Kimura Takuya [木村拓哉] What can I say that hasn't been said before. He's one of the best artists (good singing, good acting, good looking) of Japan.
Koyuki [小雪] She is highly talented and irradiates a great strength. She is also elegant and charming. And her acting is really natural. Obviously she was in The Last Samurai.
Nakama Yukie [仲間由紀恵] She has a lovely duality: she can be really serious and suddenly start acting as a manga character (as in Gokusen). She also irradiates a powerful aura. I've also seen her as co-host in 56th NHK Kouhaku Uta-Gassen and she was brilliant.
Namase Katsuhisa [生瀬勝久] Hilarious actor, so expresive and with a wonderful voice. I would like to see him in more serious roles such as Cat Street. His comic side is great for non-leading roles and really compensates the most serious parts of any comic drama.
Sato Jiro [佐藤二朗] I love this guy! I'm always happy when I see him in any dorama, because I know he will be hilarious. He's the best supporting actor and I love when he talks fast! I would love to see him in more important roles (he was great in The Quiz Show).
SayaOtonashi's dramas (175)
1 Pound no Fukuin [１ポンドの福音] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Really entertaining dorama, full of energy and good mood. It was a bit repeating and boring sometimes (Kousaku changing mind all the time, tournament, food) but it got better at the end. Good way (but too obvious) of giving Kamenashi even more popularity. He sometimes reminded me to Kimura Takuya in his acting. Kousaku was a bit annoying and too hyper, always screaming "Sister!", and Sister Angela was annoying as well, never making up her mind and always wanting to run away. Boxing scenes were pretty good and interesting, as well as side stories. This dorama will keep you wanting more and more until the end. It was way too 'manga' for me (story is totally unbelievable), but also funny and nice to watch. Now I need to watch something more serious hehe Btw, loved Motai Masako's performance as Osamu Incho!
4 Shimai Tantei Dan [４姉妹探偵団] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) So-so dorama, though interesting through last episodes. It was focused on the little sister too much and I missed more character development. Story was weak and cases were based in coincidences. I loved Namase Katsuhisa (Hideki), he's one of my favourite actors, and he looked quite handsome in this show!
Ace wo Nerae! [エースをねらえ!] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) That was a good entertaining dorama but not the best of all sports doramas. It was quite unrealistic but somehow the story just caught my attention until the very end, maybe because it was one of my first doramas. Only to watch if you are an Ueto Aya fan (I am not :D) and if you want to see a quite simple dorama (sometimes I need them! :D).
Akai Ito [赤い糸] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Nicely produced dorama with great cast and acting. Mei-chan and A-kun chemistry is perfect, and chemistry between the different characters is really good too. From the beginning I had the feeling something bad was going to happen, and finally I couldn't believe so many bad things were happening. Mei-chan is really an unlucky girl. There were some twists I feel weren't needed (Taka-chan behavior with Mei-chan is something I just didn't like at all, and it felt completely unnecessary). It was lovely to see Kimura Ryo in a quite different role; I love this guy! Watch if you want to cry a bit and really like almost impossible love stories.
Akumu-chan [悪夢ちゃん] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Entertaining show with a quite interesting plot with surprising turnarounds. Special effects are quite cheesy but I'm getting used to them. And Yume-no-Ke is quite scary, isn't it? :D It seems to have lots of 11-12 years old fans, and they are preparing a film. I loved Kohinata Fumiyo in Ashita no Kita Yoshio, and unfortunately he plays a quite bold character in Akumu-chan. Btw, what's the problem with japanese wigs? They are certainly horrible! Gackt's smile just pisses me off but he was quite good (although I don't like him as an actor very much).
I recommend this one if you want to watch something interesting and not too deep.
Ando Lloyd �` A.I. knows LOVE? �` [安堂ロイド〜A.I. knows LOVE?〜] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) (August 12, 2019). It's been 3 years without watching doramas. I chose this one because I'm currently playing a videogame known as Judgment (死神の遺言, Judge Eyes in Japan) with Kimura Takuya playing the main role, so suddenly I wanted to watch one of his doramas and Ando Lloyd was on my to-watch list. BUT... It starts as a very poor quality dorama, close to Sh15uya. After 2 or 3 episodes, the plot changes slightly and moves toward something more interesting, but not brilliant, though. If you want to kill someone so badly, you don't just wait there for several seconds just to give enough time for the hero to get there and save the damsel in distress, do you? Anyway, it was funny to see him both as a Sheldon Cooper-like character and as a serial killer android (because he always delivers), but this may be his worst dorama so far.
Ando Natsu [あんどーなつ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I really enjoyed watching this dorama, mainly because I learnt some things about Jap sweets and some other stuff about Asakusa. I like knowing new things about Japanese culture and daily life so this one was perfect, because it focus on the lives of all people around Mangestsudou. It may seem slow sometimes but I recommend it.
Anego [アネゴ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I like business doramas so I enjoyed watching it, but on the other hand I don't like the elder woman with younger man stories. However it was a really entertaining dorama, although it talks (once again) about business women in Japan. Really funny sometimes.
Antique [アンティーク〜西洋骨董洋菓子店] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Strange feelings. Four different men of different ages and environments get to work together in a cake store. The dorama started slowly and it lacked some depth for my taste, but I loved how characters were presented: everything was a riddle and it reminded me to these not-so-old point-and-click adventure games, even for the scenario (Antique store) that was gorgeous. I've never liked Fujiki Naohito's smile; Takizawa Hideaki was just fine; Shiina Kippei was a great surprise (his character is so funny!); finally, Hiroshi Abe, he's the best without doubt. I just didn't like Koyuki in this one, but that was maybe because of her character, too naive and nervous for my taste. The dorama does not focus on Eiji's learning experience or the customers (who on the other hand play as nice "fillers")... Well, I'm not sure if this dorama is focused on anything, but by the end you'll notice there always are some secrets for each living persons that may or not be revealed. Overall, an enjoyable dorama that didn't make me want to eat cakes at all.
Around 40 [アラウンド40] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Amami Yuki was just superb in this dorama; I liked her more in this one than in BOSS and BOSS2, because she seemed much more natural, and her face expressions are so funny! Overall I liked this dorama since the three main stories (one per female friend around 40 years old) developed naturally and portrayed very different lifestyles (from the housewive with communication problems with his husband, thus causing trouble to their single son, until the rich and prestigious couple paying much more attention to their professional lifes and their public image, instead of their private life, even wanting to use a child as a marketing concept to sell more). For Satoko there's a struggle within her between what society tells her to do (marrying and having a child) and what she really likes (helping others as a psychiatrist). I was wandering how the dorama would end and which decision she would take and, finally, I was a bit disappointed and happy at the same time, not sure why. One thing I didn't like about this show is how psychological problems (such as the little boy that didn't talk, or Satoko's ex boyfriend himself) were quickly and easily solved, but I suppose this was necessary to keep on explaining the main plot and the different characters motivations and dreams.
Ashita no Kita Yoshio [あしたの、喜多善男] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) One of the best doramas I've seen so far! Incredible cast, excellent music, great atmosphere! A must watch and rewatch. For more info please read my review.
Asuko March! [アスコーマーチ!] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This drama was entertaining but not really impressive. Nao is a strong lady among lots of male students. This was something like "Gokusen" or other school doramas with problematic students and how they slowly learn to work together and so on. I loved Nao's grandfather but hated how she treated him. Besides that, on each episode Nao is "saving" someone (and by "saving" I mean making that someone think about his/her situation and change his/her mind) so easily it was just unbelievable (although nice). Anyway I loved the idea of "this is a school, society is really harder and not everyone is going to listen to you", which is so true. The plot was quite predictable and, unlike other coments, I didn't really care so much about Nao's "love triangle". I mean, she's young and I've already seen that "you'll have to wait for me" thing so many times it didn't surprise me at all. I would recommend this dorama to anyone who likes school doramas, and I give it an additional point because it is not the typicall school, but a technical one (although I missed some more details about the work they did there).
Atami no Sousakan [熱海の捜査官] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) This is by far one of the best doramas I've ever seen. Being the 99th dorama I watch, it's the first time I feel I *need* to rewatch it to fully understand everything. I mean, at the end I was like WTF?? I could only try to imagine what everything was about. This show just reminded me to LOST (because of all these clues left everywhere and many unanswered questions) and to Cube (white!). It is a really weird show, full of strange characters and with a heavy and bizarre atmosphere; music and characters are just great. Slow paced, I just felt as if all the steps taken and clues found were appearing out of the blue, with no meaning at all. That's why I feel there are soooo many details I missed. It also reminded me to those old PC graphic adventures, with many details in the scenarios, just for fun, that had nothing to do with the story. I will definitely watch it again, once or twice, as I know I will discover new important things so I can piece things together. A MUST see. Please don't miss this show, even if you feel it's two complex or meaningless. It is NOT. It is just a brillian dorama. Btw I haven't seen Twin Peaks and as everyone seems to be comparing these two shows, I want to watch it too :D
ATARU Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I watched this on July 2013. It was OK and it reminded me to SPEC.
Atashinchi no Danshi [アタシんちの男子] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Although at first I thought I was watching a poor copy of HanaKimi, from episode 4 it got much better. It casted good actors and was funny to watch, although sometimes it was a bit gaudy. It's not the best dorama ever but it is simple and actin and production are fine (although a bit confusing sometimes :S).
Attack No.1 [アタック No.1] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This is one of my first doramas, so it's kinda special for me. Maybe it's not the best dorama ever but the story was well written and I watched one episode after another. It also shows how one person fights for her dream and slowly matures, so you can clearly see how the main character changed from ep.1 untill the end. I recommend it if you like Ueto Aya and sports.
Attention Please [アテンションン プリース] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I saw this dorama long time ago and really enjoyed it. I like very much these doramas in which you see how the main character changes through the episodes, and this is one of them. And now when I have to fly and I see the air hostesses I just remember this dorama, so I found it really interesting! (I also love airports... :D)
Bambino! [バンビーノ!] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I loved Matsumoto Jun work in this dorama. It is amazing to notice his progression through the show, and how he learns to do a better job. It is true that he always does the same movements while in the kitchen so you clearly see he's acting and he's not improving very much; I felt he was always cooking the same. Besides that, I think the show explains some good things about our skills and goals.
Bara no nai Hanaya [薔薇のない花屋] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This is my first Katori Shingo dorama. Something strange happens with this dorama because I watched it like a year ago and I cannot remember anything about it. For me that means that it was entertaining (I finished watching it) but story was weak.
Bartender [バーテンダー] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Adorable dorama about a bartender that, although having won many prizes in Europe, has important things to learn about being a true bartender. I've been a regular customer of a cocktail music bar for over ten years, and every time I saw Bar Lapin it just reminded me to that bar, so I couldn't stop comparing the way everyone made cocktails, how they used the shaker and the bar spoon, which glasses they selected and so on. I even asked for some new cocktails and told them about mizuwari :D I also agree with the philosphy of a bartender's job and the way they must help people who visit their bars; I suppose the reason is that I also have a bar similar to Bar Lapin I like visiting from time to time. That's why this dorama, although not being the best one, is special for me. Don't expect much cocktail information in it, since it really focuses on the people that gather at Bar Lapin and the struggles of the main characters. I loved Kanjiya Shihori performance, and she is really cute too; it was so good to see Arakawa Yoshiyoshi (funny and clumsy as always), Tsugawa Masahiko (strong performance) and Takenaka Naoto (great voice and presence) in there. Aiba was great too. Cast was great for this dorama, although dialogs were really slow sometimes. Don't miss it if you want to have a good time and if you have some interest in alcohol and cocktails.
Binbo Danshi [貧乏男子 (ボンビーメン)] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Entertaining dorama, good to see an always laughing Oguri Shun. I didn't really like the way that the whole message about money was given, but I ended up liking each character, including Omu Omu san, which I really loved. Quite good overall, but not twice watchable.
Boku dake ga Inai Machi [僕だけがいない街] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) (Watched 19/10/2019) I tried. I really wanted to like this dorama. Sorry, but I couldn't. It was far too slow (it should have been a movie), characters motivations were not correctly explained, and there were certain details in the story that just didn't make sense (the doctor, for instance. I mean, would a doctor really say that?). At the same time, everything seemed to be far too obvious (I'll just say "finger movement" here). But, to me, the story was too unbelievable and, despite the slow pace, it felt rushed too. Definitely not my cup of tea. I loved the music and Totsugi Shigeyuki, though.
Boku dake no Madonna [僕だけのマドンナ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This was an unbelievable story and Surumi was so annoying! Hideaki acted in a weird way I just couldn't understand, so for me the story didn't make much sense. Anyway I finished watching the dorama, because it got better at the end, and I would recommend it only if you don't have any other dorama to watch.
BOSS Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I just loved watching this series! Cases are great and with really good twists. True, there's not much character development, but this dorama focuses on Boss' work and the cases. Character development is only suitable for a longer series. Loved the production, how scenes where recorded and the photo thing at the beginning of each episode. Last episode was too predictable, but I'm looking forward watching BOSS 2!
BOSS Season 2 Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I'm a bit confused with BOSS2. Somehow I enjoyed watching it, but overall I have a feeling this season is really weak, overacted, with simple crimes. In some episodes you just can easily tell who the criminal is: the famous actor among unknown faces. I smiled quite a few times but I couldn't laugh. Anyway I fins Amami Yuki amazing, though too forced in this one. I recommend it to kill some time without anything too complex.
Call Center no Koibito [コールセンターの恋人] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Title should be translated as "Call center lover(s)", because it talks about Tokura Wataru, a man working in Tokyo that is forced to move to the call center, away from the big city. At first he doesn't like working there but he slowly ends up loving it. I've been working on the call center sector for more than 10 years so it was funny to watch it. And when phones rang, I thought: "Wait a minute... that sound is familiar..." XD Yeah, they were using AVAYA phones! I know AVAYA quite well so it was a funny surprise. It's an entertaining dorama and subject is quite different from the rest of doramas, so give it a try!
Cat Street [キャットストリート] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I'm a bit confused with this dorama. I liked it and I didn't like it. I think plot and characters are far more fitable in a manga than in a dorama. Keito clearly grows up and improves, but I cannot quite understand and believe the trigger that turned her into a social introvert, it is too exagerated (or poorly explained, not sure). The best thing was to see Namase Katsuhisa in a quite different and more serious role; he was great as always. Give this dorama a try since it is quite short (6 ep).
Celeb to Binbo Taro [セレブと貧乏太郎] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Alice is such a japanese Paris Hilton, it made me a bit sick at first! But Ueto Aya was great at her role (as always). The dorama reminded me to Konkatsu (because of all the neighborhood and rich ppl vs poor ppl thing). I got really bored during the first episodes, and I was about giving up many times, but I finally made it through the end, which is sooo different from the start! This is a simple dorama that you may skip if you want, unless you love fashion and Ueto Aya.
Chance! ~ Kanojo ga Seiko Shita Riyu [チャンス！~ 彼女が成功した理由] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) I didn't like this one. Although characters are fine, Horikita Maki acts again as a humble girl with strong convictions that, by being clumsy, ends setting a happy ending up without knowing. Story is unbelievable and the 'Chance' message was totally messed up. I wouldn't waste my time watching this one.
CHANGE Rating: 9/10 (Watched) One of the best Kimura Takuya's doramas. He was the only one who could play Keita so well. Pay attention to the reaaally long speech at the end of the show (it lasted about 22 minutes without breaks, that's not something you usually see). Of course it is a TV Show so don't expect it to be really realistic. I would've loved Abe Hiroshi to have more screen time. Great show after all, I would watch it again.
Coin Locker Monogatari [コインロッカー物語] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Here we have a really short story (four 23-min episodes) about a strange girl who seems to be obsessed with locker n.56 at Shinjuku train station. She will meet other strange people thanks to other lockers, while she waits something to come from hers. It is a mature story and it's pretty well done, but the ending was somehow really strange (maybe too Japanese?). It was a really good idea for an 11 episodes dorama for example.
Control ~ Hanzai Shinri Sousa [ＣＯＮＴＲＯＬ〜犯罪心理捜査〜] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Average dorama that reminded me so much to The Mentalist! Easy to watch, cases were OK but too predictable sometimes. I think Matsuhisa Nao was not fitted for that role, she was not believable; I can't imagine a detective talking in that way to suspects sometimes. On the other hand, Fujiki Naohito was just perfect on his role. It was so nice to see Sato Jiro in a different role, with just a slight comic side but much more serious. I had only seen Yokoyama Yu in Hidarime Tantei Eye (which was quite horrible) so I'm happy he's getting better doramas now. This dorama is one of those that could last lots of episodes (just like an US drama), and the best thing about it is the ending song, performed by Keisuke Kuwata (also known for being the singer in Southern All Stars).
Danso no Reijin [男装の麗人] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I'm not sure about this one-shot dorama. It's an interesting story about a real character (Kawashima Yoshiko, also known as Ri Kouran), but they seem to have split the character in two: the actress and singer (who's barely seen) and the manly traitor. As far as I've read, everything is fictional. I don't know much Japanese and subtitles were really low quality so it was hard to understand. Besides that, production was good, and I loved Maya Miki. I'm not a Kuroki Meisa fan but I must admit she did a wonderful job. Give it a try, it's 2 hours long.
Densha Otoko [電車男] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Another dorama with Itoh Misaki which I don't like very much. The story is unrealistic but the pace is quite good, so you will always want to know what's happening next. I loved all the social network people (so funny!!! thanks god they were there) and those wonderful ASCII drawings. I also searched a bit about the story and I still don't know if it is true or not; I think it isn't. Besides that, I finished watching it and thought: and now what? So it is a good dorama to kill some time buy I wouldn't watch it twice.
Don Quixote [ドン★キホーテ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Even though the plot is about "switched personalities", it was funny to watch. I think Matsuda Shota made a wonderful job here. I liked how both characters slowly learn things from totally different worlds they are forced to live in for a while. Really nice!! The only thing I didn't like at all is that the Spanish accent is not from Spain but from Cuba or Mexico (not sure), and music is Cuban and not Spanish either; please note that "Don Quixote" is an old book from Spain.
Dosokai [同窓会] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Adult dorama talking about family and adultery. First episode seemed quite rushed, but I suppose they needed to get to the point quickly to develop all characters motivations and hopes. From episode 3 or 4 the plot becomes more interesting, and the final episode was really good. I came to love and hate both Tomomi and Sheiichiro; they are childish adults not being honest with their own feelings. All characters are quite well developed and the story is consistent as well. I recommend this one, but you'll need to be patient until you slowly get to know each character.
Dragon Zakura [ドラゴン桜] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) At first I thought it was another dorama like GTO, Gokusen or Koukou Kyoushi about a bunch of bad students, but from the beggining it was clear that this dorama was going to be different. I could not stop watching it until the end, and I always feared the ending was going to be predictable but finally it wasn't.
Really good dorama with great Hiroshi Abe. I don't like Yamapi very much but this was one of his best interpretations.
Highly recommended if you like school doramas but you are looking for something quite different.
Edison no Haha [エジソンの母] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) It was quite interesting but once again I don't really like Itoh Misaki, I just end up watching her doramas withouth knowing. All the "Shizuka niiii" was getting me really nervous. Anyway that little boy was just adorable, although the plot slowly goes down until the end.
Engine [エンジン] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I saw this dorama long time ago and I still remember enjoying it. I like F1 so it catched my attention from the beginning :D I like Kimura Takuya very much, he is a really good actor and singer, and the relationship he has with all children is wonderful. I also like Koyuki a lot. The only thing that I found a bit weird is the relationship between these two and Jiro's ex-girlfriend. But I prefer the story not being another love story... This one talks about something different. Really interesting and entertaining.
FACE MAKER Rating: 5/10 (Watched) This drama was overall entertaining but quite poor. Production was not bad and episodes are just 30min long. I imagine the "face changing" thing was just an excuse to ask the question about "what would happen if you were able to completely change not only your face, but also your voice?". Each episode tells a different (and not quite bad) story and motivation until everything ends up explaining where does the "Face Maker" come from. Obviously, the sci-fi thing about a face-changing operation with a recuperation of only 1 month is totally unbelievable, but they covered this with the whole "Federal Witness Protection Program". I was going to give it 4 but I'm giving it 5 out of 10 because it just entertained me. It's a fast and simple dorama and ending was not so bad.
Freeter, Ie o Kau. [フリーター、家を買う。] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Nice dorama, wonderfully depicted and produced. Ninomiya Kazunari's acting was superb; i loved the way he slowly changes and somehow matures because of his mother's depression. There are many plots inside this dorama, some of them not being really important but necessary to relax the tension of Seiji's problems. I really like Takenaka Naoto and although at first I hated him as a father in this dorama, finally I got to understand him. Must see.
Fukigen na Jiin [不機嫌なジーン] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) At first I could not guess what they were trying to explain with this story. There's a brilliant female researcher, a prideful ex, and a gentle guy who seems to be put in the story just to create a 'love triangle' so the show lasted a bit more. My thoughts are that they were trying to explain the 'truth' behind each person's life: why we get in love, what we expect from our partner, why we feel upset or betrayed, why we keep failing and repeating the same mistakes. I liked the show, and I sincerely think that the complicity between Jinko and Minamihara is one of the best ones I've ever seen: they made a wonderful couple and you could truly think they were made for each other. It was a surprise to see Uchino Masaaki in this one; I had only seen him in JIN and I absolutely loved him as Sakamoto Ryoma: he's also great in Fukigen. Also the scientific details were OK for me, but all that insect thing was a bit forced from my point of view.
Futatsu no Spica [ふたつのスピカ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Although this dorama talks about space, it is more like a school dorama. There's a space school (strange idea, btw) and you'll find those student-student, teacher-student, parent-student, parent-teacher relationships. Anyway it was refreshing to find a new point of view (from the outer space :D) and the dorama was nicely portrayed (though things happened a bit fast). Really nice to watch.
Gal Cir [ギャルサ] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) Mmm it has some humour, it has cute girls (but I don't really mind about that), and it has something that keeps you watching the show. But at the end you just forget about it... Won't remember what they were talking about. Was there some dancing? You can skip this drama.
Galileo [ガリレオ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Ok, I liked the idea of using physics to solve murder cases, but somehow I felt cases and resolution were really weak. And did he really need to write equations _always_? Also each episode is just about the same (professor doesn't want to help young cop but ends up helping in his own quirky way), so you'll keep entertained but don't expect a heavy story with heavy cases. Good enough, it has comedy and mistery; just give it a try.
Godhand Teru [ゴッドハンド輝] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Maybe not the best dorama ever, but a really entertaining show, though too short. I liked all characters, they were played quite good, although they were not very much developed, but I really didn't miss that. Stories are believable. In other doramas such as 'Bambino!' you could see the main character always repeating the same action although theoretically he should be improving and making new things; the good thing about 'Godhand Teru' is that surgery procedures were not as repetitive (although they quite focused on sewing for example), so it was original and different each episode. At first I thought I was going to see that Teru's 'magic moment' in each surgery, but fortunatelly it wasn't like that. By the way, and this is for all Spanish fellows, Junji reminded me to Risto Mejide so much! :D:D Good show, it drew my attention for sure.
Going My Home [ゴーイング マイ ホーム] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) As has already been said, this is not the typical dorama: slow-paced, subtle, relaxing, minimal. The best acting I've ever seen so far: natural, as if you were gossiping other's lives from afar. Not many camera movements; almost all frames were static, which impregned the show with a silent and peaceful aura somehow. Short scenes not explaining anything in particular, but just showing someone's daily life, with their small little daily details. Background music just put everything together: slow, warm, perfect all the time. The show plays with the rational minds of the main characters, and the fairy world of kids and not so kids (do you believe in Kuuna?). It somehow reminded me to Miyazaki's superb films, always making the forest and its inhabitants almost another character, giving them the value they deserve so they don't go unnoticed (as it almost always happens in our "real world"). It's about ways of life, about knowing each other, about desires and feelings and ties and hopes and doubts and fears, but everything explained in a really subtle, even magical way. One of my favorite shows so far, that I would absolutely rewatch.
Gokusen [ごくせん] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I watched this drama long time ago and I remember having the feeling it was funny but lacking something too. Too many fights and long lectures; it jumped so fast from funny scenes to highly emotional scenes that it was somehow over reacted. Anyway I liked it, much more than GTO, and Nakama Yukie is great. I saw Gokusen 2 like a week ago and I had a much better feeling with 2nd season.
Gokusen Season 2 [ごくせん２] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I saw Gokusen long time ago, and once I finished it I started watching Gokusen 2. I just thought it was a bad imitation of the first season so I stopped watching it. A few years later I gave season 2 a try, and I'm glad I did so. It was a refreshing and funny drama and it was nice to see Yankumi again with a new bunch of guys. I laughed and, OK, fights are not the best thing, but hey, is not all the cast over reacting all the time? So fights are not realistic too. I think the show keeps some kind of 'this is not real, this is surrealistic' atmosphere that will make you laugh. If you're looking for a believable plot, cast and production, then you won't like it (and it's a 5). But if you only want to have a good time and you don't want to philosophize about it, then this drama is perfect for you! (and it's a 9).
Gokusen Season 3 [ごくせん 3] Rating: 5/10 I saw Gokusen3 only three months after watching Gokusen2. Great mistake! G3 is just more of the same, but somehow worse. I didn't like the guys at first, and story was just boring. By the end it slightly changes but not so much. The best thing (and I love it) is Yankumi-Sawatari relationship; this couple is just great!! Sincerely, just wait two or three years between each season so you can fully enjoy them.
Good Luck !! [グッドラック！！] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I had such a wonderful time watching this dorama, although it had some weak points (I didn't really like the way they explained all the surgery process, it was just too fast, and Ayumi's character was a bit irritating and I sometimes thought why the hell she was there). Anyway it is a light dorama and I liked it much more than Pride. A must watch.
GTO [麻辣教師] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) So repetitive! Each episode was the same, all the decisions were simply crazy, and they always made the same speech. It is OK if you like school dramas but I would recommend Gokusen much more! Anyway I wanted to know how everything ended up, so I imagine it had something good as well.
I'm not really saying that this is a bad dorama. I only say that I started watching the first episode and found it so boring I just had to stop watching it. Maybe is that I don't like sports doramas very much (although I liked Attack n1 and Ace o nerae!). Even though I give it a 1, you should try yourself. Maybe I'll try in the future too :D
Haken no Hinkaku [ハケンの品格] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I really had a good time watching this dorama. Haruko is so damn good at her job that she just annoyed me but afterwards (and the same happens with all her colleagues) I just ended loving her ways and somehow being able to see beyond that cold, proud and almost perfect professional behavior. Really good dorama, it was so much fun watching it!
Hana Yori Dango [花より男子] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This dorama is totally overrated (maybe because of the good-looking guys) but it is nice to watch. Story is interesting in some way, and let's not forget that it was a manga first. So I understand why is so popular. It is funny, a bit eccentric sometimes, and much better than season 2. A must see.
Hana Yori Dango Season 2 [花より男子] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Story was OK but I felt it was totally pointless to write a second part; just one film would be fine. Maybe they wanted to make more money from that... Anyway first season was really original, funny and enjoyable. Second part is just pointless and boring in many ways. If you've seen season 1 you can stop there, really.
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This dorama was far better than I expected. It is the second one (the first one was My Boss My Hero) that actually made me laugh, mainly thanks to the incredibly funny Nakatsu's monologues, to the doctor and his wonderful blue contact lenses, and to the weird paranormal things XD Love story was OK. I really enjoyed watching this, for more details read my review above.
Hanzawa Naoki [半沢直樹] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I watched this in May 2014 and hardly remember it. I said on Twitter that I liked the show very much. My memories mix this show with Legal High...
Haruka 17 [はるか 17] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) Interesting but not very well developed story. I really loved both Arata Furuta and Sato Jiro (I love Sato Jiro!). Not one of the best doramas ever, but OK to kill some time. Anyway there are much more better doramas out there... So I wouldn't watch this one.
Hataraki Man [働きマン] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This is a really good dorama: good production, great acting (I love Kanno Miho and her voice -she always seems to have a cold! :D), good music, story and writing. It focuses in work almost all the time, and I loved the idea that Hiroko already had a boyfriend, so she has to face some hard decissions since she loves her job so much. Maybe other characters are not very much developed. Last song on each episode was SO funny! And after watching this dorama I couldn't help but start thinking about my own situation in my job (and in life :D). Anyway I found myself into a contradiction: did I like the end, or didn't I? I still don't know the answer to that; if I were Miho, it would be really difficult for me to make that decision. I suppose she was really mature with her decision. In summary, the show was really entertaining and easy to see; don't expect anything very deep (at least until the end, when I really thought about what job means in life).
Hero Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I really like Kimura Takuya but I don't quite see why this dorama is so popular. I liked him much more in CHANGE! Anyway Hero is interesting though pace is a bit slow. I liked how the second stories were explained but not given much more attention. And I loved the barman hahahah It seemed to me that he was going to kill somebody some day! XDD
Hidarime Tantei EYE [左目探偵ＥＹＥ] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Horrible special, unrealistic, bad written and performed. Episodes were surprisingly better, and Yamada Ryosuke's performance was simply great; he's a very talented guy. Plot was interesting but development could have been much better; there are many bad things and it's a pitty. More details in my review.
Himitsu Chouhouin Erika [秘密諜報員 エリカ] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) A former secret spy is now a housewife who is forced to go back to the business. I really like Kuriyama Chiaki, but this dorama was just bad. It starts with some simple cases to solve, each of them giving you the opportunity to see Kuriyama dressed as a hostess, a maid and so on (fan service I imagine). After some episodes, a deeper plot is shown - this was far too typical in mystery doramas. Kuriyama is a wonderful actress with an incredible strenght and presence, and she did a wonderful job in here, but a poor production and writing made the show a mess. Fight scenes reminded me to the ones in Buffy the vampire slayer (no kidding!), and I hated to notice the stunt actress _all the time_. I wouldn't recommend this one unless you are a huge Kuriyama Chiaki fan.
Himitsu no Hanazono [ヒミツの花園] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Cute and quite simple dorama about four guys having to pretend being a female mangaka. I wasn't expecting much from this dorama and I ended loving the four brothers and all the other characters, which were really adorable. Though the main story talks about the four brothers and their relationship with their new editor, there are other side stories which are really brilliant too, and that slowly unfold through the dorama until everything gets finally solved. Minae's character was SO annoying but I imagine she was necessary for the whole plot. Maya Miki was refreshing as always, with her really peculiar and lovely way of acting. Sakai Masato's acting (Wataru) was a bit strange though, with that quirky smile all the time, and he was even scary when looking at the "never-to-be-open" door. I've seen Shaku Miku in other doramas but this is the first time I see her playing the main role, and sincerely, I still don't like her. This is more a family dorama than anything else. I recommend watching it in between darker/sadder doramas.
Hitori Shizuka [ヒトリシズカ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I must say watching this show was mesmerizing. Shizuka's story just develops in a quiet way, and it is observed from each policemen involved in the different murders that occur and that, in a subtle way, are connected by Shizuka herself. The whole series has a mystery aura; it is slow, dark and severe, and details are carefully (and surprisingly) shown, and you keep wanting to understand Shizuka better. The only complaint I have is last episode. The show is correctly ended, but last episode was a bit messy, as if it had been shot in a rush, missing a big detail you'll notice when you watch it (or maybe they just wanted to show us some kind of metaphor or something... not sure). Anyway the show was great and totally worthwatching. Must see.
Hitsudan Hostess [筆談ホステス] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Touching true story about a deaf girl who fights to be number one, as her mother told her once when she was little. It was a good dramatization; I loved the fight scene between Rie and her brother, but the ending scene was too long for my taste. It also made me think about communication between people, how to find one's path no matter what limitations we have, and the defects of parents, even though they fight strong to make their best. I also would like to know something else about the hostess world; is it so full of good people really? It seems Rie always found good people there. Give it a try, it is a nice dorama.
Hotaru no Hikari [ホタルノヒカリ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I loved Ahomiya-Buchou relationship, I think it was the best think about this drama. It was funny and entertaining too, I hoped they ended up being in love with each other, and everything seemed to lead there, but finally I was so disappointed; they should be together!! Anyway it's quite good. I read there's a Part 2 but it doesn't have good references so I suppose I won't watch it.
Hotman [ホットマン] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) A domestic dorama in all ways. Family show, not very original, but heartwarming and entertaining. The little girl was adorable. Anyway I just couldn't understand some reactions from Enzo and they kept arguing and arguing, but each character had its own story and you almost felt that the house itself was another character. I started watching season 2 but I hated that Manami was changed by Misaki Itoh. Season 1 is one of those doramas that has some weak and cheesy points but that at the same time is a must watch.
I left this jdorama in the middle of it. I didn't like Konishi Manami's replacement (Itoh Misaki) at all, and overall the show just seemed more of the same thing. It didn't manage to get my attention on the new problems the family must face. I'm not saying it is a bad dorama (it isn't, in fact) but I just left it behind and never came back to it. Not willing to do it, either.
Ichi Ritoru no Namida [１リットルの涙] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) This was one of the very first doramas I ever saw, long time ago. I still remember all the tears I shed from the beginning, and the great single Konayuki from Remioromen. Maybe the fact that this dorama was based on a real story made me feel it much more deeply. A must see if you are really prepared to cry; a mustn't if you don't really want to be moved by a hard story.
Ikemen Desu Ne [美男ですね] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Romance dorama about a nun who has to pretend being her brother in a really popular band. The whole story seemed so unbelievable from the 1st episode that I still wonder how I managed to end watching it. I didn't like how Ren behaved towards Mio (well, Miko), and what about all that family stuff? Too messy. I understand the public for this dorama is really young so they can daydream about a story similar to this, so maybe this dorama was not for me. It was well produced but it reminded me too much to Hana Kimi (did you see Yuuki talking to himself about his feelings?), which was much better than this one. Anyway, watch it if you like daydreaming, fluffy romances and loose reactions.
Iryu [医龍 Team Medical Dragon] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Basically you'll have a very ambitious woman creating a team of very talented guys doing very difficult operations, while somebody from above is trying to ruin their plans. First episodes bored me, but once Batista operations start the show gets far more interesting. Asada's character reminded me to Godhand Teru (which I had seen before) but this show is much better. Acting was cool but I hated those long speeches while somebody is about to die... Maybe plot is not very original but it is totally entertaining and worthwatching. Btw, it reminded me to Trauma Center (videogame) :D
Jigoku Shoujo [地獄少女] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Nice dorama that reminded me to "Shinigami no Ballad". At first I thought every episode was going to be exactly the same (as in "Puzzle") but every story was slightly different and there was the main plot, something like in "Ringu". So this dorama is more similar to a long horror film. Visual effects were not the best thing but the atmosphere was OK. Sayuri Iwata was just perfect for her role as Ai Enma. It was a really nice and easy-to-watch dorama.
Jikou Keisatsu [時効警察] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Really funny dorama, with black humor and nonsense details. If you've seen Atami no Sousakan you'll understand what I say. The main difference with Atami is that Jikou Keisatsu misteries are very easy to understand, so you may think the dorama may be weak, but I always felt that the misteries are just an excuse to make some weird humor. That's the strong point of this dorama, and it is one of the very, very few that made me really laugh. Odagiri Joe + Satoshi Miki (director) just make a gorgeous combination. Don't miss it!
JIN [JIN-仁-] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) The story begins quite excitingly, with all the time travel thing and the main character adaptation to the Edo era where he has been sent. The story afterwards moves between a love story and a medical dorama, with an interesting point of view about "what to do with the XXI century knowledge at the end of the Edo period", feeling a bit like a God. I liked more the historical and cultural details (the cholera, the "Red District" and prostitute's life, and son on) rather than the love story, but unfortunately by the end of the show everything just focused on the love story. About the medical details, the way they are accepted is so unbelievable and exciting at the same time. I knew the second season was being aired in Japan by the time I was watching it so I didn't expect the time travel thing to be explained, although I was expecting a little hint or something. Overall this dorama reminded me to "Doomsday Book" written by Connie Willis, and to "Glass Rose" (PS2 videogame). I also like stories about how everything would have been if things had happened differently in the past (just like in "Years of rice and salt" by Kim Stanley Robinson). I must say Nakatani Miki did a wonderful job as Nokaze and Miki; I was totally impressed with her work. Not the best dorama ever, very unbelievable in many ways, but very, very engaging and entertaining at the same time.
JIN Season 2 Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This dorama was just awesome. The most beautiful relationship is the one between Sakamoto-dono and Minakata-sensei, without doubt; it made me cry several times. I felt so sorry for Saki too. This second season was more focused on historical events so I learned quite a few things, but it was hard for me to follow conversations sometimes (maybe because of the English used for the subtitles, specially for Sakamoto-dono and Nokaze-san). Again, Nakatani Miki was superb and really, really beautiful. And Uchino Masaaki was impressive too; I love his version of Sakamoto Ryôma. I loved seeing some well-known actors in there too, and acting of the main characters was great: I could almost feel the pain they were feeling sometimes, with few exceptions. About the plot, I've always thought it's dangerous to play with time travel, but JIN was OK with that; dialogs between Saki and Jin are just all the questions the public may have while watching the series. The dorama became quite cheesy at some points, but production and acting was so good I just kept watching the episodes, without thinking very much about the unlikeliness of some medical details, because everything helped to expain the story. They also played well with the role of a doctor in the middle of great battles, facing many problems that, unfortunately, we still have in our present time. Last episode is 1.5 hours long, and although it felt really short, I felt everything was going too fast; maybe one more episode could have been better. You should definitely not miss this dorama.
Yesterday I watched ep.1 and I don't really liked it. I felt somewhat strange and uneasy... Maybe is that I only need funny and simple doramas. I think I'll pass now and maybe in time I'll try again...
Jyoou no Kyoushitsu [女王の教室] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I loved the idea of a devilish teacher instead of devilish students. Amami Yuki was great in her role. It was entertaining but not the best dorama ever. Watch it if you don't have anything else to watch.
Kaette Kita Jikou Keisatsu Season 2 [帰ってきた時効警察 2] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Wonderful second season. If you liked the first season then you'll love this one as well. Some episodes are better than others, but overall I loved it. The main difference with S01 is that S02 is more focused on the different characters, and investigation is a little shorter, but the humor is the same. I will paste my comments from the first season because they perfectly match the second one!:
Misteries are very easy to understand, so you may think the dorama may be weak, but I always felt that the misteries are just an excuse to make some weird humor. That's the strong point of this dorama, and it is one of the very, very few that made me really laugh. Don't miss it!
Kagi no Kakatta Heya [鍵のかかった部屋] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) So-so episodic dorama around many different locked rooms misteries, which were quite easy to solve from my point of view. Ohno Satoshi played a quite bizarre character, which is fine, but he was way too robotic (it reminded me to the guy in "Zettai Kareshi"), and you don't really get to know his motivations. I'm also getting tired of Toda Erika; she was supperb in "SPEC" but she's a bit annoying in this one. The good surprise was Sato Koichi: at first I just didn't like him, but after some episodes I found his character very, very funny and really balanced. I would recommend this dorama if you're a Satoshi/Erika fan or if you have nothing else to see.
Kaibutsu-kun [怪物くん] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Drama for kids, a bit slow at the beginning but it gets more interesting from ep.5 or so. I had never seen Ohno Satoshi in a dorama so I was surprised with his interpretation. It was really entertaining and funny to watch, although really predictable, but it's for kids! :D It's refreshing to watch something like these between sad and heavy doramas.
Kaidan Hyaku Shosetsu [怪談百物語] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Japanese ghost legend dorama. Despite its title, most of the stories are not scary, but it was so good to watch a totally different dorama about Japanese folklore. Many good actors appear in this totally different dorama. Onmyoji character is funny and wise at the same time; I loved this character. The last episode scene was a very good idea from my point of view. This dorama just makes me want to learn more about Japanese folklore, it was really enjoyable.
Kaikyo wo Wataru Violin [海峡を渡るバイオリン] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I watched this one long time ago and I had almost forgot about it. I found the DVD and I thought: "Oh, now I remember". I remember liking the story (true stories are more touching maybe?) but not the dorama itself. I'm not a Kusanagi fan and I didn't quite like the way everything was paced. Too overly done, too maniac? Too obsessed. The story was nice and touching, but the way they explained it was not realistic. So you can watch this one if you have nothing better to watch, but as I always say, you can give it a try.
Kami no Shizuku [神の雫] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I had read the reviews before watching this dorama and I expected a very little bit from it, but in the end it was quite (and just "quite") entertaining. I'm not a heavy wine fan (although I like to tast white wines). The show is very soapy and full of nonsense and impossible situations, and it just seemed like the two main male characters were having LSD or something like that instead of just drinking or even smelling wine! I mean, seriously? All those perfect images? And hitting the exact wine and year among all those thousands of wines? I wish a wine from La Rioja had been there :p I don't know, I watched the whole thing and it's just a 5 (because I've seen worse doramas so far).
Kanojo to no Tadashii Asobikata [彼女との正しい遊び方] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Nice acting and cast. Yuna seems one of Murakami's novels female characters, she's kinda creepy and strange, but interesting at the same time. Relationship between Yuna and Fujiki is original, special and incredibly unique and strong, and as they evolve, so it does. Everything is quite surreal and unique, and it is wonderfully presented in only 45 minutes; if made longer, maybe it would lose its essence. Beautiful and different.
Karei naru Ichizoku [華麗なる一族] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Intense, solemn, with a heavy atmosphere (thanks to the incredible music). I don't really know if this show was good or not. I mean, it's the first soap opera-like dorama I've ever seen. The ending was really good and I enjoyed watching it all the way through, but on the other hand I found it too soapy, specially for the relationships within the family. I think 60-70s was not very well portrayed. Story was a bit complex when talking about economy but plot was really good. And I cried at the end. So I assume it was good, a 'classic' maybe? :D
Kaseifu no Mita [家政婦のミタ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I have mixed up feelings about this dorama. I watched it because of its high ratings (around 25 in Kanto region, and the last episode reached an incredible 40) and I didn't really understand why until last espisode. I found the initial episodes somehow boring, too long and repetitive. I was never able to empathize with absolutely any of the characters, whom in the other hand made me want to slap them in the face. Well, maybe little Kii was the most adorable of all. The sets were also repetitive: office, home, school, home, grandpa's home, home again. I guess they wanted to introduce each family member through Mita's eyes, maybe to explain her relationship with them; but all those long speeches were too overacted and repetitive. Besides that, Mita was always acting like a robot, and during the first half of the series it reminded me to both "Zettai Kareshi" and "Marumo no okite". But then, on the second half, you can start noticing subtle changes in Mita, meanwhile you start learning bits of her past. Matsushima Nanako's acting was superb and, although Mita did not want to smile or reflect any kind of feeling, you could always notice how her mouth just moved less than an inch to express joy or sadness. Episode 9 was the worst one for me; I found it full of inconsistences and a total nonsense, as if it was rushed, but then, the last two episodes were brilliant and I loved the ending. And I imagine this show is good because, you know, I found myself laughing or crying sometimes, and that hardly happens to me. ***SPOILERS AHEAD: One of the things that puzzled me more was the fact that it seems Mita has some kind of mental disorder, result of a high, intense stress. That's why I really loved the ending, subtle and "happy but sad at the same time", but anyway I couldn't imagine a real family living with (and depending on) a woman who has plainly gone nuts. But hey, there's hope for everyone.
Keizoku Season 2: SPEC [ケイゾク 2: SPEC] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Really good dorama! A great role for Toda Erika, who greatly played a nerd and brilliant character. I also loved Sebumi's character. Overall, it is a weird dorama with really strange humor and a great plot that, although slow developed at the beggining, comes much more interesting and surprising from ep. 5. It made me feel there are layers over layers of SPEC people. It is also very interesting how each different SPEC may be helpful, dramatically dangerous or decisive in different occasions; something like the rock-paper-scissors game. Special effects were really good compared to other doramas, which is surprising. But, what about that Spanish talking from time to time? I mean, I know Shirota Yu's mother is from Barcelona and he actually speaks good Spanish, but, really, was it necessary at all? This series has been compared to HEROES, and actually Nakamura Hiro's actor from HEROES, Masi Oka, is going to produce the series in the US (the first time for a dorama). This little detail made me wonder how will the US version be =D This is a dorama that MUST NOT be missed at all!!
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko [結婚できない男] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I loved watching Hiroshi Abe enjoying classical music and cooking so much, and his character was so dark and silent sometimes I just wanted to slap him :D The story goes on just by showing how this quirky and sarcastic man lives and interacts with their more 'ordinary' neighbours and pals (and the dog!! :D). Light comedy and really good simple dorama; I just felt satisfied when I ended watching it.
Kiken na Aneki [危険なアネキ] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) A good story but too exagerated. I don't like Misaki Itoh very much, and in this dorama she was too much noisy. It was a bit boring too and too much unrealistic. Watch it only if you like Misaki Itoh.
Kimi wa Petto [きみはペット] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This is one of my favorite doramas. I just loved the stupid idea of a man being like a pet for a totally business-minded woman. Maybe the story is not very much realistic but in this dorama they just made it realistic somehow. Both Koyuki and Matsumoto Jun were great and had a lot of chemistry despite the age gap. A must watch.
Kindaichi shonen no Jikenbo (2005) [金田一少年の事件簿] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) It was really catchy and entertaining! First Kamenashi show I saw, and I quite liked him. It reminded me to 'Cluedo' game and 'Murder by Death' film :D
Kisarazu Cat's Eye [木更津キャッツアイ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This is one of those doramas that you will always remember, no matter how long ago you watched it. Funny, hilarous, a bit confusing and maybe meaningless, with a great ending. Nya Nya!!! Totally recommended if you really want to have a great time.
Kodoku no Gurume [孤独のグルメ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Great dorama for all the food lovers out there! I do not consider myself a great food lover, but the pace and music of this dorama, and the superb Matsushige Yutaka as Inogashira Goro, made me feel a bit hungry and so curious about so many varieties of Japanese food! I'm not sure if I'll watch absolutely all seasons but I'll give the second one a chance for sure. And I'll buy the manga as a present for my food-lover friends!!
Koi wa Tatakai [恋は戦い！] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I didn't like this dorama very much. I've never seen SATC at all so I don't know if they are alike or not. Although tis dorama was well produced and acted, I didn't believe in any of the relationships (how they start, how they end). And they kept not showing their true feelings all along, until the very last moment. Average romance dorama that really bored me at the end.
Koishite Akuma [恋して悪魔] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) At first I thought I was going to see something as bad as RHPlus, and then I expected something a bit better, like Shinigami no Ballad, and I finally found a really decent dorama. In fact, you could save the "Kuromiya-being-a-vampire" thing, or maybe you could switch in into some mortal disease thing, and voi-la, you have a dorama with good acting, no need for special effects, and a nice, although cliche, love story. Acting was a bit forced sometimes, but Nakayama Yuma was really good, and he has impressive and beautiful eyes!! Good to see Kyo Nobuo in there as well. Pace was a bit slow sometimes and the end was totally predictable, and of course, don't expect anything new (vampire boy and human girl and forbidden love), but it was entertaining anyway, and I imagine they just wanted to send that "smile-and-be-happy-life-has-meaning-after-all" message. I'm glad I watched this one, even though I'm not a big vampire stories fan.
Konkatsu! [婚カツ！] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) So-so story, but somehow it was interesting until the end; I kept wondering who would marry who. Unfortunately relationships weren't believable; for example, I think there was much more chemistry between Shigeru and Haruno than between her and Kuniyuki, but you know what, sometimes life has some surprises and things don't always happen as we expect. What I liked the most was the fact that marriage was not the only story; it also talked about growing up, how things change, neighbourhoods... Not the best dorama but quite simple and entertaining; give it a try if you want to kill some time without thinking too much. Btw, I loved Shugoro-san! And I want some tonkatsu! :D
Kuitan [喰いタン] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I loved this dorama, althought it could be boring sometimes, and they were just focusing so much on food! It was really funny and entertaining, and I just fell in love with The Kuitan :D I tried watching season 2 but I found it a bit disappointing. Maybe I'll give it a try soon.
I'm sure the story is nice, and I know eeeveryone loves Yamapi, but I'm sorry, I don't. I watched 2 episodes, I really tried, but the story didn't say nothing to me and pace was too weird and boring. I didn't like the acting either, it felt too forced. Not my style of dorama; you will love it if you are a Yamapi fan.
Last Cinderella [ラスト シンデレラ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Average dorama with a love triangle not quite believable. It just didn't make sense how the story starts between Sakura and Hiroto, and I always felt Sakura and Tachibana had a greater relationship, beyond just plain simple friendship. It was an acceptable dorama to watch, and Shinohara Ryoko absolutely stole the show. The pace was quite good and you slowly get used to each character, but the ending was like... I don't know, average ending too. Not the greatest dorama ever but you should watch it if you are a fan of Rujiki Naohito and/or Shinohara Ryoko.
Legal High [リーガル・ハイ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This one is a high-speed comical dorama! Some cases were boring to me, but overall it was fine and funny... And Komikado just always ended surprising me. I saw Sakai Masato in Nankyoku Tairiku and in Himitsu no Hanazono and I didn't like him at first, but he's just superb in Legal High and I came to appreciate his good acting skills. I will be waiting for season 2!
Liar Game [ライアーゲーム] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Very entertaining dorama with really interesting mind games. I liked 2nd round the most. Full of twists and turns, although a bit predictable sometimes. Remember it is manga-based. I loved Kichise Michiko's performance. Matsuda Shota surprised me for good; I don't usually like idol-type actors. Too exagerated and moralist sometimes, but it was really fun to watch. Last ep. shouldn't have been so long; you will certainly fastforward the flashback parts (saving about 45min.). For those who say it has bad acting and writing... Sincerely... Have you seen RH Plus? :D
LIAR GAME Season 2 [ライアーゲーム 2] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) About the dorama:
I enjoyed this second season more than the first one. I feel all mind games were better explained, and it was nice to see some old characters such as Fukunaga-san in there. It is, once more and as expected, full of twists and turns, but this time not so predictable (which is very good). Great Matsuda Shota and superb Kikuchi Rinko. Nao-chan is still irritably naive but this time she seems to use her past experiences in the Game for good. And sometimes I even felt a bit like her... "What should I do in that situation? Would I trust Fukunaga-san or not?". OK, I would probably not XD but you never know. I must also mention the great production, and I really *loved* the camera movements and the sets, and music too. Impressive. Finally I must say (and this goes for both seasons and the movie) that, again and even with all the masks variety, all Dealers (Leronira, Solario and Kelbim) resembled jigsaw's puppet from SAW too much.
About the movie:
Quite the same as the 2nd season. In fact the 2nd season had 9 episodes plus the film, and it could have just been an 11 or 12 ep dorama. That's fine, anyway. Loved the chemistry between Akiyama-san and Nao-chan, which has developed over the whole series. It surprised me too, although I found the ending a bit fast.
Conclusion: This is one of the very few jdoramas I think it's worthwile rewatching in the future. Don't miss it.
Long vacation [ロングバケーション] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This dorama has one of the best kiss scenes I've ever seen. Really touching although the story seemed a bit forced at the beginning. It was touching, sweet and really entertaining. Music was great too.
Magerarenai Onna [曲げられない女] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) The best thing about this dorama is Kanno Miho, without doubts. Her performance is just brilliant. Besides that, the dorama itself is not believable and they kind of forced the robotic behavior of Saki. It was nice to notice how she slowly adapted to the different changes in her life and her relationship with other people. On the other hand there's the fight against the idea of a girl's only purpose of getting married just to be really happy, which was quite nice to see. Anyway this dorama just bored me a bit.
Maou [魔王] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This is one of those doramas I could write and write and write about, but almost everything has already been said in other comments and reviews. So: This would have been great for a 2 hours long film. It was long (11eps) and I felt it went on repeating the same things, the same faces, the same troubles. I understood Sakita Shiori's role, but they didn't know how to play with it. I find Ikura Toma wonderful, but he overreacted many, many times (but he was really good at the end). They were all so young... And why the hell did they choose different actors to play their old selves? That just confused me. But I was hugely impressed with Ohno Satoshi: he's able to show a really wide range of feelings with the smallest movement; 1mm movements of his lips, evebrows, even eyelids. Impressive. Don't misunderstand me, I loved this dorama: dark, different (showing both perspectives: detective and criminal), strong. I just wanted to know how would it end. Must watch.
Marks no Yama [マークスの山] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Nice short dorama, dark and gloomy, about vengeance and its motives. I loved seeing both Konishi Manami and Kohinata Fumiyo. I liked the pace and rythm of the series but I wonder why Kamikawa Takaya only has one facial expression. I highly recommend this one.
Marumo no Okite [マルモのおきて] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Nice dorama about a single man, two little boys and a talking dog. It was funny at first but then all the mother stuff was a bit annoying for me, but anyway it was a quite cute dorama. Thanks to de dog, it was more interesting (and you will know who the dog is from the very first moment). I had a good time watching this one though it felt a bit slow sometimes, so I wouldn't watch it again. I haven't even finished the SP XD
Meitantei no Okite [名探偵の掟] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Quite funny dorama about a police captain, a young detective and a rookie female cop. All of them are aware that they are inside a "mistery show" all the time, so they must follow this kind of show rules, and there are many connections to Detective Conan, Galileo, CSI... After having watched quite a dew detective doramas it was good to watch this one and think: "Oh, that happened in Unubore Deka/Kuitan/whatever!", but I'm sure I missed lots of details because there are many Japanese detective stories that I still don't know, so I ended up thinking: "Will this really be a reference to Unubore Deka/Kuitan/whatever or to a different show?". Matsuda Shota made a great acting as well as the rest of the cast. The beginning was a bit boring for me, but after a couple of episodes I started enjoying it. The ending... Well, it's a bit weird dorama, but I think I didn't like the very end. Anyway, I recommend this one if you want to watch something funny and easy to watch.
Mendol [メン☆ドル] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) At first I found this dorama annoying, full of overacting and fanservice, with a stupid story and boring plot. But good point was the episode duration (28min) and that you get to sympathize with the three girls and to smile with the bizarre details of the story. But I imagine this is one dorama for all the AKB48 fans out there (so watch it if you like them). It was entertaining and really, really simple. Hirota Leona was very good as shachou!
Mop Girl [モップガール] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Light comedy about a girl with special powers to go back in time and help solve some misteries. It was really entertaining and funny, but not the best dorama ever. Anyway it was quite original and although each episode could seem to be the same, you'll keep watching it.
Moyashimon [もやしもん] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) This is quite a weird dorama: short episodes (23min each), strange characters and an unbelievable plot in an unbelievable set. I imagine the anime and manga are really funny but the dorama, although it made me smile quite a few times, was too short and fast-paced. I wish the germs had more leadership. But anyway, I had a good time watching this one. Watch i you have nothing better to do or if you need something stupid and easy to watch.
MR. BRAIN Rating: 10/10 (Watched) Great dorama with some similarities to some US TV shows. I just had a great time watching it. It was wonderfully written and produced, and it casted great actors such as Nakama Yukie, and some surprising ones such as Gackt. Pace was incredibly good and action scenes were some of the bests I've seen so far (in a dorama!). I'm sure they tried approaching another style of making doramas. Don't miss the slow motion scenes, they are just wonderful. Besides that, Mr. Brain still maintains some characteristics of a Japanese TV show, like jokes or specific comic scenes. And cases are somehow believable and more complex than in other doramas. Definitely a must see.
Watching it just after 4 shimai tantei dan makes the difference...
Mukodono! [ムコ殿/女婿大人] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I had high expectations on this dorama because of the ratings, but sincerelly, it's not that good. Maybe it was original in 2001 but not in 2010. I didn't believe the roles and plot; it didn't make sense many times. I have to admit that pace was quite good (a bit boring at the beggining). It is touching though, but I only cried a bit during the last episode, and I didn't laugh one single time in all show. Nagase Tomoya is great but I liked him much more in My Boss My Hero. For me this is a so-so dorama, but maybe it is a classic and I've waited too long to watch it...
My Boss, My Hero [マイボスマイヒロ] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) One of my favourite doramas so far. The idea is good, Nagase Tomoya's interpretation is superb and music is great as well... (Sorafune by TOKIO, some kind of anthem as it was for me Konayuki by Remioromen - songs one will never forget). It made me laugh from the very beggining until the end. Really funny, original and strong. Don't miss it!!!
Nagareboshi [流れ星] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Even though Ueto Aya acting was great as always, I did not like this dorama. It developed so slowly it bored me most of the time. Inagaki Goro's character was awful and everybody was lying all the time and deciding things selfishly. Isn't it easier being honest and just tell the truth? I felt almost all the things the characters decided to do were just the opposite to what I would have done. Maybe I miss something because I'm not Japanese and then I'm not able to grasp some inner culture details that may make this dorama a wonderful one. Anyway, and despite everything, SPOILER ahead:
The last minutes of the last episode have the most beautiful hugh and kiss I've ever seen in any dorama. But the previous 15 minutes were just agonic, they kept running up and down all the time, and I was like: "Just use your damn phone!". Definitely not on my "must watch" list.
Nankyoku Tairiku ~Kami no Ryouiki ni Idomunda Otoko to Inu no Monogatari~ [南極大陸〜神の領域に挑んだ男と犬の物語〜] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) So, it took me almost 4 months to end watching this dorama. It was a hard one to watch, I'm not a strong dog lover but the show was prepared to make you cry A LOT. Obviously, the Soya was full of people with their own stories, but this show just focuses on the dogs that went on the expedition and how they were forced to be left behind. Photograph, music and scenery were great, but unfortuntaley in some of the most dramatic scenes there were some "production errors" that made me lose the focus on the drama (for example, distances between dogs and/or people clearly changing between planes). They also "humanized" the dogs too much I think, to make the drama even more intense I suppose, although I'm not a dog expert. I've googled this story many times and I haven't been able to find detailed information about the expeditions, and I don't like not knowing what was true and what was not in the show (obviously, since some of the dogs were never found, it is impossible to know how they died). Anyway I feel relieved I knew the story before hand. If not, I would have cried even more than I did. I had the chance to be at Tokyo Tower 3 months ago and I'm glad I saw and understood the dogs statue in its base. I recommend this dorama as this story is a story everyone should know.
Nemureru mori [眠れる森] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I'm a bit confused with this dorama. I loved the characters and acting, and the dark atmosphere too. All characters, even the side ones, were very well explained, with their own fears and motivations, but always leaving something in the shadows of mistery. I hadn't seen this show until now because I always thought it was a romance drama, but it's more a suspense/mistery drama than anything. The plot is full of turns and twists and by the end I was a little tired of so many surprises and not knowing where everything was leading to, but I was really shocked when the real murderer was (finally!!) discovered. It is a slow, dark, long dorama with an ending that, seriously, was not needed. Minako has such bad luck! At first the story really hooked me up but by the end I was like... "at last!". I suppose I had big expectations. Anyway it is a must see for all dorama lovers.
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I don't quite understand why this dorama is so popular. The story never touched me and although it is very promising in the first episodes, it goes slow and finally it loses the point. Too slow-paced and sometimes you think: "Why are they explaining this to me??". Simply boring.
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Technically speaking this dorama is one of the bests I've seen so far. Besides that, I expected much more (maybe because of the high ratings it was getting) and just got disappointed. Music is really good and the show made me want to learn more things about classical music; concerts impressed me a lot. Manga-like scenes made me laugh (and that's quite difficult) but I wished there were more of them. Chiaki-senpai is too cool, too egoistic, too egocentric and too rigid; Nodame is annoying, why does she talk and walk and run as a 5 year old girl? She was too 'cute', I didn't like it at all. Story itself was a bit messy as well; I understood the progression Chiaki-senpai makes but somehow I felt it was not very well explained. But not everything's bad; I managed to end watching it (although I have the 2 specials I don't feel like watching them) and music is superb. I only got (a bit) touched on the last concert (lovely!). Special mention to the (in all senses) weird Stresemann; Takenaka Naoto is just great as always. The best thing in this show: the music!!!
Ns' Aoi [Ns’ あおい ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Average dorama about a nurse entering a new hospital after breaking some rules. At first it seems it is going to be more work-focused but soon it focuses on the relationships between nurses, doctors and patients. I didn't like how fast everyone changed their minds, specially sub director at the end; ending was too gaudy so I didn't really liked it. Anyway it was entertaining watching all episodes, and medical cases weren't bad at all (they reminded me to some US and Spanish medical dramas), and production was quite good too. Not a must see but just give it a try.
Oh! My Girl!! [オー！マイ・ガール！！] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Average dorama about a child actress with family issues and an uncle who doesn't like her at first but that, surpisingly (ehem), ends up loving her so much. Yoshida Riko's performance is great but I still don't like Kato Rosa very much. Episodes were quite the same always: funny part + development + crying or emotional end. Best thing was Furuta Arata, this man always seems to be so clever and mature...
Okashi no Ie [おかしの家] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) (2018-08-15) Nice little dorama about bonds, acceptance and letting go. The first half was hard to understand and get through; the second one is far better and softly touches heart. I cried a bit and also laughed a bit. This is not an easy drama to watch, it is reaaaally low paced and the music sometimes makes everything to seem far too forced, BUT. In the end, it talks about many things most of us certainly don't really want to face during our lives: our friends dying, our elders getting sick, our context pushing us to change. We can't live in the past forever, can we? Episodes are short (23 min) so I would certainly recommend it.
Orange Days [オレンジデイズ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Really lovely and addictive dorama, and I loved Shibasaki Kou's performance. Despite the heavy story about Sae's deafness, this dorama could have been more dramatic and dark and it wasn't at all; I just ended it and thought "Oh good old orange days", as if nothing wrong had happened. Heart-warming and peaceful dorama; a must watch.
Orthros no Inu [オルトロスの犬] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Although the idea was quite good, the dorama was poor. There were too many times when everything felt so unrealistic. *** SPOILERS ahead *** For example, Sawamura has just been stabbed and everyone who was present in the hall just started taking in circles as if nothing had happened? Obviously, a conversation between Sawamura and Ryuzaki was needed at that moment, but seriously... There's also another thing Japanese producers are not good at: portraying country-wide menaces and crisis. You just have a whole hospital shut down but you will only see less than twenty patients in there... Oh, and the prison where Ryuzaki was in... It reminded me so much to The Silence of the Lambs! Acting was also really forced, with these ridiculous gazes and surprised/afraid faces. Anyway, the main plot, the legend of the town and all about God's and Devil's hands, was nice. And even though I felt this dorama was mediocre overall, I really loved how it ended. So I would recomend this one if you are a Takizawa Hideaki and/or Nishikido Ryo fan and if you have nothing else to watch. This dorama may also be good to watch between deep, dark, heavy doramas.
Otomen [オトメン(乙男)] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This dorama confused me at first; it seemed a poor copy of Hana Kimi (with that contest things and the beach and someone hiding something, but worst) but after a few episodes it was quite entertaining to see. Chemistry between Asuka and Ryo was simply great, one of the bests I've seen lately. The comedy parts made me smile sometimes but were average. It was also great to see Kimura Ryo in a totally different character than in Hana Kimi (way cooler, btw). Nice simple dorama.
Pride [プライド] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I saw this one long time ago and I remember ending it and thinking "whow" and "maybe..." :D It was fun to watch but somehow I totally forgot about the plot and the characters; and this doesn't happen to me usually. So it was entertaining but not the best story from my point of view.
Propose Kyodai [プロポーズ兄弟] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Nice short dorama (only four 36 min long episodes) explaining four different characters. It made me smile many times, but it was boring other times, too slow. I wonder why they did just four episodes; I had the feeling some parts of each episode were going too fast. Last episode is my favorite, maybe because I'm a single child myself; that's why I think this last story is perfect for a standard lenght dorama :D
Puzzle [パズル] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) Poor dorama about an English teacher and three of her students that, incomprehensibly, end up solving misteries with murders involved. I don't know how I finished watching this one. All episodes are exactly the same, only the last one changes slightly (slightly!!!) the last minute (credits XD). I couldn't stop thinking: "How the hell do they end up surrounded by corpses? They don't worry about them but they are not surprised at all either!". All misteries involved kanji mixing and English readings, so it seems almost everyone in Japan has treasures and follows the same way to leave clues all around. Absolutely none of the characters are developed at all, they are totally plain and never think: "Another murder, again??". Even most of the people around the mistery is dispensable, and each case lacks depth. And the three girls were SO annoying!!! Poor imitation of TRICK, it was OK to see Ayukawa's changes but she was quite annoying, and I really want to see Kimura Ryo in another role, not only the good looking student with great kendo skills. Don't waste your time with this one, unless you need to enter into brainless mode or you want to test your kanji knowledge (while being in brainless mode, btw). I'm giving it a 5 because production was decent at least.
Rebound [リバウンド] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Average dorama which seems to last forever and seems to never really get to the point. At first I found Oda Nobuko really annoying (and yeah she really is!!) and I thought that was due to Aibo Saki's acting skills: they seemed far too overreacted, but by the end you'll notice she's SO expressive and cute. Anyway the story is just surrealistic and impossible: rebounding every now and then, so quickly, that didn't make sense at all. Hayami Mokomichi was not bad, and I simply adore Kuriyama Chiaki's role. I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone, I mean, there are other simple love stories much better than this one.
Remote [リモート] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I must say I'm not a Kyoko Fukada fan, and although she's really pretty, she was SO annoying, always crying and whinning and saying she's going to quit... On the other hand I didn't like the stubborn Himura. Besides that, the two of them were a perfect couple for the job. Although cases were a bit strange and development was not quite good (I mean, seriously, Himuro had to convince Ayaki to do things aaaall the time, giving the culprits looots of time to finish their crimes), overall this series was funny and fast to watch, with all those stupid cops that were so nice finally... And I must say I loved Hanae!! Her haircut, her presence, the way she talks... Really impressive. I liked almost all the characters. So I would give it a six, but since I've read some other comments saying that the dorama looked almost exactly as the original manga (which I haven't read), I'm giving it a seven. I suppose that, in the end, Kyoko Fukada really had to be whinny... *sigh* hahaha
RHPlus [RHプラス] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Really bad dorama with terrible acting, horrible production and poor plot. Characters were terribly presented and acting was way too forced; scenes were badly cut and pace was messy. I'm giving it a 2 because I really want to think that they tried their best doing this show, and because I had never seen a shonen ai dorama and I'm not sure if this was the first one. For more details please read my review.
Saigo no Yakusoku [最後の約束] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) I'm sorry for all the Arashi fans out there, but this was a HORRIBLE dorama! This is the kind of movie you see on TV any Sunday afternoon. Bad pace, simple and weak plot (although they tried to make it deep), everything really bad portrayed and full of non-sense. If they wanted to make something big with Arashi, they shouldn't have chosen all the terrorists Vs big-company thing. And it's a shame because I actually like Matsumoto Jun, for example.
Sapuri [サプリ] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) This is one good example of a so-so dorama that I just forgot after watching it a few years ago. Again, I don't like Itoh Misaki, but Kamenashi is OK... The story is quite interesting at the beggining and I also like doramas about work, but after a few episodes I didn't really know why they were trying to explain, or if I understood, I just totally forgot, so it was not so important. Maybe I should rewatch it...
Sh15uya [シブヤフィフティーン] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Totally different dorama. Loved the idea of not being able to get out of Shibuya. OK, the special effects are not the best and PEACE was somehow ridiculous, but I liked the fights, the whole idea and how it was deployed. It is just sooo different from other doramas... Really surprising. Be open-minded and give it a try.
Share House no Koibito [シェアハウスの恋人] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Ok, so we have a lonely and sad girl, a handsome introvert man, and a funny and cheerful... alien??? I saw the first episode, which is SO unrealistic and feels rushed and a bit of a mess, and just thought "OMG this is going to be really bad", but then I kept watching the dorama and I started liking all the characters and TERRA, the share house where they live in. Shio-chan's brother story didn't interest me much as it was just a filler, but somehow it made sense. I found myself just wanting to return to the share house everyday to see what happened to the characters, and also laughing at many absurd scenes that were intelligently presented. On the other hand, more serious scenes sere naturally brought and were not too cheesy, which is something I really appreciate. I recommend this dorama if you are watching other darker, more mature shows, so you can relieve your mind for a while. It's not the best dorama ever buy it just made me feel GOOD :)
Shika Otoko Aoniyoshi [鹿男あをによし] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This dorama was wonderful in the sense that it explains some old Japanese legends, but I would rather prefer an anime than live action, mainly because of the deer-face thing (the reflections were SO unrealistic, and overall the visual effects were bad). It is also really slow and I kept wondering how long would it take to find out what the "me" was! And if the fox was the fox, if the rat was the rat... I like some slow doramas but in this case, it got a bit boring. Anyway and as I always say, you whould give it a try!
Shinigami no Ballad [しにがみのバラッド] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Touching fantasy dorama about a white shinigami, Momo, and her tsukaima, Daniel. Stories were sad and heartwarming as well; some of them ended well and others didn't, so one can see all kinds of feelings (pain, relief, sadness and bitterness, happiness, love and hate, remorse...). Maybe it was not the best produced and written dorama, but each episode was slightly different from the other ones, and the ending, although a bit fast, was good as well. And since each episode lasted 25 minutes it was really quick to watch it. Yoshida Riko was great as Daniel (I had already seen her in Oh! My Girl!), she is so expresive and can cry so easily! I wasn't expecting too much from this one so I suppose that's why it surprised me. Give it a try.
Shinya Shokudo [深夜食堂] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Nice little dorama (ten 24min-long episodes) telling the stories of the different customers of a little restaurant that only opens at night. At first it was a bit strange to see, but after a while you just want to go back to Shinya Shokudou. It is true that nothing is said about Master, a man with a scar in his face, someone who speaks calmly and that cooks every single (and simple) dish with care. I just want to try to cook some dishes his way (even the butter rice or the instant ramen!). Minimal characters and stories about (maybe) real life: not everything ends up fine, and you don't always get to know other people's past or future or even present. The opening theme is also superb (Omohide by Suzuki Tsunekichi); it perfectly matches the warm atmosphere of the dorama. Calm, relaxing, heartwarming but also bitter and a bit sad. I absolutely recommend this one.
Shinya Shokudo Season 2 [深夜食堂] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Second season of this great dorama. It maybe focuses more on people than food, more than the first season. Good music, characters and development. I totally recommend this one.
Shokuzai [贖罪] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Short 5-episode dorama about a girl who is murdered, her four friends who find the body, and her mother, who wishes the little girls to atone for the crime of not having helped enough when her daughter died. So this is a quite strange drama and I must say it starts our in a superb way (firts episode is just brilliant) and the way everything is filmed is superb as well (colors and greys, lights flickering in intense moments...). Each episode focus on one of the little girls 15 years after the murder, and the final episode... Well, that was quite a letdown; it felt I was watching one of those Sunday evening American TV films, somehow soapy, lacking strength. Anyway acting was pretty good and pace was perfect. I would recommend this one if you like darker-than-usual doramas or if you're fed up with so many colorful, nervous, speedy and happy-ending doramas.
Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi [空から降る一億の星] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) This is one of the darkest roles Kimura Takuya has ever portrayed. Story was good but at the end I felt that pace was getting so slow because I could already imagine what had happened... I loved Akashima Sanma's interpretation too. All the drama had an intense and heavy atmosphere that makes it different from other dramas, which also makes this one unique in some ways.
I tried watching some episodes of this dorama, because sometimes first episodes are terrible to watch but everything gets better after a while, but... I suppose this kind of stories are not for me. I just had to leave this dorama behind. Too weird? Not sure. Not my taste, I must say.
Summer snow Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Really touching dorama, I'm glad I watched it. I had known Dohmoto Tsuyoshi because of Kinki Kids and I was surprised to see he was on a dorama. I wished I had a brother like him; he is kind, funny and responsible. The story and cast were just great and the end was so unpredictable that it was a perfect closure for the show. A must see, without any doubt.
Taiyou no uta [タイヨのうた] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) The story is nice but lacks some more realism about the disease, which is important, but is much more important how Amane tries to adapt and go on fighting. So it's a bit different from 1 ritoru no namida, and that makes the dorama more gentile and not so heart-breaking. A good story in all terms.
Tempest [テンペスト] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This show was not one of the best shows ever, but it was quite interesting. This is the first historical drama I watch and I really enjoyed it. OK, maybe Nakama Yukie is not too credible, but the pace was correct and the history was nice. It reminded me to old legends, including the "magical" moments. I loved Tataoka Saki as Ookimi Kikoe, and it was good to see Tanihara Shosuke again, although by the end of the show I didn't quite like Asakura-dono's change of mind. Anyway, this show talks about determination, love and diplomacy, and it deals with the past from a present point of view. There are many things happening through the episodes, and although they were quie good and I just wanted to go on watching all of them, I felt really disappointed with the last episode: rushed and too short for my taste, it should have been like 1-1'5 hours long better. Anyway I just want to learn a bit more about Ryukyu-Okinawa history.
The Quiz Show [ザ・クイズショウ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Really surprising and different dorama. It'd be a 9 if it was a bit more realistic (sometimes during the show I missed some claps... and I doubt a show like that would be on air too long). Anyway I loved how the story developed until it reached a surprising end. Really good story in 30 mins episodes.
The Quiz Show Season 2 [ザ・クイズショウ 2] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I watched TQS1 a year ago and I liked it. I also liked TQS2 and was highly surprised with Sho's and Yu's performances, but Maya Miki was a bit disappoining, way too forced. The revenge thing was not strong enough in my opinion, and again, I doubt a show like that would stay airing for so long, but hey, this is fictional! So it was entertaining and the story, surprising. Both seasons are really recommendable.
Tokyo Friends [東京フレンズ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Good thing is music and different types of friendship. Bad thing is that you will have to watch the film to know how it ends. And I wasn't able to find the film until a month ago, so I had to wait a looong time.
Trick [トリック] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) I usually try being objective when rating doramas, having in mind the plot, acting, producing, writing... With Trick I just can't. It's my favourite show; I love Nakama Yukie and Hiroshi Abe pair. Sorry, I'm being totally subjective, that's why it has a 10 :D Three seasons and 2 films just kept me really entertained. Love it.
Trick Season 2 [トリック2] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) I usually try being objective when rating doramas, having in mind the plot, acting, producing, writing... With Trick I just can't. It's my favourite show; I love Nakama Yukie and Hiroshi Abe pair. Sorry, I'm being totally subjective, that's why it has a 10 :D Three seasons and 2 films just kept me really entertained. Love it.
Trick Season 3 [トリック3] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) I usually try being objective when rating doramas, having in mind the plot, acting, producing, writing... With Trick I just can't. It's my favourite show; I love Nakama Yukie and Hiroshi Abe pair. Sorry, I'm being totally subjective, that's why it has a 10 :D Three seasons and 2 films just kept me really entertained. Love it.
Tsubasa No Oreta Tenshitachi 1 [翼の折れた天使たち] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Great short heavy stories. I think first and last are the best ones, and that's strange because I don't usually like stories with kids involved. But here you'll find abuse and solitude and anger and bitterness and fear and (non-explicit) violence and sex, and a final reflection, and a character change. These stories made me cry and somehow I felt connected to the character's feelings, and that's something not all doramas do. And being short episodes, stories are stronger and straight-forwarded; more character development was not necessary at all. Really nice dorama.
Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi Season 2 [翼の折れた天使たち] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This one felt worse than the first season. Somehow stories seemed not so heavy at first; best one from my point of view is the third one. Anyway the idea is great and it is worth-watching.
Ueno Juri to Itsutsu no Kaban [上野樹里と5つの鞄] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Episodes are far much closer to short experimental films (quite good btw) than to any dorama. I did like them (I must rewatch the last one to fully understand it) but if you're looking for a typical dorama, this one is not for you. I didn't quite like Ueno Juri, I feel she acts always the same.
Unfair [アンフェア] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This was a quite entertaining dorama with many, many twists and turns that sometimes didn't feel very well connected. Since it had not so much character development, I ended up suspecting everyone. Shinohara Ryoko was superb. I must say I had read the spoilers so I knew who the culprit was from the very beginning, but it was funny to try finding any errors in the storyline, and sincerely, some things didn't match for me, and they were not explained at the end of the series. I gave up watching both the movie and the special; although it is a quite good dorama, when I finished it I just had enough about it.
Untouchable [アンタッチャブル] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I don't like this kind of doramas where huge dark organizations rule everything; they just don't seem plausible. This dorama is constantly under the shadow of one of them, and absolutely all of the characters (besides the main one) are suspects at some degree. Anyway it was a bit predictable at the end. It was well performed, but I wish Nakama Yukie doesn't always play the old single and poor lady role. Cast was fine and everyone did a good job, and music was great. Not the best dorama ever, too cheesy and illogical, but it kept me entertained, although I wouldn't label it as "comedy". I wouldn't watch it again though. Better watch this one if you don't have anything better to watch.
Unubore Deka [うぬぼれ刑事] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I'm not sure about this dorama, I mean, it was somehow boring but after having finished it, I just miss Detective Unubore. It made me smile sometimes, but the truth is that each episode is the same as the other ones with slight differences. It also has a great cast but I was expecting something more; more strength, maybe. Loved the 'Hey hey hey' thing, and it was great to see Arakawa Yoshiyoshi and Ikuta Toma there. I just love Nagase Tomoya's acting, hope he gets other kind of roles too.
Virgin Road [バージンロード] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I watched this dorama long time ago and I finished it, which means it was entertaining. I loved the characters and their relationships and there were very touching moments, although it got too soapy other times. This is one of these 'classic' doramas everyone should see.
Voice [ヴォイス] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) I watched this in September 2016 and hardly remember it. I recall it being slow-paced and overly melodramatic. Even Ikuta Toma and Eita couldn't save the show. They all looked too orange as well (may be related to the fansub quality).
Waraeru Koi wa Shitakunai [笑える恋はしたくない] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Christmas + many love stories, some of them successful, some others not. It was really funny at moments, with lots of comedy reliefs. Maybe the story doesn't have an "end", but that's the message: Just because it's Christmas and you are really willing it, it doesn't mean you're going to meet the love of your life. Or will you? The open end left me thinking: "One day, these two (Suzune-san and Tonaka-san) will end up together" ^^ Nice short and light dorama, it was entertaining.
Watashitachi no kyokasho [わたしたちの教科書] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I enjoyed watching this dorama; at first I thought it was another school dorama but it wasn't really, and you can finally understand why the title is 'our textbook'. It is a textbook teachers and society should have; the show is highly critical and talks about hatred, greed, kindness... Tanihara Shosuke's character was so prepotent that I just disliked him, but I've seen him in other doramas and films and he's just great. Atsushi Itoh was also OK but I don't really liked him; I just see Densha Otoko :D Good different show; give it a try.
So unbelievable, so boring, such bad acting... First ten minutes promised something but afterwards the story just went down. I couldn't even finish watching episode 1. One of the worst doramas ever.
Yasha [夜叉] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Good sci-fi drama. Plot is not one of my favourites and I didn't expect much of it; I found it a bit slow and surreal, but the story was good and the cast too. I loved Hiroshi Abe's character, so dark and enigmatic, far away from his comic roles, he just fits everywhere. Different story and different atmosphere; give it a try.
Zeni Geba [銭ゲバ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This is one quite dark dorama mixed with soap opera lines. This is the really sad story of Futaro, a past that turns him onto a money-crazy devil who enters a rich family in a quite original way. The ending was really good and it made me cry, but Furato's words were so true. The main question is: "Which one is more important: money or heart?". This made me think a lot, maybe because of the European crisis we are actually living. Yeah, the heart is important and we don't really need large amounts of money, but money is still important to live. Performances were really good overall, buy my favorite was Saito Ryusei's (young Futaro), his despair is just superb. Although the dorama itself has some weird and unbelievable "soapish" details, I would watch it again and recommend it for sure!
Zettai Kareshi [絶対彼氏] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Plot was not very original and I didn't like some of the final twists (they changed opinion too quick for my taste), but it made me laugh a few times and, surprisingly, it also made me cry a lot at the end (it is really tragic, I must say). I loved the main cast, all of them acted really well. Hayami Mokomichi was great as a robot that subtly changes to a more human being. Sasaki Kuranosuke was great too, and it was really good to see Maya Miki too. Anyway this is not a dorama I would watch twice, although it makes some good questions about the ideal boy/girlfriend and our need to be loved by someone. I don't know why but I find the whole dorama a bit disturbing too :S
Zettai Reido [絶対零度] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) One of the best crime doramas I've ever seen, along with BOSS. If you like crime shows, you'll love this one for sure. Cast was OK and the characters were kinda weird, but investigation was great. Soundtrack is really good too. Loved watching Kitaoji Kinya again. And what a surprise, Kimura Ryo's role! He was so cool :D I really enjoyed it.
Zettai Reido Season 2 [絶対零度 2] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I really loved the first season which was focused on cold cases. This second season was just as great as the first one, with Ueto Aya learning little by little under Kiritani Kenta's orders, but instead of cold cases, ongoing cases are investigated with incredible techniques that are wornderfully portrayed. I really hope theres a third season and, meanwhile BOSS2 was a total mess, Zettai Reido is just great. Highly recommended and one of my favorite detective doramas, that kept me wanting more and more!
SayaOtonashi's drama reviews (6)
Ashita no Kita Yoshio [あしたの、喜多善男] Incredible characters and music, must-watch [Rating: 9/10] One of the best doramas I've seen so far! This is not a common dorama; it seems more like a long movie divided into several episodes (eleven, each of them being one day in Kita Yoshio's life before he commits suicide).
Incredible cast: Matsuda Ryuhei won a prize for his role, Kuriyama Chiaki is wonderful as always, really credible, and Kohinata Fumiyo was the perfect actor for his role. Konishi Manami did a wonderful job as well, but I don't quite like her. And what a nice surprise to see Namase Katsuhisa in there! Each character has an outstanding and recognizable personality, and it's beautiful to see how they are connected through all the story. Music is also wonderful, and it stands out as almost another character through the series, creating incredible atmospheres in different situations. In fact, because of this OST, I just got interested in jazz :D
Some have said this dorama is slow, but I just don't agree. It focuses on Kita Yoshio's deep feelings, his subtle changes, his peace of mind and his determination, his fears, his frustrations, his love, his gratefulness, his dark side, and all the subtle ties with all that surrounds him. If pace had been quicker, then all these things wouldn't have been so well explained. And again, Kohinata Fumiyo was perfect.
There's only one detail that was totally missed in the final episode, one specific relationship detail that wass not explained, and that's why I'm giving it a 9 and not a 10. Anyway I will rewatch this jdorama for sure, because I feel I will discover new things the second time I watch it, little details that I may have missed the first time. Please add this jdorama to your list ^^
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ] Far better than expected, it makes you laugh! [Rating: 9/10] This dorama was far better than I expected. It is the second one (the first one was My Boss My Hero) that actually made me laugh, mainly thanks to the incredibly funny Nakatsu's monologues; he is the best character of the series, and I laughed out loud watching him so worried and confused about his sexual orientation. The doctor was terrific too (and I loved his blue contact lenses!). Another great thing is how they put these weird paranormal things in between taking for granted that they are absolutely normal XD
Although there's a love triangle bewteen Mizuki (who was too nosy, and girlish too, mainly because of her voice, but she acted really nice as a guy), Sano (too reserved and complex for my taste) and Nakatsu (simply great!), episodes are not only focused on it, but there are side stories that although a bit repetitive (and somehow confusing at times), are really nice to see. I had a great time watching this one!
PS: Two really good surprises:
- 1st, Inagaki Goro as a teacher. I've never watched any of his doramas yet.
- And 2nd (the best one) is in minute 59-60 of the Special, when they are talking about Nakatsu playing soccer with Nakatsu's mother, and you can see a guy wearing a FCB (Futbol Club Barcelona - Barça!!) t-shirt!! You can even read 'CAMP NOU' (that's the stadium name) on it!! This was recorded on 2008... On 2009 we won 6 cups in a row!!! (being the first team in the world to achieve this!!). Wow!! n_____n
Hidarime Tantei EYE [左目探偵ＥＹＥ] Good things and really bad things = 4,5 [Rating: 5/10] The special was just HORRIBLE. Bad acting, bad pace, bad writing, terrible story, so unbelievable, so badly protrayed, so IMPOSSIBLE! Special is a 1. It's a pitty since the idea is really good. I totally agree with user prestoli's review.
I started watching the dorama because I wanted to see a really BAD one, something like RH Plus XD But the episodes just surprised me. They are quite different from the special: pace is better, as well as acting, production and writing. I loved the music. Yamada Ryosuke's performance is simply great; he's a very talented guy (but still, no bruises after being hit). I didn't like Sayama's character though. The story slowly developed in an average way (much better than I expected) with good twists until an end that, again, was really badly portrayed. But hey, low budget I suppose.
So this dorama has very good things and very, very bad things. But believe me, it could have been worse. At least I kept entertained and enjoyed Ryosuke's performance. Sincerely, you may hate the special, but you should give ep.1 a try and then decide.
Btw, I was really worried for Rin all the time :D
LIAR GAME Season 2 [ライアーゲーム 2] Very good, must not miss it. [Rating: 9/10] About the dorama:
I enjoyed this second season more than the first one. I feel all mind games were better explained, and it was nice to see some old characters such as Fukunaga-san in there. It is, once more and as expected, full of twists and turns, but this time not so predictable (which is very good). Great Matsuda Shota and superb Kikuchi Rinko. Nao-chan is still irritably naive but this time she seems to use her past experiences in the Game for good. And sometimes I even felt a bit like her... "What should I do in that situation? Would I trust Fukunaga-san or not?". OK, I would probably not XD but you never know. I must also mention the great production, and I really *loved* the camera movements and the sets, and music too. Impressive. Finally I must say (and this goes for both seasons and the movie) that, again and even with all the masks variety, all Dealers (Leronira, Solario and Kelbim) resembled jigsaw's puppet from SAW too much.
About the movie:
Quite the same as the 2nd season. In fact the 2nd season had 9 episodes plus the film, and it could have just been an 11 or 12 ep dorama. That's fine, anyway. Loved the chemistry between Akiyama-san and Nao-chan, which has developed over the whole series. It surprised me too, although I found the ending a bit fast.
Conclusion: This is one of the very few jdoramas I think it's worthwile rewatching in the future. Don't miss it.
MR. BRAIN A different way of making suspense dorama [Rating: 10/10] Great dorama with some similarities to some US TV shows. You can see Patrick Jane (from "The Mentalist") in Tsukumo's clothes and acting (he even wears a vest). You can salso see "CSI" in some science scenes (noticed those colours while working in the lab? or the skyline views), as well as in the intro. "Bones" is also seen there, in some of the strange tests they do in the IPS premises, as well as the premises themselves (though the skull was pretty worse than in "Bones", ne?). And finally there's some "24" as well, in the last episodes. I'm sure some other TV shows are portrayed...
Anyway I just had a great time watching it. It was wonderfully written and produced, and it casted great actors such as Nakama Yukie, and some surprising ones such as Gackt. Pace was incredibly good and action scenes were some of the bests I've seen so far (in a dorama!). I'm sure they tried approaching another style of making doramas. Don't miss the slow motion scenes, they are just wonderful. Besides that, Mr. Brain still maintains some characteristics of a Japanese TV show, like jokes or specific comic scenes. And cases are somehow believable and more complex than in other doramas. Definitely a must see.
Watching it just after 4 shimai tantei dan makes the difference...
RHPlus [RHプラス] Poor dorama only watchable because of ep. length [Rating: 2/10] I wrote a review for a really good dorama (MR. BRAIN - I gave it a 10) and now I'm reviewing the worst dorama I've ever seen so far.
So here we have a really BAD dorama, plenty of things you should never do! I'm sorry for all the shonen ai fans but you won't even get many of that. Vampires? Maybe six scenes in the whole dorama. Really bad acting, worsened by a really bad production (did they even know where to place music and how to cut scenes at all?) and writing (I still don't know what they tried to explain to me on the first 10 episodes; and characters presentation was way too forced and terribly bad done).
The characters: Let's see... We have a tormented child, Makoto, who's the only one that acts cool. Then we have Ageha, somewhat childish, and he's not that bad (sometimes). But then there's that Goukon guy who seems to have had too many surgeries to look like David Bowie (creepy) and whose acting is really exagerated ALWAYS. And finally Kiyoi, that tall guy who acts so cool, who is meant to be really mature because he's already lived many years... A guy that always has a totally fake smile, and he seems to be sleepy too, with those almost closed eyes, or is he maybe smelling something rotten by the looks of his face? And I'm not going to mention the secondary characters like Konoe-kun; what the hell happened to his hair? Is that really 'cool'?
And the plot? Almost all episodes talk about something quite stupid (like the garage selling) to explain a (theoretical) greater thing. From the start I had the feeling that there was no plot at all, and I don't really know how did I manage to get through all the show, but episode 12 was suprisingly interesting. It's a shame that (again) episode 13 was too badly written... But story was quite good though (only the last episodes!), although too tipical.
So I'm giving it a 2 because I really want to think that they tried their best doing this show, and because I had never seen a shonen ai dorama and I'm not sure if this was the first one. And my conclusion is that, from time to time, it is good to watch a really bad dorama to be able to see the quality of other doramas.
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Ashita no Kita Yoshio [あしたの、喜多善男]
Abe Hiroshi [阿部寛]
