Fuji Television Network hopes to make up for the previous season with three suspense dramas including "Kori-no Sekai" (The World of Ice) (from 9 p.m. Mondays), written by award-winning screenwriter Hisashi Nozawa, who also created last fall's smash hit "Nemureru Mori" (Sleeping Forest).Heartthrob Yutaka Takenouchi stars as an insurance investigator who becomes enthralled by an icy geology teacher he meets while examining a mysterious death at a girl's high school.

Chances are the femme fatale played by Nanako Matsushima may have been responsible for several deaths. With yet another complex and clever plot, Nozawa is confident the drama will surpass his previous hit.

A story of Hirokawa Eiki (Takenouchi Yutaka),who works as a life insurance detective, and Egi Tohko (Matsushima Nanako),who is a teacher who has had three boyfriends die in the past 5 years. Eiki suspects something in Tohko but at the same time, he begins to fall for her.


STARRING: Takenouchi Yutaka, Matsushima Nanako, Nakamura Toru, Uchida Yuki, Kaneko Ken, Katase Nana, Oikawa Mitsuhiro, Nakajima Tomoko, Katase Nana, Kimura Tae, Matsuo Reiko, Tsukayama Masane
NETWORK: FUJI TV
DURATION: (11 episodes) October 11, 1999 through December 20, 1999
THEME SONG:  "DIAMOND DUST" by Himuro Kyosuke
* DOWNLOAD SYNOPSIS (NOTE: Synopsis contains spoiler / PDF - Download Adobe Acrobat reader to view)
REVIEWS:  

It was probably among the best dramas of the October-December 1999 season.  I just finished watching the finale of "Kori-no Sekai" (World of Ice) starring Takenouchi Yutaka, Matsushima Nanako, Uchida Yuki, Nakamura Toru and more.  A drama written by award-winning screenwriter Nozawa Hisashi who
was responsible for the 1998 fall hit, "Nemureru Mori" (The Sleeping Forest).
     Nozawa is confident that this drama will be surpass his previous hit and the question is does it?
     In my opinion, the answer is "yes" and after watching the final episode, the only thing that can come out of my mouth is the Keanu Reeves expression, "whoah!".
The drama is about Hirokawa Eiki (played by Takenouchi) who is an investigator for Rose Life Insurance who is attracted to the beautiful
geology teacher, Egi Tohko.  Unfortunately, this woman may have been responsible for several deaths.
     For 11 episodes, similar to "Nemureru Mori" as a viewer you go through your mind of "who is the killer?".  For those who watched "Nemureru Mori",
many people were shocked with the finale and this drama does the same. 
     The finale is like one emotional rollercoaster which immediately keeps you in suspense from beginning to ending.  Who is the killer?  One segment
when police and Eiki's ex-girlfriend Shono Tsukiko (played by Uchida Yuki) who is tailing Tohko dissappears and in your mind you wonder...."no..it
can't be her!" or could it?
     There are other characters through this drama who you may think may be responsible but in the end, when you find out who the true killer is and the
motive, I was shocked.
     Without revealing too much about this drama to the viewer, I highly recommend this drama.  This has to be the most powerful performance I have
seen from Matsushima Nanako and for those who criticize her, this drama shows the woman can act.
     Another thing that made me happy is to see Uchida Yuki in a drama that doesn't suck.   For many years I have waited for her to be in a powerful
drama and it truly brings tears to my eyes (j/k).   Perhaps this may jumpstart her career.
     What about chief Ujou Takeshi (played by Nakamura Toru)?  His acting in "Nemureru Mori" and "Last Inning" convinced me that the guy has a lot going
for him and his facial expressions in the finale was well done.  I wonder if he will appear in the next Nozawa drama.
      Now, what about Takenouchi Yutaka?  The man!  Well, as much as I enjoy his dramas, it's like all his characters in each drama I have seen are
similar (aside from his character in "Long Vacation").  His acting was as usual, pretty good.  That's why he's always in the popular dramas aside from
Mr. KimuTaku.
     If there was one scene that brought a horrid flashback was the jumping out of the helicopter.  Those "Kono yo no Hate" memories came back and for
those who have seen that drama, you know what happened to Honami's character.
     So, how do I rank this drama?  I have to say that I rank it in my top 50 of the few hundred of dramas I have seen since the mid-80's.  It's really
that good!  Of course, you don't want to bring your highly analytical friends who would want to debate with you on the effects of not breathing
for more than 6 minutes and how a person would be brain damaged at that point but what it comes down to is It's a drama for goodness sakes and
"Kori-no Sekai" is one hell of a good drama!