I have my boss my hero to thank for opening up a whole world of Japanese tv for me all that time ago. It sparked off my fanatical adoration for comedies and dramas from Asia that i will probably never be able to shake.
cast:
Nagase Tomoya - Sakaki Makio
Tegoshi Yuya -Sakurakoji
Tanaka Koki - Kazu
Aragaki Yui - Umemura
Kashii Yu - Minami Sensei
Its impossible to properly describe just how funny this program is.
Nagase pulls the most rediculous Hanya mask like faces.
^^
The banter between him and Koki is so great, the pictures I have got for this post are mostly of those two - but still cant quite convey just how funny these guys are.
This series is bonkers. Vastly different to the Korean film, the overall story hasnt changed that much but the execution is what sets them apart.
This series can sum up Japanese tv as a perfect example of the medium. I cant wait till my niece is old enough to watch this.
Basic premise:
ok, well you have this yakuza family with all the relavent minions. Sakaki is unbelivably good at fighting and generally being yakuzary
After Sakai makes a ridiculous mistake at a meeting proving his stupidity to all and sundry, the head of the gang (his dad) sends Sakaki back to high school.
He never graduated and now its imperative he finish well otherwise the future leadership of the gang will go to Sakaki's younger brother (bit of a pride dent there)
The problem is, Sakaki is so f*cking thick he cant even count or spell his own name. secretly enrolled in St Agnes high school and pretending to be 17 he has a bit of a make over and off he goes.
Outside he is still a fearless yakuza, inside he is a confused school boy (with stubble and sideburns).
He is befriended by sakurakoji who's name he cant even say (i swear i kept waiting for sakurakoji to confess to sakaki all the way through Tegoshi is so f*cking camp its unreal)
The more involved with school life he gets the more he softens and eventually, as you would, everyone warms to the nut bar Sakaki
aw look at him. aint he lovely
And theres even a little romance (yes its a bit weird as she is of high school age and he is like 27 or something, but with his mental age...well, it kinda makes it not that weird).
Sakaki starts to treat the class as a new gang, and tries to bring them together as a class leader in haphazzard but endearing ways.
Having school races to reach the limited edition pudding at lunch, forming a band for the school show when none of them can play anything, and playing basket ball with broken elastic in his shorts, trying to read a girl's txt message... basically it is a farce from start to finish.
But oh god did I cry when it all kicks off towards the end of the series
I sobbed - it goes completely nuts. Obviously the yakuza sh*t isnt gonna fizzle out just because he has exams and as you expect things take a more serious turn later down the line.
Nagase had me in stitches for the entire thing up untill he had me crying
and Koki's Kazu became one of my favourite characters of any drama.
I loved kashii yu as Minami Sensei (or Iron Face as Sakaki calls her)
she must have had such a job keeping that straight stern face while she has that d*ckhead inappropriately pulling hanya scowls at her.
I love the way that sakaki is so rubbish in his school that he is pushed around
by the would-be thugs of the class led by Hoshino (played by Wakaba Ryuya -
He is always absolutely great in everything but I have to say he tops it with Hoshino's oblivious weirdness)
Nagase is a genius. And thats all there is to it. This will still be one of my favourite shows years down the line. Watching Sakaki shout and scream in Kazu's face never gets old.
I have rewatched this so many times with various people and it never fails to be wonderful. I just cant explain how great this show is. watch it watch it watch it. Or Hoshino will steal your lunch money.
I love this show.
sorafune (MBMH theme song) video:
another MBMH theme: (music only)
opening MBMH theme: (music only)
~
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