Nobuta wo produce

I've been putting off watching this series thinking it's just another one of those ugly- duckling-turned-beautiful-swan series -- but I was wrong! This is by far one of the best TV series on friendship I have ever watched. It's about a girl who lacks self-confidence that's why she is always being bullied -- she goes through a transformation with the help of two unlikely individuals: one, the most popular guy in school, and the other a comic outcast who is actually the heir to a multi-million company. What is so nice about the story is that while Nobuta undergoes some transformation, her character doesn't change too much. She is still the quiet type of girl who lacks self-confidence, but you see her struggling to get out of her shell -- to talk to people and even play a newscaster in her club! It's this struggle that makes the story so real. And while Nobuta is changing, all the others around her also change -- the people who bullied her, her classmates who make fun of her, and most importantly, the two guys who have started to "produce" her also experience change.

The three main characters are played by a brilliant cast. Maki Harikita played Nobuta so well, and made the character so endearing to the viewers. Despite being quiet and shy, you become empathic to the character and would cheer her on as she tries to change for the better. Kazuya Kamenashi is also a brilliant actor -- he made his character three- dimensional, showing his struggle between maintaining his popularity, and being true to himself. As for Tomohisa Yamashita (or Yamapi), he is my favorite of the three. He played the character so naturally -- a comical, nerdy guy who is extremely rich yet extremely loyal. At first, I thought he was playing an annoying character, but as the show went on, his antics become more lovable, that's why it has become the favorite of many people.

This is an awesome tale of friendship -- how three unlikely individuals will come together and form a bond that no one else in school ever has. There are funny and touching moments that will make you laugh and cry, and sometimes laugh while crying.

This drama is pretty amazingly original. If you're taking a break from those predictable love dramas this one is good to sit down and watch. Although it looks like somethings gonna happen to the three's friendship, things turns out different. This drama is unpredictable and fun to watch. The storyline is also very interesting and if it isn't, it is always fun to watch what happens to them as they spend more time together. If you're fans of Kame and/or Yamashita, you'll enjoy their acting and characters; especially Yamashita's. His acting in this drama is my most favorite out of all the others I have seen, and Kame's acting was also better than in Gokusen. The girl in the story's acting is also really amazing. These two guys are a great combination. The ending song is sang by Kame and Yamashita. It is really the greatest song and goes well with this these two guys.

This was a sweet high school drama. The acting is excellent, and the whole story is very good. At first, it may seem a little weird, because you don't really know the characters and why there acting this way or that way. The whole plot seems to be catching on and then you really get on to enjoying it. I thought Kame was going to not act as good, but I was wrong. He was as good as he was in "Gokusen 2". Kotani played her character perfectly. It made it so realistic and that made it seem so good. Yama (that guy from NewS) was good, but not as good as Kame. Kame was a lot more popular, and out-going. There wasn't any flaw in this wonderful series that made it seem so in depth to real life events. Personally, I would add it to any collection if it came out on DVD. It's just...so real. From the innocent to the bullies, this J-Dorama is just fantastic! A very popular fall series.

It's a great show, and Kame's acting is very great. YamePi on the other hand acts drunk most of the time, but his acting excellent too! The girl in the story got bit of annoying though. Basically, the story takes depth as it continues, and a love triangle somewhat evolves. Shuji (Kamenashi Kazuya) and Akira (YamePi) are the points of the story. But as for the girl, things just get worse as she gets adjusted to knew life. There is even a song by Kame and YamePi, "Seishun Amigo". I thinks it's the greatest song ever! But, I would give it a 9 out of a 10, because it could've built more suspense, but it didn't seem to do that.

One word to describe the show: Genuine. This show is a rare gem. In many dramas (especially Korean dramas), acting usually feels forced. But not this one. Great acting. Maybe they picked the right people, maybe the director was really good, maybe it was the music, maybe the editing guy was a genius - I don't know how they did it...it felt very real. There were some over-the-top scenes and I personally found it funny. One major thing I loved about this show is how they expressed the value of friendship. I didn't realize how popular this show was until I googled it! The popularity of this show goes to show how many people value true friendship. Really gives me hope that having genuine friends is not a fairytale.