Beach boys [ビーチボーイズ] This drama's a lot of fun to watch. I love the constant bickering and teasing between the male leads. They really give the impression of two overgrown boys... until you take a look behind the carefree facade and all sorts of problems and insecurities show up. There's loneliness, responsibilities and running away from your past - and will the two 'Beach Boys' become more than just unwilling co-works in a small beach hotel?
This drama makes me smile a lot and the chemistry between the actors is really great.
Hana Yori Dango [花より男子] A fresh take on HYD, with great acting from MatsuJun and just the right mix between lightweight wentertainment and dark underthemes to keep me glued to the screen.
Unfair [アンフェア] A tight-knit crime story whith more than just one surprisung turn of events. It combines excellent acting and good directing.
Virgin Road [バージンロード] Perhaps not the best drama in the world, but it combines good cast chemistry with decent acting and lots of heartache up to the final episode.
Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ] I like Sorimachi's performance in this. His character starts out being a completly arrogant bastard, and to see him being crushed (due to his own actions) in the first three episodes is something to see. This show also puts thought into the details - like, how Sorimachi's character never joins the table when the shop owners discuss, but still ends up being involved in the decision. Of course, the show has its weak spots, but it's one of my favorite Sorimachi shows so far.
Beach boys [ビーチボーイズ] Rating: 10/10 (Bought & Watched) This drama's a lot of fun to watch. I love the constant bickering and teasing between the male leads. They really give the impression of two overgrown boys... until you take a look behind the carefree facade and all sorts of problems and insecurities show up. There's loneliness, responsibilities and running away from your past - and will the two 'Beach Boys' become more than just unwilling co-works in a small beach hotel?
This drama makes me smile a lot and the chemistry between the actors is really great.
Densha Otoko [電車男] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Scarily accurate, with a little tongue-in-cheek about the (non-existant) romance life of an anime fanboy. I liked the character developement, and how this show manages to pull off the humor in the sad situation of fandom vs. romance without it being degrading.
Double score [ダブル スコア] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This show benefits from the great chemistry between the characters and Sorimachi's remarkable acting skills.
The story revolves around a troublemaker cop and his temporary trainee, a young, soon-to-be superior officer who completes his final three months of training by joining a regular police department.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about every character (even though I have to admit that having someone like Sorimachi's character as a subordinate would be my death. He's taking too much and too many risks, often acts impulsive and in the act endangers not only his colleagues but also ruins the one or other long-planned mission). The cases they solve are mostly light-weight, but there's enough space to throw in the one or other deeper conversation.
Engine [エンジン] Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) This drama suffers a lot from the absolute lack of chemistry between Kimura's character and the female lead. Still, it's worth watching for the scenes with Kimura and the other characters the orphanage.
Kimura's part is that of an F1 racer who lost his position due to his own behaviour and the fact that he's not 25 any more.
So he's forced to return from the big wide world to his home town, and return to a family he hasn't even bothered to call in five years. He's more than surprised to learn that his father has turned his home into an orphanage, but will this 'lost son' be allowed to return? And what will become of his racing career?
Gachi Baka ! [ガチバカ !] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) First I thought it was a lot like GTO, but I was pleasently surprised. Gachi Baka! has amuch more serious undertone, despite its constant try to come across as a comedy.
Hana Yori Dango [花より男子] Rating: 10/10 (Bought & Watched) This drama is a more humours take on Hana Yori Dango, but that doesn't make it bad, on the contrary. The characters are portrayed three-dimensional and especially the two leads do an excellent job of sucking the viewer right into their story. There's love and hate, madness and friendship.
Kimi wa Petto [きみはペット] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Good acting on Matsumoto Jun's part, but the live action version doesn't improve the shallow manga version one bit.
Koi wa Tatakai [恋は戦い！] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Wonderful! Great acting and a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor. It's great comedy without getting redicilous.
Miseinen [未成年] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) An excellent drama with a strong cast and equally strong writing. The story takes some surprising turns and I love the character growth.
Omiai kekkon [お見合い結婚] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This jdrama was a surprise. It revolves around love and falling in love vs. arranged marriage.
Add to it the complications of family expectations, friends and job, and you'll end up with a wonderful story of character growth. I loved the acting, the plot was well paced and full of surprising turns.
rinbukyoku [輪舞曲] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Well acted and good written, but not my kind of beef.
Saiyuuki [西遊記 ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I'm not impressed with this version of the Saiyuuki tale. The stories fail to catch me as a viewer, and the solid acting can't safe it. The costume department did a fairly good job, though.
Katori Shingo's performance alternates between really good scenes (whenever he's not screaming), and his screaming disrupting not only the flow and mood of the scene, but also his acting. Of course, I can see how Goku IS a loud character, but there's a difference between loud and screaming.
All in all only 6 points, because the flaws outweight the good points.
sengoku Jieitai [戦国自衛隊〜関ケ原の戦い〜] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) What would you do if you and your subordinates were suddenly tossed back in time and ended up in the midst of a war?
This is a story about a group of soldiers who suddenly finds themselves back in the time of Samurai wars and bloody politics. Separated from their own chain of command their loved ones, this men and women have only one goal - to survive and find a way back home...
This drama has strong acting and a good script, even though I don't like the ending.
Unfair [アンフェア] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) A very good drama with an ending that made me want to scream. "Unfair" really sums up this show. The acting is good and the plot makes you want to watch the next episode.
Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ] Rating: 10/10 (Bought & Watched) I like Sorimachi's performance in this. His character starts out being a completly arrogant bastard, and to see him being crushed (due to his own actions) in the first three episodes is something to see. This show also puts thought into the details - like, how Sorimachi's character never joins the table when the shop owners discuss, but still ends up being involved in the decision. Of course, the show has its weak spots, but it's one of my favorite Sorimachi shows so far.
Yan Papa [やんパパ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Good acting with lots of tension and a nice plot idea, but in the end, this drama left me untouched.
kanshu's drama reviews (1)
Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ] Downfall of a Baseballplayer [Rating: 10/10] Baseball star Akira Kurishima seems to have it all - a 300-million Yen contract with the Pirates, a large appartment in a fancy skyscarper, wife and son, and the reputation to be the "man who creates miracles"...
However, Akira Kurishima doesn't live up to his image. He's an arrogant person who thinks mainly of himself. None of his team mates like him, he doesn't care if his team wins or loses as long a she can make a home run, his fan mail ends up unread in the garbage, he throws out money faster than he can earn it, and on top of it he cheats on his wife and he badly neglects his son.
On the other side, there's the boy Sho, who loves Baseball and is a huge fan of Kirishima. He and his older sister, teacher Mizuki, live with their aunt and uncle in Momonoki, a run-down shopping district somewhere in the outskirts of Tokyo.
Sho's playing for a mini-league team called "Momonoki Jaguars". They never won a single game, but play with enthusiasm. When their trainer dies of old age, Sho writes several letters to Kirishima to become their trainer...
Meanwhile, Kirishima gets caught in the act by his wife when he cheats on her at his son's birthday. She angrily chases him through the hotel room. By accident, Kirishima steps on a piece of soap and falls down hard, injuring his shoulder so badly that he's told to give up playing baseball. But that's not the end of it - his wife divorces him, his son refuses to ever see him again, and on top of it Kirishima's contract with the Pirates doesn't get renewed. Due to his selfish behaviour in the past and his reputation as a troublemaker, no other team will hire him, either.
Worse comes to worse when Kirishima learns that his ex-wife got all his financial assets and debt collectors from a club in Roppongi beat him up.
In this dire situation, Kirishima receives the letter by Mizuki, offering him 500.000 Yen to train the Jaguars. He takes the money to pay off his debts, rudely telling Mizuki that the money was his fee for just showing up. But when he learns that his appartment got sold, he accepts the position of a trainer. Still, Kirishima hasn't hit rock bottom yet...
Opinion: This drama is marked by an exellent performance of Takashi Sorimachi and the rest of the cast members. The characters are believable and the plot is aided by a lot of subtle details in the settings and the body language.
Especially the interaction between Kirishima and his manager are worth watching; the scenes are well played by Sorimachi and Yajima.
Wonderful Life keeps a good balance between humor and drama. It focusses on how circumstances chan change people, and that sometimes life is unfair and just sucks... but that it doesn't mean we can just give up.
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Beach boys [ビーチボーイズ]
Eita [瑛太]
