From DramaWiki:

Details:
Title: �������̊쑽�P�j
Title (romaji): Ashita no Kita Yoshio
Tagline: ���E��s�^�Ȓj�́A��Ղ̂P�P����
Tagline (romaji): Sekaiichi Fuun na Otoko no, Kiseki no 11-nichikan
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Human drama
Episodes:
Viewership ratings:
Broadcast network: Fuji TV, KTV
Broadcast period: 2008-Jan-08 to 2008-Mar
Air time: Tuesday 22:00
Theme song: Mayonaka no Boon Boon by Yamazaki Masayoshi

Synopsis:
Yoshio Kita is a debt-laden man whose wife (Manami Konishi) has left him. With his close friend's death anniversary only 11 days away, Yoshio chooses that date for his own death. --Tokyograph

Cast:
Kohinata Fumiyo as Kita Yoshio
Matsuda Ryuhei as Yashiro Heita
Konishi Manami as Washizu Mizuho
Kuriyama Chiaki as Hasegawa Rika
Namase Katsuhisa as Sugimoto Masaru
Kaname Jun as Moriwaki Daisuke
Yoshitaka Yuriko as Yoimachi Shinobu
Imai Masayuki as Minami Takao
Iwamatsu Ryo as Ebata Eiji

Official website:
http://www.ktv.co.jp/yoshio/index.html


Great concept for a black comedy, but the execution (at least for ep. 1) leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully subsequent episodes will get better....
BTW, an image of Yoshitaka Yuriko can be found here:

http://www.amuse.co.jp/artist/Yuriko_Yoshitaka/profile.html

She will appear in upcoming episodes of Atsu Hime according to the website above (she'd also guest-starred in Jikou Keisatsu).

Haven't watched Ep 1 yet but the storyline sounds promising.

is the episode one subbed already?

Oh yes. This.

The cast was so good I felt like I had to check this out.
And was it worth it? Definetely!
This succeeded in getting me hooked in one episode, when usually dramas need more to make me really really want to follow them. Kyah.

I'm expecting a lot from this.

And I don't think any fansub-group's been grabbing this yet for translating it into English.
It would deserve subs, though. Really nice start.
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aleyna wrote:

And I don't think any fansub-group's been grabbing this yet for translating it into English. It would deserve subs, though. Really nice start.

It's not looking good for subs...one person has subbed the first ep, but they have no confidence in their ability or whether they will continue subbing this...

http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_56873.htm

Please, encorage them!!
_________________

The Cutest Girl in the World!

concertmaster wrote:

Great concept for a black comedy, but the execution (at least for ep. 1) leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully subsequent episodes will get better....

I missed this blurb.... It's a black comedy?

Interesting premise, intriguing relationships between the characters but unfortunately the delivery fell flat in Ep 1.

bmwracer wrote:

I missed this blurb.... It's a black comedy?

I assumed it was going to be a black comedy from the premise, and the first episode did have some elements of it. However, IMO based on how the director handled ep. 1 and the preview of ep. 2, I'm not sure if the director is 1). going to go that route or 2). capable of going that route.

Due to numerous recommendations and the fact that I forgot about this drama last year, I'm downloading now.

good choice
It is all about the well written story and the characters, so don't expect much emotional scenes full of crying or laughter.

Bbbut wrote:

good choice It is all about the well written story and the characters, so don't expect much emotional scenes full of crying or laughter.

As long as the drama and the performances are solid, that'll be fine.

So, having nothing better to do, I decided to watch this one again. Something I missed the first time, in episode 1 when Konishi Manami's character first meets Namase Katushisa's character she asks what his name is and he answers (joking) "Hiraizumi Sei" ( he's an actor and he's been in at least 75% of the dramas I've watched: http://www.jdorama.com/artiste.153.htm )

Anyway, I get to episode 6 and who shows up? The REAL Hiraizumi Sei!! I love it when they do stuff like that!

this drama was good..
but unfortunately, the ending was so-so

Finished the drama in two days.

This drama was sort of a modernized It's A Wonderful Life... At least that's the feeling I got from watching it.

Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:

Kohinata Fumiyo's character, Kita Yoshio, was likable for the most part, but his timidness and clumsiness got to a point of being irritatingly pathetic, particularly midway through the drama... The plot/story was quite intricate throughout and it did have me guessing for the most part... Reviewing all the actor's performances, I think Namase Katsuhisa stole this drama: his performance was terrific... He reminded me of the character he played in the Trick series, complete with the sidekick he always smacks around. : Konishi Manami's character wasn't given much to do other than cry and be and ice princess, but it was good to see her in a drama... Yoshitaka Yuriko pretty much played the same kinda role she did in Shiroi Haru: Selfish and devil-may-care and it didn't really impress me... Though the drama ended rahter nicely, it ended sorta abruptly... And we never saw Yoshitaka Yuriko's character's reaction to Kita Yoshio not killing himself... Odd that she was left out of the epilogue.

Overall, Ashita no Kita Yoshio gets an 8/10.

Is this Drama any good?

Stevie wrote:

Is this Drama any good?

I gave it an 8/10.

Stevie wrote:

Is this Drama any good?

I thought it was the best drama of 2008. Which doesn't explain why this thread has 1 page and Last Friends has 120.

gaijinmark wrote:

I thought it was the best drama of 2008. Which doesn't explain why this thread has 1 page and Last Friends has 120.

There was a lot to complain about with Last Friends.