Gota Watabe

Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.

4.9/10

Misawa Akane is a corporate spy out working undercover for competitive and industrial purposes. She manages to successfully infiltrate the ranks of a successful cosmetics' company, go through training, make friends and apply the products in order to gain access to proprietary intellectual property. Her work is not without danger, however, and takes discipline. What is more, her conscience gnaws at her.

Two historical incidents that deepened the friendship between Japan and Turkey are connected in this Japanese-Turkish blockbuster: The sinking of the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul off the Japanese coast in 1890, and the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Iran in 1985. By making this film about friendship and compassion, the initiators intended to contribute to world peace. Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka's masterpiece was nominated for the Japan Academy Film Prize in ten categories, including Best Film and Best Director, and won the awards for Best Sound Recording and Best Art Direction.

7.3/10

Somebody’s brain is living inside of me. Medical thriller based on the novel by Keigo Higashino which has sold over 1,250,000 copies.

8/10

Kotone (Tomoka Kurotani) is the wife of Mitsuru Kiba (Kazushige Nagashima), boss of the Kiba gang in the Saikyo Alliance. She hides a girl named Sakura Nishizawa (Rina Koike), who is chased by Azami (Natsuki Harada). Azami is the wife of Kato (Masayuki Imai), boss of the Kato gang in the Saikyo Alliance. Years ago, Azami's lover was murdered by Mitsuru Kiba. To get revenge, she married Kato. Through the girl Sakura Nishizawa, Kotone and Azami unexpectedly meet and become involved in a large conspiracy.

Writer-director Gu Su-yeon's new film draws on his own semiautobiographical account of growing up as a delinquent zainichi Korean (Japanese-born, but of Korean ancestry) in the seaside city of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, a working-class hellhole overflowing with sex and fury. Day after day, (fictional) Gu finds fresh foes and makes the local hoodlums want to kick his ass. While working multiple dead-end part-time jobs, he cruises around town on his scooter in search of gangland trouble: leaping across rooftops with irate hordes of punks in hot pursuit, running off with a fetching belle in a sailor suit, rescuing a schoolgirl from being gang-raped at a glue-sniffing orgy…

6.2/10

Saru is a talented young locksmith who unlocks any kind of lock. He is, however, a complete fool when it comes to women. One day a girl Mayumi asks him to open a safe full of stolen money. Knowing nothing about it, Saru takes the money briefcase with Mayumi and finds himself with yakuza gangsters and also police in hot pursuit.

5.5/10

Tomokazu Shudo (Junpei Mizobata) has his first ever crush on Sugina Mayama (Saki Aibu), a senior student. Tomokazu has troubles confessing his feelings to the popular student, but one day, he is invited to the research lab where Sugina Mayama works. Tomokazu hopes to use this meeting to express his true feelings for her. To Tomokazu's surprise, when he arrives he first sees a big wooden box in the middle of the dark lab. Sugina tells Tomokazu that he looks scared and then proceeds to push Tomokazu into the box!

4.4/10

The story is about a group of university students who inevitably gets involved in playing a game of "Horumo" - a combat match where each person manipulates 100 spirits (referred to as "oni") to fight the opponent. Akira Abe, a freshman at Kyoto University student falls for his classmate Kyoko, and soon ends up at a mysterious club called “Kyoto University Azure Dragon” which turns out to be one of the Horumo teams, playing the mysterious (and somewhat absurd) game which started over 1,000 years ago in the Heian period.The heat rises as you see the 2,000 CGI created spirits wage fierce battles against the backdrop of breathtaking beautiful city of Kyoto. Let the battle begin!

6/10

"GS Wonderland" is about the 1960's Group Sounds bands - A Japanese pop movement inspired by the Beatles and other mid-1960's Brit Pop. Three young men set out to start their own band "The Diamonds" when they are signed to a recording contract during their very first rehearsal. Things turn for the unexpected when their agent brings Mick (Chiaki Kuriyama) into the group as their keyboardist.

6/10

Yuka, a troubled young woman who suddenly begins working part-time as a high-class call girl, finds unexpected romance while on the job.

7.7/10

The show focuses on a man named Kenji and his younger sister Yasuko, whose parents died in an accident 10 years earlier. Kenji was once the leader of a gang, but in order to support him and his sister, he began making a living as a shojo mangaka. His character normally wears glasses and appears to be a gentle guy, but he throws off his glasses and reverts to his violent side whenever he tries to protect Yasuko from danger. Part of the story follows Yasuko's romance with an intelligent and good-looking man named Jun Tsubaki. Jun's older sister Erika now runs a flower shop, but Erika was once a leader of a female gang, and she used to be in love with Kenji during those days.

7.7/10

A missed confession of love haunts a young man on his best girl friend's wedding day. Sudden appearance of a mysterious Angel enables him to go back in time to regain the love of his life. Will he succeed? A romantic comedy of young Ken who missed a chance to confess his love in the past and ended up attending the wedding of his childhood love. Deep with regret as he helplessly watches the wedding party proceed, suddenly time stops and an Angel appears asking him whether he would like to just start over. Astounded as he is, Ken asks to do so, thereby embarking on a journey that will supposedly change everything. All does not go well however, as fate seems to be a resilient force that refuses to change...

8.2/10

Tenshi no Hashigo 2006 (Japan), also known as Angel's Ladder is Japan drama premiere on Oct 22, 2006 on TV Asahi