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

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!

The Ever-Changing Masanobu Takashima

Masanobu Takashima then...

...and now!

 TBS has launched their "TBS on DEMAND" service and for the first time we are getting a TON of their classic dramas in wonderful, crisp quality, and out of sheer nostalgia I grabbed the 1993 drama “Double Kitchen” which was among the very first Japanese dramas I ever heard of!

Lots of memories not only with it being one of the earliest j-dramas I watched, but its involvement with j-pop act Princess Princess (one of my all-time fave groups who provided the theme song for the show, which I detailed here) and my then-infatuation with Actress Tomoko Yamaguchi!

While watching it, it was exciting seeing everyone looking so YOUNG, besides Tomoko there was also Megumi Yokoyama, Shiro Sano, and Masanobu Takashima. 

And it was while watching Takashima in his role as the newlywed husband Kunoichi Hanaoka that it really struck me: What EVER happened to  Takashima? Back in the day, he was THE go-to actor for the “nice guy” roles, indeed, if you look at his output in the 90’s he was J-dramas’ virtual Tom Hanks!!

Besides his role as Hanaoka in Double Kitchen, he had roles as good-guy characters like Ippei in the HOTEL series, Morio Kobayashi in the Miho Nakayama drama “For You”Shinichi Tsutzuki in “Kimi Ga Jinsei No Toki”... Heck, even brother Toyotomi Hidenaga in “Hideyoshi”, these were all kind and relatable characters whom you liked, and I remember at the time me and Golden even had a nickname for him: “Smiley”, for his always positive demeanor!

Then, I don’t know why, but he started appearing as these really evil and/or corrupt guys, like Hashida in “Kurokawa No Techo”, Naito in “Joshu Seven”, Akutagawa in Kareinaru Ichizoku, and Shibasaki in TWO WEEKS!

Really,  it was as if Takashima was re-writing his legacy as a likeable guy into an utterly repulsive persona instead! Why, Takashima-san, why?

Telling you, this must have been what people felt when all-around nice guy Henry Fonda played the evil child-murdering Frank in Once Upon A Time In The West!

The Return Of Emi Takei: Kurokawa no Techou Special

 
It’s been three and half years since Ginza Bar Mama Motoko Haraguchi’s ambitious and epic blackmail plans went up in smoke and she was ultimately brought down. In that time she has been in Prison seemingly learning the errors of her way.

It is now 2021 and we see the still stoic Motoko being released from jail, and with the glint in her eye we already know this is one conniving young woman who has NOT learned the lessons of her criminal doings!

Though she starts off doing menial work, it isn’t long til she is slowly making her way back up into to inner workings of the filthy rich and corrupted, and once gotten a foothold, is already making new plans of thievery….

Through the always entertainingly jaded Tsuneo Hashida (Masanobu Takashima), Motoko is brought in to a new Cabaclub under the ownership of the equally shady Shugo Kamidai (Atsuro Watabe) who sees potential in the icy Haraguchi…but also danger!

While working the cabaclub, she meets new adversaries like Reina Itabashi (Yumi Adachi)…

as well as the return of OLD adversaries like Namiko Yamada (Risa Naka)!

Motoko happens upon a desperate young man named Takashi Morimura (Maiguma Katsuya) whose family has been destroyed by Kamidai’s dealings.

He wants to get revenge on Kamidai by stealing his infor, but the crafty Motoko stops him and tells him there is a BETTER way to get back at someone…

For their plans the go around Kamidai, who will be wary of any tricks, and instead  focus on his cluelessly airheaded mistress, played with relish by Yurika Nakamura (who seems to be playing a LOT of these cheatin’ beauties!)….

Slowly and meticulously they work their con, but will they succeed…or will even THESE plans go the way of her former strategies and end them BOTH in jail?

Ah, such a DELIGHT to see Emi Takei back!!! As expected she is wonderful in her reprisal of the scheming Motoko Haraguchi, and OH! Is she PRETTIER than EVER!!!

Mmmm, it seems motherhood has been good to her!
PS: Also really nice to see Megumi Yokoyama in a cameo role as Kaidai’s long-suffering wife…Really loved her back in the day (mostly from her SMAPxSMAP appearances)...Mmm, she's still lookin' GREAT!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com