ZDorama
USA
But at the halfway mark of Hayabusa Shobodan, the show slowly began shifting into an entirely different, SURREAL drama, one involving Fanatical Religious Cults, Supernatural Encounters, and Spiritual Prophet Reincarnation! WHAAA!
While on one hand thinking "What the HECK is happening to this drama?", the OTHER hand was transfixed and couldn't WAIT to see what would happen NEXT! This had all the makings of a David Lynch Series a la TWIN PEAKS, and I was ALL on BOARD!
I've said many times how much I appreciate an unpredictable show where you're on your toes with one surprise after another and I GOTTA SAY, I had NO IDEA where ANY of it was going to GO! Had me guessing ALL the WAY to the END!
Sadly, it ended ALL TOO SOON, and I really wished it could have been even 15 minutes longer just so we could have a nicer "wrap up" between the romantic leads. STILL, a fine show and one I'm satisfied with, something I can't say for most of the shows lately...
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Scattershot but Satisfying
Despite this drama's wildly outlandish set-ups and unbelievable plot twists (really haven't seen this many expectations subverted since The Last Jedi!), I cannot deny the fact that I was THOROUGHLY entertained throughout the entire story of the three desperate women who do the unthinkable to get out of the unbearable situations fate has cornered them into!Atsuko Maeda, Anna Ishii and Mai Fukagawa excel as the three lead women, in particular Fukagawa came in really strong with her character!
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Another GEM From Bakarhythm
Just wrapped up Brush Up life, a drama with the similar premise of another Bakarhythm drama, "Suteki Na Sen Taxi ", this time about a woman who, at death's door, is given the chance to be reborn and re-do her life all over again...As expected, with such a premise, this show was simply and utterly AMAZING!From the get go I was entertained by the way main character Asami Kondo (Sakura Ando) took on the task of reliving her life with the intention of getting good points for her inevitable afterlife, and at first, the show was very wacky indeed! But as the show went on and the stakes got higher, what developed was an introspective and HEARTFELT drama, one that had me totally engaged and ENTHRALLED all the way to the end!!
Lots of opportunities for wackiness, but what really came through was the love of family and the power of friends and FRIENDSHIP, especially the kind you make when you are very young and carry with you throughout your entire lives.
This show made a point of how precious these kinds of things are and are meant to be cherished and not taken for granted!
As those who've seen Suteki Na Sen Taxi's more sombre episodes, Bakarhythm has an impeccable talent for mixing the most outlandish ideas with some of the sweetest and touching moments, and Brush Up Life was yet another gem!
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I loved how DENSELY packed this drama was, so much themes, motifs and mini-arcs going on within its borders… I had no idea how many ideas they had ‘bookended” until, one by one, they all wonderfully resolved by the show’s last episode.
Not just story arcs, but the characters themselves- absolutely NO ONE was wasted in this show. Every character who is introduced in this show, from the Cops, Criminals, Businessmen and Con Artists, all of them “go” somewhere within the story, and I was impressed how they managed to tie it ALL up for a HIGHLY and WONDERFULLY satisfying conclusion!
Though in my first watch I noted how Actor Teruyuki Kagawa always played these powerful bad guys as to be almost typecast, I MUST say that as the show went on and I saw how much of the show's "stakes" hinged on believing the power and EVIL of the antagonist, I realized there were few actors who could carry such a HEAVY role with such command, and in it, he was BRILLIANT!!!
And I can’t finish this praising of Roppongi Class without gushing about incredible Yurina Hirate, the sole person whom, to me, was the absolute “heart’ of the show, and it was so sweet to watch her go from a flighty and arrogant waif to someone who becomes the rock of the group!!! She became one of the most vibrant and DAZZLING characters EVER! I simply can’t imagine ANY other person playing Aoi!!
This is a wonderful, wonderful show, one that I will be rewatching for years to come!
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Ishiko to Haneo: Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu?
2 people found this review helpful
Everyone in this show was great, from the spazzy Oideyasu Oda, to the “puppy-dog nice guy” Eiji Akaso, and the doddering but kind and thoughtful Masashi Sada, but the duo of Tomoya Nakamura as Haneoka and Kasumi Arimura as Shoko might be the best pairing EVER!
From the beginning it was hilarious watching the two butt heads and bicker about their very different sensibilities, but it was even better as the two grew to respect and look up to each other, as as the show progressed, they became a true “ii combi” who, when partnered up, became a team no one could stop!
A drama that really made me feel good, and I’m sure you will too!
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I ‘m a HUGE Mei Nagano fan, and have been dying to watch this movie ever since it came out late last year. With the online release of it this past month, I was crossing my fingers that some blessed subtitling team would pick it up, and just today I was overjoyed to find that a translating team picked it up and released subs for it!!!
WELL, I wasted no time sitting down to watch it, and I say without reservation that I loved, loved, LOVED it!!! I had always known the briefest of plot details: That Satomi Ishihara played a mother with a young girl who hopped from husband to husband dragging her child along, but I had no idea that that would be only the mere tip of the iceberg of what a rich, detailed and lovingly crafted story Baton truly was!
I simply adored this movie and was kept quite intrigued throughout the show by its little twists and turns, surprises and reveals, and though perhaps the ending might be somewhat predictable, I found the entire story to be wonderfully wholesome and sweet as any I've seen in years!
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I’ve thought about what makes an asadora like Toto Nee-chan so strong compared to some others, and it’s easy to see what it is: A CLEAR ADHERENCE TO A SINGULAR STORYLINE. From its very first scene (where you see the main characters already grown and succesful as magazine publishers), the stage is set: you are going to hear a tale of a family of three sisters who strive through wars and hardships to one day become publishing giants, and the asadora never wavered. Every arc and challenge the family met became a stone in the foundation of what they would become and what their fortunes and fates would be. From Tsuneko going to school as a child, all the way to success, you follow her through every step of her life, crying and cheering along the way with her.
Usually a show’s best parts are in the first half of the drama and there is some faltering at the second half, but Toto Nee-chan kept you interested with each new development, and I remember being at week 20 and STILL feeling as excited as I was in its first few chapters! And by the time of the show’s last great arc, I couldn’t stop watching, burning through the episodes to see what happened next, I was SO INVESTED and had to force myself to slow down! SUCH a great STORY!
Watching Tsuneko grow up and rise to the challenges to create her dreams in both work and family was a joy to watch and you felt sadness with every tragedy that befell her and warmth in your heart every time she successfully completed her one of her dream goals.
In asadoras, they tended to show the heroine’s entire life, from beginning, middle, and (sometimes) all the way to the end...in that same way, I’m impressed at how well Toto Nee-chan gives you the sense of time moving. People growing up, moving away, etc....
As each arc ends and the children grow older, you really feel like you’re witnessing a whole life’s work. In the latter chapters with the sisters running the publishing house, thinking back on the early episodes where she and her sisters were still living with Grandmother Takiko in Tokyo, it seemed a million years ago, it seemed like a completely different drama! It truly gave you the feeling of history, like those were the "olden days"...
I began watching this because of my love for Mitsuki Takahata, and I’m so glad I did, this asadora has been a tour-de-force for her and has absolutely become my favorite Mitsuki Takahata role and drama! Since picking up Toto Nee-chan, I’ve put her latest show “Muchaburi” on hold so as to not distract from immersing in the asadora, but now it’s done I can finally go back and catch up. Hope it measures up, because Toto Nee-chan has become the Mitsuki Takahata drama ALL others must compare to!
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Life on the road can be tough, but it’s all worthwhile for all the run-down lodgings they’ll encounter: From outdated phones, televisions, and light fixtures, dingy and humble washrooms, to well-worn beddings...and OOH! Stained Carpets!!!! ...this is a Boro Yado fan's DELIGHT!!!
Nihon Boro Yado Kiko is a fun and spirited show filled with warmth and sentimentality of yesteryear, and part of its authenticity is that Takahashi (and even Fukagawa) have real-life idol roots- Kazuya Takahashi was a Johnny’s entertainment singer in the 80’s (and really exuded that early boy-idol style)-
and of course Mai Fukagawa herself came from the first generation of Nogizaka46!
Maybe that's the magic formula that makes Nihon Boro Yado Kido such a great little ode to the glories of yesterday! Really LOVED it!
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From Tsutsumi Shinichi as the Husband to Aju Makita as the daughter, Ryunosuke Kamiki as the brother and an incredible performance by Nono Maida as the Yuriko Ishida reincarnated Wife Takae (and even Misato Morita and Yo Yoshida as support characters), these were all people you grew to really care about and want to see find happiness, though you are aware that not everyone can get what they want in life.
From the get go, we all felt that this story would have a bittersweet ending but I'm happy to say that it was an entirely satisfying and complete conclusion to a wonderful story…
Who would have ever thought a drama with such a humorous set-up could be so heartfelt and heartbreaking!
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Little dialog is said during the shows outside of Tina Tamashiro’s gentle narration introducing the charms and specific allures of the places she goes to, and the rest is simply wide shots of her walking around the town, taking in the sights, peeking around corners, and investigating hidden pathways...and then it's time to have her ekiben meal, exclusive specialty bentos sold at stations and traveler stops, it in itself another wonderful travel-specific point to share!
Not sure I’ve seen another drama like this- You as the viewer are really allowed to sit back and take in the sights, making you feel like you’ve been on the journey with Tina all along.
As someone who hasn’t traveled much, this drama is a wonderful way to see and enjoy the beauty of Japan all from the seat of my desk, however in one poignant summation, Michiko sagely remarks:
“You can’t find it just by Googling.
These are sceneries that can only be encountered by passing through it.”
-YUI
A gentle encouragement to couch potatoes like myself to actually get out of the house and go out into the wide world and discover what’s out there!
As Calvin once said to his tiger buddy Hobbes, “It’s a Magical World, Hobbes…Let’s go Exploring!!”
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Uchi no Musume wa, Kareshi ga Dekinai!!
1 people found this review helpful
Featuring a fine little cast, this was an ensemble-led drama where everyone shone, and yet, the heart and soul of the show was the love between this eccentric Mother and Daughter as they go about life and romance!
I cannot tell you how many times I was just sitting there crying my eyes out with how wonderfully touching the scenes with Mom Aoi and daughter Sora, their each and every moment showing you how much these two loved each other.
And the writing…There were so many zippy, fun and witty scenarios as well as incredible, wonderful lines of dialog that warmed me, inspired me and just flat out BROKE MY HEART!(sadly most of them I can’t quote without giving away important story points!)
This is one drama I will really have to sit on and decide where I want to place it in my list of all-time faves, because, oh boy, this was a HUGE one!!! One of the most satisfying dramas I’ve seen, and DEFINITELY one to go alongside all of writer Eriko Kitagawa’s other amazing dramas!
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The tale of a determined detective who switches bodies with the psychotic serial killer she is chasing took the best acting efforts from both Haruka Ayase and Issei Takahashi, and I have to say that by the show’s conclusion this may be some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen by either of them!!!
Also props to Kazuki Kitamura, the brash, arrogant and yet highly intelligent and motivated detective Mitsuo Kawahara who is always hot on the heels of the body-swapped duo as they try to wrangle themselves out of their predicament- This was a character that I never quite knew what to expect from and he surprised me every time!
An A+ drama that had me on the edge of my seat as the show took you through its elaborate twists and turns culminating in an entirely satisfying Wrap-up!!
I was excited about this ever since first hearing about it in the new drama announcement, blown away by its first episode and throughout its entire run, Tengoku to Jigoku has always been my #1 favorite drama on the air! A definite 10/10!!!
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Despite its abrupt (in my opinion) conclusion, I really loved the journey of these two guys set out for revenge and murder who meet two cool and savvy girls who happily join in on the ride, and I even liked the way they tied things up in the end with a nice little bow!
Of course a big part of my enjoyment of this drama came from the saucy Mayu Hotta (as well as Yui Sakuma, whom I only JUST realized was Yuka in Jikuu Tantei Oyu!), the scenes with the boys interacting with them really made the show!
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Man, It’s been a day and I still can’t stop thinking about this drama. You know how when you’re watching a show’s last episode and it’s looking like things will end the way you want…and then you see that it still has a half hour to go and you KNOW it’s gonna have one of those...DRAMATIC kind of conclusions…
Well, without giving away any spoilers Kenja No Ai ended on a similar note and while it wasn’t the ending I wanted, it was an ending that seemed …RIGHT somehow…enough that I accepted it fully and am here still thinking about it…
I’m in a VERY melancholy mood right now!
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This show (Drama? Special?) is the one that really did it for me and pushed Tomoka Kurokawa from a passing fancy to a true "Crush" as I can't get her out of my head! The character of Yuna in Kanojo to no Tadashi Asobikata is such a great one- at first seemingly perfect and conceited, little by little, as she and Takeshi go through the motions at school and outside, you see how awkward and insecure she is about herself- moreover, you see just how much she really loves this guy. MAN! Tomoka really SOLD ME!!!!
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