Japan's '08 Summer Season: A Review
Now that Japan’s summer season is coming to an end and Japan, Korea, and America’s fall season is starting, I thought I’d write a few reviews on what I watched (and liked) and what I’m looking forward to. Because I’m pretending I have that kind of time.
WARNING: SPOILERS!
Here is Part One:
Japan’s Summer Season: A Review
I actually watched a few dramas during this summer season: Code Blue, Shibatora, Seigi no Mikata , Yasuko to Kenji, Koizora, Maou, Taiyo to Umi no Kyoshitsu and Gakko ja Oshierarenai!.
Show: Code Blue
Episodes: 11+ its getting a New Years Special.
End Rating: 15.6% (the highest ratings for the summer season, so far)
Cast: Toshiro Yanagiba, Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, Asari Yosuke, Higa Manami and a bunch of others.
What’s It About? The concept is based on Japan's proposal for an emergency medical service using helicopters to quickly reach those in need. A special bill was passed in June 2007 that should foster widespread adoption of the system. Yamashita stars as a young doctor-in-training, working under the guidance of an experienced "flight doctor" (Toshiro Yanagiba). Credits: tokyograph
Why I Watched It: It’s a medical drama, and I usually don’t go for those. But, come on - look at that cast. Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, and Asari Yosuke playing medical interns? It’s not that those kids look dumb or anything, I was just a bit surprised that, that they were entering the “serious drama” world so soon. Of course, they’ve all done serious work, but those works also had some comedy or romance - Code Blue seemed like straight-up drama. Also - Yamashita Tomohisa and Aragaki Yui as doctors? I couldn’t see it, so of course I had to watch.
Did I Like It? As the series went on, it was compared to Grey’s Anatomy, you know, the American medical show were all the doctors are moody and have sex in closets or the on-call room, or in patient rooms, or . . . anywhere. Code Blue wasn’t about the sex, but nearly every episode saw a huge, freak, accident or event that our young interns had to deal with. They grew, they learned, they had break downs. One even thought of quitting! There was crying - in the rain! Body parts were lost! Pi was all serious, and had slightly horrid hair! Yeah, I liked this drama. It didn’t change my life, but it was fun and interesting. The four young interns (and the flight nurse) had nice chemistry and I enjoyed the friendships that developed between them. Plus, I think the actors all grew a bit in terms of their acting abilities, which is nice.
Should You Watch It? I would rec this drama. Of course, if you are a fan of any of the actors listed above, you’ll most likely want to watch it. If you enjoy medical dramas, you may like this . . . maybe. Just don’t go in thinking you’ll see a lot of romance or comedy, because while there are some funny moments, especially when Asari Yosuke’s character is around (he’s the George of the group), this isn’t a comedy. And while there are hints of romance between some of the characters, the show focuses mainly on the growth of the characters, not whose pants they want to get into.
Show: Shibatora
Episodes: 11
End Rating: 12.5%
Cast: Koike Teppei, Ohgo Suzuka, Fujiki Naohito, Maya Miki, and Tsukaji Muga
What’s It About? This story, based on the manga of the same name, follows a rookie cop named Taketora Shibata who, despite his childish looks of a middle-schooler, fights against juvenile crime and has the ability to see anything at a crime scene. Nevertheless, it's still a struggle to rise out of the ranks and become a real detective. Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: Honestly? I liked the cast. Fujiki Naohito and Maya Miki are always good. I enjoyed Ohgo Suzuka in Sexy Voice and Robo. And, well, Koike Teppei is always adorable. I thought: Lighter comedy to balance out Code Blue.
Did I Like It? What is described and marketed as a comedy was actually rather dramatic a lot of the time. I loved loved the interaction between “Team Shibatora” aka Koike, Fujiki, Ohgo, and Tsukaji. And, I found myself thinking, “Gee, despite the age difference, I’d love to see Shibata and Mizuki together in the future. But, despite me liking the cast, I found the weekly “Teen to Save” formula getting old. The last three or four episodes focused solely on one huge thing, which was better. Overall, it was a good (not great) drama. But, I still am (slightly) disappointed with the ending - for strictly shallow reasons.
Should You Watch It? Sure. It’s not the best drama in the world, nor was it the best of the summer season. But, it had a lot of lovely moments and the cast interact made up for the “teen of the week” plot that was used for the first half of series.
Show: Seigi no Mikata
Episodes: 10.
End Rating: 10.3%
Cast: Shida Mirai, Yamada Yu, Mukai Osamu, Hongo Kanata, others.
What’s It About? 15-year-old Yoko, a young girl who is constantly tormented by her self-centered and devilish older sister Makiko, who works for a government office after having graduated from a famous university. But despite her ill nature, Makiko's actions tend to somehow make things better for those around her, causing others to praise her as an "ally of justice." Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: It was summer, I was bored. I’ve liked the cast in past projects. Someone told me it was funny.
Did I Like It? Yes and no. I found the fact that Yamada Yu’s character always got away with things a little annoying. And, there were moments when I wished Shida Mirari’s Yoko would stand up for herself. Then, I remembered that this is a comedy, based on a manga. That the whole point is that Makiko may be selfish, but she’s actually helping people in a roundabout way. So, I let it go. I do wish they had explored the Yoko and Riku friendship/budding romance a bit more, if only because I like Hongo Kanata. Plus, I have to say - I think I like Shida Mirai better in dramas.
Should You Watch It? Looking for a light comedy? Love one or more of the actors? Love stories about sibling relationships? Watch this. If not, find something else.
Show: Yasuko to Kenji
Episodes: 10.
End Rating: 13%
Cast: Matsuoka Masahiro, Hirosue Ryoko, Tabe Mikako, Okura Tadayoshi, others.
What’s It About? The show focuses on a man named Kenji and his younger sister Yasuko, whose parents died in an accident 10 years earlier. Kenji was once the leader of a gang, but in order to support him and his sister, he began making a living as a shojo mangaka. His character normally wears glasses and appears to be a gentle guy, but he throws off his glasses and reverts to his violent side whenever he tries to protect Yasuko from danger. Part of the story follows Yasuko's romance with an intelligent and good-looking man named Jun Tsubaki. Jun's older sister Erika now runs a flower shop, but Erika was once a leader of a female gang, and she used to be in love with Kenji during those days. Credit:Tokyograph
Why I Watched It: I seem to have a thing for shows based on manga. Plus, I saw a trailer and to be honest, it just looked cute. You’re supposed to watch lighter things in summer.
Did I Like It? Yes. It was a bit “formula” at the start, but the show broke away from that. Every character got a moment to shine (one of Kenji’s minions and Erika’s minion even got an episode) It was just a nice drama with some touching and lighthearted moments. I’ve yet to see the last episode, but I think it will end happily for all involved. The good with be happy, the bad will be punished, and everything will be solved in time for Kenji to yell out, “YASUKO!” while flipping over the table.
Should You Watch It? Oh, yes. It’s by far the funniest drama of the season. It’s very fun, slightly addicting, and you’ll walk away from it feeling happy and refreshed.
Show: Koizora
Episodes: 6
End Rating: 6.4%
Cast: Mizusawa Elena, Seto Koji, Nagayama Kento, Aoi, Matsushita Nao others.
What’s It About? Based on the film, which was based on the book. If you’ve never heard of either, and you care about Japanese dramas or films or novels . . . where the hell have you been?
Why I Watched It: I didn’t watch this for the cast, unlike most of the dramas in this post; because, I had never heard of the cast. Like, ever. I knew Matsushita Nao from a couple of dramas, but that was it. I watched because I had seen the film, and while it was shot beautifully and had its moments. . . I wasn’t crazy about the film. I felt everything in it happened way to fast. Hiro goes from phone-stalking Mika to boyfriend in a couple of weeks. Then, they have sex the same day, or maybe a couple of days later. I was hoping the drama (which I had hoped would be longer) would explore the characters a bit more.
Did I Like It? The pacing was more or less the same as the film - fast. But, it was only a six episode show, so I can forgive that. The new actors did well in their roles, which was a good thing. The drama, like the film, is a bit over the top dramatic, but at least no one got raped in a field of flowers this time around. Plus, Seto Koji is twenty, and to me he looks about thirteen. That was distracting at time. However, despite the “thirteen-year-old girls will love this” vibe, the drama was actually not that bad.
Should You Watch It? Maybe. If you enjoyed the film or shows clearly aimed at young pre-teens/teenagers, you’ll like it. The characters do get explored a bit more, which is always a good thing. Plus, Mimasaka Akira aka Abe Tsuyoshi shows up! Finally, someone gave Akira, er, Tsuyoshi something to do - get rejected for a dying man.
Show: Maou
Episodes: 11
End Rating: 11.4%
Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Ikuta Toma, Kobayashi Ryoko, Uehara Misa, others. (Plus: cameo by Ninomiya Kazunari)
What’s It About? This drama is a remake of the popular suspense drama The Devil that was aired in Korea last year. Ohno Satoshi will be playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, one of which is a kind hearted soul and the other who is plotting revenge, using his brilliant mind, on the person who killed his relative. On the other hand, Ikuta Toma will play the double lead role of the man, who has become a detective due to his dark past, who is pursuing the mysterious series of murders and fighting against the devil (maou). Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: I’ve heard people rave about the original The Devil, but never got around to watching it. I also usually hate remakes, because they are never quite as good as the original. But, I ended up downloading the first three episodes and watching. It wasn’t that bad, so I kept watching.
Did I Like It? I still have the last episode, so I can’t really say. But, I’ll tell you what I did like - that theme song. Catchy. In all seriousness, it was a little over melodramatic, which is to be expected, considering the source material. But, the thing is - Korean dramas can pull off being all melodramatic, because, you know. . . Korean drama. It was a good show, not great.
Should You Watch It? Maybe. If you liked The Devil, you might be disappointed in Maou. But, those that enjoy a little suspense and mystery in their drama may enjoy it.
Show: Taiyo to Umi no Kyoshitsu
Episodes: 10
End Rating: 13.7%
Cast: Oda Yuji, Kitagawa Keiko, Okada Masaki, Kitano Kii, Hamada Gaku, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Yamamoto Yusuke, others.
What’s It About? Oda Yuji plays a teacher that becomes the homeroom teacher at an elite high school. Despite being classified as “stupid” by his co-workers and students, he sets out to teach his class of senior year students about the important things in life. Credit me
Why I Watched It: I have a thing for the “odd teacher teaches group of troubled teens about life” dramas. No really, that’s the only reason I decided to watch this.
Did I Like It? It hasn’t finished. But, this is what I can say: it started out with the usual formula: Kids hate teacher, teacher clearly knows what is best and uses unusual ways to get kids to see the truth, every episode deals with teacher helping one of the kids deal with a problem: not wanting to play the piano simply for gain, issues at home, etc. To be honest I found the kids in the class annoying. What I liked was the interaction between Oda Yuji and Kitagawa Keiko (who plays the ast. homeroom teacher) much more interesting than the spoiled students and their issues. I liked that he was showing her how to be a good teacher. Plus, I like the tease (that more or less went nowhere after episode three - he was trying to use her) of something happening between Kitagawa Keiko’s Wakaba and Yamamoto Yusuke’s Eiji. But then - the drama got dark. And, I mean dark - they killed a student, had another trying to kill herself, had another student threaten to kill someone - and that was all in two episodes. Goodness knows what will happen in the finale.
Should You Watch It? Honestly, I do not know. What started as a more or less happy, formulaic drama suddenly got all dark and depressing. I’ll finish it, but I’m not sure I’d rec it to people.
Show: Gakko ja Oshierarenai!
Episodes: 10
End Rating: 6.3%
Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Tanihara Shosuke, and a bunch of kids.
What’s It About? Fukada plays Mai Aida, a woman in her third year as an English teacher at a private all-girls high school. Due to declining enrollment, the school decides to admit its first male students. Those five freshmen initially feel they're in paradise, but the concerned Mai tries to help them adjust by creating a social dance club and inviting five girls. Those ten students become the focus of the drama, which is described as a story of love and adolescence. Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: As I mentioned, I love the dramas with the oddball teacher changing the lives of his/her students. Plus, I’ll admit it - I like Fukada Kyoko.
Did I Like It? Yeah. It was cute, if not formulaic. Every episode dealt with one of the five girls having an issue and her dance partner having to help her out. The rest of the kids and Mai were on standby for help and words of wisdom. Mai gave her words of wisdom via Disney plot summaries. No, seriously . . . she compared the kids, their issues, and the circumstances to Disney cartoons. Despite all this (or maybe because of it) the show was actually fairly entertaining and cute. Plus, the kids actually had real and normal issues: teen pregnancy, trying to figure out their sexual ordination, bullying, feelings of depression, etc. Also: the kids were likeable and were each developed enough for me to remember who they were.
Should You Watch It? Yes. It’s cute and fluffy. It’s something to watch while taking it easy or maybe if you’re looking to veg-out for a few hours. Just don’t expect too much, it is a school comedy after all. Issues are solved in forty-one to forty-five minutes.
Up Next: I explore the Japanese, Korean, and American dramas that I’ll be watching in the coming months. Cyborg-love, Murdering siblings, roommates battling it out, possible incest, women dressing as men! All this and more coming soon!
WARNING: SPOILERS!
Here is Part One:
Japan’s Summer Season: A Review
I actually watched a few dramas during this summer season: Code Blue, Shibatora, Seigi no Mikata , Yasuko to Kenji, Koizora, Maou, Taiyo to Umi no Kyoshitsu and Gakko ja Oshierarenai!.
Show: Code Blue
Episodes: 11+ its getting a New Years Special.
End Rating: 15.6% (the highest ratings for the summer season, so far)
Cast: Toshiro Yanagiba, Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, Asari Yosuke, Higa Manami and a bunch of others.
What’s It About? The concept is based on Japan's proposal for an emergency medical service using helicopters to quickly reach those in need. A special bill was passed in June 2007 that should foster widespread adoption of the system. Yamashita stars as a young doctor-in-training, working under the guidance of an experienced "flight doctor" (Toshiro Yanagiba). Credits: tokyograph
Why I Watched It: It’s a medical drama, and I usually don’t go for those. But, come on - look at that cast. Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, and Asari Yosuke playing medical interns? It’s not that those kids look dumb or anything, I was just a bit surprised that, that they were entering the “serious drama” world so soon. Of course, they’ve all done serious work, but those works also had some comedy or romance - Code Blue seemed like straight-up drama. Also - Yamashita Tomohisa and Aragaki Yui as doctors? I couldn’t see it, so of course I had to watch.
Did I Like It? As the series went on, it was compared to Grey’s Anatomy, you know, the American medical show were all the doctors are moody and have sex in closets or the on-call room, or in patient rooms, or . . . anywhere. Code Blue wasn’t about the sex, but nearly every episode saw a huge, freak, accident or event that our young interns had to deal with. They grew, they learned, they had break downs. One even thought of quitting! There was crying - in the rain! Body parts were lost! Pi was all serious, and had slightly horrid hair! Yeah, I liked this drama. It didn’t change my life, but it was fun and interesting. The four young interns (and the flight nurse) had nice chemistry and I enjoyed the friendships that developed between them. Plus, I think the actors all grew a bit in terms of their acting abilities, which is nice.
Should You Watch It? I would rec this drama. Of course, if you are a fan of any of the actors listed above, you’ll most likely want to watch it. If you enjoy medical dramas, you may like this . . . maybe. Just don’t go in thinking you’ll see a lot of romance or comedy, because while there are some funny moments, especially when Asari Yosuke’s character is around (he’s the George of the group), this isn’t a comedy. And while there are hints of romance between some of the characters, the show focuses mainly on the growth of the characters, not whose pants they want to get into.
Show: Shibatora
Episodes: 11
End Rating: 12.5%
Cast: Koike Teppei, Ohgo Suzuka, Fujiki Naohito, Maya Miki, and Tsukaji Muga
What’s It About? This story, based on the manga of the same name, follows a rookie cop named Taketora Shibata who, despite his childish looks of a middle-schooler, fights against juvenile crime and has the ability to see anything at a crime scene. Nevertheless, it's still a struggle to rise out of the ranks and become a real detective. Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: Honestly? I liked the cast. Fujiki Naohito and Maya Miki are always good. I enjoyed Ohgo Suzuka in Sexy Voice and Robo. And, well, Koike Teppei is always adorable. I thought: Lighter comedy to balance out Code Blue.
Did I Like It? What is described and marketed as a comedy was actually rather dramatic a lot of the time. I loved loved the interaction between “Team Shibatora” aka Koike, Fujiki, Ohgo, and Tsukaji. And, I found myself thinking, “Gee, despite the age difference, I’d love to see Shibata and Mizuki together in the future. But, despite me liking the cast, I found the weekly “Teen to Save” formula getting old. The last three or four episodes focused solely on one huge thing, which was better. Overall, it was a good (not great) drama. But, I still am (slightly) disappointed with the ending - for strictly shallow reasons.
Should You Watch It? Sure. It’s not the best drama in the world, nor was it the best of the summer season. But, it had a lot of lovely moments and the cast interact made up for the “teen of the week” plot that was used for the first half of series.
Show: Seigi no Mikata
Episodes: 10.
End Rating: 10.3%
Cast: Shida Mirai, Yamada Yu, Mukai Osamu, Hongo Kanata, others.
What’s It About? 15-year-old Yoko, a young girl who is constantly tormented by her self-centered and devilish older sister Makiko, who works for a government office after having graduated from a famous university. But despite her ill nature, Makiko's actions tend to somehow make things better for those around her, causing others to praise her as an "ally of justice." Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: It was summer, I was bored. I’ve liked the cast in past projects. Someone told me it was funny.
Did I Like It? Yes and no. I found the fact that Yamada Yu’s character always got away with things a little annoying. And, there were moments when I wished Shida Mirari’s Yoko would stand up for herself. Then, I remembered that this is a comedy, based on a manga. That the whole point is that Makiko may be selfish, but she’s actually helping people in a roundabout way. So, I let it go. I do wish they had explored the Yoko and Riku friendship/budding romance a bit more, if only because I like Hongo Kanata. Plus, I have to say - I think I like Shida Mirai better in dramas.
Should You Watch It? Looking for a light comedy? Love one or more of the actors? Love stories about sibling relationships? Watch this. If not, find something else.
Show: Yasuko to Kenji
Episodes: 10.
End Rating: 13%
Cast: Matsuoka Masahiro, Hirosue Ryoko, Tabe Mikako, Okura Tadayoshi, others.
What’s It About? The show focuses on a man named Kenji and his younger sister Yasuko, whose parents died in an accident 10 years earlier. Kenji was once the leader of a gang, but in order to support him and his sister, he began making a living as a shojo mangaka. His character normally wears glasses and appears to be a gentle guy, but he throws off his glasses and reverts to his violent side whenever he tries to protect Yasuko from danger. Part of the story follows Yasuko's romance with an intelligent and good-looking man named Jun Tsubaki. Jun's older sister Erika now runs a flower shop, but Erika was once a leader of a female gang, and she used to be in love with Kenji during those days. Credit:Tokyograph
Why I Watched It: I seem to have a thing for shows based on manga. Plus, I saw a trailer and to be honest, it just looked cute. You’re supposed to watch lighter things in summer.
Did I Like It? Yes. It was a bit “formula” at the start, but the show broke away from that. Every character got a moment to shine (one of Kenji’s minions and Erika’s minion even got an episode) It was just a nice drama with some touching and lighthearted moments. I’ve yet to see the last episode, but I think it will end happily for all involved. The good with be happy, the bad will be punished, and everything will be solved in time for Kenji to yell out, “YASUKO!” while flipping over the table.
Should You Watch It? Oh, yes. It’s by far the funniest drama of the season. It’s very fun, slightly addicting, and you’ll walk away from it feeling happy and refreshed.
Show: Koizora
Episodes: 6
End Rating: 6.4%
Cast: Mizusawa Elena, Seto Koji, Nagayama Kento, Aoi, Matsushita Nao others.
What’s It About? Based on the film, which was based on the book. If you’ve never heard of either, and you care about Japanese dramas or films or novels . . . where the hell have you been?
Why I Watched It: I didn’t watch this for the cast, unlike most of the dramas in this post; because, I had never heard of the cast. Like, ever. I knew Matsushita Nao from a couple of dramas, but that was it. I watched because I had seen the film, and while it was shot beautifully and had its moments. . . I wasn’t crazy about the film. I felt everything in it happened way to fast. Hiro goes from phone-stalking Mika to boyfriend in a couple of weeks. Then, they have sex the same day, or maybe a couple of days later. I was hoping the drama (which I had hoped would be longer) would explore the characters a bit more.
Did I Like It? The pacing was more or less the same as the film - fast. But, it was only a six episode show, so I can forgive that. The new actors did well in their roles, which was a good thing. The drama, like the film, is a bit over the top dramatic, but at least no one got raped in a field of flowers this time around. Plus, Seto Koji is twenty, and to me he looks about thirteen. That was distracting at time. However, despite the “thirteen-year-old girls will love this” vibe, the drama was actually not that bad.
Should You Watch It? Maybe. If you enjoyed the film or shows clearly aimed at young pre-teens/teenagers, you’ll like it. The characters do get explored a bit more, which is always a good thing. Plus, Mimasaka Akira aka Abe Tsuyoshi shows up! Finally, someone gave Akira, er, Tsuyoshi something to do - get rejected for a dying man.
Show: Maou
Episodes: 11
End Rating: 11.4%
Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Ikuta Toma, Kobayashi Ryoko, Uehara Misa, others. (Plus: cameo by Ninomiya Kazunari)
What’s It About? This drama is a remake of the popular suspense drama The Devil that was aired in Korea last year. Ohno Satoshi will be playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, one of which is a kind hearted soul and the other who is plotting revenge, using his brilliant mind, on the person who killed his relative. On the other hand, Ikuta Toma will play the double lead role of the man, who has become a detective due to his dark past, who is pursuing the mysterious series of murders and fighting against the devil (maou). Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: I’ve heard people rave about the original The Devil, but never got around to watching it. I also usually hate remakes, because they are never quite as good as the original. But, I ended up downloading the first three episodes and watching. It wasn’t that bad, so I kept watching.
Did I Like It? I still have the last episode, so I can’t really say. But, I’ll tell you what I did like - that theme song. Catchy. In all seriousness, it was a little over melodramatic, which is to be expected, considering the source material. But, the thing is - Korean dramas can pull off being all melodramatic, because, you know. . . Korean drama. It was a good show, not great.
Should You Watch It? Maybe. If you liked The Devil, you might be disappointed in Maou. But, those that enjoy a little suspense and mystery in their drama may enjoy it.
Show: Taiyo to Umi no Kyoshitsu
Episodes: 10
End Rating: 13.7%
Cast: Oda Yuji, Kitagawa Keiko, Okada Masaki, Kitano Kii, Hamada Gaku, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Yamamoto Yusuke, others.
What’s It About? Oda Yuji plays a teacher that becomes the homeroom teacher at an elite high school. Despite being classified as “stupid” by his co-workers and students, he sets out to teach his class of senior year students about the important things in life. Credit me
Why I Watched It: I have a thing for the “odd teacher teaches group of troubled teens about life” dramas. No really, that’s the only reason I decided to watch this.
Did I Like It? It hasn’t finished. But, this is what I can say: it started out with the usual formula: Kids hate teacher, teacher clearly knows what is best and uses unusual ways to get kids to see the truth, every episode deals with teacher helping one of the kids deal with a problem: not wanting to play the piano simply for gain, issues at home, etc. To be honest I found the kids in the class annoying. What I liked was the interaction between Oda Yuji and Kitagawa Keiko (who plays the ast. homeroom teacher) much more interesting than the spoiled students and their issues. I liked that he was showing her how to be a good teacher. Plus, I like the tease (that more or less went nowhere after episode three - he was trying to use her) of something happening between Kitagawa Keiko’s Wakaba and Yamamoto Yusuke’s Eiji. But then - the drama got dark. And, I mean dark - they killed a student, had another trying to kill herself, had another student threaten to kill someone - and that was all in two episodes. Goodness knows what will happen in the finale.
Should You Watch It? Honestly, I do not know. What started as a more or less happy, formulaic drama suddenly got all dark and depressing. I’ll finish it, but I’m not sure I’d rec it to people.
Show: Gakko ja Oshierarenai!
Episodes: 10
End Rating: 6.3%
Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Tanihara Shosuke, and a bunch of kids.
What’s It About? Fukada plays Mai Aida, a woman in her third year as an English teacher at a private all-girls high school. Due to declining enrollment, the school decides to admit its first male students. Those five freshmen initially feel they're in paradise, but the concerned Mai tries to help them adjust by creating a social dance club and inviting five girls. Those ten students become the focus of the drama, which is described as a story of love and adolescence. Credit: dramawiki
Why I Watched It: As I mentioned, I love the dramas with the oddball teacher changing the lives of his/her students. Plus, I’ll admit it - I like Fukada Kyoko.
Did I Like It? Yeah. It was cute, if not formulaic. Every episode dealt with one of the five girls having an issue and her dance partner having to help her out. The rest of the kids and Mai were on standby for help and words of wisdom. Mai gave her words of wisdom via Disney plot summaries. No, seriously . . . she compared the kids, their issues, and the circumstances to Disney cartoons. Despite all this (or maybe because of it) the show was actually fairly entertaining and cute. Plus, the kids actually had real and normal issues: teen pregnancy, trying to figure out their sexual ordination, bullying, feelings of depression, etc. Also: the kids were likeable and were each developed enough for me to remember who they were.
Should You Watch It? Yes. It’s cute and fluffy. It’s something to watch while taking it easy or maybe if you’re looking to veg-out for a few hours. Just don’t expect too much, it is a school comedy after all. Issues are solved in forty-one to forty-five minutes.
Up Next: I explore the Japanese, Korean, and American dramas that I’ll be watching in the coming months. Cyborg-love, Murdering siblings, roommates battling it out, possible incest, women dressing as men! All this and more coming soon!