Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai 2024 Episodes 1~4

First thing that popped out at me is that I have not seen that much cash in so long living in a society where cash is no longer king, banks don't have many staff anymore and being a bank teller is becoming an extinct job.

I did not realise that this Imada Mio dorama is a remake of a Watanabe Anne 2014 series based on a book by the writer of Hanzawa Naoki. I am not a fan of Hanzawa Naoki despite its popularity because of the extreme overacting but Hanasaki Mai has less of that kabuki-like acting.

Hanasaki Mai (Imada Mio) is a bank teller is transferred to the inspection division of Tokyo Daiichi bank, working with former loan officer Soma Ken (Yamamoto Koji).

I am glad to report that Imada Mio does not overdo it in the super genki shtick like she did with Warui. Soma Ken does not show much enthusiasm for his job as he shows Hanasaki Mai the ropes but clearly he knows how banks work.

Kamikawa Takaya is Hanasaki Mai's uncle who runs the izakaya where she lives and I am surprised to see him playing such a minor role. I am also surprised to learn that he played Soma Ken in the original Watanabe Anne series.

So every every episode, Hanasaki and Soma investigate a branch to uncover non compliant deeds by very bad bank employees which make for fun viewing.

The chemistry between the two is ok and I think Soma become a more interesting character in episode 4 when his past is revealed.

Hanzawa Naoki has his famous phrase I will pay you back multifold, Hanasaki Mai's is okotoba wo kaesu before she lectures the non compliant bankers with no ethics. 

Kikuchi Rinko's character has a very bad wig and a very cool last name Shosenkyo. Her job is to monitor the investigation team uncovering the wrongdoings and to snuff them out so no one finds out and doesn't damage the bank and Kaname Jun is her boss.

The first two episodes felt like they should have been better but I think 3 and 4 got better and looks like there might be an appearance for Hanzawa Naoki in episode 5 but not from Sakai Masato. Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai is a pretty standard investigate wrong doings in a bank and episode 4 involved a client company but I quite like the cast and there is nothing to dislike. OK watchable, nothing special. Thanks to furritsubs for subbing!

Oi Handsome S2 Ep 3: hara goshirae

Love the writing for Oi Handsome and episode 3 is centred around food. 3 of dad's subordinates  you see in the background already had lunch reservations and decided to ditch it when he invited them to lunch.

The subordinates thought he was leading them to some fancy place but in fact he was leading them to this standing soba place so they quickly remembered their lunch reservations.

Mum gets delivery sushi for lunch and her nosy neighbour tries to steal her maguro. We later find out that this is one of her enjoyments and traditions.

At 12pm Mika and pointy boobs power walk straight to their lunch place the all seats have been taken women from other companies including the woman stalking Mika's boyfriend. Pointy boob's rant is funny.
 

Dad is about to enjoy unaju aka eel on rice with 2 other people from partner company Nihon Yuusei Corp when an emergency occurs as the hometown of the company president is wrong on the pamphlet. Only in Japan can an insignificant thing like this be life and death. Dad wants to eat the unaju but the two other people leave because it is an emergency.

This becomes a problem when the two Nihon Yuusei people found out that dad had finished his unaju!

Nihon Yuusei have a meet with dad the next day accusing him of being a suitable partner because he finished his food when an 'emergency' was going on! lol

The chief from Nihon Yuusei comes into the meeting, apologises for taking dad's time. He says that if some problem happens having a meal before tackling the problem (hara goshirae) The funny thing is I have just come across this word on the same day playing Unicorn Overlord. Very seldom do the words I learn from playing RPGs come useful for watching jdoramas. I will forever remember hara goshirae because it is such a unique phrase.

Chief asks dad where to go for lunch and he suggests the standing soba place which surprises the 3 subordinates because they were expecting something grand for a VIP but at the end of the episode they end up going to the standing soba and finding it delicious. Moral of the story is don't do your work on an empty stomach and just because a place is cheap doesn't mean it is not good. (in Japan)

There are so many meal related stories like Mika making a shobu meal before he tries to get his manga turned into an anime. This ties back to hara goshirae.

Or flashback to mom's tradition of take away sushi. It is easy to make Megumi look 30 but it is impossible to make her look old.

All the various stories about food and the importance of meals come together beautifully at the end of the episode. I have to give this episode a must watch because it is masterful writing about the importance of a meal before tackling a problem.

Saikou no Obahan Nakajima Haruko Eps 1~4

Saikou no Obahan Nakajima Haruko is a comedy show about this super rich beauty doctor aka plastic face expert who goes around solving people's problems by being very blunt with them and with the help of her two bodyguards.

Is this the first Matsumoto Marika show where she is not playing some crazy woman? She plays a writer for a gourmet magazine who is single and is always going to Nakajima Haruko for advice.

No one in jdoramaland has a normal face anyway so there should be more shows about stuff like this.

Like she says, attitudes have changed and you have plenty of people appearing in jdoramas with frozen faces and no one bats and eyelid.

Besides the comedy, I like that it is set in Nagoya, a city that is underused in jdoramas. Though to be honest, I have been to Nagoya many times but I only remember how to get to Yabaton under the station. lol

Nakajima Haruko is a light comedy, I rather enjoy the mentor relationship between Haruko and Marika and I have not fast forwarded any scenes. Cheesy fun and relaxing jdorama to watch. Thanks to Avallac'h for subbing!

Oi Handsome! Season 2 Episode 1 review

The first season of Oi Handsome! was on of my favourite jdoramas of 2022. It did not make my top 5 list because the candidates were strong but if someone said it was the must watch and one of the best shows of 2022, I would not argue.

It was so good to have a father jdorama that could stand next to the classic that is Masakazu Tamura's Oyaji and be so smartly written.  The best thing is how smart and funny the writing is. I think most shows would try too hard to be moving but the dialogue in Oyaji flowed like a Sakamoto Ryuji comedy.

The whole family is back including Megumi as the mother who I still think is way too young looking despite all their efforts to make her look old. It is not a fatal casting decision but she is only a few years older than Kinami Haruka who plays the oldest daughter.

The beginning of episode 1 has the 3 daughters coming home one by one. There is a running gag that everytime a daughter comes in, she restarts this recorded dorama from the beginning. I wonder if this dorama by Matsuzaka Anna will pay off in later episodes. 

Youngest daughter Mika is with her mangaka boyfriend who is having so so success and is now pretty busy. Middle daughter Rika is not having any luck in meeting people. Oldest daughter Yuka says what's wrong if someone wants you just for your body? Such people are happy! I thought Yuka played by Kinami Haruka got together with No Con Kid in season 2 but apparently not.

Dad hurts his neck sleeping and has to put on this neck brace.

Rika is weak and has to try new drinks everytime she sees something new at a vending machine and ends up having the same drink with FujiTatsu who works in the same building who says as the punchline that his wife is also has a weakness for trying out new drinks. This can't possibly be a one off appearance can it?

Yuka is worried about her ability to attract men and this pays off in a funny scene at the end of the episode. 

She also meets this single older woman neighbour Oosugi played by Tomita Yasuko who she looks down upon and does not want to end up like her. Yuka also spends a considerable amount of effort to avoid Oosugi as all.

Funny scene where dad and daughter think of their ideal visions of what a marriage is.

Mika's mangaka boyfriend, Yuuji's version of what happened between him and a fan. I like that it is Yuuji's testimony on the top right. Very funny.

Yuka spends so much effort to avoid Oosugi and when she finally sits down with her... I won't spoil what happens but there is a great speech by dad Yoshida Kotaro at the end of the episode about not judging a book by its cover. 

Really funny and feel good episode. I was worried there would be nothing else to say after season 1 but looks like there is more story to tell. No one is subbing but huge thanks to glumlily for uploading timed Jp subs to avistaz. 

Umet Episode 1 review

Unmet starts with a doctor Kawauchi Miyabi played by Sugisaki Hana waking up and seeing a note telling her to read her diary. Miyabi suffered a brain injury two years ago and is unable to remember anything that happened yesterday. She can only remember things up to her brain injury. Memory loss is a staple of the jdorama genre but short term memory loss is a staple of romantic comedies and also mystery movies like Memento. The question is what is Unmet?

We have to accept that everyday Miyabi wakes up and has to read to years worth of diary material which increase everyday and get ready for work. She has to give herself more and more time or maybe she will just say avoid certain pages that are no longer relevant. 

To enjoy a story, one has to accept the premise and see where the road the premise leads you down is worth watching. A new doctor Sanpei Tomoharu who has been working in the US has been transferred to the hospital. I am relieved he is not throwing English words out every few seconds and he seems to have an interest in  Miyabi.

We find out while Miyabi still has her long term memory and is still working as a doctor, she does not operate because of no short term memory. I was thinking not only is medical knowledge continuing to evolve and improve, I would imagine there would be continuous professional development certification for doctors. I think the one big issue would be professional insurance. How much is the insurance for a doctor who cannot remember what she said to her patient yesterday?

We have Kazama Shunsuke as an agent of an actress who is also his wife who has lost her power of speech and will require surgery to get better. It feels like the actress is there to point out to the audience that disabled people have the right to work. Miyabi lost her short term memory like the actress lost her speech but she can still act. I am not too sure about medicine and especially surgery.

The doctor from America keeps pushing Miyabi to do more and says that while she can't remember practicing for surgery, the body will remember. That does make sense but I was perplexed why someone would play with fire. It is all explained away with the final twist at the end of episode 1 so I don't know how to feel about it.

I have a feeling every episode might try too hard to be moving and I am not sure I can buy this super doctor who can't remember yesterday but can do surgery in a hospital. I feel like Miyabi should be like Dr Blackjack instead doing all the secret surgeries plus not having short term memory means everyone's secret is safe.

I have trouble fulling accepting the premise but let's see where the story goes with episode 2 and what seeds for the main mystery will be planted? Unmet is not really Memento in a hospital but I am hoping there is an interesting mystery to unravel instead of a story trying too hard to be touching to justify a premise.

Yakusoku 16 nenme no Shinjitsu Episodes 1+2

When she was young, Nakamura Anne's father was arrested for the serial murders of schoolgirls and was found guilty and died in prison. 16 years later, Nakamura Anne is a detective and asked to be transferred back to her hometown of Nozomino which became known as a cursed town and it is not long before someone is murdered along with marbles stuff in their mouth, the signature of the serial killer.

Yakusoku is pretty standard uncover mystery in rural town with Nakamura Anne having a circle of friends who were in this movie making club with a script which had a script that was never shot as the writer/director's sister was one of the victims. Of course every member of the club will have their own secret for Nakamura Anne to uncover from the dodgy taxi driver to daughter of big company.

Yakusoku feels a lot like Triangle, a mystery with the dorama starring Eguchi Yusuke and Hirosue Ryokyo that was so bad that I compare every generic murder mystery show to it. Also, is Yakusoku Nakamura Anne's first main role? She is the better actress compared Araki Yuko from Suits but is she main actress material? I also forgot to write about Suits S2.

The writing does not feel solid. Hayabusa Shobodan feels focused while Yakusoku feels like cliche after cliche. The director shot the series with this soft fuzzy and grainy filter, perhaps to mimick the look of film but does not do it well. The visual style or vocabulary for a dorama series is important and nothing visually in Yakusoku impressed me at all. You can see from the screenshots everything looks dull and boring. I know Yakusoku does not have the budget of Hayabusa Shobodan but this is inaka. I guarantee there are beautiful scenery out there. A lot of WOWOW shows will use the grainy look but there is something wrong with the camera and shots in Yakusoku.

As for Nakamura Anne's acting? There is a lack of conviction in her voice, especially the voice overs. Her character needs to be a bit more hard boiled, needs to be seen suspecting everyone and thinking in her head along with the audience as she uncovers more clues. Her character of Kiryu Aoi just doesn't have that presence.

While at this point it may seem like I hate Yakusoku is that I don't. The two episodes were not as bad as Triangle was. At least every character isn't saying 'that incident 16 years ago' for every scene. There is a revelation in relation to the script in episode 2 that makes the mystery more interesting. If not for the script revelation, I probably would have dropped the series straight away.

I don't dislike Yakusoku and most importantly I have not fast forwarded any scenes yet so it is not a meh but also not a watchable show. It is a by the numbers rural town mystery which I don't mind watching but my jdorama senses are telling me that it will turn out the be forgettable because the execution has been pretty bland. Thanks to Monchi for subbing.