Water Boys II

I've recently finished watching Water Boys II and thought of recommending it to those who miss school life (like me) and those who needs some morale booster.

It's a Jap drama (only 12 episodes) on a group of High School boys trying to start a boys' sports club in school, that is, the 'Synchro Swimming Club'. It's not directly linked to the Water Boys movie and the story takes place in a formerly all-girls' school which had opened its doors to male students.

I was inspired by the characters in the show. At first, it was rather frustrating seeing them making silly mistakes and failing in their efforts to convince the school to start a Synchro Club. But without these obstacles and failures, their passion might not have grown, the team's spirit might not have become stronger and their final success might not be as sweet and triumphant. And perhaps, we might not have grown so attached to the characters as well :)

Episodes after episodes, the tension and expectations build up, we see them getting embarrassed, being betrayed by peers, feeling dejected, lost... and I felt disappointed seeing them falter and making 'unnecessary' and 'silly' mistakes.

Looking at how stressful and competitive the society is now, it's hard to allow yourself or your loved ones to make mistakes, let alone to fail. Sometimes, we learn more from our mistakes and in fact, sometimes we gain more through failures. That is one strong message from this show. How many of us dare to fail? And if we do, what's next?

How forgiving are we towards mistakes made by others, our loved ones and even ourselves? I do get very upset when my loved ones, especially myself, make certain mistakes. To bear a grudge over it takes up a lot of your energy and is certainly unhealthy. I'm glad I have short term memories ;p What moves me is their benevolence and kindness in extending their help to the very ones who were against them. Naturally, in the show, these boys managed to win their trust and admiration and eventually their support.

The passion, determination, enthusiasm and optimism of the members, including the teacher, moves me and inspires me. Despite Yes, it brought tears (including Uncle Tan ;p) but much laughter as well. It's unlike those sobby dramas & you'll be able to relate to it. It reminds me of my school days which were very much cherished and missed.

I admired the unwavering spirit and optimism regardless of how bad the situation was in trying to reach their goal. It's not even about winning in a competition. It's merely about achieving something, that strong desire to want to do something, despite the challenges and impossibilities, so that they can live life without regrets. Seriously, this show has sort of sent some invisible impulses to me that I feel like doing something... haha ;p Perhaps it's a wake up call for me to start to do something about fulfilling my dream...

Besides focusing on their struggles to form the club, the story also focussed on parent-child relationships and how each of them tried to follow their dreams. Most of the time, we are forced to grow up faster than we are supposed to be. We have to face the so-called reality as we grow older. And reality is always about results and practicality. And our dreams seem to drift further from us as we grow older.

Are dreams still dreams if they are fulfilled?

Do hope you could watch this show and enjoy walking down memory lane :)

The last episode is really a shiokadoo episode if you are dying to watch their successful performance after their many failed attempts :) Oh, and I love the song at the end of each episode. It makes you feel like putting everything down and just run :)

"There are many things in life that have caught your eye, but no many have captured your heart. Pursue those."