Konin Todoke ni Han wo Oshita dake desu ga Episodes 1~6

Konin Todoke is our big budget renai dorama for this season. Konin Todoke is a shoujo manga style story about Seino Nana who agrees to have a sham marriage with Sakaguchi Kentaro in exchange for money.

Sakaguchi Kentaro's motive for the marriage is so that he can stay close to his sister in law Kurashina Kana who he is in love with. Its got an absurd premise but the most important thing is whether the show is fun and interesting.

Konin Todoke is not really fun. It shows glimpses of being fun but Sakaguchi Kentaro's character is super boring and there is not enough material for Seino Nana to carry the show by herself. 

There needs to be more disagreements, more fighting etc. Seino Nana is falling in love by herself while Sakaguchi is moping for Kurashina Kana whole day.

Konin Todoke has Shokotan and Kobayashi Ryoko in the supporting cast but they are hardly used! This is a crime against jdoramas!

I think Konin Todoke needs fun supporting character stories to spice up the main story but they have mostly been relegated to the spin off dorama.The pet shop guy and the receptionist are just there and don't bring any laughs. Usually those two characters would be scheming together to bring down the marriage.

There is not enough momentum in the main story for Konin Todoke and chemistry between main characters is bleh and the side characters are unfortunately not there is save it. Could have been decent but meh from me. I have not watched the spin off but I think if they had put more supporting characters in, Konin Todoke would have been a better show. Will probably finish it for Kurashina Kana.

Samayou Yaiba Episodes 1+2

Episode 1 of Samayou Yaiba is one of the hardest episodes I had to watch. 

It starts off with Takenouchi Yutaka having a nice morning with his daughter Ema and on her way back from work she is taken by 3 teenagers drugged, raped and killed.

I really thought about turning it off or fast forwarding past the rape scene. I was thinking why I was watching this depressing stuff but you have to for the story.

Takenouchi Yutaka is very good. When he is not playing a grinning Judge who does whatever he wants with no logic, he can play devastated and determined dad and I am very sure 100% of the audience wants him to get his revenge.

There's this scene where he talks to the police after identifying Ema's body. So bloody heavy I am hanging at every word, every twitch. This is WOWOW at its best. Just kicks the arse of every other network in Japan.

Samayou Yaiba is a Higashino Keigo story and you know there's going to be a twist somewhere. Most likely from Ishida Yuriko's character who runs a pension?

This show is so damn depressing to watch but I am so happy for a good WOWOW show. The remaining 4 episodes please be good!

Looks like there was a movie back in 2009 and Takenouchi Yutaka played one of the cops in that one. I will definitely watch it after this one.

Its a bit too early to call definitely but the last two episodes have been must watch stuff. A big thank you to HPriest who always subs the good stuff. I can't wait for the next episode so I think I will watch the rest of it raw and do my review after the English subs have finished. If you don't mind depressing and dark, Samayou Yaiba is jdorama at its best.

Shiroi Dakuryu jdorama review

To watch Shiroi Dakuryu, you have to accept that a single man played by Densha can be childhood friends with Sasaki Nozomi, have her come to his house all the time and not even think about making a move on her.

More importantly, Densha is also a researcher while moonlighting as a security guard and tutor and Sasaki Nozomi just started as a journalist while the third wheel friend is Densha's rival researcher.

Episode 1 is basically about how Densha is oblivious to Sasaki Nozomi and how tough a life he has as a researcher as they both find out Nishimura Masahiko's Pharmaceutical company might have sold contaminated products. However, Densha is offered better career path if he looked the other way.

Shiroi Dakuryu reminds me of WOWOW's Pandora series which were parable like stories about inventions or discoveries that started out with the right intentions but ended up being used for evil.

Shiroi Dakuryu is about this pure hearted researcher who gets corrupted as he learns to navigate the politics the research business.

The writing and acting is not very realistic. It feels very parable like similar to Pandora.

If you liked Pandora or are a fan of Densha or Sasaki Nozomi Shiroi Dakuryu might be for you. For everyone else, its meh. The nyaa torrents have Japanese subs with them so its good for reading practice.

Yuganda Hamon jdorama review

2019 was a really good year in jdoramaland. We had KDO2, Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen, Dakara watashi wa Oshimashita, Mukai no Bazuru Kazoku, Saka no Tochuu no Ie, Kabukicho Bengonin Rinka and now I have to add Yuganda Hamon to this list. I can't believe I did not pay attention to jdorama with Yamaguchi Sayaka and Mimura in it!

There are 3 main characters in Yuganda Hamon. Firstly, Matsuda Ryuhei is a newspaper reporter who is given a scoop by his sempai Kirino. However, it turns out that the scoop was false and Matsuda Ryuhei had made a false accusation in the newspaper.

The 2nd character Mitazono played by Matsuyama Kenichi went to the same university as  Matsuda Ryuhei. He now runs a online news portal. 

The 3rd character Aiga, a retired reported who was a colleague of Matsuda Ryuhei whose final remaining friend commits suicide and he wants to find out what drove his friend to do that.

The first few episodes of Yuganda Hamon are really, really slow. I did think of dropping it because everything was moving at a snail's pace setting up the 3 characters. I started to get really invested in the characters around episode 4 and I finished the show in no time.

Yuganda Hamon is a story about truth in journalism. When reporters are rushing to get a scoop without double and triple checking their facts, innocent people will get hurt. In today's world fake news can lead to death and people doing stupid things.

Yuganda Hamon made me think about the value of news. How newspapers and online news portals have to survive in today's age of internet. How websites can pass of vague or marketing articles as news and click bait titles are everyone. Boring actual in depth news does not generate the same amount of interest.

I have to commend the writer Mukai Kosuke for writing a complex story about media and trust. Yuganda Hamon is a very relevant show for today's world. 

I don't hate the ending but I don't love it either. Still I am in awe of the writing of the series and can easily see myself rewatching Yuganda Hamon and taking in all the dialogue again. Must watch and thanks to Gabrielmpf for subbing! Just get through the slow first few episodes and once it gets going, Yuganda Hamon is a reminder that all you need is a good script and actors to make something great.

Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre

 

Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre has Nagisa Sekizu working at her uncle's batting centre where Nakamura Toru turns up at the behest of her uncle because he has the ability to tell people's problems by watching their swing and using his baseball theory to solve their problem.

So every episode we have Nakamura Toru magically solving the problem of the female guest star's character and when I say magically I mean he transports everyone to a baseball game to face their problem.

The gimmick of this series is that every episode also has a Japanese Professional Baseball star but all that is lost on me.

Its a feel good easy to watch half hour series starring the actress you get when you can't afford Hirose Alice.

I really like the opening and ending songs though. Its been a while since I have not skipped the opening and credits sections in a jdorama. Now I need to find more CreepHyp songs.

I wish I had gone to a batting centre in Japan more than once.

If you want some light and easy chicken soup for your jdorama soul then Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre might be for you. Thanks to edwardwong for subbing. Watchable.

Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? Episodes 1~5

To watch Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? you need to accept a premise. The premise is that a man can be married to Matsumoto Marika for 5 years and not have sex with her.

I know that is scientifically impossible to have a sexless marriage with Matsumoto Marika but sometimes you need an impossible premise to set things up.

Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? is yet another affair jdorama. It feels very similar to Ukiwa with a more realistic, natural visual style and a sexless marriage with both parties potentially having an affair each.

What kept me watching was that Matsumoto Marika and Ikeuchi Hiroyuki. I think both of them are really good supporting actors who deserve to be playing leading roles.

In the case of Ikeuchi, I have been watching him since GTO and I really liked his recent performances in Siren no Zange and 24 Japan.  

Through the five episodes, it has not been a very exciting. Matsumoto Marika is getting involved with a young colleague who lacks people skills and likes wearing a face mask while Ikeuchi Hiroyuki meets up with old flame played by Wakana Sakai.

I am hoping that Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? will take an exciting turn next episode because I am not sure which way the story will go. For fans of the actors only. Thanks to geo9875 for subbing. 

Bank Over! Shijou Saijyaku no Gotou

The Kamishiraishi sisters are taking over jdoramaland! Not that I am complaining. 

Bank Over! is a hilarious two parter dorama special and if you just want to laugh for 1 1/2 hours, this is the show for you.

Bank Over! is about a bank robbery turned hostage situation where everyone may not be who we think they are. Especially the these two Sunejibians who I find very interesting.

I want to say Hakamada Yoshihiko is perfect as the dodgy detective. Him playing sleazy villains is pure comedic gold. I want to see him get his just desserts but I do not dislike his overacting. If there is someone who is essential to this show, its him.

Give it a watch for feel good laughter and thanks to Penagihdrama for subbing! I was hesitant to check this out but now I am glad I did. Watchable!