A whole slew of dramas I finished watching recently, listed by order of how much I enjoyed them!
Toto Neechan
10*/10
*This goes to 11!!!
As someone who’s only seen a handful of NHK Asadoras (10 by my count, and a couple of those I only watched a portion of), I’m hardly in the position to state such lofty declarations, but having just wrapped up the Mitsuki Takahata-led show, I have to say that TOTO NEE-CHAN is one of the BEST asadoras I've EVER SEEN!
From its very first scene (where you see the main characters already grown and succesful as magazine publishers), the stage is set: you are going to hear a tale of a family of three sisters who strive through wars and hardships to one day become publishing giants, and the asadora never wavered. Every arc and challenge the family met became a stone in the foundation of what they would become and what their fortunes and fates would be!
From Tsuneko going to school as a child, learning to use the typesetter, becoming a secretary, joining a publishing house and learning the ropes, to forming their own house, printing their first magazine, all the way to success, you followed her through every step of her life, crying and cheering along the way with her!
Oi, Handsome!!
10*/10
10*/10
*This goes to 11!!!
My GOSH, was this a WONDERFUL little drama! I only grabbed the drama initially out of mild curiosity, little did I know it would become my FAVORITE drama of the winter season lineup!
Oi Handsome really took everyone by surprise, I think. Even in the forums, folks were surprised at how wonderful this drama really was!
Though its synopsis was described as "Strict Father has to deal with all three of his daughters moving back home", it's plot actually belied any conventional description. Oi Handsome was one of those shows that was more about all these little moments that make up a life than one big story, small passages that when added up become one of the most CHARMING and WHOLESOME dramas out there!
Tsuma Shogakusei ni Naru
10/10
When I first read the synopsis for "Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru" with Shinichi Tsutsumi as a Husband whose deceased wife coming back to him in the body of a 4th grade Schoolgirl, I expected a wild and WACKY show in the style of his previous shows like "Super Salaryman Saenai-shi with zany hijinks and slapstick comedy...Instead, what I got was a sweet, thoughtful and touching story which had a lot to say about family, grief and responsibility and above all, cherishing what you have and using the time you have positively.
From Tsutsumi Shinichi as the Husband to Aju Makita as the daughter, Ryunosuke Kamiki as the brother and an incredible performance by Nono Maida as the Yuriko Ishida reincarnated Wife Takae (and even Misato Morita and Yo Yoshida as support characters), these were all people you grew to really care about and want to see find happiness!
Tetsu Ota Michiko, 2-man Kiro
10/10
A show more like a little travelogue than a drama proper, Tetsu Oto 2 Man Kiro uses the structure of railfan otaku Michiko’s train-riding ventures (visiting obscure and celebrated trains stations all over Japan) to take the viewer on a calm, relaxing trip of their own!
Little dialog is said during the shows outside of Tina Tamashiro’s gentle narration introducing the the charms and specific allures of the places she goes to, and the rest of the show is simply wide angles of her walking around the town, peeking 'round corners and investigating hidden pathways before sitting down to have her meal of the day (it in itself another travel-specific point to share!), going back to the station and summing up the experience with a thoughtful quote for her magazine essay.
Not sure I’ve seen another drama like it- You as the viewer are really allowed to sit back and take in the sights and sounds, making you feel like you’ve been on the journey with Michiko all along.
Mystery to Iunakare
9/10
Cannot stress enough how much I liked this drama of the afro-adorned reluctant detective Totono and his investigative adventures! Already a fun, quirky character and in each episode you got to know him better as they kept introducing new elements to the show.
The drama pages had initially listed Mystery to Iunakare as a 10 Episode show, and in fact it said at the beginning of Episode 10 "Last Episode". And what a last episode it was- the way they wrapped things up was perhaps one of the BEST endings to a drama I've seen in recent months, one which I watched over and over, it was so good!!!
But after that, then they announced two MORE episodes, this time continuing a storyline from earlier in the series, and THIS time it didn't have the closure of episode 10, and in fact, felt more like a movie or special and even ended on a "to be continued" vibe, leaving us hanging!!!
Not the wrap-up I wanted, especially after that awesome Episode 10 ending. But I guess I will have to wait for a Special, Movie or Sequel Series to find out what happens next...
Shitsuren Meshi
8/10
An illustrator who uses stories of heartbreaks and the meals they have to console themselves to fuel her magazine comic, Shitsuren Meshi turned out to be an unexpected fave (despite its foodie basis), mostly due to the cute comic strip angle ( I couldn't wait to see her draw the story at the end of each episode) and of course adorkably spazzy Alice Hirose as one of her sweetest and most scatterbrained characters yet! Additionally, fun supporting characters and its zany and zesty spirit kept this one zipping along at a nice clip!
Fuujinshi
8/10
I thought the story of a Blade Master who uses his swordfighting skills to banish beings corrupted by evil was going to be a straightforward plot, with our hero fighting the villain of the week, but I found that as each episode progressed, new elements were brought in to make the storyline more complex and enriched!
The intrepid reporter intent on uncovering the truth of the blades, the story of the noble police woman corrupted by the blade, the experiments with 'curing" the afflicted and the introduction of successor Blade Masters, there were so many favorite aspects which built up to a perfect climax and left me entirely satisfied!!
Hoshi Kara Kita Anata
8/10
A fun and sometimes touching story of a centuries-old alien and a spoiled young actress who are fated to be together and ultimately torn apart, the Japanese take on "My Love From the Stars" wasn't quite the match for its lofty Korean original, but it certainly had its warmth and charm and had me totally invested throughout!
Nihon Boro Yado Kiko
8/10
A wonderful nostalgia-driven show about a washed up singer trying to make his comeback with the help of his intrepid young manager, this drama focused on the quaint hole-in-the-wall lodgings that one finds the backroads of small towns and the sights, food and people you meet along the way!
I gravitated towards this drama because it had the same feel of "Tetsu Ota Michiko 2 Man Kiro", and I wasn't surprised to find one of the screenwriters for Nihon Boro was from that show as well! A fun, quirky and feel-good drama to relax to!!
Isekai Izakaya Nobu
7/10
Though I'm not an overly enthusiastic fan of these "Foodie" dramas, Isekai Izakaya Nobu was so joyful and creative with its "Modern-Day Tavern Serving Customers of the Medieval Period via time-warp" that I found myself enjoying each episode! Who knew so much ado could be made about Chicken Karaage and Cold Beer!
Light-hearted and fun, it was a nice drama to watch without having to think too hard. And of course there's Rena Takeda....
Gyoretsu No Megami
7/10
Ramen-focused Foodie Show with quirky know it all newbie and her seasoned boss. If you recall how much this drama irritated me in its initial set-up, then you're as surprised as I am to see it ranking at 7 out of 10. But the show was entertaining enough and Yuino Kuroshima's character Haruka Honjo, which I found so grating at first, turned out to be a pretty funny comic relief to the show's more arrogant/hipster attitudes, LOL
Patissier-san to Ojou-san
7/10
At a mere 4 episodes long, this sweet story of a passionate patissier in love with a shy and reserved young lady who comes to his shop every Friday to purchase sweets was waaaay too short, and with the good but rather abrupt ending, it's no surprise that they're making a movie to follow this series! Not sure how that will affect the overall story here, but for now it sits at a solid 7/10!!
Shimobee
7/10
The story of a clumsy high school girl who gets blessed/saddled with mysterious man named Shimobee who appears whenever she’s in trouble to rescue her sounded like a lot of fun, and indeed, for the first few episodes, this was a wacky and delightful show!
Somehow though, the drama lost its fun premise, focusing instead on her boyfriend's family problems and degenerated into a generic “Corrupt Doctors” Soap Opera, a subject I have little interest in, especially plopped right in the middle of this otherwise lightweight teenager show!
Still an entertaining drama and of course Sei Shiraishi is worth a watch, but, ahhh... it could have been so much more!!
Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu
6/10
OK Romance drama between a blind girl and a yankee guy who overcome their differences to fall in love with each other. Hana Sugisaki predictably adorable in this but WOW was this one filled with all the classic cliches of this type, including the old "Because I care about you I'm gonna dump you without explaining why" cliche I loathe! Reminded me a lot of the old drama "Summer Snow with Domoto Tsuyoshi and Ryoko Hirosue.
Dakara Korosenakatta
6/10
Interesting 5-part drama of a flawed Journalist named Ippongi (Hiroshi Tamaki) who attracts the attention of a serial killer who challenges him to print his letters and use his investigative skills to catch him. Quite gripping and intense for the first few episodes but ultimately built up to what I felt a rather lackluster ending. Still a great watch.
Seigi No Tenbin
6/10
Another interesting 5-part courtroom drama about a Medical Surgeon who becomes a Lawyer to take revenge for his lawyer girlfriend who was assaulted while investigating a case and now lies in a vegetative state. As it was only 5 parts, it was a very concentrated story and very satisfying to watch!
Lots of wonderful actors in here, with Kazuya Kamenashi as the lead, Nao as his partner and a whole slew of others, like Masatoshi Nakamura, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Masato Hagiwara and Naoto Takenaka as the seniors and support by acts such as Aya Oomasa, Hiromitsu Kitayama and Yuko Oshima!
DCU
6/10
I knew going in that DCU was gonna basically be "Zettai Reido" Under The Sea, and that was what I got, but I have to admit, there were some real turns and twists that surprised me!
My only complaint is, why do these crime dramas ALWAYS end up with corrupt superiors and friends? Why can't they EVER have villains who are simply villains, without the whole twist ex-best friend/former boss enemy trope???
I promise you, the world has MORE than enough evil people in it, without having to resort to your closest companions as the bad guys all the time.
Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita Dake Desuga
5/10
"Guy and girl make fake marriage vows for reasons, but end up falling in love for real"
Kind of a funny thing how this drama went from being cliched and frustrating, to pretty good, then flat out HILARIOUS and AWESOME...and then reverting back to become yet another BORING, draggy and meandering romance drama where it seemed the writers used every cliche in the book to keep the two breaking up and getting back together over and over and over....
Only Mai "Shoko Mamiya" Fukagawa saved this from ranking a 3...or lower!!
Mistress: Onnatachi No Himitsu
5/10
A drama full of beautiful people cheating, lying, deceiving and manipulating others all in the name of love! Really had no one to really root for, or any relationship to cheer on (save perhaps the Miki Mizuno character's story) as they all were fairly awful, yet somehow Mistress kept me interested in seeing "what was going to happen next" all the way to the end!
And if not anything else, the four leads are all insanely gorgeous to watch, especially Kyoko Hasegawa, who has really outdone herself this time...simply smouldering!
Keihan Ensen Monogatari
5/10
Foodie-ish drama with very loose plot about a young newbie author (Sakurako Konishi) who, dealing with writer's block and faced with pressure from her publisher, flees the big city to the charming Keihan Line, a place between Kyoto and Osaka, where she meets new friends and experiences the cuisine and historic places and landmarks. A rather mundane affair but made worthwhile by the adorable antics of Konishi.
Itoshii Uso: Yasashii Yami
4/10
Reunion of six high school friends takes a turn when one of them ends up dead. Cue the twists!!!
Though this was the drama I was most anticipating for the Winter Season, I was mostly underwhelmed by this ensemble cast Murder Mystery, chock full of those red herring suspect-of-the-week bait and switch misleads which made the drama a bit plodding to get through (and drove me crazy!)... but I will admit the ending reveal was so "out there" and FANTASTIC that it regained my interest and sent the show out on a BANG!
Koisenu Futari
4/10
The story of a guy and girl trying to have a family-like relationship without the trapping of romance and love, the first few episodes were really great as the girl Sakuko (Yukino Kishi ) moves in with the guy Satoru (Issei Takahashi) and the two begin getting to know each other and dealing with this new kind of relationship...
But then they began introducing other regular romance tropes, and it became more of a routine soap opera drama than a new insightful kind of love story, and by my calculations, spent the same amount of time being miserable as any "regular" couple. Yawn.
Bucho to Shachiku no Koi wa Modokashi
4/10
The set-up for a drama about a girl who constantly works overtime falling for a guy who is a strict “leave-on-time” guy sounded like fun, but it almost immediately regressed to yet another make-up-to-break-up frustrating by the numbers romcom.
I had just seen Chijo No Kiss which also starred Yurika Nakamura as the shy and unsure girl lead, and in most ways, Bucho No Shachiku is almost a direct carbon copy of it: same problems, same misunderstandings, and the good old reliable “Because I love You, I’m going to Dump You” trope we love so much!
I really like Yurika Nakamura but she’s GOT to start getting some more original roles!!!
Himitsu No Ai-Chan
4/10
Finally was able to finish Himitsu No Ai-chan up after long wait, but though it had its moments, I’m going to have to come to terms that I’m waaaay out of the target audience for this kind of High School Rom-coms, and give up trying to "get into" them.
Though I was initially intrigued by the story's plot of a tomboy girl who lives a frantic double life as a girly-girl for her maid cafe job, it soon became just another high-school drama full of all the cliches and tropes of old: Whether it be Himitsu no Ai-chan, Coffee and Vanilla, etc, these childish characters with their flighty and fickle break-up/make-up each episode situations just don't interest me and in fact are quite grating to sit through!
That aside, I really loved Yuna Taira in the spritely duo-role of Mai/Ai, and am hoping to see what she can do in a more grounded series!
Suteteyo, Adachi-San
3/10
An actress chosen for a magazine article to discard one item every day and write about it seemed like an interesting idea, but having a real-life actress (Yumi Adachi) playing HERSELF in it is odd, especially when she begins dealing with issues between her Mother, husband and daughter. I'm like, "OK, this is ...FAKE, right? Adachi wouldn't be airing out any REAL problems with her family for ratings, would she? But even having actors playing her family, it seems weird (and very uncomfortable) watching her crying her eyes out for these fictional scenarios...
Shinhannin Flag 2
2/10
Blah blah blah...well, this sequel to Shinhannin Flag 1 went just about how I expected it to- lies, false set-ups, red herrings , a pretty obvious villain, and twists, twists, twists!! I really hate these kind of mysteries where the viewer is not allowed to do any deducing on his own as EVERY SINGLE THING presented gets eventually revealed as false, misleading and backtracked. Truthfully did not even want to watch this sequel, but figured I had to since I'd watched the first one and should at least know how it ended. Ironically I'd already seen ending reveal a week earlier because it was playing on TV at a restaurant I was eating at, when I saw the baddie revealed onscreen, I went "Huh, that figures." LOLOL, so much for suspense!
I am well aware how well-received this was, but I just can't see how so many people watching this could be captivated by this drama's bait and switch method of storytelling or be blown away by it's all-too-predictable reveal.
Well, that's just one low drama out of a whole bunch I watched...Statistically speaking, I'm really amazed how many dramas ended up becoming new favorites this past season!!! Much more happy surprises than dreary disappointments!
OK, time to start looking forward to the SPRING 2022 Line-Up!!!!!
