 Anata no Tonari ni Dareka Iru [あなたの隣に誰かいる]
Rating: 8/10
A must-see for Natsukawa Yui fans and anyone who loves supernatural thrillers. The theme song kicks ass too. | Ashita no Kita Yoshio [あしたの、喜多善男]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Still unsure what this was meant to be, but I ended up enjoying it a lot after a slow start. | Atsu-Hime [篤姫]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
Fascinating insight into Meiji restoration-era Japan through the eyes of Atsu-hime, who went from rural princess to the wife of Shogun Iesada to one of the most influential women in Japan at the time. Great performances all round, especially from Miyazaki Aoi and Eita. |
Churasan [ちゅらさん]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched) | Engine [エンジン]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
My first KimuTaku drama. I was worried that I would be disappointed, but it lived up to expectations. Takuya-san seemed perfectly cast as Jiro, but i'll wait until I see him in another drama before i'm fully convinced. Koyuki and Ueno Juri were very good, as were all the kids. Very enjoyable! | Erai Tokoro ni Totsuide Shimatta! [エラいところに嫁いでしまった!]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Yukie tries hard in this drama, but is let down by some poor acting by some of her co-stars - most notably Tanihara Shosuke, who plays her mummy's-boy husband Isojiro. Much better are Hamada Mari as Yukie's sister-in-law, and Matsuzaka Keiko as the mother-in-law. |
Galileo [ガリレオ]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Only just held my interest, thanks to the presence of Shibasaki Kou and several well-known special guests. Otherwise quite bland. | Gokusen [ごくせん]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched) | Golden Bowl [ゴールデンボウル]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Bowling! Romance! and... More Bowling!
Sounds boring, but it's the chemistry between the two likeable leads is what makes this drama special. |
GTO [麻辣教師]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Like a lot of other people, this was the first JDrama I watched. I really enjoyed Sorimachi-san's over-the-top portrayal of Onizuka, and of course there is also the wonderful Nanako Matsushima as Fuyutsuki. The supporting cast were quite good also. | Haken no Hinkaku [ハケンの品格]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
Fabulous! | Jikou Keisatsu [時効警察]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Extremely silly but funny slapstick comedy. Asou Kumiko and Odagiri Joe are hilarious. |
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko [結婚できない男]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
Hilarious! Abe Hiroshi is perfectly cast as the borderline-OCD architect Kuwano-san, who has his life so organised that there's no room for anyone else - until he meets his new neighbor, Michiru, her dog Ken-chan and a single lady doctor, Natsumi. Wonderful story and wonderful cast. | Kimi wa Petto [きみはペット]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Enjoyable if fairly predictable. I identified with Sumire-chan's trouble in expressing her feelings and lack of confidence, although it was a bit hard to believe that someone as beautiful and smart as Sumire-chan would lack confidence. MatsuJun was adequate, if a bit annoying at times. The rest of the cast were pretty good. | Kita no Kuni Kara [北の国から]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
More like a slice of reality TV or a documentary from the early 1980's in rural Hokkaido than a drama. That's how real this drama seemed to me. Apart from one rather odd storyline, you could imagine that this is how life would have been at that time and place. The cast were amazing, especially the kids who played Hotaru and Jun. Every prospective actor/producer/director should be made to watch this. |
Koshonin [交渉人]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Although it didn't quite meet my expectations, I quite enjoyed Koshonin. One thing I did NOT enjoy was the performance of Shirota Yuu, who looked like a pop star trying to act like a bad/crazy guy.... unsuccessfully. I couldn't help thinking how much better it could have been with a real actor playing the part. Yonekura Ryoko-chan was good, although not quite convincing as a tough-girl policewoman - especially if you've seen the other Ryoko-chan (Shinohara) in Unfair. She still looks sensational though! | Kuitan [喰いタン]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Very funny drama, with a good supporting cast. Oishii! | Kuitan Season 2 [喰いタン 2]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
More of the same from the Kuitan and the rest of the gang from Holmes Agency - which is a good thing. I actually enjoyed this even more than the first series. |
Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Takeuchi Yuko, Tsumabuki Satoshi and the food are the best things about this one. | Mama chari deka (keiji) [ママチャリ刑事！]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
Probably will not go down as a favorite, but it did grow on me as I watched. The 2 leads, classy Asano Yuko and rubber-faced Tanaka Misako are both great and I look forward to watching them in other series. | Minna Mukashi wa Kodomo Datta [みんな昔は子供だった]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
This is not your action-packed drama. It's more of a slow-paced series, reflecting the pace of life in the rural village it's set in. The school in this village is in danger of closing, as it has one principal, one head teacher, one homeroom teacher - and one student only. This changes when a handful of students from Tokyo arrive for the "Rural Study Program".
I really liked this series. Anyone who loved Kuninaka Ryoko in Churasan will love her in this. There's also some good younger actors (Eita, great as always, and Shiraishi Miho, who is impressive), some old pros (Fubuki Jun, and Jinnai Takanori, who to me will always be The Man Who Slapped Yonekura Ryoko in Koshonin), and a bunch of cute kids, who are the real stars. Jinnai Takanori really hams it up here, but he's always entertaining. The story charts the changes that happen when the kids arrive - changes to the kids, the teachers, the locals and the town.
It might not be for everyone, but some, like me, will love it. |
Monster Parent [モンスターペアレント]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Pretty good effort. Ryoko-chan is very believeable as the tough, smart, cool and gorgeous lawyer. The episodes tend to blend in to one another, up until the last few, but the overall story is quite good. | Mukodono! [ムコ殿/女婿大人]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched) | Muri na Renai [無理な恋愛]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
Another stellar performance from Natsukawa Yui and an entertaining storyline, with a great supporting cast. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something that doesn't focus on the looks of the latest Johnny's alumni. |
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ]
Rating: 9/10
Unfortunately i'm not as good as Wyn-chan at reviewing dramas, so i'll just say that it lives up to all the hype - and more. Juri Ueno IS brilliant, and although I found the Stresemann character irritating at first, in the end I didn't mind him at all. Takenaka Naoto has an impressive voice at least. Tamaki Hiroshi was great as the uptight Chiaki-senpai, and the rest of cast are uniformly excellent.
Nodame Cantabile should be on everyone's must-watch list. | Ruri no shima [瑠璃の島]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
The storyline is familiar... but it's acted so well that it doesn't matter. The episodes flew by so quickly that I was surprised (and disappointed) that it was over. | Seigi no Mikata [正義の味方]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Hilarious! Shida Mirai shows why her star is on the rise with a very funny performance. Yamada Yu is perfectly cast as her evil big sister, and with seasoned pros like Tanaka Yoshiko and Sano Shiro in supporting roles, there's no way this was going to fail :) |
Seikei Bijin [整形美人。]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Very enjoyable drama.
The role of Honami was perfect for Ryoko-chan. She definitely has a flair for comedy! I was continually cracking up at her funny faces. I've been a fan of Ryoko-chan's for a while (of her photos anyway) but now I see what beem sees in her as an actress. The rest of the cast were perfectly suited to their roles too, especially Honami's kooky family Konichi Manami is unbelievably cute too! She's like a porcelain doll come to life.
The plot didn't hold too many surprises for me, and I was happy with the way it ended up. All in all, definitely worth watching | Shinigami no Ballad [しにがみのバラッド]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Entertaining bit of fluff with a slightly depressing story line... but the leads are hontou ni kawaii! | Shomuni [ショムニ]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched) |
Shukan Maki Yoko [週刊真木よう子]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Great showcase for the beautiful and talented Maki Yoko. The actual stories range from serious to funny to downright weird. | Tokyo Friends [東京フレンズ]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
I decided to watch this because I was already a fan of Ai Otsuka's music. I was happy to find that her acting ability matches her singing. This was a very enjoyable drama, with strong performances from the other three female leads (Mao Kobayashi, Yoko Maki, and Rio Matsumoto), especially Yoko Maki, who should be much more popular. After watching the movie that concludes the series, I was happy with the ending, although there were no real surprises. I suppose there's a possibility of a second series at least *fingers crossed* I would happily watch another series of Tokyo Friends. | Top Sales [トップセールス]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Natsukawa Yui is the best thing about this drama that does a nice job of incorporating Japanese automotive history with the story of a woman who tries to make a career as a car salesperson at a time when Japanese women of her age are expected to be married and settled down. |
Trick [トリック]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched) | Unfair [アンフェア]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Thoroughly enjoyable show, with some good performances by the lead actors. The plot was a bit up and down, but generally it kept me interested enough to be looking forward to the next installment, particularly near the end.
Ryoko Shinohara is excellent as tough-girl cop Natsumi Yukihira, showing Yukihira's vulnerable side on occasion. Ryoko-chan is not classically pretty like, say, Yukie Nakama, but is one sexy lady. Eita is his usual messy-haired self. He always seems to deliver, even if it is solid rather than spectacular performances. Mari Hamada is a scene-stealer as Hasumi Anna. And Mukaichi Mion is simply adorable as brave little Mio-chan I also enjoyed Kagawa Teruyuki as Yukihira's ex. | Yasashii Jikan [優しい時間]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
Another superb drama from the writer of Kita no kuni kara. Fantastic performances throughout, even from the lesser lights. |
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Eita [瑛太]
