Koizora Standard Edition

Okay so I watched the film verison of Koizora and loved it ..... I watched the drama series and I was crying for a whole evening afterwards!!!! This 6 episode adaption is truely sensational.... not only is the storyline more indepth due to the longer running time than the film but the actors wonderfully portray the characters and bring them to life in a way that far transgresses the film. Seto Koji is heartbreaking as Hiro and is easily one of the best actors in Japan today. What is so beautiful about this film is the moments of silence, when the emotion and relationship between Mika and Hiro is expressed not through words but through their looks and gestures. Indeed many things are incredibly similliar to the film such as types of shots and lines of dialogue but for me the drama series went that extra mile in emotion department.... I watched the film and sniffed back a few tears..... I watched this series and ended up with black mascara streaks down my face and neck..... in the last episode I think I wasn't crying for only about 3 minutes of it!!! The one thing to mention is that this drama is a slightly cleaner version..... i.e there is less violence, less sex (not that there is bearly any in the film.... but they do did 'it' a extra time in the film) and the attack on Mika by a gang of boys is far less serious than it is in the film. This did detract somewhat for the intensity of the story but on the plus side it has made it more suitable for a younger audience. If you loved the film this series will break your heart, if you haven't seen either it's a fantastic place to enter into the Koizora world!!!! P.S I know there has been a lot of negativity towards this series and indeed the film due to its weak portrayal of women but frankly if you don't take either too seriously and just enjoy theme as a melodramas I think you will be pleasently contented by them!