Hallyudorama » Smile

Smile (Episode 2)

Mytor — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:18:05 +0000

I’ve been having trouble finding time to write my episode guides so this comes a bit late.

In this episode, we see a bit more of Bito’s life while growing up. We also see more interaction between Bito and Hana, which was kinda cute. Matsujun is adorable when he gets shy.

I hope I could get a subbed copy of episode 3 soon so that I could go on with my episode guides. Meanwhile, here’s episode 2:

Bito attends his first trial where the judge mistakes him for a foreigner. His friends think it’s because his name is written in Katakana. For those who are not familiar with the Japanese writing system, Katakana is only used to write Western or foreign words and names. Bito pleads innocent for drug possession charges and tells the court that he’s being framed.

Kondo, who framed Bito, attends the second hearing as a prosecution witness. He denies knowing the actress Yuki. After the hearing, he meets up with Kai and Hana overhears their conversation.

Meanwhile, Shiori wants Kazuma to help in Bito’s case but he seems uninterested. Shiori wonders whether it’s because Bito is a half Filipino.

Hana goes to see Kazuma to convince him to take on Bito’s case. She tells him about the conversation between Kondo and Kai, wherein she overheard Kondo saying that it was him who hid the drugs inside Bito’s locker. However, Hana fails to convince Kazuma without any other evidence at hand.

The café’s manager stands as a witness during the third hearing and is interrogated about Bito’s resignation. The prosecution points out that Bito’s resignation was rushed because he was afraid of being caught dealing drugs.

At Matsumura Foods where Bito works, a delivery has been made. The boss takes in a surplus of goods since Children’s Day was due and they’ll be expecting a lot of orders.

Shiori talks to Kazuma about Bito’s case. She wonders whether it would be possible to get Yuki to testify against Kondo. Kazuma tells her it’s impossible. Kai, who supplies the drugs, belongs to a gang called the New Makers. This same gang owns an entertainment production company, which manages Yuki.

At the next hearing, Detective Furuse, the cop who arrested Bito and knows about his juvenile past, takes the witness stand. He tells an entirely different story about Bito’s involvement in a gang and made him appear as the leader. He tells the court that Bito alone killed a boy and injured six others during one of their fights with a rival gang.

Hana goes to see Bito in prison and tries to cheer him up by telling him that she believes in him.

In the meantime, Bito’s colleagues at Matsumura Foods visit Kazuma to convince him again to take the case. They tell him about Bito’s past. We learn that Bito’s mother used to work at a snack bar where she met Bito’s father, a Filipino who had come to Japan for work. Before entering elementary school, Bito’s parents divorced and his father’s whereabouts have become unknown since then. Until junior high, Bito lived with his mother, who went out with different men and worked at night. Around the time of his graduation, his mom finally abandoned him. After that, Bito traveled and took odd end jobs to survive. Bito’s life, they say, took a different turn when he was convinced by a junior high senpai to work at a construction site. This was also the time when he met his friend Kinta and they joined a gang. Kazuma tells them to give him time to think about taking on Bito’s case.

Meanwhile, Hana sneaks into the café where Bito worked looking for evidence for Bito’s case. However, the cops also get there, upon the instructions from Detective Furuse, to look for more evidence to pin down Bito. Fortunately, Hana gets out in time after getting some information about Kondo in the employees’ records.

Hana looks for Kondo and follows him to a club. There she sees him dealing drugs and successfully records a video through her camera phone. Unfortunately, Kondo sees her and runs after her. While fleeing, Hana is able to send a message with the video to Kazuma who comes to her rescue.

During the hearing, Kazuma represents Bito and shows the video to the court. He also plays an audio recording, which shows that the cops forced a confession on Bito. Apparently, Hana was able to record the cops’ conversation inside the café. Kondo is prosecuted and Bito is exonerated a week later.

To celebrate Bito’s release, they all decide to cook Italian food. While on their way to shop for the ingredients, Bito thanks Hana for her hard work but gets timid when Hana hugs him.

On their way back, Bito asks Hana why she went out of her way to help him. She tells him that she believed him because she liked his smile. While walking, Hana sees a guy she knows so she says goodbye to Bito and rides the car. Bito is disappointed and thinks it must be his boyfriend. Hana arrives later in time for their Italian dinner.

Life is back to normal at Matsumura Foods. Bito delivers bean rice at Uehara Higashi Elementary School where he again sees the guy named Mr. Watanabe whom Hana met a while back. A child named Rina, whom Bito befriended, greets him. Back at Matsumura, Bito avoids Hana.

Meantime, there has been food poisoning at Uehara Higashi Elementary School. Children are being brought to hospitals. While watching the news, Bito sees that one of the victims is Rina.

Smile (Episode 1)

Mytor — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:14:42 +0000

As we wrote earlier, Matsumoto Jun stars as a half-Filipino in his new drama Smile now airing on TBS. Aside from the idea of Matsujun playing a half Pinoy character, what really made me watch this drama is its take on discrimination in the Japanese society. I haven’t been to Japan yet but from what I’ve read and some stories I’ve heard, foreigners, not only Filipinos, have a difficult time blending in. Discrimination is typical in all societies, not only in Japan, and I’m glad that the topic is deemed worthy to gain attention in a drama.

If the topic is not enough for you to watch Smile, then you may be interested to know that drama sees the reunion of some of the Hana Yori Dango crew. Aside from Matsujun of course who played the role of F4 leader Domyouji Tsukasa, my personal favorite Oguri Shun (Hanazawa Rui) also has a supporting role. I’m not sure though how minor Shun’s role is and how many episodes he’s going to appear in but I saw him in episode 1 and he also shows up in the preview for episode 2. Smile was written by Takayuki Takuma who also wrote the scripts for Hana Yori Dango (not to be confused for Yoko Kamio who is the original Hanadan manga writer/creator).

Without further ado, here’s my summary for episode 1:

Bito Hayakawa (Matsumoto Jun) looks intently at a torn page from a book about African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King and reads his famous words “I have a dream.” Bito’s dream, as we learn later on, is to open up his own restaurant that would serve different cuisines—a place where everyone who sits and eats are smiling.

Spring 2015

Someone visits Bito in Tokyo Prison. The jail guard tells the visitor that he admires how naturally bright (I think he meant cheerful) Bito is. The visitor tells him that Filipino people seem to be always cheerful and have a positive attitude. They’ll even buy food or drinks for someone who’s in trouble even if they don’t have money.

We then learn that the visitor is actually Bito’s lawyer Ito Kazuma who has come to deliver some bad news—he wasn’t able to buy Bito the otoro sushi he requested. This makes Bito disappointed, as if he received some life altering news. The two reminisce about how they met. Kazuma recalls that the first time he saw Bito was in a rotating sushi restaurant but Bito couldn’t remember this. He wonders whether Kazuma was curious why an East Asian like him wanted to eat sushi. Still smiling, Bito recalls it’s been five years since Kazuma has been his lawyer. The scene is heartbreaking but the jail guard breaks the ice by telling Bito that he’ll do his best to bring Bito some sushi for his birthday. This makes Bito extremely happy.

Spring 2009

Bito and his friends run to catch the discounts at a rotating sushi restaurant. They are eyeing the otoro sushi, an expensive type of sushi. While lined up, they learn from Kazuma that it’s their last chance to get to eat the discounted otoro. However, Bito and his friends get to their seats too late so they couldn’t avail of the discounted price anymore. Kazuma gets the last discounted otoro and eats it while Bito looks on hungrily.

We then get to see the food delivery service where Bito and his friends work. While working, Bito gets a light gash on his hand.

After he gets off from work Bito rushes to his night job serving in a coffee shop. He stops by a bookstore on his way where he and Mishima Hana (Yui Aragaki) meet for the first time. Hana accidentally drops her wallet and Bito gets to pick it up. He then hears a commotion, as Hana is being accused of shoplifting and taken to the back of the store. Hana could not explain herself since, for some reason, she lost her ability to speak. Bito goes in and explains to the owner that the girl must have meant to pay but lost her wallet. The owner allows them to leave and Hana is grateful to Bito for rescuing her. She notices his wound and sticks a band aid on it.

Bito gets in late for work and is bullied by his senpai (senior) who calls him a “Filipino shit.”

The next day, Bito and his co-workers have a send-off dinner for one of their co-workers who’s leaving the shop. We learn more things about Bito as he answers questions from his friends. Bito is half Filipino but he’s never been to the Philippines. His mother named him after Vito Corleone from The Godfather. His father, who was a Filipino, didn’t like the name but his mother did as she pleased.

While having dinner, Bito gets a call and rushes to the café where his senpai is waiting for him. He continues to taunt Bito and tells him that he needs to go to work despite his day off since he was late the other day. While working, Bito is shocked to see his senpai dealing drugs to a popular actress named Yuki. Although sensing something bad is happening, he gets tricked by his senpai into giving away his locker key. Bito sees his senpai leave with some thugs he seems to have encountered before.

While walking home, Bito gets a fright when a cop calls his attention and mistakes him for a foreigner. The cop asks for his passport but lets him off upon seeing Bito’s I.D. Bito again meets Hana who helps him pick up his bag. Hana hands him a thank you gift for saving her a while back. At home, Bito finds a little pig accessory (the thing you put on cellphones or keychains) inside the package.

News have spread that the actress Yuki has been arrested for drug possession. Cops are surveying the places where Yuki has been hanging out, including the café where Bito works. One of the cops sees Bito coming out of the bar and it seems that he knows Bito.

Bito and his friends run across some Yakuza-looking guys on the street. They apparently know Bito who used to be with a street gang led by someone called Hayashi. The other gang leader named Kai tries to bully Bito and his friends and they get into a fight. Luckily, Bito’s lawyer-friend Shiori comes to their defense and breaks up the fight.

We then learn more about Bito’s dark past. In spring of 2000, Bito and his friend were members of Hayashi Seiji’s (Oguri Shun) gang. They had a fight with Kai’s gang and it was then that Hayashi cut Kai’s face. We also learn that Bito’s senpai Kondo is a member of Kai’s group. Sensing this may cause him trouble, Bito’s friends and boss convince him to quit his job at the café.

Back at the café, Bito hears Kondo talking to someone about using his locker. Bito asks for his key back and quickly inspects the contents of his locker but he sees nothing suspicious.

Meanwhile, Hana applies for work at the food delivery service and gets accepted, to Bito’s surprise. The boss introduces her to the other crew and explains that due to psychological reasons, her vocal chords could not work, thus she is unable to speak.

Hana follows Bito around. He goes inside the same bookstore where she got chased so she disguises herself with a pair of sunglasses. The owner sees them so the two run out. Bito thanks her for the pig accessory and asks her why she gave him one. Bito learns through lip-reading that Hana likes pigs. She tells him to make wishes to the pig for it will make his dreams come true. Bito tells her that his dream is to open up his own restaurant.

Bito arrives at the café and the cops go in to investigate. They take Bito to the locker room where they see a sachet of drugs hidden inside a hanger in Bito’s locker. The cop wants to take Bito to the police station but Bito, who’s afraid he’s been set up, tries to escape. He hides inside a record shop where he calls his boss and breaks down. He tells them that he’s innocent and wonders if they’ll believe him even if he’s half-Filipino. They assure him that they’ll believe everything he says. A guard sees Bito and tries to chase him. The cops finally corner Bito as Hana and Kazuma look on.

My thoughts:
The first episode isn’t that exciting as some scenes actually bordered on the melodramatic. It could use tighter editing as well because I felt there were some scenes that dragged on.

As for the good points, I commend this drama for being bold enough to tackle the topic of discrimination. The subject alone makes it worthwhile for viewers, not only for drama otakus like me. It’s also refreshing to see Matsujun in a different role as I’ve been used to seeing him as the cocky Domyouji Tsukasa. I didn’t expect him to fit a role as vulnerable as Bito but I think his acting worked, which makes him a better actor in my eyes.

Credits: Arashi for the awesome hard-subbed episodes

Matsumoto Jun, a half-Filipino?!?

Hanneebuff — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:17:46 +0000

In the Japanese drama Smile, yes he is!

Filipino fans of Matsujun (Arashi member and Domyouji Tsukasa of Hana Yori Dango) will be delighted to know that he will be playing a half Filipino, half Japanese guy who lost his parents at a young age but still faces life with a smile despite having to deal with a lot of problems.

He is partnered with Yui Aragaki (Koizora the movie and Code Blue) who becomes mute due to an accident.

I hope Matsujun will speak a little Tagalog, ne?

“Smile” will start airing on April every Friday at 10:00pm.

via tokyograph.com

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Smile (Episode 2)

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