Random: Did you know that Cat's Eye is a novel written by Margaret Atwood.

I don't have this drama available to download from the server I use.

>>heads over to the trading booth<<
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I've always like Izumi, but in this she is incredibleeeeee. I wish it would go on and on but sadly it's finished. Now I have to go thru excruciating withdrawal. This must have been cast before Yonekura Ryoko was a big star as Anamori Izumi definitely has the lead part. Nevertheless, Ryoko again shows her great talent even as a 2nd stringer. Because she plays a rather stupid shy clumsy girl, it's easy to overlook her until you realize she plays her part so perfectly that you mentally downplayed her as a stupid shy clumsy girl.


Wynter hurry and watch this so we can all discuss it.

ralphm1999 wrote:

I've always like Izumi, but in this she is incredibleeeeee. I wish it would go on and on but sadly it's finished. Now I have to go thru excruciating withdrawal. This must have been cast before Yonekura Ryoko was a big star as Anamori Izumi definitely has the lead part. Nevertheless, Ryoko again shows her great talent even as a 2nd stringer. Because she plays a rather stupid shy clumsy girl, it's easy to overlook her until you realize she plays her part so perfectly that you mentally downplayed her as a stupid shy clumsy girl. Wynter hurry and watch this so we can all discuss it.

Hai hai! Wow, a drama casting Ryoko-san before she was famous?! I can't wait!!!
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Wynter wrote:

Hai hai! Wow, a drama casting Ryoko-san before she was famous?! I can't wait!!!

this dorama gets 12 thumbs down.

Tu_triky wrote:

this dorama gets 12 thumbs down.

O? Why so? You suggested Pride and Attention Please to me and Pride was AWESOME! Attention Please was refreshing. Why is this one getting Tu-san's negative?

Unless you're being totally sarcastic and I'm just too dumb to notice at the moment.
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Wynter wrote:

O? Why so? You suggested Pride and Attention Please to me and Pride was AWESOME! Attention Please was refreshing. Why is this one getting Tu-san's negative? Unless you're being totally sarcastic and I'm just too dumb to notice at the moment.

despite being a fan favorite of some...i really didn't care for this dorama....the acting was lackluster, and the characters and script were certainly not redeeming either. inamori izumi who, for me is the only highlight of this dorama, is stiffled by a lack of quality supporting performances.....she is much much much better in her supporting actress role of Long Vacation. this dorama is far from the best of breed, in my opinion. the story lanquishes far too slowly...and the end of the road holds little reward to redeem the arduous journey.

Tu_triky wrote:

despite being a fan favorite of some...i really didn't care for this dorama....the acting was lackluster, and the characters and script were certainly not redeeming either. inamori izumi who, for me is the only highlight of this dorama, is stiffled by a lack of quality supporting performances.....she is much much much better in her supporting actress role of Long Vacation. this dorama is far from the best of breed, in my opinion. the story lanquishes far too slowly...and the end of the road holds little reward to redeem the arduous journey.

That is interesting that you have that kind of reaction. I on the other hand can't get enough of this drama. But I enjoy the Mary Poppins kind of role that Izumi portrays. I think what you mistake as lackluster in Ryoko is her incredible talent to portray a lackluster character. That is very difficult to do. I only wish more dramas had this kind of terrific acting from Izumi and Ryoko in a wonderful heartwarming comedy.

I just finished Pretty Girls, and I agree it was a complete dud except for Izumi, who had a lot of appeal but was given no support either from the script or her fellow actors.

I am totally crazy for Ryoko, but I thought she was terribly miscast. Why put such a gorgeous and vibrant actress in the role of a dull and personality-free young woman? As I just wrote to someone, they must have gotten a special effects make-up artist in to make her look so plain and lacklustre.

The storyline meandered around, dropping a plot here, picking up another there. Instead of the drama being character or plot driven, it just made no sense much of the time. Why did so and so do this or that? Who knows?

And yes, the ending was SO not worth waiting for.

Izumi was enchanting, but she can surely do better for herself.

harriet wrote:

I just finished Pretty Girls, and I agree it was a complete dud except for Izumi, who had a lot of appeal but was given no support either from the script or her fellow actors. I am totally crazy for Ryoko, but I thought she was terribly miscast. Why put such a gorgeous and vibrant actress in the role of a dull and personality-free young woman? As I just wrote to someone, they must have gotten a special effects make-up artist in to make her look so plain and lacklustre. The storyline meandered around, dropping a plot here, picking up another there. Instead of the drama being character or plot driven, it just made no sense much of the time. Why did so and so do this or that? Who knows? And yes, the ending was SO not worth waiting for. Izumi was enchanting, but she can surely do better for herself.

Unfortunately I cannot reply until Wynter sees the drama. I need to explain the fine points of this wonderful and once more heartwarming drama. But I will say this, perhaps this kind of hearfelt series plays for people like me who have one foot in fairytales, people like me who find Churasan a magical superlative asadora. People like me who enjoy departures from the grueling sourroundings of reality and like the 'Miracle on 34th street" type of story. I do not have to have every actor in a drama be a Laurence Olivier so long as there is one diamond in it as Izumi is in this.

I have never seen Miracle on 34th Street, but I doubt it would have endured lo these many decades as a classic if it had the lack of coherence and a cast of non-Oliviers just popping in and out of scenes with no inner logic or motivation to guide their performances as Pretty Girls does.

I think it's silly to assume that someone critical of the plot and the writing and the casting of a dorama doesn't have the same need for escape into a magical world as anyone else.

After all, why would someone who was looking for harsh reality even watch something as frothy as Pretty Girls?

Isn't it possible that some people who watch and then criticize this series wanted something like it, just done better?

This is not a reflection on Izumi, who lights up the screen.

Wynter wrote:

Hai hai! Wow, a drama casting Ryoko-san before she was famous?! I can't wait!!!

She was purely a model until 1999, when she decided on becoming an actress... Relatively late, at age 24.

harriet wrote:

I am totally crazy for Ryoko, but I thought she was terribly miscast. Why put such a gorgeous and vibrant actress in the role of a dull and personality-free young woman? As I just wrote to someone, they must have gotten a special effects make-up artist in to make her look so plain and lacklustre.

If you check our the reviews for the drama in the database, several people blame Ryoko-chan for "ruining" this dorama...

I think it's more sour grapes that their fave Inamori Izumi, didn't walk off with the prize.... So to speak.

Ryoko could never spoil any drama. She plays each part I've seen her in to perfection. I think what people might have felt, and I will definitely read the comments, is that the writing is so confused that you feel pulled in several different directions and don't know whom to root for. This makes for an uneasy viewing experience.

Love the new picture of Ryoko...she glows as brightly as the star does.

ralphm1999 wrote:

That is interesting that you have that kind of reaction. I on the other hand can't get enough of this drama. But I enjoy the Mary Poppins kind of role that Izumi portrays. I think what you mistake as lackluster in Ryoko is her incredible talent to portray a lackluster character. That is very difficult to do. I only wish more dramas had this kind of terrific acting from Izumi and Ryoko in a wonderful heartwarming comedy.

nah...ralph...i'm glad you liked this dorama...but i thought it thoroughly sucked....it was one of the worst doramas i've ever seen...my criticism still stands...i've seen almost 60 doramas...and this show is an exercise in banality and mediocrity...i would never recommend this dorama to anyone....it was poor in so many respects it doesn't merit further discussion....

if you view the various ratings ppl gave this dorama....it's a thoroughly mixed bag....for obvious reasons......


the proper appellation for this dorama should have been pathetic girls.


edit: it's okay can't agree on everything...at least we both love NANA

harriet wrote:

I just finished Pretty Girls, and I agree it was a complete dud except for Izumi, who had a lot of appeal but was given no support either from the script or her fellow actors. I am totally crazy for Ryoko, but I thought she was terribly miscast. Why put such a gorgeous and vibrant actress in the role of a dull and personality-free young woman? As I just wrote to someone, they must have gotten a special effects make-up artist in to make her look so plain and lacklustre. The storyline meandered around, dropping a plot here, picking up another there. Instead of the drama being character or plot driven, it just made no sense much of the time. Why did so and so do this or that? Who knows? And yes, the ending was SO not worth waiting for. Izumi was enchanting, but she can surely do better for herself.

amen...this dorama was horribly executed. another unsatisfied customer.

Tu_triky wrote:

amen...this dorama was horribly executed. another unsatisfied customer.

Better or worse than S.O.S.?
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Wynter wrote:

Better or worse than S.O.S.?

better but those happen to be among the worst shows i've seen.

Tu_triky wrote:

if you view the various ratings ppl gave this dorama....it's a thoroughly mixed bag....for obvious reasons...... the proper appellation for this dorama should have been pathetic girls. edit: it's okay can't agree on everything...at least we both love NANA

I read all the comments and there were some 10/10s. So this is evidently the kind of drama that has no middle ground. Either it's love or total dislike.

yeah. We do have Nana.

ralphm1999 wrote:

yeah. We do have Nana.

Carry on!

Alrighty, I've finally finished this drama.

My review:

This is the first time I have seen a drama and felt completely neutral/indifferent about it. Perhaps this has something to do with the lead character, Inamori Izumi, and how she didn�ft fully convince me in her role. I found her character to be a bit too much on all accounts, and although the character is meant to be inspirational, I didn�ft care enough about her to be inspired. Of course, this has more to do with the character than the actual actress. I think Inamori Izumi is a fine actress, but the role she was given was terribly lacking.

The supporting cast is perhaps the reason I finished the drama. Ryoko�fs character is supposed to be dull and boring. And she is. Ryoko successfully captured the role and made the character not only interesting to watch, but also more real and more likable than the lead character. Her character has depth �| she feels things, and expresses things, and has faults. Nana was superbly hilarious, and for me she was the winning star from the three women. Nearly every scene with Nana made me laugh, and her facial expressions and pitches in tone were perfect.

The plot itself was �gokay�h. The base story was interesting, and plot twists were well done, but there were certain scenes (like the whole standing on the head for three hours scene) that were just ridiculous and unnecessary. The love the director falls into with Ryoko�fs character was a bit unreal as well, but since I was rooting for her, I can�ft really complain here. ^_-

On the whole, I don�ft feel as though I wasted my time on this drama, but I don�ft think I�fd rewatch it anytime soon.

O, and on a random note, I have NO IDEA why the drama is called �gPretty Girls�h. The title has nothing to do with the story whatsoever�c if should have had something to do with the fairy godmother quality of the plot. After all, Hana (Inamori Izumi) really was Cinderella's fairy godmother.
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