YIPS Back on my Viewing Schedule!

Bakarhythm and Shinohara Ryoko in YIPS

After being dropped by its initial subbing team back in 2024, the Bakarhythm/Ryoko Shinohara crime drama YIPS is happily being subbed by a new group and after all this time,  I'm finally going to be able to check it out! And so far, it's been GREAT!

In sports there is an ailment called YIPS, those cases when an athlete suddenly psychologically loses the ability to do some move or action anymore, and this drama tells the story of two people suffering from a similar psychosis. There is Toru Morino (Bakarhythm), a police detective who, after years of being lauded as the genius ace of the department who always cracks his cases, suddenly finding him unable to properly do his job due to the overwhelming expectations laid upon him.

And then there is Miko Kuroba (Ryoko Shinohara), a famous crime novelist who, after years of penning best seller after best seller, is faced with the same crippling burden of over-expectation for her new work, and when she sits at her desk, finds herself unable to come up with a single idea.

By chance the two characters end up at a popular new spa, and while they ming their own business at first, Morino instantly recognizes Kuroba and begins pestering her with questions about her new novel, and why her last few were so mediocre. How Rude!

Through his words, Kuroba realizes this guy has been criticizing her works on social media under an alias, and calls him out! While they immediately begin to bicker and get on each others' nerves, it is cut short when they discover a dead body floating in the spa pool nearby!

As a mystery writer, Kuroba is thrilled to be witness to such a crime, gushing "This is the first time seeing a real life corpse!" to the detective heading the case, the pompadour coiffed Sakai (Ryosuke Mikata). But Morino seems determined to keep out of it, perplexing her, until he reveals his position as a detective and his malady of being psychologically unable to complete his investigations.

It's here that Kuroba comes up with the novel idea for them to pool together their efforts- she'll help him with his shortcomings in the investigation, and she'll use the knowledge she gains from the case to get out of her book writing slump!

With two such opposite characters (Kuroba an outspoken loudmouth and Morino a mumbly recluse), you'd think this partnership can't last, but what do you know, they really compliment each other, and make signifiant headway into the crime- including zeroing in on cutie-pie guest of the week Reina Triendl as their main suspect....

Yes, when these two put their heads together, it seems they can crack any case! And with some success, they may even get over their self-imposed YIPS syndromes and get back to their jobs in earnest!

I was initially drawn to this drama for the Bakarhythm connection, however it's not a Bakarhythm-scripted show this time, and rather one he's simply co-starring in. Nonetheless it's fun and he and Shinohara are GREAT together!!!  This will be a drama well worth the long WAIT!

Karen Miyama, All Grown Up

I had recently talked about former child actress Ai Yoshikawa returning to form, but there’s another actress whom we’ve seen grow up right before our eyes, the adorable Karen Miyama!

Watching her as Kumamoto in Uketsuke No Jo, I am constantly amazed to see how much she's grown as she interacts with her co-stars- she looks like such a fine young lady now!

(That's her on the far right crossing her arms)

with Momoko Tanabe

with Yuta Jinguji

With Reina Triendl

I can scarcely believe this is the small, tiny girl who played Tsuyoshi Kusanagi’s daughter in the excellent 2004 drama “Boku to Kanojo no Kanojo Ikuru Michi”!

Though still diminutive in size, it’s clear that Karen’s moved on from those innocent schoolkid roles and has begun playing roles of a more adult nature! 

I remember being so excited when she co-starred with Akari Hayami in Ramen Daisuki Koizumi San, and I think her role in Utsukete no Jo is a step in the right direction~ 

Would love to see her helming a drama of her own!!

At The Front Desk with "Uketsuke No Jo"

An up-and-coming saleman for an advertising company named Takumi Jo (Yuta Jinguji) comes up with a dramatic proposal: Replacing the current reception desk area with an interactive state-of-the-art computer system to help speed up efficiency and save on labor!

 His presentation manages to catch the attention of the execs, in particular superior Todo (Jun Hashimoto), who calls him up to his office with thrilling news: That they have decided to GO AHEAD with Takumi’s proposal and have even created a new department for it, which both he and Todo will be a part of!

Back in the office, Takumi is congratulated by everyone, including his friend and colleague Mitsusaki Haruguchi (Airi Matsui), who has been supporting him since they were both newbies years ago!

But the happiness is short-lived when someone points out that by implementing this new computer proposal, he will be eliminating the receptionist posts and effectively laying all of them off!!!

This is horrible news to hear, as the Women of the Reception Desk have always been radiant, competent and friendly towards all! The desk is currently occupied by four women: 

Prim and efficient Karen Hanafusa (Reina Triendl)

The brash and sassy Niko Ieda (Momoko Tanabe) and the stoic and reserved Yoshiko Kumamoto (Karen Miyama)...

and above them all, the strict and commanding leader Hitomi Sachiyama (Aki Nishihara).

The four women are impeccable at their jobs (well, they all have their personal quirks) and the bottom floor runs like a fine-tuned engine when they are in control. But they have no idea of the proposal which threatens to replace them all!

Back at home, Takumi agonizes over what his plans have set in motion, crying out to his best friend Chikuwa (his stuffed dog) “I never meant to have anyone laid off!”. In the end, he wants to go ahead with the plans with the assurance to the girls that they can find other things to do in the company. But will they accept it?

As expected, when he sends out the proposal to Sachiyama, it is met with cold indifference. In the end he has to confront Sachiyama herself, stammering that he believes his computer plans will be able to do the job as efficiently as them, and to tell them that they will of course be given new opportunities in the company. 

Though she keeps her composure and smiles through her teeth, you can feel the contempt Sachiyama has inside for this brash man and his naive plans- even as he digs out the brochures to show them all about it!

Takumi tells her he wants to know everything about running the desk to incorporate it into his computer system, but as Sachiyama hands over the book of rules, she warns him that it is the things that are NOT in the book that he will have a hard time replacing so easily!

Poring over the rule book that evening, Takumi can’t see what Sachiyama is getting at. Everything in the book seems like it can be easily replicated via computer, and in fact, looks like it might make the girls lives easier. But he worries about the intangible factor that Sachiyama referred to.

Haraguchi calls him out for a beer to talk things through like they did in their rookie days, and reminds him that his greatest strength is thinking outside of the box to get solutions. She reminds him of a time when he even took the job of a waiter in a restaurant to get a client, and it’s here he has his epiphany!

The next morning, as the receptionist women are getting ready for the busy day, that they are met with a MOST curious sight: Takumi HIMSELF dressed up in a receptionist outfit and ready to join their team! 

He announces that he cannot realize what makes the job special unless he HIMSELF has the experience of it. And against their stunned faces, he declares: “From today… you can call me: Jo- the Receptionist!!!” 

And so begins his new days working the front desk with the ladies of the company!!!

What will become of this unlikely partnership?!

This is the first drama I am seeing with this actor Yuta Jinguji, whom I have just learned is a member of “King and Prince”. An instantly likeable guy, he’s a good lead here but of course it helps that he is supported by a GREAT team of actresses, most of whom I absolutely LOVE and would watch no matter WHO the main character was; Airi Matsui, Reina Triendl, longtime fave Karen Miyama, and another sassy role for Miss Momoko Tanabe, whose character Niko seems s lot like her blind character in Koi Desu...but hopefully not as much trouble as her character in Rikokatsu!!! 

So great to see all of them here!