DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Hello everyone,

I just wanted say that I appreciate you visiting my blog. I realized that hits on my site have slowly increased over the past year. I still remember when I was super excited about the first few clicks on my site in which I later realized were my own clicks...

Anyway, due to my final year (actually 9 months) in school, I will be very busy and I probably won't be able to post anything new for awhile, sorry!

But my love for dramas is so great that after I graduate I will be relentlessly blogging afterwards.

Take care and see you soon!

HAKEN NO HINKAKU (ハケンの品格)

Winter 2007

"Haken No Hinkaku" loosely translates to "a temporary worker's dignity" is about a temporary worker named Oomae Haruko (Shinohara Ryoko) who is highly skilled and maintains an A+ class ranking among her peers. In an ever increasing global economy, businesses need to stay competitive at all costs. In order to do so, full-time employees are laid off and cost effective temporary staff are hired. At S&F, a young man named Satonaka Kensuke (Koizumi Kotaro) is promoted to manage the newly created marketing division. For support, Oomae Haruko, Mori Miyuki (Kato Ai), and Kin Kosaku (Kamiji Yusuke) are hired to help out temporarily. Oomae works efficiently, but with somewhat of a chip on her shoulder especially when it comes to dealing with full-time employees. She  never works overtime, only works for three months per contract, and never socializes with her coworkers. But strangely for the first time as a temporary worker, she soon finds herself involved in her coworkers' affairs more than ever.

Recommendation: This drama still portrays the sign of the times. I personally was a temporary worker having to prove myself for six months to get a full-time position with benefits. I thought the drama did very well in showing the differing attitudes and perspectives of temporary staff. Shinohara Ryoko is a talented actress and she killed this role. It was filled with comedy and inspiring moments without the mushiness. The actors had good chemistry and each episode was well made. Oomae Haruko is basically a super hero in an office setting, but even super heroes are vulnerable and have weaknesses which she learns and grows from. I especially liked episode six when Oomae had to wear the heart headgear and make a cute speech; it was so hilarious. I have to put this series up there with my faves. I watched it twice and it was as good as watching it for the first time!

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

SEIGI NO MIKATA (正義の味方)

Summer 2008

Looking for something off the beaten path, I picked this drama called "Seigi No Mikata" or Ally of Justice starring Shida Mirai as Nakata Yoko and Yamada Yu as Nakata Mariko. The story is about two sisters who have quite an extreme relationship. The older sister Mariko is a beautiful and smart woman, but underneath the glamour lies a cunning and deceiving manipulator. Once she sets her eyes on something, she is determined to obtain it no matter the cost. The younger sister Yoko is a sweet and loyal girl who is constantly harassed like a slave by Mariko to do her evil bidding. Ironically, whenever Mariko acts on her "evil" instincts, people around her benefit from it. One day Mariko meets a handsome young man named Yoshikawa Naoki (Mukai Osamu). Determined to marry him, Mariko sends her younger sister to investigate every little detail about Naoki. Yoko is first reluctant to do her bidding, but realizes that if Mariko marries Naoki and leaves home, she will be free of her sister's demands. All her life, Yoko wanted to expose her sister's evil nature, but now must do everything she can to keep it a secret.

Recommendation: This is the first drama that I've seen with Shida Mirai and Yamada Yu playing main characters and I was quite surprised. Both actresses were very funny and had great chemistry together. This was a light hearted and quirky drama. The facial expressions from both Shida and Yamada were great. Having Mariko's unkind acts develop into good deeds got a bit redundant after awhile, and the characters never change or grow up much, but I found myself laughing a lot at the extreme storyline. Shida Mirai played her role really well and I look forward to watching her again in the near future. Anyone who had a demanding or controlling older sibling can relate to this drama. If you're looking for something light and funny, this drama is for you.

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

MY LITTLE CHEF

Summer 2002

Another past favorite of mine is this drama called "My Little Chef" starring Yada Akiko as Kamosawa Seri. Seri is a young woman who has a talent for cooking. She dreamed of taking on after her father who was a famous chef. One day, she gets an opportunity to work for Etoile, a popular French restaurant. With her step sister, Kamosawa Nazuna (Ueto Aya) tagging along, they find out the restaurant's former manager, Tachibana Kensaku (Abe Hiroshi) who they were supposed to meet no longer worked at Etoile. Kensaku accidentally discovers that Seri has a unique talent as a cook and gambles on her skills by opening a small restaurant called Petit Etoile. Thinking that he can pay off his debts and establish himself as a highly skilled manager again, Kensaku hires other members to work at the restaurant. Little does he know that his bet will drastically change his life forever.

Recommendation: This drama was quite good. I enjoyed the characters even though they didn't develop or grow in a sense, but through their situations, I caught myself rooting for them as they tried to succeed in the food business. The story was unique in that Seri had to meet her customers directly in order to create delicious meals. This was a double edged sword as it was a great selling point, but she could not handle a large amount of customers per day. The directing was formulaic but it had a good if not safe mix of comedy and drama. I understood how food could make people happy and alter the minds of customers, but sometimes I felt it was a bit extreme. Overall, my stomach growled after each episode and the settings in the restaurant and of Nasu looked like something out of a dream. Would I recommend this drama? Ouie!

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

YAMATO NADESHIKO (やまとなでしこ (大和撫子))

Fall 2000

Bringing back a bit of nostalgia from my youth (I know I'm dating myself here) I took a road down memory lane and watched "Yamato Nadeshiko" again. The story is about a young woman named Jinno Sakurako (Matsushima Nanako) who suffered through the harshness of being poor. She vowed to one day marry a rich man and never have to deal with financial problems. Working as a stewardess, she infamously becomes known as the queen of gokkon (group dating) dragging her co-workers to join her in finding the perfect man to help her attain her materialistic dreams. Things start to unravel when she meets Nakahara Osuke (Tsutsumi Shinichi), a brilliant mathematician who fell on hard times. A sincere and pure hearted man who would do anything for Sakurako, he tries to desperately woo her. Unfortunately she wants no part of him when she discovers how poor he is. But as their lives indirectly intertwine, Sakurako isn't sure what it is, but something other than the power of money draws her more closely to this strange man.

Recommendation: Wow, it's really been awhile since I last saw this drama. I noticed many flaws that I didn't before, but it really doesn't change my impression of the series too much. The framework has been overdone and compared to dramas these days, the story is nothing new, but what makes "Yamato Nadeshiko" special is the draw of Matsushima Nanako. She really was great in this drama. Her beauty is unique and her charm is magnetic. I think this was one of her best works. Whenever I think of Matsushima Nanako, this drama always comes to mind. It's a feel good romantic comedy and has all the parts working like a cliched drama. The characters are great, Tsutsumi Shinichi plays a down on his luck poor man convincingly, and you just have to feel bad for Shiota Wakaba (Yada Akiko) who plays the "girl next door" type exceptionally well. Again the story is nothing new, but it is well made and one that I would put up with the all time classics.

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

STRAWBERRY NIGHT

Winter 2012

I'm so happy to be enjoying my summer break at the moment and my first thought was getting back to watching dramas! I actually heard about "Strawberry Night" from a friend who said she enjoyed the bestseller. The crime drama focuses on Himekawa Reiko (Takeuchi Yuko), a talented detective working for an elite squad within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Being a woman and the leader of her team, she endures ridicule and disrespect from within the organization. Headstrong and willing to fight for justice, she pushes forward, motivated by personal tragedy. With her deductive skills and powerful intuition, Himekawa and her team work diligently to solve the most heinous of crimes.

Recommendation: I've probably stated this a number of times already, but I enjoy Takeuchi Yuko's acting. That said, I'm not a big fan of crime/detective/mystery dramas, but "Strawberry Night" I have to admit was one of the better ones that I've seen. The format at first was a bit awkward in terms of having a few episodes concentrating on one story instead of having a new story per episode. It was a good idea though as it added more depth to each story. The cases were quite interesting and even though Himekawa uses her intuition a lot, I think the way the crimes were solved required "real" detective work. Most of the episodes were well paced and I liked the creative often subtle scene transitions which I don't see a lot in dramas. For example, there was a scene showing the number 11 and it slowly changed into a set of railroad tracks, or a scene of pouring rain suddenly changed into a scene with a character shaking a mix of juice for a cocktail and finally a scene showing a character buying a drink from a vending machine and just before the can pops out the scene changes to a pachinko parlor showing pachinko balls coming out of a machine instead. So the directing was well done, but I can't say much for the acting. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, but I couldn't help myself thinking that Takeuchi Yuko's scenes of anger or irritation felt forced. Maybe it's because I've never seen her in this type of role before. I am also biased in admitting that I don't like Nishijima Hidetoshi that much. He played Kikuta Kazuo which in my opinion was a bad choice for a huge role. I watched him in a drama called "Koinu No Waltz" and I had a choice of either falling asleep or bang my head against a wall to stay awake whenever he spoke in his monotone voice with his expressionless face. In this drama, he does improve in terms of voice fluctuation/frequency, but not much in terms of his facial expressions. I would have liked to see some kind of back story involving Kikuta just like they did with Hayama Noriyuki. Overall this drama was pretty good, but I didn't lose any sleep over it. I watched the first movie before watching the drama and I look forward to watching the second movie which is supposed to come out soon. If you like Takeuchi Yuko or crime dramas I recommend this one.

Story: 1.0
Acting: 0.5
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 0.5

3.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

NAKANAI TO KIMETA HI (泣かないと決めた日)

Winter 2010

Okay really, one more drama and I'll return to full study mode. Nakanai To Kimeta Hi is a story about a young woman named Tsunoda Miki (Eikura Nana) who lands her first job at a prestigious company only to find herself the target of bullying by her co-workers and superiors. When she makes a few mistakes, nobody believes in her abilities to do her job and she is constantly harassed and ridiculed. To support her family she is determined to endure the cruelty, but going to work each day becomes more than tortuous. Losing confidence and her courage running thin, she finds a few allies to lend her support and she begins to realize that through her determination to never give up, she will not only change herself, but others as well.

Recommendation: So after being impressed by watching Eikura Nana in a previous drama, I had to see her again in another show. I thought she played her role quite well in this drama and it was an exciting one as well. The underlying themes of never giving up and holding on to your values was strong and I enjoyed the pace. However, I got a bit bored by the usual "innocent, uncorrupted, straightforward character eventually melting the hearts of her enemies" type of story line. There were some cheesy moments and it felt too idealistic/unrealistic at times for my taste even for a drama. I also disliked the outcome between Nakahara Shota (Kaname Jun) and Tsunoda. *Spoiler Alert* In my mind, I can't believe that Nakahara stayed with Tachibana Marika (Anne) even after finding out how evil she was. She even tried to kill Tsunoda and she didn't go to jail, but still got to be with the guy in the end with no consequences. Hmm, I didn't like that at all. Anyway, with the exception of a few holes in the story, I thought it was well made and I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the resolve to overcome their problems. I recommend this drama as it may resonate with many people who have experienced working with a difficult co-worker or company.

Story: 0.5
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

SAIKOU NO JINSEI NO OWARIKATA ~ Ending Planner ~ (最高の人生の終り方~エンディングプランナー~)

Winter 2012

Okay, so before I totally refocus on studying I was able to fit one more drama into my tight schedule. I was looking forward to watching this recent Yamapi drama which also included Eikura Nana; I haven't seen her since Proposal Daisakusen. I also like Sorimachi Takashi and I was curious to see how Maeda Atsuko would do since it would be my first time watching her in a drama as well. The story focuses on the second son Ihara Masato (Tomohisa Yamashita) of a director who owns a funeral home. Masato left home 4 years prior and the eldest son, Ihara Kento (Sorimachi Takashi) who helped around the funeral home business, recently disappeared without a trace. The eldest daughter, Ihara Haruka (Maeda Atsuko) took responsibility to help her father with the business while the youngest siblings, Ihara Hayato and Ihara Momoko remain indifferent to the business. Their father suddenly passes away and Masato is forced to decide whether or not to close the business that he despised all his life or to take it over and keep it running. Through a series of dramatic, life altering experiences, Masato comes to realize that there is more to the funeral business than just death and sadness.

Recommendation: If you are looking for a tearjerker you have come to the right place. I thought the cast played their roles quite well and the story was deep and thoughtful, but ultimately I ended up not being able to fully immerse myself into this bittersweet drama. It's not all sad and depressing as the characters interact in lightly placed comedic scenes. I believe the story sends a strong message about the intricacies of life and death. People regret and misunderstand each other and tend to miss opportunities to resolve relationship issues until it's too late, but the living still need to move on and there is always a lesson to be learned when someone dies. Overall, I liked the characters and the depth of the story, but from the first few episodes I felt that the incidents' occurring were too coincidental/unbelievable even for a drama. The direction of the story was a bit awkward as it focused on the complexities of running a funeral business, to resolving family issues and changing into a full blown mystery/detective story with a dash of paranormal activity. There were also a few scenes that were too mushy for my taste. Still it kept me interested, and some of the scenes with the family coming together were both priceless and heart wrenching. The ratings were unfortunately sub par, but I thought it was worth my time. I was surprised to see Eikura Nana play a major role. I think she is a good actress and had nice chemistry with Yamashita Tomohisa.

Story: 1.0
Acting: 0.5
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

LUCKY SEVEN

Winter 2012

I apologize as I've recently been busy with school so I haven't seen any drama's recently, but I just had a short break and chose to review Lucky Seven. The story revolves around a small and humble detective agency with six members that eventually recruits a seventh member, Tokita Shuntaro played by Matsumoto Jun. He is a overconfident and brash young man who is an "expert" at wooing women. Never able to hold a job for long, he encounters Nitta Teru (Eita) and the other members of the detective agency by being a suspect in a case involving a love scandal. Fujisaki Touko (Matsushima Nanako) who heads the agency perceives a few qualities that she likes in Shuntaro and offers him an opportunity to work for her. As he goes through various cases, he learns to grow not only as a skilled detective, but also as a human being.

Recommendation: I have to be honest in saying that I was looking forward to this drama because I'm a big fan of Eita and Matsushima Nanako. Both of them just recently had great success with Soredemo Ikite Yuku and Kaseifu No Mita respectively and of course Matsumoto Jun is always a draw. Unfortunately, I would have to say that I felt unlucky after watching Lucky Seven and I wish I chose a different drama to watch during my short break. Besides the first and last episodes, there was nothing particularly interesting about the drama. The characters were underdeveloped, many cases were boring and didn't involve creative detective work, and Eita was missing in 4 episodes out of ten! He wasn't in a lot of scenes in the last episode either. I think they underutilized Matsushima Nanako's character and I was annoyed mostly by Oizumi Yo and Naka Riisa's characters as well. Other than Shuntaro and Nitta being cool, strong and smart, what special detective skills did the other members have? Kayano was the IT guru, but her character was also bland. The drama didn't take the time to show a personal side to these characters and a lot of the friendship scenes seemed forced and crudely edited. If I had to pick out one positive, I thought the martial art action scenes with Shuntaro and Eita were well done, but really the last episode was the only interesting story to me; by then I just wanted it all to be over. I would have to sadly state that you won't be missing anything here as it was mostly uninspiring detective glop.

Story: 0.5
Acting: 0.5
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 0.5

2.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

SOREDEMO, IKITE YUKU (それでも、生きてゆく)

Summer 2011

Soredemo, Ikite Yuku or loosely translated as "Even So, I Will Live On" is a story revolving around a murder of a young girl named Fukami Aki. The murderer, Toyama Fumiya happened to be a friend of Fukami Aki's older brother. 15 years after the incident, the older brother, Fukami Hiroki unknowingly meets with Toyama Fumiya's younger sister, Toyama Futaba. Both the families involved in the tragedy live with grief, despair and deep regret. Despite a sorrowful past, Hiroki and Futaba seek a path of hope for their families and for themselves to move forward with their lives.

Recommendation: Although I usually skip sad dramas I really enjoyed this one. The acting, the depth of the characters, the complex story, the different perspectives of the tragedy from both the victim's family and the criminal's family were so well done. It is heavy, but there are some funny and quirky scenes as well. It is not mainly about the tragedy itself, but more of how the families of both sides of the tragedy live on. The story also hit home in a way because I personally went through a tragic event 15 years ago so it was strangely coincidental. The ratings weren't very high, but the drama as well as Eita who played Fukami Hiroki, the screenplay, and the director all won awards at the 70th Television Drama Academy Awards. I don't know all the contestants for best actress, but I think Mitsushima Hikari who played Toyama Futaba may have been robbed. She's an excellent actress. The story too was a complex one with an ending that I didn't expect. I thought there would be more of a resolution regarding Toyama Fumiya and between Hiroki and Futaba, but looking back I think the ending made the story more authentic in a way. Personally, I would like to see a special as I was really attached to the characters. Bravo for such a well made drama!

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

NAZOTOKI WA DINNER NO ATODE (謎解きはディナーのあとで)

Fall 2011

Nazotoki Wa Dinner No Atode or (loosely translated as) Solving Mysteries After Dinner is a mystery/comedy drama about Reiko Hosho (Kitagawa Keiko), a rookie detective who is actually the heiress to the uber wealthy Hosho Group. Having to work murder cases under an inept detective named Kazamatsuri, she begrudgingly asks her newly hired butler Kageyama (Sho Sakurai) to assist in solving cases. Kageyama is not only a reliable butler, but to her amazement he is quite brilliant in deductive reasoning. Having a lot of pride, Reiko has a tough time handling criticism from her own butler, but she begins to realize that there is much more to learn from Kageyama than just solving mysteries.

This series was actually quite good. It was the first time I watched Sho Sakurai act and I was surprised to see him play a pleasant mannered butler very well. I'm not a huge fan of Keiko Kitagawa's acting, but both actors had good chemistry and it was enjoyable to watch. As a mystery/comedy, each episode was light hearted despite most of the cases involving murder. The CG worked for the most part and Kippei Shiina who played the non-sensical Kazamatsuri was, well non-sensical. I have a feeling that there will be a second season as I think there is room for the main characters to grow and their relationship to develop further. If you're interested in watching something that can be funny and is not heavy despite the stories being about crime then this drama is for you, but take your time as you may want to decide after dinner!

P.S. - As far as I can remember, in all the dramas I watched with an Arashi member, another Arashi member would pop out in the last episode playing a small role. In this case, I didn't notice it happening.

Story: 1.0
Acting: 0.5
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns