I try not to be biased, but honestly, I love anything Nagase Tomoya is in. In all the dramas I've seen with him, he has not disappointed me, and IWGP is no exception. Putting my feelings aside from Nagase for a minute, I can honestly say that this drama was very good. I loved the aspect of different ppl going to Makoto for help solving crimes that they can't go to the police for. I loved the underlying themes of finding what your good at and self-confidence (it's subtle but it's there). I did not like the main girl at all, from the very beginning I thought she was annoying. I loved the themes of friendship and loyalty.

MDL did a good job at summarizing IWGP, but honestly, I thought this drama was gonna be so cliche. Like I thought there would be a fight between Makoto and his best friend for the leadership spot of the gang, but no such thing happened. Makoto's best friend, Takashi, has his back throughout the entire drama. Not only does Takahi love Makoto, but everyone does. This character just has so much swag I can't take it.

There's also kinda sorta a love triangle, between Makoto, the main girl, and some other girl. I definitely liked the other girl better, but w/e. I'm not even upset with the ending because things get wrapped up, all questions are answered, and it all just ties together very nicely.

I wouldn't call this a detective drama to be exact, but if you like those types of dramas (the types where the characters are trying to figure out who committed a certain crime), u like laughing (it was kinda funny, u know anything with Nagase will have u laughing), u like dramas with friendship and loyalty, u may like this one. I'd definitely recommend, although some may not like the style/quality since it is a kinda older one (2000 I think). Of course the acting/cast is on point. And the music is pretty good (at least it is to me). The only character I didn't like was the main girl, I found her very annoying and self-centered. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the drama. It's good, definitely worth a watch.

Read More

I could have ended up really enjoying this drama, but ultimately, it's just average. I only gave Last Cinderella the rating I did because there were some elements in this drama I really enjoyed and appreciated. But overall, this drama just made me roll my eyes half the time, and I really hate that there was no character growth or development for the main character. Sakura is a 40yr old woman who is single, never married, and is just an all around slob. She talks like an old man, and doesn't really have any prospects of ever getting married. Not that there's anything wrong with that, more power to her. But she does want to eventually settle down and have a family. Nothings wrong with that either. This 22yr old guy named Hiroto starts to pursue a romantic relationship with her, under false pretenses that he's actually interested in her, when in fact his sister (or step-sister, w/e) put him up to it just so Sakura and Tachibana (the guy Hiroto's sister has a crush on) don't get closer. Ugh, this story already started to make me roll my eyes at this point. I don't want to end up summarizing this drama, but basically it's about a woman who's in the middle stages of adulthood finding love. And that's why this drama is just average, because who really cares.

But I did enjoy the side stories. That was way more interesting to me. It's about Sakura's two friends. One is in a troubled marriage, and the other is a sex addict. I'm not gonna summarize, but trust me, their stories are much more interesting than Sakura's. Sakura herself is a likable character, I just don't agree with her decisions. The ending of this drama was highly disappointing (to me at least). And don't get me wrong, I love Miura Haruma to bits and pieces, but I didn't really enjoy his character here. Hiroto is not a bad guy, in fact, I do like him, but he has absolutely zero chemistry with Sakura (played by Shinohara Ryoko). There kissing/sex scenes were hot, because Miura Haruma is hot, but thts it. Not intriguing at all. And Hiroto's sister is hella annoying. Thts all I gotta say about this drama. Just meh. If ur a fan of Miura Haruma, and thts ur motive for watching this drama, then go ahead, but other than that I see no real reason to watch this. I guess if ur super bored, but there are plenty of better dramas out there. This was just meh.

Read More

"There are two kinds of happiness in the world. One is a happiness that you realize after the fact. The other is a happiness that you feel in the moment. The happiness in the moment is so rare that they say you can live your whole life on the light that shines from remembering it. I think we’ll go on remembering this moment, today, like that kind of happiness…that we can remember for the rest of our lives, the moment when we shined."
- Jin Gook

This drama is perfect. PERFECT! I can't even explain the happiness and joy I feel from watching this. Dream High was my absolutely #1 favorite Korean drama of all time, and it's still one of my favorites. It's one of my favorites of any drama, period. Dream High restored my hope in kdramas. I never knew I could feel this way about a kdrama. I could watch this a million times over and not get sick of it.

I loved Dream High from beginning to end. All throughout this was a perfect drama to me. From the cast to the characters, to the setting, to the plot, everything is amazing and it has an excellent message. This is a very fun, endearing, inspiring drama. You understand each characters motivations. For example, Hye Mi, the main character, is my absolute favorite, but I could see how ppl wouldn't like this character at first. She comes across as entitled, ungrateful, disloyal, and full of herself. But I loved her from the get go, from the minute I saw her. Hye Mi is a character who is very talented and had a dream of going to Juliard. Because of financial circumstances involving her father, she was forced into attending an art school in Korea. She had a very superior attitude, thought she was above that kind of education, but through her teachers and friends, she evolved as a person and developed a new dream. Oh, how I just love everything about this drama. Hye Mi is just one of six students this drama focuses on (but she's my favorite). There's Jin Gook, Sam Dong (also my favorite), Pil Suk, Jason, and Baek Hee. All of them have there own trials and tribulations to overcome. A pendant is passed around amongst them, and it's a sort of good luck charm. Whoever has the pendant always overcomes their troubles. There are so many themes and intertwining story lines and plot points in this drama, I don't think I'll have time to name them all, but I will focus in on the biggest and most important one to me. There are many reasons this drama was called Dream High, but I like to believe it's a message. Dream high, don't be afraid to wish for something that seems impossible to obtain. Dream high, the sky is the limit. Dream high, if you want it bad enough u can get it. Just dream high. Really, thts the least you can do, because if your dreams have limitations, then wats the point of it being a dream. Dreams shouldn't have limitations, they should be limitless. And this drama focuses on these six students realizing their dreams, and I honestly loved every second of it. If you love kpop then you'll definitely enjoy this. I delved deeper into kpop because of this drama.

Dream High just gives me that warm feeling an excellent drama should give you. It makes me feel happy, it makes me smile. It makes me want to dream higher, and reach for those dreams. And I fell in love with Kim Soo Hyun. He has to be the best crier I've seen in any drama. And Suzy is gorgeous! Plus she has an amazing voice. I love the whole cast, even the side characters. And I finally know wat JYP looks like lol. Anyways, I highly recommend this drama. How can't I when it makes me feel so good. I give Dream High a 10 all around. This is what I call PERFECTION!

That quote that I put at the beginning of my review was said by one of the characters in this drama, and it's so beautiful and true. I had to add it to my review so everyone could see what kind of deep messages this drama has. Dream High is actually pretty smart and insightful, and I so appreciate that.

Read More

I originally planned watching this drama at a later date, but I actually just finished it last night, and now I'm here with my review.

Kim Soo Hyun is the reason I watched this drama, but Jeon Ji Hyeon is the reason I stayed. Actually, the whole cast was fantastic, I just really really loved Jeon Ji Hyeon's character. I didn't realize before, but after looking the actress up, I discovered that both her and Kim Soo Hyun were in The Thieves (more reason to love them)!

Anyways, on with my review. You all read the plot summary already. Honestly, I thought this drama was gonna be lame, but it was actually quite enjoyable. It's about this alien thts been on earth for 400yrs, and is returning to his home planet in three months time, but ends up falling in love with a human. You'll witness the process of him falling for her, and it's actually really cute. But I'll admit, I was a little annoyed at this drama. I understood Min Joon's motivations (the alien), but I want to scream out of frustration every time he rejected Song Yi (the human). I totally understood Song Yi's frustration with him, like he tells her he doesn't want her, and then won't leave her alone. Song Yi is just fantastic throughout. And I really really really loved the guy that's in love with her, Lee Hui Kyung. I really hated his brother tho, but then again, who didn't. And the scenes when he's performing his powers/abilities were really cool. I really loved those parts, they're possibly my favorite parts in the whole drama.

Min Joon's background story is so boring tho. Thts why I didn't rate this drama higher tbh. It was really stupid, and I just did not care. I don't want to spoil anything, so all I'll say is that 400yrs ago, when Min Joon first came to earth, he saved a girl that looked just like Song Yi. Most boring part for sure. There were many other minor annoyances, but I can't list them because it would definitely spoil this drama, but like I said, they're minor.

I wouldn't say I loved this drama, but I did like it a lot. First of all, Kim Soo Hyun is my baby and I love him to pieces and he is the best crier in all of Korea okay. He is the best, period. Second, if you watched Dream High, there's a treat for you in this drama! I'm not gonna say what it is, because it's so much better as a surprise, but all I know is that I screamed in delight and it made me love the drama more. Thirdly, the cast is wonderful, especially the main actress. I've become a fan of hers. I wouldn't rewatch this drama anytime soon, but I did marathon it. It's engaging, and it's entertaining, and yea I guess I'd recommend this drama if you're looking for a romance drama. Pretty good in my book.

Read More

I like Liar Game 2 as much as I did the first one. Again, it was enjoyable.

Things I liked: Matsuda Shota, Nao got smarter, Fukunaga,

Things I didn't like: making Nao out to seem like some kind of savior, Nao's stupid smile after she's "saved" her rivals, the false notion that this drama is smart when it's actually not, the stupid cop with the gold tooth.

Did I say how much I liked Matsuda Shota? I LOVED him okay! Honestly, he makes the whole drama for me. Plot is pretty much same. Not much different, except I will say I like the three games at the beginning more than the games in the first drama. Not much to say, but I wanted to leave a review since I just finished it a couple days ago. Doesn't wrap up at the end, u'd have to watch the movie for that. Again, wouldn't recommend if ur looking for something smart, but if u saw the first one, I'd say go ahead and watch this one. Didn't disappoint me.

Read More

Liar Game is an enjoyable drama, but the female lead is as stupid as they come. It gets to the point of disbelief at how incredibly stupid and naive she can be, but the male lead totally makes up for all of that. I've become a big fan of matsuda shota after watching this drama.
So this apparently is based off a manga, but i never read it. (Don't plan to). Anyways, there's some game tht pits different individuals against each other in these different types of games, and the goal is get everyone's money by lying, after all it is called the Liar Game. The consequence for the losers is that they will all end up in debt of 100 million yen. So one day Nao, the female lead, gets inducted in the game, but she can't lie to save her life. And in addition to that, she doesn't know when anyone is lying to her either. "She's too honest for her own good." She wants to win the game by telling the truth and working together, so that way no one ends up in debt. I actually agree with her thinking, because I believe that'd be my philosophy too, but she's so gullible it's unbelievable. It's just way too overdramatized. But I do see that she's genuine so I can't bring myself to hate her.
Akiyama, the male lead, gets into the game because Nao sought him out to help her win this game because she was told he's a genius swindler. He's my favorite character, I love him so much. Talk about a character with swag. His whole persona just makes him so attractive to me. He's so intelligent, calm, and collected all the time. He's so laid back and chill, I'd like to find one person who didn't like this character. Anyways, his goal is to bring down the organization behind the game.
This drama acts like it's oh so smart, but it really isn't. I find the games, and the solutions to them pretty stupid, but it's entertaining enough. I really did enjoy it. If ur looking for a smart watch, I definitely wouldn't recommend, it'd just make u roll ur eyes. But if you could suspend disbelief and logic for a min, I think u'd really enjoy it. Plus, Matsuda Shota!

Read More

I don't remember how or why I put Densha Otoko on my "Plan to Watch" list, but I'm glad I did. Ususally, love stories like these would make me roll my eyes. Loser-guy gets the beautiful girl way out of his league... heard it all before. But what made this drama unique was the aspect of the online community. How much support and encouragement one can get from them. I felt moved by everyone's support for Densha. Some people don't understand the effect online communities can have on a person. You can end up finding people just like you from all over the world. You can guarantee at least one other person in this world feels the same exact way as you, and that's what I love so much about this drama. It's a showcasing of that. So, even more than the romance, I really loved the connection Densha made with people around the world (or Japan lol).
This drama was also pretty funny. I'm thinking of one scene in particular and i can't stop cackling. I just know this is gonna be one of those dramas I think of at random moments and bust out laughing and no one will get it. The first episode was really boring to me. I was almost gonna drop it cuz I thought it was gonna be extremely stupid, but I'm glad I didn't. Of course there are some things that really annoyed me, but all in all I'd recommend. It's just not a must-see, but I think it's worthy of you watching it.

Read More

Love Generation is one of the most boring dramas I've ever seen in my life. It took me like 4 years to finally finish it. I was so close to dropping this one, I'm not even kidding. Kimutaku was the only reason why I kept watching till the end. Most of the characters are so flat and 2-dimensional. And did I mention boring? But the thing that made this drama so unbearable for me was the female lead, Riko. Omg I can't stand her. I don't think I've ever come across a jdrama female lead I despised as much as her. Maybe despise is too strong of a word, but I feel like dislike is too light of a word to describe how I feel. This character is sooo annoying, it's not even cute. And she looks like a freaking chipmunk which makes it all the more worse. This character is incredibly clingy, insecure, and pathetic. "I can't live without you, Teppei." She really makes me sick. I swear she forced herself on Teppei. And then guilted him into liking her. She's suppose to get everything she wants, and everyone is suppose to feel sorry for her when she doesn't. The definition of selfish and self-centered. I cannot like her at all. And we're suppose to root for her and Teppei? I would've much rathered if Teppi ended up with his ex-girlfriend. She ripped his freaking picture that meant so much to him! She has no respect towards him at all. So not only is the story boring and stupid, but the female lead who I'm suppose to root for is totally insufferable and obnoxious. I could never rewatch this drama again. It was a chore just to watch it the first time. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Not even Kimutaku is enough to save this crap. My rating of 5.5 is a freaking gift.

Read More

It was alright, I liked it. Nothing to really complain about. Tokyo DOGS wasn't overly cheesy and cliched, and I really appreciate that. It's always fun to watch Oguri Shun, and together with Mizushima Hiro they couldn't go wrong. Whenever the pair would break out arguing over random topics such as food or fictional characters (at the most inappropriate times) I smiled like an idiot each time. The bromance between Sou and Maruo, while not my favorite of all time, is really cute and fun to watch. And there was no stupid love triangle which I'm really grateful for. Not a must-see, but it's a nice watch to pass the time.

Read More

This drama shouldn't have been called Rich Man Poor Woman. Because of the title, I already had so many assumptions going in, and I was just putting off watching this because I wasn't in the mood for something overly cliched. My sister actually saw this first, and made me sit down and watch the first episode with her. Needless to say, I marathoned through that sucker and now I'm here writing a review. All of this took place today.

Rich Man Poor Woman exceeded my expectations. Honestly, I thought it was gonna be average with the typical "poor woman" and "rich man" falling in love. And why does the woman always have to be the one who's poor. Even though this is what eventually ends up happening, this is a refreshing drama about a young man who started his own company that's now worth billions of dollars and a young graduade student (or undergraduate - i don't even know her age) who desperately tries to land a job with numerous companies. Obviously, their paths cross and what ensues is a tale of hard work and devotion. More than the love story, I enjoyed the business aspect of the drama. And I never enjoy those parts in dramas, but in this one I did. It was also really refreshing that the main leads were likable. The acting was great. I enjoyed Oguri Shun in this so much omg. And the female lead, omg I love her, she is so cute. Their chemistry was on point. And the music was fantastic! It went so well with the drama, I'm still humming hikari e. I think tht song will be in my head for a while, and it'll be in the heart forever, it's so sweet. I can't say I love this drama as much as I do the other dramas I've rated a 10, but it's so damn close. I'd recommend this drama to anyone in a heartbeat. It's sooo good, and it's actually pretty funny. It can definitely tug at ur heartstrings. Episode 2 is probably my favorite lol. Anyways, I definitely recommend.

Read More

I'll try my best not to be biased or compare to the Korean version, although I do like this version a bit more.

I just finished rewatching this drama so I can do this review, and it took a lot of effort to sit through it again. It's so hard not to compare the two versions, since I did see the Korean version first, and I didn't want that version to influence how I felt about this version. Maybe it did a little, idk. Anyways, I have so many issues with Hana Yori Dango (story wise). Since I never read the manga, and I never plan to, I don't know if this story is suppose to come off as extremely classist, but that's my biggest issue with this drama. Domyouji is so entitled, I just cannot root for the guy. And he's supposed to be the one everyone roots for, but goodness I hate him. He's very controlling and possessive, and I definitely don't find that romantic. And I swear Makino's feelings for Domyouji are a result of manipulation. Manipulation from his older sister, manipulation from her own freaking family, ugh it makes me so mad!
This is more of a rant than a review lol. I'll start over.

Hana Yori Dango is the story about a "poor" girl who attends a very rich and elite high school. She ends up being target of F4 (a group of 4 rich, entitled popular boys, whose leader is the biggest douchebag). The leader of F4 ends up "falling" for her (*rolling my eyes*). The leader's mother disapproves of their relationship, because the girl is a commoner (*rolling my eyes*).

I can't even continue. Domyouji treats Makino like his freaking property. And I'm sorry, but I find her so stupid for falling for his "charms" (*throws up*). Honestly, I'd just rather Makino end up alone and happy, but whatever. Every woman needs a man *sarcasm*.

The ending was actually nice though. I thought it was really cute and sweet, but it didn't erase the rest of the problematic episodes. I've got a memory like an elephant. I think the reason I just can never be on board with their relationship is because he hired people to rape her. Or to "scare her and make her think they were gonna rape her." I DON'T FREAKING CARE, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE! I will leave my review on this note. Hana Yori Dango had some potential. I think I could have really liked it IF they addressed these problematic issues, but they didn't. Music is on point, I think HYD has one of the best OST's out there. And everyone knows how I rate the rewatch value. Nothing else to say except THIS IS A PROBLEMATIC DRAMA AND I HOPE GIRLS DON'T THINK OF DOMYOUJI AS THE IDEAL MAN.

Read More

I loved Legal High 2 even more than it's predecessor.

The first one was funny, but Legal High 2 had me rolling. I'm still laughing just thinking about it. Not only that, but I felt the message much more deeply this time around. Love ugliness, that's what Komikado told Hanyu, the idealistic "antagonist" this season, if you wish to truly change the world. I couldn't agree more. Mayuzumi's desperate need to always search for and find the truth is truly admirable to me. And all the characters are so adorable this season i can't even handle it. I've never shipped a pairing so hard in a jdrama before (Komimayu), and it's really so much fun.

Legal High 2 is a bit ridiculous, and it has it's problematic moments. Like there was this one instance that I just couldn't get over, but the drama is so enjoyable and it's message overall is a good one, so I chose to ignore that little hiccup. Komikado's antics this season were enough for me to recommend this drama to others, but his truth bombs that he be spittin left and right is my favorite thing about Legal High 2. And, of course, Mayuzumi's growth and development. I really need a third season. I usually dislike sequels, but this is definitely one of the better ones. I highly recommend this drama. Please, please watch it. I promise you'll be entertained if nothing else.

Read More

How I never came across Legal High till now, I'll never know. This is a drama you won't regret watching. The promotional photo messes with your expectations, because I honestly didn't think this drama would be as funny as it was. This is a courtroom drama, filled with extra silliness, but at the same time this is actually really smart. Komikado Kensuke is a fast-talking super jerk and is extremely rude, but is a genius at his trade. Mayuzumi Machiko is driven by her passion to absolutely help her clients. Together, this unlikely duo win case after case, though they are motivated by different things. All Komikado seems to care about is making the big bucks, while Mayuzumi cares about doing the right thing. Throughout this drama, we see examples of the ugliness of humanity, all while laughing our butts off and learning to except it.

This is a really good drama, I highly recommend it.

Read More

I love friendship dramas, and that's what Nobuta Wo Produce is all about!

Now, I'm not gonna lie and say this is my absolute favorite friendship drama, because it's definitely not. I've seen much better ones that have left me fully satisfied and with warm fuzzy feelings. I was not satisfied by the ending of this drama at all, but it wasn't terrible, just meh. However, my issue with this drama lies with the fact that we never got a definite reason to why Nobuta's bully hates her so much. This really leaves me frustrated. But still, I'm going to recommend this drama. It's not long, only 10 eps (I marathoned it and just finished), and it's got Yamapi and Horikita Maki.

I don't think this is a must-see, but it's good enough, and it's definitely one of the better dramas out there. If you love dramas about friendship, watch this.

Read More

I really liked Attention Please. It's something different than what I'm usually used to, but it's totally fun! The main character, Misaki, was likable to me at first, but then she did start to get on my nerves a bit. Still, I found her to be endearing. Her problem is that she's very self-absorbed, but she makes up for that in her confidence, quirkiness, and optimism. This drama is the first I've ever seen having to deal with cabin attendants. It was interesting to see the training aspect of it all. But even if you don't plan on becoming a cabin attendant, you can apply the lessons in this drama to any occupation you're thinking of entering. When things get hard, don't give up.

Attention Please is not a must-see, but it's a decent enough drama. It has everything a drama addict needs to make it "good enough". It's got drive and it's got spunk. You want to see Misaki make it to the end.

Read More