H2 kimi to itahibi - drama review
The more I watched the more I’m in love with it. H2 - The days with you (H2 君といた日々) is a Japanese drama of 11 episodes aired on TBS tv in 2005, an adaptation of Adachi Mitsuru’s manga “H2”.
With outstanding young actors and actresses at the time, and competent directors in at least the first 2 episodes (堤幸彥,今井夏木). It is a show that brings us the passion, the drama, the sense of humour and heartwarming moments that only Adachi can deliver.
Story: ☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤
Directing: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Casting: ☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤
Acting: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Pace: ☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥
Music:☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Cinema photography: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Rewatched value: ☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤
Adaptation success: ☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤
My favourite scene in episode 2:
In episode 2, Senkawa baseball circle had played a game against Meiwaichi highschool, they had to win in order to form a baseball team. The plot was adapted from the original manga (vol. 5 単行本). But when you see the drama, the scene has been portrayed wonderfully by the writer/director, in a different approach and beautifully.
Apart from the original plot of Noda-kun made a phone call to the school Principal, and with Yanagi confessed to his father, the drama has focused on the relationship of the team members and their joy of being able to form the club!! Yanagi’s father (actor: 雷竜太) has also being portrayed here with a smile to his son, saying: “I have a request... give me a massage.”
I watched the drama over and over again, it is still entertaining every time. If you are a fan of Adachi, it will be a good idea to watch/read the drama and the manga at the same time. You will find out the way the directors has transformed the original story and the little things that remind you that it is Adachi’s work. You will even find the “Adachi pair” i.e, Adachi Mitsuru and his editor, running around at the background in every episode. That’s really cute and you can tell the overall production is sincerely giving us a picture of love, passion, youthfulness, and an ending that I personally think that is more complete and easier understood than the original manga. Having said that, the H2 manga will give you an exciting ride of awesome story telling and vivid character development of all major and supporting characters, that you will never forget.
(credit: pictures from H2 drama kimi to itahibi - episode 2)
Adachi Mitsuru: NINE (ナイン) 1978
Adachi has created quite a number of works. For some of these works I had seen them long time ago and I can’t remember the details. so, here is just to share with you my thoughts and a little bit of their info.
1. NINE (ナイン)
Genre: Romantic comedy, Sports (baseball)
Let’s start with his first written work, ‘Nine’.
Nine is a baseball manga with an introduction of Adachi’s very own writing style.
It was a piece of innovative work at the time it was serialised in Monthly Shonen Sunday Zonkan (少年サンデー增刊) from 1978-1979.
According to Shimamoto Kazuhiko recalled of his reaction to Nine, he said “many people would think: this is not sports manga, does this man know what he is doing!?” And finally, the reception of Ninie were alright. It was definitely out of the norm though.
Adachi recalled of this very first work he created. He said at the begining he wrote the first chapter of Nine in a usual shonen sports manga style. But very soon in the 2nd chapter, he realised he wished to draw something else, something that he likes to draw most. Then, Nine has became a book where Adachi style begins and developed.
In 1985, there has been at least 42 print runs of volume 1 of Nine being sold. This shows that Adachi was very popular at that time, when ‘Miyuki’ and ‘Touch’ has already become popular.
Nine is like the “Birth” of Adachi style (出世作), it has got to back bone of Adachi story telling style, with sports, youth, love story, unspoken dialogues and a movie-like layout.
(Some pictures were taken from the book by Adachi Mitsuru: おあとがよろしいようで)
あだち充 Adachi Mitsuru - his works: from 1980-present
Adachi Mitsuru is one of the most influential manga creator in Japan.
Born in 1952, he debuted in the early 70s and continues with many works, that had changed the way people see and defined sports manga (manga means ‘Japanese comics’).
Sports is a popular genre among Japanese Shonen manga (Shonen means boys or comics that targeted young male). Adachi’s work has create a new kind of sports manga: they are stories about coming of age of high school students who are very often engaged in a sports club. The story happens in suburban Tokyo, where everyday lives of these young people are depicted, in an overall lighthearted comedy tone with heart wrenching drama, enriched with excitement of the competition of the sports. In many occasions baseball and the Japanese high school baseball tournaments are chosen as the backdrop of he story. The story, the vissual and the script of Adachi’s story, will very often make you feel touched. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, that you can feel that they are real, that they have unique personalities and you will feel happy or sad for them. it’s almost like you had witnessed their growing-up.
Adachi is a master in love stories, he is a huge baseball fan and he has great sense of humour. He loves breaking the fourth wall and make fun of himself and his characters.
Adachi, now at his age of 66 (2018), has always been active in the industry and producing works that are outstanding and popular. He is one of the very few manga artists today that has kept his popularity since the early 80s, by continuously drawing what he likes and is good at, for almost 40 years now. His fans are of two to three generations, from teenagers to their parents, whom many of them are over 40 years of age now.
Adachi is the first manga artist who had reached the success of having 100 million copies of comic books sold in Japan. (and not to mention the many foreign language versions of his works sold in other countries). Adachi is also the first person reached the record of having 200 million copies sold. He was awarded with Shogakukan Manga Awards in year 1982 (Touch), and 2008 (Cross Game).
Adachi, a manga artist with a very unique writing style and being highly praised as a ‘true story teller’, that many would probably agree, that not even 1 person can imitate what he does, in Japan, a country where there are thousands and thousands of Manga artists succeeded. Internationally, he is popular among countries where his works are officially translated and published. For example, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, and Italian. However, there are very limited work of Adachi available in English. The only ones published are his short series: Short program, and his long series: Cross Game.
安達充之心血之作：H2
相信大家如果看過H2 (漫畫版）可能也有疑問，因為作者安達充，一反以往習慣，在這個故事裡營造了一些沒有直接解答，也欠間接答案的迷團，給讀者自己來解讀！安達充一向喜歡用最少對白，描畫最令人明白的畫面，給一個能打動你的表情，讓你可以完全明白他所表達的。就算沒有半句表示，也會藉其他人物，和分鏡等等，營造一種明示或暗示的氣氛，務必讓讀者知饒「答案」。但在H2的結局篇裡，有好些地方要大家去想 ”為什麼!!!!?”
正因為故事寫到最後留下了很大的想像空間，作者就好像由得讀者們去以誰(角色)的角度去代入這個故事，彷彿讓我們自由去選擇我們想要的H2。不論讀者對其劇情或人物，是喜歡或是不滿，作者好像都隨你意，只要你能深刻感受一下這作品！
當我第一次正式看完此作品(漫畫原作)，其實我心𥚃有意想不到的反應。之後因為很想去了解那些難解的地方，和想知道別人的評價，便看從日本，香港，內地，台灣和英語國家網友的劇評和分析。現在集合了一些意見，便想整合一下。最後，亦想從我所認識的安達充的寫作特色，和他的作品裡常常流露的善良，讓我來試試解釋一下H2吧！
H2其實是兩對主角的名字英文均有H字母開首：比呂(Hiro) , 英雄 Hideo，雅玲 Hikari 和 春華 Haruka。未看完H2漫畫版而有興趣看的朋友 請先去看！因為你對此作的第一反應和細閲後的感覺，很可能就是作者本人最期待的。他可能在寫比呂四人感情的同時，希望你也能感受他們的感受！事實上讀者間也有雙對性或不同的評價，而年輕的讀者若喜歡女主角一，往往就難以喜歡女主角二，兩極派系化至今仍然不變！甚至讀者間對故事結局的解悉也有兩三個版本！對我而言最有趣的，就是在不同年齡翻閲，也會有不同的體會，對各個角色的欣賞和包容都會有改變。這也是安達充作品受歡迎的其中原因。盼望大家可細心欣賞這部安達充的心血之作！
*****＜含劇透＞*****
要分享的題目很多，所以想到便先寫下…
(一) 春華，最終會和比呂在一起嗎？?
如果你很久前讀完H2，已把開頭的十本的內容忘了，你或許可再細味頭十本單行本(初版)，因為我為了找這條題目的答案，我在開始的十本，和大結局最後數頁𥚃，得到了一個初步的答案！！
第一話，故事發生在比呂的家，他在燒‘他的青春’。(在燒掉他以往用過的棒球手套)
最先出場的女孩是誰？ 對，是雅令，比呂的青梅足馬，住在隔壁不遠處的美麗女孩。她是好兄弟英雄的女友。
安達充在這頁說：高中三學年的青春drama要展開了，之後左下角說：”そのページをめくり始めるのであった。”
譯成：我開始翻開那一頁 (I started turning over that page...)
然後下一頁出現:
加了一句 ’ーとさ’ ，句子意義便頓變作另一種意思：
“そのページをめくり始めるので会った ーとさ”
譯作：我正要翻過這頁...(I was about to turn over the page) ⋯ 然後迎來一條從天而降的運動褲子。
就這樣比呂便遇上春華了。我很喜歡這一幕。
後來，在第二話的結尾，他們又相遇了。
輕輕一球，比呂的手，令我印象深刻。尢其當我回首看比呂所經歷的一切的時候，當時那個還在誤信上武醫院假醫生的他，在校園遇上一個單純喜歡棒球而付出的少女古賀春華。將來沒人知道會如何，亦不知誰會進入你的一生。就這樣，因手部問題而放棄了至愛的捧球的比呂，再次拋了他的第一個球。
這一個不經意的球，在作者筆下成了我印象深刻的一幕，因為我感覺到它意味著一個成長故事快要展開！
大家可以從頭細看，他們的互動很有趣的，你亦可以知道他們友誼是從何萌芽和發展的。
即使雅令一直都在 ...
在H2 雅令的戲份也特別重，我認為是因為她對比呂而言，是他最重要的女孩，佔據了當時十五歳的他成長記憶的全部。
而且，雅玲這主角的作用，可以說最重要，因為她帶起故事的主旨之一：初戀和年少時的迷惘。
整個H2故事的另一個重要目的，作者說是在當時1992年日本職業足球開始盛行的時候，人人感覺棒球已過時，他便一心想畫下捧球最精妙最感動之處，來對現實唱個反調！作者對捧球的熱情，從開頭數卷起，籍描寫旁人如何看待，和玩弄未熟練的棒球愛好會會員，他們沒有球場，要在校園後行練習。而春華，便是最重要的捧球代言人。她把無変成有，在校長不容許有正式捧球部種種難關下，與比呂一起為干川學校創造了棒球部。比呂也因為假醫生被捕，知道手部殘廢乃虛驚一場，終於選擇留在千川高校一隊弱隊中，最後，目標與摯友橘英雄和雨宮雅玲的明和一高校，在甲子園一決勝負！
從出場時作者特別的描寫，和頭十卷中可見，春華，是個戲份相當重的角色。她是整個棒球夢想(甲子園)的起點，所以豪無疑問，她和雅玲都是安達充的女主角。
～～後補：
有朋友覺得比呂這般喜歡雅令，如此忘不了她，那麼他到底有沒有喜歡過春華，日後他們會怎樣？
其實日後怎樣，作者沒有明說，但給人的印象卻有很多種。在結尾的比賽中及比賽完結的時候，我有種感覺春華是被作者刻意地隱藏的。我自己最心痛的是，比呂最後投的球，內心想着的是雅令，一分一秒，她從小學到初中，到高中，到現在，她都在他的心深處。安達充以往是以這種表現手法來給大家知，男主角心𥚃的第一位置是她。(例如 另一作品中的男主角大和圭介，他與愛川秀那個臭小子競泳的時候，在水中最疲累最需要力量的一刻，心中便閃出亜美的影子)。但在H2，這完全不一様，是痛苦的，不甜蜜的。大概比呂是真的深愛雅令。作者此刻倒似刻意隱藏着春華，而着墨描寫比呂，要從他的角度和心情來述説他的內心世界，要讓讀者體會那份無奈和痛。
同英雄決勝負的比賽快到一半了，比呂很疲累了，但連他自己也覺得奇怪，為什麼我會這麼累？春華，其實也清楚比呂平常不是這樣的，大概會知道一定是同英雄對決的關係吧，而從她的表情中差測，春華是知道一定有什麼關於雅玲的部分，然而，春華也沒有說出來，只是一句，“加油，別輸了！”
可惜湊巧這句“加油，別輸了”正正是那放花火的晚上雅玲對比呂說過的話，所以，比呂也呆了
及後，比呂已失了控一般想住雅玲，甚至掙扎，更有想過希望上天賜予奇蹟，讓雅玲選擇他。
春華在想什麼？其實我不明白雅玲媽媽的照片對春華來説有什麼意義，但看下一頁
比呂心裡盡都是她。 雅玲，和剛去世的雨宮姨姨對他都同樣重要，亦很需要她們為自己打氣。比呂或許想不負雅玲媽媽的期望，便一下子全力投球，甚至連要留力和英雄對決等等戰略都不理了。比呂，在此刻是不再想贏比賽了嗎？因為誰輸掉了，誰便最有機會被她重新再選擇。比呂彷似要把和雅玲的感情交給上天來決定！野田作為彼此的摯友，當他見証着兩個自己最好的朋友決鬪時，他內心感受又如何呢？這的確是劇力迫人的最終章！
我覺得比呂和雅玲都有兩個“初”戀，一個，是在身邊一直以來一起成長的知己，對她有不能磨滅的感情；另一個，是日常生活中亂打亂撞懈后的，最終能磨合和令自己成長的那一位。
這故事所說的是夢想，棒球，友情和初戀，與告別那個心中的她/他。一幕幕成長故事，淒美動人。
(由故事一開始雅令回想起中學結束時候的比呂，因為誤會自己手部永久受損而放棄打球，他投出那告別的捧球給她看。就這樣，比呂拋出他以為的最後一球...
到了故事的終結，兩好友的對決，迎來另一個最後告別⋯ 比呂贏了與英雄的比賽，卻輸掉心中最愛的雅玲。
那塲與英雄對決的比賽過後，野田的表情...
那個三振取勝了英雄後的清晨時分，比呂獨自一人在洗手間望住鏡中的自己。寧靜中，水喉的水滴聲也彷佛被聽到 ...
原來，春華也比平常早起... 不知道是否也睡不好
春華的大特寫，對我來說，好像有深一層的寓意⋯
因為有春華，她臉上的陽光，就彷彿代表着希望。春華一向善解人意，和比呂一起同悲同樂。她由始至終也有一份毅力，一鼓正力量，何時也在靜候比呂。
這個清早，相信昨晚也沒有好好睡過的她，心裡衣然是充滿希望。春華依然是春華，而比呂衣然倍伴她。地上拾起了隻紙飛機，他隨意一飛。說說傻話：
’紙飛機不知飛到哪理去了？’
‘ 飛了往(美國棒球)大聯盟吧？’
‘那麼機上那空中小姐便是我吧？’
比呂面上再也不是先前的表情了。
這部於九十年代末連載了七年的漫畫，描寫一班好伙伴的青春和成長故事。途中遇到很多對捧球有不同態度的人，他們都在自己的人生中，碰碰跌跌。
一路上，每個人都去學習愛護身邊的朋友，學習去保護你愛和那個愛你的人。學習真真正正地戀愛，向前踏步。
最後，千川棒球校隊一行上車凖備出發去決勝賽，那比呂不知道飛了往哪𥚃的紙飛機，從簷蓬下隨著風飛上天空。
縱使他們不知道，作者或許告訴他們，一個美好的未來在前面等著他。
Adachi Mitsuru H2 vol.22 - most refined manga storytelling
Today to share with you my thoughts about vol. 22 of H2. (Basically the second half of the volume) A couple of scenes that I found in particular, very moving and written beautifully.
To begin, let’s have a bit of background information...
*****Spoiler Alert*****
Hiro was unable to sleep that night after the Koshien match when he hurt his foot. He went to sit by the sea shore. Hikari, was unable to sleep too, saw him there and she approached him. They spent the time together, and Hiro was comforted by Hikari, they were there until very early morning. Haruka woked up very early, on her bike she searched for Hiro. She found him. In a distance...Haruka saw the two together, she returned back to the hotel quietly.
Back to Tokyo. One day, Kine-kun skipped his baseball practice, Noda and Haruka went to see him. Kine asked casually, whether he is able to have a date with Haruka, and surprisingly, Haruka said ‘yes’ and then they went out together. Noda, noticed something went wrong but not sure exactly what happened, asked Hiro:
Hiro now realised what had happened,
and he figured out why Haruka has tears in her eyes while fallen asleep, when they were on the train on the way back to Tokyo after the game.
Haruka, during their ‘date’ she suddenly remembered her conversation with Hideo the other day, and she would like to see his batting. So she asked Kine to bring her to Meiwaichi high school. When they arrived, Hideo had just finished practice and was held up with press interview...
While totally bored with the interviewers, Hideo saw Haruka.
Hideo smiled.
(I like the way Adachi didn’t show us Hideo’ facial expression, but it was described by the director saying ‘yes yes, Just stay like that’. I think quite unique, even though Adachi had use many of this similar technique before, this one is quite special.)
Lastly, these few panels below shows the 2 boys and 2 girls with different characters and mood, interacting with each other in only 1 to 2 pages... I found this quite amazing. It tells so much.
Hideo is a sweet gentleman... he hit a ball for Haruka.
He has done what he can to cheer her up.
This is my thoughts about this chapter. The next chapter, is even more drama-intense and interesting!
H2 和你在一起的日子 (一）
在豆瓣看看觀眾們的劇評 有很多不同的評語和感受 看得我會心微笑 感覺廷有趣的。
有個網友寫道：
「我本以为是一部热血剧，却变成了一部真实触动我内心的情感剧。比吕的温柔，果敢，雅玲的坚强，春华的温暖，英雄的阳光。不得不说这四个演员刻画这几个人物让我感到真实。似乎这四种不同类型的人，在我的生活中都存在着，在我青春的岁月里留下了很深刻的印记。最适合雅玲的，其实是比吕啊。」
先看看有誰來看日劇版H2:
日劇迷, 安達充原著的fans, 山田孝之fans, 野球漫畫fans, 導演堤幸彥fans 等等。
正因爲這個原因，有很多不同的人有不同的觀感。也有人自此成為日劇迷，更迷山田熊貓，又或者因為看過原著而感到失望，或者覺得太多愛情，也有很多人覺得還可以或不錯的 等等...
我是因為是個安達充迷而看H2漫畫。可是，當時我已開始進入了對安達充不冷也不熱的時期。對他的漫畫，買來看，但不久便光光放在書架上忘了，最後亦不怎麼在意地漸漸沒有再買下這部漫畫結尾的十數本單行本。當年我年少看H2的国見比呂 覺得他總在糾結雅令 看得我對他開始不喜歡 而我亦總是喜歡不了雅令。
過了幾年，朋友知我喜歡安達充，便買了H2日劇版DVD送給我。我便從新看起來，也感覺幾好看，也喜歡它的結局。可是，那時我沒有心再買回原著看。後來，我自己連有沒有看完原著也不記得了！因為已被日劇版的完美結局糢糊了。
最近因爲重新愛上了安達充，便再把劇看了又看，喜歡上山田孝之石原里美等等。亦決心補看原著，便開始發現，原來我完完全全錯過了原著，想對作者説句對不起，我錯過整個故事快要兩個世紀，在2018年，我終於把整個漫畫版看完畢，亦對H2從新認識，從新感受，從新學習去理解，這耐人尋味的作品。
山田孝之的演出，細膩動人
あだち充マンガ セリフがない場合にも意味がわかる
今日はH2の18卷の例にしましょう
野田とひかりは, 若い比呂がどんなにカッコよくないの話をした。そんな言葉を聞いて春華ちゃんは ちょっと不安になった。
最後のコマ, ひかりちゃんの表情はどう思いますか？彼女は何を考えているの？....
個人的には， ひかりが春華が良い女の子だと感じで自分はそんな言葉が素直に出さないだと思う。ひかりは彼女が戦いを失うと感じる…
p.s 日本語で良く書かないので 失礼します。may be I should write in English or Chinese instead ^_^
