Notes on "Kemono ni Narenai Watashitachi"

I was FINALLY able to watch the latest Yui Aragaki/ Ryuhei Matsuda drama “Kemono ni Narenai Watashitachi” ( Weakest Beast). I had been dying to check this one out since its announcement, but strangely enough, until the last 5 minutes of this one hour first episode, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not!

I’ve mentioned before how much I hate dramas where the main character is put upon and picked on by people, ESPECIALLY those of the lazy and stupid variety (I think that’s why I love Ie Uru Onna so much, Keitan kicks those types right in the pants!), and for most of the show, Yui’s character of Akira Shinkai is exactly like that: an amazingly efficient and hard-working assistant who gets saddled with all the lazy people’s work and gets blamed for all the stupid people’s mistakes. 

But as the show goes on there is a shift in tone and you see the problems beginning to weigh down on Akira. And by the end decisions are made and I was happy to say DAMN, that's more like it! Now I can’t wait to see where this is going!

There seems to be an overall theme of people being used by other people and of people not being able to attain their dreams because of the pre-existing conditions set by others, and I’m sure as the show goes on we’ll be delving into each character’s story and arc.

So far the characters seem interesting enough, Yui is of course brilliant and you love her from the moment the show begins, but the rest of them will have to grow on me.

Kei Tanaka seems to be playing his usual unremarkable boyfriend character, much like his last in the Fumino Kimura “Ito Kun A to E”, his role of Akira's fiance Kyoya Hanai is much the same...am I supposed to be rooting for this guy?

 

Ryuhei Matsuda’s character of Kosei Nemoto is, I guess supposed to be the romantic foil  for Kyoya and Akira. But I dunno, he seems to be a kind of arrogant and unlikeable guy so far. Though Akira does call him out on his self-important posturing, so maybe that’s the point?

Rinko Kikuchi’s character of Kureha Tachibana doesn’t seem that much more interesting, but wow, she plays her with such gusto I love every scene she’s in! She's playing the (I think) love interest of Nemoto's but it's one of those "I love you but I won't say I love you" kind of deals....

I’m not even going to bother talking about the many, many irritating people in this show because they bug me whenever they’re on screen and I don’t want to waste more time on them, but special mention MUST be made of the hikkikomori clinger-on Shuri Nagato because she is played by Haru Kuroki of the drama Mi Wo Tsukushi Ryoricho, which you all know I love to pieces and this will be the first time I'm seeing her in another role!

Oh, and we’ve also got veteran actress Misako Tanaka as Kyoya’s mother. So nice to see her, and its funny- she’s always made a career out of playing goofy moms, only now, her “kids” are like, grown MEN like Kei Tanaka, LOL

 

So yeah, that’s about where it stands right now…looking forward to seeing how this develops in the coming episodes….

PS: There was this one really quick but absolutely HILARIOUS passage where Akira is getting jostled around on the train and gets smushed against the glass.  Trying to regain her composure, she sees her face left a mark on the glass and she embarrassedly tries to wipe it off, LOLOL

 

 

 

 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Oda Yuji and Nakajima Yuto in "Suits"

Another show I’m enjoying right now is the Yuji Oda/Yut0 Nakajima Drama  “Suits” (based on the wildly successful USA series of the same name).

Suits tells the story of a young man named Daiki Suzuki who is gifted with fantastic memory and immaculate studying skills but has sadly been squandering them making a living as a guy who takes admissions tests for people as well as other shady dealings.

While fleeing from the law in a job gone wrong, he ends up hiding in the law offices of Shogo Kai (Oda) whom just happens to be screening applicants looking for a junior partner. 

Taking his bemused secretary's advice, Kai gives Suzuki an interview, and realizing Suzuki’s skills, Kai, hires him, with the caveat that he pose as a full-fledged lawyer while he uses him to help with cases. 

 

So far, such a great little drama with intriguing characters I love and Oh MAN, is this show filled with the most BEAUTIFUL of BABES, including the luscious Anne Nakamura as  Oda’s trusty Secretary Kayako Tamai...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuko Araki as Suzuki’s love interest, the stoic and efficient Makoto Hijirisawa...

 

 

 

 

adorable Mio Imada as Suzuki’s hometown friend Sari Tanimoto...

 

 

annnnd…..DRUMROLL:

The Original SWEETIE of SASS herself, the mighty HONAMI SUZUKI!

 

Oh Man, did I love her back in the day, and she’s still lookin’ as freakin’ fine as ever!
She's always carried an air of class and contempt about her, and her role as Kai's calculating Employer Chika Yukimura  suits her so well!

 

 

 

 

She and Oda Yuji played romantic partners in love and work in the seminal 1991 drama “Tokyo Love Story” and it's awesome seeing them back together again!! Both Actors have come quite a way since that early drama! They were both so innocent and wide-eyed:

 

 

 

 

 

Though they've grown into much more cynical characters, these two can still spar along with with the best of them and their dialog is always cutting and gripping as they try to get the best of each other! 

 

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com