Ninkyou Helper to be made into a movie

"Ninkyou Helper", the 2009 FujiTV drama starring Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, will be made into a movie as reported on 8 Feb. Kusanagi played a gangster who was sent to an old folks' home for training and the drama ended with him leaving the gang and going on a trip. In the movie sequel, Kusanagi's character will have to cope with the difficulties of being a former gangster and the challenges with working in a new old folks' home.

Kusanagi will have action scenes in the movie of which there's one which shows him fighting with 50 people. The movie is currently in the midst of filming and will be screened in Nov this year. Fellow cast members include Sakai Masaaki, Kuroki Meisa, Yasuda Narumi, Kaho, Kazama Shunsuke and Kagawa Teruyuki.

Source: Nikkansports

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Now...if Kuroki Meisa is indeed pregnant, that means she will have less action scenes in the movie?

Movie adaptations of dramas don't always turn out well. What's suitable for dramas may not be the same as movies. Hopefully, this movie will do well in the box office.

Summer 2009 Drama Ratings Ranking

The summer season has finally ended and the autumn season is already underway with most of the dramas having made their debut. Sorry about the late ratings report because of my tight schedule these days. I've been having so little time to watch the dramas and movies of late but I guess that I will be able to write more after my exams are over. By then, I would have another list of dramas to blog on from the current season. Nonetheless, I'm still enjoying the task of writing reviews even though I may have lots of backlog to clear. Can you believe that I have still not finished the review of Zenigeba (Winter 09) and Mr.Brain? Well, I have so many good things to say about the former and too many bad things to complain about the latter so that explains the delay. Bear with me if you are waiting for the reviews. They will come but probably at a later date.

Frankly speaking, this summer season has been rather disappointing. Pre-season, I selected only 5 dramas from the field of 15 so this goes to show how "interesting" the offering was, at least to me. This wasn't surprising because summer dramas have been seen as boring and long-regarded as "fillers" after the big-budget spring dramas and before the autumn offering comes up. As such, most TV stations seem to be pulling back when it comes to summer dramas. In recent years, there have been relatively good offerings in summer e.g. last year's "Tomorrow" and "Maou" but this label of boring dramas is almost like a unremovable stigma for the summer season and fails to stir up viewer interest.

You may be surprised to see that the top 3 for summer 2009 are ALL from FujiTV. However, there may be a good reason for this. It doesn't mean that all three dramas are of top-notch quality. Comparing them with the competition will probably give you an inkling as to why they won.

First of all, we have "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" as the winner for this season with an average of 19.20%. If you want to take into consideration the 4-part SPs before the official O.A., the average is still well-above 2nd-placed "Ninkyou Helper" i.e. 17.13% vs. 15.02%. Frankly speaking, if not for the unfortunate accident involving Eguchi Yosuke before the O.A., viewer interest might not have been so high. The delayed telecast succeeded in boosting viewer interest which explains why it got an above-20% rating for its first episode. Mind you, no other drama had an episode above 20% throughout the whole season. However, if you have read my review, all I can say that it was a bit sloppy at times in terms of production. I am guessing that the accident caught the crew off-guard so there were a lot of changes which worked out not to be their advantage. To date, I still think that Part 3 was the best or should I say more well-rounded.

In 2nd place, we have "Ninkyou Helper" with an average of 15.02%. Again, this drama had an unexpected boost through Kusanagi Tsuyoshi's run-in with the law in April this year. For those who are unaware of what happened, just click the artiste news tag to see the archives. Right before the drama even began filming, it was said to be doomed because people thought that Kusanagi's image suffered such a big dent that people would not be interested to see this drama. Then, the unthinkable happened because Kusanagi got his role back and the drama did quite well. Seems like his potrayal of a nasty guy was timely since it would have been suicide if his role was another goody-two-shoes character. Although I have not finished watching this yet, the first 3 episodes were passable at the very least but not to the extent of being extremely satisfying. I can only pass my verdict after watching this.

As for No.3, we have Buzzer Beat starring Yamashita Tomohisa and Kitagawa Keiko with an average rating of 14.37%. Most of the time, love stories would do OK unless the plot is simply lousy. I didn't watch this drama so I have nothing to comment. Again, this drama also experienced a small scare when it was revealed that Yamashita had H1N1 and filming had to be delayed for a while. Luckily, the OA wasn't affected in the end.

Do you notice 2 similarities between the Top 3?

1) A sudden incident almost derailed the O.A. of the drama i.e. Eguchi's accident, Kusanagi's scandal and Yamashita's sickness.

2) They all have themes which are traditionally deemed to be ratings winners i.e. medical dramas, social themes and love stories.

This brings me to my point why the others fared not as well. The rest of the competition were too niche in their target audience. Most of the time, it's either you love it or hate it so the viewership base is naturally smaller, irrespective of the timeslot. Of course, the Top 3 had so-called golden timeslots but in this era, even midnight dramas can do well. As such, I think that the genre was probably the key factor in deciding this season's winner.

4) Karei Naru Spy (NTV) - 11.12%
This is yet another example of extremes. Frankly speaking, I didn't know how to comment on the first episode after watching it. I hated the lame jokes but I thought some parts were OK. I am still undecided about whether to proceed.

5) Tonari no Shibafu (TBS) - 9.73%
The traditional old story of mother-in-laws vs. daughter-in-laws. Well, there were so many similar themed dramas in the past so I'm very sick of this genre. It doesn't help that the cast wasn't appealing to me other than Seto Asaka.

6) Kochikame (TBS) - 9.27%
This is a drama which began with a bang literally (the CD release and event) but went out with a fizzle. The main grouse was the low quality of production and not staying true to the original. I haven't watched this, I don't know the story of the manga or anime so I really couldn't comment. However, just one glance at the trailer killed my interest.

7) Kanryoutachi no Natsu (TBS) - 9.05%
This is a serious drama and with a bunch of stern-looking men. I guess this is probably something housewives wouldn't want to watch unless they want to ogle at a particular actor. Frankly speaking, the premise of the story seems interesting but the atmosphere from the first 10 minutes of the debut episode makes me undecided again about whether to proceed.

8) Orthros no Inu (TBS) - 8.42%
The problem with this is the same as Kochikame. The TV station tried to heighten expectations but it disappointed me, at the very least. From the first 4 episodes, I can find so many irregularities or illogical points which is killing my interest. I still don't know whether I should proceed because Nishikido wasn't as outstanding as he was in Last Friends and Takizawa doesn't interest me.

9) Akahana no Sensei (NTV) - 8.33%
I didn't watch this. Despite Kobayashi Satomi's presence, I still wasn't keen to watch this. I don't know whether it was the story or Ooizumi Yo which failed to interest me.

10) Meido Deka (TV Asahi) - 8.22%
Another niche drama for those who like young girls in a detective role. I like Fukuda Saki but I hate this type of stories.

11) Koishite Akuma (FujiTV) 6.69%
This seemed to be riding on the successful wave of "Twilight" but it reeked of a last-minute patch-up production. Vampire and human love stories are not my cup of tea especially when it is presented in this manner. I don't like the lead actor as well.

12) Dandy Daddy (TV Asahi) - 6.59%
I didn't watch this.

13) Call Center no Koibito (TV Asahi) - 6.14%
Although Mimura impressed me with her performance in Zenigeba, I wasn't tempted to watch this at all. I think it's the story. As for Koizumi Kotaro, I'm pretty neutral towards him.

14) Saru Lock (NTV) - 4.65%
This is obviously targeted at guys. Although I didn't watch this, reading reviews about this drama seems to indicate that there are a lot of suggestive developments and many girls to ogle at.

* Otomen was not included in this season's ranking because it is still showing.

Orthros no Inu DVD Box

Title: Orthros no Inu DVD Box
Price: 21,945 yen (inclusive of tax)
Date of release: 27 Jan 09
Total number of discs: 6
Produced by: Warner Home Video

Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4 DVD Box

Title: Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4 DVD Box
Price: 16,590 yen
Date of release: 20 Jan 2009
Total number of discs: 5
Produced by: Pony Canyon
Total running time: 410 minutes
Special footage includes: Production press conference, SPs before the actual O.A., End-of-filming, Promotional CMs

Kanryoutachi no Natsu DVD Box

Title: Kanryoutachi no Natsu DVD Box
Price: 19,950 yen (inclusive of tax)
Date of release: 20 Jan 09
Number of discs: 5
Produced by: TC Entertainment
Total running time: 472 minutes

Karei Naru Spy DVD Box

Title: Karei Naru Spy DVD Box
Price: 18,060 yen (inclusive of tax)
Date of release: 23 Dec 2009
Number of discs: 6
Produced by: VAP
Total running time: 506 minutes
Special footage includes: Behind-the-scenes and interviews with the cast (1 disc)

Review of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" - Summer 2009

The "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji" series has enjoyed a strong following over the years with its strong ratings and critically-acclaimed stories. In addition, many notable actors in the Japanese entertainment circle have taken part in this series. I never realized that so many relatively well-known actors were in this series because at that time when it was shown, it could be partly due to the fact that they had not made it big or their appearance airtime was limited so I didn't really notice the lineup was considered star-studded. Coupled with the fact that there were so many characters involved, it was a bit difficult to remember who appeared in which series. Just to name some of the more notable ones in the past 3 instalments: Sudo Risa, Sawamura Ikki, Sugimoto Tetta, Kaneda Akio, Shimizu Shogo, Yashima Tomohito from Part 1, Matsuyuki Yasuko, Ito Hideaki, Tabata Tomoko, Kohinata Fumio, Miyasago Hiroyuki, Tanihara Shosuke, Watanabe Ikkei from Part 2 and from Part 3 we have Kagawa Teruyuki, Kyono Kotomi, Oguri Shun, Ooizumi Yo, MEGUMI, Koichi Mantarou, Washio Machiko, Nakamura Tooru and Inoue Mao who appeared as a patient who kept committing suicide.

Frankly speaking, I was a bit disappointed by the supporting lineup for Part 4 when I first read the cast list. Especially when you compare the lineup with what we had in Part 2 and 3, the supporting cast is relatively unknown or not that prominent except for Yusuke Santa Maria and Kimura Tae. Although Yusuke Santa Maria is usually humourous and cheeky on variety shows, I was convinced that he can pull off his role as Sawai ever since I saw his performance in Nemurenu Mori years ago. This guy can act in a serious role so I wasn't too worried. As for Kimura Tae, she is an alumni member of this series by default so it's not that much of a challenge for her to play Yamashiro. And I've seen enough of her shows to know that she can act well. Now the problem begins with the youngsters, the nurses and the doctors roped in from other departments. Kitano Kii never left a strong impression on me other than the time when she appeared in "LIFE". As for Ishida Takuya, I remember seeing him in a couple of movies but he didn't leave a deep impression on me as well. Thus, question marks formed in my mind as I wondered if the lineup was a bit lacking in terms of viewer appeal.

In a strange twist of fate, Eguchi got involved in a traffic incident thus leading to the delay of the series' OA. Since Shindo is such an important character in the series, there is no way the scriptwrters are going to leave him out of the action at the 11th hour. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because of the pent-up demand and desire to watch the series. Although I already regarded this as a clear winner before the season started (in terms of ratings and critical reviews), I think the ratings could have gone higher on the virtue of a stronger storyline and more preparation time for the crew. Here are some of the issues which made the story low on my satisfaction index:

1) Eguchi Yosuke's inaction / limited airtime
I don't know how many of you have noticed this but Shindo has very little lines in this installment! In fact, you will find that he doesn't speak to convey his emotions. You literally have to guess your way through by looking at his facial expressions. Well, all along we know Shindo is a man of few words but then this is going too far. The scriptwriter may not need to let him speak or preach but at least make his presence felt. For most of the story, it felt as if he was a mere passer-by where all the action centered on the people around him as they were trying to come to terms with Shindo's character and way of doing things. I think Shindo was potrayed as a man with flesh and blood way better in Part 3. Here, he felt as an one-dimensional character. Then again, I'm guessing that this might have to do with his injury. It might be a move to ensure that Eguchi doesn't over-exert himself during the filming since he just recovered.

2) The "supposed" rivalry between Shindo and Sawai
Before the drama started, there was much talk about the battle between Shindo and Sawai. One holds the lofty ideal of saving everyone by putting in his best effort while the other holds a more pragmatic view that there is no way they can save everyone given the current situation. There must be some form of compromise so as to derive maximum benefit with limited resources. It should have been a very exciting exchange of views BUT it went downhill after 3 episodes. Hey, all we saw was Sawai trying to stop Shindo's ways so as not to tire the people working with him and having problems matching his standards. And then Sawai happily went M-I-A for most of the episodes on some seminars or meetings. Hello, I know he is the director of ER (he doesn't really get involved in the action most of the time) but then there is almost nil interaction between Shindo and Sawai. There is simply no avenue for them to iron out differences. Of course, it is unrealistic to think that there will be some sort of logical solution dished out by this drama because this is a headache for many countries and a very real problem. However, the drama could have been spiced up if there was some discussion between the two as they come to terms with each other's views rather some obstructions here and there by Sawai to prevent Shindo from getting his way. In the end, it only makes Sawai look really bad as a practical man but he does have a reason for his belief.

3) Cliches, preaching and unnecessary repetition
It is common to hear a lot of preaching in Japanese dramas and it does get on my nerves at times. I thought this installment was good in some episodes because there is minimal preaching. For example, when Kudo was irritated at Shindo and believed that he was good enough as a doctor, he found out the hard way instead of Shindo preaching to him and getting the idea across. Of course, Shindo did try to bring across his view to Kudo initially but he gave up soon. I guess he was resigned to the fact that newbies never listen to advice unless they get into trouble. I thought the handling of this development was good because we learn from our mistakes instead of lectures from our seniors.
However, there were also instances which also made me quite bored. For example, when Kojima was being bombarded with advice or events around her reminding her that being single may not be so good after all, the phone call she made to her mother reiterating her stand that she loves her work is simply too cliched. She can explain her stand but what's with all that explanation before she gets to the point. It only feels like preaching to the viewers. Actually, a lot of these messages which the drama is trying to convey can be done subtly. Things do not have to be spelt out all the time and interpretation should be left to the viewers.
Maybe it's for the benefit of viewers who have never seen past installments but sometimes, the repetition of some facts seem redundant to people who have been following the series all along. One particular instance was jarring to my ears. This was when Kojima's mother tried to convince her to get married and have kids instead of continuing to be affected by her late fiance's date. It feels very unnatural in Japanese speech for her mother to emphasize the word "fiance" when talking about someone who was engaged to her daughter. As such, I think that although there is a need to inform first-time viewers of some things in the past, you have to balance this need with the possibility of getting on the nerves of viewers who know what is going on.

4) Everyone has to be saved by Shindo at least once?!
This struck me again when I watched the last episode. I don't know why but it seems like a lot of the cast members must be saved at least once by Shindo. Kudo's accident coupled with the simply "unnatural" mishap happening to Sawai strengthened my belief. Especially for Sawai, being treated by Shindo seemed to have eliminated the animosity between the two. Was it a move to end everything on a positive note? I just find this development really predictable especially when I saw Sawai going to the accident scene where Shindo was at. Such a big explosion and Shindo ALWAYS ends up unscathed no matter what happens?

5) Illogical happening?
In the beginning of the series, you will see Shindo consuming medicine which leads you to guess what is wrong with him. By the third episode, you will know the answer so I won't spoil the fun for you now. However, the manner it was exposed left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know how this will be handled in real life but I really think it is a bad thing to do especially if you are a doctor. One of the doctors transferred from another department, Tanbara was not happy with Shindo and happened to know that the latter went for a blood test. To think that he abused his authority and went to check the results without the patient's knowledge or permission. It is so unbecoming for a doctor to do this especially when Tanbara had the intention to bring Shindo down with his revelation. And nothing happened to Tanbara for flouting the rules and he suddenly becomes an admirer of Shindo because of his handling of this matter? Sawai was being too lenient with this guy! There were lots of question marks in my mind after watching that episode.

After talking about the less-than-satisfactory aspects of this drama, I would like to end this review on a more positive note by talking about the good points:

1) The chemistry between Shindo and Kaede gets better
This combination is great! Not just in terms of appearance but it shows in their acting too. I like that opening intro especially when the two of them are shown in the treatment room and then walking along the corridor. They look so good together on screen. Thank goodness that Matsushima is tall so the balance on screen is better than if you have two characters who are very different in terms of height. And do you notice that their hairstyles are pretty similar? ^__^
In terms of interaction between Shindo and Kaede, it gets better over time. Maybe it's because they have worked together on 3 out of the 4 installments so it's natural for them to be familiar with each other's styles. In Part 4, I like the part in the first episode where they talked about Kaede's lawsuit for malpractice. It feels as if old friends who know each other very well are having a heart-to-heart conversation. Later on, when they work together, a lot of things are not spelt out but from their expressions, the viewer can see that they understand what each other is thinking. I would think that the partnership between this two is something worth checking out especially when you have watched the previous installments. The improvement in their relationship is noticeable especially when you consider that both of them have been through equally tough times as people who lost their loved ones and have the same passion for emergency care. It feels as if they are not just good partners in work but also soulmates, although not in the romantic sense.

2) The BGM
Frankly speaking, I don't remember most of the medical scenes in this drama. Everything just went by in a flash and usually, we can see more than 2 of such scenes in each episode. Due to the fast pace of the drama when there is medical action, the BGM serves an important role in turning up the tension level. I like the background music especially in the opening intro.

3) Humour
You definitely have to check out this part in the drama. Shindo shows off a little unknown side of him. The other doctors realized that he doesn't eat green peppers so they played a trick on him and wanted to force him to eat it. However, Shindo gets away with it when an emergency call came and that cheeky grin he showed to Kaede was so funny. I think this type of tiny tidbits of information about these doctors in the cast would be very welcomed in future installments.

And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 6 out of 10 (I was disappointed with some of the major developments which didn't turn out as well as promised pre-OA. It would be best to fine-tune your expectations beforehand.)
Acting: 7 out of 10 (I like Matsushima Nanako's mellow style of acting but Eguchi's talent is severely under-utilized this time)
Theme song: 5.5 out of 10 (It felt OK for the first few times I heard but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me.)
Visual effects / Scenery: 6 out of 10 (Not much outdoor shoots to speak of and because the medical action was too fast paced for me to appreciate.)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 8.5 out of 10 (Kudos to Shindo and Kaede!)

Total: 33 out of 50

Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji's finale hits rating of 19.3%

The final episode of Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji's Part 4 shown on 22 Sep 09 ended with a high rating of 19.3%. This drama was initially meant to start on 7 July but had to be delayed for one month due to the accident involving Eguchi Yosuke on 20 June. Nonetheless, the first episode achieved the first over-20% rating among summer dramas this year. The final episode was an extended 2-hour-18-minute SP where the ratings for the Kansai region were even higher at 20.2%.

Kanryoutachi no Natsu's original novel

Title: Kanryoutachi no Natsu
Author: Shiroyama Saburou
Price: 580 yen (inclusive of tax)
Number of pages: 352
Published by: Shincho
First published in: November 1980
ISBN: 4101133115

Romaji lyrics of 太陽と砂漠のバラ Taiyo to Sabaku no Bara by TOKIO (Theme song of Karei Naru Spy)

Title: Taiyo to Sabaku no Bara (The Sun and the Rose of the Desert)
Artiste: TOKIO
Lyrics: Shimizu Akio
Melody: Shimizu Akio
Theme song of Karei Naru Spy
Total running time: 5 minutes and 7 seconds

ano hi egaita sabaku no bara wa
mada mune no oku ni saiteru
itsuka are hatete yuku kono sekai wa
inochi no ame wo furi sosoide miro

nodo ni tsumaru nigai doku wo haki sutete wa
karappo na hitomi ni utsusu ki gakari na mirai wo
kawaki kitta kokoro to muki au sono tabi
moe tsuki sou na jibun no naka ni "nani ka" wo sagashiteta

aa... kyou mo mata sabi tsuite
toki hanatenu kase
kubi ni maki tsuketa mama
haizuri mawatte iru

ano hi egaita sabaku no bara wo
ima mune no oku ni sakaseru
kureru machi nami to kake nuketa hibi wo
kioku ni ume konde
make tsuzuketeku yume bakari de wa
aisuru hito sae mamorenai
sasatta mama no toge mada aru nara
inochi no ase wo furi sosoide miro

deguchi no nai kotae bakari ni iki tsuite
kore made nando mo tsubuyaita "fuzakenna" wo wasurenai

aa... tomo sureba iki no ne ga
tomari sou na kusabi
kanpuku naku utarete mo
tachi agari susunde yuku

dare ka wo mamoru dare ka no uso ga
gouman na yazashi mukeru
kaki nagutta seigi de tate wo kizuki
ikari no kane narase
hagane no you na chikara nakutemo
sono te de kusari wo hiki chigiri
uragiri no yami wo sasu yuuki aru nara
katameta kobushi furi kazashite miro

machi no akari ga nijinde iru hodo nigotta mizu wo kakkuratte
subete wo wasure samayotte genjitsu wa kiba wo muku
ukeiregatai kono mainichi wo kiri hiraku tame ni tatakai tsuzukero
kore kara mo zutto

ano hi egaita sabaku no bara wa
mada mune no oku ni saiteiru
hatasenu mama no yashin no kakaete
tobira wo koji akero
nigiri shimeteru sabaku no bara wo
itsu made mo karasanai you ni
ashita mo tsuzuku darou ibara no sekai ni
inochi no ase wo furi sosoide miro

shiren no you na taiyou no shita de

Review of Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji SP - Kyuumei-i Kojima Kaede

Due to the delayed telecast of Part 4, FujiTV came up with a 4-part SP focusing on Kojima Kaede and some of the characters from the past 3 installments. The timeframe was set to be exactly one year ago before Part 4 starts. Frankly speaking, I can understand why they chose Yashima Norito (Tsuji) and Sudo Risa (Sakurai Yuki) to appear in the SPs but Miyasago Hiroyuki (Baba-sensei) and Inoue Mao (Kokubo Sae) seemed rather out of place. Especially for Miyasago, his role had absolutely no interaction with Matsushima since she was missing from the Part 2 lineup. It just felt awkward for them to be thinking back to the days with Shindo when Kojima was absent. Maybe that's why they arranged for Yamashiro (Kimura Tae) to be around so that she could be that missing link between Baba and Kojima. Likewise for Inoue's role, she wasn't that significant in Part 3 (in fact, I didn't even remember her from then.) and coupled with the fact that Inoue only became a household name after Hana Yori Dango, it was a challenge trying to recall how important she was to Part 3. On the other hand, Tsuji and Yuki-chan were closely related to Kojima who was the focus of these SPs. Tsuji worked with Kojima when she was an intern while Yuki was a close friend to Kojima. As such, it felt especially nostalgic to see the two of them meeting Kojima, no doubt the reunion was a very short one.

Given that the fact that these SPs were merely fillers for the void left by the delayed OA, the bulk of the footage was taken from Part 1 to 3. I guess this was a cost-saving way to come up with the SP because it would be too time-consuming and expensive for the cast of Part 4 i.e. Matsushima Nanako and Kimura Tae to shoot the SP alongside with the filming of Part 4. They only needed to do a few scenes at the beginning and end of the SP. This resulted in a problem for the viewers. Those who have watched the past installments will probably have two types of reactions. Either we get bored at the huge volume of past footage or we get nostalgic as we run through the past events again. I admit that I was quite disappointed to see that there were so little scenes about the reunions of these characters but it was still enjoyable in a sense to see the past installments. It also gave me a refresher course on the huge number of actors and actresses who made up this successful series. To think I even forgot that some of them appeared in the previous parts! For example, I remember that Matsushima was missing from Part 2 because she was in the midst of her pregnancy or was still on maternity break but I just couldn't recall who appeared in Part 2 to be the female lead. After watching the SP, it finally struck me that Matsuyuki Yasuko was in Part 2.

Well, although it was unfortunate that Kyuumei 4 will have to be shortened to just 8 episodes and began much later than expected, I think of it as a blessing in disguise. Instead of screening all three parts (over 30 episodes) to refresh the viewer's memory, FujiTV used the opportunity to show heavily-edited scenes from the past. I think this may help the viewers to get into Part 4 more easily although I would say that the link between each part isn't that significant. It was said that the SPs would contain information as to why Kojima is sued for malpractice at the beginning of Part 4 but the description is really hazy. I would say that we are none the wiser as to what happened so if you are looking specifically for this information, I guess you will be disappointed. The first episode of Part 4 explains this clearly so it is probably best to go straight to Part 4 instead of watching these SPs first.

Given that the bulk of the SPs are filler-material, I will not give my ratings on them since there's limited new and original content. Do keep a lookout for the review of Part 4 instead on this website!

Summer 2009 first episode ratings report

Now that all dramas in Summer 2009 have begun their run, it's time to assess their performance based on their debut episode. Here is the ranking of the dramas:

1) Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4 (FujiTV) - 20.3%
It's for the story, Eguchi Yosuke + Matsushima Nanako and a stable of competent actors in the supporting cast. I have high hopes for this and expect that it will not let me down.

2) Ninkyou Helper (FujiTV) - 17.5%
The concept is quite interesting - the underworld and the elderly healthcare sector. Coupled with the fact that Kusanagi Tsuyoshi is back, it increases the hype about this drama. HOWEVER, there are some flaws here and there so I'm not completely satisfied so far. More on that when I write the review. I guess the biggest redeeming factor is that they do not make Kusanagi's role clean and wholesome right from the start especially after that scandal but it will be boring if Tsubasa Hikoichi does turn over a new leaf completely at the end.

3) Karei Naru Spy (NTV) - 15.6%
I'm at a loss for words about this. At least for the first episode, it tries to balance tension, suspense and humour at the same time. HOWEVER, some of the jokes are seriously lame. And the retro style of fashion and things amidst the modern time setting seems quite out of place. I will give it a chance over the next few episodes to see if it still interests me.

4) Buzzer Beat (FujiTV) - 15.5%
Although I entertained thoughts of watching this for Itou Hideaki, I think Yamapi + Kitagawa Keiko is enough to keep me away. And the story doesn't interest me at all, especially when I hate seeing weak guys as the lead character.

5) Kanryoutachi no Natsu (TBS) - 14.5%
Very serious theme but there's a strong cast of actors holding things afloat. Still watching this.

6) Kochikame (TBS) - 12.2%
No matter how big a hit is Kochikame (in terms of anime or manga), I am still not drawn to it. The story seems cliche (hero saving the situation etc) and I am not particularly fond of the cast except for Karina who impressed me in Love Shuffle. The moral of the story is, I'm not watching this.

7) Tonari no Shibafu (TBS) / Orthros no Inu (TBS) - 11.4%
Tonari no Shibafu reminds me too much of Double Kitchen starring Yamaguchi Tomoko years ago. No particular interest.
Orthros no Inu seems OK so far but I have my reservations about some areas. Refer to my detailed Ep 1 review for more info.

9) Otomen (FujiTV) - 9.6%
Other than Liar Game, Life and SP which interested me, this timeslot's selection usually doesn't appeal to me.

10) Meido Deka (TV Asahi) - 9.5%
Not keen.

11) Akahana no Sensei (NTV) - 9.4%
Although Kobayashi Satomi appears here, Ooizumi Yo and the story doesn't really interest me.

12) Dandy Daddy (TV Asahi) / Call Centre no Koibito (TV Asahi) - 9.3%
Not keen.

14) Koishite Akuma (FujiTV) - 8.5%
A Japanese remake of Twilight?!

15) Saru Lock (NTV) - 7.3%
Not keen.

The titles which I highlighted in purple are those which I've started watching or am going to watch. It is surprisingly that my selection for this season so far are managing to stay afloat above the 10% mark but it is still too early to judge. The first episode's rating is rarely an accurate indication of what is to come as the season progresses. Here are two trends that I noticed based on the figures:

1) Johnny's Jimusho artistes out in full force?
Just look at it, we have the veterans like Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Katori Shingo, Nagase Tomoya, the half-seniors with some experience like Takizawa Hideaki, Nishikido Ryo, Yamashita Tomohisa and newbies like Nakayama Yuuma. Of course, a drama's success or failure does not depend solely on the cast or lead actor. However, it certainly doesn't look nice to have most of them struggling to keep things going. Nakayama's drama has been languishing in single-digit category, Yamapi, Katori, Takki, Nishikido all came up with ratings which went exactly the opposite way of expectations. Especially for Katori where TBS is said to have dumped lots of money and attention on Kochikame, the figures certainly don't justify the investment. Currently, based on the situation so far, only Ninkyou Helper looks set to stay above the 15% mark and may give Kyuumei a run for its money when it comes to the battle for No.1 this season.

2) The trend of irregular first broadcast gets more prominent
As I've mentioned before, TV stations are now showing the first O.A. at a different date as compared to the usual starting period. This season, most dramas began in the period of 1 July to 18 July. However, other than Kyumei 4 which was delayed due to Eguchi Yosuke's injury, the rest of them seemed to have done it on purpose: Saru Lock (23/7), Orthros no Inu (24/7), Meido Deka (26/6), Kochikame (1/8) and Otomen (1/8). Close to half of the dramas this season had vastly different starting dates. What was the rationale for the delay? Did it give the crew more time to do their work? Was it unfair to those who began their run on time to fit the regular season? And it certainly isn't fair to compare ratings especially when adhoc events can skew the ratings. If the dramas aren't shown in the same period, these simply isn't any point to compare.

It is still early to say who will win the race at the end. Hopefully, the first ratings report can give you some insight into who are looking like favourites and who are the dark horses. Do feel free to write your views in the comments section!

First episode of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" crosses 20% mark

The first episode of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" has achieved a high rating of 20.3% which makes it the first drama in Summer 2009 to cross the 20% mark. This drama was initially scheduled to start on 7 July but the lead actor Eguchi Yosuke got into a motorbike accident thus leading to the delay to the OA. This series started in 1999 and Part 4 is the new installment since 4 years ago.

To fill the void left behind by the delay in the OA, there was a 4-part special featuring Kojima Kaede played by Matsushima Nanako. The ratings for the four SP episodes were 13.1%, 15%, 12.5% and 13.4% respectively.

Review of Orthros no Inu Ep 1

"Orthros, a double-headed dog in Greek mythology. His name means speed and one who flies quickly in Greek. Being the son of Typhon and Echidna, his elder brother is Cerberus, the guardian dog of Hell. He is black in colour with each strand of its beard made up of snakes. Orthros is rash and hot-headed. When he was guarding the bulls for Geryon on Island Krete, he was beaten up and killed by Hercules. Orthros fathered 4 sons and 1 daughter with his own mother while he was alive."

From the way it looks, the reason why Orthros was chosen as a figure to personify the drama's theme could be the fact that he is double-headed. If the power to heal or kill someone is represented by Orthros, the two heads would probably signify the good and evil natures of human. The same power can be used differently among individuals so switching the stereotypes of good and evil is what makes this drama interesting, at least on paper before the season started.

On one end, we have Ryuuzaki Shinji (Takizawa Hideaki), an evil man who has been in prison for three murders he committed when he was 18. He doesn't show his true feelings and would do anything just to achieve his aim. Having the power to heal, he doesn't think that he should use this power without gaining anything in return. On the other end, we have Aoi Ryousuke (Nishikido Ryou) who is a Japanese language high school teacher. He has a kind personality but has the power to kill by touching someone. He seems to realize that he had this power some time ago but would only use it to protect the people he cares for. As such, we have one man who's more than happy to use his power for his desires and the other who seems reluctant to use his power even when the situation calls for him. If not for the fact that police detective Hasebe Nagisa brought about their fateful meeting, things may not have gone out of control...

Frankly speaking, I liked the concept of the story before the season started. It seems like a story which could go against expectations and present lots of twists and turns in the process. I like such stories which can spring surprises on me. However, some portions of this first episode made me wonder why there are so many illogical developments and similarities with other works.

Firstly, Ryuuzaki's resemblance to Yagami Light in Death Note is simply hard to disregard. I am not talking about appearance but rather their motives and characters. Although Light initially had good intentions of improving the world with his Death Note, I always felt that deep down, he looked down on people who were not as good as he was all the time. If not for his elitist mindset, he wouldn't have killed people without batting an eyelid. Similarly, Ryuuzaki thinks that in order to achieve his goal, anything can be sacrificed. It is still not known whether his behaviour is by nature or induced by some events but his theory about being God and trying to improve the world by being heartless is definitely twisted like Light's. Yeah, right! It is just a loser's attempt to justify their actions, in my opinion.

Secondly, the idea of having two male characters who should never have met and chaos is bound to happen as a result of their meeting reminds me a bit of Maou. Remember that in Maou, we have Naruse (Ohno Satoshi) and Serizawa (Ikuta Toma) whose fates are interwined in a tragic manner and they ended up dead together. Likewise in this drama, based on the trailer for the 2nd episode, it seems to suggest that Ryuuzaki and Aoi could have met with something during their childhoods which led to them possessing their powers to heal and kill. If this is indeed so, does it mean that the ending will be something like this i.e. Aoi kills Ryuuzaki and then commits suicide because he feels bad about killing people? If so, doesn't this look too similar to what was in Maou?

Thirdly, I can never fathom why Aoi is so stupid. Ryuuzaki was right. Being able to heal someone doesn't mean the dead can be brought back to life. And being kind doesn't mean being gullible, right? I don't know why the scriptwriters had to make Aoi a guy who cannot think logically. Oh well, if Aoi wasn't senseless, how could Ryuuzaki have managed to break free from prison? I guess I have to accept some illogical events so that the story can progress. Then again, given Ryuuzaki's intelligence, he might have come up with another way to break free of prison one day even without Aoi's "assistance".

Last but not least, the significance of Hasebe Nagisa (Mizukawa Asami) is quite similar to Shiori's position in Maou. All Hasebe does is to run around like a mad woman and get fooled by Ryuuzaki. Sooner or later, her life is going to be in shambles now that she has one foot into the animosity between Ryuuzaki and Aoi. Something may happen to her sick daughter (maybe Ryuuzaki blackmails her to do something or he would not save her daughter?) or her boyfriend may leave her (either he betrays her or he is killed in the process?). At least these are some of the developments which I can guess based on the information so far. I seriously think that it is a waste for Mizukawa to be relegated to such an unimportant role but I don't think setting her up with the guys is a smart move too. It makes me cringe just to think that the two leads will fight over her. It has nothing to do with their ages or appearances but rather from the fact that their characters are arranged in such a way that forbids any romance to bloom between them i.e. Ryuuzaki being so evil and Hasebe having a daughter and a boyfriend. As such, it's best to keep romance out of the picture and focus on the dynamics of manipulation instead.

As for my views on this drama so far, I would say that this is on a KIV list. For a start, I do not like Takizawa Hideaki at all. Although his monologue was pretty good at conveying the coldness and ruthless nature of Ryuuzaki, I don't really fancy seeing him on screen especially with that long hair. I can understand that his hair grows longer because of Ryuuzaki being in prison for a long time but surely there are barbers in prison, right? Then again, Ryuuzaki is probably categorised as someone who's too dangerous for the barber to approach. Now that he's out of prison, he should head for a haircut ASAP. I really hate it when guys have such long hair especially when they don't look good in it.

In addition, this story is full of loopholes so I may not be too happy with the developments if this goes on. For a suspense thriller, logic is a key ingredient to making it work. For heavens' sake, it is not a romance story (romance doesn't need too much logic ^__^) so I hope that the scriptwriters do not treat the viewers as idiots. No doubt the concept is relatively far-fetched but still it should not deviate from the norm too much. The way this drama is written is said to be quite different from the normal process. Usually, most dramas will have one chief scriptwriter but some will also have a few sub-writers for a small number of episodes. In this case, there will be 6 writers who come up with the outline for the episode. 3 of them will then be selected to write their individual scripts. Subsequently, the good parts from each writer will be picked out and put together into an entire script by the show runner. Let's see if this drama will do well by using this method of script writing usually seen in American dramas.

Last but not least, I seriously hope that this drama will try to do something extraordinary. If the ending is what I predicted above or if it turns out that Ryuuzaki repents, I think this could be quite boring. Frankly speaking, I am hoping that Aoi will change for the worse because his character is too boring. I liked Nishikido best for his performance in "Last Friends" where he balanced evil and good very well. In this first episode, I simply detested the sight of Aoi. He is someone who we can hardly find in real life so I do not like the idea of having someone who's so angellic until we cannot find fault with him. It will be interesting if Aoi becomes bad because of Ryuuzaki's doings and the evil fight the evil in the end. If Aoi continues to be goody-two-shoes throughout the drama, I can safely say that viewers will only take notice of Takizawa's performance and forget all about Nishikido in the end.

Press conference of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4"

The production press conference of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" was held on 3 August 09 at the headquarters of FujiTV in Odaiba. Cast members Eguchi Yosuke, Matsushima Nanako, Yusuke Santa Maria, Kimura Tae and Kitano Kii made their appearances in their medical personnel uniforms. The OA of this drama has been delayed for about a month due to Eguchi's motorcycle accident on 10 June.

When asked about this accident, Eguchi revealed that exactly 10 years ago, he also suffered a fracture to his left leg due to another accident so he deeply regrets the inconveniences caused this time. However, he thinks that it may be a blessing in disguise since he got a short break to refresh himself for this drama. At the time of the accident, he was very worried about causing a delay to the OA but was surprised by the expected encouragement from the emergency medical personnel who sent him to hospital. As a result of the decision to show a digest version of the past 3 seasons plus new developments, Eguchi was thankful for the time given to concentrate on his rehabilitation.

On the other hand, Matsushima Nanako who had to shoulder the responsibility of being the sole lead for the 4 episodes of the digest SP, expressed relief now that Eguchi is back. She said that it was tough trying to remember the lines she said 10 years ago and it was more of a challenge for her physically rather than mentally. She even wondered if she had the stamina to continue with this drama at one point.

Preview of "Karei Naru Spy" 華麗なるスパイ - Summer 2009

Title: Karei Naru Spy (The Splendid Spy)
Official website: here
Broadcast by: NTV
Timeslot: Saturdays, 9pm
O.A. Start Date: 18 July 2009
Theme song: Taiyo to Sabaku no Bara (The rose of the sun and desert) by TOKIO

Cast:

Yoroi Kyousuke (Nagase Tomoya)
Dorothy (Fukada Kyoko)
Hirahara Miku (An)
Kurusu Kenichi (Sekai no Nabeatsu)
Osamu (Fujiwara Kazuhiro)
Josephine (KIKI)
Alice (Tomochika)
Hirahara Genichi (Takada Junji)
Hirahara Izumi (Itou Kazue)
Master Takumi (Enomoto Akira)
Kiriyama Seiichi (Terashima Susumu)
Yoshizawa Souichirou (Watari Tetsuya)

Theme song of "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4" to be sung by Dreams Come True

Dreams Come True will be singing the theme song, "Sono Saki e" for the summer drama "Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji" which begins its run from 11 August. This is the 4th theme song which the duo are singing for the drama series. In addition, this will be the first time which Dreams Come True will be working with a trio band named "Fuzzy Control". The single will be released on 9 September 09 and priced at 999 yen for the first press special edition as a form of appreciation to their fans. The normal press version is priced at 1260 yen. As for the coupling track, this will be a special medley of the live performance during Dreams Come True's 20th anniversary concert tour.

Top 10 most anticipated Summer 2009 dramas (Ori*Star)

1) Kyuumei Byoutou 24 Ji Part 4

2) Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kouen mae Hashutsujo

3) Buzzer Beat ~ Kakebbuchi no Hero

4) Otomen

5) Karei naru Spy

6) Akahana no Sensei

7) Orthros no Inu

8) Ninkyou Helper

9) Saru Lock

10) Kanryoutachi no Natsu

Ninkyou Helper's first episode rating

The first episode of "Ninkyou Helper" shown on 9 July achieved a rating of 17.5% in the Kantou region. This is the first drama which Kusanagi Tsuyoshi appears in after his one-month suspension from work. Co-stars include Kuroki Meisa, Matsudaira Ken and Natsukawa Yui.

Preview of "Kanryoutachi no Natsu" (The Bureaucrats' Summer) - Summer 2009

Title: Kanryoutachi no Natsu
Broadcast by: TBS
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 5 July 2009
Timeslot: Sundays, 9pm
Theme song: STAY by Kobukuro
Cast: Sato Koichi, Sakai Masato, Takahashi Katsumi, Sano Shiro, Nishimura Masahiko, Sugimoto Tetta, Fukuiishi Kazue, Tanaka Kei, Tokoshima Yoshiko, Murakawa Eri, Takahashi Katsunori, Funakoshi Eiichiro, Kitaooji Kinya