Nino and Toda Erika in the same dorama! Both of them are good actors in my book with Nino being the only Johnny besides SMAP who can act. Plus the story is about 3 siblings who want revenge for their parent's murder! Sounds like Byakuyako meets Sleeping Forest with a third wheel who can't act. I'm all for dark, gloomy, mystery doramas anytime! The beginning was cool enough; flashback to childhood, kids going on secret trip only to come home to find parents murdered. I was excited.
Then came the bright happy intro song which was so out of place. It was so jarring that it set of alarm bells in my head. Next was this scene with Nino and Ryo and Nino's boss. The camera didn't feel like a serious dorama but rather a comedy. It had stupid comedy music and some conversation about the boss' wife that was not the least bit funny. We just saw the kids' parents getting killed and now why have unfunny sitcom comedy.
It was then that I realised what Ryusei no Kizuno was. It was a comedy built from a dramatic premise which IMO has very little chance of working out. If the premise of a show is not even mildly amusing, how can it be funny? If they wanted to do a comedy with serious parts, ie Mukodono, the serious/dramatic bits need to flow from the comedic premise. Its like the realistic prologue of the kids somehow leads into this overacting sitcom world.
Ryusei no Kizuno felt so disjointed that I couldn't even bear to watch the rest of the first episode. Of course, I should not judge the show just because it was not what I wanted it to be but I'm pretty sure the fact that I didn't laugh during the first half of the show is a good enough reason for me to drop this show. Sigh, I want to watch more Toda Erika but between this and Code Blue, she needs to seriously reconsider doing doramas with Johnnys.
It sounded to good in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI'd say watch this if you/I have time (nothing else to watch) maybe not on the top to-watch list.
When I watch it I guess I'll find out if it's as good as Byakuyakou, but I don't think any suspense drama can beat it.
Going back to Maou, I don't know if it's the actor, or the character.
Naoto just had way too much excess stored energy.
Later on I'm going to watch the orignal Korean version and see what I think of it.
I found episode 2 to be better, though at the end, there's a really weird subplot involving Toda Erika scamming her old boss. But all the talking-inside-head by her boss was fun to watch. Actually, his acting made the end of episode 2 and beginning of episode 3 pretty hoot to watch, even though subplot itself was ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I agree, this show is awkward in the beginning, but I would press on. It does get better.
I've finished the fourth episode, and I don't think it's gotten any better, but I'll probably finish up the last two episodes since at this point I have nothing better to watch--although it's rather predictable at this point as to why the parents were murdered. It's just baffling to me, there are subplots that don't make sense--how are we supposed to feel about these people, do we like them? It's so disjointed--as a comedy with funny ways of telling the story--there is one point where it becomes a manga--it isn't bad, but I keep waiting for the dark suspense to start and it's not there.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm pretty disappointed, too. This was on the very top of my to-watch list for the season, and it turns out that it just kind of... sucks. How could they go so wrong?
ReplyDeletethanks everyone!!
ReplyDeletesaves me the trouble of looking at this one!!
Thanks for your opinions on the later episodes! Now I can dump this show without wondering if it manages to find its feet later on.
ReplyDeleteAhh, so that is how it is. I would have preferred for this show to be a bit more serious, but I was starting to get skeptical of this show.. still I will watch it one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI've watched 2 eps. A very strange drama: it's as though somebody decided to cobble together a dark suspense mystery like Byakuyakou or Bara no nai hanaya with an upbeat light-hearted comedy with weird supporting characters, including one played by Nakashima Mika. Apparently that's exactly what it is, Kudo Kankuro's twisted take on big mystery writer Higashino Keigo's work. Unfortunately the effect for me is that I neither sympathize with the characters nor do I find their revenge plots and scams funny. At this point I just think the 3 are huge losers. So I don't know how much longer I'll be watching.
ReplyDeleteBtw it's kizunA i.e. bonds, connections.
It's strange. I love Kudo Kankuro. I love Higashino Keigo. Put them together, however, and you get...
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out the error Data. Can't believe I didn't notice it. Have to agree with your thoughts in Ryusei. Unfortunately, there are people who enjoy the show so there's no accounting for tastes...
ReplyDeleteI guess I am one of the few who are enjoying this show. I'm finding the suspense building as the murder scenario is more complicated that previously thought. The fact that the father was kind of a bastard is interesting, and the romances that are unfolding will keep me watching til the end. That and Toda Erika, of course.
ReplyDelete