In House Marriage Honey

Japanese title: 社内マリッジハニー

Other title: Shanai Marriage Honey

7 episodes

Aired on MBS from 2020 November to December 

Main cast:

• Itagaki Mizuki as Miura Manatsu
• Matsui Airi as Haruta Ami
• Wada Hayate as Matsushita Kazuya
• Oshida Gaku as Yamagata Yuki
• Miyata Tappei as Hori Ryuhei
• Nakamura Riho as Sakaguchi Sumika
• Asami Himeka as Miwa An
• Tateishi Toshiki as Mochizuki Kaimi
• Hyodo Katsumi as Nishitani Kentaro
• Kijima Asuka as Shinkawa Marina

Production credits:

• Original work: Manga by Fujiwara Emi
• Screenwriter: Uchihira Mio, Shimo Ayumi
• Director: Morita Ryo, Shingu Ryohei

Notes:

• So I watched this drama right after Coffee and vanilla, and they share a lot of similarities but I actually finished watching this one for reasons I will explain. It's also 7 episodes of 20 minutes so not that time-consuming.
  
• I also watch this one on Viki, with comments, and I didn't read the manga it's based on. 
• Again, warning: no explicit content but every aspect of marriage is covered if you know what I mean.
  

 

Review: -/+

Title: Two strangers get married on the day they met for... reasons. And then they realised that they work at the same company. Hence the title.

Girl: She's bubbly, outspoken and an accountant. Also "cunning". Be prepared to read this word (or the equivalent depending on subtitles) a lot. If you make it a drinking game, you would get very drunk.

Boy: He works at sales. He acts aloof but he's actually very cute.

Plot/ relationship: So there is no plot, because there are almost no conflict, and whatever conflict there is, it's resolved quicky and without too much angst. Which is refreshing in a way. Healthy communication in a drama is very rare. In this one, they have a problem or a misunderstanding, they just talk and it's resolved. On the downside, the main conflict is based on a motivation that doesn't make much sense and I feel like their reasons to get married with a stranger, which is the premise of the drama, aren't strong enough.

Other characters: They all have paper thin characterisations, and almost all of them are coworkers.

Funny? Yes. Usually Girl embarassing herself and Boy teasing. Also some expressions and reactions.

Cliches : People falling in love after marrying for other reasons. Borderline insta-love.

Music: Fine.

Bottom line: Like Coffee and vanilla, this drama is plagued with insta-love, no plot, underdeveloped character and universe. I hesitated between a - or a -/+, especially because the intimacy depicted sometimes made me uncomfortable, like 'uh, should I be here?" but, compared to Coffee and vanilla, it has more comedy, the dynamic between the couple is more interesting and I want to commend the communication between them. So -/+ it is.

Coffee & Vanilla

 Japanese title: コーヒー＆バニラ

10 episodes

Aired on MBS from 2019 July to September

Main cast:

• Fukuhara Haruka as Shiraki Risa
• Sakurada Dori as Fukami Hiroto
• Kuroba Mario as Akutsu Takaaki
• Ogoe Yuuki as Yoshiki Tsubasa
• Hama Shogo as Ichiyanagi Yuki
• Kita Noa as Ashiya Natsuki
• Tokoshima Yoshiko as Kitajima Akane

 Production credits:

• Original work: Manga by Akegami Takara
• Screenwriter: Shimoda Yuko, Date Sorami
• Producer: Kamiura Yuna, Furukusa Masami
• Director: Smith, Tsubakimoto Keijiro, Totsuka Hiroto

Notes:

• So I watched this one on Viki, and the only reasons I made it to episode 4 is that episodes are short and comments were really funny.
• Usual disclaimer: I haven't read the manga it's based on. I think I may have tried to read it because the title and the first episode remind me of something but I probably bailed early. 
• Warning: I don't know the rating but it's clearly not for children. It's not explicit but don't watch if you don't want to be exposed to mature material.
  

 

Review: DNF

Title: The title refers to a coffee shop but also to the main characters, male lead being coffee and female lead being vanilla, which is not exactly subtle symbolism. But it makes sense and it's not made too obvious in the drama so it's fine. 

Girl: She's a super shy student, "pure" in every aspect (some would say naive).

Boy: He's like 10 years older and lets say... a weird mix of considerate and overwhelming.

Other boy: He's a student too and... he likes to cook.

Plot: Plot, what plot ? Sometimes in these reviews, I write that the plot is the relationship but this drama takes it to the next level. The drama starts with Boy and Girl in the most passionate love relationship you can imagine. At least, it's different to a lot of dramas, in which it takes sometimes 20 episodes to kiss but it makes you think: "Umm, I wonder what will happen in the 9 other episodes?" The answer is: "basically nothing" except cliches second lead who goes from 0 to 100 then back to 0 in one episode, then a bad boy rival and then I stopped watching. The plot summary teased "secrets" about Boy but nothing in the first episodes made me believe that they would be interesting.

Relationship: I'm not a fan of insta-love and this one is insta-love on crack. The point is not to have two people falling in love but watching two people declaring and consummate their love over and over. Also Girl is so shy that even when she's into it, she looks like she's not, so it can be uncomfortable.

Other characters: For once, I didn't have to cut into the cast list from DramaWiki, that's how underdevelopped this universe is. The most interesting character is Girl's friend who is the audience's surrogate telling Girl that she should run from this insane, possibly murderous guy.

Funny? Not really.

Cliches: Insta-love. Shy young woman/experienced older man. Every guy is in love with her.

Music: Nothing to say in particular.

Bottom line: No real plot. Underdeveloped characters. Wish-fulfillment fantasy. DNF.

Nodame Cantabile and Nae Il's Cantabile

I'm doing a joint review of these two dramas, not because I'm lazy (though I am) but because as good adaptations of the manga Nodame cantabile by Ninomiya Tomoko, or remake of one another, I would have repeated myself.

I've watched Nodame Cantabile twice but it's been some years and I've just watched Nae Il's Cantabile for the first time. I had actually read part of the manga, for once, and from what I remembered, the Japanese drama was quite faithful.

Japanese title : のだめカンタービレ

11 episodes

Aired on Fuji TV

From 2006 October to December

+ 1 special (2 ep, 2008) + 2 movies (2009 and 2010)

Main cast :

• Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi
• Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi
• Eita as Mine Ryutaro
• Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi
• Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora
• Saeko as Saku Sakura
• Uehara Misa as Tagaya Saiko
• Takenaka Naoto as Franz Stresemann
• Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori
• Mukai Osamu as Kikuchi Toru
• Toyohara Kosuke as Eto Kozo
• Nishimura Masahiko as Tanioka Hajime
• Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi

Production credits :

• Screenwriter : Etou Rin
• Producers : Wakamatsu Hiroki, Shimizu Kazuyuki
• Directors : Takeuchi Hideki, Kawamura Taisuke, Tanimura Masaki

Korean title : 내일도 칸타빌레

Other title : Tomorrow Cantabile

16 episodes

Aired on KBS2

From 2014 October to December

Main cast :

• Shim Eun Kyung as Sul Nae Il (Noda Megumi)
• Joo Won as Cha Yoo Jin  (Chiaki Shinichi)
• Go Kyung Pyo as Yoo Il Rak (Mine Ryutaro)
• Park Bo Gum as Lee Yoon Hoo
• Jang Se Hyun as Ma Soo Min (Okuyama Masumi)
• Min Do Hee as Choi Min Hee (Saku Sakura)
• Bae Min Jung as Jung Shi Won (Miki Kiyora)
• Baek Yoon Shik as Franz Streseman
• Kim Yoo Mi as Chae Do Kyung (Tagaya Saiko)
• Lee Byung Joon as Do Kang Jae (Eto Kozo)
• Nam Goong Yun as Ahn Gun Sung (Tanioka Hajime)
• Ye Ji Won as Song Mi Na
• Ahn Kil Kang as Yoo Won Sang (Mine Tatsumi)

Production credits :

• Chief Producer : Hwang Eui Kyung ; producers : Kim Jin Won, Park Woo Ram
• Directors : Han Sang Woo, Lee Jung Mi
• Screenwriters: Park Pil Joo, Shin Jae Won

 

Notes : Funny how I've just rewatched Secret Garden in which Lee Byung Joon and Kim Ji Sook also appear, in very different roles.

Review : Fav !

Title : Makes sense since these dramas revolve around students in a music school, and especially around the impact that the character Noda Megumi or Nodame / Nae Il has.

Girl : She's a tricky character to play because she's eccentric and childish, which can easily be annoying and ridiculous, but I think that both actresses nailed it. She's a piano genius but she doesn't want to make it her career. She's obstinate, honest, warm, lovable and doesn't care how she is perceived by people. (+)

Boy : He's also a genius in so many things. He's confident, hard-working and perfectionnist. Also closed-off emotionnally and struggles to express his feelings. (+)

Relationship : This shouldn't work. But it does. These two characters, also surrounded by their friends, help each other to grow and to overcome what is keeping them from achieving their true potentials. They also have the same passion for classical music and admire their respective talent.

Plot : The plot deals mostly with the growth of the characters, through the challenges they face individually and in relation to each other.

The Korean adaptation adds some power struggles at the head of the school, which was not that interesting but also not bad enough to ruin the drama.

Other characters : Characters are interesting and likable. The Korean adaptation has a new character, but, as with the other changes they've made, it fits well.

What the... ? Nodame/Nae Il is a quirky character, maybe she would be too much for some people ? Another tricky character is Stresemann and I'm actually glad they toned down his "pervert" side in the Korean adaptation.

Funny : Yes.

Music : Most diegetic and non diegetic music in these dramas are classical pieces. Classical music is at the heart of the story. You don't need to know anything about it (I don't) to like it and maybe these dramas will make you appreciate how beautiful and emotional classical music is.

Bonus : A glimpse of Salzburg !

Bottom line : I love the characters, in every iteration, their relationships and to watch them learn and grow. It's not realistic at all but it's very satisfying, funny, with sublime music. Fav !

5-ji Kara 9-ji Made

Japanese title: 5時から9時まで
English title:  From 5 to 9

10 episodes

Aired on Fuji TV
From 2015 October to December

Main cast:

Ishihara Satomi as Sakuraba Junko

Yamashita Tomohisa as Hoshikawa Takane

Tanaka Kei as Kiyomiya Makoto

Takanashi Rin as Yamabuchi Momoe

Hayami Mokomichi as Kimura Arthur

Furukawa Yuki as Mishima Satoshi

Yoshimoto Miyu as Ashigaka Kaori

Ono Takehiko as Terada Kouei

Kaga Mariko as Hoshikawa Hibari

Shison Jun as Hoshikawa Amane

Saeko as Mouri Masako

Nagatsuma Reo as Hachiya Renji

Takada Hyoga as Satonaka Yuki

Tsunematsu Yuri as Sakuraba Nene

Toda Keiko as Sakuraba Keiko

Ueshima Ryuhei as Sakuraba Mitsuru

Production credits:

Original work: Manga 5-ji Kara 9-ji Made by Aihara Miki

Screenwriter: Koyama Shota

Producer: Goto Hiroyuki, Kinjo Ayaka

Director: Hirano Shin, Tanimura Masaki

Music: Dewa Yoshiaki, Habuka Yuri

Review: +/-

Title: Girl teaches English at a language school. I guess, the timetable for her classes is from 5 to 9.

Girl: She's passionate about her job and her dream is to go to New York. She's pretty, kind and self-willed. I can believe that several men are in love with her.

Boy: He's a Buddhist monk, in charge of a temple, which is a kind of family "business". He's serious, earnest but lacks some social skills.

Other boys: As I said, there are two other men in love with Girl. I can't say much without spoilers but they are not really interesting.

Other girl: Her marriage with Boy has been arranged by her family and Boy's grandmother but she really wants to make it work.

Plots/relationships: Boy and Girl are both great characters and I believe that they can be together, that she fills something in his heart. However, the biggest problem of this drama is the pure stalking going on.

Of course, dramas have to contrive to make their characters meet again and again. I stopped counting the chance encounters in the drama I'm currently watching. Another way is to make one of the party interested. But since the other cannot reciprocate so soon, or there is no drama apparently, he (since it's usually the man) has to resort to stalking despite Girl's protests. I know I let it pass in Secret garden but the difference is that Girl here is clearly very upset to be pursued in that way. And it is upsetting to watch.

Something else I didn't like: the villains are caricatures. One of them has a motivation that doesn't make sense, as for the other, the motivation for their entire behaviour is revealed in the last minutes of the last episode... so too late.

Other characters: Families and her co-workers. There are two other relationships that are developped between secondary characters.

What the...?: Weird fakeouts.

Clichés: Embarrassing first meeting. Opposition of his family. Insta-love. Rain. Stalking.

Funny: Yes.

Bottom line: I watched it two months ago and I couldn't remember how it ended so I took it as a sign as I was unsure about the + or +/-. Once again, there was potential because most of the characters are interesting, even original, but I couldn't overlook some of its flaws.

Algernon ni Hanataba wo (2015)

Japanese title: アルジャーノンに花束を
Other title: Flowers for Algernon

10 episodes
Aired on TBS
From 2015 April to June

Main cast:

• Yamashita Tomohisa as Shiratori Sakuto
• Kuriyama Chiaki as Mochizuki Haruka
• Tanimura Mitsuki as Kawaguchi Rio
• Ishimaru Kanji as Hachisuka Daigo
• Kubota Masataka as Yanagawa Ryuichi
• Kudo Asuka as Hiyama Kosuke
• Hagiwara Masato as Takebe Junichiro
• Oomasa Aya as Koide Mai

  

Screenwriter: Nojima Shinji, Ikeda Natsuko

Producer: Han Choru, Sato Atsushi

Director: Yoshida Ken, Sakai Masahiro, Matsuda Ayato

Notes: Based on Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (which I haven't read).
Hey little sister from Buzzer beat, you're all grown up now.

Review: -

Title: It comes from the book. I like it, it's poetic and relevant. Algernon is the name of a mouse, who's been given a new substance that develops its intelligence.

Boy: He has the intellectual development of a child. He wants to be like everyone else and he is very persistent. He is good-natured and usually defuses the fights between his co-workers who are young offenders.

Girl: She is a researcher. She is impulsive and good-hearted.

Other girl: She is a student, nice and shy, but also brave.

As you can see, I'm not really inspired...

Plot / relationships: I don't know if this comes from the source material but I didn't care for the pacing. It felt like it took forever to get to the premise and then raced through the consequences. Moreover, it doesn't use that time to make the characters more dimensional. And I didn't really believe in the main love story. It got too intense too fast.

Other characters: I was more interested in the circle of friends around Boy. The character of the mother which is super important (according to the Wiki article) was not convincing. She was everything and its contrary.

Funny factor: Not at all.

Bottom line: The premise was not my jam but I went into it open-minded. I was not convinced. Though there was an interesting twist leading to a dilemma, it was not enough. It didn't even make me want to read the book.

Monsters

Japanese (Original) title: MONSTERS

8 episodes
Aired on TBS
From 2012 October to December

Main cast:

Katori Shingo as Hiratsuka Heihachi

Yamashita Tomohisa as Saionji Kousuke

Yanagihara Kanako as Takano Emi

Endo Kenichi as Kaneda Hajime

Notes:
- The official poster is so awful that I can't use it. So instead, you have this ->
- I'm more Without a trace/Criminal minds than CSI. And I don't like Detective Conan. So, if you do, don't listen to my opinion on detective series.

Review: -

Title: All murderers are monsters but this title implies more horror or disturbing whereas the drama is actually very clean. The voiceover says something about the ones who track murderers being also monsters...??? I didn't get it

Boy: He's a detective with mad deductive skills. He gathered all clues and in the third act, puts everything together. He has no consideration for anything or anyone. His only motivation seems to arrest murderers. His social behaviour is rude though he is extremely civil spoken.

Other boy: He's the Watson, the Hastings. He's an enthusiastic young policeman.

Plot: Every episode, a murder case is resolved. If the series wasn't only 8 episodes, I would have quit it because it's really repetitive. Except for the first and last episodes, there are always two suspects with one of them telegraphed as the murderer. The motive is established easily. The question is how it was done and the answer always revolve around manipulating the place or/and time of death.

Problem is I'm pretty sure the police can tell if it's a real crime scene and tell quite precisely the time of death when it happened a couple of hours ago. Especially if the victim has been stabbed... What about blood spilling?

So the structure of the episodes, the murder weapons, the motives (career advancement or preservation) are nearly identical episode after episode. Moreover, all victims are men, and only four suspects are women (including two in the first episode which have four suspects), an imbalance that I can't explain.

Other characters: Of course, the narrow minded police officer who's always wrong. Other boy's girlfriend that we only see in the first two episodes.

Most egregious cliché: Genius detective paired with naive sidekick.

Funny factor? It's trying.

Bottom line: This isn't my cup of tea. What I like in detective stories, it's being kept guessing, uncovering secrets and motivations. Focusing only on the how is intellectually interesting (superficially because it often requires suspension of disbelief) but doesn't get you as much emotionally invested as the who and why.

Nobuta wo Produce

Japanese title: 野ブタ。をプロデュース

Aired on NTV
From 2005 October to December
10 episodes

Main cast:

Kamenashi Kazuya: Kiritani Shuji

Yamashita Tomohisa: Kusano Akira

Horikita Maki: Kotani Nobuko

Toda Erika; Uehara Mariko

Ukaji Takashi: Kiritani Satoru

Nakajima Yuto: Kiritani Koji

Okada Yoshinori: Yokoyama Takeshi

Natsuki Mari: Catherine

Notes:
- Ignited my crush on you-know-who
- Seriously, everyone is in this drama!
- I rewatched it some months ago so review is from memories!

 

Review: Fav!

Title: Apt. Tells the premise.

Boy: He's popular, has a pretty and nice girlfriend but he's unsatisfied. Actually he forces himself to be nice so that people would like him.

Girl: Other people pick on her because she's weird. She always holds her head down, her face hidden by hair and talks with difficulty to people. But she really has a heart of gold.

Other boy: He doesn't care that people don't care for him. He's as weird as Girl though in a different way.

Plot / relationships: Though romantic feelings interfere as they're bound to, the main Relationship is the unlikely frienship between these three high school students. Each episode tells a self contained story that make the frienship grow.

What I really like about this drama is that under the weirdness, the emotional beats ring true, I was often moved. Also, it isn't predictable. It's confident, smart, doesn't hold back. It doesn't resort to easy magical fixes.

Other characters: It mostly take place at school though we follow Boy at home and sometimes Other Boy.

Funny factor? Yes but that's not what I liked best.

Music: I like the ending song.

Most egregious cliché: Friendship born from giving a makeover. Dream fakeout.

What the...? So many candidates for this category so let's stop at the first episode: a bookstore only allows good-looking people to read in.

Bottom line: Superficially, every character is weird but in the most important ways they behave like real people and I cared for them and their friendship. Do not watch in public.

Star no Koi

Japanese title: スタアの恋
Other titles: Star struck / Love with a super star

11 episodes
Aired on Fuji TV
From 2001 October to November

Main cast:

Fujiwara Norika: Kirishima Hikaruko

Kusanagi Tsuyoshi: Nakata Sosuke

Ukaji Takashi: Saegusa Eiji

Katsumura Masanobu: Koganei Akira

Kakei Toshio: Jiya Yoshitaro

Furuta Arata: Ushiyama Mamoru

Hasegawa Kyoko: Koizumi Tsubomi

Anzai Hiroko: Hyuuga Reiko

Toda Keiko: Tatsukawa Midori

Morimoto Leo: Kinanaka Torao

Azuma Mikihisa: Ichikawa Ryutaro

Notes:
- Hello Father from Nobuta wo Produce AND Oh! My girl!! Also hi, Boss from Oh! My girl!!
- This is the oldest drama I've watched. So you know it must be good to keep me watching till the end despite the weird image quality (and bad fashion).

 

Review: +

Girl: She's a megastar and has been an actress since her childhood. She sometimes acts like an entitled child but she's been very sheltered and used to get whatever she wants. However, she's also not afraid to take risks to prove herself. Fujiwara Norika is, I gathered, quite a star herself, and she really has something that's not showy but that makes you believe she's so famous and has all these guys around her finger. (+)

Boy: It's like they did eveything they could to make him look sub ordinary. He's short, floating in his clothes so, you know, not your usual drama lead. But again, he makes you believe that women would fall for him. He works at a company specialised in selling ham and he's dedicated to his work. He's also good at Japanese archery. He's quiet but not timid and has self-confidence. (+)

Plot/Relationship: It's all about how their lives intersect though they shouldn't. It manages to keep my interest and though the Relationship between Girl and Boy is the focus, Girl's growth as an person and an actress is also part of the story as well as some development for secondary characters. (+)

Other characters: His co-workers, an eccentric director, her agency's employees and some boyfriends.

Main cliché (New category alert!): the star and the commoner. It's interesting to note that it's often the woman who is the famous actress. As always, the drama is inconsistent as to whether people recognise the famous one. When it's convenient, all bystanders recognise her and sometimes, they just don't.

Bottom line: I care for these characters and their struggles. +

Oh! my girl!!

Japanese title: オー！マイ・ガール！！

9 episodes

Aired on NTV
From 2008 October to December

Main cast:

Hayami Mokomichi: Yamashita Kotaro

Yoshida Riko: Sakurai Anne

Kato Rosa: Fuji Mineko

Tomosaka Rie: Yasuno Makiko

Okada Yoshinori: Ishida Ken

YOU: Ozora Hinako

Furuta Arata: Sugawara Hirofumi

Kaga Takeshi: Ishizaka Kazuo

Notes:
- Hello Little Hotaru! And you, co-worker from Star no Koi! Oh! And from Star no Koi there is also in one episode the manager!
- Rewatching

 

Review: +

Title : That’s the kind I remember: generic and nonsensical. Besides, the exclamation marks are ridiculous.

Boy : He works for a magazine writing article but his dream is to publish a novel. Meanwhile he writes cheesy « cellphone novels » which is something you write with your phone on an online platform. He’s an idealist (cynics would say « loser »).

Girl : She’s his 6-years-old niece and before you think "What’s this drama? That'’s illegal and creepy." this drama is not romance. I don’t know what this genre is called but it is the one in which a grumpy old man begrudgingly befriends a neglected cute kid. Except, here, the man is young and handsome.

Back to girl, she’s a child actress, she’s spoiled, she’s very poised with people, unfazed by her fame and a true professional. But she’s still very much a kid : she throws tantrums, sulks and needs to be taken care of.

Girl : She’s Girl’s manager/assistant. Mmm, now that I think about it, she doesn’t have much of a personnality besides doing her best at her job. But it wasn’t distracting while watching and she’s a likable character who felt real. (+)

Plot : Each episode is self-contained while building the overall story. People grow, learn things, there are real emotional stakes, it doesn't strain plausibility too much. (+)

Other characters: There is a single mother who's a co-worker of Boy and his confident. His boss who's too lenient with Boy considering that he skips work a lot. The enemy, a fellow journalist who takes his job seriously so though his personality is quite bad, you understand his frustration with Boy. Finally, there are Girl's mother who is really selfish and the President of their agency. Oh, I almost forgot the neighbours - I think they're supposed to be funny but they were more annoying to me.

Funny Factor? A little.

Music: Good.

What the...?: Girl and her mother live together and no one has figured out that they are related?

Bottom line: Though I was totally shipping some characters, it's more a family show than a romance. It's an enjoyable drama that delivers emotional moments and did not make me cringe. (+)

 

Paradise Kiss (film)

Japanese title: パラダイス・キス

116 minutes
June 4, 2011
Directed by Shinjo Takehiko

Main cast:

• Kitagawa Keiko: Hayasaka Yukari
• Mukai Osamu: Koizumi Jouji "George"
• Yamamoto Yusuke: Tokumori Hiroyuki
• Igara Shunji: Isabella
• Omasa Aya: Sakurada Miwako
• Kaku Kento: Nagase Arashi
• Kato Natsuki: Asou Kaori
• Hada Michiko: Hayasaka Yasuko
• Takahashi Hitomi: Koizumi Yukino
• Ogi Shigemitsu: Nikaido Joichi

Notes:

- So many familiar faces!

- I haven't read the manga by Yazawa Ai it is based on nor watched the anime adapted from the manga. However, there is an AMV I've liked that uses the Paradise Kiss anime and I was wondering how the movie would handle some of the contents...

Review: +/-

Title: Paradise Kiss is the name of the fashion brand that Boy's created with his friends. They want Girl to wear their dress at their runway competition organised by their fashion school.

Girl: She's been studying since she was little to get into the best schools. She's actually not very good at it and she doesn't like it but her mother has been pressuring her. She has her own mind but she just doesn't know what she wants to be. (+)

Boy: Of course he's a Genius at fashion design (me? not convinced). He also has a dark magnetism at the beginning of the movie. (+ at the beginning, - at the end).

Other boy: Smart, good-looking, kind... perfect but bland. Girl's had a crush on him for years but he's never loved her back for reasons we learn in the movie even though I didn't care.

Plot/Relationship: The positive first: Girl and Boy have good chemistry.

However, the story really deserved to be told in a drama. Or more storylines/characters should have been cut. As it is, decisions happen too fast, things happen that should lead to developments but don't, characterisations suffer.

Moreover, Boy's character gets diluted so much that he becomes a cliché.

And, technically, it's a SPOILER, but I think it's more of a warning to those who know the manga or the anime: the ending has been changed. Be prepared. (-)

Other characters: They were more background than fully developed characters.

Funny factor? Not really.

Music: I only remember "Everthing gonna be alright" because that scene was memorable.

WTH: I don't know if it's as important in Japan to be tall, but it was hard to believe that Girl could have a career in modelling when she's always the smallest person in the room. + Some designs were quite ugly (my opinion for what it's worth) + you know I'm not really into a movie when I wondered where Girl left her suitcase.

Bottom line: I spend a nice moment watching this movie, Kitagawa and Mukai were good but the story deserved better than whatever the Japanese version of being hollywoodified is. (+/-)

After the jump, I will complain about what happens (or does not happen) in the movie so... spoilers!

Summer Nude

Japanese title: SUMMER NUDE
(Yeah, I know, it's not very Japanese)

Aired on Fuji TV
From 2013 July to September
11 episodes

Main cast:

Yamashita Tomohisa: Mikuriya Asahi

Toda Erika: Taniyama Hanae

Karina: Chiyohara Natsuki

Katsuji Ryo: Yaino Takashi

Kubota Masataka: Kirihata Hikaru

Yamamoto Mizuki: Horikiri Aoi

Takahashi Katsunori: Shimojima Kenji

Itaya Yuka: Shimojima Setsuko

Nagasawa Masami: Ichikura Kasumi

Note: I watched this drama mostly week to week but sometimes with two weeks in between.

Review: +/-

Title: Drama, you have disappointed me greatly. I thought I would finally be able to make fun of a title and then, you went in the 6th something episode using a voiceover reminiscent of Buzzer beat to say stuff about summer and emotions bared nude. But even with a Miley-Cyrus-like explanation, it's still a ridiculous title.

Boy: He's a photographer who lives a quiet life in a seaside little town. He is confident, very nice and always keeps his promises. Problem: He's obsessed with an ex-girlfriend to the point of stupidity.

Girl: She's a successful cook. She's nice (everyone in this drama is), energetic and strong-willed. She and Boy like to tease each other.

Other girl: She's been in love with Boy for ten years but hasn't made any moves. She is sad and hurt to watch Boy being obssessed with his ex girlfriend's unlikely return. She's a bit of a tomboy and very nice (of course). She and Girl become fast friends.

Other girls and boys: They should get their own mini description given their prominence but I'm too lazy and there is nothing special.

Plot/relationships: A new person gets incorporated into a group of friends who live in a small seaside town and have known each other almost forever. She brings change: new relationships, new endeavours.

Romantic relationships are gradual except for one ridiculous case of insta-love (You know, the dreadful "Wow, with this white shirt on/ without a beer in your hand/ riding an elephant, you're so good looking that I want your babies!")

Funny Factor: Throughout the drama, two teenagers live their own love story, quasi completely disconnected from the main characters, hitting all the hallmarks of "epic" love. It's totally WTH, and funny.

Music: I really like one of the insert piece, full of nostalgic feelings. Overall, it was good.

Bottom line: This is a quiet drama, with decent people who are nice to each other. I like that and I wasn't bored watching it but at the same time, I wasn't dying to watch the next episode. It didn't have glaring faults but I think the pacing was off.

I'm sorry, drama, but I have to come to terms with the fact that I love over-the-top too much and that I can't appreciate quiet anymore. +/-

Akumu-chan

Japanese title: 悪夢ちゃん

Aired on NTV
From October to December 2012
11 episodes
(A movie seems to be planned for 2014).

Main cast:

Kitagawa Keiko: Mutoi Ayami

Kimura Manatsu: Koto Yuiko

Gackt: Shiki Takashi

Yuka: Hirashima Kotoha

Kohinata Fumiyo: Koto Bannosuke

Update: Akumu-chan The Movie is to be released on May 2014.

Review: + !

Title: Akumu-chan is the nickname that Girl gives to a little girl who has predictive nighmares (akuma = bad dreams).

Girl: She's an elementary school teacher and pretends to be smiling all the time even though it's all fake. Her character is different from all the naturally nice girls in drama and the evolution of her character is really interesting. I love her (but I love Kitagawa Keiko).

Boy: He's a scientist and his true intentions are never clear. I was confused by his character who was nice but also slightly creepy. Maybe I would've been more interested in him with a different actor.

Plot: There is romance in this drama but it's in the backseat. The real stories are the story of Girl and also the stories of her pupils. One episode typically revolves around a pupil's problems and Little girl's dreams about it. There are interpretations of symbols in the dream and the stories are varied so it's really compelling. It's also slightly creepy and... really NTV? This is not a family drama. Though the mediocre special effects aren't scary, the themes can be disturbing for kids. The nighmares are really nighmares: there is physical and (more unsettling) emotional violence committed by children and/or on children. For grown-ups however, no problem.

Other characters: Little girl! So, so cute!! Can I adopt her (legally)?The other school teachers are typical comic reliefs. The nurse starts off weird but she becomes a real character later on.

Funny factor? See other characters.

Music: Serviceable.

Bottom line: At first, I stayed for the stand alone stories and the enigma of what these dreams are about. Then, I got engrossed in Girl's story as well. Though the finale was grandiloquent, I was impressed by how the stories told managed to make sense (I mean, once you've accepted that you can watch dreams in a TV). In the end, a + without question.

Hotaru the Movie

Japanese title: 映画 ホタルノヒカリ
Other title: It's only a little light in my life

Release date: June 2012
A movie (after 2 TV seasons)

Main cast:

• Ayase Haruka: Takano Hotaru
• Fujiki Naohito: Takano Seiichi
• Matsuyuki Yasuko: Saeki Rio
• Tegoshi Yuya: Saeki Yu
• Itaya Yuka: Futatsugi Sachiko
• Yasuda Ken: Futatsugi Shoji

Notes:
- Information was taken from Asianwiki.
- The movie was shot on location in Italy and now... I want to go to Rome ASAP.
- I watched it some hours ago so I still have feelings.
- I Fav the first TV season.

 

Review: - (but WTH is closer to my feelings right now.)

Girl: I don't know what to do with Hotaru. She's a very excessive, quirky character. It worked in the first season but it just felt too much in the second season and in the movie. I actually disliked her in the movie. Girl doesn't want to do anything except lazing around, not even going to Rome with her husband. And it isn't counterbalanced by her efficient self at work. Secondly, and it's a huge problem for me, it also plagued the second season of the drama, well... I'll talk about it in the "Relationship" part of the review. In fairness, Girl also does her dumb but earnest actions, only it's too late.

Boy: He's perfect. So perfect that I want to scream: "Leave her. At least, tell her off. She's so annoying."

Relationship: Boy and Girl are together, they are married in the movie, and supposedly so have been for two years. Yet, (spoiler for the great 1st season -underline to see:) she still calls him "Boss" (Buchou). I can deal with that, that's like "Darling" for them.

But Girl freaks out when she finds out that they're going to sleep in the same bed in the same hotel room. And this is their honeymoon. And she's 29. For anyone who has seen season one, it's even more stupid (spoiler for 1st season: (since she lived for some time in a tiny apartment with her then-boyfriend and there was only one bed).

Moreover, their relationship looks unbalanced: Girl hasn't changed at all in all these years and doesn't seem to bring anything to the relation whereas Boy has adopted some of her quirks and always puts up with her. She loves him because he's perfect (how could you not?) and he loves her... I'm not sure why... because she's nice to him after she thought he was dead?

Plot: It's a mess. Like in drama specials, the movie introduces new characters whose stories echoes the main characters'. It usually isn't subtle. But the movie goes further trying to discuss the meaning of life. It's clumsily hammered and I'm not convinced. This happens after shenanigans involving mysterious suitcases, suspicious white powder, Mafia kidnappings, dancing to 'I will survive", a roundabout of hell, ruining a dress, hijacking someone's party... You get the picture.

Funny factor: Hits and misses. Some scènes are genuinely funny: in the airplane, each one involving the other Girl and Girl... Others are totally ridiculous. I can find dumb jokes funny (Exhibit A: I Fav Brown Sugar Macchiato. Exhibit B: I watched all episodes of Anna-san no Omame and Mendol Ikemen Idol) but these ones feel out of place. Over-the-top dancing scene which almost ruined the actor in my mind, I'm talking to you. To end on a good note, I loved the credits' banter-over.

Music: Continuity with the drama.

Bottom line: I'm so disappointed. You know how they say it's a good thing we don't know what happens after they get married in a fairytale. I kind of wish I hadn't seen what happens after the first season. It almost makes me question the coupling of these two characters. I still feel they could be great together... but not like that. I didn't talk much about the plot of the movie because it's thin and just a pretext. Minus.

Love Shuffle

Japanese title: ラブシャッフル

Aired on TBS
From 2009 January to March
10 episodes

Based on a manga

Main cast:

Tamaki Hiroshi: Usami Kei

Karina: Aizawa Airu

Matsuda Shota: Sera Ojiro

Tanihara Shosuke: Kikuta Masato

DAIGO: Oishi Yukichi

Yoshitaka Yuriko: Hayakawa Kairi

Kojima Hijiri: Kamijyo Reiko

Kanjiya Shihori: Kagawa Mei

Hello Karina! I'm watching your last drama Summer nude!
Hey Ceramic boy from Hana yori dango!
Hola Girl's best friend from Buzzer beat, you're quite different here!

 

Review: +

Title: So four strangers meet in an elevator, bond, realise they live on the same floor and decide to “shuffle” their partners every week. As you do.

Boys and girls: Therefore, there are eight main protagonists.
The four floormates:
- Shining loser
- Sassy interpreter
- Sweet dark photographer
- Mysterious psychiatrist
And their respective partners:
- Innocent fiancée
- Desperate billionaire
- Sexy older lady
- Strange painter

As you can see, a lot of these characters are weird and at least complicated with secret motivations for going into the love shuffle. Therefore it’s interesting and different. They are likeable but not really relatable.
 

Plots and relationships: The plot is relationships and learning about the characters, their past, their motivations for the shuffle or for life in general. Problem is: it is weird and therefore, it feels almost surreal at times, like it does not take place in our reality. So, just go with its atmosphere to enjoy. Actually, one of the most enjoyable parts is the friendship between the four floormates: it’s playful but they also really care for each other.

 

Funny factor: Yes. Also, lots of plays on words. YAY PANDA!

Music: Good. Enjoy these familiar songs.

Bottom line: I wasn’t forcing myself to finish this drama and I was not cringing so it’s a +. It’s original and different but also weird. Try the first episodes and see if you get into it!

Hotaru no Hikari (season 1)

Japanese title: ホタルノヒカリ

Aired on NTV
From 2007 July 11 to September 12
10 épisodes

Based on a manga by Satoru Hiura (2004-2009)

Main cast:

Ayase Haruka: Amemiya Hotaru

Fujiki Naohito: Takano Seiichi

Kuninaka Ryoko: Saegusa Yuuka

Kato Kazuki: Teshima Makoto

Takeda Shinji: Jinguuji Kaname

Itaya Yuka: Yamada Sachiko

Yasuda Ken: Futatsugi Shouji

Review: Fav!

Title : It means « glow of a firefly », a play on words since the main character is named Hotaru.

Girl : She’s a “himono onna”, meaning that she prefers lazing around at home rather than going out. As a result, she’s totally clueless in her relationships. But while she does absolutely nothing at home, she works hard at her job. Some will find her too much but that’s what is funny and  I can relate to her. (+)

Guy : Not « boy » because he’s older than Girl, he’s her boss and he’s mature. A serious, good-at-house chores man, he’s capable of silliness and can be sarcastic. (+)

Boy : Love interest of Girl. He’s really shy but really sincere. He’s a talented interior designer. For some reason he’s popular amongst girls. He’s cute but of the silent type, and not the charismatic one. So… wash.

Relationships : Interesting, progressive, with emotion. (+)

Other characters and plot : the plot is basically relationships but I want to underline the fact that the workplace is central in this drama. All the characters work together, in the interior design department of a building company, except Guy’s best friend who is in another department. Girl begins as an assistant but she earns responsibilities as a planner thanks to her good work. Though it’s unrealistic that everyone would be so friendly, I really enjoy the workplace dynamics . (+)
Update: Now that I have a job, I'm happy to say that, yes, relationships with co-workers can be really friendly. Without the drinking beer together. That should be cultural.

Funny factor: Yes. Funny characters, starting with Girl. Plus Guy’s sarcasticness. (++)

Music: Okay.

Bottom line: It’s really funny, we get to know the characters, their relations are interesting. Fav. No hesitation.
I was looking forward to the second season (2010) because you don’t want things you like to end. Unfortunately it wasn’t as good (a + maybe or gasp! even a +/-, I don’t remember enough of it), that’s why I distinguish the reviews. I have yet to see the movie (out in 2012) but I will if I can. Update: Ugh! The movie is a big minus.

Kurosagi

 Japanese title: クロサギ

Aired on TBS
From 2006 April 14 to June 23
11 épisodes + a movie (2008)

 Main cast:

Yamashita Tomohisa: Kurosaki (Kurosagi)

Horikita Maki: Yoshikawa Tsurara

Ichikawa Yui: Mishima Yukari

Yamazaki Tsutomu: Katsuragi Toshio

Okunuki Kaoru: Hayasa

Aikawa Sho: Kashima Masaru

Tayama Ryosei: Momoyama Tetsuji

Kato Koji: Shiraishi Yoichi

Note: This drama is based on a popular manga that I haven't read.

Review: +

 

Title: Kurosagi is the nickname of the main character, it means "black swindler" which is to say, the ultimate swindler, the swindler of swindlers.

Boy: He's like a super hero. Dark origin story: check. Disguises: various. Super power: being incredibly clever and self-controlled. Motives: taking revenge and helping victims. He is lonely, has turned off his emotions due to a tragedy and in order to devote himself to the destruction of swindlers but you can see glimpses of kindness. Glimpses. (+)

Girl: She wants to be a prosecutor so she's at odds with Boy's occupation which consists in breaking the law. She's very normal but I found her a bit bland. It's weird because she has her own agenda and expresses herself but I didn't find her interesting. I feel like she was more a token character because someone had to point out that there are laws etc. Besides, I didn't get why she loves him, just because he's hot and mysterious. She should be intrigued, maybe attracted to him but he's so indifferent to her, she ends up acting like a doormat. (-)

Relationship: Weak. Were the relationship between the two main characters a lot more compelling, it would have been a Fav but... as I said, Girl is boring, and there is no chemistry. The romance subplot isn't organic, it seemed like they had to add it. You know there is a problem when you ship another girl with Boy. (-)

Plots: Each episode, Boy takes down a swindler. Each time, it's a different scheme, with fake(s) identity(ies). It often requires suspension of disbelief but it's entertaining. (+) I just wish it would have been a bit more serialised.

 

Other characters: - Girl's best friend: I like her though she can be mean. We have some backstory, she's lively, she’s way more energetic than Girl. (+)

 

- Foe: A policeman who wants to arrest Boy. I just can't with him. His characterization is all over the place, his backstory is the least credible thing in the drama and he laughs maniacally for no reason like a villain in a C-movie. (-)

 

- Allies: I didn't really get them. There is a old man who is very important and I warmed to him in the latest episodes but in the first ones, he's just disgusting, kind of creepy, like he was supposed to be mysterious but ended up as annoying. There is a woman who cares for him and I didn’t really get her either. (-)

One backstory is dropped for each character and then almost never heard of again, except for Boy. Even for him, we see the same images again and again and only at the end, we get some additional flashbacks fleshing out the origins story.

 

Funny factor: Hmm no.

Music: I liked it.

 

Bottom line:

 

Two things saved this drama for me and made it compelling to watch:

1) Yamashita Tomohisa is magnetic in this drama, I just can't take my eyes off him in this drama. (Corner of superficiality: his hairstyle in this drama suits him and his character perfectly. Look at the picture above! It's actually promo for the movie but I like it better -except for the tear...- and anyway, it's closer to how he looks in the drama, since his movie hair is less black.) 

2) Swindling plots: original, interesting guest characters, new and distinctive challenges.

However, I can't deny the shortcomings: Most characters are uninteresting and you feel like you don't know them and can't understand them. A romantic subplot is shoehorned.

It also feels like they wanted to keep stuff for a second season that never happened.

But a movie happened. I was hoping resolution, Boy finally taking down the big boss that ruined his family and I was disappointed. It was like a random episode of the drama stretched to two hours (so too long) only with less Girl (she has maybe 5 minutes of screen time but she doesn’t do anything), an obsession with Julius Caesar by Shakespeare I didn’t totally get and an added emphasis on Old Man which would have been interesting if I, you know, was interested and not grossed out by him.  Movie:  -

Proposal Daisakusen

Japanese title: プロポーズ大作戦

Aired on Fuji TV
April - June 2007
on Monday at 21.00

11 episodes + a Special (March 2008)

Main cast:

Yamashita Tomohisa: Iwase Ken

Nagasawa Masami: Yoshida Rei

Fujiki Naohito: Tada Tetsuya

Eikura Nana: Oku Eri

Hiraoka Yuta: Enokido Mikio

Hamada Gaku: Tsurumi Hisashi

Mikami Hiroshi: the Yosei/Fairy

Notes:
- I rewatched it for the second time and my opinion hasn't changed.
- Hello Manager and one of the coworkers of Hotaru no Hikari.

Review: +/-

Title: Like I ended up doing in most reviews, I’ll  actually use this section to give a short synopsis. In this drama, Boy attends his childhood friend’s wedding. He loves her but never confessed and is full of regrets. Every episode, he returns to a point in the past, starting in high school, to change his actions and better convey his feelings to her hoping she won’t get married to another man.

Girl: She’s nice. Though she has liked Boy since they met as kids, their relationship is based on teasing and she has never managed to confess to him.

Boy: He’s a quiet guy. His present self works hard to change the past and does really cute things for Girl but his past self was at best, totally clueless and more likely but worse, a tool. Therefore it’s too easy to understand why Girl would move on.

Other boy: He’s socially awkward but very earnest.

Friends: I talk about them early in the review because they are important in this drama. Though it’s in the background of the romance story, the friendship theme is indissociable. Girl’s best friend is energetic, joyful and she likes to go out with boys. Boy has two friends: one of them is sincerely in love with Girl’s best friend and has no shame expressing himself openly though he always gets rejected, the other is calm, mature, smart, in a word, cool.

Relationship: Ouch. This is where this drama falls apart. My opinion.

1^st: No chemistry between Boy and Girl. I buy them as friends but not as lovers. Their interactions are mostly teasing and I get that it’s hard when you grew up together to change the relationship you have but the will-they/won’t-they tension was lacking.

2^nd: There is no deep discussion between Boy and Girl, like discussing their dreams, their problems. Emotion only comes from their repressed feelings towards each other and common memories of their school years. Which is not enough to make me believe that two people are endgame.

3^rd: Past Boy didn’t seem to care that much about Girl’s feelings and she was right to move on to Other boy with whom she has better chemistry and who is a great guy.

4^th: Boy is actually quite selfish. He realises he has loved Girl for 14 years, which I’m not convinced of, and decides to win her back. But their love seem childish while her relationship with Other boy feels more mature. Indeed, their characters go better together while her feelings for Boy are kept alive in part by nostalgia.

Funny factor: Running gags. Also Boy keeps talking about events or using catchphrases before they happen, which is fun if you are really familiar with these Japanese pop culture references.

Music: Okay.

Bottom line: This is a high-concept drama. Bonus point for originality but the format of each episode gets tiring. Introduction: he goes into the past. Conclusion: he comes back. Seeing only “moments” in their lives was a bit superficial. I didn’t root for the main couple but I have to say that the returns to the past were well-handled and interesting, as a concept. I don’t know how it could have been better but it could have been way worse so +/-.

Rebound

Japanese title: リバウンド

Aired on NTV, April/June 2011
10 episodes

Main cast:

Aibu Saki: Oba Nobuko

Hayami Mokomichi: Imai Taichi

Kuriyama Chiaki: Mimura Hitomi

Katsuji Ryo: Kazami Kensaku

Hankai Kazuaki: Kamiya Takayuki

Wakamura Mayumi: Morinaka Ran

Nishiyama Maki: Naito Yuki

Ito Kazue: Oba Tomoe

Ishizuka Hidehiko: Oba Mutsumi

Note:
Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi who were in Zettai Kareshi are reunited in this drama. Also present is Ueno Natsuhi who has a small role here but was Riiko's "best friend" in ZK.

Review: +

Girl: Nobuko has always been overweight but recently with the help of a dietetician she slimmed down and got a job in a fashion magazine, something she wanted for a long time. However, she must be very careful with what she eats because she can rebound (gain a lot of weight) very quickly. We really get to know her in the drama (though sometimes the characters sum it up for us): she's meddling, always wants to help, gets into impossible situations because she can't tell the truth for fear of disappointing people and she's cheery and really expressive. (+)

Boy: He's a pâtissier and inherited the shop from his father. He's really impulsive, has a somewhat bad character, feels easily down especially when it comes to his shop but he's also very talented, dedicated and loyal. (+)

Plot/relationship: The relationship between those two is the main plot but it is intertwined with her job at the fashion magazine and relationship with her boss as well as with his quest to make delicious cakes, with her help. The series starts with a lot of talk about her weight and it remains a big element of the story but episode after episode, the focus shifts to issues like what path to choose for one's life, big dilemmas, happiness. The answers are kind of similar to what I've seen in most dramas but the ride is interesting. (+) I could see the resolution in the last episode from miles away but it was cute.

Other characters: I didn't really care for her parents or Kenzaku, an ex-boyfriend of hers. (-)
But I really enjoyed her boss who is a well-done cliché of a fashion magazine editor-in-chief and her best friend who is the introvert to Nobuko's cheery and is a character I'm less used to see though I think there are a lot of people like her in real life. (+)

Funny factor? Again, especially at the beginning but it's quite funny.

Music: Two days later, I don't remember it.

Bottom line: This drama is a good surprise. This premise is tricky but it managed to tackle some topics about life choices. The characters are all likeable but still flawed, something that is acknowledged in the drama itself. It rings true. I couldn't wait for the next episode. It's a (unexpected) +!