It's a new season and we've got a whole slew of new dramas to dive into! Here's what I've been checking out, listed here in ranking by how much I've been enjoying them!
Mahou No Rinobe
Gen Fukuyama(Shotaro Mamiya) is the eldest son working for a family Home renovation company named Marufuku Komuten. He hasn’t had a lot of luck getting any of his proposals accepted, and gets his sale taken over by a rival company’s ace, Koume Shinyoji (Haru).
But he is in for a further surprise when she shows up at his firm as their newest employee!
WOWOW, gotta say, I love, love LOVE this drama already!!! You all know how I have a soft spot for these avante garde real estate agent type show, and with vibes both parts “Ie Uru Onna” and “Shojiki Fudousan”, it’s an EASY win for my fave drama of the season!!
Fukushuu No Miboujin
Mitsu Suzuki (Wakana Matsumoto) is a kind and mild mannered wife whose life gets turned upside down when her husband Yugo (Yuta Hiraoka) supposedly commits suicide at his workplace. Suspecting foul play, she infiltrates the company under the guise of a computer tech in order to investigate the suspects.
All the company sees is a friendly and capable worker, but underneath is a cold hearted widow hell-bent on extracting revenge on those who have done harm to her and her loved ones!
An absolute tour-de-force for actress Wakana Matsumoto as the cool and calculating Black Widow!
Hatsukoi no Akuma
“Hatsukoi no Akuma”, a Cop Comedy of the wackiest nature, and one which delighted me through the entire show!! The premise: Four unlikely individuals within the Police department take it upon themselves to investigate the details of the murder cases that the hopeless Main Investigative Team bungle!
From the GET GO I was won over by the colorful characters and wonderful, zany scenarios and dialog between the characters! This is tagged a a "Buddy Cop" comedy, and as you watch the four principle characters tackle the cases, you think, "Yes!!!" because the heart of the show is the connection they have with each other as they solve the cases!
Koi Nante, Honki de Yatte Dousuru no
Ensemble Rom-Com featuring three young women (Alice Hirose,Marie Iitoyo, Nanase Nishino) looking for love in all the wrong places. Starring Hokuto Matsumura, Naohito Fujiki and Amane Okayama as the would-be available suitors, this drama follows all the usual beats of your basic Ensemble romance cast, but somehow really radiated due to its real sincerity, especially Alice Hirose, in yet another heart-stealing turn as the innocent Jun Sakurazawa!
A drama from last season which i only got around to watching now. Why in the world did I wait? this drama is great!
Ishiko to Haneo
When Paralegal Shoko Ishida (Kasumi Arimura) is told by her Lawyer Father that, due to a bad back he will be sending a substitute to handle their current divorce case, she is shocked to find the person he has sent is a brash and flashy young man full of slick cliches and snappy comebacks named Yoshio Haneoka (Tomoya Nakamura).
This dapper man takes over the case in an outlandish way that has Shoko fearing for the repercussions of such a haphazard handling, and is further stunned when she learns Haneoka has been hired as part of the official legal team!
Unfortunately, Shoko is to find that while Haneoka is dashing and confident, he falls apart immediately whenever his plans don’t go as he thinks. And when his schemes and foresight fall short, it’s here that Shoko’s own strengths as a superb paralegal with a feel for the human side and HEART of things ultimately bring the case together!
Long awaited return of Kasumi Arimura has not disappointed as she is as sassy and beautiful as ever, she and Tomoya make a fine pair in a Sam and Diane “Cheers” kind of way…
Isu
"Isu" features a collection of short stories centered around chairs of various kinds, starring a wide assortment of guest stars (such as Riho Yoshioka, Haru Kuroki, Mayu Hotta, et al) for each episode. Additionally, the stories are bookended by facts, history, and showcasing of chairs....
Kyosou No Musume
The story of a high school whose foundation gets shaken when a mysterious transfer student arrives and begins doling out her own brand of psychotic justice upon those she deems corrupt had me on the EDGE of my SEAT from its first MINUTES and never let go!!!
Mizuki Kayashima is absolutely MESMERIZING as the dark and brooding Sara Kiritani, and I cannot help but CHEER her on, even as her "good deeds" get blacker and blacker!!
Radiation House II
More adventures of the seemingly scatterbrained Iori Igarashi (Masataka Kubota) , the sharp-eyed surgeon masquerading as a simple radiologist by day who gets all goofy when it comes to the love of his life, Doctor Amakasa (Tsubasa Honda).
When we last saw the Radiology team they had all broken up and scattered, but thanks to wild coincidence (called sequel-itis), the whole gang is back and doing what they do best!
Unicorn Ni Notte
Mei Magano and Hidetoshi Nishijima star in a loose remake of the Anne Hathaway/Robert De Niro movie "The Intern". Both stories feature young women leads who have become succesful via the advances world of computers and the internet, who get saddled with a old-fashioned older man as their newest hire.
Though slow to catch on, it's their old-time sensibilities and consideration that become the real support out young heroines need to cross the hurdles that face them each day!
Aside from that, the ahow is admittedly not that similar, though they BOTH have the famous "Who Cleaned up the Cluttered Table of Promotional Junk?" scene, LOL
Junai Dissonance
A gripping melodrama about an unorthodox teacher named Msaki Nitta (Yuta Nakajima) and a troubled student named Sae Izumi (Ai Yoshikawa) who meet under unusual circumstances and eventually become close.
A well-loved teacher named Yukino Kosaka (Miwako Kakei) goes missing after asking Masaki if he would take over for her teaching duties. Both he and her students are concerned by her abrupt departure and as they dig to find out why she would have left dark secrets come to light.
In their personal lives, both Nitta and Izumi are having a hard time- Masaki is being pressured into taking over his Father’s business ( one he has no desire for) and Izumi herself has to deal with a scatterbrained Mother with abusive and thieving boyfriends.
It is in the midst of this melee that the two connect and find solace in each other.
Kana Kana
Cute and lighthearted drama about an ex-delinquent trying to eke out a new peaceful life running a modest restaurant out in the sticks, who rescues a little girl from an unscrupulous man who wants to use her for his own selfish plans. Seems this girl is psychic and he's been using her to help cheat at gambling, but with her newfound friends, she hopes to use her powers to find a new life here...
Riso No Kareshii
Out Story begins with a woman named Yumeko Onodera (Aya Oomasa) who is smart, beautiful, working a high profile job and has a boyfriend with promises of marriage on the way!
One day when she is about to catch a flight at an airport, she comes upon a man (Taiki Sato) who forgot his wallet but needs a ticket to see an ailing Grandmother. When Yumeko offers to pay, the grateful man promises to repay her, but Yumeko waves it off. When you're doing well, why not help someone in need?
But little does Yumeko know that her success is about to hit a hitch, and when it all comes crashing down, the one who is there to pick her up is that same young man from before. And it's here that a heartbroken Yumeko makes the very outrageous request...by asking this man if he would be her "Ideal" boyfriend...and love her!
Unmei No Keisatsu
Taking a page from the Matt Damon/Emily Blunt Sci-Fi movie "the Adjustment Bureau", we follow two members of the after-worldly "Fate Police" whose job it is is to ensure that every living persons' fates follow their predetermined outcomes.
VERY promising series with a great premise, and I'm expecting this one to rise up in the ranks as the show progresses!!!!
Kanojo Okarishimasu
The plot, featuring the "Guy and Girl Who are Thrown Together by Chance and then Forced to Fake a Relationship Because an Ailing Parent/Grandparent thinks They Are An Item" plot is an OFT overused trope, one I had JUST seen in the recent Nana Seino/Kentaro Sakaguchi romcom “ Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita dake desu ga” with a similar set-up!
Still, Kanojo Okarishimasu has it charm and I have to say I was laughing through a good bit of it! Starring Ryusei Onishi as Kazuya Kinoshita, a young man who rents a rental girlfriend named Chizuru Mizuhara (Hiyori Sakurada) and ends up having to pretend she is his real girlfriend when said grandparent falls ill, this one is as basic as can be, but somehow pretty entertaining and with very likeable leads!
Whether it be a show like Haru Kuroki’s “Mi wo Tsukushi Ryoricho”, Tina Tamashiro’s “Tetsu Ota Michiko 2 Man Kiro” or Haruka Fukuhara and the gang in “Yuru Camp”, I always love to have a show where it’s not so much about any particular story so much as a place where you can slow down, relax and “take the time to smell the roses”, and for this season, it HAS to be “Choi Tsuri Dandy”, following the goings on of a fishing-obsessed young lady!
Choi Tsuri Dandy stars Asami Usuda as Nagiko Dan, a soft spoken and thoughtful agent working for an architectural firm by day, and a passionate fisher(wo)man once she is “off the clock”!
Prism
Story of a woman names Satsuki (Hana Sugisaki) working at a Garden Center while she applies for voice-over work who meets Morishita (Kisetsu Fujiwara), the director for a Garden Development Business. While having no real passion for plants and flora, Satsuki does make wonderful little terrariums which shows her knack for garden composition. Through her interaction with Morishita, she learns the wide world of plants and gardens, and even romance!
But with fellow plant professional Yuma Shiraishi returning to the team, a love triangle of sorts is bound to happen....
Isekai Izakaya Nobu 2
Our Second season begins much the same way Season One began: with Nikolaus and Berltholt having a duel of swords. But this time, thanks to the advent of the wonderful Nobu Izakaya, instead of honor, the two are fighting over which is the best dish, Salted Chicken of Soy Sauce Chicken, showing how much good food has changed them all for the better!
Yes, for now, it's ALL about the meals, and all the regulars are back as well, serving up up some standard izakaya fare- which is simply out-of-this-world for the old world tavern!
Gossip
A drama from a few seasons back that I'm still waiting to wrap up!
Crossing fingers as the parts that I've seen have been pretty good!
Yanagatonaki Ichizoku
Ever since the Kyoko Fukada drama "Oni No Sumika", I've had a huge distaste for these "persecution" type dramas, where the lead is thrust into a hostile environment of people who mistreat them to their fullest extent in order to break them, and it looks like Yangotonaki Ichizoku is another one....
Starring tao Tsuchiya as the new bride to a rich heir of a powerful family who is tormented by his family as they see her as peasant trash. Very predictable and irritating, however the show has some admittedly entertaining campy scenes, especially with wakana Matsumoto as deranged Sister-in-law from hell, LOL!
The story of a overworked, and unappreciated AD for a popular TV Morning Program, named Umi Shikamori (Airi Sizuki) . Though she is 100% committed to her job and is fast, efficient and reliable, she is constantly belittled, blamed and saddled with all the problems the program generates.
Things come to a head when she falls asleep during a broadcast, and after being once again belittled by the company, takes a leap into a new field- the world of make-up and fashionable style!
She's quite unsure of herself. But with the help of friends she has made along with way because of her sincerity, maybe the awkward and unremarkable Umi CAN take that first step towards becoming a brand new woman, one that she can be proud of!
Octo: Kanjou Sousakan Shinno Akari
New Crime drama "Octo: Kanjou Sousakan Shinno Akari" gives us the innovative idea about a girl who can see emotions of people...simply by the colors they give off!!
Ryo Kazehaya (Asaka Kodai) has just been transferred to the Crime Division of the Police Department where he is paired up with an introverted and shy woman named Akari Shinno (Marie Iitoyo) . Seems this girl can see the emotions of the suspects by the colors emanating from their eyes, and, using this talent as a sort of Lie Detector test, digs to get to the real intention of the suspect!Some colors represent outrage. Some reveal hate and others guilt. All of this paints a picture which tells the true story.
Such a great "gimmick" for a crime show, (though admittedly the first case wasn't too thrilling) I'm interested to see where they go with this premise!
Nice Flight!
Airport-based Romcom featuring a young pilot named Sui Kurata (Yuta Tamamori) who finds a connection to the voice of an air-traffic tower controller when she guides he and his co-pilot Nanami Kitami (Michiko Kichise) out of a tense landing situation.
A fairly basic Airport drama of which we’ve seen many times, I suspect the bulk of this show will be the usual: irate or incapacitated passenger problems, prideful or put-out personnel, etc, however it features a nice cast and I’ve been looking forward to seeing Anne Nakamura branch off into bigger roles like this!
EXTREMELY cute drama about a cheerful and earnest girl named Riko Komukai (Yuki Yoda) working for an Event Planning company who, though bright and full of ideas, is told by her peers that she is a “mass production” consumer, meaning someone who is “average” and goes for all the “basic” things in life without fanfare or flair.
Though the hobby of model building, she learns to rediscover herself and find new strength at her job!
Me No Kabe
RIVETING story about an earnest salaryman named Tatsuro Hagizaki (Kotaro Koizumi) who gets caught in the middle of an intricate crime web when his colleague gets taken by a loan scam and disappears, leaving Hagizaki to pick up the clues and find out what happened to him. But there is darkness around every corner and no one is who they seem to be…and he may ultimately find the well goes deeper than he thought possible!
Kateikyoushi no Torako
Man, I was REALLY looking forward to this one, but so far the writing of Kateikyoushi no Torako is ALL OVER the place and I have no idea what the writers are thinking about!
Story of a mysterious tutor in top demand whose only clauses are that parents cannot question her methods nor watch in on what she does sound intriguing, but what I see seems SO scatterbrained and counterproductive I come away more like thinking it's all just a scam she is pulling on unsuspecting parents. (Or is it?)
Occult No Mori E Yokoso!
Taking a page out of the zany "Funky Forest and the "found footage" style of horror, we have a team of paranormal investigators (Mayu Hotta and Koji Shiraishi) checking on a woman who appears to have had an altercation with beings from another world.
Upon arrival, however, the two are skeptical as this woman (Miwako Kakei) seems to be of unsound mind! But just when they're ready to pack it in, they discover that not only is this woman telling the truth, but that they're now knee-deep in the onslaught of the otherworldly attackers! With the help of a would be assassin (Shohei Uno) and a mysterious medium (Hiroki Iijima) they team up to vanquish the invaders!
Closetail Tantei Kyoushitsu
Story of a kind-hearted y0ung man named Tasuku Tobita (Ouji Suzuka) who has a tendency to worry too much about the well-being of others, even at the risk of his own peace of mind. When his Father disappears on he and his Mother, he turns to a Detective Agency to find him. But when the fees are deemed too high, he decides to enroll in their detective school instead!
This then are his adventures learning "in the field"!
Hoshi Shinichi no Fushigina Fushigina Tanpen Dorama
Anata ni Kika Setai Uta ga Arunda
A introspective drama focusing on the dreams and aspirations one has while growing up and what becomes of them as you become an adult. Anata ni Kika Setai Uta ga Arunda begins in a classroom full of flippant and joking teenage students who seem to not have a care in the world as they misbehave and tease their harried new teacher.
We then fast forward 10 years to the current year where we are checking in on all those students and where their lives have led them. Some are depressed, some despondent, some gamely trying to make it, but if there’s one thing clear, it’s that life never goes the way you expect it to.
Featuring Ryo Narita, Sairi Ito, Kisetsu Fujiwara, Shuhei Uesugi and Atsuko Maeda (among others) as the students, each episode focuses on a different student and what has happened in their now adult life.
Sci-Fi Short Stories featuring some popular names. A show kind of like a mini-drama as each episode is only a few minutes long. This feels like those bonus spin off dramas they have on hulu.
Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai
Man, you'd think a drama about a bizarre phenomenon happening in Japan where the once-dead are suddenly returning from the grave would be a WILDY interesting story to tell, but from the GET-Go, Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai is mired in the same old persecution drama stuff I have no interest in sitting through!
Roppongi Class
Aren’t we all getting tired of Teruyuki Kagawa playing these same snarky corrupt characters over and over again? Hideyoshi in Toshiie and Matsu, the Hanzawa Naoki series and even Shudan Sasen, he always played the same type: Powerful man with connections who destroys innocent people’s lives, in which the main characters spent the whole drama fighting against him and trying to defeat him...
And now we have “Roppongi Class”, a drama about a kindhearted young man who always wants to walk the path of the righteous, who gets on the wrong side of a powerful family run by patriarch Shigeru Nagaya (Kagawa), who rob him of his school, his family and even his freedom when he is jailed due to their mechanisms. Getting out, his only goal is to expose the family and make them pay…
Cinecon e Ikou! 
Watched one episode of this drama starring as a woman sent to revive a dying Cinema complex but already feel like it wasn't going to be my cup of tea and haven't watched any more so far.
It's of course entirely possible that the show is really good, however, by what I saw, looks like not so much a drama per se as a mini-docu style show about Theater complexes in general?
OK, I think that's about it for now...further updates as warranted!!!!
