Takuya KIMURA
Takako MATSU
1. Chinese Poem of the Day:
梁啟超 (1873 - 1929)
自勵
獻身甘作萬矢的，著論求為百世師。
誓起民權移舊俗，更研哲理牖新知。
十年以後當思我，舉國猶狂欲語誰？
世界無窮願無盡，海天寥廓立多時。
2. After graduation from university in the 1980s, I seldom watched Asian TV dramas anymore.
That was due to changes in personal circumstances.
I started watching Asian TV dramas again a few years ago.
This was also due to a change in personal circumstances -- one of my younger brothers has been supplying me with shows to watch.
But I noticed that there is a change in what the term "Asian TV dramas" means to a typical Hong Kong person.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the semantic range of the term “Asian TV dramas” usually includes TV dramas produced in Hong Kong, Japan, or Taiwan.
In the 1990s and 2000s, however, the semantic range of the term has expanded to include TV dramas produced in Korea and mainland China.
3. Takuya Kimura (木村拓哉) (male) and Takako Matsu (松たか子) (female) were one of the golden couples of Japanese TV dramas from the mid-1990s to the 2000s.
Three TV dramas where they appeared together are:
(a) Long Vacation (1996) (11 episodes);
(b) Love Generation (1997) (11 episodes); and
(c) Hero (2001) (11 episodes).
Besides being well-acted and having a good script, each of these TV dramas stands out for me because of their theme songs.
Hearing their theme songs will usually remind me of the corresponding dramas.
梁啟超 (1873 - 1929)
自勵
獻身甘作萬矢的，著論求為百世師。
誓起民權移舊俗，更研哲理牖新知。
十年以後當思我，舉國猶狂欲語誰？
世界無窮願無盡，海天寥廓立多時。
2. After graduation from university in the 1980s, I seldom watched Asian TV dramas anymore.
That was due to changes in personal circumstances.
I started watching Asian TV dramas again a few years ago.
This was also due to a change in personal circumstances -- one of my younger brothers has been supplying me with shows to watch.
But I noticed that there is a change in what the term "Asian TV dramas" means to a typical Hong Kong person.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the semantic range of the term “Asian TV dramas” usually includes TV dramas produced in Hong Kong, Japan, or Taiwan.
In the 1990s and 2000s, however, the semantic range of the term has expanded to include TV dramas produced in Korea and mainland China.
3. Takuya Kimura (木村拓哉) (male) and Takako Matsu (松たか子) (female) were one of the golden couples of Japanese TV dramas from the mid-1990s to the 2000s.
Three TV dramas where they appeared together are:
(a) Long Vacation (1996) (11 episodes);
(b) Love Generation (1997) (11 episodes); and
(c) Hero (2001) (11 episodes).
Besides being well-acted and having a good script, each of these TV dramas stands out for me because of their theme songs.
Hearing their theme songs will usually remind me of the corresponding dramas.
4. Long Vacation (1996):
5. Takuya Kimura, of SMAP fame, was already a heartthrob by the time he starred in Long Vacation (1996).
But Long Vacation (1996) really established Takako Matsu's standing as a TV actress.
Long Vacation (1996) is a love story.
Although Takuya Kimura eventually ended up with Tomoko Yamaguchi (the lead actress) in the drama, Takako Matsu will forever be known as the woman who has rejected Takuya Kimura.
6. The theme song of Long Vacation (1996) is called La La La Love Song.
" 'La La La Love Song' is a song recorded by Japanese R&B singer Toshinobu Kubota for his ninth studio album, La La La Love Thang (1996). The song was written by Kubota and produced by Yoichiro Kakizaki." ("La La La Love Song", Wikipedia.)
This song has been disabled in YouTube due to copyright claims by Sony Music.
The followings are from Tudou.com (Like YouTube, Tudou has a 15-20 seconds commercial at the beginning of the video.):
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/j0ZqHbbQT78/
The video are scenes are the TV drama.
Long Vacation (1996) is part of a Japanese wave that has swept Hong Kong and many parts of Asia.
7. Music videos with Toshinobu Kubota:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/r0sr0Wem1fE/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/jgkiu9UnuZQ/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/tEQ_IRv4F-M/
8. A piano version of La La La Love Song:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/idP7GjnGM5U/
9. Love Generation (1997):
But Long Vacation (1996) really established Takako Matsu's standing as a TV actress.
Long Vacation (1996) is a love story.
Although Takuya Kimura eventually ended up with Tomoko Yamaguchi (the lead actress) in the drama, Takako Matsu will forever be known as the woman who has rejected Takuya Kimura.
6. The theme song of Long Vacation (1996) is called La La La Love Song.
" 'La La La Love Song' is a song recorded by Japanese R&B singer Toshinobu Kubota for his ninth studio album, La La La Love Thang (1996). The song was written by Kubota and produced by Yoichiro Kakizaki." ("La La La Love Song", Wikipedia.)
This song has been disabled in YouTube due to copyright claims by Sony Music.
The followings are from Tudou.com (Like YouTube, Tudou has a 15-20 seconds commercial at the beginning of the video.):
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/j0ZqHbbQT78/
The video are scenes are the TV drama.
Long Vacation (1996) is part of a Japanese wave that has swept Hong Kong and many parts of Asia.
7. Music videos with Toshinobu Kubota:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/r0sr0Wem1fE/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/jgkiu9UnuZQ/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/tEQ_IRv4F-M/
8. A piano version of La La La Love Song:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/idP7GjnGM5U/
9. Love Generation (1997):
10. The theme song of Love Generation (1997) is called Shiawase na Ketsumatsu and is by Ohtaki Eiichi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbgH_N6yjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY6XrLw2hJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG_YxxzwkXA
Love Generation (1997) is a very sweet love story with a happy ending.
11. This is just the music of Shiawase na Ketsumatsu:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLthhSumcbA
12. There are two memorable sub-theme songs of Love Generation (1997).
True True is one of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhJntyi6fhE&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YA46L0yIWc&feature=fvwrel
13. The second memorable sub-theme song of Love Generation (1997) is Hear Me Cry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o0W6SnqZm0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUKWCGf4YpA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbgH_N6yjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY6XrLw2hJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG_YxxzwkXA
Love Generation (1997) is a very sweet love story with a happy ending.
11. This is just the music of Shiawase na Ketsumatsu:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLthhSumcbA
12. There are two memorable sub-theme songs of Love Generation (1997).
True True is one of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhJntyi6fhE&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YA46L0yIWc&feature=fvwrel
13. The second memorable sub-theme song of Love Generation (1997) is Hear Me Cry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o0W6SnqZm0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUKWCGf4YpA
14. Hero (2001):
15. The theme song of Hero (2001) is called Can You Keep A Secret?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwQuXbae3N4
In Hero (2001), Takuya Kimura stars as a prosecutor investigating cases before deciding whether to laid charges and Takako Matsu is his assistant.
References:
"Hero (2001 TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_%282001_TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"La La La Love Song", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_La_La_Love_Song
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Long Vacation", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Vacation
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Love Generation (TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Generation_%28TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Takako Matsu", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takako_Matsu
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Takuya Kimura", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuya_Kimura
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"梁启超", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A2%81%E5%95%9F%E8%B6%85
(accessed 2012-11-19).
End.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwQuXbae3N4
In Hero (2001), Takuya Kimura stars as a prosecutor investigating cases before deciding whether to laid charges and Takako Matsu is his assistant.
References:
"Hero (2001 TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_%282001_TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"La La La Love Song", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_La_La_Love_Song
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Long Vacation", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Vacation
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Love Generation (TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Generation_%28TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Takako Matsu", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takako_Matsu
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"Takuya Kimura", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuya_Kimura
(accessed 2012-11-19).
"梁启超", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A2%81%E5%95%9F%E8%B6%85
(accessed 2012-11-19).
End.
