Preview of "Gekkan Matsuzaka Toori" - Autumn 2024

Title: Gekkan Matsuzaka Toori / 月刊松坂桃李

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official YouTube: here

O.A. Start Date: 20 October 2024

Timeslot: Monthly at 9pm (20 Oct / 17 Nov / 15 Dec 2024)

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Cast: Matsuzaka Toori

Preview of "Omusubi" - NHK morning drama (2024)

Title: Omusubi / おむすび

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 30 September 2024

Timeslot: Mondays to Saturdays at 8am

Broadcast by: NHK

Theme Song: "Illumination" by B'z

Narrator: Lily Franky

Cast: Hashimoto Kanna, Naka Riisa, Sano Hayato, Asou Kumiko, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Kitamura Yukiya, Matsudaira Ken etc.

Quick Review #69: Warau Matoryoushika - Summer 2024

Title: Warau Matoryoushika / 笑うマトリョーシカ

Rating: 9 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like a good suspense drama which will keep you guessing right till the end and are fans of the cast especially Mizukawa Asami and Sakurai Sho

WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead!

Liked:

- It's been a while since I encountered a drama where time flew by so fast -  each episode ended in no time because it was so engaging and there was so much to see and think about. The one-week wait for the next episode was so "painful" but this is precisely what a drama series should be able to achieve or else people wouldn't return for the next episode. In this sense, credit goes to the scriptwriter and/or the original novelist who were really skillful at maintaining the viewers' interest and kept people coming back for more. 

While I have not read the original novel, it appears that there were some parts which differed slightly from the novel based on social media posts. And since those who had read the novel seemed largely positive about this drama, it seems to suggest that the crew and cast did a good job with this adaptation.

- Some parts of the story touched on pretty touchy and controversial issues like discrimination, sidelining of underprivileged groups or the minority, psychological control and manipulation of supposedly weak-minded people which would typically be seen in dramas from WOWOW or Netflix. As such, for TBS to do this was somewhat unusual but a pleasant surprise for me. Since the story didn't try too hard to preach or take an obvious side, there was room for viewers to consider the issues and form their own views on these topics.

- While Sakurai Sho did not have a lot of airtime in the middle of the story (perhaps linked to his on-site reporting of the Paris Olympics for NTV?), he really delivered a fantastic performance as Seike Ichiro. The true self hidden behind that smiling face sent shivers down my spine and you definitely have to check out the two showdown/confrontation scenes he had with Suzuki Toshiya (Tamayama Tetsuji) slightly past the midway mark and Michiue Kanae (Mizukawa) in the finale which were especially brilliant. 

From the beginning, I had the theory that Seike could not have been manipulated by the people around him and would do a total reversal by the end because that would be the most exciting outcome contrary to everything happening as expected. This was despite the story leading everyone into believing that he was being controlled by the people closest to him with ill intentions. As such, the final revelation wasn't a surprise to me at all but the way he talked about his planned revenge on all those who tried to manipulate was so chilling as if he was totally detached from the situation and looking it from outside.

For those who have doubts about Sakurai's acting, I have to admit that the level of satisfaction I get from watching him can vary and that's coming from a longtime Arashi fan who you may think would be biased towards him to begin with. Even so, I still cannot say that every performance he had put up over the years was top-notch. Personally, I've always thought that he excelled at playing roles with dual personalities or with a slightly more serious touch especially the kind/good persona hiding the dark self so it's not surprising that my top 3 favourites of his roles to date would be "Tengoku ni ichiban chikai otoko", "Kazoku Game" and now, this drama. 

While I don't think that Sakurai can't do other genres at all, there are indeed some limitations which do prevent people from thinking of him as a versatile actor and his image gets in the way at times. Nonetheless, I thought that "Daibyouin Senkyo" was a welcome change and a good attempt to do something different since it allowed him to do some action scenes despite his lack of an athletic image to date (you would known why if you had watched "VS Arashi"). Unfortunately, the second series was kinda disappointing because the novelty from the first series couldn't be replicated in the sequel. This time though, I'm glad to say that Sakurai managed to hit jackpot with Seike so he should really consider doing more serious roles in future, if possible or at least those which doesn't make him try too hard to fit the role. And not always having to take on the lead role would be a good direction to take as seen from this example.

- Mizukawa really carried the story well as Michiue on both the professional and personal fronts. While I do feel that Michiue's actions at times were too reckless and put people around her at risk unnecessarily, I can also see her character's conviction to seeking the truth and justice. Likewise, she also managed to show Michiue's struggle of how to balance work with family commitments in a convincing manner.

The chemistry she had with Sakurai was also evident here since they played a married couple before in the "Pikanchi" movies. There was this unmistakable tension between their characters which had some suggestion of romantic sparks at times (deliberate misleading in the plot though). However, the multi-level complexity displayed in the story reflected the complicated relationship between Seike and Michiue in the story because it was hard to set a clear definition for them - neither friends nor enemies. As such, it was such a joy to watch their onscreen interaction in this drama.

Disliked: 

- One thing I didn't quite like was how quick and short the Seike backstory was presented. It was like over in no time in the final episode which consisted mainly of a monologue by Seike to explain how he came to realise that everyone was using him for their selfish goals and he plotted to turn the tables on them. I would have wanted to see more of him showing how he felt and the conflicting emotions he had as he wondered why he was doing this and what kind of outcome was he ultimately after. A bit too little and too late.

- Getting Takaoka Saki to play Sakurai Sho's mother was something of a double-edged sword. In reality, Takaoka is just 10 years older than Sakurai so for her to play his mother did bother me a little as compared to those who may not know this fact. Then again, the story depicted Hiroko as a woman who looked very beautiful and youthful despite being in her 60s so in that sense, Takaoka definitely fits the bill in terms of appearance. Just that fact gets into the way of fiction in this case.

- Although the storyline shifted to 5 years later at the end, there was hardly any noticeable difference especially when it comes to the appearance of the characters. Perhaps more needs to be done to make the distinction more apparent?

Preview of "Sora wataru kyoushitsu" - Autumn 2024

Title: Sora wataru kyoushitsu / 宙わたる教室

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 October 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Total number of episodes: 10

Original novel by: Iyohara Shin

Theme Song: "Break out of your bubble" by Little Glee Monster

Cast: Kubota Masataka, Kobayashi Toranosuke, Ito Aoi, Gau, Tanaka Tetsushi, Kimura Fumino, Konno Ayaka, Nakano On,  Nakamura Aoi, Asa Tatsumi, Issey Ogata etc.

Preview of "Oichi fushigi gatari" - Summer 2024

Title: Oichi fushigi gatari / おいち不思議がたり

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 1 September 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 6.45pm

Broadcast by: NHK

Original novel by: Asano Atsuko

Total number of episodes: 8

Cast: Aoi Wakana, Kudo Asuka, Hayama Shono, Zaizen naomi, Takashima Masahiro, Tamaki Hiroshi etc. 

Guest lineup: Enoki Takaaki, Abe Shinnosuke, Omi Toshinori, Masu Takeshi, Hirano Kinari, Ginpuncho & Suga Kenta

Quick Review #68: Grand Maison Tokyo - Autumn 2019

Title: Grand Maison Tokyo / グランメゾン東京

Rating: 9 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like cooking-themed stories or inspirational tales of pursuing excellence and success + who are fans of the star-studded cast

Liked:

- The authenticity and high quality of the production were very evident as seen from the set design, props used, dishes presented and the cinematography. The before-and-after transformation of the main set for Grand Maison Tokyo was simply breathtaking (kudos goes to the set designer and art director) since it looked no more than a dark warehouse and looked so welcoming, bright and comfortable after the renovation. The furniture, equipment and furnishings used inside definitely looked professional and of high quality - the kitchen equipment were sponsored by Fujimak Corporation. Having location shooting done at places like the Michelin 3-star L'Ambroisie in Paris, the French embassy and Maison Paul Bocuse in Tokyo coupled with having skilful and famous chefs do the culinary design and supervision of the dishes definitely raised the overall standard of the drama. Even the cast looked very convincing in the cooking scenes, thanks to the training and practice put in for their roles. Last but not least, you might have to avoid watching this when you are hungry because the dishes looked so delicious on screen. 

- While the story itself wasn't that groundbreaking in terms of its overall direction i.e. the pursuit for excellence by a group of underdogs, this drama had a number of key differentiating factors that made it more inspirational and engaging to watch.

First of all, there had been a tendency for dramas starring Kimura Takuya to be more focused on his character alone so everyone else in the supporting roles were sort of relegated to the sidelines. That was a constant complaint in the past when his dramas had a very strong supporting lineup but everyone became so "unimportant" in Kimura's presence (at least on screen). However, this drama emphasized the importance of teamwork and how everyone playing their parts helped to contribute to the success of the restaurant just like how all elements of the 10-course meal, service, deco, cutlery and overall dining experience matter as to whether a restaurant would earn a Michelin star. It was also good that the story did not try to put Kimura's character Obana as the actual/official leader of the team since it was more meaningful and memorable for Obana to be a "supporter" rather than a "leader" so that the team could shine and be able to survive on its own even without Obana around.

Secondly, I really liked how they designed Suzuki Kyoka's character Hayami Rinko as an equal to Obana Natsuki (Kimura Takuya) rather than her depending on him all the time to achieve success at the end. The growth of her character throughout the story and how she was holding up against him despite her own insecurities and his overpowering talent and obnoxious character (at times) were really gratifying to watch. It was also a great decision not to force a loveline for their characters although it was obvious they liked and respected each other as professional chefs.

Last but not least, the story didn't try too hard in making the journey to success for Grand Maison Tokyo so smooth-sailing that it looked unrealistic. While there were obvious obstacles like how a new restaurant would struggle to gain a following and critical acclaim for their food, there were hiccups like hidden adversaries, a team with members who had issues with Obana for various reasons and people changing sides which helped to add a bit of unpredictability for the story. Although achieving Michelin stars was seen as the goal for this story, I think it was good that the story also slightly touched on what happens after you reach the finish line i.e. you may lose sleep over trying to maintain the stars and/or trying to outdo yourself and the competitors OR you simply lose sight of what you should do or originally wanted to do.

Disliked: 

- As someone who has very little knowledge and experience with French fine dining, the theme of this drama can alienate those who are like me in this respect. While it was helpful for the drama to explain the key and basic facts of French fine dining and breakdown the ingredients used in the dishes, the information flashed by so quickly on screen and some explanations could be difficult to understand without some prior knowledge. Besides, I am not the type who's very adventurous with food so the thought of using exotic meats or unfamiliar ingredients in French fine dining was a bit of a turnoff for me at times. The desserts did look quite intriguing and appealing to me though.

- At the same time, the story can also be difficult to understand or identify with because of the reason or rationale for being so focused on achieving the Michelin stars. From my perspective at least, I find that so-called objective assessments of a restaurant's quality or the taste of dishes are still very much subjected to personal tastes and preferences and bias in sampling (since Michelin does not visit every restaurant in the city in the first place) so it's not as fair as it may seem. And since food is something that's very subjective to one's tastes, I don't really rely on food reviews to tell me whether I should go and try something. At most, such reviews serve as an information source for me to know what's out there for me to try. As such, whether you agree with or appreciate this pursuit of Michelin stars as something worthwhile or meaningful may affect how much you feel about this story. For me, the significance of this goal was slightly lost on me so this part of the story didn't quite resonate with me.

Preview of "Chaser Game W2 Utsukushiki tennyotachi" - Summer 2024

Title: Chaser Game W2 Utsukushiki tennyotachi / チェイサーゲームW2 美しき天女たち

Official website: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 19 September 2024

Timeslot: Thursdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Matsuyama Hiroshi

Cast: Sugai Yuka, Nakamura Yurika, Chise, Kikuchi Himena, Hanayanagi Nozomi, Hoshino Nao & Kurotani Tomoka

Preview of "Owari ni mita machi" (Drama SP)

Title: Owari ni mita machi / 終りに見た街

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Date: 21 September 2024 at 9pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original novel by: Yamada Taichi

Cast: Ooizumi Yo, Yoshida Yo, Oku Tomoya, Touma Ami, Imaizumi Otoya, Kamiki Ryuunosuke, Nishida Toshiyuki, Hashizume Isao, Katsuji Ryo, Mita Yoshiko & Tsutsumi Shinichi

Netflix, the market disruptor in the Japanese TV dramas industry and its ripple effect on viewing habits and content consumption trends

A long time ago, it used to be the main private TV networks i.e. FujiTV, TBS, NTV, TV Asahi and TV Tokyo dominating the supply of Japanese dramas with their seasonal offerings which typically lasted for three months and episodes were shown weekly. There was no such thing as on-demand viewing which allowed people to watch dramas at their own time and preferred pace including the option of watching all episodes at one go. If you wanted to watch a drama, you had to be home by a specific time to catch it live or set your video recorder to do the recording for viewing later.

Then, NHK and the cable networks like WOWOW came into the game with their comparatively shorter and sometimes edgier dramas which had more room to take on controversial themes or those which challenged the boundaries of censorship restrictions. Dramas were no longer restricted to the typical 3-month cycle and could start and end at anytime within the year. Gradually, the private networks also adopted similar practices and the length of dramas across the industry became more varied. From a typical 11 to 13 episodes in the past, most dramas these days tend to range from 8 to 10 for the private networks and as short as 3 to 5 episodes for dramas from NHK and WOWOW.

And then came the international streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

Rather than just buy content from the Japanese dramas producers to show on their platforms, they started making their own dramas which definitely became a game changer in the industry. Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic when people had to stay home for prolonged periods of time, this cultivated the habit of watching dramas at one go at your own convenience. And that's when such platforms were favoured for this competitive advantage they had over the domestic providers where you had to wait three months to finish one drama. In addition, the dramas produced by these streaming platforms started to gain traction for their production quality and the cast lineups they could assemble with their big budgets compared to the TV stations which relied highly on advertisement revenue that was on the downward trend.

Although the domestic TV stations do have their individual on-demand platforms, you have to pay a subscription fee but are restricted to watching that TV station's works only. As such, it is no wonder that international streaming platforms are definitely seen as a better deal since subscribers are able to watch works from different sources at one price on a single interface. And that's not including the non-Japanese works that are on offer.

As to how these Japanese dramas produced by international streaming platforms have changed the competitive landscape for the Japanese TV dramas industry, Daily Shincho's recent article on Netflix's rise in the industry offers some interesting insights into this trend and how it affects various market players and participants. Here are the key highlights from this article:

* From the perspective of domestic TV stations, Netflix is sometimes seen as "robbing or hogging" the supply of actors thus limiting their choices for casting due to the streaming platform's deep pocket for production budgets and actor fees. On the other hand, advertisement revenue for TV stations hasn't been increasing for at least the past 5 years so it's no wonder that the TV stations are finding it very difficult to match up to Netflix in splashing on production budgets.

From an average budget of JPY 30m per episode in domestic TV stations, there were reports saying that some works aired since the beginning of this year actually had their already tight budgets reduced to just JPY 25m per episode. For producers, they not only have to come up with high quality works but have to work within the constraints of a smaller budget. Scriptwriters also cannot afford to spend a lot of time on refining their scripts as much as they like because this will cause the budget to balloon.

This trend of saving costs can be easily observed in two ways - the number of scene changes in the drama and the use of non-professional actors such as tarento and comedians. With fewer scene changes, this allows for the running time for each scene to be lengthened and less money needed for changes to the studio set or location shooting. For non-professional actors, they tend to charge lower fees compared to the actors so this also helps to keep the budget in check.

* Netflix first started operations in Japan in 2015 and their first production was "Underwear" starring Kiritani Mirei in the same year. Since then, they have been producing Japanese dramas and movies at the pace of around 2 to 8 titles per year.

* Production budgets for domestic TV dramas shown in primetime slots (7pm to 11pm) hover around the average of JPY 30m per episode. Netflix is said to spend about 5 times more than this amount i.e. more than JPY 100m per episode. Actors' fees are said to be around JPY 1m to JPY 3m per episode for domestic TV stations' dramas (leading actors level) but for the same 1-hr episode on Netflix, they are supposedly paid at least more than JPY 10m per episode.

As such, from the perspective of the management agencies, Netflix's presence in the market is very much welcomed for increasing the amount of acting jobs for their artists and the income they get as a result. It has been observed that many actors (mostly those not at leading actor level) are juggling multiple projects at the same time and this has been attributed partly to the low remuneration they can get from participating in domestic TV stations' dramas. On the other hand, NHK depends on its subscription model thus is not so affected by changes in the economy and the advertisement revenue trends. Then again, they are said to pay about half of what the domestic TV stations are giving.

* Since Netflix can afford to pay a lot, it is no wonder that they are able to put together leading class actors in the same drama or movie with ease compared to the private TV stations.

Using the recently released drama "Jimenshitachi", the main actors are all in the leading class category i.e. Ayano Go, Toyokawa Etsushi, Koike Eiko, Sometani Shota, Lily Franky and Ikeda Elaiza. For the drama "Shinobi no ie House of Ninjas" released in February this year, the lineup was something that was deemed as unachievable going by the size of the private TV stations' budgets - imagine Kaku Kento, Eguchi Yosuke, Koura Kengo, Kimura Tae, Emoto Tokio, Yoshioka Riho, Yamada Takayuki and Miyamoto Nobuko in the same drama.

* One other interesting observation is that Netflix is seemingly fine with casting actors who would have been deemed as problematic, had gotten into trouble with the law, had gone independent to set up their own agencies or had issues with their management agencies. In the past, there was always talk of management agencies exerting pressure on TV stations not to use artists who left them or moved to another agency or that TV stations themselves had refrained from choosing certain artists even without the pressure from management agencies. As for those who got involved in scandals or had brushes with the law, it was almost a given that they would be "untouchable" for fear of societal sentiment as well as actual and perceived negative impact on reputation of the advertisers and TV stations and the performance of the production in terms of ratings and box office takings.

However, with streaming platforms being less affected by advertisement revenue or rather tied down by these implied and longstanding "restrictions" in the entertainment industry, artists who would have limited opportunities because of these reasons are finding platforms like Netflix to be a lifeline for them. As such, these artists no longer have to rely solely on domestic TV stations for acting jobs. Examples include: 

- Karata Erika whose career took a serious beating due to her affair with Higashide Masahiro, still managed to get a role in the upcoming "Gokuaku Joou" which will be released on 19 September.

- Pierre Taki who was sentenced for cocaine use, appeared in "Jimenshitachi" as one of the key members in the fraud group.

* While Netflix definitely pays very well, it also means a longer filming period for the cast as they take at least twice the amount of time to shoot their dramas. Domestic TV stations typically take about 3 to 4 months to finish a single season's drama but Netflix can at least take more than 6 months to film a 10-episode drama. For example, the 2022 work "First Love Hatsukoi" starring Mitsushima Hikari and Sato Takeru which spanned 9 episodes, took about a year for the filming to be completed i.e. 4x the amount of time needed for a typical domestic TV station drama.

However, it seems that the longer time spent is translating into good results as good critical reviews reflect the elevation of production quality through the cast and crew having more time to perfect what they are doing. And it also helps that the cast and crew are paid very well in exchange for a longer commitment period so nobody's really complaining, for now.

* Netflix's Japan membership base is estimated to be about 8.1 million. In contrast, NHK's subscription numbers at the end of the 2023 fiscal year was 41.07 million. As such, Netflix does look like a serious contender which is only expected to grow bigger in time and possibly exert more influence on changing existing practices in the industry.

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As a viewer, I am always supportive of more avenues to watch Japanese dramas and movies easily in cost-effective ways. Having a single platform where I can watch the most titles of interest to me without paying exorbitant fees is a key deciding factor when selecting the streaming services. While Netflix is certainly not the cheapest among the offerings in the market now, it certainly has the most varied content because there's more to just the Japanese ones which I can watch. It has certainly not gone unnoticed that Netflix have been beefing up the amount of Japanese content in the past year or so and that's not restricted to their inhouse productions only. In particular, I really like that they have been adding more WOWOW titles which were practically inaccessible in the past to those outside of Japan.

In a bid to see how my viewing habits and trends have changed due to the streaming platforms raising the game in the Japanese dramas/movies arena, I did a quick analysis of my viewing history for 2023 and this year (up to 31 August) and noticed the following changes:

* With more Japanese dramas and movies being made available on Netflix, I watched about the same number of dramas and movies (15 dramas and 19 movies = 33) so far this year compared to last year when I watched only dramas (34) on TVer.

* Among the dramas I watched in 2023, 26 out of 34 were in-season ones on TVer. The good thing is, you can access this platform for free as long as you are based in Japan or have a Japanese VPN service. However, the biggest problem is, you have to watch new episodes within a week of its broadcast before they are taken down. If you happen to be busy and cannot spare the time to catch up in time, you might find yourself having to "drop dramas" because you are missing some episodes in between. And that's what happened to me a number of times last year. 

It appears that with more titles to watch on Netflix, I have become more discerning on picking the in-season dramas to follow on TVer due to time constraints. This year so far, I watched only 3 in-season dramas on TVer. For the current summer season, I am only following 2 on TVer. The rest of the dramas I watched this year were done "on-demand" via platforms like Netflix and Disney+.

* While I only watched 3 Netflix-made dramas for the whole of last year, I have already watched 3 Netflix-made dramas and 2 Disney+ dramas this year so far. Goes to show that there's more in-house productions released from these streaming platforms.

While I do not know if your viewing habits and trends have changed with the entry of streaming platforms like Netflix, I do notice that the increased availability of content (old and new titles alike) have an impact on what I watch and how I watch them. If the presence of these platforms will help the welfare of the market participants and overall quality of the Japanese dramas industry improve on the whole, that will be good news after all.

However, the streaming platforms' "market disrupting actions" may not be good news for the incumbents already facing constraints due to limited budgets. It is really up to the domestic TV stations to figure out how to do a better job since this is not the first time they are up against new market entrants. Although more money doesn't always equate better quality, the difference in budgets do show up quite obviously to viewers especially if the genre calls for it. Just look at what TBS did for "VIVANT". And you certainly can't have a drama featuring the rich and famous in shabby clothes and houses that don't look as grand and posh as per the script requires e.g. "Hana Yori Dango" or "Sky Castle".

So... if you can't beat the richer competitors in terms of the depth of your pockets, perhaps it's worth focusing more on the story first to draw in the viewers rather than try to win on all aspects. The simplistic thinking that getting big names for the cast is the sure-win formula to pull in the ratings needs to be changed too. Last but not least, making your dramas more readily available to wider audiences is something that is of utmost importance rather than just hogging them for your domestic streaming portals for single TV stations or being still hung-up on real-time ratings for the sake of advertisement revenue.

Preview of "Tetsuota Michiko, 2 man kilo ~ Chichibu hen ~" - Summer 2024

Title: Tetsuota Michiko, 2 man kilo ~ Chichibu hen ~ / 鉄オタ道子、２万キロ～秩父編～

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 5 September 2024

Timeslot: Thursdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Cast: Tamashiro Tina, Kurihara Rui & Rokkaku Seiji (voice)

Preview of "Watashi no shitai wo sagashite kudasai" - Summer 2024

Title: Watashi no shitai wo sagashite kudasai / 私の死体を探してください。

Official website: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 3 September 2024 

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original novel by: Hoshizuki Wataru

Theme Song: "Uka" by VESPERBELL

Cast: Ito Atsushi, Yamaguchi Sayaka, Tsunematsu Yuri, Kaname Jun, Katase Rino, Motomiya Yasukaze, Irei Himena, Hirasawa Kokoro, Hayasaka Miu, Shirai Mimi & Kamata Raiju

Quick Review #67: Renai Battle Royale - Summer 2024

Title: Renai Battle Royale / 恋愛バトルロワイアル (Chastity High)

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like school romance stories with a suspense angle and/or are fans of the cast

Liked:

- While stories about school rules banning romance or dating in schools aren't exactly new, this drama had a slightly different and updated take on this issue with the students in both camps (pro and against the rule) policing and guarding against each other. As such, the so-called "battle" was more about the battle of wits between the students rather than the school management/teachers vs. the students although you can still say that the students who are in favour of this rule were the proxies for the adults who put this rule into place. 

Up to episode 6, there was quite a number of scenes about the battle of wits between the students so this should satisfy those looking for a school romance story which is balanced with some suspense. And since the drama is set in current times where smartphone and social media use is the norm, it adds a modern technological angle to the story with spying and counter-spying being done through mobile phones. Last but not least, I liked that the story did not try to force a happily-ever-after ending because reality doesn't always work out as you wish and what is good for some people may not be what the majority wants or society deems as acceptable.

- The good-looking student cast members included quite a number of up-and-coming young actors and their performances were generally decent. Personally, I felt that Mikami Ai, Toyoda Yudai, Honda Kyoya and Osaki Ichika stood out more than the rest. 

Mikami had the advantage of being the lead so had ample room to develop her character and the spectrum of emotions which the lead character Ichika went through. Just this year alone, I have watched at least 3 or 4 works featuring her (some were older ones) so her performance this time has convinced me that she is versatile and has the potential to do even better in future. 

While Toyoda, Honda and Osaki had supporting roles, they were able to show the emotions of their characters very well despite the limitations in terms of airtime. I really liked Toyoda's chemistry with Hoshi Moeka in this drama while Honda was such a joy to watch and very endearing on screen. Osaki had a difficult role and the emotional outburst in the early part of the drama compared to the later part when she had come to terms with what she went through was pretty impressive. 

As for the adults, I thought that Hoshi and Asaka Koudai were more outstanding while the others were either at their usual standard or had limited room to stand out.

Disliked: 

- To be honest, I felt that the title was a mismatch for the content in this drama. It may be true that there was a battle of wits between the two camps of students and/or with the school management but the story ultimately involved more than that. Besides the romance and suspense, the ending part of the drama also discussed issues like privacy, respect for human rights, using the wrong method to do something supposedly right. As such, perhaps the neither-here-nor-there and inaccurate title could be a turn-off for people who don't know or bother finding out what the drama may be about because it doesn't really reflect the true essence of the story.

- The pairing of Mikami with Miyase Ryubi felt off to me, not just in the appearance department. In terms of age, Mikami is 4 years older than Miyase in real life and the latter having a babyface made the age gap look even more obvious. Coupled with the fact that Miyase's character didn't come across as very appealing to me, I thought that the lead couple lacked a "draw" that would make me look forward to seeing them end up together or want to root for them.

Quick Review #66: Sora tobu taiya (movie)

Title: Sora tobu taiya / 空飛ぶタイヤ

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are fans of the original novel by Ikeido Jun and are fans of the star-studded cast

Liked:

- As with most if not all Ikeido Jun stories, this was another David and Goliath tale where the characters had to suffer the frustrating unfairness in society caused by gaps in status, wealth and power before being rewarded with a gratifying ending of the weak/poor overcoming the odds. Compared to the drama series by WOWOW in 2009 (I haven't watched this but have heard a lot about it being a great piece of work which won various awards), the movie is only 120 minutes long. I felt that it was a compact delivery of the somewhat complicated story (there were some subplots happening concurrently with the main plot) whereby the developments went by very quickly but still allowed some room for emotional scenes.

- The cast list can definitely be considered star-studded even by today's standards because so many of them are now in the leading men/women category. Besides Nagase Tomoya, there's Dean Fujioka, Takahashi Issei, Fukada Kyoko, Terawaki Yasufumi, Koike Eiko, Muro Tsuyoshi, Okayama Amane and Sasaki Kuranosuke etc. so this lineup should attract a wide target audience. 

Being the lead, Nagase took centrestage to show a very much subdued style of acting for most of the time. Although the mood of the story was rather serious and heavy most of the time, there were still some lighter moments at home for Nagase to balance things out. 

Disliked: 

- The predictability of the story can be a tad boring for some because it is almost a given that the good will prevail over the evil after suffering so much hardship. However, whether that good ending is gratifying enough to justify the pain along the way is definitely debatable. As such, those seeking a suspense story of finding the truth behind the accident or a straightforward tale of good vs. evil might find this somewhat underwhelming.

- The length of the movie was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it allowed the story to move quickly without being too draggy but this also restricted the amount of time for more emotional depth from the characters. Or maybe there was but these scenes ended up on the editing room's floor so as to fit the movie's running time. 

- The huge cast lineup became an issue because everyone got only a little bit of airtime. It was a bit tough to keep track of all the characters and sometimes, the character information would go by so quickly that I had to rewind to read it. Some people appeared in a fleeting scene or two and that was it. It can be quite unsatisfying for those who are fans of these actors. For example, although Takahashi Issei was featured prominently in the poster, I think that his airtime ratio felt more like a cameo (not even a key supporting character) so his character's importance in the story was kind of lost on me.

Quick Review #65: Sensei wo kesu houteishiki - Autumn 2020

Title: Sensei wo kesu houteishiki / 先生を消す方程式

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are fans of Suzuki Osamu's style of writing, are fine with far-fetched and overly dramatic stories OR want to see very different performances from Tanaka Kei and Yamada Yuuki

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

Liked:

- The first three episodes of this drama were quite interesting in the sense that it was not a very typical school drama. While there were some traits in Yoshitsune (Tanaka) which resembled other unconventional teachers in various school dramas, his behaviour stood out for its creepiness and hinted at a grand back story to match the suspense built up. The drama was also easy to watch as each episode lasted less than half of a typical episode's airtime and there were only 8 episodes - that amounted to about 4 full episodes of 45 mins. If you are short on time and want something which isn't too "serious", this can be an interesting pick for you.

- The drama was like an arena for the cast to fight it out in terms of pushing the craziness of their characters to the max. Tanaka was clearly the star in the first arc while Yamada took centrestage in the second arc. As such, if you are fans of them, I think that you would be in for a treat as you watch them "unleash their madness" on screen which is quite unlike what you would have seen from them thus far.

I've not watched a lot of Takahashi Fumiya's works but his acting this time was also very different and stood out among the main student characters in this drama. This is still worth checking out even if you aren't a fan or know much about him.

Disliked: 

- Prior to watching this drama, I was unaware of the scriptwriter for this story. That was probably why I didn't associate this with Suzuki Osamu at all when I watched the first three episodes of this drama. If you have watched his dramas especially those in recent years made by TV Asahi, you would get the drift and be able to manage expectations accordingly.

To be honest, the beginning of the drama did start pretty promisingly as I noted above. However, things simply went haywire from the second arc and I couldn't help but think that if it had been bad from start to end, I would not be so disappointed. 

The main problem was, the drama lost its direction and tried to incorporate a little of everything to the extent that it was neither a school drama, suspense story or horror flick. The dead coming back to life as zombies due to a lightning strike which always hit precisely where it should? A teacher being able to manipulate the students into becoming bullies so easily while being undetected by the school management and colleagues? Perhaps there were some pieces of the story which were not presented or explained explicitly so it felt like there were many parts which couldn't be explained properly or make much sense. As such, this further aggravated the "nonsense" factor of this drama to the point that unless you are willing to close one eye or even both eyes, it would be hard not to roll eyes at the ludicrous plot. This was such a pity because the two lead actors really went all out but I wonder if they felt that their efforts were in vain and let down by this story.

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Drama

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Anti Hero
3) Tsubame wa kaettekonai

Voters Ranking Top 5

1) Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki

2) Tokyo Tower

3) Anti Hero

4) Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~

5) Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Anti Hero
3) Kyuugou 95
4) Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~

5) Kanzo wo ubawareta tsuma

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki

2) Anti Hero

3) Tsubame wa kaettekonai

4) Kisetsu no nai machi

5) Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

Source: The Television

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Leading Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Hasegawa Hiroki - Anti Hero

2) Kimura Takuya - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

3) Nagase Ren - Tokyo Tower

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Nagase Ren - Tokyo Tower
2) Hasegawa Hiroki - Anti Hero
3) Kimura Takuya - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -
4) Yamashita Tomohisa - Blue Moment
5) Kyomoto Taiga - Omukae Shibuya-kun

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Hasegawa Hiroki - Anti Hero
2) Takahashi Kaito - Kyuugou 95
3) Nagase Ren - Tokyo Tower
4) Yoshida Kotaro - Oi Handsome!! 2

5) Kimura Takuya - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Hasegawa Hiroki - Anti Hero
2) Kimura Takuya - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

3) Nomaguchi Tooru - VR Ojisan no hatsukoi

4) Kurokawa Souya - Karakai jouzu no Takagi-san

5) Ikematsu Sousuke - Kisetsu no nai machi

Source: The Television

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Leading Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Sugisaki Hana - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Nukumi Meru - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~
3) Ishibashi Shizuka - Tsubame wa kaettekonai

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Sugisaki Hana - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Nukumi Meru - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~

3) Imada Mio - Hanasaki Mai ga damattenai

4) Kawaguchi Haruna - 9 Border

5) Ishihara Satomi - Destiny

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Sugisaki Hana - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Nukumi Meru - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~
3) Ishihara Satomi - Destiny

4) Ihara Rikka - Kanzo wo ubawareta tsuma

5) Kawaguchi Haruna - 9 Border

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Sugisaki Hana - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki

2) Ishibashi Shizuka - Tsubame wa kaettekonai

3) Nukumi Meru - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~

4) Tsukishima Rui - Karakai jouzu no Takagi-san

5) Imada Mio - Hanasaki Mai ga damattenai

Source: The Television

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Supporting Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Wakaba Ryuuya - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki

2) Nomura Mansai - Anti Hero

3) Kitamura Takumi - Anti Hero

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Wakaba Ryuuya - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Matsuda Genta - Tokyo Tower
3) Seto Koji - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~
4) Tanaka Juri - Akuma Game
5) Takeuchi Ryoma - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Wakaba Ryuuya - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Chiba Yuudai - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
3) Matsuda Genta - Tokyo Tower
4) Seto Koji - Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~
5) Nomura Mansai - Anti Hero

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Wakaba Ryuuya - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
2) Nomura Mansai - Anti Hero

3) Okayama Amane - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki

4) Takeuchi Ryoma - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

5) Kitamura Takumi - Anti Hero

Source: The Television

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Supporting Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Hotta Mayu - Anti Hero

2) Igeta Hiroe - VR Ojisan no hatsukoi
3) Amami Yuki - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Itaya Yuka - Tokyo Tower
2) Kichise Michiko - Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki
3) Amami Yuki - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -
4) Hotta Mayu - Anti Hero
5) MEGUMI - Tokyo Tower

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Hotta Mayu - Anti Hero
2) MEGUMI - Tokyo Tower

3) Itaya Yuka - Tokyo Tower
4) Amami Yuki - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -
5) Uchida Yuki - Tsubame wa kaettekonai

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Hotta Mayu - Anti Hero
2) Igeta Hiroe - VR Ojisan no hatsukoi

3) Miura Touko - Kisetsu no nai machi

4) Kurasawa Anna - VR Ojisan no hatsukoi

5) Amami Yuki - Believe - Kimi ni kakeru hashi -

Source: The Television

The 120th Drama Academy Awards (Spring 2024) - Best Theme Song

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Ai ni iku no ni by Aimyon (Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki)

2) hanabata by milet (Anti Hero)

3) I wonder by Da-iCE (Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~)

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) halfmoon by King & Prince (Tokyo Tower)
2) Ai ni iku no ni by Aimyon (Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki)
3) I wonder by Da-iCE (Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~)
4) hanabata by milet (Anti Hero)
5) Sweetest Tune by Travis Japan (Tokyo Tower)

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Ai ni iku no ni by Aimyon (Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki)

2) hanabata by milet (Anti Hero)

3) I wonder by Da-iCE (Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~)
4) Ningen toshite by Shiina Ringo (Destiny)
5) moooove!! by King & Prince (Kyuugou 95)

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Ai ni iku no ni by Aimyon (Unmet Aru nougekkai no nikki)

2) hanabata by milet (Anti Hero)

3) I wonder by Da-iCE (Kururi ~ Dare ga watashi to koi wo shita? ~)

4) Heartbeat by C & K (VR Ojisan no hatsukoi)

5) 366 nichi (Official Duet Version) by HY (366 nichi)

Source: The Television

Quick Review #64: Dakara korosenakatta - Winter 2022

Title: Dakara korosenakatta / だから殺せなかった

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a journalism-themed suspense story with solid acting from the cast and/or are fans of Tamaki Hiroshi and Matsuda Genta

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

Liked:

- Unlike many suspense stories which would only talk about the lead character's past or back story towards the end, this drama was unconventional in showing Ippongi Tooru's (Tamaki Hiroshi) painful past right from the first episode. It took a lot of guesswork out of the plot and allowed the viewers to concentrate fully on the current case which I would say was a pretty daring approach since they wouldn't be able to depend on dangling his back story as a bait to keep viewers hanging on till the end. However, his back story wasn't just an afterthought but rather a key piece of the puzzle which led to the resolution of the current case. In terms of story planning, I felt that this drama had a very different but interesting approach which was quite refreshing.

- The current case was presented in an engaging way that provided enough twists and turns to mess with the minds of the viewers. However, since the drama was only 5 episodes long, the good thing with this was that this state of confusion only lasted for 2.5 episodes at most since the clues started being dropped from episode 3. This approach also allowed viewers to have enough time to do some detective guesswork on their own rather than have the truth and resolution shoved into the face in a rushed manner towards the end.

- Fans of Tamaki Hiroshi would be in for a treat because he looked really good with the moustache and gruffy image as Ippongi Tooru. Hard to believe that this same guy played Chiaki-senpai in "Nodame Cantabile" so this was a great reflection of his acting versatility. This was definitely one of the better performances which I enjoyed from him.

Another surprise package came in the form of Matsuda Genta. This was probably the first time I saw his acting (the snippets from "Tokyo Tower" wouldn't count though) and I was impressed with how he handled the transition of his character Yoichiro over the course of the story. Again, this was a bit hard to reconcile with the somewhat "wild" impression I had of him through the "Tokyo Tower" clips. This guy does look pretty promising if he could play Yoichiro like this at the age of 22 or 23. I wonder if I am the only one though - I feel that he has a similar vibe like Kikuchi Fuuma who usually has a cheeky and funny image but turns out very differently when he's acting?

Disliked: 

- While the story largely made sense and the motive of the culprit was understandable, I couldn't help but feel that some things happened too coincidentally that it didn't feel logical. And there were so many irregularities and things which shouldn't have happened such as touching evidence with bare hands (where are the gloves?!), almost the whole newsroom crowding around one copy of the culprit's letter (you do know that you can make photocopies, right?) or that there seemed to be no repercussions for reporters who write articles or the media which issues reports that turn out to be based on untruths or a misunderstanding. Then again, if you can keep in mind that this is fiction in dramaland, this might be a lot more palatable if you can "close one eye" to such things.

- The drama's length is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helped to keep the pace of the story at a speedy level without being too draggy but it also limited the impact and depth of the emotional scenes. For example, the showdown between the culprit and Ippongi felt like a hurried confession from the culprit with hardly any emotions. While I understood this to be the culprit having accepted his fate and that he knew he would be arrested soon, the earlier part of his confession felt so bland until he got to the emotional part. 

Likewise, when Ippongi went to see the son he never knew he had, I felt like I had just gotten into his emotional state and before you knew it, the scene ended abruptly. For important scenes like this, it would have been better if the scene lingered on a bit longer so viewers to feel what the characters were going through rather than disrupt the emotions so quickly. That, I felt was a pity because it would have made the viewers empathise more with the characters and lead to a deeper reflection of the issues and questions posed to us through this story.

- The significance of the title - while I appreciate it being explained, the answer may not go down well with everyone. I was expecting this to be more related to Ippongi but it was actually from the culprit's perspective. It did feel somewhat anti-climatic when I saw this and I wondered if that was all to it. However, if you look at it from a different perspective, an answer is still better than being kept in the dark till the end and beyond. Whether you like or accept the answer is another question though.

Quick Review #63: Yoake no subete (movie)

Title: Yoake no subete / 夜明けのすべて

Rating: 9 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to see a film without angst and dramatic developments that will make your hearts feel lighter by the end and/or are fans of the leads Kamishiraishi Mone and Matsumura Hokuto

Liked:

- The movie stands out for its use of soft lighting like the warm sunshine in winter and slightly grainy picture quality to create a relaxing vibe despite the slightly emotionally-heavy theme weaved into the story. This is in stark contrast with the trend of going for sharp and clear picture quality and visually-wowing type of visuals these days. In addition, the movie did not use pulsating or extremely dramatic BGM to go with the story developments which flowed like a gentle river so the accompanying music felt a bit like natural atmospheric white noise that was not jarring on the ears. Even the ending credits maintained this style consistently by featuring everyday life at the Kurita Kagaku factory which was a joy to watch.

- Although the movie featured the leads as people with PMS and panic disorder who find it hard to fit in at work because of these ailments, it did not go overboard in portraying them as "sick people". It is true that people with these ailments are having a hard time in society due to the lack of understanding of these conditions by the people around them and the stigma surrounding mental conditions, illnesses that are not apparent from the outside or are related to menstruation (many people especially guys and even some women do not think that menstruation-related issues are considered an illness). However, the film's matter-of-fact approach - get people to have an interest in learning about these issues first before they can empathise with those with these ailments - was really impactful and effective. A lot of times, movies featuring people with medical conditions tend to "preach" that you must be gentle and kind towards them but that often comes without understanding their struggles in the first place. What you don't know, you probably cannot appreciate so it can be difficult to show consideration and kindness on a sustainable and sincere basis.

There was also a line which left a deep impression on me. Kamishiraishi's character Fujisawa wondered aloud that there seemed to be a "ranking" for illnesses based on perceived seriousness when Matsumura's character Yamazoe remarked that her PMS condition didn't seem as serious as his panic disorder. In fact, most people probably also feel the same way about "visible illnesses" vs. "invisible illnesses" - what you can see, you probably can imagine better than something which you can't. 

The movie also tried to strike a balanced view by showing how those who are having struggles due to their ailments, can try to cope better through seeking timely and proper treatment and being a bit more open to sharing their problems with the people around them in order for them to understand better. For example, Yamazoe was angsty at first about how people didn't get his pain and literally set up a wall around him to prevent others from getting close to him. However, once he opened up to Fujisawa and the two developed a comradeship which allowed them to empathise with and support each other in a natural manner, he was definitely happier. Goes to show that understanding and acceptance work both ways and cannot be done in an one-sided manner.

- Those who watched "Come Come Everybody" would be keen to see the reunion of Kamishiraishi and Matsumura. I thought that the relationship between their characters was very engaging and pleasing to watch because you could see how their care and concern for each other while not coming across as something very forced and unnatural, really came across as something that made their lives a lot more bearable. At the same time, since their relationship was a bit hard to define - definitely not romance, not really friendship, a bit more than colleagues -, the difficulty of portraying this fine balance was handled very well. In particular, Kamishiraishi's portrayals of the outbursts and emotional downs caused by PMS were so convincing vs. the usual demure and gentle demeanour of Fujisawa. Those who have been through PMS would likely be nodding their heads in approval at how she managed to nail this so well.

Disliked: 

- Nothing in particular.

Quick Review #62: Shylock no kodomotachi - Autumn 2022

Title: Shylock no kodomotachi /  シャイロックの子供たち

Rating: 8 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to see a quick-paced suspense story and/or are fans of Inohara Yoshihiko

Liked:

- Given that this drama only has 4.5 episodes (Episode 0 ran for half an episode's airtime), the story moved along speedily as it shuttled between the past and present timelines. Despite the amount of information to take in and the number of characters to keep track of, everything was presented very logically so it would be easy to keep track of what's going on. The build-up to the climax was evenly spaced out so you won't feel bored along the way even in Episode 0 which was just an introduction to what was to come.

- Inohara Yoshihiko is probably more remembered and well-known for his "Tokusou 9" series in recent years which has been running since 2006 (predecessor was "Keishichou sousa ikka kyugakari") and has a new installment every year except 2018. As such, for his longtime fans or even those new to his acting, you would probably discover a new side to him beyond what you see in variety shows and the "Tokusou 9" series. He was a perfect fit for the lead character Nishiki who was endearing and well-liked by his colleagues and juniors (not so much by his seniors and superiors) while juggling his own struggles such as family issues and career setbacks due to him trying to do the right thing. I don't know if he fitted the Nishiki in the original novel because I didn't read it. Just based on this drama alone, I think he did really well and fully immersed himself into this character.

Disliked: 

- The drama's short length could also be seen as a factor leading to the somewhat anti-climatic ending which seemed a bit sloppy and hurried in comparison. Given that there was so much effort and time spent to build up to the concluding episode, the "showdown" with the culprit was over in no time and it also felt as if Nishiki didn't get "rewarded" for his efforts in doing the right thing. As such, this is probably an unconventional ending which may not go down well with all viewers although I can understand that this outcome was probably what Nishiki wanted more than to continue being caught in a toxic work environment that was in conflict with his beliefs.

Quick Review #61: Fukurou to yobareta otoko - Spring 2024

Title: Fukurou to yobareta otoko / フクロウと呼ばれた男

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to see a political suspense drama but will be OK with no conclusion and answers OR are fans of Tanaka Min

Liked:

- This is ultimately Tanaka Min's show. No questions about it. He was brilliant as the fixer who stays in the background with a sharp eye and doesn't draw attention to himself just like the owl in the night. However, the downside to this was that he had such strong screen presence with his subdued charisma that even the supporting cast which can be considered star-studded really paled in comparison to him. And it was so boring in that sense because there was hardly anyone who could give him a run for his money. 

A match is only interesting if both players are of similar standards and keeps the rally going. If it's so one-sided, it's good for the dominant player but it just doesn't seem to elevate the whole production.

Disliked: 

- The concept of featuring the behind-the-scenes fixer rather than the politicians who pull the strings in the country was refreshing and had potential to be a very engaging story. However, execution and presentation were the problems here again and a drama series cannot be considered successful if it fails to "hook" the viewers to have the urge to watch the next episode. It took me way longer than expected to finish the series (just 10 episodes) because after each episode, I would just click the "X" button to close it rather than "next episode" to continue watching it. Each episode never really ended on a cliffhanger or suspenseful point to "lure" me to check out the next episode and it was quite painful from the midpoint to even watch one episode in a single sitting. No doubt things sped up considerably, that was in Ep 10 and it was already too little and too late for me. 

I understood from an interview by Variety with David Shin, the showrunner, that this drama was meant to be a multi-season series like "Alice in Borderland" by Netflix. However, the fundamental question boils down to, if this is the quality of Season 1, why would I bother checking out future seasons? While I can take it that Season 1 may just be the introduction or the beginning to the end (the ending promises better things to come), I don't think I would want to wait for months or even years for the next season to be out since Season 1 was only released in April 2024. By then, I would have clean forgotten about what I watched in Season 1 and certainly have no intention to refresh my memory by re-watching it. 

- As I mentioned above, Tanaka Min's dominance, whether by accident or by design, was a double-edged sword. What cannot be denied though is that his dominance was largely perpetuated by the storyline. While the story was positioned as a political suspense drama, a huge part of the airtime dealt with the fixer's family problems i.e. his children. This was where stereotypes of such rich and influential families were replicated here without much surprise - a father who is too busy with his life outside the family and has frosty or distant relationships with his offspring, the good-for-nothing eldest son who wants to earn the praise and love of the father but keeps fumbling, a capable daughter who probably can't be the leader of her generation because of gender or marriage issues, a second or younger son who turns out to be more like the father but is the rebel in the family or at odds with the father and a youngest child who either is the pet of the father or an outlier compared to the older siblings. And because of this, everything became so predictable and there was hardly any novelty along the way. If you are expecting some classic or very emotionally-charged family clashes like what you see in dramas such as "Karei naru ichizoku", you won't find it here because this family hardly speaks about how they truly feel to one another and emotions are subdued to the point that it feels that everyone cowers in front of the father even though the father doesn't actually do things like shout at them to shut up or threaten to do anything to them. While I don't appreciate grand dramatic outbursts, the non-action and quietness of these family scenes were draggy and sleep-inducing.

In the political arena arc, things were also bland and moved at a snail speed. Suspense was hardly noticeable because the adversary was already out there in the open from Ep 1 and frankly speaking, the villain was no match at all for Tanaka Min in terms of screen presence.

- The excessive nudity in sex scenes seems to be the norm these days in dramas on non-TV station platforms like Netflix and Disney+ where censorship rules is more relaxed. As I mentioned before in an earlier review, if such scenes do not value-add to the story, I find them extremely redundant and unnecessary for the cast to do. Nowadays, not only are actresses baring it all, even the actors go beyond baring their butts. Which makes me wonder, why were they made to do that for no reason? Sacrificing for the arts? Simply baffling!

Quick Review #60: Seishun 18 x 2 Kimi e to tsuzuku michi (movie)

Title: Seishun 18 x 2 Kimi e to tsuzuku michi / 青春18×2 君へと続く道

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a youthful love story set against the backdrop of beautiful scenery from Japan and Taiwan

Liked:

- The biggest selling point has got to be the breathtaking scenery from both Japan (including Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture and Tadami-machi in Fukushima Prefecture) and Taiwan (mainly Tainan). Given that the two story arcs in both countries were set in different seasons, the contrast between the sights and the weather complemented the different timelines. Back in Tainan when the leads met and fell in love 18 years ago, the rising temperatures and warmth from the people around them reflected the sweltering summer. On the other hand, the current timeline was set in late winter which seemed to reflect the male lead's situation in life - lost his company and job as well as the direction to head towards from now on.

- The acting of and chemistry between the leads Hsu Guanghan and Kiyohara Kaya turned out to be better than expected. Even though the story puts them as 4 years apart in age and Kiyohara's character Ami was supposed to be older, it did bother me a little because Hsu is actually 12 years older than her in real life. Thankfully, his babyface and the imaging in the Tainan arc made him look convincing as a high-schooler. There were also a number of cameos featuring actors from both Taiwan and Japan to look out for so if you haven't done any research on this, you might get some pleasant surprises to see your favourite actors suddenly pop up on screen.

Disliked: 

- The only thing which I didn't quite like was the predictability of the storyline. It was almost a giveaway that there won't be a happy ending after all and that it wasn't due to the lead characters not being on the same page with their feelings. As such, if you are looking for some novelty or surprises in this movie, you may be disappointed.

Quick Review #59: Rurou no tsuki (movie)

Title: Rurou no tsuki / 流浪の月

Rating: 2 / 10

Recommended for: 

NA

Liked:

- While the meaning of the title and the reasons why Fumi (Matsuzaka Toori) and Sarasa (Hirose Suzu) were meant for and suitable for each other were only revealed towards the very end, the good thing was that they turned out to be logical and convincing on the whole. 

Disliked: 

- The excruciatingly slow pace of the movie was a huge dampener even after I turned up the playback speed about one-third into the film. It would really take a lot of patience for the viewers to sit through the slower parts. The uneven pacing made the whole viewing experience feel like a car ride alternating between bouts of speeding and sudden braking - in other words, not smooth at all.

- I haven't read the novel before so I'm not sure whether the movie did convey the essence or the strengths of the original work. Just based on the movie alone, I felt that the build-up of the story was simply too drawn-out and the ending (while convincing and logical as I highlighted above) did feel like it was shoved into the face of the audience last minute without giving the time and space for things to sink in properly.  

In addition, the second leads were portrayed in such an one-dimensional way that it felt like they were entirely at fault for causing misery to Fumi and Sarasa but they too deserved sympathy for what Fumi and Sarasa put them through. I would have preferred a more balanced way of showing the key characters' good and bad sides rather than a clear-cut classification of who's at fault and who's a victim. Ultimately, it takes two hands to clap.

And the movie never properly addressed what happened to Sarasa's friend who dumped her daughter on Sarasa and took off for a longer-than-expected holiday with her new boyfriend. That is one unresolved mystery which I thought should have been answered properly.

- Excessive nudity and intimate scenes. This is especially with reference to the bed scenes featuring Yokohama Ryuusei and Hirose Suzu in particular which I felt that they didn't need to go to that extent to show the nature of Ryo and Sarasa's sexual relationship. I felt especially uncomfortable that Hirose had to be touched in that way because there was actually no need for that. 

Likewise, the final revelation of Fumi's issue - although it was not shown in full and clear view, I thought that the shot lingered too long on Matsuzaka and should have been shifted elsewhere after the initial scene for viewers to get the idea. 

Less can be more and unless it's absolutely needed, more care should be taken when filming such scenes for the sake of the cast members.

Quick Review #58: No Side Game - Summer 2019

Title: No Side Game / ノーサイド・ゲーム

Rating: 8 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like inspirational sport-themed stories mixed with some corporate rivalry and are fans of Ooizumi Yo

Liked:

- Due to the fact that I know little about rugby and have very little or rather no interest in this sport, I wasn't keen to check out this drama when it was first aired despite the cast lineup being quite attractive. It was only when this surfaced on Netflix's recommendation list recently so I decided to give it a shot. While I would say that my interest and knowledge in the sport has not increased dramatically after watching this drama, the story was very successful in illustrating the theme of tackling challenges and difficulties head-on with courage through rugby which requires both physical strength and agility as well as the bravery needed to face off with your opponents despite the high risk of injury. It was indeed as inspirational and passionate as described in the recommendation but the good thing was that it wasn't so cliched nor overly emotional than what would be common in many Japanese dramas of the same genre.

- This being an Ikeido Jun story, there were similarities between this drama and other corporate-style stories being dramatised by TBS in the same Sunday timeslot. For example, the practice of having a showdown in front of the board of directors in a huge meeting room (seems to be the same as the one in Hanzawa Naoki) could be seen here. However, the saving grace was that this drama didn't go too overboard in being overly dramatic so these scenes were still palatable and didn't seem unrealistic.

- Ooizumi Yo was truly fantastic here and really led everyone from start to finish just like the GM in the drama. I also liked his interaction with Matsu Takako as husband-and-wife where their friendly banter helped to liven up the mood and also provided much-needed encouragement to the lead character Kimishima when he was facing setbacks. Even the villain played by Kamikawa Takaya was such a joy to watch. 

Equally impressive, if not more, were the actors who played members of the Astros rugby team. I only found out later that everyone except for one had experience playing rugby and some were even former players from the national team. No wonder the rugby scenes were so realistic and engaging to watch. It's not that actors with no experience couldn't get to this level after some training. However, given that rugby is a team sport and requires great teamwork to execute those scenes in the drama, it would take lots of experience and technique to be able to play at that standard while making sure that the players/actors don't get injured in the process. 

Disliked: 

- Since the drama was heavily skewed towards rugby, the corporate rivalry and infighting part may pale in comparison. If you have watched enough dramas based on Ikeido Jun's novels, there is a somewhat unspoken SOP or flow that you can see so this also reduces the surprise factor in a sense because you probably can guess what's coming next. While I appreciated that this drama did not go to the extreme like "Hanzawa Naoki" in terms of "shouting at each other and making people kneel down to repent", the corporate aspect of the story may seem to be quite lukewarm and half-hearted when compared to the effort put in for the rugby aspect of the story.

Quick Review #57: Jimenshitachi - Summer 2024

Title: Jimenshitachi / 地面師たち

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who like white-collar crime stories based on real cases presented in a sleek way with nail-biting moments and/or are fans of the cast members

Liked:

- Much as the story may seem far-fetched and incredulous at certain points, the fact that the original novel inspired by an actual land fraud case in 2017 actually added much credibility and reality to the plot. On hindsight, many fraud cases could have been seen through but when people are caught in the midst of a scam and various factors come into play, it can be difficult for people to think straight. As such, stories of this nature can serve as a timely reminder for everyone especially in this era when there are scams of all sorts happening around us. With just 7 episodes, the pacing of the storytelling was well-managed with hardly any draggy moments and also provided a nice balance of nail-biting moments threatening to expose the scam. 

- It's been a while since I was impressed with the BGM and sound effects of a work. Kudos goes to Ishino Takkyu this time for the BGM which was spot-on in accentuating the atmosphere and tension of the scenes. Sound effects deserve special mention especially during the more violent and gory scenes. You actually don't get to see what happened but the sound effects were so realistic and compelling enough to make me grimace and cringe through my imagination because it was as good as seeing the bloody violence unfold in front of me. I felt that this left a deeper impression on me as compared to seeing the gore dished up on screen.

- The acting was simply superb especially the interaction between Toyokawa Etsushi and Ayano Go which felt like an evenly-matched ball game with a never-ending rally. The supporting cast lineup was charismatic and they delivered memorable performances. Unfortunately, if there is ever a sequel, the cast lineup would pretty much see an overhaul because of the high body count towards the end of the story.

Disliked: 

- Illogical loopholes in the stories of dramas and movies are aplenty but I get it that in this drama, it was probably meant to show that despite how far-fetched this scam was, it was still successful due to greed, complacency, urge to succeed, lack of compliance and checks. The thing is, some parts were just too ridiculous to be true and failed to convince me. For example, the owner of the house is in a taxi heading towards her house on a straight road and she is definitely not more than 1km away from her gate. Yet, she fails to see a bunch of people coming out of her supposedly locked house and two men trying to close her wooden gate frantically before she alights from the taxi. When she reaches her gate and sees that it was unlocked with a new lock that she had never seen before dangling there, why wouldn't she feel alarmed about it? Seriously? Was she looking elsewhere while in the taxi or had poor eyesight?

- Insensitivity or harmless humour? To be honest, using the name Sekiyo House in an obvious reference to Sekisui House which was the victim in the 2017 land fraud case could be seen as either being insensitive to the victim or the creators of this drama/novel engaging in harmless fun. I wasn't so bothered by this but when Pierre Taki's character criticised Kitamura Kazuki's character in jest for being addicted to drugs, I thought that this was inappropriate. Especially when you consider that Taki himself was convicted for cocaine possession and consumption offences and left a trail of mess for those who worked with him, I wonder if those who were affected adversely by his actions back then and had to deal with the aftermath would still be able to laugh at these joking remarks. Whether these were part of the script or ad-libs from Taki, I wasn't that amused by these jokes which appeared more than once in this drama. No wonder there was criticism towards Taki as to how he could have the cheek to say such lines after what he did.