Trillion Game Episodes 1+2

Trillion game is a TBS show similar to Atom no Ko. Two guys starting their own business trying to get to the top. While Atom no Ko was about video games, Trillion game is about two friends, Manabu who has excellent IT skills but no people skills and Haru who has no IT skills but has excellent people skills and can bluff his way out of anything. Its your classic two people with different strengths work together to solve problems and in this case make a trillion yen!

That being said this is a TBS show so chances are it will fizzle out like Atom no Ko. The reason I am watching Trillion Game is that it is based of the Ikegami Ryoichi manga. Ikegami Ryoichi is the artist for manga such as Sanctuary, Crying Freeman, Mai the Psychic girl etc. Someone else always does the writing and for Trillion game it is Inagaki Riichiro, mangaka for Eyeshield 21.

Regardless of who does the writing, Ikegami Ryoichi mangas have a certain 80s tone to them. Its always very macho, the ladies are beautiful and there is always sexual tension and an old school vibe to the stories that appeals to my sensibilities.

While I have not read the manga, watching episode 1 of Trillion Game it felt like some of the camera shots felt like they were lifted off the manga. Imada Mio definitely feels like an Ikegami Ryoichi female antagonist although is she too young for the role. I feel like reading the manga to find out.

The first episode ends with a hacking competition where Haru does a lot of hijinks to enable Manabu to win. The second episode has them opening an AI online store and hiring one single person Rinrin to pretend to be the AI. 

This feels like someone who does not know technology writing about technology. One person cannot serve an online store unless every customer is forced to wait in a queue. Since Manabu is an IT expert he can do automated scripts based on Rinrin's responses etc. Alarm bells are ringing here that this is a turn of your brain show though that might already have been obvious with the 'hacking' competition in episode 1 which became a stupid quiz competition.

I have no expectations for Trillion Game but I appreciate the Ikegami Ryoichi sensibilities. Its Atom no Ko down to the similar music but different and Imada Mio is easy on the eyes. Too early to tell, hoping it is reasonably watchable. Thanks to blitzfansub for subbing!

Last Man Episode 1

Speaking of jdorama characters who will us English words here and there because they lived in the USA, Last Man  has Fukuyama Masaharu as special agent Minami from the FBI who has the highest arrest rate and is in Japan on an exchange program. He is called Last Man because he is the FBI's trump card.

Minami is also blind but he has two super powers. The first is that he says super hearing, smell and deductive abilities that surpass even Sherlock Holmes and any police officer with sight and is even better than a metal detector in detecting if someone is armed. His second power is that he looks like the most airbrushed actor in Jdorama today. His face is not as frozen has Nagoshi Toshihiro's but it is getting there.

I am just cringing everytime Minami says a word of English because he does not even sound American. On a side note, I have met English speaking Japanese in Japan and they usually speak with an American accent. Surely TBS should have hired someone to be Fukuyama's dialect coach.

As the FBI last man, Minami also gets to stay in a suite with a butler. I know the money for that is crazy and at this point I have decided to turn off my brain and just watch Last Man as a superhero show. Minami is able able to disarm suspects despite being blind and the first episode ends with the revelation that Minami is requested to meet someone in prison.

I have no optimism for TBS doramas. They have big budgets and big names but shows like Get Ready and DCU are just a bunch of uncooked ideas trying to look cool and I fear the same will happen with Last Man. There is something about the logic in their shows that never makes sense to me the way most WOWOW shows do. Maybe I should give it another episode but TBS track record speaks for itself. Meh unless you like TBS shows like Get Ready and DCU.

Keiji to Kenji Tokidoki Hanji

Keiji to Kenji Tokidoki Hanji which means police detectives and prosecutors and occasionally judges is a crime comedy set in Yokohama. I did not realise that this was a sequel to Keiji to Kenji which I had never heard of. 

Main character is Kiritani Kenta playing a former teacher turned police detective and Higa Minami is his sister who works for the prosecutors office. 

Kitamura Yukiya (Mushoboke) is the new prosecutor who used to be Kichise Michiko who is a judge!

WHAT IS GOOD

+ It is pretty funny and I liked the Yokohama locations.

+ Kitamura Yukiya's character is the most entertaining and the awkwardness between him and Kichise Michiko and Higa Minami is funny. Mushoboke is one of my favourite feel good shows and made me think this Kitamura Yukiya can act.

+ Watching the relationships between police, prosecution and Judges in Japan in terms of getting warrants, extending detentions etc. You want police to catch the bad guys but you don't want Judges giving them search warrants without sufficient proof.

WHAT IS NOT GOOD

- The other police detective Meguro who keeps using English words is annoying just because he was in America for 2 years. Nothing about his character can convince me he speaks English or was in USA for 2 years. Yes I know it is a show for average Japanese audiences and their perception of what USA is. I just don't find it funny.

- Furuta Arata is not in the show long enough.

SUMMARY

Surprisingly watchable for me. Not brilliant but low key enjoyable and I liked the cast very much. Watch it if you want a light and funny catch bad guys show and the cast appeals to you. The question now is should I go back and watch the prequel Keiji to Kenji? Can it be as enjoyable as the sequel?Thanks to luwuang for subbing. You have to join the discord to gain access to the hardsubs.

Gouriteki ni Arienai Episodes 3~9

In episode 2 Shiraishi Sei joined the show and became a supporting character. Her inclusion did help improve the chemistry on the show but something was still lacking in this detective agency dorama.

I was thinking of quitting and then Mizuno Miki turns up in episodes 4 and 5 as an evil cosmetic surgery lady. I enjoyed her role in Tantei ga Hayasugiru and she looked like the has a lot of fun playing such an evil character. The only way to save boring main character is to have a great villain.

Matsushita Kouhei's character is supposed to be a super genius but it doesn't feel like the show made full use of it. They tried to make it funny with his awkwardness to women but it just didn't work. They did not showcase his genius enough and his flaw was not interesting enough.

In the end I finished Gouriteki ni Arienai because I was over halfway to the end. Besides the Mizuno Miki episodes, I never got the humour. It never really made me laugh. The stories were standard and I wished Shiraishi Sei would have been used more instead of relegated to bimbo secretary.

No reason to check Gouriteki ni Arienai out unless you are a fan of the actors. There's nothing really bad but it is just bland. Meh from me. 

5 things I enjoyed about 0.5 no Otoko Episodes 4+5

1. The theme song Tanoshii Hitori by Kudo Yojiro is actually about the jdorama. It is basically Masaharu's comedic thoughts on why he should be a hikkikomori and not a random song. I really love the lyrics. Reminds me of when anime theme songs used to be about the story.

2. The end of episode 4 actually brought the story full circle with the nosy neighbour from the first episode. I was wondering where this nosy neighbour story was going and I am glad it went in a different direction from usual nosy person story you find in suburban jdoramas.

3. 0.5 no Otoko is a show about mental health and anxiety and how ganbaru in everything may not get someone through life. A different message from shows like Hatarakiman where people happily sacrifice everything for work. I need to rewatch Hatarakiman one day.

4. Fubuki Jun as the mom gets my vote for best acting job in the show. She's the glue that holds the family together and her happy scenes are the best.

5. The director really put effort with the visuals. I really hate the TBS light everything with the power of a 1000 suns look. I love the use of shadows, the unique shots they got with the house set like the one shot in the beginning of episode 2.

SUMMARY

Great job from WOWOW as always. I really like everything about it, I just don't love it enough to give it a must watch. I have no complaints. Ok, I thought Usuda Asami's food developer sub story was undercooked. I think 0.5 no Otoko is just right below must watch. If you want a relaxed, feel good show about a hikkikomori coming out of his shell, 0.5 no Otoko is the show for you. Very, very watchable.

Ishi Tsubute Episodes 6~8 spoiler review

Hpriest has finished subbing Ishi Tsubute and I have to say what a great show! I now can safety declare it a must watch. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat although I can guess what was going to happen.

The best thing about Ishi Tsubute is that it is based on real events. There is no happy ending in the real world and unfortunately the truly corrupt masterminds did not get caught. Manase was super greedy and would not have been caught if he were not so stupidly brazen about it but he became the scapegoat and everyone else at Nagatacho got off.

Nevertheless, Ishi Tsubute is about the work of the men and women of section 2 and their blood sweat and tears trying to uncover corruption. Hpriest has written about the final episode in the sub thread and has included links to two English articles about when the corruption was discovered. This being a real story made me think about what the people of section 2 had to go through and what they were thinking. 

Trying to do the right thing yet realising how corrupt the government was spending all the secret funds with no accountability. I wonder if Kizaki or Saimi had any hope for the future of Japan? Saimi wanted to get higher up the chain in order to enact change. I appreciate how the chief always had words of wisdom from Sima Qian at the right time.

I liked that Ishi Tsubute ended with a hopeful ending. That Yagura had success and there are people who will continue Kizaki and Saimi's fight. 

I would like to commend Kitamura Kazuki for his acting. His portrayal of Manase going from confident to desperate to resignation was great. You can see Manase struggling with his loyalty to the Foreign Ministry and his sense of self-preservation. Who knows why Manase felt so loyal. Maybe because he was a non-career who managed to get to such a high position. Maybe he blames himself most of all for being so greedy. 

I wish WOWOW had Netflix money when they made Ishi Tsubute because they have created something special with just people talking in offices with minimal decorations. Don't miss Ishi Tsubute. I have gone back in time and give Ishi Tsubute a hamsapsukebe award for one of the best jdoramas of 2017. It is in good company with Quartet and Hokuto. Thanks to Hpriest for subbing and uploading the raws!

5 reasons to watch Imadoki no Wakai mon wa

1. Imadoki no Wakai mon wa is a very well made feel good workplace dorama by WOWOW. Anonymous said that WOWOW has been diversifying their dorama genres in 2020 which I have only recently realised. Lol. I have to go back and see what other WOWOW shows I have missed.

2. I never knew there could be so many meaning to Imadoki no wakai mon wa (young people these days). I remember seeing this show and thinking I did not want to watch a show about old people complaining about young people. Turns out there are many meanings depending on how it is said and it is fun seeing the meanings and half the time GTO just starts saying the line and they show the title of the show.

3. Imadoki no Wakai mon wa is a show about old Japanese office practices versus more modern practices with a new generation. If you talk to Japanese people about their work, workplace hierarchy (jouge kankei), unpaid overtime (service zangyou) always comes up and how difficult it is for them to get even one week leave often comes up.

4. Fukuhara Haruka is very good at playing newbie Mugita. Just like in Shoujiki Fudousan, she's got that sweet every girl aura that makes her character earnest. Plus it is nice to see GTO aka Sorimachi Takashi in another good show after he was doing Aibou for so many years.

5. The writing is so good and funny. So many laugh out loud moments and I grew attached to all the characters. I would describe Imadoki no Wakai mon wa as a better Raise de wa Chanto shimasu without the sex.

SUMMARY

If you want a feel good office dorama show to unwind, Imadoki no Wakai mon wa is the perfect show for you. It is not a critique of young people but rather it shows the challenges of navigating the workplace today and how older workers can guide and mentor the newbies. Thanks to deedlitmurata for subbing. An almost must watch show that I enjoyed every single second off.

Draft King Episodes 1+2

This is an interesting season for WOWOW. They have a family dorama in 0.5 no Otoko and also a sports dorama in Draft King, based on a manga. I am liking this variety from WOWOW because they generally do shows a lot better than the rest of the other networks.

Draft King is about the world of baseball scouting in the Japanese baseball league. Kamiki Ryosuke is a former 3rd string baseball player who never amounted to much turned scout. Muro Tsuyoshi is the enigmatic Gohara Ora, a veteran scout for the Yokohama Bay Golds who does not mince his words telling everyone they are wrong and has an eye for talent.

I don't know much about baseball and my knowledge of drafting is all from the NBA but the first episodes have been educational for me. Drafting in the NBA is a crapshoot because so many great players are not top picks but I can't imagine how difficult it is for baseball. Like basketball, it is still a bunch of people gathered in a room looking at stats and videos, arguing amongst themselves and trying to find a diamond in the rough.

The episodes are only 30 minutes and it is a bit weird watching a very manga-like WOWOW show because most of their show are not very manga-like. What I mean by manga-like is you have a main character declaring something to everyone and then at the end you find he is right, sort of like the shonen protagonist declaring that he is going to be strong.

I had downloaded the series to watch raw because I thought no one was subbing. Luckily I checked the jdorama fansub map and subs for episode 1+2 from void_spell are available on subscene. The jdrama fansub map is a great resource for checking what shows are subbed and big thanks to subie06 and Keiko1981 for maintaining the fansub map.

The first two episodes of Draft King are not bad and I would say it is a breath of fresh air. Fingers crossed the rest of the series is good! Recommended for people who like sports.

Seigi no Tenbin jdorama review

WOWOW's Shoutai proved that Kame could act if given the right script so I decided to try NHK's Seigi no Tenbin. Plus Nao is the main actress who is in my good books after Ryojin no Ono. Seigi no Tenbin is a legal drama with Kame playing Takano, a surgeon who becomes a lawyer. Anyone who can become a surgeon and a lawyer must have a crazy reason for doing so.  Takano is recruited to Shidanzaka Law Office to be in charge and rebuild the room 1 criminal investigation section. 

I am happy to accept the premise. Room 1 is the lowest billing section of Shindanzaka Law Office. What plans do Takano have to increase the billing? Go defend the riches criminals and corporate clients? Increase the quota for minimal billable hours?

No, Takano insults everyone and then gets all the other lawyers to help him with one case which he of course successfully solves. Am I the only one seeing this disconnect between reviving Room 1 and Takano's actions? Winning a series of criminal cases does not make that much difference in billings.

The second problem is that there a bunch of lawyers in room 1including Nao but they act more like paralegals helping Takano and are made to be dumb to make Takano look smart. This is the other part that I do not buy as well. Instead of making them to be this underdog team I want to support, I was thinking how did they become lawyers in the first place and they are annoyingly bad especially Nao's character. Should not Takano's job be to hire good lawyers for room 1?

Ultimate, my complaints don't matter as much because Takano's main reason for being there was to uncover what happened to Oshima Yuko. The whole Room 1 was a means to an end but I could not get into the show. I had no reason to care about any of the characters. I finished it because it was only 5 episodes but its just bad.

Between Seigi no Tenbin and Shouri no Houteishiki, it seems like its not easy to get decent legal jdoramas. Too much time spent on the gimmick and not enough on the writing. The last legal shows I enjoyed were Zainin no Uso and Akuma no Bengonin. Not do not watch bad, just meh don't waste your time. My favourite thing about Seigi no Tenbin was seeing Yamaguchi Tomoko after so long.