Title: ぴんとこな Pin to Kona
English Title: Pin and Kona
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2013
Episode: 10
Cast:
- 玉森裕太 Tamamori Yuta
- 川島海荷 Kawashima Umika
- 中山優馬 Nakayama Yuma
- ルイス・ジェシー Lewis Jesse (ジェシー Jesse)
- 松村北斗 Matsumura Hokuto
- 吉倉あおい Yoshikura Aoi
- 山本耕史 Yamamoto Koji
- 榎木孝明 Enoki Takaaki
- 高嶋政宏 Takashima Masahiro
- 岸谷五朗 Kishitani Goro
- 江波杏子 Enami Kyoko
- 前田典子 Maeda Noriko
SYNOPSIS
Kawamura Kyonosuke is the son of the prominent kabuki family Kijima and he is called the Prince of Kabuki. Kyonosuke's lazy attitude about his work worries and infuriates his father. He always slacks off during rehearsals and his performances are usually lackluster.
Chiba Ayame is an avid fan of kabuki and although she's very poor, she saved money so she can watch a kabuki performance. She is insulted by Kyonosuke's poor performance and she wants a refund. Ayame fondly remembers her childhood friend who aspires to be a top kabuki actor.
Hongo Hiroki is passionate about kabuki and he adopted the stage name Sawayama Ichiya. He is a disciple of the prominent kabuki family Todoroki. Because he is an outsider, it will not be easy for Hiroki to get the lead roles even though he is very talented. One way for Hiroki to be a successful kabuki actor is to marry into a prominent kabuki family.
Sawayama Yuna is the only daughter of the prominent kabuki family Todoroki. She is in love with Hiroki and she will do anything to help him achieve his dream to be the top star of kabuki.
REVIEW
I thought this drama would revolve around kabuki or a form of traditional Japanese drama so I was quite disappointed that it was not the case. If you're thinking of watching Pin to Kona so you can find out more about kabuki, you have been forewarned to set your expectations quite low.
The drama is actually about the lead characters Kawamura Kyonosuke, Chiba Ayame, and Hongo Hiroki who is also known as Sawayama Ichiya. So if you're okay with watching a bunch of immature high school students try to make decisions for their future, this drama may be for you.
Kyonosuke seemed the typical spoiled brat in the first few episodes. He has never experienced any hardship and he's always been able to get by with minimal effort due to his connections so he has never really known what it means to work hard, at least until he met Ayame.
It's actually quite endearing to see him work hard to meet Ayame's high regard of him and to make her happy. It's even more amazing to see him support Ayame in finding her happiness, even if it means her happiness is to be with someone else.
Ayame is the typical heroine in dramas; poor but hardworking, smart but dense, etc. What sets her apart is she's not a pushover. She is assertive enough to defend herself and she is good enough to defend the helpless.
Hiroki, otherwise known as Ichiya, is a character that I supported initially because he was hardworking, passionate, and driven. I don't know what happened with his characterization because suddenly, it's like he has no direction in life. He is supposed to be passionate about kabuki but he gave up pursuing kabuki twice in the drama.
I wanted to give Hiroki some slack because his dream to become a top kabuki actor was somehow given to him by his childhood friend and first love Ayame but he has spent all these years learning about kabuki. He could have given up early on, when he hasn't invested so much of himself and when other people hasn't invested so much time and effort on his training.
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ぴんとこな Pin to Kona
