Diary 2018 Episodes 2~4

I really enjoyed Diary 2018 not just because its got Renbutsu Misako and Otsuka Nene but its a decent story about an estranged daughter learning about her mother through her mother's friends.

It is also a story about Renbutsu Misako looking for who has the other copy of her mother's living will and her coming to terms with her mother's wishers.

Diary reminds me a lot of this PS Vita game called Root Letter where based on Letters that you receive, you go to this small town and find out the truth from the residents. Instead of letters, Renbutsu Misako has to find out what parts of the diary that her mother and her mother's friends have written in are true and what parts are not.

I got attacked by onion ninjas in the final episode and I must say Renbutsu Misako is one of my favourite actresses to watch over the years doing so man supporting roles.

Diary is a very watchable show and I recommend it if you are after a easy to watch go back to the countryside type of story.

The Sniffer Episode 1

I have always said that I would watch anything with Abe Hiroshi in it but The Sniffer would be the one exemption. I actually tried it out when it come out in 2016 but could not get into it and gave it another try today. The result is the same: I have absolutely no interesting in watching episode 2.

My problem is the concept of the show; Abe goes to a crime scene, gives it a few sniffs and tells the audience what happened. There is no piecing together of clues, no build up of evidence. Abe just goes to a crime scene and knows things and its not fun nor exciting.

The Sniffer is a remake of an Ukranian series and someone must have seen something good in it but I see nothing redeeming in episode 1. Such a shame because its got a decent sized budget.

5 reasons to watch Akuma no Bengonin

1. The main character Mikoshiba actually did something really horrible and unforgiveable in the past and there is no cop out! No stupid main character didn't actually kill because victim had dead from other causes right before or some lame cop out.

2. Instead of the usual critisize juvenile crime law storyline, Akuma no Bengonin explores why kids are not sent to prison; so that they can be rehabilitated.

3. Akuma no Bengonin explores all the smug players in the legal system who think they are superior because they have never been caught for committing crimes but are not interested in justice.

4. The show asks what is appropriate punishment and when should be punishment end? Should the mass media and the public be involved in inciting hatred after someone has served their time?

5. My favourite storyline in this show is Becky's reporter housemate who in the the realises that only serve to incite hatred leading to bystanders getting hurt.

SUMMARY

I thoroughly enjoyed Akuma no Bengonin, and similar to Coffee-ya no Hitobito probably a lot more than I should. I want to declare Akuma no Bengonin a must watch but I know its not at that level.

It just ticks so many boxes for me. I just enjoy watching Kaname Jun and Becky in this. Bring on a sequel. Very watchable jdorama.

Rewatching Radio no Jikan / Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald

I first watched Radio no Jikan many, many years ago on SBS in Australia and I though it was an incredible movie and I would have no hesitated in putting it into my top 10 Japanese movies list.

Radio no Jikan was for me, the ultimate Mitani Koki movie. The idea of a radio drama gone horribly wrong when all the actors started wanting to get their own way and everyone trying to fix the story was brilliant.

Many, many years later, rewatching Radio no Jikan for the second time, I did not find it as funny as I remembered it.

I still laughed at various jokes and characters but I really noticed that many scenes were way too long and the movie wasn't as tightly paced as the incredible Kisaragi.

Both are similar in that both movies are based on plays set in one location except the momentum of Kisaragi is constant while Radio no Jikan feels like it needs  an experienced editor to hold the director back.

I'm not saying its gone from a must watch movie to a bad movie. Its pretty much gone down to just watchable for me with the added benefit of young Suzuki Kyoka and Karasawa Toshiaki who still look the same.

As for what I now think Mitani Koki's best work is? Its definitely Warai no Daigaki / University of Laughs which he wrote the script for. Still, I have not seen his last 4 movies so one day I'll have to catch up.

Trendy Jdorama cliches

This funny video appeared in my twitter feed so I though I would share the screenshots with translations. The video is titled rules of Trendy doramas.

Two people invariably having a bad first meeting and in this case bumping into each other, causing paper to fly everywhere and blaming each other.

However, on that night...

... they will have the  conventional miracle reunion. It says in the circle trendy level 65%. I am not sure if it means how often it happens or how Trendy it makes a jdorama.

Random friends with distinctive personalities.

And one of them must be a playboy. (And have some stupid sad reason for being a playboy so housewives can swoon)

When 7 people get together, it is Trendy. Trendy level 75%.

In the beginning, everyone will be having a great time.

Invariably, someone will get angry and go home. Not sure what 自由すぎる現地解散 is because it translates to on site break up that is too free? 55% Trendy level.

The further the better, 10 metres distance shout of love. Trendy level of 85%. This is why jdoramas will survive the corona virus. The makes of Trendy doramas have ensures that it is pandamic proof.

100 coincidence, genius who always walks in at the wrong time. Trendy level 60%.

Rain and tears and the telephone box. The 3 things that make the sad set. Trendy level 70%. Mobile phones have ruined so many trendy jdorama plot devices.

There is a point to getting wet: The heavy rain runner of love. Trendy level 90%.

And finally the human powered merry go round. Trendy level 100%.

Chase 2017 controversy

Bframe5 brought something interesting to me attention about the Amazon jdorama Chase. From the Japanese wikipedia entry, it seems that although the Chase says that it is a work of fiction, the story and the murders in the jdorama are essentially the same as the real life Ashikage murder case.

The article also says that the makers of Chase did not interview the victims' families nor did they seek their permission and ignored their feelings. Because of this, Amazon stopped the distribution of episode 7 for a short while.

I have no idea why the creators did not just say it was based on real life events because the story of the reporter and the ending is the same. Maybe there are monetary reasons for it.

The facts that it is based on real life just makes the story all the more interesting. I will get to season 2 once I find time. I find Chase a very watchable show and hope everyone sees it.

Hikinukiya: Headhunter no Ryugi Episodes 2-5

I really wanted to like Hikinukiya but there's something about the show that seems off and that's because I would have enjoyed it more if it were called the 'Faun Takeover' as Hikinukiya gave me a certain set up expectations that it did not fulfill.

First of all, calling it Hikinukiya tells me that is an occupation jdorama and I love occupation jdoramas because they can go into the minutiae of how a job works and I would still be entertained. I want to see the day to day, what skills a person in a certain job needs to get from point A to B to C.

In Hikinukiya, we don't really see any certain skills from our main character played by Matsushita Nao. Episode 2 was probably the best episode with Watabe Atsuro's friend who was hired to fire people and ultimately to be fired but episode 3 was another run of the mill father son story which you can find in any jdorama.

Matsushita Nao's job is just about making long lists and her key to victory is tied to hers and Uchida Yuki's night job of working at a kyabakura. The whole kayabakura thing with Akuma no Bengonin Kaname Jun is wayyyyy to convenient, especially how information keeps falling onto her lap.

The networking and information gathering aspect of her job was too easily condensed into working in a kyabakura and instead of working to make clients happy, she has clients giving her all sorts of information. I just cannot agree with it as a tool for dumping information.

Also, I do not agree with how concerned the Forte Flows people were with the Faun problem. It had absolutely no connection with their work and they were treating it like a company crisis.

Is Forte Flows a headhunting company or a busy body let's worry about an unrelated company getting taken over by Chinese because this is will somehow generate some profit from us?

To sum it up, I don't feel like Matsushita Nao got her fingernails dirty doing her job as the Hikinukiya and I have to give the show a meh.

Diary 2018 Episode 1

I am a simple man, when I see a Renbutsu Misako jdorama, I have to watch it.

Renbutsu Misako plays Ayaka who works at a stationary company and is engaged to her senior. However, she does not have a good relationship with her mother who raised Ayaka by herself.

One day, Ayaka's mother collapses and gets into a coma and Ayaka has to decide what to do with her mother in a vegetative state.

Ayaka finds her mother's living will which says do not resuscitate as well as his diary that her mother has been exchange with her 3 other high school friends. Ayaka decide to head to her mother hometown and find out who has the other copy of her mother's living will.

Diary seems like a pretty standard mother flashback small town mystery jdorama. I am very sure that Ayaka's father is a teacher. I will watch Renbutsu Misako in anything as long as its not horribly bad.

Nothing much to say about the first episode except it doesn't suck and I look forward to watching the remaining 3. On a side note, Avistaz is running free leech until 6 June so better take the opportunity!