I was fine with the rehashing of sports drama clichés – hey, look, it’s the underdogs taking on the underhanded champions! – and the occasional random plot twists (fear the escalator), but the show’s inability to shake its nostalgia for a time when men were men and went out into the world doing manly things while women stayed home faithfully tending the hearth was, well, frustrating. Sure, these modern warriors are tough on the outside but vulnerable on the inside, and may need to stumble by for a shoulder to cry on every few years, but the whole Odysseus/Penelope trope felt so eight century BCE. And even Penelope never considered marrying one of her thuggish, abusive suitors.
The writer keeps stating that blind allegiance to absent men isn’t really the ideal, but in the end, that’s pretty much what the women choose. They wait, they nurture, and they take back the guys who for some baffling reason don’t seem to know how to operate a phone or send an e-mail. If you can turn off the critical part of your brain, the show has a fun summer popcorn flick vibe, but I was hoping for more than Top Gun on skates. I was also hoping that the women might eventually get fed up and whomp their errant men upside the head with a hockey stick. Just once. Maybe . . .
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I just finished it and I wanna watch it again..
The classic Queen band songs take on such a major high...I am still quivering as I write this, I want to jump and shout and tell everyone to watch this amazing drama...!!!
This drama is a total human emotions drama, such a roller coaster of emotions and this is 2004 ppl...so way before anything that was gr8....this story is where it all originated from...
From ep 1-8 , I was on this major roll, pumping with emotions as I watched, 8-10 was a little slow so cut half a score only for that but come 11 ep, especially the end and this is my current state as I type... sad that the drama is over and totally euphoric!
The best part is the video quality is awesome...this feels like a jdrama with an imternational today's vibe. Watch it if u like real romance and gr8 chemistry!
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Pride sets off with some pretty decent story-telling, and a couple of nicely charismatic actors. Initially I was watching this thing for Kimura Takuya, who plays hockey-player extraordinaire Satonaka Halu. He’s your standard rom-com lead, romantic yet insecure, and to cover up his insecurities, he hides behind the ‘Pride of the Iceman.’ I think that has something to do with being awesome on skates, padded up like an Eskimo, and generally being able (and allowed) to bowl over any man who gets in your way.
Equally impressive as an acting force, however, is Takeuchi Yuko playing Murase Aki as the girl left behind… by another guy/jerk introduced halfway through drama. Here’s the rub: Halu was warned never to sincerely love a woman, lest it interfere with his career; Aki is technically still waiting for her boyfriend to return (after a two year hiatus – and these people obviously don’t believe in phones). So in the meantime, to stave off loneliness and generally have fun, they’ve agreed to date until Aki’s boyfriend returns, and then they’ll part amicably as friends. Maybe…
As a sports drama it’s honestly not too bad. Keep in mind, I’m not a huge sports junkie and I’m not generally fond of the genre, but I’m also not completely averse to seeing hot guys working out. Did I have any genuine anxiety that maybe the team wouldn’t play well in the finals, or that every player would become injured and remain crippled? Not really. Were the slow-motion sequences of pucks magically sliding towards the goal net cheesy? Yes, sort of. Did I really care one way or the other? Nope.
As a romance story, it’s above average with a touch of good chemistry, some fairly hot kiss scenes, and then some… And really up through the halfway mark, I had nothing too bad to say about the development of the couple. Unfortunately then we’re hit with your typical dose of angst, stupidity, and a serious lack of communication.
I give a pass on this, ignoring the random bits of ridiculousness. (For a more indepth analysis, you can visit my blog). I watched this mostly for the romance and for Kimura and I was not terribly disappointed with either. I’d also like to see more of this guy in the future, so I think Pride was far from being a waste of time.
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The story has strong points in romance and friendship. Halu is man who dont believe in any woman because he has been left by his mother in his early age. That's why he never make a serious relationship with any woman, and consider that his relationship is just a game. But after he met Aki his belief has turned up side down. Aki is just an ordinary office woman who has been waiting her boyfriend come back to Japan for several years without any news. After he met Aki, his life is never be the same. Although he still deny that her relationship is just a game but in the end he realize that he is definitely falling in love with her.
Their acting are really amazing. I think this is the best drama of Kimura Takuya after Long vacation. THis drama also reminds me has the same genre as Buzzer Beat, but has twice better storyline than Buzzer Beat.
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Story:
The starting was great and the story's narrative never fell weak. However, as is the case with most dramas this one also dragged on a little bit. Plus there were a few sub-plots, especially among the last few episodes that I didn't particularly like so that rounds out to an 8 for me. This is the only con.
The romance was great and there are hardly any cliches when it came to Halu and Aki's relationship. It was not just a story where two people fall in love. It's a complex story involving great amounts of character growth and all the complicated issues the characters have to deal with.
Honestly, I was exhausted by the end of this drama because it was more complex than what I usually watch.
Characters:
It definitely has one of the best characterizations I have come across in a drama. Halu's character is very well written. I think I liked every character in this drama except Aki who I had a few issues with. It was a demand of the story so I am going to overlook it.
For me, Halu is a very interesting person. He is a great pile of complications hidden underneath that cool demeanor. He is utterly messed up with a sad past and hides his pain by his sarcasm and dark humour. He can be terribly honest and has an impulsive personality. Plus that bad-boy persona does wonders to his character. I loved him a lot because he was like a puzzle that I enjoyed putting together while watching. I had a great time contemplating his actions and trying to reason with his behaviour. He is deeply flawed, but complex and wins you over from the first episode itself- kudos to Kimura's flawless acting. (Why didn't I discover this man before?!)
As for other characters, I liked how each of them interacted with the other and opened up nicely. It's rare to see so many characters having such meaningful conversations in a drama. Most of the story actually involves talking and less of actions. That's surely a sign of good writing.
Acting:
I have no complaints when it comes to the acting department. They had a wonderful cast and there wasn't anyone on there who I thought couldn't act. They were all great but the star is obviously Kimura-san! :D
Direction, Editing and other technicalities:
This drama had pretty good direction. The hockey part seemed so real. I liked how they filmed it. I am not a hockey fan, but this one made it seem interesting.
The editing part was alright. Nothing too great and they didn't focus on making it look pretty. The camera work was clean and they made it out to be plain. You could say it didn't require anything extraordinary to make it appealing to the eyes because they had such a good cast.
Music:
I have to mention this! Queen is definitely one of my old favourite bands. I love the music of the 80's and the track 'Born to Love You' is great, in my opinion. I am so happy they chose such a good theme song!
Rewatch value:
This is a drama I would want to watch it again. Because I am sure I would have a different experience and different opinions then. Definitely worth rewatching!
So- great drama! Go ahead and watch it because you won't regret it. :)
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It was great. You feel with the main characters, you learn new things about
them during the episodes and you want them to be happy.
This is one of the shows where you sit in front of the screen and scream mentally
"Please, let it be a happy ending, please..."
It will leave you satisfied and content.
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The atmosphere, the characters, the acting EVERYTHING was incredible. Scenes that could have very easily crossed the line to melodrama surprisingly didn't and the directing was very well done. Not once did I feel like a scene was unnecessary or a waste of time.
The leads were literally perfect- they looked great together AND had amazing chemistry. From what I've noticed, older Japanese dramas are much better at romance than the newer ones, with more realistic characters and no flowery filters.
Overall- This is not a rom-com, but much more of a romance drama. Hockey is a huge part of the show, but it isn't necessary for you to know anything about hockey (case in point, me) to really enjoy the show. Annoying side characters (or should I say, character) are present though, but everyone else is wonderful, so don't let it deter you.
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Before anything, Pride deserved a better ending. Don't get me wrong, the final scene was absolutely beautiful and touching, I even rewatched it twice. But I really don't like how they wrapped up the story, the drama has 11 episode, yet they somehow made it draggy. I don't mind cliches, plus we're talking about a drama from 2004, but I still feel like they could have done a better job without using these tropes. It was just frustrating to watch the last few episodes.
Whatever. I admit that the final episodes affected my overall rating, but Pride is overall a very enjoyable show. The story is very well-presented, not too slow-paced, but not too fast either. The development of the plot is also nice, except the last few episodes as I already mentioned.
The characters are all very intriguing and impressive. And they also felt quite realistic. The romance between Halu and Aki is absolutely beautiful and it felt very sincere. What did Halu's mum said, ''Every man needs a woman''? And Halu definitely needs Aki, as much as Aki needs Halu. He is a lonely man who couldn't open up to anyone because of his so-called pride, while she is a woman who hides her feelings, deeply affected by a man who threw her feelings away and abandoned her. Aki (Autumn) and Halu (Spring) were simply perfect for each other. I wish they talked to each other more though. The side couples are also nice, even though I still cared mostly about the main one.
I'm not a person who is interested in ice hockey, but I enjoyed watching the games. They don't really focus on them though, but I loved the dynamics between the team!
Kimura Takuya is simply brilliant as Satonaka Halu. This is my second time seeing him and I'm really impressed by how natural he is while he acts. The same goes for Takeuchi Yuko, she is just adorable.
Overall, Pride is an amazing drama that just needed a better ending. But it's still worth watching and I recommend it to everyone.
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WATCH ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Just watch it, it`s amazing and you will love all of the characters. I'm the kind of person that would vote passion>love but in this one, I was crying for love to prevail. Let me be honest, there are dramas that I enjoy, but this is one of the few dramas that makes me jump in the very first minutes. That's when I realized that this would be 10/10, and very high on my list. I love older Japanese dramas and I love sports, this is a perfect mashup of the two! Therefore, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, Watch it, and lastly, Watch it!Was this review helpful to you?
Story: What I particularly liked is the balance of drama, romance, comedy, and sports. It is quick paced from the very beginning and I was never bored watching any of the episodes. They focus on the supporting characters as well, so I feel like you really get character depth with most characters. Its depth in the multiple storylines is done well and I like that they actual cover some backstory. Also, this is the best thematic jdrama I have seen. Pride. Maybe, must be. Of the last century. Spring and Fall. It's all woven together so nicely.
Acting/Cast: They absolutely nailed it. I personally think Kimutaku is at his best here. I felt like I was going through all the emotions with him, the way he can fill his eyes with so much emotion is impressive. Plus, Kimutaku and Takeuchi Yuko's chemistry is off the charts. There is something wrong with you if you are not rooting for them. I also thought the supporting characters were well casted as well. Very strong performance from Sakaguchi Kenji (Hotta Yamato) and I even enjoyed Sato Ryuta's sometimes over the top Makoto character.
Music: Queen is great and fitting but what is that instrumental song that is so beautifully embedded in the series? Because that song is killing it. Used so perfectly.
Rewatch Value: I give it a 10 because this is the one (and possibly the only) jdrama that I have watched multiple times. My count is probably at 3 times watched for this drama.
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This drama introduced me to Kimutaku
-- I found this drama by the luckiest chance, with good quality in kissasian.-- Then I became one of millions of fans of the sexiest Japanese ever, imho
-- In Pride, the kisses are real, not primary-school-pecks.
-- The pace is fast. Great editing,
-- I loved the plot, including the side stories which I rarely enjoy.
-- Since it's a sport drama, the story centers around the team, the main lead,
and also two other members as side stories. The music was by Queen , it
matched the scenes perfectly. I also loved the other background music.
-- My hook factor: non-stop watching
If you haven't experience Kimura Takuya yet (nickname kimutaku), I recommend this drama, or Long Vacation or Love Generation. I became a true fan, read all about his influence in 1990s and 2000s pop culture. I plan to watch more of his works, including Ando LLoyd, Asunaro Hakusho, and his famous Hero drama although it's not a romance.
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