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I found this jewel of a writer when I was browsing through the Koishite Akuma thread on Soompi, and I couldn't believe it. Eloquence, expression, and total grasp of proper literary critique. I HAD to ask her to write for the site, and luckily for me, she accepted! Let's give it up for our first contributing writer!


GUEST REVIEW: FUTATSU NO SPICA



by fatsoko
I've written and rewritten a review for this drama over and over again, unsatisfied without realizing why. But I get it now. Futatsu no Spica is not significant for its venture into sci-fi, or space, or quick, fun, witty humor.

It doesn't have a gutwrenching, heart twisting romance to string you along.

It doesn't have an extremely engaging plot, nor does it have enough antiheroes to make you want to root for its heroes.

So what's the deal? Why bother writing a review for a drama that averaged at 3% in viewership ratings? Why bother with such a run-of-the-mill drama?

Three things: 1. This is not a Johnny's drama. I love Johnny dramas as much as the next person but I have to admit that it's refreshing to not see a Johnny's boy casted. 2. I'm a geek. I'm a sucker for underdogs with big dreams. 3. This is 7 episodes. I love short and sweet. Generally, I enjoy J-dramas over K or C or T dramas because they're designed to have quick runs.

The plot is basically that Asumi (Sakuraba Nanami) dreams of going to space. She enters a space academy with her best friend Fucchi (Daito Shunsuke), and from there a beautiful story of youth and friendship is told.

I'm a sucker for coming of age stories when they're done right. In my opinion, Futatsu no Spica hit that mark well, much better than their attempt at romance. I want to say that the acting, the directing, the plot, the music--all of it was fine. In fact, it should have done so much better than 3% in ratings. I've seen worse dramas at 15%--weaker characters, weaker directing, shoddiness where ever you look.

But Futatsu no Spica is good in that it's a well delivered, well rounded drama. Whatever the production company had set out to do--they did it. The score hit the mark so well to the extent that I hardly remembered music because it was so well meshed with each scene. It enhanced the scenes, and yet didn't overpower it. (That can also be a backlash, too. Forgettable is never good.)

The directing was good. Various shots, pretty shots, average shots. Nothing cheesy. Just straightforward.

The meat of this review or analysis is actually kind of separate from the drama itself. I want to talk about the actors and actresses, seeing as they're all relatively new or still warming up to cameras. I felt that it was notable to have a portion of this review be about them and their current stage in acting. I'm not critiquing on a standard--just sharing thoughts. All of the main cast are fresh faces. They've done works before, but aren't yet really noted for anything, so this drama felt like a chance for all of them to hone their skill in acting. They all got much more screen time because this drama is less focused on entertainment and more on character development.

After I finished the 7 episodes, I felt that the one who walked away with an invisible gold trophy (due to a certain scene) was Nakamura Yuichi, who played Suzuki Shu. Understated, cool, in control and yet not annoyingly so. I always find that these kinds of characters piss me off because they're so overrated *cough*Sasuke*cough* but Nakamura Yuichi plays Shu (or maybe Shu is written) in such a way that he's just a nice guy who also happens to be really friggin' smart. I loved how much chemistry Shu had with Asumi (Nanami), even though they weren't paired. It was hilarious. Anyways, I got really pumped and went crazy over Nakamura Yuichi. I watched some of his older works and came to the conclusion that I was right. He's got something special. But. And a big but. I can see that he's not the strongest actor. I think that in Futatsu no Spica, he did something special. It was a landmark in his own acting. He reached into himself and found that fear, that desperation, that fragility that Shu fought so hard, and he showed it frighteningly well. In his previous roles, he came off as slightly awkward, not fully convincing, and more a pretty face than a talent. But he's got "it", whatever "it" is. There's a certain presence to him that he hasn't fully mastered but when he does, it could be amazing. I might be putting too much hope in him, but I can see it. Sometimes he falters but when he hits the notes, I want to keep seeing more. See Princess Princess D (pure crack), Kamen Rider Den-O (even more crack), Taiikukan Baby/Doukyuusei (interesting if you watch both), Delicious Gakuin (just plain silly).

Daito Shunsuke as Fucchi. I've been thinking about the future of this kid for some time now. Where is he going? What does he plan to do? I've only seen him twice before, but I remembered him, and for a budding male in a sea of talents, that's a good thing. I noticed him as Tani in Nobuta wo Produce and in the Hana Kimi previews as Sano's younger brother. Both roles were insanely small, but I noticed him. Shunsuke has a striking face. He has a solid presence-- it's just that I never realized how solid an actor he was until Futatsu no Spica came along. Of the characters, he was the most consistent, the one with the most sense, and to me, he came off as the most genuine. I'm glad that this project came along and that he nabbed it. This is probably the closest he's come to being the male lead. I feel like he has something really great to offer, but he just can't get the opportunity because 1. he's not a Johnny, and 2. he's still young. He really became Fucchi, and every little nuance was so well done and seamless. Although he wasn't a hard-hitting character, he felt real. He felt like a friend you knew, an able confidante, an honest friend, and most importantly within the love triangle, his love felt the most welcoming. I look forward to the day he gets a great leading role. See Nobuta wo Produce (the greatest coming of age drama ever made), Hana Kimi (silly and fun)

Mukai Osamu as Kiriu-senpai. He's a fairly minor character in here compared to the others, but he gets in a fair amount of screen time. I like Mukai's acting. No matter how cheesy the line, he somehow manages to inject a bit of Mukai that transforms it into something that feels a little cooler than it actually is. He's got a mellow, soothing voice and fresh features that probably help him out whenever he has to play opposite a female. He's got a gift for creating or having good chemistry with his female counterparts. See Mei-chan no Shitsuji (...watched it for Sato Takeru), Atashinchi no Danshi (reminded me of Hana Kimi with its crack)

Sakuraba Nanami as Asumi. She's really young but I see her talent. She's not particularly pretty but cute enough to be a lead, like she is here. I think here, she was competent. Cried when she had to, laughed when she needed to, and carried her own when it was called for. I saw her before in Akai Ito (which I never finished) and enjoyed seeing her character until she went OOC, super emo crazy and killed herself. After seeing Koishite Akuma and Akai Ito, the only problem that I have with her is that I feel like I've seen it before. Her character here is extremely emotional and thought of as an underdog, yet I had to shake my head because it was untrue. I don't know if I had a problem with the character or Sakuraba Nanami herself but I just expected more? As the lead, I wanted to invest emotion in Asumi (her character) and yet as the episodes wore on, I felt myself annoyed with her and sympathizing more with the other characters. I'm curious to see what will become of her acting career. She's only 16 and there IS a lot of potential for her. I might just be too critical. She did do well. See Koishite Akuma, Akai Ito.

Takayama Yuko as Omi Kei. I know nothing of her. I've never seen her before this, but she's a natural. She carried that same level of believability that Daito Shunsuke did. As Kei, Yuko epitomized the average teenager. She struggles and she gets envious. She's not perfect. She holds grudges and lets them go. She cries at dumb things because she cares. All of the girls here are 16, and of the three, Takayama Yuko was my favorite. She's full of youth and joy, and yet she doesn't make that her selling point. She can be rude and hang her head. I just felt that the range I expected to see from Asumi was actually here in Omi Kei.

Adachi Rika as Marika. Also 16. Also unheard of. Of the main cast, she struggled the most. Although she had presence, the way she delivered her lines was so beyond awkward. It was doubly so when Takayama Yuko was in the same scene. But to my relief, she improved and I could see her slowly bringing her character to life. I enjoy watching people improve throughout a series but her character wasn't especially engaging. By the end of the series, I stopped cringing, which was a pretty good sign.

Futatsu no Spica is not a must see drama but rather a must see cast. It wasn't stellar, but the level of acting was so much higher than I anticipated. It made me think that these kids will sneak up on the industry and become the top stars of tomorrow. Anyhow, at 7 episodes you really don't have much to lose. The plot is like comfort food: familiar, easy to swallow, and leaves a smile on your face. The Fucchi (Daito Shunsuke) and Shu (Nakamura Yuichi) interaction killed me. "You praised me!"