Hanzawa Naoki Eps 3-7

With the crazy ratings that Hanzawa Naoki is having, I had to try to continue the series after giving up on ep 3 due to the acting. I gave up on Japanese subs cause it just too difficult. Is this another Kaseifu no Mita, a horribly written and acted dorama that inexplicably managed to get golden era of Jdorama ratings or is it actually good? The answer lies somewhere in between.

THE GOOD

- Classic underdog put so many unfair challenges before him that the audience wants to see him win. Regardless of what I felt about the acting, I wanted to see Hanzawa turn the tables. The story on the whole is quite good.
- Hanzawa using his brains to win and not the believe in doing the right thing and good results will magically happen that we see too much of. More smart protagonists and less self righteous ones please.
- Hanzawa not forgiving his boss. At least it wasn't a straightforward bullshit turn over a new leaf ending.

THE BAD

- The overacting. I said in my previous review this is a banking anime and so many characters act like anime characters. Why???? This isn't a comedy like Doctors. When the mistress had to do some acting, OMFG of all the gravure idols in Japan they could have used.....
- We still have contrivances like Hanzawa's boss at the aquarium and daughter gives him origami crane and says shigoto ganbatte. I know what the writer wants to say but isn't there a less obvious way to do it? Oh wait, I don't think I've seen any subtle acting in this.
- Ueto Aya is a horrible casting choice for a housewife and the less said about her acting the better.

THE UGLY

- Kurosaki showing up at the end of episode 6 with even more overacting.Its as if the director told him to ham it up even more to make his character an even bigger threat or something. Is Kurosaki supposed to be funny because he's making faces all the time? Is this show suppose to be a comedy?

Exactly how I felt when I saw Kurosaki's overacting face.

SUMMARY

I can sort of understand why its so popular. Hanzawa Naoki is the new Salaryman Kintaro, the serious salaryman hero for this new era. I don't find the constant overacting lending itself to a banking dorama that takes itself seriously though. Watchable underdog story and I for one am glad its nowhere as bad as Mita.