Usotoki Rhetoric

Usotoki Rhetoric is a very cute period drama set in the 1940's about a peppy detective named Soma Iwai (Ouji Suzuka) with an intuition for observation and details, who, though a competent detective, is always struggling with debts and looking for his next paying case!

Ouji Suzuka, Ryosuke Mikata

Meanwhile a shy but sincere young woman named Kanoko Urabe (Honoka Matsumoto) has arrived in town. Though she tries to hide it, she has the uncanny ability to tell when anyone is lying!  Because of this "curse", she has been shunned by the people in her small hometown, and has been more or less forced to move. Making her way to the big city, she can't get a break and passes out from hunger!

This when Detective Iwai finds her, and takes her under his wing, giving her food to eat and a place to sleep for the time being. The next day, she helps him with his work as a sort of assistant.

 Unfortunately for Urabe, during the investigation, she inadvertently uses her lie-detecting abilities when confronted with the slick-tongued culprit, and though this helps catch him, it causes Iwai to learn of her powers at last. 

Thinking Iwai would be abhorred of her curse, Urabe attempts to leave town, but unlike the folks back home, one thing a struggling detective in town can really USE is someone who can tell the difference between someone telling the truth or fibbing, and he hires her as a permanent partner immediately!

Set in the Showa era, the period setting alone makes Usotoki Rhetoric fun to watch and the characters are quite charming! A cute and lightweight drama to kick back and relax to after a long day....

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!

18/40: Futari Nara Yume mo Koi mo~Dreams and Love for Two

Kyoko Fukada and Haruka Fukuhara in 18/40

 Haruka Fukuhara is Arisu Nakagawa, an 18 year old teen who has been raised by her late mother to appreciate art and artists (especially the works of Paul Klee), and, upon graduation, has already made plans to attend a college life in pursuit of being an art curator.

But her life takes a wild turn when she discovers that she is pregnant with child, with a man who seemingly wants none of the responsibility or ownership of a baby. “I need some time away to think things over”, he says, as he withdraws from her, making her feel completely alone.

concerned schoolfriends (Itsuki Nagasawa and Natsuki Deguchi)

an irresponsible boyfriend (Yusei Yaji)

At home she keeps the news of her pregnancy secret from her Father (Ken Yasuda) until she can have a long talk with her boyfriend to determine what they will do about the situation.

In the meantime, Kyoko Fukada is a near-40 single businesswoman named Toko Naruse, who has spent her life working hard to become a success in her field of art promotion who is lauded and respected among her peers. 

 She is satisfied where she is in business life, but due to her dedication to her job, she has not had time for romance or a family, and finally, on the eve of turning 40, decides that it is finally time to begin one...

She has met a prospective partner thru a matching app, on a site that pairs up people with the intention of getting married and having children. They both even have the same child-rearing pamphlets! But this will be one of the dreams she has that due to circumstances, she will be unable to fulfill…

Arisu finally gets a message from her boyfriend who says he is ready to meet, but when Arisu gets there, she is confronted by his MOTHER instead. She informs Arisu that her son has moved away and that all dealing with the pregnancy will go through her. She tells a shocked Arisu that they will cover the bills for a termination, though Arisu herself has not yet even decided what she will do about the baby. She rejects the Mother’s help, and says she will take care of the problem herself.

A visibly stressed Arisu is walking aimlessly through the city with the weight upon her shoulders, when she feels sharp pangs of pain lacing through her stomach. Just at that moment, Toko happens to walk by, and, seeing the young girl doubled over, rushes over to help her.

“The baby” Arisu mumbles through her pain, and Toko tells her there is a clinic nearby that she was on her way to, and asks if she can make the short trip. Helping her up, Toko guides her to the center, where her friend Dr. Shibasaki (Wakana Matsumoto) agrees to see Arisu immediately.

Thankfully  all seems well, as the Doctor cites Arisu's stress for her pains. She does tell her that she is 5 weeks pregnant, and that now is the time for her to decide what to do about her situation. If she decides to keep the baby, the clinic can keep her on and help. If she ultimately decides to terminate, they will recommend a clinic she can go to.

The doctor sees Toko next, who is there to begin her regular checkups in anticipation of having a child. But after she is looked over, she is horrified to be told that there is a problem with her ovaries (swelling and cysts), and as such, will be near impossible for her to become pregnant and bear a child. In an instant, her dreams of a family are dashed.

The doctor is more concerned with taking care of the malady at hand, and Toko is taken to a bed to get a drip put in her. As it happens, it is in the same room where Arisu is recovering.

Arisu hears Toko softly sobbing through the curtain, and when she asks if she is okay, she realizes it’s the same lady who brought her here. 

Through the curtain, the two have a heart to heart talk- One, the older, wiser woman who is regretful she passed on childbirth for her career and now cannot have a chance at it, and the other a wide-eyed youth who has dreams and plans to accomplish and sees a baby as a hindrance to her goals.

From this first chance meeting, both women who are total strangers to each other will eventually go on to change each others’ lives.

This was VERY weepy tearjerker of an episode, at least for the premiere, but I found it very moving and heartfelt. The interaction between Haruka Fukuhara and Kyoko Fukada is great, and if the whole drama was about the two and their friendship, it would be 100 percent solid...

Unfortunately, they’ve shoehorned in two romance interests for the ladies, and I must admit they interest me NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST. Very generic and one-dimensional romance stuff, and every time  the show diverts to their scenes, I just go "Gehhhhh" and want to fast forward thru  it! 

Below: Toko with her romance interest Kase (Shuhei Uesugi)

...and Arisu with Yuma (Ouji Suzuka)

Truthfully, part of me wonders if the guys are there just so the friendship between Arisu and Toko won’t seem, you know, sexual.  I DID notice that in the drama’s initial promo pics, it looked like this:

...where even I had to double take and think “Are these two women…together?”

But by the time of the next promotional pic, they had added the male interests, making it look more like a regular romance drama:

In any case, we’ll see how this one goes. As regular readers of this blog know, I love both lead actresses and will watch anything they’re in, just hope it doesn’t get bogged down with the usual romance stuff….