JASRAC Awards - Top 10 most heard/sung songs in Japan in 2024 + J-drama and J-movie theme song winners in past years

JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) announced the winners for its JASRAC Awards which honours the most heard and sung songs for the year based on the amount of music copyright royalties paid to their creators. This award was first given out in 1982 and started off with just two winners per year i.e. the domestic and international categories before it changed to its current format of having the gold, silver and bronze awards for the domestic top 3 along with the International Award and Foreign Song Award in 1988 (for the year 1987).

Some interesting things to note:

- Only songs under JASRAC's management are eligible. As such, songs entrusted to other copyright management companies such as NexTone are not eligible for the award. In the event that the sub-copyrights are distributed to multiple companies, only the portion managed by JASRAC is considered to be eligible for consideration for this award.

NexTone holds its own NexTone Award which was first established in 2017. Due to the above condition, you will notice that the winners for both awards tend to be quite different especially if the copyright is managed exclusively on one side but not the other.

- The JASRAC data is compiled based on the following sources:

• Sales of physical media such as records and CDs
• Number of requests on cable broadcasts and request programs
• Use of the song in broadcasts such as TV and radio as well as in movies
• Sales of video software such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs
• Number of times the song is sung at karaoke
• Distribution of the song through channels such as online games, ringtones and music streaming/download portals
• Use of the song in pachinko machines

- Compared to other music awards, past winners tend to be songs that have been used as background music (accompaniments, soundtracks) for television anime and movies, or songs that have been used as commercial songs. This trend is especially evident in the International Award and Foreign Song Award, where all winning songs for the International Award since its inception in 1988 have been background music songs.

- In terms of the domestic gold award winners, most of them were enka songs which were heavily used in karaoke during the 1980s. The first time that a non-enka song won this award was in 1987 (for the year 1986).

- The International Award honours the domestic song which got the most copyright payments from overseas while the Foreign Song Award is for a non-Japanese work that earned the most royalties for the year.

- The record companies for the top 3 songs are also honoured for their role and efforts in popularizing the winning songs.

- In the 2025 edition for the year 2024, the gold award went to YOASOBI's Idol which is written by Ayase. Note that the song also won the same award last year.

And here is the top 10 ranking for 2024:

Gold Award: Idol - YOASOBI

Silver Award: Bling-Bang-Bang-Born - Creepy Nuts

Bronze Award: Shou - Ado

No.4: Kawa no nagare no you ni - Misora Hibari

No.5: Tensai Bakabon - Idol Four

No.6: Toshishita no otokonoko - Candies

No.7: M.LEAGUE Koushiki Anthem - Kawase Mikihiko & Sato Yoko

No.8: ONE PIECE BGM

No.9: Genki wo dashite - Takeuchi Mariya

No.10: SPECIALZ by King Gnu

International Award: ONE PIECE BGM

Foreign Song Award: SOUL BOSSA NOVA - Quincy Jones

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Since the 1990s, there have been quite a number of drama theme songs/tie-ups honoured in the JASRAC Awards so just to highlight some of them (drama title in brackets and the years are based on the time they were released) below:

1991

Gold Award: Love story wa totsuzen - Oda Kazumasa (Tokyo Love Story)

1992

Gold Award: SAY YES - Chage & Aska (101 kaime no proposal)

Bronze Award: Kimi ga iru dake de - Kome Kome Club (Sugao no mama de)

1993

Silver Award: Manatsu no yo no yume - Matsutoya Yumi (Dare nimo ienai)

1994

Gold Award: survival dAnce ~ no no cry more ~ - trf (17-sai - at seventeen)

1995

Silver Award: CRAZY GONNA CRAZY - trf (Gaman dekinai!)

1997

Gold Award: CAN YOU CELEBRATE? - Amuro Namie (Virgin Road)

Silver Award: FACE - globe (Kanojotachi no kekkon)

Bronze Award: HOWEVER - Glay (Ryakudatsu Ai Abunai Onna)

1998

Gold Award: Time goes by - Every Little Thing (Amai Kekkon)

2000

Silver Award: SEASONS - Hamasaki Ayumi (Tenkiyoho no koibito)

2001

Gold Award: EVERYTHING - MISIA (Yamato Nadeshiko)

Silver Award: Can You Keep A Secret? - Utada Hikaru (HERO)

Bronze Award: Lion Heart - SMAP (Food Fight)

2003

Gold Award: Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana - SMAP (Boku no ikiru michi)

2004

Gold Award: Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana - SMAP (Boku no ikiru michi)

2005

Gold Award: Hana by ORANGE RANGE (Movie - Ima, ai ni yukimasu)

Bronze Award: Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana - SMAP (Boku no ikiru michi)

2006

Silver Award: Sakura - Kobukuro (Ns' Aoi)

Bronze Award: Konayuki - Remioromen (1 litre no namida)

2007

Gold Award: Flavor of Life - Utada Hikaru (Hana Yori Dango 2)

2008

Bronze Award: Kiseki - GReeeeN (ROOKIES)

2009

Gold Award: Kiseki - GReeeeN (ROOKIES)

2013

Bronze Award: Time goes by - Every Little Thing (Amai Kekkon)

2015

Silver Award: Ito - Nakajima Miyuki (Seija no koshin / Rikou / movie - Ito)

2016

Gold Award: Nakajima Miyuki (Seija no koshin / Rikuou / movie - Ito)

2017

Gold Award: Koi - Hoshino Gen (Nigeru wa haji daga, yaku ni tatsu)

2019

Gold Award: Lemon - Yonezu Kenshi (Unnatural)

Bronze Award: Nakajima Miyuki (Seija no koshin / Rikuou / movie - Ito)

2020

Silver Award: Pretender - Official Hige Dandism (Confidence Man JP)

Bronze Award: Lemon - Yonezu Kenshi (Unnatural)

From the list, you can observe the following trends:

- The number of drama/movie theme songs which won awards was evidently much higher in the 90s and early 2000s which somehow coincides with the waning influence and popularity of TV dramas and their theme songs in the past decade or so, considering that no drama theme song won an award in the past 4 years.

- The anime theme songs are the ones which have been hogging this award for the past few years, thanks to the popularity of blockbuster anime titles like "Kimetsu no Yaiba", "NARUTO", "ONE PIECE" and "Oshi no ko".

- There were some songs which were long-running hits as they either won awards in multiple/consecutive years, were used in multiple works and/or resurfaced years later from their first release. Examples include Every Little Thing's "Time goes by", SMAP's "Sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana", GReeeeN's "Kiseki", Yonezu Kenshi's "Lemon" and Nakajima Miyuki's "Ito".

I will post about the NexTone Awards another day which will offer a different perspective of what was popular in the past decade. See you then!

Romaji lyrics of "Muchuu" by BE:FIRST - Theme song of FujiTV Spring 2025 drama "Nami uraraka ni, Meoto biyori"

Title: Muchuu

Sung by: BE:FIRST

Written by: SKY-HI / eill / Ryo 'LEFTY' Miyata

Theme Song of FujiTV Spring 2025 drama "Nami uraraka ni, Meoto biyori"

nee ii kaketa

kinou no gomen mo

tayorigai no nai aizuchi mo

uragawa de naiteru I love you

kinishitenaitte uso wa tsuketa kedo

tama ni munasawagu no mo wakatte yo

suki ga tsunotte rollercoaster

mawatte yurete ochite kimi ni todoku kana

konya no koi moyou

nagareru hoshi uraraka na

kotoba no tsuzuki wo okuru yo

Hey, look at me baby

kimi ni muchuu

I say, I love you

boku no hitomi ni zutto ite

raise demo zense demo

zutto aitakute

kimi ni muchuu

shirokuji chuu

chanto iu kara nee kiite

nankai demo nan mankai demo

namae wo yobu yo

Will you stay with me forever?

tsukiya terasareru yokogao

mitoreru jikan ga motto hoshii yo

kokoro ni kimi utsuru tabi

Make me hot

shoujiki ni narezu ni zutto

Torn in love

tadaima to okaeri

shiawase hanegaeshi

katawara ni sarigenaku saita

koi no hana

zutto issho

kotoba wa iranai yo

kokoro no motto oku de oboeteru kara

kimi ni muchuu

I say, I love you

boku no hitomi ni zutto ite

raise demo zense demo

zutto aitakute

kimi ni muchuu

shirokuji chuu

chanto iu kara nee kiite

nankai demo nan mankai demo

namae wo yobu yo

Please 

sono namida to isshoni

afureochisou na inori

sugu fui ni iku kara

boku wo yonde

dakishimeru zutto

hitori nakanai you

kimi ni muchuu

I say, I love you

boku no hitomi ni zutto ite

raise demo zense demo

zutto aitakute

kimi ni muchuu

shirokuji chuu

chanto iu kara nee kiite

nankai demo nan mankai demo

namae wo yobu yo

Will you stay with me forever?

Quick Review #125: Sekai no chuushin de, Ai wo sakebu (movie)

Title: Sekai no chuushin de, Ai wo sakebu / 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who like pure love stories and are fans of the cast especially Oosawa Takao and Nagasawa Masami

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* I have not read the original novel.

* I have watched the drama version starring Ayase Haruka & Yamada Takayuki.

Liked:

- While I do know of this movie from 21 years ago being such a huge hit back then and am familiar with the story since I did watch the drama version also from 2004, I never thought of watching this until I came across the MV of "Hitomi wo tojite" by Hirai Ken and was reminded of the fact that Oosawa was the lead. And so, since I'm on a Oosawa high these days, there was no longer a reason for me to skip this despite my reluctance to watch pure love stories.

The thing is, the drama version seemed more tilted towards the high school arc rather than the adult arc so I hardly remember what happened in the latter timeline. On the other hand, the movie tried to shuttle between both timelines repeatedly which I felt was a bit easier for me to stomach the film which was close to 2 hours and 20 minutes long. It also helped that Oosawa was featured very prominently in the adult arc. In particular, I really liked the nostalgia factor from the high school arc such as cassette tapes, song dedications on radio shows and the Walkman which were things from my childhood.

- Nagasawa Masami's acting was simply fantastic for a newbie which definitely explains why she won so many awards for her performance here. Especially in the scenes featuring her voice only in the tape recordings, there was so much emotion conveyed from those scenes despite not seeing her facial expressions or body language. If you are a fan of hers, you will definitely want to watch her in this movie. Her chemistry with Moriyama Mirai was also good, be it the lovey-dovey or the sad parts.

Disliked: 

- This is more of my personal view towards Saku (Oosawa) as an adult because his behaviour bothered me quite a lot. He was supposed to search for his missing fiancee Ritsuko (Shibasaki Kou) who had gone to his hometown without a word but seeing him being so caught up with his past emotions pining for a long-gone first love, I don't know how Ritsuko could still stomach this and go to Australia with him to visit the place that he and his first love failed to make it to. After realising this fact, I would definitely have wanted to take some time off the relationship and wait for both sides to be ready before moving on (be it together or separately). While some viewers may like this devotion towards Aki shown by Saku, I just couldn't see it in this manner.

- Due to the shuttling between both timelines, the good thing was that it helped to keep the story "fresh" but the transition was sometimes abrupt and awkward. Just when I was getting into the vibe, the scene changed to the other timeline. And it also didn't help that there was too much of the sorrow in the high school arc and too little of the initial lovey-dovey for Saku and Aki so the whole film felt so heavy in the emotional department coupled with the dark atmosphere in the adult arc. Not the type of movie you would want to watch when you aren't in the best of moods.

Quick Review #124: TANG (movie)

Title: TANG / タング　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who are fans of Ninomiya Kazunari and like to watch a light science fiction story set in the futuristic era

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* I have not read the original novel "Robot in the Garden".

Liked:

- As this movie was primarily focused on Ken (Ninomiya) and the robot Tang, you should be pretty satisfied with seeing a lot of Nino here. I also liked his interaction with Mitsushima Hikari who played his wife here. The acting from the both of them really helped to make this movie a lot more bearable for me at least. 

While Tang the robot didn't strike me as very endearing at first, it did grow on me over time as the film progressed which strangely enough, mirrored how Ken felt towards it. In this sense, I have to give the movie credit for making me feel this way.

Disliked: 

- The biggest issue I had was with the story which was predictable and quite uneventful. I do not know if the movie followed the original novel closely but the film felt pretty draggy at many junctures. The CG was a bit too much and overwhelming to show the futuristic vibe of the story. Moreover, the mad scientist part felt like an unwelcome distraction to me.

- The other problem was that the story did not delve deep enough into the characters to make me empathize with them or understand their actions. For starters, Ken's reluctance and inability to make decisions wasn't explained properly to justify his behaviour when faced with his own father's medical emergency. While I understood that he didn't want to continue being a doctor after his indecisiveness supposedly played a part in his father's death, the reason for this character trait wasn't addressed at all. There must have been something that triggered his lack of confidence in himself prior to that incident with his father but sad to say, the movie didn't give me this answer. And for his wife to bear with his downward spiral and loss of motivation in his life seemingly for an extended period of time, I would have appreciated a bit more insight into their relationship that could explain why she still tolerated this until she finally snapped.

- Despite having a pretty good lineup especially the three actresses Mitsushima, Nao and Ichikawa Mikako, I felt that they didn't get the opportunity to show their acting chops which was a great pity.

The justification behind NHK's payscale for the Asadora actors

While we would normally assume that the lead actors of a drama would be paid the most in the cast, this reasoning may not necessarily apply in NHK's dramas as mentioned in this Josei Jishin article. 

Using the current asadora (morning drama) "Anpan" as an example, the payscale reflected in the table above shows the estimated pay ranges for the cast on a per 60-min basis. Note that when there are reports of a similar nature, the payscale is usually reflected on a per episode basis. However, since each episode of the asadora is only 15 minutes, this is probably why the pay rate is on a per 60-min basis i.e. 4 episodes. 

As seen above, the leads Imada Mio and Kitamura Takumi supposedly do not command as much as some of their co-stars who are supporting actors or only make very brief appearances in the drama. According to Josei Jishin's research and interviews with production associates, NHK has an unique justification system as compared to its private network counterparts based on "contribution factor" rather than name value or status in the industry.

To begin with, NHK's rates are about 20 to 30 percent lower than that of private network TV stations. As such, it is common for supporting actors to earn more than the leads. In the case of "Anpan", Matsushima Nanako is supposedly the top earner in the JPY 600,000 per 60-min category while Abe Sadao is a close second at JPY 560,000 per 60-mins. Takenouchi Yutaka, Asada Miyoko, Toda Naho & Tsumabuki Satoshi are classified in the third-highest rank of JPY 500,000. When compared to Imada who is said to be paid JPY 300,000 per 60 mins and Kitamura who gets paid JPY 250,000 per 60 mins, these actors are making as much as double of the leads despite being supporting actors.

Apparently, the contribution factor is determined based on how much success or achievements the actor/actress concerned has had with NHK dramas in the past. 

In Matsushima's case, because of the fact that she had been the heroine in 1996's asadora "Himawari" and co-lead with Karasawa Toshiaki in the 2002 Taiga drama "Toshiie to Matsu", she had been the first actress at that time who had experience being the leads in the two signature drama timeslots. As such, despite being just 51, she already commands the highest pay rate for NHK dramas.

Likewise for Abe, he has extensive experience starring in NHK's dramas i.e. 3 Taigas and 2 asadoras and was also a joint lead with Nakamura Kankuro in the 2019 Taiga drama "Idaten". As such, he is seen as a huge contributor to NHK thus commanding such a high pay rate.

In the case of Toda, she was the lead in the 1993 morning drama "Ee nyobo" and Tsumabuki was the lead in the 2009 Taiga drama "Tenchijin". Both also have extensive experience starring in various NHK dramas over the years thus justifying why they are placed in the JPY 500,000 rank. 

On the other hand, while Takenouchi doesn't seem to have an image closely related to NHK, he also has considerable experience in NHK's Taigas like "Toshiie to Matsu" and "Idaten" and had been the lead for a NHK drama series before. When compared to Takenouchi's pay rate as the lead in a private network drama, the NHK rate of JPY 500,000 is definitely much lower than what he would have commanded as the lead of a private network drama i.e. more than JPY 2m per 45-min episode.

What's worthy of special mention is, this is the first time that Ninomiya Kazunari is appearing in an asadora so for him to be paid JPY 400,000 is seen as an unusual example. However, the justification for this was said to be him being a critically-acclaimed actor who has won many awards and had contributed to NHK in a different capacity outside of dramas. As a member of ARASHI who had appeared in the Kouhaku for 12 years and even took on the role of the host on a group and solo basis, the group was also the special navigator of NHK's coverage of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

As for Imada, the last time she appeared in an asadora was in 2012's "Okaeri Mone" while Kitamura only has experience in the 2012 Taiga drama "Taira no Kiyomori". Kawai Yumi and Takahashi Fumiya are also getting a considerably lower rate this time. While they may be paid lower now, these young actors stand to earn more in future with the experience built up through "Anpan" this time since the payscale is said to be updated each year. In addition, when the drama is rerun, the cast gets a rerun fee. Since Imada is the heroine and would appear in the most number of episodes compared to the others, this is a sizeable income even if her rate per 60 mins is on the lower side. Last but not least, this pay rate doesn't include the subsidy given out when filming on location outside the studios.

While the more senior and established actors do earn more in terms of the pay rate now, the younger ones will have the luxury of time to build up their careers and may overtake their seniors one day if all goes well. Perhaps more importantly for now, it is to build up name awareness and increase exposure for them in the domestic market since the NHK dramas have a nationwide reach. As such, even if the pay rates may not be as high as the private networks or even international OTT platforms, actors will still take up the national broadcasters' works in exchange for the intangible benefits outside of money.

Quick Review #123: Strawberry Night (movie)

Title: Strawberry Night / ストロベリーナイト　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who are fans of the "Strawberry Night" series and the late Takeuchi Yuko, want to see the sizzling onscreen romance of Takeuchi & Oosawa Takao but don't mind the lacklustre suspense

* Potential spoilers ahead!

Liked:

- Fans of the "Strawberry Night" series and Takeuchi would probably like this, even just for the nostalgia since this movie was from 12 years ago.

- My only motivation for watching this was Oosawa so in this sense, I was pretty satisfied to see his acting as a yakuza head who was deeply attracted to a police officer he should have steered clear of and the amount of airtime he had. The icing on the cake was the sizzling onscreen romance of his character with Takeuchi's Himekawa although that was meant to end in tragedy from the start.

Disliked: 

- Perhaps due to the onscreen romance being too eye-catching, I found the suspense element of the story pretty underwhelming in comparison. Not only was it not difficult to deduce what had happened, the way how things developed especially the parts that didn't make much sense during Himekawa's solo investigation operation made it difficult for me to immerse fully into the story. 

- While much had been talked about in the past about the so-called love triangle between the characters of Takeuchi, Oosawa and Nishijima Hidetoshi, it was obvious that Kikuta never stood a chance. If it had been that Kikuta did matter to Himekawa in the romantic sense, perhaps that would have made the romance part even more exciting to watch.

Quick Review #122: Shinkansen Daibakuha (movie)

Title: Shinkansen Daibakuha / 新幹線大爆破　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who are in the mood for a Shinkansen version of the Hollywood classic "SPEED" and/or want to catch glimpses of your favourite actors in the cast

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* Currently showing on Netflix

Liked:

- If you liked the Hollywood movie "SPEED" which featured Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock stuck on a bus which couldn't stop due to a bomb planted on it, this movie can be likened to a Shinkansen version of that film with even more lives at stake with the speed limit raised even higher. Since JR provided filming support, the reality factor was heightened and thus helped to accentuate the tension and intensity needed for such a movie.

Disliked: 

- The positioning of this movie was a big issue. I don't know whether to classify this as a remake, sequel or refresh of the first movie in 1975 but there were a lot of references to the case in that movie. It may come across bewildering to people who are unaware of this link or have never watched that movie. To have them keep harping on that while assuming that viewers are in the know - I thought that was a bad move and didn't allow me to enjoy the movie on its own.

- The story was also very flat in that the ultimate motive for the bombing was somewhat "childish" and "trivial". I had also read comments from viewers about how this was comparatively small-scale and hard to empathize with vs. what was the motive in the first movie i.e. a thinly-veiled criticism towards the societal problems brought about by the period of high economic growth in Japan at that time. It also didn't help that because there were so many characters in this movie, there simply wasn't enough time to delve further into their personal circumstances, mentality or motivations behind their actions. As such, it was really difficult to identify with the criminals' motives.

- The information overload and technicalities involved in this movie was rather hard to stomach. To begin with, the number of characters and their positions, the places which the Shinkansen moved to and past as well as other trains involved in the rescue process were a lot to take in and the captions and subtitles flew by so fast that I had to rewind many times to read them. And when they got started with using the technical terms in the control centre, I pretty much lost track of the plot and decided not to try to make sense of how they were trying to manipulate the other trains to save the Shinkansen in question. Unless you are in the know, I think it's hard not to feel alienated by the amount of technical information overload here.

- While the cast did boast quite a number of credible actors including Non who hasn't been seen in many big productions ever since her dispute with her old agency, I think the movie just didn't offer these actors enough room to work with and that was a big pity.

Interview of Ichinose Wataru for his role in TBS Spring 2025 drama "Taigan no kaji"

Oricon News did an interview with Ichinose Wataru who is currently starring in the TBS Spring 2025 drama "Taigan no kaji" where he plays Tabe Mikako's husband Torao. While the following is not a complete translation of that, there were some interesting points he made about his preparation for and his thoughts about his character:

• Ichinose always had the impression that the TBS Tuesday timeslot is usually meant for stories focusing on female characters. Given that he usually plays the baddie or fierce-looking people, he didn't think that he would be someone who viewers for this kind of timeslot would accept readily. And he was really surprised to be offered the role of Tabe's husband in this drama.

• He was personally very happy and grateful when he knew that Akeno Kaeruko, the author of the original manga, liked his character Seki Torataro in the "HiGH & LOW" series so much that she chose to name his character in this story as Torao.

• Usually, he prepares for his roles by immersing himself into them but this time, he chose to approach it differently by imagining himself in various situations. For example, how would he have felt about quitting kick-boxing to become the manager of a izakaya restaurant? What would it be like to marry someone like Shiho (Tabe)? 

• The staff requested Ichinose that his acting should show how much he loves Shiho and their daughter Ichigo.

• As Ichinose's father had passed away when he was 5 years old, he didn't really have a father figure to look up to when he was growing up and his mother had to work to support the family. As such, his interactions with adult men as a child were largely restricted to his judo and boxing instructors who had a scary image. In order to prepare for the role this time, his reference figures were the late Nishida Toshiyuki and Kiritani Kenta. He felt that Nishida's acting had warmth just like how Torao is while Kiritani is someone who is a family man, fun to be with and treats children really gently.

• He praised his co-star Tabe for being a wonderful person who has a great smile. As Tabe is very experienced, even if Ichinose messes up his lines, she would be very forgiving and is someone who he can depend on. 

• As for the child actor who plays Ichigo, Ichinose revealed that he tries to play with her during the filming breaks so that they can become more comfortable with each other. He had learned balloon art due to the influence of a relative in the past and decided to practice it again for the sake of her. Initially, he could only make simple things like dogs with the balloons but gradually, he was able to do more complicated pieces which he gave to her as presents. Even though filming hasn't wrapped up yet, he's already feeling sad that he won't be able to see her again. Especially since kids grow up very quickly, he thinks that she might not even remember him several years down the road.

• Since he did quite a number of balloon art pieces for practice, he also gave them away to the children at a nursery near his home which they were very happy about. He said that it was interesting to observe a change in the reactions of the kids as the quality of his works improved.

• He hopes that everyone would be able to see new viewpoints through this drama. Instead of just focusing on how tough it may be for housewives, the drama also shines a spotlight on Torao's struggles at work as well as how difficult it is for working mums to strike a balance. With this understanding for one another, he hopes that it will provide a starting point for people to resolve their differences and issues.

Quick Review #121: Wara no tate (movie)

Title: Wara no tate / 藁の盾　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 3 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who like action films by Miike Takashi and/or are fans of Oosawa Takao and Fujiwara Tatsuya

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* I remember having watched this before in the cinema when it showed in Singapore 12 years ago but I didn't write a review back then.

Liked:

- If you are a fan of Oosawa and Fujiwara, chances are, you would be quite pleased to see them in this movie. I have been on a Oosawa-high after watching the "Kingdom" movie series so this film came at a perfect time for me because he had a lot of scenes as the lead and looked so good. As for Fujiwara, he had a meaty and difficult role and as usual, you can count on him to deliver a credible performance.

Disliked: 

- I think I've mentioned this before but perhaps, Miike Takashi's films just don't go down well with me. Those who like his style might think otherwise though. 

The biggest issue I find this time (even though this was my second time watching it) was how flat the story was. Perhaps this was why I didn't want to write a review back then even though I made the effort to watch this in the cinema for the sake of Oosawa and Fujiwara.

So much attention was put on the nationwide manhunt for a psychopath killer who was being escorted to Tokyo for questioning and to be honest, the action scenes were pretty good. However, the story did not give much insight into the characters who felt very one-dimensional and forgettable. It also did not delve as deep into the moral dilemma of duty vs. conscience & justice as implied in the PR captions What's more, the ending was kind of sloppy even though I liked the fact that Oosawa's character survived.

- I feel that female characters in such movies can be portrayed quite stereotypically and positioned as more of an afterthought so it wasn't surprising to see Matsushima's character having not much room for development. It was a pity though because she did undergo an image change for this role but it just didn't leave much of an impact and felt rather insignificant.

Quick Review #120: Gekijou (movie)

Title: Gekijou / 劇場　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who like bittersweet stories and are fans of Yamazaki Kento & Matsuoka Mayu

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* Disclaimer: I have not read the original novel.

* Currently available on Amazon Prime (subject to geographical location)

Liked:

- The acting of the two leads is definitely the highlight of this movie. Yamazaki deviated from his usual youthful and largely positive screen image to play this unkept, lethargic and jaded character Nagata who leeched onto his girlfriend Saki played by Matsuoka. Honestly speaking, this couple didn't have any lovey-dovey scenes or even shared a kiss so there was hardly anything romantic about their relationship. Even so, it was easy to see from their acting how their mutual attraction was hard to pull apart despite both having a negative influence on each other. 

As Nagata tends to keep his emotions bottled up, Yamazaki had to do a lot of monologue to explain his thinking and actions but often in a toned-down and somewhat emotionless manner. I thought that he managed to show Nagata's state of mind pretty well through this movie although his fans might miss seeing his face and a more positive vibe here (hair covering most of his face, walking with a slouch at times and looking listless). On the other hand, Saki was very expressive and showed her emotions on her face at first but as she gradually withdrew inwards in fear of making Nagata unhappy and wanting to preserve their relationship, it was painful to see her change. Matsuoka did so well in conveying this transition and I really liked her scenes in the ending moments of this movie.

- The love story itself may have been quite predictable in the sense that there was no way this couple could have a happy ending because of the toxicity in their relationship. As such, if you liked "La La Land", you might feel satisfied with the ending here. 

While it may be easy to see Saki as the sole victim, I think it did work both ways for them. She was unable to stand up for herself so that allowed Nagata to take liberties with her and gradually make her clam up and not speak her mind. Likewise, Nagata may have appeared as a shameless leech at times but deep down, he probably minds this fact more so than anyone else and blamed Saki for being too soft on him yet being too caring at times which put unseen pressure on him. It was painful to see how much they were tormenting each other yet not letting go because they were stuck to each other like magnet opposites.

Disliked: 

- The length of this movie could have been shortened to fit within 2 hours and the pace made much faster. While things started off pretty quickly, it slowed down so much from the point Nagata started living with Saki right till the end. I'm sure the audience would have understood how painful and toxic their relationship became so I wondered if it was necessary to prolong our suffering by seeing their interactions dragged out like this. Especially in the parts when Nagata was being a total jerk, it really made me quite annoyed and I had the urge to fast forward through those scenes.

The never-to-be-shown-again dramas - Possible reasons for the inability to do re-runs of some old dramas on TV

While TV stations do air re-runs of their past dramas especially the old hits from time to time in non-primetime slots, there is actually a pool of yesteryear dramas which are buried deep in the archives and never to see the light of day again for some reason.  Of course, with the entry of OTT platforms and the presence of DVD rental services, some of these titles may actually be available for viewing, just that they aren't aired on TV. However, there are some which have completely vanished i.e. no OTT presence, not available on rental and never released on VHS nor DVD. 

Based on various sources, I have compiled a list of such dramas and the possible reasons explaining why they had been "banished" from appearing on TV again. While this list is not exhaustive, this selection might help you to understand why some of your favourites never get a rerun or why you just cannot find an old drama anywhere. Do share your list of want-to-see-but-never-shown-again or cannot-be-found-anywhere dramas with me too!

• Note that some of the reasons are suggested or inferred based on circumstances but they may not be the true or full reason as to why a drama never got to be re-run on TV or released commercially.
• All entries mentioned here are in order of the year of broadcast.

Broadly speaking, there are three main reasons which can cause dramas to be ineligible or unsuitable for re-runs on TV:

1) The cast getting into trouble with the law or having scandals: If the actor/actress concerned didn't play a significant character, there is a chance of seeing an edited version for reruns and online releases. However, if the character is too important to be edited out or that any editing will spoil the drama, chances are, a straightforward ban on the rerun is easier to execute.

In the list below, other than "Miseinen", "Seija no koshin", "Mare" and "Monte Cristo Haku", I had watched the rest before. Personally, I would love to see "Love Revolution" again because I really liked that drama but I guess it's very difficult since the female lead, second male lead and a key supporting character were all involved in various scandals and crimes. "N no tame ni" was also a great suspense drama and for those who want to see how Kaku Kento and Eikura Nana played a couple on screen back then (probably the first and last time ever on TV since they are married now).

- "Hitotsu yane no shita" (FujiTV - 1993 and 1997)

• Ishida Issei was arrested in 2001 for possession of banned drugs and caught in an extramarital affair scandal which led to the self-imposed suspension of his career.
• Sakai Noriko was arrested in 2009 after going on the run for possession and use of stimulants. She was given a suspended jail term.

- "Miseinen" (NTV - 1995)

• Ishida Issei was arrested in 2001 for possession of banned drugs and caught in an extramarital affair scandal which led to the self-imposed suspension of his career.
• Sakai Noriko was arrested in 2009 after going on the run for possession and use of stimulants. She was given a suspended jail term.
• Kitahara Masaki was arrested in 2018 for drink-driving.

- "Seija no koshin" (NTV - 1998)

• As the drama was based on the Mito assault and rape case of intellectually disabled people uncovered in 1996, the violence and rape scenes caused NTV to be flooded with complaints. This led to a sponsor exodus as some either terminated their deals while some asked for their company names to be removed from the credits.
• Ishida Issei was arrested in 2001 for possession of banned drugs and caught in an extramarital affair scandal which led to the self-imposed suspension of his career.
• Sakai Noriko was arrested in 2009 after going on the run for possession and use of stimulants. She was given a suspended jail term.
• Hirosue Ryoko was recently in the news for causing an traffic accident and arrested for assaulting a nurse.

- "Food Fight" (NTV - 2000)

• A junior high school student in Aichi Prefecture choked on bread in 2002 when he and his classmates mimicked the speed-eating contest in the drama, slipped into a coma and passed away three months later. All plans to release the VHS and DVD versions as well as online streaming were cancelled. The other TV stations also cancelled their programmes related to speed eating contests for the time being as a result.
• Ishida Issei was arrested in 2001 for possession of banned drugs and caught in an extramarital affair scandal which led to the self-imposed suspension of his career.
• Haga Kenji was sentenced to 6 years in prison in 2013 due to fraud involving unlisted shares and attempted extortion.

- "Yamato Nadeshiko" (FujiTV - 2000)

• Oshio Manabu was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison due to the use of MDMA and abandonment of his female companion who reacted adversely to the drug and was left to die when he ran away instead of calling an ambulance.
• Currently available on Netflix (subject to location)

- "Love Revolution" (FujiTV - 2001)

• Same reason as above for Oshio Manabu.
• Esumi Makiko was embroiled in 2 controversies before she quit showbiz in 2017. She was exposed for not having paid her premiums for the national pension scheme in March 2004 despite being the government's image character since November 2003. In July 2014, she suddenly posted on her blog that she had been bullied by fellow mothers of her children's friends but one of those accused of this went to "Josei Seven" and exposed her for lying. The truth was that the things she did to several people became known so the group of mothers distanced themselves from her instead of isolating and bullying her for no reason as she claimed. 2 weeks after this, Shuukan Bunshun reported how Esumi had ordered her former manager to leave graffiti with the words "stupid son" on the residence of Nagashima Kazushige in late 2012 because the child and her child who attended the same kindergarten were on bad terms. Esumi denied this allegation while Nagashima said then that he doesn't even have a son because he only has twin daughters.
• Yamamoto Keiichi was arrested in 2006 for drinking with and having non-consensual sex with a minor.

- "Legal High" (FujiTV - 2012 & 2013)

• Taguchi Junnosuke was arrested in 2019 for violating the marijuana control act and subsequently given a suspended sentence.

- "N no tame ni" (TBS - 2014)

• Koide Keisuke - drinking alcohol with an underaged girl
• Tokui Yoshimi - failure to report income i.e. tax evasion
• However, this drama is said to be available for viewing on various streaming platforms and rental services in Japan.

- "Mare" (NHK - 2015)

• Takahata Yuuta was arrested for sexual violence towards a female hotel employee in 2016 (not charged in the end and resumed his acting career in 2019)
• Shimizu Fumika who quit showbiz in 2017 to join the religious group Koufuku no Kagaku and became an actress starring exclusively in their works under the name Sengen Yoshiko. It is said that re-runs of her works are not allowed in order to avoid being seen as promoting the religious group concerned.
• While this drama is available for viewing on NHK On Demand like other morning dramas, it has not been re-run on TV to date.

- "Monte Cristo Haku" (FujiTV - 2018)

• Arai Hirofumi convicted of forced sexual intercourse and sentenced to 4 years in prison. As he was a key character in the story, editing out his scenes was deemed impossible.
• Said to be available for viewing on TSUTAYA DISCAS

2) Controversial / inappropriate themes and scenes: In general, the reasons why these dramas were "banned" had a lot to do with controversial themes related to violence, sex, homosexuality, suicide, self-harm, discrimination, violation of law as well as perceived association with or actual links to real-life criminal cases or negative incidents. 

As society evolved over the decades, what was considered still acceptable to be portrayed on TV back then may not be so now since there is a lot more awareness and understanding towards such issues. Of course, adhering to compliance standards and new social norms can also be the reason for the change in opinions towards these titles.

While it can get really uncomfortable to watch some of these titles, I am still hoping for the day to be able to rewatch "Lipstick" and "Psychometrer Eiji" (for the sake of seeing Mabo, Inocchi and Kohara Yuki). I still remember being quite haunted and shocked by "Ningen Shikaku" and "Life". Honestly speaking, I thought "Hanadan" was still OK in terms of the bullying - it was malicious but really not as extreme as compared to some of the radical stuff mentioned in this category.

- "101 kaime no proposal" (FujiTV - 1991)

• The signature scene where Tatsuro (Takeda Tetsuya) dashed onto the road and a dump car stopped just inches away from him so as to show his devotion and propose to Kaoru (Asano Atsuko). This kind of dramatic act was common in the dramas of the early Heisei era but would be considered unrealistic in this era. The action of dashing in front of moving cars is also a violation of traffic laws. 
• In fact, the shooting of this scene was a near-miss as the driver applied the brakes late and stopped at a spot further than intended. As such, when Takeda spoke his line which came out in the Hakata-dialect rather than standard Japanese, it was said to be a reflection of the fear he experienced due to this near-miss with the truck.

- "Mou dare mo aisanai" (FujiTV - 1991)

• The victim count was high in this crime-suspense drama with very violent and gory depictions such as the murder of a character and throwing her severed head at a rubbish dump, shooting the victim until he vomited blood in an elaborate fashion, stabbing someone and throwing the murder weapon into a river.
• It was re-run for the first time in more than 30 years since its OA but the violent scenes were all removed in this edition.

- "Koukou Kyoushi" (TBS - 1993 and 2003)

• The story dealt with controversial and sensational topics such as romance between a teacher and student, incest, homosexuality, rape and suicide thus attracting a lot of complaints especially from parents.

- "Ienakiko" (NTV - 1994)

• The bullying and violent scenes involving the heroine Suzu (Adachi Yumi)
• The concern about fanning discrimination towards children from less privileged families

- "Ningen Shikkaku" (TBS - 1994)

• As the drama dealt with serious and controversial themes like bullying, physical punishment, child abuse and suicide, it was said to have "inspired" the suicide of a male junior high student during the broadcast period as he was suffering from being bullied at school. 
• Kase Taishuu was arrested in 2008 for possession of stimulants and marijuana.

- "Aishiteiru to itte kure" (TBS - 1995)

• There was a scene where Koji (Toyokawa Etsushi) slapped Hiroko's face (Tokiwa Takako) with great force during an argument after they started dating. This would be seen as a case of domestic violence between a dating couple in this era.
• There was a special edition aired in 2020 but the article didn't mention if this scene in question was taken out.

- "Owaranai natsu" (NTV - 1995)

• It was pointed out by viewers that the drama plagiarized the manga "Hot Road" and the media reported extensively on this issue. After the drama finished its run, there was a formal apology issued to the author and publisher. All plans to release the novel version, do reruns and release in video format were canceled.

- "Psychometrer Eiji" (NTV - 1997)

• Ep 5 from the first series was singled out for being too radical thus banned from being shown again. The story depicted how a young boy had a twin brother who was in a coma and how the latter's spirit possessed him to commit a massacre.

- "Gift" (FujiTV - 1997)

• The teen caught for the murder of a female teacher at Tochigi in 1998 testified that he was impressed by how cool the lead character of this drama played by Kimura Takuya was when he was using his butterfly knife. This led to the media attributing the teen's action as being influenced by this drama so the rerun which was going on at that time was stopped immediately.
• Other teen crimes that happened subsequently were also attributed to this drama so the planned sale in VHS format was canceled. It was only till 2019 when the DVD and Blu-ray versions were released for sale.

- "Lipstick" (FujiTV - 1999)

• The controversial themes such as crime, rape, mental abuse and violent scenes in the drama set in a juvenile home attracted lots of attention and criticism back then.
• Ishida Issei was arrested in 2001 for possession of banned drugs and caught in an extramarital affair scandal which led to the self-imposed suspension of his career.
• Hirosue Ryoko was recently in the news for causing an traffic accident and arrested for assaulting a nurse.

- "Densetsu no kyoushi" (NTV - 2000)

• The story dealt with serious and controversial themes such as bullying, youth crime and sex.
• The sexual scandals involving the leads Nakai Masahiro and Matsumoto Hitoshi
• It was also reported that some cast members did not give clearance for a rerun.

- "Hana Yori Dango" (TBS - 2005 & 2008)

• The bullying scenes involving the heroine Tsukushi (Inoue Mao)

- "Joou no kyoushitsu" (NTV - 2005)

• The drama attracted lots of complaints from the start due to the depiction of harsh treatment of students from the teacher played by Amami Yuki until sponsors had to remove their names from the credits section. 
• There were also lines deemed to be discriminatory towards women.

- "Top Caster" (FujiTV - 2006)

• Ep 3 featured a story about how a popular fortune teller was exposed by the news programme for being a fraudster. At that time, there was a famous fortune teller Hosoki Kazuko who protested against this for insinuating that the character was her and the portrayal was demeaning of her.

- "Life" (FujiTV - 2007)

• Due to the drama featuring the heroine being subjected to endless, malicious and violent bullying and the complicated human relationships in the classroom, FujiTV received more than 2,000 complaints from viewers about this drama being inappropriate for children and encouraging bullying. 
• The BPO also received about 55 similar complaints.

3) Licensing issues / Difficulty in getting approval from all parties involved for the re-run: These are what have been nicknamed as unable to air due to "otona no jijou" i.e. adult circumstances due to social restrictions, practices and organisational reasons that are hard to explain. For original stories, the issue is usually with those who have the right to decide whether to do a rerun so it can be the production side, the broadcaster and the cast and their agencies who may say no. 

On the other hand, disputes with the original material's authors also come into play when it determines whether something gets ever shown again. Perhaps the most classic example would be "Umizaru" because the author openly fell out with FujiTV over the broadcaster's unauthorised and disrespectful actions towards him.

As for the restrictions imposed by agencies especially the old Johnny's Jimusho, I wonder how true it can be these days under STARTO because so many had left after the scandal and if the new agency still has that much of an influence on the broadcasters. However, on an individual basis such as what happened in Tokiwa Takako's case, preventing unsavoury content from hurting the status and image of an actor now is perfectly understandable.

You will also notice that some of these reasons haven't been verified so they were just speculations based on the circumstances.

Other than the last two in this list and "Akuma no KISS", I've watched the rest. Thankfully for OTT, there are some titles which are appearing there but I guess "Umizaru" is sealed forever at the bottom of the sea unless anything magical happens one day.

- "Akuma no KISS" (FujiTV - 1993)

• As there was a scene where Tokiwa Takako appeared nude on screen with her chest bared (this was before she became a famous actress), her agency blocked the re-run of this drama to protect her image.

- "Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo 1" (NTV - 1995)

• Ep 5 was pointed out for allegedly plagiarising the novel "Senseijutsu satsujin jiken". While the proper authorisation was obtained later, this episode was taken out for future reruns of the drama series.

- "Bokura no yuuki ~ Miman City" (NTV - 1997)

• The plot which describes how a lethal virus dropped into Chiba Prefecture due to an artificial satellite's collision with a meteor, is said to bring to mind the COVID pandemic.
• The drama featured quite a number of ex-Johnny's Jimusho artists.

- "Umizaru" series (FujiTV - 2004 to 2012 ~ 1 drama and 4 movies)

• The original manga's author refused to give FujiTV authorisation anymore in 2012 due to the TV station showing up unannounced to interview him and producing a Umizaru-related book without his approval. While he accepted the apology from FujiTV's then-news reporting department director in 2015, he declared on Twitter in Nov 2017 that there will be no broadcasts or streaming of the Umizaru works forever.

- "Ryuusei no kizuna" (TBS - 2008)

• Was actually re-run on TV several times from 2010 to 2014
• The old Johnny's Jimusho used to have restrictions on the use of images and portraits on artists who left the agency. Even though the company had gone through a major change in terms of structure and name, it was believed that this might still be an issue since Nishikido Ryo had left in 2019 while Ninomiya Kazunari has his own agency now (but he's still working with STARTO as ARASHI).
• This was a joint project with other production companies so agreement from all parties is needed before TBS can do a re-run.
• The scenes depicting how underaged individuals had unrestricted access to an adult video shop were deemed as potentially inappropriate for the current era.
• Currently available for viewing on various streaming platforms and rental services.

- "Hagane no onna Season 2" (TV Asahi - 2011)

• The original's author did not agree to a scene in Ep 2 which featured a student with Asperger syndrome whose right to remain in school was decided by a majority vote and removed mention of herself as the author in the credits section as revealed on her official website.

- "In Hand" (TBS - 2019)

• Similar issue as per above - Yamashita Tomohisa left Johnny's Jimusho
• Re-run in 2019 within Shizuoka and Aomori only
• Said to be available for viewing on TSUTAYA DISCAS

ARASHI's announcement about their final concert tour in spring 2026 and ending group activities as ARASHI for good

ARASHI has spoken...at long last!

On their official social media accounts today, the group has finally confirmed its plans going forward. While it may not be exactly what fans would like to see, I personally am very glad that there is closure coming our way rather than keep wondering what's going to happen. Ideally, I would have loved to see them in action but I guess being outside of Japan and not a member of their fanclub would mean that this is impossible...UNLESS they do an Asian tour and I manage to get tickets.

Since their statements are in Japanese and English, you may wish to read that directly on these platforms:

X / Facebook / Instagram 

For the benefit of those who want to get a quick update on the key points in the long statement, here is the summary:

• The group has always regretted not being able to perform in public in the last year before they went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic almost four and a half years ago.

• They will be doing a final concert tour as ARASHI next spring i.e. 2026.

• The group will end all activities as ARASHI after this tour wraps up. As such, their fan club will close officially in May 2026.

• The members had been discussing the topic of working together as a group again over the last 18 months. However, they were unable to reach a consensus or arrive at an easy conclusion since their individual circumstances had changed during this period. Nonetheless, they still want to be able to express their gratitude to fans for the last time which they couldn't do so previously. They didn't think that it was possible for them to resume group activities for the tour only and to go back on an indefinite hiatus again after that.

• Priority for the concert tickets will be given to current fan club members. As such, new applications for membership will be suspended for the time being.

• More details on the concert tour will be shared once confirmed.

• Until the concert tour starts in 2026, the group will continue to deliver as much content as possible for the fan club members in the year ahead starting from the middle of June 2025.

Quick Review #119: Kingdom IV Daishogun no kikan (movie)

Title: Kingdom IV Daishogun no kikan / キングダム IV　大将軍の帰還　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Recommended for: 

For those who have watched the first three movies and/or are fans of Ouki / Oosawa Takao

* Potential spoilers ahead!

* Disclaimer: I have not read the original manga.

* Currently available on Netflix (subject to geographical location)

Liked:

- If you are a fan of Ouki / Oosawa Takao, this movie feels like it's a tribute dedicated to him and way long overdue because he didn't get much airtime in Parts 1 and 2. The sub title also reflects the emphasis on this character i.e. Ouki's return to the battlefield despite being "retired" for a while and his subsequent "return" to the capital city after the fierce battle at Bayo. Not only did Oosawa get to display his physical prowess and fighting skills of Ouki in this installment (apparently, the battle scenes of Ouki vs. Houken took 5 to 6 days to film according to Oosawa himself in an interview), the softer parts in this character such as the strength of his firm beliefs, his astute judgement as to who was a worthy king to serve, wittiness and humour right till the end and his tenderness reserved for one woman only all made Ouki such a legendary and charismatic character. No wonder Oosawa won the best supporting actor award for his performance in this movie at the Nippon Academy Awards this year!

On one hand, although I am sad to see the demise of Ouki, I actually am happy at the same time. Since the PR slogan of this movie claims that it's the finale in the series (although the story is far from finished), that means Oosawa doesn't have to put on weight and lose weight again in a short period of time for this role again. As to how much longer the Kingdom series will last or when the next sequel is coming, it probably won't affect Oosawa since Ouki will only appear in flashbacks. I cannot imagine how tough it must have been for him to do this 4 times during the past few years when he filmed this movie and acted in other productions at the same time such as "Chinmoku no kantai".

- In order to accentuate Ouki's greatness, I think Kikkawa Koji's Houken provided a great contrast in terms of the nerve-wrecking fighting scenes between both generals, screen presence and the subtle emotions they showed. While Houken had the physical wounds to show for his defeat at Ouki's hands 9 years ago, the emotional damage that Houken dealt to Ouki by killing Kyou may have been unseen but was equally, if not deeper. Although there was no "outburst" so as to speak, the simmering emotions underneath their facades were very evident and compelling.

- As compared to Oosawa who dominated much of this installment, Yamazaki Kento "suffered" a lot more because he was so badly beaten up by Houken and didn't have much room to show off his fighting skills this time. However, Shin's growth in terms of his character and maturity as a leader was unmistakable as he learnt a lot from observing a great general like Ouki and practical experience on the battlefield. In this regard, I thought Yamazaki made up for the lack of action and supplemented it with the emotional growth of Shin.

- Although I was concerned that this movie might end at a middle-of-nowhere juncture before the next installment comes along (if there is one), I think it was good that the story stopped at a good point where those who survived reinforced their resolutions and beliefs to realise their dreams and those who supposedly won step back to prepare for the next battles while mindful that this is not the end. Otherwise, it would have been terrible to have a cliffhanger ending that hardly matched the PR slogan of this being the end (tentative) of the movie series.

Disliked: 

- While Araki Yuuko's Kyou may be the key female character in this part, the tough side of her character didn't resonate so much with me unlike the first three parts where the ladies showed a fine balance of toughness and tenderness and were very attractive (not just looks but the aura they displayed). However, Kyou's softer feminine side especially while in front of Ouki and when she revealed how she was the one who "proposed" to him were really endearing and cute to watch. I have no idea if Araki was a match for the character's image in the original manga or what was the exact age difference between Kyou and Ouki (online research tells me a variety of answers between 10+ and 20+) so it kind of bothered me a bit to see Araki put together with Oosawa. As such, it might have been good to have Ouki's perspective on why he liked Kyou enough to take her proposal seriously because I doubt he would have been a man who would be casual on who he would pick as worthy enough to be his wife. 

- Same grouse as in Part 3 - some characters were still under-utilized and very much flash-and-go. Oguri Shun's character looks like he's here to stay for a while but where did Yamada Yuuki go? And will there be someone to rival Houken in time to come because I cannot imagine Shin matching up to him in terms of strength as yet. And Hashimoto Kanna's Ten...is anything going to happen anytime soon? Or else I have the feeling that she's hanging around but nothing really ever happens with her character. And Tamaki Hiroshi is supposed to be some brilliant military advisor so his moment to shine is yet to come. The somehow-looking-evil chancellor played by Sato Koichi also needs some airtime to prove his worth. Welcome back, Nagasawa Masami but two scenes is hardly enough. 

- Come to think of it, why do the ladies in the military or who did fighting scenes dress like Western gladiators with quite a lot of skin exposure (not concerned about getting injured on your limbs?) while the guys seem to be covered all up in their armours (well, except for Ouki who showed off arms and allow glimpses of his pumped up chest)? And don't get me started on the feathers around Oguri's neck...so distracting! Is it also a common trait for the commanders to stand out with colours, long hair or even permed hair in that era?