Yuganda Hamon jdorama review

2019 was a really good year in jdoramaland. We had KDO2, Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen, Dakara watashi wa Oshimashita, Mukai no Bazuru Kazoku, Saka no Tochuu no Ie, Kabukicho Bengonin Rinka and now I have to add Yuganda Hamon to this list. I can't believe I did not pay attention to jdorama with Yamaguchi Sayaka and Mimura in it!

There are 3 main characters in Yuganda Hamon. Firstly, Matsuda Ryuhei is a newspaper reporter who is given a scoop by his sempai Kirino. However, it turns out that the scoop was false and Matsuda Ryuhei had made a false accusation in the newspaper.

The 2nd character Mitazono played by Matsuyama Kenichi went to the same university as  Matsuda Ryuhei. He now runs a online news portal. 

The 3rd character Aiga, a retired reported who was a colleague of Matsuda Ryuhei whose final remaining friend commits suicide and he wants to find out what drove his friend to do that.

The first few episodes of Yuganda Hamon are really, really slow. I did think of dropping it because everything was moving at a snail's pace setting up the 3 characters. I started to get really invested in the characters around episode 4 and I finished the show in no time.

Yuganda Hamon is a story about truth in journalism. When reporters are rushing to get a scoop without double and triple checking their facts, innocent people will get hurt. In today's world fake news can lead to death and people doing stupid things.

Yuganda Hamon made me think about the value of news. How newspapers and online news portals have to survive in today's age of internet. How websites can pass of vague or marketing articles as news and click bait titles are everyone. Boring actual in depth news does not generate the same amount of interest.

I have to commend the writer Mukai Kosuke for writing a complex story about media and trust. Yuganda Hamon is a very relevant show for today's world. 

I don't hate the ending but I don't love it either. Still I am in awe of the writing of the series and can easily see myself rewatching Yuganda Hamon and taking in all the dialogue again. Must watch and thanks to Gabrielmpf for subbing! Just get through the slow first few episodes and once it gets going, Yuganda Hamon is a reminder that all you need is a good script and actors to make something great.

Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre

 

Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre has Nagisa Sekizu working at her uncle's batting centre where Nakamura Toru turns up at the behest of her uncle because he has the ability to tell people's problems by watching their swing and using his baseball theory to solve their problem.

So every episode we have Nakamura Toru magically solving the problem of the female guest star's character and when I say magically I mean he transports everyone to a baseball game to face their problem.

The gimmick of this series is that every episode also has a Japanese Professional Baseball star but all that is lost on me.

Its a feel good easy to watch half hour series starring the actress you get when you can't afford Hirose Alice.

I really like the opening and ending songs though. Its been a while since I have not skipped the opening and credits sections in a jdorama. Now I need to find more CreepHyp songs.

I wish I had gone to a batting centre in Japan more than once.

If you want some light and easy chicken soup for your jdorama soul then Hachigatsu wa Yoru no Batting Centre might be for you. Thanks to edwardwong for subbing. Watchable.

Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? Episodes 1~5

To watch Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? you need to accept a premise. The premise is that a man can be married to Matsumoto Marika for 5 years and not have sex with her.

I know that is scientifically impossible to have a sexless marriage with Matsumoto Marika but sometimes you need an impossible premise to set things up.

Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? is yet another affair jdorama. It feels very similar to Ukiwa with a more realistic, natural visual style and a sexless marriage with both parties potentially having an affair each.

What kept me watching was that Matsumoto Marika and Ikeuchi Hiroyuki. I think both of them are really good supporting actors who deserve to be playing leading roles.

In the case of Ikeuchi, I have been watching him since GTO and I really liked his recent performances in Siren no Zange and 24 Japan.  

Through the five episodes, it has not been a very exciting. Matsumoto Marika is getting involved with a young colleague who lacks people skills and likes wearing a face mask while Ikeuchi Hiroyuki meets up with old flame played by Wakana Sakai.

I am hoping that Soredemo Ai wo Chikaimasu ka? will take an exciting turn next episode because I am not sure which way the story will go. For fans of the actors only. Thanks to geo9875 for subbing. 

Bank Over! Shijou Saijyaku no Gotou

The Kamishiraishi sisters are taking over jdoramaland! Not that I am complaining. 

Bank Over! is a hilarious two parter dorama special and if you just want to laugh for 1 1/2 hours, this is the show for you.

Bank Over! is about a bank robbery turned hostage situation where everyone may not be who we think they are. Especially the these two Sunejibians who I find very interesting.

I want to say Hakamada Yoshihiko is perfect as the dodgy detective. Him playing sleazy villains is pure comedic gold. I want to see him get his just desserts but I do not dislike his overacting. If there is someone who is essential to this show, its him.

Give it a watch for feel good laughter and thanks to Penagihdrama for subbing! I was hesitant to check this out but now I am glad I did. Watchable!

Shinhannin Flag episodes 1~3

Shinhannin Flag is a rather interesting show with Nishijima Hidetoshi as the father of a seemingly happy family of 4 who one day discovers that his wife and children have inexplicably vanished.

 

There's no ransom note and they could not have possibly vanished because of family violence. Nishijima seeks help from his old friend who works at magazine and his case goes viral and he gets attached from various people.

 

While Shinhannin flag is exciting because its the everyman getting caught up in scary situation story, there are a couple of reg flags.

First is that this is the every single supporting character acts suspiciously and because they are overtly suspicious, they are most guaranteed to be red herrings so enjoyment of the show is dependent on what the true reveal is.

Second of all, this is an NTV show and they did something similar with Anata no Ban Desu which started off as an interesting whodunnit mystery and just kept dragging and I did not care to keep watching. I have a feeling it might happen in this one.

I like Yoshine Kyoko (Konto ga Hajimaru) as Ninomiya, the ace of the call centre for the transport company that Nishijima works at and I hope it does not turn into Anata no Ban Desu. Watchable with decent probability of dragging.

I don't like jdorama spin offs

 

Something has been happening in jdoramaland and that is spin offs. I'm not sure when this started but many shows like Ukiwa Tomodachi Ijou Furin Miman  have spawned the spin off Ukiwa Tanin Ijou Tomodachi Miman and they seem to be increasing.

I would imagine one day a producer was thinking since we already have a B team shooting supporting stuff for a dorama, why not extend the shooting time and create a side dorama and the tv station can cheaply fill up another 20 minutes of tv time?

I think this is a bad idea because side stories are very important to jdoramas. The side characters keep the audience from being bored with the main characters. The side characters don't have as much depth but they get to say and do things the main characters cannot.

I am afraid that writers might leave stuff off the main story and save them for the side because watching Tanin Ijou Tomodachi Miman, there is nothing really there to do. On the other hand, some people might not mind because they get to see more of their supporting characters and this gives them more acting practice.

I think I have only tried another spinoff, can't remember which but I don't like where this is going. It could be harmless and there is no need to watch them but I feel like the resources should be concentrated on the main story.

Omameda Towako to San-nin no Moto Otto Episodes 1~7

I was excited about Omameda Towako to San-nin no Moto Otto. After all, it is written by Sakamoto Yuji who wrote Soredemo Ikite Yuku, Quartet, Last Christmas etc. Sakamoto Yuji is a national treasure.

Omameda Towako and her 3 former husbands is a comedy about Matsu Takako the president of a housing company and her 3 exes who somehow can't leave her alone. 

The first is the father of her child who doesn't act like a father, the second is a cameraman and the third is a lawyer who still works with Towako.  

I wanted to like this show and I tried for 7 episodes but I bloody dislike the 3 husbands. I find them annoying and don't find them funny at all. I don't see why Towako married any of them and I don't see why she tolerates them at all.

The second thing that bugs me about Omameda Towako is Matsu Takako's cheeks. I know 99.9% of faces in jdoramas are plastic but Matsu Takako's cheeks are approaching Nagoshi Toshihiro's (former Sega executive) level of puffiness.

I didn't really notice it in Quartet but I every time I see Matsu Takako I just look at the cheeks. I don't understand where the beauty is on plastic faces. Its just unrealistic and distracting.

I might try to finish it since there are 3 episodes left but I gave it a shot and it was just meh for me. I know there is more to Sakamoto Yuji's dialogue but my dislike for the characters is blocking me from appreciating them.

Omameda Towako to San-nin no Moto Otto is still worth giving it a shot but meh from me.

Mushoboke Episodes 1~3

Mushoboke is about a former yakuza Jinnai who was released after 14 years in prison and is trying to acclimatise with the outside world. 

 

Jinnai Sousuke had great dreams of what his life would be after prison but now he has to pay for plastic bags, no one is cared of his tattoos anymore and he has discovered smart phones and youtubers.

Jinnai is also prison dumb keeps having conversations with this prison guard who wants to keep him from going back to prison.

The first episode started out slow and the second and third episodes got more interesting especially the end of episode 3.

Mushoboke is a comedy about people about the bottom rung of society struggling to get by and the 3 episodes brought me some laughs and feel good moments. 

Really good start and fingers crossed it keeps up. If you want a comedy that's a bit different, try Mushoboke. Watchable. Thanks to keroro4 for subbing.

Solomon no Gishou Episodes 1+2

In 2015 I watched the 2-parter Solomon's Perjury and didn't really like it. Apparently there is something about the plot I didn't like (can't remember the movies at all) and I wrote that it would have worked better as a 4 part WOWOW dorama.

6 years later and here we are with a WOWOW dorama version of Solomon no Gishou starring Kamishiraishi Moka.

The story is about a boy who the police deemed at committed suicide but an anonymous letter claims that he was actually killed and the show is about Kamishiraishi Moka trying to find out what actually happened while dealing with various parties who are less interest in the truth than their own interests.

Very good WOWOW production as usual, looks very movie-like. I am glad I remember nothing from the movies. 

I also want to say, I can't remember the last time I say a teenager jdorama with featuring someone with pimples. Teenagers are supposed to be awkward and pimply!

I am in all the way and I hope that WOWOW will fix my problems with the movies. Thanks to aoinousagi for subbing. Watchable if you want a dark story about a school incident with a lot of not nice people.