Original (Novel): ENDLESS KISS ~Eien no Yakusoku~ (ISBN: 4795293465)
Author: 水月真兔 Miduki Mato
Cover Illustrator: 甲田イリヤ Coda Iriya
Released: 2/15/2003 Leaf Sound Novels
Catalogue Number: LCD-013
Price: 2800 yen (with tax), 2666 yen (w/out tax)
Cast:
森川智之 Morikawa Toshiyuki (正木由里 Masaki Yuri) x 石田 彰 Ishida Akira (東堂貴臣 Toudou Takaumi)
中田譲治 Nakata Jouji (九鬼義晴 Kuki Yoshiharu)
中原 茂 Nakahara Shigeru (佐久間令 Sakuma Rei)
飯塚昭三 Iizuka Shozo (藤川 Fujikawa)
Summary + Review:
--Because even though Ken states about a hundred times that she doesn't like Endless Rain, she never really wants to give up on Morikawa-san and Ishida-san. I confess, that even though I listen to Endless Rain over and over again in hope to prove my review wrong (which completely trashed the drama...I admit I was being harsh T_T), I still can't make myself last past track 3 before I give up trying to find some sense in the plot (I still can't understand how Takaumi and Yuri would fall in love...I just CAN'T T_T). Nevertheless, Ishida and Morikawa-san's performance haunts me...and even such a simple sentence such as Ishida's angsty confession and "Omae wo...aishiteru" makes me want to believe that there IS more than just H in the drama, that Takaumi and Yuri ARE characters who are as excellent as Iason and Riki. Which, as I have finally come back on topic, is the main reason why I'm compelled to listen to the second of the Endless series: Endless Kiss ~Eien no Yakusoku~ [Eternal Promise].
Why would I want to believe so firmly in the Endless Series? Perhaps because it's focused more on angst than happiness. Therefore even without a full-grown plot, the angst itself makes listeners want to sympathesize with the characters. Authors such as Yamaai Shikiko and Yoshihara Rieko uses the element of angst very well in order to make their novels attractive and believable to yaoi readers (See Nijuurasen, The Dark Blue, Chougonka, Ai no Kusabi, Kinkanshoku, and the like). In Endless Rain's case, though, (this is personal opinion) the angst did not work its wonder. In some areas of the drama, I am ready to immerse myself in the character's emotions, but even before I can sympathesize with Takaumi, the scene would quickly break its perfect atmosphere and turn towards love-making. It's disappointing, but Ken (being the stubborn fangirl), would again pick up the drama and goes on her quest of searching for a meaning behind all the H...
This is turning into a full-blown Endless Rain rant -_-;;;;;;;;; I apologize. Anyways moving onto Endless Kiss, after listening to its predecessor, I am FULLY ARMED and prepared to be either blasted by Ishida's uke voice or be completely conformed to the awesome-ness of the two main seiyuu-samas (needless to say, Morikawa and Ishida of course XD). So, Ken carefully pops Endless Kiss into her mp3 player----
(And Ken will try her hardest to make a decent review instead of running away ^^;)
The story goes, Yuri and Takaumi are madly in love (Everyone whacks Ken...that's obvious XDD). And so they have some H smack in the beginning (Ken remembers that's why she also avoided Endless Kiss for quite a while...-_-). This has nothing to do the the succeeding plot, which is that being that Yuri is the son of some sort of underground organization, he is in danger of being attacked (Ken: now THAT's something new...hmm...). Takaumi worries for Yuri's safety, and he speaks a potentially deep monologue about how he might be dragging Yuri down with his selfishness of comforting himself (from the previous drama's rape) in Yuri's benevelent acceptance (and Ishida's drifting voice sounds so sad, so lost...). But unfortunately, Ken again feels the lack of development when THAT perfectly angsty monologue quickly turns into another H scene in bed...
Morikawa-san's Yuri (being the mafia boy he is XDD) completely releases his deep, cold, and authoritative voice in this drama. Ken shivers while listening to his voice---(ahh that's what Morikawa-san should be like *heart*). Yuri seems to have the habit of H-ing whenever he feels like it though @_@ sometimes it really kills the mood...-_-;; On the other hand, Takaumi suddenly feels more grown-up in this drama. Ishida-san's voice in Endless Rain was always very confused, very lost, and very weak. However, in Endless Kiss, he sometimes feel stronger and more mature than Yuri, and it's easier to appreciate that after all, Takaumi IS Yuri's teacher and 8 years older than Yuri is. Takaumi also reveals his "inner self"....(Ken sweatdrops)...which puzzles Ken, because it's totally unexplained in the drama, but Ishida-san sounds coldly scary when he tried to strangle a person alive T_T;;;;;;; (Ken bows...the room temperature suddenly dropped by 5 degrees...)
The rest of the story is a little too loose to be explained properly. Plus, come to this point, Ken can no longer take any more of this drama (records: 44:23 of the entire 70:50). Gomenasai!! (so I can't last past Track 4 after all T_T) I regret to say that Endless Kiss, although having the potential to develop into a really good drama, is awfully UNDER-explained. Yuri's background, which seems to be the central focus of this entire drama, evaporated after some really meaningless fighting with his enemies. Yuri's flashback of his past also vanished without any further development (although Morikawa's deep "dekiru-saa..." [If I have to (kill you)] is still so scary T_T Ken bows again...). And where DID Takaumi's scary personality come from?? O_o The H scenes, which the drama-makers seem to think it necessary, always comes in at odd moments that makes Ken wonder "should it really happen!? O_o" (BTW that H scene after the fight...Ishida-san, HOW CAN YOU be so....@_@...T_T) The drama overall give you a feeling of "So what?? O_o" because nothing is explained properly, and the conclusion is barely satisfying for the previous suspense.
I am again rather disappointed at the story development of Endless Kiss, but less so than Endless Rain. Should I keep my grudge and try my hand on the third one? I wonder...