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Junko Harumi (Kyoko Fukada) was once a model student during her middle school and high school days. She failed to enter prestigious Tokyo University and her life has not gone smoothly since then. She has a hard time finding a job and having relationships with men. Now, at the age of 31, she works as a teacher at a private institute. 3 men, who vary in type, appear in front of her. Masashi Yakumo (Kento Nagayama) is smart and a cousin of Junko, Kyohei Yuri (Ryusei Yokohama) is a disorderly high school student and Kazuma Yamashita (Tomoya Nakamura) is Kyohei ’s teacher in high school. (asiawiki-2019)
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It's been a long time since I've been this giddy with happiness watching a drama. A fresh (pink) air of breath XD Each episode was better than the previous one. And every time I finished an episode, I couldn't wait for the next week, so much I rewatched the last episode and couldn't think of nothing else XD

As the J-netizens said, I would like to think Yuri was the heroine of this drama. I loved how supportive was everyone of him. There isn't a single bad character here. And all 3 rivals were nice, handsome guys who wanted nothing more than Junko's happiness. Each one of the guys had their amount of support from the netizens, I am not sure who was the most popular. But since episode 1 I had my favorite, and that is because I am a huge fan of manga-Shinkumi <3 The chemistry between Yokohama Ryusei and Fukada Kyoko was AMAZING. I think she had a tiny crush on him, they were so cure together! I wouldn't say they have a 14-year-gap at all. Maybe 8 or 10 top.

Yuri-Yuri was a delight to watch; he has a lot of character development. The actor is not only super handsome but such a nice actor as well. Every time he smiled, I was happy. His tears were also so beautiful... His hands... his teeth... awwww handsome XD
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I loved how he looked betrayed in this scene.. I watched it multiple times!
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His beautiful smile brightened my day ^_^
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His gorgeous hands! He knew how to use them ^_^

I have yet to watch the final episode subbed, but just watching it raw I loved it (I covered my eyes but peeked between my fingers in the last scene). I'll write a proper review (with a proper rant over this actor I fell head over heels) when I finish the subbed last episode.

Favorite scenes, in no particular order:
- The "heroine in a dating game" (but the whole study camp made me happy)
- The "betrayed" look in front of Junko's house
- All the hugs (kyaa they were all amazing, the most romantic I've even seen)
- every time my favorite smiled
- Nishioi and Miwa were funny, but together they were hilarious

Favorite drama of the year? XD too early to tell but I loved it so much I am having drama withdrawal symptoms ^_^ And listening to the OST ("Happy birthday" by back number) isn't helping ^_^

**Rating: 10/10**
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Yaichi (Ryuta Sato) is a single father and he raises his elementary school aged daughter alone. One day, a foreign man named Mike (Baruto Kaito) visits him.

Yaichi has an identical twin brother Ryoji, but Ryoji moved to Canada years ago. They have disconnected since that time. Mike introduces himself as the husband of Ryoji. They are a married gay couple. Yaichi is confused and doesn't know how to deal with Mike. (asiawiki-2018)


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I loved it. Only 3 episodes long, perfect length, perfect cast, perfect everything.

To think I once didn't like Sato Ryuta *face-palm* and I blame it on the roles he played (the idiotic but kind secondary guy). He was excellent as the MC in this drama, I love how he goes from a judgemental, ignorant guy to a understanding friend. His twin brother, Ryoji, was gay, he died and his Canadian husband comes to Japan to meet his brother-in-law Yaichi and all the places Ryoji loved.

I confess I usually don't like the foreign actors in J-dramas since it seems like anyone who is foreign but speaks a little of Japanese can be an actor; meaning, terrible acting. But Baruto, as Mike Flanaga, was perfect, he portrayed perfectly the gentle giant (he is gigantic! I remember how Nakai loved to pat his belly in SMAP Bistro XD)

This is a very realistic slice of life, where there would be ignorant people who rejects homosexuality or just refuse to accept it. At the beginning, Yaichi was all "would be make a move on me?", or just calling him "my brother's friend" or not liking Mike near his daughter. Slowly, he begins to see that Mike was a nice guy who just happened to love men. Mike was never ashamed of who he was, and he taught his niece and his niece's friends that men can love men (and marry them) and same with girls. And the little girls were confused at first, but they quickly were "if you love someone, is wonderful you can marry that person, even if the both of you are guys" :D

I smiled, I cried, I loved it! Very recommended. I will read the manga as well (the author was in my "banned" list but this one is very different from what I thought)

**My rating: 10/10**
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Naoko Yamada (Yukie Nakama), a female magician, and Jiro Ueda (Hiroshi Abe), a genius physicist, are back again to solve the mystery of supernatural happenings.

In a village where people are cured, a battle royale is held to find the successor for shamen Kamahaeri. Naoko attempts to gain big money by participating in the battle royale, while Jiro is invited to the village to stop this custom. Naoko and Ueda then challenges this amazing trick . (asiawiki-2010)


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My favorite duo in the whole Dramaland. The times I laughed in this movie XD it was an excellent movie. The mystery was good, the chemistry was good, the cast was good, the jokes were back.

Recurring jokes I'll never get tired of watching:

- flat-chested Yamada and big-penis Ueda
- Yabe and his wig
- Ueda and his big ego (including all his books, doll and his claims of knowing all)
- Ueda and martial arts
- Ueda proposing that each one of them, both he and Yamada, tell the other something meaningful when their lives are threatened.
- Ueda calling "mother" to Yamada's mother
- Yamada and her magic tricks
- Yamada and her rent debts
- Ueda and Yamada together <3 my favorite

Waaa I love them. They are extremely funny (Abe Hiroshi is gold in comedy and he has -had- the best chemistry with Nakama Yukie) and the support characters were likeable. A MUST for Trick's fans. I think this movie can be seen as a stand-alone but I'll always recommend to watch Season 1 first, just because it is one of the best dramas I've ever seen.

**My rating: 10/10**
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Akiko Iwaki (Haruka Ayase) is a career woman who works very hard at her job. She gets married to Ryoichi Miyamoto (Yutaka Takenouchi) who has a daughter. Akiko Iwaki must now deal with housework and raising her stepdaughter. (asiawiki-2018)

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The drama with the highest rating of the season. And it deserved it. Not only because Ayase Haruka is and will be forever Japan's favorite girl, but because this was funny and sweet and with zero drama and a real representative of a Japanese Slice of Life Drama.

The story is divided in two parts, so it was like Season 1 and Season 2 together. From ep01 to ep05 is one timeline, and from ep06 to 10 is another, 9 years later (that was a total surprise for me!). I adored "Season 1" and it was my favorite. Akiko-san trying, first, to be accepted as a stepmom to Miyuki, and then, her first duties as a mother. I love the little girl who played Miyuki (Yokomizo Naho), awesome actress! She behaved like a little girl behaves, not like a smart-ass girl who talks like an adult. My favorite episodes were 2 and 3: ep2 because I loved the little "game" Akiko-san and Miyuki played at the supermarket, and ep3, because of the "battle" of Akiko against the Parents Association.

Ep 06 was a total shock to me because of the time-slip and because of... well, change of actors. Still, the actress who played older Miyuki was really good and likeable (Hiroki-kun too. Both boy and older boy are so cute!), and some of her expressions resembled her younger-self (both girls have big eyes). I liked how Akiko-san starts working again; her role in the bakery was amazing, totally plausible. I love how everything she does, it is because she is thinking in her daughter. And everything Miyuki does, she always has her stepmom in mind. They may not be blood-related, but their love fo each other was real.

If there has to be a minus it would be that Akiko-san looks the same after the time-slip. Same as Shimoyama-san (even the highlights in her hair...)

In spite of the many comedic scenes, there were also some touching scenes :( I am still not sure of the ending, only because I did not fully understand it. I know that it was a "miracle" too, but why? What does the train ticket mean??

All actors were excellent, except for Takeru Sato. I think goofy roles don't suit him. I noticed that some "cool" actors, like him, do wonderfully in action and cool roles, but when it comes to goofy roles... nah. And too bad he had to go and fall in love. I mean, it provided many funny scenes XD but Akiko-san and Ryuchi forever <3 And I was disappointed since I truly thought he was going to be some kind of angel, the one who was going to bring a miracle into Akiko-san's and Miyuki's lives. I guess he sort of did, but not the way I wanted. And at the end, it was really Akiko who was a miracle to him.

The little touches, like the miracles (I thought it was going to have a bigger role, like **coughcoughthefathercoughcough**), and minor characters, like Taguchi-kun, were very nice. I actually laughed out loud several times with Taguchi-kun, he was a silly sweetheart :)

The OST was excellent, I want it. And the funny one made the scene even funnier XD I did not pay attention to the ED song tbh.

So overall, first part is a 10 and second part is a 9 for me.

***My rating: 9.5/10**
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Minato Shindo (Kento Yamazaki) has savant syndrome. His memory is amazing, but he has difficulty communicating with other people.

When Minato Shindo was little, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. He met Doctor Akira Shiga and he wanted to become a paediatric surgeon. Akira Shiga was surprised by the 7-year-old's memory of the human organs and he decided to support Minato Shindo in achieving his dream. Eventually, Minato Shindo graduated from medical school and passed the national exam for medical practitioners.

Now, Akira Shiga works as a director at a large hospital. He suggests to Minato Shindo to work in the pediatric surgery department at the hospital where he works. (asiawiki-2018)

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If it wasn't because a regular subber started working on this sub, I wouldn't have picked it. Boy, am I glad I watched this! One of my favorite dramas of this season. It was sweet, with a wonderful cast, soothing OST, and amazing script. Like Kounodori S.1. Medical dramas in the pediatrician department is usually more moving, and it always depend on the scriptwriter to not make it corny, and it worked with GD.

I have to apologize to Yamazaki Kento, since when I've read he was going to be the lead, I wasn't interested. He is OK, but that's all for me. But he was amazing as Minato-sensei, since the very first episode. Portrayed wonderfully a sweet guy with Autism and Savant Syndrome (I've read that he did a research over the subject, so he was well prepared). I have not seen Freddie Highmore's version so I can't compare.

Of course, to me the MVP was Ueno Juri, such an amazing actress. Very natural, and looked very comfortable working with YamaKen.

I think I shed tears in every episode. I loved each one of them. Every episode was heartwarming, emotional and to the point.

**My rating: 10/10**

Amachan

Jul. 23rd, 2018 03:05 pm
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High school student Aki (Rena Nounen) tries to become a female diver in her mother's (Kyoko Koizumi) rural hometown, located in Iwate Prefecture. Aki is influenced by her grandmother Natsu (Nobuko Miyamoto). (asiawiki-2013)

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To say that I loved Amachan would be an understatement. I think it is one of the cutest, most heartwarming, most charming and most uplifting dramas I've ever watched. The heroine, Amano Aki, is perfectly portrayed by Nounen Rena. I loved her and could understand why she was so much loved by everyone (in the drama and in RL). I am not sure if it was an awesome way to start watching Asadoras, because this one was top-notch, but I also fear that no one will come close to Amachan. The cast, the cute little intro song, the setting.. everything.

This drama is about loving your family, friends and little town. Aki's family was always there for her, not only her family by blood, but all the people in Kitasanriku. Aki's friendship with Yui-chan made me teary-eyed many times, and I loved the relationship between Suzuka-san and Haruko. Truly, Kudo Kankuro is a genius when it comes to female characters and female relationship. I don't see the Idol world as negative as I used to... these lovely girls just wanted to make people happy. I was so happy seeing the director so proud of his cast/drama in the extra episode; he really loved "Amachan"!

The lenght also kinda scared me at first... but when I was around Ep. 50 I was like, "I wish this was longer". I kept watching it anywhere where I had a little time off... on the bus, waiting my meals, etc. It is perfect to upload a couple of episodes on the cellphone.

I am currently suffering withdrawal symptoms... I loved it!

**My rating: 10/10**
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29-year-old Hinata Aizawa (Mao Inoue) works as a counselor at a high school. She works hard for the students who have worries about school and their family. Hinata Aizawa grew up with her mother who interfered excessively when she was younger.

One day, a male student visits Hinata Aizawa. He refuses to attend school and tells her he likes her. The next day, the male student is found dead. Hinata Aizawa tries to uncover the truth behind his death. (asiawiki-2017)


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The wait for the complete subs was totally worth it. I loved this drama since ep01. It was a thrilling story, with a compelling mystery and an excellent  script. I couldn't tell what was going to happen next. It was like reading a Kanae Minato book: the setting is kinda dark, there are screwed-up stories with mothers, and other obscure subjects, like suicide, physical abuse, bullying, high school dating (joshi-kosei osanpo), etc.

I think the cast was amazing, especially the students. And among them, I love Yamaguchi Mayu (Masuda) and Daichi Kaneko (Hasebe). Although Endo Kenshin (Keigo) was also great. But overall, the students were excellent, and I can't wait to see them in other roles. My new adopted children <3

The setting is in Kamakura, which is a beautiful city. I am not sure about the ED song, "Reboot" since it didn't fit the drama, but it was a catchy song nonetheless. Being a school counselor must be so hard. I think Inoue Mao was a good choice for her role since she has a reliable face.

I can't think of why this would have a low rating, because I loved it. Anyone who likes to read mystery books with unexpected revelations would like this.

**My rating: 10/10**
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Dako (Masami Nagasawa) is a con woman. She stays at a suite in a luxury hotel and schemes to take money from vicious wealthy people like yakuza bosses and evil businessmen. She works with Boku-chan (Masahiro Higashide) and Richard (Fumiyo Kohinata). Boku-chan is a sincere and timid young con man. Richard is a veteran con man.

Dako is able to master knowledge from various professions in a short period of time and disguises herself as someone working in that field. Along with Boku-chan and Richard, they carry their plans using fantastic teamwork. (asiawiki-2018)


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I've probably watched around 5 dramas this Spring Season and, no doubt, this was the best. Anyone could watch it, and I bet anyone will have fun in at least half of all episodes. At least, I had fun with all of them. This is about a trio of conmen (ok, 2 men and 1 woman). Dako is the brain of the group, and the most mischievous one. I am not really a fan of Nagasawa Masami, but I think this kind of role fits her perfectly. And she had fun doing it, in my eyes, so that is always a plus for me. Then there is Boku-chan, the kind-hearted and most naive young man, interpreted by Higashide Masahiro. I've seen him in VS Arashi and I think he may be a bit of Boku-chan in real life, so he was perfect. Always falling for the person in need, and almost always playing unwillingly Dako's games. Last is Richard, the veteran, played by Kohinata Fumiyo. He is always good, in whatever role he plays, since he is always so calm.

This is an episodic drama, and almost all episodes were unpredictable. Like 90% of them. The last one was amazing. There is nothing Dako can't prevent nor can't do. These trio of con may make a lot of money, but to make money, they also spend tons. So most of the times it was very over-the-top, but that is why this drama was so much fun to watch. It was a witty drama, with lots of sense of humor.

I know it is almost impossible, but I wish this one has a 2nd Season. Or at least a movie. I feel like I didn't have enough time with Dako's, Boku's and Richard's adventures.

**My rating: 9/10**

Great sequel, and cannot wait for the movie. Almost 2 hours long that felt much shorter. Each one of the trio is in charge of one swindle, separately. And that's because of a big disagreement they have at the start of the SP, that make them "disband". I love everytime Boku-chan announces he will not come back, but this time Richard also says the same thing.

All 3 swindles were fun to watch, but of course Dako is the one handling the bigger fish. But is she, the luckiest girl, running out of luck?

Besides the trio, their sidekicks are back, plus one new addition, a young girl named Monaco (at first I wasn't sure if she had been before in the drama? But no, she is new).

The ending was good! A preview of a possible Chinese victim (this drama surely loves Chinese; either they are pretending they are Chinese or they are swindling Chinese people :D)
**My rating: 8.5/10**
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Rika Inaba (Yui Aragaki) is a reporter at a broadcasting company and covers the National Police Agency. Being a reporter has been a dream of hers since she was very young, so she works harder than most anyone. Rika is considered as a promising reporter at the broadcasting company. Her sense of duty and passion as a reporter sometimes causes problems for her and the people she covers.

Now in her 5th year at her job, she does not want to, but she has to work as a director at the evening information program. Rika takes an order to cover the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

Meanwhile, First Lieutenant Daisuke Sorai (Gou Ayano) has wanted to become a fighter pilot since he was a child. When his dream is about to come true, Daisuke suffers an accident. Because of the accident, his leg is injured and he must give up his dream to become a fighter jet pilot. He lives in despair for the next year. After that, he is assigned to the public relations department for the Air Staff Office. He never expresses his feelings to anyone at the Air Staff Office. Despite objections of others who think its too early, Daisuke's boss Sagizaka (Kyohei Shibata) asks Daisuke to support Rika.

Rika begins going to the public relations department at the Air Staff Office for her program. She tries to find a scoop, hoping that it could be her ticket back to her reporter position. Because of this, Rika causes troubles….. (asiawiki-213)


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I just noticed that most of my favorite dramas come from TBS. This one was no exception, I loved it and I highly recommend it. It is a very heartwarming story. I had a feeling I was going to love it, main reason I didn't pick up this sooner. I have a bad habit of saving the best for a long time.

The setting is the Japanese Air-force Public Relations, which may be an odd place but it worked because of the people working there. I love to watch stories in places that make you feel, or part of them, or at least, wanting to be part of it, and of course I felt the same with this group of people. Sorai (Ayano Go) is the sweetest Beta hero I've seen in a long time, hardworking, who loves what he does (and what he used to do), and who loves his Boss, who, by the way, was a gem. Who wouldn't want to have a Boss like Sagizaka-san, who was not only kind but a splendid matchmaker? He loved Sorai as his son, so that made him love "Ina-pyon" automatically like his daughter. And his story with his wife brought tears to my eyes, such a sad story.

I love stories where less is more.

The romance was sweet too, and I love this couple. Gakky and Ayano Go make a lovely couple (I hope they work again in a rom-com). They loved each other and respected each other so much, so that's why it was frustrating the last couple of episodes. I get why they had to be away from each other, but did it have to take so long??

I like that Gakky has a character development, since she was an ambitious and ruthless reporter at first, and she changed for better once she started working in the Air Force office.

I love the cast. I was in heaven since not only I was watching Ayano Go in a main role, but there were two guests that are among my favorite actors in their 30s: Suzuki Ryohei and Kiritani Kenta, both in roles that suited them perfectly. There is also a cameo from Mamiya Shotaro. And I loved Muro Tsuyoshi's character; there is one scene that made me cry a little bit. Namase Katsuhisa as Inaba's boss was also excellent and I liked the friendship between Fujieda (Kiriyama Ren) and Inaba. Who says that friendship between man and woman can't exist?

The last 2 episodes were more serious since it deals with the Great Earthquake in Matsushima. But it wasn't gloomy, and there is a happy ending XD

I like the song "Contrail" by Namie Amuro, although it took me a while to really listen to it. I was more focused in the story than in the sound.

Good work environment, giving your all, working for your dreams, nice friends and coworkers, a sweet romance and excellent acting. I loved it.

**My rating: 9.5/10**
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Kohei Mochizuki (Hideaki Ito) is married to Maria (Yoshino Kimura), but he has an affair with Anna Kitazato (Saki Aibu). The lovers plan to kill Maria. When Kohei Mochizuki comes home, he finds that his wife has disappeared and their are bloodstains. Kohei Mochizuki has mixed emotions. He realizes that he loves his wife Maria and hopes she returns safely. He soon learns the truth of the kidnapping and who Maria really is. (asiawiki-2016)

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WOW, I enjoyed every minute of this drama. I loved it! It is true that it is similar in some ways to "Gone Girl": wife fakes her kidnapping, husband is a cheater who hates his wife. And that's it; there is where similarities end. This wife is crazy but not a psychopath; this cheater husband, besides being a cheater, is quite charming. There are feelings involved, and also money -a big part-, and surprisingly, there is also humor. I laughed many times, mainly because of Kouhei, the husband, played excellently by Ito Hideaki. His expressions of terror whenever he was with this wife were priceless XD I loved how afraid he was of everything; he really was naive and silly. His wife had a great time playing with him XD

Kimura Yukino as the wife was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I don't think I'll be able to see her differently from the crazy, manipulative, lady-like, composed and lovely Maria-san. So beautiful too (her smile!). Actually, this couple was gorgeous.

And yay! Police here is smart and know how to do their jobs. I hate to watch dramas where the police is portrayed as useless and stupid. The detectives/cops connected the dots, suspected of everyone and MOVED in order to get to the truth. Kudos!

The mistress (Aibu Saki) is at least quite smart and not a nasty woman. To be honest, the only character I didn't like was the neighbor Kujirai Yuki, not sure if it was because she was so pathetic or I just didn't like how she was portrayed by the actress.

Every episode was a surprise. I couldn't predict any twist. Maria is the most likeable villain I've seen in a drama. I loved it from beginning to end. Actually, the end was genius XD

**My rating: 9.5/10**
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Soichi Haruta (Kei Tanaka) is 33-years-old, single and works in the product development division at a company. He wants to get married, but he isn't popular with women. One day, he finds his senior at work, Musashi Kurosawa (Kotaro Yoshida) saving a lot of his pictures on Musashi Kurosawa's cellphone. Soichi Haruta is scared. One day, Musashi Kurosawa confesses to him that he likes him. (asiawiki-2016)

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If it wasn't because of one subber that commented how good the drama was, I wouldn't have picked this SP. And I am so glad I did. This was a fun, and surprisingly, very sweet story. I was giggling the whole time. How uncomfortable for Haruta to have his boss in love with him. How uncomfortable to have 2 guys in love with him, while he is straight as an arrow (is he?).

I love that Haruta likes both guys, not romantically, but as individuals. He admires his boss and he considers his roommate as his best friend. I love how different both kind of love are: one loves Haruta because of his good traits; the other loves Haruta IN SPITE of his bad traits. One is respectfully rejected; the other is cruelly rejected.

Haruta has a female friend who is awesome. She likes to tease Haruta because of their boss being in love with him XD

I am sad that Hase's actor is not the same in the drama, because I found him very cute.

The ending was SO CUTE. I am still smiling remembering this lovely SP.

**My rating: 9/10**
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Kayo Baba (Kyoko Koizumi) is imprisoned on attempted murder charges. She stabbed her husband who had an affair. In the prison, Kayo Baba meets Akemi Adachi (Aiko Morishita), who is in prison for illegal drug possession, Chinatsu Katsuda (Miho Kanno), who is in prison for for tax evasion, Yoko Daimon (Maki Sakai), who is in prison for fraud & embezzlement, and Shinobu Edogawa (Kaho), who is in prison for murder. Chinatsu Katsuda is the leader among the prisoners. Meanwhile, Futaba Wakai (Hikari Mitsushima) is a strict prison officer. She observes the prisoners and tries to help them with education.

At first, Kayo Baba finds it difficult to adapt to life prison. She forms a bond with the 4 prisoners. She also learns Shinobu Edogawa is imprisoned due to a miscarriage of justice

Six years later, Kayo Baba is released from prison. She meets with Akemi Adachi, Chinatsu Katsuda and Yoko Daimon. They make a plan to take revenge for Shinobu Edogawa. Futaba Wakai also joins their plan. (asiawiki-2017)


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Heartwarming, and Girl Power, two things that defined this drama.

I am planning on watching all Kudo Kankuro's works because the ones I did watch were amazing. Like this one. When I finished it, it left me with a bittersweet feeling. I loved it, but I will miss the gang. And I felt like 10 episodes weren't enough. I think that, at least one more episode would have been ok. The last episode was a bit rushed, and the final 5 minutes needed a longer explanation... But that's my 2 cents.

The plot is about 5 women kidnapping a powerful man. Episode 1 is the kidnapping and till Ep. 9 all happens in the same night. Except that each episode shows flashbacks of these women when they meet in prison, start to bond and finally, to plan the kidnapping and the justice for Hime/Yusuke.

The whole thing with Yusuke hit me hard since I lived more or less the same with my precious niece (the mean guy would be, in my case, my sister-in-law). The bond these women made was all because of Yusuke. While most of the story develops inside of a prison, this wasn't a dark nor gloomy story. The worst thing that shows is the dehumanization of these girls by being called by their prison number. And that's it. There is no bullying, no jealousy, no hard feelings.

The acting was on point, the characters were all colorful. The only one I think didn't do very well was the Thai girl, but I mostly think the same of foreign actors in a Jdrama... they are somewhat awkward and stiff and I think they feel out of place. But all of them were extremely likeable, even the "villain". In fact, I think the villain was quite charming. I could see why all these strong women swooned over Iseya Yusuke... he looks like a rake, but a charming one.

Of course my favorite was Mitsushima Hikari. She does wonders with tough roles (and with quirky roles... and with pathetic roles...). That hairstyle suits her soooo well. Definitely one of the prettiest, and most talented, actress in Jpn. There is one scene where it looked like she, the actress, was having a hard time to not laugh, and it surprised me, since she doesn't have that kind of "slip". But of course it wasn't a slip... it was her character that was trying not to smile XD She is amazing.

To be honest I love them all, from Baba Kayo (Koizumi Kyoko) to Hime (Kaho).

The ED song is "Showtime", by Namie. Fun, girly and catchy.

There is a mini-reunion from "Gomenne Seishun": Anego, Actress and Sensei. And of course, the screenwriter too XD

**My rating: 9.5/10**

Rikuoh

Feb. 23rd, 2018 08:57 am
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Koichi Miyazawa (Koji Yakusho) runs a small, but longstanding company which makes tabi (traditional Japanese socks). He is the CEO of the fourth generation company with about 20 employees. Due to a decrease of demand for tabi, the company is struggling to keep afloat. Koichi Miyazawa thinks about launching a new product line. The new product is running shoes. For the company's surival, Koichi Miyazawa begins to develop running shoes using their accumulated knowledge for making tabi. (asiawiki-2017)

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Five seconds into the first episode and I was "this is my favorite 2017 drama already". Not because of the setting, not because of some cute actor... no, the first line had already hooked me. Never happened to me before. I wish I was more eloquent in English, to describe how much I love this drama. Every second of it.

For people who want eye-candy, there is the Shoujo Prince and two Tokusatsu heroes... but their pretty faces can't beat the talent of the veteran actor Yakusho Koji. His gentle smile, his determination to achieve his goals, his frustrated tears... this man impressed me so much I was constantly posting about him.

Short version of my review: this drama reminded a lot of the anime "Haikyuu", in spirit.

**My rating: 10/10**
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Yukimasa Yugami (Tadanobu Asano) is a detective who chases after facts in cases. He will resort to illegal investigations and he uses his unique reasoning powers. His partner is rookie detective Torao Hanyu (Ryunosuke Kamiki). (asiawiki-2017)

Keiji_Yugami-P1

I had a fun time watching this drama because the characters were excellent and the cases were all engaging. I think it is hard to find mystery drama where both aspects are strong. In many ways, "Keiji Yugami" reminded me of "Legal High":

1. the opening sequence: each episode has a different sequence, but they are all about the same thing: YUgami and Hanyu kicking/punching each other. They were all awesome XD and they all left me with a smile on my face.

2. Yugami as the senior cop, is childish and doesn't follow rules. In fact, he sometimes breaks the law (for example, he unlocks doors and safety cases with his pin). He doesn't play "dirty" as Komikado-sensei, but he is always right.

3. Hanyu, as the rookie cop, is more emotional but also sticks to the rules. He disapproves Yugami's methods to find the truth, but deep down, he admires and respects Yugami (like Gakky).

4. Yugami has his own "hacker" who is a big help in all his cases. Not like Komikado's "ninja", but similar.

Yugami is less "funny" and less "eccentric" than Komikado-sensei, but he was a good character, which could be because he was played by the awesome Asano Tadanobu. Actually, the whole cast was good. You could tell that they had a great time working together.

I love all the guests stars. Most of them A-Stars. This was one of the highlights of the drama (I was waiting for a certain actor, who acts for a couple of episodes). And all cases were excellent! Not so much of the "whodunit" but "why" (like most of Japanese mysteries). And most of the time, like 90% of them, the murderer/criminal had a sad story and you can't help but feel sorry for them :( There were cases that made me feel sad for the criminal.

For mystery lovers that are looking for cases not so gloomy, this one is perfect to watch.

**My rating: 9/10**
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Set 2 years after season 1 of "Dr. Storks," drama series follows the growth and conflicts of Sakura Konotori (Gou Ayano). He works as a doctor delivering babies and also performs as a concert pianist under the nickname of "Baby." (asiawiki-2017)

Dr_Storks-20170-p01

God knows how much I loved Season 1, and how much in love I fell for Ayano Go and all the cast. And when it was announced the 2nd season, and that the whole gang was back... Fans know we waited so long for a kind soul to sub this wonderful drama, so thank you subber! A million thanks ^_^

Cast (10/10): since the whole cast is back, there is no need to gush over each one of them -again. The chemistry between Ayano Go and Hoshino Gen and Yoshida Yo... and Sakaguchi Kento and Omori Nao and Matsuoka Mayu... they are all gentle souls. I am even satisfied with the new faces, Goro-san (Miyazawa Hio) and Kurasaki-sensei (Matsumoto Wakana). They all complemented each other so well! Ayano Go said that he was happy they were all back since all of them are now leading actors in dramas and movies, and I can tell that, even with a supporting role, they were all happy to work together again.

There are even guests from S1 who make an appearance, like the mother and father of the little boy with the Trisomy 16, and Kounodori's "mama" and other surprises.

My personal favorites, who deserve an award for acting: Ayano Go (obviously... I am not the only one mesmerized with his gentle face and gentle voice.. even GC were commenting every week on his "yasashii" attributes) and Yoshida Yo.

Story: (9/10) Every episode deals with a new problem with the mother and/or baby. There were many stories that made me cry (more than in S1). All the supporting cast has his/her own story as well: either professional or personal. While in S1 there is an episode regarding Kounodori's past, in S2 we get to know some of the supporting role's family and ambitions regarding their career. I understand that there has to be changes, in order to be better or to achieve a dream, but regardless of that, I wasn't too happy with the final episode. On the other hand, it makes me hope for a S3...

While this season made me cry more than the previous one, S1 remains my favorite. I sensed that the scriptwriter was not the same... in S1 the dialogue was less "pink", less "romantic" than this season's. That's the only fault I can find in S2, that it was more "sweet".

Music: (10/10) so good, so good. The piano complimented the poignant moments like a glove. I wonder if Ayano Go truly plays the piano.. if he does, he is truly a "Kamisama" <3

Rewatch value: (9/10) it is not precisely an episodic drama, but I could rewatch my favorite stories without a problem. And I will rewatch when S3 is confirmed (because there has to be). I could rewatch this for the cast and the babies and the human stories and the wonderful OST.

Please, this drama deserves more recognition! I hope it wins some awards, unlike S1... Highly recommended!

**My rating: 9/10**
sunako_yue: (Default)
Heisuke Hara (Ryo Nishikido) works as a teacher at an all boys high school in Shizuoka Prefecture. 15 years ago he had an unfortunate accident which made his life go crazy. He has since become obsessed with his hometown and the school where he graduated from.

Due to declining enrollment at the all boys high school where Heisuke Hara works, the school plans to merge with an all girls high school next year. Prior to the merger of the schools, a culture festival is held for the students from the two schools. Heisuke Hara struggles to make the culture festival a success. (asiawiki-2014)


Sorry_Youth!_(Gomen_ne_Seishun!)-p1

Usually I try to avoid school dramas because I think I've see the best of them. But I wanted to see Mitsushima Hikari (Hachiya-sensei) in a light role for once. And I am so happy I did! Not only she finally gets a happy life, but the story was so much fun. When I was watching it, I was constantly thinking:

"ah, I want a teacher like Hara-sensei when I was in school" (he loves his students, he gives wonderful and encouraging speeches, and he is so cute <3).

"ah I want to have students like them" (they were all nice people and honest and not one of them was mean and they were all fighting to have a good time in their first year as co-ed).

"ah I want classmates like them when I was in school" (they were all fun and supportive).

There are like 12 students that are the main students in the drama, and each one of them contributed to the story. There are silly and fleeting romance stories between them, one day A loves B, next day B loves C, so A falls for D, and so on. Still, their friendship was never fleeting, this was a classroom to remember fondly in the future. I specially teared up when the transsexual student came out of the closet and all her classmates were "we knew and that's ok". Same when her father, who at first refused to acknowledge his beautiful son dressed as a girl, finally embraced the reality and said " thank you for pretending to be a boy till now". What a beautiful quote.

The script was beautiful, nothing corny about it. I can safely say that this drama is one of the best school comedy in Jdramaland. This one deserves more love! When I was in ep. 6 or so I was already a bit sad since it was almost the end.

Nishikido Ryo was lovely as Hara-sensei. No wonder his student fell for him. Not only he is a kind person, his smile is bright and he loves what he does. And I love Hachiya-sensei's love story with him. The kabe-don, and the grip in the train, and all her craziness. And of course, she looked so pretty with that short hair. It suits her heart-shaped face. Really, I loved everything about her, from her face to her personality to her weird clothes.

The principal (Namase Katsuhisa) suits this kind of role perfectly. He wasn't annoying (like his role in Gokusen), and his talk-show was very funny. First time I liked all teachers in a school drama! And all these students too... I loved them all. I have seen most of them is guest roles in other dramas, so I am happy to know that they are doing well, being still young.

Music was ok, I didn't pay much attention to K8' son but I know it suited the fun, vibrant life of school-life.

Mini-reunion: Ryusei Ryo (my boy!) with another Kyoryuger member.

**My rating: 9.5/10**
sunako_yue: (Default)
In 1802, 8-year-old Mio lost her parents in a river flood in Osaka and feels all alone after she is also separated from her childhood friend Noe. She is saved by Yoshi, the proprietress of ‘Tenman Icchoan’, one of Osaka’s famous restaurants, whom she happened to meet. Mio begins training as a cook because of her gift for taste in a time when females were still banned from the kitchen. However, the restaurant was burnt down in a fire and she sets off for Edo with Yoshi and her husband Kahei. By some lucky coincidence, they are invited by Taneichi, the owner of ‘Tsurya’, to work at his soba shop. Mio is bewildered by the contrasting flavors of the Kansai region and Edo, and also has to deal with the obstructions of a rival shop and a status difference in her love with the samurai Komatsubara. She overcomes these difficulties and eventually becomes a top female cook. (mydramalist-2017)

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A very heartwarming dorama. I wasn't expect that, since the summary tells that it is about the difficulties of a young girl to be a cook in a chauvinistic world. And it is but it is also about the kindness of people, how they help each other in small but significant ways; it is also about family and to care about someone else's well being. And of course, it is also about overcoming the difficulties in life with the help of people who loves you.

I am adding Kuroki Haru in my list of favorite actresses. Whenever role she plays, I just want her to be happy And when she is, her happiness is contagious. And she is so gentle, so Japanese-lady-like. My other favorite in this dorama was her mistress (Yasuda Narumi), who loved her as a mother. Her love for her adopted daughter, and for her son was beautiful. Her sad smile was so poignant...

There is a little reunion of members of "Juhan Shuttai", which made me really happy (4 of them!). Starting with the MC, who again works hard in what she loves XD And is spite of working again with Nagayama Kento (Nagata-sensei), I was rooting for Komatsubara-san since the very beginning. I loved when there is respect and a little bit of teasing from the love interest XD

I love the setting, since historical stories set in Edo period are most of the times my favorites. The food that are shown look mostly so tasteful (and there is a little culinary demonstration of the main recipe of the day at the end of each episode, performed by the amazing Kuroki Haru). The other time, when I was eating with other people and they were "ohhh my, so delicious" I laughed internally because that's what happens every time people eats Mio's food).

The OST is lovely, it helped to keep the tone light.

For rewatch value, yes, I would watch it again, specially when the SP is subbed (there HAS to be a SP... when I finished Ep 8 I was like, WHAT?). Besides, it is very short, with 8 episodes only, of 35 minutes aprox each ep.).

My rating: **9.5/10**

At Home Dad

Nov. 1st, 2017 12:52 pm
sunako_yue: (Default)
Kazuyuki, employed at a major advertising firm, is the breadwinner for his wife and daughter and has managed to fulfill his dream of owning his own house. Filled with pride and confidence, he's at the peak of his career as a working man. Meanwhile his neighbor Yusuke is his complete opposite, as he is supported by his wife, who runs her own company, and who considers himself to be a professional "at-home dad." From Kazuyuki's perspective, such a househusband is an outrage, an existence who's not worthy of being called a man.But then, one day, Kazuyuki is forced to quit his job at the company. His wife starts working to make their living for the time being, and Kazuyuki becomes a househusband in this major role-switch. Needless to mention, he experiences one failure after another doing things he's never done before and his masculine pride is in tatters! But then he starts to feel ambition and passion to make the best of his situation and prevail over all difficulties. His neighbor Yusuke now becomes Kazuyuki's guide and mentor in the new role of at-home dad. Then Kazuyuki's trials and tribulations begin in the task of becoming an outstanding househusband. (asiawiki - 2004)

At_Home_Dad

There are dramas that you just KNOW that you are going to love them, and this was one of them. Pre-2006 dramas are so heartwarming. This is the story of an arrogant, chauvinistic man who one day is unemployed, his wife gets a job and he becomes a "at-home-dad", which is, a househusband. In episode 1 I was laughing already, I didn't know this was going to be a comedy.

Abe Hiroshi was, no surprise, amazing as Yamamura-san. He reminded me a little bit of Kusano from "Kekkon Dekinai Otoko" in his expressions, always sarcastic and with replies full of arrogance. Of course this is the kind of drama I love to watch, when this kind of guy learns how to depend on others, how to be kinder, and to value the "demeaning" job of being a househusband. And also when a man, who used to take women for granted, realizes being one is hard.

He had a wonderful chemistry with his wife (Shinohara Ryoko), his neighbor who is a dedicated househusband, and her daughter. I think I was hesitant to watch this because of Shinohara Ryoko. I don't know why but I don't like this woman ^_^ I have never watched any of her works, so my dislike is irrational. Nevertheless, she was excellent as the nice, hardworking wife.

But the chemistry I liked the most was between him and the little girl, Rie (Sakura Ando). They have many funny scenes, but also many tender ones. The little girl was excellent, there were many times where she was looking at his father with so much love. Or so much pride. Sometimes she was also looking at him a little sad. It was so nice.

The little neighborhood was cozy and their house looked like a candy-house. More like a cookie-house. Anyway, their ladies neighbors were too noisy for my taste, specially the "leader", but well, they all had a good heart.

I loved how Yamamura-san struggled with being a househusband, a task he took for granted. All the mess he did were so funny (starting in Ep. 1... Abe Hiroshi is SOOOOO good in comedy). Seems like the clean their houses every day O_O

Music was ok, there was one I liked the most because it suited Abe Hiroshi.. laid-back, funny and a bit silly. Kinda like, again, KDO.

My rating: **9/10**
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In Chapter 1, Mieko who has a congenital hearing disability, meets and marries Hirofumi, a kind man with normal hearing. Chapter 2 shows Mieko’s pregnancy and delivery, while Chapter 3 depicts how she struggles to raise her daughter Chizuru, now 4 years old. Chapter 4 shows Mieko's confusion and distress over the changes in the life of her daughter, now aged 9, and the final chapter depicts Mieko’s anxieties over her 12-year-old daughter trying to become independent of her mother. Portraying a couple bound by deep love, Miho Kanno and Shinji Takeda give fine acting performances and demonstrate their skills in sign language.(asiawiki-1997)

Your_Hands_are_Whispering

I love stories with Sign Language. I think it is a beautiful form of communication. I tried to find books to learn it, but there are so many (American, British, Spanish, Mexican) so I am not sure which one to get. Anyway, I strongly recommend this dorama to people who watched/read "Koe no Katachi" and loved it. The big difference is that this story is not in school, but the adult life of a deaf girl. How she starts to be part of the society (by working), how she meets her future husband, how other people who meet her starts to learn Sign Language. How hard for her is to become a mother, to be married, etc.

The story is simple, yet beautiful. I shed many tears while watching it, and it is not because it is a sad story. No, it is simply because there are certain scenes that where too emotional. Like when her future-mother-in-law comes to Mieko's house to ask her to please not marry her son. Like the speech Mieko's daughter gives at school, both out loud and with signs. And all the times someone talks to her (thru signs) for the first time: Hirofumi, his mother, the doctor, etc. It was so poignant every time someone tried their best to talk to her.

Kanno Miho is the sweetest girl and best fit for this role. She cries many times throughout the 5 episodes, but they all were understandable. Since she is deaf, she has little confidence in herself, and for every mistake or hardship that brings her deafness to the people she loves, she blames herself. Thank Godness she marries the most patient and sweetest guy on Earth.

Besides her, I loved, LOVED the mothers: her mother and her mother-in-law. Strong women who loved Mieko, and some time later, their granddaughter.

My favorite episodes were 1, 2 and 3. I have watched Episode 1 twice (I finished this a couple of days ago, and rewatched Ep. 1 yesterday). There are only 5 episodes, 1 hour and 30 minutes long. First episode is from 1997, 2nd from 1998, 3rd from 1999, 4th from 2000 and the last one from 2001. Like most people, I prefer to watch recent dorama, but it is for the quality of the video only. In regards to story, oldies are better: they are simpler, they are sweeter. Romance is much better without cellphones and other technologies. For example, in this dorama, there are no cellphones, so Mieko and Hirofumi send each other faxes to talk at night. Isn't that cute?

The song "I just called to say I love you" fit the dorama perfectly.

Beautiful story, totally recommended!

**My rating: 10/10**
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Set in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, "Cold Case" follows Yuri Ishikawa (Yo Yoshida) and her team as they try to crack unresolved cold cases. (asiawiki-2016)
Cold_Case_(Japanese_Drama)-p1

This was a really, really well done remake of the American TV Show (which I used to watch). All episodes were engaging, there wasn't any dragging, and they were all well narrated. The dark tone fit the show perfectly. Awesome cinematography. It's been a while since I wanted to watch a WOWOW dorama; from what I've read, they are mostly well done, with talented characters and a big budget.

The characters were excellent played. I liked all 5 main characters, and I found the serial killer so creepy I think I will ever see him (the actor, who also is in variety shows) as a creepy guy. There wasn't any overacting at all, even the children did good. The songs were mostly great, some were American/English, some were Japanese. All cases were interesting, some were sad, and some were hard to watch (the poor students, for example). And I absolutely loved that this was set in Yokohama, one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and visited.

I think this is one of those dorama that anyone would like: young people, older people... I am glad they are having a second season.

**My rating: 9/10**

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