Having achieved his life-long dream of being a pilot, Hajime is first officer on an international jetliner and is now working to become a captain. He can't seem to please Captain Koda, who has become an exacting taskmaster since an air incident many years ago. To complicate matters, he begins a relationship with stubborn and straight-talking mechanic, Ayumi, whose parents died many years ago in the plane crash for which Captain Koda feels he is responsible. What follows is a story of 21st century love, dreams, and passion.

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  Kimura Takuya (Shinkai Hajime)

  Main Role

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  Ikariya Chosuke (Shinkai Ryoji)

  Supporting Role

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  Shibasaki Kou (Ogawa Ayumi)

  Supporting Role

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  Kuroki Hitomi (Togashi Noriko)

  Supporting Role

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  Kaname Jun (Abe Takayuki)

  Supporting Role

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  Nakao Akiyoshi (Shinkai Makoto)

  Supporting Role

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• Sep 21, 2012 10 of 10 episodes seen

  Elisabetta
  13 of 13 people found this review helpful
  Other reviews by this user
  • Overall  10
  • Story  10
  • Acting/Cast  10
  • Music  7
  • Rewatch Value  10

  First, I have a question: Do you ever have that mood, when you're trying a bunch of different and good dramas, and you can't watch even a 1/3 of episode, and none of them stands out. And then you find it, a GEM, you put the drama on and you know: THIS IS IT! And then you can't stop watching until you end it in a marathon? Well, because it happened to me yesterday with this drama... I'm still recovering...
  
  Why is it worth a perfect score?
  
  Story: I love this kind of stories. It's a story about people who have a very responsible and demanding job, who love that job and practically live for it. It's a really motivating drama, makes you wanna find your dream profession, pursue it and then do something meaningful in your life. The drama does not drag at any moment(well the beauty of jdramas- they have only 9-11 episodes and you're left wanting more). There is also a love story, though not a heart-wrecking romance as somebody observed, but as it normally happens - you meet someone you like, so you want to be with them and you wish all the best for them. There is also a great bromance,heart-warming family(Shinkai dad-GREAT!)and random hilarity (the girl next door-LOL) in it as well. Generally, all of the characters were very well crafted and you want to know more about them.
  
  Cast: It's Kimutaku in his prime - with his boyish charm and in uniform ^_^. But all the cast members were great and their characters were complex and interesting.
  
  Music: As it didn't attract my attention at all, I have nothing to say about it.
  
  Rewatch: I already want to rewatch! Actually I even did a bit- the best scenes.. ;)
  
  This drama is really outstanding in my opinion, so I highly recommend it. read more

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• Jan 7, 2012 10 of 10 episodes seen

  Bladey-Steeleye
  11 of 11 people found this review helpful
  Other reviews by this user
  • Overall  9
  • Story  7
  • Acting/Cast  8
  • Music  7
  • Rewatch Value  7

  This drama was for me, in one word, interesting.
  
  Be warned, however, especially if you are sceptical about love. While this is definitely not some simple fluffly romance, there is a developing love. Love - not romance. It is there as part of the story and it plays a part - but when love doesn't? Love is a powerful factor. love is what drives us. love is what sometimes drives us to betray other things. Love sometimes makes us feel guily. Love cannot be denied. Love is faithful as it is blind. Love is one way of finding strength and support to have a new, hopeful beginning. But, as the series shows, this is not the only way to achieve that. love is just one piece of the puzzle, something more is needed. The drama relys on these ideas as part of its story. But there;s more to it: there is the theme of being driven to realise your dreams, there is the theme of great student-mentor friendship and partnership, there is the question of dealing with a sense of loss and relying on one's own strength.
  
  What I liked:
  
  +Setting : it's an aviation drama, each episode has our main character, young pilot, facing a different situation which helps him to grow as a pilot
  +determination is needed to achieve dreams
  +responsibility is not about giving up for the sake of another, it is guiding another for his own betterment; learning from past mistakes is essential.
  + mentor-student and friendship relationships
  +side story of a woman mechanic played by Kou Shibasaki
  +side story related to Captain Koda of one of the chief of stewardesses
  + Good acting, Takuya Kimura in his element; he;s good at comic timing too, and Tsutumi Shinichi really interesting as a Captain Koda caught in the tragedy of past and pretty much troubled. He also learns a lot in the progress of the drama; other characters interesting too, and they make the show really fun to watch, everyone of them. Shibasaki Kou is very nice as Ogawa and she has good relationship with Shinkai. The relationshipo stands for hopefulness more than anything else and is a side-dish to a story which perfectly blends in other interesting elements. The fact that they inclide the role of a mechanic is intiself very nice- that such a role is important, it goes without saying. The importance of the job for Ogawa makes her into a stronger character. She is independent and relying on her own strength. For anyone looking for good female leads, this is one of it. No worse is the chief stewardess, a wise Penelope-woman type.
  
  Tsutumi Shinichi received 36th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for this drama; Kimura was awarded 6th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (02-03) for Best Actor;
  
  
  +some other pleasant side characters; glimpse into the world of pilots flying the airplanes that we fly
  +it was simply interesting, it approached flying and airplanes from several angles and took some problems related to it.
  +very touching at times, funny at others.
  +everything really comes together, the side plots are highlighted and uncovered by the main character and he somehow manages to help piece them; it is one of those dramas that are more individual-centric.
  
  Some issues I had:
  -pretty standard construction: 8 episodes lead to a climax, 9 episode is a moment of suspension, episode 10 leads to a happy conclusion
  -some scenarions I didn't think were very likely to happen, though they could perhaps.
  
  overall very enjoyable and some interesting insights into airplanes; makes you realise that every time these people need to undertake a lot of not so easy decisions. It's the kind of drama were the actors are really able to work together to bring for us a very fun and interesting and also warm show. It kept me interested throughout.
  
  It was one of the early dramas I watched and I really liked it.
  
  The music served its purpose but is not really memorable. Nonetheless the drama did receive the 36th Drama Academy Awards for best Opening Theme and it fits the theme very well read more

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• 
  Take Care Of Us, Captain

  They have the same aviation theme; Good luck focuses more on the development as a pilot and also on the mentor-student relationship and in general feels better done, offering a fuller range than Take Care of us captain. The focus i Good luck is more on that determination that drives one to strive for achieving the dream of flying, with everything else helping to make it more complete; in Take care romance is the sole focus, while everything else seems to serve just as a different background for what is otherwise a rather standard, though not entirely unpleasant, Korean romance drama.

  reportRecommended by Bladey-Steeleye
• 
  Code Blue

  Both are outstanding Japanese dramas, about people who have a responsible and demanding job, and are very passionate about it.

  reportRecommended by Elisabetta