[Discussion] Last Cinderella

MaiKitty · Post by **MaiKitty** » Apr 10th, '13, 23:02

ラストシンデレラ - Last Cinderella

Information from Jdrama Weblog
Official Website

Broadcast
From 10.00 p.m., Thursdays, 11 April 2013

Station
Fuji TV

Cast
Shinohara Ryoko, Miura Haruma, Fujiki Naohito, Otsuka Nene, Iijima Naoko, Nanao

Story
39-year-old and single, Toyama Sakura is the assistant manager of the Kichijoji salon, Happy-Go-Lucky. One morning, she discovers one, two strands of beard growing on her chin when she looks at the mirror and gets a shock. Realising that she is turning masculine, she sets her mind on becoming a woman in love. On the same day, Tachibana Rintaro, who entered the company at the same time as Sakura and is the manager of the main Ginza salon, becomes the new manager of the Kichijoji salon. Sakura, who does not get along well with Rintaro, goes straight to the company president Hagiwara Toshio. However, she is told to quit if she is unhappy. One day, Sakura goes to a health spa with her two good friends Takeuchi Miki and Hasegawa Shima. When the three of them go into the beauty treatment room, the attendant notices the band-aid on Sakura’s chin. Sakura explains that she had nicked herself while pulling out the beard, and the attendant explains that excessive work and stress has activated the androgen in Sakura’s body, making her masculine. On another day, Rintaro’s customer Ogami Chiyoko comes to Happy-Go-Lucky. Chiyoko is also acquainted with Sakura. Sakura ends up participating in a matchmaking party through an introduction from Chiyoko and invites Miki and Shima too. However, everyone ignores her. She drowns herself in alcohol and gets drunk. When she steps out to the lobby, she encounters the professional BMX rider Saeki Hiroto …

Following Saikou no Rikon on Fuji TV, an mature woman/younger man romance that sees the return of some favourites like Ryoko Shinohara and Haruma Miura who didn't act in dramas for some time now. I'm curious about this romantic comedy! Maybe even triangle with Naohito Fujikis character!

Joicerojo · Post by **Joicerojo** » Apr 10th, '13, 23:54

I want to watch this drama!!!!!

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 11th, '13, 02:56

I've been trying (and failing) not to obsess about this drama since I found out about it a few weeks ago. I've always wanted to see Haruma Miura in a romantic comedy, and lately I've been sort of in love with the whole older-woman/younger-man scenario too (although granted I think this is the largest age spread I've seen yet...that'll be interesting...) -- so basically, I'm really excited. Crossing my fingers that some kind and awesome person will sub it for us... ;)

(On a weird side note, the only other place I've ever seen Ryoko Shinohara was in Anego, which had a similar premise to this one. I was sort of lukewarm on that drama in general -- enjoyed some aspects very much, but found others annoying -- but the weird part is that I watched it in the first place because Jin Akanishi was playing opposite her, and I liked Jin Akanishi mainly because he vaguely reminded me of...Haruma Miura. Lol. So, yeah -- another reason why I'm quite looking forward to this drama. Maybe it will be like a better, less annoying version of Anego... ;)

billano79 · Post by **billano79** » Apr 11th, '13, 08:58

look interesting

I also want to watch this drama

nikid · Post by **nikid** » Apr 11th, '13, 15:27

I'm really looking forward to watch this drama. Both Haruma-kun and Fujiki-san are 2 of my favorite actors, cant miss it

lol

anolibb · Post by **anolibb** » Apr 11th, '13, 16:07

I'm glad others are just as excited about this as I am!!! I really hope this will be good!

RainSprite · Post by **RainSprite** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:01

I'm also quite interested in this. Do we know yet who's going to be subbing this drama?

nikid · Post by **nikid** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:09

RainSprite wrote:I'm also quite interested in this. Do we know yet who's going to be subbing this drama?

According to http://fansub.d-addicts.com/Jdrama_Fans ... pring_2013 there's still nothing announced about that. We have to wait and hope someone pick this up

joasiaki22 · Post by **joasiaki22** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:28

And do you know where to find the raws?

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:34

joasiaki22 wrote:And do you know where to find the raws?

Furransu has said that he (she?) intends to upload the raws -- they're not up yet, but hopefully sometime in the next day or two... ;)

nikid · Post by **nikid** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:35

joasiaki22 wrote:And do you know where to find the raws?

It only start airing today, is still early for raws to be available

joasiaki22 · Post by **joasiaki22** » Apr 11th, '13, 22:41

Thank you for the update - I thought somehow that it started already earlier this week, plus the time difference. I guess bit too impatient

as it looks really interesting.

billano79 · Post by **billano79** » Apr 12th, '13, 11:46

Who's going to be subbing this drama!!!!!

nikid · Post by **nikid** » Apr 12th, '13, 11:51

billano79 wrote:Who's going to be subbing this drama!!!!!

As I said before, that wasnt announced yet. You have to wait

arakira · Post by **arakira** » Apr 12th, '13, 16:26

First ep was hilarious. It's like a revue of your typical jdrama rom-com cliched characters...mix some Anego with some Hotaru no Hikari and add whatever 'women close to 40'sitcome you've got at hand et voilà - but funnily enough it worked out pretty well. Drama made me laugh a lot and I already enjoy Fujiki-Shinohara chemistry. Keep the bickering going!
So we got a nice set out of the main characters and already some action going. Lol if only they'd cast a buff guy for the topless scenes I'd be completely happy with this start

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 12th, '13, 17:26

Ahh! Such fun. I can only pick up scraps of the dialogue (good news -- Heiwa are working on a softsub!), but I love it already. Haruma's character took me by surprise -- I hadn't even realized I'd made assumptions about what he would be like (I guess I was expecting an Ishida-from-Sapuri type), but he's about 180-degrees from what I'd imagined. I like it! Sort of a new color on him, which is always fun. He's not exactly playing a "responsible adult," but perversely he seems more grown-up than I've ever seen him. Even in Taisetsu na Koto he always struck me as a kid wearing his dad's clothes. (And needless to say, he's so pretty. Maybe after this series I'll finally stop calling him "Falcon"...lol...)

The relationship between the other two main characters seems interesting as well, though I imagine I'll get a lot more out of that side of the story once I can understand more than the general drift of the dialogue...

This one is a treat. Looking forward to the next episode! (And the subs, of course... ;)

MaiKitty · Post by **MaiKitty** » Apr 13th, '13, 12:53

Yes, seems like a fun show. Some random thoughts....

noyroc · Post by **noyroc** » Apr 14th, '13, 02:18

Does anyone know where I can get a direct DL for this?

I'm so happy the softsubs are out so quickly!

avieamber · Post by **avieamber** » Apr 14th, '13, 04:12

This show totally exceeded my expectations! Love the bickering btw Sakura and Rintaro. There's so much comedy going around and they don't feel forced at all. We're basically watching a typical manly woman's life and so far, I have to say, Shinohara as Sakura is genius! She nailed the character and it's weird watching her without makeup but that adds to the reality.

Highly recommended for anyone who's looking for a love comedy.

billano79 · Post by **billano79** » Apr 14th, '13, 04:23

today I will watch this drama

jica · Post by **jica** » Apr 14th, '13, 17:11

The first episode got me hooked. Shinohara is gorgeous and Miura is so pretty. But I wonder who she will end up with in the end...?

GaussAlgorithmus · Post by **GaussAlgorithmus** » Apr 14th, '13, 17:27

First episode was ok, I'm looking forward to where this is going. Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't. To me it is interesting to see, that this drama has definetly some Kdrama/Kpop influence in it.

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » Apr 15th, '13, 01:48

This is not so bad. I do like the interactions between main lady Sakura and her superior. I'm rooting for this couple.

billano79 · Post by **billano79** » Apr 15th, '13, 04:19

awesome drama

sunflower63 · Post by **sunflower63** » Apr 15th, '13, 06:40

this reminds me a lot of Sex and the City (the three women friends remind me of three of the four friends there) and also a little bit of Bridget Jones. What a great change for a Japanese drama, and I am enjoying it so far.

yuki238 · Post by **yuki238** » Apr 15th, '13, 10:45

Shinohara Ryoko plus Haruma Miura & Naohito Fujiki??
OMG~ This drama is like a triple treat at one time!!
EPIC! Love the 1st episode and curious, who is her true prince?

semi-fly · Post by **semi-fly** » Apr 15th, '13, 10:52

arakira wrote:It's like a revue of your typical jdrama rom-com cliched characters...mix some Anego with some Hotaru no Hikari and add whatever 'women close to 40'sitcome you've got at hand et voilà

Surprisingly this is was my motivation for watching the series. Two great shows shoved together and made anew.

Gir · Post by **Gir** » Apr 16th, '13, 01:10

I liked Sobar, that's a neat looking place, and the scene with Shinohara Ryoko doing her angry fast talking there. That is probably my favorite thing about her, I just love the way she sounds doing that.

She looked really good in that back dress she was going to wear to the gokon, even when she was wet.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 16th, '13, 02:20

yuki238 wrote:Shinohara Ryoko plus Haruma Miura & Naohito Fujiki??
OMG~ This drama is like a triple treat at one time!!
EPIC! Love the 1st episode and curious, who is her true prince?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't tell who she's supposed to end up with. If I'm honest I have to guess Fujiki, but I'm 100% rooting for Haruma Miura. Because he's the reason I'm watching the drama... ;)

(And he's SO PRETTY. Even more so than usual, which is saying something. And he's being all cynical and arrogant, which is so unusual for him. I seriously love it.)

But honestly I think I'll be okay with it if it goes the other way too, because I love a good bicker-fest. If I weren't coming into this with a bias, I would probably be rooting for Fujiki. Then again, I also love an arrogant jerk who turns out to be lonely and sad and finds a reason to be better, which could be where Haruma is headed. It all depends on how it unfolds -- which is awesome in itself. Bottom line, you've got to love a triangle where both of the guys are really good, dramatically-plausible options...

yuki238 · Post by **yuki238** » Apr 16th, '13, 07:25

FOM wrote:I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't tell who she's supposed to end up with. If I'm honest I have to guess Fujiki, but I'm 100% rooting for Haruma Miura. Because he's the reason I'm watching the drama... ;)

(And he's SO PRETTY. Even more so than usual, which is saying something. And he's being all cynical and arrogant, which is so unusual for him. I seriously love it.)

But honestly I think I'll be okay with it if it goes the other way too, because I love a good bicker-fest. If I weren't coming into this with a bias, I would probably be rooting for Fujiki. Then again, I also love an arrogant jerk who turns out to be lonely and sad and finds a reason to be better, which could be where Haruma is headed. It all depends on how it unfolds -- which is awesome in itself. Bottom line, you've got to love a triangle where both of the guys are really good, dramatically-plausible options...

Happy watching everyone! Lets enjoy this drama till the last!

MaiKitty · Post by **MaiKitty** » Apr 16th, '13, 07:35

kangxy67 · Post by **kangxy67** » Apr 16th, '13, 09:46

Everyone's saying that they love Haruma's new look, rather than his normal nice guy image, but I dont like it. ): I think it doesnt suit him, he's too pretty looking for it! And skinny. I prefer him looking pretty and nice.

Naohito is perfect, as usual. Why is he so good looking!

Shima is omg wtf?! Waaaaaaaaaay too desperate! But I like her short hair this season!

I love how Ryoko showed her bare face in the drama. She's totally going all out for this drama. Love her in it.

Love how words were at random places like the floor. Definitely watching this drama all the way, even if not for Naohito and Haruma.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 16th, '13, 13:54

I think Hiroto is supposed to be 24—so, yeah, a slight stretch. That’s why my logical side is thinking Rintaro is probably the pairing. But my illogical side still prefers Haruma… ;)

kangxy67 wrote:Everyone's saying that they love Haruma's new look, rather than his normal nice guy image, but I dont like it. ): I think it doesnt suit him, he's too pretty looking for it! And skinny. I prefer him looking pretty and nice.

I know what you mean—I love him playing a nice guy too, but I’ve been wanting to see him pull off a character with more layers for ages. He’s really good at playing straightforward-and-genuine (which is its own skill set—some actors don’t do that kind of character very well, or are uninteresting when they try), but the few times I’ve seen him play someone with an ulterior motive, or someone who’s really not nice, it’s rung a little false. I’m glad to see him being smarmy and selfish and deceitful and making me believe it. It's fun! ;)

namihodai · Post by **namihodai** » Apr 18th, '13, 19:06

noyroc wrote:Does anyone know where I can get a direct DL for this?

I'm so happy the softsubs are out so quickly!

you can try this site: http://jpddl.com/ It is not really direct, but maybe filehosters will work for you

yoochun95 · Post by **yoochun95** » Apr 18th, '13, 20:59

Wasn't this drama kinda ecchi... since it was saying cinderella i thought it will be more pure but there were many unexpected scenes.... not suitable for my age

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » Apr 19th, '13, 00:48

It's the chauvinist man that is her true prince. Their chemistry is sizzling I can fry my eggs in it.

muschan · Post by **muschan** » Apr 19th, '13, 10:34

this drama was nice but there are so many xxx scene right from the 1st episode, by looking at the next episode preview, it's gonna be more ! ....I just don't know if I want to continue watching or not...

yuki238 · Post by **yuki238** » Apr 19th, '13, 19:12

Btw, anyone knows the song played in the story? A woman singer.
I'm still have that song lingering in my head coz it struck me.
I love the melody

«minah» · Post by **«minah»** » Apr 19th, '13, 21:52

Watching it now and so far... I hate the deep stereotype of how a woman is to be, and getting gender and sex mixed up *sighs* Sorry, I just don't believe a woman is to be 'feminine' because it's suppose to be female qualities, just as a man doesn't have to be 'masculine' because it's suppose to be male qualities. So with the deep reminder of this cliché topic, I really wonder how long I can tolerate it. I'm not crazy about Ryoko and I'm kinda indifferent towards Haruma. I like Naohito but just by telling by the promo pic and the huge age gap (a coincidence since Ryoko's husband is old enough to be a grandpop of the kids he has now) Naohito isn't the 'lead guy.' Haruma is still in his prime so..... I dunno, seems it'll be more him being the lead 'winner' than Naohito. But! Naoko chopped off that pretty hair ;___; But I like how she can play kinda dullish looking whatever to sexy hot momma (though I could see her lovely charm in Saigo Kara...) But yeah... I'll see how I feel towards this drama.. and before even watching it I wasn't too crazy but ugh... the gender argument stereotype is so annoying to me.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 19th, '13, 22:56

«minah» wrote:Watching it now and so far... I hate the deep stereotype of how a woman is to be, and getting gender and sex mixed up *sighs* Sorry, I just don't believe a woman is to be 'feminine' because it's suppose to be female qualities, just as a man doesn't have to be 'masculine' because it's suppose to be male qualities. So with the deep reminder of this cliché topic, I really wonder how long I can tolerate it. I'm not crazy about Ryoko and I'm kinda indifferent towards Haruma. I like Naohito but just by telling by the promo pic and the huge age gap (a coincidence since Ryoko's husband is old enough to be a grandpop of the kids he has now) Naohito isn't the 'lead guy.' Haruma is still in his prime so..... I dunno, seems it'll be more him being the lead 'winner' than Naohito.

Funny you should say this -- I was completely rooting for Haruma until I got to episode two, and now it seems pretty clear to me that Naohito is the one she's supposed to end up with. I'll have to see the subtitles to find out if the dialogue agrees with what I thought was going on, but I think I've got the shape of this thing figured out...

I'm 100% with you on the gender stereotyping, but my hope (and expectation) is that the thesis of the series won't end with "women should be feminine and men should be masculine." If it does, I'll definitely be annoyed -- but I'm treating that as a premise that the story will lead the characters to reject, not as the argument that the story is making. Not that the topic itself isn't still a cliche, but that doesn't bother me as long as the story is fun.

(And really, can a story that casts Haruma Miura as its "prince" argue with a straight face that "men should be masculine"? I adore him, but he's not exactly Rambo. In fact, I adore him because he's not exactly Rambo... ;)

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » Apr 20th, '13, 00:09

So far for the 2 first eps Naohito has a whole lot more screen time than Haruma. Naohito as Rintaro to Sakura is like Buchou to Hotaru and in fact he is Sakura's boss. Looks like Naohito finds his niche.

I don't fancy Haruma. He's skinny and has this long hair that makes him kind of girly. Maybe they're trying to do contrast of "old man" Sakura and "girly" Hiroto. I don't even see how Hiroto can be with Sakura. She already found her path in life so what can this 20 something do for her. And the worst part is 20 something Hiroto is living/acting like a teenager.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 20th, '13, 00:46

Hideaki_Ito wrote:Maybe they're trying to do contrast of "old man" Sakura and "girly" Hiroto. I don't even see how Hiroto can be with Sakura. She already found her path in life so what can this 20 something do for her. And the worst part is 20 something Hiroto is living/acting like a teenager.

Okay, so here’s my working theory. And bear in mind that I only understood about 10% of the dialogue in ep2 (that’s why I need to see the subs… ;), so I may have missed some important details—but this is what it looks like to me right now…

12bucklemyshoe · Post by **12bucklemyshoe** » Apr 20th, '13, 01:04

Rintaro is clearly the real prince. He teases her all episode but when she really needs encouragement, he's there for her. And as mentioned, he's got the lion share of screen time with Sakura.

Just a guess but I think Hiroto and Choko might be step-siblings or something. I think his dad married her mom.

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » Apr 20th, '13, 02:30

FOM wrote: Okay, so here’s my working theory. And bear in mind that I only understood about 10% of the dialogue in ep2 (that’s why I need to see the subs… ;), so I may have missed some important details—but this is what it looks like to me right now…

I think Hiroto is in love with the younger girl who’s after Rintaro. Her parents (I think?) clearly don’t like him, and he seems frustrated by that. I think he’s helping her with this scheme because he thinks he doesn’t have a chance with her, but he wants to stay close to her in whatever way he can. That’s why he seems so callow and bitter, and why he’s sleeping around—not to mention why he instantly brushed off that other girl in the first ep just to go answer his cell phone. He’s given up on himself just like Sakura has, only the manifestation is slighlty different. His role in Sakura’s story will be to revive her sense of herself as a woman (not in a stereotypical way, but just in a “maybe I actually can consider romance a possibility” way) enough to make her realize she’s in love with Rintaro, and her role in his story will be to give him a kick in the balls and get him to fight for what matters to him rather than pretending that nothing does. Plausible?

I don't know if Hiroto is in love with young ojosama but I do read that Hiroto will fall for Sakura later and then at that point we'll have two men pining for her. And of course she'll choose prince Hiroto by accepting his glass slippers. This act throws Rintaro into the abyss of agony so Rintaro no hearto wa broken desu. He may quit his job and disappear from her life when she'll miss him and realizes she loves him all along. The climax will be her wearing Hiroto's glass slippers and run looking for buchou Rintaro, her one true love.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 20th, '13, 03:04

Hideaki_Ito wrote:I don't know if Hiroto is in love with young ojosama but I do read that Hiroto will fall for Sakura later and then at that point we'll have two men pining for her. And of course she'll choose prince Hiroto by accepting his glass slippers. This act throws Rintaro into the abyss of agony so Rintaro no hearto wa broken desu. He may quit his job and disappear from her life when she'll miss him and realizes she loves him all along. The climax will be her wearing Hiroto's glass slippers and run looking for buchou Rintaro, her one true love.

That was my second guess... ;)

MaiKitty · Post by **MaiKitty** » Apr 20th, '13, 20:54

I feel a family vibe coming from Chiyoko and her parents towards Hiroto. I also don't really sense romantic tension between the two, more of a sibling feeling. Is he the lost brother, nephew, the black sheep in the family or something? Strange. After episode 2 I also don't really see real romantic tension between Sakura and Hiroto. I found it very weird that they made such a big deal of a chaste kiss under the cherry blossom trees, when they allegedly had sex already in episode 1. (I suppose it never happened anyway.....which Miura Haruma drama had the same thing happen in episode 1 again?)

The way the theme song is playing every two seconds annoys me and reminds me of Rich Man, Poor Woman, which had exactly the same problem. They force the song on you too often.

I think Rintaro is perfect. He has some annoying views on women, but I sense a very sincere longing for a partner in his life. I also think he has his eyes set on Sakura. I was surprised how sweetly he reacted to her and gave her some good advice and companionship. I also think Fujiki Naohito looks really good in this role. Yes, he is spreading his Buchou-character charms here.

Still annoyed by Mikis family, that horrible MIL (why does she have to move in? Urrgh). And don't get me started on the husband. I was surprised that they already revealed the connection between Shima/Miki/Kouhei in episode 2. Thought it would be dragged out a little.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 20th, '13, 21:58

MaiKitty wrote:After episode 2 I also don't really see real romantic tension between Sakura and Hiroto. I found it very weird that they made such a big deal of a chaste kiss under the cherry blossom trees, when they allegedly had sex already in episode 1. (I suppose it never happened anyway.....which Miura Haruma drama had the same thing happen in episode 1 again?)

I HATED that drama. Mostly because it had potential, but it felt like it kept kneecapping itself by setting up an interesting situation and then saying “whoops, fake-out” and telling you that something less interesting had actually happened. The biggest one was the one from the first ep, I suppose—and the misunderstanding itself wasn’t necessarily a bad plot device, but leaving the audience to be surprised/disappointed by the switch rather than letting them in on the secret while it was still secret is just dumb from a dramatic standpoint. But anyway…that’s a rant for a different thread… ;)

I will say, I’ve sort of assumed that they didn’t really sleep together in the first ep (of this series, I mean). She was quite drunk, and he’s being paid to do this anyway—he didn’t need to actually sleep with her, he just needed her to think they slept together. He’s clearly not hard-up for female company, so I’m guessing he wouldn’t have pushed it that far while she was at such a disadvantage. In any case, I think the big-deal-over-the-kiss thing just reflects the fact that it’s the first kiss with him that Sakura actually remembers. The shot is more focused on her experience of the moment than his.

MaiKitty wrote:I think Rintaro is perfect. He has some annoying views on women, but I sense a very sincere longing for a partner in his life. I also think he has his eyes set on Sakura. I was surprised how sweetly he reacted to her and gave her some good advice and companionship. I also think Fujiki Naohito looks really good in this role. Yes, he is spreading his Buchou-character charms here.

I’m really getting to like Rintaro. (Annoying views on women, yes, but clearly full of it. ;) And I’m glad, because when it first started to look like he might be the romantic lead instead of Haruma (about ten minutes into ep1), I was really worried it was going to ruin it for me. (I’ve never seen Fujiki Naohito in anything before, and I’m a big fan of Haruma Miura, so I was coming in with a bias… ;) But he’s definitely winning me over. Actually, I just started watching Hotaru no Hikari too (after seeing it mentioned on this thread), and so far I like him a lot better in this drama than in that one. But then I’m not very far into it yet—Buchou is still just kind of being an obnoxious stick in the mud… ;)

MaiKitty wrote:I feel a family vibe coming from Chiyoko and her parents towards Hiroto. I also don't really sense romantic tension between the two, more of a sibling feeling. Is he the lost brother, nephew, the black sheep in the family or something? Strange.

Yeah, I know what you mean. If there is a romance, he’s still hiding it quite well. But at the same time I don’t get the feeling that Hiroto is related to the family himself—he seems more like “that guy who hangs around sometimes,” maybe a childhood friend (of Chiyoko’s) that her parents don’t approve of. But then his brief encounter with them really seems to throw him for a loop (so distracted/angry that he keeps falling off the bike), which is what sends me back around to the theory that he has feelings for Chiyoko, for lack of a better explanation. Unless maybe he’s been officially disowned or something, which could explain the sharp sense of distance I’m getting. Still, paying your own brother to stalk/seduce an older woman in order to help you stalk/seduce an older man? That just seems…a bit creepy… ;)

In any case, there’s definitely a backstory in there somewhere—the more I think about it, the more curious I am to know what it is…

(For what it's worth, it just occurred to me to check the character list and see if Hiroto and Chiyoko have the same family name -- they don't. So probably not full/blood-related siblings, at least...)

Nadya47 · Post by **Nadya47** » Apr 21st, '13, 10:32

I think Hiroto is a son, who chose bike over great career that he supposed to have as a son from rich family. Maybe future president of big company. That's why naming him useless disturbed him a lot.

I dislike whole situation with Shima, Miki and her husband, as well as situation with his mother.

dqt785 · Post by **dqt785** » Apr 21st, '13, 12:39

I really liked the insert song so I did a quick research and found it's "Last love" by Rihwa. The single is due June 5th (OMGGG). So if anyone is interested in that insert song, you know what to look for ;).

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » Apr 22nd, '13, 02:44

I also think that Hiroto is a botchan/young master of a rich family somewhere. So this prince Hiroto will offer the glass slippers to Sakura, the last Cinderella.

kitty10 · Post by **kitty10** » Apr 22nd, '13, 23:33

I just finished episode 1 and quite enjoy the banter between Rintaro and Sakura. Pacing is pretty decent, although I found myself kinda bored when Rintaro isn't on screen (Fujiki fangirl here

) I kind of don't really like Shinohara Ryoko, something about her annoys me. And it seemed like Sakura is well-worn character traits all recycled into one - it's something like a more extreme and cynical version of Hotaru, maybe mixed with a dash of Satoko (from Around 40). I confess I found it a little difficult to root for Sakura, maybe it'll get better in the next few episodes.

I love Otsuka Nene in Hero, but hadn't seen her later dramas, so I was a bit surprised to realise I barely recognised her in her "housewifely" role as Miki. Iijima Naoko looks great as usual, though the situation with her and Miki's husband... ehhh, they could really have gone for something different.

Chiyoko has a b!tchy look, neutral so far on Hiroto. The whole "Cinderella" thing at the staircase was a bit meh for me.

MaiKitty wrote:I’m really getting to like Rintaro. (Annoying views on women, yes, but clearly full of it. ;) And I’m glad, because when it first started to look like he might be the romantic lead instead of Haruma (about ten minutes into ep1), I was really worried it was going to ruin it for me. (I’ve never seen Fujiki Naohito in anything before, and I’m a big fan of Haruma Miura, so I was coming in with a bias… ;) But he’s definitely winning me over. Actually, I just started watching Hotaru no Hikari too (after seeing it mentioned on this thread), and so far I like him a lot better in this drama than in that one. But then I’m not very far into it yet—Buchou is still just kind of being an obnoxious stick in the mud… ;)

Buchou is really all kinds of awesome, so I hope you stick with the drama

I'd also recommend Fujiki in Love Revolution, it's the drama that pretty much shot him to fame. I love him and Esumi Makiko in that drama, and it had a great soundtrack too.

kangxy67 · Post by **kangxy67** » Apr 23rd, '13, 02:23

My first thought was Hiroto and Chiyoko are siblings and he's not approved in the family because he spends too much time on biking, so he moved out, going home only when Chiyoko asks him for help. Half-siblings then, if someone found that they dont have the same last names. That's my take, until something else interesting comes along.

Why does Haruma always get shagging roles? Is he that much shagging material? I dont think so. I'd so prefer him as the cute cuddly boyfriend or brother. Naohito is more shagging material. xD

Buchou is all kinds of awesome! Stick with it, and finish up with S2 and the movie!!

RainSprite · Post by **RainSprite** » Apr 23rd, '13, 02:28

kangxy67 wrote:My first thought was Hiroto and Chiyoko are siblings and he's not approved in the family because he spends too much time on biking, so he moved out, going home only when Chiyoko asks him for help. Half-siblings then, if someone found that they dont have the same last names. That's my take, until something else interesting comes along.

Why does Haruma always get shagging roles? Is he that much shagging material? I dont think so. I'd so prefer him as the cute cuddly boyfriend or brother. Naohito is more shagging material. xD

Buchou is all kinds of awesome! Stick with it, and finish up with S2 and the movie!!

I actually got the whole siblings/relative vibe as well from Hiroto and Chiyako, especially after episode 2

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 23rd, '13, 02:37

kitty10 wrote:
FOM wrote:I’m really getting to like Rintaro. (Annoying views on women, yes, but clearly full of it. ;) And I’m glad, because when it first started to look like he might be the romantic lead instead of Haruma (about ten minutes into ep1), I was really worried it was going to ruin it for me. (I’ve never seen Fujiki Naohito in anything before, and I’m a big fan of Haruma Miura, so I was coming in with a bias… ;) But he’s definitely winning me over. Actually, I just started watching Hotaru no Hikari too (after seeing it mentioned on this thread), and so far I like him a lot better in this drama than in that one. But then I’m not very far into it yet—Buchou is still just kind of being an obnoxious stick in the mud… ;)
Buchou is really all kinds of awesome, so I hope you stick with the drama I'd also recommend Fujiki in Love Revolution, it's the drama that pretty much shot him to fame. I love him and Esumi Makiko in that drama, and it had a great soundtrack too.

Oh don't worry, I stuck with it -- just finished series 1. ;) It's true, he's pretty awesome once he starts to let you see through him a little bit. And from an acting perspective, it's pretty awesome that he's able to win you over with the occasional glimpse of his real thoughts/feelings without ever quite giving in completely. Even after the shift, Buchou is still Buchou. Looking forward to seeing what happens in series 2... ;)

Thanks for the rec! I was just thinking I should see if he's done anything else I might find interesting, especially since the two things I'm watching of his right now have him playing sort of the same character (in some ways, at least). I'll definitely give Love Revolution a try. (Actually, just downloaded the torrents for the Mugen Dorama hardsubs of LR, and there are no seeders on any of the episodes -- don't know if you have them yourself, but if you do would you mind seeding them to me? ;)

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 23rd, '13, 02:44

kangxy67 wrote:Why does Haruma always get shagging roles? Is he that much shagging material? I dont think so. I'd so prefer him as the cute cuddly boyfriend or brother. Naohito is more shagging material. xD

I have zero problem with Haruma Miura in shagging roles. ;) Though I will admit I started laughing by about the fourth time I saw him play a character who got a girl pregnant by accident...

kangxy67 wrote:Buchou is all kinds of awesome! Stick with it, and finish up with S2 and the movie!!

Another vote in favor! Guess I better get cracking on series 2 then... ;)

sakuraichi11 · Post by **sakuraichi11** » Apr 23rd, '13, 04:18

Thank you so much dear

. Keep going *cheers*

kitty10 · Post by **kitty10** » Apr 23rd, '13, 08:51

FOM wrote:Thanks for the rec! I was just thinking I should see if he's done anything else I might find interesting, especially since the two things I'm watching of his right now have him playing sort of the same character (in some ways, at least). I'll definitely give Love Revolution a try. (Actually, just downloaded the torrents for the Mugen Dorama hardsubs of LR, and there are no seeders on any of the episodes -- don't know if you have them yourself, but if you do would you mind seeding them to me? ;)

Hmm... I don't have the torrents, but I do have the episodes... let me see what I can do and I'll drop you a PM asap.

Glad you like Buchou! Season 2... well, some people like it, some don't. I quite like it, and I view it as a sort of growth period for Hotaru so it may not be as funny but it does have its (comedic) rewards. Buchou continues to be awesome, which is really all that matters

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 23rd, '13, 23:51

kitty10 wrote:Hmm... I don't have the torrents, but I do have the episodes... let me see what I can do and I'll drop you a PM asap.

That would be awesome if you can get them to me, but no rush -- I've got plenty to watch... ;)

Speaking of which, I like series 2 of Hotaru so far! If anything I like it better than series 1. I don't mind trading a little comedy for character/relationship growth. And at any rate, at least where I am now, it's still quite funny. (And Buchou is adorable... ;)

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 28th, '13, 00:43

So, episode 3!

On a vaguely related subject, turns out I lied when I said I’d never seen Naohito Fujiki before, because apparently he was in Hana Yori Dango Final and Saigo no Yakusoku, both of which I’ve seen. In fact, I’ve seen HYD Final several times, and as soon as I saw that he was in it I knew exactly which character he must have played, but I guess his face had just never stuck in my mind before. Funny isn’t it, how you can gloss past someone multiple times until suddenly, for some reason, they become someone you recognize…

(Finished Hotaru no Hikari, btw. Adorable!)

bananaman22 · Post by **bananaman22** » Apr 28th, '13, 00:48

last cinderella insert theme cover

sakuraichi11 · Post by **sakuraichi11** » Apr 28th, '13, 12:18

Yaaaaay! Thank you so much. I really enjoy this dorama ^^

kangxy67 · Post by **kangxy67** » Apr 28th, '13, 12:59

FOM wrote:
First of all, sorry—am I crazy, or in the very last clip at the end of the ep4 preview, is that Hiroto kneeling on the floor kissing Chiyoko’s back? Cause if so, I really hope they’re not siblings… ;)

I know right! I was pretty shocked when I saw that too. And then I was just wondering why the heck he's being cast in all these kinds of roles. Lol.

FOM wrote:
Hiroto seems to be squirming a bit over what he’s doing to Sakura too—not necessarily like he’s falling for her, but I think he’s starting to feel a little bad about giving her the runaround.

I loved that part! I did think that he's kinda falling for her though. But unconsciously. He felt bad when he saw how Sakura reacted, but he didnt realise that he started liking her. That's my take, at least. I'm sure that the further this plot develops, we'll see more and more of genuine!Haruma.

FOM wrote:On a vaguely related subject, turns out I lied when I said I’d never seen Naohito Fujiki before, because apparently he was in Hana Yori Dango Final and Saigo no Yakusoku, both of which I’ve seen. In fact, I’ve seen HYD Final several times, and as soon as I saw that he was in it I knew exactly which character he must have played, but I guess his face had just never stuck in my mind before. Funny isn’t it, how you can gloss past someone multiple times until suddenly, for some reason, they become someone you recognize…

I was shocked when I knew he was in HYDF! I've watched it, but never realised that he was there, nor could I figure out where he appeared in. I've been meaning to rewatch it to find out, but havent got time. Blah. Soon!

FOM wrote:(Finished Hotaru no Hikari, btw. Adorable!)

On to the movie! xD

kitty10 · Post by **kitty10** » Apr 28th, '13, 23:11

kangxy67 wrote:
FOM wrote:On a vaguely related subject, turns out I lied when I said I’d never seen Naohito Fujiki before, because apparently he was in Hana Yori Dango Final and Saigo no Yakusoku, both of which I’ve seen. In fact, I’ve seen HYD Final several times, and as soon as I saw that he was in it I knew exactly which character he must have played, but I guess his face had just never stuck in my mind before. Funny isn’t it, how you can gloss past someone multiple times until suddenly, for some reason, they become someone you recognize…
I was shocked when I knew he was in HYDF! I've watched it, but never realised that he was there, nor could I figure out where he appeared in. I've been meaning to rewatch it to find out, but havent got time. Blah. Soon!

Fujiki was also in the original Hana Yori Dango! The 1995 film version. He was Hanazawa Rui.

FOM: I'm glad you enjoyed both seasons of Hotaru no Hikari!

kangxy67 wrote:
FOM wrote:(Finished Hotaru no Hikari, btw. Adorable!)
On to the movie! xD

DId you like the movie? I was okay with it, there were plenty of cute moments, but I hope that's where the franchise ends.

To make this post relevant... is Miura Haruma always this... ermm... fair and fey? I didn't like his bomb hair in episode 1.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 29th, '13, 00:09

kangxy67 wrote:I know right! I was pretty shocked when I saw that too. And then I was just wondering why the heck he's being cast in all these kinds of roles. Lol.

BECAUSE HE'S GORGEOUS. (Sorry, fangirl alter-ego rearing her ugly head for a moment there. I'll give her another glass of wine and a Haruma plushie and she'll go right to sleep... ;)

kangxy67 wrote:I loved that part! I did think that he's kinda falling for her though. But unconsciously. He felt bad when he saw how Sakura reacted, but he didnt realise that he started liking her. That's my take, at least. I'm sure that the further this plot develops, we'll see more and more of genuine!Haruma.

It's possible he's falling for her at the point, but I can't tell -- I'm still finding it difficult to read his feelings and motivations in general here. Can't quite decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing from an acting perspective (BUT I LOVE HIM EITHER WAY-- Shh, down girl... ;), but it certainly keeps you guessing. I really liked the bit where he was saying that he'll tell Sakura the truth if she starts talking about marriage though -- that whole conversation made it clear to me that neither he nor Chiyoko have really thought this elaborate plan of theirs through to an endgame, which I think is quite funny. I guess Hiroto's job is just to distract Sakura for awhile while Rintaro...spontaneously falls in love with Chiyoko? ;)

kangxy67 wrote:I was shocked when I knew he was in HYDF! I've watched it, but never realised that he was there, nor could I figure out where he appeared in. I've been meaning to rewatch it to find out, but havent got time. Blah. Soon!

melonyhappy · Post by **melonyhappy** » Apr 29th, '13, 00:51

I'm rooting for Rintaro. Sakura just seems more like herself around him. Their bickering is a nice touch. I just hope that Hiroto won't bruise Sakura's heart too much.

At the end of episode 3,

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 29th, '13, 01:42

kitty10 wrote:Fujiki was also in the original Hana Yori Dango! The 1995 film version. He was Hanazawa Rui.

Weirdly, I knew this before I realized who he was. I read somewhere that "the guy who played Rui in the 1995 version" had made a cameo appearance in HYD Final, and by process of elimination I figured out which character he must be. When I found out about Fujiki, it took me about five seconds to put the pieces together and realize that "the guy who played Rui" was in fact Fujiki Naohito...

kitty10 wrote:FOM: I'm glad you enjoyed both seasons of Hotaru no Hikari!

kangxy67 wrote:
FOM wrote:(Finished Hotaru no Hikari, btw. Adorable!)
On to the movie! xD
DId you like the movie? I was okay with it, there were plenty of cute moments, but I hope that's where the franchise ends.

I thought the movie was cute. It was more or less what I expected based on similarly-shaped franchises -- not totally necessary, and perhaps a bit meandering, but a fun last-hurrah for characters you've grown to love. Self-indulgent, in a good way. I like that kind of thing. ;)

kitty10 wrote:To make this post relevant... is Miura Haruma always this... ermm... fair and fey? I didn't like his bomb hair in episode 1.

Lol -- hmm...well, depends on what you mean by "fair and fey," but basically no, he's not always like this. He's definitely of a type I would more often call "pretty" than "hot," but he's playing into that type much more than he usually does. I've never seen his hair quite this long (closest was in Samurai High School, but it didn't have the wave to it -- and neither of that character's dual personalities were anything like Hiroto... ;), and he looks a bit thinner than usual to me. I enjoy seeing him like this, if only because it's a novelty...but at the same time, watching this series has got me re-watching Bloody Monday and Hi wa Mata Noboru now too, both of which feature a somewhat more "conventional" version of Haruma Miura...

FOM · Post by **FOM** » Apr 29th, '13, 02:01

melonyhappy wrote:I'm rooting for Rintaro. Sakura just seems more like herself around him. Their bickering is a nice touch. I just hope that Hiroto won't bruise Sakura's heart too much.

At the end of episode 3,

I was a bit annoyed that Sakura was apologizing for catching Hiroto kissing his girlfriend. Geez. He's a cheater....I thought she was too passive, but I'm glad she brought up the issue rather than letting it slide

noyroc · Post by **noyroc** » May 1st, '13, 19:26

melonyhappy wrote:At the end of episode 3,

I was a bit annoyed that Sakura was apologizing for catching Hiroto kissing his girlfriend. Geez. He's a cheater....I thought she was too passive, but I'm glad she brought up the issue rather than letting it slide

I've seen a lot of people complaining about that and even dropping the drama...

Issy · Post by **Issy** » May 1st, '13, 22:44

to be honest, I thought this drama would be fun to watch and as it had Naohito (I can't say no to any of his dramas

) but it turning out silly and cliche as each ep ends.

as for Sakura
honestly, I thought her character would be nice and cute with some innocence but never thought she would be this immature and annoying. she is 39, living in dirty/messy apartment, don't care about her appearance, does not know how to cook and clean, have no experience in life with men and people in general and on and on and on. way to show mature independent ladies who support themselves, work hard, are best in their jobs, help others and stand up to all wrongs in society. I don't want them to give me a perfect woman who is best in everything looking for love but Sakura is too much for her age and maturity too. her recent apology to Hiroto was just too much to handle too.

If I have to pick a guy I want Rintaro to end up with Sakura (as obviously he is in love with her as dramas like this goes. when a guy is horrible to you and acts like a jerk in front of you all the times, it means he is in love with you! ) because he is my bias and I can't somehow root for sakura and Hiroto in any way, form or shape! not to mention that Hiroto's character looks like one of those predictable characters who we watch (to be fair enough Rintaro's character is one too) most of times in dramas. He approaches you with someother intentions but love and then it turns into real love and feelings....

I'll keep watching this drama to see how it ends. Also because It seems like a predictable story lines which make you think there must be something different in there otherwise they won't do the same story again.

the only character I like to watch and have sympathy for right now is Miki to be honest. even though she is just a simple housewife, her character is so realistic and normal.

kitty10 · Post by **kitty10** » May 2nd, '13, 00:14

Issy wrote:as for Sakura
honestly, I thought her character would be nice and cute with some innocence but never thought she would be this immature and annoying. she is 39, living in dirty/messy apartment, don't care about her appearance, does not know how to cook and clean, have no experience in life with men and people in general and on and on and on. way to show mature independent ladies who support themselves, work hard, are best in their jobs, help others and stand up to all wrongs in society. I don't want them to give me a perfect woman who is best in everything looking for love but Sakura is too much for her age and maturity too. her recent apology to Hiroto was just too much to handle too.

This. I am also finding Sakura more and more annoying by the minute. She isn't even the himono onna type like Hotaru anymore, she is sometimes positively revolting. The dude who called her "jiji" in episode 2 wasn't that far off the mark. Ugh. I blame both the writing and the actress - I think Shinohara Ryoko overacts in this role and nothing she does at this point is making me warm up to Sakura.

I like Rintaro tons and half of me wants him to end up with the woman he loves (which seems to be Sakura, given his chemistry with her and all that back & forth bickering). But the other half is hoping against hope for a cameo by another actress (maybe Esumi Makiko, haha) who will be revealed as Rintaro's true love and he'll ride off into the sunset with her. Sakura can then end up with Hiroto, or nobody, for all I care.

Hiroto... well, at the moment I can't relate to whatever angst he has. I just hope he doesn't end up with Chiyoko (if they're not siblings, although I do get that sibling vibe from their interaction too).

Issy · Post by **Issy** » May 2nd, '13, 05:01

^
Yes! Sakura exaggerates in every thing she does. Exaggerates when she's doing fine, exaggerates when she sucks. That's what making her character annoying. Even though it seems very similar character to Hotaru in the first glance, but Hotaru looked like a real person and Sakura is not. I think the problem is her age. Hotaru was much younger (under30?) And acting her age but Sakura is almost 40 and not acting it. I am not saying these kind of 40yrs old women do not exist, but the way they're portrayed here make them hard to like and sympathise with.

As for Rintaro, from my twitter friends first reaction to him, apparently he seems like a jerk guy with sexist mouth towatds women and was not well received at all. I didn't have such impression of him at all bearing in mind his job and his personality, I just saw it as an tough guy act of typical Japanese man and his views towards women that puts front to hide his "different and real" person inside. Or maybe because I'm biased towards Naohito. But bias or no bias there is definitely more depth in Rintaro's character than Hiroto.

Hiroto and Chiyoko look as siblings to me too and it seems that there was something going on between him and the step mom (she didn't seem like their mother to me) or maybe I'm wrong.
Like I said before, all characters and their storyline seem very predictable and cliché and done before many times that is making me think there must be something else which is different and new ahead.

MaiKitty · Post by **MaiKitty** » May 2nd, '13, 08:45

I thought in episode 3 when they were searching for a model with long hair they would choose Sakura. It was the obvious solution. She has horrible long hair and Rintaro could have transformed it into something amazing. Another weird point about her character. Working as beautician and that means seamingly knowing everything about hair and having split ends and a horrible haircut. It just doesn't make sense that she doesn't care for her appearance at all considering her profession. It is unrealistic.

Regarding Haruma Miura for me his acting is double-egded. In some shows he is ok, but sometimes he is so horrible it is hard to watch. Considering Last Cinderella episode 3, I interpreted his acting like this. He was shocked that Sakura found out about his "girlfriend". He doesn't feel anything at all for her. I am kind of curious, if he ever will. No triangle so far as I can see it. Sakura and Rintaro are the couple in this drama. Honestly who wants to be with a guy who has another girlfriend? Sakura has issues.

FOM · Post by **FOM** » May 2nd, '13, 18:18

MaiKitty wrote:I thought in episode 3 when they were searching for a model with long hair they would choose Sakura. It was the obvious solution. She has horrible long hair and Rintaro could have transformed it into something amazing. Another weird point about her character. Working as beautician and that means seamingly knowing everything about hair and having split ends and a horrible haircut. It just doesn't make sense that she doesn't care for her appearance at all considering her profession. It is unrealistic.

Same here! I’ve been puzzled by Sakura’s hairstyle since the beginning. I was assuming it was a setup for one of those “makeover scenes” where suddenly she’d cut it and look fabulous, but there haven’t been any moves in that direction yet. It strikes me as odd partly because I wonder why on earth she would keep it that insanely long given that she clearly doesn’t like dealing with the hassles of personal care. Short hair is much easier to take care of than long hair, even if all you’re doing is shampooing it once a day. And given that she works in a hair salon, it's not like getting it cut once every six months or so would be a huge investment of time or money...

MaiKitty wrote:Regarding Haruma Miura for me his acting is double-egded. In some shows he is ok, but sometimes he is so horrible it is hard to watch. Considering Last Cinderella episode 3, I interpreted his acting like this. He was shocked that Sakura found out about his "girlfriend". He doesn't feel anything at all for her. I am kind of curious, if he ever will. No triangle so far as I can see it.

I can agree with this—Haruma Miura is one of a short list of actors that I have sort of an inexplicable unconditional love for, and I would watch him in anything (and I have…stupid Crows Zero II…), but even I can admit that his range is limited. I would argue that he can be very good in a role that plays to his strengths (Falcon in Bloody Monday is probably the best example so far), but he can also be awkward, stagey, and false when he’s in less familiar territory (such as trying to be a plausible “bad guy” in Crows Zero II…). In this series, I think he’s definitely showing some growth (at least in the area of being plausibly not-nice), but there’s still some of that staginess to his eye-rolling. The fact that this is a comedic series is working to his advantage because it helps paper over the cracks -- if he were trying to play a character of this nature in a more serious context he would be in way over his head. As for interpreting his feelings (or lack thereof) toward Sakura, at this point it’s definitely ambiguous where he stands, and it’s hard to tell whether that’s because they’re intentionally keeping the audience in the dark (as they are about his reasons for doing this in the first place), or because he’s just not getting across what he wants to get across acting-wise. I think the right answer will be clearer in hindsight...

Post by **Ethlenn** » May 2nd, '13, 19:09

I have to agree with Issy and other people about Sakura's character. It's exaggerated and warped to the point of absurdity. Her character insults "all the single ladies" 30+. If anyone wanted to conclude how a spinster is like, one would be left with either nymphomaniac with overflowing libido or Sakura who lives in a pigsty, eats in a horrible manner, talks like pre-war rural grandpa, dresses with a blindfold and can't even comb her hair.

I'm not sure if this show is not sending a false message about all those ladies who are not married, who live independently and prefer work over marriage/dating.

And Rintaro be better "deeply hurt guy who spews mysogynist comments on women to defend his wounded heart", or else...

Also, the whole Sakura-Hiroto relationship... I feel more chemistry coming from my can of beer than from this pair so far. But let's wait and see. As Issy said, maybe they have an interesting twist in the story, because honestly, I giggled seeing sakura on Sakura when the wind blows and whatever.

Hideaki_Ito · Post by **Hideaki_Ito** » May 3rd, '13, 03:02

I couldn't even finish ep 3. After 2.5 ep, I'm already bored of Hiroto and Sakura relationship (or rather Hiroto character.) Looking at him reminds me of Jin from Anego (but at that time there was Masaya Kato for me to drool over.) Probably will come back or maybe not. I can't hold this hot potato any longer.

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[Discussion] Last Cinderella

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