Like Rita, I found this drama lovely to watch and well worth my time every single episode. Unlike Rita I am actually a fan of Hockey. I grew up in a Hockey family. My father coached and my brothers both played hockey and in turn now coach their sons. Never once did I feel the action on the ice was fake or poorly executed. The team spirit and pride of the players was also something the writer and actors captured quite nicely.
The story and plot played out in time with the 11 episodes and I never felt bored or as if the plot was dragging. The writer really captured the feeling of the players, their motivations, dreams and fears. I have to wonder if he/she was either a player or came from a hockey family. If not...I'd be surprised.
Kimura Takuya and Takeuchi Yoko had amazing chemistry together and more importantly, with the rest of the cast. Kimura Takuya as Haru was particularly good. He was so natural as Haru...so confident in his role that I might have trouble seeing him as anyone else. The love story between Haru and Aki is wonderful! They were what most people aspire to in a love match; comfortable with each other with a friendship that comes easy and a necessary undercurrent of passion. Lovely!!
The soundtrack is by Queen. One of my favorite bands when I was a kid. The tried and true anthem We Are The Champions was only one obvious fit for a sports driven drama. A lot of their other songs "I Was Born To Love You" spoke perfectly to, not only Haru's love for the game of Hockey but also his love for Aki.
My re-watch value is a 10 because I would enthusiastically watch this drama again. It is fun and such an easy, entertaining story. 11 episodes long and does not drag. If you don't like watching sports dramas I promise you this one is a perfect blend of the right elements. This is about the characters and the love story set within the world of Hockey.
I recommend this drama very highly. So much fun to watch!
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I hate hockey, therefore I was very hesitant before starting it, a good two years ago. But I soon realized that this particular sport was a narrative necessity, being a rude, violent one, but played by people with a lot of heart.
Pride is a sweet love story, between a man whose name means Spring and a woman who's called Autumn. They are totally different in almost everything, to the point they become complementary and fit into each other's life like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He has his way of pulling her out of her shell, and she has her own at showing real strength is not the physical one.
They are a pleasure to watch together. As I said before, Kimura does not disappoint, he's a great actor who knows how to charm the audience. I'm very partial to Yuko Takeuchi, I can't help being completely captured by her voice, her elegance and blend of ingenuity and wisdom.
Aki and Haru - Autumn and Spring - are one of my favourite drama couples, with tons of sparks crackling between them whenever they are on screen together.
The music doesn't need a review. The entire OST is by the Queen. Like them or not, they have been one of the greatest rock bands in history. And they fit the drama to a T.
I have already watched Pride twice and a third view is definitely in my plans, therefore I'm ready to give it a very high re-watch value and recommend this show to everyone.
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I have a friend who’s totally obsessed with Kimura Takuya therefore she insisted that I should watch this since it contains sports. As a result, this was my first Kimmy drama.
2) Storyline/Plot:
*Generally speaking, this is a drama related to sports wrapped up with romance and humour.
Positive points:
*It was very well written, events were connected in harmony while developments seemed catching whether they were good or bad.
*Main Genres:
--->Sports: Oh my, sports!! One of the reasons I started watching this. The story of the hockey team was intriguing; even though script writers didn’t fully focus on hockey’s activities but it had a fair share of the storyline’s development; scenes on the rink were always remarkable which made every game important no matter what’s the bet.
Hockey was the core of this drama that’s why it’s hard to imagine it without sports.
--->Romance: The romantic concept was good enough to fit in with sports. The combination made sense since there were a lot of connections between hockey game and love game.
Sometimes, the main romantic story may lack progress but it doesn’t last for long plus side romantic stories were always good to watch.
--->Humour: Some of us may not understand Japanese humour yet it wasn’t annoying to watch. Funny scenes were present to make this drama light-hearted that’s why comedy was appreciated in here.
Negative Points:
--->Drama: Overly dramatic scenes don’t fit with sports, at least not here. Side characters dramatic stories were overdone sometimes which made the storyline go astray in some points.
However, that didn’t affect the whole drama’s concept.
Story: 8.5/10.
3) Acting/Cast:
*Like I said earlier this was the drama that introduced Kimura Takuya to me; his acting was good enough but his charisma was mind-blowing in here. The role fitted him perfectly since he managed to make it sound his real self.
Takeuchi Yuko was always a magnificent Japanese actress no matter what’s her role. Here, she shined as usual.
Other actors were terrific; there weren’t any flaws to mention.
*As for characters, Halu was absorbing in here; you would want to see more of him on screen. Though, it was exaggerating to involve him in every problem but he’s the captain and this drama’s star so no problem.
Aki is a perfect lead character for a romantic-sports drama; she’s normal but catching at the same time.
Other characters were pleasant not only as a background for the main couples but also as enjoyable characters to watch. Anyhow, I believe that the strength of Jdramas comes from the multiplicity of characters.
*Appreciated characters: Makoto Tomo because they always had adorable scenes with Halu especially the latter.
*Relationships:
--->Team relationships: Whether it was Halu-coach or captain-team; relationships within the Blue Scorpions were captivating no matter how much you see it. Moreover, there was special friendship between some team members which made the team concept sounds really cool.
--->Romance: Halu and Aki had the most absorbing chemistry ever!! Even side romantic stories had good chemistry.
--->Friendship: Beside team friendship, Aki and her two friends had a respectable relationship as a group of girls. Well, it wasn’t very satisfying like the men relationship.
Cast: 9/10.
Acting: 8.5/10.
4) The ending:
I found happiness in the ending; not the usual happy ending that will pass like the wind but the type of ending that will bring you joy when you watch it.
The ending: 9/10.
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I watched this drama back in 2010 while it aired in 2004 but I wasn’t bothered with its old cinematography because it was simply amazing.
*Sports are always my “thing” no matter what’s the type of sport because I like that enthusiasm which appears in athletes eyes. Furthermore, the combination of sports and romance was always a great mixture to me *thinking of Buzzer Beat*
*This drama was the reason that made me fall in love with KimuTaku and watch more of his dramas.
*Is this drama memorable: Yes! The combination of sports and romance is extremely unforgettable for me.
My impression: 9/10.
6) Overall:
*If you like sports mixed with romance then you would love this.
*If you like Kimura Takuya then you have to watch this.
*If you like wonderful romantic stories then you might like this.
*Pride was a marvellous sports drama that had a great romantic concept while being faithful to J-Dramas’ comedy.
Overall: 9/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
First of all- I want to thank some fellow MDLers for introducing this drama to me. As this drama is not that new and the description doesn't express the awesomeness hidden in it, I'm not sure if I would decide to watch it on my own. But because some respectable ^_^ members of our community kept mentioning it here and there, I decided to check it out. And I'm glad that I did! Thank YOU! Hail to the most awesome community ever! Now, the review...Story
It's a wonderful love story. There are 2 people, quite normal people (no okanemochi CEOs or painfully poor angels)who meet in pretty normal circumstances and then... the magic happens! Because they fall in love, and open up to each other - and we get to see that they are truly admirable, though complex people.For me 90% of the story was amazing, refreshing and truthful, I really wanted to give it 10 points, but then I didn't like about 10% of it (I've ranted about it in episodes' reviews if somebody's interested, but it contains spoilers) so thus it's a 9.
Acting/Cast
I seriously consider stalking Kimutaku's dramas now, him and Takeuchi Yuko were spectacular in this! Aki and Haru were deep and complex characters that were truly well crafted. This drama contains some of the most touching scenes I've ever seen. Ok, there were some additional characters there- better and worse, but for me they served more as a background and explanation for the main leads' story.
Music
It's Queen- it's great! There isn't much to talk about ^_^ "I was born to love you" truly fits as the theme song(actually I really like the opening- it was really cool). Also the instrumental tracks where really pretty too.
Rewatch
I can see myself re-watching scenes from this drama so it's pretty high.
I hope this review will encourage some more people to watch this drama . It's one of a kind.
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There was only one problem that I had and that was finding links to actually watch the drama. One place I found the whole drama was www.watch-drama.com. This may help those that decide to watch. Enjoy!
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There isn't one flaw about this dorama I don't think.
Story: Ice Skating, Sports, Comedy, Romance, Fun, Heart-Warming, Sometimes Teary in both a good and bad way. Such a good story line and plot set up!
Acting: Amazing cast full of the great older actors (obviously at the time were the 'it' actors) Kimura Takuya, Sato Koichi, Sato Ryuta, Tanihara Shousuke - all amazing actors! Just weird seeing them so young! Well they haven't changed much but it weird seeing them when they were like mid-20s early 30s! xD Amazing cast and awesome characters too! =]
Music: IT'S QUEEN!!! You can't go wrong with Queen. The music along with Kimura Takuya and Ice Skating is what made this dorama EPIC for me xD
ReWatch? Highly likely!
Overall: Awesome, fun and easy to watch!
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I loved the story and the acting, especially Kimura Takuya as Satonaka Halu, he displayed humour, strength of character & vulnerability so well. The mix of sport & drama & romance was perfectly balanced. I loved the characterisations & the camaraderie between the ice hockey players.
I am not a fan of Queen but that song Born to Love You is stuck in my head for several days after I finished this drama lol.
My re-watch score is always low as I never re-watch dramas as a rule.
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Every once in a while, though, I come across a show or movie that makes the creative in me sit up and take notice. You start to wonder how your colleagues behind the production got the results they got & how can you do something similar but with your own spin?
My first viewing of Pride consisted mostly of me fangirling over Kimura Takuya like an idiot. For a guy who generally isn't the type of man I’d go crazy for I was just consumed by the sheer beauty, sexiness and utter magnetism of the man. I really couldn’t pay attention to anything else. But on my second viewing, Pride offered up the type of creative epiphany I mentioned above.
The show isn't based on the most stellar of scripts, but where it had its moments of mediocrity (or your standard drama fare, if you will), there were also moments of pure genius that really gave the actors great material to work with. Forget about plot. What this drama got right was exceptionally well crafted characters, brought to life by performances so natural and understated you'll get that feeling of being a fly on the wall eavesdropping on the lives of REAL people. The chemistry between Halu-san and Aki was ridiculous. Sparks flew every time they were on-screen together.
Aki surprised me a lot throughout the drama. At first glance she's your typical Asian female lead -- sweet, dutiful, uncomplaining & from all indication emotionally stable enough to be the perfect helpmate. But Aki, unlike Halu-san, is not really all that meets the eye. Where Halu often speaks of his vulnerabilities Aki keeps so much of her true emotions under wraps that your initial impression of her -- that she's this pillar of strength Halu can lean on -- is severely challenged. There were times when her actions baffled me. I was pretty convinced the writers just wanted to drag things out and frustrate the audience. However, as the show progressed her character unfolds with remarkable depth. She slowly reveals the true Aki, the woman she's kept hidden away from everyone, including us, the audience. Her unfortunate experience in love has shaped her behaviour for the worse, but no one knew to what depth her insecurities ran. When I understood, I got her.
Kimura Takuya's performance was sensational. He's a great actor who took your standard tortured hero and made him quite layered and human. Halu-san is a man of deep passions. He's among those type of people who live by a strict moral code. He's prideful, fiercely loyal, protective of those he cares about, but with an undercurrent of ruthlessness to his character that both excite and scare you. But still Aki was the stand-out character for me. How she's presented at the beginning of the show to what she becomes is just remarkably well written and actress Yuko Takeuchi did a brilliant job of portraying her.
This definitely turned out to be a great character portrait of two people dealing with issues of abandonment and a potent fear of rejection. Pride was a strong theme throughout. Having pride in the pursuit of a dream and having too much pride to pursue what REALLY matters, love. What fascinates me the most about this drama, not just as a viewer who wants to be entertained, but as a creative who wants to write good scripts and attract great talent to my work … is the question of how can I write characters of equal depth and layers? Even if this script wasn’t 100% perfect if I can achieve such moments of pure genius in my own work I’d be well on my way to becoming the filmmaker I want to be.
I can say without much hesitation that Pride is absolutely one of my favourite dramas. I gave it an overall score of 9, instead of 10, because it wasn’t a masterpiece. After 9 episodes I felt like an otherwise appropriately paced story was made to drag a little. I’m satisfied with how things turned out, but not how we got there. The last two episodes toyed with the audience unnecessarily, leading us on a wild goose chase that stressed me out a little because I thought everything was going to fall apart for characters I had invested so much in. I would have preferred being spared the hassle, especially since the story did not benefit from the added drama. They could've wrapped up the whole thing at 10 episodes or choose a different path to the end. But I guess Asian dramas ain't Asian without all the angst.
I also did not care for the theme song, Queen's ‘I was born to love you’. The lyrics are very appropriate to the story, but for a relatively “young” drama it seemed an outdated choice. Pride was released in the early 2000s, but there's nothing remotely 80s about it in style or content so I didn’t like the song in the context of the show.
Overall, I loved this drama. Pride will always have a special place in my heart and I’ll re-watch this for years to come. I’m also never gonna get tired of looking at Takuya-san. Sooo excited that I have all his other dramas to look forward to! Big shout out to Elisabetta and NinaJade82 who “introduced” this beautiful, talented man to me. Now if only I could get a hold of him in real life…! :)
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Only thing I want to focus on here is the cast, the acting and the relationship between the characters. This has to be hands down one of the best japanese romance dramas out there... You will not find a better looking/better acted couple out there. Also, if you're talking about chemistry, theirs was so good here I'd say there was 'literally' a huge chemical reaction whenever they got together. Throughout the drama, both Kimura and Takeuchi were extremely natural as if this was real. There were several scenes where my heart just melted like butter - so mesmerising and elegant... The sports in this drama was a nice touch; I'm not a fan of Hockey but it served as a good background for the development of our male and female protagonists.
One thing holding me back from giving this a 10 on the story front was that towards the end it felt a bit dragged out, but the ending was, indeed, very satisfying and emotional, so not very much to complain about here overall.
But on the whole, this was a thorough 10 without a doubt.
As they say in Japanese, suteki na dorama deshita~
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I get the love people have for Kimura now. I was totally pulled into his character Halu...maybe. I think I should watch more of his dramas. Takeuchi Yuko is pretty and has a nice smile. She has this quiet, simple way of bringing Aki to life. The other actors are good too.
The music is excellent. I love Queen.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
I recommend this drama no matter what genre you prefer.
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