The Spring J-Drama Season is over, and I finished up a whole slew of dramas!
Posted here listed by order of how much I enjoyed them along with my personal rankings!
Starting from the absolute best:
Motokare no Yuigonjo
10/10
Motokare ni Yuigonjo~My Ex-Boyfriend's Will tells the story of an able (if utterly money-motivated) lawyer named Reiko Kenmochi (Haruka Ayase) and her affable assistant Keitaro Shinoda (Yo Oizumi) taking on a multitude of high-profile cases with the goal of striking it big.
A lively show with witty, fun and fast-paced dialog and interactions, it was a joy watching the principle characters tackle the mystery case of each week in their own unique way!
Ayase Haruka proves once again why she’s one of my all-time favorite actresses out there with her wonderful take on the gluttonous lawyer Kenmochi- just too good!
This was a drama that started off in the middle of my seasonal ranking list, but as each episode aired, it kept moving up higher and higher as I began loving it more and more!!!
Shoujiki Fudousan
10/10
With its vibe SO similar to my beloved Ie Uru Onna series, how could I NOT love this show?
Wonderful dynamic between Yamapi as a crooked realtor who suddenly can only tell the truth and Haruka Fukuhara as his naive and wide-eyed kouhai!
A nice set-up each episode with a "bad" agent (Ichihara Hayato) showing a devious example of selling using lies and tricks, and then Nagase (Yamapi) "forced" to do things the honest way, inadvertently SEALING the deal and becoming a positive influence in newbie Tsukishita's growth!
Ashita, Watashi wa Dareka no Kanojo
10/10
This was one extremely well-done story of five different college girls immersed in the world of escort services, host clubs and prostitution, with characters you REALLY loved and cared and worried about as they learned about the life and about themselves as well.
I can't tell you how surprised I was how amazing this show was. Really hit me "in the feels"!
Dr. White
10/10
I’m not usually a fan of these medical dramas (ubiquitous though they are), but there was something special about Dr. White and the dual identity of the mysterious Byakuyako (Minami Hamabe) as both wide-eyed and innocent waif and cold and precise super-diagnosis deliverer made for some highly entertaining and imaginative scenarios!
Despite my misgivings, both the individual patient cases as well as the overarching “mystery’ of where Byakuyako came from and who was after her, fascinated til the very end...
Everyone was great in their roles, especially Miori Takimoto, Sae Okazaki and Tasuku Emoto as the circle of people who protect and nurture Byakuyako, but of course the center stage MUST belong to Minami Hamabe who played the innocent Byakuyako to an absolute “T”!!! Whenever I had a hard time believing someone could be so ignorant of things, all it took was a tilt of her head to say, “OKAY, I believe!!!” LOLOL
Waru: Hataraku no ga Kakkowarui Nante Dare ga Itta?
9/10
Mio Imada makes her first leading role debut as the spazzy but pure-hearted Maririn Tanaka, sporting both bad haircut and loud and flashy clothes, but her wide-eyed enthusiasm for doing her best at work and seeing the good in others makes her one of the sweetest heroines yet!
I admit I had reservations about svelte beauty Mio Imada taking on such a wacky and zany role (I just could not shake the feeling she was imitating Fuka Koshiba for those first few episodes, NGL) but of course she won me over and by the show’s latter half I was completely in her camp!
Nanba MG5
9/10
The trials of a delinquent badass who forgoes his yankee family heritage to attend a "normal" school with regular kids and have a simple education. However, the brawler side of his life somehow finds ways to keep dragging him back into battle! A tried and true plot premise (think: My Boss My Hero) done with a lot of fun and spirit as Nanba tries to balance his double life between neighborhood tuff guy and thoughtful student! Oh, and Aoi Morikawa simply steals the show as the dorky, outspoken but sincere Fujita!
Yuru Camp
9/10
Following an intrepid group of girls who love nothing more than to pack it all up and go camping out in the wild wilderness! In much the same way as the Tina Tamashiro train drama Tetsu Ota Michiko 2Man Kiro, detail is given for both the places they stay and visit as well as the local foods and little shops that pepper the countrysides!
So relaxing to watch Rin Shima (Haruka Fukuhara, in one of her cutest roles yet) taking in the rustic backwoods to find that perfect place to pitch her tent for the night... When they say that a drama is a "feel-good" show, Yuru Camp is EXACTLY the kind of drama that they're talking about! You just CAN'T walk away from this show without a huge smile on your face!
Radiation House
9/10
After years of hearing about Radiation House, I finally got around to checking out the first season, and I am happy to report that it has been well worth it!
I’ve long gotten burnt out watching medical dramas as they always seem to follow the same beats, but this one focusing on the radiology department of a huge hospital had such great characters that I really enjoyed watching them in action! True, the cases themselves were still the main point of each episode, but as the team worked together to solve the diagnoses, you really began to admire their passion and drive, especially lead Masataka Kubota, whom, as the seemingly irresponsible and carefree Igarashi, really touched you with his pure heart and dedication!
This was a show I was always going to have to check out, as it featured actresses Sayaka Yamaguchi, Tsubasa Honda and Alice Hirose, three gals whom I always try to make time for, and though Hirose was woefully underused, Honda was great and ohhh, Yamaguchi...so SEXY!!!
Boku No Neechan
8/10
Boku No Neechan stars Yosuke Sugino as Junpei Shirai and Haru Kuroki as Chiharu, his titular "Older Sister", and I’m happy to report that, much like Haru’s other dramas like Mi wo Tsukushi Ryoricho or Nagi No Oitoma, this drama is a soothing, relaxing slice-of-life type of show meant to be enjoyed like a warm chamomile tea before bedtime…
This is another winsome show featuring Haru in the kind of role she does best- the thoughtful and slow-paced characters who always seem to be looking at life with such gentle and appreciative eyes.
This was a drama carried over from last season and I'm so glad I was able to complete it!
My Family
8/10
I was initially really intrigued by this story of the harried game developer Narusawa (Ninomiya Kazunari) who never has time for his wife (Mikako Tabe) or child, who is suddenly forced to see things in a real light when his daughter is kidnapped, but almost immediately, it degenerated into the typical red herring fake-out “suspect of the week” shenanigans.
But I stuck with it, and I must say, by the halfway point, it was beginning to gel and by the show’s last three episodes, all the parts came together to paint a very compelling narrative, and by the show’s last episode, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of how it would all play out!
Shizuka-Chan To Papa
8/10
As expected, this turned out to be another great family 'feel good" drama, following the story of a teenage daughter Shizuka (Riho Yoshioka) and her feisty deaf father (Shoufukutei Tsurube) as they deal with their little town being targeted for redevelopment by a huge corporation.
This is a great role for Riho who seems to be becoming a sort of Yui Aragaki type actress in her very wholesome and earnest character roles.
I mentioned before that Shizuka chan to Papa feels like "old school" KIKU Japanese dramas I'd see back in the day. Very basic set-up and standard characters, but sometimes it's nice to slip into a comfortable vehicle which you can just sit back and enjoy~!
Ore No Kawaii Wa Mousugu
7/10
Though Ore No Kawaii Wa Mousugu is a Ryosuke Yamada vehicle starring Yamada as a young man named Maruya faced with suddenly losing his youthful cuteness, the REAL star of the show has GOT to be Kyoko Yoshine as his morose and robotic underling Sanada, who has the viewers' hearts from the moment you are introduced to her!
True, you are rooting for Maruya's success, but only as it also helps Sanada's character grow and heal from her past! In other words, I care less about what happens to him as much as what happens to her, an odd thing for a support character!
Uketsuke No Jo
7/10
Uketsuke no Jo tells the tale of a promising young salaryman who comes up with the idea of replacing the reception desk with a totally automated AI program but must first learn all the ind and outs of the department. While there, he gets to know the hardworking and determined women working there and even leans a few life lessons as well. I must say I wasn't initially sold on this drama and found it to be fairly mundane at first. But by the show's halfway mark i'd become well acquainted with Jo and his feisty reception desk girls and was happy enough to see where they went!
Mirai e no 10 Count
7/10
Another Takuya Kimura drama in the vein of Grand Maison Tokyo with a former celebrated pro who has fallen from grace starting again from the bottom, this time as Kirisawa, a former champ boxer who has now taken on coaching a team of determined high school kids.
An interesting story if a bit joyless. Everyone in it seems so unhappy and truthfully leads to a pretty morose drama. But, to be fair, Hikari Mitsushima does her best to lighten the mood!
Pandora no Kajitsu: Kagaku Hanzai Sousa File
7/10
As some of you know, I’m not big on mystery dramas as they all follow the same cliched beats and tropes, and so I initially passed on Pandora when it got picked up at the beginning of this eason. Even the premise of it being set in the “possible near-future” didn’t pique me too much as it had already been hinted at in crime procedurals like Red Eye and the latter Zettai Reido sequels.
But from the beginning of Pandora, I was hit with how…melancholy the show was, and I’m not just talking about the “terrible thing that happened to the main character in the past that fuels his determination” kind of trope- this show really seemed to be giving thoughtful moments to the grief of loss, the desperate wish of bringing a loved one back…and the extreme methods we pursue in hopes of that wish.
Sono Onna Jiruba
7/10
Sono Onna Jiruba, the story of a 40 year old woman who, at the lowest point in her life, discovers a bar hidden away which employs women of a more…mature age as hostesses for their establishment!- Sounds like a very gimmicky show, but I really fell in love with the show, especially Ikewaki as Arata, whose wonderful sincerity made you want to follow her wherever she took herself! Felt very much like an NHK asadora distilled into 10 episodes.
Who knew I has such a wonderful show waiting for me!
Kichijoji Losers
7/10
After watching some of the more heavy dramas of the season, we need a few dramas that are simply fun and lighthearted, and this drama following the antics of six "losers" who live together in a sharehouse is always a proper tonic! Almost like watching stand up comedy or rakugo, with a new plot element introduced each episode and then letting the six characters argue and bicker about it, very entertaining!!
Yuru Camp 2
7/10
Though still a worthwhile watch, this sequel to the excellent "Yuru Camp" was missing the important elements that made the first one so special, namely Haruka Fukuhara and any actual camping at all!
Oh sure, Haruka was somewhat in this sequel, but the bulk of the show focused on developing the secondary characters and spending more time in town than out in the wild wilderness, and now that I think about it, though there was ONE episode where she got on her motorbike and drove out to the mountains, she never did make it to the actual campsite!
We get to see Nadeshiko (Yuna Ogura) taking her own solo camp trip at the show's end, so that's something, but overall lacked that magic ingredient....
Jizoku Kanona Koi Desuka
7/10
Juri Ueno stars as a yoga teacher who has her hands full with an eccentric Father (Yutaka Matsushige) trying to find a new love for marriage, a childhood friend (Hayato Isomura) who’s secretly holding a torch for her, and an acquaintance (Kei Tanaka) whom she loves but somehow just can’t find the words and right time to express her feelings!
As you can see by the synopsis, this is a VERY by-the-numbers romance drama with the most predictable plot and EVERY cliche you can think of thrown in, however the characters are so likeable you can’t help but want to follow them and see what happens!
Mental Tsuyome Bijo Shirakawa-san
7/10
In theory, this drama is actually almost exactly like Waru:Hataraku no ga Kakkowarui Nante Dare ga Itta: an eternally optimistic OL whose positive attitude helps and transforms all her workers around her- However, Mental Tsuyome Shirakawa-san is a lot sweeter in tone, the wackiness is cranked up and the dramatic self-realizations by the troubled employees at the end are kept light hearted! Hiroe Igeta is a JOY to watch as the super-sunshiney Shirakawa and she's definitely an actress I'll be looking out for from now on!
Fight Song
6/10
Finally finished up this drama from last season starring Kaya Kiyohara as a karate champ who, due to an accident leaves her needing an operation which may cause her to lose her hearing permanently. Determined to make memories before the operation, she meets a struggling musician in need of a muse, and together they make a deal to fulfil each others wishes.
After watching the first episode, Fight Song was at the TOP of my rankings for the season, but slowly became very draggy, depressing, and morose as the show progressed, a far from the quick-witted and spirited show it started off as!
Imadoki no Wakai Monwa
6/10
Once again Haruka Fukuhara plays a shy newbie OL, this time under the wing of section chief Ishizaki (Takashi Sorimachi), who, though seeming gruff and stern, has a kind side which he uses to guide her through her daily struggles from the sidelines!
An OK show but truthfully ended up a bit more lightweight and rushed than I'd hoped. Despite there being an ample amount of time giving each characters backstory, I never felt like I really got to "know" them, somehow.
Still, Haruka Fukuhara charms as usual, making for a fine time while you are there!
Sabishii Oka de Kari wo Suru
6/10
A ludicrously over-the-top crime drama about two different women dealing with stalking, sexual assault, and the traumas that linger on years after, this was one show that was hard to take seriously with its almost cartoonish bad guys hamming up the scenes with outlanding obsessive behavior, but somehow I just couldn't stop watching!
Kana Kurashina stars as a private investigator who takes a client (sayu Kubota) under her wing when it is revealed that both have had similar violent pasts. Kubota is good as the suffering victim who is trying to become stronger and move on, but Kurashina’s character seems to wildly fluctuate between cat and mouse, being sometimes meek and scared and sometimes part John Wick as she deals with two different stalkers (Terunosuke Takezai and Tomomi Maruyama)!
All in all a mystery that, despite its flaws, guarantees a good time watching, if for the camp factor alone! In fact, Takezai’s hilarious attempts at looking threatening and deranged by menacingly scarfing birthday cake or crazily tonguing a bathroom window alone deserves a look! LOL
Koi ni Ochita Ohitori Sama: Stendhal no Renairon
5/10
Another drama with a cute premise that ends up getting dragged down by melodrama.
Haru stars as a mousey and shy girl named Satoko who stumbles upon her first love at her library workplace. Inexperienced with love except for the kind she reads about in books, the legendary French Romance novelist Stendhal appears before her and begins giving her advice on how to woo and land her first beau.
A fun and wacky set-up at first, but the show all too soon becomes bogged down with all the depressing aspects of Satoko's life- from backstabbing friends, catty co-workers and that aforementioned family scandal all keep coming up until it takes over the drama and turns a winsome drama into an absolute slog to get through!
Invisible
5/10
Hell-bent Crime Investigator (Issei Takahashi) reluctantly working with a snarky mastermind criminal (Shibasaki Kou) to catch other criminals in her network. An OK crime drama (despite eye rolling villain "reveal" at the end) but I wish they had spent more time creating characters that I cared about than showing how "mysterious" Shibasaki Kou's character of Invisible is supposed to be, or how depressingly emo Takahashi's character is...
Though i watched it all to see just where it all was going to go, really, I found I could not get into this drama at all...But people have been raving about this show so much that my opinion is in the clearly in the minority!
Nanji No Na
5/10
An Absolutely OVER THE TOP story of two totally CRAZY sisters (Yamazaki Hirona and Kitano Kie) trying to see who can psychologically and physically screw over the other one better, this was one drama that, despite is pure “persecution” premise, had me tuning each each week ‘cause i just HAD TO SEE what was going to happen NEXT!
Manic and almost slapstick in incredulousness, by the show’s end it was was like watching Looney Tunes with Bugs Bunny fighting Daffy Duck over who was going to get shot by Elmer Fudd’s gun first!
Ain’t gonna lie- OUTLANDISH as it was- I was pretty entertained!!!!!!
Youkai Sharehouse ~Kaettekita n Kai~
5/10
They seem to have written out Mio as a Youkai Research Writer for a Monster Magazine and have changed it to her crossing paths with new youkai while working as an employee for a temp agency, but other than that, it's more of the same: wacky hijinks with Mio and the gang dealing with a new bunch of ghosts and ghouls each week. Though here it seems Fuka has taken a back seat to her own drama as she is there primarily to introduce the monster of the week and not much else.
17.3 About A Sex
5/10
Possibly the sweetest take on that oh so hard to talk about subject of sex, featuring a group of teenagers who are just discovering the sometimes scary and mysterious world of romance and physical relationships for the first time!
Very cute and likeable characters, though at times it does feel more like a PSA you’d see in school than a drama proper! Really liked actress Riko Nagase as main character Sakura- looking forward to seeing what she does in the future!
17 sai no Teikoku
4/10
17 sai no Teikoku proffers a futuristic Japan, when on the brink of collapse, has computers choose the finest minds to guide the country, and thus end up with 17 year old Maki Aran as the new Prime Minister of Japan.
Though it got bogged down in melodrama towards the end, it was an interesting enough show, and at 5 episodes, almost feels like an extended episode of the "Hoshi Shinichi no Fushigina Fushigina Tanpen" drama.
Cinderella Is Online
3/10
Guy and girl meet online and don't realize they are acquaintances in real life. Upon discovery, cue those high school cliche romance dramatics!! Hahaha, well I knew that this drama was gonna be that kinda show, and should have avoided it, but Riho Nakamura was so cute in the role of online gaming enthusiast Ichika Arisawa that I found myself watching all of it anyway despite the tropes LOL!
WELL, that's about the bulk of it from this Spring Season! Time to get ready for those brand spanking NEW dramas upcoming for this Summer's season!!!
