Edit: Had to remove the Journalist since it is a 2022 show and not 2021 and promoted Ore no Ie no Hanashi to top 5 list. Thanks to Anonymous for pointing that out.
Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting as once again we celebrate jdorama excellence from 2021. I meant to do this way earlier but this game called Elden Ring came out and has destroyed whatever free time my partner and I have. 2021 seems like a long time ago but looking back at my posts I really think 2021 might be the greatest year in terms of jdorama quality since I have been the Hamsapsukebe awards.
There were a lot of good quality shows in 2021 that were near the border of must watch and we have 9 must watch shows! 9 must watch shows for a year is crazy! For the first time ever I had to water that down to 5 best jdoramas of 2021. I think listing all 9 shows is too much and its better to have 5 shows to remember the year with and I really had a difficult time and kept changing my mind.
BEST ACTOR
TAKEUCHI YUTAKA (SAMAYOU YAIBA)
I thought this was Suda Masaki's award for most of the year and then I saw Takeuchi Yutaka's unforgettable performance in Samayou Yaiba.
BEST ACTRESS
ARIMURA KASUMI (Konto ga Hajimaru and Zenkamono)
She deserves the award for both show. Great performances and great shows and her agent deserves kudos for getting her great roles. Hada Michiko was awesome in Cold Game as well.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
HASHIZUME ISAO (Tokkai)
I love him as the boss who knows how difficult his job is what he is asking from his subordinates but does it because it is the right thing to do.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
TODA ERIKA (Ore no Ie no Hanashi)
BEST FEEL GOOD DORAMA
MUSHOBOKE
DORAMA THAT MADE ME LAUGH THE MOST
BANK OVER!
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
DCU
5 BEST JDORAMAS OF 2021
Special mention: Iribito, Mikoku wa Utau, Hakozume, Mushoboke, Tokkai, Cold Game, Dragon Zakura S2, Zenkamono and Nile Perch no Joshikai
5. ORE NO IE NO HANASHI
4. KONTO GA HAJIMARU
3. KAREI NARU ICHIZOKU
2. SHITTERU WIFE
1. SAMAYOU YAIBA
10 comments:
Thanks for the 2021 Awards!
From the top 5 I have watched only The Journalist and Shitteru Wife, that means I have lots of good stuff yet to see :)
PS: glad you are enjoying Elder Ring, I will get to that once I finish some backlog, plus playing after some patches never hurts ;)
ops... EldeR Ring, no idea what kind of game is that lol
Great list as always, though The Journalist is from 2022 ;)
I feel like there are more and more doramas produced in each season in general, with small channels started airing their own doramas, big channels adding more timeslots and emergence of web/streaming exclusive doramas. But still I don't think I would be watching doramas this much if not for WOWOW and NHK lol. This season's lineup from TBS/Fuji/NTV/Asahi etc has been pretty dreadful. Speaking of NHK last year's satire/black comedy dorama on imperial university PR management starring Toda Erika's husband is worth checking out. The Japanese title is long and hard to memorize, but it's titled How to be Likable in a Crisis on NHK-World.
Good on you for completing your 2021 awards. I look forward each year and after a few other favorite sites had somehow never got around to theirs for 2021, I thought you had been defeated too. Instead, you've given us an enthusiastic review, worth the wait for me. I love Japan, Japanese, and some Japanese movies and dramas, but b/c there's so much junk, I rely on you to find the best.
Great list. I have a few recommendations of my own:
Okaeri Mone - I didn't think I would really like an asadora, but I gave this a shot and it was such a great drama. Well shot and produced. It was such a refreshing watch. Instant classic imo.
Pension Metsa - A really unique and laid back drama. Very contemplative and relaxing.
Influence - Fantastic mini-series that with a great vibe.
Also, thank you for recommending Nile Perch. I don't think I'd have watched it otherwise.
@suppaf: be careful, Elden Ring will destroy your life!
@Anonymous 1 & 2 thanks for giving me recommendations to try!
@Akiramike - just curious, did you miss Kotaro wa Hitorigurashi? (season 1)
That show took me by surprise for what it showed but didn't need to say. You slowly realise how the entire show is woven with even darker levels of child poverty...particulary it takes almost the entire show to reveal the true significance of the opening scene.
About half way through the drama's run, I so wanted someone to do a Live action of Wngs of Honneamise with Yokoyama Yu.
@Anon: Was not even aware of this show but you have my interest with child poverty.
@Akiramike
Another simple but interesting show I don't remember seeing a HamsapSukebe post on is 2016 'Princess Maison'. It slows you right down to at times you can almost sense your own breathing. A show that knows exactly what it is and then pulls the most out of that simple format. Directing is cleaver enough to give enough space and time for the main three (Morikawa Aoi, Takahashi Issei, and Hizuki Hana) to really deliver.
Also,
-How is Hizuki Hana's filmography so small????
-Great work by the lighting designers. They really are doing some heavy lifting to build this world.
Was one of my top 2016 dramas.
Any one revisiting this year's dramas. For me, the 2021 supporting actress roll to look out for is Furukawa Kotone in Zenkamono. It is dark, gripping and unstable... and she never drops character.
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