The Return of Airi Matsui in "Hakubo No Chronicle"

Just caught the first episode of the crime/horror thriller "Hakudo no Chronicle" ( Chronicle of White Dawn) starring Tomohiro Kamiyama and Airi Matsui! Our Story:

When investigating a routine case of food poisoning at a restaurant, Ministry of Health agent Akari Fusegi (Airi Matsui)  instead stumbles onto a brutal murder, and not just ANY murder- it is the killing of an Okinaga, a race of seemingly immortal beings who live among the regular humans like you and me.

Determined to get her food poisoning case closed, she argues with the police detectives Karasawa and Narumiya (Tsutomu Takahashi and Nanami Sakuraba) and the people who deal with Okinaga matters. Crossing paths with the department’s head Takenouchi (Terunosuke Takezai) , Fusegi soon finds herself demoted from her health Inspection job…and, surprisingly, put INTO the Okinaga Department herself!!!

Put under the care of Supervisor Kubozono (Ken Mitsuishi), Akari soon learns why she has been brought in to join the investigation. There has been a rash of killings targeting the scattered okinaga in Japan, and the restaurant killing is just the latest!

To get her up to speed on the lore of okinaga, Fusegi is taken to a secluded house run by Kaoruko Azechi (Ayumi Ito), where she is introduced to a young man named Kai Yukimura (Tomohiro Kamiyama) .

He's the reigning expert on all things to do with okinaga and Akari must team up with him is she intends to properly investigate the case.

 But she will soon learn that he has the most incorrigible attitude (one that has made several agents before Fusegi quit!) and has only utter contempt for Akari as she struggles to learn the ropes!

Yukimura speaks to Fusegi in a bossy and condescending tone, but when she tries to scold him, citing her obvious advanced age over him, she is met with laughter. Because of course, Yukimura HIMSELF is an okinaga, and an EIGHTY-EGHT year old one, at that!

Below: Finding out Yukimura is immortal when an assailant slashes his throat and he just gets right back up again!

Th-there's CLEARLY more to this guy than she thought!!!

The serial murders they are covering are part of what they have dubbed “the Sheep Killings” as the murders have always fallen on Christmas Day in the Year of the Sheep. When a new murder happens only days after the last killing, the team knows they have to step things up and nail down the case. But can Fusegi and Yukimura put aside their differences and work together as a team? Little by little things start coming together….

As you all know, I’m a HUGE fan of cutie Airi Matsui, who always tends to grab these unusual and odd roles. Blue Birthday, Eroi Kareshi ga Watashi wo Madowasu, Shanai Marraige Honey, her characters are always so eccentric and QUIRKY and she is a delight to watch!

This one looks like it might be fun!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogpsot.com

The Cool as Ice Maika Yamamoto

Been loving the fun "Yami Baito Kazoku" comedy about five would-be robbers forced to work as a fake family to expose bigger criminals working in the underground, and it's mostly for Maika Yamamoto's wildly entertaining turn as Misaki, the "Sister" of the fake family (along with Ouji Suzuka as Brother, Ken Mitsuishi as Dad, Yumi Aso as Mom, and Toshiki Ayata as Grandpa)! 

While at first content to act out as the sassy rebellious teenage sister/daughter, by episode 3 things have ramped up enough that the fake family have found themselves in hot water amongst the real criminals. It's here that Misaki's real skills make their debut, MUCH to the SHOCK of her fellow family members!

Held up by common thugs during a run, they are told to give everything up. The family insist they have nothing, but "Sis" Misaki remembers that she DOES have something in her pocket for the gang member...a knuckle sandwich!!

Besides being the general badass of the group who uses her skills to clobber the bad guys whenever they’re in a pinch, she’s frequently irritated by her own teammates and can be seen giving them a swift kick in the pants whenever she deems it necessary!

In one episode the family must go undercover at an onsen. But when Dad and Grandpa decide to take a dip in the bath while on the mission, Misaki lets Pop know JUST what she thinks about the diversion of the plans!

"Brother" invites Misaki to a Curry House, but when she realizes there is no restaurant in sight,  she confronts him and he admits he brought her out...just so he could go on a date with her! The no-nonsense girl is quick to mete out her irritation (LOLOL)

But when her fake Brother is being blackmailed by his ex girlfriend and her new beau, Misaki steps up like a real big sister to expose them and make quick work of the so called bully... (and the ex-girlfriend better watch out, too!)

Awww man, Maika is sooooo KAKKOI!!!

As many of you know, Maika’s no stranger to the “kick-butt female character”- her turn as the karate champion love interest in Anoko no Yume wo Mitan desu was an absolute scene stealer, and showed she had a real FLAIR for the genre!

Sure, the dude she was fighting was only EXILE dancer Mandy Sekiguchi, but wouldn't YOU want to cheer her on as well?! HAHAHA! 

She's even continuing the butt kicking tradition in the new Aiba Masaki thriller/comedy "Kyou Kara Hit Man" as one of his kool and tuff-as-nails partners Chinatsu! Actors and actresses fear being typecast in a certain style or genre, but if this is the route Maika's going, adding beauty and brashness to her arsenal, I think she's got a winning combination!

(PS: Yes, we know that's a stunt-person in the middle there, just pretend, LOL)

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogpsot.com

Fractured Family Fugitives in “Yamibaito Kazoku”

Just caught the new wacky comedy “Yamibaito Kazoku” and so far it's real hoot!

A group of low-level thieves are put together to do some low-stakes home break-ins, but when they flub the heist, they flee the scene in a van and accidentally strike down a pedestrian (Mitsu Satoshi) in the street.The horrified quintet speeds away, crossing fingers that the victim will live through the accident.

Unfortunately, their crash is spied upon by a sinister looking man. His only given name is Sanji (Fukikoshi Mitsuru) , and with the dirt on these would-be crooks, thinks of what to do with them.

The next evening, he calls the five of them over to a remote location with the news that the man they struck has died...and that if they don't want him to turn them in, they'll have to do something for HIM...

...however, he reveals that what he wants from them is to do ANOTHER CRIME!

Their first order is working their way into the home a wealthy businessman and stealing his fortune. However, the place is tightly guarded, and the only way to get in is  by becoming neighbors with them, getting friendly and then infiltrating the place. 

To do that, Sanji plans to use the distinct characteristics of his five new underlings to pretend to be a mild mannered FAMILY living next door, get CLOSE to the targets and then, undercover, find the fortune and make off with it!

there is  Kenzo Ogawa (Mitsuishi Ken), to play the Father role...

Kanae Hara (Yumi Aso) playing Mother...

Toru Kuribayashi (Ayata Toshiki), as  doddering Grandfather...

freeter Misaki Kubo (Yamamoto Maika), playing the Daughter...

…and at the heart of it is Suzuka Ouji as Tanaka Hayato, a guy who has always had bad luck and chickens out at every important moment in his life. Every moment he regrets, and NOW he'll be playing the family SON!

"Smile- You're now officially a FAMILY!"

Introducing themselves to the mark as the innocent "Family" next door....

The exchange goes well and they seem to hit it off, but as they leave, this faux family just can't see this thing succeeding! What have they gotten themselves IN to!

In this show we'll see the hilarious misadventures of this would-be criminal family as they take on the tasks of the mysterious Sanji…who may have a few secrets of his OWN!

And as they take on caper after caper, who's to say they won't find strength in each other just like a REAL family?

OKAY, this is the FIRST drama of the season that I’ve been entertained by, and even though it smacks heavily of the Hongo Kanata drama “Crime Family” from a few seasons back, has had me chuckling throughout and is so far the only one I’ve officially put on my Drama Watch List! 

With 12 episodes at a mere 30 minutes apiece, it should be a light-hearted breeze to watch each week!