A light-hearted show done right! No, there isn't really a specific plot or story-line for this series, in fact, the main issue is cleared up within the first few episodes and an entirely new issue is brought up so slowly, almost like a sneak attack, that you expect more to happen after the last episode. The ending theme song is addicting and the opening is funny, yet informative, too. I would seriously suggest this show to a J-Drama beginner! Watabe Atsuro is the main reason I watched this drama, but his teamwork with Hashimoto Kanna quickly replaced that. They make a good duo, they acted well with each other and you could see the support and bond through the rest of the cast as well. Even the animals in each episode were pretty amazing. Each episode had a lot of info on the animals, too; and I loved that each case wasn't exactly "normal" pets. I seriously wish this series had gotten a lot more attention and that a second series would be filmed; the end of the last episode ended on a good cliffhanger!

I would absolutely recommend this to a person just beginning to watch Japanese dramas. It was funny, heartfelt, thrilling, informative, emotional, and very addicting to watch!

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Let me start off this review by just saying this: I do not watch romance dramas. I've never been a fan of the over cheesy, overly dramatic, exaggerated love triangle stories. HOWEVER...!!!

This story had a lot more depth to it than I thought! Yes, love was present throughout the show, however: it did not preside or take control over the entire show. There were a lot more human emotions involved in the making of this story that made me like this show a lot more than I believed I would.

At first, I watched this show for two people, and that reason only. AKA: Katori Shingo and Fujiki Naohito. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the cast was amazing as well; there were a few people who I really liked and a few people who I really hated, but just their character (not the actual person)! Throughout this show, the ever present emotions of love, anger, trust, betrayal, lies, sadness, silliness, jealousy, greed, despair, and happiness seemed to always be present through each episode; from beginning to end. To me, watching this show was almost as if I was reading it as a book or watching it as a play; I was so immersed with Katori Shingo's character that I kept wanting to watch more and more, he was really fantastic in this drama! I do suggest that a lot more people watch this show (be careful if you are not a romance fan though)! It's a fantastic script with a very well written story!

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I remember I started watching this drama (the first time) because of Mizushima Hiro, after I had seen him in the movie "Drop" I was attracted to his unique acting skills and personality; much like Satoshi Ohno, it seems as if Mizushima Hiro disappears in to the character he is playing. Although, as soon as I started watching, I became completely distracted by Kimura Takuya. The way he played Tsukumo Ryusuke was amazing! All the quirks, mannerisms, attitudes, behaviors, and personalities he brought to the character himself was fantastic to watch. I absolutely loved the way he laughed out loud, talked about brain science, and how he interacted with the other characters/actors. It was also great to see all the guest actors for each episode! Gackt, Sato Takeru, Kamenashi Kazuya, Sugimoto Tetta, Abe Ryohei, Kimura Tae.... And so much more!! I wish a lot more dramas did this. I also wish Mr. Brain had lots more episodes, a second season, a movie, a special episode... it was way too great of a drama to just end at 8 episodes. Also, since I'm writing this review after I re-watched this drama, I now know who a few of the actors are (Kagawa Teruyuki, Shiho, Shitara Osamu, Ichikawa Ebizo) so it was great to watch them! I would definitely recommend this to someone who is just starting out with foreign/Japanese dramas; or someone who likes to laugh or who likes detective dramas!

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I began this drama because of Nishikido Ryo, but completely fell in love with Takizawa Hideaki! The way he acts is amazing; not on par with Nishikido Ryo, but they don't over shadow or compete with each other... in some ways, a complete match and in other ways, completely different. I like their styles of acting very much and plan to follow them from now on; minus the "stalker-ish" way it sounded. I've followed Nishikido from Ryusei no Kizuna; the way he seems in this story, slightly (in a teeny tiny way) reminds me of his character from that story, if you watch this, you may know what I mean but you also may not and/or disagree with me. Also, my time is 4:15am, so I may be speaking nonsense. Anyway... The ending was a complete surprise, yet at some points I came close to guessing what was about to happen. I didn't recognize Haru at all, which was surprising, but she was wonderful in this series; as was Kumada Sea and Sasaki Kuranosuke was positively frightening. The cast in this was iffy to me in a few parts of the series (namely one or two persons specifically, I wont name names) but it's easy to get over if you focus on the story and not the people... which is sort of hard to do since you're watching the story that focuses on peoples lives. Well, either way, this drama was a wonderful story and I've never seen anything like it! Definitely a recommendation!

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I've seen a few reviews that compare this drama to the anime, but, I can't help but feel that as I watched each version of the girls' story told different stories. From the manga to the anime to this live-action, the story/plotline is exactly the same, however, each one came to life with a completely different type of feeling. From calming story's to comedic dramatics to growing differences in each person's lifestyle.

Each version of this story is, essentially, the same; however, they all have their own differences too! No wonder it sparked a movement of camping enthusiasm! This story, from the manga artist(s) and author(s) to the directors and voice actors and actresses/actors in each television adaptation, shown with such adoration and a strong respect for each series before it. It's rare to see a series such as this one carried out so well from book to television, I think.

You can tell with this live-action that each person on the show studied hard to learn "how to camp" and to fulfill their character's original story from the manga and anime. Each story made me laugh and it was so charming to watch each person's relation with the next fall into place as the story grew and the girls continued to grow within their friendship and as themselves. This story is a quick watch, just like the anime was, and maybe that's just for me, but the story itself is so calming and really beautiful to watch! It was such a treat to watch the story unfold, even though I knew (to a certain extent) what would happen next between each episode and each person... It was spectacular to watch as they traveled to different campsites to have adventures and see the beauty that is Japan.

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There is one word and one word only that comes to my mind immediately when I watched this show: INTENSE

This is the most intense, dramatic, detailed, high octane, interesting, creative, and informative show I have seen in a very long time! The emotions within this show are raw and genuine, from the writers to the director to the camera people to the staffers and especially the cast. It's been a long time since I've been so infatuated with a show that I, at first, had reservations to watch. The reservation to watch was based on my own biased thoughts and opinions, mostly because of typecasting, so please do not let this stop you from watching.

There is so much packed within 5 episodes that some parts may seem rushed, but this show is amazing as it is because of that feeling! It would be a waste if it was one long movie or special episode. This show is bittersweet, gut-wrenching, and extremely (as voiced earlier) INTENSE! This is not a show for people who are averse to yelling, blood, and things a little more rated "R" than "PG-13", mostly because this show airs the dark side of humanity and the difficulties of bringing it to light through multiple cases of "red tape". The amount of reality in this show to human emotion and life, in general, is so outstanding that it's surreal.

This show is surreal, but this show is also honestly raw, genuine, and real. Do not avert your eyes from this very intense story!

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Definitely never saw the ending coming; never could I ever predict all the twists, turns, and mysteries that were in this amazing drama! This story is fascinating, sad, bittersweet, sickening, honest, lovely, and shows the true meaning of friends and family. It is a wonderful story and I definitely think the cast only adds to that!

The bit of Ikuta Toma being Arashi... that's just a bonus I think! (;

I definitely recommend this to many Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun fans; but, this cast has many spectacular supporters and main roles as well, so don't leave anyone out even if you watched for a specific person. I feel like this drama is what it honestly is: a DRAMA. There was so much to swallow that towards the end I was afraid I couldn't keep up, but the recaps helped and if you follow the subtitles closely it helps a lot too. Otherwise, you may get lost because there are some episodes that move fast. Also, prepare tissues...

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While this movie is quite shorter than I would have hoped for, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is lacking in any way whatsoever!

I have to say that the cast was really chosen and possibly my (personal) favorite part of the movie itself. Each actor and/or actress, including Pero, seemed to fall into their role as naturally as if it was their daily lives. I really liked watching Nagase Ren as Karasuma Kaei, he really left an imprint on me that I will be sure to follow up with his other shows and/or movies. The rest of the cast were people I already knew but I was really glad to see a different side to them, even if only for a short time.

The movie itself, story-wise, was also fantastic! The drama was there as well as the comedy and camaraderie. It was a different story, I personally felt, then the manga; granted I 50% watched this story for the cast and 50% watched it because I really liked the manga! (lol) Some parts of the film seemed a little rushed; like they wanted to create a longer version of the script adapted from the manga story but then somehow got cut off and we (the viewers) were left with what was aired. Although, that doesn't mean this story is disappointing in any way! I really liked the way that the movie seemed to take on another life as if it were something brand new yet still connected to the original manga. The story remained the same, with some changes and add ons as well as cuts, but it also remained true to its original; as if it was just a side story or something to remind the viewers that the story and it's characters were still growing and there will be more to come!

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This show is one of the fastest moving, well detailed, insanely dramatic shows I have seen in a while. Yes, this show is a remake of a Korean show (the same title I believe), but I haven't seen the original version, only the Japanese remake. Even though comments I've seen say that this is only a copy but, in my opinion, I believe this show is capable of standing on its own and does so very nicely! Then again, I haven't seen the Korean version...

This show has great specific detail of how a policeman and/or detective in a certain department works, from the inside out, and how they all cooperate together from the 911-call-center (or 110-call-center in Japan) to how they are sent out and how they "work" each call. It was amazing to watch them handle each case!

If you are a fan of Karasawa Toshiaki, Maki Yoko, Kimura Yuichi, Masuda Takahisa, YOU, Iseya Yusuke, or ANYONE AT ALL IN THE ENTIRE CAST, then you definitely need to watch this show! It is an action-packed, emotional, fantastic rollercoaster from start to finish! It was known from the beginning that there was one large case for the show in its entirety, however, the amount of time and detail used in each episode was spectacular! It was a very detailed, intense, and dramatic showing of a "cat and mouse game".

This show, even if it is a copy, should not be missed! The cast, the way the show itself is filmed and created, is one of the most superb views I have seen in a long time!

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Before I begin, let me just say this:

1.) No, this is not all sunshine and rainbows and happy times; prepare tissues and wait for a multitude of emotions.

2.) No, the previous statement does not mean it is a terrifying or scary show; it's just a serious look on a certain way of life.

3.) No, you should definitely not pass this drama up!


Having said all that, let me get straight to the point now. To be honest, I watched this drama only because of Abe Hiroshi; after seeing him in "Hero", I was addicted to his talent, skill, and unique personality (not to mention his height and voice) almost immediately. Also having said that, the more I watched this drama, the more the story drew me in. I recognized a few more actors/actresses (Endo Kenichi, Yoshitaka Yuriko, and David Ito; just to name a few) along with the small comedic and light-hearted moments drew me in to the story as a whole. At times, I was angry at a few characters and I cried with a couple others, while I laughed with another. This story is very unorthodox in the way it is written and played out; I could predict a bit of the ending, but most of it I couldn't even imagine! I did get bored watching at some slow points, but then something happened and I was immediately drawn back in; I even paused to rewind and rewatch a few moments! This is definitely unlike any other drama I've ever seen and I am so glad I watched this story; it is now one of my favorites! I hope a lot of other peoples will give this heart wrenching (and heart breaking), touching and kind, honest and real, sad and happy, not to mention bittersweet, story a chance! I'm sure a lot more people will love it!

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Curious Combi

Before starting this show I saw a few comments about how they were unsure of the cast of Ayano Go and Hoshino Gen being partners, or of Hoshino Gen being a police officer.... But let me tell you that that worry is severely unfounded! I mean sure, to each their own with personal biases of favorites or dislikes, but I promise you: Hoshino Gen and Ayano Go make the perfect combination!


The story does follow a pretty interesting turn of events considering it was filmed before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic! The plot line itself is similar in small places to most police/crime/detective dramas but only for short periods of time; nothing is ever too confusing or feels rushed. In fact, in my opinion, it sort of feels like they cut the story short; whether that is because of the Covid-19 Pandemic or it was the original story, though, I don't know.


The cast was superb! Each one filled their roles perfectly; the skill and respect and their talents each were shining and absolutely spectacular to watch! From the dramatics, to the running, to the tricky criminals... MIU 404 is a hilarious, heart felt, genuine, extraordinary show!

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Enthralling Mystery

It is super hard to write a review without any spoilers, but I will try my best!


This show, this story, was so intense; it was like nothing I've ever seen before. I've seen a few stories that uncovered the dark side(s) of government organizations or scientists or people that had an overgrown ego, but this story was so superb and realistic that it was scary!


As the story began to unravel it was becoming more and more enthralling and thrilling at first, I couldn't believe what was happening because it all seemed too easy, too convenient, too predictable but the actual truth behind each case was so tangled up within the REAL truth that I never saw the ending coming; give or take a few moments.


The music for the beginning and ending themes as well as the actual scenes for the beginning and ending themes really added suspense and cunning charm to the story! I like that it showed each person as the story unfolded, something like their own back story but more so how they live their day to day lives even though all this is going on. It sort of felt like watching someone in their own space quarantining during this COVID-19 era.


The cast at first seemed a little forced, like it was just a mishmash of popular actors tossed in together; however, as the story unfolded the cast really made the story as perfect as it is!

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