2011′s dramas were either great or a far miss. With the few that I saw this year (five), out of them only two were absolutely terrible. Three ended up becoming absolute favorites or decent shows that entertained me thoroughly. I should have watched more, but I was simply too overwhelmed and disinterested to watch anything new. I want to look at 2012 with the hope that the field will change up and offer more great shows.

Now that 2011 is about to end, I look at 2012 with great optimism. Graduation, possibly teaching over in Japan, and starting a new chapter in my life. I have an urge in the back of my mind to start fansubbing again and just doing things that I love to do. Not for anyone else but for what makes me happy. Life is short, I might as well take all that it’s worth.

But enough about me, time to look at the Winter 2012 season. After looking through the list, three shows popped out that interested me enough to watch them. Considering my final project will begin around the time Winter 2012 starts, I wanted to limit myself to some easy shows that I can blog in-between digging my academic grave.

Atonement, WOWOW, 5 Episodes , Sundays @ 10pm

Based off of a book, Shokuzai is a revenge drama, something that I love to watch. The show is apparently about a mother who was unable to forgive her daughter’s friends for the death of her daughter. They were there at the crime but were unable to identify the murder, so the case went unsolved.

It looks interesting and short enough to not seem disappointing. The cast also seems like a very strong group of actresses, having seen a few in previous works in the past. With it being a WOWOW drama, I imagine that finding raws will be pretty difficult as it’s a cable station and not a network.

A 13 Year Old’s Hello Work, TV Asahi, ?? Episodes, Fridays @ 11:45pm

Another drama based off a book, 13 sai no Hello Work is about a guy that basically gets a second chance in life. He wanted to be a detective but has only ended up as a community police officer. After getting dumped by his girlfriend, he goes to a karaoke bar, drinks his pain away and suddenly wakes up in 1990 Japan as a 13 year old in high school, given the opportunity to start life over again and achieve his dream.

I like Matsuoka Masahiro as an actor and I’ve liked every drama’s he has been in since like forever. My fear is Yokoyama Yuu, who has had a streak of bad dramas for the past four years. Though, it seems as if this role will be a return back to his, how would I say this, ” acting roots “. I anticipate seeing a more light hearted character. I also want to have a lot of laughs.

Strawberry Night, FujiTV, ?? Episodes, Tuesdays @ 9pm

And finally, another drama based off of the special that was… guess what! Based off of the novel. A police drama focused on a criminal profiler that can basically figure out a criminal than the criminal can figure out themselves.

This one… I have apprehension. I have not watched the special in fear that I will either get excited and then become really disappointed (ie Quiz Show) or it will be bad and then the drama end up good. I am going to watch this because my stan, Maruyama Ryuhei, is in it and I simply want to erase Freeter, Ie wo Kau from my memory as his last acting role. Though, with such a huge cast, I fear its going to be another Control….

So, there goes my Winter 2012 plans. I am going to try and blog them as much as possible but I can’t make any guarantees.

Happy New Year, guys

And so a humble story comes to a close. Umareru ended up being something I highly enjoyed watching in the end. With compelling characters, beautiful cinematography, a gorgeous score, and a wonderful story… Umareru ended up being a drama that managed to impress me thoroughly. Though, I will admit, I did have very low expectations coming in to it due to all the negative comments about the drama.

Taichi's story does tend to drag the story down a bit...

Umareru continues the story of a struggling family unable to come to terms with their unavoidable situation. It’s done tastefully, unlike a certain drama, in which the family grows and learns from their issues. They realize that they need to accept what’s wrong with them, rather than what’s wrong with everyone else, and try to fix those problems. Whether it be Miko’s self esteem issues at school, Taichi’s problems with his adoption, Manami letting go of her fears, or Kouji’s illness… each character stumbles, falls, but manages to get back up again as a new person. I thoroughly enjoyed that.

There is not to say that there are no slow points in this drama. There are stories and segments in the story that do drag the story down a bit, such as Manami’s research findings which can come off more like an infomercial than anything significant to the story and Taichi’s story, which at times got slightly out of hand. While it is understandable that he is angry at his family for withholding that information from him, it still seemed to stretch well beyond realistic levels when he ended up working for the loan shark that has his real father coming to him in the first place. I mean, later on they do explain that he’s only doing this to make sure they don’t harass his family, but it just seems like ridiculous brooding and ‘why me’ crying at times.

He could have easily went to the police and resolved the issue since his father legally has no ties to him, but whatever. It was for the sake of drama and Umareru did stand up to its obligation when it comes to the unreasonable drama troupe.

Ohkura’s acting during the entire arc seemed to slightly improve, though, like I said in the last review; all he did was brood. He’s not a strong actor, he can pull off comedy and light hearted characters, but anything serious and you’re doomed for a flat performance. I’m still baffled on why he continues to get heavy characters that require some strong emotional performance.

The extent of that shock face

Whenever he was delivered some heavy hitting news, like his mom being pregnant or his brother becoming sick the extent of his face was pretty much what I capped above. In his titular moment, you can see he puts effort in making them tears happen. And much to my surprise, they do happen… it took some struggle, but it happened. He’s definitely learning and growing with the more roles he gets but I’m still pretty firm on the notion that Ohkura is not a good actor and is incapable of emotion.

You really sense a tight knit family with this cast

But where Ohkura lacked, actors like Nishimura Tomomi made up for it. Nishimura, who played Aiko’s best friend, Rumi was a side character with a compelling story. She was unable to have children and it was starting to affect her emotionally and, almost, mentally. When you look at side characters in a lot of Japanese dramas, you don’t pay them any mind. They’re simply there to move the main character along on his journey, but it ended up being a reversal here. Aiko helped her friend out, found her another alternative to becoming a mother, and that final scene for her where she sees her baby for the first time is so powerful of a moment you feel the relief that she is feeling at that very moment.

If there’s one thing to mention about this drama is how well knit the cast is. You’ll get dramas where you’ll watch a cast and don’t see a close bond and then you get a cast and see a very great ensemble that can sell to you that they’ve been friends for years when in reality they’ve only known each other for a few weeks. Tanaka Misako really captures a loving mother and her shinning moment is when she finds out about Kouji’s fate. When she screams that she doesn’t care about her well being as long as Kouji can be saved, you get chills. Much like Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto, this cast seems like a real family and they react with each other so naturally you just flow with them. Even Horikita and Ohkura warm up to each by the show’s end.

In this one scene, the lighting reflects the mood of each character. The struggle between life and death, despair in keeping a separated family together, and the feeling of abandonment

The cinematography, again, was absolutely gorgeous. The lighting was done tastefully, sometimes symbolic and sometimes to set a mood.

With all the negative complaints I’ve read about this drama, one of them is true; Umareru is slow. If you want a fast paced drama, Umareru is not that drama. Its a slice of life about a family. That necessarily does not make the drama bad but for some its the straw that breaks the camel’s back. My thought on slow paced dramas is that everything things to happen within reason not because it must happen but because it is the due course of things. Umareru succeeded with that.

I like this drama. I don’t like it as much as I did Inu wo Kau to iu Koto but I thought that it was an excellent drama. A great, well written, slice of life that seems to capture your heart. It leaves you with this fuzzy feeling inside… Family is important and family, when united, can conquer anything. If you’re into slice of life dramas then give it a chance.

A beautiful drama

Wow, I really like this drama.

I can’t believe it. I thought I wouldn’t but I really like this drama. I’m seven episodes in and I really enjoy this story. The story is really intriguing and for some reason everyone manages to bring something to it that keeps you watching. There isn’t needless drama just to have drama, everything is simply taking its course … as if you’re watching a family naturally overcome a problem. This is a key thing here with this story, that everything simply takes its course. For every action there’s a consequence. I like that.

Their chemistry as mother and daughter is wonderful

The story has shown the gradual acceptance of Aiko’s children to her current condition. With some more accepting than others. But the hate is not there without reason, as Miko is being tormented in school, Manami is worried about her future in case anything happens to her mother, and Taichi is struggling with the discovering of his own lineage. Koji is the only one from the jump that is totally accepting of the new life, but it is not without reason either.

I have to say that I am really impressed with Horikita’s performance in this drama. She isn’t so stiff or stale as I’ve seen her in the past. As the drama gets deeper, I can see Horikita become more comfortable in her role. She still delivers a lot of her lines with this “acting” cadence, like when she’s explaining various risks with high risk pregnancies (she sounds like she’s trying to sell me life insurance or something) or when she’s talking with Ohkura, but overall she’s done pretty well with her role as Manami. You can see the stress of being the “older sister” as well as her apprehension when forced with a lot of situations she’s uncomfortable in. Generally, I’m pleased with her in this drama.

Ohkura has eased up in his role of Taichi but he tends to be stiff but he’s pretty much secured himself as Taichi. Out of all the characters in the drama, his character so far has shown the most character growth as his story, in one way or another, is separate from the rest of those in the Hayashida household. From a happy, go lucky, eldest son to an angry, violent, and frustrated “stranger”, Ohkura has had a lot put on his plate for someone who’s not a strong actor. But, for some reason, brooding seems to be one thing that Ohkura is good at. Majority of the characters I’ve seen him perform has had, in some way or another, involved some form of brooding (Student from Utahime, Genta from Hissatsu, Jun from Yasuko to Kenji, and most notably Nurse Motoki from GM Odore Doctor). So, for him, brooding isn’t anything new but it is nice to see something done with that brooding. His outburst really shocked me in episode 5.

The cinematography in this drama is absolutely gorgeous

Another highlight in this drama is the cinematography. It is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know who was in charge of it in this drama, but whoever it was likes to put a lot of focus on lighting and wide shots from a distance. When they’re shooting on location, they get the entire location. You get a feel for the entire mood of the scene, taking advantage of the colors, the time of day, and the people around them. Some scenes are absolutely breath taking. I absolutely love watching this drama.

As for everything else, it seems as if this drama is definitely trying to be a PSA to encourage women past their 30s to finally settle down and have children. While 14sai no Haha pushed for abortions and focused on the negativity behind becoming a teenage mother, Umareru embraces pregnancy and tries to downplay abortion as much as possible, emphasizing that the child within is a life that you simply can’t kill. The social commentary, which is abundant in this drama, is really interesting to watch. Especially from a Japanese standpoint. While in America, late pregnancies are a norm, in Japan its still practically unheard of and if Miko is any example, a highly embarrassing thing.

I’m already wrapped in Umareru’s web and I am really anticipating finishing this drama. If this drama keeps up this pace, I’m sure the ending will be absolutely splendid. So many things have happened between episodes five and six that it can only go up. I’m satisfied that they have not went entirely campy with the conflicts that this family has to endure. Again, it’s natural… it’s… realistic.

I wonder how this is going to end....

I wrangled with this one. Not watching it but the decision to watch it. I’ve resigned myself to the opinion that Ohkura is drama poison and I tend to avoid dramas that have him in some significant role. But, surprisingly enough, Umareru, ended up being interesting for a first episode.

Everything suddenly changes for the Hayashida family

Umareru, or To Be Born, is a drama about a 51 year old mother who, late in her life, is pregnant again. With her well beyond her child baring years, she’s considered to be a high risk pregnancy and struggles with the idea of being a high pregnancy all the while dealing with the sudden death of her husband and explaining this news to her four children. Ironically enough, her eldest child, Manami (played by Horikita Maki), is writing a book on high risk pregnancies.

Stories about unexpected pregnancies are almost a norm in Japanese dramas. They’re almost written to be a PSA to the Japanese public about what you should and shouldn’t do in situations like this. Umareru is no exception to this genre of dramas. In the first few minutes, we’re shown raw, documentary, footage of Japanese women giving their thoughts on what it is like to give birth after 30.  They go on about how wonderful it was to give birth and how they view their baby to be a miracle, a gift in their lives. It is only to assume that the drama would take the path of highlighting why it is great for Japanese women still pursue having children, especially after they hit the high risk pregnancy stages of life.

They're not the best actors in the world....

But, this drama does not go without highlighting the negatives. In fact, episode one is all about Aiko (played by Tanaka Misako) struggle with aborting the baby due to dangers of having a child so late in life.

I’ll leave the rest of the episode’s events alone to talk more about the acting and other elements I usually rag on in my reviews.

The acting in this drama is surprisingly decent, but that goes to say that there’s a pretty good set of actors working on this film. I’ve seen Misako Tanaka in several dramas before and know that she definitely can put on a performance of a life time. My biggest reservations were with Tadayoshi Ohkura and Maki Horikita, two people that I have dumbed plank of wood because of their stale, flat, acting. When I found out that Horikita was the lead in this drama along with Ohkura, it immediately put me off. It took boredom and a discussion on Tumblr to actually convince me to succumb to this drama’s whims.

Horikita’s character Manami, seems to fit Horikita here. She’s simple, average, and there. There’s nothing in the first episode that demands much from her character. She is the first to find out her mother’s situation but majority of the episode is focused on her showcasing her “big sister” skills. I wasn’t disappointed with her performance but I wasn’t impressed with it either. I find the delivery of her lines a slightly unnatural, like when she’s talking to Ohkura as a “big sister”, as if she’s playing the role too hard, but other than that I didn’t need to flip any tables — yet.

That vapid, " Hun? ", expression is pretty prevalent in this episode.

Ohkura’s character, Taichi, has more of a dramatic presence in the first episode due to the news that is suddenly delivered to him out of the blue. His performance wasn’t that spectacular either and its still very apparent that he can not really get emotion out there. When he’s shocked or bewildered, he has this vapid, “hun?”, expression that kind of kills the whole scene at times. Now, I’m not saying he be comical about it, but there is a way to deliver shock that’s believable and not “acted”. The only thing he’s really capable of is being angry or frustrated. Though, even then, sometimes it seems misdirected though I would blame that moreso on the writing and direction. At one minute he’s comfortable with the news and suddenly he’s not and angry at the world for being a lie.

It becomes a bit distracting at times.

The writing overall is good, I must say. We get a feel for every character and who they are as a person in episode 1, setting the stage for the rest of the drama. It’s a far cry from Control, which in that drama, we don’t even know who these people are in eleven whole episodes. But that’s the strong point of slice of life dramas; they tackle the human condition. It would be odd to watch a slice of life drama and not know who the characters are by the end of the first episode.

Overall, I like Umareru. It reminds me of a reversal 14sai no Haha… I just hope it does not get too ridiculous in terms of the drama. 14sai no Haha is a great drama, but looking back on it, the whole tabloid scandal was just way over the top. Hopefully this drama only gets better as I finish it this week. Goal is to complete it before New Years

I have high hopes, don't let me down.

So, Warner Brothers released a 7 minute (and 7 seconds!) sneak peak into Wild Seven, a movie adaption of a the manga in which a biker gang apparently kicks ass and takes names. Vigilante justice in other words. I will be honest and say that my only interest into this movie is because of my stan because I am not a fan of Japanese movies. But, from what I can see with this 7 minute sneak peak, they’ve really went “Hollywood” with this motion picture.

From what I gather out of this scene, its the final battle. This chief of police apparently has kidnapped one of the Wild 7′s kid and waging war on them. One of the guys, the father, in the biker gang is wanting  find the girl on his own but with enough convincing he concedes to the rest of the group and they go off in blazing glory together.

If I were to see this scene in theaters, or on TV, I probably would not have payed it much attention. Blow-em up action flicks are not my type of movie. I remember seeing The Mechanic in theaters and being absolutely bored to death, and that movie was filled with explosions, sex, and action.

There is just so much promo and money being pumped behind this movie that I’m like, what does Warner Brother’s think they got here? The Hobbit? Wild 7 is an action flick, I’m just surprised they’re pushing this movie towards my demographic, young women in their early 20s. The amount of promotion just geared toward us is amazing… Something that would have been unheard of in America.

Imagine The Mechanic being marketed towards young women because the lead actor was, hell, Robert Pattersonwhateverthefuck. That would have been awkward having an audience full of Edward fangirls sitting in a theater expecting that romantic glam and instead seeing him blow guys up, fuck chicks, and get beat up.

Though, I believe Wild 7 will lack the fucking of chicks and tone down the violence. Can’t have Johnny’s doing that, you know. Probably a contract stipulation forbidding that.

Anyway, moving on, I won’t say I am excited to see this movie on a “film buff” standpoint though I am interested because I like to see Maru perform characters that are outside of his normal ” bubbling with giddiness teeth rotting happy go lucky shooting rainbows out of his ass ” personality. I also found out Kyoko Fukada is in this thing too and that also makes me not so excited to see it anymore. Watching her act is like watching someone put their nails against a black board and slowly drag them down. She is annoying and I don’t understand why she still has work.

You can catch the 7 minute preview here.

Trailer

and for your amusement

the 1970s series

If you want background noise, Control is the perfect drama for you. Watching Control is like taking part in an endurance test; how long can you last without clicking the X/red dot on your media player and deleting every episode you’ve downloaded? With no prize at the end, I was left with a vapid, numb, feeling once the closing credits began rolling for the last time. I questioned why I bothered to finish this drama and still, as I write this final review, I continue to wonder why.

What makes Control bad isn’t necessarily its setting or premise. What makes this drama bad is it’s overall story, character development, and acting. It’s a huge star studded cast but that’s it. No one serves a purpose in the drama; its so bad that you could probably do away with everyone but Nagumo and Segawa and still have the same show at the end of it all. You could probably leave in the chief for added effect, but everyone else is absolutely useless and without purpose.

This scene was pretty much the only character development in the whole drama

And that’s what this drama is, a show without purpose. We don’t know why these people are here, why they do what they do, what they are there for, or how they got there. All we know is that they’re a bunch of detectives working on murder cases and hired a psychologist to help them crack the difficult ones. So, Teranishi went to the Police Academy with Segawa, with the way they act around each other, you wouldn’t have figured that out unless one of them told you. Once we finally figure out why Segawa is the neurotic detective that everyone knows, its a bit too late to save a drama that’s pretty much standing on one limp leg storywise; and as we all know, its difficult to stand on one.

And its with this lack of backstory that these actors just come on screen and look as vapid as the script they’re reading from. How can you act like a character and you don’t know anything about that character? Once Teranishi got an episode for himself was when Yokoyama finally started putting some effort into his character. Other than that, I sometimes wondered why his character got top billing and was there half the time. He was described to be a former-classmate who had a crush on Segawa but I couldn’t figure that one out until 7 episodes in. Yeah, there was that one time he went to bat for her but other than that it was like watching two coworkers who just met work. There was absolutely 0 chemistry with this entire cast and who can blame them? There was nothing in the script connecting these characters to one another beyond the briefing room.

Argh... this drama, I can't....

Naohito Fujiki was the only tolerable actor on this cast and that’s pretty damn sad. He didn’t have much to work with but what little he did have he managed to turn it into something.

Dramas like this need to connect to its audience. I don’t want to watch an uneventful episode of “Cops”, I want to see the story of a group of detectives handling the effects of their case, dealing with victims, and working like a tight knit group. JOKER, Guilty, Maou and many other police dramas are successful in giving you a taste of the private lives of their characters and fleshing them out so the audience and actor can connect. Having actors is great but having actors who are able to turn themselves into characters is wonderful. I don’t want to see Matsushita Mao playing a detective, I want to see Segawa the Detective.

I kept reminding myself to just focus on your pretty face to make it through. It wasn't enough.

The story is also very redundant. The only good episodes are the two parters. Other than that, its predictable and slow. Too episodic to even care. If you miss an episode, or three, you won’t miss what’s going on in the drama overall. Actually, if you were to watch the first episode, you can skip to the last episode and not miss a single beat. That’s how bad the writing is in this drama. If this was a sitcom, I can understand, but tis not. Its a drama, so give me some story, damnit.

Control definitely meets its namesake, its a control of wits… a control of patience to watch this drama. Some people liked it and I don’t know why. It was devoid of anything worthwhile. I’m still trying to figure out that 12% final in ratings. But you definitely have to have something to watch this drama.

I’m just so disappointed. There was potential and it went absolutely no where. Hidarime Tantei Eye may have been shit but at least it kept you watching the shitfest until the end. This drama even lacked that excitment. You feel so defeated its like, ” Why bother “.

Exactly, why bother with this one. I want my eleven hours back. Deleting this one the moment I’m done with this review.

No. Fuck you.

Since I have time on my hands this winter vacation, I saw that I had one drama I didn’t finish from earlier this year that I thought I should just kill time and watch. Control is definitely a drama that you only want to watch when you’re bored and have nothing else to do.

I’m currently on episode 6 so I thought I should share my “mid season” thoughts on this drama. This is usually the do or die part for me; do I drop this and save me the hassle or keep going? And while this drama has a lot of pit holes and other obstacles that make it hard to enjoy, it’s interesting enough that I’m willing to ride this one out. I don’t know, maybe I’m a person who’s into cruel and unusual punishment.

That two parter episode was probably the only exciting episode so far

Anyway, if you’re not familiar with this drama, Control is about the partnership between a female detective, Segawa, and a myopic university professor, Nagumo. Down on her luck, she ends up working with this professor who’s specialty is in the sudden quirks humans posses, whether it be lying or telling the truth. When a case reaches a dead end, its up to Segawa and Nagumo to dig through the barrier and find the true killer. Eventually, the criminal is found (usually ends up dead for some reason) and the day is saved.

This drama… is… I am trying to find some reason to continue watch it and the only thing that keeps me watching is anticipating that Yokoyama Yuu or Matsushita Nao will be capable of some other facial reaction other than stoned and anxious. There’s practically no story to this drama; its an episodic hot mess evidence gathering, case mulling, criminal catching mundane redundancy that pretty much will put you to sleep by the time they catch the villain. There’s really no character interaction to look forward too and any underlying continuing story does not exist… and if it does the writing is poor in conveying that story.

REALLY? LIKE, NO COP IN THE ROOM COULD HAVE AT LEAST TACKLED HER?

Speaking of writing, some situations in this show are so over the top ridiculous that it makes me wonder how this police department manages to function day to day. Between the wife that blew away her husband with a shotgun in a room full of cops or the father that was vomiting blood in between Teranishi screaming, ” Are you okay?! “, I find it hard to take anything seriously with this drama. If it was supposed to be a comedy, they surely missed labeling it that in the guides, because a lot of these situations leave me just thinking, ” Really? This can’t be happening. Unbelievable. “

As for the acting, its a mixed back. Naohito Fujiki owns his character as the myopic Nagumo Jun, but everyone else is either playing a character they’ve played so many times before (Sato Jiro) or are completely overacting it, in the case of Matsushita Nao’s Segawa. I just don’t like her in this role, I don’t believe her to be a detective. She’s not a detective. Maybe if it was Kanno Miho in this role, I probably would have believed it more… because Kanno Miho is one hell of an actress. There’s just this tense, anxious, annoying face Matsushita constantly has on her face that makes me wonder why she hasn’t busted a vein yet. Then we have Yokoyama Yuu constantly riding the jaded, slow talking = serious role character that he’s been using Yuukan Club that I’m getting tired of watching.

This represents the extent of Matsushita and Yokoyama's acting range in this drama.

I think I’m going to make a video just to prove how Yokoyama does not know any other emotion but the ” slow… talking.. cool… face… character…. “

And it makes me angry because I know Yokoyama is capable of range. He has acted several different characters before Kanjani8 blew up popularity in such dramas like Mitsuo, My Lonely Room, Haikei Chichiue Sama, and so on. So what the flying fuck, Yoko? Get off of auto-pilot.

I’m starting episode 7, so that means there’s another four more episodes left in this drama. I pray something picks up or some story or conflict happens with these characters… because if not.. I don’t know how I’m gonna feel. Though, with my luck, there’ll probably won’t be any change in this drama and it’ll be the same crap until the end and I will probably flip a table for wasting 11 hours of my life on this drama.

I'll say it again, the only reason why you're here is to only look pretty, Yoko.

Yaaay, I finished all the dramas I said I would. And in less than a week. Good progress!

There’s really not much to write about this drama. It’s mindless enjoyable fun. The acting is over the top, the antics are ridiculous, and the setting is out of this world. For what it’s worth, Ouran does what it needs to do: Appease the fans of the manga and animation.

And that it did.

Welcome

As a fan of Ouran, I found it entirely enjoyable. At first the characters are hard to warm up to because its strange seeing animated characters portrayed by real people but then you kind of get used to it and enjoy it. I originally had major reservations against Yamamoto Yusuke as Suoh Tamaki but now I can’t see anyone else but Yamamoto as Tamaki. He has the character down to the “HARUHI!” and is just hilarious to watch. The Takagi twins really bring out the Hitachiin twins and everyone else adds their own piece to the puzzle to bring out the picture that is Ouran High School Host Club.

The only qualms I had with this drama is the music and how condensed it is. The anime really captured Ouran with it’s soundtrack but the drama completely misses the point, and while you get used to the music in the drama, it was the animation soundtrack that really made you feel as if you’re in a school full of aristocrats and rich brats. Another problem was the story, while the first 8 episodes are absolutely great. The second half seems extremely rushed.

I like how the episodes tried to stay true to the source

Ouran is a long story and while the first half of the story is a parody of shoujo manga, the second half takes a turn into a more serious love story between the three leading characters, Hikaru, Tamaki and Haruhi. I was a bit worried on how they were going to fit an entire 70+ chaptered story into this 11 episode, 25 minute, drama but it seems as if they skated by that by coming up with their own story to wrap it up.

They briefly touch upon the relationship and potential triangle between the three but only that. Using that the reason Tamaki considers the Host Club a family not because of his issues with his attraction to Haurhi but because he lacks a family at home. There’s going to be a movie in 2012, so I don’t know where they’re going with this franchise.

Another great thing was the effects. For a midnight slot drama, which are notorious for their low budgets, this drama had some pretty nice effects. I was glad that they didn’t skimp on that budget. I also liked that they decided to stretch the drama into the fantasy/anime realm by making the characters do outrageous, anime-ish, things. Sometimes reacting just as if it was the manga itself. I don’t know if I would be able to handle a “serious” Ouran (ala Hanakimi).

Ouran is a great drama if you’re a fan of the series. But if you’re not a fan, you probably won’t like this drama. It’s silly and outlandish and can turn a lot of people away but if you’re into that slap stick ” Hana Kimi-esque” humor, then by all means, watch Ouran.

I really wonder what the movie is gonna be about XP

So, I finished Zenkai Girl after putting it off for like months and I can say that I should have never finished it.

Zenkai Girl is another one of those romcoms; mindless, predictable, and if it’s written like a fanfiction, absolute shit. And that’s what Zenkai Girl feels like, a fanfiction unfolded on screen with a star studded cast and acting that would even put Mr. Plank to shame.

can you please... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP CRYING?

Here, Nishikido Ryo plays another poor father, raising a young 6 year old boy on his own after his girlfriend dipped and left him with the boy around two years ago. For some reason, his life crosses paths with an anal attorney, played by Aragaki Yui, who is babysitting her boss’ daughter, Hinata. He’s absolutely smitten with her but she can’t stand him. The entire drama is about how, despite the fact he’s in love with her, she won’t even bat a single eyelash in his way and instead goes out her way to make him feel like absolute shit. Along the course of the story, people weave themselves in and out of their lives, that seem to ‘test’ their nonexistent relationship and we’re left to find out if these two will fall in love or not.

Now, I remember writing in my initial review that romcoms were not my cup of tea, and watching this one made me realize why they are not my cup of tea. Japanese romcoms seem to follow this plotline of unrequited love: A likes B but B is either too involved or oblivious to recognize that A likes them, so they pussyfoot around each other 9 episodes until B gets the hint and reciprocates A’s feelings.

poor rebound chick

I haaaaate pussyfooting and this drama just takes that formula and amps it up on steroids. Usually by the 5th or 6th episode, A and B usually got the hint that they both like each other and its now trying to work out those kinks and make the relationship happen or some past ex comes into the picture and tries to fuck up what they got going on. But this drama decides to have Yamada (Nishikido) and Ayukawa (Aragaki) pussyfoot the entire fucking drama until the LAST fifteen minutes. So, for all eleven episodes, Ayukawa goes out her way to make it known that she, in some way, does not like Yamada and will not like Yamada and will shove in his face how good she got it with Mr. Shindou. While, on the flip side, Yamada is an emotional crying mess that can’t seem to handle rejection and resorts to hooking up with Ayukawa’s coworker as a rebound to get over the fact that the girl she likes does not want to have anything to do with him.

That is just absolutely annoying. I want to know who was the person that wrote this script and give them a firm kick to the nuts or a fist to the babymaker cause this is just ridiculous. Then that confession scene? I have seen fanfictions written better than that piece of crap.

NO SYMPATHY, BITCH. NONE.

Not only that, how they use people as tools to cover up their feelings is just ridiculous. If I knew the man I loved was just using me to get over some other chick, I would feel betrayed and like absolute shit. That is not right and its inexcusable. Having Yamada hook up with that girl was just weak.

Now, Zenkai Girl is not all bad. The children really help ease the pain that is Ayukawa and Yamada’s relationship. They also have more character development and maturity than the adults in the show. Which is sad, considering the scope of things. Its also sad that it is Hinata, Sakurakawa’s daughter, that gets Ayukawa to realize the “faultiness of her decision”.

But that’s it, that’s this drama’s only saving grace. The acting is vapid and I don’t feel for these characters at all. Wait, was I supposed to cry along with Yamada? I mean, if they wanted me to scream and yell at my TV screen, they successfully accomplished that because that’s all I was doing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Ryo looks pretty crying but really, I wanted him to like, you know, man up and grab life by the balls. FFS.

Well, anyway, yeah, Zenkai Girl is a load of shit.

FUCK YOU. FUCK YOUR TEARS. FUCK THIS DRAMA. FUCK IT ALL. LOOK AT ALL THE FUCKS I GIVE.

So, I finally finished this drama. It took me a while to do it but I did it… and I can say I have no regrets picking up this drama.

Like I had wrote in my initial review, this drama fleshes out this family’s lives in such a natural way that you don’t feel so overwhelmed by needless, unrealistic, drama. Yes, bad things happen in almost near succession, but everyone’s reactions to these problems are not over the top ridiculous that take you out of the moment. You can actually see Yuuji quitting his job and Sachiko freaking out because they don’t make enough money as it is for him to even consider that. You see the effects of a hard economy on a poor, young, family and then you watch as they work through those problems all the while become emotionally attached to a furry ball of joy. That, for some reason, is what makes this drama great.

This scene had me bawling

Some always wonder why I hate Freeter, Ie wo Kau. Sometimes, when talking with them, I sometimes began to wonder why I hated the drama after a while. But this drama reminded me of everything that I felt went wrong with Freeter. This drama had their characters grow through their problems, what you saw them in the first episode is not what they are by the final episode. Everyone grows and learns from their problems and mistakes. Freeter lacked that. There was no character growth, no repercussions, and no development. Things happened to that family and they just coasted right by hoping for it to get better for eleven episodes. That had annoyed me to no end; crying and complaining about the situation doesn’t resolve the problem, doing something and changing who you are helps change the problem. Because, sometimes, it isn’t the situation that is the problem but you are the problem.

Anyway, Ryo Nishikido is at his finest in this drama. I like Ryo in this drama. I thought he would have sucked and not sold his character to me but he did. So, I’m slow clapping as I type this. Ryo’s character, Yuuji, is a young guy. He’s carefree and still immature in his ways, but he’s a provider and he acknowledges this fact that he must provide for the family that he loves. Yes, he has dreams, but he realizes that life did not go his way and he must now take on this new path. Even when fate comes knocking on his door again, he stays true to his family. Ryo managed to sell this and then some, which says a lot considering his growth as an actor.

He has managed to play a (vapid) villain, annoying younger brother with a god hand, a cancer patient, a revenge filled weapons expert,  a hot headed assassin, a time traveling samurai, and now a poor father. With a lot of Johnny’s, they seem to stay in this one mode (Yokoyama, Ninomiya) and they get these characters that fit that mold, but its refreshing to see some Johnny’s like Nishikido break those molds and actually sell the character.

I will have to admit that I enjoy watching Nishikido as an actor.

His chemistry with Asami is great. Or rather, Asami and Ryo compliment each other in this drama. It is interesting, considering how nearly three years ago Ryo was playing the villain to her character and the rest of her room mates in Last Friends and now they’re playing as a madly in love married couple with children. They sell that they’re a married couple and as you keep watching you eventually believe it. You can see them as a married couple and as the drama continues, where you begin to see more intimate moments between them, it just flows. It’s fluid. It’s natural. Not to forget that Asami is a great actress in itself, though used to seeing her playing these more light hearted characters, its refreshing to see her take that energy and channel it into a dotting, caring, mother and wife.

And we can’t forget the two young children that play Mako and Masaru. They are absolutely amazing and enjoyable to watch. Mako’s actress steals the show with her charming personality and attachment to Sky, the young Pomeranian they’ve adopted. Also, every side character adds some layer to this family that brings it full circle. At the end, you can’t help but smile when they’re all at the table eating sukiyaki and laughing, remembering the good and bad times.

The drama is light hearted but then it takes a heavy turn into depress mode. As you watch, you don’t expect it to grab at you emotionally, but as the story continues to fall, you become emotionally invested. When you watch those final two episodes, you can’t help but cry. I know I was bawling watching it and I never cry watching a drama. It was a first for me. But that’s how well written this drama is. It doesn’t use your knowledge of the actors to grab at you emotionally but the writing does. The relationships do. Their struggle does.

Inu wo Kau to iu koto is not a drama for everyone. It’s slow at first and it doesn’t pick up much at all, but it drops in these well written, hilarious, moments that break up the monotony that a lot of these slice of life dramas are notorious for (ie Freeter). But, for me, its a great drama and I absolutely loved it. I am definitely considering buying the blu-ray set.

What a great drama