[ Episode 7 ]

This episode was a bit more…soapy than usual. Things start to get pretty weird and uncomfortable in the share house quite quickly after Takeru confessed to Ruka. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming but I had no idea that the atmosphere would get so thick so quickly. As far as I’m concerned Takeru doesn’t deserve the treatment he’s getting from Ruka after they had already decided to remain the way they’ve always been. I thought it was a pretty cruel joke when she used his cup to pour coffee for her coach whom she was trying to pass off as her boyfriend. You just don’t do that sort of thing whether consciously or subconsciously. Anyway, I think the more important development I want to see spread out in the open is what happened between Takeru and his sister. Yeah, at this point it can’t be anything other than incest but they haven’t been too direct with it until now. That flashback was pretty vivid though it still stopped short of whatever his sister had planned.

Ruka is going through her issues once more with the gender disorder. I really think she needs to put that out in the open before she snaps but the preview shows that she’s leaving the share house. What a pity. Seeing friendships crumble isn’t exactly a pleasant experience but it does bring to light the sort of emotions that are involved during those times and how they can be sorted out. I hope this is what takes place in the next episode.

I’m not sure what to say about the ending of the episode in regards to Sousuke. Sure, when he’s with Michiru he can be a rat-bastard but for some reason he’s one of the nicest guys in the world when around children. That said, I was pretty shocked at how he dashed to save the little boy from the train. The shock doesn’t come from the fact that he tried to save him but that I thought for a moment that he might die. I didn’t go “Yes!” or “Die bastard, die!” as some would probably (and possibly did) scream but was somehow relieved for both him and the little boy. If only he was always like that. Honestly, if he were to just start over from that point on everything would be fine but I can’t see him letting go of Michiru so easily and then there’s the whole thing with someone possibly dying soon.

I can’t begin to imagine what’s in store now that only four episodes remain…

[ Episode 5-6 ]

These two episodes were the best I’ve seen since the start of the show. Between these two episodes, Michiru manages to return to Sousuke only to leave him once again after she pretty much lost herself to the abuse. Of course, she has Takeru to thank for getting her out of Sousuke’s 24/7 surveillance. He doesn’t seem to be getting better at all which is evident through Michuru’s nasty eye-injury and his ever-present control issues. At the rate things are going this guy doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting redeemed by the end of the show. Then again, who knows what can happen 5 or so episodes.

The woman who Takeru freaked out over before has finally been identified as his sister. I’m convinced that those two had some sort of physical relationship even if they haven’t outright said it yet. I really can’t see any other reason than that. I’m not sure what to say about the kid she has…but I did laugh at the time and thought “Don’t tell me that’s Takeru’s kid.”. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out especially since his sister seems to be showing up in the next episode in person. Even more interesting, at the end of episode 6, Takeru finally confessed to Ruka that he loves her. That took some guts for sure but given that I’m sure Ruka was going to tell him about her true self, I imagine that won’t end well for him.

Ruka thinks that she has a gender identity disorder and is visiting some clinic for counseling. Is she planning having a sex-change or something or are these meetings purely psychological or something? It seems to be both but it’s unclear whether she’s going to do anything since she hasn’t approached any of her family and friends about the issue as yet. For now though, she better be careful since Sousuke now knows where her family lives and is leaving some horrible letters about Ruka. It also seems like something will happen to her racing streak in the next episode. It’s hard to say but it doesn’t look like it had anything to do with a loss.

I’m really looking forward to the next episode to see how things play out for everyone now that so many thoughts and feelings are out in the open.

[ Episode 4 ]

I suppose the one thing Sousuke can’t beat into Michiru is common sense. ~_~

I have to say that it was pretty scary watching Ruka and the others keep their guards up against Sousuke finding out where they lived. Being stalked isn’t a pleasant thing so I can only imagine how Ruka felt while being followed by that creep. I think it’s pretty clear by now though that Sousuke’s obsession has hit critical mass long ago. This dude tried pretty much everything to find Michiru, even going as far as to use her own mother to try and trick her into meeting up with him. It’s a good thing that Ruka went her in place though. I figured he’d be hiding somewhere especially after it seemed like Ruka was a bit spooked when she looked inside. I think he’s madness was shown at a new level though at the very end of the episode when Michiru found the guy sitting out in the rain. He was there ALL NIGHT in the freaking rain. I can understand waiting around for a while but staying around that place for so long in no shelter and with no umbrella is like asking for a funeral. Pneumonia is nothing to play around with and it looks like he might just be diagnosed with that in the next episode. Or at least be really sick anyway but from what the preview suggests he’ll be up to the same all abusive nonsense in no time. I can’t recall how many times I face-palmed in reaction to Michiru’s thoughts about this guy and the end of the episode only further baffled me in regards to her common sense and intelligence. I suppose I’ll never be able understand what keeps women like her going back to their abusive boyfriends.

As for the other characters, the only one I really want to point out is Takeru. It looks like his sister might just be that woman who called him. Haha. It’s going to be interesting to see how his backstory turns out but I have a feeling they’re going to prolong getting to the point with that for a few episodes.

[ Episode 3 ]

Now you’re stalking Ruka, Sousuke? Seriously dude, lay off on the “How to be a psycho lover” websites.

This episode reminded me of one thing Michiru talks about in the future. She mentions a “death” having occurred. I’m guessing that it’s to be taken literally and I can only wonder who the person would be. Of course, my mind goes straight to Sousuke. At this point he’s been an all-around bastard that constantly abuses Michiru every chance he gets. His behavior is extremely childish especially when he refers to promises and such. I was quite pissed at how he left Michiru outside of their apartment because she was late from work. Honestly, this guy is a real idiot if he thinks she’s supposed to leave work when he says so. That’s beyond unreasonable and the same can be said about the male customers thing. All Sousuke is doing to Michiru is ruining her career path and trying to damage her friendships. He’s insanely possessive and I can’t help but wonder when we’ll get an explain as to why he is the kind of person he is at the moment. Contradiction riddles his existence especially since he’s a social worker that deals with children being physically abused. Perhaps he was once one of those very same children?

Michiru needs to get a grip and leave that abusive relationship. If the ending of the episode is any indication, Sousuke’s beatings are only going to get worse from now on. I’m hoping that Ruka and the others pound some sense into her brain but the EP4 preview shows her saying some stupid things like “Sousuke is all alone”. I guess she wants to go back so that she can offer up her body for another ass-kicking. Takeru’s story is slowly starting to unfold and I don’t know what to think about Yuuko as yet. Something in the back of my mind is telling me she just might be related to Takeru. At first I thought it to be his mother but after seeing her face it could be an older sister. I’m not certain if Yuuko just being some unrelated housewife matches the tempo of the show. That feels like it would be much too normal. I’m really looking forward to hearing more on that.

Earlier I mentioned the whole death thing that Michiru in the future talks about. I’m wondering again if it could be referring to Sousuke. Maybe that conclusion is perhaps too obvious? The narration from Takeru in this episode hints at ominously at a possible fate of Ruka. I’m referring to when he mentioned that Ruka would go to any cost to protect Michiru, including sacrificing her own life. Perhaps that means the death could be referring to Ruka? It’s not at all clear at the moment but I can’t help but think about it after seeing Sousuke stalk her in this episode and apparently again in the next episode. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect when it comes to this show. Though from the looks of things at the moment, I don’t see Last Friends ending on an entirely happy note for the majority, if not all, the characters.

[ Episode 2 ]

Sousuke raises the creepy level by 9000.

If the first episode didn’t already prove that Last Friends is flawless in its presentation of real-life issues, then this further displayed just how cruel and intricate human emotion and drama can be. Sousuke shows throughout this episode that he can be even more of a bastard that he was in the first episode. There is something seriously wrong with this guy in the head. He goes to extreme lengths to check up on Michiru and some are pretty damn creepy. He went all the way to Michiru’s old home to find her album and then we see that he crossed out Ruka’s name. Paranoid much? Not only that but when he found out that Michiru was cutting Takeru’s hair he forced her to try and cut his own ear so that she can understand that he doesn’t want her cutting the hair of male customers. Don’t get me started on the ending of the episode. I was pretty damn shocked to see him enter Ruka’s hospital room. How the hell did he find her so fast? Not only that but this guy is bold enough to abuse Michiru while still in the hospital! It’s a good thing though that Ruka saw it all and stopped before he could do any more damage (I think he was going to throw that chair at Michiru). I think his jealousy fits have long surpassed that. He’s just bordline freaking insane at this point.

Moving on, Ruka obviously can’t be herself in front of her father. By that I mean she can’t be open about her sexuality and/or admit the fact that she likes Michiru. It will be quite interesting to see how she can overcome that especially after shouting in front of Michiru and Mr. Jackass the words “My Michiru”. Takeru seems to be quite uncomfortable with sex or at least the depiction of it. I can probably understand feeling a bit odd watching the kind of movie they were viewing with your parents or something but around your friends it should be alright. I’m guessing that he may have either had a bad sexual experience in the past or was sexually abused. I imagine it has to be between one of those but I could be thrown a curveball and be completely wrong. Eri still hasn’t been shown to have a solid story as yet but based on observing her (especially in the OP) I’m guessing that she doesn’t like to be alone which probably explains why she house-shares in the first place. Still, she really lightens the mood a bit which is needed some times when things are getting really intense and creepy.

Series Details

Format: Renzoku
Genre: Friendship, Human Drama
Episodes: 11
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Theme song: Prisoner Of Love by Utada Hikaru

I’m a Prisoner of Love…A Prisoner of Love…

You know, the thing that stuck with me well after the end of this first episode was how fast Sousuke went from a kind boyfriend to one of those jackasses that beats women. Granted I didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked up Last Friends, I had heard a few things about the first episode from a friend but I never thought that the show would be this dark. Seriously, watching as Sousuke beat the hell out of Michiru really made me shiver. Michiru’s fear was just that real for that scene to have such a profound effect on me. Slapping her was already bad enough but I honestly didn’t see the kicking coming. I mean come on, what the hell? Is jealousy really so powerful as to drive a man to kick his girlfriend repeatedly in the stomach (that’s a rhetorical question)? Just as I expected he apologized immediately after beating her and I couldn’t stop myself from thinking ‘Are you kidding me? You’re sorry? What kind of nonsense is this jackass saying?’. What confounds me even more is that she’s obviously going to go back to him as indicated in the next episode preview. In all honesty, I could never wrap my mind around why women (or anyone for that matter) would stay with someone who beats them. Is it because they’re masochists? Or is it because of love? If it’s the latter then that ‘love’ will really lead to one’s death some day…

The first episode has already touched upon a wide range of themes that most shows, be they anime or live-action, do not explore. Even if they are present in other shows they’re either just touched upon lightly and forgotten soon after. I already touched on the abuse in relationships aspect. Another one to note is senpai-abuse in the workplace. This may not to be new to some and may seem to not be a big deal but I don’t think that kind of thing should be made light of. It’s rather easy to say ‘Michiru should kick this bitch’s ass for stomping on her feet/burning her hand’ but then there are the consequences to be concerned about such as either having to find another job (which is difficult) and possibly having to deal with the police (that part can be tricky some times I think). Dealing with that sort of conflict requires more thinking than most would allow.

Of course I have to mention Ruka (played by Ueno Juri of Nodame Cantible fame). Her character is one of the more interesting ones in the cast. It’s pretty obvious that she cares a lot about Michuru. Yeah, I’m talking about her feelings being in the lesbian zone. While her feelings are as clear as day I’m not ready to write her off as a lesbian as yet since she may be interested in men as well if her interaction with Takeru is any indication. Speaking of Takeru, are they trying to purpose make him look gay? From the way he dresses, to how he reacted to the girl who kissed him on the cheek, and how Eri points out that he might be gay because of his feminine outlook on things…it all seems a bit too cliché for it to be true. Of course I can be wrong but given that he has expressed interest in Ruka, I don’t think it’s likely. Eri’s character was analyzed in-depth as yet so I’ll look forward to talking about her in future episodes.

Last Friends is definitely one of the more unique doramas I’ve picked up in recent years. I’ve certainly haven’t watched many that are as dark and ‘in your face’ either. The cast is definitely strong and convincingly portray their characters to a point where you may just forget that this is all just a show and not real-life events. I also have to say that I’m really loving Utada Hikaru’s Prisoner of Love. I find it to be a pretty powerful song that seems to have been specially crafted for Last Friends. I’m definitely looking forward to the single. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the past catches up to the current Michiru who is pregnant. I’m guessing that the father is Sousuke though who knows what sort of surprises might pop-up to prove that wrong.

Oh yeah, if you’re looking for summaries of Last Friends then head over to Garten’s site. I’m not really a fan of summaries so I can’t promise that I’ll do them for Last Friends like I did a few times for LIAR GAME last year.