The 2nd Tokyo Drama Award

Best Drama Grand Prix: Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~ (NTV)

Outstanding Drama Awards: ROOKIES (TBS) / Kaze no Garden (FujiTV) / Arifureta Kiseki (FujiTV) / Sora Tobu Tyre (WOWOW) / Okaimono (NHK) / Keiji Ichidai ~ Hiratsuka Hachibee no Showa Jikenshi (TV Asahi)

Outstanding Local Drama Awards (dramas produced by TV stations outside of Tokyo): Okome no Namida (NHK Sendai) / Momoyama Onigiri ten (Sapporo TV)

Best Leading Actor: Nakai Kiichi (Kaze no Garden)

Best Leading Actress: Amami Yuki (BOSS)

Best Supporting Actor: Endo Kenichi (Kiri no Hi)

Best Supporting Actress: Toda Erika (Ryusei no Kizuna)

Best Newcomer: Mizobata Junpei / Kawashima Umika

Best Scriptwriter: Kuramoto Sou (Kaze no Garden)

Best Producer: Tsugiya Hisashi (Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou)

Best Stage Direction: Miyamoto Rieko (Kaze no Garden)

Special Award: Ogata Ken / The Art Direction Team of "Kurobe no Taiyo" / Staff of TV Tokyo drama, "Choujikan Dorama Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki"

Spring 2009 Drama Ratings Ranking

Here is the long overdue report on the ratings battle in Spring 2009! A key point as to the delay was because of the irregular start and end dates recently. In the past, the dramas would all start in the same month and end within days of one other. However, there are some dramas which deliberately start late for various reasons and end in the midst of another season or stretch for more than the usual 3 months. Unforseeen circumstances like what is happening to Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4 is something which cannot be averted though. This makes it really difficult to determine which season the drama belongs to and I always have to wait until the final OA of all dramas before I can start to write this analysis. Frankly speaking, I do not like this trend at all because the comparison doesn't seem fair given that the OA period is different. In addition, by continuing the broadcast while the new dramas are yet to begin, seems to give an invisible advantage to the drama which is still going on. And that is why I was really reluctant to include MR.BRAIN in the spring lineup.

For this season, we have Kimura Takuya's "MR.BRAIN" at the No.1 spot with an average rating of 20.48%. This is exactly what I was talking about. I was waiting for the final broadcast on 11 July before I could conclude the results when the rest of the competition were already finished with the OA by end of June. If this drama had the same number of episodes as per normal i.e. (10 or 11), this would have stretched to the end of July. My guess is that preparations for this drama took much longer (that futuristic set and equipment could take ages to assemble) as compared to the rest of the dramas so they had no choice but to delay the broadcast.

Even though this drama grabbed the No.1 spot with its average rating of 20.48%, I am not impressed at all and definitely do not accept this result. I actually had the thought of dropping this drama from this analysis because of the irregular OA period. I felt especially indignant as the 2nd placed drama was much better in terms of many areas and deserved this title more than "Mr.Brain". That last episode really made my blood boil to the extent that I do not know how I should write the review. I need a few more days to cool down before I can think logically.

To summarize, dumping lots of money and assembling big names doesn't mean that this is a good drama! For heaven's sake, those who get KimuTaku to appear in their dramas should get this into their heads! Although 4 episodes out of 8 got a rating of more than 20%, I do not know if there is anyone who feels the same way as me. Sometimes, the galore of guests turn out to have a negative effect on the ratings especially when their roles are full of loopholes or deliberately written in such a way to put KimuTaku's Tsukumo in the limelight.

At 2nd place with an average rating of 17.14%, we have BOSS which can be said to be a glitzy version of the usual police detective story. Most of the time, we see police detectives in dark suits, looking gruffy and tired, stubborn and unrelenting to find out the truth etc. BOSS doesn't take all these stereotypes and rehash into a drama. It revolutionizes the whole concept. As seen from their opening credits and the website's front page, they potray their police detectives as a group of street-savvy, glamourous, unique and unconventional people. This is in line with the story setting since the people who form the Special Crimes unit are supposedly the outcasts who cannot fit into the constraints of a rigid organization. This is an extremely refreshing look at the image of police detectives. In addition, the stories in most episodes are very engaging and intriguing. I would like to mention three of the most memorable cases i.e. the first episode with Takeda Tetsuya (the bomb specialist), Ep 6 where Shida Mirai plays a genius high school student who takes on the police with guts and the final episode which has a big twist that catches people unawares. If there is one problem I would like to point out from this episode, it would be consistency. Some episodes are of an extremely high quality but some of them are seriously lacking. For example, the Yamada Takayuki story which lasted 2 episodes, was kinda boring and predictable. As such, I would like to say that this drama is close to perfection but not quite matching up to the requirement of being a classic yet. Keep visiting this website for a detailed review of this drama soon!

At No.3 with a rating of 14.82%, we have Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~. I am surprised because this drama didn't enjoy much attention pre-season. For dramas like this on controversial social themes, it can go either way, in an extreme manner. Although this drama's average rating is not considered a hit yet (nowadays, anything above 15% is a hit), the production quality, acting and storyline were done very nicely. NTV is really good at handling such stories as seen from past hits like 14-sai no Haha and Hikaru to Tomo ni so that's probably why they dare to challenge such controversial themes time and again. For a detailed review of this drama, click on the tag for this drama.

And here's the rest of the ranking and some comments about these drams:

4) Rinjou 14.48% - Received lots of critical acclaim. I have only watched the first episode so far but the quality of the story and acting is pretty good. At least much better than what I saw in Voice last season.
5) Shiroi Haru 12.60% - I've not watched this yet but heard that this is a pretty good drama with a not-so-happy ending.
6) The Quiz Show 12.08% - Read my detailed review for the analysis
7) Hisatsu Shigotonin 2009 11.21% - Did not watch this
8) Atashinchi no Danshi 10.94% - I get the feel that this is a remake of HanaKimi i.e. the one-girl-many-ikemen formula so I'm not too keen. And after watching Innocent Love, I just don't feel the same way for Horikita Maki as before.
9) Konkatsu! 10.63% - One of the biggest flops this season and languishing in single-digit territory for most of the season. It made history, but not in a good way. Still undecided as to whether to watch this. / Yakou no Kaidan - A low-budget version of the usual classy and high quality Matsumoto Seicho dramas. I gave up after Ep 5 because things were not improving at all.
11) Hanchou 10.49% - Didn't watch this.
12) Smile 10.15% - I watched the first 10 minutes and is still undecided as to whether to carry on.
13) Meitantei no Okite 9.47% - Same reason as Smile but the likelihood of me continuing to watch this is higher.
14) God Hand Teru 8.72% - Didn't watch this.
15) 33pun Tantei 8.55% - I gave up this drama in the first season.
16) Boku no Imouto 8.01% - Although I like Odagiri Jo, I don't like Nagasawa Masami. And the story bored me to tears in just 10 minutes.
17) Fufudou 7.77% - I didn't watch this.
18) Majo Saiban 7.34% - Still watching this but I have lots of complaints about the storyline.
19) LOVE GAME 5.33% - Didn't watch this at all.

Romaji lyrics of "Aishiteru" by Monkey Majik (Theme song for Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~)

Title: Aishiteru
Artiste: Monkey Majik
Lyrics: Maynard / Blaise / tax
Melody: Maynard / Blaise
Theme song for: Aishiteru ~Kaiyou~
Total running time: 4 minutes 31 seconds

doushite? itsukara?
nagai yume demo miteiru you na
owari no hajimari nano?
kurakute fukakute
kanashimi ni michita sekai no
hateni mai konda no
shiawase sugita no
anata nokoshita kioku subete ga
watashi kore kara
hotsureta kokoro
ai de tsumuide

itsu made mo

[aishiteru] no
kotoba no imi wo oshiete kureta
anata sono mama
hitomi no oku ni
egao nokoshite
towa ni shizuka ni

naze nano? ano toki?
honno wazuka na sure chigai
ano hi ni modorenai no?
tsurakute kurushikute
todoku koto no nai kanashimi
konna ni setsunai no?

[aishiteru] no
kotoba no imi wo oshiete kureta
anata sono mama
hitomi no oku ni
egao nokoshite
towa ni yasashiku

'Cause I don't have clue what to say.
Thinking about the world and how I changed

mukai au koto de
marude toke au you ni
All alone, who am I?
Hit a wall, won't stop me!
yagate hitotsu ni naru no dakara zutto

wasurenai yo shinjita hibi wo
donna ni toki ga meguri megutte mo
yagate itsuka nagai yume kara...

[aishiteru]

Oh! wish that I was strong

Yeah I wish that I was strong
You got it! You got it! Don't lose it!
The walls are caving in.
I'll try to keep you strong.
Cause the world is moving on...

Review of "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" - Spring 2009

Title: Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~
Produced by: NTV
O.A. Start Date: 15 April 09
O.A. End Date: 17 June 09
Original manga by: Ito Minoru
Theme song: Aishiteru by Monkey Majik
Insert song: Utsushie by Aragaki Yui
Average rating: 14.82%
Cast: Inamori Izumi, Itaya Yuka, Yamamoto Tarou, Kawashima Umika, Kakazu Issei, Satou Shion, Tabata Tomoko, Sano Shiro and Tanaka Misako

Review:

Be warned, this is an emotionally heavy drama. As the theme deals with a seemingly unthinkable case of a kid murdering another kid, the atmosphere throughout the whole drama deviates towards the sadness spectre most of the time. It is only until the very end where you see glimmers of hope here and there. Otherwise, be prepared to feel sad and sympathetic towards the characters who have to go through such a gruelling experience. As usual, beware of spoilers from this point onwards.

In summary, we have two ordinary families who can be said to be mirror images of each other. On one end, we have the Noguchi family where the father Kazuhiko is a workaholic and passes on his parenting duties of his only son, Tomoya to his homemaker wife, Satsuki. On the other end, we have the Ozawa family where the father Hideaki and mother Seiko dote on their youngest and only son, Kiyotaka thus leading their eldest daughter Mihoko to feel neglected. However, their lives are overturned when Tomoya is arrested for the murder of Kiyotaka. The case becomes the talk of town as it is revealed that Tomoya is only 10 while Kiyotaka is only 7. As both families try to grapple with the reality of this sudden incident, they have to contend with feelings of guilt, anger, sadness and regret. The central theme is forgiving out of love but you will see different degrees of how this is being adapted.

Satsuki seeks Tomoya's forgiveness for not extending a helping hand when he needed it most. Conversely, Tomoya seeks Satsuki's forgiveness for breaking her heart and going back on his promise. Kazuhiko also feels sorry for putting Tomoya second to his work. Hideaki and Seiko are apologetic towards hurting Mihoko's feelings unwittingly while the latter is sorry towards her brother as she wished that he should disappear from the family so that her life can improve. Seiko wishes that she had been home earlier or else Kiyotaka would not have met Tomoya. Of course, the Noguchi family seeks the Ozawas' forgiveness but this is not something which will come readily. As you can see, everyone in the cast has to forgive and be forgiven in one way or another. This makes everyone equal in the sense that nobody is without fault.

The story's pace is rather slow so as to allow the development of emotions for the characters. A murder case does not end when the investigation or trial is concluded. This drama shows what happens after that. The murderer's family has to live with the stigma of the crime for a very long time and be pricked by their consciences. The victim's family has to cope with the loss of a loved one and come to terms with reality. As such, this is a long process which could take ages. As such, whether this drama is your cup of tea depends very much on your ability to stomach the "slowness". I watched this drama at one go (well, over 3 days as a matter of fact) but if I had to watch this on a weekly basis, I may not stand the slow developments. Even so, there were times where I had the urge to fast-forward the drama. Pacing is a subjective area in this sense.

With regards to the acting, this is one of the few dramas where the lead is outshone by the supporting cast. I'm not saying Inamori Izumi did not do well. She surprised me in the sense that as a single woman, she did show the motherly feelings of Satsuki pretty well. However, there were times when I felt that she went a bit over the edge. All that crying and that haggard face were too much at times. True, I understand that Satsuki is supposed to be very upset and remorseful about what has happened. However, it doesn't always have to be an outpour of emotions. If you look at Itaya Yuka's potrayal of Seiko, I think she managed to balance the emotions of a mother whose son was murdered. At the beginning, Seiko was hysterical because she blamed herself for going out to lunch and not being home for Kiyotaka. However, as emotions gradually simmered down, she didn't cry in an exaggerated manner. Tears rolling down her cheeks without any sound made is even more powerful than sobbing loudly. Seiko is sad but she tries to keep it lowkey so as to be strong for her husband and daughter. That strength exhibited in Itaya's acting impressed me very much. Maybe it has to do with her being a mother in real life. That is probably why she finds it easier to imagine the feelings of Seiko and potray how someone in her shoes is likely to behave. Although Itaya had relatively lesser airtime as compared to Inamori, the former left a much stronger impression on me.

The child actors are also worth mentioning. Kakazu Issei who plays Tomoya is quite good at displaying the conflict of emotions with this character. Shaking when he's terrified, releasing his anger by throwing tantrums as well as feeling sorry for what he has done to his parents and Kiyotaka. He's only 10 and should have a long way to go if he gets more beefy roles in future. Somehow, he reminds me a lot of Kamiki Ryuunosuke when he was a child.

There's also Kawashima Umika who plays Mihoko. She did pretty well in this drama and I think she has a slight edge over competitors in the same age group. Although she can look tough on the surface, she is able to show the insecurity and softer side in her role. I have this feeling that Kawashima is quite similar to Narumi Riko in the past but the latter appears too strong and mature at times. As such, Kawashima feels like a softer version of Narumi, at least for the time being. However, I do not wish to see Kawashima become a shadow of Narumi. She should try to carve a niche for herself if she wants to go further in showbiz.

The theme song by Monkey Majik fitted the theme of the drama very closely so I'm guessing that they tailormade it for this drama. On the other hand, Aragaki Yui's song always comes in at a weird point in the drama and it is barely audible because of the lack of richness and depth in her voice. The sound director must have thought that we all have great hearing to pick out what she's singing but they should have made an effort to turn up the volume. As such, I'm not very impressed with the use of this song in the drama.

And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 7 out of 10 (Description of the emotions and story development was good but the pacing is a problem area which could kill interest)
Acting: 8.5 out of 10 (Especially for Itaya Yuka and Inamori Izumi's efforts. Kudos to the young actors too.)
Theme song: 7 out of 10 (For the sake of Monkey Majik's song. If the insert song had been handled in a better way, the score would have gone higher.)
Visual effects / Scenery: 5 out of 10 (Nothing particularly impressive or worth picking on)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 5.5 out of 10 (The funny thing is that Seiko and Satsuki met only once throughout the whole drama so there isn't chemistry to speak of. However, that scene was very intense. As for teamwork, it's largely isolated within each family. On the whole, I think the Ozawa family showed a more close-knitted bond among themselves.)

Total: 33 out of 50

Top 10 Spring 09 dramas which viewers are most satisfied with (Yahoo! Japan)

1) BOSS (7820 votes)

2) Shiroi Haru (5772)

3) Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou (4133)

4) MR.BRAIN (1621)

5) Smile (1589)

6) THE QUIZ SHOW (1581)

7) Rinjou (1425)

8) Yukemuri Sniper (1409)

9) Atashinchi no Danshi (1211)

10) Yakou no Kaidan (813)

Top 10 favourite Spring 09 dramas (OriStar)

1) BOSS

2) The Quiz Show

3) Smile

4) Konkatsu!

5) Atashinchi no Danshi

6) Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~

7) Shiroi Haru

8) Majo Saiban

9) Boku no Imouto

10) Meitantei no Okite

Original manga of "Aishiteru Kaiyou"

Title: Aishiteru Kaiyou
Total number of parts: 2
Author: Ito Minoru
Published by: Kodansha
ISBN: 4063722724 (Part 1) / 4063722732 (Part 2)
Published on: 6 March 2007
Price: 600 yen

Round 1 of the ratings battle for Spring 2009 drama

All the dramas for this season have already made their debut so here's a look at which dramas are favourites with the viewers right at the start:

First of all, we have "BOSS" with the highest rating of 18.1%. This drama is definitely my cup of tea for a few reasons: 1) it's an investigative / suspense drama 2) it stars Takenouchi Yutaka and Amami Yuki 3) the stylish promotional images are very eye-catching. I've only watched about 5 minutes of the first episode (too busy with things to watch this at one go) and I was pretty stunned to see a naked Amami lying on Takenouchi's bed! OK, there seems to be nothing going on between them but I guess this first scene will make eyeballs pop for a brief second. Although I don't really like Takenouchi with a moustache, I guess this is part of his image for the character who appears to be a playboy (similar to Shinji in Long Vacation). A clean-shaven image makes him too goody-two-shoes...hahaha. More on this drama when I've started watching it.

At second place, we have the Gekku drama, "Kon-katsu!". I'm a bit apprehensive about approaching this drama. No doubt Nakai is a draw because he doesn't appear in dramas often but the idea of him being paired with Ueto Aya makes me cringe. Going from the lineup and the story, if Nakai's character has to get married at the end of the series, Ueto looks to be the most likely bet. I used to like Ueto but in recent years, I can't say that I like her performances in dramas. That ditzy image gets on my nerves at times. It's time she grows up on screen. I'll have to see if I can watch this right till the end.

Two dramas share the 3rd spot with a rating of 14.1% i.e. Atashinchi no Danshi and Rinjou. Of these two, I prefer Rinjo as the genre is more appealing to me. Atashinchi no Danshi feels like another version of HanaKimi so I'm half-hearted about following it. Horikita Maki is one concern I have since her performance can be really erratic. Rinjou boasts of a stronger cast lineup so I'm more convinced that I can see good acting from this drama.

Here's the rest of the dramas and their first episode ratings:

5) THE QUIZ SHOW 14.0%
6) Shiroi Haru 13.7%
7) Aishiteru 13.2%
8) Kyoto Chiken no Onna 12.8%
9) Yakou no Kaidan 12.5%
10) Boku no Imouto 12.2%
11) Smile 11.7%
12) Meitantei no Okite 10.8%
13) Hisatsu Shigotonin 2009 10.4%
14) Kaette kosaserareta 33pun Tantei 9.5%
15) Fufudo 9.2%
16) Majo Saiban 9.0%
17) Godhand Teru 8.0%
18) LOVE GAME 5.1%

*Note that Kimura Takuya's drama MR.BRAIN starts in May only thus will not be included in the Spring 09 drama ranking since it is expected to extend into the summer season.

Special screening of "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" for mothers

NTV held a special screening of the first episode of "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" for 100 mothers who have young children on 14 April. Cast members Inamori Izumi and Itaya Yuka also made appearances during the event. The drama talks about the struggles of two families when one child kills the son of another family. Inamori said that while playing the mother of the child who committed murder, she was so sad that she felt like crying most of the time. On the other hand, Itaya who gave birth to her son last June said that the story is not as far-fetched as it seems as it can happen to anyone. She called on everyone to treasure their family lives on a daily basis and work hard together in bringing up their children.

Source: Sports Hochi

Press conference of "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~"

The production press conference for spring drama, "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" was held on 2 April where cast members such as Inamori Izumi, Kawashima Umika, Itaya Yuka, Yamamoto Taro and Sano Shiro made appearances. The story of this story is based on a comic published in female manga magazine "BE.LOVE". Inamori plays the mother of a 10-year-old boy who murders a 7-year-old boy. Itaya plays the victim's mother. The theme song of this drama is "Utsushi e" by Aragaki Yui.

Inamori Izumi to star in "Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" アイシテル～海容～

Inamori Izumi will star in the NTV Spring 2009 drama " Aishiteru ~ Kaiyou ~" which begins on 15 April 2009 on Wednesdays at 10pm. She plays the mother of a 10-year-old only son who murders a 7-year-old boy. As a result of this incident, she is forced to relook at her family ties and struggles to come to terms with this sudden tragedy. This marks the first drama in 4 years for Inamori in a leading role since "Magarikado no Kanojo" on FujiTV.

The drama is based on a comic by Ito Minoru which was serialized in the female manga magazine "BE.LOVE". Inamori's role, Noguchi Satsuki has a 10-year-old son who murders a 7-year-old boy. In the original manga, the focus is from the victim's family's viewpoint but the drama will show the viewpoint of the murderer's family.

The sub title of this drama "Kaiyou" means to forgive people with a big heart for what they have done wrongly. On the other end of the spectrum, Itaya Yuka plays the victim's mother who vows never to forgive the murderer. The drama will show the emotional struggles of both mothers as a result of this incident.

Other cast members include Yamamoto Taro, Sano Shiro and Tanaka Misako.