You Know These Foodie Dramas Are Getting Ubiquitous When…

 I had just watched the latest episode of Keihan Ensen Monogatari, that Foodie drama starring Sakurako Konishi as a writer discovering new dishes and traditions in Keihan...

Then right after, switched over to latest episode of Shitsuren Meshi, the drama featuring Alice Hirose as an illustrator looking for newly heartbroken lovers (and the dishes they eat to forget about their romance woes) so she can write about them in her comic…

And while on the prowl for a new subject to get ideas from...

Who should she spot sitting over in the back with a friend...

...but Sakurako Konishi herself!!!

Yes, Sakurako is this week’s guest heartbroken lover whose spirits gets lifted by this week’s featured meal, and even Alice herself can't seem to believe it!

While there, Sakurako does the expected "tasting of the local dish" before murmuring "Yummy!"

...and then getting back to sharing tales of breakup!

YES! Looks like Alice has got her story idea for the week!!!

HAHAHA, ya gotta love it! I mean, Sakurako isn't supposed to be playing her Keihan Ensen character or anything, but Foodie Dramas are exploding and they’re getting so ubiquitous that now the actors are crossing over into each other!!! Now I'm waiting to see if Alice appears in Keihan Ensen Monogatari anytime soon, LOLOL!

A Fair Question

While online the other night, I came across a query that I myself had probably wondered at one time or another regarding the lovely Miss Alice Hirose:

Have to admit, even today if it were revealed that the former Mayuko Oishii was half Dutch or something I would not be surprised in the least!

Crush Of The Day: Mai Fukagawa

"Geh! Mamiya Shoko!!!" Today's Crush of The day is the lovely Mai Fukagawa!!! As you all know, I had already flipped head over heels for actress Mai Fukagawa in her scene-stealing turn as Nana Seino's foil in "Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita dake desu ga" (and in many ways was the best thing IN that drama)...

...but her roles in the fun traveler series Nihon Boro Kado Kiko as the super-energetic Haruko Shinomiya...

...and the exciting supernatural Fuujinshi have REALLY solidified her as one of my new FAVES!

Such a charismatic and versatile actress, from goofy and fun to serious and desperate and everything in between!

Ya know, I was already in the middle of putting together this little ode to Mai's charms when who should appear in the latest episode I was watching of Alice Hirose's foodie drama "Shitsuren Meshi" but Ms. Fukagawa herself, CLEARLY proving that it's her time to shine!

When was the first time I laid eyes on Mai? As I recall, I’d noted how freakin' cute she was in what (I thought) was the first drama I’d seen her in, "Mada Kekkon Dekinai Otoko" , as one of the three new ‘suitors” for the cantankerous Abe...

...But according to Dramawiki, I’d actually seen her first in Princess Maison as Aoi Morikawa's childhood friend Etsuko who comes to visit for a spell!

I'd also seen a quick sighting of Mai as a victim of online slander in the Shingo Katori drama "Anonymous" (here showing her serious side)

...But for the cute of the cute ya just CAN'T beat Konin Todoke and the Mamiya Shoko spin off mini-series "Tonikaku Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshitai dake desu ga" for pure Mai-Mai goodness!

Mai reminds me a bit of actress Airi Matsui, she herself a huge fave of mine! But of course Mai's got  a charm all her own (and a wonderful smile to boot!)

Man, I'm so infatuated with Mai right now, and going back and watching old performances of her back in her Nogizaka46 days, I can only wonder how it would have been to have fallen in love with her back when she was still in the group. Would she have made the same impact she's had on me now??!

Who can say, but one thing's for sure- she's definitely a fave now, and will be on my radar for anything new!!!

PS: I don;t know if anyone noticed, but some of my earlier posts with Mai have had her last name spelled FuKUgawa, not FuKAgawa, an error I hastened to fix! Sorry Mai-chan, it won't happen again!!!

posted by zdorama@ zdoramagain.blogspot.com

Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru 終わり

When I first read the synopsis for "Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru" with Shinichi Tsutsumi as a Husband whose deceased wife comes back to him in the body of a 4th grade Schoolgirl, I expected a wild and WACKY show in the style of his previous shows like "Super Salaryman Saenai-shi", with zany hijinks and slapstick comedy...Instead, what I got was a sweet, thoughtful, and touching story  which had a lot to say about family, grief, responsibility, and above all, cherishing what you have and using the time you have positively. 

From Tsutsumi Shinichi as the Husband to Aju Makita as the daughter, Ryunosuke Kamiki as the brother and an incredible performance by Nono Maida as the Yuriko Ishida reincarnated Wife Takae (and even Misato Morita and Yo Yoshida as support characters), these were all people you grew to really care about and want to see find happiness, though you are aware that not everyone can get what they want in life.

From the get go, we all knew that this story would have a bittersweet ending but I'm happy to say that it was an entirely satisfying and complete conclusion to a wonderful story.

Who would have ever thought a drama with such a humorous set-up could be so heartfelt and heartbreaking!