Japanese Dramas: Reviews and Ratings
Some brief thoughts and ratings of the Japanese dramas that I’ve seen so far.
Hana Yori Dango: All I know is that I got terribly addicted to watching this. It was fantastic! Oguri Shun is also ok in my eyes: 9.5/10
Hana Yori Dango Returns: Felt it got a bit predictable at the end but still enjoyable: 9.3/10.
Nodame Cantabile: Wasn’t expecting much. I mean seriously, a drama about a wannabe conductor? I’m glad I started watching this. It’s total crack and zany to boot. Ueno Juri is just pure brilliance: 10/10.
Hana Kimi (Japanese version: OMG. So much love. I really became rather attached to all the characters in the end. I can’t wait for the special. Seriously Oguri and Toma together is a match made in heaven: 10/10.
Last Friends: I was going to avoid this drama. The promotional pictures are pretty but sure look depressing. Not my cup of tea at all but I ended up watching it because of Ueno and Eita. I’m so glad I did. I really felt like these characters had a lot of layers (well most of them) and the plots demonstrating the complexities of what it is to be human. Seriously addictive: 9.7/10
Zettai Kareshi: It’s such a fun premise. I got a bit irritated in the middle and there were times I was thinking of giving up but persevere and I feel you will be rewarded. 8.9/19
Kimi Wa Petto: Lured by Jun Matsumoto, I couldn’t wait to see him acting like a dog. Sure it was cute, the premise was very original and I like the idea of the female character but in the end I just found her too cold to warm too. And so I felt like giving up in the middle of the drama: 7/10
Stand Up!: The premise makes this sound like American Pie (which I hate) but because Oguri Shun and Ninomiya Kazunari were in this, how could I refuse? It ended up being a lot sweeter than I thought. Highly watchable. It was one of those dramas that I marathoned and sat there watching so many episodes back to back. I’d give this a 8.9/10.
Yamada Tarou Monogatari: Go into this drama without analyzing it and I think you will love it. Highly enjoyable, wonderful visuals, fantastic fun editing and sweet. Splice a sunnier version of Hana Yori Dango with a lite version of Nodame Cantabile and you get this! It is so feel good and the theme tune will make you so happy. I honestly thought this was going to be really sickly cheesy but it wasn’t. Nino and Sho were great and I really liked the actress (forgot her name again) in this too. She was hilarious! I would love it if they made a sequel to this. It’s one of my favourites: 9.8/10.
Osen: I had a really fresh and fun feeling while watching this. For anyone who is interested in Japanese cooking and the traditional side of Japan should watch this! Not to mention Aoi Yuu is in this. She’s one of the few actresses who will never annoy me. I think she’s brilliant. Having said that, I felt like the episodes got a bit repetitive in the end. You know, ‘there’s a moral to this episode’ and exploring the ‘niceness of everything.’ Sometimes I felt like the characters weren’t explored enough. At the end of the series I just felt like ‘THAT’S IT?’. I wanted more. I will write up a more indepth review which you can find later! (when I write it) 8/10.
My Boss My Hero: I found I could zip through this series in a space of two days! It’s very easy to watch. I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing I’ve seen but the lead actor is really charismatic and makes this gangster so lovable. His facial expressions are hilarious. If anything, his hotness will keep you watching! 8.4/10
Orange Days: I think from the first episode, it had this sort of unique and special feeling to it. I like that this is a drama about slightly older and mature characters. They’re all at that point of life where everything is uncertain! It’s a beautiful drama about a deaf girl and a boy (with his friends in tow). The ending is quite possibly the most perfect ending to a drama that I’ve ever seen. It got me teary eyed! Normally I prefer comedies but this was EVER SO NICE. The romance parts are done extremely well. 8.5/10.
Kisarazu Cat’s Eye: I downloaded this on a bit of a whim because I really wanted to see a Sho Sakurai drama. I’m so glad I did. The story is about Bussan, a young man who finds out he’s dying of cancer. Right, this alone would really turn me off. I don’t like want to be crying throughout the whole 9 nine episodes. Secondly, it’s about a baseball team. I have no interest in baseball either but luckily they don’t actually really concentrate too much on that. A more accurate description is that it is seriously fun series about friends getting up to crazy things at night. For some reason, I think in the way it’s edited, it reminds me of something like Ocean’s Eleven. It has a unique way of unravelling the story. And it’s a drama that’s not dependant on romance (there’s a little bit but it’s not the central storyline)
What I really love is that even at the sad parts; it is written in such a way that will make you laugh. I ‘m glad I have the two movies to look forward to. Bring them on! CATS, NYA, CATS NYA!
9.6/10 (tentative. I would probably put this higher!)
One Pound Gospel: The main concept of this drama is Boxer falls in love with prim Nun. Doesn’t this just strike you as the stuff of romance heaven? Unfortunately I didn’t feel like this drama lived up to its promise. It has so much potential for extreme sexy angst and yet I really couldn’t get a sense of it at all.
I really like Kame as an actor. I first saw him in Sapuri so his role in this drama really surprised me. His character is rather more like a cute puppy dog in this one which doesn’t really appeal to me. And so the romance failed here too because I found his character a bit too immature. He didn’t seem to understand that Sister Angela is not allowed to have a relationship with a man because she is a nun! (that’s should have been like the major HOT POINT of the drama). SO MUCH ANGST WASTED. For the most part I found myself much more interested in the secondary characters but they weren’t in it as much. I have to say that the ending of the series was really cute though. So in short, it doesn’t live up to its potential but it’s quite fun to pass some time. 7.8/10
Densha Otoku: This is a must see. I laughed and I cried in practically EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Don’t worry It’s not depressing at all. It’s very happy tears. You’ll feel so touched. Ah I can’t really write properly because I just finished watching it last night. You’ll fall in love with every single character and get so attached that it will be very hard to say goodbye. It also makes you think about how wonderful internet friends can be! At this moment 9.5/10. It’s near enough perfect but because of all the crying, I knocked off the 0.5 because I hate the feeling of puffy eyes after crying. LOL.
Honey and Clover: I can understand why some people would have got bored with this drama. It’s not one of those you can watch in one sitting. It is one of those ponderous quiet types of dramas where not much happens. In a way I think it is about inertia and also about this weird point in your life where you have to decide what you are going to do (as well as unrequited love). Which is why I liked this drama. Even though the characters can be frustrating. For instance they will do things and then take steps back from their own progressions. Somehow I actually like this. They’re very human and easy to relate to. I really recommend rather than plunging your way through this quickly, is to take your time with it! Maybe watch two episodes twice a week. Pace it out. It’s beautifully filmed and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The end episode made me cry. I realized I wished it went on so I could find out even more about them. 8/10.
One off Dramas
Sensei wa Erai! (Japan) - I was half watching this but it holds a special place in my heart since I saw this in Japan.
Marathon (Japan) - Nino was in this. I really enjoy his acting so I decided to give this a go. I really admire the roles he chooses and this is no exception. He plays an autistic boy who runs a marathon. It’s a pleasant storyline but not something I would normally choose to watch: 8/10