2nd Hausu [2nd ハウス] Rating: 5/10 Another comic turned dorama. Salaryman meets teenage girl. 50% of the show is indeed the protagonists' fantasy. Be prepared for nudity. | Ai no Uta [あいのうた] Rating: 5/10 Yet another redempt yourself light & slow drama. Little is going on for each episode and ������� is sure to learn a lesson about life at the end. The cast is rather weak. The pace is rather slow. The producers want to contrast �������'s pessimism with the male lead's optimism. Yet ������� can be best described as clueless rather than depressed, which is not so convincing. Incomplete. | Ai wo kudasai [愛をください] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) |
Anata no Tonari ni Dareka Iru [あなたの隣に誰かいる]
Seeking | Ashita no Kita Yoshio [あしたの、喜多善男] Rating: 3/10 A `cursed` man who wants to commit suicide in 11 days befriends a young punk who happens to run a night club. Guess we will see his reasons in upcoming episodes and his new friends will also change his mind along the way. Quite an interesting story. 6-5-4-3. Very SLOW, most likely you will have to watch at 3x speed, the only reason it deserves a 4 is the suspense element in the show, again it is simply too darn slow. | Beginner [ビギナー] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) TEAMPLAY. One legal case study per ep. Mimura is sharp. Great chemistry between the characters. |
Bengoshi no Kuzu [弁護士のくず] Rating: 5/10 Case by case. This show seems to stike a good balance between the case and the characters. The two protagonists having opposite personalities creates some funny bits. Yet don't expect the case to be sophisicated, plot holes to be expected. | Bijo ka Yajuu [美女か野獣] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) | Boku no Aruku Michi [僕の歩く道] Rating: 7/10 So far interesting/likeable story and characters. Story becomes quite draggy as every episode involves the protagonist to mess up in his job and yet he will be given another chance from the manager. |
Boku no Ikiru Michi [僕の生きる道] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Boring. Period. | Busu no Hitomi Koishiteru [ブスの瞳恋してる] Rating: 6/10 So far the story has been unbeleivable+unconvincing for the male protagonist to fall for that girl. The side casts are more interesting thou, if only more time are devoted to them rather than to the protagonists. | Byakuyakou [白夜行]
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CA to Oyobi [CA(シーI−)とお呼び] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Comedy. Nice pace. Good acting and funny. That's 1/2, usually the 2nd 1/2 of the episode would be quite draggy. | CHANGE Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Story has potential in political conflicts, power games etc, yet the show is too darn slow, its like you can condense each episode into 12 minutes and you wont miss a thing. The cast is relatively strong (+1 point) but the only one stand out is the female protagonist. To summarize: Could be interesting, but too SLOW, been going downhill like from ep4. | Damenzu Walker [だめんず うぁーか] Rating: 6/10 Each episode involves a Damen (jerk). Thou the actors are not very interesting/attractive but given this season's weak competitions, this romantic comedy aint too bad. |
Dandori [ダンドリ] Rating: 5/10 Another summer; another 'water boys'. Skipped | Densha Otoko [電車男] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) A bit exagerrated and too hard to beleive at times yet pace is fast enough to keep you entertained. A solid adaptation from the book. The love story is bare indeed but the peformance of the leads as well as the wonderful sidecasts+otoko have made this an entertaining experience. The only complaint is that for the last 2 episodes + SP, too much otoko "cheering" scenes are reused! 8+1 | Dragon Zakura [ドラゴン桜] Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) A nice comedy about high school. Nice charaterization. The kids are sharp as well as the bunch of teachers. ������ performs well for his mysterious yet capable role. ���J�싞�q is a bit overacting and sounds annoying at times. Having a peach face, she should keep her long hair instead. A nice mix of comedy, examcram knowledge, life lessons, friendships and business (getting the job done) |
Dream Again [ドリーム☆アゲイン] Rating: 4/10 Dream again?�@Baseball again? Girlfriend, Daughters, Portfolio Management, Corporate Takeover, should be fun though, yet the script is TERRIBLE ! ! ! When the strength of a show is the protagonist's wardrobe and the title song, you know how good the show is. dropped @ ep6 | Edison no Haha [エジソンの母] Rating: 7/10 This is a story about a primary school teacher whose class includes a `genius` kid who tends to be curious about everything and thinks outside of the box. It means trouble for the school and parents and those who conform to the system. Parents consider the kid as bad influence to their children who are in the same class, yet the kid is gaining popularity in the class because he is "fun", which cracks me laugh everytime. Given the somewhat unappealing theme, I am surprised that EP1 is pretty funny, hope the story does not go lame later on. Yet the finale really shows the female lead can't act, nevertheless, I give the show a 7. | Egao no Hosoku [笑顔の法則]
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Engine [エンジン] Rating: 9/10 (Bought & Watched) A comeback for KT. Lovable character. Great chemistry thru out: kids and adults, father and son, coworkers, boss and employees. This one got everything and it works -- relationships, romance, IDEALS, REDEMPTION. | Erai Tokoro ni Totsuide Shimatta! [エラいところに嫁いでしまった!] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) After 2 to 3 episodes you will probably get tired of the same treatment - the wife get called by her mom-in-law reluctantly going back home to perform some traditional duties for the family, in the process, the husband messes things up and the wife would save the day. This is supposed to be a comedy but I don't find it funny at all. In the end, I wonder if the wife should keep her hubby as her little brother instead. | Fugoh Keiji [富豪刑事] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) One case per episode. Each case is solved with the help of the wealthy family of Fukada Kyoko. The script contains obvious loopholes. Dailogue could be long which could induce sleep. FK is her usual self, being overly cute to the extent of annoyance, yet the supporting cast offer great comedic relief, making the serie watchable. |
Fushin no toki [不信のとき] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) Story is fine. Yet pace is so slow, performance aint impressive. | Gachi Baka ! [ガチバカ !] Rating: 6/10 The protagonist is doinga nice job. The comedy bit is satisfactory yet the student(& their problems) bit has been lackluster. The student cast is rather weak and there is an ongoing line of romance within the class (which is not too common for similar show, not that it is applauding) | Gal Cir [ギャルサ] Rating: 7/10 Despite the same old themes of freindship etc, it is pretty doggone funny for the 1st ep. |
Galileo [ガリレオ] Rating: 5/10 Yet another investigation drama. Nothing to write home about, and not particularly interesting (given the somewhat interesting cast) | Gokusen [ごくせん] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) GTO. Quite forgettable. | Golden Bowl [ゴールデンボウル] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) One game/opponent per episode. Not much chemistry between the two leads. |
Good Luck !! [グッドラック!!] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) | Haken no Hinkaku [ハケンの品格] Rating: 7/10 Cast is not particularly great but One of the better dorama this season. A story about the life of a `super` temp worker. Despite her superb abilities in the office she has quite some yet-to-be-revealed baggage from the past which forbids her from trusting others/corporate/enterprise. So far the episodes strike a good balance between office work, comedy, romance, temp worker and her own demon (which is the boring part). | Hakoiri Musume! [ハコイリムスメ!]
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Hanayome wa Yakudoshi! [花嫁は厄年ッ!] Rating: 5/10 Thou the script is sometimes exaggerated, the female lead's performance makes up for this pitfall. Yet there is a tendency that this dorama is turning into a family dorama. The last few eps have been really draggy, as a result, a 5 is warranted. | Haru to Natsu/Haru e Natsu [ハルとナツ]
| Hero Rating: 6/10 (Watched) If this show lasts one hour, I will give it a 7. Now that it drags 2 full hours, it at most deserves a 6. Looks like there is another episode coming up as business is not finished. |
Hotaru no haka [蛍の墓]
| Hotman Season 2 [ホットマン2] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Category: Roof. Plot get used up pretty quick. Other than the first few episodes, there is no central theme or no sense of urgency thru out the serie. The ending only makes the story trivial or meaningless. It's always nice to watch Takashi act but the story is not going anywhere. | Ichi Ritoru no Namida [1リットルの涙]
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Jikou Keisatsu [時効警察] Rating: 7/10 Each episode revolves around an expired case. 60% crime investigation, 35% comedy, 5% romance. Lengthly *explanatory* dialogue and subtitles, which can get confusing if you miss some of the dialogue. The character design are interesting and dark comedy here and there. | Jodan Janai! [冗談じゃない!] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) oh mine Takamura Keita is certainly not in condition and his act is at times over, trying too hard. And with Takamura Eren, they make an pretty odd couple. Throw in the mother in law who is his ex-lover, you know the drill. Some of the situational comedy bits do work but who really cares about those characters? | Jyoou no Kyoushitsu [女王の教室] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) A story interesting enough to keep you watching at least till the last 2 episodes when you realize that the war between the evil queen and the kids never exists (which is a bit disappointing thou). The kiddie acting is pretty impressive. The ending sucks (-1) but for the general refreshing concept/theme, I ll give a 9. |
Kaette Kita Jikou Keisatsu Season 2 [帰ってきた時効警察 2] Rating: 5/10 About the same quality as season 1, if you like season 1 you prob. like season 2 as well. Only that the investigation process is shortened in s2. | Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai [神はサイコロを振らない〜君を忘れない〜] Rating: 3/10 I gave the 1st Ep a 7, but 5 for the 2nd Ep and possibly the rest of the serie. Interesting story but rather weak cast and slow pace. So far the only character that stands out is ���c�^�� | Karei naru Ichizoku [華麗なる一族] Rating: 5/10 Story, cast and characters are not so interesting despite the seemingly interesting political/economical context |
Katagoshi no Koibito [肩ごしの恋人] Rating: 3/10 Unlikeable characters, annoying script. | Kazoku -tsuma fuzai oto no sonzai [家族〜妻の不在・夫の存在〜] Rating: 4/10 A divorced man has to live with his son. And he befreinds a senior citizen who was fired by him. Family, kid, Family, what else? PASSED | Kekkon Dekinai Otoko [結婚できない男] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Interesting story, good acting and funny. |
Kemonomichi [けものみち] Rating: 7/10 Soup drama type. Enough suspense/mystery so far. | Kiken na Aneki [危険なアネキ] Rating: 8/10 Nice comedy between sister and brother. Great cast and good pace. �ɓ����� can do comedy too. Yet the last episode is a major disappointment. | Kindaichi shonen no Jikenbo (2005) [金田一少年の事件簿]
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Kiraware Matsuko no Isshou [嫌われ松子の一生] Rating: 5/10 I dont think they cast the right actress for the leading role. In this area, I found that the movie fares much better. I will also be looking forward to see how the same actor stars as the male protagonist from age 16 to 48. Pass. | Kobayakawa Nobuki no Koi [小早川伸木の恋]
| Koi suru Top Lady [恋するトップレディ] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) ���J���I is hot but she cannot save a bad story. The first few episodes may be interesting but later on each one just get more trivial than the last. The cast is also weak. |
Konshu Tsuma ga Uwaki Shimasu [今週,妻が浮気します] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) One of the two series I'm sticking w this season. Though the cast is not particularly interesting, and family drama usually falls into the 'boring' category, this show strike a good balance between comedy, romance, relationship and friendship. Pace is very engaging (thru midway), afterwards it is draggy | Konya Hitori no Beddo de [今夜ひとりのベッドで]
05/F | Koshonin [交渉人] Rating: 5/10 Not so much about negotiation, more about the female officers having an uphill battle within the police department and the politics within the police force and how the power conflict affects the work of the negotiation team. We have seen a scene where the protagonist is slapped by her boss and one female officer giving massage to his boss in the police station. Not impressive at all but not particularly bad, PASS anyway |
Koufuku no Ouji [幸福の王子]
seeking | Kuitan [喰いタン] Rating: 7/10 Interesting in mixing food and crime investigation. More like a comedy. Great characters and chemistry inbetween. | Kuitan Season 2 [喰いタン 2] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) Much anticipated, somewhat disappointed. Nothing to write about for ep1. Don't expect it will be better than Kuitan 1. A much heavier dose of melodrama than season 1. PASS. |
Last Christmas [ラストクリスマス] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Office Romance. Not much chemistry between the 1-D characters. Story is dragging. Nothing compared to Tokyo Love Story. Maybe a 4 is more appropriate but +1 4 the art direction. | Liar Game [ライアーゲーム] Rating: 6/10 Just ok, script is bare and story going kinda slow, despite the female protagonist is doing good, could ve been better. Plot-wise, ep3 is getting better, only that pace could have been better...Plot-wise, maybe it's better to read the manga instead. | Long Love Letter [ロング・ラブレター〜漂流教室] Rating: 8/10 Lord of the flies is always good. Entertaining thru out most of the episodes. Script may be bare Sci-fi-wise at times. As usual, the ending is anti-climax. |
Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Boring. Discontinued. | M no Higeki [Mの悲劇] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) First, ���J�싞�q is way better than she was in Wonderful Life. The pace could have been faster and actually most of the plot are built on lack of communication. If ��_��Y had communicated better with the ppl around him, ���J�싞�q's revenge wont be as effective. Anyway, there are enough suspense+twists later on, though predictable, and the acting is good enough to keep you watching. 6+1 | Machiben [マチベン] Rating: 5/10 Yet another lawyer dorama this season. This one is more serious than the other two so dont expect much comedy. A street lawyer whose mission is to seek the truth. The story is not too bad but aint exciting, the cast is rather weak, �]�p�}�L�R is still quite sharp thou DROPPED |
Majo Saiban [魔女裁判] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Given the theme, could have been a thrilling success. This one shows potential at first, but by midway it is going downhill. And of course, each 35-min episode can be condensed to 10 min of information..., but still it's not like it's draggy or anything. It's has it's up and down. | Marusa!! [マルサ!!] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) | Minamikun no koibito [南くんの恋人] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) FY cuteness/innocence is unbearable. �{�n�^�� is much sharper at least for the first few episodes. |
MR. BRAIN Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Quite hilarious to pick that 80s-ish song for OP. Then you have the nerdy professor type. Some popular fluff about the brain, and the usual deer-in-the-headlight look of the female protagonist. But have to admit most of the cases are intriguing. | My Boss, My Hero [マイボスマイヒロ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Have its funny bits but be prepared for some `downtime`(slow pace) in between. | Netsuretsu Teki Chuuka Hanten [熱烈的中華飯店] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) TEAMPLAY. One cooking assignmnet per ep. Characters each has his/her secret from the past. Episode 1 protrays a china-town-like version of HK, which is quite awkward. |
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース] Rating: 7/10 The "Renewal/make up" project is going really quite slow as other elements such as freindship, school life/peer pressure mix up. Pace is good but could have been faster. The female lead so far has been too secretive to be interesting. | Nyokei Kazoku [女系家族] Rating: 6/10 (Bought) A daytime soap, sort of. The pace is slow as the dialogues are long (4 nobleness) and repetitive (e.g. by the sisters who have the same goal). All of the characters could have been sharper and more distinctive. However, it is the plot that keep you watching. �đq���q has been cold & dry till the end. 5+1 | Okane ga nai! [お金がない!] Rating: 9/10 Haven't seen a dorama such energetic for a long while, a story/comedy about how a lowly-quailified 'misfit' insurance agent who overcomes all odds (ex office politics, lack of experience, lack of know-how, class difference) to climb to the top. Vibrant acting, nice story and good pace. |
Oniyome Nikki [鬼嫁日記] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This is like a sit-com. Because of the big houses, colorful settings and bright lighting, if you dont tell me it's a dorama I'll think this is a TVB production. The female lead is doing a good job in that she is really hateful in the serie. The story has nothing to write home about and the exaggerated "wife oppress hushband" does not impress me in the 1st ep. | Ooku~Hana no Ran~ [大奥〜華の乱〜]
05/F | P.S. [Police Station] -Rashoumon- Keishichou Toutosho Rating: 4/10 Story about a police station that is not so ordinary. The screenplay for the first few eps is good enough to keep audience curious about the cases until the last few minutes of the show. Not really interested in �ؑ����T ever yet in this one she is sharp. The rest of the cast is rather uninteresting. Discontinued. |
Pride [プライド] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Unlikable character for both male and female leads. | Primadam [プリマダム] Rating: 5/10 This one is about housewives, family, kids, husbands, aging and redempting one's childhood dream of ballet dancing. Sort of like "Shall we talk Shall we dance?" | Rikon Bengoshi [離婚弁護士] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) 4gettable. Dragging at times. Mimura takes a small role. |
Rikon Bengoshi Season 2 [離婚弁護士II〜ハンサム ウーマン〜]
* | rinbukyoku [輪舞曲] Rating: 5/10 Infernal Affairs here and there. Only that there are certainly more plot holes than IA. Lots of things dont make sense. And worst SLOW! | Ruri no shima [瑠璃の島] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Dont let the poster fool you, �|����L only takes a small role in the serie. But the girl lead and grandpa/ma (who did movies way back) have awesome acting! The story is bare at best but what do you expect for an island with <100 ppl? Yep, the scene is way cool but the there is not much going on on the island and there aint no climax whatseover, and the thing that annoys me most is that the ending is INCOMPLETE. |
Ruten no Ouhi - Saigo no Koutei [流転の王妃・最後の皇弟] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) | Sailor Fuku to Kikanju [セーラー服と機関銃] Rating: 4/10 Gangster films are always cool. Nice pace so far. But the story does not make much sense; given the fact that enemy gang is so dominating, they could have annihilate the protagonist's gang in 2 episodes...yet I bet they will take the entire serie to finish the business. Getting worse and worse | Saito-san [斉藤さん] Rating: 4/10 This story revolves around the housewives of a neighborhood. When encountering injustice, the neighborhood usually wilt to pressure, yet the protagonist stands up for her ideal, which makes her an outcast in the community. In EP1, we saw her protecting her son's kindergarten from bunch of crooked high school kids whose leader happens to be the son of a congressman. PASS. |
Saiyuuki [西遊記 ] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) I dont care about whether the show follows closely to the original. But the /character design/ for the team is quite bad, clothes with ugly colors, non-distintive features etc. The /art direction/ and that most of the scenes are film inside *studio*�@makes this production look like a Shaw's production in the 70s. The action/fighting is subpar compared to Japan's own power rangers types let alone HK productions. Special effects are also seriously inferior.
Character development is so far lacking and there aint much chemistry exists inbetween. The only thing that sticks out is the constant shouting of Goku. The villains are so unconvincingly weak that this looks like a 2nd-rate power ranger. Overall, this feels like a 80s/early 90s production, which doesn't quite cut it. | Sapuri [サプリ]
| Shika Otoko Aoniyoshi [鹿男あをによし] Rating: 5/10 A substitute high school teacher who happens to be able to communicate with the deers in the area. The deers are said to be guarding that earthquake-prone area for centuries. Well, the characters do not particularly stand out and the pace could have been much better without all the flashback. Story-wise, so so. Yep, it is slow. Watch at 2x speed and you wont miss much, consider that 1 episode of LOST is equivalent to 5 episodes of this dorama, but there are worse. |
Shininin no onna bengoshi [7人の女弁護士] Rating: 4/10 Lawyer/investigation. So far it is quite boring and mediocre, cast is rather weak also. Even �ߗR���q cannot save this show. | Shiroi Haru [白い春] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Story is cliche; but the performance of the lead actor makes it up, not much drama thou, thought the plot is under-developed. | Shiroi Kyoto [白い巨塔] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Great acting by the leads, yet serie seems to lose steam in the second part and the ending is anti-climax. |
Shomuni Final [ショムニ ファイナル/庶務二課] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) | Slow Dance [スローダンス]
| Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi [空から降る一億の星] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Kimura Takuya's womanizing charm is the only saving grace for this daytime soup opera. |
Star no Koi [スタアの恋] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Filed under Fantasy, Romance, Comedy. The first few episodes are fun to watch and as usual it gets a liittle bit draggy towards the end. The female lead is cute+great in protraying an "innocent" star. Yet the male lead has become weaker and weaker to the point that he disgusts me. | Teppan Shoujo Akane [鉄板少女アカネ] Rating: 4/10 The story is pretty much been there done that, the plot is as bare as similar anime and actually quite boring. The acting is ok but not impressive. Watch only if spare time is available. | Tiger & Dragon [タイガー&ドラゴン]
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Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go [特急田中3号] Rating: 5/10 The protagonist only joins the `train` club to court girls, yet it turns out the club only has 2 nerdy members: one that is rich but talks about nothing but trains and one that is handsome but shy. Good pace, nice acting, funny dialogue. Very satisfactory for ep1. Protagonist's limited facial expression or acting used up quickly | Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi Season 3 [特命係長・只野仁 3] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) An corporate undercover investigator that is directly under the CEO of the company. Each episode involve a case, be it data theft, or brides etc. As I remember, each ep also involves some adult-movie stars and some sex scenes. The protagonist is doing great, the comedy is there sometimes, but the plot can get used up quickly, not a bad choice if you have spare time. | Top Caster [トップキャスタ] Rating: 6/10 Every now and then we got a show that's about news reporting/investigating. This one is not particularly different from the others. Average. |
Toubousha [逃亡者] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Awesome acting. A great suspense drama till the last episode. | Trick [トリック] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Like any suspense drama, the long subtitles of explanationatory dailogue would make you sleepy. There are loopholes considering that the police are involved, even the involvement is minimal. The police dont have no computer, database or profile matching like what we saw in 24. But still it is better than "Fugoh Keiji [�x���Y��]". However, the ecentricity of the characters as well as the comedic chemistry between the two leads make up for the pitfall of the plot. The female lead's brand of laughing and the sudden shift of horror into comedy is the most un4gettable. | Unfair [アンフェア] Rating: 6/10 The ongoing case seems to involve the people around the protagonist. And sure the characters in the story also have their own lifes and problems. Luckily this aint those explanatory type of dorama thriller/suspense, yet the pace could have been much better. The last few eps fare much better, the middle ones are the worst. |
Watashitachi no kyokasho [わたしたちの教科書] Rating: 6/10 A high school girl committed suicide at school. The school would like the incident to be an accident. But the girl's mother, who abandoned her and is a lawyer, and the girl's class teacher believe that the girl's death was a result of bullying in school. Nice pace, nice acting and interesting story so far. Been draggy lately | Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) | Yakusha Damashii [役者魂] Rating: 5/10 The story is about the agent/assistant of an old, lonely but famous actor. And from here the story will be quite predictable; fortunately Matsu Takako's performance earn some points. PASS |
Yama Onna Kabe Onna [山おんな壁おんな] Rating: 4/10 Supposed to be a comedy but not very funny, plot is quite bare for ep1 and the acting of the both the main characters is quite lackluster as usual. Dropped. Slow and Boring. | Yankee Bokou ni Kaeru [ヤンキー母校に帰る] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) GTO. A bit better than Gokusan. | Yaoh [夜王〜YAOH〜] Rating: 6/10 Like other dorama of the same theme, this involves competition within the shop. But things are quite slow especially in the middle of the serie. The only thing stand out is that even in the 'host' business, the writer can come up with a "mission" that is, to make every woman in this world happy. As usual, it gets draggy in the middle and picks up in the last few eps. 5.5-wise. |
Yuukan kurabu [有閑倶楽部] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Production: 8, Acting: 5, Story:1. That pretty much sums it up, the unrealistic storyline kills it. Dropped. | | |