My Favorite J-Dramas (2015-Present)
Decided to wrap up this year with an updated ranking of my favorite J-Dramas since 2015!
[2018]
After many months of dawdling, I finally got around to finishing up the Mugi Kadowaki/Yamazaki Kento drama “Todome No Kiss”, and I must say that despite my initial "cool" reaction to it, this turned out to be one really, REALLY entertaining show!!
In my original post I remarked about how unlikeable the main character Otaro Dojima was, but of course it was all part of the writers plan to portray him as such so that you could see the arc and redemption of his personality through his time-traveling interaction with Saiko (Kadowaki).
Mugi Kadowaki! She was so, so lovable in this role! Very believable as the shy and lonely “girl with the gifts” who only wants to see Dojima achieve his goals and selflessly gives of herself over and over, til even the hardened Otaro can see how precious she is.
[2017]
Fumino Kimura stars as celebrity author Rio Yazaki, who is famous for scripting a bestselling drama called “Tokyo Doll House”. Now in a slump, she holds a lecture to promote her new essay book, and her publisher Shinya Tamura (Kei Tanaka)has her participants write down their romantic problems (to give her ideas for her next project).
The lecture is a huge success, with women of all types coming to meet the famous writer and enter to win a chance to confer with her one-on-one!
Among them are the pretty but insecure Tomomi Shimabara(Nozomi Sasaki, the introverted Shuko Nose (Mirai Shida), the vibrant Satoko Aida (Elaiza Ikeda)…and the wide-eyed and bookish Miki Jinbo (Kaho).
When all the essays are collected, Yazaki notices one strange thing: four of the guests (the aforementioned women) who wrote about their romantic troubles ALL seems to be worrying about an unidentified man named ITO. Intrigued, Yazaki interviews all four women and muses that this Ito they’re worrying about might in fact be the SAME GUY!
This drama consisted of 8 episodes with 2 chapters per girl’s story, and in ways it reminded me of the mobile phone mini-dramas “Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi 1and 2 ”. You got to see the girls problems and how they were dealing with them, and in that, I really, really liked Ito Kun A to E. I wasn’t too keen on the “every guy is Ito” aspect, but loved the individual girls’ stories, especially Nozomi Sasaki’s tale about rejection and learning to love yourself. It’s this sweet and thoughtful side of the drama that makes me watch it again and again and propelled it to my best drama list.
[2018]
I was quite taken by this Satomi Ishihara drama with its classic take of the rich-socialite girl who falls for the kind, humble and poor man (A twist on Satomi’s drama Rich Man, Poor Woman!) and it’s backdrop of the refined world of Ikebana (Flower Arranging) was a fresh, new take on it!
Satomi stunned as usual with her portrayal as the beautiful, elegant Momo Tsukushima, add in the sincere performance by Kazunobu Mineta as the guy-with-the-heart-of-gold Bicycle Repair Shop suitor Naoto Kazama and you had all the makings of another “Summer Snow” (Hey, that was set in a bicycle repair shop, too!) romance!
Gotta say though, that this drama was as topsy turvy as riding a bicycle without training wheels for the first time with all the plots, sub-plots, twists, reverse-twists, break-ups and make-ups (frankly this was, in my opinion, Satomi’s most cruel and callous drama character ever!) but throughout it all, you never stopped caring about the people in the story, and in the end, Takane No Hana left me with characters who will stay with me for a long time!
[2017]
Mikako Tabe plays Hatako, a young woman who has returned to her hometown for her grandmother’s funeral. Her Grandmother ran a notary store in town where she would write letters for those who cannot, and at one time, Hatako was assumed to inherit the business. But a falling out with her grandmother made Hatako flee to the big city and this is her first time back in 8 years.
She means to stay in town only as long as it takes to settle her grandmother’s affairs, but is met the next day by a old woman who has come asking on behalf of a letter of condolences she has requested. It seems Hatako’s grandmother had passed away before she could write it, and Mikako is stunned to hear that she is expected to fulfill the request herself! Well, she doesn’t have any experience with such stuff, but when she finds that the letter of condolences is for a pet monkey, she sighs and figures that in this she supposed she can help!
Seems that while the townsfolk love her grandmother and the shop, Hatako only has rough memories of the place, being schooled by her strict and proper grandmother about the ways of writing. But with the help and care of the neighbors and townsfolk, Hatako learns how to put her heart and passion into the important letters she is asked to write!
Ah, such a calmly paced and gentle drama. Very relaxing to watch at the end of the day, it’s like taking a trip to that small little town and taking the time to catch your breath. 
36. Yameru Toki mo, Sukoyakanaru Toki mo
[2020]
From earlier this year, “Yameru Toki mo, Sukoyakanaru Toki mo” tells the tale of a struggling furniture designer named Sudo Ichiharu (Taisuke Fujigaya) working through his art to come to terms with a tragedy that causes him to lose his voice every year.
He happens to meet Advertising Agent Sakurako Motohashi (Nao) at a wedding, though the two are too drunk to remember each other that well, but fate steps in when she ends up being his agent for a brochure he is making for his first exhibit!
Though the two have huge emotional baggage, they find kinship in each other and as they develop affection for each other, are slowly working their way up to a real relationship…
MAN, I was so excited when I found out about this drama, and after watching just the first episode, was so involved that I ended up watching the ENTIRE series in one afternoon!!!
Nao was soooo great in this- though there were times when you couldn’t be sure if Sudo is in love with Sakurako, you NEVER doubt that SHE is in love with HIM! Just take a look at Nao’s face in this scene of them meeting in town. My heart just melts, she looks so happy!!
This was a sweet little romance drama which further solidifies my belief that Nao is one of the best of the new wave of Japanese Actresses out there and that I can still expect great things from her!
[2016]
When I first heard the title of the new Ayase Haruka/Mizukawa Asami/Miura Haruma drama “Never Let Me Go”, my first thought was, “Hey, that’s the title of that Kazuo Ishiguro Sci-Fi movie starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield!” Then when I read the synopsis, I was stunned to realize that it was in fact the SAME story!
Never Let me Go (Watashi Wo Hanasanaide) tells the story of a strange orphanage where the children are kept in an enclosed environment and taught only to paint pretty pictures and keep their health up. What they don’t know is that they are “Special” beings created in labs to one day supplement “real” humans with their organs and bodies, and this story follows the paths of three of the children who seek to get out and make real lives for themselves.
The drama’s story slightly veers off of the movie version (things like the use of paintings as their key to humanity is changed), nonetheless, this drama is really doing it right, oh my god, the FEEL of the show is so overwhelming with sadness and desperation, and the atmosphere, the scenery and direction are magnificent, for most of the show I felt like I was watching a cinematic movie, it is done so well.
[2016]
IQ246 is the drama about a guy named Sharaku Homonji (Yuji Oda) with, well, the IQ of 246. He is constantly getting involved in police crime scenes because he is bored with his mundane life and needs stimulation.
The Station doesn’t want him interfering so they appoint Soko Wato (Tao Tsuchiya) as his “bodyguard”, i.e. the babysitter who is supposed to keep tabs on him and keep him out of the Police work, but they don't take her seriously and with the help of his able and almost secret-agent-skilled butler Kensei (Dean Fujioka), he always eludes Wato and gets away.
At first a goofy, goofy show with hairbrained crime scenarios worthy of “Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato De” (the kind where you go “how in the world could ANYONE deduce such a complicated murder plan from such mundane clues???), halfway through the series, the drama seemed to make a break from its earlier chapters, taking a darker shift in tone and trading the usual silly and wacky situations in for a more melodramatic and gripping plot!
And from there, the show just got darker and darker, with MORE intense and violent situations, as the show built up to its climactic final arc where Homonji finally has his showdown with his arch enemy Maria T!! So many suspenseful situations as well as rather touching moments...Who would have thought that this show would end up as a 10/10 rating for me when I barely even knew if I LIKED it much when i first began watching it!!! Ya just NEVER know!!!
[2018]
Ayumi Shinozaki (Shihori Kanjiya) lives a quiet life as a librarian. when, one night home from work, she receives a strange phone call telling her that there will be an earthquake in Tokyo in a few hours. She doesn’t know who the caller is, and decides that it must be a prank of some kind.
But that evening, she is shocked when there is indeed an earthquake in Tokyo, at the exact time the caller predicted. She then gets a call from the mystery man who tells her that he told her his predication so she’d believe him when he said he could time jump from the future to the past via an experience he calls REPEAT. She meets up at a certain restaurant where she meets other recipients (who, like Ayumi, seem to have been chosen at random) as well as the mystery leader, a man named Kazama.
Kazama explains to the eight guests that his “Repeat” system is not so much Time Traveling back and forth, but the ability to jump your MIND back into your past self. Thus you can’t bring along anything with you. Furthermore, it is a set time frame of 10 months you can go back!
But will changing things that already happened make things better? Can Ayumi mold events to give herself a perfect life? Or is one’s life planned out for them and will fate step in to keep what has already transpired as fact...and what PRICE will they ultimately PAY for this gift? Only by jumping will she learn!
Holy CRAP, did Repeat end on a high note! This drama of a group of random people chosen to jump back 10 months into the past had me constantly guessing what was going to happen next, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the turn of events!
I've always liked Shihori Kanjiya, and she was sooo, sooo good as the sweet and kind-hearted Ayumi. You could easily see why she was so well-liked by her time-travelling partners (well, at least the ones that weren't trying to kill her!) and by the drama's end I had really grown attached to her!
The last episode's conclusion left me entirely satisfied and not just a little lonely!
[2017]
Kahoko Nemoto is an unusual girl- she’s been brought up in a completely sheltered environment with an overprotective mother Izumi (Hitomi Kuroki) who decides every move and choice for her daughter,and a helpless father Masataka (Saburo Tokito), who, though he knows they are spoiling their daughter terribly, cannot bear to see her sad and will say anything to make her smile.
Her world gets shaken one day when, at the school office, she meets a young man named Mugino (Ryoma Takeuchi) who tells her that spoiled little girls like her are what is wrong with the world.
“Parents spoil their children, the school pampers the parents, companies spoil employees, the government spoils officials… the country itself is becoming an overprotected kingdom!” he smirks, and Kahoko takes it hard.
Harsh as he is, it looks like Mugino is the only one in Kahoko’s life who will give it to her straight. He invites hr to help with his part time jobs, and as her parents worry away, Kahoko spends the night passing out flyers and delivering pizzas. And though he did it partly as a joke, Mugino comes to see that despite her being sheltered and pampered, she has a pure heart and is eager to work hard.
After the hard work Kahoko experiences for the first time how wonderful a meal tastes after a day of hard work! And with this, Kahoko starts a new step in life as a girl who is ready to step out into the real world and find the job that will satisfy her heart!!
What a sweet, touching and heartwarming show this was! The story of the "Overprotected" girl who learns to break out of her confined, pampered way of living and blossom into an outgoing and assertive young woman had me charmed throughout its 10 episode run
and the conclusion was as satisfying as could be!
The perfect balance of seriousness and silliness was perfect, and not since Kisarazu Cat's Eye did I find myself laughing so hard even as I was crying my eyes out! The balance of Kahoko's innocent ineptness and her unwavering love of her family made every scene great with her childish and yet powerful and moving dialog as she mended the problems of her loved ones.
[2016]
Omukae Death tells the tale of a young, moody and detached student named Tsutsumi Madoka (Sota Fukushi) who meets an odd if striking young woman named Sachi Aguma (Tao Tsuchiya) on campus one day, who tells him that his fly is open. She then disappears, but little does Madoka know that they are destined for bigger plans together!
He is to later find that both he and the girl are endowed with a strange supernatural power that lets them see, speak and interact with the dead. They're recruited by a team of enthusiastic otherworldly agents, Nabeshima, a genki and energetic guy (played by Ryohei Suzuki) dressed as a snazzy pink bunny, and Yuzuko, his adorable younger partner (Kokone Hamada), who are charged with helping the dead, or rather, the dead in limbo, who need guidance before leaving this plane for the heavens.
If they can’t persuade the dead to settle their affairs and leave, the deceased turn into crazed zombies which are a problem to the upper management, and it’s here that the two humans who can see the dead are employed to provide the “physical” human interaction to their customers that the ghostly agents cannot do. With their help they help the recently deceased make peace with their past and happily go off to their resting grounds.
At first this drama struck me as too similar to the Satoshi Ohno drama “Shinigami-Kun” as both featured agents helping the deceased with settling their affairs before going to heaven, but my GOSH, Tao Tsuchiya was sooo, soon charismatic as the pretty and captivating Sachi that she quickly became my favorite character and helped turn the show into a BIG fave of mine!
Very passionate towards her mission and very emotional when it comes to the deceased person’s feelings as well as their loved ones, she is the “heart” of the show for me, and it’s through her that Madoka finds it in himself to help others as well!
30. Satsui No Michinori
29. Nagi No Oitoma
28. Gibo To Musume No Blues
27. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
26. Tokusatsu GaGaGa
25. Rental No Koi
24. Harassment Game
23. Fragile
[2016]
Take Emi Takei’s surgeon character Matsumoto Mao in “Zero No Shinjitsu” and team her up with Nagase Tomoya’s Keita Kurokouchi from “Kurokouchi”, shake it all together and let simmer, and the end result would look an awful lot like the awesome medical drama “Fragile”, the show focusing on the true heroes of the hospitals: the pathologists who examine all the tissue and data so that the doctors can make the correct decisions regarding their patients' maladies and their well being!
In THIS hospital, however, the doctors are more interested in cutting costs and saving time and space than following what the pathologists’ diagnoses suggest, and it’s here that genius pathologist Kishi Keiichiro (Tomoya) and sweet natured doctor Miyazaki Chihiro (Takei) step in, using every means at their disposal to guide the doctors back on the right track, even if it calls for drastic, underhanded, and in some cases outright fireable offenses!
I love both Emi and Nagase, and they’re here doing what they do best: Nagase as a gruff, loud-mouthed figure and Emi as the gentle and caring nurturer. Add in their crackerjack team (including Nomura Shuhei as Morii, Kinya Kitaoji as Nakaguma Kaoru (Kishi’s mentor), and a sexy-as-usual Koyuki as a fellow doctor Hosoki Madoka who, though not on the pathological staff, is definitely on their side!) and you've got the making of a seriously kick-butt drama!
Another thing that I really love about this show is the DIALOG, and I’m not just taking about the doctor-patient-diagnosis stuff, but also the everyday patter between the four, so fun, quick and witty, with Nagase and Koyuki assaulting Emi with a barrage of comments and poor Emi’s stuttering and befuddled replies, meanwhile Mori sittin' back and bemusedly remarking on the situation…too good!
22. Anata No Ban Desu
21. Okusama wa, Tori Atsukai Chui
20. Mi Wo Tsukushi Ryouricho
19. Super Salaryman Saenae-Shi
18. Sumika Sumire
16. Kangoku No Ohimesama
15. Shiranakute Ii Koto
14. Ashi Girl
13. Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai
12. Haken Uranaishi Ataru
11. Miss Devil
10. Kareshi Wo Loan De Kaimashita
9. Kokoro Ga Pokitto Ne
8. Survival Wedding
7. Ore No Hanashi wa Nagai
5. Jimi Ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko
[2016]
Jimi Ni Sugoi tells the tale of a pretty young fashionable woman named Kono Etsuko who has dreamed all her life of becoming an editor for her favorite fashion magazine Lassy, unfortunately the company isn’t ever hiring new editors and it has been a solid six times since graduating that Etsuko has come in interviewing for a spot with the publishers with no luck!
This time however, Etsuko manages to strike a chord with Shoon Takeyama, (the always fun and goofy Goro Kishitani) the head of the proofreading department, when she asks him where he got his unusual necktie pin. Such a strange girl, he thinks, but at least he'll remember her! Etsuko leaves crossing her fingers that the seventh time will be the charm!
When Etsuko gets the call from the company that evening telling her she’s been hired, she is in seventh heaven! She strides in to work the next day beaming with charisma and confidence, ready to meet the team…but she is rudely awakened when she finds that she HASN'T been hired for the fashion editing room at ALL...but the dour and drab dungeon of the company’s PROOFREADING department!
Takeyama tells her that, while the Proofreading Section isn’t what she hoped for, with proper motivation she can work her way up in the company until she gets the position she really wants. Giving in, Etsuko decides to make the best of it, planning on staying there for only as long as it takes to get promoted and get out of there!
Like shows such as “Underwear” or even “Ie Uru Onna”, the show is very dense with actual facts and information about its business. Whereas Underwear introduced you to the world of Lingerie Designing and Ie Uru Onna taught you the fundamentals about real estate, Jimi Ni Sugoi teaches you about proofreading, the procedures, the implementation and the research points of the job, and it is a thrill to see Etsuko not only learning the ropes, but finding she has a passion for it as well!
A fun, properly intriguing drama showing a dazzling Satomi Ishihara at her very best, this IS Satomi Ishihara in Full Bloom!
4. Quartet
[2017]
Quartet follows a group of four string musicians, the amusingly named Maki Maki (Matsu Takako) Beppu Tsukasa (Ryuhei Matsuda), Yutaka Iemori (Issei Takahashi) and Suzume Sebuki (Mitsushima Hikari) and their relationship with each other as well as the people around them.
They live separately in town, but all four of them come together to stay in a secluded cabin up in the mountains where they can practice and hone their craft as they work their way up to performance deals.
Though they all are very gifted when it comes to their instruments and craft, the four are all rather quite flawed individuals who have issues and quirks of their own- outside of the quartet, they live mundane and lonely lives where there seems to be no real reward.
The four musicians find that they're only content when they are together practicing up in their secluded cabin and only really feel alive when they are playing for the public as the "Quartet Doughnut" in whatever venue they can secure...
MAN, love this show…from the first episode I was immediately hooked already, the characters are SO interesting and the direction is done with a very crisp and precise style. And the music scenes of them performing are always captivating, as well.
There were a few nail-biting episodes with lots of tribulations and trials (some quite literally) and lots of exciting developments, but ultimately, the show ended the way it began: four entirely sweet and caring people doing everyday things where the main point was to be together and be there for each other! SUCH A SWEET SHOW!
3. Kuroi 10-Nin No Onna
[2016]
Kumi Kanda is having a bit of a problem with her love life! Things started off fine when she was first being wooed by Kaze Matsukichi,(Funakoshi Eiichiro) a successful TV producer working in the building where she worked as a receptionist, and despite his older age, they soon hit it off and spent a wonderful 5 months together.
But it all came crashing down around her when Kumi found that Kaze, her so-called perfect guy, was a MARRIED MAN! It’s at this point that one would normally break it off, but as Kumi explains to the audience, she is the type who will continue on with a relationship even if it means having an affair because she feels her love is too strong, and thus is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Then, out of the blue, Kumi gets a phone call from a mysterious woman who Kumi believes is Kaze’s wife. When she meets up with her, Kumi is surprised to find an attractive and stylish woman named Kayo who is only friendly and cordial to her. Kumi bursts out in tears and begs the woman to forgive her for having an affair with her husband, and promises to never again go near Kaze, to which the amused woman states that not only is she NOT Kaze’s wife…but she’s another one of his lovers, just like Kumi!
It’s then that another woman enters the picture and begins arguing with the mature Kayo-san. Her name is Miwa Yagami (Hitomi Sato), and after the two cool down and resume a more civilized tone, Kumi is stunned to find that THIS woman is a lover of Kaze’s, too!Kumi is FURTHER shocked when the two seasoned women casually tell her that besides the two of THEM, Kumi is actually the 9TH of Kaze’s lovers!
Wrapping her head around this news is hard for Kumi, and even harder to comprehend is the way these other lovers of Kaze’s are not only friendly with each other, but seem to regard each other as part of a group…and want HER to join in!
As the show progresses, we get to know not only Kumi and the women, but even MORE of Kaze's lovers, including a sassy young thing named Shino Aiba (Reina Trendl) who is an actress hired for the company’s latest project, and Kaze even looks to be making the move on the pretty scriptwriter Natsuki Koyama (Megumi, a big fave of mine since like forever)!
Such is the situation of these women in this highly captivating and seriously snazzy drama "Kuroi 10-nin Na Onna (Ten Dark Women)", sooooo much FUN, MAN, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen Riko Narumi in anything and its a joy to see her in such a spirited show, but really, EVERYONE is pulling their weight here, each and every character is so much fun to watch! Such a wacky and spastic storyline, this show reminds me of the classic "Noises Off" in its' sheer screwball style, can't remember the las time I was so entertained!
2. Ie Uru Onna
[2016]
As the title says, Ie Uru Onna (Woman who Sells Homes) is a drama about , naturally, a woman selling homes, but WOW, what a spectacularly STRANGE and ECCENTRIC woman it is!
Keiko Kitagawa stars as Machi Sangeya, a cold, chilly and extremely strict woman who is masterful at selling homes to clients (her motto: There’s NO HOME I can’t sell!) but is cold, bossy and unfriendly to her underlings, co-workers and even superiors!
Friendly Dai Yashida (Toru Nakamura) runs a real Estate agency where everyone gets along well and things are low-key. Only problem is, his kid-gloves approach to his workers has resulted in little to no sales from his unmotivated and sometimes downright lazy agents. The head office is sending them their “big gun”, the powerhouse seller Sangeya, who makes millions for the company with her sales, and right away, she shakes things up with her brutal ways of ordering people around, barking out commands and bullying the slackers into submission!
Sangeya partners up with Niwano Seigi(Kudo Asuka), a seller who has a hard time making sales because of his gentle and easily pushed around demeanor, and with her help and insight they manage to move some homes.
But the wide-eyed Niwano is shocked by the strong armed and sometimes deceptive methods Sangeya uses to make her sales, even going as far as using actors to trick her clients. It seems like she will do ANYthing to sell off a place, and she even says so, straight to his face!
In reality, however, Sangeya is someone who really understands families and the way a home works within your lives. She uses her cold, unflinching eye to look at the situation the client is going through to get them the best home they can buy, and solve some of their personal dilemmas on the way as well!
AW, such a GREAT show! Granted, Keiko’s role is a very strange one as she seems almost autistic in her actions, but it looks like Keiko’s trying to channel a Yuki Amami kind of vibe (i.e. icy, intelligent woman with zero social skills), and when I think of it like that, it seems perfect! Love watching her in action when she’s own the job, the way she robotically scans the homes as she’s assessing the value of the homes and the situations of the sellers/buyers and the meticulous way she catalogues info, too hilarious!!
I Love watching her in action when she’s own the job, the way she robotically scans the homes as she’s assessing the value of the homes (as well as the situations of the sellers/buyers) and the meticulous way she catalogues info, too hilarious!! I'm just LOVING this show and GOTTA see MORE!
[2020]
Though I felt that the last episode seemed a bit rushed, if I thought of the 7 episodes of the Bakarhythm/Iura Arata crime comedy “Satsui No Michinori” as a long movie rather than a drama, it worked out pretty darn good!
Despite its abrupt (in my opinion) conclusion, I really loved the journey of these two shleppy but sincere guys set out for revenge and murder who meet two cool and savvy girls who happily join in on the ride, and I even liked the way they tied things up in the end with a nice little bow!
Of course a big part of my enjoyment of this drama came from the saucy Mayu Hotta (as well as Yui Sakuma, whom I only JUST realized was Yuka in Jikuu Tantei Oyu!), the scenes with the boys interacting with them really made the show, the dialog, the pacing and the humor!
PS: And even as I was thinking how the drama would work better as a movie, they announced post credits that a feature movie is INDEED in the works, the be released February of next Year. I remember they did this with Ito Kun A to E, will definitely have to check out the Satsui No Michinori treatment!!!
[2019]
Nagi Oshima (Haru Kuroki) is a highly efficient and capable OL, but her one flaw is over-reading the atmosphere of a situation, stressing out and worrying about what to do or say in any social situation!
She overthinks things so much and is so afraid of saying the wrong thing or being disliked that she ends up being taken advantage of by her co-workers, usually talked into doing their work so they can leave early.
Then when she hears her boyfriend Shinji (Issei Takahashi) talking about her, how he doesn’t really love her and only dates her for the sex, she begins hyperventilating right there in the hallway. And as she succumbs to a panic attack, she is left with the sight of Shinji looking over at her, without a seeming regret in the world...And her world fades to black.
When we next check in on Nagi, what a CHANGE we have seen in her! She has thrown away her OL city life. She’s moved out of her apartment, quit her job at the company, donated all her fancy OL outfits and belongings and, with her frizzy hair flying, takes off on a bicycle and retreats to a small backwoods town to re-evaulate herself and hopefully be reborn as a new person.
Though things are scary at first, with odd individuals out and about, when she stands up for herself for the first time in her life, a new feeling blooms inside her that she is really starting anew, and from that point on, decides to be brave and say whatever is on her mind!
Awwww MAN, you all know how much I loved Haru Kuroki’s fine drama Mi Wo Tsukushi Ryoricho, and, in much the same way that drama took the time to convey the atmosphere, Nagi No Oitama seems like a successor, with lots of long shots just showing Nagi looking at plants, excitedly shopping for groceries and fixing up broken appliances.
And Nagi's character is just like Mio in Ryorichi...very sweet, gentle and thoughtful. (I had such a time liking her selfish character in Kemono ni Narenai Watashitachi!) Makes you feel so good watching her rediscover herself and you cheer when she makes new acquaintances and applaud every time she stands up for herself! Love this show- just made for the Haru Kuroki lover in me!
[2018]
Miyuki (Naho Yokomizu) is attempting to ride her bicycle while her father Ryoichi Miyamoto (Yutaka Takenouchi) gets water out of a vending machine. She loses her balance and is confronted by a stern woman with a cold voice who tells her that she must lose her fear and go fast on the bike is she wants to gain control over it.
Offended by the severe woman’s lecturing, she is further shocked when Father runs up to them and in an apologetic voice, tells Miyuki, “Gomen, I never found the right time to tell you, but this is Akiko…and she’s going to be your NEW MOTHER!”
Completely businesslike, the cold woman formally bows towards Miyuki and offers her business card to her as she introduces herself! It has only been three years since Miyuki’s real Mother passed away and she doesn’t need or want a new one…and certainly not this unfeeling, all-business robot! Why would Papa ever want to marry someone like THAT!
Well, this turned out to be yet another absolutely wonderful Ayase Haruka drama with lots of up and downs and suprise turns- not only was this a drama about a stern woman learning to bond with her new stepdaughter, but the second half deals with Miyuki as a teenager struggling in high school while Stepmother Akiko attempts to take on a new role as marketing consultant for a tanking bakery!
The best Ayase Haruka dramas are the ones which utilize Ayase’s trademark glazed expression to its fullest, and the role of Akiko in Gibo To Musume No Blues is yet another fine example!!
[2018]
A drama following the lineage of rakugo telling performers told through the eyes of the elderly master as he is about to take on a new disciple.
The scope of this drama, traveling through three generations of rakugo storytellers through childhood to manhood, from teacher to student, is massive, and often felt like I was watching an NHK Morning drama compressed into 10 episodes!
VERY engaging drama with heartfelt acting throughout, especially from Masaki Okada, whom, playing key character Yakumo, ran the gamut from wide-eyed teen to seasoned pro and bitter senior with little effort! As well the energetic performance by Ikusaburo Yamazaki who played the bombastic scene-stealing Sukeroku, and the gentle and captivating Aya Oomasa as the show's doomed love interest Miyokiochi....
In the "present day" we had Riko Narumi and Ryo Ryusei as the young generation of aspiring tellers hoping to make the stage the home for their tales, giving closure to the overall story and ending the drama on a strong and sombre note!
This was one very involving drama, one that I will remember for a long time!
[2019]
Adorable Kano Nakamura (Fuka Koshiba) is a peppy and ordinary working OL on the outside, but what her co-workers don’t knows is that Kana is a closet Tokusatsu Geek who spends her every free moment at home watching Japanese Sentai shows and her whole paychecks go to purchasing Superhero CDs, DVDs and Magazines!
But her obsession comes with casualties, not least of which is dealing with her Super-Sentai hating mother,( Yuki Matsushita) who has come to Tokyo to visit. Mom is bent on making sure Kano is living right and working towards marriage. What will she say if she sees Kano’s apartment filled with toys, trinkets, posters, CDs and DVDs of her childhood obsession that she believes she’s grown out of?!
I love, love LOVED this drama! It took a keen look at all the foibles and tropes of being a rabid tokusatsu fan, while at the same time reminding us all of the many wonderful reasons we fell in love with the genre in the first place! Throughout the entire show I kept going “Oh, man, that’s TOTALLY how it is!!!” They really got it right!!
Special mention MUST be made of Fuka Koshiba whose cute, spazzy expressions and excitable demeanor kept the show bright and happy- she reminded me so much of why I first fell in love with Keiko Kitagawa way back in 2009’s “Mop Girl” (which she did right after coming off Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon). Yes, Keiko is a rather dour and low-key actress of late, but Fuka Koshiba reminded me of Keiko’s cute and FUN beginnings!
[2017]
The wacky, mysterious and heartbreaking story of the "Perfect Girlfriend" Rental girl named Remi (Gouriki Ayame) and the helpless schlub Kosuke (Taiga) who loves her and wants to steal her away from her professional life of contracted companionship was one captivating thrill ride after another, all building up to the final confrontation between the two would-be lovers and the secret of why a perfect girl like Remi is so alone in the world and why she rejects Kosuke's affections!
I've always had a soft spot for Gouriki and this one is tailor made for a fanboy like me, with Ayame appearing in each episode in the prettiest and girliest dresses, costumes and outfits ever!
[2018]
Wataru Akitsu was once a powerful director of the huge Supermarket Chain MARUO, but when an underling accused him of power harassment his team turned against him and he was demoted to grocery manager in one of the store’s small-town markets.
This setback would have destroyed most, but the positive thinking Akitsu embraces his job and becomes a bright, energetic manager who is beloved by his co-workers and his customers.
So it is a bit of a jolt when he is suddenly called BACK to the main office to assume the new role of head of the company’s HR Compliance department.
There he meets his new team, smart and determined Makoto Komura (Alice Hirose), who schools the old-fashioned Akitsu about all the many new and lesser known kinds of harassment there are, and the cool and collected Lawyer Kotaro Yazawa (Yuki Furukawa) who at first doesn’t trust Akitsu but soon realizes how passionate Akitsu is about helping those in need and joins the team fully.
Akitsu takes to his new job with gusto, but there is a darker, more hushed up reason for his return: Fearing an usurpation by his board members, Company Boss Takafumi Maruo (Kenichi Takito) has brought in Akitsu to snoop around and get dirt on the man he fears is trying to oust him.
This is hard enough for Akitsu, but the man he is instructed to monitor is his former supervisor and partner who betrayed and abandoned him at the time of his power harassment case!
I love his team with Akitsu, Komura and Yazawa. They are such straight arrows fighting for what’s right that seeing them do their thing reminds me of the Michael Keaton drama “Spotlight”, with his team of Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as diligent and tenacious investigators for the Boston Globe!
Man, I loved this drama! Karasawa was one of the very first actors I knew when I first got into Japanese dramas, and he shows he still has the warmth and charisma to turn any character into one you really care for and want to follow!
A gripping drama that I’ll be sure to re-watch again!
[2016]
Take Emi Takei’s surgeon character Matsumoto Mao in “Zero No Shinjitsu” and team her up with Nagase Tomoya’s Keita Kurokouchi from “Kurokouchi”, shake it all together and let simmer, and the end result would look an awful lot like the awesome medical drama “Fragile”, the show focusing on the true heroes of the hospitals: the pathologists who examine all the tissue and data so that the doctors can make the correct decisions regarding their patients' maladies and their well being!
In THIS hospital, however, the doctors are more interested in cutting costs and saving time and space than following what the pathologists’ diagnoses suggest, and it’s here that genius pathologist Kishi Keiichiro (Tomoya) and sweet natured doctor Miyazaki Chihiro (Takei) step in, using every means at their disposal to guide the doctors back on the right track, even if it calls for drastic, underhanded, and in some cases outright fireable offenses!
I love both Emi and Nagase, and they’re here doing what they do best: Nagase as a gruff, loud-mouthed figure and Emi as the gentle and caring nurturer. Add in their crackerjack team (including Nomura Shuhei as Morii, Kinya Kitaoji as Nakaguma Kaoru (Kishi’s mentor), and a sexy-as-usual Koyuki as a fellow doctor Hosoki Madoka who, though not on the pathological staff, is definitely on their side!) and you've got the making of a seriously kick-butt drama!
Another thing that I really love about this show is the DIALOG, and I’m not just taking about the doctor-patient-diagnosis stuff, but also the everyday patter between the four, so fun, quick and witty, with Nagase and Koyuki assaulting Emi with a barrage of comments and poor Emi’s stuttering and befuddled replies, meanwhile Mori sittin' back and bemusedly remarking on the situation…too good!
[2019]
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on The Train” tells the story of two men who meet on a train. They both have someone they want to kill, but know they will be arrested immediately for it because of their association with the victim. Their theory goes like this: since they’ve just met on a train and have no connection to each other, if they each kill each other’s adversary, the police will have nothing to connect them to the murder and they can get away scot free.
Anata No Ban Desu has a similar set-up, where a group of tenants at an apartment meeting admit they all have someone in their life they’d wish disappear. After some goading from the Landlord, they are all pressured into playing a ‘game” where they write down a person they want gone, and then put it in the box.
They then are passed out the sheets with the names on it and are told that this is the person they have to kill. “But this is just for fun, right?” worries newcomer Nana Tezuka (Tomoyo Harada)...They assure her that it’s all a game.
But when the loudmouthed landlord hurtles from the apartment balcony to his death the following evening, the unwitting participants realize that to some, the game is all- too real, and one by one people begin turning up dead!
And as the deaths pile up, authorities and fellow tenants alike begin looking upon their neighbors with much suspicion, wondering who will be next on the list!
I freakin' LOVE this drama-Such a GRIPPING tale and you’re kept on your toes with the intricate plot as well as the ZANY interludes- this is a DARK comedy of the BLACKEST noir- When you have grisly murders like families with their throats slit and then have a police chief who is afraid to come into the apartment because it might be haunted, you have the perfect mix of shock and slapstick!
I love the show so much that I keep re-watching each episode, with frequent rewinding certain scenes, that are interesting or flat out hilarious.
Only complaint I have is how many different “parts’ of the show there are- back in the OLD days, you could just watch ONE 12 episode drama- now you’ve got TWO 10 episode series, Hulu Mini-Episodes and post-drama SPECIALS! Would be great for the fan, but it’s been SO HARD getting these things subbed which means a lot of it is unavailable….still haven’t quite seen ALL of it!
[2017]
I really loved the Chiaki Kuriyama drama “Himitsu Chohouin Erika”, the story of a mild mannered housewife who is secretly a covert operative secret agent, and now we have Haruka Ayase in a similar styled situation with “Okusama wa, Tori Atsukai Chui (Caution: Hazardous Housewife!)”
Ayase Haruka stars as Nami, a top field agent for an un-named organization who fakes her death and starts a new life in a bid for a “regular’ life with a husband and family in a quaint house in a quiet neighborhood. She meets the man of her dreams at a goukon and once married, they move to the small town wehere she meets her new best firends (Ryoko Hirosue) and Honda). She enjoys doing her housework and seeing her husband off each morning for work, but there is apart of her that craes the excitement of her past life. So when a fellow housewife has a problem with domestic violence, Nami secretly reverts back to her covert operative agent self to uncover the evils and mete out punishment as she sees fit!
As expected, I really liked this new show and Haruka Ayase continues to reinvigorate my love for her- as you may recall, it was she who singlehandedly brought me back to the world of J-dramas (after I had lost interest in 2000) with “Hotaru No Hikari” in 2007 and with this show she continues her winning streak!
[2017]
Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho tells the tale of a girl named Mio (Haru Kuroki) without any family who comes to Edo from Osaka and becomes a cook, and though very skilled, her unusual cuisine style (as well as ignorance of Edo ways and customs) makes her journey a slow and difficult one.
She is employed by the kindly Taneichi (Fumiyo Kohinata) at his restaurant where he once served Soba…but with a bad back he has given the cooking reins over to his young charge. Though she is flustering the regular patrons with her unfamiliar dishes and ingredients, Taneichi believes in Mio and always supports her decisions and food choices.
If only they would TASTE her food then they would realize how special her cooking is, but no one wants to give the odd girl and her equally odd specials a chance. It’s only through clever means that she is able to ‘trick” the townspeople into tasting her dishes, and naturally once they eat it, they are fans for life!
Each episode shows her creating a new kind of dish to try, and with the mysterious and gruff samurai Komatsubara (Mirei Moriyama) to critique and guide her, she slowly but surely is able to make a small foothold in the town.
Now, I don’t know how Kieko Kitagawa was in her movies, but I have to say that I REALLY love Haru Kuroki in the role of Mio. I liked her character from the SECOND I saw her, and her sweet and gentle demeanor really soothed my soul and made for a really laid-back and relaxing experience! Now that Tsubaki Bunguten is over, I need a thoughtful and calming drama to watch at the end of my day, and it looks like this is the one!
Been awhile since I watched either an NHK asadora OR an NHK Taiga Drama, and Mi wo Tsukushi Ryourichi reminds me so much of those shows. In fact, what it REALLY makes me feel like I’m watching are the old 1980’s “Abarenbo Shogun” series, and I really, really loved those...When they show Mio outside of the restaurant looking out into the village, it takes me right back to those days! Very nostalgic feel!
[2017]
Shinichi Tsutsumi stars in the offbeat comedy Super SalaryMan Saenai-Shi as, the meek and mild mannered salaryman Saenai who is met by a mysterious old man who offers him a strange rubber suit and asks him if he wants to be “Superman”. Thinking the man a weirdo, Saenai tries to get away... But when he sees the old man rise into the sky, he realizes there might be something to that suit after all!
Promising flight and amazing feats of strength, the man offers Saenai the suit again. But real or not, the thought of saving people and having all that RESPONSIBILITY on his shoulder is too much to take, and in the end, he begs off, running away.
It’s only when his wife calls him just before an important meeting and tells him he has to take his daughter her lunch which she forgot at home that he finally considers the possibilities of the super suit:
Torn between attending the meeting and getting Haneko her homelunch, he finds the old man and decides that, for just this once, he’ll don the suit so he can fly home, get the lunch, fly to Maki’s school and deliver the meal, then fly back to work in time for the meeting. “Sure, sure”, the old man agrees, and after a quick change, Saenae’s off!
The suit works like a dream and only after a few missteps and learning how to “steer” the darn costume when flying, (yep, just like the old "Greatest American Superhero TV show), he successfully delivers the meal and makes it back to work on time. But when he goes to return the suit, the old man is nowhere to be found. It seems that for the moment, he’s stuck with the suit.
As the days go by, he finds himself not only using the suit more and more to get out of bad situations, (super speed to scrub the tub, super flight to avoid the crowded train, etc) but finds himself feeling quite good about himself when he manages to save people in need.
As things come to a head, Saenai has to decide just what he wants to do about the super-suit…as well as his attitude about his whole life in general!
A truly wacky drama, this is one to watch just for the laughs and not to be taken too seriously!
[2016]
It got off to a rough start, but in the end, I really enjoyed Sumika Sumire, the drama starrring Mirei Kiritani as a 20 year old woman named Sumi who’s actually a 56 year old woman ( Keiko Matsuzaka) who has been magically transformed back into her younger self by a mystical persona named Rei (Mitsuhiro Oikawa)
The elder Sumi has always wanted to go back to college and get her degree, and now her wishes have seemingly come true. Only problem is that her old-fashioned ways are a stark contrast to the fast-paced world of today, and she has a hard time fitting in.
But within this wide-eyed and innocent looking girl is a wizened 56 year old senior brimming with life lessons and standards, and sure enough, one by one her mature and sensible ways helps her fellow students out of their jams and turns them into valuable friends, and she finds she even manages to capture the eye (and perhaps heart?) of the school's most eligible young lad Mashiro (Keita Machida) who becomes interested in her and her eccentric ways !
When I first began watching it, the “problematic and troubled Students” cliche really bored me- GADS, I HATE these school student dramas, but the show is so innovative in the way they use Sumika’s senior knowledge to save the day and it’s quite fun watching her struggle to “hang” with the kids when she’s so out-of-touch. Plus, Mirei is always a joy to watch and I must say she channels the elder Sumire very well!
Really glad I didn't give up watching this show as it really became a show I loved a lot! Such is the power of Mirei Kiritani!
It got off to a rough start, but in the end, I really enjoyed Sumika Sumire, the drama starrring Mirei Kiritani as a 20 year old woman named Sumi who’s actually a 56 year old woman ( Keiko Matsuzaka) who has been magically transformed back into her younger self by a mystical persona named Rei (Mitsuhiro Oikawa)
The elder Sumi has always wanted to go back to college and get her degree, and now her wishes have seemingly come true. Only problem is that her old-fashioned ways are a stark contrast to the fast-paced world of today, and she has a hard time fitting in.
But within this wide-eyed and innocent looking girl is a wizened 56 year old senior brimming with life lessons and standards, and sure enough, one by one her mature and sensible ways helps her fellow students out of their jams and turns them into valuable friends, and she finds she even manages to capture the eye (and perhaps heart?) of the school's most eligible young lad Mashiro (Keita Machida) who becomes interested in her and her eccentric ways !
When I first began watching it, the “problematic and troubled Students” cliche really bored me- GADS, I HATE these school student dramas, but the show is so innovative in the way they use Sumika’s senior knowledge to save the day and it’s quite fun watching her struggle to “hang” with the kids when she’s so out-of-touch. Plus, Mirei is always a joy to watch and I must say she channels the elder Sumire very well!
Really glad I didn't give up watching this show as it really became a show I loved a lot! Such is the power of Mirei Kiritani!
17. Oyabaka Seishun Hakusho
[2020]
Not since Rodney Dangerfield's "Back to School" has the sight of an old geezer catchin' up on his schoolin' been so much FUN!
The story of an overprotective Father who ends up enrolling in classes to watch over his college-bound daughter sounds like it would have the feeling of “Kahogo No Kahoko” or "Hanayome to Papa”, but after watching about halfway through, I think the drama is more like Super Salary-Man Saenae-shi or Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou No Shiro with its eccentric and manic-paced wackiness!
Prepped I was, and silliness I got! VERY fun situations and interactions as you might expect form a show about a dad who enrolls in all his daughters classes, activities and even after class get togethers, but the HEART of this show is with his sheltered daughter Sakura (a sweet and sincere portrayal by actress Mei Nagano) and her vibrant and life-lovin’ schoolmates, each one with his or her own distinct quirk, and in a sweet cameo of sorts, it’s been nice seeing Yui Aragaki as Sakura’s Mother in the flashback scenes. Very small role but so heartwarming- every time she’s on screen, she just lights up the place!
HOLY COW, was this an AWESOME drama!!!! Such WONDERFUL characters, I never wanted to leave!!!! Such a SHAME that it had a mere 7 episodes...would have LOVED to see more!!! An A+ drama!!!!
[2017]
Kyoko Koizumi stars as ex-convict Baba Kayo who is targeting businessman Goro Itabashi (Yusuke Iseya), who is responsible for framing one of her colleagues, Shinobu Ewdogawa (Kaho) whom she met in prison, this drama is zany on the levels of Kuroi 10 Nin Noi Onna!
Itabashi has no idea that plans for revenge are afoot, while he enjoys his successful life as the EDOMilk mogul, the people he has unwittingly surrounded himself with are all part of the bigger conspiracy, including Celebrity author Chinatsu Katsuta (Miho Kanno), Socialite Akemi Adachi (Aiko Morishita) whom he goes to the races with, would-be Actress Yoko Daimon (Maki Sakai) and even the personal assistant to Itabashi himself, super-efficient Futaba Wakai (Hikari Mitsushima)!
Baba was sentenced for attempted murder of her cheating husband and it’s while incarcerated that she first met the women who would become her partners in this diabolical plan. Though at first seen as an outsider and subject to all the trials and hazing new prisoners get, she soon wins the hearts of her new cellmates, and it's then that they hatch their plans for revenge.
Together they wage war on the befuddled Itabashi, brazenly kidnapping his son in order to get justice! Now, this plot doesn’t seem like something to base a comedy around, but Baba Kayo and her team are so inept at what they do that their shenanigans are more like Wile E. Coyote’s attempts at catching the Roadrunner than any real crime drama, at one point even kidnapping the wrong boy and then hilariously having to get rid of him when they get the real child, LOL!
This was one show that charmed me with its wacky humor, great characters and a touching storyline about camaraderie in the most unlikely of places and building friendships that can stand the test of time.
[2020]
Wrapped up Shiranakute Ii Koto and it was a very good drama indeed, in my opinion one of Yuriko Yoshitaka’s best! The story of a journalist who discovers her Father is a convicted murderer and her search for the truth was a gripping one to be sure, but more than that it was the individual episodes showing Kate at her best, tracking down the leads and cracking the cases that MADE the show!
Kate Makabe is surely one of Yuriko Yoshitaka’s absolute best roles ever- she embodied the gung-ho journalist with such cute eccentric tics that only she could bring to the character and I found myself rewinding scenes just to hear the engaging way she delivered her lines!
And the other characters in the show were great, too- I mentioned earlier how much I loved the way her workplace really respected Kate, including her fellow journalists supervisors and boss, and I always looked forward to seeing them do their thing!
[2017]
Following in the footsteps of time-slipping historical dramas like “JIN” and “Nobunaga Concerto” comes Ashi-Girl (Ashi-Gyaru, playing on the pun of the Japanese foot soldiers called Ashigaru), the story of a high school runner named Yui Hayakawa (Yuina Kuroshima) who gets inadvertently transported back to the Sengoku Warring period via her brother’s time machine where she falls in love with the young lord Hagi.
After one month living in the past, during a full moon, she abruptly slips back to present day, where her brother informs her that the machine is synchronized with the moon patterns and one can only travel back and forth during those times.
Yui goes back to school and, now with a keen interest in the fate of the young lord, begs the teacher for information about the past.
She’s excited to learn of the historical events which happened in the very lands they’re living in now…but her excitement turns to despair when she finds out that the entire castle, soldiers and men had all perished in a battle shortly after she’d returned home! She just HAS to get back to the past to warn them!
Hahaha, this was a really fun story to watch, and despite its high-school setting, you just can’t go wrong with these time-traveling kind of shows! And though this is the first time I’m seeing Yuina Kuroshima, I’m already a big fan of hers. Her portrayal of Yui/Yuinosuke is so likable and FUN!
[2016]
Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai tells the story of a naïve 30-something girl named Michiko (Fukada, playing another one of her signature type roles, think Toko from "To Heart" and you've got it) whom, because of her too-trusting outlook and ditzy demeanor, finds herself desperately trying to find a job to support herself and her good-for-nothing younger boyfriend!
By chance she comes across her former supervisor Ayumu (Dean Fujioka) who she considers her adversary; he had gotten her fired from her previous OL job because of her ineptness, but now, seeing her obviously struggling with monetary problems, offers her a job- seems the only reason he was so cross with her at the office was because it wasn’t a place he really wanted to be, and in fact he’s since quit and has started up a small café and invites her to join his work team.
Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai tells the story of a naïve 30-something girl named Michiko (Fukada, playing another one of her signature type roles, think Toko from "To Heart" and you've got it) whom, because of her too-trusting outlook and ditzy demeanor, finds herself desperately trying to find a job to support herself and her good-for-nothing younger boyfriend!
By chance she comes across her former supervisor Ayumu (Dean Fujioka) who she considers her adversary; he had gotten her fired from her previous OL job because of her ineptness, but now, seeing her obviously struggling with monetary problems, offers her a job- seems the only reason he was so cross with her at the office was because it wasn’t a place he really wanted to be, and in fact he’s since quit and has started up a small café and invites her to join his work team.
[2019]
An absolutely engaging drama, Haken Uranaishi Ataru tells the story about a former child TV fortune teller psychic who, in her 21 year, enters the real world and begins working as a temp in an advertising agency.
The drama begins with a girl named Kazumi Kanda, and among other problems like indecision, awkwardness and insecurity, is dealing with having to tell her no-good ronin boyfriend that she is pregnant.
Fretting over the problems on the platform, she almost misses her train, getting stuck in the doors, but is saved when a mysterious girl in dark glasses reaches out and pulls her in. Kazumi is grateful but the girl makes no reaction. And heading to work, Kazumi is stunned to see the mysterious girl riding up the elevator with her and enter her workplace!
Come to find out this girl is the office’s new temp hired to take care of the work overflow. Birght and cheery, her name is Ataru Matobu (Hana Sugisaki) and though the employees don’t know it, she’s here to shake their formerly mundane and predictable lives up!
Man, this drama just GRABBED me from its very first episode with its unusual premise and wonderful, sympathetic and engaging characters and it never let down throughout the entire run! Hana Sugisaki steals the show as the insightful, cheery and downright ornery clairvouyant Ataru and I haven't had so much psychic fun since Satomi Ishihara's "Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko No Usso"!
[2018]
I’d been dying to watch the drama “Miss Devil” starring the always svelte and gorgeous Nanao ever since I watched its very, first episode. Despite having to watch it un-subbed, I liked it a lot and was hoping some team would pick it up.
Well, that time finally came and I was able to get the entire series translated, and OH MAN, did it deliver! I loved, loved, LOVED this drama!!!
At once reminding me of the Keiko Kitagawa drama “Ie Uru Onna” with its “strong female lead who is a genius at her job but lacking social skills”, the story of Miss devil tells the tale of a cutthroat Human Resources Agent whose specialty is going to an ailing company and ruthlessly cutting out all the unnecessary workers by laying them off and advising them to turn in their resignations (thus the evil nickname)…
But as she vets out the ne’er do wells and the foot-draggers in the company with her naive but hard-working underling Saito (Sexy Zone’s Shori Sato), we realize there is a darker side to the insurance company that Tsubaki is trying to uncover!
Nanao was simply AWESOME in this role, as we’ve seen from many, many shows, she has the flair for playing both pretty working girls AND psychotic killers, and the role of HR Rep Mako Tsubaki is a combination of BOTH!
Already pretty, I love how they accent her coldness by giving her heavy black mascara around her eyes and an almost white foundation, giving her an immediately startling and ghoulishly striking look, LOL!
Once I started watching this show, I just couldn’t stop and only by sheer will did I manage to stretch it out to three days, and, having just finished the last episode, I can safely say that Miss Devil is once of the most enjoyable dramas I’ve recently seen!!!
[2018]
Just have to take some time out to mention how much I loved Kareshi wo Loan de Kaemashita …this had to be one of the best written comedies out there- been awhile since I saw a drama where I laughed so freaking HARD!
The story of a Pretty receptionist named Tae who strives to be the perfect and cool girl to catch a high profile salaryman but stresses so much on the inside that she secretly hired a side boyfriend named Jun to vent out her frustrations on seemed like a crazy idea to begin with, and the show didn’t disappoint- this was like watching a manga come to life!
Seriously, I found myself cracking up with laughter from beginning to end of each show- the drama is so wildly zany with so much incredulous situations that the laughs just keep hitting you from every side-
The exaggerated and discombobulated reactions Tae gets when she is cheated on, put down and belittled by her boyfriend- the way her air-headed co-workers continually warp the cheating boyfriends actions into positive points and of course the hilarious sessions each night when Tae unloads all her anger and aggressions on poor Jun—these were just TOO FUNNY and I loved it all!
As the journey of Tae and her intrepid Loan Boyfriend Jun played out, a thought occurred to me- …you know what this drama reminded me of? It reminded me of those classic John Hughes movies of the 80’s, fun, hilarious and heartfelt, and indeed, has left me with this warm feeling in my heart!
[2015]
Kokoro Ga Pokitto Ne tells the very wacky story of a man named Kojima (Sadao Abe) who hates interaction with others and refuses to love…but his life of solitude is shaken to the core when he meets the explosively lively, loud and energetic Miyako Hayama (Kiko Mizuhara)!
For Kojima, despite his efforts to be alone, finds that not only is his entire time occupied with her, he even feels the twinges of attraction~this cannot be! He tries to keep his distance, and fight his feelings, but Miyako is too full of life to resist!
Furthering the stress, his home life is shaken when hia boss and landlord Otake’s (Fujiki Naohito) fiancee moves in upstairs. and he finds that Otake’s fiancee Shizuka (Tomoko Yamaguchi) is none other than his ex-wife! And when Miyako (who conversely has a crush on Shin) is ALSO invited to live at the Otake house, all manner of wacky hijinks ensue!
Watch with delight as the four characters attempt to have a nice dinner and pretend nothing is going on when beneath the skin every person (save the simple minded Shin) is raging with nervousness! LOLOL
Well! This is one ZANY show! Very entertaining as an all-out comedy, and Kiko Mizuhara is a whirlwind of spazzy energy in every scene she's in!
[2018]
“Survival Wedding” stars the always engaging Haru as Sayaka Kuroki, an almost-thirty magazine writer who leaves her job to get married, only to find herself cheated on and dumped by her fiancé Kazuya (Shunsuke Kazama), and suddenly without a job and mounting bills to pay!
She tries to get her old job back, but of course the position has been filled. “I’ll do anything!” she pleads, and so it is that she is introduced to Hiroto Usami (Yusuke Isaya, last seen by me in the hilarious “Kangoku No Ohimesama”), the Chief editor of a high-class magazine RIZ who tells her he can hire her for his magazine…but it will be to write a column for 30-ish women seeking marriage…and if Sayaka HERSELF doesn’t get married in six months, she will be FIRED!
Sayaka at first refuses. she says she can’t possibly do such a job, and even if she could, she can’t get over Kazuya so soon. Usami suggests she try getting back with her fiancé and marrying him. But Sayaka doesn’t have the confidence to win him back, and it’s here that Usami takes the reins of the situation, and, using marketing brand techniques and schemes used in the high-fashion world, begins schooling Sayaka in ways she can “upgrade her value” and ultimately win back her man, get married, and keep her job!
Survival Wedding takes me back to the more innocent days of J-drama storylines circa 1993-1995 where they take a whimsical plot of romance, add in a few charismatic actors and actresses, and then set it off running. You can almost guess where the story is going most of the time, but you are always charmed and engaged!
Sayaka is a very lovable character, and even in her capacity as a gofer, her sweetness shines through, but it’s her interactions with her boss Usami that really steals the show- the two are such polar opposites and their banter is fun and interesting, and ultimately become the “heart” of the drama!
[2019]
I can't remember the last time I was so taken by a drama like Ore No Hanashi wa Nagai!
Such WONDERFUL characters in a drama that takes the time to let you know all about them and their worries, struggles, hardships and triumphs!
As the drama focuses on a family and their problems, I guess you could call this drama a “Slice of Life” genre, but what sets it apart is its use of clever and colorful dialog to get its characters through each scene: Every confrontation is a barrage of melodramatic prose and it is simply fascinating to watch these characters use words to bend their opponents to their will or have their opinions broken down in similar fashion!
Mitsuru (Toma Ikuta) is a 30-ish year old guy still living with his Mother (Mieko Harada) who runs a coffee shop.
After an attempt at starting a Specialty Coffee shop of his own fell through after a few months, Mitsuru has seemingly given up trying to get a job and has been living off his mother’s good will.
But when Ikuta’s older sister Ayako (Eiko Koike) announces that she is renovating her family home and will be moving back to the home for a few months with Husband Koji (Ken Yasuda) and daughter Harumi (Kaya Kiyohara) in tow, Mitsuru’s life gets turned upside down! Big Sis Ayako is well versed in her brother's laziness and aptitude for talking his way out of anything. She makes it her MISSION while she is there to get him out of the house and back to work!
My GOSH, this drama was a dialog lovers dream! Every scene is filled with such brilliant conversation, and we get the whole spectrum, from angry, to ponderous, and even thoughtful and touching! Another show where I kept re-watching scenes over and over, such a JOY to watch!
6. Boku, Unmei, No Hito Desu
[2017]
Boku, Unmei, No Hito Desu is a fantastical drama of two people, Haruko (Fumino Kimura) and Makoto (Kazuya Kamenashi) who are fated to be together…or not!
Both Makoto and Haruko work in the same building on the same floor and eat in the same restaurants, but somehow though their paths should have crossed many times, they’ve managed to never notice each other or meet up even once! Just HOW are these two supposed to be connected?
Makoto is a new employee at “Welcome Water” and across the hall, Haruko works as a successful marketing executive for “Swallow Marketings”.
One evening, Makoto is greeted at his home by the scary apparition of a mysterious man cloaked in black. The man tells Makoto that he is destined to meet, marry and have a child with the woman named Haruko. This child will save the world 30 years in the future from a fiery death with a meteor and so it is of optimal importance that they meet, get married and have that fateful child!
Aft first Makoto can’t believe the prophecy. but when the mystery man shows him proof after proof, he slowly begins to accept it. But even when he learns that this girl works right on the other side of the wall from his workplace, he can’t go right up to her and say they’re destined, can he?
Looks like getting the girl of your destiny isn’t going to be as easy as it seems, and from here on out Makoto’s going to have to use all his courage and tenacity to follow the road fate has planned for him and convince Haruko he really is the person she is meant to spent her future with!!
Holy Heck, this was such a gret show, and it’s wonderful to see my darling Fumino Kimura in her first lead romantic drama, I am so used to seeing her as the tough, gruff and tomboyish types, and though she IS a bit “rough” around the edges, this is easily the PRETTIEST and most FEMININE I’ve EVER seen her in YEARS!
This drama is also a reunion of the "Nobuto Wo Produce" Duo Kazuya Kamenashi and Yamashita Tomohisa AKA “Shuuji To Akira” of “Seishun Amigos” fame, and once again they’ve come to gether to do the drama’s ending theme song, “Senakagoshi no Chance” under the moniker “Kame to YamaP”
[2016]
Jimi Ni Sugoi tells the tale of a pretty young fashionable woman named Kono Etsuko who has dreamed all her life of becoming an editor for her favorite fashion magazine Lassy, unfortunately the company isn’t ever hiring new editors and it has been a solid six times since graduating that Etsuko has come in interviewing for a spot with the publishers with no luck!
This time however, Etsuko manages to strike a chord with Shoon Takeyama, (the always fun and goofy Goro Kishitani) the head of the proofreading department, when she asks him where he got his unusual necktie pin. Such a strange girl, he thinks, but at least he'll remember her! Etsuko leaves crossing her fingers that the seventh time will be the charm!
When Etsuko gets the call from the company that evening telling her she’s been hired, she is in seventh heaven! She strides in to work the next day beaming with charisma and confidence, ready to meet the team…but she is rudely awakened when she finds that she HASN'T been hired for the fashion editing room at ALL...but the dour and drab dungeon of the company’s PROOFREADING department!
Takeyama tells her that, while the Proofreading Section isn’t what she hoped for, with proper motivation she can work her way up in the company until she gets the position she really wants. Giving in, Etsuko decides to make the best of it, planning on staying there for only as long as it takes to get promoted and get out of there!
Like shows such as “Underwear” or even “Ie Uru Onna”, the show is very dense with actual facts and information about its business. Whereas Underwear introduced you to the world of Lingerie Designing and Ie Uru Onna taught you the fundamentals about real estate, Jimi Ni Sugoi teaches you about proofreading, the procedures, the implementation and the research points of the job, and it is a thrill to see Etsuko not only learning the ropes, but finding she has a passion for it as well!
A fun, properly intriguing drama showing a dazzling Satomi Ishihara at her very best, this IS Satomi Ishihara in Full Bloom!
[2017]
Quartet follows a group of four string musicians, the amusingly named Maki Maki (Matsu Takako) Beppu Tsukasa (Ryuhei Matsuda), Yutaka Iemori (Issei Takahashi) and Suzume Sebuki (Mitsushima Hikari) and their relationship with each other as well as the people around them.
They live separately in town, but all four of them come together to stay in a secluded cabin up in the mountains where they can practice and hone their craft as they work their way up to performance deals.
Though they all are very gifted when it comes to their instruments and craft, the four are all rather quite flawed individuals who have issues and quirks of their own- outside of the quartet, they live mundane and lonely lives where there seems to be no real reward.
The four musicians find that they're only content when they are together practicing up in their secluded cabin and only really feel alive when they are playing for the public as the "Quartet Doughnut" in whatever venue they can secure...
MAN, love this show…from the first episode I was immediately hooked already, the characters are SO interesting and the direction is done with a very crisp and precise style. And the music scenes of them performing are always captivating, as well.
There were a few nail-biting episodes with lots of tribulations and trials (some quite literally) and lots of exciting developments, but ultimately, the show ended the way it began: four entirely sweet and caring people doing everyday things where the main point was to be together and be there for each other! SUCH A SWEET SHOW!
[2016]
Kumi Kanda is having a bit of a problem with her love life! Things started off fine when she was first being wooed by Kaze Matsukichi,(Funakoshi Eiichiro) a successful TV producer working in the building where she worked as a receptionist, and despite his older age, they soon hit it off and spent a wonderful 5 months together.
But it all came crashing down around her when Kumi found that Kaze, her so-called perfect guy, was a MARRIED MAN! It’s at this point that one would normally break it off, but as Kumi explains to the audience, she is the type who will continue on with a relationship even if it means having an affair because she feels her love is too strong, and thus is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Then, out of the blue, Kumi gets a phone call from a mysterious woman who Kumi believes is Kaze’s wife. When she meets up with her, Kumi is surprised to find an attractive and stylish woman named Kayo who is only friendly and cordial to her. Kumi bursts out in tears and begs the woman to forgive her for having an affair with her husband, and promises to never again go near Kaze, to which the amused woman states that not only is she NOT Kaze’s wife…but she’s another one of his lovers, just like Kumi!
It’s then that another woman enters the picture and begins arguing with the mature Kayo-san. Her name is Miwa Yagami (Hitomi Sato), and after the two cool down and resume a more civilized tone, Kumi is stunned to find that THIS woman is a lover of Kaze’s, too!Kumi is FURTHER shocked when the two seasoned women casually tell her that besides the two of THEM, Kumi is actually the 9TH of Kaze’s lovers!
Wrapping her head around this news is hard for Kumi, and even harder to comprehend is the way these other lovers of Kaze’s are not only friendly with each other, but seem to regard each other as part of a group…and want HER to join in!
As the show progresses, we get to know not only Kumi and the women, but even MORE of Kaze's lovers, including a sassy young thing named Shino Aiba (Reina Trendl) who is an actress hired for the company’s latest project, and Kaze even looks to be making the move on the pretty scriptwriter Natsuki Koyama (Megumi, a big fave of mine since like forever)!
Such is the situation of these women in this highly captivating and seriously snazzy drama "Kuroi 10-nin Na Onna (Ten Dark Women)", sooooo much FUN, MAN, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen Riko Narumi in anything and its a joy to see her in such a spirited show, but really, EVERYONE is pulling their weight here, each and every character is so much fun to watch! Such a wacky and spastic storyline, this show reminds me of the classic "Noises Off" in its' sheer screwball style, can't remember the las time I was so entertained!
[2016]
As the title says, Ie Uru Onna (Woman who Sells Homes) is a drama about , naturally, a woman selling homes, but WOW, what a spectacularly STRANGE and ECCENTRIC woman it is!
Keiko Kitagawa stars as Machi Sangeya, a cold, chilly and extremely strict woman who is masterful at selling homes to clients (her motto: There’s NO HOME I can’t sell!) but is cold, bossy and unfriendly to her underlings, co-workers and even superiors!
Friendly Dai Yashida (Toru Nakamura) runs a real Estate agency where everyone gets along well and things are low-key. Only problem is, his kid-gloves approach to his workers has resulted in little to no sales from his unmotivated and sometimes downright lazy agents. The head office is sending them their “big gun”, the powerhouse seller Sangeya, who makes millions for the company with her sales, and right away, she shakes things up with her brutal ways of ordering people around, barking out commands and bullying the slackers into submission!
Sangeya partners up with Niwano Seigi(Kudo Asuka), a seller who has a hard time making sales because of his gentle and easily pushed around demeanor, and with her help and insight they manage to move some homes.
But the wide-eyed Niwano is shocked by the strong armed and sometimes deceptive methods Sangeya uses to make her sales, even going as far as using actors to trick her clients. It seems like she will do ANYthing to sell off a place, and she even says so, straight to his face!
In reality, however, Sangeya is someone who really understands families and the way a home works within your lives. She uses her cold, unflinching eye to look at the situation the client is going through to get them the best home they can buy, and solve some of their personal dilemmas on the way as well!
AW, such a GREAT show! Granted, Keiko’s role is a very strange one as she seems almost autistic in her actions, but it looks like Keiko’s trying to channel a Yuki Amami kind of vibe (i.e. icy, intelligent woman with zero social skills), and when I think of it like that, it seems perfect! Love watching her in action when she’s own the job, the way she robotically scans the homes as she’s assessing the value of the homes and the situations of the sellers/buyers and the meticulous way she catalogues info, too hilarious!!
I Love watching her in action when she’s own the job, the way she robotically scans the homes as she’s assessing the value of the homes (as well as the situations of the sellers/buyers) and the meticulous way she catalogues info, too hilarious!! I'm just LOVING this show and GOTTA see MORE!
1. Okitegami Kyoko No Biboroku
[2015]
This drama tells the story of a detective named Okitegami Kyouko who has a condition where her memories are reset whenever she falls asleep...so it is IMPERATIVE when she's investigating a case that she SOLVE it before the day is done!
Kyoko Okitegami is yet ANOTHER fabulous role of Yui’s, a loveable, fun and dependable character whom you enjoy just watching walk, stop and muse over things; her malady which causes her to lose her memories when she goes to sleep each night makes for a woman who appreciates and is in awe of the multitude of things we take for granted each day, simply because, to her, every wonder is the first time she’s seen it!
At first I though that Okitegami’s malady was going to be nothing more than a “quirk” of the detective, but they’ve managed to dream up some pretty freaking great plots written around her memory loss. Equally intriguing is the attraction Masaki Okada’s character Kakushidate Yakusuke has for her- he really likes her, and as each episode ends, it really is pretty heartbreaking watching him say goodbye to her after they’ve wrapped up the case, knowing that the next day he will once again be a complete stranger to her!
I've loved this drama from its very FIRST episode and as each episode progressed, I found I only loved it more and more! MAN was this a GREAT FREAKING SHOW!
