Renai Shindan 恋愛診断 2007

Renai Shindan is an extraordinary Japanese Guys Love (BL) Drama Series that is subdivided into four different taboo relationship stories. Considered as one of the most dramatic love stories in decades, Renai Shindan slowly casts its magic, progress its stories forward at a languid pace and working ever gently its way into the viewer’s heart. There’s really no rushing in watching the film, no need to fill every dialogue scenes. Some Guy love drama take most of their time laying out the story and setting to their audience. And Renai Shindan is most definitely not one of them.

The story being depicted in all of its sub-stories are fairly simple and straightforward. Yoshida Kota directs the first part of the film titled Shattered Wings. In the story, Tsubasa’s (Yanagishita Tomo) stepfather commits suicides early in the story. This incident highlighted how messed up his current life is in the story, and something he personally felt as his responsibility. Tsubasa, after his father’s death, was harassed by three guys, laughing and making fun of his stepfather and him. Leo (Shiozaki Airu), one of his closest friends, witnessed the whole incident but didn’t help him. Soon after he manages to escape, Kain (Juri), which he considers as a regular friend, came to him and tried to comfort him. Love triangle soon began to emerge as Tsubasa starts to fall for Kain, but Leo backs on in the scene spinning the situation more complex.

All lead characters provide an excellent crude acting performance, in particular with Shattered Wings as Tsubasa (Yanagishita Tomo) hinted early at this kind of genre before, but still manages to deliver perfect lines and every movement works appropriately with the script. Tsubasa brings this conflicted infatuation to life with his startlingly realistic portrayal of a man who fells in love with another guy. Leo (Shiozaki Airu) and Kain (Juri) are just as equally incredible as Tsubasa (Yanagishita Tomo), the two accessories of the love triangle.

Although the film Renai Shindan is being directed by four separate directors, the cinematography of the movie overall is breathtaking yet still understated. The casual, natural and metropolitan beauty of the setting never upstages the actors and actresses performances or the story. Directed by Yoshida Kota (Shattered Wings and Goodbye Melody), Ando Hiroshi (Uniform Eve), and Yokoyama Kazuhiro (Throb of Fate), Renai Shindan is one of the most compelling taboo relationship pieces of 2007.

Not one scene will be missed by the audience as they generally get hook by the films story line, a true sign that movie is indeed likeable. The movie is also far from being considered as a message movie, yet if you cut off in the dramatic middle and final scenes, with its haunting slow waltz of concern, love and comfort, it makes the movie worth noting what, exactly, you are supposed to be reacting to: a love that stoop down from contemporary relationship, made to knuckle under to society’s accepted design. When it boils down in to love, what sort of world do we really wish to have?

Details

• Title: 恋愛診断
• Title (romaji): Ren’ai Shindan
• Also known as: Love Diagnosis
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre: Drama, Romance, Yaoi, Yuri
• Episodes: 12
• Broadcast network: TV Tokyo
• Broadcast period: 2007-Jul-09 to 2007-Sep-24

Overall Synopsis

Ren’ai Shinden is based on different types of forbidden love and consists of four stories.

Story 1

• Title: 翼のカケラ
• Title (romaji): Tsubasa no Kakera
• Also known as: Shattered Wings
• Genre: Romance, Drama, Yaoi
• Episodes: 1-3
• Theme song: STAND UP by CASSIS

Cast

• Yanagishita Tomo as Tsubasa
• Shiozaki Airu as Leo
• Juri as Kain

Story 2

• Title: サヨナラのメロディ
• Title (romaji): Sayonara no Merodi
• Also known as: Goodbye Melody
• Genre: Romance, Drama
• Episodes: 4-6
• Theme song: Yellow by Coldplay

Synopsis

5 years ago, the elder brother of Yuna, Kazu, he went to New York to study music, but has returned to Japan temporarily. Living under the same roof again, after all this time they were no longer seem far as to when they were small. But their true feelings are revealed when Kazu wrote his first song of love for Yuna …

Cast

• Haga Yuria as Hazuki Yuna
• Shiozawa Hidemasa as Kazu
• Morimoto Ryoji as Akimura
• Matsubara Kei as Haruka

Story 3

• Title: 制服のイブ
• Title (romaji): Seifuku no Ibu
• Also known as: Uniform Eve
• Genre: Romance, Drama, Yuri
• Episodes: 7-9

Synopsis

Saera entered in the middle of the course, she felt a little alone until Kurumi made friends with her. Kurumi is a friendly and cheerful girl, and soon their friendship began, she fell in love with Kurumi. However, Kurumi is in love with Maria, a ballet dancer who is also in love with someone else …

Cast

• Ogino Nao as Shiozaki Saera
• Kawahoro Makoto as Matsura Kurumi
• Uehara Ayumi as Saiki Maria
• Ichimiya Rina as Sayaka
• Nozawa Waka as la maestra
• Asaki Kazuha

Story 4

• Title: 運命のコドウ
• Title (romaji): Unmei no Kodou
• Also known as: Throb of Fate
• Genre: Romance, Drama, Yaoi
• Episodes: 10-12

Cast

• Kawai Ryunosuke as Katsuragi Kei
• Kumai Kouhei as Maki Kanade
• Moriyama Eiji as Dr. Kugura
• Ito Katsunobu as the Director

Production Credits

• Screenwriter: Murakawa Yasutoshi (村川康敏) – Story 1&4, Tanaka Tomoaki (田中智章) – Story 2, Oikawa Mami (及川真実) – Story 3
• Director: Yoshida Kota (吉田浩太) – Story 1-2, Ando Hiroshi (安藤尋) – Story 3, Yokoyama Kazuhiro (横山一洋) – Story 4