Recently Wrapped Up!

LOTS of shows ended  in the last two weeks and I thought I'd do a quick recap with small summaries and my ratings. 

 Enjiya

9/10

A series that really would have benefited from being given  more room to breathe than a mere 6 episodes! The tale of Nao and her team of theatrical con-artists for hire, Enjiya has so much potential for bigger stories, as it is we only got about 3 cases and we didn't even get to delve into the other members' back stories in any detail. still, was thrilling and heart-wrenching for the episodes we got, and who knows? We can cross our fingers for more!

Omameda Towako to 3-nin no Moto otto
8/10

This was s spirited drama in the vein of shows like "Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai ", where smart, fun and witty dialog is the style du jour! Each episode was filled with wonderful scenes of the ever0set-upon Towako dealing with life, love, work...and those three pesky ex-husbands of hers!

If I have a complaint, it's that I wish the show ended on a stronger note, instead of the weak fizzle we got...

Hyouchakusha
9/10

A gripping mystery  that reminded me of the best Stephen King books like The Dead Zone, where , in a world where everything seems to be going to Hell in a handbasket, hope comes from an unlikely source- a shy and reserved young man who holds the vision that can save us...or take us down! Had me on the edge of my seat throughout!

Ukiwa~Tomodachi Ijou Furin Miman
10/10

Already gushed how much I loved this drama and Mugi Kadowaki's sincere portrayal of the lonely Maiko. A story with  long stretches of pondering and reflection, you were rooting for the slighted spouses throughout, and I have to say I was entirely satisfied with the show's thoughtful resolution. You don't see dramas like this one too often.

Kazoku Boshu Shimasu
3/10

A fairly pedestrian family drama, I didn't get into this one as much as most did. A story about three parents who come together to help each other raising their children, this had pretty much all the cliches you would expect and then some...

Dream Team
3/10

Another one I was disappointed to find I didn't like that much. Considering how much I love Naomi Zaizen and Sayaka Yamaguchi, I really wanted to dig this one, but after a while it started feeling like a filler NHK Asadora. While at first I was rooting for the women, by the mid-point I realized they were all going nowhere fast. Come to think of it, NHK made this, so I might be on to something...

Chijou No Seppun
7/10

VERY cliche, rote and predictable romance chestnut, but somehow I just couldn't stop WATCHING this, and of course it ALL comes down to ADORABLE Yurika Nakamura, whose clumsy, stunned, and stammering behavior made every scene fun and entertaining to watch! Watching her stumble through her first love, ya just HAD to stick around to see what she would get into NEXT!

Kareinaru Ichizoku
7/10

A very serious and gripping period drama about the power wrestling going on within the banking world...and one man's own family! All the while I was beside myself wondering just HOW the persecuted would get out from under the thumb of the tyrannical power-holders... Alas, I was to find I was watching a tragedy and not a success story. Quite sombre show and a VERY downer last episode, while at first I didn't like it, I found I could NOT stop thinking about it. Powerful.

Hakozume~Tatakau Koban Joshi

10/10

Whoohoo~! A very fun, entertaining and even serious show starring Erika Toda and the adorably hyper Mei Nagano as two policewomen working out of a police box, this was one where the whole cast came together to make a very fulfilling show, one that I wished would go on forever!!! Maybe a sequel or even a Special? Need more!!!