Satsui no Michinori Episodes 1+2

Satsui no Michinori is a revenge murder dorama from WOWOW written by Bakarhythm. WOWOW you can normally associate with murder jdoramas but definitely not Bakarhythm and this is a very Bakarhythm script.

Arata's father commits suicide because he gets into debt because of an evil CEO. Arata plots wants revenge and his cousin Bakarhythm joins in his plan. The story is about the two cousins coming up with their plan step by step and they are not the brightest of criminals.

Satsui no Michinori is less slapstick, more dry humour. Everything is taken seriously by the characters and I wonder how the actors even keep a straight face. 

While the first two episodes have been slightly amusing with it dry humour, I am hoping the story will kick up a gear in episode 3.

Can't go wrong with WOWOW and Bakarhythm and subs by HPriest. Watchable.

24 Japan Episodes 1-7

I am surprised 24 Japan has not been subbed yet. 24 Japan is the remake of the American tv show that become famous many years ago because it was set in real time, as in an hour on the show corresponds with one hour in the story. I remember watching the original but I don't think I ever finished it.

24 Japan has got a crazy good cast and if it doesn't work it won't be because of lack of talent. Karasawa Toshiaki is the main character who works in CTU aka Counter Terrorist Unit and his story is about uncovering an assassination plan and Nakama Yukie is the other main character Urara who is on the verge on becoming Japan's first female prime minister.

For supporting actors we have Kimura Tae, Kuriyama Chiaki, Asakura Aki aka Kabukicho Bengonin Rinka and Katase Nana. Couldn't be happier with the acting talent.

I have one very big complaint is that the directors love to shoot the actors and not much background. I am not sure whether this is a stylistic choice or a budget/covid-19 choice. There's a gunfight scene in episode 2 and you need to have some wideshots and shots from character's POV to establish where characters are geographically.

This has always been the problem with action in jdoramas where geography and telling the story with action is not prioritised. Its an annoying thing that I had to put up with but considering the current world health crisis I am happy just to watch jdoramas to watch.

Once the story gets rolling, it gets very exciting with plenty of twists and turns and I caught up to episode 7 very quickly. There are somethings that are very outrageous like the end of episode 1 and I have to admit the fast forwarding some scenes on episode 6 and 7.

I can't stand the Karasawa Toshiaki's daughter but I love the Nakama Yukie political dorama. Nothing like watching characters who are between a rock and a hard place. Can't wait to see how the stories will come together. 

There are unfortunately no English subs but someone at nyaa has retimed the Japanese subs so I could follow the story much better. Watchable.

Edit: Looks like kawaihitotachi is subbing the series at d-addicts.

Siren no Zange Episodes 2-4

Siren no Zange is based on a novel by Nakayama Shichiri who also wrote the novel upon which Akuma no Bengonin was based on. If you have no seen it, seek out Akuma no Bengonin because its one of my favourite shows of the year.

Araki Yuko is not main actress material. There is nothing really bad about her acting but there's nothing good either and it feels like she is out of her depth. Araki Yuko needs to spend a lot of time playing supporting roles before she is given a main one again.

Siren no Zange is a fun jdorama about the roles and responsibilities of journalism and how much power and damage they can do, especially when journalists try to jump the shark and get it wrong.

My favourite character in the show is the sleazy chief who knows very well how to play the game and is willing to sacrifice anyone for ratings or to take the blame. Love this scene where he makes the father of the girl who tried to suicide blow up. Sometimes Japanese shows can be summed up as trying to get someone else to take the blame without looking at the cause.

The series was riveting to the end but I have to say I disagreed with the ending because I am pretty sure the public with have put 2 and 2 together and something bad would have happened. 

I get why the ending had to happen because of the story but what happened was a tragedy and not something to be judged in the court of public opinion.

Siren no Zange did not turn into a must watch show but it is definitely a very watchable one. WOWOW has another Nakayama Shichiri dorama coming out soon; Yoru ga Dorehodo Kurakudemo and I am looking forward to it! Big thanks to HPriest for subbing this.

Rewatching Rinjo seasons 1+2+The Last Answer

Whenever I review a police jdorama, I usually say at the end that it can't compare with the holy trinity of Gaiji Keisatsu, Gonzo and Rinjo.

A few weeks ago, I decided to rewatch the whole Rinjo series because it has been a while since I've seen it. I did a rereview of Episode 1 of Gaiji Keisatsu a few years ago and I feel like I should do it for every episode because it does so many things well that police jdoramas don't do.

As for Rinjo, it has been a long time since I saw it and I wondered whether it was as good as I remembered it?

The answer is yes. Season 1 is still must watch police/forensic dorama. The writing for season 1 is so solid and well done. Season 2 is not bad but bloody hell they should not have done a crappy movie to finish the story off. 

Rinjo The Last Answer feels like The Last of Us Part 2. Why ruin a great first season by doing a bad ending that tried to be too smart?

If you still have not seen Rinjo, I recommend you seek it out. First season is still must watch jdorama. Great cast, great acting and great writing.

Just stay away from the bloody The Last Answer movie. If only I could erase it from my memory. Maybe one day soon I will do a rewatch of Gonzo.

35-sai no shoujo episode 5 makes me uncomfortable

 

35-sai no shoujo is about a 10 year old girl Nozomi in the body of a 35 year old because she was in a coma for 25 years. I thought it was an interesting premise because it was about having to grow up mentally while in a mature body.

Nozomi used to have a crush on Yuto when she was back in primary school pre-coma and Nozomi continues to have feelings for him and episode 5 ends with 35 year old Yuto taking 10 year old Nozomi away from her mother because they want to be together.

It just feels so wrong. In anime they would often have a loli looking character but say that the character is creature who is 1000 years old so everything is legal. This is what is happening in 35-sai no shoujo. Nozomi is not legal just because her body is 35 years old. The 35 year old man is taking a 10 year old girl from her mother because he has groomed her in the belief that are should be together.

For argument's sake let's say Nozomi character has mentally matured two years in the space of a few months. Even then, she is way too immature to be consenting to anything. Yes because of her childishness/straightforwardness Nozomi can say and see things that adult's cannot but that does not make her mature enought to be in a consenting relationship with an adult.

This issue of Nozomi's mental age would be more interesting if her relationship with Yuto got deeper in a few years. How would one decide what her mental age was? However, as of episode 5, is clear from the dorama that Nozomi is very far from mature and more towards primary school than middle school and the balance of power between Nozomi and Yuto just screams child grooming.

Plage jdorama review

WOWOW has done it again. Plage (pronounced puraajyu) is show about people with criminal records. Hoshino Gen is the main character who through bad luck finds himself taking drugs. Having a criminal records means he loses his job and friends and has to move to a share house called Plage because people with priors have nowhere to go.

Hoshino Gen's character can be annoying with his naivety but it is through his eyes that we meet the other residents of Plage and also it gives him more room to grow.

WOWOW has assembled a great cast of actors with Ishida Yuriko, Naka Riisa, Nakamura Yuri and Shibukawa Kiyohiko. Just top notch acting and you will laugh and cry and be shocked and angry with these characters.

Plage deals with the questions of do people with criminal records deserve to be happy and have a chance at life? Should they be exposed or left alone after they have done their time and what of the family of victims?

You will fall in love with the characters in Plage and when the last episode happens you will be sitting on the edge of your seats in suspence. 

Word of warning,  Plage is very harsh and confronting and there are scenes that will make you wince and mainstream Japanese tv will never do.

I will have to redo my Hamsapsukebe Jdorama Awards 2017 because this show is a must watch and deserves to be in the top 5 for 2017. Thanks to aoinousagi for subbing 2-5. If you like dark doramas that will put you through the emotional wringer, Plage is the show for you. Must watch.

Shichinin no Hisho Episodes 1~3

 

When I started episode 1 of Shichinin no Hisho, I got very excited when I found out the concept: seven secretaries working for various important people in Tokyo working together for whatever reason.

My mind was racing imagining all sorts of information sharing and behind the scenes conspiracies.

Alas, Shichinin no Hisho is very different from what I imagined. Its about seven secretaries who despite their busy jobs have the time to go undercover for long periods and actually work together in the open to bring justice to very bad people.

This tells you that you have to turn of your brain completely to watch this show. If you want to leave your brain on, go watch Siren no Zange.

However, Shichinin no Hisho has two things going for it. First is that Hirose Arisu is pretty funny as the dumb secretary who gets helped by the group and just invites herself to their activities.

Second is that the bad people are really bad and you want to see them get taken down. I've probably said this before but what separates overacting bad guys from shows like Shichinin no Hisho and Hanzawa Naoki is that Shichinin no Hisho does not take itself too seriously.

The gimmick is that Eguchi Yosuke aka An-chan from Under the Same Roof is the boss of the secretaries who all owe him money and he runs a ramen shop. Its not a good show by any stretch but I kind of enjoyed episode 3 because it dealt with racism in Japan without spelling things out. Barely watchable in my book but some people might enjoy this a lot more.

Shinya Shokudo season 5 aka Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories 2

I did not realise that Netflix had released season 5 last year until someone asked for where to download season 4. I looked for season 5 on a whim and lo and behold, there it was. Thank you anonymous for asking the about season 4. 2019 was a packed year for great jdoramas and Shinya Shokudo 5 makes it even better.

If you've never seen this series, stop reading and start watching! For those who have seen the previous five seasons and two movies, it is more of the same which is heart warming chicken soup for the soul with lots of recurring characters.

You will laugh and you will cry and I can't believe they put the very best episode as the first one. My favourite episodes are the first one about the red jacket guy and the episode about the seiyuus. 

I can't give season 5 a must watch cause there are not enough very good episodes but the quality is still better than most. Very, very watchable and out on Netflix.