Konkatsu 1000 Bon Knock

Actually pretty entertaining story of an unlucky-in-love young novelist named Ayako Minami (Maki Fukuda) who, after getting ghosted by an over-the-top cad of a player named Yamada (Yusei Yagi), has decided to give up the game.

She has just made up her mind, when two things happen: ONE, she is given an offer for her to write a new story about the art of marriage-hunting and attending meet and greet events for a possible partner...

and TWO:  Yamada the uncouth ex-lover of hers who had just dumped her has come back as a GHOST and has told her that unless he helps her find true love, he can never attain eternal enlightenment and will be reincarnated as a bug!

With this, Ayako bravely enters the field of marriage partner hunting to kill three birds with one stone: To write her konkatsu serial, to find true love...and to help this meddlesome ghost attain enlightenment so he can get out of her life for good!

A lightweight drama for sure but, as I said, if I see it uploaded, I'll grab it- Not only is Maki Fukuda delightfully dorky as lead character Akari, there's also Nagisa Sekimizu as her arch-rival Kyumoto and that's totally a plus!!!

New Keigo Higashino Novel "The Final Curtain" Arrives!

Just got the Keigo Higashino novel THE FINAL CURTAIN in the mail today! His latest novel (and the fourth in the Kyoichiro Kaga "Shinzanmono" series), this makes 12 of his books I’ve managed to acquire over the years!

My Keigo Higashino Collection

Out of them, the ones I’ve enjoyed most (probably not surprising since I was already quite familiar with the characters from its television series) are the Galileo books, (The Devotion of Suspect X, Salvation of a Saint, A Midsummer’s Equation and Silent Parade)…these are fun and quirky, as expected of its lead character Manabu Yukawa!

I also like “Under The Midnight Sun” quite a lot, a riveting tale of revenge being best served cold (made into series "Byakuyakou"), and I loved, loved loved  “The Miracles of Namiya General Store” (of which I’ve recently gushed about here!)

And now we have the fourth Kyoichiro Kaga novel. As you may recall, it was Higashino’s book “Malice” that first introduced me to Higashino’s novels, and that happened to be the first in the Kyoichiro Kaga series (with “Newcomer” and “A Death In Tokyo” following), so I’m particularly amped to get into this one!!!

This should be a good one, and one that hopefully will tide me over til we can get the next translated Detective Galileo book “Invisible Helix” late this December!

Mei Nagano Visits Bento Shop, Cuteness Ensues

Mei Nagano (along with Yosuke Sugino) Shines in Bananaman Sekkaku Gourmet!

Doing the promotional circuit for their drama “Unicorn Ni Notte”, actress Mei Nagano and actor Yosuke Sugino appeared on the fun and genki  foodie show “Bananaman Sekkaku Gourmet” back in 2022, and while not as wild as some other episodes have gotten, Mei was beyond charming and shows once again why we love her so much!

The set-up for the Gotcha Gourmet segment is usually where they’ll have two celebrities go to some town and, inquiring with the locals, get recommendations for the “local take” on what’s popular there.

The town this time was Kumagaya, and of all the restaurants and eateries they could have been given a heads up on, ended up being a sushi bento place, a VERY small establishment named Shodan Sushi which was already closing for the day and had to retain a few of their signature bentos for the arriving stars!

WELL, not sure how much hubbub can be made over bentos, though they DID look delicious (and MAN were those inari sushis HUGE!), but WOWOWOW, was Mei stunning eating it!!!

 REALLY, she gives off such a smart, professional vibe that even posing with the food for the cameras, each shot looked like they could have used it as real promotional posters and ads! I mean, look: Doesn’t this make you want to pay a visit to the bento place right off??? Heck, makes ME want to run right down there NOW! LOLOLOL

Sugino himself seemed pretty subdued throughout the show, but he looked like he was enjoying himself enough, who wouldn't? HAHAHA

These foodie variety shows are great at showcasing the "real personalities" of celebrities we love and it;'s always great when we see actors and actresses appear whom we really love!

I really flipped over Mei in this episode- she seems so genuinely nice, so much fun, and so cute, she' strikes me asJUST the kind of girl you'd have your first school crush on. Such a sweetie!

The Bananaman show has really been getting some great guests over the past year- every time the studio needs to promote a new drama, some of the stars from the show will always inevitably appear here...Hope to see more!

Just Gonna Jump In Anywhere: “Chimudondon”

I saw that someone had begun subbing the 2022 asadora “Chimudondon” earlier this year, and had uploaded their latest efforts onto DO. Looking over the screencaps, lead herione Yuina Kuroshima looked JUST cute enough to pique my curiosity, and without anything else on the schedule, said "What the heck!" and downloaded the latest week’s worth to check it out.

Unfortunately for me, I was late jumping onto this ship and the subbing team were already up to week 6 (and no apparent access to the back-episodes I could see), however, as anyone who’s watched ANY asadora knows, these shows take a LONG time time to get off the ground story-wise, what with introducing the Mother and Father, townspeople etc, before the heroine is even born! Then there’s always a few weeks developing the child as she grows up, meets friends and eventually finds the inspiration that will become her dream and the overall goal of the drama as well. Only THEN will the show shift into it’s actual storyline when the heroine leaves home to find her dreams…and happily, it’s HERE that week 6 begins!

Heroine saying goodbye to family: Yukie Nakama, Haruna Kawaguchi, Moka Kamishiraishi

The REAL start of any asadora: Leaving Home!

Yes, by some lucky coincidence, the very first episode I began watching (ep.26) BEGINS with character Nobuko Higa (Yuina) getting ON the BUS and leaving for Tokyo to pursue her dreams of becoming a chef!! What lucky timing!

Below: with Tsurutaro Kataoka. (Is this guy in EVERY asadora??? LOL)

Reacting to the prices at Restaurant but thoroughly enjoying the food

From there we waste NO TIME introducing the cast of the second arc: The people of the Restaurant, the townspeople of the city, and her interaction with all of them as she ekes her way step by step into the world of cuisine.

Meeting the staff and new boss: Meiko Harada, Masanobu Takashima, Kai Inowaki

 

I HAVE to say how freaking ADORABLE Yuina is is here- so cute, fun and spazzy, she reminded me why I first fell in love with her back in her “Ashi Girl” days. Like actress Riho Yoshioka, Yuina has a 1000 watt smile that just MELTS you whenever she flashes  it with a twinkle in her eye!

As far as the rest, well, NHK asadoras have SO MANY flashbacks in every episode for every person and thing that I QUICKLY caught up to the whole family dynamic (including her folks at home; sisters Haruna Kawaguchi and Moka Kamishiraishi as well as Mom played by Yukie Nakama. Frankly, their story arcs don’t interest me as much, and I'm just biding time til they get back to the Yuina storyline.

Then again, the side-characters' stories in asadoras rarely interest me. I always talk about Takayuki Yamada as Ryoko Kuninaka’s brother in “Churasan” and how I was ALWAYS bored when it focused on his rock musician storyline, pretty much the same thing here whenever it’s about the Haruna and Moka stories, TBH. 

But I guess we’ll see how the stories progress anyway- they may in fact develop into compelling arcs that I’m invested in, and I’ll definitely be watching more Chimudondon if Yuina’s story stays as fun and interesting as this sixth week’s was!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Oi Handsome 2!!!!

 EEEEEEKKKKK!!!! Just HAD to STOP the PRESSES with the AWESOME NEWS I've just heard, that my BELOVED J-drama OI HANDSOME! from the past year is not only RETURNING in APRIL, but will release a MOVIE as well!!!!

As you ALL know, Oi handsome is one of my very, very favorite J-dramas of ALL TIME and cannot think of anything sweeter than re-visiting that wonderful household!!!

Awwwww, April cannot come SOON enough!!!!

Haru ni Nattara~ When Spring Comes

Nao and Noritake Kinashi in Haru ni Nattara

 Over breakfast one morning, a single father and his daughter announce that they have huge, shocking news for the other. On the count of three they both say what it is, and both are indeed shocked by the news they hear: Daughter has announced that she has been seeing a guy for a year and intends to MARRY in three months…while father has news of a more startling sort: the news that he has stage4 pancreatic cancer and has three months to LIVE!

Father Masahiko Shiina (Noritake Kinashi), a peppy salesman by day, has only learned of his cancer by chance- a sore hip led to the discovery of the slow-moving cancer, sadly by the time the Docs have found it, it has metastasized to other parts of his body  and is a long shot for survival. Having seen what the cancer can do to other friends and with little chance of success, Masahiko opts out of treatment and hopes to spend his last few months peacefully. 

Daughter Hitomi (Nao) is a young midwife working at a maternity clinic in town, under the watchful eye of Sugimura (Satomi Kobayashi)  she has moved on to treating patients of her own and is secure and happy in her job and life. 

Her fiance is a schleppy man named Kawakami (Gaku Hamada) , an older and if, truth be told, not that funny guy working as a comedian. The two have secretly been gearing up for their wedding, but not only does her father’s illness throw a huge wrench in their plans…. he’s ENTIRELY AGAINST Hitomi marrying the Kawakami!!!

Even Hitomi's friends Minako (Ai Mikami) and Keigo (Tatsuya Fukazawa), whom she delightedly tells one afternoon, aren't too sure about this union, especially Keigo, who's long harbored secret feelings for Hitomi...

  The situation causes terrific arguments at home: Hitomi wants Father to begin treatments and accept her fiance, while Dad only wants to live out his life in peace…and WITHOUT his daughter marrying tht good-for-nothing comedian shlub!

While the two try and work out the differences between them and come to some kind of arrangement, there is a matter of bucket lists. Daughter Hitomi has a list of all the things she wants to do before getting married. And father has crafted a similar list of things he wants to do before he passes. And in the coming episodes we will see the Father and Daughter try to come to terms while at the same time fulfilling their list wishes!

I will say that on paper, the premise of this drama sounds like a depressing melodrama, but far from it, this show is full of life, great characters, wonderful dialog and, as you would expect from someone like Nao, completely believable and lovable characters!

Ready to see where this one goes~!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com