H2 - Kimi to Itahibi (君といた日々)

(

Winter 2005

It's unbelievable how time flies. This is actually my first entry for 2011. I haven't posted anything for awhile mainly due to being lazy, but I was able to find the time and muster the energy to review one of my favorite dramas called H2 which is based on a high school baseball manga. The story revolves around Kunimi Hiro played by Yamada Takayuki who was an ace pitcher for his junior high school. He won the junior high school championship with his fellow teammates (and friends) Tachibana Hideo (4th batter) played by Tanaka Koutaro and Noda Atsushi (catcher) played by Nakao Akiyoshi. Unfortunately Kunimi and Noda both are diagnosed with physical ailments ("glass elbow" and weak waist respectively) that prevent them from participating in high school baseball. Both of them enter Senkawa high school which doesn't have a baseball team. Hideo on the other hand enters Meiwa No.1 high school which is known for their baseball tradition. Hideo's girlfriend (Kunimi's childhood friend) Amamiya Hikari played by Ichikawa Yui also goes to Meiwa. Eventually, Kunimi and Noda find out that the doctor who diagnosed them was not a real doctor and they were actually very healthy in the first place. They help their school's baseball fan club to become an actual baseball team and with the help of the team manager, Koga Haruka played by Ishihara Satomi, they strive to one day play in the famous high school tournament, Koshien.

Recommendation: I'm a sucker for sports dramas as I love playing sports in general. This was one of my favorite series even though I remember being annoyed by the English teacher and the character called Kine. Still, most dramas seem to include some wacky character from time to time so I wasn't too surprised. The thing about this series is that it's really not just about baseball. It's really a love story and the conflict between the four main characters (who all have names that begin with an "H" Hiro, Hideo, Hikari, Haruka) which was interesting to see play out.

Even though I never played on a high school team or met my first love in high school, each episode has a scene or two that reminded me of the "good old days" when times were simpler. With all the responsibilities that come with being an adult, it is funny to look back and remember the problems and issues that I faced back then that now seem trivial. Yet, it was still an important time in my life and I experienced heartbreak, death, and made close friendships that still last today. When I watched H2 those memories resurfaced; something about high school and the timelessness of baseball just did it for me.

STORY: 1.0

ACTING: 1.0
DIRECTING: 1.0
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 1.0
EMOTIONAL FACTOR: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns