Title: Ikebukuro West Gate Park Special
Also known as: IWGP Sp
Broadcast date: ??
Number of episodes: 1
Genre: drama
Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Sato Ryuta
Plot: Taking place three years after the series, Makoto and his mother are currently homeless. She is staying with various friends (like King's father's sauna) while Makoto sleeps in their now-traveling fruit stand truck. One day, a homeless man wakes Makoto to tell him about a rash of homeless beatings. Ken, the leader of the homeless, wants Makoto to find the culprit. Meanwhile, Makoto is feeling restless in Bukuro.
What is good: The last half hour or so is pretty good.
What is bad: Boring!
Letter rating: F
Overall: While I didn't particularly like the series, it was at least interesting on some point. The special is painstakingly boring. There's two full-length songs sung in concert form for no real reason. Yes, both of the musical acts are important to either the storyline or a character revelation but the songs weren't really necessary. Kubozuka Yosuke, who played King in the original, is absent for a majority of the show. In his absence, both of the major gangs from the series have set up ramen shops. There is a sub-plot about which gang makes the best ramen. Now I know why I put off watching this for so long.
More Ayu-news
A couple of days ago, I wrote about Hamasaki Ayumi's break-up with Nagase Tomoya. Over the weekend, Ayumi went to a press relations event for the movie "Kaidan." She wore a sleeveless black shirt that should have shown off her part of the paired tattoo the couple had. Instead, it was covered with make-up. It remains to be seen whether Ayumi will have the tattoo removed.
JDorama review: Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Title: Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Also known as: IWGP
Broadcast date: 4/14/00 - 6/23/00
Number of episodes: 11
Genre: drama
Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Kato Ai, Kubozuka Yosuke, Sato Ryuta, Yamashita Tomohisa, Watanabe Ken
Plot: Majima Makoto (Nagase Tomoya) tries to live a quiet live in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, a place infamous for gangs. One of his best friends from high school, Takashi (Kubozuka Yosuke), is the leader of one gang - the G-Boys. When he tries to solve the murder of a friend, Makoto finds himself solving everyone else's problems. Gang tensions begin running high in IWGP putting Makoto, who refuses to join any gang, directly in the middle of it all.
What is good: Kubozuka Yosuke is very entertaining as the king of the G-Boys.
What is bad: The show loses direction almost immediately.
Letter rating: D+
Overall: I spent the entire first episode trying to figure out what was going on. There were these murders but no one seemed to really care about them. Sure, the cops said they were looking for the killer. It just didn't seem to go anywhere beyond talking about it. From the second episode on, the series goes in an entirely different direction. Makoto, who is supposed to be trying to find who murdered his friend, spends all his time helping just about everyone in Ikebukuro. The yakuza, the prostitute from the sex shop across the street, his own mother....the list goes on. About two-thirds of the way through the series, another gang is introduced - the Black Angels. The end of the series brings us back to solving the original murder and adds in the tension between the G-Boys and the Black Angels. I think that the final episode was the only thing, besides Kubozuka's antics, that saved the show from a lower rating. As a whole, the series is very violent. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who couldn't handle gang violence and the blood that goes along with it.
Entertainment news from Japan
Actress Miyazaki Aoi (Hachi in the first live action NANA movie) married actor Takaoka Sousuke (Shinobu in Tokyo Love Cinema) on July 25 at a shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Only close family members attended the small ceremony. Yesterday, actress Matsushima Nanako (Domyouji Tsubaki in Hana Yori Dango) revealed that she is currently pregnant with her second child. She is married to her GTO co-star Sorimachi Takashi. Their first child was born in 2004.
Singer Hamasaki Ayumi recently announced the end of her romantic relationship with TOKIO vocalist Nagase Tomoya. While no specific reason was given for the break-up, rumors are definitely flying. One rumor claims Ayumi had an abortion; another claims their egos got in the way; while yet another blames Ayumi's dogs. I doubt the public will ever find out why the 7-year relationship ended.