Friday, January 15, 2010

Winter 2010 Jdorama previews:

Since the upcoming season is being discussed quite a bit, lets have a look at what jdoramas I'm looking forward to and what I am going to avoid.

Code Blue season 2

No amount of airbrushing can save this show.

Why? The first season was horrible yet it managed 15% viewership. I don't care if Toda Erika is in it. The first season had horribly inept writing that made me want to bash my head into concrete. There is no way Aragaki Yui can convince me she is a doctor. Maybe the show would be better now that they won't have to act like high school kids but I've decided to be less masochistic this season.

Hancho season 2

Why would anyone want to continue this very run of the mill show? I suppose the fact that it is so average makes it easy to do a second season. The best thing I can saw about it is I'd rather watch Hancho 2 than Code Blue 2.

Massuga no Otoko

Sato Ryuta only knows how to overact one way and should be forever relegated to supporting roles.

The irritating guy from Konkatsu and Rookies with one of the most overpushed and untalented 'actresses' in jdorama. Serious guy meets self centred girl. Could be fun if it actually had a cast who could act.

Liar Game 2 (continues from last season)

The ratings haven't been as good but I'm still having fun with this show.

Naka nai to Kimeta Hi

OLs vs OLs? I'm excited!

Workplace bullying starring Eikura Nana! Lots of chicks in this one. If only it were a midnight dorama. Unfortunately no one is subbing it in English.

Magerarenai Onna



Kanno Miho in another OL dorama about 30 something life crisis for women. Its got Kukita from Love Shuffle and he's always fun to watch. My main reason for watching would be Nagasaku Hiromi. The subbing of Yotsu no Uso does not look like it will be completed and Last Present was only subbed one episode. So I've never seen her in a complete English subbed jdorama since.. Aoi Tori. Alas, no one is subbing this so I might get the HK subbed version. Most likely will be very generic but as long as it doesn't insult my intelligence, I'm happy.

Shinsengumi PEACE MAKER


I love Shinsengumi but gave up on the Peace Maker manga really quick. Can't remember why but it was probably way too cliched shounen for me. Will check out of curiosity but most likely it will suck.

Bloody Monday 2

In part 2, Falcon is going to use his magic laptop uncensor all JAV and cook breakfast!

Even with the combined chick factor of Kawashima Umika, Fujii Mina, Ashina Sei and Kichise Michiko, there's no way I'm going near this. The first season had me so pissed off with plot holes the size of the moon and characters with the IQ of 25. They should have cast eye candy like that in a generic show like Hancho and I would be so happy.

Tokujo Kabachi!!

I will never break my vow not to watch another Horikita Maki dorama again. The jdorama world would be so much better without her, Fukada Kyoko and most of the Johnnys.

Salaryman Kintaro season 2

I love Takahashi Katsunori as Kintaro but Nagai Masaru, his sidekick from Tadano Hitoshi as Kintaro? To be fair, I never saw the first season of the reboot but I'm so skeptical they can capture the magic of the original series which was so much fun.

Fumo Chitai

Love this series. Its kind of sad that the two must watch Winter 2010 jdoramas are continuations from last season. Actually, removing Fumo Chitai and Liar Game from the list would make this season probably the worst season ever. Having Code Blue and Bloody Monday has already dopped the average quality to depths so low, not even KDO can save this season.

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

I wouldn't watch this even if I were paid $1000. They probably made this dorama to torture terrorists.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Code Blue is still entertaining, but I know what you mean.

Hancho is just a bread and butter cop show. Sure, I wish it was "Rinjo 2" but its not.

Bloody Monday, again is still entertaining. This is not masterpiece theatre. It's a jdrama.

Maybe you should drink beer when you watch this season, and don't start until you have finished at least 3 beers. You might have a better time. Eat some peanuts too, the spicy kind.

I enjoy your blog, and you have pointed me in the right direction on a bunch of shows. My wife grew up in Sibu. I think you are from Miri, right?

- D

Anonymous said...

Loved the original Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge manga but the anime adaptation sucked and I doubt this will be any better.

Why do they need to do a jdrama adaptation anyway? They already did Nobuta, it should be good enough

pcurve said...

I loved Bloody Monday's first couple of episodes. They were massively entertaining to watch to say the least. And the rest of the show was pretty decent, except the part where the little sister kept on getting kidnapped.

But come one, Code Blue is just indefensible. That show is basically Love & Farm with helicopter; a bunch of immature children running around trying to save humans instead of cows.

I'm sure I'll find at least one or two shows that I'll enjoy this season.

Anonymous said...

* Naka nai to Kimeta Hi Will be keeping an eye open for subs of this one.
* Magerarenai Onna
* Bloody Monday 2 and Fumo Chitai 2 Haven't watched the first season yet.

Anonumous wrote at 6.32 AM:
Maybe you should drink beer when you watch this season, and don't start until you have finished at least 3 beers. You might have a better time. Eat some peanuts too, the spicy kind.

What would the reviews look like then. :)

Lucky said...

I haven't been able to find anything good at all recently. My last 2 jdoramas were Eikura Nana's Mei-chan no Shitsuji (ugh, very ill-advised) and Horikita Maki's Atashinchi no Danshi.

I'm starting to agree with your opinion of Horikita Maki. Though her next drama has MatsoJun, Eikura Nana and Nagasawa Masami... I might check that one out.

And *gasp* there's a drama of Perfect Girl Evolution?! But I just checked the cast and it does not look very appealing.

As for Code Blue 2, the first season managed to kill my love for Yamapi.

My only consolation: Takeuchi Yuko in my current fave TV series - Flashforward.

Akiramike is Malaysian? *gasp* I never guessed! ^^ *waves from Sabah*

Carol said...

hahaha omg, i can't stop laughing at your comments! Genius!

Akiramike said...

How did you know I'm from Miri? Don't think I've ever mentioned my origins in the blog, lol.

Jung, the Love and Farm with helicopters is a great description for Code Blue! Wished I'd thought of it first. You've got great talent for distilling bad jdoramas into the essence of their crappiness.

pcurve said...

^I wish I had your writing skill and sense of humor Mike. For the past few years, this has been one of handful of blogs I enjoy visiting and commenting on, largely thanks to your humorous and in depth writing.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Takeuchi Yuko in an american TV show?

I might have to watch it :)

Enma said...

"veeai project" said they are going to sub "Naka nai to Kimeta Hi".
The OL environment reminds me of Shomuni. But I doubt that this will be a comedy.

On Yamanade. The Anime was funny (at least the beginning) as an anime. Seeing real j-playboys who can't act is torture for sure.

joey said...

akiramike,

this time around, i beg to differ for your preview. haha.

1) yamaP is smokin hot in code blue.. so what is there not to see?! (well, i understand though if your eye cannot catch it~).
2) miura haruma was so hot in samurai high school i cannot risk not seeing this one
3) i never read yamato nadeshiko manga, but i feel okay watching the anime. so i guess this beat up the old yamato nadeshiko (different story line though).. i agree if we are to say the three johnnys in the dorama is too much, but the kiddo is too cute..

i also understand that if we are going to look for a real story, then this season is not the best season, but after 9 hours of office hour, i suppose we all need these 'lol'ly dorama, at least to poke at someone, no?