11. FUKUDA YASUSHI/ 福田靖
- Doctors
- Mayonaka no Ame / Midnight Rain
- Tadano Hitoshi
- Wonderful Life
- Change
- Galileo
- Hero
I like the first four on the list and don't really like the last 3 despite the fact that the last 3 are a lot more famous. Doctors was a really smartly written maverick doctor dorama that took all the cliches and made them fun by giving the main character a brain. I must have watched Mayonaka no Ame like 12 years ago but I remember it was a pretty good mystery thriller set in a hospital. I've written too many times about Tadano Hitoshi and Wonderful Life is decent.
12. KUDO KANKURO / 宮藤官九郎
- 11 Nin mo Iru!
- Ryusei no kizuna (Uuugggh)
- Tiger & Dragon (classic)
- Manhattan Love Story (classic)
- Kisarazu Cat's Eye
- IWGP
- Welcome to the Quiet Room
- Shonen Merikensack
- Maiko Haan!!
- Zebraman (classic)
- Drugstore Girl
- Ping Pong
That is a crazy list with my favourites being the ones marked classic. Ryusei no kizuna however is not. Kudo Kankuro writes wacky stories with people running around doing stuff. Despite the fact that Kudo Kankuro has written two doramas and I movie I love, I would not put him on the pedestal of being the best because he doesn't do heavy drama.
13. KURAMOTO SOU / 倉本聰
- Kaze no Garden
- Haikei, Chichiue-sama
- Yasashii Jikan
- Kawa itsuka umi E
- Kita no Kuni Kara
- Too many doramas and movies to list
I love Kita no Kuni Kara and Kaze no Garden is good. I know I've watched Kawa itsuka umi E but I can't remember anything. Don't think I've watched the two Nino doramas though.
14. MIKI SATOSHI / 三木聡
- Atami no sousakan
- Jikou Keisatsu
- Instant Numa
- Tenten/Adrift in Tokyo
Meh. I liked what he tried to do with Atami no sousakan but it just didn't click for me. I'm pretty sure I seen Tenten and I can't remember anything about it. Might have seen Instant Numa but not Jikou Keisatsu.
JUDGING CRITERIA
All writers have their quirks, styles and types of doramas they are good at. For me, I would look at 3 things:
1) Consistency
2) Ability to write various genres
3) Even when the casting/acting/directing is mediocre/crap, the script manages to elevate the dorama. eg Nojima Shinji for Gold and Bara no nai Hanaya.
I just can't pick an absolute favourite and I am sticking with my four way tie. Thought about Nojima Shinji cause he's got the longest list of must watch stuff but the other writers have written great doramas that Nojima Shinji doesn't normally do.
Yes, Suzuki sensei is based on a manga and I have no idea whether its a direct translation or loose adaptation but Furusato Ryota's track record shows he is a lot better writer than Hayashi Koji.
don't think that "Ability to write various genres" has anything to do with good screenwriting. it's the same with actors or directors or any other profession - you don't have to be super versatile to be good at what you're doing. on the contrary it's probably better to stick with your stile and do what you do best.
ReplyDeletethat said, Kudo Kankuro and Miki Satoshi should be somewhere in the top 5, as they are gods of comedy.
True but isn't the ability to be given a bad premise and less than stellar cast and be able to make the script more than it should be a sign of a good writer? cough. Ryuusei no Kizuna. cough.
ReplyDeleteSort of like how Abe Hiroshi makes the most generic doramas watchable because of his acting. Not saying Kudo Kankuro is a one trick pony. Tiger & Dragon and Manhattan Love Story are different comedies and would be strongly considered for my top 20 all time if I ever get around it it but with more serious doramas, writing skills like pacing, character driven dialogue and and not making characters do stupid things for the sake of plot are more obvious.