Asian Addicts Anonymous

Ahhh. This drama, while not bad, seems to leave lingering disappointment. It’s like it’s missing that 2% or something that it needs. I’m not a fan of Iitoyo’s portrayal of Kira. She’s not a bad actress or anything like that, it’s just that, to me, she’s not really embodying the character. This could also be due to the fact that this show is very fast in pacing and also very short. There really is not enough time for believable developments in certain departments.

Interestingly enough, the Taiwanese version focused on Kira’s trauma to start, but we actually don’t have any of that background so far in this version. Plus…you really don’t see Kira really avoiding people—especially men, so it’s weird. Previews for Sunday’s episode look to focus on showing Rei’s darker side. Here’s hoping Fujigaya will dig deep and bring out that slightly crazy persona of Rei’s.

We were introduced to Kirishima Makio at the very end of the last episode. In this episode we get to see more of him. Just like our OTP, he’s just as enshrouded in mystery. Of course, we’re only two episodes in, so there’s still time to learn the background. I really wish I could remember more from the manga, but it’s been so long since I read any of it. Anywho.

We get to see even more that Rei is a playboy. He was dating a senior who is in an uproar that he’s seeing another girl. Rumor has it that Rei is hanging around a girl from the art club and this just makes the senior angry. Rei is confused…didn’t they already breakup at the senior’s request? I was a test that apparently Rei failed miserably (it’s stupid for girls to do such things anyway). He gets a hard slap across the cheek which earns him Sugihara’s sympathy. The girl is quick to offer herself up to Rei as his new fling, though. She asks to ride his bike, but he refuses—his bike will get jealous. This makes Kira chuckle and thus Sugihara kicks Kira’s chair causing the girl to cut her finger (she was sharpening her art pencil with a blade). Rei scolds Sugihara and then puts Kira’s bloody finger to his mouth much to the surprise and horror of his classmates.

So Kirishima is officially introduced to the class and is assigned to sit behind Kira. Rei recognizes him. Apparently they went to the same middle school. They weren’t friends or anything, but do know one another. Kirishima addresses Rei by his last name, but Rei is quick to stress that the transfer student can call him Rei instead of Kashino and Rei will call him Makio instead of Kirishima. After that’s settled, Kirishima greets Kira who nicely returns his greetings before going back to her sketchbook.

At lunch, Kida chides Rei for not being more careful of his actions. Him doing that to Kira is bound to get the girls lusting after Rei angry. Rei doesn’t get it. Why would something like that effect Kira? He’s not a stupid person, but he is very clueless when it comes to women. Of course, Kida is right. Sugihara and her posse start to bully Kira. They slap her around and warn her away from Rei. Kira is a dreary and frumpy girl who is no match for Rei and who should stay in her sheltered little world. Their bullying is stopped by the appearance of Kirishima who says he was looking for Kira to talk about joining the art club. The girls leave after one last warning and Kira requests that Kirishima keep quiet as she doesn’t want Rei to know.

Kira and Kirishima head to the art room. Kirishima is impressed and surprised by Kira’s talent. Enter Rei to sit as Kira’s model. He’s surprised to see Kirishima there, but he does recall then that Kirishima was in the art club in middle school as well. Kirishima leaves and Rei tries to look at Kira’s drawing, but she’s having none of it. He’s not allowed to see the work until it’s finished. Kira’s stubbornness on the matter amuses Rei as he never thought he’s see such a side to the girl. Kira asks about Rei’s friendship with Kirishima. Rei asserts that he is not friends with the other boy. They were mere classmates and that was it. Rei then wonders what Kirishima told Kira about him. Kira ponders what Rei is worried about, but he won’t say. Obviously its something he doesn’t want her to hear about so why would he tell her, silly girl. Rei changes the subject asking if Kira is having a hard time because of him. Nope. Not at all. Lies.

And we get to see Kira being bullied. Sugihara and crew steal Kira’s sneakers and loafers leaving the girl shoeless. Kirishima notices this, but Kira asserts she threw all of her shoes away because they don’t fit. Like that’s believable. Shakes head. Of course Kirishima knows better and he knows exactly whose doing such things to Kira. Rei knows something is going on as well, but of course he isn’t sure whose doing it. He tries to get Kira to tell him, but she won’t. He then asks Kirishima, but the boy says he’s been told not to tell. Thus Rei sets off after Kira again who asserts its not his fault but her own for being the indecisive and cowardly person she is. Shakes head.

Ah, as an aside…I’m actually curious as to how Kubota would portray the character of Rei. Of course, Rei is on one hand very sociable and popular, but on the other is very dark and tortured. I know Kubota could definitely do the dark side of Rei well. He is a good actor. I loved him in ST and DEATH NOTE. This is not to say I don’t like Fujigaya in the role…I just get curious sometimes about how certain actors would portray certain roles.

Anywho, Rei knows that everything is not just Kira’s fault, but if the girl is going to be stubborn, what can he do? Give her a ride home! Kira reminds him that he doesn’t let girls ride his bike. True, but Kira has no shoes so she shouldn’t walk all the way home, should she? Rei then remembers her phobia against men (which if we’re honest we’ve never actually seen from Iitoyo’s portrayal). It’s impossible isn’t it? She’d have to be really close to him after all. But Kira does take him up on the offer and happily holds on tight to his waist as he rides off leaving a very angry Sugihara behind while Kirishima watches it all—the epitome of the observer who stands back and watches it all. He then goes to find Kira’s shoes for her. He’s sweet…but I know there’s definitely something more to him. He, like Rei, has a pretty dark side.

Rei arrives at Kira’s house—was she scared? A little—her heart is still pounding. Rei confesses he was nervous since it was the first time there was a girl on the back of his bike. Kira gets off and tells him how happy she was with all that he’s done for her. When he told her that he would protect her—that made her very happy. His words gave her courage. If she had walked home all alone, she would have surely cried her eyes out. She thanks him and rushes off leaving him…hmm…with complex feelings?

Of course Sugihara is waiting for Rei at his place. She is supremely upset that he’s showing attention to Kira and even giving her a ride on his bike. Rei doesn’t get it. What does him being nice to Kira have to do with Sugihara? He then figures it out that it is Sugihara who is playing tricks on Kira and he’s not happy. Sugihara then says that she is supposed to be the next in line since he dumped the senior. Again Rei doesn’t get it. He doesn’t belong to anyone, so how can she claim him. Sugihara then wonders why Rei slept with her. Rei responds that she asked him to and he wasn’t against it and went with it. Not the right answer. Apparently Sugihara hoped to hear of some affection on Rei’s part. Um…from what little we’ve seen of Rei’s personality how could she fool herself into believing he liked her like that?

The next day Kira is surprised to find both her pairs of missing shoes in her locker. Kirishima tells her he’s glad that her shoes came back. We then cut to Kira sketching Rei…this sketch looks to be different than the one she was doing the previous day. Anywho, Rei is tired and yawning. Did he not sleep well? He had an overnight job. Why does he work so hard? Rei explains that he lives on his own and receives no allowance thus he has to work for a living. He and his father didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things and he’s got a bit of a temper, so Rei moved out on his own. He asks about the painting of the mother and child. Kira apologizes as she hasn’t finished it yet. Rei can’t wait until she does. He then asks if he can take a nap and she tells him to go right ahead. He’s instantly asleep.

And he must be sleeping hard because Sugihara’s cronies come in and pull Kira out of the room and he’s none the wiser! Kirishima hears girls talking about Sugihara being vicious and how things won’t be good for Kira. He starts running off to find her. Meanwhile Sugihara is having fun slapping the girl. Kira doesn’t get why Sugihara is warning her to disappear from Rei’s side when Sugihara was the one who said Rei would never be interested in a girl like Kira. Obviously the opposite is true to get Sugihara riled. This makes the girl even angrier. She threatens to crush Kira’s hand with a brick so she’ll never draw again. Kira, who admits to liking Rei, doesn’t care. If she can’t use her right hand, then she lose her left or she’ll paint with her toes or her mouth instead.

Rei finally wakes up and sees Kira’s sketchbook on the floor. He’s not a complete idiot and knows Sugihara must be up to something. He then rushes off looking for Kira to save the day. I’m not exactly sure why…maybe it was just Kira’s willingness to cry for a week or let her hand be crushed, but Sugihara and goons backed off and left her alone. Or it could be as Sugihara went to smash her hand, Kira cried out apologizing to Rei for not being able to finish the painting for him. Rei finds her and looks over her hand and is relieved to see it still intact. He then hugs her to him as she cries and assures him that she’s okay and that there’s nothing wrong. Enter Kirishima. Why did he arrive so late when he had the head start?

Ah…can I say that I like the music? I’m an 80s baby. Got to love some classic 80s pop/rock! I feel that Rebecca’s “Friends” really suits the drama even more so that Kis-My-Ft2’s OST contribution of “Gravity”.