Last Friends

Infobox Television
show_name = ラスト・フレンズ
Last Friends


caption = Last Friends Opening Credits
genre = Human drama, Friendship
camera =
picture_format = NTSC
audio_format =
runtime = 60 min./episode
creator = Taeko Asano
developer =
director = Endo Mitsutaka
Moriwaki Tomonobu
Miyaki Shogo
producer = Watanabe Tsuneya
executive_producer =
starring = Masami Nagasawa
Juri Ueno
Eita
Asami Mizukawa
Ryo Nishikido
voices =
narrated = Masami Nagasawa
Juri Ueno
Eita
theme_music_composer = Hikaru Utada
opentheme = Prisoner of Love
composer =
endtheme =
country = JPN
location = Tokyo
language = Japanese
network = Fuji TV
first_aired = April 10 2008
last_aired = June 19 2008
num_series =
num_episodes = 11 + 1 special
list_episodes =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website = http://www.fujitv.co.jp/lastfriends/
imdb_id = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1200618/
tv_com_id = nihongo|Last Friends|ラスト・フレンズ|"Rasuto furenzu" is a Japanese television drama which aired on Fuji TV at 10:00 pm every Thursday from April 10 2008 till June 17 2008. The special, consisting of a recap and some new additional scenes aired on June 26 2008.

The series follow the life of Michiru Aida, a beauty parlour assistant who returns to Tokyo after 4 years. Bullied by her seniors at work and abused by her boyfriend, she is reunited with her best friend during high school, Ruka Kishimoto, a skilled motocross racer. Takeru, a make-up artist, is introduced to Ruka by her housemate, Eri and thus begin a journey of friendship.

A manga counterpart focusing on Ruka's and Michiru's high school days is currently being published in Malika. Although episode 11 was suppose to be the final episode, a sudden phone call requested the producers to add on a special. A movie has also been announced due to Last Friends immense popularity. [ [http://entameblog.seesaa.net/article/100930996.html Entameblog] ]

Last Friends was number 1 on Fuji's top 50 list from June 16 till June 29. [cite web|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/index.html|title=Fuji Top 50 List June 16 to June 29|accessdate=2008-06-28] However, it had since dropped to 6th placecite web|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/index.html|title=Fuji Top 50 List after special|accessdate=2008-07-07] after the broadcast of the special and as of the week of July 7 to 13, Last Friends ranked 9th on the Top 50 list.cite web|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/index.html|title=Fuji Top 50 List June 30 to July 6|accessdate=2008-07-20] Aside from the official website at Fuji Tv, another website has also been created, named "Last Friends: Another". [http://www.fujitv.co.jp/lastfriends/another/index.html Last Friends:Another] ]

Creation and conception

Juri Ueno and Masami Nagasawa were originally approached for the role of Ruka and Michiru. [http://www.tokyowrestling.com/articles/2008/06/last_friends_1.html TokyoWrestling Interview Part 1] ] Asami Mizukawa was then casted for the other woman character Taeko Asano planned to have in the drama. Takeru was a last minute addition because the producers wanted a male presence in the drama. Initially, it was suppose to be only about domestic violence and gender identity disorder portrayed respectively by Nagasawa and Ueno and than a character who used domestic violence was created.

Ueno was picked by Asano, who saw her performance of Rainbow Song. According to Asano, it was her intuition which said Ueno was perfect for the role of gender identity disorder. Eita was casted because of his "feminine feel". Nagasawa was selected because Asano thought of her as the "smiling woman who worries". [http://www.tokyowrestling.com/articles/2008/06/last_friends_2.html TokyoWrestling Interview Part 2] ]

Takeru's friendship with Ruka was in the "grey zone". [http://www.tokyowrestling.com/articles/2008/06/last_friends_3.html TokyoWrestling Interview Part 3] ] Asano stated that Ueno was very enthusiatic about her role from the beginning, asking about the hairstyle and clothing when she accepted the role.

A tabloid has rumoured that Ueno was not pleased on how the drama developed. [http://ameblo.jp/uraurageinou/entry-10111733858.html Anger on the set of Last Friends] ] Apparantly, Ueno was upset over why Ryo Nishikido's character, Sousuke Oikawa, was kept alive till the end of the series. According to plans, Sousuke was suppose to die halfway through the drama, but the soaring TV ratings were due to the DV scenes done by Sousuke. A worker on the production staff commented that Ueno's "portrayal of Ruka, a girl struggling with gender identity disorder, was amazing yet all people talked about was Nishikido". The worker went on to say "As a result, the relationship between Ruka and Michiru, which should have been more carefully developed, tapers off towards the end. Juri had worked hard to become Ruka - she even talked to people with gender identity disorder - so for them to put her role aside like that really pissed her off. She and Ryo didn't speak much towards the end of filming."http://uwasako.livejournal.com/25239.html]

Theme

Centered around the current generation's problem, Last Friends follow the various issues, most notably of domestic violence, gender identity disorder and trauma. Each of the five characters are represented by an issue, [Opening Sequence of Last Friends] which are:

*Love - Michiru
*Liberation - Ruka
*Agony - Takeru
*Solitude - Eri
*Contradiction - Sousuke

ynopsis

Michiru Aida is a beauty parlour assistant who returns to Tokyo after four years of absence. She moves in with her boyfriend, Sousuke Oikawa, who works in the Child Welfare Division. However, she quickly becomes the victim of DV and is bullied at her workplace. Ruka Kishimoto is Michiru's best friend that works part time at a mechanic shop and is a brilliant motocross racer. However, she has a problem which she cannot confide to anyone and her worry becomes evident throughtout the series. Takeru Mizhushima is a professional hair makeup artist by day and a bartender by night who suffers from a traumatic past. The three meet by chance and a journey of friendship begins.

Plot

A pregnent Michiru is first seen walking in a fishing village area, wondering about her friends and a horrible death which occurred previously. She laments on the fact that she did not have the ability to know what is in a person's heart, and therefore could not stop the death. However, she acknowledges that her friends is supporting her even though she betrayed Ruka.

Present day Tokyo, Michiru is working at a beauty parlour when she sees her boyfriend, Sousuke Oikawa waving at her and pointing out a place to meet him for dinner. When she does, Sousuke gives her a cup for her birthday present and invites her to live together. Michiru gets permission from her mother and tells Sousuke that she will move in soon, first buying pair furniture. At the department store, Michiru is seen by Ruka, who immediately chases after the bus Michiru has boarded. In her hurry, Ruka bumps into Takeru and drops her cup. She catches up, and the two meet each other for the first time in four years. Later that day, Ruka meets Takeru again after Eri drags her along to the nightbar where Takeru works.

Cast

Main characters

*"Japanese Live action actor:" Masami Nagasawa

Michiru Aida is a beauty parlour assistant who gets constantly bullied at her workplace "Niche" by her seniors.Last Friends Episode 1] Her mother doesn't care about her much, even forgetting her 22nd birthday. She moves in with her boyfriend Sousuke; who is the only one who she can confide her emotional problems to but becomes the victim of domestic violence.

She was Ruka's best friend in middle school and has not seen her for four years after her mother moved them to a relative's place in Choushi. Michiru graduated from high school in 2003.Last Friends episode 2, Michiru finds her graduation album on the shelf in Sousuke's apartment.]

After returning to Tokyo, she is spotted by Ruka while shopping for new furniture in accordance with moving in with Sousuke. The two then spend time catching up at a park which holds precious memories to each of them. In the past, Michiru would tell Ruka all of her family problems at the very same park, eat ice cream and take shelter from the rain there. When she returns to Sousuke's apartment, she is slapped because Sousuke thought that the messages that Michiru was receiving from Ruka was from a guy. Failing to find the graduation album in her house, Michiru returns and gets slapped again and promises to find it. When she returns back to her house again, she sees her mother with another guy, so she decides to go to the park. Ruka finds Michiru by instinct after receiving a miss call from her, and brings Michiru back to the Share House. They spend the night there and after Ruka sees Michiru crying in her sleep, Ruka kisses Michiru.

She gives Ruka a good luck charm for the race, which Ruka considers to be the thing which saved her during the accident which occurred during the race when her bike flipped over.Last Friends Episode 2] After the accident, Michiru nearly gets attacked by Sousuke until Ruka turns up and yells at Sousuke not to touch "my Michiru".

After being raped by Sousuke,Last Friends, Episode 10] Michiru moves out of the ShareHouse and isolates herself from everyone else. She goes back to Choushi, where nine months later, she is about to give birth. However, complications arises when it is discovered she has abnormal high blood pressure that can endanger both her child and herself. She manages to pull through and names the child "Rumi", Ru from Ruka and Mi from Michiru. Ru is also present in Takeru.Last Friends, Episode 11]

Taeko Asano has stated that Michiru and Ruka were not based on Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon characters Michiru and Haruka despite oversea fangirl rumours. [http://www.TokyoWrestling.com Asano Taeko interview Part 4] ]

*"Japanese Live action actor:" Juri Ueno

A brilliant motocross racer, Ruka Kishimoto was Michiru's best friend since middle school. When she finally gets to meet Michiru after four years, she is delighted yet worried about it. She dislikes people discriminating against gender, like her motocross senior does. She comments that when she is racing and in the air, "everything disappears" and "you become a thing floating in air" regardless of gender. Ruka lives in the Share House with Eri.

Her main problem throughout the series is confessing her love for Michiru. There are moments where it is obvious that Ruka loves Michiru, yet Michiru doesn't see it. Sousuke describes Ruka looking at Michiru with "male like eyes".Last Friends, Episode 3] Her relationship with Takeru is different. While Takeru loves Ruka, Ruka treats him like a friend. Her father even states that Takeru looks "weak", much to Ruka's amusement.

In the past, she and Michiru often got in trouble with the patrol man for riding together on a single seat bicycle. They would stay at a park where Michiru would confide to her about her family problems, and Ruka would stay with her because she "couldn't leave her in tears". Ruka graduated from high school in 2003.

Her motocross number is #27. While initially looked down upon by her male senior, Ruka eventually wins the Kanto Motocross Competition. Ueno started training for the motocross scenes in February, and she commented that the bike was really heavy as it weighs 90kg.Mentore G, Last Friends extra]

Taeko Asano commented that Ueno Juri "changed" her image from the Nodame Cantabile hairstyle to Ruka's clothing and hair style right before rehearsal. Asano also commented that "she's a natural genius" and that she became "the character itself" because Ueno changed her habits of walking, talking and sitting to emulate Ruka's style, even when the camera's were not in action. [ TokyoWrestling.com ] Asano Taeko interview] Ueno stated that the role of "Ruka" was starting to have an effect on her.

Asano has also stated that Michiru and Ruka were not based on Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon characters Michiru and Haruka despite oversea fangirl rumours. [TokyoWrestling.com Asano Taeko interview Part 4] ]

*"Japanese Live action actor:" Eita

A professional makeup and hair artist by day and a bartender by night, Takeru suffers from a trauma acquired during his childhood. As such, he is uncomfortable around women except Ruka who he has fallen in love with. Many, including Eri at first, suspect him as gay because of his good looks yet the absence of a girlfriend.

When he was a child, his father was extremely abusive but his mother remained by his side. His sister wanted an ally that would not betray her and used Takeru. It is not clearly stated what happened between him and his step sister, but because of it Takeru suffers from trauma and is afraid of a woman's body.

Takeru is injured badly because Sousuke thought he was the object of Michiru's affection. Due to the injury sustained, he losses his job because his boss said that he was useless without both hands.

However when Michiru disappears, Takeru drags Ruka along to "fill her heart". They meet Michiru at the hospital after a minor accident, and after she gives birth, Takeru tells the baby that he will be the father.

*"Japanese Live action actor:" Asami Mizukawa

An air stewardess, Eri is a happy go lucky woman who often finds herself miserable at love. She is the only original member of the ShareHouse other then Ruka prior to the main story. Eri loves to drink, and can speak various words in different languages due to her experience at work.

Eri often speaks whatever is on her mind, even correctly guessing Ruka's feelings towards Michiru.Last Friends, Episode 4 during dinner, Ruka serves Michiru dinner while Eri comments "The way Ruka treats Michiru is like that of lovers"] When Ruka denies this, saying that she treats everyone fairly, Eri also denies her statement because she felt that she was treated much differently although Eri is Ruka's housemate.Last Friends, Episode 4 during dinner, Ruka serves Michiru dinner while Eri comments "The way Ruka treats Michiru is like that of lovers"] She regrets that she didn't know about Ruka's GID issue until after Ruka wins the motocross race.

When Ogurin tells her that he is leaving for Milan due to a transfer, she gets angry with him for apologizing. However, when she goes to work, Ogurin turns up with a bunch of roses, asking her to marry him. She marries Ogurin despite him being good for nothing, insinuating that her love is enough for both of them. Both of them move out of the ShareHouse due to Ogurin's transfer to Italy, but return eventually after a year for a reunion.Special episode]

*"Japanese Live action actor:" Ryo Nishikido

Sousuke Oikawa is Michiru's boyfriend who works in the Children Welfare department. He abuses Michiru and seems to suffer from multiple personalities, once slapping her then apoligizing andhugging the next moment. He beats up Takeru as he mistakenly assumes that Takeru was the guy Ruka said that Michiru liked. Sousuke also nearly rapes Ruka, but Ruka manages to get away at the last minute by smashing a lamp into him.

The only relationship he has besides being Michiru's boyfriend is with a young boy who he rescues from an abusive parent. He saves the kids life from an oncoming train, breaking several of his bones in the process.

When he was 10, Sousuke was raised by various relatives after his mother ran away with a customer at the supermarket where she had worked. It is because of this Sousuke wanted to marry Michiru and raise a happy family.

Sousuke commits suicide at the end of the series because he felt he could not give Michiru the happiness she found with the ShareHouse members. He writes her a letter, explaining his actions and how he understood that the only way to set Michiru free was to kill himself.

Masami Nagasawa, who played opposite Nishikido as Michiru, stated that "his type of acting is more difficult than mine. He also worries about me being hit accidentally."

upporting characters

Tomohiko Ogura
*"Japanese Live action actor:" Shigenori YamazakiTomohiko Ogura is Eri's senior their workplace. He has an enstrangled relationship with his wife Eiko and decides to move into the ShareHouse while he finds a way to solve his problem. He is often called "Ogurin". Ogurin is very cowardly sometimes, unable to stand up for himself or worry a lot about his wellbeing.

He eventually realizes that he has been in love with Eri all along, and marries her. They both move out of the ShareHouse due to Ogurin's transfer to Italy, but return eventually after a year.

*Aki Nishihara as Reina Hiratsuka
*Rea Ranka as Sayuri Mita
*Sayaka Hirano as Mayumi Okabe
*Mitsuko Baisho as Chinatsu Aida Michiru's mother, she is often drunk and very careless. She gambles and borrows money often, leading to finacial burdens on Michiru. At the start of the drama, she finds a new lover which makes Michiru irritated. When Chinatsu needed money to pay of some debts, Sousuke offers her some and in return she tells him of Michiru's location.

*Takeru Shibuya as Naoya Higuchi
*Toshiyuki Kitami as Kenichiro Endo

*Yuko Ito as Yuko ShirahataTakeru's sister. Their past is some what vaugely shown, but it is clear that she did something to Takeru which made him fear a woman's body.
*Tetsushi Tanaka as Kazumi Hayashida Hayashida is Ruka's motocross senior. Often looking down on women, Hayashida believes that it is almost impossible for a woman to reach the speed and level of a male racer. He once tried to hit on her, but Ruka manages to ward him off.

*Mayumi Asaka as Yoko Kishimoto
*Mitsuru Hirata as Shuji Kishimoto
*Mitsuki Nagashima as Shogo KishimotoShogo is Ruka's younger brother. The Kishimoto family is very supportive of Ruka.

etting

The drama takes place in modern day Tokyo.

The ShareHouse is typically a house where members share the rent amongst themselves. Ruka states that the rent is cheap, it being 40000 yen, however this is unsure whether she meant 40000 yen per person or for the overall rent of the house. Takeru mentions to Chinatsu Aida that the house is shared among five people, but the full capacity is unknown."Last Friends" Episode 9] In the beginning, Ruka and Eri are the only members of the ShareHouse, but soon Takeru, Ogurin and Michiru move in as well. The members basically share the facilities, such as the toilet, kitchen and living room, but each of them have their own rooms. Apparantly, Eri lets Ogurin into her room at times.

The park is another notable setting. When Michiru and Ruka were in highschool, they used to go to the park and spend time there. Michiru and Ruka reminisce about their high school days here when they meet again after four years. After Michiru was beaten up by Sousuke, Ruka finds her in the park. Ruka and Michiru reconcile here after Takeru arranges the meeting. The park also serves as the location where Michiru runs to after discovering Ruka's secret.

Media

Manga

The manga features Ruka and Michiru during their highschool days.

OST

* Name：Last Friends Original Soundtrack
* Release Date：June 11, 2008 An OST containing 21 different tracks have been produced. All songs were composed by Akio Izutsu except the last track.

Reception

Last Friends was number 1 on Fuji's top 50 list during its run. [cite web|url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/index.html|title=Fuji Top 50 List June 16 to June 29|accessdate=2008-06-28] However, it had since dropped to 6 place after the broadcast of the special and as of the week of July 7 to 13, Last Friends ranked 9 on the Top 50 list. The series have subsequently dropped to the 15th place and then the 16th place as of the week July 21 to 27. From July 27 to August 3, Last Friends ranked 19 and then moved up to 18 at August 10. In the first quarter of 2008, Yahoo word search ranking placed Last Friends 1st on the list. [ [http://searchranking.yahoo.co.jp/ranking2008firsthalf/general.html Yahoo First Half Ranking 2008] ]

Oricon Style had a poll for the female audience's favorite actor and actress right after Last Friends finished its run. Ueno was voted 1st, while Nagasawa was tied with two others at 6th place. Eita tied in 4th position. [http://juken.oricon.co.jp/56340/ Oricon Style 15/7/2008 Poll] ]

Last Friends came second in the "Best Drama" at the 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix. [http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/dramagp/top-dramagp.html 12th Nikkan Sports Awards] ] Juri Ueno won "Best Supporting Actress" while Ryo Nishikido won "Best Supporting Actor." Masami Nagasawa tied in fourth place for "Best Actress" while Eita also came fourth in the "Best Supporting Actor" category.

In the 57th Television Drama Academy Awards, Last Friends was voted 1st for Drama series. Masami Nagasawa won the 3rd Best Female Actress award. Juri Ueno came in 1st for Best Supporting Female Actress, while Ryo Nishikido won the Best Supporting Male Actor award. Both Ueno and Nishikido won with straight sets from the judges, fans and critics. Eita was the runner up in the Best Supporting Male Actor category. Last Friends was also voted for having the Best Script and Directors, and Prisoner of Love won the Best Theme Song award.http://blog.television.co.jp/drama/academy/2008/08/20/]

References

External links

* [http://www.fujitv.co.jp/index.html FujiTV official website]
* [http://www.fujitv.co.jp/lastfriends/ Last Friends website]
* [http://www.fujitv.co.jp/lastfriends/another/index.html Last Friends:Another]