Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Nakatsu! Eh?

Thanks to John, I have a new Japanese celebrity crush. Meet Ikuta Toma:



He is Nakatsu Shuichi in the Japanese live action adaptation of the manga Hana Kimi. The series is about a girl who disguised herself as a boy and enrolled in an all-boys high school to follow her idol, a high jump athlete. Nakatsu was also a student in the school who at the start was the protagonist’s sports rival turned close friend. But here's the clincher - Nakatsu developed romantic feelings for the girl while she was disguised as a boy, not knowing that she was actually a girl! One of the really hilarious running subplot of the story was him being confused with his romantic feelings and convincing himself that he is not gay! But he couldn’t shake off his feelings… and that’s when the fun escalates!



He’s not your typical handsome leading man – he looks really funny and he always does this wacky monologue complete with hand signals! He’s somewhat arrogant, easy-going guy who likes to mess around. But he’s really sweet, caring and loyal. I like him a lot!



I highly recommend this series, especially if you like, well, reading subtitles! It’s a simple love story in an unusual setting. But more than that, it’s a story of friendship, not just among the three protagonists, but also among the students of the school. It’s your typical high school life, with students from rival dorms/ classes always bickering and competing against each other, but who rely on each other when things get tough.

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