Binbo Danshi

{FILM DIARY}
Film: Binbo Danshi (Japan 2008)
Seen: late August to mid-September
Runtime: 9 episodes, 45′-60′ each
Release Date: 15th January 2008 in Japan
Polish Distributor: doesn’t exist :]
Director: Inomata Ryuichi, Yoshino Hiroshi, Shigeyama Yoshinori
Cast: Oguri Shun, Yamada Yu, Yashima Norito, Miura Haruma, Yusuke Santamaria
TV Network: NTV
Plot: The main character is an incurable optimist and is incapable of saying no to anyone. He loves everybody and wants to be loved back by everyone too. He ends up in debt (and taking other people’s debts on top of that…).

Opening Credits Clip
(I like toilet humour ;) )

Impressions
The series is good enough to keep watching without wondering why on Earth one is doing so (I still kind of wonder why I persevered with Bambino and Gokusen ;) ), but no where near as addictive as Hana Yori Dango. There is, however, one really great thing about it and that’s the last episode - at least IMO it was a reaaally satisfying ending, neither too sweet nor too sour.
The main attraction of the series for me is, of course, Oguri Shun (Rui from Hana Yori Dango). His look in this is very natural and normal - no fancy died hair, no fashionable clothes (or if you prefer to phrase it differently - he looks kind of like he’s homeless ;-P ). I really like him in this sort of look though *grin*
The downside (at least for me) is that Shun has got some very loud and exaggerated comedy to do in this and I don’t much like him when he’s loud and exaggerated (with Matsumoto Jun the opposite is true ;) - Andreja, I know I owe you a whole post about him, but does this do for a start? ;)). I was actually surprised that I minded the broad comedy less than I thought I would. Some of the over-energetic aspects of the character were actually good. Still, I much prefer Shun doing more restrained stuff ;-P
On the positive side, he’s doing a sensitive, pushover kind of character in this - which is the kind of character I really like him in :) I’ve grown to like him in soppy, teary kind of scenes and as this character gets moved to tears all the time (like a few times in every episode) there’s a lot of that in the series. A lot of Shun’s crying is in the loud, exaggerated Japanese comedy kind of style, but a fair amount of it is “for real”, so I’m still a very satisfied fan ;)

Recommended?
Definitely yes if you like Oguri Shun.
Maybe yes if you’re already into J-drama.
Absolutely not if you don’t fit either of the two above categories ;-P

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