My Thoughts

Beach Boys was aired in Japan in 1997 and received high viewership.  To me, it is quite different from other dramas because friendship, instead of love, is the main theme of the drama, something quite uncommon among Japanese dramas.  In addition, the story is not set in the office, which most dramas are about.  Beach Boys has a seaside setting which makes one feel like holidaying under the sun.

This is also the drama that shot Takashi Sorimachi (who plays Hiromi) to greater fame and popularity.  Indeed, he got quite a meaty role in this drama, where his character was one that looked really cheerful on the outside but could be quite serious at times.  On the other hand, Yutaka Takenouchi (who plays Kaito) was completely outshone by Takashi, since his role was considered more "serious" and less "humorous", when compared to "Hiromi".   Many female friends of mine were really excited about the show because the two male leads were really "eye-catching".  The other two female leads, Izumi Inamori (who plays Haruko) and Ryoko Hirosue (who plays Makoto) were also splendid, with special compliments to Izumi, who portrays a loving yet sensitive mother.

Although the Beach Boys storyline is somewhat different from the others, I feel that sometimes the story just simply lost its focus.   There weren't too many ups and downs in the story which can make one get really hook to the story.  However, I do like the beach setting as it gives people a really relaxing feeling.  Credit must be given to the soundtrack scores as they add to the very "sunny" mood of the show.  I also like the theme about 2 characters trying to find out what they really wanted in their lives - the "ocean" in which they could really swim comfortably in.