ZETTAI KARESHI (絶対彼氏)

Spring 2008

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). 

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." 

Story: 1.0

Acting: 1.0

Directing: 1.0

Character Development: 1.0

Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

    

SEIGI NO MIKATA (正義の味方)

Summer 2008

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

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

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

4.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

LAST FRIENDS

Spring 2008

Last Friends is about six young people who eventually live together in a "share house" or basically a house that is rented by a number of people each with their own rooms but share the living room, kitchen and bathroom etc. Aida Michiru (Nagasawa Masami) is a nice young girl who develops a steady relationship with her boyfriend Oikawa Sosuke (Nishikado Ryo) until she becomes a victim of DV or domestic violence. Michiru coincidentally bumps into her longtime friend Kishimoto Ruka (Ueno Juri) who she hasn't seen in 4 years. Ruka always cherished their friendship and was saddened when Michiru moved away with her mother. Determined to stay in touch with Michiru, Ruka goes out of her way to protect her. Takigawa Eri (Mizukawa Asami) has been a long time tenant at the share house and eventually offers Mizushima Takeru (Eita) and Ogura Tomohiko (Yamazaki Shigenori) to live there. With all the personal issues that these young people face, they somehow find solace in each other and their determination to stay together create lasting bonds that become unbreakable.

Recommendation: Highly recommended! I don't remember seeing a drama that captures the essence of what young people go through these days. Last Friends really is good because it delves into social stigma like domestic violence and homosexuality that people have trouble coming to terms with. The series is a bit extreme on a certain level, but nonetheless most of the episodes weave in and out of complex personal situations between each character almost flawlessly. You can feel Ruka's pain of keeping a long and dreaded secret from her best friend and the powerlessness of Takeru trying to help her. I know that Nagasawa Masami was the lead actress, but Ueno Juri took over this show. It was amazing to see her play a quirky comedic role in Nodame Cantabile and transform herself into a boyish outcast of a character in this series. Mizukawa Asami who played Eri was also delightful as she created a lighter cheery mood in a dark series. I'm not a huge fan of Nishikado Ryo, but he did a good job of representing a creepy and obsessed boyfriend of Michiru. Anyway this drama shouldn't be missed because there are life lessons to be learned here and it teaches us that the world is not always black and white.

P.S. (Spoiler) I also liked the cover image of the series with 5 of the main characters kind of laying next to each other connected by red string. I don't know if it was easy to spot, but if you have some sense of creativity or enjoy symbolism, the image represents the character's issues/dilemmas...or so I think. I guess it can be interpreted in different ways, but this is what I saw. From the left you have Eri facing Takeru because she likes him, but Takeru doesn't see her as a girlfriend and so is looking the other way. Takeru is looking at Ruka with his eyes opened because he knows her secret. He also likes Ruka, but Ruka only likes him as a friend so she is looking the opposite way. Ruka and Michiru are facing each other because they are friends and they like each other, but Ruka is upside down because the way she likes Michiru is "different." Michiru also develops feelings for Takeru and so her hand is extended toward him, but Takeru doesn't have the same feelings and so his hands are tucked away. Then you have Sosuke who is next to Michiru because they are in a relationship, but they are looking away from each other because their relationship is not a wholesome one. The red (blood?) string represents the bond/relationship that the characters have with each other and that they are all connected in some way. I wasn't sure about the white clothing that they were wearing, but it may symbolize the purity of youth in terms of their thoughts and actions. Other than Takeru, everyone's eyes are closed symbolizing the fact that they are obscurred from certain truths about each other. What do you think?

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

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns

CODE BLUE

Summer 2008

Intense and inspirational, Code Blue takes the viewer into the world of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Starring Yamashita Tomohisa (Aizawa), Aragaki Yui (Shiraishi), Toda Erika (Hiyama), Asari Yosuke (Fujikawa) and Higa Manami (Saejima), flight doctors in training must learn quickly and efficiently to save as many people as possible. Personally and professionally, these doctors face a myriad of issues that test their determination to pursue the goal of riding the "Doctor Helicopter."

This drama was one of my favorites. After almost every episode, I imagined that there are probably doctors and emergency workers who must go through traumatic events on a constant basis. Of course I understand that this drama is fictional, but it really has to be a stressful job. This drama offers the viewer different perspectives during an emergency situation, from the doctors, patients, and worried family members viewpoints, it takes into account the fact that every human life cannot be saved; it's as real as it gets.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this drama, but if you hate seeing blood or surgeries make you cringe than this drama may be hard to watch. Each character is unique and I really liked the acting, the pace, and music with the theme song Hanabi by Mr. Children. Code Blue was a constant reminder of how life can be fragile and taken for granted. The characters are developed well and they grow through their trials and tribulations. I look forward to seeing the next season shortly.

STORY: 1
ACTING: 0.5
DIRECTING: 1
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 1
EMOTIONAL FACTOR: 1

4.5 OUT OF 5 CROWNS

INNOCENT LOVE

Fall 2008

Can a drama ever be over-dramatic? This was my final impression of Innocent Love starring Horikita Maki (Akiyama Kanon) and Kitagawa Yujin (Nagasaki Junya). The story revolves around Akiyama Kanon who is trying to move forward with her life after a tragic event in her past, but the past always seems to come back and haunt her. With the support of Nagasaki Junya they try to clean up their personal issues and move toward a brighter future. I am a Maki-chan fan. I think she's good at playing different roles whether it be a bullied school girl or a girl pretending to be a boy, but I didn't think this drama showcased her talents fully. This was the first time I saw Kitagawa Yujin and he wasn't terrible, but at times I felt he was just acting too hard and I couldn't get into his character as much as I wanted to.

There is a mystery to this drama and some characters can be creepy such as Kiyoka, played by Uchida Yuki or the choir girl Mizuki played by Kashii Yu. The creepiness was good though because it added some excitement to a mostly slow paced drama. I did like the various sets like the piano bar and Junya's house as well as the theme song called Eternally played by Utada Hikaru, but I couldn't stand the down jackets that Junya wore; they were an eyesore. The story overall was good and I empathized with the characters struggles with their past issues and secrets.

Recommendation: If you like slow paced dramas with mysteries and creepiness this is a must watch. It is a love story, but not in the usual sense, there are different levels of love expressed in this drama which I thought was interesting. Horikita Maki was good and all the other actors/actresses weren't bad. I just thought some scenes were over-acted and predictable.

STORY: 1
ACTING: 0.5
DIRECTING: 0.5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 1
EMOTIONAL FACTOR: 0.5

3.5 OUT OF 5 CROWNS