Lover or Not season 2 jdorama review

The first seasons of Love or Not was an entertaining rom com because of its brevity and despite being cliched.

The second season continues after the happy ending of the first season and Motokariya Yuika wants to break up because of a stupid reason.

Love or Not season 2 feels like a sequel that was made for the sake of making one without having a compelling or funny story to tell.

Both main characters get new prospective partners but I was so bored with only the supporting characters to entertain me.

There was no need to break the main couple up in the first place and they could have done almost the same story while keeping the main characters together IMHO.

If you loved the first season or are curios keep your expectations low but for everyone else, meh and unnecessary sequel.

DCU jdorama review

The good news about DCU: Deep Crime Unit is that Abe Hiroshi and Nakamura Anne in a in big budget coast guard show. The bad news is its on TBS so the best we can hope for is Japan Sinks level which is watchable but nowhere near WOWOW quality.

There's a lot of diving in DCU which is great because normally in jdoramas its always abandoned warehouses so something different is nice. Abe's good friend who happens to be Nakamura Anne's older brother died mysterious years ago and Seno was rescued by Abe during the same incident is now in the DCU.

THE GOOD

+ DCU has a good cast and they try.

THE BAD

- I hate this guy playing the police officer overacting like an anime character.

- DCU has a very weak and unrealistic terrorist storyline. Everything Gaiji Keisatsu does right, DCU does wrong.

- I get confused about DCU jurisdictional boundaries. They can just do whatever they want.

- Idiot Seno character keeps suspecting Abe for stupid reasons and doesn't arrest terrorist on sight. I get that writer needs to create tension between characters but there are levels of stupidity that I cannot tolerate.

- Feels like they are writing the show around the locations like aquariums and onsens because they want some sort of diving in every episode. Since they are coast guards, how about more maritime incidents and crimes?

SUMMARY

I really wanted DCU to be Japan Sinks level of flawed but doesn't suck. Instead DCU is just boring and bad and falls flat on its ambitions. I don't know why I finished it but I there were parts that I skimmed especially the last episode. Avoid.

Dakara Korosenakatta jdorama review

WOWOW has done it again with the exciting 5 episode series Dakara Korosenakatta (Therefore I could not kill). Tamaki Hiroshi stars as the newspaper journalist Ippongi who one day write an article about a painful incident in his past under instruction of his boss played by Watabe Atsuro.

Some time later, a letter is posted to Ippongi, purportedly from a serial killer who has already committed a bunch of crimes. The serial killer wants his letters published on the threat of more murders and wants Ippongi to debate the killer in the newspaper.

So begins an exciting mystery thriller as we are introduced to a bunch of potential villains. One can never trust a Watabe Atsuro since Gaiji Keisatsu and the newspaper gained a lot from the letters and publicity.

Dakara Korosenakatta  has a bunch of people who could potentially have motive for murder without trying to hard to make everyone look guilty like Shinhanin Flag and I enjoyed the tight pace of the story.

Newspapers have the duty to report the truth but do they have the obligation to publish the writings of a serial murderer? Is it in the public interest to publicize a killer's writings and give him the audience he wants? Is it ok for the newspaper to profit from death and what responsibility to they have if the exchanges incite more murders? 

I saw some twists coming but I definitely did not see the final twist. It really doesn't matter if you as the audience as guessed the truth as the steps that the main character gets to the truth and reaction are more important.

Great job by WOWOW. Nearly must watch for me but definitely very watchable with great productions values as usual. Thanks to ryuchi for subbing!

Harekon episodes 1~4

Harems are the staple of Japanese anime. What if the main character of a harem is not the generic guy but the third wife?

That is the story of Harekon about a town where polygamy is allowed. 

Shimazaki Haruka leaves Tokyo and moves back home only to discover that her parents are heavily in debt.

This guy with possibly the worst wig in all of jdoramaland offers to pay her debt but Shimazaki Haruka has to become his 3rd wife.

I was not expecting much from Harekon but there is an obvious lack of fan service and humour.

Harekon is based on a manga and I would expect at least Shimokita Glory days sexual innuendo and humour or least some exciting stuff but Harekon is just sterile and unexciting. What is the point of a midnight dorama being so tame?

There are hints of sensuality from the manga but the dorama is so tame it is boring. What happened to funny midnight doramas like 2nd house?

My expectations were so low and I wanted Harekon to be ok but its soooo boring. Avoid.

Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? Episodes 6~10.

 

I really wanted to like Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? very much because of the cast. The story had some interesting elements but it was neither funny nor exciting and the half arse no ending just killed it for me.

Since this is base on a manga, surely it did not end in the same way? It feels like someone sprinkled all the elements of an affair dorama but did not know how to write an exciting second half and just did nothing.

I really like it when supporting actors get their chance to shine but Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? ends up being a bore and I urge you to stay away. 

Shimobee Episodes 1~4

Shimobee is what happens when you turn Doraemon into Yasuda Ken and Nobita into Shiraishi Sei.

If you are not familiar with Doraemon, its an anime about a magic cat from the future who gives young lad Nobita a bunch gadgets. Nobita always ends up taking shorcuts with the gadgets and learning life lessons by the end of an episode. 

Shimobee is similar to Doraemon with Yasuda Ken being a non verbal guy who gets summoned by an app on Shiraishi Sei's phone who can do some super human stuff. Just like Nobita, Shiraishi Sei learns life lessons about not taking shortcuts, not giving up etc etc as well as your assortment of high school problems.

Shimobee is not particularly funny but I am enjoying the cast, especially with Akiko Yada as Shiraishi's mom. I feel so old now that Akiko Yada is playing mum roles. It seemed like only a few years ago when she was in Yamato Nadeshiko and Last Christmas.

Yasuda Ken is the perfect actor to play the non verbal Shimobee. If there is someone in jdorama land who can emote without talking, it is him.

Of course, the mystery of the show is who is Shimobee's true identity and what is his connection with Shiraishi Sei. Watchable if you like the cast and thanks to Monchi for subbing!