My Thoughts

Zoku Hoshi no Kinka, aired in Japan 1996, was brought back to TV screen after the popularity of its first series.  As compared to series 1, the 2nd series was darker and more melodramatic, probably due to the change of playwright.  Many found that the storyline of Zoku Hoshi no Kinka getting real absurd, with things like Yagami's plot and Aya's blindness.

This drama could be considered as one of the first Japanese dramas I seriously watched, in fact, this might be the drama that started it all.  I was "hooked" to this drama although looking back now, the plot was quite a bit of "soap".  However, whenever I see things connected to this drama, I could still feel the "addiction" which I used to have.

All the actors/actresses in this drama were really terrific.  Noriko Sakai (Aya) was good, especially during the few episodes when she had to give up her happiness just to make the lives of the people around her better.  You could really see the determination in her eyes, despite her frail physique.  And as compared to series 1, Noriko really looked very stunning with her short hair-cut.  Takao Osawa (Shuichi) also gave a splendid performance playing Aya's love interest, who was always caught in a dilemma.  Yutaka Takenouchi (Takumi) was the eye-catcher, playing a wheelchair-bound doctor who simply could not forget Aya and was plagued by his paralysis.

I especially like the use of violin and piano of the soundtrack used in this series.  Your heart could simply melt by just listening to the music in the drama.  Although many found that the plot of Zoku Hoshi no Kinka sucks, I myself still like it till today.  What really provoked my thoughts were the clever use of scenes, such as the use of the red and white roses by Takumi in both episode 1 and episode 12.  Also, if you remember, the airport scenes were in both the last episodes of series 1 and two.  I also like the part in the last episode (series 2) when Rika told Takumi, "It's not so much of being together with the one you love.  The most important thing is to let him/her remember you as the one who helped him/her most."  This was perhaps the reason why Takumi made that choice in the end even if Shuichi told him otherwise.

There was a "special" made after series 2, which was about Aya giving birth to a daughter.  However, the majority of the special was just a reminiscence of series 1 and series 2.