Macy

"We'll meet here again."

"Mare" is my 17th asadora and I confess that I was a bit disappointed. I wish I had watched this asadora earlier on in my journey, especially since I've had it downloaded for quite a while. I think "Mare" would appeal to newer viewers of asadora but if you've seen more than 10+, I think it'll leave you a bit frustrated.

Let's talk about what I liked first. Tsuchiya Tao plays an aspiring patissier named Mare. Tao basically sells this role because Mare could've easily been annoying. [Though if you don't like Tao, maybe you'll hate Mare lol.] I really enjoyed Mare's journey. Her initial hesitation to chase her dream was a tad exasperating, but I also felt that it was realistic. Not everyone goes head first into doing what they want like most asadora heroines. I'm not such a fan of her relationship with Keita, but we'll get into that later. However, I do like Mare's struggles with marriage and motherhood. Essentially trying to "have it all." Though the storyline stumbled a bit, I think this is an important storyline for modern day Japanese women.

I also liked the supporting cast, except for Ichiko (played by Sengen Yoshiko) during her "I hate Mare" phase. It was a delight to see Tanaka Yuko again. She starred in the 1980s hit asadora "Oshin." [Ishimatsu Guts also from "Oshin" has a role in this asadora as well.] Tanaka plays Mare's adoptive grandmother and my only complaint that we don't see her nearly as much as I want to. Then there's the patissier, Ikehata Daigo (Kohinata Fumiyo), whom Mare apprentices for. He's one of those typical eccentric mentor characters you see a lot of in asadoras. I really disliked him at first, but he ends up being so sweet by the end. Tokiwa Takako as Mare's mother Aiko is a delightful mix of emotion and comedy. I really like how she supports Mare and encourages her to leave when she realizes that Mare is trying to protect her. I'll stop here, but there are a quite a few interesting and fun characters.

On to Mare's father, Toru (Oizumi Yo). I honestly don't know what to think of this character. He abandons his family not once but twice. But in a sort of noble way... I guess? I liked his character at times when he was trying to do things for his family. Him being a big dreamer wasn't really the problem like the drama tries to say. It's his bad decisions in the process of trying to achieve that dream that are the problem. And honestly did the writer hate Toru? Lol this man literally could not do anything right.

Now on to Mare's backstabbing friend, Ichiko. Oh my good I hated Ichiko even when she was a child lol. She was so rude even then. The real hate came when she started dating Keita (Yamazaki Kento). Mare had not said that she liked Keita to Ichiko, but I will maintain that that b**** knew what she was doing. She only gets worst tbh and I could never forgive her after she said that she hated Mare, whom had never done anything bad to her once. I don't care that they essentially made up and became good friends again. I really don't care. I hate her.

Finally, on to the last thing that irritated me. I'm not a fan of Mare's love interest, Keita. Not only does he date Mare's best friend after confessing to Mare just a few episodes before that he loved her, but his personality is also just annoying. And he's a freaking hypocrite. Him and Mare then get together and marry way to quick. There was hardly any romance to it. Their relationship gets better once they become parents. I like them as a family unit and I think Keita is a good father. I really wish Mare had dated Daisuke (Yagira Yuya) for longer than one episode. I preferred him as her love interest. He was more interesting and was showing a clear interest in Mare, while Keita was still all about Ichiko (for some strange reason). Anyway, justice for Daisuke. He was way better than Keita.

In conclusion, I think "Mare" is a good asadora but the romance aspect of it is a dud in my opinion. It also left me wondering why every asadora heroine has to get married. I wish in this case that they had decided to focus on her career instead. I would recommend "Mare" to beginners since it has a lot of good points to it. I especially liked the music, which a lot of effort was put towards. However, veteran asadora viewers will be able to spot the flaws easily.

My Asadora Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlqpp21

Read More

"Thank you for the meal."

"Gochisosan" is amazingly the 16th asadora that I've watched. (Honestly, I'm just so grateful that so many of dramas are subbed :)) I'd describe this asadora as very solid, referring to the writing and acting. It's also a foodie's dream with all of the different types of food. For someone like me, I kind of think of eating as a chore lol but this asadora gave me a newfound appreciation for the sustenance and joy food can bring. I now want to try cooking more.

Watanabe Anne (playing Meiko) and Higashide Masahiro (playing Yutaro) serve as the co-leads. I've seen two of what I call "couple asadoras" (meaning the couple is the focus instead of just the female lead). The mistake with couple asadoras is that sometimes the wife turns into a "yes dear" type and the husband just does whatever he pleases. This was especially apparent in "Manpuku", but not as bad in "Dondo Hare." "Gochisosan", unlike both of those asadoras, was able to strike a perfect balance. Meiko is supportive of Yutaro's dream but doesn't live to help him. We also get to Yutaro on his own pretty often so his whole character isn't defined by his wife either. I do think the story suffers a bit in the last few weeks due to Yutaro's absence. Watanabe and Higashide have great chemistry, which explains why they married in real life. (Though he did turn out to be a cheating bastard and they divorced *shrugs*)

More on Meiko. She's an interesting asadora heroine since she doesn't necessarily have an ambition. What she lives for is eating/cooking and her family. I think it's important to show that housewives can live just as fulfilling lives as career women. However, I won't lie... I feel like this also makes her somewhat boring at times lol. Thankfully, these times are few and far between. As a character, I really like her honest and giving nature though she's willing to fight when it comes to it. And I do really feel that she has solid character development, which is apparent when you get to the final week of episodes.

Like all asadoras, "Gochisosan" has a wonderful cast of side characters. I particularly liked Takahata Mitsuki as Yutaro's younger sister. She has some of the best character development of the cast. Suda Masaki and Nishihata Daigo as Meiko and Yutaro's sons were also some of favorites along with Kondo Masaomi and Miyazaki Yoshiko as Yutaro's father and stepmother. The latter two in particular had some outright hilarious moments. Matsuura Miyabi as Meiko and Yutaro's daughter wasn't my favorite but I appreciate the level of care put into writing someone "different." I'm guessing she's supposed to be autism spectrum disorder-coded, though this is just speculation. Lastly, I wish they had showed more of Meiko's family and friends in Tokyo after she left for Osaka. At some point, it was like they just didn't exist anymore lol.

Now for what I didn't like. 1) Kimura Midoriko gave a surprisingly good performance as Yutaro's overbearing elder sister Kazue. However, despite the nuance given to the character, I could never quite forgive her for bullying Meiko in the first place. Her final appearance, being as spiteful as ever, was actually hilarious. 2) There's one storyline with Yutaro and his childhood friend Akiko (Kato Ai) that's just not satisfactorily concluded. It seems like Yutaro's going to cheat, but Akiko decides against it?? And Meiko isn't given the space to feel how she feels by either of these two people. To Akiko, I don't care how hard your life is, why are you spending so much "alone time" with someone else's husband?? Storyline could've been realistic, but was just written badly. 3) The ending felt kind of underwhelming for me. I knew Yutaro was going to come back because if he had died they would've given at least a week's worth of episodes to process that. And for them to throw Gen-chan's almost love confession in there at the end. Ugh for that one.

Anyway, three things that I didn't like isn't really that bad. For the most part, I was quite happy while watching this asadora. I only found the weeks where Kazue was bullying Meiko unbearable. The lead couple, the side characters, writing, acting, and the food were all solid aspects of this asadora.

My Asadora Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlqpp21

Read More

Clothing gives people hope

"Carnation" is my 14th asadora. I've wanted to watch it for a while since it kind of gives off the same vibes as my favorite asadora, "Ohisama" (which also aired the same year). I really liked "Carnation" overall, but it hits a stumbling block around week 17 that it never really recovers from. Well, for me, at least. Warning! Major spoilers follow~

The heroine, Itoko, is played by Ono Machiko. She really deserves all the praise I've seen her get for this role. Ono was able to play the stubborn, somewhat pigheaded Itoko in such a way that she never becomes insufferable. She stays consistently funny and enjoyable, despite her bad traits. Kuriyama Chiaki playing Otoko's childhood classmate, Natsu, also sticks out in my mind as a stand-out performance. Her relationship with Itoko made me laugh until the very end. I also quite liked Natsuki Mari as an older Itoko. Definitely a great actress. I only wish that they had introduced her a tad sooner as I think the transition from Ono to her was a bit awkward. The rest of the supporting cast I could best describe as comforting. I just loved continuing to see the faces of Itoko's family, friends, and neighbors.

On to the minor things that I didn't like which resulted in me giving "Carnation" a 9.0 instead of a 10. First, her father. I hated him. This has nothing to do with the actor (Kobayashi Kaoru) as I think he acted him really well actually. Even if I sit and think about it, I can relate to the dad's feelings. But... I just find it inexcusable for a man to hit his child so much and just generally act like a tyrant to his family. [He's a father that's not much a provider either by the way...] I was really waiting for him to die, even if he had finally chilled out a bit by then lol. Second, I thought all of Itoko's children were annoying. Tbh this is an ongoing issue with asadoras set around the war. The children that grow up afterwards are almost always intolerable. Yuko is probably the most tolerable, but her fights with Naoko (the most annoying) are so hard to watch. And poor Satoko is just portrayed as an idiot. And the third thing...

Itoko doesn't have a decent love interest. I really liked her husband Masaru (played by Suruga Taro) until he goes off to war and she discovers that he was having an affair! After the war, she gets a new love interest in Suo (Ayano Go) but he has a wife! For me, this is where my interest started to wane. I don't really care that the show wants us to think that their love isn't "dirty." Whatever, he has a wife (who is suffering from the aftereffects of the atomic bomb) and children. They eventually come to their senses and part, but I can't help but think about how painful this affair was for everyone involved. This was around week 17 and I didn't particularly like the weeks that followed since they started to focus on Itoko's daughters. And I said before, I find them annoying.

However, "Carnation" is a pretty solid asadora until week 17. I loved the focus on dressmaking and fashion, and Itoko achieving her dream of owning her own shop. The weeks focusing on the war are also very good and don't focus too much on the tragedy of it all. Following the war, Itoko is able to refocus on her dream and I really liked the 1950s fashions. It was also funny for her to realize that she has a harder time relating to newer fashions now that she's middle aged. Then I also really liked the final four weeks with older Itoko and her storyline with her granddaughter. I was reminded of my own grandmother and definitely cried a lot. It was surprising that they showed Itoko passing away as this is only the second instance of a heroine that I've seen. Even though she died of natural causes, it was still very sad.

Interestingly, I looked it up and the real-life Itoko (her real name was Koshino Ayako) really was a fan of asadora and wanted her life put to screen. It was kind of meta that they actually put this into the plot lol, but I loved it. Especially seeing Natsu watching it at the end. *Cue tears.* That scene makes watching the whole asadora worth watching to the end hands down.

My Asadora Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlqpp21

Read More

A fun watch but easily skippable

Popular asadoras will occasionally receive a spin-off special after they finished airing. "Natsuzora" is one of those popular ones, which is no surprise if you've seen it. These specials rarely get subbed by fansubbers so I'd like to think ECOTV Subs for taking their time to sub it. You can join their live journal to access the subs.

The special is split into two stories. The first focuses on Toyo Obaa-chan's voice acting adventure in Tokyo. As unrealistic as it was, I think a fun time was had by all and I did cry at the end. The second is about the "Tokachi's Wives Bragging Contest." Basically, the men of Tokachi have to profess their love for their wives in the contest. It mostly focuses on Yukijiro and Yumiko, whom have a marital spat at the beginning of it. I thought it was funny that Kikusuke suddenly had a wife out of nowhere, but his song actually made me cry. Does this drama just make me emotional? Lol.

My sole complaint about this special is that Natsu isn't in it much. However, I will concede that her reduced role probably helped the side characters have some nice shining moments. I recommend watching this if you really liked "Natsuzora" because it's nice to revisit this world once more. I will admit that you're not missing much if you decide skip it. It feels like those extra chapters in shojo manga after the final chapter. It's nice to know what the other characters are doing, but not necessary.

Also, the special includes a top ten scenes that were popular on social media and three unaired scenes. This was a nice touch and rewatching these scenes again made me cry (again lol). An interesting note that Natsu and Jii-chan essentially are hosts for the special. There's a running bit with Jii-chan declaring that he's not dead. Funnily enough, in the last scene with Jii-chan in "Natsuzora" I hadn't realized that that was him dying (lol). The special makes it clear that he's dead T_T.

Read More

Pioneering Spirit

"Natsuzora" is the 11th asadora that I have watched. It is the culmination of last five asadoras that I have watched. To explain: "Natsuzora" is the landmark 100th asadora to air. As such, NHK invited a bunch of past asadora heroines to make appearances from supporting to minor cameos. I watched "Oshin," "Dondo Hare," "Dandan," "Manpuku," and "Chiritotechin" specifically for this reason while I had already watched "Jun-chan no Ouenka." [I would've watched more but these are the only ones with English subs currently.] Watching these aren't really a prerequisite to watching "Natsuzora," especially since some of the actresses have a blink and you'll miss it cameos. Personally, I think fully immersing myself in the asadora format for the pass few months helped me really enjoy "Natsuzora" to the fullest.

Now that being said, I think "Natsuzora" is actually potentially the perfect first asadora for someone just beginning to watch. It has all of the elements that people like particularly in an asadora with great writing, characters, the lovely scenery of Hokkaido, and wonderful animation segments to boot. Just watching "Natsuzora" would give someone the perfect impression of what an asadora is supposed to be.

Hirose Suzu as Natsu is a great heroine and wonderfully nuanced. Natsu, I believe, is one of the few asadora heroines to be an orphan. This creates some great drama with her finding her birth siblings, which runs throughout the drama. "Natsuzora" also boasts a great supporting cast with Kusakari Masao as "Jii-chan," Natsu's adoptive grandfather, being the standout. I particularly loved seeing the former heroines Yamaguchi Tomoko (from "Jun-chan no Ouenka"), Higa Manami (from "Dondo Hare"), and Kanjiya Shihori (from "Chiritotechin") now in supporting roles. Then there were the actors I recognized from "Hana Yori Dango" productions, Nakagawa Taishi, Matsushima Nanako (also an asadora heroine from "Himawari"), and Fujiki Naohito. A quick glance at the cast list and I see a lot of people from previous asadoras. Honestly, NHK went all out with the casting.

Natsu has two love interests. Yoshizawa Ryo plays Tenyo, Natsu's childhood friend. Though neither expresses their feelings, I think it's clear how they feel for each other. However, since Natsu has to leave Hokkaido to pursue her dreams, their relationship never goes beyond friendship. Nakagawa Taishi plays her real love interest Kazuhisa, whom also works in animation. Their relationship is a very understated, simple kind of love. It's lovely to watch it develop.

"Natsuzora" carries the theme of the "pioneering spirit" shown with the dairy farmers of Hokkaido and later with Natsu entering into the new animation industry. Eventually both intersect when Natsu has the opportunity to work on an animated series reminiscent of the "World Masterpiece Theater" anime series (and specifically referencing "Heidi, Girl of the Alps"). Interestingly, Natsu is based on the animator Okuyama Reiko but I would say very loosely, particularly in regards to her early life. Taishi's character is based on Studio Ghibli director Takahata Isao and there's even a reference to his masterpiece "Grave of the Fireflies." There's a handful of others also based on real-life people, such Sometani Shota's character being analogous to Miyazaki Hayao.

Watching "Natsuzora" felt like receiving a warm hug. In many ways, it reminded me of my first asadora "Hanako to Anne." Both asadoras gave me the feeling of wanting to stay in that world full of characters that I love dearly. Somehow, it's harder to say things about a drama I really liked, so this review will be a little shorter than usual. I just really hope that more and more people watch this asadora as it's very close to being perfect.

My Asadora Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlqpp21

Read More

Meh.

After finishing the first season, I entered into the second season with trepidation. The beginning starts off kind of rough. We are now minus two cast members. Rhys Miguel as Tob was possibly fired or didn't want to continue the loveteam with Kaori Oinuma (Michiko). Melizza Jimenez as Elle decided to focus on school instead of acting and was recast with Mikha Lim. Tob's disappearance is integrated into the plot as him "ghosting" Michiko. Despite the rough start, I really liked the first few episodes of the season. However, it started to go downhill towards the mid-point when the plot starts to focus only on the whole criminal investigation surrounding Dale being shot. I won't go into this because I could go on and on, but I hated it. It doesn't really pick back up after that, unfortunately.

The leads, Donny Pangilinan (Deib) and Belle Mariano (Max), have great chemistry. They honestly save this mediocre second season. Without them I would've been so much worse. The plot does give them some great chances to flex their acting chops, but it's unfortunate that it never seems to go anywhere. The supporting cast feels weaker in this season besides maybe Michiko (played by Kaori Oinuma). They really threw everything at her. RJ and Kim just feel like they're as plot devices. They might've had something interesting with Lee, Naih, and Ysay, but the writers back out of it at the last second. Poor Migz, Elle, and Lorde are just there. And the adult drama between Max's dad, stepmom, and the new principal was kind of random but I would've preferred them focus on that instead of the stupid investigation.

The last couple episodes come out of nowhere. All of the sudden, Dale is just dead? WTH. I don't understand why he didn't die during surgery?? He died while sleeping?? He was in a hospital; he would've been hooked up to something. Okay, I did cry but how he died was so stupid. Then it's the last episode so they have to wrap up everything, but they don't do it very well. It's frustrating. Anyway, despite my complaints, I mostly enjoyed the series. I don't regret finishing it. I just wish it had matched the first season in terms of entertainment.

Read More

Perfect for LizQuen fans

"Forevermore" officially launched the LizQuen ship after previous hints in the films, "Must Be... Love" and "She's the One" (I recommend them both btw). I'm going to start by summarizing the series first. Liza Soberano stars as Agnes, the daughter of a farmer, and Enrique Gil stars as Xander, the rich son of a hotelier who seemingly only cares about himself. Agnes lives on a farm, called La Presa, with a large group of people who are like a family. One day, Xander accidentally ruins Agnes's strawberries. The La Presans are desperate for cash to pay their rent and thus decide to hold Xander hostage until he repays them. He stubbornly refuses to pay them or reveal his name. Eventually, he causes so much trouble for them that Agnes just tells him to go. Agnes and her father, Buboy (Joey Marquez), later learn that Xander is the son of the president of the nearby Grande Hotel. They appeal to his father, Alex (Zoren Legaspi), who refuses to pay for his son. He instead agrees to lend Xander the money if he goes to work at Le Presa.

Xander is reluctant at first, but does decide to go to Le Presa. There he has a hard time fitting in with the others who understandably don't find him very reliable. Agnes, in particular, finds him distrustful. He finds an ally in Mang Bangky (Bangkay), an old bachelor who relates to Xander's rebelliousness. Thanks to Bangky, he tries harder to win over the others though he inevitably makes many mistakes, which drives wedges into his budding friendship with Agnes. One such mistake is accidentally losing Niknok (Jesse James Ongteco), a young child who lives with his aunt Mirasol (Irma Adlawan) in La Presa. Running through the forest, Xander is reminded of the tragic death of his little brother Basty, which is shown through flashbacks. Once Niknok is found, Agnes yells hurtful words at Xander who then disappears. Agnes and Buboy go to Grande to find Xander. They meet Meg (Beverly Salviejo), his grandmother's assistant, who reveals Basty's death and that Xander's mother always blamed him. Xander eventually returns to La Presa and Agnes apologizes, starting a new chapter in their relationship.

Later, Xander realizes that he has feelings for Agnes, but is reluctant to give in to them, even telling her as much. His parents bring him back to Grande to integrate him into management now that he has become more responsible. His mother, Bettina (Lilet), resents Xander's new connection to La Presa, which becomes a frequent issue. After an earthquake hits, Xander saves Agnes from a falling down building. He confesses his feelings for her and receives permission from her father to court her. Agnes holds off on giving Xander an answer for a while, but eventually says yes to being his girlfriend. She also has to turn down her childhood friend, Andrew (Yves Flores) around the same time. Meanwhile, Bettina is working on opening an agricultural resort, hoping to earn the approval of Alex's mother Soledad (Marissa Delgado), whom has always preferred his son's first (and still legal) wife. Bettina works out a deal with Jaime and Loulie Saavedra (Michael Flores and Bernadette Allyson-Estrada), the parents of Xander's ex-girlfriend Kate (Sofia Andres).

Bettina invites Kate to the Grandes' annual Christmas party, hoping to reunite her and Xander. Of course, he is now dating Agnes. Kate seems to take this in stride and even sort-of befriends Agnes. Bettina pushes for Xander and Kate to be together, but begins acting friendlier with Agnes when she realizes that that isn't working. She invites Agnes to come work at the hotel, which will also earn her a scholarship for college. However, it goes terribly array. Xander decides to leave his family to live with the La Presans again. Meanwhile, Kate starts to sink into a depression and acts erratically. Her behavior obviously worries her parents. She lamely attempts to win Xander back. However, at the slightest pushback from Agnes and the La Presans, she encourages her father Jaime to make war on them. He attempts to seize La Presa through illegal means (having already being tasked with getting the land for the Grandes' resort). After Buboy is shot, Xander becomes overwhelmed and gives into Jaime's demands that he accompanies Kate to London. He leaves without a word, which devastates Agnes.

Two years later, Agnes, the twins Clauie and Judy (Joj and Jai Agpangan), and their new friend Karen (Karen Dematera) are attending college for a semester in Manilla. The La Presans come for a visit since Buboy and Mirasol have now decided to marry. Buboy needs to obtain an annulment since he is technically still married to his wife though he and Agnes haven't seen her for over a decade. Of course, it turns out that Marites (Almira Muhlach) is now living in Manila. Buboy confronts her and she confesses that her employer was holding her captive in Japan. Marites and Agnes are reunited after some time and Agnes allows her back into her life. Meanwhile, Agnes meets Jay (Diego Loyzaga) at school and joins his band. He gradually develops feelings for Agnes, though she seems reluctant to allow him to court her. Marites distrusts him him at first, but he wins her over when he comes to her with problems regarding his mother, who is currently working in Japan.

In the meantime, Xander has returned from London with Kate who has gotten better though still appears fragile. She eventually goes to the States after her father's shady business dealings are made public. Xander now has a successful business and loyal assistant, Orly (Jason Francisco). Orly helps Xander with his elaborate plan to win back Agnes. The plan goes up in flames as Agnes isn't even willing to hear him out. He decides not to give up yet and takes a temporary teacher's position at Agnes's college. Of course, she doesn't take this well and treats him coldly, such as only calling him "Sir." He acts respectfully towards her and, after attending a leadership workshop, the two are finally on friendly terms. The twins take sides with Clauie wanting her to reunite with Xander ("Superman") and Judy wanting her to be with Jay ("Batman"). Karen stays more neutral, though she realizes that Agnes still truly loves Xander. Agnes is seemingly ready to accept her feelings and agrees to have dinner with Xander and his family (FYI, the Grandes have since become better, more supportive family). However, when she glimpses Kate from outside, the emotions come rushing back.

Kate later finally explains to Agnes why Xander left her two years previously. Unfortunately, Agnes has now become numb to emotion, giving into fear rather than love. Xander takes this as a final rejection. He becomes depressed and his father encourages him to look at this as just a chapter in his life. Then on his way home, Alex is hit by a car and passes away. Xander, though still devastated, listens to his mother and grandmother's advice and becomes the new president of Grande Hotel. Meanwhile, Agnes and the twins return to La Presa; they are soon joined by Jay and Karen. Xander too finds himself in the area. His father's legal wife Sheree (Pinky Amador) and her brother Julius (Kit Thompson) are scheming once again. He later meets a local veterinarian Alex Pante (Erich Gonzales) and starts dating her. After his father's will is read, Xander decides to work on the agricultural resort again when the land is willed to his mother.

Xander attempts to buy La Presa, earning strong pushback from the people who once treated him as their own. Agnes meets with Xander who now treats her coldly. Her appeals don't work. However, his mother tells him that Alex likely left them to land not to complete the resort but to protect La Presa forever. Xander, realizing that this is the truth, reconciles with the La Presans and instead works out a new deal with them for a series interconnected cottages. Of course, Sheree and Julius attempt to sabotage the project by targeting the area's water supply. While searching, Xander and Agnes become lost in the forest. They spend the night holding each other. Later, Xander has Sheree and Julius arrested and ousted from the company. He ends things with his new girlfriend who has already realized that he still loves Agnes. Agnes decides to take a scholarship for a college in Japan and leaves La Presa. Xander catches up with her. They decide to start a new (albeit long distance) "forever" from then on.

Yes, that's a long summary, but it's a long show. Probably could've been cut down 10-15 episodes in my opinion. The first half of the show (e.g. before Xander leaves) is the stronger half, especially regarding the main couple. However, it does have Kate so it's not perfect The second half starts off well. It's reasonable that Agnes would act that way tbh and Jay is an enjoyable enough rival to Xander. I would argue that do they have to make Jay's life so miserable lol. Agnes's unwillingness to hear out Xander just lasts way too long. The writers could've condensed it a little. It feels like they had a hit on their hands and were just trying to extend the couple finally reuniting.

So, to conclude, I enjoyed this show for what it was. I was pretty easy to watch, despite it's length. Filipinos speak "Taglish," a mix of English and Tagalog, so I didn't have to pay 100% attention. I watched 2-5 episodes a night before going to sleep and I was able to finish it in a little over a month. It was a great comfort show. I recommend to LizQuen fans, but if you're unfamiliar with the loveteam or Filipino shows in general, I recommend watching Filipino films first.

Read More

Mostly fluffy romance

I've wanted to watch this this for a while since I saw some people comparing it to "Boys Over Flowers" (aka "Hana Yori Dango"). In hindsight, I think it's kind of a disservice to the drama though to call it a "BOF rip-off" just because it has a similar premise. I won't get into the plot because there's already plenty of reviews of "He's Into Her" on here. I'll just list what I liked and disliked about the series.

Likes
1) The premise. I will never get tired of seeing a spunky girl stand up to a clique of rich boys lol. If you also enjoy this premise, this will be a fun drama for you.
2) Friendship. This isn't an ensemble drama but I really liked the large cast of friends of the FL and ML.
3) Romance. The romance here is surprisingly strong for a teen show. Donny (playing Deib) and Belle (playing Max) have really good chemistry and I see why they're a new "loveteam" now. The side couples aren't really that strong though.
4) Theme strong. I really top-notch, boyband theme song. I love it.

Dislikes
1) Rivals. RJ and Kim are the love rivals for the FL and ML. They are mentioned semi-frequently before they finally appear, but their real appearance still feels too late in the game. They end up feeling like unnecessary obstacles.
2) Fighting. Around the mid-point of the drama, the FL and ML's fighting felt really annoying.
3) Dropped and unfinished storylines. A love triangle between Ysay, Migz, and Hunter is set up but dropped. The series ends with a lot of unfinished storylines, such as Deib's brother. This is annoying as I would have preferred the story to be self-contained with the season.

"He's Into Her" is a fun, fluffy romance. The characters are well-written for what they are. Their motivations make sense and can apply to the real-world. Though it feels somewhat like a Wattpad story, I'm happy that they went that way instead of into soap opera territory. Now time to watch the sequel. Crossing my fingers that they don't ruin it lol.

Read More

Half Blue

This is only my 3rd asadora. I chose "Hanbun, Aoi" because I was looking for something a little lighter than the previous one I watched. It definitely delivers as the drama is full of comedic, light-hearted moments that I loved. If you've seen the "Reply" series, "Hanbun, Aoi" reminded me of it in several aspects. However, it is an asadora and has plenty of really emotional moments, especially as you get to the end. Some major spoilers follow!

Out of the three asadora dramas I've seen thus far, "Hanbun, Aoi" has the weakest story. It starts off a little slow with the childhood and adolescence weeks, but it's easy enough to push through these and they are important in the long run. Suzume (played by Mei Nagano) is the series heroine. As a child, she loses her hearing in her left ear. This will continue to effect her throughout the entire series. "Hanbun, Aoi" picks up when Suzume finds her passion: Becoming a manga artist. These weeks were no doubt my favorite and not only because I'm a manga fanatic. The world of manga, however, is sadly a tough one. Suzume manages to make her debut, but eventually decides that she can go no further in the field. Whether Suzume should've given up or not is up for debate, but I ultimately enjoyed how the storyline was handled.

Now the next half of "Hanbun, Aoi" was completely unrecognizable from the first. I have to say that I went through a bit of shock. I'm going to address Suzume's love interest now. Ritsu (played by Takeru Satoh) was born on the same day as Suzume and has always been on her side until they parted ways. When they reunite, he proposes to Suzume but she mistakenly says "I can't". He marries someone else a few years later. For me, this was very frustrating and only gets worse if we're being honest. On top of that, Takeru is very underutilized as Ritsu and he only gets character development sporadically.

Suzume, depressed by missing her chance to marry Ritsu and giving up her dream, starts working at a 100-yen store. There she meets Ryoji (played by Shotaro Mamiya) and they decide to marry after only knowing each other for a week. It's cute in a way, but they both come off as extremely naive in relationships. Suzume decides to support Ryoji in his dream of becoming a director, but he decides to give it up after failing once and because of Suzume's pregnancy. They are a happy family until Ryoji decides to abandon them to pursue his dream again. I don't know what's worse: Your husband leaving you for another woman or leaving because you're in the way of his dreams. Yikes. Suzume returns home and reunites with Ritsu again.

The story becomes somewhat frustrating at this point. Suzume seems to just jump from one thing to another. I wish the writers had decided on a second dream for her and stuck with it. And worse, she and Ritsu are back in each other's lives but... Ritsu is still married and seemingly doesn't want to leave his wife, despite their problems and obvious incompatibility. I'm not advocating giving up on your marriage so easily, but this was just another excuse for the writers to delay the main couple some more. Another time-skip. Suzume is back in Tokyo so that her daughter can take skating lessons. She's failing at being a start-up businesswoman. Ritsu returns from America and is finally divorced (his wife left him for God's sake!). Suzume and Ritsu partner together on a start-up. Finally, after completing their first project, they decide to be together.

"Hanbun, Aoi" has one of the most frustrating main couples I've seen in a long time in any drama. It's unfortunate because I really like them together and I just wish that we had seen more of them. However, this is by no means a bad drama because of that. Most of the characters are really strong, including Suzume (though her career choices are a bit bizarre). I love her family and her friends. She has absolutely beautiful relationships with her mother, daughter, and best friends. This is definitely the highlight of this drama. "Hanbun, Aoi" translates to "half blue." I think it means something like looking on the bright side. Though bad things will happen to you, there will always be good times. And that's a beautiful message.

My Asadora Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/LAlqpp21

Read More

A Bit Disappointing

While "Boys Over Flowers" will always be considered Yoko Kamio's signature work, I think "Cat Street" is her masterpiece. Strong words, but that's really how strong I feel about the series. Now it's not perfect and I could nitpick it, but we're here to nitpick the drama not the manga.

First, "Cat Street" is entirely too short at 6 episodes. If they only would've increased it to 10 or 11 episodes, I think they could've told a story closer to the original "Cat Street." They could've included Rei instead of mashing him with Koichi (which totally doesn't work), but maybe not make him a love interest for Keito to allow for time. And there would've been more time for the main couple to develop. Their relationship (though expected by me) felt like it came out of nowhere.

The cast was at least well casted. Mitsuki Tanimura and Tomoka Kurokawa have a great dynamic and portray their characters well. I only wish that Mitsuki's hair and clothing had been styled better. Ryo Kimura as a new character Gota was cute. Ryo Katsuji as Koichi fits the part physically but the writing kind of ruins him. Taiyo's (Hideo Ishiguro) arc with Keito is cut short and is not as satisfying. And also, I liked that the headmaster and Keito's parents are shown more than in the manga.

My final complaint is that they included the worst, most ridiculous arc of the manga, in which Keito gets kidnapped. However, here they make the perpetrator Nako (Ai Takabe) instead of the admittedly more random character in the manga. In the process, it ruins Nako's and Masanobu's (Kei Tanaka) characters. It just completely rubs me the wrong way.

I don't picture "Cat Street" getting another adaptation (all of the love goes to "Boys Over Flowers"), but I hope it gets a proper adaptation someday.

Read More

Absolutely loved it!

To preface, I'm a fan of the original Cold Case. I watched it when it was airing with my mom. So I have lots of special memories of it. When I learned there was a Japanese version, I was curious but also hesitant to start it. I was so scared I was going to hate it. Thankfully, I was completely wrong!

The drama completely captures the vibe of the original from the music to the casting. Yoh Yoshida is particularly great as Yuri Ishikawa (Lilly Rush in the original). I liked that this first season we see glimpses of the personal lives of the main team. Hopefully, they will reveal more in the upcoming seasons. Much like in the original, I liked the dynamic between the main team. One thing I disliked was Yuri's sister, who I also didn't like in the original. I would've been fine if they cut her out.

There's a slight drawback that all of the episodes are based on episodes from seasons 1 to 2 of the original. I would've liked a few new cases. But I still felt engaged during nearly every episode. I will say that I didn't enjoy episodes 4 and the finale that much. This was one of my least favorite storylines from the original. My favorite part of Cold Case is the set-up and pay-off. These two episodes are the only ones where you don't get the usual pay-off.

If you're curious about which episodes correspond with which from the original, I'm including it here. I'll also my thoughts on the Japanese episodes:
Episode 1 = Season 2, Episode 11 - a great episode for the J-drama to start with. Heartbreaking and "Don't Look Back in Anger" has been stuck in my head for several days.
Episode 2 = Season 1, Episode 8 - another gutwrenching episode. I liked that they showed some social issues (such as Japanese Brazilians living in Japan) that you won't see in other dramas.
Episode 3 = Season 2, Episode 10 - we're at a 3 for 3 for great episodes in a row! Keep your tissues handy.
Episode 4 = Season 2, Episode 9 - one of my least favorites tbh, but still a good one. This is one of Cold Case's more memorable original episodes so they sort of had to cover it.
Episode 5 = Season 1, Episode 22 - I cried like a little baby so a good episode. However, it was a little too word-for-word of the original.
Episode 6 = Season 1, Episode 13 - the one instance I think they improved on the original. It covers another social issue (Koreans in Japan) and just feels more impactful than the original. This was the episode I remembered that Japan had a statue of limitations on murder! It was only changed recently and still only cases from after 1994 can be charged.
Episode 7 = Season 2, Episode 6 - like ep 5, this one is very close to the original. That didn't stop me from crying though T_T
Episode 8 = Season 1, Episode 18 - this one was definitely less impactful than the original. I can't really pinpoint what I didn't liked about it.
Episode 9 = Season 1, Episode 14 - another classic, heartbreaking episode. This one was based on the famous "Boy in the Box" case. He was finally identified last year!
Episode 10 = Season 2, Episode 23 - a follow-up to episode 4 that I knew was coming. The ending scene was great, but still one of my least favorites.

Anyway, that's the end of my ramblings! I'm looking forward to watching the next season.

Read More

A true classic

I've finally finished "It Started with a Kiss." I found it hard to binge because of the pretty low quality version I was watching. Luckily, GTV uploaded it with subs on YouTube so I was able to watch it without frustration lol. Note: I've read part of the manga, seen the anime and the 1996 drama, so these are what I'll compare ISWAK to.

I absolutely loved "It Started with a Kiss." From the beginning, you can sense the care the production took to be faithful to the manga while still localizing it to Taiwan. My one complaint would be that the drama is quite long at twenty episode with a running time of one hour and ten minutes. I feel the story could've been trimmed down a bit. The last three episodes before the finale I found to be quite draggy too. In terms of writing, "It Started with a Kiss" still manages to beat out 1996 Itazura na Kiss by several leagues and is on par with the anime.

Ariel Lin and Joseph Cheng are perfect as Xiang Qin (Kotoko) and Zhi Shu (Naoki). Their acting was absolutely superb. Ariel managed to be clumsy, dumb, and at times annoying without me absolutely hating her. I could actually relate to her since I sometimes feel useless too. Joseph was able to use facial expressions and certain movements to make his character more likeable while still staying true to the manga. Zhi Shu's and Xiang Qin's families were really on the nose; they all suited their characters perfectly. Watching the family together was my favorite part of the drama. There were some really funny moments.

I wasn't particularly charmed by Ah Jin aka Kinnosuke (played by the good-looking Jiro Wang); I'm afraid I'll find him exhausting in every version. Tiffany Hsu was great playing Zi Yu (Yuko), adding quite a bit of dimension to the character. She had a lot of especially funny moments with Xiang Qin and wasn't just some evil rival. Hao Qian (Sudou) was fun to watch, though his hair was a bit ridiculous. Also, out of the short side stories, I enjoyed Zi Qi's and Wu Ren's parts the most.

Some special notes I want to mention are: I loved that they changed the characters style and hair cuts over time since the drama takes place over five years or so. I guess the only discrepancy is that Yu Shu stays a child the whole time XD. It was a nice touch in the finale to bring back some characters from earlier on, such as Xiang Qin's teacher and Ah Jin's friends. Lastly, the OST of this drama is one of my faves. "Say That U Love" is super catchy and the opening sequence is perfect. Now on to the honeymoon in "They Kiss Again."

Read More

Understated

I had no idea just how many films Akira Kurosawa directed until I stumbled upon this film. I have only seen two, Rashomon and Yojimbo, so far. These two films and his other well known films all seem to be historical dramas or samurai epics. So No Regrets for Our Youth really stuck out to me. It is set during the pre-war period up to the end of the war (1933-1945). Since it was released in 1946, this could almost be considered contemporary.

The film is mostly told through the point-of-view of Yukie Yagihara (played by Setsuko Hara). She is the daughter of college professor ousted from his position due to his views on fascism, sparking anti-militarist student protests. A lot of Hara's acting is subtle, such as her falling for one of the protestors, Noge. She never states her feelings; you can tell from her facial expressions and actions. Hara is one of those actresses that always amazes me. Sometimes I don't understand why she did this or that, but at the end of the film it always clicks.

All in all, No Regrets for Our Youth is a wonderfully slow-paced film. Its portrayal of the anti-war efforts of Japanese people was something I never thought of. Kurosawa's decision to make this film so soon after the war is also interesting to me as it shows his convictions. It's too bad that this film isn't more well known, but I understand. It isn't a samurai epic or anything genre changing. However, it's an honest, understated picture about what feels like real people amidst political turmoil and war. And Hara is an amazing heroine from beginning to end.

Read More

Fun fantasy film

I want to say first that this movie is not a remake of the Miyazaki Hayao film! They are both based on the same children's book by Eiko Kadono (who also makes a cameo in the movie). Keep this in mind if you decide to watch this.

Though nowhere near the brilliance of Miyazaki's classic, it manages to stand on its own. It suffers from a few issues common with live-action adaptations. The CGI animals for instance, especially the baby hippo. I found it distracting for some reason. In some scenes it was a puppet, others full CGI. Other than that, the film's effects were pretty good such as Kiki flying. As for actors, I absolutely loved Koshiba Fuka (Kiki) and Miyazawa Rie (Kiki's mother). They were great in my opinion. Tombo's (Hirota Ryohei) character took a minute for me to warm up to. I found him very abrasive at first, though I liked him by the end of the movie.

Though not a certifiable hit like the 1989 movie, this film was fun overall and a perfect pick for children. I was touched during several moments and even cried during the climax. Watch this only if you're willing not to compare it too harshly to Miyazaki's movie (though I also realize comparisons are always inevitable).

Read More

I'll watch anything with Hana Sugisaki

After watching Hana-chan in Hana Nochi Hare, I'm slowly going through her filmography. I've liked everything she has been in so far, even that weird "Bleach" movie lol. "Haken Uranaishi Ataru" is unlike any drama I've seen before and definitely would not be something I would've watched if Hana had not been in it. For J-dramas, I usually only watch romantic comedies and manga adaptations. Anyway, I'm so happy I watched this!

Though I couldn't necessarily relate to every character, I found myself touched by their problems. I cried a lot, of course lol. One character hit pretty close to home for me, but I won't say which! I loved seeing Ataru help fix their problems and then see how they all changed after. By the end of the series, they all worked so well together that I wished I could have worked with them. Regarding Ataru's character, I think Hana played her rather well and the mystery of her background was a nice touch. Though I liked her best once we really got to know her.

This review got kind of rambling, gomen. I think anyone who likes slow-paced, slice of life dramas will enjoy this series.

Read More