Voice JDrama of Ikuta Toma now Subbed!

Good news everybody! Ikuta Toma's forensic science Jdrama, Voice, is now being subbed by the Giri Giri Fansub Group. You can download the video of Voice <-- here, including the soft English subs. The sub group has finished until the third episode.

Just a few things to whet your appetite. Turns out this drama is called Voice because as forensic medical students, they are asked to pick up the thread of voice that the bodies have left behind.

Episode 1 basically shows how the forensic science group was formed. The main character, Kaji Daiki, actually applied to be a part of the heart surgery department, but the head of the forensics department had him moved to his group, because he believed that Daiki had an inquisitive mind and a unique talent for observation. Ishimatsu Ryosuke, Ikuta Toma's role, is the son of a renowned gastroenterologist, and is expected to follow in his father's footsteps. Ryosuke goes against his father's wishes and chooses forensic science, instead. Not everyone is supportive of Kuboaki Kanako's choice to go to forensics either. The other doctors feel that it is a waste of her talent to examine dead bodies.

In Voice, forensic science is not a very popular field in Japan. People, including majority of the doctors, associate doctors with saving lives, so the idea of examining a dead body is perceived as a useless thing. As a result, a lot of bodies are left unexamined and are written off as accidents.

This newbie group is given their very first assignment on day 1 when a dead body arrives with an unusual set of circumstances. The group decide to go beyond the library and the hospital and goes to the scene of the crime to find clues about the case, and try to decide whether the death was an accident or a murder.

Episode 1 was a good one. We immediately see the different personalities of each character and the dynamics among them. Ikuta Toma is the outgoing one among them, and his sunny disposition is an absolutely plus in the drama. It's also good to see his serious side, which I believe will show up regularly as his conflict with his father starts to bubble up. We also get the privilege of seeing glimpses of Daiki and Kanoko's past, which contributed greatly to their being in the field of Forensics.

I must admit that I had tears in my eyes by the end of this episode. You'll see why. I recommend watching this show if you appreciate dramas.

Opening to Ikuta Toma's Voice Drama

Weeeeeeee! Check out the opening to Ikuta Toma's new drama, Voice, here:



I almost melted when I saw his face! I've absolutely missed him. This serious pic of Ikuta Toma is absolutely different from the crazy, gawky Nakatsu he played as in Hana Kimi.



Now if only they can release the English subbed version of his episodes pronto, so I can start watching. :X

Ikuta Toma's two new Dramas - Maou and Voice

I'm absolutely thrilled! Not only did Ikuta Toma recently star in this suspense drama flick called Maou, in which he plays a detective out to fight against Maou (devil), the antagonist of the film, he is also slated to be one of the medical students in the upcoming medical mystery series called Voice.

The subtitles for Maou are here:
http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_63167.htm

Unfortunately, the series is licensed so we can't watch it on crunchyroll.

Here's just an itty bitty taste of who will play in the Voice TV series with Ikuta Toma (plays a doctor named Ishizue Ryosuke). The fact that they are using Coldplay's Viva La Vida is enough to keep me real curious. The flick is going to start on Jan 12, 2009.



Hooray for Ikuta Toma! :)

Toma Ikuta - The underrated talent (And 2 Toma Ikuta wallpapers!)

I've been browsing around for some good Toma Ikuta sites and it really depressed me to realize that there are only a few of them. Toma Ikuta is one of those unique talents who have not gotten such a good break. He has yet to achieve the superstar status that Matsumoto Jun and Kimtaku have achieved.

Knowing this, I am dedicating this post to Toma Ikuta - the underrated talent. I feel that he deserves more publicity than he is getting. He is a versatile actor, with roles ranging from the nerdy Otaku at Akihabara (at) Deep to a man out for a vengeance in Hana Yori Dango.

He has a charming exterior, with an intensity to him that allows him to play passionate roles, and a soft, humorous side to him that helps him play lighter shows. There is something unique with the way he laughs, and it's quite catching. This 22-year old deserves that big break at fame.

I've made two wallpapers for him, hope you like them. I made the theme a little on the white side, since Toma Ikuta's favorite color is white.




And a buddy icon to highlight his laugh:



Click here to see all my Ikuta Toma goodies and posts!

And please: Leave a comment if you're a fellow Toma Ikuta fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMA IKUTA

Today is Toma Ikuta's Birthday! Let's all greet him today! :) Post in all your blogs, myspace accounts and whatnots =) Hopefully, the greetings will reach him :)

I also made 2 wallpapers for him as a gift :) Ikuta Toma, Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!!! Click on the thumbnails below to view the full 1024X768 version of the wallpaper. You can use this on your desktop to your heart's content but please don't offer them on your site :)

Enjoy!




Here's a great, great youtube video made by yamapink!

JDrama Hana Kimi Screenshots

Japanese Drama Hana Kimi screenshots for episode 1 with captions! Enjoy!
If you want to use this on your website, please ask permission first. Capturing screens isn't as simple as it seems :) (at least for someone like me who finds the process very tedious)

Special thanks goes to SARS FANSUBS for creating high-quality japanese drama series fansubs :) Check out their site to download the videos =)



Ashiya starts her new life in Osaka High School



Fan girls flock to Osaka High School to view the good-looking students



Osaka High school is an all-boys school with only one criterion for entering



Their appearance.



Fan girls are loving the beautiful scenery



Also here



The Hibari Four. A group of girls who belong to St. Blossoms, Osaka High School's sister school.



Osaka High students are all excited to see the transfer student from America (but they are later on disappointed to see a Japanese-looking guy - Mizuki - instead)



Mizuki's first encounter with Sano, the sole reason she was dressing up as a guy and attending Osaka High School, wasn't a very nice one.



Sano's graceful high jump, which has been Mizuki's inspiration.



Acting like a guy can be quite tricky especially in sticky situations such as this one.



News goes around of Mizuki's skills in running, so all the dorms fight over her to gain a better chance at winning dorm competitions



Later on, she learns that winners of dorm competitions get rewards








Mizuki meets Nanba, playboy and dorm head of dorm 2



And meets the adorable dog of dorm 2



As well as this creepy fellow (who will grow on you most definitely)




Sano has an attitude



Mizuki runs at the dorm competition despite her injury




Flashback: Mizuki cut her hair to look like a guy, attend Osaka High and convince Sano to jump again.




Sano takes care of Mizuki



Nakatsu and his brilliant display of selflessness makes his late grandma proud

Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun star in Hana Kimi

What could possibly be better than a hilarious JDrama with Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun starring on it, and a couple of other good-looking guys? Absolutely nothing.

Hana Kimi is about a girl named Ashiya, who wishes to place a smile back on a high-jump record holder who goes by the name of Sano (played by Oguri Shun). After an incident with thugs, Sano had quit high-jumping, and Ashiya feels responsible for what happened.

The catch? Sano studies at an all-boys high school in Osaka. Determined to achieve her mission, Ashiya cuts her hair short, leaves her family in the US and goes to Osaka posing as another male student, hopeful that she can rekindle Sano's desire to do the high-jump, and return him his happiness.

With a high school whose only requirement for those applying is to be good-looking, a flurry of competitions against the three dorms of the school, and the stubborn loner ex-high-jumper, what has a girl like Ashiya gotten herself into?

This is exactly the kind of Jdrama that could act as Ikuta Toma's springboard to popularity, as he plays Nakatsu, a hilarious student from Dorm 2 who finds himself falling for Ashiya in some weird way and despising himself for it. Ikuta Toma is both hilarious and endearing in this show, as he has some rather touching scenes in the show. Oguri Shun's performance was as perfect as ever. As the versatile chameleon he is, he is able to act as the serious loner, with a heavy burden on his shoulders, but can also play scenes as the kissing drunken fool, who had one too many Nara pickles. Ashiya, played by Horikita Maki, is a good choice for the role, as she can pass as a boy, without losing her feminine identity.

The other characters in the show are not to be forgotten, as their contribution to the drama is essential. They provide more color to the show, from the boy with the third eye, the playboy, the drama king, the overly zealous Taekwondo leader, the questionable nurse... the list goes on. This show must be on your playlist.

I'll be having episode synopses in the later posts :)