Good Luck!!

Good Luck!!(グッドラック！！) is a 2003 Japanese television drama starring Takuya Kimura and Kou Shibasaki. The story revolves around an up-and-coming pilot, Hajime Shinkai, and portrays his interactions with others as he progresses along the road to becoming a captain. As is common in many Japanese drama series, it blends drama and romance with comedic elements. This drama also emphasizes hardship of being a pilot or a cabin crew, and the serious nature of the industry they're in, which puts thousands of lives in its hands.

Cast and characters

• Hajime Shinkai - Takuya Kimura
• Kazuki Kōda - Shinichi Tsutsumi
• Ayumi Ogawa - Kō Shibasaki
• Urara Fukaura - Rina Uchiyama
• Jane Naitō - Naoto Takenaka
• Kenzaburō Ōta - Yasunori Danta
• Noriko Togashi - Hitomi Kuroki
• Park Mi-suk - Yoon Son-ha

Summary

Hajime Shinkai (Takuya Kimura) is a young, inexperienced pilot who struggles to achieve the dream of becoming a chief pilot some day. From the very beginning, it becomes clear that this is far from easy. The drama starts off with a flight back from Honolulu, Hawaii. When the captain feels unwell, Shinkai must land for him, but his sloppy landing earns him only criticism. Kouda Kazuki (Shinichi Tsutsumi), another chief pilot, criticizes his decision. Upset, Shinkai calls him cold and insensitive, resulting in a two-day suspension, during which he becomes acquainted with Ayumi Ogawa (Kou Shibasaki), a stubborn, straight-talking mechanic whose parents died in an airplane crash when she was just twelve. Coincidently, her parents death is related to Captain Kouda who supposedly lead the flight but call in sick at last moment causing to his deep regret.

Another conflict was awaiting Shinkai, when Captain Kouda, Captain Jane, and he were on flight as passengers. Captain Kouda notices that Fukaura Urara (Rina Uchiyama), a junior flight attendant, discriminates the customers. For example, she ignores the request of an old lady who asks for a cup of water and flirts with Kumakawa Tetsuya. Angered, he grabs her hand to the galley and harshly scolds her. Because of this, she files a lawsuit against him, and does not change her mind despite persuasions. Eventually, she agrees to cancel the lawsuit if Shinkai will go out on a date with her, even forcing him to kiss her at one point. This consequently puts a damper on his love life. Aside from his life in the airplane, Shinkai struggles to seek approval from his father, who never understood his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot.

Reception

Good Luck!! topped the Japanese drama ratings with a whopping 35% viewership in 2003.^[1] The first episode kicked off on January 19, 2003 with ratings of 31.6%, the third highest ratings of an opening episode, behind Beautiful Life and HERO, also starring Takuya Kimura.

The single episode ratings are as follows:^[2]

Trivia and Notes

• World-famous ballet dancer Kumakawa Tetsuya guest stars as himself as a passenger in Episode 5

External links

• Good Luck!! Official Website (Japanese) by Tokyo Broadcasting System
• Good Luck!! English fansite with episode guide, cast listing and more
• Japanese Drama Database: Good Luck
• Good Luck!! at the Internet Movie Database

See also

• Japanese television programs

References