Tuesday, July 06, 2010

First Kiss / ファースト・キス

2007 Summer drama from Japan that starred Hideaki Ito (my favorite Japanese actor!)

I thought I already blogged about this one when I first watched it a couple years ago, but I can't find it, and since I watched it again, I'll blog again.

He was so smokin' hot in this show, it kills me.

First Kiss rates up there in my top FIVE all-time favorite dramas, and watching it a second time made me feel as happy, excited, and enthralled as I was the first time I saw it, too.

Everyone in the whole world knows the story about a bratty girl with a heart condition who had to undergo risky surgery that might kill her, (in an American hospital where everyone had an Aussie accent) so she decides she wants to return to her brother in Japan and find her first love ~

(well, it took a second watch to realize that what she actually wanted was to reconnect with her big brother - her first kiss, her best friend, and the only guy who truly cared about her - )

~ so I won't blog about the details here, except to say Ito makes a great, big brother and I wish he was MINE!

Well, not a brother - a lover I mean - but even as a big brother, I'd be totally down with that.

The theme song is an all-time favorite of mine as well, and if this works, here is the upload since I can't get the actual song to play on my blog:

Kokoro by Kazumasa Oda

(its my understanding that the lead actress really liked his music at the time, so it must have made her really happy to have one of his tunes as the theme song!)

Ok, so I'm totally in love with this guy, I wish I could see him in person, even from a far off distance vantage point, and what I wouldn't give to get close enough just to memorize his scent.

(sigh)

So, I'm browsing the net to get more info on the drama, when I ran across this old but totally hilarious and interesting article about him:

Hideaki Ito spotted with heavily intoxicated woman

(courtesy Japan Today) Saturday 30th January, 08:21 AM JST

"Just after 2 o’clock in the morning on Jan 16, a couple was seen coming out of a Nishi-Azabu multitenant building. The two were tottering, or rather, the man had his arm tightly around the woman’s waist as though to keep her from falling. Passersby turned around to stare at the tall man, who was actor Hideaki Ito, 34.

While some curious onlookers whispered to each other if the woman could be the actor’s new girlfriend, Ito ignored the questioning look of bystanders and held the attractive woman who had a model-like figure.

In the past, Ito was rumored to be in a relationship with Fuji Television newscaster Minako Nakano. So could this woman be his new girlfriend?

It was obvious that the woman was heavily intoxicated and could hardly stand on her feet by herself. Ito escorted the woman into a taxi, which delivered the two to a high-end condominium in Minato Ward that appeared to be the actor’s home. Ito first came out of the car, followed by the woman who collapsed on the pavement. Helping her up, the actor hugged her close and took her into the building.

Shukan Post inquired with Ito’s agency to find out about the nature of the relationship between the two. “The woman in question is an acquaintance of Ito, and they are not ‘involved’ in any other manner. It is our understanding that the two were joined later at his home by other friends who had been drinking with them in Nishi-Azabu,” was the reply."

At first, they made it sound like he was wasted as well, but when you read the article, it sounds more like the 'friend' was smashed and needed help getting around.

What a gentleman.