Made in Japan

I bloody miss Japan. So much fun, I didn't want to leave. One would think I would get bored after 4 trips but it just gets better and better every time. Got to get back to reality and the reality is that I've got so much to catch up on in terms of doramas and movies. Haven't even touched my games yet except for Project Diva F. Finished a few series and the first one I want to talk about is Made in Japan. Really didn't think this would get subbed and it was going to hard to watch raw but subie06 came to the rescue.

WHAT I LIKED

- Very revelant dorama about Japan's place in the manufacturing world. In the 80s, when something was made in Japan, that meant it was of high quality. People would scoff at products made in China. Nowadays, everything seems to be made in China and Korea.

- Very real in the sense of these companies and people hanging onto the past and not seeing the future. I like the exchange when Kakinuma questions the meaning of 'made in Japan' and Yanagi can't even give him a straight answer. Kakinuma should have attacked his stupid reply.

- The reveal at the end of the first episode was awesome.

- I like the jab at the Chinese company not being as concerned about defects but if Microsoft can get away with selling known defective consoles than so should they. Its all about percentage of defects against warranty/potential legal costs vs profits anyway.

- Great cast. NHK usually casts well.

- Ultimately it is a dorama about Japan.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

- Lacking in detail and too much melodrama. Didn't mind the melodrama but with 3 episodes only, I wanted to see more nitty gritty stuff. There's this team of underdogs story but we don't really see how they go about their jobs/specialties except for when they report back to their boss, Yahagi. A few minutes of the guy in Europe trying to find a partner or the M&A lawyer going over some points of the proposal with Yahagi. The company lawyers briefing the team about the potential lawsuit.

For me business dramas are like criminal dramas. The fascination for me is about procedures. How people get things done. Every single step to solving a problem.

- Too much of a fairytale ending.

SUMMARY

Really wanted this to be a must watch. I would say with its short length and relevance to Japan today, its a can't miss. As a dorama, it falls short of Hagetaka but I do encourage everyone to check it out.