With the summer season coming to an end soon, it's time to decide which autumn dramas I'm going to watch. Frankly speaking, there are some which gets me very hyped up while there are others which do not interest me at all. Here's a list of those which I'm going to watch and those which I'll shun.
*Note that those with titles in blue are what I would watch and those in red are those which I do not have any interest to cover at all. Those in green are under KIV status which means that it's likely that they may be dropped before the season ends. Not in order of preference:
1) Kazoku ~ Tsuma no Fuzai Oto no Sonzai (Family ~ The Absence of the Wife, The Presence of the Husband)
TV Asahi, starting on 20 Oct 2006, Fridays 9pm
Cast: Takenouchi Yutaka, Ishida Yuriko, Kimura Tae, Sakura and Watari Tetsuya
The combination of Takenouchi Yutaka and Watari Tetsuya looks very appealing. There are rumours that Kimura Takuya and Watari were scheduled to act in a TBS drama next season but the plan went nowhere since Kimura has promotions for his movie at the end of the year. However, I'm glad to see Takenouchi and Watari together with a pretty strong co-cast consisting of Ishida Yuriko, Kimura Tae and Gekidan Hitori which suggests that good acting can be expected. In addition, seeing Takenouchi in his first role as a husband whose wife walks out on him and dumps their son on him to take care of is a refreshing change from his usual roles.
2) Juuyonsai no Haha (A 14-year-old mother)
NTV, starting on 11 Oct 2006, Wednesdays 10pm
Cast: Shida Mirai, Tanaka Misako, Namase Katsuhisa, Yamaguchi Sayaka, Miura Kazuma, Tanimura Mizuki, Kaitou Ken, Kaneko Sayaka, Kitamura Kazuki and Muroi Shigeru
Stories about unwed mothers are plenty but what makes this drama so special is the fact that we are talking about a 14-year-old girl played by talented child actor Shida Mirai who is left to fend for herself and her unborn child when her boyfriend shirks his responsibility. This drama looks set to repeat the wave of controversy associated with Joou no Kyoushitsu which did very well in terms of critical reviews and ratings because the ending of whether the girl gives birth to her baby will definitely attract brickbats from either camp of viewers who oppose the outcome. I doubt there will be an ambiguous ending though but it will be very interesting to see how the story is crafted and how Shida scales new heights in her career. Other than Fukuda Mayuko, she's another upcoming star to look out for. Tanaka Misako is back again in a drama and I do hope she will do better here than in Brother Beat which restricted her performance to a large extent.
3) Nodame Cantabile
FujiTV, starting on 16 Oct 2006, Mondays 9pm
Cast: Ueno Juri, Tamaki Hiroshi, Eita, Koide Keisuke, Mizukawa Asami, Uehara Misa, Iwasa Mayuko, Saeko, Hatano Hiroko, NAOTO, Ibu Masato, Toyohara Kosuke, Nishimura Masahiko, Takenaka Naoto
Being a fan of the manga, this is the main reason why I'm going to watch this despite my complaints about the leads. I can anticipate myself criticising and grumbling about Ueno and Tamaki spoiling my image of Nodame and Chiaki-sama but I'm willing to stay till the end if the drama adheres closely to the original. What baffles me is the fact that the strong supporting cast are very similar to the original characters in terms of image or appearance but the leads are not...
4) Yakushadamashi (Actor's Soul)
FujiTV, starting on 17 Oct 2006, Tuesdays 9pm
Cast: Matsu Takako, Moriyama Mirai, Kato Rosa, Kagawa Teruyuki, Hamada Mari, Maekawa Yasuyuki, Fujita Makoto
Matsu Takako's return to TV ever since "Itsumo, Futari de" plus some of my favourite names Moriyama Mirai, Kato Rosa, Kagawa Teruyuki and Hamada Mari makes this something worth checking out. The only issue I have is with the male lead Fujita Makoto who is acting in a regular season for the first time although he is a veteran in period dramas. Not many people know who Fujita is so I wonder if this will somehow affect the ratings.
5) Kiraware Matsuko no Issho (The Life of Disliked Matsuko)
TBS, starting on 12 Oct 2006, Thursdays 10pm
Cast: Uchiyama Rina, Kaname Jun, Koike Eiko, Suzuki Emi, Yazawa Shin, Hongo Kanata, Hagiwara Masato, Tanihara Shosuke, Suzuki Ranran, Seto Saki, Fukikoshi Mitsuru and Kitamura Kazuki
The movie version starring Nakatani Miki seems very interesting so I have a certain level of expectation for this drama. My only worry is whether Uchiyama can ditch her goody-two-shoes image completely to cope with the turbulent life of Matsuko depicted in the story. A half-baked effort would certainly ruin her chances of climbing into the A-list actresses rank.
6) Walkers
NHK, starting on 11 Nov 2006, Saturdays 9pm
Cast: Eguchi Yosuke, Toda Naho, Becky, Segawa Ryo, Morimoto Leo, Miura Tomokazu, Fubuki Jun, Washio Machiko, Kato Noriko, Harada Yoshio
The thing about NHK Saturday dramas is that they are not widely publicised and yet they turn out to be the hidden gems which are not discovered. Anyway, the cast looks very appealing and the story seems good so I'll be tuning in if I manage to find it online.
7) Boku no Aruku Michi (The Way I Walk)
FujiTV, starting on 10 Oct, Tuesdays 10pm
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Karina, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Motokariya Yuka, Kato Koji, MEGUMI, Suga Kenta, Asano Kazuyuki, Katsurayama Shingo, Moriguchi Yoko, Kohinata Fumio, Oosugi Ren and Nagayama Aiko
This is the concluding instalment for the "Boku" series which consisted of "Boku no Ikiru Michi", "Boku to Kanojou to Kanojou no Ikiru Michi". Frankly speaking, if not for Kusanagi, I don't really care for this drama. The female lead lineup gets weaker with each instalment from Yada Akiko to Koyuki and now Karina. This feels like a one-man show of Kusanagi. And the fact that there are familiar faces in the same series may turn out to be good or bad for the ratings...
In KIV status:
1) Sailorfuku to Kikanjuu (Sailor Uniform and Machine Gun)
Cast: Nagasawa Masami, Koizumi Kyoko, Nakao Akiyoshi, Taguchi Hiromasa, Ogata Ken, Tsutsumi Shinichi
This feels kind of silly to me but I'll watch the first episode just for the sake of Tsutsumi and Koizumi.
2) Teppan Shoujou Akane!! (The Teppan Girl Akane)
Cast: Horikita Maki, Tsukamoto Takashi, Katase Nana, Ootomo Minami, Jinnai Takanori
Same as the above but I'll see how silly this can get. No particular member in the cast attracts me to a large extent.
And these are those which I won't watch:
1) Damenzu Walker
Cast: Fujiwara Norika, Yamada Yu, Miyasago Hiroyuki, Miura Rieko, Shimatani Hitomi, Aoki Sayaka, Tanabe Seiichi
Other than Yamada, Miyasago and Aoki, the rest doesn't interest me. The story isn't that appealing either.
2) Dr. Kotou Shinryojou 2006
Cast: Yoshioka Hidetaka, Shibasaki Kou, Tokito Saburo, Ootsuka Nene, Aoi Yu, Izumiya Shigeru, Sakai Masato, Kakei Toshio, Kobayashi Kaoru
Do you think I'll watch the sequel when I've not even watched the original? Although I'm quite interested to see Shibasaki, Tokito, Ootsuka and Aoi...I don't think I'll watch this after all.
3) Tatta Hitotsu no Koi (The Only Love)
Cast: Kamenashi Kazuya, Ayase Haruka, Hiraoka Yuta, Tanaka Koki, Toda Erika, Kaname Jun, Tanaka Yoshiko, Zaitsu Kazuo, Yo Kimiko
Tatta hitotsu kirai no wa kore shika nai. (This is the only one which I dislike.) And yes, I totally detest Mr KK and the fact that the story is so boring i.e. a poor guy and a rich girl falls in love increases the amount of dislike for this story. You can be sure that I won't touch this at all.
*Note that those with titles in blue are what I would watch and those in red are those which I do not have any interest to cover at all. Those in green are under KIV status which means that it's likely that they may be dropped before the season ends. Not in order of preference:
1) Kazoku ~ Tsuma no Fuzai Oto no Sonzai (Family ~ The Absence of the Wife, The Presence of the Husband)
TV Asahi, starting on 20 Oct 2006, Fridays 9pm
Cast: Takenouchi Yutaka, Ishida Yuriko, Kimura Tae, Sakura and Watari Tetsuya
The combination of Takenouchi Yutaka and Watari Tetsuya looks very appealing. There are rumours that Kimura Takuya and Watari were scheduled to act in a TBS drama next season but the plan went nowhere since Kimura has promotions for his movie at the end of the year. However, I'm glad to see Takenouchi and Watari together with a pretty strong co-cast consisting of Ishida Yuriko, Kimura Tae and Gekidan Hitori which suggests that good acting can be expected. In addition, seeing Takenouchi in his first role as a husband whose wife walks out on him and dumps their son on him to take care of is a refreshing change from his usual roles.
2) Juuyonsai no Haha (A 14-year-old mother)NTV, starting on 11 Oct 2006, Wednesdays 10pm
Cast: Shida Mirai, Tanaka Misako, Namase Katsuhisa, Yamaguchi Sayaka, Miura Kazuma, Tanimura Mizuki, Kaitou Ken, Kaneko Sayaka, Kitamura Kazuki and Muroi Shigeru
Stories about unwed mothers are plenty but what makes this drama so special is the fact that we are talking about a 14-year-old girl played by talented child actor Shida Mirai who is left to fend for herself and her unborn child when her boyfriend shirks his responsibility. This drama looks set to repeat the wave of controversy associated with Joou no Kyoushitsu which did very well in terms of critical reviews and ratings because the ending of whether the girl gives birth to her baby will definitely attract brickbats from either camp of viewers who oppose the outcome. I doubt there will be an ambiguous ending though but it will be very interesting to see how the story is crafted and how Shida scales new heights in her career. Other than Fukuda Mayuko, she's another upcoming star to look out for. Tanaka Misako is back again in a drama and I do hope she will do better here than in Brother Beat which restricted her performance to a large extent.
3) Nodame CantabileFujiTV, starting on 16 Oct 2006, Mondays 9pm
Cast: Ueno Juri, Tamaki Hiroshi, Eita, Koide Keisuke, Mizukawa Asami, Uehara Misa, Iwasa Mayuko, Saeko, Hatano Hiroko, NAOTO, Ibu Masato, Toyohara Kosuke, Nishimura Masahiko, Takenaka Naoto
Being a fan of the manga, this is the main reason why I'm going to watch this despite my complaints about the leads. I can anticipate myself criticising and grumbling about Ueno and Tamaki spoiling my image of Nodame and Chiaki-sama but I'm willing to stay till the end if the drama adheres closely to the original. What baffles me is the fact that the strong supporting cast are very similar to the original characters in terms of image or appearance but the leads are not...
4) Yakushadamashi (Actor's Soul)FujiTV, starting on 17 Oct 2006, Tuesdays 9pm
Cast: Matsu Takako, Moriyama Mirai, Kato Rosa, Kagawa Teruyuki, Hamada Mari, Maekawa Yasuyuki, Fujita Makoto
Matsu Takako's return to TV ever since "Itsumo, Futari de" plus some of my favourite names Moriyama Mirai, Kato Rosa, Kagawa Teruyuki and Hamada Mari makes this something worth checking out. The only issue I have is with the male lead Fujita Makoto who is acting in a regular season for the first time although he is a veteran in period dramas. Not many people know who Fujita is so I wonder if this will somehow affect the ratings.
5) Kiraware Matsuko no Issho (The Life of Disliked Matsuko)TBS, starting on 12 Oct 2006, Thursdays 10pm
Cast: Uchiyama Rina, Kaname Jun, Koike Eiko, Suzuki Emi, Yazawa Shin, Hongo Kanata, Hagiwara Masato, Tanihara Shosuke, Suzuki Ranran, Seto Saki, Fukikoshi Mitsuru and Kitamura Kazuki
The movie version starring Nakatani Miki seems very interesting so I have a certain level of expectation for this drama. My only worry is whether Uchiyama can ditch her goody-two-shoes image completely to cope with the turbulent life of Matsuko depicted in the story. A half-baked effort would certainly ruin her chances of climbing into the A-list actresses rank.
6) Walkers
NHK, starting on 11 Nov 2006, Saturdays 9pm
Cast: Eguchi Yosuke, Toda Naho, Becky, Segawa Ryo, Morimoto Leo, Miura Tomokazu, Fubuki Jun, Washio Machiko, Kato Noriko, Harada Yoshio
The thing about NHK Saturday dramas is that they are not widely publicised and yet they turn out to be the hidden gems which are not discovered. Anyway, the cast looks very appealing and the story seems good so I'll be tuning in if I manage to find it online.
7) Boku no Aruku Michi (The Way I Walk)
FujiTV, starting on 10 Oct, Tuesdays 10pm
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Karina, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Motokariya Yuka, Kato Koji, MEGUMI, Suga Kenta, Asano Kazuyuki, Katsurayama Shingo, Moriguchi Yoko, Kohinata Fumio, Oosugi Ren and Nagayama Aiko
This is the concluding instalment for the "Boku" series which consisted of "Boku no Ikiru Michi", "Boku to Kanojou to Kanojou no Ikiru Michi". Frankly speaking, if not for Kusanagi, I don't really care for this drama. The female lead lineup gets weaker with each instalment from Yada Akiko to Koyuki and now Karina. This feels like a one-man show of Kusanagi. And the fact that there are familiar faces in the same series may turn out to be good or bad for the ratings...
In KIV status:
1) Sailorfuku to Kikanjuu (Sailor Uniform and Machine Gun)
Cast: Nagasawa Masami, Koizumi Kyoko, Nakao Akiyoshi, Taguchi Hiromasa, Ogata Ken, Tsutsumi Shinichi
This feels kind of silly to me but I'll watch the first episode just for the sake of Tsutsumi and Koizumi.
2) Teppan Shoujou Akane!! (The Teppan Girl Akane)
Cast: Horikita Maki, Tsukamoto Takashi, Katase Nana, Ootomo Minami, Jinnai Takanori
Same as the above but I'll see how silly this can get. No particular member in the cast attracts me to a large extent.
And these are those which I won't watch:
1) Damenzu Walker
Cast: Fujiwara Norika, Yamada Yu, Miyasago Hiroyuki, Miura Rieko, Shimatani Hitomi, Aoki Sayaka, Tanabe Seiichi
Other than Yamada, Miyasago and Aoki, the rest doesn't interest me. The story isn't that appealing either.
2) Dr. Kotou Shinryojou 2006
Cast: Yoshioka Hidetaka, Shibasaki Kou, Tokito Saburo, Ootsuka Nene, Aoi Yu, Izumiya Shigeru, Sakai Masato, Kakei Toshio, Kobayashi Kaoru
Do you think I'll watch the sequel when I've not even watched the original? Although I'm quite interested to see Shibasaki, Tokito, Ootsuka and Aoi...I don't think I'll watch this after all.
3) Tatta Hitotsu no Koi (The Only Love)
Cast: Kamenashi Kazuya, Ayase Haruka, Hiraoka Yuta, Tanaka Koki, Toda Erika, Kaname Jun, Tanaka Yoshiko, Zaitsu Kazuo, Yo Kimiko
Tatta hitotsu kirai no wa kore shika nai. (This is the only one which I dislike.) And yes, I totally detest Mr KK and the fact that the story is so boring i.e. a poor guy and a rich girl falls in love increases the amount of dislike for this story. You can be sure that I won't touch this at all.
I can't wait for "Boku no Aruku Michi". But why Karina?? In two previous dramas they chose a-list actress, at least.
ReplyDeleteA-list? I seriously do not think that Yada Akiko and Koyuki can be considered A-list in terms of acting skills but I have to admit that they were at the height of their popularity when they acted in the Boku series. As for Karina, she's always been in those small supporting roles and I've never been convinced about her ability to hold her own especially when it comes to being a female lead. Kusanagi will have to hold the fort again against the competition.
ReplyDeleteHi erin, long time no see. ^_^
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the CM for Nodame?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Q9cPRr3E_k
Umm ... can we just say "bimyo"?
You and I share the same sentiments
about the dramatization of the manga. It is indeed regrettable that Okada Junichi didn't get the part. In the CM, Tamaki Hiroshi just feels ... LACKING ... you know? Lacking in Chiaki-sama aura, coolness, suaveness, etc. In addition, he looks stiff and his facial expressions are unnatural to boot. I suppose that we should find solace in the fact that Ueno Juri seems to make a passable Nodame. At least she's not outright lacking unlike her male lead. Take comfort that there's Eita with bleached hair, Koide with the hilarious afro, and Mizukawa as the sharp-looking Kiyora.
Hi keladry, it's been a long time! Thanks for continuing to support me by making your presence felt here.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for providing the link to the Nodame trailer. It just proves my point I made previously about the leads being a mismatch. I don't want to talk about Tamaki again since I get quite irritated whenever I think of him spoiling Chiaki-sama's image.
As for Ueno, if that short clip is representative of her performance, I don't think I won't like this Nodame though. The Nodame in the manga is someone you can't use logic to judge and yet it's hard not to like her. However, Ueno appears more like a ditzy dimwit to me. Well, I hope the drama will show that she is capable of something better.
Are there any SP dramas that you're looking forward to?
ReplyDeleteHere are a few that I'm anticipating ...
CX
-Niji wo kakeru ouhi - Kanno Miho + Okada Junichi grand production. Enough said.
-The second installment to the two-parter on married couples starring Abe Hiroshi and Kuroki Hitomi.
Another dynamic duo. Abe totally ruled the summer season with Kekkon Dekinai Otoko.
-Unfair - What exactly did Yukihira see?
-Chibi Maruko-chan 2nd installment
NTV
- The special drama about North Korean abductee Yokota Megumi starring Fukuda Mayuko. I was terribly impressed by Fukuda in Joou no Kyoshitsu and Byakuyakou. For one so young, her acting has amazing depth and range.
Well, among those you have mentioned, I would pick Niji wo Kakeru Ouhi, Unfair SP and the SP starring Fukuda Mayuko.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the Abe Hiroshi and Kuroki Hitomi SP, I like Abe but I just don't have the same amount of enthusiasm for Kuroki as compared to the past. It's not really a must-watch for me.
As for Chibi Maruko-chan, I didn't catch the first SP so I don't think I'll be tempted to follow up on the sequel.
Well, Kuroki Hitomi has been in a bit of stalemate; her past two dramas weren't very well-received.
ReplyDeleteThe premise of that drama sounds quite fascinating, given the span of 50 years and the setting in the Soviet Union. I think it'll be a worthwhile watch, at the very least.
The first Chibi Maruko-chan was pretty well done. If anything, it was faithful to the original - just look at the meticulous choice of cast for each character. If anything, the cute kids really make it a fun watch. And Fukuda Mayuko is in it too. For once she's a normal, happy kid. ^_^
She actually gets to smile and laugh. ^^
Fukuda Mayuko and Shida Mirai seem to be getting more prominent roles especially after appearing in "Joou no Kyoushitsu". They look set to be in the running for the top young actresses in the next generation after the current batch of Sawajiri Erika, Nagasawa Masami, Horikita Maki and Co.
ReplyDeleteYup, Fukuda has a tendency to appear in difficult roles which doesn't let her smile that much but then Shida will also be doing that in her upcoming drama which should turn out to be quite different from her usual sunshine girl image.
Don't forget to include Narumi Riko in the batch. I recently watched the NTV SP drama Saigo no
ReplyDeleteNightingale and was once again convinced of her acting capabilities.
Is there not a rumor that Fukuda was initially approached for the role but she declined it?
But then again, Shida belongs to Ken-On and that agency usually has a couple of dramas that it "monopolizes" every season. So perhaps the role was written for her specifically.