Mention Japanese trendy dramas or doramas and I am sure the name that comes to mind is Takuya Kimura (木村拓哉). A quick check on this Japanese site that lists the 20 highest rated drama serials in Japan since 1977 and you will be amazed that Kimura is the star of 4 of these top 20 highest rated dramas. And what is even more impressive is that since the turn of this century only the doramas that he starred in managed to squeeze into this top 20 list. Based on this fact alone, it would seem that many viewers in Japan (and I am sure the rest of Asia too) tuned in just for him only.
You may wonder what are the factors that made him and his doramas so incredibly popular? I think that its a combination of his boyish yet charismatic good looks, a slightly rebellious attitude that many young women find attractive, natural acting and plain good luck to be involved in some of the best doramas of all time.
Actually personally, I find that he is not the best looking star among his peers, for example I consider Yutaka Takenouchi to be better looking but somehow only Kimura has that charisma that makes one want to see more of him on the screen in almost all the dramas that I have seen him in.
Some details about Kimutaku as he is known to his fans:
- Birthdate: Nov 13 1972
- Star Sign: Scorpio
- Chinese Astrology Sign: Rat
- Height: 176cm
- Weight: 57kg
- Blood Group: O
- Marital Status: married to Shizuka Kudo and father to two daughters
- Member of popular pop group SMAP.
Long Vacation (1996) - this 11 episode drama is arguably the best trendy drama of all time and made stars out of Kimura, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Takako Matsu, Takenouchi Yutaka and Ryoko Hirusue. The combination of a refreshing theme - romance between an older woman and a younger man - especially during the 1990s, great script, superb music and the sizzling chemistry between him and lead actress Tomoko Yamaguchi made this a drama to remember.
Beautiful Life (2000) - this tear-jerker is the second highest rated drama in the Top 20 list and tells the star-crosssed romance between an ambitious hair stylist in a trendy salon played by Kimura and a fiesty handicapped librarian played by Takako Tokiwa. Hint: remember to have a box of tissues handy when watching the last few episodes :-P
Hero (2001) - a "police and thief" type drama serial where Kimura plays an unconventional public prosecutor that sees him pitted against his strait-laced and serious partner played by Takako Matsu. The understated romantic attraction between the two characters is what made this drama such a joy to watch. However anyone who is expecting a standard dorama storyline will be disappointed as this is more of a detective drama where the two lead characters use their logic and ingenuity to solve various crimes each episode.
Good Luck (2003) - Kimura is at his most spiffy looking as a dashing pilot with the All Nippon Airlines (ANA). The hyper-realistic sets of the airplane's cockpit and passenger areas will make you feel like they are really filming in an actual aircraft. One of the highlights of the show was when the aircraft encountered a storm and faced a blackout, really nerve gripping stuff.
[Photo from http://japanmusic.altervista.org/Smap/profili.html]
Tags:
Japanese Drama
Dorama
Takuya Kimura
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