Dohmoto Tsuyoshi, Shibasaki Kou, Kuninaka Ryoko, Tanabe Seichi etc.

Official HP

If you want to see a dorama from this season which has a REAL quality, then this is it: Yume No California. To give an accurate review, as I don't want to under-rate nor over-rate any dorama (at least by my own taste and standard), I watched this dorama twice and the more I watched it, the more I am impressed by the characterization of the characters in this dorama. The scriptwriter gave an in-depth characterization, an a very realistic one to each character namely the 3 protagonists Shu (Domoto Tsuyoshi), Keiko (Kuninaka Ryoko), and Kotomi (Shibasaki Kou).

Domoto Tsuyoshi as Shu plays practically a nobody, and when I said nobody, it is really a nobody. He is a boring person, nobody except 2 people even remembers that he ever exists when he went to a class reunion, his own mother keeps saying he is a boring person, just as everybody says how boring he is. He goes to a University that nobody ever knows even if he told them, nobody listens to him when he speaks, he is almost like the invisible man. This is really a very interesting character to begin with.

The two girls plays one who is bored to death with her own life and life in general and end up being rebellious, and another is not having self-confidence whatsoever despite being pretty and being a model that she is unable to smile at all. Both Kuninaka (of Chula-san) and Kou (of GO) are excellent in portraying these troubled characters.

These 3 people will interweave with each other and create a story and manage and handle life to the best they can....and surviving a shock of seeing a dear friend committed suicide right in front of them without their knowing why and this may haunt them the rest of their lives.

This dorama bears the promise of an excellent seishun graffiti (youth graffiti) and it can get worse or get better I don't know. But if it can keep each episode like this, this will be a must-watch for any dorama fans. It also reallistically reflect japanese society (in this 1st episode) if you are curious to see the real thing. Very highly recommended.

Official HP

I couldn't help crying and feeling so sad when I was watching this second episode, it was just too painful to see these three persons. What is so good about this dorama is that it is not trying to be melodramatic and self-pitying or even asking for sympathy. All the pains and feelings of being lost, confused, bewildered and hopeless were conveyed in a subtle and indirect manner, with a deep insight of psychology. It is just so heartbreaking....Like when both Keiko and Shu met each other standing in front of a University. This is the University which Keiko failed to be admitted and this failure had practically changed her and destroyed her hope in life. This is the University Shu would never even dare to dream of being admitted as he is not smart enough. But ironically this is also the University of the friend who committed suicide....When Shu saw the students there, he said that different from the students of his own University, they look very smart. Keiko also commented that the students there looked so young while she felt so old, and then dropped a tear.
Both of them secretly sat at a lecture though they didn't understand what the proffessor was saying, and then ate at the school canteen, and sat in the library until closing time. It was so painful to watch this. The sense of longing for something that they wanted but could never have.

Another heartbreaking scene, when Shu went for a job interview and was asked what his vision of life was, he couldn't reply.....so of course he failed in getting the job. The same thing happened with Kotomi who went for an audition. When she was asked to smile, she couldn't. When she forced herself to smile, a tear dropped from her eyes while smiling, it was such an ironic sight. I couldn't bear to see this....

I felt soooo sad seeing them. And they still had to deal with guilt feelings because before their friend comitted suicide, he asked them if there would be any good thing in the future and the three couldn't answer, so the friend just jumped to his death in front of their eyes.

Tanabe Seichi who plays as Shu's co-worker in his part-time job is excellent too. He really did a good job with his ever-smiling face and his cynical and down-to-earth attitude toward life. He is the perfect juxtaposition to Shu and when they are together, they really make an interesting pair with their contrast in almost everything.

I really hope that one day, for them California is not just a dream.....Ganbare Shu, Keiko and Kotomi!

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