.... missing Kobe now. 
Typhoon signal no. 3 is up over Metro Manila. I did not bother to eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning. I wanted to watch NHK but no cable signal - only the local channels are up. So, here I am surfing the net - then i chanced upon this drama trailer - THERE IS A HANADAN MOVIE COMING OUT THIS SATURDAY.... I love this series - I'm watching it again at QTV as I only saw the 2 seasons raw. i started wishing I'm back in Kobe and anticipating the release of the movie - very good reason to pay the 2000 yen ticket at 101 Cinemas in Blummer!
I'm watching the new jdorama of Kimura Takuya (everytime I describe this guy to my sister, I tell her, "the guy in the vendo machine," for his pictures are all over Japan and mostly pasted on vendo machines). For 2008 spring drama season in Japan and the much anticipated Monday, 9 pm drama on Fuji Terebi is showing Change, starring of course Mr. Gatsby. At first, I thought of watching everything in raw like what I am doing with Absolute Boyfriend. However, I keep having a hard time catching up with the show's level of Nihongo that I finally gave up and watched the subbed version. So much for introduction.
Change starts off with the death of a parliamentarian and his eldest son from Fukuoka Prefecture. Kimura Takuya plays the role of Asakura Keita, the second son, forced to run for his father's seat in the by-election. Eventually, he found himself thrust into the limelight. As confluence of events and forces transformed this 35-year old rookie parliamentarian from a grade school teacher to Japan's youngest Prime Minister.
The first episode did not really excite me. I only continued to watch because Abe Hiroshi, the election strategist and the guy from Kekkon Dekinai Otoko, is a favorite. Then, I got intrigued with the second episode and now, after watching episode three decides to write this blog entry.
Maybe it has to do with the US Democratic Party's decision to field Obama as their candidate. On the other hand, maybe it's just that I'm starting to really come into terms with my Kimutaku fascination. Alright, I guess it's really the show's premise. That a newbie can be Japan's Prime Minister when this country has the highest rate of increase in elderly population among developed countries. Moreover, I was in Japan when Shinzo Abe was elected Prime Minister after Junichiro Koizumi and everyone was at first hopeful because of his youth and the continuation of reforms. But shortly after a year he has to resign and be replaced by the very senior Yasuo Fukuda. OR maybe at the back of my mind I'm really thinking into 2010 as I'm sure most Filipinos are - when GMA really has to go. I guess, I am hoping that we too will have a Barack Obama spousing "change" and another Asakura Keita, starring in a Japanese political drama "Change." The first one is real and palpable. The second is fiction and surreal. Then suddenly, these two got me thinking and hoping that we will be the third - our very own version of Obama and Asakura...
