 Beautiful life [ビューティフルライフ]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
a bit draggy and manipulative, but watabe atsuro and miki mizuno made it more bearable. takako tokiwa was great, takuya kimura his usual self... even though i knew the ending, i still cried buckets. good show, esp thanks to the good supporting cast. | Bijo ka Yajuu [美女か野獣]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
this is the first time i have watched fukuyama and nanako, and i must say that i liked them. the show reminded me of odoru daisosasen since the plot is mainly episodic and focuses on their profession. despite faltering in comparison to the much funnier and quirky odoru, i would still recommend this show.
the supporting cast was a bit annoying at first but each character is given some 'story' and development. i like sakuragi too.
i also liked the theme song. nice show to watch and learn from, but i don't think it is life-changing per se. | BOSS
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
Wasn't the most hilarious but the twist at the end earned it an extra point in my books. |
CHANGE
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
good cast but makes me wish there were more episodes. if there's a sequel, i'll watch it. the show works because of the charismatic and experienced leads, eri and kimutaku have the best chemistry amongst all the jdorama coupling, escept maybe miki mizuno and atsuro watabe. rosa kato was the weakest link but she had one or two quite funny scenes. | Dream Again [ドリーム☆アゲイン]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
surprisingly good. it's not as predictable as some of the comments here claim. the ending is sweet albeit implausible but so is the entire premise. i've watched takashi sorimachi before but this is the first dorama i've finished.he is quite charismatic but the revelation for me was shida mirai..she never fails to surprise. watched this show in one sitting, which surprised me. | Gokusen [ごくせん]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
the first half of each episode always deserved a perfect 10 but the cheesy predictable second half calls for a low 6. hence the average rating of 8. some scenes really were hysterical with nakama yukie's perfect comic timing, matched by the headmaster but i didn't like matsumoto jun's acting so again, the cast is divided into 'really good' and 'quite bad'. pity because this show was so hilarious at times. |
Good Luck !! [グッドラック！！]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
interesting stories although they may be a bit contrived... after all, if there was so much drama going on with airplanes, maybe flying is a bad idea. shibasaki kou was intriguing, she has a distinctive voice which was quite charming. cast was good as usual although i didn't quite like the role played by the korean actress. entertaining watch but forgettable. | H2~Kimi to itahibi [２〜君といた日々]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
this show's biggest problem for me was that it slowed down to a near halt just before a rushed end. the strongest point on the other hand would be the ensemble cast, with my favourite being ishihara satomi and the guy who plays kine/fune. sometimes i didn't quite understand the game so that takes some of the excitement away... and some of the drama seemed pointless. nevertheless, i enjoyed it even if i had to slug it out towards the finale. could have been better. | Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
pretty good actually, the energy of the show is unbelievable.i wonder if japs really are like that. the guys who played nakatsu, tennouji, and masao really stood out for me. ending was off-pace, some parts were rushed, some too draggy... but this show has restored my faith in the 'newer' jdoramas, thank god. i was beggining to worry.. |
Hero
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
i am not a fan of any of the leads, and i wouldn't say 'hero' made me one... instead, i'll admit to being a fan of the show itself. the story was not all that great because the conclusion was too convenient for me, but the humour was effective. kudos to the director, the show could have gone off-track but the cast was in control all the time. episode 9 cracked me up so much... watch it and i promise no regrets. | Hotaru no Hikari [ホタルノヒカリ]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
Wasn't a fan of ayase haruka or naohito fujiki before this but i've been converted. The show may be light hearted but has enough 'heart' in it to score a 10. Acting was good (apart fr makoto), supporting cast was good, and I (rather unfortunately) could relate to Hotaru very well. My only wish is that there was an extra fifteen minutes of lovey dovey scenes between the leads. | Jyoou no Kyoushitsu [女王の教室]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
don't let the junior school premise turn you away from watching this show. this is one of the most brilliant doramas i have seen so far, thanks to a stellar cast and solid scriptwriting, although you might have to watch this with an open mind. maya's almost unbelievable persona becomes a lot more convincing once you have watched both specials but only watch them after the actual 11 episodes. amami yuki is sooo sexy and admirable in her role as maya, her beauty and sex appeal grows on you. the cast of children was amazing, and although a tad exaggerated, each acts in his/her own unique way that it becomes part of the characterization. |
Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai [恋がしたい恋がしたい]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
this is my favourite, i love miki mizuno's unpredictable spunk here. miho kanno is just loveable albeit creepy as the stalker. i don't know why but i was rooting for miki and watabe to be together, they are my favourite drama couple. every cast member was great. this show is a must see, i cant stress it anymore.
the plot revolving around the remaining supporting cast i.e. the student, housewife and restaurant worker is less compelling but nevertheless crucial to the show. usually i find this type of show contrived but there's none of that here.
the lines, dialogue and scenes are memorable and has an 'indie' feel to it, but mainstream enough for everyone to enjoy. underrated because of the yet to be famous cast, but if you want a good story with colourful (forgive the pun) characters and solid acting, this show is a must see.
the soundtrack and the intro is brilliant too, i absolutely adore this show. | Koibumi [恋文~私たちが愛した男]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
interesting to watch because of the implausibility of the story actually happening. i cant imagine anyone else playing atsuro's role. mizuno was also good, acting wise and as eye candy. wakui was alright but her role was not so likeable. | Last Christmas [ラストクリスマス]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
this was my first completed jdorama, so the rating is a bit biased. i got the feeling that yuji oda put in more effort than akiko yada, but the show was nevertheless entertaining enough. not life changing but decent enough... i also liked how the two stayed in separate rooms connected by a door. i didn't like the sub-plot about tamaki hiroshi. that dude cannot act and lacked charisma. |
Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
this drama is highly watchable with the star-studded cast but lacks in the story department. in fact, from start to end, there isn't much progress regarding the characters' relationships. the food scenes are also repetitive so the initially mouth-watering scenes become tedious. i wished there was a better variety with the food, and that natsumi's mysterious background was given more attention. two actors shone in this: takeuchi yuko of course and tsutsumi shinichi as the useless brother. he was a comic genius. the ending was disappointing since nothing was resolved.
still, i enjoyed watching this drama, and there were a few really funny scenes. | My Boss, My Hero [マイボスマイヒロ]
Rating: 6/10 (Watched)
it was ok... forgettable. | News no onna [ニュースの女]
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
entertaining, strong cast esp the lawyer dude. but i thought the finale was less exciting than ep 9. a light-hearted drama to watch, but not life-changing. but it does make me wish suzuki honami didn't retire so early. |
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
to be honest, this show is quite slow paced, not many peaks and troughs in terms of plot, but for some reason I still like it. this show really is about friendship and thankfully, unlike other school shows like gokusen, any hint of 'cheesiness' is absent. i felt that the finale didn't resolve much but I guess there was no other way to end it. horikita maki is quite good here, I don't think I could hold my laughter, let alone smile, with yamapi's eccentric humour. | Ns' Aoi [Ns’ あおい ]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
i actually enjoyed this series although it was too 'nice and good' to be true. the cast was stronger than the story and the drama lacked the peaks and troughs that usually make a good drama. however, this means that this series is easy to watch. i'd recommend it. also, ishihara satomi revives my hopes for a future in jdorama. | Odoru Daisousasen [踊る大捜査線]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
this show obviously deserves a place in the top 50. intelligent humour from the dialogue and comical situations. best ensemble cast for me despite the stock characters... memorable theme song as well. my only complaint would be that it ended too soon but then again, there were so many specials, movies and spin-off movies. i haven't watched the entire franchise, but this drama gets my vote and two thumbs up. |
Okaasan to isshou [お義母さんといっしょ]
Rating: 6/10 (Bought & Watched)
bought it because i am a mizuno fan, but the quality was cheap. story was alright, but i couldn't stand the actress who played the mother-in-law. watch it only if you're a mizuno fan... | Orange Days [オレンジデイズ]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
kudos to the effort by the cast members in learning sign language, but i never really got into the series nor the characters. interesting watch but i think it's overrated. | Osen [おせん]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
a bit biased cos im a huge aoi yu fan. but the traditional food was very informative and well appreciated. |
Otousan [おとうさん]
Rating: 7/10 (Watched)
if i hadn't watched oyaji, i'd probably give this a higher rating... so watch this show before giving oyaji a go.
the characters here are less likeable. in oyaji, it was reasonable for the children to rebel against their extremist dad, but here, the daughters seem to rebel without much cause. i also did not like kyoko fukada's character nor did i understand her problems. less chemistry between all the actors and the characters' problem seem too trivial. my fave would have to be ryoko hirosue who ironically was my least fave in oyaji. | Oyaji~ [オヤジぃ]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
currently, i have yet to watch the finale, but i'll write my review first. best ensemble cast, everyone is perfect for this show; from the strict cranky dad to the brown face girl. miki mizuno was brilliant and i have watched her scene where she reveals her secret to her family so many times. ryoko hirosue was annoying at first but i cant see anyone else playing this role. lighthearted with original and non-slapstick humour, but also with real dramatic moments. i just hope the finale doesn't disappoint.
update: finale was a bit too sentimental and neat, but overall the show was great. the finale brought the rating from 10 to 9... | Slow Dance [スローダンス]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
i agree that the title is quite appropriate. this drama is underrated and underappreciated, which is a pity. this drama does not get full marks from me because i thought that the chemistry between the leads was slightly lacking. but all the characters are well fleshed out and the show leaves a nice feeling. it helps if you're a fan of eri fukatsu. there were a lot of scenes and lines i could relate to as well. recommended. |
Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi [空から降る一億の星]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
there were quite a few memorable scenes. I actually half predicted the outcome because there were hints throughout the film, so the drama loses points for story but only slightly. what i loved about this show is that the acting, namely by eri fukatsu, was near-perfect. I also liked how the writers made it difficult to watch... ironically a breath of fresh air from the usual jdorama fare. it really leaves you stunned. and sad. but at the same time glad that you got to be part of the audience in watching this. sue me if I don't make sense, but I would describe this drama as life-changing for a couple of days. oh and I changed my rating fr 9 to 10 whilst lowering the rating i gave to the other dramas i watched prior. this drama deserves full marks for execution. | Summer snow
Rating: 8/10 (Watched)
strong cast, esp the male lead and 'chika'. ryoko hirosue also played her role well. the ending would have been less predictable had it not been for all the spoiler comments you find here. the ending theme song is one of the worst though, not because it's a horrible song (i quite liked it) but because the way the song starts really destroys the mood of the show. apart from that, this show is quite sweet and touching. not that much of a tear jerker. | Tokyo DOGS ~ Saiaku de Saiko no Partner [東京DOGS]
Rating: 6/10 (Watched)
this show made me realise shun oguri is a good actor, mizushima hiro is quite good looking and the female lead is a little bit whiny but still much more watchable than a lot of other japanese actresses. those were the good points. the show's not bad but it's not great either. the story is a bit predictable and mizushima hiro's wasted in his overacting role (i think he needs a skilful director) and the fight scenes... well they're obviously choreographed to say the least. it's rather unfortunate that whilst some scenes were genuinely funny, they were far apart and there were too many unfunny scenes in between. yuriko did play a funny drunk even if it was like for 3 seconds. potentially much better but still entertaining enough for me to give it a generous '6'. |
Toubousha [逃亡者]
Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched)
the familiarity of having a fugitive accused of killing his wife while on the run is forgiveable... it's one of those 'things' that one doesn't mind watching over and over again... solid acting from the three leads. abe hiroshi is intriguing as the rogue cop, eguchi yosuke convincing as the hero although i thought miki mizuno looked slightly out-of-place. but considering the fact that her role is supposed to be that of a young inexperienced cop, i guess it's fine. recommended.
the show loses points because of the exaggerated and sometimes predictable plot. | Trick [トリック]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
the first of an amazing series. really loveable cast. nakama yukie is really funny in the way she espresses herself facially and physically. abe's real hot esp in his younger modeling pics, and i love the inside jokes. and the dialogue. | Trick Season 2 [トリック2]
Rating: 10/10 (Watched)
funniest of the series and funniest jdorama i've seen ever. it's like the first but wackier and the plot's possibly not as tight but every episode makes me laugh. and that's not very often. if you like gokusen but wish it was a hell lot less cheesy and if u like hero, this is for you. highly recommended. |
Unfair [アンフェア]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
ryoko shinohara all the way, i loved the fact that she was always 'in the nude'. eita also played his role well...i was addicted to this show and watched the entire series in two days. my only problem was that the twists were sometimes too contrived and some of the show's premise was a bit illogical. i also actually kinda predicted the end... don't ask me how. oh and i liked how there was a narration for the intro. highly recommended as long as you don't think too much. | Zettai Kareshi [絶対彼氏]
Rating: 9/10 (Watched)
really exceeded my expectations. i wasnt fan of any of the actors but now i think i am. hiro's acting can be improved but i thought hayami and saki had good chemistry. some parts were funny, but there's something this show has that others lack - its story and presentation is genuine and touching. really makes you wish naito was real. spoiler bit** and i can't believe i cried over a robot. | |
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Abe Hiroshi [阿部寛]
