Cross-border collaborations are the way to go? - About the trend of Korean actors appearing in Japanese dramas and movies

Came across this article from FRIDAY Digital which offers some theories as to why TBS has been adding Korean actors to their dramas of late and if this really helps to boost the international appeal and ratings of their productions.

Here are the key observations they made in this article:

* In "Black Pean Season 2" which recently ended its run, not only did they have Choi Ji-woo appear as a guest in the first episode, Kim Mu-jun also appeared as a regular cast member in the drama. Choi was the female lead in the Korean drama "Winter Sonata" which was a major hit in Japan 20 years ago so she is well-known in Japan. Kim made his debut in the 2020 Web drama "New Learn" and is an upcoming actor who had won the newcomer award in MBC Drama Awards 2023.

"Black Pean Season 2" had the highest average rating in the Summer 2024 season with all episodes but the 4th on 28 July 2024 having double-digit ratings.

* Likewise in the Winter 2024 season, TBS drama "Eye Love You" starred Nikaidou Fumi as the lead with Korean actor Chae Jong Hyeop being her love interest. It was reported that his popularity in Japan soared thanks to this drama that his fan event held in Tokyo during the drama's run attracted 32,885 applicants for 850 slots.

* On the other hand, TBS' mega hit "VIVANT" from Summer 2023 may have done brilliantly in Japan but failed to do well after its international release on Netflix since December 2023. This was said to be the catalyst for TBS rethinking its strategy to make its dramas more "appealing" to the international audience i.e. by resorting to incorporating Korean actors into their dramas' cast lineup. 

* As it is right now, popular content on Netflix tends to be dominated by Korean titles even in the Japanese market. While "Black Pean 2" may have been a constant on Netflix's Japan Top 10, it hasn't achieved the same kind of attention in South Korea yet. If more familiar Korean names will appear in Japan's dramas, it is hoped that there will be a Japanese drama which will attract a lot of attention in other markets including South Korea.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually, the trend of getting Korean actors to appear in Japanese dramas is hardly anything new. My guess is that this article is highlighting TBS as an example because they had more examples within a year so it gave the impression as if they were doing this a lot more than their competitors.

Back in 2006, TBS produced the drama "Rondo" which starred Choi in her first appearance in a J-drama alongside with Takenouchi Yutaka. Given this prior collaboration and that Choi had a new movie to be shown in Japan from August 2024, it probably made a lot of business sense for her to do a guest appearance in "Black Pean 2". As for Kim Mu-jun who played her son in the drama and became a regular fixture in the cast, I can't say for sure how big his role was since I only watched one episode of the drama but it certainly didn't look like a major supporting role. And I honestly doubt that the success of "Black Pean Season 2" would be attributed more to Kim than in "Eye Love You" where Chae was the male lead.

As for the point made about "VIVANT" being a flop in the international market, I must say in its defence that the title didn't seem to be "pushed" that aggressively at least from the promotional emails I got from Netflix when it was first released internationally on the platform. If people didn't even know about the presence of this title through such promotional emails or the recommendations on Netflix itself, people aren't going to watch it. If you are talking about algorithms on such OTT platforms which determines what content they are pushing to their subscribers, then it makes little sense for them not to push "VIVANT" to me because I watch more J-content than K-content on Netflix as a whole. Besides, I also think that "VIVANT" is a pretty unconventional J-drama in many ways so it may not be so palatable to the international audience or those who are used to the usual J-drama style and genres.

In the past, there were quite a number of Korean actors and idols who had appeared in J-dramas made by other TV stations and movies. Especially when the Korean Wave was really big in Japan, there were some really top-level actors who were featured in the lineups to the extent that there were complaints over this influx. As you can see, FujiTV actually stands out a bit more than the others in this list of past productions featuring Korean stars:

- EXO's Kai in WOWOW 2018 drama "Haru ga kita"

- SHINee's Taemin in Amazon Prime Video 2017 drama "Final Life - Ashita, kimi ga kietemo -"

- N.Flying's Kim Jae-hyun in NTV 2021 drama "Kimi to sekai ga owaru hi ni"

- Shin Eun-kyung in 2019 movie "Shinbun Kisha", 2020 TV Asahi drama "Shichinin no hisho" and TBS 2023 drama "100 mankai ieba yokatta" etc.

- Kara's Jiyoung in 2018 movie "Reon", 2019 movie "Tokyo Ghoul S", 2015 TV Asahi drama "Tamiou" etc.

- Lee Byung-hun in 2007 FujiTV drama "HERO" and 2011 FujiTV drama "Gaikoukan Kuroda Kousaku"

- Song Seung-heon in 2010 movie "Ghost Mouichido dakishimetai"

- So Ji-sub in 2008 movie "Gegege no Kitaro Sennen noroiuta"

- Lee Junki in 2007 movie "Hatsuyuki no koi Virgin Snow"

- Jae-joong in 2010 FujiTV drama "Sunao ni narenakute"

- Lee Hong-gi in 2011 MBS drama "Muscle Girl!"

- Kim Tae-hee in 2011 FujiTV drama "Boku to star no 99 nichi"

- 2PM's Taec-yeon in 2011 FujiTV drama "Boku to star no 99 nichi"

At present, it does look like there are more cross-border collaborations between both countries especially in the post-COVID era. These are just some examples which are in the making or about to be shown between Japan and South Korea as cited in this article. Interestingly, these are all made by OTT networks - first title by COUPANG PLAY while the other two are from Netflix. As such, it does seem like OTT platforms may be a key driving force for such collaborations in time to come vs. local TV stations in both countries:

* Ai no ato ni kuru mono  / What Comes After Love - Sakaguchi Kentaro & Lee Se-young

* Kono koi, tsuuyaku dekimasuka? - Fukushi Souta & Go Youn-jung

* Romantic Anonymous - Oguri Shun & Han Hyo-joo

Personally, if my favourite actor/actress appears in an international or non-domestic production, it may spur me to check it out for a quick glance especially if it's just a cameo - little time investment is required on my part. If he/she takes on the lead role or a significant supporting role, it may tempt me to stay on for longer. However, if the story just doesn't interest me or my liking for that actor/actress is not strong enough, chances are, I won't bother taking a look. As such, using favourite actors/actresses as a bait may not be as effective as what people think unless there's some compelling reason for viewers to bite the bait and all elements in the production can attract people to stay on.

To me, the cast is like the first impression or façade of a production. It will definitely catch my attention and make me want to find out more about the title if the lineup is appealing. However, if the synopsis doesn't have something which hooks me or the work just doesn't click with me even after watching a bit of the movie or the first episode of a series, I doubt that I will stick around to the end.

As for these cross-border collaborations, if there is a good reason for doing that e.g. the story calls for an international romance or the story is set in such a way that you need people from different countries coming together, I'm all for it. However, if the arrangement is so forced or awkward such as having a foreigner play a local who can't even speak the local language like a native, then it's probably best not to head down that path and end up not achieving the desired effect.

Preview of "Watashi no machi no Chiba-kun wa" - Autumn 2024

Title: Watashi no machi no Chiba-kun wa. / 私の町の千葉くんは。

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 9 October 2024

Timeslot: Wednesdays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Okamoto Tokasa

Cast: Igeta Hiroe, Yamashita Kouki & Inukai Atsuhiro etc.

Preview of "Rikon Bengoshi Spider" - Autumn 2024

Title: Rikon Bengoshi Spider / 離婚弁護士スパイダー

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 4 October 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 12.30am

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Takahashi Maryjun, Higuchi Kohei, Shibuya Nagisa & Kaneko Nobuaki

Japanese winners at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024

Note that this is the national winners list i.e. there is a single winner for each country and I will be listing only the Japanese winners for drama and movie-related categories.

The grand winners will be announced on 3 December 2024 in Singapore.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Suzuki Ryohei - City Hunter

Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Role: Suzuki Ryohei - City Hunter

Best Screenplay: Mishima Tatsuro - City Hunter

Best Feature Film: City Hunter

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Ayano Go - Yu Yu Hakusho

Best Visual or Special FX (TV or Feature Film): Yu Yu Hakusho

Best Single Drama / Telemovie / Anthology Episode: Deaf Voice Houtei no shuwa tsuyakushi

Best Drama Series: Anti Hero

Quick Review #72: Modern Love Tokyo - Autumn 2022

Title: Modern Love Tokyo / モダンラブ・東京

Rating: 6 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are interested in modern love stories in various forms and are fans of the cast

Liked:

- This anthology of various love stories set in Tokyo offers a variety of themes including parental love, LGBT, sexless marriages, long-distance international relationships, seniors having a second chance at love, teenage first-love rekindled in adulthood etc. so this should satisfy viewers with the variety. While this may not be an all-rounder pleaser, some episodes would have resonated more with viewers than the others. Personally, I liked Ep 6 featuring Emma Scott and Ikematsu Sousuke the most while Episode 1 (Mizukawa Asami & Maeda Atsuko) and Episode 7 (Kuroki Haru & Kubota Masataka as voice actors) came a close second for the heartwarming and fuzzy vibes at the end.

- The drama had a star-studded cast with some unexpected cameos as well e.g. Miura Touko, Koura Kengo and Matsumoto Wakana but I would have to say that Ikematsu Sousuke and Naomi Scott stood out for their natural acting and great chemistry. It was actually the first time I saw Ikematsu in a romantic role so it was a pretty refreshing change and I have to say, his English was really good. The matchings also had a fair bit of novelty e.g. Mizukawa and Maeda who played a married couple which was somewhat never seen before in other works. Seeing Emoto Tasuku and Eikura Nana together somehow made me keep thinking of their respective spouses though for some strange reason.

Disliked: 

- As the anthology was written and directed by different people, the storytelling styles and directing naturally varied so I can't say that I liked every single episode. In particular, I found Episode 5 starring Nagasaku Hiromi and Yusuke Santa Maria a tad bewildering as I failed to understand what the story was driving at. The way the story was told also seemed to have a tinge of a horror love story. Looking at online reviews, it seems that sentiments about this episode are quite divided too. As I mentioned above, while some episodes may touch and resonate with you a bit more, there might be some which will not impress. 

Another thing which made me quite unconvinced or uncomfortable were some story settings which seemed far-fetched or unlikely to happen in real life. For example, in Ep 3 when the revelation about why the lead couple's date was supposedly "the worst" came out, it made me wonder how that could have happened unless the male lead's change had undergone a massive transformation over the years as he aged. Another thing which got me thinking was in Ep 1 when Mizukawa Asami played a nursing mother who was expressing her breast milk in the airplane's toilet. Those scenes seemed to project her in a slightly negative light because she seemed to be hogging the restroom without a care for other passengers and even looked delighted that she won't be disturbed by the long queue during a turbulence since the passengers had to go back to their seats. I do think that might have given rise to misunderstandings and misconceptions about nursing mothers and further perpetuate prejudice against them even though that may not have been the initial intention.

- While the drama was supposedly set in Tokyo, some of the stories didn't really have a Tokyo angle or touch so the link between the location and the story wasn't as strong as it should have been. As such, the Tokyo-ness of the stories could have been reinforced or else they could have jolly well fit in to other major metropolitan cities elsewhere in Japan.

Preview of "Sennyuu kyoudai Tokushuu sagi tokumei sousakan" - Autumn 2024

Title: Sennyuu kyoudai Tokushuu sagi tokumei sousakan / 潜入兄妹　特殊詐欺特命捜査官

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 5 October 2024

Timeslot: Saturdays at 10pm

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Ryuusei Ryou, Yagi Rikako, Tokui Yu, Iriyama Anna, Nagao Junko, Kureshiro Kumi, Ito Asahi, Okai Mion, Handa Shuhei, Fernandez Naoyuki, Kamio Yu & Oikawa Mitsuhiro etc.

Preview of "Sorezore no kodoku no gurume" - Autumn 2024

Title: Sorezore no kodoku no gurume / それぞれの孤独のグルメ

Official website: here

Official X: here

Official YouTube: here

O.A. Start Date: 4 October 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 12.12am

Broadcast by: TV Tokyo

Original manga by: Kusumi Masayuki & Taniguchi Jirou

Cast: Matsushige Yutaka + guest lineup

Preview of "Snowdrop no hatsukoi" - Autumn 2024

Title: Snowdrop no hatsukoi / スノードロップの初恋

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 1 October 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 11pm

Broadcast by: Kansai TV

Opening theme song: "Shiroku somaru mae ni" by Miyase Ryuubi

Cast: Miyase Ryuubi, Ono Karin, Sota Ryosuke, Iwase Yoji, Shiga Riku, Yagi Hibiki, Fujimoto Kodai, Meguri Hiroo, Furukawa Koji, Morita Kanro, Nekoze Tsubaki & Sugimoto Tetta

Quick Review #71: Chinmoku no kantai Season 1 Tokyowan Daikaisen (Drama) - Winter 2024

Title: Chinmoku no kantai Season 1 Tokyowan Daikaisen / 沈黙の艦隊　シーズン１東京湾大海戦

Rating: 8 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are interested in military-themed stories and are fans of the cast especially Oosawa Takao and Tamaki Hiroshi

NOTE: The drama version is said to contain scenes from the movie version + unreleased scenes from the movie + the aftermath of the movie so even if you haven't watched the movie, it wouldn't be an issue. However, the story is still far from finished so there should be a Season 2 to tie up all the loose ends.

Liked:

- The scale of this production was definitely not something you could get from the private networks and not achievable by using CG only. Especially the battle scenes and those featuring the submarines, they would not have been possible without the support of the Ministry of Defence and Self Defense Forces in Japan plus the big budget from Amazon Studio since this was the first Japanese movie production they were involved in.

- The drama had a star-studded cast but the highlight was definitely Oosawa Takao who was not only the lead but also co-producer. He was instrumental in carrying the whole story as the lead character Kaeida who was a charismatic captain but also looked somewhat sinister at times because his motives and thoughts were hard to guess and understand. On the other hand, Tamaki Hiroshi provided a good contrast against Oosawa with his portrayal of Fukamachi who had a different leadership style that could come across as too idealistic at times but he still admired Kaieda, his former superior at the same time for the latter's decisiveness in making difficult decisions.

- The story offered some controversial and serious issues which deserved a lot of thought especially in this era of not so peaceful times but these would not have been touched on if not for the fact that this was on an international streaming platform. While the concepts thrown up may alienate people and can come across as divisive and nationalistic given the setting of the story, it might be worth watching this to develop your own opinions since the story tried to offer multiple perspectives rather than drive a single conclusion.

Disliked: 

- As someone who is not familiar with military-themed stories or the military in general, the story was a bit confusing at first. To begin with, the numerous titles, how military fleets operate, the chain of command in the military as well as how the weapons/ships/submarines work are not so easy to understand. For those who are in the know, they might enjoy this story a lot more than a layman like me. And it also doesn't help that the English translations on screen flashed by too quickly and I often had to rewind to read these titles especially in the earlier stages of this drama.

- This has got to do with the post-production quality of this drama. Subtitles are meant not just for people who don't speak the language featured in the production but also those who may have hearing issues so that they can still "read" the dialogue and enjoy the work. The problem is, for the English subtitles, they do not appear when English was spoken while for the Japanese subtitles, they appeared regardless of whether English or Japanese was spoken in the drama. It would have been better if the subtitles appeared all the time regardless of the spoken language for the sake of consistency. Even as a native speaker of English, I found that the American English spoken in this drama can be difficult to hear because the audio was somewhat muffled at times and the accent can be an issue as well. And most importantly, the English subtitles' quality on Amazon Prime seems to be a bit lacking with grammar and spelling mistakes here and there. Makes me wonder if proper QC was done because I noticed similar issues with their English subtitles on other Amazon Prime shows as well.

- Since this is a military-themed drama, it is probably not surprising that the ladies tend to have a very small role in the whole scheme of things since the military is a male-dominated world. The contrast was even more evident because on Japan's side, the women held relatively important roles as the Minister of Defence, the vice captain of a submarine and the secretary for the Secretary General of the Cabinet who also worked as the interpreter between the Japanese Prime Minister and US President. On the US side though, there was hardly any female figure which stood out. While it would have been ideal to have more female participation on both sides, I guess this was something which couldn't be helped given the theme of this story.

Preview of "Moyori no utopia" (Drama SP)

Title: Moyori no utopia / 最寄りのユートピア

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 25 September 2024 at 10pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Theme Song: "Senaka awase" by Kamio Fuuju

Cast: Kamio Fuuju, Kita Kana, Kobayashi Ryoko, Tanaka Makoto, Morita Kanro, Yamamura Ryuuta (flumpool), Fukikoshi Mitsuru etc.

Preview of "Okutou Kanjou sousakan Shinno Akari Season 2" - Autumn 2024

Title: Okutou Kanjou sousakan Shinno Akari Season 2 / オクトー　感情捜査官　心野朱梨 Season 2

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 3 October 2024

Timeslot: Thursdays at 11.59pm

Broadcast by: YTV / NTV

Cast: Iitoyo Marie, Kageyama Yuuka, Iwase Yoji, Takano Akira, Matsui Rena, Hamano Kenta & Asaka Koudai

Preview of "3 nen C gumi wa furin shitemasu." - Autumn 2024

Title: 3 nen C gumi wa furin shitemasu. / ３年C組は不倫してます。

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 1 October 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 12.24am

Broadcast by: NTV

Cast: Riko, Mokudai Kazuto, Akita Shiori, Yuutarou, Tanaka Miku, Hosoda Yoshihiko, Mori Kasumi, Yashiba Toshihiro, Takezai Terunosuke, Sakai Miki & Kuninaka Ryoko

Preview of "Okura Meikyuuiri jiken sousa" - Autumn 2024

Title: Okura Meikyuuiri jiken sousa / オクラ　迷宮入り事件捜査

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 October 2024

Timeslot: Tuesdays at 9pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Sugino Yosuke, Shiraishi Mai, Maeda Oushiro, Arisawa Shotaro, Miura Ryota, Aoki Sayaka, Hashimoto Jun & Ukaji Takashi etc.

Winners of The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association Awards 2024 - Drama Category

Grand Prix: Haru ni nattara (Kansai TV)

Excellence Awards

VIVANT (TBS)

Saikou no kyoushi Ichinengo, watashi wa seitou ni ■ sareta (NTV)

Rakujitsu (WOWOW)

Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka! (Tokai TV)

Amawari THE LAST HERO (Ryukyu Housou)

Congratulations to all the winners! 

Source: The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association

Preview of "Lion no kakurega" - Autumn 2024

Title: Lion no kakurega / ライオンの隠れ家

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 11 October 2024

Timeslot: Fridays at 10pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Theme Song: "Fuujin" by Vaundy

Cast: Yagira Yuuya, Bandou Ryouta, Saito Asuka, Sato Tasuku, Kakizawa Hayato, Iriyama Noriko, Okazaki Taiiku, Ozaki Takumi, Hirai Masaaki, Mori Yuusaku, Sakurai Yuki, Okayama Amane, Denden & Mukai Osamu etc.

Preview of "Usotoki Rhetoric" - Autumn 2024

Title: Usotoki Rhetoric / 噓解きレトリック

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 7 October 2024

Timeslot: Mondays at 9pm

Broadcast by: FujiTV

Original manga by: Miyako Ritsu

Cast: Suzuka Ouji, Matsumoto Honoka, Mikata Ryosuke, Katayama Yuki, Ookura Koji, Isoyama Sayaka, Konno Hiroki, Murakawa Eri, Sakurai Atsuko, Sugimoto Tetta & Wakamura Mayumi etc.

Quick Review #70: Mountain Doctor - Summer 2024

Title: Mountain Doctor / マウンテンドクター

Rating: 6 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are interested in watching a medical drama set against the backdrop of breathtaking scenery on mountains

Liked:

- The most eye-catching element of this drama has got to be the magnificent aerial shots of beautiful scenery on the Northern Alps (stretching across multiple prefectures) mainly in the Nagano Prefecture area. At the same time, since the key characters actually climbed the mountains for the filming, this helped to make the shots look more realistic and more engaging to watch as a viewer rather than just using stock images or CG to pass off for the real thing.

- The first episode started in a slightly unexpected way - most if not all the time, the lead character usually goes somewhere for further studies or to pursue his dream at the end of the story. However, in this drama, this kind of standard development happened right at the beginning when Miyamoto (Sugino Yosuke) headed off for training to become a mountain doctor at the end of Ep 1. To add on to the surprise factor, Emori (Oomori Nao) was left out of MMT on purpose because of a lawsuit and medical dispute with a patient's family. Under normal circumstances, the mentor would have been around in the newly set-up MMT to put the lead character through some tough training but to have the mentor absent and the newbie to be the "leader" from the start made me look forward to seeing more surprises from the story.

- Sugino Yosuke was able to show the "transition" of his character convincingly over the course of the story. From being someone who was made to join MMT begrudgingly at first to taking the initiative to go overseas for training, he really appeared as a "matured" version by the time he returned to his hospital after getting the necessary certification. However, being armed with knowledge didn't mean that he would be able to handle any situation that came his way or apply what he learned accordingly. As such, I quite liked the few episodes after Ep 1 where he slowly lost his confidence and was humbled into the realisation that he was still far from a full-fledged mountain doctor.

Disliked: 

- While the story appeared pretty promising at first with some unconventional settings e.g. the mystery over Emori's deep disdain and "hatred" for mountains despite being a qualified mountain doctor, things started to get pretty predictable from the mid-point onwards. For example, the appearance of adversaries trying to get MMT dissolved or the idea of having doctors go into the mountains to provide on-site medical care being seen as something that's unrealistic and dangerous were developments which I had expected to pop up at some time. It would have been better if the adversaries had a stronger justification to block the MMT's work (the reason just seemed awfully petty and ridiculous at one point) or that the dilemma over ensuring the medical staff's safety while saving others didn't get so drawn out and draggy.

I also didn't like the part where someone of a certain status in society could get away with no repercussions for posting untruths on her social media account especially the part about offering condolences to Emori when he hadn't even passed away. I thought it would have been good to address this inappropriate action but I wonder if the scriptwriter forgot about this for some reason or perhaps a related scene was edited out?

- While the other cast members did reasonably well in their characters, I couldn't help but feel that some of them were under-utilised and didn't have much room to shine. I would have loved to see more of Oomori and him interacting more with Sugino. As for Mukai Koji, I was assuming that he would be more involved with the mountains e.g. as a rescue team member who interacts with MMT but turns out that he was pretty much confined to his yakitori restaurant for the entire drama.
Since the drama kept talking about mountain hiking in winter being more dangerous in summer, perhaps this is a hint that the drama may return for a sequel or at least a SP so there is a likelihood that these characters can be fleshed out more in time to come.

Preview of "Golden Kamuy Hokkaido irezumi shuujin soudatsuhen" - Autumn 2024

Title: Golden Kamuy Hokkaido irezumi shuujin soudatsuhen / ゴールデンカムイ　北海道刺青囚人争奪編

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official TikTok: here

Official X: here

O.A. Start Date: 6 October 2024

Timeslot: Sundays at 10pm

Broadcast by: WOWOW

Total number of episodes: 9

Original manga by: Noda Satoru

Cast: Yamazaki Kento, Yamada Anna, Maeda Goudon, Yamoto Yuuma, Kudo Asuka, Yanagi Shuntaro, Ootani Ryohei, Katsuya, Kiba Katsumi, Shiono Akihisa, Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Sakurai Yuki, Okata Hisako, Takahashi Maryjun, Nakagawa Taishi, Kitamura Kazuki, Iura Arata, Tamaki Hiroshi & Tachi Hiroshi

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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.