No Matter How Dark the Night Is: "Yoru ga Dorehodo Kurakutemo"

With such wacky, fun dramas as Joshikosei no Kudazukai, Wataoji, and Edomoiselle, I had begun to think upon actress Yui Okada as a strictly comedic actress (which would make sense considering her genealogy), but she really wowed me in the dark and moody 4-part mystery drama “Yoru ga Dorehodo Kurakutemo~No Matter How Dark the Night Is” with her serious side!

The drama tells the story of an aggressive journalist named Michinari Shiga (Takaya Kamikawa) for a scandal magazine who has no problem exposing people to the public as long as it makes headlines.

So he is at complete odds when his own son Kensuke (Shono Hayama) is accused of murdering his teacher and her husband before slashing his own neck in an attempt at suicide. Discovered in time, Kensuke is still alive but near death. He lies in a coma while both Shiga and his wife (Michiko Hada), come to terms with the horrible accusations. They cannot believe what they are hearing. 

But the press has no problem assuming Kensuke's guilt and soon the papers are inundated with wild stories of Shiga's Son's depravity. Even more harrowing is the police, led by detective Nagasawa (Taizo Harada), who are already convinced of Kensuke's guilt and are trying to quickly close the case. and the police all try to uncover the truth of what really happened.

It's only the diligence of the police force's leader Kudo (Masanobu Takashima), who feels the case needs a closer look and is averse to making any quick judgments, that Shiga is able to do some detecting of his own, determined to prove his son innocent.

Along the way Shiga crosses paths with the murdered couple’s college daughter Nanami Hoshino (Okada), who makes it her mission to lash back at those who took her parents from her, in particular Kensuke and his parents.

Shiga tries to convince Hoshino that there is more to the story, but the girls' blinding hatred of he and his family make her a dangerous person to cross. And without any evidence to prove otherwise, it all seems hopeless.

Very gripping mini-series, with great acting and pacing, I watched it all in one afternoon without a break! Could do with MORE mysteries like this one!

Kirawareru Yuuki

Just watched the first episode of the drama Kirawareru Yuuki and I’m not sure how much I’m gonna like this one. As is the case with most Japanese detective dramas, it features a genius detective with some strange style or quirk that helps them solve their cases. But what am I supposed to do when the main character’s main quirk is to be snarky and unlikeable?

That’s JUST what the character of Ando Ranko (Karina) is supposed to be: a woman who lives her life with “the courage to be hated” and bulldozes ahead saying whatever comes to her mind, offending everyone around her with her selfishness, and using her zero social skills to get what she wants. 

Her new partner Toshio Aoyama (played by NEWS’ Shigeaki Kato) already has a hard time dealing with her, and after only two days is complaining to consultant Tetsuto Daimonji (Shiina Kippei) about how abrasive she is, and I gotta say that by the end of the episode, I was in the same boat!

 

He tells Aoyama that despite her brusque style, Ando is a genius in the way she uses her art of being hated, but I didn’t see how her crude style of manner even helped solve the case. She didn’t uncover anything that she couldn’t have by being nice or at least NOT unlikable!

But of course, she DOES solve the case, and it’s here that Aoyama changes his mind about her, apologizes and defers to her as someone who he has a lot to learn from. Eh.

Too bad, too, because there are a lot of pretty faces to enjoy in this show, including Sae Okazaki (last seen in Hito wa Mitami Ga 100%) as CSI agent Yukina Murakami…

and (WHOO!) Itsuki Saraga as the sexy forensics agent Meiko Soma…is this the new cliche, having the autopsy doctor be a slutty lady? Not that I’m complaining!

Gonna give this one a few more episodes. If it’s the same I think I’ll be bailing on this drama…

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Trouble Man

Just watched the first episode of what looks like to be a MOST promising drama! Written and directed by SABU, TROUBLE MAN stars Kato Shigeaki as Tokuda Kazuo, an insurance agent whose live gets turned topsy-turvy when he gets unwittingly thrust into a web of mystery and intrigue involving murderers, would be rapists and the Yakuza!And if that wasn't enough, I was jazzed to see the ADDED bonus of both Satuskawa Aimi and Iwasa Mayuko in it (and this coming right off GALCIR!) as well as ANOTHER small role by Kamiwaki Yu!

Not really a proper drama, this show seems more like a long movie that’s been divided up into separate chapters, and with each episode clocking in at a mere 30 minutes, makes me wonder just how this originally aired…was this originally in 10 minute increments?

However the format, this is one heckuva show, where you never know what’s going to happen next and the surprises just keep on coming! When the first episode ended (quite powerfully so, I might add) and it immediately went into NEWS’ new song BE FUNKY against the backdrop of Tokuda fleeing in dramatic slo-mo, I found myself dying with anticipation for the next episode!!! Just can’t WAIT for the next one!!!!