puddang

Probably a skip for most but watchable if you want to look at Motoki

Overall, I thought this was fine. If you've been chomping at the bit for more Motoki content like me, I think you'll get what you came for. My expectations were quite low because of the AWFUL graphics of the in-universe game that Sota plays in the first ep, and given the concept of smart farming, I was worried this would be heavily pro-AI or even written by AI, but there are a couple scenes directly addressing AI and seemingly framing it as negative (generative AI at least), so I'm more inclined to think this was a clumsily-written human creation with a low budget.

It is a little too quirky for its own good and Nakamura Yurika's character in particular is weird and kind of pointless. I also wish it had focused more on the actual farming. Instead, a lot of the attention is on broader social issues - workplace harrassment, bullying, migrant workers, tradition vs modernity - which is fine but has been done better in other dramas. But there were still some poignant moments, it did get a genuine laugh out of me a couple of times, and I was able to watch to the end without fast-forwarding, so there was enough there to hold my attention (primarily Motoki lol), and it didn't overstay its welcome.

Read More

Two seasons and a possible third for this?

I am so sorry to fans of this series but I *intensely* disliked this. Admittedly, I did not watch season 1 and went straight for season 2 because I'm a big Psychic Fever fan and was excited to see Kokoro in a bigger role, but judging from the flashbacks to season 1, I don't think I missed much and it honestly seems like season 1 is worse, if that's possible. And if you're like me and thinking of jumping in for Kokoro, be warned that he barely gets any screen time anyway.

I think the biggest problem is that this drama takes itself WAY too seriously for how ridiculous the color-seeing ability is. If it had leaned into the absurdity more, I actually might have liked it, but instead it's played completely straight and everything is so dark and moody. The main character has almost no personality - if I'm being charitable, maybe we can interpret the lack of colors and emotions outside of the interrogations as a choice to amplify the colors and emotions that the main character sees, but I think that's a big stretch.

Also, I know I didn't watch season 1 where most of it goes down so I'm probably missing a lot of details, but I thought the plotline with Akari's sister was SO BAD. It doesn't help that both the sisters have such blank expressions on their faces the majority of the time that makes it impossible to invest in their story. It definitely did not make me want to watch season 1 to find out. And the fact that they teased a possible season 3 at the end actually pissed me off - what could there possibly be more to do with these characters???? Points I guess for this being an original concept instead of an adaptation of something, but this doesn't really make the best case for the quality of original stories.....

The only remotely redeeming thing about this was the cast. I normally like Iitoyo Marie and Asaka Kodai, so I'm disappointed that they're tied to this kind of project, and they don't even seem that invested in it themselves. And I'll usually take any scraps of Iwase Yoji, Nakao Masaki, and Fukumatsu Rin I can get, but I really don't think this is worth it.

If you want something with this kind of vibe and a somewhat similar main character, please just watch SPEC instead, omg.

Read More

The Most Convoluted Age Gap Romance Ever Conceived

This is available on the FOD Shorts app with English subtitles - give it a shot if you're interested!

To give credit where it's due, I was actually enjoying this at first. With it being about time tunnels, changing the future, etc. , it could be a little silly and came with the standard cliches, but I thought the overall idea was fun and I liked seeing all the ways Kanato and Misa figured out to communicate. Most of the actors are quite young, so I could forgive the performances being a little rough around the edges.

However, if I had my way, I would've liked it more if their big mission was to save the life of a friend or something, not each other, and if it really had to have romance, it could've come out of the shared experience of helping someone else rather than entwined in their motivation to manipulate time and space to be together. Because as it actually plays out, you have to reeeallly not think too hard about how Misa essentially stalks (and lowkey kinda grooms???) Kanato by approaching him 10 years in the past when he's a little baby elementary schooler to carry out their plan and then stays beside him after they both survive the accident. It ultimately felt like a very roundabout way to write the "we knew each other when we were younger" trope/excuse for this age gap romance. Also, I did laugh when Kanato fades out of existence after one of their attempts fails and could not take his death seriously, I'm so sorry lol.

Read More

Literally a hidden gem

Japanese vertical drama distributers need better PR/Marketing departments because I'm convinced the only reason I found this was because I'm a freak that crawls the internet looking for all the interesting projects my oshis have been in. I was shocked to discover that several of the vertical drama apps are downloadable internationally, have proper English subtitles, and are fairly generous with their free offerings - if you've been into Japanese content for awhile, you KNOW how rare that is. The FOD Shorts app where this drama is available also has the best catalog from the ones I've sampled so far and isn't full of the brainrot slop that's generally associated with vertical dramas.

This was the first vertical drama I've ever completed, and maybe it set the bar too high, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, from the cinematography to the performances. Of course, given the format, the story and characters weren't super deep or complex, which kept me from rating it higher, but I think keeping things simple worked to its benefit. The relationship between the main couple, Ryo and Natsu, was built up nicely with all its ups and downs and was very believable thanks to the great chemistry between Higuchi Kouhei and Kyoka. I almost wish we could've seen this pair in a full drama with wider distribution (or maybe a movie?), but I also think part of the reason it was so effective was because the short clip format of vertical dramas allows them to cut the fat and not linger long enough for the audience to be bored or start to see the shortcomings. I also think because my expectation of vertical dramas was so low coming into it, this having decent production value with "reputable" actors gave me a more favorable impression overall. Still, highly recommend for people looking for a well-made, realistic love story with the bonus of seeing Higuchi Kouhei's face <3

Read More

Just like sushi - light, well-balanced, and delicious!

If you enjoyed The Science Club (Sora Wataru Kyoshitsu) but are looking for something a bit more upbeat, this one's for you!

So much of my drama diet consists of stories with main characters that are in their mid-30s at most, so it was refreshing to explore the life of someone older, and I found myself inspired by Machiyama-san. Her arc of rediscovering herself and especially redefining her relationship with her son was heartfelt and emotional (I teared up every episode and even full-on cried at some points) but it was never melodramatic or sappy. Nagasaku Hiromi brought so much energy and charisma to the role that made it virtually impossible to not root for her! I also liked the slight romance between Machiyama-san and Oedo-sensei - although it wasn't explicitly made official by the end, their respect and affection for one another was palpable, and I appreciated seeing mature love with a slight age gap that doesn't sensationalize the woman being "of a certain age."

The rest of the cast was great (Motoki!!!!!!!), with distinct and vibrant characters, and they all had cute chemistry. Their storylines are maybe not the most complex or rich in social commentary, but I think it worked well in keeping the drama light and easily digestible. It was also fun to learn a lot of sushi vocabulary and trivia as a sushi lover!

Read More

I don't get the hype

Unfortunately my disappointment with this drama was made worse because of the high rating. I was enjoying myself for maybe the first three episodes, then it started to drag, and by episode 6, I was watching at 3x speed just to get through it. I probably should have dropped it, but I wanted to see if it somehow brought everything together in an interesting way in the end, but that didn't happen.

My biggest problem was how bloated the story was in combination with extremely shallow character development. They were doing wayyyy too much between the kidnapping, the corporate intrigue, the commentary on social issues, and the family dynamics/secrets, and none of it was handled in a compelling or unique way, often leaning towards over-dramatic. And I think Japan needs to give up the supernatural color-seeing gimmick, because between Octo, Numaru Minato-ku Joshikosei, and now this one, it's becoming a harbinger of failure. Not to mention, why has Sakurada Hiyori been in two of them???

I didn't care about any of the characters, and I think several of them could've been cut out with little to no impact on the course of events, like the influencer couple and Yui's father's secretary. Yui and Daisuke were excruciatingly bad at being on the run which was frustrating to see, and because the "boss" of the original kidnapping plan died super early and it was figured out not too long after that Yui was with Daisuke willingly, there were barely any stakes or tension. The true "villains" of the story were also hardly around, highlighting the lazy writing and making the final episodes fall especially flat.

The cast was the best part of the drama, although nobody was delivering life-changing performances. Yui and Daisuke had decent chemistry and their back and forth was cute, but their romance wasn't built up in a particularly natural or convincing way.

Overall, it was a slog to get through - it didn't even get me worked up or angry; I was just bored. I guess it's fine to watch if you just want to look at Sano Hayato (and the cameos from the M!LK members were fun) but don't go in expecting anything super high quality like the ratings suggest.

Read More

Interesting as a thought exercise, weird as a drama

First and foremost, we've really got to stop categorizing things as BL just because two hot men stand next to each other lol....this is NOT even slightly BL so turn back now if that's what you're hoping for.

I'm not really sure what to make of this drama because, on one hand, I think it ultimately fails in telling a coherent story. There's basically no background or development for the characters, the game is not really all that exciting, and the ending is pretty random and abrupt. The egregious use of genAI imagery throughout is also reasonable grounds to write off this drama completely.

However, given all that, I was surprised that it actually appeared to have underlying commentary about how dissemination of information and messaging can influence public opinion and shape politics. Maybe I'm giving the drama more credit than it deserves, but it did get me thinking about my own views and values on war and peace and the responsibility of governments by watching the characters debate those very topics. The drama also seemingly acknowledges creative opposition to AI in a way that made me wonder if it's expressing some sneaky anti-AI sentiment. And perhaps it's because the producers expected this drama to have no traction, but I was amused that they risked even potentially evoking a certain real-life geopolitical conflict between Japan and Korea with the hypothetical conflict that is the basis of the propaganda game being played...not sure if it was gutsy or just plain dumb lol.

Overall, I would maybe recommend if you've ever wanted to observe a Model UN meeting that is unusually full of pretty people, but don't come expecting any semblance of a plot.

Read More

Am I crazy or was this actually good?

I am a huge RAMPAGE fan, but I generally don't go into the members' acting projects expecting ~actual cinema~ because the majority of the time they aren't. Similarly, I went into this fully anticipating to turn my brain off and just marvel at the novelty of having Kazuma, Riku, and Hokuto in one project together, so imagine my surprise when I actually got invested in each of the stories, brain on and all!

Maybe I was predisposed to like this because I enjoy a good omnibus, but I found the atmosphere of this movie super immersive and I appreciated how there wasn't too much set-up or exposition - we're kind of tossed in the middle of everything and the characters are just able to exist and reveal parts of themselves in natural ways. It was a little grungy and cinematic, but in a way that wasn't overly pretentious. And while I watched this for my boys and their performances were great, it was the actresses who really brought things together. It's honestly hard to choose which of the three segments was my favorite, but I'm a bit partial to the one with Kazuma because of my mother Sakai Maki featuring in it!!

It's not doing anything particularly new or deep, but it still resonated with me and stands as proof that even projects full of idols in their cast can hold their own sometimes. Highly recommend if you're a RAMPAGE fan like me and even if you aren't!

Read More

Feels more like a documentary than a drama with a plot

I was very conflicted after watching this, because on one hand, I really liked the majority of the performances from the actors and the calm, understated vibe with lovely cinematography that is typical of most of the NHK yorudramas I've watched. I thought Fukuchi Momoko did great as the lead, and the Radio Star family had nice chemistry. I didn't know anything about the Noto peninsula or that it had a major earthquake, so I appreciated that the drama highlighted that.

However, I think therein also lies the problem with this drama for me - I feel like it focused *too* much on showcasing the region and unpacking the aftermath of the earthquake at the expense of its characters and story. Pretty much all the characters are defined in relation to their experience with the earthquake rather than actual personality traits or background, which made them flat and hard to connect with. Like yes, I have empathy for what they went through, but I have barely any idea who these people are, and the drama doesn't quite seem to know what to do with them either.

And not to try to shoehorn in a romance when that was clearly not the purpose of the drama, but I was reaaaaaalllly hoping they'd do something between Rikuto and Kanade because they had such amazing chemistry from the jump. Episode 11 was definitely my favorite, and the scene where they're at the coast at sunset drinking and talking over the wind was the highlight of the whole drama for me, so I was very disappointed that it didn't go anywhere.

Overall, there are lots of individual things to like about this drama and the vibes are strong, so I enjoyed myself even if it didn't really come together for me in the end as a story. I would recommend if you are looking for something cozy (although a bit melancholic) to watch or like any of the actors, but don't expect a gripping human drama with high emotional stakes.

Read More

Look at all these tall drinks of water (literally)

I really only watched this for Itsuki, so I can say I'm satisfied because I got what I came for. This drama also has a fun premise, and my highest points are for the cast because I think they did a great job embodying the sakes they were supposed to be. I loved the stylish image clips that would play whenever someone drank them (Takato holding a random pineapple 👍), and their interactions with each other and Gin were cute. This is definitely the best styling I've ever seen for Nishiyama Jun lol. So if you want to see a bunch of ikemen being a little silly, this is the one for you!

That being said, unlike Red Blue, which had somewhat of an engaging story while also having Makoto and a slew of other good-looking guys in it, Arabashiri is just kinda boring. With the exception of the makgeolli segment in ep 8 which I enjoyed, none of the stories introduced in each ep were particularly interesting, and I especially didn't care for the overarching plot about Gin and his mother. It would've been cool to learn more about Japanese sake or the different breweries and food pairings, but they don't really focus on this as much besides a few tidbits here and there. It runs long at 12 episodes for seemingly no particular reason - it starts to drag, and I feel like doing only eight eps would've done a lot to help with that. I also think Itsuki could use a bit more work on his emotional acting, although he still did a fairly good job for his first lead role (besides Prince of Legend lol).

Overall, a fine watch if you're a completionist Rampage fan like me or just looking for something light and full of hot guys, but don't expect much substance beyond that.

Read More

Turn off your brain and fall into Manabu's strong, tanned arms

This is one of my most (if not my most) deranged opinions and my rating is 1000% purely subjective but I LOVE this drama. The rational part of me definitely knows this isn't that good but when I first watched it I binged it in one sitting because I was completely hooked.

I really think this is the epitome of dramas that are so delightfully unserious. The FL saying "My uterus was throbbing" after falling in love with the ML at first sight while he's wielding a jackhammer at his construction job pretty quickly clues you into that fact, and once I got the vibe, I had so much fun. I didn't even care that no one acts like a real human being and Keigo in particular was a little troll, I'm just along for the ride!

And honestly, underneath all the chaos, I thought the romance was well done, no doubt due to the chemistry of the two leads. I still go back to watch the arm wrestling scene every so often just to feel something, and I love the ending. Kasamatsu Sho was a great cast and really sold the character - I don't think it would've hit nearly as much if it was anyone else.

I really do understand why people don't like this and I can't in good faith recommend it to anyone unless you're truly, truly prepared to relinquish yourself to the mess, but I will say with my whole chest that if this drama doesn't have any defenders, I am dead.

Read More

They really had me in the first half

Echoing the comments that said this went rapidly downhill, around episode 8. I was super disappointed because I was enjoying myself so much - it's surprisingly high quality for an MBS drama, I thought the dynamic between the two leads was relatively fresh, the mystery had intrigue, and this is by far the best styling I've seen for Yagi Yusei imo.

I didn't watch the Korean version, so I can't say how well it holds up as an adaptation, but I imagine it suffered a lot trying to condense twenty 60min long episodes into twelve 30min eps, because everything was way too rushed in the end. The romance had no real build-up, the mystery was unfulfilling, the motivations for all the characters were poorly fleshed out. I usually appreciate how Japanese adaptations of Korean dramas are able to trim the fat and keep the story concise, but it didn't work in this case. Too many characters, too many things going on. It's a shame since I also liked Kusakawa Takuya and Morita Kokoro here, but they barely matter to the plot. And I know they establish at the beginning that he has a thing for her, but tell me why I thought there might be some kind of twist that Takuya's character liked Yusei's character all along.... Maybe I'm just too influenced by those two actors' previous works, but I swear the vibe was there!! Ijima Ku was another highlight in the cast - a relatively new face for me, and I think he did well with what he was given, all things considered.

Overall, I give this a pass because I cannot overstate how much I was giggling and kicking my feet at Yagi Yusei in the first half (tbh the second half is worth watching for the kiss scene in ep 10 alone) and while it was ultimately disappointing, it had enough going for it to hold my attention to the end.

Read More