Notes On Hanbun Aoi

Since this drama is from back in 2018, I'm probably the only person who still hasn't seen it already, but just in case, WARNING: This post will be FULL of spoilers!

  At the halfway mark of the totally endearing Mei Nagano asadora “Hanbun Aoi” and so far it’s been a real hoot! Somehow can't stop watching it to see what happens next!

As you all know, Mei Nagano aside, the main allure for watching this drama was because of all the actresses that appeared in this one, and things start off with a bang with heavy hitters Yasuko Matsuyuki AND Tomoyo Harada leading the front of strong-willed Mothers-to-Be. Both charismatic as heck and both devastatingly attractive in their own ways! And with the birth of their first kids Ritsu and Suzume, the drama is off to its start!

 Been through several "arcs” of the series already, starting with the first arc with Suzume and Ritsu as kids…both kids are great, and though I don't think the girl looks anything like she would grow up to be Mei Nagano, this young actress REALLY sold it! Actually, all the kids are great! 

Arc two: Into the Teenage Years

As usual for these morning dramas, I get used to the child actresses playing the main characters and it’s ALWAYS a jolt when it switches to the adult star. No matter WHO the actress is, I always have a rough time realigning my mind to see the actress as the younger version. Fortunately Mei’s natural warmth buoyed my belief enough that it didn’t take long to see her as the ‘true” Suzume!

The friendship of Suzume and Ritsu (now played by Takeru Sato) grows and I really liked this dynamic of theirs, true friends, not romantic interests per se...

Besides Mei we have our next BIG fave actress of mine, the mononymously named Nao, who, as the aptly named character of Nao, plays Suzume’s best (girl)friend. If I recall correctly, it was because of Nao that this drama was FIRST recommended to me, and she’s been a dear to see. Not as kooky as her later characters in other dramas, but the aura is there!

Rounding up the gang is Yuma Yamoto, whom I will ALWAYS see as Hagoromo’s older brother in Bishonure Tantei Mizuno Hagoromo, as pal Butcher. Ritsu, Suzume, Nao and Butcher, the four of them play off each other so well together and you really feel their camaraderie!

Arc Three: The Manga Years

Then we come to the chapters where Suzume moves to Tokyo to work for Office Tinkerbell under the tutelage of the odd Haori Akikaze (Etsushi Toyokawa). 

Here we meet MORE big fave actresses of mine with Nana Seino as a fellow mangaka Yuko and the beautiful Haruka Igawa as the stoic Hishimoto.

Gotta say, Hishimoto might be my all-time favorite role for Haruka Igawa. She is SO damn COOL as the manager of office Tinkerbell, no one gets by her, not even the arrogant Akikaze! And the dresses she’s always dressed in are so pretty.

Also marks the reappearance of the mysterious Saya Ito. I didn’t even recognize that it was Seika Furuhata when she first appeared earlier in the drama- Only at her reappearance did I say, hey, that’s Seika! Mesmerizing beauty…(and oh, so evil!) LOL!

BTW, This courtyard thingy- I swear that this exact set piece was used in Churasan a few times, or at least a set that looked JUST like it!

Speaking of Jdrama deja vu, LOOK,  there’s that building they used in Zaboga and the Ryo Nishikido drama TRACE, here used as the college library !

We also have the first appearance of Tomoyo Nakamura as a fellow Tokyoite and friend of Ritsu, who becomes a love interest for Suzume. I totally forgot he was in this.

I wonder how I would feel about him being Suzume’s first romance if I didn’t already like Nakamura from Akechi Goro and Nagi No Oitoma. Considering how this relationship turned out, I can kinda see why!

One of my favorite chapters is when Suzume’s Mom comes to visit, I love  her wide-eyed amazement at the big city. I love how you can see she brought a freaking broom with her. I love the interaction between her and Akikaze, the way he elegantly butters her up and how she's wary of him just the same. 

Also should note how pretty she looked even as she was doing all the housework, cleaning up that dingy dorm, though "Housewives love to clean" is probably not PC in this day and age LOL!

My fave scene is when Suzume and Mom are in bed and talking. They have a heart to heart, you can see how much they love each other. I think this was one of the greatest moments in the whole drama so far. Had me tearing up for no good reason at all, just so touching!

As far as the two Soul-Mates go, I thought it was obvious that Suzume and Ritsu were going to end up with each other, and as the show progressed I thought it was well working towards that conclusion... But far from what I was expecting, this show has amazingly been unpredictable, keeping me off-balance and continually guessing with the curves they keep throwing on these two!

Indeed, as the end of this arc comes to a close, I have no IDEA where these two best friends' destinies are going to be heading! 

Keeping me on my toes and on the edge of my seat, it's time to start on the second half of this fine, thought provoking little drama!

Agatha Christie, J-Drama Style with “Kizoku Tantei”

Emi Takei and Aiba Masaki in Kizoku Tantei

Ah, the classic “Whoudunnit”, a violent murder, a sealed-off location, and a handful of murder suspects, ONE of whom is definitely the Killer...these are all the makings of a Hercule Poirot plot, but the detectives on THIS case are not like any detectives you’ve ever seen!

Emi Takei as Aika Takatoku

Aika Takatoku (my darling Emi Takei) is a novice detective who happens to be at such a murder mystery set up: her friend has held a “Porcini Party” and when Aika arrives, discover the murdered body of one of her friends in the cellar! Immediately taking action, she slips on her gloves and begins doing some investigating as the police are called.

When the authorities arrive, they are of the inept sort, and nothing signifies this more than when you see that the head investigator Hanagata is played by Namase Katsuhisa, here playing the same kind of arrogant and mostly clueless cop like he did as Kenzo Yabe in the TRICK series- He even belittles and abuses Emi in the same condescending way he treated Naoko Yamada, shoving her around and telling her to shut up, LOL! (there’s even a really cute cameo that gives a wink to TRICK when you see the ending credits)!

Namase Katsuhisa as Raiu Hanagata

"IDGAF" Forensics Agent Izumi (Michiko Tanaka)

Meeting Takatoku...

Already Butting Heads!!!

So between the able Takatoku and the blustery Hanagata, all five suspects are brought out and interviewed. They are just about to dig into the case, when a strange butler named Yamamoto (Yutaka Matsushige) appears and announces that someone requests an audience of them!

Hanagata accusing the suspsects

Aya Hirayama

Haruka Kinami

The Butler Appears!!!

Making their way out side, they see a garish tent setup as if a travelling sideshow had just stopped by. Going inside they are met with a sturdy Caretaker, a Bustling Maid as well as the aforementioned butler. Once they are settled, the host finally makes his appearance, and he introduces himself only as the “Noble Detective”, telling everyone involved that HE will be solving the case! 

The Mystery Host revealed!

Aiba as "Noble Detective"

Takatoku Ain't Impressed.

An angry Takatoku is irked, not only by this guy’s conceited tone, but by the fact that she’s heard of this so-called “detective” before and has hard thoughts about him. 

Hanagata is reluctant to let this pompous fellow tromp all over his crime scene, but a call from his superiors tells him that this man is a very, very rich and/or influential person and should be allowed to do whatever he wishes. And so in the end, it’s Takatoko, Hanagata And this mysterious “Noble Detective” who are ALL on the case!

Well, ON the case might be a stretch, at least for this Noble Gentleman, as he spends the entire day strolling around the place, enjoying wine and meals and frolicking with the female guests, while his servants Sato, Tanaka, and Yamamoto are the ones actually doing the footwork and investigating it takes to really solve the case!

Noble Detective's Servants

Tanaka taking care to the facts and correlations

while Yamamoto and Sato do the legwork.

Looking outside...

..and seeing the "Noble" detective goofing around!

Of course, in the end,  despite all her hard work, Aika Takatoku is left in the dust when the Noble Detective and his crew solve the case.  He takes all credit for the success, making Takatoku even more furious, stating she will never respect a "detective" who doens't do the work himself, to which he retorts back that a real detective solves the case, and she didn't do that, so who'd the real detective?

So far this is an interesting drama, but, like IQ246, I’m a bit irritated by having Emi’s character work diligently only to have her detective work be shown up by the cocky and smug “main” guy in the end. Hope it develops like IQ246 and some balance is made between the characters!

NOTES:

Despite the fact that it’s a Aiba Masaki/Emi Takei drama,  the real heart of the show is between Emi’s Takatoku and Katsuhisa’s Hanagata- it’s their interactions that really make the show- they are so hilarious together, with Hanagata trying desperately to appear as a smart, hardcore detective and she making light of his authority and teasing him at the way he caters to Aiba’s whims!

When Emi arrives at the Mansion, my first thought upon seeing it was, “Huh, that’s the mansion Yamada Takayuki and his gang visited in Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou No Shiro, and no sooner had I thought that when Emi knocked on the door and it was answered by Haruka Kinami! I was like HEY, it’s Murasaki!!! LOL!

The Mansion in "Yuusha Yoshihiko:

Tsuyoshi Muroi,Yamada Takayuki, Kinami Haruka,Shin Takuma

and in "Kizoku Tantei:

Haruka Kinami Again!!!!

One special treat was seeing Miho Nakayama here…strange to see her in such a secondary character role, so used to seeing her headlining the dramas she stars in. But she does shine as the affable and energetic maid/investigator Tanaka. Great to see Miho , loved her acting and music as far back as the mid 90’s!

Miho Nakayama as Tanaka

And Ooooohhhh, Haruka Igawa is looking so DAMN fine and luscious here as Kiriko Kitami, Emi’s mysterious Mentor (who seems to have a history with that eccentric “nobleman”) whenever she’s onscreen I can’t focus on anyhting except her! Such a beauty!

Haruka Igawa as Kiriko Kitami

Lastly, (and this might not be such a wink to the audience as much as a mere coincidence), I had to smile when Aiba, as the intriguing Nobleman, welcomed all the people to his abode and said  “Yokoso, Wagaya E!” , the title of his last drama!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com