Another Quartet in "Ichiban Suki na Hana"

Ichiban Suki na Hana, a story of four shy and introverted people who have, since childhood, struggled with the concept of pairing up with others and making true allies in life, and have found that, as adults, this same stigma has kept them feeling isolated and completely alone within the busy world they occupy.

There is Yukue Ushio (Mikako Tabe), a young woman working as a Cram School instructor who has recently been told by her supposed best friend (Taiga Nakano) that he can’t hang out with her anymore 'cause his new wife forbids it…

There is Tsubaki Haruki (Kouhei Matsushita), a man who earnestly believes he had found a woman to settle down with (Asami Usuda)…only to be dumped over phone just as the wedding day is on the horizon…

There is Yoyo Miyuki (Mio Imada), a pretty hairstylist who has never had real friendship outside of the men who see her as someone to go out with purely for her physical appearance… (where she is told off for constantly "leading guys on" when she says she only sees them as acquaintances)

...and finally, there is Momiji Sato (Fuju Kamio), a quiet lad working at a convenience store with dreams of someday making it as a graphic designer but is told that for his illustrations to touch others, he needs to be a more outgoing and warm person.

At this point, all four of our characters are unmoored and seem to be drifting into a desperate outlook...They all need something to spark their lives...and such a chance is on the horizon!

Through an unusual set of wild circumstances, each of the four happen to cross paths when fate gives Momiji, Yukue, and Yoyo individual reasons to appear at Tsubaki's doorstep!  Through this wonderful chance meeting, the four get to talking and through animated discussion, find that their personal problems at creating bonds and retaining relationships may not be so unique after all!

Though skeptical to even begin thinking about making new friendships, that same playful fate has decided that these four are meant to be in each others’ lives, and through that chance first meeting, will see them find solace in each other and realize they are not alone in the world.

As Bogie once said:  "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

MAN, after just the first episode, I am feeling so STRONGLY about this drama- you never know what kind of drama you’re going to get with these “ensemble cast” kind of shows,  gratefully, what I found was less “Manatsu no Cinderella”, and more like the excellent “QUARTET” from few years back or even the recent “Nichiyou no Yoru Gurai wa”… Intelligent dialog and earnest characters make this for one drama that I’m SURE I’m going to enjoy watching in the coming weeks!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

The Rime Of The Modern Hikikomori: "0.5 no Otoko"

 
Caught a new show called which reminds me not just a little of the Toma Ikuta drama "Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai"- In that one, we heard the story of a young man named Mitsuru (Toma) who, thanks to the spoiling by his older mother (Mieko Harada), has become a hikikomori of sorts, what they call a shut-in (though he isn't as extreme as some since he does come out of his room and even venture outdoors at times). He is content to live this way forever, without working and living off his mother, until his older sister (Eiko Koike) moves in with husband (Yasuda Ken) and teenage daughter Harumi (Kaya Kiyohara)  in tow. This catalyst shakes things up and we see the young man's journey out of his room back into the working civilization!

In this new drama "0.5 no Otoko", we hear the story of a young man named Masaharu (Ryuhei Matsuda) who, thanks to the spoiling by his older mother (Fubuki Jun), has become a hikikomori of sorts, what they call a shut-in (though he isn't as extreme as some since he does come out of his room and even venture outdoors at times). He is content to live this way forever, without working and living off his mother, until his older sister Saori (Asami Usuda) moves in with husband (Atsushi Shinohara) and teenage daughter Ema (Tamaki Shiratori)  in tow. This catalyst shakes things up and we see the young man's journey out of his room back into the working civilization!

The main difference in the new show is that the sister Saori's clan isn't technically "moving in" to the old family house, rather, the entire family is moving into a new duplex made to house two families: on one side, Saori , her husband and her kids will reside, and on the other Mom and Dad. and upstairs in a single room all for himself, will reside Masaharu, the titular "0.5th" of the household!

How can this introverted guy cope with a new family situation??

REALLY loved Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai, So I have high hopes for this new one as well, in any case, it's only 5 episodes long so will be an easy watch regardless!