のテーマ)~~Spiral Heart (Ruka’s theme)

I love the “la la la” parts!! Lol~~ Is it just me or does it give you a “tribal” feeling as well? Lol~ A very nice song that suits Ruka well!

8. インナー・サークル(苦悩のテーマ)~~Inner Circle (Troubled theme)

I love it~ It really has that “confusing” element to this song’s arrangement!

21. Prisoner of Love (Instrumental Version)(Theme song Piano Red Strings Version)

Need explanations? Damn nice! Very soft and gentle version of the original Prisoner of Love!

13. アイコール・ユアネーム(若者たちの仕事のテーマ)~~Aikouru Yuaneemu (Young people’s work theme song)

When you hear this, you feel like you wanna put in some more effort into your work, lol~ That’s how it makes me feel!

19. ブランニュー・シーズン(エリのテーマ)~~Brand New Season (Eri’s theme)

I feel that this is a happy song, haha~ Suits Eri well!

15. コールド・ブレイン(ドメスティックバイオレンスのテーマ)~~Cold Plain (Domestic violence theme)

A Jdorama-ish song which really gives off a cold vibe, to me at least.

12. スナップ・ショット(美知留のテーマ)~~Snap Shot (Michiru’s theme)

Very Jdorama-ish song, lol~

My list is quite the “obvious” kind, isn’t it? Lol~ I think it’s because they let me think of the scenes when I listen to them~ Other songs aren’t used that much in the drama and I couldn’t recognise them..





山下智久の日记 vol. 1759 12.6.08

13 06 2008

山下智久の日记 vol. 1759
12.6.08
8:09PM

Konbachiwa

Worked with NEWS today

Wrote some melody and lyrics during free time!

Ryo-chan kept playing game.

Started playing from about May!
Is it that fun?

I was thinking I should try it too!

But after playing it a few times till now
It seems like the game and I don’t really click! (laughs)


Wow~~~~~~ I also wanna play!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder what game that is.. And on what console? Hopefully it’s the DS, haha!! XD

YamaP is always making new music and lyrics ne! I should ganbatte too! ^_^





Ryo’s Eito Ranger Jweb 12.6.08

13 06 2008

∞(エイト)レンジャー 锦户亮
11.6.08 1638h

Minasan kyou no housou wa sukoshi okuremasu. Chuuishite ne.

Sayounara

Ashita mo ii hitohi wo

Everyone, today’s broadcast is a little late. Please take note.

Goodbye

Hope that tomorrow is a good day for you too


T_T We couldn’t watch Last Friends 10 last night..!! T_T ARGH!!!!!!! DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But maybe, that’s for the best.. I saw some major spoilers in the forum.. Makes me so sad!! Argh!! Why must his character end like that?! ARGH!! Dammit!!

But yeah, Ryo’s “Sayounara” is highly likely “from a Sousuke’s point of view”.. lol..

At this time, I still haven’t seen Last Friends 10.. T_T Frustrated much!! I WANNA SEE IT NOW!!

Do Japanese actors get any “goodluck thingy” like Chinese actors get hong baos/红包 when they act as dead corpses and etc stuff like that?





山下智久の日记 vol. 1756 9.6.08

9 06 2008

山下智久の日记 vol. 1756
9.6.08
9:03PM

Konbachiwa!

It’s filming in the studios for today

Actually it’s over the update time
But I insisted that they let me update this (laughs).

Collect plastic bottle caps
Can be exchanged into vaccines!

Been thinking about it the whole day
Have to collect them.


Note: Collecting plastic bottle caps is a charity exercise activated by the JCV (Japan Committee Vaccines). Many places in Japan have started doing this. It’s a nation-wide event for participants to collect bottles caps in exchange for money and then donate them to the vaccine funds and they will donate vaccines to needy children all over the world.


Wow, such a nice exercise! Charity is something that everyone, who is able to, should do! Remember Sharity elephant? Haha~

Today, I was reading the latest “i-weekly” and to my big surprise, I saw a big picture of YamaP, lol~~ Wow, wow, wow, last time it was Last Friends, now, it’s Code Blue, super fast news this time! Is the reporter a P-fan? Haha~~ Coz that time, his picture was the biggest on the cover page, lol~~

Well~ I’m definitely watching Code Blue when it airs on Fuji right after Last Friends ends.

3.7.08, 9pm GMT+8, otanoshimini!!





Ryo’s Eito Ranger Jweb 5.6.08

8 06 2008

∞(エイト)レンジャー 锦户亮
3.6.08 1933h

Konshuu mo RASUTO FURENZU mite kudasai.
Satsu ei hou wa kakyou ni haittekite masu.

Please watch Last Friends this week too.
Filming has entered the climax.


Because he said it, I’ll watch it.

No matter how ridiculous that show has progressed into.





Touch!eco 2008 Ashita no Tameni.. 55 no Chousen? Special

8 06 2008

Touch!eco 2008 明日のために。。。55の挑戦?スペシャル

It’s really touching to see the effort Japanese put into “saving the Earth”.

I woke up at about 10am, so I didn’t manage to watch from the beginning of this show. It started from 7am Singapore time, which is 8am in Japan time. It lasted 13 hours, very tiring for all the hosts and artistes!

So the first outdoor challenge I managed to see was Maru’s. His was about solar power panel. Impressive, it can burn anything, lol~

The program had lots of challenges [hence the name] and one of them was planting 2000 small plants on this hill in 神奈川,泰野市。 [Kanagawa, Hadano] Sugoi~ The plant sensei is 80 years old but he really doesn’t look that old!

[Suba+Yasu] A substance in natto: Deserts can have greenery in the future~!

[Hina+Tacchon] A substance from orange skin: Styrofoam has been melted and become recycle-able!

[Yoko] Oil from cashew nuts: Reduce half the methane in a cow’s breath!

[Tacchon] On a bike, Tacchon collected 500 litres of used oil from several places in Japan!

A couple of hosts went to a kindergarten and tried to cleanse water. But in the end, the homemade method didn’t manage to produce drinkable water, because there are still a lot of organism in it. [I think~] Next, they made their own charcoal, their own stoves and then cooked a nice meal for the kids. They’re so kawaii when making all these~!!

Another team of hosts cleaned up Mount Fuji~ A lot of trash!!

Several interviews with actors and actresses revealed how they save the Earth at home. Like, if your lamp has 2 bulbs, remove one because one is enough. Unplug the plugs when the applications are not in use. Don’t chuck your leftover tea leaves, invent new dishes! Etc, etc~~~~

An actress climbed the Himalayans and visited the place. It is said that as time goes by, water accumulated and one day, some day, it will overflow and by 46minutes, everyone living on the mountain will probably die. As she talked about her experience, she cried. T_T Something has to be done to prevent that from happening!

A singer visited a place [I missed that part..] where the Japanese set up a fishing training school. The people there learn the Japanese language and how they fish for a living. She taught them how to sing a very nice song and she was also touched to the point of almost crying. They recorded them singing and played it during the LIVE performance when she sang it. It’s like a choir behind her, very nice song~~!

Two comedians [I think] were thrown in the forest for 3 days 2 nights. They lived in such a way that will greatly reduce the release of CO2 into the air. And they were very successful! I’m very impressed, lol~

Mino-san also went to visit a brewery. The extras [waste, no use to the brewery] from the brewing process were made into cement [plus sand of course] and then it is made into a sort of concrete container and then being left under the sea. Octopus eggs can be seen inside these containers. It seems that these are good for producing good quality octopus, lol~ The farmers made sashimi for Mino-san and he said it’s very sweet~

They also stored energy in batteries by running, cycling on the “exercise bicycle”, and winding a box by hand thingy [it's like a jack-in-the-box, just, no "jack", lol] They managed to charge 14 batteries [running and hand movement] and 2008wh by cycling! Sugoi~!!

The regular batteries in Kanjani8’s microphones were replaced by these “eco batteries” and the 7 lightbulbs on stage for each member were powered by the cycling folks! [HG was cycling too, lol~] That’s the “eco concert”~! Kanjani8 sang a new song for this event — “Fuka-fuka Love the Earth” which can be loosely translated into — “Deeply Loving the Earth” [That's what I'm guessing anyway, lol..] It’s a very nice song and it’s LIVE! I love seeing them playing music instruments!

They also talked about the most important issue at the end of the program: Fuel. Firstly, people used whale oil to have oil lamp in the house, but because of the large amount of hunting, whales amount dwindled. Later, people discovered steam and hence steamboats [Titanic], steamcars were born, but it caused major pollution problems. Even later, fuel was discovered. And so we have what we have today.

That’s all I remember~~~ ^_^ Let’s be eco and save the Earth! ♥