And that promise encouraged this bunch of losers to train hard to win a game. You might be wondering what Teacher Mikako could give her team that can make them work hard to fulfill their goal. Well the Oppai in the title is the Japanese word for breast and she said that she’ll flash her boobs if the boys win.

But if you’re going to watch Oppai Volleyball to see Haruka Ayase’s boobs, you better think twice about it. There’s no nudity in this movie. The only oppai you’ll see here is in the title. But don’t tell that to the six members of the volleyball team and ruin their fighting spirit.

A movie about horny teens wanting to see tits has never been this wholesome. Yes, there were scenes where they were shouting oppai or looking at porn magazines but there was no nudity in this one. Adolescent boys will be disappointed, just like what happened to the volleyball team when Mikako was fired by the principal because they learned about their deal.

Unlike typical sports movies, the oppai volleyball team didn’t win a single game even though they gave it their all. Mikako still lost her job in the end but she still managed to be positive about the incident and will continue on her teaching.

Oppai Volleyball is a feel good movie that can be enjoyed by everyone. I watched it only for Haruka Ayase but was surprised to see how one teacher can be a positive motivator to her students. Just like what her former teacher said, “The road they (students) should follow is right in front of them. “

With or without Haruka Ayase’s boobs, Oppai Volleyball is a good movie. Boys can relate how great Haruka’s motivation can be and you’ll be cheering them on to win at least one game. Well, I did. Anyway rent the DVD if you see it. It’s a good way idle your time away.

All throughout the book, Train Man is just Train Man and Hermes is just Hermes. But in the TV drama series, Train Man is Yamada Tsuyoshi (Ito Atsushi) and Hermes is Aoyama Saori (Ito Misaki), who I think was perfect for the role. You’ll definitely fall for her at first sight.

What I liked about Train Man the drama series is that it took the liberty of making side plots that focused on the people who read the electronic bulletin board. It just shows that these people have their own problems but they are still there to support the Train Man.

Densha Otoko’s supporting cast featured familiar faces such as Hayami Mokomichi, Shiraishi Miho, Oguri Shun, and a very young Maki Horikita. Maki was uber kawaii in this one as she plays Tsuyoshi’s little sister who at first can’t stand the sight of his brother but she gets closer to him as the drama progresses. AKB48 fanboys should not miss the Deluxe Special because the group performs Skirt, Hirari during the opening of the Densha Otoko museum.

Maki Horikita (photo not from Densha Otoko)

Another thing the drama had that the book didn’t is that Tsuyoshi had a rival and this brought hilarious moments. It’s fortunate for our hero that Sakurai Kazuya (Toyohara Kosuke) had luck going against him and he didn’t have the support that the Train Man had.

If you’re not a reading kind, then I’ll suggest that you watch Train Man or Densha Otoko the TV series. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re an otaku or not. It has eleven episodes with two specials. Just like the book, it has a good mix of humor and drama that makes it entertaining for everyone.

Train Man is seen from the geek’s point of view but in message board form. The book is a compilation of posts from the time Train Man first met Hermes. You’ll see how he matures and step out of his cocoon as he discovers what he has been missing since birth. He found out that there’s more to life than animes, games, work, and sleep.

It’s not only geeks that would enjoy reading Train Man. It’s a romance novel from a male perspective that even women will find interesting. While reading the book, I felt like I’m experiencing Train Man’s epicness in real time. You’ll be anticipating his reports at the end of each date with Lady Hermes.

Train Man reminds us that among the trolls that lurk in various online forums, there are still netizens willing to help a stranger. Amidst the ASCII arts and the various off-topic posts, such as the episode on the Subservient Chicken, the book is hard to put down. Geek or no geek, Train Man is a must read.

Since she was a little girl, Subaru dreamt of becoming a ballet dancer.  She shares this dream with her twin brother Kazuma.  But due to a hereditary disease, Kazuma died and since then she turned to dancing to find happiness.

One of those who recognized her talent was cabaret owner Isuzu Hibino (Kaori Momoi).  A former ballerina herself, she taught Subaru as well as allowed her to dance in the nightclub.  Her Bolero performance left the drunken audience awe-struck.  Speaking of Bolero, DBSK’s Bolero was used in Dance! Subaru.  The group also had a cameo in the movie.  BoA’s Eat U Up was also featured in the movie.

Dance! Subaru showed how competitive professional ballet can be.  It’s a world full of betrayals that you don’t know who your real friends are.  Subaru entered an international dance competition and found out that Liz Park (Go Ara) was also in it.  Liz befriended Subaru to keep her enemies close.  Mana (Miku Sano) is a childhood friend who’s jealous of Subaru’s talents.

Well to be honest, I watched Dance! Subaru because someone said Go Ara was in it.  I became her fan after seeing her in the Korean drama series Heading to the Ground.  She did well as the rival ballerina.  I didn’t know that she spoke Japanese and she handled it well.

In a way, Dance! Subaru reminded me of Julia Stile’s Save the Last Dance.  There was a scene where she turned to the streets to work on her group dancing skills.  But this movie is not just for dance fans.  It’s not another Step Up or any other movie in the genre.  It’s full of drama and did a good job of touching its viewers.

The chemistry between Yamapi and Keiko was good that it felt like they were really in love with each other.  The last time I saw Keiko was in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift where she played one of Bow Wow’s friends.  Aibu’s character in Buzzer Beat is the total opposite of her role in Zettai Kareshi, where she played a naïve girl.

When compared to the recent Taiwanese basketball drama Hot Shot, I enjoyed the basketball action in Buzzer Beat because it’s closer to reality and not Jerry Yan’s kung fu basketball.  Yamapi could’ve improved on his basketball skills but it was still credible.  Plus the black and pink uniform of the Arcs made me think about the WWF Tag Team Hart Foundation.

Kamiya Naoki (Yamashita Tomohisa): Thanks to you I got stronger. I’m not letting you go.

Buzzer Beat is not just basketball.  It’s also about the complicated relationship of Naoki and Keiko.  Naoki’s ex-girlfriend is trying to win him back.  Not only that, Keiko is courted by Naoki’s coach.  The ending was predictable but it’s the ending that you should not miss, especially the kiss.  It was unlike any other drama kiss I’ve seen so far.

Buzzer Beat doesn’t have a bad guy and in the end everyone is happy.  One thing I didn’t like about it is the fact that they fast-forwarded one year later in the final episode.  Oh well, I guess the network was in a tight schedule and they have to resort to it in order to tie-up loose ends.  This is a good Japanese drama for basketball fans.

The five astronauts in training might have the same goal but their personalities are pretty much different from one another.  Asumi (Nanami Sakuraba) really wants to be an astronaut but she’s being held down because of her dad’s involvement with the explosion of the first Japanese rocket.  Running is her advantage over the other candidates.  I don’t know how that helps in becoming an astronaut.

Shu (Yuichi Nakamura) is the leading candidate to be Japan’s first astronaut in space.  His appearance doesn’t show how smart he is but he gets the highest scores in class.  He is self-supporting and works after school.  Everything was going well for him and Asumi even expected him to be the first in space.

Then there’s Marika (Rika Adachi), who is the second when it comes to test scores among the batch.  She is the daughter of a Diet member. Her snobbish attitude turned me off at the beginning but as the series progressed, her aloofness grows into you and you start to cheer for her as well.

Among the aspiring astronauts, Kei (Yuko Takayama) is the most laid back.  She didn’t like Asumi and Marika at first because she thought that the two used their connections to get into the astronaut school.  But as soon as they proved her wrong, she apologizes to Asumi and they became friends.

Lastly, there’s Fuchi (Shunsuke Daito).  He and Asumi go way back.  Actually Asumi is the reason why he’s in astronaut school.  He doesn’t want to be an astronaut; he just wants to be with her.  But he hasn’t told her yet.  Their friendship will be tested when a new guy gets in between them.

A friend will kill me if I wouldn’t mention Osamu Mukai in this one.  He plays Haruki, a senior in school and Asumi’s love interest.  Although his role is brief in this short series, he plays a vital part in the story.  Sometimes astronauts need a little adversity to succeed.

The series is somewhat predictable except for Shu’s death.  Just as Shu was chosen to be sent to NASA for additional training, he died.  Asumi went on to NASA as his replacement.  Her dad and Sano patched things up and started a new rocket company.

Futatsu no Spica is a short drama with only 7 episodes but it was worth watching it.  Be sure to check out the end credits.  The song is performed by Orange Range and it shows clips from memorable space exploration videos.

The series becomes more interesting when Chisato met Shinzo and asked her to marry him and be the mother to his six adopted sons.  In exchange, her debt will be paid off.  This is no easy task especially when the six have their own problems to begin with.   On top of that, she must fulfill ten mothering goals as stated in the contract she signed before their supposed marriage.

Playing the six sons are Jun Kaname (Fuu), Yoshinori Okada (Takeru), Osamu Mukai (Sho), Yusuke Yamamoto (Masaru), Koji Seto (Satoru) and Tomoki Okayama (Akira).  It is amusing how they interact with each other and with their young stepmother as they live together at the Trick Heart Castle.   As the series progress, their views on family change and unite them against evil glasses guy’s plans.

Atashinchi no Danshi has eleven fun-filled and interesting episodes.  It has comedy, drama and a little bit of romance.  Chisato and Sho are cute and wish to see more of their pairing in the future.   The supporting cast delivers comic relief each week.  This makes the series light and fun to watch with the whole family. Inoue reminded me of Richie Rich’s maid Irona.

The plot might seem to be complex at first but everything is explained along the way.  Waiting a week for each episode was worth it.  And like what I’ve said before, Maki Horikita is turning out to be a good actress.

If you don’t want to be spoiled, STOP READING.   The ending was left wide open for a second season or a special in the future.  They found the Okura family treasure but they chose to be a family instead, just as what Shinzo has planned right from the start.  It was also revealed that Shinzo has two real heirs and Fuu is one of them.  The other one is not a son. *wink*

Maki Horikita takes on a challenging role, playing both Minato and Night in the movie. As a Tokyo boy, Horikita was scary. You can automatically tell whether she’s Minato or Night in the scene. I don’t want to be left with Night in the toilet alone.

I found Tokyo Boy to be slow. I don’t like how scenes were repeated to tell the story through the eyes of another person. It made some scenes redundant and I had to control myself from pushing the fast forward button. Horikita’s charm stopped me from doing so.

Overall, Tokyo Boy is a fun thriller. Finding out Night’s true identity, his connection with Minato and how Shu helped Minato resolve her problems in the end made it worth watching. I do believe that this movie could have been better. At least it introduced me to Maki Horikita. I expect better projects for her in the future.

Ichi is a good action movie. It teaches you not to underestimate your opponents. Her beauty and blindness might make her look weak but she is skillful with the sword. She learned the backhand sword grip from her father. My friend pointed out that her father could be Zatoichi, the legendary blind sword fighter. Like I said, I’ve never saw the previous movies. That’s why I didn’t connect the dots.

Ichi has all the things you look for in an action film. Comedy relief is brought to us by Toma Fujihira (Takao Osawa). He’s a samurai who can’t unsheathe his sword. Instead of being Ichi’s savior, he is the one who needs saving most of the time. If you’re looking for a modern samurai movie, then try watching Ichi. The duels were great. The one thing I don’t like about the movie is Banki (Shido Nakamura). His facial expressions are overdone. Maybe that’s what the director asked from him. You’ll hate him more after his fight with Toma at the end.

Ichi is a tragic but entertaining tale. The guys connected with her have met their untimely deaths and she can’t do anything about it. That’s their fate and she accepted it. Haruka Ayase proves that she’s not just a pretty face and can do action movies as well.

Smiling is what the casts are doing in this Tokyo Serendipity. Yui (Yui Aragaki) is an arts student who fell in love with Takashi (Ryuhei Matsuda) who lives in the unit above hers. Sadly, Takashi is in love with Atsuko (Rinko Kikuchi).

Tokyo seems to be a happy place to live in, if we base it on the movie. What I found most amusing are the professional wrestlers moonlighting as movers. I would burst into laughter whenever they’re on the screen.

Serendipity is the main point of the movie. Yui has recently moved into the apartment where Atsuko used to live and Atsuko, without her knowing about it, moved into the place that Yui used to live as well. Atsuko is still Takashi’s girlfriend but she’s hiding from him. So Yui’s caught in the middle and used it to her advantage because she’s falling for Takashi as well. And as if fate is playing with them, Yui became Takashi’s assistant as a part time job. In the end, everyone left but they kept on smiling.