YUKO TAKEUCHI PASSES AWAY AT 40...

 

I think most people will agree that 2020 has really been a trying year. Due to the challenges we have all faced on a global scale, I reflected on what my priorities are in life more than ever. I'm sure most of us have had those moments where we feel like we're not productive or feel like we wish we were doing something more exciting. It's especially difficult when we can't visit family or friends or heal ourselves spiritually/emotionally at our favorite hangout spots. Most of the time, I generally think that celebrities have everything they want, that they've succeeded in life and have it better than most of us. They're beautiful, charming and have this mysterious aura about them, like they're not human but, almost godly in a way that they can't be touched by mere mortals. Recently with the passing of Haruma Miura about 2 months ago and now Yuko Takeuchi among others, I think it's fair to say the obvious; that celebrities are really just like anyone of us. We're all human, trying our best to figure out how to navigate through the challenges of life. Takeuchi-san was truly one of my favorite Japanese actresses of all time. She seemed so down to earth and professional. Her smile could light up the whole universe. My favorite drama is still Pride and hearing about her death just grinded my heart to a halt. Of course I will never know who she really was and when something like this happens, the usual reaction is of shock and confusion. All we can do is attempt to piece together why she decided to end her life at such an early age even though we will never know for sure. I'm trying to focus more on things that I have control over and less on things that I can't control. With that said, it is very hard to not think about this unfortunate event. As I get older, I feel that many things in life seem rather meaningless. Life is already short and I think it's up to each one of us to find some sort of personal meaning, a goal or mission to live life to the best of our ability. I feel saddened that she was going through such despair but, I thank her for leaving us with amazing memories of her work. May she rest in peace. 

I'M BACK

Wow, it's been a long time. My last drama review was over five years ago. During that time, a few things happened. Mainly, my wife gave birth to my daughter. I don't remember if that was the only reason why I stopped writing, but I also believe it was because I felt a little tired or maybe disillusioned about Japanese dramas. Especially these days it's hard to keep up with all the entertainment that is available at our finger tips. I love movies and TV shows on Netflix and other platforms. It was hard to come back to this space and invest time watching Japanese shows. But alas, I can only say that fate brought me back. Basically out of the blue, I looked up my favorite actor Kimura Takuya and realized that not only is he now 47 years old, but he's continued to dedicate some time in his busy life to act in dramas. So I quickly watched Grand Maison Tokyo, which I will review and now I feel like writing again. Now, life has definitely changed these past five years so I won't be able to post as much as I used to, but I hope to continue this strange passion until I develop arthritis. It's so strange to see actors and actresses like Yamapi, Gakky, Toda Erika, Eikura Nana and Eita etc. in their 30's and see new faces like Arimura Kasumi doing amazing things. Well, I guess she's actually been in the business for quite some time, but I've never seen her work until recently. Like anything, people come and go and as I get older, my tastes have changed as well. I hope to continue here and there and keep this hobby up as long as I can. 

DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Hello everyone,

I just wanted say that I appreciate you visiting my blog. I realized that hits on my site have slowly increased over the past year. I still remember when I was super excited about the first few clicks on my site in which I later realized were my own clicks...

Anyway, due to my final year (actually 9 months) in school, I will be very busy and I probably won't be able to post anything new for awhile, sorry!

But my love for dramas is so great that after I graduate I will be relentlessly blogging afterwards.

Take care and see you soon!