Triangle ep 1

OMFG, where do I even begin? Let's talk casting; Eguchi Yosuke + Hirosue Ryoko = instant win! Its funny that Eguchi Yosuke seems like a different actor from when he was in Hitotsu Yane no Shita. I hope one day Harorangers will finish subbing Tobosha. After Hirosue Ryoko was seriously miscast in Yasuko to Kenji, I really want to see her in something good. Not concerned with Inagaki Goro since I haven't seen his other works which is pretty surprising, since I've seen so much of KimuTaku and Kusanagi Tsuyoshi stuff. He plays the earnest good guy detective who is more representative of the audience's viewpoint so there's not much acting required.

Mop Guy obviously disappointed no gaijin girls at the party.

How's this for supporting cast; Aibu Saki, Tanihara Shosuke aka Mop Guy and Sasaki Kuranosuke aka Mr Giragira. Not to forget Manpyo Daisuke from Karei naru Ichizoku who's probably played the father character to most of SMAP by now. This is freaking all star casting with acting abilities to boot. I was a bit concerned with the show's budget every time a new character showed up. If Hero proved anything, it was that big names + crap story and characters does not equal good show, despite what ratings say.

Hope this show erases Yasuko to Kenji from my memory.

I'm glad to say that the first episode of Triangle is good. The one show that is sort of similar to Triangle is Byakuyako, and that's a good thing. Triangle is a mystery dorama, about an murder that happened in the characters' childhood. I won't spoil anything here but suffice to say, nothing is what it seems. I thought I had the basic plot of the story figured out when I was watching episode one and was thinking of how they would make it interesting when at the end of it, they hit you with a revelation that throws any assumptions I had about the plot out the window.

WTF is that around her neck? Someone in wardrobe must pay!

A good first episode is one that hits you hard at the end and makes you come back for more. The truth doesn't matter as long as the journey to the end is exciting and there are no sacrifices in logic for the sake of story. I am trying to keep my expectations a bit low here because Bloody Monday pissed me off to no end. The more potential a jdorama has, the more I want to see it succeed. But then, this is the mystery genre which I think the Japanese are pretty good at with such shows as One Million Stars, Sleeping Forest, Midnight Rain and most recently, Scandal.

My what big eyes you have!

But WTF is Kita Yoshio in this show playing another cop after Scandal? I know he's a good actor and all but surely there are other 50+ actors out there. Who deserve and need work. Too much exposure is not a good thing. I know he usually rises above the supporting roles he plays but by seemingly appearing in every jdorama, he is in danger of being perceived as a prop and lose the ability to connect with the audience.

Yes, smoking is back in jdoramas! If 30% of Japanese smoke, 30% of jdorama characters should to!

Probably the best thing about Triangle is the revelation at the end of the first episode has made it more unpredictable and presents some interesting possible scenarios. Its all up to the writing to see whether the journey to the end of the mystery is an exciting one. I'm happy to give Triangle a go and so should you.

Don't worry, its not Eguchi Yosuke saying that line, or is it?

Yottsu no Uso eps 1-5

This is one of the shows I had on my 'to watch' list for a long time. I was waiting to see if more episodes were going to get subbed. Its not one of those very watched jdoramas and all the actresses are around 40. So after the sub for ep 5 came out, I figured that would be enough episodes to tell if the Yottsu no Uso was worth watching.

10 years since Aoi Tori and Nagasaku Hiromi still looks as good.

Since this show has older actresses, you can probably guess what predictable elements are in this show. Happily married woman who has affair played by Hada Michiko. Bored houswife played by Terajima Shinobu and career minded doctor played by Takashima Reiko. Hada Michiko unfortunately dies in the first 5 minutes of the first episode and she acts as the narrator. There's sort of a mystery around the circumstances of her death but it was pretty much ditched towards the end.

Hello nurse!

Terajima Shinobu's part as the housewife who is infatuated with the tutor is so freaking boring. Its suppose to be the funny part of the show but she's not even half as funny as Hasegawa Kyoko in Scandal. She's this utterly idiotic housewife acting like a schoolgirl with scenes completely lacking in humour. As for Takashima Reiko, she always acts the same in all her shows. She's ok as a supporting character in shows like KDO or Saitou-san but when she's one of three main characters asked to carry a show, its a big ask. Not to mention her story degenerates into a working woman fantasy porn. I'm referring to it as porn due to lack of chemistry and build up. Doesn't sound exciting does it? It seems so by the numbers.

This is the first show I can't think of where the mom is way hotter than the daughter.

Well, the main reason I wanted to watch this show was Nagasaku Hiromi. I've only seen her in Aoi Tori which came out 10 years ago and in the 1st episode of Last Present, a potentially good dorama which was only subbed for 1 episode. I've always wanted to see whether she could act. Any decent actress can play a supporting role as the childhood friend. Whether she can carry a dorama is the big question.

Brilliant shot of Nagasaku Hiromi as she sees something shocking at the end of ep 5.

And Nagasaku Hiromi doesn't disappoint. She plays Hara Shifumi, a woman is perceived as vile and cunning because she is good at using men. She works at a run down bookshop and struggles to make ends meet while taking care of her half senile father. She has a daughter from a broken marriage who mirrors her in character but unfortunately not in looks. Nagasaku Hiromi's portrayal of Shifumi is a joy to watch. She lives in the moment always searching for that little bit of happiness. She is poor and tries to get as much money from her former mother in law as possible. She realises the hopelessness of her situation with her father and daughter but cannot bear to part with them.


Suffice to say, two-thirds of the show is crap with Shifumi being the most developed and interesting character of the bunch. I just wish they'd cut out the other characters or shove them to the background. Shifumi is nowhere as bad as she thinks she is and its interesting watching her struggle with coming to terms with her feelings and reality. Shifumi's story would even make a great movie. Yottsu no Uso is supposed to be a study of 3 women at the peak of their lives and the choices they made in the past but only one turns out to be interesting.


I would not recommend Yottsu no Uso to anyway unless you have a thing for Nagasaku Hiromi like me. As you can see from the pictures, the camera loves her. They look like shots from a movie with a great cinematographer. Its like the cameraman puts extra effort into scenes. She's got those actress eyes that tell you all you need to know about her character. Episode 6 could get better when the stories and characters start to intertwine more. The show's title translate to 4 Lies so there should be some interesting revelations about the characters' past.

Kaze no Garden eps 1-7

First thing I noticed about this show besides the dedication to Ogata Ken was that it was in commemoration of 50 years of Fuji TV. The second thing was the camera work. Its not your typical still camera in generic studio set shots. Even the hospital sets look bigger, brighter and more real. Obviously signs that this has a higher budget than your average dorama. And this being the last jdorama by Ogata Ken (Ruri no Shima and Ai wa Doda) means its a must watch for me.

I dream of Kuninaka Ryoko saying that to me.

Kaze no Garden is basically the story of Shiratori sensei, played by Nakai Kiichi a doctor with a troublesome past who finds out that he has cancer and not long to live. Yup, this is the first dying main character dorama we've had in the last few years that does not star Sawajiri Erika and Nakai Kiichi is a much better actor than Erika sama. He is the kind of actor who doesn't need to overract to show his character's emotions.

Even a dying man can still get the women. :)

There's a side story in the beginning on a financial broker who is sick and Kuninaka Ryoko plays his daughter. I'm watching her acting going 'why is she always relegated to supporting roles?'. She certainly can act but she has not been given any challenging roles. She is certainly a better actress than Kuroki Meisa who plays Shiratori's daughter. Yes, Kuroki Meisa is in this show and is the reason I was hesitant about watching this. She doesn't stink up the join like Medaka but she still doesn't show me that she is an actress.

Who would dare do such a thing?!

Kuroki Meisa to me is like an overpushed Johnny. Stunt casting. A model pretending to be an actress without paying her dues by doing well as a supporting actress first. She tries hard is nowhere as bad as Fukada Kyoko or Ito Misaki but she just doesn't have the eyes that emote well. Her face is too stiff and I just can't help comparing her performance with Kuninaka Ryoko's as they both play daughters to estranged fathers. Even with Kuninaka Ryoko's crappy dialogue questioning Shiratori over what he said to her father, you can see the love of her character for her otousan and feel the connection. When Kuroki Meisa takes a walk with her father and they have their first real talk, there is a lack of connection. Nakai Kiichi saves it though, showing his character putting on a brave face while suppressing a gamut of emotions within.

Do you even have to ask?

I'm being too harsh on Kuroki Meisa but there's just something about her that makes it hard for me to enjoy her performance as the main actress. The worst offender in terms of acting would be the guy who plays the son of the bee keeper. OMFG, his overacting just stands out against the melancholy feel of Kaze no Garden.


Kaze no Garden is not for everyone. It is freaking slow. Its the type of story better suited to a movie format like Memories of Tomorrow. Too many unnecessary scenes. Its a low flame dorama but a well shot and well acted (for the most part) dorama. It does pick up after ep 5 when Shiratori finally meets up with his kids. You need to be in the right frame of mind to watch Kaze no Garden. You need to be in a mood for something that's very laid back. Forgot to mention that Hirahara Ayaka plays Shiratori's girlfriend and does a decent job at it. She reminds me of Tsu Chi with her doeful innocently seductive eyes. :) And its great to see the kid from Mukodono and Wedding Planner, two of my favourite jdoramas.

How can anyone in that right mind say yes to that?

In short, Kaze no Garden is not a must watch. The main reasons to watch it would be Nakai Kiichi's acting and Ogata Ken. The pacing is too slow but beautifully shot so its a very laid back dorama that's nice to look at.

Scandal eps 7-10

Scandal turned out to be a pretty fun show to watch. Regardless, of how shallow the characters were, the story more than made up for it. Actually I can't fault the characters for being not so developed. There are just too many characters and this is first and foremost a mystery dorama and the writer did a good job in terms of pacing and revelations. The truth is pretty simple but it was the masterful way the mystery was presented that gets my praise. Even the red herrings were not simple throwaway time wasting plot devices.



However, there is just one single issue in Scandal that really got on my nerves. In the last episode, after the truth was told and the cops came in, Suzuki Kyoka said in a voice over that there was one more big secret left to reveal. That got me bloody excited. All the episodes always had some cool revelation that always got me excited about the next episode.


Unfortunately, the last big 'revelation' turned out to be an explanation of the motivations behind Risako and Kukita's actions which comes nowhere close to being an okii no himitsu. Yeah, it seemed more like a lame device by the writer to get the audience to watch until the end for the ratings. It certainly worked, I was waiting for the big freaking reveal all the way to the end!


Besides the minor let down at the end, this was a fun show. It had all the usual themes of the 30+ woman doramas, being a housewife, cheating husband, kids blah blah but incorporating it into a well written mystery made it better than your average show. Definitely worth checking out.

Hitotsu Yane no Shita/Under the Same Roof eps 7-12

One of the memorable lines from the show which was used a few times...

What a wonderful dorama! Now I can finally cross Hitotsu Yane no Shita from my list of jdoramas I want to watch before I die. Taking its place on the list would be the dorama special and second season. If you're furstrated like me with crap like Bloody Monday, Hitotsu Yane no Shita will show you why the 90s was known as the golden age of jdoramas. A time when the stars could actually act and the writers knew how to pace stories and write melodorama without being too cheesy.

How can someone as utsukushi was her be samishii? Yes, I've been watching too much Musashi.

I'm glad that I've finally seen a good Sakai Noriko show, especially after the overly melodramatic Hoshi no Kinka series and chemistry lacking Mukodono 2003. Seija no Koushin was ok but nothing memorable. She absolutely glows in her role as Koyuki, the mother of the group and backbone of the family. She is the embodiment of the ideal woman from the 90s.

Oviously another kawaii line which is a favourite of Koyuki.

I love how the writer, Nojima Shinji builds up all the multiple plot threads, entwines them together in a beautiful climax at the end. It is a technique that the writer would also use in Golden Bowl, where all the stories that had been building up throughout the series were linked to the final game. Looking through Nojima Shinji's list of doramas that he wrote is like going through my top 10 dorama list; 101 Proposals, Kou Kou Kyoushi, Golden Bowl and Pride. Now that's a writing resume worth dying for. Thinking about it, the above shows have some of the best and memorable lines ever.

Tatsuya trying to spice things up a bit. :)

I'm glad they didn't try to milk the Tatsuya-Koyuki-Masaya triangle. Obviously someone watched Hitotsu Yane no Shita and decided that they could do a doramabased purely on milking a similar triangle. There are times especially with Masaya where the show felt like the beginning of a JAV featuring half siblings. They're completely not related and bloody hell even if Koyuki were my real sister I would be turned on by her just like Fumiya was when she was taking his clothes off.

One of the plot threads which I'm glad that wasn't developed further.. or maybe not..

The ending might be a tad cheesy but I didn't care. It was the end of the journey for the characters that had grown on me throughout the 12 episodes. As long as the characters felt real, the audience will see it through to the end. The multiple endings was too much but I guess they were part of the deleted scenes from the laser disc rip. I think the rooftop scene was probably the best ending and hopefully the one they showed on tv.


The main reason I always wanted to watch Hitotsu Yane no Shita was to answer the question of which is the best family jdorama ever? This or Oyaji? Right now I can't even think. I am in the euphoria of having watched a jdorama worth watching again. I don't think I can even choose between the two. Both shows are perfect examples of the greatness of jdoramas and the sad thing is that I very seriously doubt we'll ever see anything as good anytime soon. This is a jdorama that any self respecting fan must have in their dvd collection.

Medaka

I did not take any interest in Medaka when the subs came out. I had seen Mimura in the Ima Ai ni Yukimasu dorama and she did not catch my attention. It was definitely the dorama's fault though, trying to stretch a movie into a 10 episode dorama, especially when the movie was more about the twist than character exploration. Then of course, she blew me away as Mano-san in Saitou-san. Her performance as the timid suburban housewife who idolised Saitou-san was something I couldn't picture any other actress doing. She had this ability to play the nice, naive girl without making her look stupid.


My chance came when Medaka was chosen as jdorama of the week and I could not miss the opportunity. Medaka however sat in my HD for a long time, until today when I was desperately searching for something enjoyable to watch to cleanse the bitter taste of Bloody Monday. I needed a show to restore my faith in jdoramas and unfortunately the subs for OL Nippon seemed to have stopped.

Pretty sure I've seen fencing girl before but can't remember which dorama...

Mimura plays the title character, Medaka who teaches at a night school, ie a high school where classes are held at night for people who are unable to go to regular schools for one reason or another. Basically its very similar to Kinpachi sensei with Medaka helping her students with their various problems except that her students are underdogs of society. I think I didn't want to watch the show in the beginning cause I thought nothing could top Jyoou no Kyoushitsu and had no desire to see another teacher dorama.

Medaka wouldn't be as fun without these two..

Because the students are not your typical bunch, ie a hostess, salaryman, florist, socially inept kid etc, this automatically makes them more interesting than a bunch of kids with too much chemiclas in their hair pretending to be cool. Plus, we don't get any stunt casting ie people who cannot act with the sole exception of Kuroki Meisa. OMFG is she bad. I didn't really notice it in One Pound gospel with Kame stinking up the whole show and I was too pissed off their screwed up another Takahashi Rumiko adaptation but her acting is rigid, emotionless and unnatural. They should have given the three girls a chance to show what they can do. Not even Kuroki Meisa's constant showing of her long legs can distract me from the abomination that is her acting. I'm just happy that she was only majorly featured in only one episode.

There's something about Mimura's smile that makes her characters endearing.

Medaka is pretty similar to Mano-san in that she wears her heart on her sleeves. She is very driven but is not too preachy unlike many jdorama teachers. She always second guesses herself and thinks she's to blame for everything but is not afraid to try. Most importantly, she is a joy to watch. Mimura has the 'it' factor. The screen presence and ability to play a goody character without making her look stupid. It is because the emotions that Medaka experiences seem real and connect with the audience.

Sakai Wakana and the drunk ojisan from Densha. Come to think of it, he's always playing alcoholics in jdoramas.

The supporting cast is superb. Even though I'm sick to death of Kita Yoshio, once again he played his part well. Watching Medaka, I realised why Kinpachi sensei is always better than crap like Gokusen. Its because kids aren't idols so they cast according to talent while high school shows are just a stupid excuse to feature Johnnys. Medaka's stories are nothing that we have not seen before but the execution is excellent.


The episodes are mostly stand alone stories with some side stories weaved throughout the series. Medaka starts of slow but picks up around the 3rd episode. The middle episodes are superbly heart warming and fun to watch until we get to the Kuroki Meisa story in episode 8. She certainly does not dress like a teenager whose parents are in serious debt. Her fake smiles really poisoned that episode. I know she's supposed to be a model but ffs couldn't they have dressed her down for her role? Why did she have to wear diamond earrings and shit. If you're playing a poor character, look poor. And not do a half hearted job at it like the guy from Celeb to Binbo.


Episode 8 is also bad because the big reveal about Shiina's past is super lame. I think they must have run out of scenerios for teachers with a dark past. The reason for his brooding and mental anguish is just too laughably bad. The only silver lining is that luckily it was in Kuroki Meisai's episode so that out of 11 episodes, only one is unwatchable. The last two episodes weren't as exciting as I had hoped but by then, I had become so enamoured with the characters that I just wanted to watch them complete their journey. I really enjoyed the side story between Sudo Riso's hostess and Oyamada, the part timer. Side stories are great for filling up space for pacing, comedy and the little payoffs make jdoramas more watchable.

Sato Megumi in a small cameo in the end. I want Medaka 2 as long as she's in it!

So how good is Medaka? I wouldn't say its must watch. Kuroki Meisa obviously did a lot of damage. Its definitely close to must watch, especially for the acting but some parts that were a bit slow do take some points away, especially at the end. Probably the most succinct comment I can give Medaka is this; if you like Mimura in Saito-san, Medaka is must watch.

Bloody Monday ep 5

WARNING: The following review contains a lot of cursing and swearing. Apologies for not being able to express my disgust eloquently.

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! This show just makes me want to scream in frustration. With Giragira, though there were frustrating bits, there were enjoyable parts as well. With Bloody Monday, it just gets worse and worse. Take for example the terrorists bringing Fujimaru to the cafe. For what purpose? They think he's going to willingly join them? A whole elaborate set up in a diner for the boss to show his face to Fujimaru? What sort of idiotic terrorist is J? Don't you have lots of things to do before Bloody Monday?

Fujimaru the hostage boy and his sister and Fujii Mina are hostage girls. Who hasn't been held hostage yet?

I can accept J's revelation is sort of necessary for the plot but it was an absolutely time wasting scene. Even worse is the infiltration/stand off. Where the fuck are the fucking snipers? FFS if you have cameras zooming in on J, you can have fucking snipers. Ready to shoot down terrorists who are planning to launch a viral bomb on Japan. If I were Goro's boss, I'd fire his fucking ass for his fucking incompetance. Please excuse my language as I'm just getting more pissed off as I type this.

At least we have a cute terrorist.

We're not just talking some stupid organisation who just declares they want to terrorise on a whim. They've done stuff before and proved they are a huge threat. This is suppose to be super serious, national emergency type stuff. If they didn't want to kill J just wound him. Shoot his fucking legs from across the building FFS. And the stand off. OMFG. Just shoot them already. FFS the innocent bystanders are separated from the terrorists so just shoot them to hell. WTF cares about Fujimaru's life in the compared to the threat? Or even when they pushed Fujimaru to the floor? Shoot to kill. Sort bodies later. Or when the lone terrorist shoots back and there's no Third-I to shoot back. Aren't they supposed to have their guns aimed at the terrorists.


The whole event of taking Fujimaru hostage, walking to entrance, pushing him down and solo guy firing with Third-I agents hiding doesn't make sense. Someone deserves to be shot more than J and that is whoever wrote or shot the fucking sequence of events. Third-I was standing near the entrance and all of a sudden they're hiding in the other end of the cafe. Lets not talk about the van and butterfly guy firing random shots. Third-I is the most fucking incompetant anti-terrorist squad in the world. Goro is a fuckwit and all he knows to do is to scream in everyone's earpiece.

I don't know about Ashina Sei but if I were going to a shoot out, I would at least make sure my hair doesn't get in the way of my vision.

And wtf is up with the I can't even spare 10 minutes to see my fiancee bullshit? Its not like he has got a fucking lead and even second counts. Are we suppose to fell sorry for his fucking fake I don't have time cause I'm having meetings and wallowing in self pity bullshit? WTF put Goro in charge of Third-I anyway? He has shown no leadership skills and has done nothing of note except being able to see the code in Fujimaru's sms. Even then, he failed to act in ep 4 which I grumbled about in ep 4.


Its almost as bad as Fujimaru's stupid 'why didn't you try to negotiate with terrorist' bullshit. The lame ass answer by Ikuma is worse. 'Cause Goro is fighting with himself'???!!!!!! WTF wrote that piece of shit line????? The writers need to go back to school. I was screaming at the screen. "Cause you DO NOT negotiate with fucking lying terrorists you fucking imbecile of a hacker! Cause the country's safety comes first. You want to fucking trust terrorists who want to kill everyone? Are you insane?" I just want to beat Fujimaru's stupid idiotic face up. And seriously why did Fujii Mina have to tell Fujimaru's friends about the terrorist thing? Shouldn't there be an information lockdown to prevent mass panic?

Not even Ashina Sei is special enough to save Bloody Monday.

Every good guy on this show is an idiot. If the terrorists weren't so lame with all the posturing, I would root for them. Writing about Bloody Monday is bad for my blood pressure. I can turn a blind eye to the flaws in Giragira because its a lower budget show and only had 8 episodes. But not for a big production like Bloody Monday. Someone should seriously tie the writers up and force them to watch 24, the Negotiator, Bourne and other shows with competent cops/FBI/CIA etc and see how they are suppose to act. I can't believe that one of the writers actually wrote the whole Trick series (one of my favs ever). Bloody Monday could actually end up being worse than Rondo and that's saying a lot. The more crappy cop/terrorist/action shows that Japane churns out, the higher I place Gonzo on a pedestal. SIgh, if only Harorangers continued subbing Runaway.

Giragira eps 5-8

If only I had better writers....

Giragira can be a frustrating series to watch. Like in ep 5 when Hideyoshi falls hard like a cement block in water for Yuna. Can't really blame him but for someone who's suppose to have real life experience and hates liars, Hideyoshi's ignorance towards Yuna's motives is just unbearable. Not to mention that there was no build up and all of a sudden Hideyoshi is getting himself in all sorts of trouble for Yuna. It would have worked if during the course of the series, he is the only one who notices that Yuna may not be that happy with Taisei, ie he catches glimpses of when she lets her wall down. Even then, he would still need to be cautious towards her.

Angel at the doorway to heaven...

It is basically creating a relationship out of thin air in the middle of the series just to advance the plot. There should be more foreshadowing of the Hideyoshi-Yuna thing, not to mention Hideyoshi only came into the series after the first few episodes. I can accept Kohei running around as our idealistic super host but when even he was wary of Yuna, that makes Hideyoshi an idiot who's unbearable to watch.

Hello thighs!

There are parts of Giragira that I love besides Ashina Sei. The whole family man by day, super host by night is fun. Watching him use his host skills to reassure his wife is funny.The whole idea of host battles just remind me of Yakuza/Ryuuga gotoku. Only Japanese shows can overdramatised any profession and make exciting. It would have been better if the show had shades of grey instead of black and white ideas of right and wrong but it would have been workable if they had put more thought and planning into the plot.

Looks like Umemiya Masako's career is really going nowhere. At least she was in the most memorable scene in Golden Bowl.

It is bloody unfortunate Ashina Sei is not in the last two episodes. They should have spread her story over the series and made in part of the climax. Instead we get some crappy actor playing Taisei's kid who acts like a girl. Like the part where he shouts at his dad and runs of. Its so laughably bad. And Kohei's decision at the end on what to do with the evidence was pushing the realms of logic. I just wish it were a calculated risk on Kohei's part to force Taisei to become enemies with the yakuza guy prevent Rink from becoming a target of retribution.

Nakanaide Ashina Sei!

My biggest dissappointment is probably the climax being a whimper instead of a bang. Momoko finding about Kohei's job through her brother was so anti-climatic. We need a scene where she catches him in a comprimising position with a client! The cue running away, Kohei not being able to abandone client, she turns around and his not there, blah blah blah, to be continued. Instead we get a boring table conversation. Without the eye candy, Giragira is a failure. But with Hara Mikie and lots of Ashina Sei until ep 6 and not to mention cameos from Umemiya Masako and Mitsuya Yoko, I'll have to cautiously recommend this show just for the girls.