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

Moka Makes a Sage Observation about a Mystery Drama Trope

 So I'm watching the latest episode of Keishicho Outsider, where Hasumi (Gaku Hamada) and Mizuki ( Moka Kamishiraishi)  are interviewing a victim who was attacked by a masked man, trying to get clues to the case.

 Some guy comes into the room where he is introduced as a friend of the victim, who is praying for her to come through. I rolled my eyes and thought, "Duh, it's obvious that this '"good" guy is gonna end up being the attacker!"

WELL, whether or not the dude actually ended up being the attacker was still to be revealed, but I had a laugh when, in the next scene, Mizuki is talking to Hasumi and flat-out says she believes the criminal to be the helpful friend, because she watches a lot of crime dramas and that's ALWAYS who it turns out to be!

Not only did Mizuki call out the overused trope, but even went as far as saying it was a particularly overused cliche on TV ASAHI shows, the joke being of course that Keishicho Outsider is a TV Asahi show ITSELF! 

AAHAHAHA, I was dying! TV ASAHI even further clowned themselves by having Hasumi say you have to learn from real life, not dramas...and ESPECIALLY not TV ASAHI dramas! 

HAHAHAHA

Hitting the Pavement with "Keishicho Outsider"!

Just checked out the new show KEISHICHO OUTSIDER! So far a pretty great and entertaining crime drama starring Hidetoshi Nishijima and Gaku Hamada as two detectives with dubious pasts who are put together in a new crime unit to tackle the evildoers of the neighborhood, as well as Moka Kamishiraishi as a wide-eyed rookie assigned to the eccentric team!

Nishijima is Eiji Kagawa, a transfer from another precinct and formerly froma task force focused on Gangs, while Hamada is Kosuke Hasumi, a VERY “by the books” detective who instantly clashes with Kagawa’s loudmouthed approach to things. Add in Kamishiraishi's Nao Mizuki as the team’s new (and woefully clueless) recruit, and you’ve got slam bang of a team!

Each one secretive,  abrasive, and ODD in their own way, each one brings a special something to the table making them one of the best teams for the job...though their different personalities DO make for some colorful conversations!

A very fun and spirited show, with playful banter throughout, it is a joy just listening to the main characters talk and argue amongst each other!

Another bonus is that bside the main three actors, you’ve got a whole bunch of great support acts, such as Ainosuke Kataoka VI and Hikari Ishida as Moka’s separated parents,

Also Maho Nonami and Neru Nagahama as Ayako Kurama and Maki Yonemitsu, the station’s gossipy (and, in Ayako’s case, man-hungry) flighty females…

Toshiro Yanagiba as Kagawa’s former associate and mentor Kaname Fujiwara. (and the adorable and genki Ayaka Imoto as a girl helping out on the bar they go to have their talks!)

And last but not least, actress Yuka as the sassy and not-to-be-messed-with forensics expert Motoko Nishina! She really steals her scenes, using her sharp tongue to bite back at the guys when they try to order her around!!

An actress I really like, I really haven't seen her in enough things. We need to see her more often!

In any case,  had a GREAT time watching this and can’t wait for more!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com