[You can also read this on UnitedJPop here].
Even though I actually watched this drama quite a while ago now, I wanted to write a short review on it...
Last Friends is a series that focuses on the issues faced by a group of young people who are all connected in some way. The main character is the, almost painfully, kind woman named Michiru (Masami Nagasawa). She's lives with her neglectful and often drunk mother and works as a hairdresser, constantly bullied by a nasty co-worker. As a viewer, you begin to feel so sorry for the character who has no one to turn to for support.
ENTER...her kind and caring boyfriend Sousuke (Ryo Nishikido) who proceeds to ask her to move in with him...aww!!
While out shopping for bits to add to the flat, Michiru runs into her old school friend Ruka (Juri Ueno), and the two get along like they had never been split apart. Surely Sousuke would be glad of Michiru's new (but kind of old) friendship?
Well, no...not exactly...
I would have never even gone near this drama if my friend had not recommended it to me and NISHIKIDO (one of my favourite actors) had not played one of the main characters! "Serious dramas" - as I call them - are usually NOT for me...I prefer comedies!
But after watching...well...I am glad I did!
Without question the best performance was that given by Nishikido (really...I'm not being biased, okay?!)
Something that I like about Ryo is that he often chooses quite contraversial acting roles for a JE member. (Johnny's Entertainment = Mostly the Home of the cute-sweet-bring-them-home-to-your-mothe
Sousuke is someone who subjects his girlfriend to domestic violence and Ryo's portrayal of the character genuinely managed to frighten me, I found myself jumping in my chair or gasping whenever he popped up unexpectedly. The fact that I was quite scared of an actor that I have frequently seen in interviews and on variety shows means that he completely deserves the awards he recieved for the role in my opinion!
I did have a some slight problems though...
- Due to the HUGE amount of coverage given to Sousuke and Michiru's explosive relationship, I felt the other character's issues did not get the screentime they both required and deserved. (I actually read somewhere on the internet that, due to the fact Japanese dramas begin airing the episodes before they have finished filming most of them, writers are constantly manipulating the script in order to gain the highest possible ratings. Apparantly, whenever Sousuke beat Michiru, the ratings went up...so other character's parts were cut to make room!!...I would be SO annoyed if that happened to my character!!)
- I also found the character Eri's (Asami Mizukawa) issues to be incredibly trivial when compared to the other character's problems and, to be honest, did not see the point in them being featured. (Which is sad, because I quite liked Eri as a character).
- Another thing, I still don't really get what the title Last Friends has to do with anything...maybe I'm just being stupid!
A couple of little things that I enjoyed were...
The extended metaphor of the cups representing the characters and the fact that the cups that Sousuke bought himself and Michiru had red thread on them. (Apparantly, in Japanese culture, is it said that two lovers are connected by red thread - also, see that on the title picture above?! I'm sorry I just like clever little things like that...maybe it's not that clever...)
I also liked that it was shown at the start that one of the characters was going to die and viewers were left guessing until the very end. (Incidently, when that character did die, I was so shocked that I had trouble sleeping that night...I know...I'm a loser).
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OVERALL, I really did enjoy this drama and I feel I haven't really given it a review that does it justice.
It really manages to confront and portray some very sensitive and difficult issues with an awful lot of depth. You really can tell that writer's had done their research beforehand. The drama does not shy away from issues like rape and physical abuse in relationships and I honestly felt like I came away with a better understanding of these horrible things that are, very unfortunately, a part of reality.
Near the beginning, I found myself incredulous at the fact that Michiru would stay in a relationship with a man that caused her so much physical and emotional pain and I hated Sousuke for what he was doing to the woman he was supposed to love. However, as the series progressed, I realised that these things are not necessarily as black and white as they can seem. Michiru still felt love for Sousuke and Sousuke was not able to control his jealousy when Michiru was with others due to the traumas he suffered during his childhood. (But NO I am NOT condoning Domestic Violence!!)
This is all without even mentioning the coverage of the other character's issues which, despite having such limited time, were handled with equal sensitivity and openess.
I would definately recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for something that may just challenge their perceptions and open up their minds to the true complexity of human relationships...
PLUS - The OST to the drama (Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love) and the opening titles compliment the drama SO well, they are both probably the best of any drama I have seen in terms of their compatability to the narrative and general mood of the drama.
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