DOKUSHIN KIZOKU (独身貴族)

Fall 2013

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?

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.

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

4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

ANDO LLOYD

Fall 2013

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?

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.

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!

Story: 0.5
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 0.5
Character Development: 0.5
Emotional Factor: 0.0

2.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

SP - SECURITY POLICE

Fall 2007

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.

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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!

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

3.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

OYAJI! (オヤジぃ)

Fall 2000

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?

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.

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

4.5 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

PAPADOL!

Spring 2012

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?   

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Story: 1.0

Acting: 0.5

Directing: 0.5

Character Development: 1.0

Emotional Factor: 1.0

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

SAIKOU NO RIKON ~ THE GREAT DIVORCE! (最高の離婚)

Winter 2013

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?

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.
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. 

Story: 1.0

Acting: 1.0

Directing: 1.0

Character Development: 1.0

Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

DOCTOR X ~ GEKAI DAIMON MICHIKO

Fall 2012

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?

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.

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

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns