My shameful infatuation is nay a month old, but man, I have to do this or else I’m going to explode. Ichihara Hayato was the little kid in the uber popular All About Lily Chou Chou, declared as one of the best/artistic Japanese films ever created. I was half asleep when I watched it so I’ll never know if it was really that great. Actually, I downloaded it because of its outstanding reviews. I thought watching the film will make me look smarter, sadly I didn’t get it. I immediately put him under the “beautiful kids” category, but after that no more. Four years later, I saw him again on screen playing the delinquent leader in this spring drama, ROOKIES. Now at 21 years of age, his slit-shaped eyes became more prominent, and I was glad to know his eyebrow plucker is of higher quality than mine. I learned after skimming his wiki page, that he is indeed Yuichi from Lily Chou Chou. The only drama I have seen him in is Long Love Letter. I don’t remember seeing him in that drama. Aw, I should have, but having Kubozuka Yosuke on screen makes it hard to look somewhere else.
Warning: Enormous picture after the jump.
Scanned by: Pinkujisatsu (See link below)
After rewinding his ROOKIES scenes multiple times, while repeatedly reminding myself that he is younger than my baby-brother (by a year, still…), I am finally over with denial. If American mothers are hitting on David Archuleta, heck, if Rickey, a full-grown man is fangirling on the Archey boy then why can’t I? Oh, not on Archey. We’re still on Hayato. So I decided to start downloading his dramas and movies, because from past experience,by watching more of the actor and seeing him in degrading or turn-off roles, I lose interest. Like after witnessing Satoshi Tsumabuki’s unclad stick-of-a-chest in Waterboys and Slow Dance had wiped out any of my fangirl feelings for him. Now, I am just a regular fan. Kanojo to no Tadashii Asobikata started my Mizushima Hiro craze but Hana Kimi ended it abruptly. Tamaki Hiroshi in Nodame Cantabile was a formidable opponent until Heavenly Forest and the Fantastic-Deer Man revealed another side of him when he’s not sporting Chiaki’s hair. Oh, I still love them all dearly – in a platonic way. The idea here, I’ll get me more Hayato to cure myself and in no time, I’ll be the same boring blogger poking fun on fangirls. Hak Hak Hak.
But right now, I am in full blast Ichihara fan girl mode. I just started my Ichi-marathon and this addiction is proven to be harder to cure than the rest.
Some screenshots from his films and dramas:
Long Love Letter: One watches this drama for Kubozuka not for Ichiraha. Actually, Ichiraha is a nobody in this drama. With a heartthrob ensemble of Yamada Takayuki, Yamap and Tsumabuki Satoshi, Hayato is doomed to take the backseat.
Waterboys 2: I had no intention on watching part two, until I learned that our boy was in this drama. I just started it, and unfortunately, his naked toothpick chest didn’t do anything to deter my obsession. Being so adorable and downright goofy had just intensified it, if nothing else.
Aikurushii is Hayato’s first family drama. Eternal Fansubs is still in the process of subbing it so I’ll reserve my opinion until I finish it. The picture below (right), is one of my favorite scenes where he tried to cheer up his nee-san (Ayase Haruka).
ROOKIES is what started it all and still stands as my favorite work of his. Even acting as a delinquent, you can still trace down that dorky side of him. It amuses the heck out me to see the shortest guy in the team being regarded as their leader. Some of the traits that make him stand out: the frown, the eyebrows, the way he loses his cool, the naruto smile (see enormous pic above) where his eyes just disappear completely and the voice…THE VOICE! There’s once scene in episode 6 where he answers his phone…he says, “moshi?” I had to pause the video and giggle for a whole minute.
Check it Out Yo! (2006): This is a teen flick co-starring Inoue Mao and Hiraoka Yuta about a group of friends who decides to form a hip-hop band. This is light and funny. Hayato displays his potential as a rapping artist. I enjoyed this one much better than Rainbow Song.
Rainbow Song: In this movie, Ichihara Hayato does another inept, boy-next-door role (which is becoming a trend in his resume). I wrote a short review for this film here.
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Anticipated movie: Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge
Most fangirls want to see this movie for Haruma Miura. I swear that boy’s popularity skyrocketed after Koizora! Anyway, I think the raw is out somewhere, but I’ll wait until the subs are out. Don’t you just wanna laugh at this picture?
One movie that I have no intention of seeing ever is Angel’s Egg. If there’s any movie that will probably cut off my obsession, that will be it. It’s another one of those older woman/younger man films.
For his photobook and other Hayato pictures:
- Pinkujisatsu’s Livejournal
- Ichihara Hayato’s Official Site: This is my first time signing up for an actor’s BBS.
Perchance you werent able to see Tamaki Hiroshi being Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean ne?
He was employed by Disney to dress the part during the latest premier of the Pirates of the Carribean in Japan. Unfortunately I was not able to see it. But my fangirling otaku female friends saw it and they were really going gagaga over the Tamaki Hiroshi version of Jack.
You actually watched the second waterboys… I could not bring myself to watch the another 11 episodes of that again. I just finished the first series and then the movie and thats it. I even deleted the movie from my archives so I dunno if I have a copy of it lying somewhere.
About your current obssesion for this actor, hmmm… I do not know him. So he is pimped as the dorky next door boy type ne? I find the Japanese phrase for that English phrase really funny… It is 常識的でみなに好かれる若い男.(jyoushikiteki de mina ni sukikareru wakai otoko)
English translation is roughly “By means of common sense, everyone-is-fond-of young boy.
I just did, after youtubing it.
HA HA HA!…HAK HAK HAK..my goodness, that was just…odd? Hilarious and so weird. Those friends are loyal Tamaki fangirls, my god…how can they go gaga over a video? I was laughing hysterically and whatever drop of fangirl feelings I have for Tamaki are now completely gone. Geezuss, you just made my day. Hak hak hak.
lol i am in my ichihara hayato fangirl mode too and i’m watching all the vids i can. rookies got me hooked on him, then waterboys 2. saw lily chou chou before rookies and waterboys and had to check it out again.love ichi-chan’s eyes more than anything else. lol his plucked eyebrows on rookies is over the top though. can really empathize with what your wrote here. wonder how long this will last? he is a really intense actor. love the boy!!!
Fangirl, as well! xD
I thought that he was so pretty in All About Lily Chou Chou, and was so shocked that the dude in Rainbow Song was him as well. LOL
where can i watch all about lily chou chou and check it out yo? and where can i download it? i would like to watch it.
Check out my download links page. Or try mininova, you might find them there.
Just wanted to say something about his Rookies role… It isn’t physical size that impresses people. Aniya is the leader because his personality is the most forceful. And Ichihara Hayato expresses that very well.
They all respect Aniya because of it. Size doesn’t mean anything. It happens in real life all the time, too.
OMG! I thought it’s just me. The moment I laid my eyes on Hayato-sama’s dazzling face, I know he is SOMETHING. He reminds me of Emile Hirsch. He’s like him in the movie Lords of Dogtown. Wow~~ He’s not actually a Johnny’s material but undoubtedly a new force to reckon with. Koide and Hayato-sama make a good combination. It’s a battle of personalities. I both like them. They were really good actors. Sadly only Hayato-sama got the best supporting actor award, Koide-chan deserves it too. But anyways, they are all winners. Go! Nikogaku! Go! Go Hayato-sama! More Projects Here we come!
Hi! Random drive-by-comment (found your post while searching photos)… just wanted to say I recently experienced pretty much the same thing – saw him in ROOKIES and checked out his other stuff. And felt old once I realized he is also younger than my younger brother, ha ha ha
Anyway, wanted to say I loved your post, I think you nailed the subject perfectly and with great wit and humor ^_^ looking forward to checking out your other reviews!
Hi !
I found your post while I was looking for pictures about Ichihara Hayato. It’s really an interesting post ! I watched Rookies, Wild Life (Tetsuji Tamayama and Hayato Ichihara, that’s a nice combo *_* ! ) and begun Saru Lock… Now I’d want to watch the movies and films you mentionned. Waterboys isn’t my thing but well I should give a try ^^ !