To be completely fair to, well, every single Asian drama I have ever watched, I’m going to have to admit to everyone that Nobuta wo Produce is actually the first Japanese dorama I have ever seen.That said, it was most definitely a breath of fresh air when compared to all of the Korean and Taiwanese dramas that I’ve watched. Why? Because, for once, the entire plot wasn’t based on a love hexagon. There were, refreshingly, three good people and one bad person who was actually bad and who you could actually hate without feeling like you’d commited some horrible crime and that you were the worst person in existence.
The story’s narrator is Kiritani Shuuji (Kamenashi Kazuya of KAT-TUN fame), a popular highschooler who is well-liked by all of his classmates. Though he despises having to be fake day in and day out in order to please everyone around him, he continues to play his role almost perfectly–save when it comes to Kusano Akira (Yamashi Tomohisa of NEWS). Akira, a total weirdo who thinks Shuuji is his friend, invites Shuuji to help him “produce” the new girl in their class, Kotani Nobuko, who is herself an antagonized outcast, in becoming popular. The two decide to undertake the task of making Nobuko (whom they affectionately refer to as Nobuta–a play on words–buta meaning pig) well-liked by everyone.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “This is like that movie, isn’t it? The one with Freddie Prinze Jr.? She’s All That?” That’s what I thought, too, but I watched it anyway thanks to the fact that someone whose opinion I trust indirectly told me it was good. I was pleasantly surprised.
While coming up with scheme after scheme in order to make Nobuta popular, the group learns lessons about loneliness, the value of friendship, and the cost that comes with deceiving people as opposed to simply being oneself and being honest with them. And, though they face many hardships in making Nobuta the beloved-by-all girl they’d like her to be (in particular, from a mysterious young lady who ruins almost all of their plans), Nobuta finds herself making friends and becoming popular on her own terms–and by being herself instead of trying to make herself into something she isn’t.
Though I found the mini-series to be slightly over-philosophical at times, it was nice to see for once that the message wasn’t, “Conform and you’ll be happy,” but that it was, “Decide for yourself whether conformity will make you happy or not–chose your own values for your own reasons, and be happy with that.” At least, I was happy with the message it sent. Of course, I was also happy with how gorgeous I found Kazuya in the film (did anybody else count how many times he would lean against something and give that smouldering look? Because I certainly did). And the acting skills of the three main characters weren’t bad either. Though at times I found Nobuta’s role a little shaky, I must say that Kazuya and Tomohisa (Shuuji and Akira) have excellent on-screen chemistry. They really seem to feed off of each other’s energy.
Anyway, I’m not sure if every J-Dorama is this way (I’m kind of curious to find out, so that maybe I can split my usually very depressing K and TW Dramas with them), but I was very happy with the fuzzy, not-confused-about-who-loves-whom, feeling that it left me at the end.
I’d suggest this show for anybody who’s either an optimist at heart, likes crazy people (there’s one person in there who’s quite a piece of work), or who simply wants a break from the heartbreaking agony that are most Korean and Taiwanese Dramas.
Overall, and excellent show. ^_^
Favourite Moment:
Aoi: If I fall from here, I die? Am I crazy? Yes, I must be. I was so important to you. Can you forgive me? If you don’t forgive me, I’ll jump. So? Do you forgive me or not?
Nobuta: I can’t.
Aoi: Understood. I’m jumping. *She approaches the ledge and gets on a chair*. Don’t come any closer! This is your last chance. Do you forgive me? So, Kotani-san?
Enter Shuuji and Akira.
Shuuji: What are you doing?!
Nobuta: Aoi-san wants me to forgive her or else she’ll jump off the roof!
Aoi: So? Do you forgive me or not?
Akira: Stop manipulating her like that.
Shuuji: That’s the only thing she knows how to do.
Aoi (to Shuuji): You understand everything, Kiritani-kun. You’re unbelievable.
–It isn’t that this is actually my favorite moment of the show… it’s just that it’s the one that stayed the most vivid in my mind after I had finished. There was just something about that scene (it’s more likely there’s something about me and crazy people wherein I remember EVERYTHING they do, and tend to understand them… >.> , but oh well).