Title: Ketsuekigata Betsu Onna ga Kekkon suru Houhou (The methods how women of different blood types get married)O.A. Dates: 23 Feb - 26 Feb 09
Shown via: FujiTV
Theme song: Strawberry Cream Pop Soda by Tommy february 6
Part 1: Kato Rosa x Nokubo Naoki (Blood Type A)
Part 2: Shaku Yumiko x Miyasago Hiroyuki (Blood Type B)
Part 3: Kashii Yui x Chen Bolin (Blood Type O)
Part 4: Mizukawa Asami x Joushima Shigeru (Blood Type AB)
Review:
This is not the first time that FujiTV is dishing out a collage SP as they have attempted it before in the Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshi tachi series. This type of drama SPs are present for a couple of reasons. It can be a litmus test of the popularity of the various leads based on the ratings but sometimes, the figures are not representative of the actual quality of the story or acting. In addition, TV stations pay lesser for someone in a SP as compared to a full-length drama so they can afford to have a variety of actors or actresses in the lineup. What's more, they can test the market by getting upcoming stars to be the leads since this is less risky. Due to the trend of people being interested in blood type studies especially in recent years i.e. how they affect behaviour, this SP can be said to be a shot at riding the wave. However, the concept may be interesting but the final product is not satisfactory at all.
First of all, the scriptwriter was probably too ambitious in including the major characteristics of each blood type to the extent that the story seemed to have lost focus. In the end, we are actually none the wiser about the major similarities of each blood type. If the drama SP was intended at boosting awareness in this respect, it does deserve a failing grade. Personally, as a blood type B person, I really don't think the characteristics mentioned are representative of the group. True, we all have different personalities which does not hinge on blood type only but surely they can pick out some traits which are generally more common than the rest. Even if it's less than 5 traits, I thought that this is better than including a whole list of irrelevant stuff. And this idea of using the same character Sachie for all 4 ladies so as to drive home the differences in their characters was a bit stale. It got really boring to hear the same name repeated over and over again.
Secondly, the theme is about how these women get married. In my opinion, the B-group story seems more logical than the rest. The progression of the relationship was gradual and more convincing. The O-group drama was so far-fetched. It is hard to imagine that marriage will cross the minds of two people who have met less than 5 times. And since this drama SP is about how these 4 women get married, we do not get to see the wedding ceremony. All we get is a miserable still-shot of the couples in their wedding gowns and suits. I know the focus is on HOW they get married but surely we should be entitled to see the wedding, right?
Last but not least, the interaction and chemistry is lacking, especially in the O blood type story. Kashii Yui and Chen Bolin feel so distant from each other that I don't sense any sparks between them. Oh well, Kashii is known for her aloofness but since she is in a romance story, I just don't feel any affection or passion coming from her character. Surprisingly, Shaku Yumiko and the comedian Miyasago Hiroyuki turned out to be the most compatible couple in the SP because there was chemistry between them. The friendly banter sure helped a lot. Kato Rosa and Nokubo Naoki were pretty bland (the story was too predictable) while Mizukawa Asami and Joushima Shigeru had some chemistry but somehow the disparity in their ages and appearances were hard to ignore. Initially, I had the highest hopes for Mizukawa's part because I thought it was fun to see her with Leader but it turned out to be so disappointing. As for A-type and O-type stories, I didn't think much of them right from the start. And since I didn't like Shaku very much, the B-type story surprised me in a good way.
Oh, and before I forget, those Lexus commercials at the end of the SP were so irritating. I think they were trying hard to use the theme of the SP in the CM but the way of presentation was too unnatural and difficult to understand.
And my ratings for this drama SP...
Story: 5 out of 10 (on an average basis, the whole series didn't impress me)
Acting: 6 out of 10 (Well, to be fair, the roles did not offer too much room for development in the first place but I must say that even Shaku managed to do reasonably well this time. I'm quite disappointed with her younger counterparts who can obviously do better, based on past performances.)
Theme song: 7 out of 10 (Tommy february 6's song lends a cheerful atmosphere to the fairytale ending of the stories)
Visual effects / Scenery: 5 out of 10 (Nothing much to speak of except for the B-type story which had some nice illustrations)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 4 out of 10 (Seriously lacking, on an average basis)
Total: 27 out of 50
i love all about japan....
ReplyDeleteKampai....!!!!