Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai Episodes 1+2

I have always said I will accept any premise as long as it leads to a good story and Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai has one hell of a premise. In Japan, people who died have started to resurrect and a salaryman played by Emoto Tasuku comes back after 3 years. The thing is Emoto Tasuku doesn't remember how he died and his death was rules a suicide.

If the whole resurrection thing sounds familiar, that's because they did it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the snap but did a horrible job making a story out of it in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai does not make the same mistake. It does what Marvel did not do which as actually explore people randomly turning up after death.

Will their own family still accept them or have they lost a place to belong. What about job discrimination with no work history for 3 years or people viewing the resurrected or fukuseisha as lesser people? Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai explores all these questions with the main story being did Emoto Tasuku actually commit suicide and why doesn't he remember his death?

The acting is really with Suzuki Anne as the wife and Abe Sadawo as the creepy security guard at Emoto Tasuku's old workplace. What is it with comedians being good at playing creepy roles? Watching Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai made me realise Marvel really wasted a chance to tell good stories about regular people coming back after a few year.

Very, very promising first two episodes. I am intrigued and trying to temper my expectations for the next 3. I wish it had a bigger budget because it certainly has the star power. Thanks to LuWuang for subbing. You might have to get the subs from discord. Very watchable.

Mahou no Rinobe Episodes 1~5

I usually enjoy occupational jdoramas because they let me see the challenges and hardships that people in other jobs have to put up with and Mahou no Rinobe which means magic of renovation if about the renovation industry.

Haru and Mamiya Shotaro are perfect as the two leads of the show. Haru previously worked for a big company but quit her job for personal reasons and joins Marufuku, a small construction company. Mamiya Shotaro plays Gennosuke, the second son of Marufuku who is also experience a personal low in his life. Gennosuke has no sales abilities and Haru has to train him from the ground up.

First off chemistry between the two leads is excellent. They fact that both are at the bottom of the personal lives at the beginning of the show helps as they help each other professionally and privately.

Like all customer service jdoramas, Mahou no Rinobe is pretty much about figuring what the clients actually want because no one actually says what they are really thinking. If everyone did, 90% of jdoramas would not have any stories.

I really like the writing for Haru's character Shingyoji Koume. She's is entertaining and the only character I don't like is the Johnny who plays the youngest Marufuku son. There are two bad guys in this show who are very very hateable. Haru's former boss and Marufuku eldest son. I would bloody pay money to beat up the eldest son.

If you are after a fun workplace dorama with a bit of romance, I find Mahou no Rinobe watchable and funny. The subs from edwardwong are available at subscene according the fansub wiki.

Shin Ultraman jmovie review

Anno Hideaki, creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion set off remaking nostalgic Japanese properties into movies first with Cutie Honey and then Shin Godzilla which I remember more for Ishihara Satomi's horrible English. Now he has brought us Shin Ultraman, based on the long running series about a dude who can transform into a giant alien to fight giant aliens in rubber suits.

Ultraman is probably the first Japanese property I became a fan of, especially Kaettekita Ultraman or Return of Ultraman. The show brings up a lot of nostalgic feelings for me and yes I have even sung the theme song in Japan. I know there are many different Ultraman shows so I have no idea which one Shin Ultraman is based on.

The start if Shin Ultraman is pretty decent. We have a recap about the sudden appearance of kaiju in Japan and the formation of an organisation led by Nishijima Hidetoshi to deal with the kaiju, the SSSP. The SSSP is more like a bunch of people on laptops observer kaiju and ordering the armies around with a camera which is way too close and claustrophobic.

Ultraman appears and we get decent action and I was feeling good about the movie. The effects looked retro including the sets that Ultraman fought in. While the SSSP no longer flew planes and had guns as long as there were kaiju for Ultraman to kick ass, it was all good.

The Shin Ultraman starts getting weird. It turns into a crappy Japanese government trying to deal with alien life forms other than Ultraman story. It gets even weirder when something happens to Nagasawa Masami and I did not get the tone of the story at all. The CG for the last two actions scenes sucked after the nostalgia of the first action scene. There are PS2 games with much better CG that this movie.

In the end while I get what Anno Hideaki is trying to do which is an moving alien contact movie about an alien who wants to be human I don't think he did a good job and he shouldn't have wasted the Ultraman license on it. I would have been happy with a modern Ultraman with nostalgic paint instead of someone trying to be too clever. Disappointing. Do not watch. I am scared for Shin Kamen Rider which is Anno Hideaki's next release.

Miki Clinic de Kanpai wo Episodes 1+2

The following conversation may or may not have happened in the offices of TV Tokyo between two producers. I do not claim to have any insider knowledge of TV Tokyo or jdoramas in general. 

Producer A: I have come up with a great jdorama idea that I guarantee no one has ever done in the history of jdorama!

Producer B: Sounds exciting, what is it?

Producer A: You know every season there is always a medical dorama because they are easy to produce. No need for outdoor scenes, just need a couple of pretty plastic surgery faces and medical lingo and the average watcher can't tell if the story is plausible or not.

Producer B: Yes the fact that the action scene of a medical drama can be shot in one room and you just need observer characters to tell the audience what is happening makes them so cost effective.

Producer A: Wait until you hear my idea. What if this dorama is about a secret clinic for the rich and powerful?  For famous people to get medical treatment without the outside world and media knowing about it.

Producer B: Ok, you have my attention.

Producer A: What until you hear the whole idea! Your mind will be blown. What if the clinic is underneath a bar so the doctors and nurses just hang out at a bar when there are no cases and go down when there is an operation.

Producer B: I don't see the point of a bar. People can randomly walk in off the streets? I thought this was supposed to be a secret clinic?

Producer A: It is a secret clinic! Don't think so hard. The actors will get to pose with drinks and look cool and this will attract viewers!

Producer B: (thinking to himself) So whoever Producer A slept with must have given him this stupid idea.

Producer A: It gets even better. This group of doctors and nurses have special abilities like fighting ability, ability to impersonate any voice, hacking and reading people's thoughts.

Producer B: Is this a medical dorama or a sentai show?

Producer A: No you idiot. Can't you see that that I am going to create a new genre! Medical dorama plus political suspense and detective work! These super powered doctors will not only perform incredible operations in a world of political intrigue but also solve mysteries and find criminals! This will change the face of jdoramas.

Producer B: Are you sure your wife didn't make you special cookies today?

Producer A: I spent the night at a love hotel. Anyways, I have written the script for the first two episodes and it is about a minister who is stabbed by evil forces who want to stop her plans for a casino because she wants to create a wonderful place where families can have fun.

Producer B: Wait, I thought casinos were about generating tax money for government, money laundering and taking advantage of problem gamblers?

Producer A: No stupid. Casinos are about the best place for families to enjoy themselves. Anyway I have a great scene where they interrogate a suspect at the bar. The bad guy will escape but its actually part of the plan.

Producer B: Wait I thought this clinic was supposed to be a secret? There's a reason why no jdorama has ever done this idea before.... 

Keiji 7-nin season 8 Episode 1

OK, this is very weird. I am very, very sure that I have written a review of the Keiji 7-nin series before. Its a generic police procedural except that it has slightly more budget than your regular police show and so every season there is always one episode where they actually put effort on the action.

Keiji 7-nin is nothing special but sometimes you need a jdorama you don't need to pay much attention to while browsing yahoo auctions. And there's the side story of Kurashina Kana and Tsukamoto Takashi aka Eiji from KDO with their will they or won't they story.

So guess what happens in first episode of season 8? Kurashina Kana leaves the show leaving her story with Eiji unfinished. What's worse, they replace her with generic Johnny who's gimmick is he wears a backback.

WTF. The show is Keiji 7-nin and all even people are dudes. If you are replacing Kurashina Kana at least get a female. Is Kanjiya Shihori or Hirosue Ryoko doing anything? This just screams of ratings are falling lets put more Johnnys in there so we can get more fangirls. Do not watch.

On a side note, really can't believe I never write about Keiji 7-nin. I think there have been times where I think about what to write never do it and somewhere think did I did it. I think I wanted to write about the best episode for each season because there is always 1 episode where they go all out. Oh well.

Kyouso no Bannin Episode 11

I honestly do not remember any jdorama series where the second last episode is the climax of the main story and the last episode is just a fun epilogue and possibly the most fun episode of the series with a hostage situation at a supermarket.

Kyouso no Bannin has proven to be a most educational and fun series. The last episode was really interesting about big corporations selling at below cost price for market share and to get rid of the competition. Very watchable. Thanks to edwardwong for the subs!

Cinekon e Ikou! Episodes 4~13

Cinekon e Ikou! is finished and I enjoyed this nostalgic love letter to cinemas.  The underdog inaka characters have endeared themselves to me during the 13 episodes.

Episode 4 us my favourite episode where the 3 ladies get a little too excited about a new male staff member. That episode had me laughing from beginning to end.

I was expecting that Cinekon e Ikou! would end up being a very watchable jdorama but I think I can only rate it was watchable. I am not saying it did anything wrong but just that the later half wasn't as funny. Still you can feel the love for cinemas in the script.

If you are after a breezy feel good workplace show, I would recommend it. I enjoyed watching all the hardships that go with working in a cinekon. Its great to see Kitano Kii back and Watanabe Dai has his father's acting chops. Thanks to geo9875 for subbing!