Drama junkie part deus ex machina
Yay dramas post time! I haven't done one of these in a while but that's because I found last season's dramas largely disappointing. I didn't feel inspired to pick up most of them and the ones I DID pick up were mostly a waste of my time. I honestly cant even remember the names of most of last season's dramas tbh :( I did however, really enjoy Ryuusei no Kizuna, it wasn't a GREAT drama but it was in my opinion a very enjoyable one. I do love most kudokan dramas though so maybe that helped? XD
Anyway this season in contrast has been AMAZING for me, I cannot remember watching this many dramas in a single season before and I haven't dropped any yet! I'm so surprised because I'm usually the type to rarely finish a drama series but so far all of these have proved to be very good viewing.
So my opinions on the dramas I'm watching so far!
Uta Onii (eps 1-3): I am enjoying this quite alot so far and I didnt think I would. I'll be honest now, I checked this drama out for Maru, and he's at least 50% of the reason I am still watching it now. That being said the other 50% is worth mentioning too. The rest of the fabulous cast and colorful characters and silly happenings all make this drama a worthwhile drama to me. I do love a light fun drama but I feel like most dramas that try to be light and fun just end up being really stupid instead. (examples: yasuken, yamataro, yuukan club and this season's mei-chan. apologies to anyone who liked these dramas. but they are not my cup of tea, even though yes I watched all of yc BUT ONLY CAUSE OF YOKO!) Anyway uta onii manages to balance that thin line i think between absurdity and reality well enough. I confess most of the scenes outside of the uta onii set and studio are not very interesting to me and I find the girlfriend of ohno's chara to be completely pointless as a character and I'm sick of seeing air time taken away from the other worthwhile characters, just so we can hear her preachy contrived monologues. I'm not a fan of the saccharine crap found in most dramas either, but so far uta onii has managed not to annoy me with the cutesy stuff or its "Morals of the Day". Maru it should be said is surprisingly natural as Mamoru, i do think it helps that mamoru has alot in common with maru, and chances are this is why he was chosen. But I'm glad that Maru is allowed a full range of emotions in this role and not just the default "smiley happy energetic silly" that is probably associated with him normally. I also really like the character of Urara (the sister of song) and the hilarious over the top antagonist of the story, Himuro. The manger lady is a nice breath of fresh as a mature capable woman and not your typical whiny nagging obnoxious jdrama heroine. Also the children that appear in the drama now and then are really precious and brighten it up for me <3 So basically my verdict so far on uta onii is a thumbs up.
Zeni Geba (eps 1-5): I think this might be my favorite drama of the season, which in a season full of strong dramas, is really saying something. This is a very picturesque drama but also a surprisingly minimal, simple and quiet one. Every scene is filled with an ominous and melancholic feeling. and whenever the protagonist appears, there is this distinct feeling of tension. a very uncomfortable feeling. you can say that this is an uncomfortable drama to watch. but also completely engrossing. the pace is perfect, never too slow or too fast. I think it's easily the most tightly plotted drama of the ones i'm watching and certainly the most gorgeous looking. It's amazing how it manages to seem so stunning yet most of the scenes filmed are of grim or gloomy things. Seriously the art direction is superb I cannot say this enough. There is not much dialogue in this drama and most scenes of emotion are more subtle than not but it's amazing how much can be conveyed without words in this drama. Even so, every now and then there are these scenes of fully charged emotion, where the protagonist really just loses his shit and it's amazingly powerful and unnerving to watch. It's also just fascinating from a philosophical standpoint as well. Just seeing how far a human will go sometimes to reach his goals, to realize his ambitions. The protagonist of this drama is no hero, he's barely even an anti hero. His heart is so twisted and black, you'll be amazed this is a jdrama even. But this is all what makes zeni geba SO fascinating to watch, part of it is just the amazingly dark nature of the story and also the novelty of seeing such a plot in a jdrama at all. Zeni geba really feels like it's part horror story and part morality play, but despite this it never goes full out grotesque or resorts to cheap thrills and there are no grand speeches about life or the world in this entire show. i wont say that never tries to a make point without being very obvious but i will say it so far has avoided beating the viewer over the head with it's point. Zeni geba is simply a great story, with some great acting from matsuken as well. I seriously cannot gush about this drama enough. Ok i'll stop but seriously, if anyone here is not watching zeni geba already START WATCHING IT! So for my favorite moment in this drama so far has been, that moment in ep 5 where Futaro stops for a moment and (finally) starts to question himself. "I'm not wrong, I'm not wrong" over and over like he cant even tell the difference anymore. it's really startling to watch. oh and also the moment where matsuken appears as that funny family's brother who also happens to be a spitting image of futaro. XD that was so hilarious!
Love Shuffle (eps 1-5): This drama would be my favorite after zeni geba. Ironic considering they are nearly opposites in tone and theme. This is a really fresh and current feeling drama. Lots of random pop cultural references appear, like abba's dancing queen, a mention of the classic story "the little prince" and even a half century old american baseball scandal, "say it aint so joe" ring a bell to anyone? Even better you get an Earth, Wind & Fire song as the theme song. HELL YES, i'll take that over jpop idols ANY DAMN DAY! *ahem* but aside from the fact that the writers are either hipsters or culture junkies, this is definitely a different kind of drama. But just reading the premise for it would probably tell you that. There is alot of dialogue in LS and it's pretty smart and funny dialogue, the kind that i've gotten used to seeing in some american and british dramas but never thought i'd see in a jdrama! In fact LS's strength is it's cast and dialogue. something the writers must clearly have been aware of because the drama centers heavily on the characters and their interactions. Seeing all kinds of diverse character interactions is part of why I like this drama so much and even I cant help but be sucked up into the "who will end up with who" speculations that I normally ignore in most love triangle dramas. Though LS is more like a love hexagon than a triangle it doesnt let romantic squabbles and melodrama take over the entire show, or most of it in fact. LS is a surprisingly thoughtful drama that actually poses an interesting question "Is it true that there is only one person for every one? is there such a thing as a destined partner?". While the writers might have their own answer to this question (though to their credit I've so far watched six episodes and I cant tell what their opinion on this really is yet, so kudos to them for not beating us over the head with this point so far) we the viewers can always come up with our own conclusions regardless of how the drama chooses to end. It is nice to see a drama trying to dig beneath the surface of human relationships. Friendships, marriage, suicide, and even bisexuality all have a place in this drama and perhaps the writers have a point to make about each. Even if they dont I'm enjoying the ride so far and the fact that most of the plot twists and happenings seem to have a point to them rather than just being there for edginess or drama. Well I feel like LS is a very complex drama with complex characters, mostly. and I love the characters in fact, especially Airu, Kei and Ojiro, airu is definitely one of most well written female characters in dramas. There should be more like her! Though i dont agree with every point the writers have tried to make so far in the drama, I do find their views interesting and I feel like as a drama LS still has alot more to say and more surprises in store. and if all that's not a good enough reason to watch then I'll say matsuda shota is insanely sexy in this and I dont think you need a better reason than that to watch. seriously, dude is HOT. *__*
Voice (eps 1-5): LF basically gave me a huge eita crush and I so wanted to reach into the screen many times and just give takeru a huge hug. unfortunately he'd probably have run screaming into the night if i did that .__. but anyway! I'm really enjoying this drama so far and it's not helping my eita crush at all. Eita's chara in this is sooo hilariously nerdy and goofy, i love it! and his scenes with toma and ishihara satomi are probably the best things about this drama. That being said, I think if I drop any dramas this season it will be this one. Basically, I LOVE the cast, they have great chemistry together. ALL of them and none of the characters feel unnecessary or pointless. I do wish the female student didnt get saddled with the "straight laced by the book always serious" personality that girls usually get stuck with in these ensemble type dramas but eh, what can you do? So far it hasn't ruined the drama for me so it's not a big issue. However, the only thing I feel like voice has going for it is the cast and character interactions. That's it. The forensic cases, which eat up the largest part of the drama's run time, are 1. wildly unrealistic and unrepresentative of actual forensics and 2. they are (to me) fairly dull. I seriously find them boring and end up fast forwarding through most of the case "investigation" scenes. I really wish they had used this cast for a less boring subject. Seriously i feel like this dramas is totally wasting it's cast and not utilizing it's full potential. I feel like had this been a drama about lawyers, young detectives, the police force, college life, hell cooking! near anything else really, that this would be a much much more interesting drama all around. Just seems like a shame :( ah well, I never cared much for medical dramas anyway (even if the medical aspect this time is heavily toned down) so maybe that's why I dislike the premise so much. Not that it's not an interesting one by itself but execution is...not so great.
I was also watching HYD K for a while but I only got as far as ep 12 before I started to lose interest. I think actually made farther into the tw drama, despite my not liking it very much. but jan di's wussification was becoming too much for me and honestly i think i've grown out of that story ages ago but i still feel like checking it out everytime a drama is made out of hyd. but i think I'm finally at my highest saturation point, as far as hyd adaptations go. I might still finish the drama though, because lee min ho and joon hyung are too yummy <3 (and who ever plays woobin <3) I like yi yung really but am I the only one in bof fandom who is w/e about kim bum? srsly i dont get the hype. but then i was like that for a while about matsuda shota too. suffice to say, love shuffle changed my mind. XD
Feel free to discuss dramas with me in the comments too guys! I've seen alot of interesting mixed feelings from my flist about this drama season so I'm looking forward to hearing other's opinions ^_^
Anyway this season in contrast has been AMAZING for me, I cannot remember watching this many dramas in a single season before and I haven't dropped any yet! I'm so surprised because I'm usually the type to rarely finish a drama series but so far all of these have proved to be very good viewing.
So my opinions on the dramas I'm watching so far!
Uta Onii (eps 1-3): I am enjoying this quite alot so far and I didnt think I would. I'll be honest now, I checked this drama out for Maru, and he's at least 50% of the reason I am still watching it now. That being said the other 50% is worth mentioning too. The rest of the fabulous cast and colorful characters and silly happenings all make this drama a worthwhile drama to me. I do love a light fun drama but I feel like most dramas that try to be light and fun just end up being really stupid instead. (examples: yasuken, yamataro, yuukan club and this season's mei-chan. apologies to anyone who liked these dramas. but they are not my cup of tea, even though yes I watched all of yc BUT ONLY CAUSE OF YOKO!) Anyway uta onii manages to balance that thin line i think between absurdity and reality well enough. I confess most of the scenes outside of the uta onii set and studio are not very interesting to me and I find the girlfriend of ohno's chara to be completely pointless as a character and I'm sick of seeing air time taken away from the other worthwhile characters, just so we can hear her preachy contrived monologues. I'm not a fan of the saccharine crap found in most dramas either, but so far uta onii has managed not to annoy me with the cutesy stuff or its "Morals of the Day". Maru it should be said is surprisingly natural as Mamoru, i do think it helps that mamoru has alot in common with maru, and chances are this is why he was chosen. But I'm glad that Maru is allowed a full range of emotions in this role and not just the default "smiley happy energetic silly" that is probably associated with him normally. I also really like the character of Urara (the sister of song) and the hilarious over the top antagonist of the story, Himuro. The manger lady is a nice breath of fresh as a mature capable woman and not your typical whiny nagging obnoxious jdrama heroine. Also the children that appear in the drama now and then are really precious and brighten it up for me <3 So basically my verdict so far on uta onii is a thumbs up.
Zeni Geba (eps 1-5): I think this might be my favorite drama of the season, which in a season full of strong dramas, is really saying something. This is a very picturesque drama but also a surprisingly minimal, simple and quiet one. Every scene is filled with an ominous and melancholic feeling. and whenever the protagonist appears, there is this distinct feeling of tension. a very uncomfortable feeling. you can say that this is an uncomfortable drama to watch. but also completely engrossing. the pace is perfect, never too slow or too fast. I think it's easily the most tightly plotted drama of the ones i'm watching and certainly the most gorgeous looking. It's amazing how it manages to seem so stunning yet most of the scenes filmed are of grim or gloomy things. Seriously the art direction is superb I cannot say this enough. There is not much dialogue in this drama and most scenes of emotion are more subtle than not but it's amazing how much can be conveyed without words in this drama. Even so, every now and then there are these scenes of fully charged emotion, where the protagonist really just loses his shit and it's amazingly powerful and unnerving to watch. It's also just fascinating from a philosophical standpoint as well. Just seeing how far a human will go sometimes to reach his goals, to realize his ambitions. The protagonist of this drama is no hero, he's barely even an anti hero. His heart is so twisted and black, you'll be amazed this is a jdrama even. But this is all what makes zeni geba SO fascinating to watch, part of it is just the amazingly dark nature of the story and also the novelty of seeing such a plot in a jdrama at all. Zeni geba really feels like it's part horror story and part morality play, but despite this it never goes full out grotesque or resorts to cheap thrills and there are no grand speeches about life or the world in this entire show. i wont say that never tries to a make point without being very obvious but i will say it so far has avoided beating the viewer over the head with it's point. Zeni geba is simply a great story, with some great acting from matsuken as well. I seriously cannot gush about this drama enough. Ok i'll stop but seriously, if anyone here is not watching zeni geba already START WATCHING IT! So for my favorite moment in this drama so far has been, that moment in ep 5 where Futaro stops for a moment and (finally) starts to question himself. "I'm not wrong, I'm not wrong" over and over like he cant even tell the difference anymore. it's really startling to watch. oh and also the moment where matsuken appears as that funny family's brother who also happens to be a spitting image of futaro. XD that was so hilarious!
Love Shuffle (eps 1-5): This drama would be my favorite after zeni geba. Ironic considering they are nearly opposites in tone and theme. This is a really fresh and current feeling drama. Lots of random pop cultural references appear, like abba's dancing queen, a mention of the classic story "the little prince" and even a half century old american baseball scandal, "say it aint so joe" ring a bell to anyone? Even better you get an Earth, Wind & Fire song as the theme song. HELL YES, i'll take that over jpop idols ANY DAMN DAY! *ahem* but aside from the fact that the writers are either hipsters or culture junkies, this is definitely a different kind of drama. But just reading the premise for it would probably tell you that. There is alot of dialogue in LS and it's pretty smart and funny dialogue, the kind that i've gotten used to seeing in some american and british dramas but never thought i'd see in a jdrama! In fact LS's strength is it's cast and dialogue. something the writers must clearly have been aware of because the drama centers heavily on the characters and their interactions. Seeing all kinds of diverse character interactions is part of why I like this drama so much and even I cant help but be sucked up into the "who will end up with who" speculations that I normally ignore in most love triangle dramas. Though LS is more like a love hexagon than a triangle it doesnt let romantic squabbles and melodrama take over the entire show, or most of it in fact. LS is a surprisingly thoughtful drama that actually poses an interesting question "Is it true that there is only one person for every one? is there such a thing as a destined partner?". While the writers might have their own answer to this question (though to their credit I've so far watched six episodes and I cant tell what their opinion on this really is yet, so kudos to them for not beating us over the head with this point so far) we the viewers can always come up with our own conclusions regardless of how the drama chooses to end. It is nice to see a drama trying to dig beneath the surface of human relationships. Friendships, marriage, suicide, and even bisexuality all have a place in this drama and perhaps the writers have a point to make about each. Even if they dont I'm enjoying the ride so far and the fact that most of the plot twists and happenings seem to have a point to them rather than just being there for edginess or drama. Well I feel like LS is a very complex drama with complex characters, mostly. and I love the characters in fact, especially Airu, Kei and Ojiro, airu is definitely one of most well written female characters in dramas. There should be more like her! Though i dont agree with every point the writers have tried to make so far in the drama, I do find their views interesting and I feel like as a drama LS still has alot more to say and more surprises in store. and if all that's not a good enough reason to watch then I'll say matsuda shota is insanely sexy in this and I dont think you need a better reason than that to watch. seriously, dude is HOT. *__*
Voice (eps 1-5): LF basically gave me a huge eita crush and I so wanted to reach into the screen many times and just give takeru a huge hug. unfortunately he'd probably have run screaming into the night if i did that .__. but anyway! I'm really enjoying this drama so far and it's not helping my eita crush at all. Eita's chara in this is sooo hilariously nerdy and goofy, i love it! and his scenes with toma and ishihara satomi are probably the best things about this drama. That being said, I think if I drop any dramas this season it will be this one. Basically, I LOVE the cast, they have great chemistry together. ALL of them and none of the characters feel unnecessary or pointless. I do wish the female student didnt get saddled with the "straight laced by the book always serious" personality that girls usually get stuck with in these ensemble type dramas but eh, what can you do? So far it hasn't ruined the drama for me so it's not a big issue. However, the only thing I feel like voice has going for it is the cast and character interactions. That's it. The forensic cases, which eat up the largest part of the drama's run time, are 1. wildly unrealistic and unrepresentative of actual forensics and 2. they are (to me) fairly dull. I seriously find them boring and end up fast forwarding through most of the case "investigation" scenes. I really wish they had used this cast for a less boring subject. Seriously i feel like this dramas is totally wasting it's cast and not utilizing it's full potential. I feel like had this been a drama about lawyers, young detectives, the police force, college life, hell cooking! near anything else really, that this would be a much much more interesting drama all around. Just seems like a shame :( ah well, I never cared much for medical dramas anyway (even if the medical aspect this time is heavily toned down) so maybe that's why I dislike the premise so much. Not that it's not an interesting one by itself but execution is...not so great.
I was also watching HYD K for a while but I only got as far as ep 12 before I started to lose interest. I think actually made farther into the tw drama, despite my not liking it very much. but jan di's wussification was becoming too much for me and honestly i think i've grown out of that story ages ago but i still feel like checking it out everytime a drama is made out of hyd. but i think I'm finally at my highest saturation point, as far as hyd adaptations go. I might still finish the drama though, because lee min ho and joon hyung are too yummy <3 (and who ever plays woobin <3) I like yi yung really but am I the only one in bof fandom who is w/e about kim bum? srsly i dont get the hype. but then i was like that for a while about matsuda shota too. suffice to say, love shuffle changed my mind. XD
Feel free to discuss dramas with me in the comments too guys! I've seen alot of interesting mixed feelings from my flist about this drama season so I'm looking forward to hearing other's opinions ^_^