He Is My Ex-Boyfriend (2003)

Cast: Domoto Tsuyoshi - Kashiwaba Toji Hirosue Ryoko - Saeki Makoto Uchiyama Rina - Hayakawa Nao Sonim - Nishina Hiroe Sasaki Kuranosuke - Fujieda Toru Saito Shota - Kashiwaba Yuuji Amano Hiroyuki - Chitose Hajime Synopsis: After a painful break-up two years back, Toji (Domoto Tsuyoshi) seems to be getting his life together. He's settling in at his new job while getting closer to his new girlfriend Nao (Uchiyama Rina). But life doesn't ever go the way you want it. Just when he thinks he's forgotten her, his ex-girlfriend (Hirosue Ryoko) walks back into his life, and into his workplace. Caught between an aggressive ex and a jealous girlfriend, Toji needs to make a choice, but which one is right for him? *SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT* (Nothing major, I promise.) This is the first drama of Tsuyoshi's that I've seen. I'm quite a new fan of his and I've been curious about how well he acts. For those who don't know him, Domoto Tsuyoshi is one half of the popular singing duo KinKi Kids. Aside from performing, they also act in dramas and stageplays, and host television shows. Anyway, I quite enjoyed watching this drama. Perhaps the strongest feature of this drama is how realistic it is. It's a pretty simple plot - a man torn between the one that got away and the one that's right there. And their interpretation of this age-old conflict is just as raw. No over-the-top dramatics or grand gestures. Instead, they stuck to portraying it the way normal people would actually react. One of my favorite elements was Toji's cellphone strap. It was given to him by Makoto (the ex) and matches the one she has. Eventually, Nao catches on that they both have the same strap. That tiny issue sparks so many different emotions among the three of them, and I think the complexity of their emotions came across really well. Tsuyoshi did quite well with this role. His portrayal of Toji as a reserved man who is always struggling to do the right thing really impressed me. His emotions were controlled and subtle. I was also pleasantly surprised that I ended up liking Hirosue Ryoko. It was quite a difficult role to portray, precisely because it's a side of women that most of us wouldn't want to admit to. And yet, I sympathized with her and saw myself in her more times than one. Such was also the case with Nao's character. Between these two women, you'd quite likely find something to identify with. Accenting the main conflict between the three of them are the various relationship conflicts that the people around them are going through. Toji's parents, for one, seem to be trapped in a marriage with little affection and respect for one another. Toji's friend and colleague Chitose enters into a relationship with a much younger woman and agonizes over the implications of such a situation. These stories add color to the drama and intensify the message that relationships tend to be so much more complicated than we'd like them to be. However, I wouldn't recommend this drama to everyone. It's not meant to be hilarious or silly. Neither will it send thrills up and down your spine. But if you've been in a long-term relationship before I think that you will like this drama. It's subtle and introspective and you come away with your own thoughts on what it means to really love someone.

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