Thoughts about "Shouri no houteishiki" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

This is probably yet another example of how the viewers have to sit through not-so-interesting filler cases before getting to the best parts of the story.

To begin with, the filler case featured in this episode was quite predictable. There wasn't much doubt about who did what bad things or how the case was probably headed towards an "ideal" resolution although I can never fathom why people are expected to have a conscience and confess/admit to their guilt when there is no evidence or material facts to confront them. And it was sort of expected that no matter how the case turned out, Kagura Ran (Shida Mirai) would be spurred to restart her career as a lawyer so as to help her friend Saotome Hana (Kitano Kii) overturn her murder conviction later on. As such, it is likely that you have to sit through a good 4 or 5 episodes with these "easy" cases until the main plot that connects Ran, Hana and Kurosawa Jin (Kazama Shunsuke) takes centrestage.

Secondly, the story structure and settings aren't believable or realistic. Ignoring the fact about Ran being a former child actor and later becoming a lawyer (this is fine since child actors can go on to switch jobs when they grow up), the other arrangements seem so odd. Kurosawa impersonating Ran to create a blog and write all sorts of untruths purportedly from Ran - shouldn't this be a criminal offence? As a lawyer, Ran not taking legal action against him or seeking an injunction to stop him from doing this going forward just doesn't sound right. Her subsequent actions of going along with him and following his plans or that the overly simplistic assumption that the responses of the witnesses and accused will be according to his script also seems too far-fetched. Much as I get that this is for dramatic effects, it is hard to feel engaged while watching this when there are so many loopholes that I can see even if I am not legally trained.

And this obsession with doing a wall display of the information found about individuals involved in a case - I simply cannot see why this is still done to this date. I mean, Kurosawa doesn't seem to have put up a strong security system to prevent anyone from simply walking into that secret room and seeing all his findings. And yet he's sort-of letting Ran using his place as a base/office to meet clients? If you want to have a secret room or something, at least keep the room locked up or the display hidden by some secret wall.

Last but not least, the acting is a bit hard to stomach especially in the case of Kazama. I know he's doing it on purpose to suppress the tone of his voice and talk in that manner but it was so jarring to the ears and the pretentious nature of this acting was such a eyesore. I don't know how long he has to do this but hopefully as his character is more developed and his back story is revealed, his acting can be a bit more natural. 

Likewise for Shida, I get it that Ran is probably not the sharp, stern lawyer with a lot of presence but even during her consultations with her clients, she came across as lacking in confidence and didn't have a firm stand. Somehow, it is very unsettling if you are to consult a lawyer who behaves like her. However, it is still early days so perhaps Ran will go through a transformation as time goes by.

In summary, I would say that I wasn't satisfied with this episode but will give it a couple of episodes to see if things get better. As such, it will be a matter of which comes first - my patience running out or the story heating up fast enough to make me stay on.

Thoughts about "Last Man - Zenmou no sousakan -" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

This turned out to be slightly better than expected despite my initial reservations.

First and foremost, the direction of the story seemed like familiar territory. It was obvious to see that a FBI investigator wouldn't come to Japan simply for an exchange program so there was definitely another reason motivating him to do so. And when something like this happens, chances are there will be a conspiracy plot most likely involving the Japanese police which is to be uncovered. The thing is, such a plot has been done so many times that I wonder if this drama is capable of dishing out something new?

As seen from the first episode, my suspicion was proven correct since it was revealed that Minami Hiromi (Fukuyama Masaharu) lost his sight as a child due to a supposed accidental fire that also caused the death of his parents. Towards the end of the episode though, it was obvious that there is definitely something more than meets the eye because of a prisoner currently behind bars and the fact that the Godous - Seiji (Terao Akira) and Kyougo (Kamikawa Takaya) know something about that fire and are worried about Minami's presence and motive while in Japan. The more alarming thing is, there is something about the truth that supposedly involves or will affect Godou Shintaro (Ooizumi Yo). Does this mean Shintaro is related to the culprit? Or was he related to Minami in the past? To be frank, I am more intrigued by this part as compared to what actually happened to Minami's parents. I am guessing that they were silenced or had to be gotten rid of because they posed a threat to the mastermind.

The second concern I had was how the combination of Fukuyama and Ooizumi would turn out. I think what worked in their favour was that they are quite different in terms of acting style and image in real life so this resonates with how things are between the vastly different Minami and Shintaro in the drama. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they interacted onscreen and the timing of their to-and-fro lines was quite impeccable for a first episode. Looks like they are "meant to be" for a good reason! The worrying thing is, there is a possibility of the two characters turning against each other. If it turns out that Shintaro is somewhat involved or related to the people who may have caused the fire, the bromance between them is bound to end. That's quite a pity though because it has been such a joy to see them getting closer especially through two scenes in this episode where the positions of where they sat at the dining table showed a growing bond between them.

In terms of the case featured this time, I would say that the process of leading to the culprit was more interesting than the actual case itself or the resolution. The usual prejudice against the handicapped or assumptions made thinking that nobody else does it better than the locals were aplenty to see so now that Minami had proven his worth, his counterparts in Japan might treat him with a bit more faith and respect. Nagase Ren's role Izumi didn't have a lot of airtime and simply came across as a stick-in-the-mud kind of elite. On the other hand, Imada Mio's Agatsuma who was supposedly helped by Minami in the past, might be a more interesting character to explore given that she seemed to fade in the background in the investigation team and was treated as someone whose views are not valued.

I may be thinking a bit too much into this but the title got me wondering if there's an unusually strong focus on the "blindness" of Minami. The word "zenmou" is typically not used to describe someone who cannot see except if we want to make it clear that the person has lost 100% of his/her sight. It then got me wondering, is Minami faking his blindness now? I don't doubt the fact that he probably did lose his sight during the fire in his childhood but he may be able to recover later on in life for all we know. The drama also didn't say for sure if his condition was totally impossible to regain his eyesight. It may seem like a far-fetched idea for now but when you look at his actions from the time he met Shintaro, it seemed plausible that he was making use of his "blindness" to get people to lower their guard around him and trust him more.

In summary, I would say that I am more inclined to stay on for the sake of the two leads because the story hasn't really gotten me hooked to the extent of lasting an entire season. However, if the story gets so bad or predictable, it might be difficult to sit through this even with the two of them doing a great job.

Thoughts about "Gouritekini arienai ~ Tantei Kamizuru Ryoko no kaimei ~" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

To be honest, my first thought after finishing this episode was, "that's all?".

Perhaps I was expecting too much from this drama right from the start so it was hard not to feel quite underwhelmed with what was dished out. However, I wouldn't say that it was bad...just that not as good as I thought it should have been.

The story begins with an assault case allegedly committed by Kamizuru Ryoko (Amami Yuki) when she was still a lawyer. The odd thing though is, she claimed that she couldn't remember why she did that or if she actually did that. Details of the case were rather sketchy during the flashback scenes so the victim's identity wasn't even made known. Despite this, Ryoko was "cut off" by Isama Keisuke (Nakamura Tooru) who is the president of Isama Group for which she had been its legal advisor. This suggests that the case had a detrimental effect not only on her career as a lawyer and had implications on the company she represented. Work-related trouble or a personal vendetta?

Fast forward to the current day, the viewers are then treated to a dazzling galore of cos-playing scenes featuring Ryoko as part of her work as a private detective with the backend support by her partner Takayama Nobuhiko (Matsushita Kouhei). At present, it is not clear how things came to this state, how they met or what they hope to achieve through this detective work. As such, it can get really bewildering to see them going about their "missions" without any context or idea of where all these are heading to.

Another aspect which bothered me was the "deja vu elements" which naturally led me to make comparisons. For example, the cosplaying done by Ryoko kept reminding me of Daako (Nagasawa Masami) in "Confidence Man JP" but Amami simply didn't have the luxury of time and detail that could convey the extent of her effort or how these were integral to the progression of the storyline. Likewise, the part about a lawyer-turned-detective got me comparing this drama with Ayase Haruka's "Motokare no yuigonjou". Although Ayase's character was not officially a private detective, there were similarities between what she did and what Ryoko did here. I don't know if it's the editing that made everything feel so rushed and disjointed but it did come across as the drama was being very ambitious in trying to do everything but ended up not excelling in any aspect.

It may be too premature to write this off so I'll give it a few more episodes before deciding whether to watch this till the end. I can only hope that the story gets better. Or at least make the filler cases more interesting until we get to the meat of the story.

In terms of acting, I'm a bit undecided about the chemistry about Amami and Matsushita for now given that the story at this stage hardly gave a clue as to their characters' relationship dynamics. Are they allies or going to be foes in future? What kind of secrets are they hiding from each other especially since it looks like Takayama is not fully aware of what happened in Ryoko's case in the past? It may be fun to see them bickering at times while at work but it feels like their interactions for now are just very superficial and scraping the surface only. 

In summary, it may be good to manage expectations before you head into watching this. Perhaps my biggest mistake was to hope for too much just because Amami is headlining this drama. If it's a case of the best is yet to come, I'm OK with sticking this out. The thing is, how long will it take to get to the best parts of this drama? As someone who hasn't read the original material, I do not have an idea of what lies ahead. If the filler episodes going forward are still so all over the place, I'm sorry to say that I may have to give up despite my liking for Amami and Matsushita.

Preview of "Ah, Love Hotel ~ Himitsu ~" - Spring 2023

Title: Ah, Love Hotel ~ Himitsu ~ / ああ、ラブホテル ~ 秘密 ~

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 19 May 2023

Timeslot: Fridays at 11.30pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Total number of episodes: 9

Cast: Bandou Ryouta, Ishikawa Ruka, Okayama Amane & Ono Karin (Ep 1)

Matsumoto Marika, Miura Takahiro, Minagawa Sarutoki & Sakurada Hiyori (Ep 2)

Hotta Mayu, Inowaki Kai, Suzuki An, Ishii Anna & Hayashida Yohei (Ep 3)

Isomura Hayato, Miura Touko, Arakawa Yoshiyoshi & Kiryu Mai (Ep 4)

Seto Koji, Takiuchi Kumi, Mimura Akari, Sakou Yoshi & Mitsuishi Ken (Ep 5)

Kaneko Daichi, Katayama Yuki, Nakamura Mukau, Sakurai Kento, Otaka Akira, Serizawa Tateto & Narushima Touko (Ep 6)

Inou Masayuki, Nakamura Yurika, Sakaguchi Ryotaro, Ono Rina & Maeda Oushiro (Ep 7)

Kato Ryo, Okada Yui, Morisaki Win, Sato Ryo & Takaishi Akari (Ep 8)

Hayashi Kento, Itagaki Rihito, Sakai Maki, Okada Yoshinori, Kitamura Yui, Yamasaki Ryutaro & Yamawaki Tatsuya

Thoughts about "unknown" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

To be honest, I wasn't that keen on this drama when I first heard of it. 

A love story about two people, or rather 1 vampire and 1 human being, where they have unspeakable secrets. Hmm...been there, done that. However, throw in a suspense element of "whodunit" for a serial murder case, now that's something I might be more interested in.

The first episode focused largely on the love story between Kokoro (Takahatsu Mitsuki) and Toramatsu (Tanaka Kei) from the time they met to them actually falling in love with each other. However, because both of them have secrets that they can't tell the other party, they just cannot progress to marriage despite everyone around them thinking that it's high time they do it since they are so in love with each other and have been dating for some time.

At present, what we know about Kokoro's secret is that she is a vampire and her family members are all the same. Considering that she has some living habits as a vampire which are bound to attract Toramatsu's attention if they do get married and start living together, it is no wonder that she is apprehensive about marriage. Her family is also a mix of rather unique characters - father Kaizo (Yoshida Kotaro) who is a doctor but keeps dressing up like a vampire and gets mistaken as a cosplayer by their neighbours, mother Iori (Asou Kumiko) who goes on primetime news as a popular newscaster and younger brother Ren (hasn't appeared in the first episode yet) who is a police detective. No wonder she is worried about how Toramatsu would react because she truly has feelings for him and wouldn't want him to leave when he finds out the truth.

On the other hand, Toramatsu's secret isn't revealed yet. Other than the fact that he went through a divorce, nothing much is known for now. Although it's hinted that he has a big secret which he is hiding from Kokoro, I just hope that when the revelation comes, it won't be underwhelming when compared to Kokoro's secret. 

Coming to the part about the serial murderer who was supposedly active 5 years ago and only resurfaced recently, the fun part going forward would probably be guessing who among the cast members is the killer. Despite the fact that the bodies of the victims had their blood drained out, it would be too premature to link this to one of the vampires so the actual killer might have some reason for doing this even though he/she may not be a vampire. However, there aren't many clues to work with for now so it's not easy to guess who it might be at this stage.

Looking at how Kokoro saved Toramatsu from the burning house, it seems likely that she may be using her powers as a vampire to help him with the investigations as the story progresses. And given that Kokoro had already told Toramatsu about her secret (whether the implications of this has sunk in for him is another thing) and he seemed relatively calm about it, this might not be as big as an issue between them after all.

In summary, the first episode was a decent introduction to the story with lots of lovey-dovey scenes between the lead couple. Takahata and Tanaka looked so good together and had great chemistry as a dating couple. The supporting characters are also well-defined with interesting traits which should entice viewers to stay on for the sake of finding more about these people. However, I remain cautiously optimistic because like what I said, I'm in this more for the suspense. If this element fails to do well, I don't think I will like this drama simply for the relatively straightforward romance.

Preview of "Draft King" - Spring 2023

Title: Draft King ドラフトキング

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 April 2023

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Total number of episodes: 10

Original novel by: Kuromatsu Tetsurou

Cast: Muro Tsuyoshi, Miyazawa Hio, Denden, Ibu Masato, Kamiji Yuusuke, Hirayama Yuusuke, Fujima Sawako, Kawakubo Takuji, Sakata Masanobu, Otaka Akira, Ikuta Shunpei, Masunaga Tatsuki, Machida Keita, Tanaka Yoji, Takahashi Tsutomu, Sendou Nobuko, Nakayama Shouki, Kido Taisei, Kitarou, Moro Morooka, Sudo Risa, Abe Ryohei, Hyoudou Takumi, Fukumatsu Rin, Yagi Masayasu & Takashina Yuki

Thoughts about "Sorette pakuri janai desuka?" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

Dramas about law as a whole, especially criminal or corporate law or those in the legal profession are aplenty. What distinguishes this from the rest is its singular focus on intellectual property laws which may not be so well-known or many people and companies do not pay attention to. As such, given its laser focus on one area, you will no doubt be able to learn more about the issues involved and how being the "creator" doesn't mean that you will automatically own the rights to whatever you create. The downside though is, for those who may not be familiar with legal jargon, the lines can get quite mind-boggling at first because there's a lot to explain especially the groundwork of what IP laws are in the first place. Perhaps as time goes by, there will be lesser explanations on the theory and more focus on how these laws are applicable in real life so it depends on whether you can deal with this part and wait a while for the story to dish out less theories and bring up questions and solutions on how things are done in practice.

The first episode went to great lengths to explain the importance of doing copyright and trademark registration in the right and timely manner as illustrated by the supposed leak of confidential information by the designer Fujisaki Aki (Yoshine Kyoko) to a friend working in a rival company during a social gathering. Despite everyone's insistence that she should just admit her wrongdoing for the "accidental leak", she refuses to do so since she is very certain that she hasn't done anything that others are accusing her of. Of course, her innocence is proven by the end of the episode but that's not without a lot of stress and self-blame which made her wonder repeatedly if she should take the fall so that the whole issue can be resolved. It takes a lot of courage and self-belief to stand against the tide so despite her meek and scaredy-cat character, Aki looks like someone who can become a strong figure to fight for what's right as she knows more about IP issues in her new department.

On the other hand, fans of Shigeoka Daiki will probably be quite happy to see him talk a lot as the patent attorney Kitawaki Masami who gets sent from the parent company to the beverage company where Aki works. Since he has to explain the IP issues to the clueless staff at the beverage company, he naturally gets a fair bit of screentime. I haven't read the original manga but I am guessing that Kitawaki and Aki will probably just become great buddies although I wouldn't mind a bit of romantic involvement between them.

It looks likely that the drama will spend a number of episodes to touch on the IP issues facing the beverage company before delving into the pasts of the key characters or some major back story that is about to be revealed. For example, it looks like Kitawaki and Aki's boss Takanashi (Tokiwa Takako) knew each other from before and she seems a bit hostile towards him. Kitawaki's boss Matasaka (Tomosaka Rie) also hinted at a past event about him which had resulted in becoming so cold and harsh towards others. At the same time, Takanashi also seems to have something going on with rival company's director Tadokoro Joseph (Tanabe Seiichi) - maybe a past feud? I am anticipating that these questions won't be answered that early so you probably need some patience to sit through the first few episodes.

In short, this was a decent debut episode which provides a fair bit of information while dropping some hooks for the viewers to continue watching so as to find out what's going on with the characters. What I'm concerned about is, will the individual cases be enough to hold everyone's attention till the main plot takes centrestage? Or will the viewers lose interest very soon if the next few episodes turn out to be very predictable?

Preview of "Nichiyou no yoru gurai wa..." - Spring 2023

Title: Nichiyou no yoru gurai wa... 日曜の夜ぐらいは...

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 30 April 2023

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Theme Song: "Que sera sera" by Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Cast: Seino Nana, Kishii Yukino, Nukumi Meru, Okayama Amane, Kawamura Kazuma, Wakui Emi & Miyamoto Nobuko

Thoughts about "Pending Train" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

After watching the first episode, this drama came across pretty strongly as a mix of 2002's "Long Love Letter ~ Hyouryu Kyoushitsu ~" starring Tokiwa Takako & Kubozuka Yosuke (FujiTV) and 2013's "Limit" starring Sakuraba Nanami, Tsuchiya Tao & Kubota Masataka (TV Tokyo). I'm not sure how much CG was used or if there was an actual location where they filed the scenes outdoors but for now, the visuals look pretty convincing and stunning. However, one thing which seemed a bit contradictory was how the train carriage was stuck in a seemingly lush forest with lots of green moss i.e. suggesting that there's a river or water supply which enables this growth of vegetation. In the opposite direction of the tunnel though, there was this huge desert and volcanic-looking dark soil and rocks with tall mountains which made it look like there was no way plants could grow in this dry environment. Perhaps this difference in these two "worlds" separated by the tunnel could be explained more clearly as the story progresses.

In "LLL", it featured people trapped in a senior high school after an earthquake and they ended up in a desolate world in the future where there was nothing but wilderness, desserts and even monsters out to kill them. At the very least though, they had some emergency food supplies and subsequently could plant vegetables to eat. "Pending Train" also hinted that the passengers and staff who were in the same carriage had ended up in the future - supposedly 30 years later - after an earthquake supposedly detached their carriage from the train. The issue is, there are no supplies of food and water on a commuter train like this although it's mentioned that beverages supposedly being transported in another carriage or on the same train were missing. Since we saw in this episode that someone had actually spotted these drinks before this revelation and had kept quiet about this fact, it is natural to suspect him for hiding these supplies for his own survival but there may be a twist ahead for all we know.

On the other hand, "Limit" didn't have any time-leap element and the people who got lost were still in the real world. However, their survival hinged on killing one another when suspicion and human nature forced them to react extremely. It is still too early to tell but I wouldn't be surprised if the survivors (supposedly 68 of them but a group of high school boys are presumed dead now) start attacking one another in order to live till the end.

These similarities might make viewers compare this drama with other predecessors so whether it can stand out from the pack and go down an unique path still remains to be seen. However, I think the basic groundwork of introducing the key characters and their traits was done pretty well so hopefully when the story gets moving faster from next week, it may give an indication on the potential quality of this drama.

Be warned though that the story already gave away a big spoiler in the first minute or so when Kamishiraishi Moka's character Hatano Sae was featured running to catch a train with a baby and a suitcase in tow. And considering the fact that she was the narrator of the story and recounting what happened from the perspective of someone who had gone through the whole incident, she is most likely to have survived the ordeal to become a mother later on, if the baby is hers. There is also a likelihood that the baby may not be hers but either way, she still had to get out of that predicament first in order to do what she was doing at the beginning of the episode. Unless...the narrator changes or someone else also joins her in narrating the story, chances are the other people did not survive by the end of the drama OR there were only a few who did. The question then becomes, did they get out of their situation due to their own efforts like in "LLL" or did they rely on external help like in "Limit"? The thing is, we don't know how long it had passed since the end of the incident to that scene in the beginning. It could jolly well be that Sae married someone else years later if she did not survive with one of the two male leads.

This episode had to introduce quite a number of people at one go but the basic information and key character traits given are enough for now to form a basic opinion of these people. It is obvious that Kayashima Naoya (Yamada Yuuki) and Shirahama Yuuto (Akaso Eiji) would probably be at loggerheads for the entire drama with some bromance moments. Although Sae seems besotted with Yuuto, it does look like Naoya will see her in a different light as time goes by so a love triangle may be in the works since extreme situations can produce romance in the most unexpected way.

For now, it is unclear if there is someone among the passengers who may be responsible for what has happened so whether there will be a culprit hunt is still up in the air. However, everyone having their own issues and background stories will mean that there will be clashes in values and mindsets as people try to ensure their own survival. Bloodshed looks likely but it could be due to external forces or infighting.

The three leads have done reasonably well within this episode with the most interesting character being Naoya. Especially when you consider how Yamada Yuuki looked last season as a law lecturer, the change in visuals and his acting style were quite drastic. His outburst towards the end the episode when the reason why he had to survive was revealed - that was handled pretty well. Akaso's character Yuuto seemed to be holding himself back and was rather subdued as he tried to make good of his pledge to save others in this extreme situation. However, there might be a chance that he might show his true emotions especially if the stress of trying to ensure others' survival gets to him at some point. As for Sae, her positivity seemed to be self-induced rather a natural thing from within and we haven't seen why she is behaving the way she did i.e. trying so hard to be positive. There is more to be explored for all the characters so it will take some time whether we will get to decide if a character is going to be endearing or detestable or a mix of two extremes with reasons we can understand and empathise with.

At the moment, it doesn't look like those in the current world can get to these people any time soon so it might be a case of the people stuck in the future having to do more in order to return to the reality they used to know rather than waiting for rescue efforts. For now, this looks like a promising drama to watch so I'll give it a few more episodes before deciding to watch it till the end.

Preview of "Bengoshi Sodomu" - Spring 2023

Title: Bengoshi Sodomu 弁護士ソドム

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 28 April 2023

Timeslot: Fridays at 8pm

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Theme Song: "Yuuzai fukoku" by BLUE ENCOUNT

Cast: Fukushi Souta, Hyunri, Kato Seishiro, Yamashita Mizuki, Furukawa Yuuki, Denden, Takaoka Saki, Katsumura Masanobu & Mitsuishi Ken

Preview of "Fixer Season 1" - Spring 2023

Title: Fixer Season 1 / フィクサーSeason 1

Official website: here

O.A. Start Date: 23 April 2023

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Total number of episodes: 5

Cast: Karasawa Toshiaki, Fujiki Naohito, Machida Keita, Koizumi Kotaro, Kaname Jun, Yoshikawa Ai, Saito Yuki, Suruga Taro, Nishida Toshiyuki, Nagashima Toshiyuki, Tomita Yasuko, Jinnai Takanori, Uchida Yuki & Kobayashi Kaoru

Preview of "Last Man Zenmou no sousakan" - Spring 2023

Title: Last Man Zenmou no sousakan ラストマン全盲の捜査官

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 23 April 2023

Timeslot: Sundays at 9pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Insert Song: "Shura no chimata" by Kami wa saikoro wo furanai

Cast: Fukuyama Masaharu, Ooizumi Yo, Nagase Ren, Imada Mio, Matsuo Satoru, Imai Tomohiko, Oku Tomoya, Ourin, Terao Akira, Yoshida Yo & Kamikawa Takaya

Preview of "Tsukuyomi-kun no kindan oyashoku" - Spring 2023

Title: Tsukuyomi-kun no kindan oyashoku 月読くんの禁断お夜食

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 22 April 2023

Timeslot: Saturdays at 11.30pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original manga by: Asada Nikki

Theme Song: "yonaki" by BREIMEN

Cast: Hagiwara Riku, Triendl Reina, Ozaki Takumi, Higuchi Hina, Maruyama Tomomi & Asaka Koudai

Thoughts about "Kashimashimeshi" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

It seems like there are quite a number of food-themed dramas this season although they differ slightly in terms of the genre i.e. romance or friendship or life issues. "Kashimashimeshi" is one of the offerings which features lots of mouth-watering scenes woven into a story about the friendship and struggles of three friends who used to be in the same arts university and only reunited after years because of a mutual friend's funeral.

The thing is, the first episode was a bit patchy in explaining the relationship dynamics between the trio and their individual struggles so I had to "fill in the blanks" by checking the character write-ups on the official website. It then made sense as to why they were behaving in the way they did. Of course, the story would probably do the same in later episodes but with the fragmented depiction of the situation at present, it was difficult to understand the background settings that led to the current state of things. 

For example, it was shown that Oda Chiharu (Maeda Atsuko) was at a stage of self-abandon some time ago after she quit her job but it wasn't specifically mentioned that she had done so after being bullied by her boss and she was affected psychologically because of the ordeal. As such, to suddenly see the flashback scene that she had given up on herself and her house was in a mess, it can come across as something really out of the blue and bewildering. Her subsequent "revival" through cooking and her desire to be needed and validated by others can then be validated after you realise what she had been through.

Likewise, Nakamura Seiko's (Narumi Riko) situation of not fitting in well in her workplace had a missing piece in the puzzle. No doubt it may be because of her insistence on doing things in a certain way which may come across as rigid and stubborn to others, her discomfort at the workplace could also be due to the unmentioned fact that her engagement with a colleague in the same department had been broken off by her fiance all of a sudden. Similarly for Amami Eiji (Shiono Akihisa), it may appear that the only issue he has now is his seemingly rocky relationship with a boyfriend. Or does he even have one now because it looked as if this boyfriend is absent from his life even though he pretended that his relationship was going well? As such, you might understand the story better if you have this background information in advance.

As for the food scenes, what's interesting so far are that the dishes featured are not really the conventional type e.g. the dumplings which have their fillings exposed as compared to the wrapped ones we usually see. And to see the cast eating so heartily and enjoying themselves during those meal times is a joy to watch despite the heavy underlying stories. Of course, this can also be seen as a brief respite from their life challenges and it was fun to see them bantering and talking about various things as if they had no inhibitions about sharing their struggles.

However, if you look deeper into the content of their conversations, they haven't really been that forthcoming with one another. For now, it's just Chiharu telling them that she quit her job but she hasn't really told them why and the aftermath. Likewise, Eiji covering up the state of his relationship or Nakamura not really sharing what is happening at her workplace other than lamenting that she wants to quit means that it may take a while before they really get to the crux of the issues. 

Despite so, I don't think that the story will get angsty and serious all of a sudden. Judging from Nakamura and Eiji's reaction to Chiharu's confession, I think the approach going forward would be just listening to one another's problems, providing an emotional boost or reassurance that things are going to work out fine and offering companionship through eating together. As such, for those who don't like very emotional stories, this should still be palatable to them.

There are quite a number of interesting subplots like which hopefully, will get addressed properly as time goes by. Of these, I'm most interested to know the story about Chiharu's and Eiji's ex-boyfriend who passed away and why Chiharu behaves differently in front of Hasui (Watabe Atsuro), the trio's former lecturer in preparatory school and the nature of their relationship now. I just hope that the scriptwriter doesn't leave these hanging in the air and forget about tying up the knots.

Preview of "Dr. Chocolate" - Spring 2023

Title: Dr. Chocolate / Dr. チョコレート

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 22 April 2023

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Sakaguchi Kentaro, Shiroyama Noa, Nishino Nanase, Aoi Wakana, Suzuki Sarina, Maeda Oushiro, Furukawa Yuta, Hirako Yuki, Ishikawa Ren, Aoki Ryo, Yamamoto Koji, Adachi Yumi, Ozawa Yukiyoshi & Saito Yuki

Thoughts about "Ousama ni sasagu kusuriyubi" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

This drama is typical in the sense that it ticks all the boxes for a story about a couple who gets together/gets married for their respective reasons and later falls in love with each other.

* Money is involved in this transaction - be it paying it directly to the other party or one side spending it on the other party

* One side is much richer than the other

* The relationship usually comes with a limited time period

* They both have someone else who they truly love but cannot be together for some reason

* The "true loves" will come into the picture sooner or later to distract the main couple

* And of course, the main couple will fall in love with each other and be together for real at the end

Much as the ending is still months ago, it's not difficult to see where this is heading since the first episode already shows signs of moments when the main couple sees each other in a more favourable light. And romantic comedies tend not to head for a sad ending so unless the direction of this story takes a sudden turn, the couple in question here will definitely be together at the end.

Given that the main couple is still at the stage of faking it for others to see, it is no wonder that Hashimoto Kanna and Yamada Ryosuke are a bit lacking in the chemistry department for now which could be done on purpose to reflect the relationship state of Ayaka and Tougo. However, there is no denying that they do look very good together so the change in their characters' relationship will probably be reflected in their chemistry as the story progresses. 

There was this article which mentioned that despite the lovey-dovey scenes and having 2 kissing scenes in a single episode, the fans of both actors aren't so bothered because everyone knows that Hashimoto already has a boyfriend in real life i.e. Nakagawa Taishi. This can work both ways for the drama though. Viewers will be constantly reminded that it's all acting between the two actors which can mean that it's more difficult to immerse themselves into the story and imagine them as a couple. This is probably not so good for a love story because of the lack of engagement and emotional involvement. On the other hand, it keeps viewers mindful of the fact that this is nothing but acting so they don't get overly affected especially for fans of both actors who may not really like to see the lovey-dovey stuff that's a staple in such stories.

Despite the first episode being a full hour-long as compared to the usual 45 minutes, the pacing of the story was speedy so it didn't feel much longer while viewing. The problem though is, with the predictable direction of the story, how can the viewers feel engaged and continue to stay till the end? And would there be any hooks or special things that can make this drama stand out from the rest of the competition? Surely, banking on the visual compatibility of the main couple isn't going to last too long so the story is going to be the deciding factor as to whether this drama will be a success. Things aren't looking so good from the start though with a rating of just 7.5%.

What also bothered me is the blatant use of PPL (product placement). If you've watched Korean dramas, you will be surprised at how the characters always go to the same sandwich place or cafe for all sorts of occasions and the brands prominently displayed in the scenes with close-ups. Japanese dramas tend to be a bit subtle when it comes to this aspect. Even if there was a lingering shot on the product or shop, it wouldn't be that obvious. This drama takes it a notch higher by mentioning the brand names specifically in the lines and shooting long scenes at the shop itself. Guess Fendi and Harry Winston might have paid quite a fair bit to be featured so prominently.

The problem is, if you can't use the sponsored stuff appropriately, it actually ends up being quite an eyesore. For example, the Fendi outfit which Ayaka got from Tougo just simply didn't look flattering on her as it appeared to be a size bigger. And given her age, that outfit looked so mature and out of place in the workplace. Of course, given that she is the president's wife now, she needs to be distinguished from the rest but still, it stuck out like a sore thumb. I thought that there were other outfits which she tried at the Fendi shop that looked much better. Maybe the King's taste is different from commoners like us?

Perhaps what is rather unconventional about this story is the female lead's mindset. Given her tough circumstances and always being treated badly and unfairly because of her beauty, it is no wonder that Ayaka doesn't believe in people and tries to keep others at a distance by pretending to be a bad woman. However, her jaded mentality might be the best thing to keep her rooted to reality even as Tougo's little gestures of kindness do sway her a little bit at times. Comparatively, Tougo's personality hasn't really been fleshed out that much in this episode other than the fact that he is entering into marriage as a PR stunt for his bridal company and his relationship with his parents seem somewhat distant. 

On the whole, this was a decent start to the drama but whether it will continue to hold my interest is another thing.

Preview of "Nami yo kiitekure" - Spring 2023

Title: Nami yo kiitekure 波よ聞いてくれ

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 21 April 2023

Timeslot: Fridays at 11.15pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Original manga by: Samura Hiroaki

Theme Song: "Ai no nami" by Macaroni Enpitsu

Cast: Koshiba Fuuka, Katayose Ryota, Hara Nanoka, Nakamura Yurika, Hirano Aya, Baikingu, Igashira Manami, Nakagawa Chika, Koichi Mantaro & Kitamura Kazuki

Preview of "Pending train - 8 ji 23 pun, asu kimi to -" - Spring 2023

Title: Pending Train - 8 ji 23 pun, asu kimi to - ペンディングトレイン―8時23分、明日 君と

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 21 April 2023

Timeslot: Fridays at 10pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Theme Song: "TATTOO" by Official Hige Dandism

Cast: Yamada Yuuki, Akaso Eiji, Kamishiraishi Moka, Inowaki Kai, Furukawa Kotone, Fujiwara Joichiro, Hyuga Wataru, Kataoka Rin, Ikeda Yuto, Miyazaki Shuto, Ohnishi Ayaka, Murata Hideaki, Kanazawa Miho, Shida Sara, Shiraishi Shunya, Hamatsu Takayuki, Tsubokura Yoshiyuki, Yamaguchi Sayaka, Maeda Gouki, Sugimoto Tetta & Matsuyuki Yasuko

Quick Review #26: Keishichou Outsider (Winter 2023)

Title: Keishichou Outsider 警視庁アウトサイダー

Season: Winter 2023

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Rating: 2/10

Recommended for: NA

Liked:

- The first episode turned out to be the best in the entire series with a number of potentially intriguing subplots.

- The chemistry of the three leads which improved with time

Disliked: 

- The title and the storyline just didn't mesh well. Although the three leads were supposed to be "outsiders" in the police force for various reasons, the story didn't capitalise on this interesting theme and how they could make use of this unique position to solve cases. Instead, there weren't really any difficult cases which could test their investigative and deduction powers.

- The story simply went down the path of familiar territory i.e. law enforcement being in cahoots with the politicians to do cover-ups with the underworld being involved as well. That was simply boring and the developments were so predictable. Actually, from the time when Saito Takumi & Kataoka Ainosuke appeared in the beginning, it was so obvious that they would be key figures on the evil side. And to make things worse, what led to the messy state of things was a totally ludicrous reason. It felt like all that effort in investigating the cases and having so many people die along the way was totally for nothing.

- Much as the three leads were getting better at interacting with one another as the drama progressed, it was a pity that the appeal and charm of their characters did not come out well because of the story's limitations. And the amount of puns and silly jokes along the way became too much to take. It was such a pity that the story didn't give these actors a chance to shine. It felt like a waste of their talent especially Hamada Gaku's character who seemed the most interesting at the beginning.

Preview of "unknown" - Spring 2023

Title: unknown アンノウン

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 18 April 2023

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 9pm

Broadcast by: TV Asahi

Theme Song: "KANASHIBARI feat.ao" by RADWIMPS

Insert Song: "I knew" by Lozareena

Cast: Takahata Mitsuki, Tanaka Kei, Machida Keita, Kote Shinya, First Summer Uika, Inoue Yuki, Sota Ryosuke, Osada Seiya, Niiro Shinya, Ishikawa Zen, Sakou Yoshi, Kino Hana, Asou Kumiko & Yoshida Kotaro

Thoughts about "Anata ga shitekure nakutemo" Ep 1 (spoiler alert!)

This is something which should probably be:

* shown at a later timeslot (10pm on a weekday is not that late)

* come with an age restriction recommendation (especially not meant to be watched by parents with their kids around)

* something that couples, married or not, may want to avoid watching together if they are having similar sexless relationship issues like the couples in this drama

First of all, given the title of the drama and the theme about sexless relationships, it is inevitable and natural for the content to be circling around the topic of having sex. And of course, this means that there would be "before-and-after" depictions of the couples' sex lives prior to and after getting married. The thing is, for the scenes to be so intimate and quite drawn out as compared to an usually mild touch-and-go approach when it comes to such scenes on private network dramas, it might be a bit too much to take for those who are younger. In particular, the scene when Yoshino Yoichi's head (Nagayama Eita) went into Michi's (Nao) top was rather mind-blowing. I couldn't help but wonder whether there was a need to go to this extent but I get it that the story was trying to contrast how passionate this couple used to be and why their lack of physical intimacy now is so much of an issue.

Secondly, for parents to be sitting through this with their kids, I think that the inability to predict the number of intimate scenes which kept popping out at regular intervals may keep them on their toes. It can be distracting and a headache for the parents to have to explain to the kids what is going on so that means that they may not be able to watch this drama in peace.

And last but not least, the drama taking a deep and brutally honest look at sexless relationships can be quite a pain for couples in the same situation to be watching it together. It can go either way from there  - the couple can talk things out through about what they saw (good conversation starter) or just try to evade the topic further as if they aren't going through the same thing.

So to summarise what happened in this first episode:

* The Yoshinos have been married for 5 years but have not had sex for the past 2 years. It is evident that the husband Yoichi is avoiding physical intimacy with his wife Michi even when she takes the initiative. However, it is not that he has no sexual urge as seen from the fact that he would rather watch adult videos secretly while Michi was asleep instead of doing it with her. Although it is hinted that he may have erectile dysfunction (ED) and he even suggested this as a reason to Michi for his low libido, she isn't convinced and feels that he is just cooking up an excuse to get her to stop pressing him for sex. 

* The thing is, Michi isn't really kicking up a fuss because she has a high sex drive. If it had been that the couple had all along been quite "cold" when it comes to their sex life, it probably wouldn't have mattered so much now for Michi that Yoichi didn't want to touch her. Precisely because they used to have a sizzling sex life, the contrast now makes Michi wonder about Yoichi's feelings and her attractiveness as a woman to him. And to add insult to injury, Yoichi's mother keeps pressing Michi to have a baby but there is nothing she can do because her husband just wouldn't have sex with her.

* My deduction as to why Yoichi is not sleeping with Michi anymore is his tendency to like "new" things. The conversation that he had with the cafe owner suggested that he doesn't see why people want to stick to the same things and have the habit of doing so because boredom would set in after some time. The familiarity with Michi over a long period of time could have made him feel less interested in her when it comes to sex even though his feelings for her may not have changed as much. And the appearance of a new woman in Yoichi's life i.e. Mishima Yuika (Sato Honami) seems like a sign that Yoichi may find new excitement through her.

* On the other end of the spectrum, Michi's boss Niina Makoto (Iwata Takanori) looks like a picture-perfect couple with his wife Kaede (Tanaka Minami) who is the assistant chief editor of a fashion magazine. He is the so-called perfect husband who takes care of household chores and even cooks for his wife despite holding a full-time job himself but she is so busy that they can't even have a proper meal together. As such, it is no wonder that this couple is also sexless. However, their story hasn't been revealed yet so as to whether there was anything else beside her busy career that led to this situation, it is still a question mark.

Now, going by the first episode's depiction of the two couples' situations, it does look pretty promising as an in-depth look into marriage and relationships and how physical intimacy matters in these situations. However, the biggest worry I have right now is whether the drama would try to justify having an affair because of the lack of sex in one's marriage. If so, it would make the drama less impactful and engaging since it would be yet another "furin" drama. The title also suggests that even if your partner does not want to have sex with you, there is an "option" to seek gratification elsewhere.

At present, the budding friendship/relationship between Michi and Makoto already looks dangerously close to the edge. Being people in the same situation allowed them to empathise with each other and form a sort of bond to support each other. The thing is, when they hesitated to meet each other for drinks at the sakura tree viewing spot the second time, the excitement that they felt about going to meet each other certainly didn't go unnoticed even though they held their horses at the last minute. And by the time when Makoto was clearly and overly concerned about Michi who was putting up a brave front after confronting Yoichi, it already looked like a path of no return for them. However, I don't think the two of them were originally attracted to each other - it's the identical situation that they are in which sped up the development of their feelings for each other.

Much as it looked like these two could become soulmates and potentially be great partners for each other, their marital status is a key factor that could make or break this story. Should they simply move on to sleeping with another person who provides emotional and physical comfort which their spouses cannot or don't want to provide, it may become something that is no more than switching partners without a care. However, if the circumstances that they are in are depicted in such a way that they really have no choice but to end their marriages and seek comfort elsewhere, it may make their actions a bit more palatable with the viewers.

Given the sensitive theme and how difficult it is to make the viewers empathise with the characters, it is too early to tell if the drama will be a hit or flop. However, the strong acting so far especially from Nao and Nagayama Eita is quite a big draw for me so I think I will be sticking around for a while. As for Iwata Takanori who is playing another character in a potential affair with a married woman after "Kingyozuma", I will probably be able to tell how he fares after the story about the Niinas is featured in the drama.

Preview of "Ousama ni sasagu kusuriyubi" - Spring 2023

Title: Ousama ni sasagu kusuriyubi 王様に捧ぐ薬指

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 18 April 2023

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Original manga by: Watanabe Shiho

Theme Song: "DEAR MY LOVER" by Hey! Say! JUMP

Cast: Hashimoto Kanna, Yamada Ryosuke, Bando Ryouta, Nagao Kento, Morinaga Yuuki, Kobayashi Kinako, Wakatsuki Yumi, Miura Ryouta, Kobayashi Ryoko, Fukuda Yumi, Kohinata Yuka, Tanaka Hinari, Takahashi Kanaru, Miyazaki Ririsa, Tsukaji Muga, Rijuu Go & Ryou

Thoughts about "TOKYO MER ~ Sumidagawa Mission ~" (spoiler alert!)

This drama SP is clearly meant as a bridge between the series and the upcoming movie and of course, a PR tool to boost awareness and interest in "TOKYO MER" as a whole. As such, it is only 69 minutes long unlike the usual 2-hr SPs.

For those who have never watched the drama series or need a refresher on what happened in the past, the beginning of this SP spends a good 10 to 15 mins introducing the key characters and some highlights. It's not too draggy and moves along fast enough so as not to bore the existing viewers but I think that it may be too brief for those who have no prior knowledge about this title.

To summarise, here are the key developments and revelations in this SP:

* The SP takes place 6 months after TOKYO MER is finally recognised as a permanent fixture directly managed by the Tokyo Governor. Otowa (Kaku Kento) has to go back to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and resume his position as a bureaucrat in order to roll out the same initiative nationwide but of course in an enhanced manner compared to now.

* Due to his impending departure, Kitami (Suzuki Ryohei) has to finalise the choice of the second doctor in TOKYO MER. Much as everyone else thinks that Tsurumaki (Nakajo Ayami) is the natural successor to take up this post, she herself is unsure if she can ever be as good as Otowa and cannot make up her mind if she should give up her dream of being a cardiovascular surgeon should she decide to become a permanent member of TOKYO MER. Kitami himself wants to leave that decision to Tsurumaki even though the rest of the team hopes that he will retain her.

* And the bad guys who just haven't given up on disbanding TOKYO MER are at it again. The ministry sends Aoto (Ito Atsushi), known for being good at nothing, to the team with the hope that he would fumble and make a mistake which can be used as an excuse to end TOKYO MER. And the new Minister of Health is clearly worse than his predecessor with no ethics and morals other than to serve his interests. And true to expectations, Aoto is clearly not up to it as a doctor on the frontline.

* At this point in time, Kitami and Takanawa (Naka Riisa) haven't reconciled. However, at the end of the SP which is 18 months after the Sumidagawa incident, they had already gotten married. In the movie trailer shown, Takanawa is already pregnant. Looks like the movie will show how the proposal went but all you get in the SP is Kitami practising his proposal lines with Otowa.

* The biggest surprise goes to....Kamoi (An) who is heading the YOKOHAMA MER, is supposedly Otowa's ex-girlfriend and he was the one who invited her back to Japan to head the team! Now this is a pretty interesting combination but whether they will touch on this part in the movie is a question mark.

Regarding the SP as a whole, I must admit that I wasn't expecting much in the first place especially since the SP is this short. However, the Sumidagawa incident was in line with the usual TOKYO MER style - speedy, exciting and mind-boggling (because of the tons of medical jargon in the fast dialogue). Although the part of whether people risk their lives to this extent while saving others is quite unbelievable and questionable, you might be still able to get through the drama if you can choose to be less practical and ignore the logic gaps along the way.

Considering that the drama series was only released on Disney+, I think the chances of the movie version ending up on a platform rather than Disney+ are slim. There may be a likelihood that the movie gets shown exclusively on Disney+ but it may not appear so soon especially if the movie does well in the box office. It's definitely more lucrative to have people pay for per view in the cinema rather than multiple people paying for one view on a streaming platform.