The latest Season is over, and though I made myself a commitment to keep the dramas to a minimum this time, I still managed to catch a few shows, all of which I've listed here, ranked in order of how much I liked it as well as a brief summation of my thoughts!
Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san
10/10
There is nothing I can say about amazing Hirokazu Koreeda’s style of gentle storytelling that hasn’t been said before, suffice to say that Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san is yet another wonderful feather in his cap!
I loved everything about this drama- the slow pacing, the kind friendship and respect between the girls, (especially the caring nurturing Momoko has for Sumire into helping her blossom), and, finally, the simple and yet so sweet ending song(with just a piano, a sparse backing score, and Kiyo humming along) that had me in tears at the end of so many episodes!
Brush-Up Life
10/10
And TIED for the number one position this season, we have the creative mastermind Bakarhythm's new drama "Brush Up Life"!!!!
From the get go I was entertained by the way main character Asami Kondo (Sakura Ando) took on the task of reliving her life with the intention of getting good points for her inevitable afterlife, and af first the show was very wacky indeed! But as the show went on and the stakes got higher, what developed was an introspective and HEARTFELT drama, one that had me totally engaged and ENTHRALLED all the way to the end!!
Lots of opportunities for wackiness, but what really came through was the love of family and the power of friends and friendship, especially the kind you make when you are very young and carry with you throughout your entire lives. This show made a point of how precious these kinds of things are and are meant to be cherished and appreciated. As those who've seen Suteki Na sen Taxi's more sombre episodes, Bakarhythm has an impeccable talent for mixing the most outlandish ideas with some of the sweetest and touching moments, and Brush up life was yet another fine masterpiece!
Get Ready
9/10
The initial setup of renegade surgeons forcing corrupt individuals to repent as they face death’s doors in order to save their lives was intriguing, but I wasn't too much of a fan of how they inevitably justified these evil men as simply misunderstood.
But what I really loved was the SUB-PLOT involving the actual surgeons THEMSELVES, the back-stories and "origins" of how each member became part of the elite team. Whenever they dedicated an episode to this, it really made for some GRIPPING entertainment- At times, it was like watching a superhero flick as you got into the psychosis of what made each of them tick! And of course when they finally got around to the main character's backstory, it parlayed easily into the last BIG arc of the show! An overall TERRIFIC drama!
Koi Wa DEEP Ni
9/10
WELL, wasted NO TIME digging , and this story of a environmentally friendly woman (Satomi Ishihara) who meets up with the gruff developer (Ayano Go) and slowly helps him change his ways was as SWEET and CHARMING as I'd hoped...oh, and Mio Imada as Ishihara's spazzy co-worker/friend was signs of a STAR in the making!!!
Yugure ni, Te wo Tsunagu
7/10
As some of you may remember , I REALLY loved the initial first episodes of the Yugure ni- Alas, it did not last. At the second to the last episode, Kitagawa unloaded a TON of her standard cliches on me, including the “Betrayer within the Company Who Steals the Ideas”, the “Backstabbing Best Friend”, and my personal fave, the good old reliable “Mistaking Someone Hugging your Love Interest and Assuming They're a Couple"...
REALLY took me out of the show, and from there I lost investment in it, and I found myself watching the last episode “just to see how it ended.” Mehhh…Still recommend Yugure if only for how great the first half was, but GEEZ, what a letdown!
Konya Sukiyaki Dayo
7/10
I had predicted in my initial summation of this drama that it's simple set-up of two gals living together as they go through love and life would probably bore me, but I was surprised how utterly sweet and charming this drama WAS! Great leads, especially with actress Reina Triendl whose gentle character of the soft-spoken Tomoko became a big fave of mine!
A warm and cozy drama to snuggle up with right before bedtime!
Saishuu Ressha de Hajimaru Koi
7/10
A Sweet but short (only 3 episodes long, and only 22 minutes apiece) of a down on his luck guy named Tsuzuki (Iijima Hiroki) who meets up with his childhood friend again after many years under unusual circumstances. An admittedly chiched and predictable story but VERY likeable characters with Rinka Kumada as the bubbly Mako, and, surprisingly enough, Tomokazu Koshimura as Tzusuki's goofy but savvy and caring senior at work!
Part of me wishes they had more episodes to it, but perhaps the reason it works so well is that it's to the point- like reading a great short story.
7/10
Another show from a few seasons past which finally completed subbing and wrapped up! Cute and lighthearted drama about an ex-delinquent trying to eke out a new peaceful life running a modest restaurant out in the sticks with a little girl in tow (who can secretly read minds), and the adventures they go through as they slowly become a real family! A sweet and kind drama I loved watching in the evenings with a cup of tea before bed!
7/10
While not a massive tour de force of originality, the music themed Reversal Orchestra DID have its charming moments, mostly by adorable actress Mugi Kadowaki as the clumsy but sweet violinist Hatsune Tanioka as she takes on coming out of self imposed retirement and dealing with a cantankerous boss/conductor, the blunt Asahi Tokiwa, played by Kei Tanaka!
I mentioned before that I fully expected the drama to be padded with the "member problem of the week" stories and holy heck I was right, but it was the growing connection between Tanioka and Tokiwa that made for a great watch- Who knew that watching them having a conversation in a car or arguing on the way home could be so much fun!
Shomonai Bokura no Renairon
6/10
The story of an middle aged Art Designer named Tsutsumi who suddenly gets a friend request from an old friend named Anna whom he once had a band with…as well as an unrequited love for! When he gets there, however, he is stunned to meet Anna’s 17 year old daughter Kurumi instead!
This drama started off sweet and charming, but I have to say that as the show progressed, I REALLY began to be put off by the main character. The connection between Tsutsumi and Kurumi was cute, but the insensitive way he treats Morita, the (mature) woman who loves him, is hard to look past. It really killed my investment in the show when I realized I wasn't rooting for him or anyone anymore.
6-Byoukan no Kiseki: Hanabishi Mochizuki Seitaro no Yuutsu
6/10
I thought this drama about a Fireworks master Mochizuki and his live in apprentice (with Father Ghost running around to boot) was going to be about how the fireworks helped people in need of a boost or helping hand, instead, it was more about Mochizuki's personal problems with his Dad and Mother, going from a fun and lighthearted comedy to a more meandering and introspective show as it went on. But, as I've said before, the real strength of the show is watching Issei Takahashi and Tsubasa Honda in their roles- The show is at its best when they are left to 'go at it"...wish the show delved more on their relationship and future, but still worth a watch!
Prism
6/10
Another drama I liked from this past year that was put on hold for some time that finally got completed, much to my delight! While the story of a kind-hearted girl (Hana Sugisaki) who takes on gardening, finds romance with her superior (Kisetsu Fujiwara) , and the hurdles and heartaches that come when she finds his past love is a man (Mirai Moriyama), was a slow and sombre ride, I liked the natural way the story progressed and applauded it for its satisfying, if not "happy", ending!
Keishichou Outsider
6/10
MAN,why do these detective shows, no matter how charismatic the detectives or intriguing the cases, ALWAYS seem to boil down to Corrupt Higher Ups in the Police Force/Government? All I want is to see interesting people solving interesting crimes, is that too much to ask????
Admittedly the story got interesting enough by its final few episodes, but crime dramas like these always seem to follow the same style where the show eventually becomes like fetch quests: meeting one person, getting info to the next person, to the next, to the first false lead, to the next false lead, etc etc....making it such a bore to sit through....
Da Capo Shimasenka?
6/10
A show that started out with an interesting premise- a group of people saddled with debts brought to a place to participate in deadly games for a big prize a la SQUID GAME, and at first, that was exactly what it delivered. But I have to admit that as the episodes went by and the dialog got more lecturey, I began to lose interest in both the characters and the show! And when the inevitable 'twist" was revealed, the show completely lost me.
In the end, was another drama that I watched to the end just to cross it off my list, such a shame...
Sister
5/10
I had mentioned once about how, if I'm getting bored or irked with a drama but still want to find out how it ends, I’ll watch it in 2x or even 3x, just to get through it. In that way I can get the full experience of the show without having to sit through all the grueling parts.
I’d already done this with the Evil-Sister drama "Nanji No Na", and so it was with THIS similarly themed drama, a show which I’d initially dropped due to its excessive persecution scenes, but decided to give it another go. This time, when it got too unbearable to sit through, I simply sped it up, and ya know, watching it THIS way turned the elder sister's evil aggressions into veritable Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner like antics, and I found I was able to power through the whole thing! Oh MY did this show get WACKY, however, I gotta admit, I was never bored!!
Anata wa Watashi ni Otosaretai
3/10
A basic set-up of a seemingly happily married couple and the subject of infidelity within the workplace when both partners get swayed by outsiders into affairs. The way the show is set up it almost feels more like you’re watching a bunch of skits rather than a real drama proper: the plot is super thin and predictable and the roles are as paper-thin as they come...still I DID manage to watch it to the end!
Blue Birthday
3/10
The story of a high school girl whose love interest has committed suicide find that she can go back in time when she burns photos taken at that time sounds like an intriguing story with lots of room for creativity…but in the end turned into another bait and switchy ‘suspect of the week” type shows where every episode a different red herring is cited as the suspect…so tiring.
Watched this one purely for the Airi Matsui love, and though she was as sweet and engaging as could be, isn’t it time she moved on from High School stuff?
Crosstail: Tantei Kyoushitsu
2/10
Yet another drama from a few seasons back that the subbers finally wrapped up! While I know that the set-up is that main character becomes a trainee detective so he can find his missing father, I didn't expect EVERY episode to be focused on the individual students own personal problems, a set-up I found kind of boring. Sure, they managed to tie an actual case to the troubled student's problems, but man, I just wanted to just see straightforward cases....
Who Am I?
1/10
A woman wakes up with amnesia after falling down a flight of stairs. Did she jump? Was she Pushed? and if so, who did the pushing? Only her SNS has any clues….Another mystery drama in the vein of Shinhannin Flag where everyone and everything is a lie- people purporting to be friends are shady, seemingly evil foes are caring, and meanwhile the cliched dumbass cops are there to ignore and scoff at everything the girl DOES remember. When nothing the show tells me is true or to be taken at face value, it’s impossible for me to have ANY kind of investment. I only jumped onto this one because of the Nagisa Sekimizu love, but surely she can do better than this. A real chore to sit thru!
That's about it! Wonder what the NEXT season has in store for us....
