Chotto Dake ESPERS

 Just began watching the fun and lively CHOTTO DAKE ESPERS (Just a Little Bit Espers) which, as the title might suggest, involves a ragtag group of average citizens blessed with super, if just a bit ordinary, powers. Led by Bunta (Oizumi Yo), this team of oddballs (including Dean Fujioka, Aoi Miyazaki, and Atsujko Takahata) use their powers to do seemingly mundane tasks that their leader Kizashi (Masaki Okada) tells them will eventually affect the overall future!

Though a bit meek and a bit green, these heroes do their best for the cause, but when they meet a group of similarly powered youngsters who say they are on the side of justice and call BUNTA and his gang the "villains", the group  must take a step back and question the true motives of their leader Kizashi- and if they are really fighting on the side of the good!

A real exciting and engaging series so far!!!!!

The Happy Housewife: Mikako Tabe in “Taigan no Kaji”

Continuing on with Mikako Tabe’s string of wholesome roles comes “Taigan no Kaji: Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi!” with Tabe as Shiho Murakami, a mother of a young child who decides to give up work and dedicate her life to being a fill-time housewife, while her husband Torao runs an eatery.

For those of us from the X Generation and earlier, this is probably no big deal, but in current times where both parents strive to pursue careers while also juggling childcare, the Murakamis' choice of living can seem almost controversial!

Indeed, Shiho gets looked down upon and criticized by the the other mothers around her, including her next door neighbor, the business-obsessed Reiko Nagano (Noriko Eguchi) who looks upon Shiho’s withdrawal from the work force as a sort of failing.

There are also those parents like the stand-offish Tatsuya Nakatani (Dean Fujoika) who, while also trying to raise his child while his wife is away on business, is highly critical of Shiho and her methods, believing his stringent way is the only way to raise a child.

Of course, this is Mikako Tabe we’re talking about, so naturally her kind heart and caring sensibilities shine through even the harshest judgements, and even her hardest detractors come to realize that being a stay at home housewife can be as strong a choice as any prolific career!

talking it through with her neighbor (Misato Tanaka)

Funny how, whenever you see Mikako Tabe in any new drama, you can almost sense what kind of show it will be, she is like a female Jimmy Stewart or Tom Hanks where you know she will play an earnest character you will definitely like. Some of the most gentle dramas I’ve liked have starred her; Tsubaki Bunguten, Watashi no Kaseifu Nagisa-san, Ichiban Sukina Hana, all the way back to her sweet role of Sadako in “Kimi Ni Todoke”, she always charms, and this role of the kind Shiho is yet another fine one!

PS: If I thought it was surprising when I realized Morning Musume's Kusumi Koharu was the actress playing Hirona Yamazaki’s co-worker in the drama Jofu: Josei ni xxxxtte Hitsuyo Desuka, I was even MORE surprised to find out that the actress playing the gorgeous svelte wife of Dean Fujioka was none other than HIROKO SHIMABUKURO, she late of the popular 90’s group SPEED!

 Huh, had no IDEA she was acting, and to see her ALL grown UP was a particular shock! YES, as I've said often, time FLIES!!!

Below: LOL, the other wives' reaction when they see what a stunner Nakatani’s wife is couldn’t be any greater than if it was revealed that he was actually married to a member of SPEED, they’re THAT shocked!

Like Koharu Kusumi, I still think of Hiroko as a young girl in my mind, though she is five years older than Mikako Tabe and only four years younger than Noriko Eguchi!

Poisted by zdorama @zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

A Dangerous Beauty~ Yuriko Yoshitaka in "Kiken Na Venus"

Just began watching "Kiken Na Venus", a very intriguing (and, I must admit, oftentimes confusing) mystery about a secretive family, a suspicious new self-proclaimed daughter-in-law, an estranged stepson and a 3 Billion Yen Inheritance!

Hakuro Teshima (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is an affable single guy who works as a veterinarian of a small pet clinic. Along with his able assistant Kageyama (Anne Nakamura), he ekes out a modest life, hoping to one day meet the girl of his dreams through his clients!

As it happens, a stunning and beautiful woman does appear in his waiting room one day, but this dream girl shocks him by claiming she is his step-brother’s new wife and that she needs his help.

The woman introduces herself as Kaede (Yuriko Yoshitaka in another one of her wonderful manic pixie roles) and she says that her husband Akito (Shota Sometani) has gone missing and she suspects foul play!

It seems Akito is set to inherit the entire family fortune, and his disappearance casts a shadow of suspicion on all the family members who each have their own reasons for wanting him gone. 

Kaede begs Hakuro to accompany her to face her new relatives as she is suspicious of all of them. But Hakuro has long been cut from the family, having denounced them upon the death of his mother. While she was alive, his mother Teiko (Yuki Saito) was treated shabbily by the family as a golddigger, and Hakuro has never forgiven them.

Indeed, when he confronts them after all these years, tensions haven’t smoothed over and them clash as bitterly as before: Matriarch Namie Yagami (Keiko Toda) is instantly at odds with Hakuro and this new self-professed daughter in law. And as we meet the other members of the family, we see that everyone has a reason to keep Hakuro and Kaede out.

Meeting the Family, with butler Kimitsu (Yuki Kousei) behind

Mayu Hotta, Hiromasa Taguchi, Kei Aran

Mansaku Ikeuchi, Yumi Aso and Dean Fujioka

Keiko Toda as Namie Yagami

Hakuro tries to help Kaede as best as he can, but there is a side of him that realizes Kaede herself may be the most suspicious of them all! She claims to be his missing brother’s wife, but no one has heard of her. The “wedding” was supposedly done in the US on the spur of the moment. And for proof Kaede has only one lone photo of the marriage, one that could have easily been photoshopped.

But despite his reservations, Hakuro can’t help but find himself drawn to this woman and he finds a will to accompany and protect her from the injustices of his family.

Really intrigued by this drama so far, though, as I said before, things can get pretty confusing at times with all the aunts, step-aunts, brothers, step-brothers, brother in laws, nieces and nephews...Even with Family Tree diagrams (which the drama does supply, BTW) my head throbs sometimes!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Sing A Song Of Sherlocks

After watching the  first episode of the new detective drama "Sherlock", I have to wonder- Is Dean Fujioka going to be making a career out of playing these snarky, arrogant geniuses with brilliant mind but zero social skills? 

Very unlikeable character which seemed like a cookie-cutter cutout of his last role as the con-artist Kanji Senkawa in the Emi Takei drama  "Ima kara Anata wo Kyouhaku Shimasu"... hope this isn't going to be his signature role type.

Reminds me a bit of Actress Yuko Takeuchi, who not only has also made a career out of playing these snarky type geniuses as well (most recently in the drama "QUEEN)...

...But ALSO played yet another "Sherlock" type character in her HBO/Hulu series "Miss Sherlock"  a few years back!

Funny, seems like in these Japanese dramas, all you need to be "Sherlock" is to be an unbearable blowhard...and play the violin at some point! 

 (Well, in Yuko Takeuchi's case, a cello, but ya know what I mean)

So strange, seeing as how neither of these dramas are meant to be the actual Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character Sherlock Holmes, just loosely BASED on 'em-why have them playing the violin anyway? LOL, It's like the writers were like, well, he/she's like Sherlock, so he/she HAS to play the violin.

Oh, and make sure to have your "Doctor Watson" type character as well. I liked Shihori Kanjiya as the "Dr. Wato" supporting role (Well I admittedly have soft spot for her anyway)...

...but having a harder time with Takanori Iwata as the Doc sidekick...not really compatible at all.

In fact, I wish they cast Maho Yamada (who appears in the Fujioka show as a police assistant) in the role as she's far more charismatic and "Watson-ish, IMHO.

Ah, Benedict Cumberbatch, what have you wrought?

PS: Out of all the incarnations, Cumberbatch, Downey Jr, etc, my favorite was and is STILL the Disney animated version "The Great Mouse Detective" which to ME is the perfect portrayal of Sherlock: Aloof Genius, Trusted Partner, and even a Man (mouse) with a Heart.

Also the perfect Watson! Yep.