Review of "Taiyou no Uta" (Movie version)

As compared to the drama version which I couldn't watch beyond the first episode (partly because of the two leads which I had grown to dislike and the slow pace of the story), the movie version exceeded my expectations because right in the first place, I wasn't very optimistic about a simple love story like this to keep my attention for 2 hours. However, the simplicity turned out to be a good thing and I liked the balance exhibited in the movie i.e. the pure love, family ties, friendship and music aspects were presented with equal emphasis. As such, the so-called tragic love story didn't seem that sad after all and the ending was on a relatively high note with lots of hope for the future. I don't know how the drama ended but given that everything was packaged nicely in a 2-hour deal, I do not see the rationale of dragging it beyond 10 episodes so I doubt I'll ever watch the drama version.

Being YUI's debut movie, she did very well especially when it comes to the singing scenes. However, that's really nothing to boast about since she's a professional singer in reality as compared to someone who doesn't sing that well and her CD sales turned out to be really astonishing. You can sense the disbelief I have about that record when I heard news of it.

Anyway, coming back to YUI, she really looked the part of a 16-year-old and didn't get on my nerves for trying too hard to act cute. I have a really low threshold of "kawaii-ness" when people try to show that they are cute on screen so it's good that YUI was natural in that aspect. Her background as a singer does help a lot in bringing out the essence of Amane Kaoru and she looked convincing as a credible street singer.

Her partner in this movie, Tsukamoto Takashi didn't get that much attention as Fujishiro Koji but I think he and YUI looked good together and he didn't have to be a hyperactive guy for the first time in a drama or movie. Usually, he plays those mood-maker roles where he tends to speak loudly or be the joke of the party but he has toned down considerably as Koji and I think it's good that he tries more serious roles in future to make sure he can grow as an actor. It just felt a bit weird to see him playing a senior high student when he's far from that age.

Another person worth mentioning was Kishitani Goro who plays Kaoru's dad. It's been some time since I saw him on screen and he entertains me with his bantering with Kaoru in the movie. Then again, he also has to juggle the emotional scenes where he cries upon knowing about Kaoru's deteoriating condition so that's when he shows his skills as an actor. It was a pity that he didn't have too much screentime to do more for the movie.

On the whole, this movie was quite enjoyable to watch and it won't get as tragic as it seems just because of Kaoru's illness. And there's no worry about it being a draggy love story because the pace of how Kaoru and Koji's relationship develops is relatively speedy. You've also got to check out the music which is also an essential ingredient in the success of this film especially the theme song, "Good-bye days" by YUI herself.

Taiyou no Uta Ep 1

Right from the start, I did not have high expectations of this drama. Here are the reasons why I had reservations about this:

- Based on the tag that this is the finale in the "jun-ai" series, the selection of the leads who can hardly match the theme due to their badly-hurt reputations of having private lives far from their screen persona is simply hard to ignore. No doubt they are relatively promising actors, this is something which will bother the viewers no matter how well they will perform. This affects how convincing they can make their characters appear to be and should never be brushed aside easily.

It really baffles me as to why TBS would want to invite trouble by getting the two to appear together at such a sensitive timing.

- Talking about timing, another thing which disturbs me is to see the drama so soon after the movie's screening. Considering the fact that the film starring Tsukamoto Takashi and YUI was only shown in June, the drama's OA in July comes across as a bad move to me. Of course, comparisons are inevitable because they are essentially based on the same story but the timing is too close for comfort. Just when people have yet to forget the movie's presentation, they will be tempted to compare it to the drama which would have stretched the 2-hour story beyond 10 episodes.

After more than 45 minutes of sitting through the first episode, I must say that it's quite a waste of time so I won't continue to watch this.

I've not watched the movie so I can't do any comparisons so my boredom has nothing to do with the film. The main issue I have here is the pace which gets so slow and everything flows along like plain water without any particular development which would entice me to continue watching. Everything is so jumbled up that I don't see any sense of direction in the plot.

Although Sawajiri Erika had mentioned that she was very confident about her singing, I don't feel that strongly for it though. I think it's partly due to the fact that the story is still in its early stage and the song doesn't really relate to the plot as at this point in time. On the other hand, her vocals are just OK in my opinion. As such, I really cannot comprehend why her single CD has created so much hype that it's storming up the Oricon charts. Anyway, I won't stay around to find out the reason too. ^__^

The brightest spot in this drama was hearing Shibasaki Kou's new song, "invitation" which is quite suitable as a summer song and a refreshing change from her usual heart-wrenching renditions of sentimental numbers. The opening credits show Sawajiri Erika out in the sunlight which is a contrast from the circumstances of her character in the drama. Frankly speaking, I think Sawajiri looks quite pretty in this drama but as the drama progresses, it's likely that she will start to look pale and haggard just like Aya in "Ichi Litre No Namida". On the other hand, Yamada Takayuki looks so similar in his recent dramas that there's no distinguishing trait to differentiate between his roles. And that sideburn, hairy legs and armpits do get on my nerves!

Although I don't really have a good impression of the drama, I'm looking forward to watching the movie instead. YUI may not be an accomplished actress but her youthful appearance, strong vocals and refreshing look on screen catch my eye. And I definitely like Tsukamoto Takashi more than Yamada especially after what the latter's bombshell earlier this year.