[Discussion] Dream Again

Discuss Japanese drama series here.
lzydata
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[Discussion] Dream Again

Post by lzydata » Oct 16th, '07, 10:56

ドリーム☆アゲイン
DREAM * AGAIN

Subs by Massuki Fansubs: http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_54235.htm
DramaWiki entry: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dream_Again

INTRODUCTION
(This is my translation from the official website. The copious exclamation marks are in the original.)

His name is Ogi Shunsuke. He's well known by everyone as the base-loading man in the baseball world. Although his battling average is [only] .100, when he strikes, it's a home run!!

A man like that was unbelievably forced to retire from a shoulder injury. He tries to walk on another path in life, but realizes that he still wants to play baseball!! He still wants to stand in the batter's box and bask in the cheers of the crowds!! So this man decides he will aim to work hard and return to professional baseball. But just at that time, of all things, he dies.

Unable to give up on his dream, he persuades God to return his soul to another man's body.

Who does he choose? A filthy rich young president of an asset management company. He soon faces all kinds of trouble!!

He understands nothing about running the company - stocks are just gibberish to him. On top of being unable to meet his former girlfriend again, he is stalked by a mysterious 14-year-old girl.

What will happen to Ogi Shunsuke!!

How many more obstacles await him ahead!? What will happen to Shunsuke's plan to return to professional baseball...

CAST
Sorimachi Takashi as Ogi Shunsuke/Asahina Takaya
Kato Ai as Ninomiya Satsuki
Shida Mirai as Fujimoto Hina
Aota Noriko as Ushiyama Momoko
Miyake Hiroki as Kumada Tsunehito
Suga Takamasa as Hishinuma Tsukasa
Watanabe Tetsu as Maeda Kenzo (Giants' coach)
Segawa Eiko as Nakata Kayo
Kodama Kiyoshi as Tanaka

STAFF
Script: Watanabe Mutsuki
Directors: Nakajima Satoru, Naganuma Makoto and others
Producer: Tsugiya Nao
Theme song: Aoku yasashiku by Kobukuro

Official website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/dream
Staff blog: http://www1.ntv.co.jp/dream/diary/index.html
"Hina-nou blog" (special web-only segments featuring Hina's thoughts): http://www.dai2ntv.jp/p/a/111a/
Last edited by lzydata on Oct 20th, '07, 00:34, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by lzydata » Oct 16th, '07, 11:09

The basic setup, I've been informed, is similar to Here Comes Mr. Jordan and its adaptations like Chris Rock's Down to Earth. From what I've seen so far, though, Dream Again should find its own story to tell.

I started this thread because I liked the pilot very much, and no one had done it yet. If this show keeps it up it could be one of the best dramas of the season. Getting another man's body and (trying to) live another man's life provides plenty of comedic material. There's also the mysterious god/angel by the simple name of Tanaka and the cute mannerisms. And I'm especially intrigued by Shida Mirai's character. Hina, that little devil. So for those who are sitting on the fence, please give it a try!

Oh, and support mhaellix's subs too! I'll provide a link to them in the first post when she sets up the subs thread.

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Post by mangifera » Oct 17th, '07, 00:22

i'm so digging this dorama for Sorimachi. He always make me awed with his acting. I'm so in love with him. I just admire the way he put the soul to his character.

I support the fansub no matter how long it takes for them to finish the subbing. go go !!

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Post by auroragb » Oct 17th, '07, 04:54

lzydata wrote:The basic setup, I've been informed, is similar to Here Comes Mr. Jordan and its adaptations like Chris Rock's Down to Earth. From what I've seen so far, though, Dream Again should find its own story to tell.
Actually, it reminded me of Heaven Can Wait more than the other two (because it's the only one I've seen of those), I'm interested in checking this out

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 17th, '07, 06:13

Another interesting point is the fact that they used real baseball players as extras (including Coach Hara of the Yomiuri Giants), plus have you seen that full stadium? That's pretty awesome.

I wanted to see a different kind of acting for Shida, though.

I've got to be honest, this is the most difficult translation project I've ever taken. They managed to place almost 100 lines in the first 3 minutes of the show plus stock market terms.

(for updates and progress reports visit: www.massuki.com)

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Post by wapuro » Oct 17th, '07, 07:39

wow...they used real baseball player......that's awsome....
@mhaellix>>> ganbatte.....^^

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Post by ecstazy » Oct 17th, '07, 18:28

Yeah, that's interesting ;-)
I'm not a baseball fun, I prefer basketball ;-) But I'm wating for this drama... Takashi is great in his acting and I'm curious what he prepared this time...
@mhaellix - Girl, U are quite fast at subbing... *She's checking the progress*

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Post by joeboygo » Oct 18th, '07, 03:25

I find shows with the "Heaven Can Wait" theme irresistible. The meat of the show will probably come from the clash of values between Sorimachi's character and those of the man whose body he has taken over. So although the basic plot may not be the most original, it still offers up a ton of new possibilities for engaging in a meaningful reflection about the choices people make and how they choose to lead their lives. I'm looking forward to seeing what the writers will do with this.

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Post by shirley07 » Oct 18th, '07, 06:51

just wondering...is anyone subbing this drama?
because the storyline seem so interesting...and shida mirai is in it...haha

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Re: [Discussion] Dream Again

Post by haruna_hamasaki » Oct 19th, '07, 15:42

lzydata wrote:...On top of being unable to meet his former girlfriend again, he is stalked by a mysterious 14-year-old girl...
is that Shida Mirai?

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Re: [Discussion] Dream Again

Post by mhaellix » Oct 19th, '07, 15:48

haruna_hamasaki wrote:
lzydata wrote:...On top of being unable to meet his former girlfriend again, he is stalked by a mysterious 14-year-old girl...
is that Shida Mirai?
Yes, that's Shida Mirai.

And we have released episode 1, hardsubs shouldn't be too far behind.

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Re: [Discussion] Dream Again

Post by lzydata » Oct 20th, '07, 04:25

mhaellix wrote:
haruna_hamasaki wrote:
lzydata wrote:...On top of being unable to meet his former girlfriend again, he is stalked by a mysterious 14-year-old girl...
is that Shida Mirai?
Yes, that's Shida Mirai.

And we have released episode 1, hardsubs shouldn't be too far behind.
Otsukaresamadeshita! Perhaps now we'll have more people tuning in.

One interesting thing about this drama is how the main characters are on the face of it very different in age, sex, background, character type etc. Picture Sorimachi, Kato, Shida and Kodama at the press conference, and you'll see what I mean. But I'm curious, mhaellix, what did you mean when you said you expected a different kind of acting for Shida?

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 20th, '07, 04:41

I don't know, I guess I wanted to see a sweeter more magical side for her, not her usual sarcastic role (like in 14 sai and tantei). When I read the synopsis, it being heaven-related, I was hoping for an angelic shida. Oh, and I hope she gets more screen time.

Regarding Dream Again as a whole, I really hope it gets more attention, I think it's a pretty good show (may not be the best this season, but still good). Initially, I've decided that there's a possibility of us dropping this show if there's not enough interest. But now that the team has grown bigger and since I actually like the story, I might change my mind. We'll know for sure by the 3rd episode.

But the truth is, I really don't get the low interest, I mean it's Sorimachi...

edit: lol - > I meant Dream Again, not Dream Time.
Last edited by mhaellix on Oct 20th, '07, 10:07, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by furransu » Oct 20th, '07, 06:48

i really like this series.. its very interesting and has some funny parts haha.. very enjoyable! you can expect that from a sorimachi takashi drama :)

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Post by chokubi » Oct 20th, '07, 10:03

Most promising drama so far for this season!
This "2nd chance at life" idea is prolly not new for most of us, but I can see this drama taking a different direction from its predecessors.
In ep1, they've pretty much laid out the "obstacle foundations" for Sorimachi's character to overcome, so it already looks very promising.
And the twist at the end, omg I love it! :P
mhaellix wrote:I've got to be honest, this is the most difficult translation project I've ever taken. They managed to place almost 100 lines in the first 3 minutes of the show plus stock market terms.
Props to that! :salut:
mhaellix wrote:Regarding Dream Time as a whole, I really hope it gets more attention, I think it's a pretty good show (may not be the best this season, but still good). Initially, I've decided that there's a possibility of us dropping this show if there's not enough interest. But now that the team has grown bigger and since I actually like the story, I might change my mind. We'll know for sure by the 3rd episode.
Oh wow, I hope not. ><
I'm not sure where exactly you're quoting this "attention" from, but too bad for folks who're gonna miss out on this awesome drama.
Personally, I like your subs (and of course this drama) a lot, so you can take this post as a +1 to keep this project going. XD

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Post by kokitty » Oct 20th, '07, 13:28

If "interest" refers to response on this forum, then it's probably cos Sorimachi doesn't mean a thing to most regular posers here. i'm always under the impression the bulk of the crowd came after the Nobuta, HYD craze. GTO is so far away from their era lol.

But i do agree that there didn't seem to be much buzz on this in the Japanese bbs too... and the Oricon drama polls probably also indicated the same thing. Maybe it has something to do with pro baseball interest being at an all-time low in japan right now.

Viewed the first epi just for the sake of catching Sorimachi again since "second chance in life" themes and baseball never appealed to me. To summarise epi 1....

The Good - Interaction bet Shida Mirai and Sorimachi.
The Bad - Zero chemisty bet Sorimachi and Kato Ai.

This drama should hold its audience pretty well, NTV didn't overhype this as they did to Yukan and Hataraki so you wouldn't find disappointed audiences screaming for blood. While it definitely doesn't belong to the "top 10 dramas of the last decade" type of quality, there is no major offputting factor about it either.

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 20th, '07, 14:15

That's very true. Most people are just following trends and are just watching out for younger actors. They probably don't even know who Sorimachi is.

When I was reading some Japanese blogs, most of them were pleasantly surprised with the 1st episode. A lot of them mentioned in their reviews that they didn't expect much with this drama. I just hope people would give this a chance.

(Oh by interest I also meant the amount of download and comments on the english sub thread, 500 downloads on the 3rd day of it's release is quite low, we'll see how the hardsubs go though. Other things that may affect the decision is this thread and the interest of the members of the fansub team. If the team is willing to continue to sub despite only about 500 people watching it, then I guess there's no reason to quit. It's not that we only want to do popular shows, because popular shows usually have demanding leechers, but we want our efforts to be somehow rewarding, right? But for now don't even worry about it. It's not even sure yet.)

On a lighter note, isn't Sorimachi hot?

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Post by raven_frost » Oct 20th, '07, 15:28

Yeah he's still hot :mrgreen: He's a natural in such roles.

I don't fancy the pairing of Kato Ai and Sorimachi Takashi though. Well, I don't think much of Kato Ai's acting chops. She's attractive but her range is limited and she always seems to be typecast as the earnest, well-meaning and hardworking sort. But I can stomach this better than Hasegawa Kyoko in Wonderful Life.

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Post by klon22 » Oct 21st, '07, 00:49

The episode 2 just have been released,

check it
http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_54287.htm

tnx to uploaders :D

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Post by wapuro » Oct 21st, '07, 02:07

just finished ep1....very enjoy the show......glad to see sorimachi again, i miss his acting.....last time i watched him in 14 sai no haha but he only guest star....
thx to raw uploader and subber....great job....

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Post by evil_zai » Oct 21st, '07, 02:20

first episode was good. i've been waiting for this eversince it was announced, and i'm really glad i wasn't disappointed. sorimachi is still so much fun to watch. i love how he conveys the character's emotions even just with his facial expressions. i also liked the dynamics between him and shida mirai. can't wait to see how everything will evolve.

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Post by lzydata » Oct 21st, '07, 02:41

kokitty wrote:If "interest" refers to response on this forum, then it's probably cos Sorimachi doesn't mean a thing to most regular posers here. i'm always under the impression the bulk of the crowd came after the Nobuta, HYD craze. GTO is so far away from their era lol.
Yeah, talk about a generation gap. I suppose I'm an old fogey in the d-addicts community, since I got to know Sorimachi from the good old days of GTO and Beach Boys. And Virgin Road! - god, just look at his pants in ep1.

But then, Sorimachi's role in Dream Again is another example of how he's successfully reinvented himself in recent years. I'm not sure if Hotman was the cause or the effect of this, but Sorimachi 2.0 is now the archetypal family man or nurturing figure always seen with kids, even if they're hostile to him like Hina. I have to agree though, he still looks every bit the Beach Boys-era hunk.

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Post by memichu » Oct 21st, '07, 07:14

Ahh~ I was really trying to cut back on the amount of dramas I watch this season but I think I'll squeeze this one in. It looks good and I'm glad to hear positive things about it. I'm downloading it right now. C:
Sorimachi Takashi is probably one of the first Japanese actors I became familiar with and I still look forward to seeing his dramas. I love Shida Mirai too.

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Post by Salz » Oct 21st, '07, 09:00

wow....... :lol from ol ur review this drama sound really good.....now u make me cant wait to watch....i really like Sorimachi.....he is my old time fav since GTO :wub: i will definitely follow this drama as long as it going to be sub......but dont really like Kato Ai but still looking forward to c Mirai and Sorimachi interaction :w00t:

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Post by memichu » Oct 22nd, '07, 00:23

Wow, I just finished watching the first episode and I loved it! Sorimachi is great here, and Shida Mirai as well; I love their interaction so far. The housekeeper Nakata and the guide Tanaka are great characters as well. Looking forward to the rest of the series~.

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 22nd, '07, 00:43

I agree, Nakata and Tanaka are extremely funny!!

I've watched Episode 2, and I'm really liking this more!

After working on this, I'll watch some of Sorimachi's older shows. He's a really great actor. (and hot, too, especially for his age) :wub:

I agree with the opinions about Kato Ai. I watched her in haken and didn't like her acting too much.
Last edited by mhaellix on Oct 22nd, '07, 00:44, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Yorokobi » Oct 22nd, '07, 00:44

does anybody know where i can find this streaming online?

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Post by raven_frost » Oct 22nd, '07, 01:48

10.0% for Ep2. I'm liking the developments of the drama and I hope they start fleshing out in greater depth the conflict Shunsuke feels in being the unpopular, unprincipled Asahina. Will Shunsuke care enough to change people's (not just Satsuki's) perception of Asahina and reach out to Hina? Then again, Hina's attitude doesn't endear her to him and she's out for
vengeance? Or is she desperately trying to get Asahina's attention?
Kato Ai is a weak link. In particular, her acting in that scene where Asahina (Shunsuke) and Satsuki met at Shunsuke's grave.

Shunsuke certainly doesn't have things easy.

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Post by ifacchi » Oct 22nd, '07, 10:28

i'm looking forward for this drama..
but still waiting for hardsubbed.. :D

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Post by 8thSin » Oct 23rd, '07, 05:15

Just saw the first episode... It was extremely good for a NTV dorama.

The story was pretty interesting, and the "touching" scenes felt like a series from early 00's, when dorama was really good :roll
I just wish Shida Mirai wasn't in it. She seriously annoy me.

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Post by ecstazy » Oct 23rd, '07, 14:17

I liked it very much ;-) Takashi looks better then I've thought. I've thought that he looks more... hmmm... "mature" nowadays. But that's good, cause I had more fun while staring on him <lol>... Nakata and Tanaka are very funny also. Shida Mirai maybe is little annoying, but I think that her role had to be like that. It has to be someone we don't like in movies.
Thing I didn't like in this drama is the fact that Asahina is so nasty... And Shunsuke's soul has to be in his body!

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Post by wapuro » Oct 25th, '07, 13:03

finished ep2.......thx to subber and uploader.....
can't wait for ep3....^^

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Post by mandy_quyen » Oct 25th, '07, 13:35

i don't know if i should post this here but since someone may have trouble with torrent (like me :lol )

Dream Again ep 01 + 02 (704x396 DivX6) (and further ep)

Can be found at : http://clubbox.co.kr/KoreanEnt (check folder Jdorama -->Dream again )

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Post by sakr0 » Oct 26th, '07, 16:54

I just watched the first ep. of this drama and I really liked it! Too bad this thread isn't as active as I thought it would be. I'm not a big fan of baseball but the storyline about getting a 2nd chance in life really interested me. Plus it's been so long since I've seen Sorimachi Takashi star in a drama . . . I wasn't into jdramas yet when GTO came out, but even with all these new dramas with younger stars in them, I still manage to go back and watch older dramas every now and then.

Is it just me, or does Shida Mirai often get typecasted in her roles? Almost all of them seem too similar. I just can't quite place a finger on how she acts but it's almost always the same (though she IS good at acting).

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 26th, '07, 17:22

I feel the same way about Shida, I'm a fan and all, but I can't stand that she always has this kind of role.

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Post by Kazeyama » Oct 26th, '07, 17:58

At first, the only reason I wanted to check out this drama was because of Sorimachi. The storyline seemed like a "been there-done that" - at least in American films. I was also skeptical because he had done Wonderful Life - another baseball-themed drama. However, I've gotten hooked. This must have been a more difficult shoot for cast and crew, considering some scenes had to be done twice - once with Sorimachi and once with the actor playing the real body. As Sorimachi gets older, he seems to gravitate towards more challenging roles. Good for him!

Btw, people should check out a couple of his earlier dramas that are in my top ten fave list: Virgin Road and Over Time. Very enjoyable.

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Post by 8thSin » Oct 26th, '07, 18:12

^ Yeah, Virgin Road is a must-watch dorama.
If you don't watch at least few dorama like that, you're just a poser :P


And I just can't stand Shida Mirai. She annoyed me ever since I first saw her in 14sai, and it brings back the memory of that horrible series every time I see her.

This is just going to be her character most of the time, it can't be avoided just because of the way she looks. Basically same thing as Horikita Maki always getting boyish roles.

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Post by Kazeyama » Oct 26th, '07, 20:25

Unfortunately, I don't know too much about the "young" stars like Shida Mirai and Horikita Maki. I know what you mean about remembering actors in mean roles. After watching Inoue Mao in First Kiss, I only see that bratty character now when I look at her. Apparently she's very popular - having her own discussion and all.

I sometimes can't stand it when young female characters are so ditzy and pathetic. That is so annoying to me. The storyline has to really be interesting for me to overcome the weakness in these characters. Are Japanese girls really like that? I hope it's just an exaggeration. Case in point, in Hotaru no Hikari, Hotaru is such a dingbat, although an endearing one. But the relationship between she and Buchou is so fascinating, I can overlook that.

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Post by seirin » Oct 26th, '07, 20:39

wapuro wrote:finished ep2.......thx to subber and uploader.....
can't wait for ep3....^^
subs are out? who is subbing it?

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Post by mhaellix » Oct 26th, '07, 20:51

seirin wrote:
wapuro wrote:finished ep2.......thx to subber and uploader.....
can't wait for ep3....^^
subs are out? who is subbing it?
softsubs and hardsubs are out, and Massuki Fansubs is subbing it. (new group that I formed)

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Post by seirin » Oct 26th, '07, 23:37

mhaellix wrote:
seirin wrote:
wapuro wrote:finished ep2.......thx to subber and uploader.....
can't wait for ep3....^^
subs are out? who is subbing it?
softsubs and hardsubs are out, and Massuki Fansubs is subbing it. (new group that I formed)
Thanks for subbing! I'm gonna go check it out.

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Post by martina_SMO » Oct 27th, '07, 21:34

I really want to thank all the people working on the subs, arigatoo :wub:

As a die-hard Sorimachi fan I already knew that both in the English and Japanese-speaking communities there wasn't going to be much buzz about him and his new drama.

Actually, after I'd seen the first CM for this drama I was very worried about its quality... Luckily, I've been pleasantly surprised with this two episodes. I think it's among the best dramas of the season *_* It's an interesting mix of comedy, drama and supernatural themes, the sport is a very secondary factor, I think.
I like the way Sorimachi handles his character, especially the ironic / humorous moments^^

I absolutely agree about Ai Kato being the weakest link ç_ç I don't like her as a woman or as an actress... and there's no chemestry at all between them. I would have loved to see Yumiko Shaku instead, she would have been great :cry:

Finally, it seems to me there's a sort of "curse" around Sorimachi. I mean, back in the Beach Boys years he was even more popular than Takuya Kimura, even if just for a short time. Then his popularity decreased constantly... and after the "failure" of the last big-budget movie about Gengis Khan, many people on the Japanese board 2ch are calling him a fallen star and wishing for him to retire. What's worse, there aren't many people supporting him, and (sadly) that's not just limited to the infamous 2ch :|
I honestly wonder what's wrong with the Japanese these days, but I'm not going to make comparisons with some of the popular stars of today, otherwise I'd get banned. I'm just saying, he's a perfectly good actor and obviously a very handsome man, yet his status in Japan seems to have fallen down so much that there are rumors of him being "finished" as an actor, in case this drama doesn't get decent ratings...
I'm baffled, to say the least :scratch:

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Post by Kazeyama » Oct 28th, '07, 00:19

Did Sorimachi's fall from popularity begin when he married Matsushima Nanako? Even though he hadn't made many dramas since that event, he still has taken part in films and CMs. He probably needs to promote himself a little more, but he seems so uncomfortable in front of the media. That might be part of the problem as well.

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Post by 8thSin » Oct 28th, '07, 06:42

I think the big problem with Sorimachi is the dorama choices he make. Some actors (Like Kimutaku, Shibasaki Kou, and when their popularity was hot: Matsushima Nanako and Tokiwa Takako) consistently ended up in series with most interesting stories, popular co-stars, and best timeslots. It's true their popularity and ability leads them in that role and attracts viewers, but I think the choice an actor makes from the list of offer he gets is extremely important.
I don't know if he ever turned down any roles, but I'm pretty sure, from the number of series he appeared, there must be few that could've done better rating-wise.

I'm not a big fan of Sorimachi's acting. I personally think his acting is very unconvincing and exaggerated most of the time... To make things worse, I always find him in these corny series with craploads of deliberate cheesy scenes.
At first I loved his performance in Virgin Road, then I saw GTO (which I thought was okay at best. Still think it's the most overrated series ever), which was cheesy, but I thought he was perfect for that crazy manga-based character. But after that... I'm kind of sick of seeing him.
I do love baseball series though, that's the only reason I watch this show (and baseball shows/movies are traditionally corny, so I know what to expect).

I agree he's pretty damn good looking, but he's starting to show the signs of age. I guess I'm one of those who thinks he's "finished as an actor". Well, at least as a lead. He was the single bright spot in the disaster called 14sai no Haha :roll

I think he will do very well in supporting roles such as a yakuza boss or a tough father roles in 10 or 20 years. He's got a pretty fierce glare :glare: :crazy:

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Post by hehrharz » Oct 28th, '07, 10:50

Thank you for all the fansubbers ^^

I have watched till the 2nd episode. It's so exciting to follow this story. This series makes me remember of the Fly Me to Polaris, an old drama movies with Richie Ren and Cecilia Cheung....the story is sad. But I hope this story will have a happy ending...but how comes?

I like the acting of Takashi Sorimachi...since GTO, Cheap Love, till now....I think he doesn't look older in this series too ^^ .....I adore him much ^_^

lightsoul
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Post by lightsoul » Oct 28th, '07, 14:56

Watched the pilot and am liking it. The first 30 minutes developed a bit slow but as Ogi 'lived' again, the story begins to develop. I don't think I like Shida Mirai in every roles she plays so far. She always be the same type of girl, whining non-stop. Somebody please tell she's not 14y/o. She's small.

Sorimachi is still hot, though. Recall back the Beach Boys and GTO era, he hasn't changed so much. I'm glad to see him again in this drama.

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Post by raven_frost » Oct 29th, '07, 00:42

I enjoyed Ep1 tremendously, but after watching Ep3 yesterday I'm tiring of it. I guess I wished that Ogi Shunsuke would show more subtle, layered emotions rather than just be single-mindedly absorbed in the pursuit of his goal. (Sorimachi's acting was particularly exaggerated in Ep3) No doubt that's the reason he wanted to be restored to life but certainly there's more to it then that. And that would really make a difference between Dream Again being just an average drama vs an outstanding one.

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Post by Orbity » Oct 29th, '07, 01:47

I've downloaded the first 2 Hard subs and am looking forward to watching them. I do hope the subbers finish the series.

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Post by seirin » Oct 29th, '07, 12:32

I haven't seen episode 3 yet but was it that bad? I know Sorimachi's dramas hasn't been so great lately. The last one I saw of him was Cheap Love which I didn't like and I kind of stopped watching his dramas since. From ep 1 and 2 so far, he seems kind of occupied trying to get his old life back together that he's not worrying about the current situation he's in. I guess he needs some time to adjust.

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Post by raven_frost » Oct 29th, '07, 12:59

seirin wrote:I haven't seen episode 3 yet but was it that bad? I know Sorimachi's dramas hasn't been so great lately. The last one I saw of him was Cheap Love which I didn't like and I kind of stopped watching his dramas since. From ep 1 and 2 so far, he seems kind of occupied trying to get his old life back together that he's not worrying about the current situation he's in. I guess he needs some time to adjust.
It isn't bad. It was watchable although Dream Again is barely holding my attention. I guess it's probably because I could see how the entire episode would pan out in the first few minutes and not only is Kato Ai hard to watch, even Shida Mirai is grating on the nerves. Well, that's just me. Since there are so many other dramas to watch this season (SP isn't even out yet!) it's hard to continue following Dream Again.

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Post by ecstazy » Oct 29th, '07, 13:25

I really liked episodes 1 & 2 and I'm waiting for subs to the third ep. Drama is very funny and I think that it's one of best sorimachi's TV shows.
For me Cheap Love was also very interesting :D

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Post by seirin » Oct 29th, '07, 13:52

hmm..I don't know ^^; I thought his best performance was in Virgin Road? Well, the story was warm anyhow. I liked him in GTO and beach boy too. Over time was okay. The ending could have been better and parts were irritating at times because the girl got jealous but then the guy should have put more discretion about hanging out with another girl...

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Post by ecstazy » Oct 29th, '07, 15:54

Beach Boys wasn't very interesting for, but his character was played really good... Virgin Road was really nice for from the start to the end... GTO was one of best dramas I've ever seen ;-) I didn't watch Over Time yet...
When come to think, there's no drama with him I don't like :D He has special type of acting and he seems to put his soul into every role.

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Post by seirin » Oct 30th, '07, 06:13

yea I saw Beach boys too. The story wasn't great but they had 2 hot guys in it ^^; The friendship thing was kinda cool. If you like Sorimachi dramas, you'll probably like Over Time. I didn't hate OT, but I didn't find the ending so satisfactory.

As for Dream again. I don't think I've watched enough to give an opinion yet. So far the little girl is kind of irritating.

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Post by martina_SMO » Nov 1st, '07, 01:16

(I think Beach Boys is actually one of the best Japanese dramas ever :wub: )

Back to Dream*Again, I have to agree that the 3rd episode wasn't as good as the others... There were some unnecessary and repetitive scenes. Also, I think there's a problem with the script: this time the "comical" reactions that Sorimachi's character had (especially during his interactions with Shiida Mirai) were simply out of place, since the context was increasingly dramatic.
But I wouldn't blame it on Sorimachi's acting, since he was *supposed* to act that way (I don't think he would have the freedom to change the character's reaction like that, in case the script required him to be serious in that specific scene).

Yeah, Sorimachi definitely isn't that kind of actor who could get an Oscar nomination XD (not without a good training and a perfect role for him, at least :mrgreen: )
But after having watched a good number of Japanese dramas I've noticed that:
-most actors (especially male) have an exaggerated and even "theatrical" style
-the acting quality and technique is not the major requirement for the actors
-usually the "popular" actors gained that status through their looks, their belonging to a specific "agency", more rarely because of their acting skills.
That's why, in this context, I don't understand why there's this "stigma" attached to Sorimachi. If he deserves to be "finished" as an actor, then I wonder how many Japanese drama actors truly deserve to go on with their career... :whistling:

And the ratings are getting lower... I hope they won't get much lower than 9 or 8... :|

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Post by seirin » Nov 1st, '07, 16:42

Well, I think the story isn't too well written. That's probably the problem. If it was similar in style to American ones like "field of dreams" or something, it might be more interesting. Currently I find the best drama this season is Galileo. Then Iryu. Though I haven't tried watching the other dramas yet, but the stories don't seem so appealing.

As for Sorimachi's acting. He's not the best actor out there, but his acting is alright. It doesn't irritate me at least ^^; I still liked him best in Virgin Road and GTO and it's not because of fangirling ^^; But the story was pretty good.

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Post by wubles » Nov 2nd, '07, 07:32

I like it, and I'm sad that it's not getting very good ratings and people don't like Sorimachi Takashi anymore :(

(Although, admittedly, nothing recently even comes close to the awesomeness that is Galileo, so I wonder if that's affecting people's judgement?)

Anyway, keep up the good work! I'll keep watching as far as it goes! :)

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Post by seirin » Nov 3rd, '07, 03:10

Well, I don't think it's Sorimachi's acting that's giving it low ratings. It's the plot itself that isn't so exciting.

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Post by ecstazy » Nov 3rd, '07, 11:29

seirin wrote:yea I saw Beach boys too. The story wasn't great but they had 2 hot guys in it ^^
You are absolutely right... Yutaka and Takashi made a great couple in that dorama.
I've started to watch Over Time and I'm after 2 episodes... It seems really nice, but it didn't surprise me yet ;-)
I didn't start to watch Galileo yet, so I can't compare it with Dream Again. For me Sorimachi's acting in this drama is pretty well and I really don't mind the script.

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Post by seirin » Nov 4th, '07, 03:24

ecstazy wrote:
seirin wrote:yea I saw Beach boys too. The story wasn't great but they had 2 hot guys in it ^^
You are absolutely right... Yutaka and Takashi made a great couple in that dorama.
I've started to watch Over Time and I'm after 2 episodes... It seems really nice, but it didn't surprise me yet ;-)
I didn't start to watch Galileo yet, so I can't compare it with Dream Again. For me Sorimachi's acting in this drama is pretty well and I really don't mind the script.
Overtime isn't overly exciting. It was alright, not a great drama. I find Galileo more mentally stimulating than Dream again. I think Galileo might be this year's best drama.

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Post by indokid » Nov 4th, '07, 14:42

just watched 4 episodes in 1 go with no fast forwarding
my favourite drama this season!

but after reading through the comments here
what's wrong with kato ai's acting
i thought she was perfectly fine.. definitely not weakest link.. but that's just me :mrgreen:

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Post by Jon Snow » Nov 7th, '07, 08:33

I've watch the 2 first one and it was great.
It's seems it's gonna be a really good drama.
And I don't think Kato Ai sucks that much. But Sorimachi is good as always.

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Post by raven_frost » Nov 8th, '07, 01:27

I personally find Kato Ai's range limited. She basically seems to carry the same sort of acting to each of her roles or rather I can't seem to distinguish between her role here and the last few. She's tolerable but boring.
Ogi finally realises that he can't just lead his own life when he's inhabiting the body of another man and deals with that issue but I wasn't impressed with the way the scriptwriters chose to handle it.

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Post by seaweed » Nov 18th, '07, 04:46

I watched all 5 episodes at one go yesterday thanks to massuki fansubs =). This drama is my fav drama after Galileo. The plot hold for me. Sorimachi's interaction with Shida is there but with Kato Ai, their chemistry isn't that fantastic but alright.
Kato Ai is not that hard to watch even though she does need improvement.

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Post by vulgarshudder » Nov 18th, '07, 05:52

Kato Ai's roles always irritate me so much, Dream again no exception. I've put it down to the actress rather than just the character now.

Soramachi is top notch as always.

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Post by aimlesswanderer » Nov 21st, '07, 01:55

Yeah Ai Katoh looks awful nice, but is not, unfortunately, convincing here. Also, Sorimachi's acting style doesn't suit this role...

Having watched Resurrection (KR series) recently, the whole "unfamiliar job, clueless person" scenario seems completely unbelievable here, as Shunsuke is so clueless, and acts completely differently. Since he got arrested, once they start questioning him he's a goner, he probably doesn't even know his (Asahina's) bday, let alone anything that 'he' has done.....

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Post by deeplove » Dec 7th, '07, 05:26

the end of the 8th episode was soooo bittersweet (so heartwarming but kind of sad at the same time :scratch: )

Sorimachi does it again.
the show is so under-rated/improperly recognized :-(

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Post by airskape » Dec 7th, '07, 08:35

i like this drama but it does have many holes in the plot, etc

like in ep 8
when hina runs away to her childhood home..how the hell did shunsuke know where it was? lol

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Post by heat6jones » Dec 7th, '07, 13:28

Episode 8 was excellent. I would say it's the best episode of the series so far. Also, I cannot wait to get the soundtrack to this series. The music in this drama fits well and helps convey the emotions of the story.

As for Shunsuke knowing where Hina's hometown was, well, he is the man who makes miracles! Or is he the bases loaded guy in this one?

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Post by onimusha10154 » Dec 13th, '07, 12:27

The man who makes miracles was when his life was wonderful and stated "Dreams Come True!!". Will this be the case for the bases loaded guy who wants to dream again? One more ep to go! I'm curious to see how it ends.

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Post by heat6jones » Dec 13th, '07, 12:41

I think they set it up for the ending to fail. Either it will be incredibly unrealistic or very sad.

I have enjoyed the series though.

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Post by deeplove » Dec 15th, '07, 21:25

this drama just gets better and better. the 9th eps was sooooooooo good :thumright: I don't want it to end. Does this mean now he's going to disappear too (Shunsuke)?

Heat6jones,

i think what you said is true. A good ending doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a happy one. I think he's make the pro test but then disappear.

heat6jones
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Post by heat6jones » Dec 16th, '07, 03:06

yeah, a sad ending will work best here given the circumstances

ep 10 is out, now to wait for massuki :D

ecstazy
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Post by ecstazy » Dec 16th, '07, 16:30

airskape wrote:
when hina runs away to her childhood home..how the hell did shunsuke know where it was? lol
I was wondering how that happened too, but when you come to think of it, it's not so difficult for president of a big company to find out someone's former house. Or maybe he read that in Asahina's diary?

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Post by wootdfook1 » Dec 16th, '07, 20:18

Can anyone upload the OST for this drama? I really like the opening theme. The one uploaded on torrent was ending theme.

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