tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33219997347820870612024-02-18T21:32:13.527-05:00DRAMA KINGDJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-53669197257769105202020-09-27T00:58:00.005-04:002020-09-27T01:00:39.742-04:00YUKO TAKEUCHI PASSES AWAY AT 40...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ20t4ZGQXzPCzcJyst7Et-PcFw88_fLayyisugSQqv0Cdy0jbCHeVNeBjGI0KiGtVZruj0lzRFokRDCwG8sOyW10FTsNFNl7bgXijvNURnOjFJ1970CYhrxBnbp9_mrwPpXm_hhNs16u3/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="352" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ20t4ZGQXzPCzcJyst7Et-PcFw88_fLayyisugSQqv0Cdy0jbCHeVNeBjGI0KiGtVZruj0lzRFokRDCwG8sOyW10FTsNFNl7bgXijvNURnOjFJ1970CYhrxBnbp9_mrwPpXm_hhNs16u3/" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I think most people will agree that 2020 has really been a trying year. Due to the challenges we have all faced on a global scale, I reflected on what my priorities are in life more than ever. I'm sure most of us have had those moments where we feel like we're not productive or feel like we wish we were doing something more exciting. It's especially difficult when we can't visit family or friends or heal ourselves spiritually/emotionally at our favorite hangout spots. Most of the time, I generally think that celebrities have everything they want, that they've succeeded in life and have it better than most of us. They're beautiful, charming and have this mysterious aura about them, like they're not human but, almost godly in a way that they can't be touched by mere mortals. Recently with the passing of Haruma Miura about 2 months ago and now Yuko Takeuchi among others, I think it's fair to say the obvious; that celebrities are really just like anyone of us. We're all human, trying our best to figure out how to navigate through the challenges of life. Takeuchi-san was truly one of my favorite Japanese actresses of all time. She seemed so down to earth and professional. Her smile could light up the whole universe. My favorite drama is still Pride and hearing about her death just grinded my heart to a halt. Of course I will never know who she really was and when something like this happens, the usual reaction is of shock and confusion. All we can do is attempt to piece together why she decided to end her life at such an early age even though we will never know for sure. I'm trying to focus more on things that I have control over and less on things that I can't control. With that said, it is very hard to not think about this unfortunate event. As I get older, I feel that many things in life seem rather meaningless. Life is already short and I think it's up to each one of us to find some sort of personal meaning, a goal or mission to live life to the best of our ability. I feel saddened that she was going through such despair but, I thank her for leaving us with amazing memories of her work. May she rest in peace. </p><p><br /></p>DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-88822577497179067802020-09-26T00:47:00.006-04:002020-09-26T00:48:46.476-04:00NIGERU WA HAJI DA GA YAKU NI TATSU (THE FULL TIME WIFE ESCAPIST)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbShuCx_gidSWDIQENqRr0Whz8iqf-mSJ4ZuU-Fc4eyKWJKBhw069LpE3931xW4KNrKh1wGCLKhMHYertCu_ZlMXU73poa7xttr1J_AKukPIyua5WidW2Cd7dbbpyqrLsN72nbN-757ry/s380/380px-Nigeru_wa_Haji_da_ga_Yaku_ni_Tatsu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbShuCx_gidSWDIQENqRr0Whz8iqf-mSJ4ZuU-Fc4eyKWJKBhw069LpE3931xW4KNrKh1wGCLKhMHYertCu_ZlMXU73poa7xttr1J_AKukPIyua5WidW2Cd7dbbpyqrLsN72nbN-757ry/s320/380px-Nigeru_wa_Haji_da_ga_Yaku_ni_Tatsu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fall 2016</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yui Aragaki plays Mikuri Moriyama, a tenacious young woman that often immerses herself in delusional thinking that thwarts her good intentions. She loses her job and in her desperation becomes a housekeeper for a young business man named Hiramasa Tsuzaki played by Gen Hoshino. At first, their relationship is strictly work related, but as they find each other useful for their own needs, they somehow end up in a precarious situation as employer and employee and decide to marry to keep the relationship from dissolving. The longer they stay together, the more they realize that maybe there is more to this relationship than strictly work. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recommendation: So if you watch Japanese dramas, you most likely know who "Gakky" is. I think playing a cute and awkward young woman suits her. I heard the dance she does during the ending theme song became a bit of a trend. I've never watched a drama with Gen Hoshino, but I can say that I think he played a typical, well mannered, single, 35 year old male quite well. The adjustment of his glasses became his quirky habit. This is a good drama if you want to watch something romantic that is not heavy. It's fast paced and easily binge worthy. The premise is interesting because it starts off with two people marrying in order to maintain an employer/employee relationship which then predictably switches the other way around. Other than that the plot is nothing new in terms of the usual romantic comedy. There is good chemistry between the leads and it showcased good production value and editing. I think the drama promotes marriage, but doesn't stray from the fact that it's not the end all be all of a relationship and there are other types of relationships that exist out there. The story also stresses the fact that marriage is the beginning of something new and that there will be ups and downs no matter what. I'm glad I watched this drama as it was still entertaining despite being predictable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Story: 0.5</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Acting: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Directing: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Character Development: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Emotional Factor: 1.0</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p><br /></p>DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-75138004810225046012020-09-15T23:15:00.001-04:002020-09-15T23:16:11.764-04:00ITSUKA KONO KOI WO OMOIDASHITE KITTO NAITE SHIMAU (LOVE THAT MAKES YOU CRY)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6GZisfxgk5MkoT9L5IeqTCJZTzhiscDaN3BPIsmJX6VppjoL04huqIPnp1Jx7ZeE_pQ2a_CSVC1hjzqEjN-rjWHZKIy0UkTHdy5hF0mKMJKJDsbTKo1xVmptKTSb7ZQwu0h9_d4e670N/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="340" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6GZisfxgk5MkoT9L5IeqTCJZTzhiscDaN3BPIsmJX6VppjoL04huqIPnp1Jx7ZeE_pQ2a_CSVC1hjzqEjN-rjWHZKIy0UkTHdy5hF0mKMJKJDsbTKo1xVmptKTSb7ZQwu0h9_d4e670N/" width="251" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Winter 2016</p><p>Okay guys, so I had to watch another Kasumi Arimura drama because I really liked Chukagusei Nikki. I also added her to my top actresses section. I'm currently watching Biri Gyaru, which is a movie that she is starring in and she is playing a character entirely different from these two dramas that I finished watching. She definitely has range and I hope she keeps acting more into the future. So Kasumi Arimura plays a young girl named Oto Sugihara. At a young age, she lost her mother and was sent to live with her uncle in Hokkaido. She grows up there and lives day to day in a small town without any big dreams or hopes. Ren Soda played by Kengo Kora was raised by his grandfather who was a daikon farmer. Ren wasn't particularly fond of school or hanging out with friends and simply wanted to devote his time supporting his grandfather on his farm. Unfortunately, his grandfather was scammed and he lost his property. Ren decides to leave for Tokyo to raise enough money to one day buy back his grandfather's farmland. Through a twist of fate, both Oto and Ren's lives are interconnected in Hokkaido and their actions open a new and unfamiliar path for both of them. </p><p>Recommendation: So, off the bat I just have to say that this is one of my favorite dramas, HOWEVER, what is up with the title! This is my only real major complaint as I think it would be more memorable if the title was 99% shorter. That said, Arimura and Kora have quite a nice chemistry. Yes, it is another story about star crossed lovers that I've seen countless times, but it works. Now, the drama is far from perfect and some of the acting could have been better, but it definitely lives up to the long name. I really wasn't sure half the time whether the two leads would end up together or not so it was a nail biter for me in that sense. I recommend this drama if you want to watch another love story. It's nothing new, but I think when done well, these types of dramas always work and that's probably why they keep getting made. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Story: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Acting: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Directing: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Character Development: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Emotional Factor: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-77243004516128949242020-09-14T23:56:00.016-04:002020-09-15T22:35:21.422-04:00CHUGAKUSEI NIKKI (MEET ME AFTER SCHOOL)<p> <img src="https://wiki.d-addicts.com/images/thumb/d/d0/Chugakusei_Front.jpg/300px-Chugakusei_Front.jpg" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Fall 2018</p><p>This drama is about a woman named Hijiri Suenaga played by Kasumi Arimura. She just started her first job as a middle school teacher. She is inexperienced and is not the most confident person in the world, but she is passionate about her work. Unfortunately, she encounters a quirky student in her class, Akira Kuroiwa, played by Kenshi Okada. He seems to be indifferent to her at first, but gradually develops feelings for Hijiri. She dismisses him and his feelings especially since he's only 15 years old and she already plans to marry her fiance, Shotaro. Due to Akira's persistence and Hijiri trying to be a dependable teacher, a bond begins to form, a forbidden bond that goes beyond the relationship between student and teacher. </p><p>Recommendation: So as I stated before, I haven't written on this site for over five years so my mind needs to adjust to the format and my reviews may be more than slightly off. First of all, I would just like to say that I've never seen Kasumi Arimura in any drama, or I just might not have remembered her. That said, I'm really happy that I watched this drama. I believe she is a breath of fresh air even though she's been in the business for awhile. I think she has strong screen presence that draws you into a show. I also liked Kenshi Okada and I'm not totally sure, but I think this was his first main role as an actor. They both had great chemistry and I think the plot of the story is intriguing since it is definitely pushing the edge when dealing with love and minors. Obviously this is fiction, but I think I would have been upset at Hijiri for not being able to handle the situation as a mature adult and basically cut ties with Akira. It's definitely a difficult topic to explore and watching this drama really makes you feel bad for each character involved. From the two lovers who are forbidden to express their affection, to Akira's mother who just wants to protect her only child. I felt terrible for Shotaro the most in a way, but in the end, each character was able to grow and mature in their own way as the years go by. As much as I loved this drama, I just felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I mean I don't know how I would have ended it, but I was craving for a little more. Mostly in the beginning, there were times when the show seemed to switch to lighthearted scenes that threw me off a bit since the theme, in my opinion is quite serious. Alas, I totally recommend this drama if you're looking for something romantic, forbidden, heart wrenching, but satisfying in the end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Story: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Acting: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Directing: 0.5</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Character Development: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Emotional Factor: 1.0</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div>DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-39844347328102234932020-09-13T01:31:00.001-04:002020-09-15T00:10:40.933-04:00I'M BACK<p>Wow, it's been a long time. My last drama review was over five years ago. During that time, a few things happened. Mainly, my wife gave birth to my daughter. I don't remember if that was the only reason why I stopped writing, but I also believe it was because I felt a little tired or maybe disillusioned about Japanese dramas. Especially these days it's hard to keep up with all the entertainment that is available at our finger tips. I love movies and TV shows on Netflix and other platforms. It was hard to come back to this space and invest time watching Japanese shows. But alas, I can only say that fate brought me back. Basically out of the blue, I looked up my favorite actor Kimura Takuya and realized that not only is he now 47 years old, but he's continued to dedicate some time in his busy life to act in dramas. So I quickly watched Grand Maison Tokyo, which I will review and now I feel like writing again. Now, life has definitely changed these past five years so I won't be able to post as much as I used to, but I hope to continue this strange passion until I develop arthritis. It's so strange to see actors and actresses like Yamapi, Gakky, Toda Erika, Eikura Nana and Eita etc. in their 30's and see new faces like Arimura Kasumi doing amazing things. Well, I guess she's actually been in the business for quite some time, but I've never seen her work until recently. Like anything, people come and go and as I get older, my tastes have changed as well. I hope to continue here and there and keep this hobby up as long as I can. </p>DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-90610183075219988302015-04-19T22:28:00.001-04:002015-04-19T22:28:42.654-04:00ZETTAI KARESHI (絶対彼氏)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring 2008</div>
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Zettai Kareshi is about a young, single woman named Riko Izawa (Saki Aibu); a temporary staffer with relationship issues that works for a giant dessert company. One day, an "electrician" named Gaku Namikiri (Kuranosuke Sasaki) from Kronos Heaven offers a free trial to test a new ideal lover robot to Riko. Being a little tipsy and frustrated that night, she doesn't fully comprehend what she was getting herself into, but signed the papers to test the robot out. The next day the robot "01" is delivered to her door with instructions that requires a kiss from a human to activate it. Riko thinks it ridiculous but abides by the rules and leaves for work. Later, a sexy man follows her around embarrassingly stating that he is her ideal boyfriend. Riko calls the robot Tenjo Night and thinks of him as just another expensive appliance, but as Tenjo's unwavering devotion begins to affect her, she realizes that her heart is receiving mixed emotions as she's also drawn to her good looking boss, Soshi Asamoto (Hiro Mizushima). </div>
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Recommendation: I heard about this drama a few years ago and reading the synopsis I wasn't interested in another love triangle romcom that screamed "cliche!" But I found it on YouTube recently and realized Saki Aibu and Hiro Mizushima were in it. Being a fan of both actors and just finishing up "Mei Chan No Shitsuji" that starred Mizushima, I checked out the first episode and got hooked right away. This drama was hard for me to rate for different reasons. First, the story is definitely nothing new (with the possible exception that a robot is part of a love triangle) and the style of directing and witty script have been seen and done. But with the actors all doing an exceptional job, I felt like it was executed very well overall. I really enjoyed every episode. In this case the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies here. The drama is full of wit, interesting characters, and heart breaking moments (no pun intended). Although I did see the special episode which possibly could be episode 12 that came out the following year, but I think they should have left the ending at episode 11 so I'm not counting episode 12 in my ranking as it was kind of a useless story in my opinion. If you like a good, fun romantic comedy that also includes some thought provoking moments than this drama is one to watch. I'm always rooting for Saki Aibu to get more notoriety in the awards department but she was up against some heavy hitters from dramas like "Change", "Gokusen 3", and "Last Friends" that season and I think she was robbed of a TV drama academy award for her role in "Kaseifu No Mita." </div>
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Story: 1.0</div>
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Acting: 1.0</div>
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Directing: 1.0</div>
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Character Development: 1.0</div>
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Emotional Factor: 1.0</div>
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5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div>
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DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-78323013359644752432015-04-10T23:12:00.000-04:002015-04-10T23:36:48.327-04:00MEI CHAN NO SHITSUJI (メイちゃんの執事)<br />
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Winter 2009<br />
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This drama is about a young girl named Mei Shinonome (Nana Eikura) who was living an ordinary life helping her parents run a small udon shop. Her family was poor but she was grateful to have loving parents and friends. Unfortunately one day her parents are killed in a fire that destroys the udon shop and her life is turned upside down. Even more, a strange young man named Rihito Shibata (Hiro Mizushima) suddenly appears and tells her that he has come to serve her as her personal butler. She finds out that she is related to the great Hongo family and that she must attend the exclusive St. Lucia Girl's Academy where all the students have butlers to care for them. Kento Shibata (Takeru Sato), her longtime friend enrolls as an apprentice butler to stay close to her. At the school, she is met with disdain from all the girls and Mei begins to doubt her new position. She then meets the beautiful and mysterious Lucia (Yu Yamada) who is the leader of the highest ranking Sole class. Lucia comforts Mei at first but will she help Mei get acquainted to her new life as a wealthy heiress or is Lucia planning something more sinister behind the scenes? In any case, both Rihito and Kento do there utmost to protect her.<br />
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Recommendation: I was interested in the drama because Nana Eikura is one of my favorite actresses. I was also surprised to see some familiar faces such as Hiro Mizushima, Yu Yamada, Osamu Mukai, and even Shiori Kutsuna (although she had a minor role). It was also the first time I saw Takeru Sato and I think he was the best actor in this drama and made it more fun to watch. This drama is based on a popular girl's manga and it is adapted so that it reflects a manga style. Honestly, I wish there were less dramas that try this because I don't think it works well. On the other hand, I'm a guy and this drama is probably geared towards young girls so I might be totally wrong here. In any case, I found the plot to be formulaic as Mei is hated at first, but starts to gain confidants as she helps her fellow classmates one by one to deal with their personal problems. The story is too much of a fantasy for me to swallow and it was difficult to immerse myself in a strange world of super wealthy girls, duels and hard rules against love between butlers and their masters. I did enjoy the acting from the main stars and love triangles that develop between them. If you are into "manga-esque" romantic comedy dramas with an eccentric story-line than this may be one to take a look at.<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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3.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-10293908807122934362015-04-04T12:46:00.000-04:002015-04-10T23:36:22.908-04:00HERO 2<br />
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Summer 2014<br />
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After being transferred to other districts, Kohei Kuryu (Takuya Kimura) the charismatic public prosecutor returns to Josai branch of the Tokyo district prosecutor's office. Old and new faces greet him including his beautiful new assistant Chika Asagi (Keiko Kitagawa). Will the branch be able to tolerate Kuryu's meticulous style of seeking truth and justice?<br />
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Recommendation: Well in terms of the ratings it looks like Takuya Kimura is back on top returning as Kohei Kuryu. It was good to see him in a drama that helped solidify his status as a popular actor. In terms of the drama itself though, it's basically the same formula as the original series with some minor cosmetic changes. Honestly, like the first series, I think that Kuryu is just too good at what he does and so there isn't a lot of drama or tension in each episode. I was hoping for more back story from other characters. Even in the first series the supporting cast didn't do much and I hoped that they could of added some special skills for the other members to help Kuryu in a pinch more often. I did begin to enjoy the stories from around episode 9 and I was happy to see the bartender back with his usual "aruyo" cameos, but overall the drama comes off as a bit pretentious and too idealistic for my taste. Still, it's always a pleasure to see Kimura act and Kitagawa wasn't bad either. Strangely, I did miss Kuryu's orange down jacket...<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
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<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-72373282691100692002015-03-26T20:42:00.000-04:002015-04-04T12:20:32.711-04:00HERO<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIwZPXIxuPWqvENhFNr7af3Dnt1o0IQ9C_enQpWlH1tV5YJ7Z6BxpefQe81Pb-cAtLZxzIGNsZa6NxxVXnO-ElvNoNTYoqBUSaJzsu1k0yxmdODokCbnaQPhs5YJuGRMbv0_txadMdsxv/s1600/350px-H2-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIwZPXIxuPWqvENhFNr7af3Dnt1o0IQ9C_enQpWlH1tV5YJ7Z6BxpefQe81Pb-cAtLZxzIGNsZa6NxxVXnO-ElvNoNTYoqBUSaJzsu1k0yxmdODokCbnaQPhs5YJuGRMbv0_txadMdsxv/s1600/350px-H2-banner.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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Winter 2001<br />
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Hero is a drama about a young public prosecutor named Kohei Kuryu (Takuya Kimura) who is transferred to the Josai branch of the Tokyo district prosecutor's office. Kuryu has his own unique style of prosecuting suspects and dresses in a casual style that is frowned upon. He teams up Maiko Amamiya (Takako Matsu) who is an uptight paralegal that has dreams of one day becoming a prosecutor herself. She despises Kuryu at first, especially when she finds out that he only graduated from middle school, but as Kuryu's meticulous style of pursuing justice emanates throughout the office, her perceptions about him slowly begin to change.<br />
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Recommendation: Since the second season of Hero was recently completed, I re-watched the first season that came out 14 years ago. I vaguely remember that Kimura was at the top of his game and starring together again with Takako Matsu must have hyped this drama up. It's funny because I know how popular this drama was and how famous Kimura's orange down jacket became, but after watching it again, I couldn't for the life of me get excited about this drama. It has its funny moments, I like the supporting cast, and Kimura and Matsu are great but the drama as a whole is slow and often boring. Some episodes included cases that just weren't exciting. When I start to see a pattern and know that Kuryu is going to get to the bottom of every case and justice is gonna be served, the suspense is lost. I think when you have a unique character who is too good at what he does, it can make for a dull drama because there is no challenge. Of course he gets into a dilemma in the last episode, but I was hoping for something more exciting with a bit more character development from the supporting cast as well. Still, if you like feel good drama's with strong charismatic characters than this drama is for you.<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-90750424565661268142015-03-13T23:03:00.000-04:002015-04-16T22:46:18.858-04:00N NO TAMENI (Nのために)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK11D495iTEzYDHkJrGEVujT3l6Pwcj_1BieQ2rQjGACmRWOq2AezdyEpH_w1jSv_zxORZsGEaVarX7br-EcaPnYvx7SfsMNd_siDivQQpLXjbuVthoePmZ5tO8Wdcszxcm3qrRBAtQjSL/s1600/350px-H2-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK11D495iTEzYDHkJrGEVujT3l6Pwcj_1BieQ2rQjGACmRWOq2AezdyEpH_w1jSv_zxORZsGEaVarX7br-EcaPnYvx7SfsMNd_siDivQQpLXjbuVthoePmZ5tO8Wdcszxcm3qrRBAtQjSL/s1600/350px-H2-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK11D495iTEzYDHkJrGEVujT3l6Pwcj_1BieQ2rQjGACmRWOq2AezdyEpH_w1jSv_zxORZsGEaVarX7br-EcaPnYvx7SfsMNd_siDivQQpLXjbuVthoePmZ5tO8Wdcszxcm3qrRBAtQjSL/s1600/350px-H2-banner.jpg" height="281" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fall 2014<br />
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N No Tame Ni is a drama based on a best selling novel by Kanae Minato. The story is based on four young adults, Nozomi Sugishita (Nana Eikura), Shinji Naruse (Masataka Kubota), Nozomi Ando (Kento Kaku) and Masato Nishizaki (Keisuke Koide) who are found at a crime scene with Naoko Noguchi (Manami Konishi) and her husband Takahiro Noguchi (Yoshimi Tokui) dead on the floor. Nishizaki is sentenced to a 10 year prison term for confessing that he committed the crime and that no else was involved. 10 years later, when Nishizaki is released from prison, a former police officer Shigeru Takano (Tomokazu Miura) who worked on an island in the Seto Inland Sea has doubts about the verdict in the case, especially because he was acquainted with Sugishita and Naruse 15 years ago when they both lived on the same island and were involved in an unsolved crime.<br />
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Recommendation: So it's been about a year since I posted on my blog and I do deeply apologize as I was busy with other hobbies of mine. Nevertheless, I am back and I watched this drama because a friend recommended to me. I usually try to avoid possibly dark, moody, creepy crime dramas but this one was actually not as heavy as other ones that I've seen. The acting is also very good and the chemistry between the actors/actresses were quite smooth in my opinion. It is a bit on the slow side, but it has its moments of suspense and the story keeps you on your toes as the crime unfolds, teetering back and forth 10 and 15 years ago and then back to the present day to offer clues of the crime that took place. If you like mystery crime dramas, this is one to watch. It's all about misunderstandings so I was caught off guard in terms of how it all played out.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 1.0<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-27767926102727322032014-02-16T01:50:00.002-05:002014-02-16T01:50:22.276-05:00LEGAL HIGH 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Fall 2013</div>
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Masato Sakai and Yui Aragaki return as Kensuke Komikado and Machiko Mayuzumi respectively in "Legal High 2". Still undefeated in court, eccentric lawyer Komikado continues to wallow in his victories. Enter Haruki Hanyu; a handsome and spirited young lawyer who traveled the world and returned to Japan to gain experience under Komikado. Hanyu's perspective on the outcomes of a trial differ greatly from Komikado's, but they have great respect for each other. After leaving Komikado's law firm, Hanyu joins the Public Prosecution office which is working on a highly publicized murder case. Coincidentally, Komikado and Mayuzumi are hired to defend the suspected murderer. Is Komikado's days as a undefeated lawyer numbered? Will Hanyu's idealistic "win-win" strategy beat Komikado's "winning is all that matters" style? </div>
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Recommendation: The ratings for the second season of "Legal High" were much higher than the first season. One reason is probably due to the fact that "Hanzawa Naoki" just ended and there is a Masato Sakai boom presently in Japan. I was quite happy with the first season, but I think the second season started out even better. From the get go, there was the usual slapstick, over the top humor that made the first season memorable. I'm still at awe as to how Masato Sakai can talk so fast. What I found really interesting about this drama is that, I thought I would get tired of each new case that was presented in every episode. This was the same format from the first season with the only difference being the Ando Kiwa murder case starring Koyuki which progresses throughout the drama, but most of the cases were quite good and were thought provoking. Despite the drama being a comedy, it presented some deep social issues. The characters all have a distinct trait, whether it be Komikado pointing his finger and swiping his hairline, Hanyu snapping his fingers and stating an Arabian quote, or Hattori-san revealing another talent or skill he learned while traveling overseas. Even judge Beppu played by Ryoko Hirosue returned from "Legal High SP" to show how much she loves actual field work. The little twist in the end caught me off guard too. I have a feeling that people will either really like this drama or hate it. Kensuke Komikado can be really annoying at times, but overall I laughed a lot and I also shed a few tears (probably from laughing a lot). I also liked the slow motion battle scenes that developed during the opening credits. Overall, I highly recommend this drama. Just remember that it is a bit crazy and over the top. </div>
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Story: 1.0</div>
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Acting: 1.0</div>
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Directing: 1.0</div>
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Character Development: 1.0</div>
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Emotional Factor: 1.0</div>
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5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div>
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<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-48885471004888477892014-02-01T22:22:00.001-05:002015-04-10T23:15:36.641-04:00UMI NO UE NO SHINRYOJO (海の上の診療所)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkFMbzT8enFOsvyxWBEqPGSmYj4mBzbFkn0YCX3-hPVEfuxCB2i5v9HnQDpHDH4PJzwqZRkhHXyM__T345_uB_o8Nncfp-th_jactgnMx9tOv8pA_mIpSbH5OIHcrGJXyCsaK51LbdyLa/s1600/Braveheart-movie-poster-1020267560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkFMbzT8enFOsvyxWBEqPGSmYj4mBzbFkn0YCX3-hPVEfuxCB2i5v9HnQDpHDH4PJzwqZRkhHXyM__T345_uB_o8Nncfp-th_jactgnMx9tOv8pA_mIpSbH5OIHcrGJXyCsaK51LbdyLa/s1600/Braveheart-movie-poster-1020267560.jpg" /></a></div>
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Fall 2013<br />
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Umi No Ue No Shinryojo is about a young doctor named Kota Sezaki (Shota Matsuda) who is hired to practice on a boat clinic called the Kaishinmaru. The Kaishinmaru travels to rural islands located in the Seto Inland Sea due to the lack of medical resources in the area. Dr. Kota is talented and highly skilled, but his reasons for accepting the job is a mystery. What is immediately known by the staff of the Kaishinmaru is that Dr. Kota is single and falls for beautiful women a bit too quickly. Will he eventually find that special someone or will he be destined to sail on the Kaishinmaru empty handed?<br />
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Recommendation: I've seen Shota Matsuda in "Hana Yori Dango" and "Tsuki No Koibito". I wasn't a huge fan of his, but he showed some range in this drama as an eccentric young doctor. I enjoyed his acting, but despite his best efforts, the drama as a whole was a bit dull and slow. I think it was meant to be a bit on the slow side, in a way showcasing the calm and serene life of rural Japan. I did enjoy the beautiful shots of the ocean and mountains, but as a drama it didn't arouse much excitement in me.<br />
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If I could sum up the drama in just a few words, the story is really all about misunderstandings and miscommunication as Dr. Kota repetitively visits one island after the next and falls in love with the first beautiful woman he sets his eyes on, only to be dumped or realizing that said beautiful woman already has a lover. The first episode started out mysteriously, but all the mysteries and tense subplots ended up being nothing more than misunderstandings that were resolved easily. Also, every person or acquaintance of said person he encounters has an accident which is not only coincidental, but just too patterned for my taste. In the end, I had a hard time trying to figure out what exactly this drama was about. I thought the last two episodes were good, but it was a little too late. I really felt Emi Takei's character, Mako chan could have been utilized better. I would have added more scenes that develop the relationship between Dr. Kota and Mako chan like maybe adding more scenes of walking through the countryside and talking about a variety of issues. Their relationship just felt awkward to me and to have them come together in the end didn't feel realistic.<br />
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If you want to see a drama that's a bit slow with some subtle humor and you like Shota Matsuda then by no means, please watch this drama. Unfortunately, for me, it was a bit light in terms of story, character development and overall excitement. I think the Kaishinmaru can sail on without me.<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 0.5<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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2.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
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<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-29452736047552904922014-01-15T23:01:00.002-05:002014-01-15T23:01:40.438-05:00MISS PILOT<br />
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Fall 2013<br />
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Miss Pilot is a drama about an aimless young woman named Haru Tezuka (Maki Horikita) hunting for a job. She is a bit unfocused and not really sure what she wants to do for a career. Without much thought, she takes an exam to train as a pilot. Suddenly Haru finds herself in a competitive field full of smart and determined students. After "flying" for the first time in the flight simulator, she finds the inspiration that she was always looking for and vows to become a pilot. But will her sheer determination and strong will be enough to reach her goal?<br />
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Recommendation: The first time I watched Maki Horikita in a drama was from her small part in "Densha Otoko". I had a feeling she would receive bigger roles and in no time I saw her in "Nobuta Wo Produce" and "Innocent Love". I really liked her in the movie "Always San-chome No Yuhi" as well. I think she is a good actor, but unfortunately this drama did not take advantage of her skills. I thought the plot would be a strong one and it was an interesting plot because there probably aren't a lot of female pilots in the world, but this drama came out a little on the flat side for me.<br />
The story of someone drifting through life and finding something passionate to reach for is nothing new. From the first episode this drama felt like a marketing tool for ANA. Now, I understand that ANA was a huge part of this show, but I didn't think they needed to spend the first three episodes having the P-kuns (pilot trainees) taking tests and experiencing how the grounds crew and mechanics do there jobs (boooring). I did like the ring tone from the drama, "Good Luck" that went off during the ANA orientation from a student's cell phone and it was nice that they added Koichi Iwaki who was also in "Good Luck". Still, I think there was too much time spent on the ins and outs of the aviation industry instead of focusing on character development. I didn't care much for any of these characters probably until the fourth episode. By that time I was hardly into this drama. The actors in general really had no chemistry, or maybe they just didn't include necessary scenes to form that chemistry. This was not a good thing because the characters were supposed to be bonding as a team. I mean, other than Haru and Chisato, I cared less about whether the rest of the cadets passed; they were so underdeveloped. The actors seemed to act out their lines word for word like they were reading directly from a script. But what can the actors do if this is what they're told to do? There was not a lot of creativity in the directing. I like to call this cookie cutter directing. It was so by the book and quite easy to read. It wasn't exciting at all. To top it all off, it was quite cheesy and overly sappy. Good dramas can move you to tears, but the bad ones try to force you to tears and that never works. Not everything was bad about this drama (episode 4 was probably the best) as there were some moving scenes and harsh obstacles that needed to be overcome by the characters, but it wasn't enough and it was difficult for me to root for them. I would have loved a really tense love triangle develop between Haru, Chisato Oda (Saki Aibu) and Konosuke Kunikida (Takumi Saito) but that didn't happen.<br />
All in all, I don't think you will miss out if you don't watch this drama, even Saki Aibu who I like wasn't great in this drama. Unfortunately, "Miss Pilot" had a lot of potential, but it never really takes off.<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 0.5<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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2.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-34054258407843594602014-01-01T10:05:00.002-05:002015-04-10T23:16:33.718-04:00DOKUSHIN KIZOKU (独身貴族)<br />
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Fall 2013<br />
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Dokushin Kizoku is a drama about three people who are single and have different perspectives on marriage. Mamoru Hoshino (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) is the president and creative director of Kinema Etoile, a film production company founded by his late father. He is brilliant and has a keen sense for talent, but he is also peculiar when it comes to his personal daily habits. He has strong beliefs in being single and has no desire to get married as he likes to spend his personal time in a way that he chooses. On the other hand, Mamoru's younger brother Susumu (Hideaki Ito) was previously married, but is currently going through harsh divorce proceedings. Unlike his older sibling, Susumu is outgoing and has good social skills. He loves women, but is not interested in long term relationships. Yuki Haruno (Keiko Kitagawa) has struggled with previous relationships and recently declined a marriage proposal. She has dreams of becoming a scriptwriter and believes that marriage will hinder her efforts in her pursuit of that dream. She is not against marriage though, as a matter of fact, she strongly believes in it. Due to an inadvertent opportunity, Yuki takes one final chance to make her dreams come true. The choice she makes thrusts herself into the lives of the Hoshino brothers. Will they ever discover true love that will eventually lead to marriage?<br />
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Recommendation: First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is also my birthday! I will be enjoying a sukiyaki dinner with the family tonight. Anyway, to kick off 2014, I wanted to write my first post today. I just finished the last episode of this drama last night and it was a very good one. For the fall season, I was planning to watch about 5 dramas and this one was not included. After seeing that the ratings averaged around 11% without great up swings or down swings I gave it a shot and I must say that this is probably the sleeper hit for the fall 2013 season. The synopsis didn't draw me in, but it was quite different than what I imagined. The story is a romantic comedy, but it is probably more romantic than comedic. I really loved the details of the sets, particularly Mamoru's office and his apartment were really nice. Due to the story revolving around movies, I really enjoyed the music, quotes, and various references made from older movies and people in the the movie industry. The drama created a "romantic" kind of tone and mood that reminded me of films probably made in the 1920's to 1950's. Even the characters personified those older times. Mamoru, Susumu, and Yuki have their issues with marriage, but their characters are pure in heart, honorable and chivalrous. I immediately attached myself to the characters and the actors really did a good job in terms of chemistry and playing their roles. The only issue that I had with this drama is that the story is nothing new. In fact it is quite overdone in terms of the plot. Still, the drama was executed nicely and Kusanagi, Ito and Kitagawa really portrayed their characters well. That's why I think it is a must see, especially if you are into romantic dramas. Yamashita Tomohisa also makes a minor appearance in two episodes which I thought was interesting. If you're looking for something romantic to watch, don't skip this one; it will fill your heart with dreams.<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 1.0<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 1.0<br />
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4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-40758606296453081562013-12-22T19:42:00.000-05:002013-12-22T19:43:19.219-05:00ANDO LLOYD<br />
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Fall 2013<br />
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Ando Lloyd is a new drama starring Takuya Kimura and Kou Shibasaki. Kimura plays a genius physicist named Matsushima Reiji who is employed as a professor/researcher at Tokyo Imperial University. He has been studying about wormhole theories and one day tells his fiance that, based on a "kill list" circulating on the internet, he will be next in line to be killed. He also states that she will be targeted as well, but he will do everything in his power to protect her. His fiance, Asahi Ando, played by Kou Shibasaki first thinks that Reiji is fooling around, but soon realizes that someone is definitely coming after her. Just when she is about to be killed, someone that looks just like Reiji swoops into the rescue. At first she is happy to see him, but soon realizes that he is not Reiji. He explains that he is an android sent by a "client" from the year 2113 with one sole mission; to protect her from being killed no matter what. Who is the client? Who is trying to kill her and why does this android look like Reiji?<br />
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Recommendation: After I watched the first episode of this drama I was curious to know who the director was because the style seemed very familiar to a drama called "SP - Security Police" which I just posted a review about. Lo and behold, one of the directors (probably the main one) was Takafumi Hatano the director of "SP". Just realizing this made me cringe and boy did I cringe throughout this drama. I will give him and his team credit for trying to create a descent science fiction story, but in my opinion science fiction is one of the hardest genre's to work in. More importantly though, I just don't understand why Kimutaku agreed to work with Hatano (maybe he had no choice). If he was working in Hollywood, I would compare Hatano to Michael Bay; someone who loves intense action scenes and CG, but everything else is sub par. This was the case with "Ando Lloyd". Kimutaku and Shibasaki do their best with what they could work with. Kimutaku does a good job playing two different characters, but there are SO many holes in the plot and it doesn't slow down enough to have a chance to develop any of these characters. Even the supporting cast was hollow. The only scene that I felt emotionally drawn in was in episode 4 when Lloyd had to kill Navier. Why couldn't they have more androids like him? What gets to me the most is that, overall, this wasn't a smart drama and as a sci-fi story, if it isn't smart, it's less intriguing and becomes pointless to watch. Are these androids seriously from the future? I would definitely have a better plan of disposing one human being than what these 'droids thought up of. Who came up with adding English phrases? There was no need to do that and it just came off as uncool. The director is clueless here. What kind of story does he want to tell? The focus shifts from sci-fi to romance to social issues, but doesn't develop them nearly enough. It was low and uninspiring to steal from "The Terminator," "The Matrix," and even "Dragonball". I seriously got tired of constantly seeing the same action scenes that start out with the initiation of the Asura OS and then seeing Lloyd stagger and fall (I seriously think Lloyd staggers and falls to the ground in every episode). Also, the sappiness of protecting a loved one and over preaching of societal issues caused by humans was overkill; it just starts to come off as disingenuous. Finally, as I mentioned in my "SP" post, the worst (and I would like to emphasize the word WORST) fight/action/kill scenes are the ones that end with characters fighting to the death but suddenly when one character is about to be killed...they have a conversation! (Yes, I would like one cup of coffee with a crumpet before I kill this guy...really?). I would like to mention that this type of scene occurs in EVERY single episode in this drama. Hatano also recreates the final scene from "SP" and just seems to copy and paste it into this drama. I'm talking about the part when The Last Queen shoots and "kills" a few main characters, but they miraculously survive. That was just offensive.<br />
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I would like to apologize for my rant above, but as a huge Takuya Kimura fan, I'm just disappointed with his recent dramas and sadly, it seems like his days of posting high TV ratings may have come to an end. Obviously I am not a director or actor so I will never know how much work it takes to develop and produce a drama series, but I'm a die hard fan of dramas and sometimes I wonder if he has a say in what kind of drama he wants to be involved in. Recently, I've been thinking about some reasons why Kimutaku is posting lower ratings. Yes, I do think one reason is that he is getting old, but I also think that he is not marketing himself to the audience that grew up with him. I feel like he is still trying to appeal to a younger, "popular" crowd and in this drama, there are some up and coming young and beautiful stars that he surrounds himself in and it doesn't look right. I would hope to see him solely in another love story/family drama in the role of a father or any drama that can focus on his abilities as an actor instead of being involved with a team focusing on glitz and glam. If you like Kimutaku or Kou Shibasaki and don't mind watching a drama that doesn't require much thinking then I would recommend this one for you. For everyone else, steer clear from this one because you will only be left frustrated. A.I. knows love? Yes, A.I. knows love! But please show it and not just say it!<br />
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Story: 0.5<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.0<br />
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2.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-85483552381994032013-12-07T02:01:00.000-05:002013-12-07T23:59:42.553-05:00SP - SECURITY POLICE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fall 2007<br />
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SP is a drama about professional bodyguards called security police. Their sole purpose is to protect VIPs and in the most dire of circumstances become "human shields" to defend them from harm. In the 21st century, terrorism has become a global threat. Not even Japan is exempt from this menace. SP's play a crucial role in anticipating unforeseen circumstances, but they are not well equipped to deal with new challenges. Enter Kaoru Inoue (Junichi Okada), an SP rookie with unusually strong senses to detect danger. Joining Soichiro Ogata (Shinichi Tsutsumi) and his loyal team, they fight to stop any destructive force before it's too late.<br />
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Recommendation: I picked this drama because I just watched "Oyaji!" and I remember Junichi Okada being a pretty good actor. I realized he's been laying a little low in the drama universe for a while which is a shame because he can play action roles well. Unfortunately, this drama is not as easy to sum up as I first thought it might be. The reason is because there are some really good things I liked about this drama, but there are also aspects of the drama that I just downright despised. The story is definitely interesting and a relevant one. I liked the idea a lot. The acting was also descent, but not anything to highly praise about. From there, I just have to say that everything else was sub-par. This drama associates with the phrase, "style over substance" perfectly. The screen shots and action sequences are fast and flashy, but when it comes to editing the story, there are cracks and holes so numerous that I grew indifferent to the plot and characters.<br />
Just some examples, but there are scenes in the drama that I thought were sloppily presented. In episode 6, Shoichi Ohashi is being protected in a hotel room by the SP's and he purposefully spills orange juice on his pants. He goes back into the bedroom pretending to change his clothes when he escapes. My first thought was, how did he escape? There is no door to the hallway from the bedroom and he clearly didn't escape through the living room. And even if he did escape from the bedroom, why didn't any of the SP's ever think of guarding that entrance?<br />
Again in episode 6, there is a scene that looks like Ohashi is poisoned in the shower after swimming in the pool. I disliked this scene because when I first watched it, it looked like it actually happened. There are too many of these dire/tragic scenes that end up being part of the sensitive imagination of Inoue.<br />
Another strange issue that came up was in the very first episode when Inoue fought with the bald, knife wielding terrorist and arrested him. Ohashi said that Inoue was the first ever SP to arrest a terrorist and they are not supposed to do so. Well, if that's the case, why do they even carry handcuffs in the first place?<br />
Those were just a couple of examples of sloppy editing/directing, but the sin of all sins in action scenes are the ones where the shooter, be it the protagonist or antagonist, has multiple chances to make a kill and instead decides to make small talk like they're in the middle of an important conversation on a nice sunny afternoon over a cup of tea and biscuits. Seriously, these scenes must seriously go. I'm so fed up and tired of them because they are a put off. The last episode during the assassination attempt of the prime minister symbolizes this issue and that is where I put my foot down and just couldn't give this drama a higher rating.<br />
The drama overall did well in terms of ratings. A special and a couple movies were completed afterwards, but if you're like me who tends to look at the details, this drama will ultimately frustrate you. I also didn't like the fact that the SPs work as a team, but there wasn't a huge emphasis on character building. Yamamoto, Ishida, and Sasamoto were like pawns/fillers and I could care less about what happened to them even though they all survived in the end. Maybe that's why the comedic moments between them didn't really work for me.<br />
Overall, if you like Junichi Okada or even Shinichi Tsutsumi, and you're into action dramas, I recommend this one. It's fast paced and I finished it quickly because there is a lot of filler in the beginning, and the ending credits are also long after each episode. But if you are looking for something smart and sophisticated you will only be shaking your head. If I only had Inoue's heightened senses, I may have avoided this one!<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 0.5<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-64539127118443405262013-11-30T18:11:00.000-05:002015-04-10T23:17:45.059-04:00OYAJI! (オヤジぃ)<br />
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Fall 2000<br />
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Oyaji! (Father!) is a drama about a seemingly ordinary Japanese family living together under the rules of a strict and stubborn father named Kanichi Kanzaki (Masakazu Tamura) and his subservient wife, Miyako (Hitomi Kuroki). Believing he is doing what all fathers should do, he not only nags and lectures his three children, but meddles in the business of strangers as well. Each having personal issues with their father, Sayuri (Miki Mizuno), Suzu (Ryoko Hirosue) and Tadashi (Junichi Okada) decide the only way to survive in this family is to move out. Will Kanichi be able to keep them together or will his insincerity get in the way?<br />
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Recommendation: I watched this drama during my early college days and I was happy to find it again after all these years. The year 2000 seemed like it just passed, but it's been about 13 years since this drama debuted. I found it funny to see how there were references to the internet being new and that nobody carried smart phones yet. I also enjoyed the cast and seeing how young all these actors were back in the day. Masakazu Tamura's acting reminded me of his character from the drama Furuhata Ninzaburo which spawned multiple seasons and specials, so it took a while getting used to, but he was good portraying a stubborn and overbearing father. Hitomi Kuroki just never seems to age and she fit the house wife role well. Hirosue Ryoko as well as the other actors playing the children were so young. Overall, this drama provides a good dose of family drama and comedy. I think it's well paced mostly, but it can be slow at times and over-sentimental. Still, the acting was good, the issues that each character faced and the twists and turns that occurred were still interesting. The director did a good job in expressing his views on what makes a family. Not only the strengths, but the flaws of each member and the obstacles they overcome create unbreakable bonds. If you are looking for a nice family drama with tear jerking moments and light laughs this drama is for you.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 1.0<br />
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4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-3871024711416812672013-11-20T21:14:00.000-05:002013-11-20T21:14:42.288-05:00PAPADOL!<br />
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Papadol! is a drama about a Japanese idol named Ryo Nishikido (who plays himself). He is part of a popular idol group called Kanjani8. Idols have strict rules to live by and one of them is to be single. But on a fateful day, Ryo meets Haruka Hanamura (Yuka) and they fall in love. Haruka is a single mother, taking care of her three children, Mei (Umika Kawashima), Yuto (Yuki Imai), and Kana (Kanon Tani) and her own mother, Natsu (Atsuko Takahata). Due to Haruka's mother being ill, Ryo desperately seeks to reassure her. He suddenly proposes to Haruka and they get married. Ryo is confident that he will be able to juggle his idol duties while taking care of his new family. Will he be able to keep his private life secret? And will his new family accept him as their father? </div>
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Recommendation: I was recommended to watch this drama by commenter: ashappyasiget. I would first like to state that I'm not a huge fan of Ryo Nishikido nor am I a die hard fan of idol groups. That being said, I was surprised by this drama. The story may have been done before, but this was the first drama that I've seen where the main character plays himself. To put Ryo in a difficult situation, he gets involved in a relationship that is strictly prohibited. This was an interesting idea and I thought it was unique. Idol groups are popular in Japan and it was fun to get a glimpse of what they go through even though Ryo's strict schedules may have been over dramatized. I liked the cameo appearances by popular idols and celebrities too. </div>
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The acting was good, I wasn't blown away particularly by any actor, but I think Ryo Nishikido did well in playing himself. The actors had good chemistry and Kanon Tani was really cute. </div>
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The directing was okay for me as well. I found myself having a hard time believing that Ryo was able to keep his secret unexposed for most of the drama. Also, the pattern of convincing each family member that Ryo is actually a decent human being and having to face the ex-husband was probably necessary, but has been done a lot in other dramas, so I wasn't too thrilled by that.</div>
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Still, the drama offers fun and tear jerking moments. I think if you are a fan of Ryo Nishikido, this is a must watch. I liked the portrayal of a man experiencing growing pains and really finding out what it takes to be a responsible idol, husband and parent. It also provided an interesting perspective on the choices that a person makes and the consequences/sacrifices that need to be made to live the life you want. </div>
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To ashappyasiget: Hope you enjoyed my review. I think you may have liked the drama more than I did, but I still thought it was a solid family drama! Thanks for the recommendation.</div>
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Story: 1.0</div>
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Acting: 0.5</div>
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Directing: 0.5</div>
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Character Development: 1.0</div>
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Emotional Factor: 1.0</div>
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4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div>
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DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-22666722273366700082013-11-16T21:01:00.000-05:002015-04-10T23:18:26.818-04:00SAIKOU NO RIKON ~ THE GREAT DIVORCE! (最高の離婚)<br />
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Saikou no Rikon ~ The Great Divorce! is a romantic comedy about a couple who constantly argue and bicker about every little thing. They don't see eye to eye and their personalities are so vastly different that it's hard to contemplate how they got married in the first place. Nearby, a seemingly happy couple suddenly encounters a major problem when a secret is accidentally revealed. Why do people get married? and why stay married when it's so hard to do so? Could the only solution be...divorce?</div>
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Recommendation: (Spoiler alert!) The screenwriter and directors of "Soredemo, Ikite Yuku" return with another high quality drama, this time working on a romantic comedy. I wanted to write a review sooner, but I didn't have access to the last few episodes for a long time. I'm so glad that I was able to finish watching this drama though. It was well worth it from start to finish. The story of two couples going through trials and tribulations and their coincidental run-ins with each other complicates an already difficult situation. It was fun to see how these characters interacted with one another as they all had different personalities and views on marriage. The story really gets to the heart of what marriage actually is. The acting was great especially by Eita who played Mitsuo Hamasaki, a high strung yet kind and caring young man and Ono Machiko who played Yuka Hamasaki, a careless free spirit. They had great chemistry and I'm starting to believe that Eita may be the most versatile Japanese actor right now in the drama world.<br />
I enjoyed the directing and I'm a fan of the screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto. This drama is not fast paced and there is a lot of dialogue, but most of it is not meaningless banter. Also, there are a lot of dramas that have this "cliche" shooting style which I despise and I'm grateful this style is avoided. Obviously, directing is very important and I felt the difference in this drama. The directors begin the story with quarreling couples that evoke a feeling of hopelessness. Many times, as a viewer, I can "predict" or sense that the ending is going to be happy or sad, but even though you know the outcome, a good director will keep you on your toes. It was great to have some funny scenes that were not outright hilarious, but quite subtle and quirky. For example, I loved the scene in episode 4 when Mitsuo is cooking cabbage rolls and his eye glasses fog up. The beer scene in episode 6 when all four main characters are sitting at the table having a serious conversation was really good. I also liked the contradictory scenes like when Mitsuo needs to blow off steam and rents pornography, but later begs Yuka to refuse becoming an actress in that field or when Ryo Uehara (Go Ayano) talks to a senior citizen at the park about protecting his yet-to-be born daughter from scandalous men, when he himself acted the same way. The drama was able to project what it means to grow as a person. Again, this is very subtle, but I think it mirrors what happens in real life. In the real world, it's hard to change who you are once you reach adulthood and I think by trying to make marriage or even your everyday life to work, you need constant reflection. That reflection was manifested in the last scene when Mitsuo gets his routine dental check up and states that he used to get irritated and corrected people who called him "Hamazaki" instead of "Hamasaki" but now he doesn't mind being called by either name. The last episode was nice to include a scene in which Mitsuo and Yuka walk back to their apartment for the whole night which was similar to the scene where they first met after a major earthquake. In my opinion, this was a smartly written and well executed drama. There is no perfect drama, but this one was a gem. </div>
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Story: 1.0</div>
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Acting: 1.0</div>
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Directing: 1.0</div>
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Character Development: 1.0</div>
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Emotional Factor: 1.0</div>
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5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns</div>
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DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-65161540619862582882013-11-03T19:49:00.001-05:002013-11-03T20:01:11.181-05:00DOCTOR X ~ GEKAI DAIMON MICHIKO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fall 2012<br />
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Doctor X - Gekai Daimon Michiko is a drama about a talented freelance surgeon named Michiko Daimon (Ryoko Yonekura) who is hired at Teito University Hospital during a time when the medical landscape is undergoing drastic changes. Specifically, university hospitals are suffering from a drop in talented medical staff including surgeons who are quitting due to harsh working conditions. Dr. Daimon has amazing skills as a surgeon, but she hardly cares about office politics and the power struggles that other doctors are intently focused on. Due to her ill-mannered nature and her unwillingness to do work that is not necessary for anyone with a medical license, she quickly develops an image of being anti-social and selfish. Still, her skills as a surgeon is unmatched and the hospital must turn to her for help. Unfortunately, as she tries to go about her business, the medical staff tie her to a dark mystery which may lead to her downfall. Is she the infamous Doctor X?<br />
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Recommendation: (Spoilers are contained below) This was quite an exciting medical drama and I do recommend it because it's definitely not boring. After watching it, I really wanted to give it 5 crowns, but something about it was amiss which I will delve into later. I really liked the story due to various themes about power struggles, hierarchical structures, ethics, and gender roles in the workplace. There is also an interesting mystery aspect to the drama that played out well. The character, Michiko Daimon grew on me and I empathized with her situation and why she chose her current lifestyle. Each episode ended in a way that left me wanting to watch another episode to see how she could help save another life. I think the acting was average though and I wasn't sure why Yonekura Ryoko won the academy award for best actress. She wasn't bad, but I thought she wasn't really great either. I also couldn't stand Kaneko Terayama, the HR manager played by Shigeru Muroi. She was just annoying. The director did do a good job making this an exciting drama, especially since the viewer cannot tell what is going on during surgery scenes. Of course this drama is fiction and I'm not a doctor so I don't truly know how talented Dr. Daimon really is and whether or not other doctors could diagnose and perform surgery the way she does, but the drama pulled me in and I was hooked. I don't want to be picky but, there were some specific things I didn't like about the drama which I blame the director for. I got a little tired hearing the narration about the current challenges facing university hospitals during every episode. I didn't think that was necessary. Also, in the last episode, I just couldn't believe that Chairman Teshihagara could prevent every media member observing the surgery done by Dr. Daimon on Dr. Torii from printing it in the paper. I mean one media member did print it, but that member was from a gossip magazine and he was paid by the chairman to do so. Finally, what really gets to me is the fact that Dr. Busujima had ample opportunity to destroy the surgery consent form signed by Dr. Torii, but instead he hid it in a book? That to me was a strange mistake and one that I just couldn't excuse. Dr. Busujima knew how valuable that document was and hiding it was just foolhardy. So, despite the drama being a must see in my opinion, I can't give it a top notch rating. I am going to watch the second season which is currently airing. I hope the script is a bit tighter than the first.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 0.5<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 1.0<br />
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4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-54680151702293887812013-10-19T20:16:00.001-04:002013-10-19T20:18:54.113-04:00BEAUTIFUL LIFE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter 2000<br />
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Beautiful Life stars Takuya Kimura as Shuji Okishima and Takako Tokiwa as Kyoko Machida. Shuji is an up and coming talented hairstylist at a salon called Hot Lip. Raised in a family connected with the medical field, they basically disown him for chasing his dream to cut hair. Kyoko on the other hand is a librarian doing the best she can with an illness that robbed her legs and bound her to a wheelchair at the age of 17. On a fateful day both Shuji and Kyoko confront each other during a minor traffic incident. Their first meeting was a troublesome one, but gradually, their curiosity grows and they soon find themselves attractive to each other. They start a relationship, but with Shuji's popularity growing and Kyoko's disability hindering their lives, will they be able to overcome the onslaught of obstacles ahead?<br />
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Recommendation: Please don't read any further if you haven't watched this drama yet. First of all, Takuya Kimura is my favorite actor and when I was in high school, Takako Tokiwa was my favorite actress. I still remember when this drama debuted and I was so excited because I felt the timing was perfect for these two to work with each other. Now, don't get me wrong, this is a great drama and is a must watch, but it is probably also around the top of the list for the most saddest drama of all time. I actually watched this when it came out, but I was so worried about the ending that I actually stopped watching it around the 7th episode because I knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending. It was obvious because of the narrations by Shuji and Kyoko in every episode that this was going to be a sad drama. Still, the story, acting, directing was all great and it is a deep love story with a unique perspective. The final episode was truly heartbreaking. Interestingly, somewhere inside me still had hope for Kyoko. In a way I think the drama was meant to make the viewers feel this way. The drama made me think how life is precious and fragile. It also sent a message that it really isn't about how long you live, but what you experience that is important. I don't think I will be watching this again, but it was definitely worth it.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 1.0<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 1.0<br />
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5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-18505885930273449962013-10-19T19:33:00.002-04:002013-10-19T19:37:33.100-04:00LOVE SHUFFLE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter 2009<br />
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Love Shuffle is a drama about four young people (Kei, Airu, Ojiro, and Kikuta) with different personalities and occupations who happen to live on the top floor of an exquisite apartment building. One day they coincidentally take the elevator at the same time during a storm and end up getting stuck due to a black out. With nothing else to do, they get acquainted and begin conversing about their love lives. With each of them questioning the purpose of love, they decide to "shuffle" their partners or acquaintances with each other as a test to find out if they can fall in love or affirm that their former relationships were indeed the best for them. <br />
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Kei Usami (Hiroshi Tamaki) works for a highly regarded corporation, but was offered the job mainly because his fiance, Mei Kagawa (Shihori Kanjiya) is the daughter of the chairman of said corporation. Airu Aizawa (Karina) is a multilingual translator who is contemplating the meaning of love and marriage. Yukichi Oishi (Daigo) likes Airu, but he tends to buy friendships and anything else he wants with money. Ojiro Sera (Shota Matsuda) is a talented model photographer and a womanizer. He brings along a model, Reiko Kamijyo (Hijiri Kojima) who tends to see men from a physical perspective. Masato Kikuta (Shosuke Tanihara) is a psychiatrist and the mastermind of the love shuffle. He brings along a suicidal patient named Kairi Hayakawa (Yuriko Yoshitaka) as a form of treatment, hoping that she stops attempting to kill herself if she finds a lover. Will the game of love work or will it cause more harm than good?<br />
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Recommendation: This drama had a good cast of characters but a sub-par cast of actors to play them. The story of switching partners every week to find love was interesting and the chemistry between the characters were fun to watch. The script was ok too and I found myself laughing quite hard during some silly scenes but some of the puns were hit or miss. I felt that this drama could have been better in terms of the selection of actors. Also, the story in my opinion fizzled in the end and I just didn't feel emotionally attached to the outcomes of each character. I blame the directing for this especially the last episode in which all the stories for each character needed to be resolved. So due to time constraints it felt like the outcomes were squeezed in to fit the length of the episode. Since Kei and Airu are basically the main characters I would have liked to see the other character's problems solved in episode 9 and have their issues worked out in episode 10. That would have created more drama in my opinion and probably a more "natural" ending. This drama wasn't bad, but it isn't a must watch. If you want something lighthearted with a lot of puns this drama is for you, but for me, the frequently used phrase, "say it ain't so Joe" sums it up for me.<br />
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Spoiler alert: I wasn't happy with the last two episodes. The final episode in particular seemed like it was edited without much thought. Problems were resolved in a cut and dry manner which sucked all of the emotions I had for the characters, especially when Mei and Yukichi got married. That was certainly a surprise, but it felt rushed and came out of nowhere. They didn't even seem good together. That said, episode 7 was the funniest for me especially when Kei and Airu find out Kikuta was gay. <br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 0.5<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-69995429288226487942013-10-08T18:30:00.000-04:002015-04-10T23:19:05.137-04:00KAGI NO KAKATTA HEYA (鍵のかかった部屋)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring 2012<br />
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Kagi no Kakatta Heya (Locked Rooms) is a drama about a well known lawyer named Gou Serizawa (Koichi Sato) and his new assistant, Junko Aoto (Erika Toda) who inadvertently meets Kei Enomoto (Satoshi Ohno) who is an eccentric security expert working for a security firm in Tokyo. Serizawa is a corporate lawyer and only cares about the bottom line and his image, but Aoto works towards seeking justice. The lawyers end up becoming involved in a locked room case in which they hire Enomoto to help them determine whether the case involved a murder or suicide. Enomoto is not interested in any crimes, but is curiously drawn to the locked room as he believes he can unlock its secrets. Gradually, the group takes on similar cases as more locked room scenarios come to light.<br />
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Recommendation:<br />
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First of all, this drama wasn't great, but it was good. Every episode involved a new locked room case besides the last two episodes. The fun part of this drama was figuring out how the criminals hid their true intentions in these locked rooms. It isn't a drama specifically geared toward finding the culprit because there is enough foreshadowing, that I basically knew who the criminal was in almost every episode before the locked rooms cases were solved. The cast was pretty good and it was the first time I saw Satoshi Ohno act and I think he did a good job playing an introverted and insightful character. Koichi Sato and Erika Toda also did a good job in their respective roles. This is not a bad drama in any sense, but it also lacks certain qualities, mainly character development, to make it a very good drama. Despite the drama involving crimes, it is quite upbeat and has its humorous moments.<br />
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Spoiler alert: Although it was fun to watch, I think a lot of these types of dramas lack in character development. I guess it can't be helped because it is really just focused on solving cases, but I wish I could feel like I cared more about these characters. Sometimes it seemed like both lawyers were (almost) useless despite their hard work and research (mostly done by Junko Aoto). Enomoto basically solves every case and it just lacks in background information on all three main characters. Why is Enomoto so good at what he does? Why did he end up working for a security firm? What drove Junko Aoto to feel so strongly about seeking justice and why is Serizawa a photogenic money loving corporate lawyer? I think if they answered some of these questions throughout the series I would have loved it. I have to say the twist in the end wasn't bad, but I still wish we knew more about these characters. I know there will be a special episode coming out soon, so yes, you will hear the phrase, "mishitsu wa yaburemashita" (the locked room has been solved) one more time.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 1.0<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5<br />
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4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-4717225331442059822013-09-30T21:14:00.000-04:002015-04-10T23:19:41.798-04:00HANZAWA NAOKI (半沢直樹)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer 2013<br />
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This drama is about a man named Naoki Hanzawa who is the head of the loans division at the Osaka Nishi branch of the Tokyo Chuo bank. After being labeled a scapegoat for a 500 million dollar loss for providing an unsecured loan to Nishi Osaka Steel which files for bankruptcy protection, Hanzawa must face an internal investigation team that is seeking to oust the person responsible for the mishap. Hanzawa denies responsibility and rushes to recover the 500 million dollars before he is shipped out of the banking industry.<br />
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Recommendation: So most people have probably heard about this drama since it trended upwards in TV ratings basically every week. The final episode received a 42.2% rating which was the highest since 1989 and the 4th highest rated drama episode in history. It surpassed Kaseifu No Mita which aired two years ago as the most popular drama since 2000.<br />
My initial thought about the drama was that it would be a little complex to follow since it deals with financial corruption, banking regulations and the like. However, it was quite the opposite. Voice-overs were quite common in the show to explain certain financial concepts to make it easier to follow. From the very first episode, the show was quite exhilarating. I was taken by surprise with the depth of the characters and the story-line with all its twists and turns. Also, the final episode is a nail-biter and quite intriguing. The acting wasn't superb, but I give Masato Sakai who plays Naoki Hanzawa a lot of credit for making this drama popular and great. The antagonists were also quite good especially Kagawa Teruyuki who plays Owada Akira. This drama truly lived up to the ratings it received. I think above all else, it was truly entertaining to watch. This is definitely a can't miss drama. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a second season.<br />
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Spoiler alert: The final episode lived up to expectations and Masato Sakai gave a powerful performance worthy of an Academy Award. I thought the last scene was perfect when the chairman demoted Owada and transferred Hanzawa to a different division. I believe the chairman felt threatend by Hanzawa especially since he could not be controlled when interrogating Owada. It was a shrewd move by the chairman as he could still hold power within the bank safely without Hanzawa stirring up trouble. Owada in turn, becomes an ally of the chairman on the board as Owada has no other choice but to follow his orders since he basically saved his job. <br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 1.0<br />
Character Development: 1.0<br />
Emotional Factor: 1.0<br />
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5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321999734782087061.post-43595431200965141492013-09-26T21:56:00.001-04:002013-09-30T21:24:41.969-04:00SUMMER NUDE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer 2013<br />
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Summer Nude is a drama about a young man named Asahi Mikuriya (Tomohisa Yamashita) who has been waiting patiently for a girl named Kasumi Ichikura (Nagasawa Masami) to return home after leaving the seaside town 3 years ago. Every day he greets a billboard with Kasumi's photo on it believing she will return to him one day. One day Asahi who is a professional photographer takes pictures of Natsuki Chiyohara (Karina) during her wedding. Unfortunately, Natsuki's husband-to-be runs away with cold feet. Later, Asahi asks Natsuki if she can help out at a small beach front restaurant since she used to be a cook. Natsuki befriends Hanae Taniyama (Toda Erika) who is in love with Asahi for the last 10 years, but Asahi only thinks of her as a friend. Natsuki decides to help Hanae capture Asahi's heart, but will he be able to forget his only true love?<br />
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Recommendation: So just a warning, but I'm going to be adding some spoilers so stop reading if you haven't seen the drama yet. I had high expectations for this drama. First of all, it was a "Getsuku" (Monday at 9 pm) drama from Fuji TV and second of all, it had a great cast. I couldn't wait to see Tomohisa Yamshita, Toda Erika, Nagasawa Masami, and Karina together in one drama. BUT, although it wasn't a terrible drama, it was disappointing for me. Even the title, "Summer Nude" made me think it was going to be quite exciting, but the whole drama was quite slow. I liked how the drama started off. You have a young man waiting for a woman that he's had a crush on for 3 years. You have a young woman having a crush on that same man for 10 years and then you have an out of town girl that was dumped on her wedding day who starts to have feelings for the same man. It seemed like an intriguing drama, yet, the direction and pace couldn't keep the tension up. I felt like the problems that were presented were solved too easily and I could see the outcome way before they actually occurred. I like Tomohisa Yamashita, but lately it seems like he's coming down to earth. I mean I don't know if it was his acting or his character, but he was too laid back and unexciting. There was hardly anything to like about him. I think this was the case for most of the characters so I blame the director and script writer for not having more scenes to develop the characters. I did like Toda Erika's character and I hardly ever see her in these types of dramas where she is not serious all the time, but her eventual lover, Kirihata Hikaru (Kubota Masataka) was hardly developed and I didn't care for him at all. Karina was good, but Yamashita and her characters just didn't build enough emotional equity that made me want to feel glad that they finally got together. There were a lot of scenes that reminded me of summer nostalgia, but those nostalgic feelings were not aroused in me when watching this show. Nagasawa Masami is hardly in it either. If you like the actors in this drama (and the acting wasn't bad at all) then take the plunge and watch it, but for others wanting even a tiny bit of excitement, skip it and go to the beach instead.<br />
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Story: 1.0<br />
Acting: 1.0<br />
Directing: 0.5<br />
Character Development: 0.5<br />
Emotional Factor: 0.5 <br />
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3.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns<br />
<br />DJ-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034716606575492627noreply@blogger.com2