Antique [アンティーク〜西洋骨董洋菓子店] While the stories taken by themselves are nothing really special, combined with the strong acting and post production additions (like the typewriter captions), this drama becomes one of the funniest and most enjoyable series I have ever seen. Absolutely hilarious! I never get tired of watching this one because every time I watch it, I always find some tiny detail I hadn't noticed before. It pokes fun of itself on so many levels...Definitely for Mr. Children fans... This one is especially good to watch if you are tired of romantic melodrama common in many jdramas. Lots o' fun! | Beautiful life [ビューティフルライフ] You know from the very first episode that this will be a sad story, but it is also very funny and heartwarming as well. All the characters (both primary and secondary roles) are well developed and well cast. It's hard to find a drama as evenly balanced as this one. This is probably my favorite Tokiwa Takako role. | Koori no sekai [冰の世界] I love Nozawa Hisashi stories. Always very mysterious with a predictably unpredictable ending. :) Among Nozawa's works, Koori no sekai stands out for me just because I loved how the subplots of each character intertwine and develop. And the acting is top notch, of course! |
Long vacation [ロングバケーション] Ahh...the music...the story...the cast... I really don't think I could add anymore to what anybody else has already said. | Sugao no mama de [素顏のままで] Unfortunately, old = forgotten. There was no megastar cast (I think this drama really launched Yasuda Narumi's career, and while Nakamori Akina was well known, she was primarily just a singer at the time), but this story of love and friendship is just so well done that it can easily hold its own among the best being produced today. Plus, it is not overly melancholic or sappy, like a lot of the most popular dramas of the period. The music by Kome Kome Club is fantastic as well. | |