The Lovely Bones

Arisa Mizuki

A few years back I came upon a crime drama called Beautiful Bones, and the cover of the drama looked SO much like the American series “Bones” that I figured it was another of the many Japanese mystery remakes they had been putting out like COLD CASE, SUITS and THE GOOD WIFE:

Since the drama was readily available, I downloaded it for later viewing, but frankly I just wasn’t in the mood for another Japan adaptation of an American Show just then, and so it got buried under the pile of “dramas to watch” that we all have!

So just a few weeks ago, I’m going through old J-drama reviews, and come upon a series called “A Corpse Is Buried Beneath Sakurako’s Feet” about an eccentric and rebellious "osteologist" who solves crimes by analyzing the bones of the cases. Well, that intrigued me and I went to go see about acquiring it- imagine my surprised when it was the Beautiful Bones drama I already HAD!

The Japan proper title of the drama is “Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru” but it seems to be tagged under several titles, Beautiful Bones, Sakurako’s Investigation and the wonderfully aforementioned “Corpse” title.

It was clearly time to get out that drama and check it out, and there was even one more surprise for me when I did- The entire time I had the drama in my possession, I though the girl on the cover was Miki Nakatani!! Only when I begna watching it did I realize that the gal was none other than Arisa Mizuki!!

Arisa was one of the very first actesses I fell in love with during my “golden Age” of J-drama discovery with her show “Nurse No Oshigoto” where she stole my heart each week! Truth be told, I still have a hard time separating that giggly girl with the brash, tuff as nails kind of characters she plays nowadays though of course I’ve seen her in many dramas since. It’s much like fellow actresses Ryoko Shinohara and Miho Kanno, whom also have adopted these tomboy type roles , though somehow, I’ve had no problem getting used to them. It’s only Arisa whom I always have to take a step back and say “That LADY is Arisa Mizuki!”

Anyway, I dove right into the show and right off the bat it reminded me of a female version of the Masaharu Fukuyama drama “Galileo”. Eccentric genius scientist who is awful with social cues and hard to get along with, saddled with a wide-eyed assistant who is unwittingly ‘paired” with him.

 In Galileo of course we had Fukuyama  as the teacher and Kou Shibasaki as the addled assistant, whereas here we have Arisa as Sakurako Kujo the osteologist and Taisuke Fujigaya as good-hearted guy Shotaro Tatewaki who is assigned to “deal” with her.

I enjoyed the first episode, nice pacing and lots of strong characters, including Takaya Kamikawa and saucy Yua Shinkawa as Tatewaki’s lab partners and the gruff Masahiro Takashima as the Police Detective who always seems to find Sakurako involved in his crime scenes!

Then I watched the second episode about an abused little girl and MAN, this episode was SO freaking great. The characters ALL came to bat, though the show has lots of wackiness and jokes, they took their crimes very seriously and everyone showed their worth.

After I watched it, I have to say I felt really wrung-out! That episode killed me! Marveling at how good it was, I had to laugh at how long I had the drama on my desktop before filing it away and forgetting about it! But now, It’s one of my favorite dramas to watch! So much that I just HAD to stop and do this little write up!

Not many pics because I don’t want to waste any more time before jumping back in! 

Posted by zdoramaagain.blogspot.com 

Catching up On Some Older Classics

After so many people have recommended it to me, I FINALLY was motivated enough to find and download the old Tsuyoshi Kusanagi drama NINKYO HELPER, and MAN, what TOOK me so long? This drama is freakin’ great!

Ninkyo Helper tells the tale of a group of Yakuza Bosses who get an odd directive from their new BIG Yakuza Boss (Matsudaira “Abarenbo Shogun” Ken) Takayama- to hide their Yakuza roots and go undercover…as CARETAKERS in an Elderly Care Center!

 Takayama explaining to the Care Facility Owner that he will be taking in six new volunteer. Caretaker playing by Ren Osugi, no stranger to dramas where Yakuza go undercover as he appeared in “My Boss My Hero” as well!

The six Yakuza bosses have no idea just what is on the elder Boss’ mind, but cannot refuse his orders. And so their life of struggling with the pains and problems of elder care begin! 

Though rough at first, over time some of them actually find worth in both the old people they care for and the job they provide. Enough to wonder, “Just WHAT is the endgame plan for this charade?”

I’m halfway through the series already and really liking it- Meisa Kuroki is indeed as COOL as Hamanosilence said- as the only female of the team, she is easily the most kick-ass out of all of them!

Also VERY happy to see Yui Natsukawa in this, here as Akira Hatori, a woman running a chain of high class care centers with an eye to take over the one the gang is working at-

There’s a nice side-story of Hatori’s bullied young son who takes a liking to Kusanagi’s Tsubasa, begging him to accept him as his senior and teach him how to be strong.

Also nice to see Riisa Naka as a naive caretaker working a t the facility who seems to be taking a shine to the gruff Tsubasa…

Osamu Mukai as Tsubasa’s junior in the clan…

and , OH MY GOSH, Aoi Nakabeppu in a minor role as Hatori’s assistant (along with Misako Yasuda), boy, I was JUST wondering what EVER happened to her!

Also began watching the Shinjo Katori/Yuko Takeuchi drama “ Bara No Nai Hanaya”, the story of a widowed man raising a young daughter who meets a sweet blind woman outside of his flower shoppe one rainy night.

 There is immediate chemistry between the two, and circumstances seem to bring them closer and closer together. But we find that this is all an elaborate con put together by a mysterious man out to punish the father for yet unknown reasons….

 Also about halfway through this one- Yuko Takeuchi reminds me why I fell so head-over heels in love with her in “Lunch No Joou”!!

Just about to wrap these up and THEN...on to tackling Code Blue finally!

Posted by zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Rika Akana Grows Up: Honami Suzuki in "Shufu Katsu"

Just about wrapped up the 2018 drama “Shufu Katsu” starring Honami Suzuki in the role of a middle-aged woman re-embarking on employment after taking time out to have kids and raise a family.

With such events mirroring Suzuki’s own, real life, one could make the analogy that the drama represents herself, and perhaps it does, but what really came across to me as I watched it was, “you know, this drama feels like a sequel to Tokyo Love Story.” I felt with some surety that if we were to check in on whatever happened to Rika Akana after she got married and grew up, Suzuki’s character of in Shufu Katsu was definitely IT!

Suzuki stars as Natsuko Miyamoto, a mother who goes to work at a supermarket when her husband Akira (Takashi Ukaji) drops a bomb that he has decided to quit his job to grow organic produce! 

Realizing that the family will need SOME kind of income, Natsuko goes job hunting with the intent of re-entering the business world.

 Things aren't that easy for a 30+ woman, however, and in the end, the only place that will accept her is the local supermarket Takaraya.

 Still, Natsuko is nothing if not enthusiastic, and uses all her energy to make this new job the best experience she can, and with her enthusiasm, helps make others around her strive to be the best they can be, as well!

Some nice bonus points for appearances of fave actresses like Ryoko Kobayashi and Kasumi Yamaya as employees of Takaraya Market who help Natsuko adjust to the fast paced life of a supermarket clerk...

As well we have Haruka Shimazaki as Natsuko's daughter Hana and svelte Sayaka Yamaguchi as a rival market exec who hopes to steal Natsuko away!

You know another thing that made me feel this way- Shufu Katsu felt SO MUCH like a generic KIKU TV family drama from the mid-90’s, my “golden age” of J-drama viewing, it gave me waves of nostalgia even though I was watching it for the first time! Lots about the Market and about marketing in general, but it was so family-centered that if felt more like a “Toshiba Theater” Sunday night drama than anything modern!

 Ahh, I could watch this forever, sadly this drama decided to have a mere 7 chapters, all of which is going by all too quickly!!

PS: Speaking of growing up, it’s a funny thing, but so many times during the drama, A thought occurred to me that Suzuki Honami looks like a grown-up version of Nana Seino!! Maybe it’s just me, but I had that thought at LEAST three times watching it. Same features, same hair and even that same beauty mark!

Posted by zdoramaagain.blogspot.com