Tuesday, September 21, 2010

KABACHITARE



Winter 2001

Re-watching this drama brought back some good memories. One interesting thing about watching older dramas is that I often forget other actors who played supporting roles early in their careers. I couldn't believe how skinny Yamapi was and he still had some baby fat around his cheeks. Yamada Yu, Shinohara Ryoko, Tsumabuki Satoshi are so young and Toyohara Kyosuke who I remember well in Densha Otoko and Innocent Love also played a small role in the series.

Nostalgia aside, I wasn't so impressed by the series itself. The story revolves around Tamura Nozomi (Tokiwa Takako) and Sakaeda Chiharu (Fukatsu Eri). Nozomi is a free spirit, believing in the goodness of people, living positively and being grateful for the little things in life. Chiharu on the other hand works for a small law firm and never believes in people, only the law. As fate has it, both mismatched characters meet and their lives come crashing together. Although their personalities and views on life differ, they are somehow able to complement one another as they help various clients through their legal problems.

I enjoyed the acting of both Tokiwa Takako and Fukatsu Eri and respect what they can do on the set as they had great chemistry, but there were many scenes of bickering and I felt myself getting tired and annoyed by their incessant small talk about love and other problems. Also, I didn't feel like the characters developed very well. Nozomi and Chiharu's relationship deepened as the drama progressed, but they didn't seem to change or grow as much as I wanted them to. I also know that Nozomi is supposed to be a cheerful person, but I felt Tokiwa Takako overplayed her character. Episode 8 and 9 about the abusive husband was quite controversial, and I don't remember exactly which episode it was, but there was a scene of a naked Yamapi for any curious girls who are Yamapi fans.

Recommendation: I do recommend this drama if you're not looking for anything too serious. As I said before, it was a bit nostalgic to see so many good actors in their youth so if that floats your boat by all means check it out. There are some difficult terms and legalize as well for viewers who are into law. Other than that it had its comedic moments of ridiculousness, but it was also a bit drawn out and over the top.

STORY: 0.5
ACTING: 0.5
DIRECTING: 0.5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 0.5
EMOTIONAL FACTOR: 1.0

3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

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