Dragon Zakura, (Wiki), is a JDrama that talks about the education system in Japan. In a way, I find it refreshing and nice because I think it can be used to talk about education systems around the world.

In Dragon Zakura, there is a school where the average score is in the thirties, and students from that school end up with lousy futures because no university will take them in, nor any companies will hire them due to their lousy score. According to Sakuragi (the lawyer turned teacher for a year), they are baka students.

I guess I can relate to it because there are many elements that are prevalent in every society. For example, treating students from lousier schools as inferior. Just look at the Elite Schools vs Neighbourhood Schools problem in Singapore. It exists, and people have the annoying perception that people from lousier schools tend to be hooligans as compared to those from Elite Schools.

I love this drama series because I strongly believe that anyone who works hard can make it to any goal, it is just that the amount of effort is different. I believe that one should not look down on others simply by looking on school standards, and I like it when the twin from the lousier school made it into Tokyo University (Todai), but the other twin from the prestigious school, and always toted to be the brother that’s going to make it into Todai, didn’t.

This just shows that it’s about the effort, and if you look down on people, one day they may climb up to over your head and then it is too late to regret.

The aim of Sakuragi is to produce 5 students who will make it into Todai by one year. Yajima Yuusuke (Yamapi from Prodai) is the first guy he enlisted into the special class. Ogata Hideki, Kosaka Yoshino and Kobayashi Maki came after that. Mizuno Naomi (Nagasawa Masami from Prodai) was the “last” one, until in the middle of the series, Okuno Ichiro was enlisted. This is the twin that made it.

In the end, only 3 students ended up being eligible for Todai, and only 2 continued Todai studies. Yajima didn’t have the money to pay the university and hence is self studying to be a lawyer. The other three are “going to” work hard and enter Todai on their own. I guess in a way, it is a happy ending, but I feel sad because I thought there would be at least 5 of them who made it.

In a way I feel that it is particularly nice and heartwarming to see that people who put in effort will be able to find success. The drama also reinforces certain concepts in me, like no matter what we decide to do in life, we can make it magnificent. We do not let ourselves slump and slack and rot our life away. Hence I ask myself, what am I going to do with my life? What is my life for? I guess, I have to find out, I have to indulge myself in friendships, play a part in their lives, be there for them, and justify my own existence?

Dragon Zakura is a nice JDrama. Opps.

I just finished watching this Japan Drama, which is more commonly known as Hana Kimi, on Tuesday night. This is also the Japanese version of Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nv, where Ella from S.H.E. acted as Ashiya Mizuki. In the Japan version, my favourite Japan actress, Horikita Maki, acts as Ashiya Mizuki.

This is a 12 episode drama, as compared to 15 for the Taiwanese version. I have no idea which version is the “proper” one, since I have not seen the manga that this drama is based on, but there seems to be slight difference from the 1/2 an hour which I watched on TV for the Tw version. In my opinion, the Japan version seems much better. Or can I say, I enjoy the flavour brought out by the Japanese actors, especially on the character Natkatsu, who keeps thinking he is homosexual when he falls for Mizuki.

To be perfectly honest, Maki is a kawaii girl that doesn’t really seem very boyish. Natkatsu likes to talk to himself, and keeps doing hand signs when he talks to himself in his head. Most of the time he thinks positively of himself and his relationship with Mizuki (something I will do also in his position), but everytime it’s just his own thoughts. Mizuki treats him as a best friend and nothing else.

Mizuki is a Japanese girl from America, and transferred to Osaka High, an all boys school for a particular guy Sano Izumi. She pretends to be a guy, even wearing this tight thing underneath her clothes so that she looks flatter. In the past, Sano saved her once and ended up being knifed at the leg. From then on, Sano stopped high jumping, which Mizuki felt is a pity because Sano’s really good at high jumping.

Through joining Osaka High, and coincidentally ending up in the same dorm room as Sano, she manages to get into Sano’s world despite his cool personality. Sano ended up going for the high jump again, though he only managed to get a 2nd place in his first try.

The enjoyable part is that every episode has a different sub plot, typical of Japan Dramas, which I like. Every episode, something different will be done and there is much space for many characters to develop. The things that they do, like inter-dorm activities are pretty fun too. Somehow it makes me want to join them.

However I feel that the last episode (which is 2 hours long) is a little not-as-good. I feel that the ending could be more fun, but I shan’t be picky. There is much screen time of Maki too, and that is good. The last episode shows how they discovered Mizuki is a girl, and how they initially could not accept that they were deceived, to forgiving Mizuki and treating her completely like a guy!

This 12 part series is easy to digest and fun to watch. If you have the time, why not watch it? Hmm..Did I do something wrong?