SumiTheCat

Thanks a lot for the poll, I'm always anticipating it a lot every year now. I still have so much fun doing this (and reading everyone's answers).

Best Screenwriter (and for which show?)
- Sakamoto Yuji for Quartet,
- Fujiki Mitsuhiko and Miyamoto Takeshi for Byplayers

Best Director(and for which show?) -

Best Japanese Drama of 2017:
- Quartet,
- Byplayers,
- Akira to Akira

Best Japanese Movie of 2017:
- Sangatsu no Lion (March comes in like a lion),
- Close-Knit

Best Romance Drama: -

Best Comedy Drama: Byplayers

Best Romantic/Comedy Drama: Hito wa Mita Me ga 100%

Best Historical Drama: -

Best Family Drama:
- Kahogo no Kahoko,
- Daibinbo

Best Action/Thriller/Suspense Drama: Crisis : Kouan Kidou Sousatai Tokusou-han,

Best Mystery Drama:
- Ashita no Yakusoku,
- Chinmoku Hotei,
- Reverse

Best First Episode of a Japanese Drama of 2017:
- Akira to Akira,
- Ashita no Yakusoku,
- Quartet

Best Manga/Anime Adaptation: -

Best Medical Drama:
- Code Blue 3,
- A Life

Best Japanese Actor(and for which role?):
- Takahashi Issei (as Iemori Yutaka in Quartet, as Todo Makoto in Minshu no Teki and as Ono Masatsugu in Onna Joushu Naotora) (if I have to choose only onei'm taking his role in Quartet, but all are excellent - but I'm biased)
- Mukai Osamu as Kaidou Akira in Akira to Akira

Best Japanese Actress(and for which role?):
- Matsu Takako as Maki Maki in Quartet,
- Nagasaku Hiromi as Yamamoto Miki in Chinmoku Hotei

Best Japanese Supporting Actor(and for which role?):
- Yamashita Tomohisa as “Mysterious man/God” in Boku Unmei no Hito desu,
- Takito Kenichi as Himself in Byplayers ( and as Sato in Kizoku Tantei)
- Shiina Kippei as Tachibana Keisuke in Code Blue 3

Best Japanese Supporting Actress(and for which role?): -

Best Up and Coming Actor of 2017(and for which role?):
- Narita Ryo as Sakaki Keiichi in Hito wa, Mita me ga 100%,
- Takeuchi Ryoma as Mugino Hajime in Kahogo no Kahoko

Best Up and Coming Actress of 2017(and for which role?):
- Takahata Mitsuki as Nemoto Kahoko in Kahogo no Kahoko,

Best Villain: -

Best Idol Actor(or Actress): Yamashita Tomohisa (Code Blue 3, Boku, Unmei no Hito desu)

Best Couple:
- Shiraishi Megumi (Aragaki Yui) and Aizawa Kosaku (Yamashita Tomohisa) in Code Blue 3,
- Jounouchi Jun (Kiritani Mirei) and Sakaki Keiichi (Narita Ryo) in Hito wa Mita Me ga 100%
- Nemoto Kahoko (Takahata Mitsuki) and Mugino Hajime (Takeuchi Ryoma) in Kahogo no Kahoko

Best Bromance: not sure I can nominate the whole cast of Quartet and most of all, the whole cast of Byplayers, so I’ll go with:
- Kaidou Akira (Mukai Osamu) and Yamazaki Akira (Saito Takumi) in Akira to Akira,
- Makoto Masaki (Kamenashi Kazuya) and “Mysterious Man/God” (Yamashita Tomohisa) in Boku, Unmei no Hito desu
- Yugami Yukimasa (Asano Tadanobu) and Hanyu Torao (Kamiki Ryunosuke) in Keiji Yugami

Best OST:
- "Otona no Okite" by Doughnuts Hole from "Quartet "
- "Forever Young" by Takehara Pistol - drama Byplayers
- "Hitori Sekai" by 10 FEET - drama Byplayers

NB : Even with an amount of 37 Jdramas and movies watched this year, it seems there is not that much variety in my choices.

Thanks for the article.

He is my favorite in Arashi, thanks to his gorgeous voice (but I don't ike his solos).

May I say that I think the liks you gave about his artwork (painting) is not leading to the "right" Satoshi Ohno, at least not the one from Arashi. Though I like the one you linked, it's not our Ohno-san's style. I made the same mistake when I started to stalk him (biography don't match).

お誕生日おめでとう !!!
This year you were able to make me cry in Shinobi no kuni, so I'm looking forward to what you're going to do next year! Have fun! best wishes !
(and yes, I'm aware he'll probably never read those lines).

Thanks for the information, i didn't watch the first years of VS Arashi so I don't know all the games. That's nice to see how games are evolving.

Thanks! I'll check them too.
I think I can find some guest info on the official site for the recent ones... even if I don't read Japanese!

Can someone confirm if a game called Catching Bridge was in use in the early VSA episodes? I don't find it on the official page but maybe it did exist. I'm editing some episodes with games (probably not a lot), but it bothered me and I don't want to spent the time writing (?) beside the word. Thanks in advance!

Edit : do you guys consider it as spoilers if we add final scores if we can find them? I would like to add it, but I don't want to spoil anyone, and I don't think there is a way to hide it with a spoiler tag.

Woaouh! that's great. If you don't mind, I'll add the information on episode's guides.
I'd like to add the games played too, but that will be hard because I don't know where to find the information.
Thanks!

thanks a lot for your post and the info about the main leads not being enemies. It was the decisive point that helped me starting this drama, and I'm glad i did (even rated it 10).

I've watched 5 epi already and it's so much better than i expected from the plot. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the drama, and though I'm not a big fan of Osamu, he is doing an excellent job here. And I'm glad to see Saito in a different kind of character than the ones he is used to portray. I'm also enjoying a lot Koizumi in this role, in fact the whole cast is doing an amazing job. The strongest drama of summer season so far for me.

I'm currently watching it without subs, and I should say i'm very pleased with the drama so far. I honestly didn't remember this was that good (though I rated the first seasons high). I'm quite happy they are focusing more on the relationships between the characters, but the young doctors seem quite immature (and i don't remember the main cast was that immature in the last seasons - maybe my memory is not that good).
I find Shiina really cute in this role (didn't even remember he was in the serie! - bad memory, I told you), and Narita Ryo seems to be everywhere at the moment (not that I complain). Hope it will stay that good!

I'm wondering if it will have an "Oniichan Gacha" feel to it... will try it for the sake of the plot.

Didn't see that coming too. i'm speechless. That was such a cute love story until that episode...
I feel like i've been cheated too T-T

Quartet really deserves it!!

- Fangirl mode activated -

Thanks for this article. i've watched them all but I think it's a good start for those who want to try dramas with Arashi members. I like your choices of dramas and the fact that there are older and more recent ones.
I can't help but to comment on any member (my apologizes in advance if 'i'm too long).
Aiba is the one i'm watching the least, as you pointed out the lack of subs for his dramas. I'm looking forward to his very next one, (looks promising, hope it will be subbed).
Matsumoto was the first Arashi memeber I ever watched, in HYD, and I hated him so much in it that I blacklisted him for around 2 years. Arashi shows, Gokusen and Lucky seven made me change my mind (and i'm glad i did).
As you recall us, Ninomiya is probably the strongest actor of the band, he never disappoints me. I find him awsomly good at depicting the boy next door, the normal and annoying young man of the neighbourhood, and he makes it in such a natural way that he manage to make me fall for those guys. And I was really surprised to see he had such an important role in Iwojima (thought he would be a minor character before watching the movie). I'm surprised to see you've chosen Yowakutemo Katemasu, i thought his drama was not that appreciated, despite his nice cast. I really liked him in that show. Most of all, Nino is my favorite solo singer of the group, I've fallen for his heartwarming voice.
Sakurai was my gateway to the group. I discovered him in Nazotoki wa, dinner no ato de, and his character there remains my favorite of its career (though i was amazed by his performance in Kazoku Game, i never thought he could do so well - so now I can't for next Miike's movie). I was also unexpectedly moved by his character in Tokio. He was my first "ichiban" and still has a special place in my heart.
Last and not least, dear Ohno-san is definitely an interesting actor. I'd rather see him in recent shows (but Maou is awesome), like in Sekamuzu (and he even managed to move me), but i can't help thinking this drama is fanservice only (but people tend ot like it even if not Ohno biased). The drama that stroke me the most though was Kagi no kakatta Heya, where I discovered him, and Enomoto Kei is my favorite character in Dramaland. He was my favorite until not so long ago, now i cannot decide the one I like the most between Sakurai and him (Yama forever!!! - I said I was on a fangirl mode).

Movies and specials where the five of them are starring are precious to me, even if there are not as good as some of their individual dramas, such as Pikanchi anor even the (maybe) less known Yellow tears.
I liked that you added their drama songs. No one cares, but my personnal favorites are A day in our life, Face down and Tomadoi nagara (and many others in fact).

Kimura's magic smile once again worked on me.
I'm surprised to enjoy it that much, considering what fellow MDLers already said about it being a drama that follow a well-known plot line. I guess the great cast do a lot, Kimura ahead. Okita, Shibata and Igawa are by far my favourite characters, but i'm really looking forward to the path Masao will take, as I don't really understand this character at that point of the story.

Thanks for the article!
I haven't watched most of these dramas, except Love That Makes you cry and Boku no Yabai Tsuma. Both OST really fit the atmopshere of their drama. I especially liked "Ashita e no tegami", it feels like you are walking on a rope, and that the very special impression that drama leff on me (sorry, don't know how to explain it)
I prefer more rocky/ punchy/pop songs though, like the one from Juuhan Shuttai!!, and there were numerous dramas with good ost (not often the opening or ending song, more the musical background).
But i guess the only one that will remain in my mind is the entertaining "Koi" by Hoshino Gen (from Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu)

The problem doesn't lie in the fact that J-dramas are not popular, or maybe even not that they are less accessible. In this kind of polls, it's up to the viewers to decide if they should vote or not, if they consider they have seen enough J-dramas to vote in a category or not.
One of the strong point of MDL is it gives everybody the right and possiblity to vote, this doesn't mean you have to. i personnally just take a look at the korean poll, but never tried to participate as i only watched one korean drama of 2016. How can I say if it's better than the other ones i have never seen?

That being said, i didn't intend to blame anybody on their vote, i can understand someone wants to vote for its favorites.
It's just the results don't reflect the quality and diversity of japanese dramas. and some results just don't make sense: how come Koe Koi (that i really enjoyed) can be the best family drama? the family is not even a topic in the drama!!!

A little bit (no, in fact TOTALLY !) disappointed by the results. it makes me laugh, really!
Apparently in MDL Land, there are only romance dramas even in the supposed-not-very-good-at-making-romance-dramas Japan .
I live in another planet where Japan has to offer a lot more, and far more interesting dramas (and i watched and liked Suki na hito ga iro koto...)

We really should find a way to weight the results by the number of japanese dramas watched during a year by the voter, these kind of results makes no sense at all. We need to let everyone who wants to participate, but it's really disapointing, because it makes me feel like it doesn't give a good image of what Japanese dramas lovers/suckers/full time watchers have thought of the 2016 seasons.

Anyway, thanks to the staff for the poll, it's a rendez-vous i'm waiting for every end of the year.

Edit : next year, can we call it "Favorite" or "most popular", so that it would be less disapointing when results are out?

Thanks for the list.
I added almost all of them -.-'
but i'm really looking forward to Rabuho no Ueno-san (can't miss cutie Hongo), Byplayers (what a cast!!!) and maybe A life. At least i'm happy to see that the end of SMAP doesn't mean the end of its ex-members' activities.

Added just for the cast (but the plot sound interesting too)!!