Asian Addicts Anonymous

This is a Japanese internet drama starring a mixed cast of Japanese and Korean actors. It’s a nice, short little drama (the episodes run 15-20 minutes or so) that you should definitely check out. The official site actually streams the drama with English subtitles, which is really surprising to me, but it’s a good surprise since its rare to find any Japanese drama streaming legally with English subtitles. Episode two was just added as I was writing the recap for episode 1, so that will be up a wee bit later this week as I still have May Queen 18 to do and I should get more Smile, Donghae up as well.

We open with a bloody and beaten Ha Woo Joo [Yoon Si Yoon]. He’s trying to focus on his cellphone to figure out just what time it is, but he can’t get his eyes to focus. He wonders how he has gotten there.

We then cut to Aoi Luna [Takahashi Yu] who is rushing home to meet her new roommate. On her way there she bumps into the lost Ha Hoo Woo. After complaining that she should watch where he is going, she immediately runs off, relieved that she made it home before the new arrival. She is greeted by roommate #1 Kodama Ann [KOuKA] who is an aspiring model without much luck. Ann has just failed another audition and Luna decides that they should get drunk. Enter roommate #2 Ko Sung Jun [Sung Ha]. He’s a photographer’s assistant who helps Ann out by taking shots for her. Plus, I think he might have a little crush on Luna.

The three roommates talk, tease, and laugh and wonder just where there new roommate is. Luna goes out to check and wouldn’t you know she hits the newly arrived Woo Joo with the door as she opens it. Doubled over, he introduces himself. We then cut to the quartet sitting on a coach laughing and drinking. Well. the three roommates are. Woo Joo seems a little awkward and out of his element. He greets them in Japanese and then Sung Jun talks to him in Korean as he introduces himself. Sung Jun is happy to learn that Woo Joo is a same-aged friend (they were both born in the same year) as that means he doesn’t have to talk formerly.

Woo Joo is then introduced to Ann and he learns about her and Sung Jun’s aspiring careers. Luna then talks to him in Korean, surprising him. How does she know Korean? Luna states that she’s lived with Sung Jun for 2 years now and the man always teases her about how little Korean she has picked up. Woo Joo then compliments her Korean skills and Luna thanks him. She then asks if his name means “outer space.” This takes Woo Joo back—how does she know that? Luna states it’s a just a guess and then asks if they might have met somewhere before. Not that Woo Joo can recall.

Later that night Hirouchi Ren [Warabino Tomoyo] pulls up in his car and texts Luna who immediately becomes animated. Ann and Sung Jun tease her for having a boyfriend and being loved. Ann then asks Woo Joo if he has a girlfriend. He says nothing and just watches Luna as she crosses to the window and opens it. Why does he seem so awkward? Probably the fact that he is the newest member. Ren then looks up and calls Luna with a big smile on his face. She asks him where he is and he says he’s talking on the phone with her. She tells him to be serious and he laughs and looks up and says that it’s nice to be looking at the same room which Luna complains is a cheesy line—she’s right. He tells her it was funny and she looks down and spots him.

He smiles and waves and tells her to come down as the moon is beautiful. Luna nods and rushes out of the house. She runs to him and he embraces her which takes her aback. She asks him what’s wrong and says that people will talk about how sappy they are being in that moment. Ren pulls back and asks if she could feel it—it’s a full moon. They then turn and do a back hug and Luna says she can and smiles as she points at him—that’s where she felt it. He chuckles and then says that Natsume Souseki translated “I Love You” as “The Moon looks beautiful when I’m with you.” Ren hugs her closer and says that this moon is the most beautiful since he’s seeing it with her. Luna smiles at this.

All of this is observed from above by a morose looking Woo Joo. Out comes Sung Jun who says its just a couple of lovebirds head over heels for each other, but… he trails off and Woo Joo asks him what he means, but Sung Jun won’t tell him. He then complains that he can’t sleep on full moon nights. Woo Joo then takes a picture of the moon. Sung Jun is surprised—he’s into that stuff? Woo Joo says he keeps a photo diary and that’s where this episode ends.

I like this. I don’t know why, but I do. I’m curious to know how all the pieces are going to fit together. These will be very short since each episode, like I said earlier, is like 15-20 minutes long. It looks like it’s going to be a heavy melodrama with a focus on varying aspects of the fashion industry—nothing too new to Yoon Si Yoon as his last Korean drama Me Too, Flower had a focus on the handbag design industry.