Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai [恋がしたい恋がしたい] A Drama that has such good actors and chemistry between them that it did not need a complex storyline wist twists and surprises to be absolutely great.
Maybe the best acting I've seen so far (5 stars to Miho Kanno)
Last Christmas [ラストクリスマス] Cool story, cool acting, great chemistry within the Oda-Yada couple which looks real (unlike in many other romantic doramas)
Long vacation [ロングバケーション] Interesting story and great acting and personality of Tomoko Yamaguchi. Kimura plays his usual cool guy.
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] A very unusual drama thanks to the Manga-style jokes, great acting from the lead couple, great music, and a good storyline to the end.
Orange Days [オレンジデイズ] Interesting story thanks to the mute Shibasaki, adding some orginality. High-school type of romance.
Summer snow Sad but beautiful story, with incredible good acting
Jackykero's artiste votes (9)
Abe Hiroshi [阿部寛] An actor with various talents. I already like him from before, but his very different performance in "Kekkon dekinai otoko" convinced me even more.
Hirosue Ryoko [広末涼子] One of best actresses in jdoramas for me. Very spontaneous and natural; Loved her in every role
Kanno Miho [菅野美穂] Not a traditional japanese beauty, but strong skills in acting. Loved her performance in Koi ga shitai
Kimura Takuya [木村拓哉] Worth more than the classic Cool guy role he played so many times.
Nakama Yukie [仲間由紀恵] Incredible comic power (Gokusen, Trick) but does also great in serious roles.
Sawajiri Erika [沢尻 エリカ] After seing her in 1 liter of tears, I was sure she was going to become a huge actress. Seing her in Taiyou no uta only confirmed it. I can't wait for her next dorama.
Don't you think she has something of Kimura Takuya?
Beautiful life [ビューティフルライフ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I liked it very much. Although I'm not fond of tearjerkers, and not fond of Kimura either - who sorta always plays the same tough guy role - I really enjoyed this one. The story is well built and the chemistry between Kimura and Tokiwa really works. Tokiwa particularly is very convincing and touching in playing her character. The romance of Mizuno and Watabe also adds some fun in watching this dorama.
Boku dake no Madonna [僕だけのマドンナ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Average. The scenario was very interesting at the beginning as you try to figure out the story of the young woman, then after you figured it out there's not much left apart from an average romantic comedy.
Hasegawa Kyoko plays well and her character is fun to watch but the boy (Takizawa Hideaki) is obviously just here to show his pretty face.
Brother Beat [ブラザー☆ビート] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Unexpectedly good. Did not expect much from it, but it is a very good dorama with a good mix of everything. The mom is hilarious.
Dekichatta Kekkon [できちゃった結婚] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) The main story is a bit slow and predictable, but I made it a 7/10 because of the side-stories and side-characters (funny) and the incredibly good acting of Ryoko Hirosue (as always). Worth watching
Densha Otoko [電車男] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) I went to the end of it, and I have to admit that this dorama stands out a little bit (due to its different style), but it was not as memorable as many others. Probably because I did not buy in the play of the 2 main characters, who seemed to extreme for me.
Egao no Hosoku [笑顔の法則] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) The average comedy. Perfect acting of the 2 leads but a bit too conventional storyline - and maybe a lack of some romance too :-)
Gokusen [ごくせん] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) The only dorama for me that can compete with GTO as being both hilarious and touching.
GTO [麻辣教師] Rating: 10/10 It will be really difficult to do better than GTO...
The story is great and the cast just perfect!
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Again Horikita Maki runs the show, and makes it worth watching it. I was growing tired of watching school-doramas, but this one was really funny - I have not regrets watching it.
Himitsu no Hanazono [ヒミツの花園] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Shaku Yumiko is not the best lead actress there is but she still did a good job and the rest of the cast was very good (Maya Miki).
I would recommend not to hesitate to watch this dorama. You will spend a good time with this light-hearted comedy and a bit unconventional scenario.
Hotaru no Hikari [ホタルノヒカリ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I read the Review from Wynter and this is basically what I felt, except I enjoyed it from the start.
I seldomly really laugh out loud while watching a dorama, but this one did it to me. The scenes between Hotaru (Ayase) and her Buchoo (Fujiki) at home were always so funny, and they kept coming with different types of jokes (not always the same thing that repeats itself).
I usually don't care much for Fujiki, who tends to always play the same type of role with his serious face (except Galcircle that was a bit too much), but in this dorama he managed to pull out a very credible character, which was far from easy considering what he had to face with the character of Hotaru, and really helped to build the comedy.
And yes, Kato Kazuki (Makoto) was a waste (he only has one face - I think he was playing with a mask on :-), but whatever, he was not the one you'd look at anyway.
It had been a while I had watched such a good comedy. I would compare it to Nobuta or Mukodono.
Ichi Ritoru no Namida [１リットルの涙] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) I usually don't rate 10/10 for a dorama, but this one was really really good. There's no way you will not be touched by it.
Itazura na kiss [イタズラなKiss] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) An enjoyable yet classic comedy.
Nothing out of ordinary in this dorama, but the comedy works.
Itoshi Kimie [愛し君へ] Rating: 9/10 Although this romance is triggered by the blindness of the male character, it is not like the other tearjerkers where one of the 2 lovers is about to die. I watched this dorama as a wonderfully written romance. The story is without too big surprises (except for the expected twists to the plot) but well written anyway, all actors are very good (as always Kanno Miho is unbelievably good), and the love story unfolds at a perfect pace along the episodes.
The dorama in itself is funny, light and enjoyable, at no moment dark or depressing, it is really a wonderful and fun Love Story.
Recommended for anyone looking for a good Love Story (compare it to Long Vacation)
Koibumi [恋文~私たちが愛した男] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Not the best of all dramas, but fair anyway, with a good set of actors. Watabe Atsuro and Mizuno Miki are excellent as usual, and the storyline, though predictable, well written. The series dragged a little bit towards the end, but the excellent acting of the 2 main actors kept me going. Worth a watch.
Long vacation [ロングバケーション] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) One of the few doramas I know I will watch again and again. Not the funniest of all, but a perfect mixture of light comedy, romance, and good filming (so hard not to start the next episode when finishing one). Since viewing that dorama, Tomoko Yamaguchi became my preferred dorama actress, as being beautiful as a woman - cute in a mature way.
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) A nice & easy-to-watch dorama, about friendship & love of 3 high-school students. Maki Horikita plays her difficult role with lots of talent - lots happen in her eyes and gestures, and the rest of cast is convincing as well. Good plot and good filming.
One of the few dorama that I will remember through a quote: "Nobuta power!"
Note : quite easy to understand for those who like me are not fully fluent in Japanese
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I liked this one for 3 reasons. First, the totally-crazy-Manga-like scenes, especially in the beginning. Then, the music all along the Dorama, particularly the big concerts. And finally, because it was what I qualify as a "good" dorama, which has a balance of everything: laughter, emotion, surprises, interesting characters, action, etc. I almost dropped off at the second episode, I was getting tired of the jokes - maybe there were too many of those - but then I am glad that I kept going because the jokes stop a little bit and as the story becomes more serious it becomes more interesting. So, stick to it at least until episode 4 or 5 is my advice.
Odoru Daisousasen [踊る大捜査線] Rating: 7/10 Because I have seen Hero before watching Odoru Daisousasen, there was no way I could not compare the 2. The general plot and structure of the 2 doramas are quite similar: for both series, each episode is structured around a case that the main character is involved in. The detective is a bit of a maverick with different methods and beliefs. And there is a small romance with a female co-worker.
I think that Odoru Daisousasen did a pretty good job. Oda Yuji was very good and charismatic, and all supporting lead did great, including the comedy parts. I was looking for a little bit more romance, though, that would have spiced up things and added some depth to the characters. The relationship between Oda Yuji, Fukatsu Eri, Yusuke Santamaria and Mizuno Miki was easy to create a bit more of chemistry and emotion between the caharacters. This is why I gave it a lower rating than Hero.
It remains a very good family dorama with good acting and an interesting storyline.
Papa to Musume no Nanokakan [パパとムスメの７日間] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Indeed, as it was said above, the scenario lacks a bit in originality, but if you take it like a fun comedy, I think that it really does the trick. All actors are good, including Tachi and Aragaki who manage to preserve the comedy and still act seriously enough so that it is believable.
I really had a good time watching it. The pace was good, there was a good progression through the 7 episodes - I liked that they did not try to extend it to 10 or 11 episodes like they always do, this kept the pace going. I also like when a Dorama has a surprise at the end of each episode to make you want to start the next one right away
All in all a lot of good laughs that you should not overlook.
Proposal Daisakusen [プロポーズ大作戦] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) The initial idea of jumping in the past was interesting, but unfortunately quickly became very predictive. Yamapi did not do a real good job in trying to carry emotions, it seemed that he only knows one face. The rest of the cast was good.
Overall nice to watch once, not more.
rinbukyoku [輪舞曲] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) Leading couple is absolutely great.
Realistic and serious story thqt unfolds little by little, with twists here and there.
A lot of everything - romance, funny moments, suspense, great acting, and a great story.
Shomuni [ショムニ] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I was surprised how I actually liked this one. I first watched it because it one of the Doramas that became so famous that you need to see them. There is no real plot throughout the series, every episode comes with its little story, but the characters are interesting enough to keep your attention, and there's lots of fun. Worth watching for entertainment.
Summer snow Rating: 10/10 (Watched) Top dorama, with all ingredients that make it a success: romance (Tsuyoshi Dohmoto & Ryoko Hirosue are both amazing), fun (light-hearted humour), action (fast-paced dorama), top-notch acting (again the 2 leads + an interesting acting of Shun Oguri), and lots of emotion in the last episodes. Intense, realistic and enjoyable dorama to the last episode.
Unfair [アンフェア] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) An atypical dorama, with a serious plot, very good acting (Shinohara Ryoko amazing as always, although does not play the comic part this time), an fast pace. It reminded me a bit of the American series "24", with its pace and the surprises at each episode.
And there is a little touch of comedy too, which I was looking for, with the supporting cast.
A must watch I'd say, for a different yet very good dorama.
Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ] Rating: 7/10 Nice watch. Sorimachi is his usual self while Hasegawa does a nice job portraying her character. A good mix of comedy, romance, family-style dorama with overall good acting and sensible plot.
Jackykero's drama reviews (17)
Ai No Uta [あいのうた] Nice romance [Rating: 8/10] A good drama overall, with a good set of actors - Miho Kanno and Emi Akui above the rest -, a nice storyline and good mix of romance, drama and a little comedy.
The acting of Miho Kanno is as good as usual with her strong and funny facial expressions.
The first 5-6 episodes are quite original and riveting, while the end of the story is more conventional, but by the time you get to these final episodes you've become accustomed to the acst, so you just want to continue with the story.
Overall a good underated drama, fun to watch.
Bara No Nai Hana Ya [薔薇のない花屋] Nice dorama [Rating: 8/10] A typical good dorama for me.
Nice story, with its load of small surprises and small twists along the way, the past of the characters is revealed as we go along to keep you interested.
This is mostly a Romance with some comedy brought by the additional characters, in a classical setup.
The acting is flawless from everybody. Yuko Takeuchi is perfect as usual I think, the little girl is very good, and the good surprise for me was Shingo Katori. I usually find male leads quite boring or unable to express anything. He was really good, not that he had the most difficult character, but he did it just right and inhabited the role perfectly. I particularly enjoyed the moments with his daughter.
All in all, not an incredible dorama that I would put in my top10, but a very well crafted and acted romantic dorama.
Egao no Hosoku [笑顔の法則] An average comedy drama [Rating: 7/10] This is just your average comedy drama. Not great, despite the very good lead cast, not bad, despite the lack of big surprises. You won't laugh very hard but it will make you smile, it won't make you cry but it is never too cheesy, it will not leave you hanging at the end of each episode but you will gladly move to the next one.
All in all, a good watch if you don't have high expectations, and as usual Abe Hiroshi and Takeuchi Yuko are perfect. They would have deserved a better script though.
Gokusen 3 [ごくせん 3] Feels like watching Gokusen 18 [Rating: 1/10] This is barely a review at this point since I only saw episode 1, but what I saw makes me believe that I won't change my mind after watching the rest (I will try episodes 2 and maybe 3 unless it improves).
It felt like exactly the same scenario - again !!! - as Gokusen 1. I could accept some repeat in Gokusen 2, but 3 times is too much.
If you have never seen Gokusen 1, skip this one and watch Gokusen 1 instead.
----**** Attention spoiler ****----
Let me convince you by telling you briefly what the first episode is about:
- It starts with the old Kyoto-sensei (Namase) with a problem class 3-D
- Yankumi (Nakama) is the teacher of a class on a remote Japanese island but is fired. She joins the Kyoto-sensei and discovers (oh surprise) that she gets the difficult 3-D class
- The class is a mess, they all look like gangsters and make a lot of noise, until a very quiet one at the far end of the room tells the others to be quiet and they all obey and sit down. Yankumi finds out he's the Boss of the class.
- One in the class tries to hit Yankumi, she avoids his fist but pretends she did not do it in purpose
- Within the other teachers, there are 2 others nice-looking young women thqt the bad behaving kids talk about
- The former gym teacher Baba joins the school but surprisingly forgot Yankumi's connection with a Yakusa family
- One of Yankumi's kids is wrongly accused of a theft, everybody thinks he did it except Yankumi, she fights for him and finaly the police let him go.
- While bad boys are beating one of Yankumi's students, she comes into a hangar and beats them all while doing a speech
- While running to school, Yankumi collides with a man that becomes the white knight of her dreams
- and so on, and so on...
It is exactly the same script, same jokes, same stories, same background music, with less interesting characters and different kids. Rhhhhhaaaa what I waste.
Himitsu no Hanazono [ヒミツの花園] Entertaining [Rating: 7/10] I agree with most of the reviews made previously although I want to do Shaku Yumiko a little more justice. Yes, I agree that she is not the best lead actress there is, and her acting somewhat relies a lot on the same facial expressions. But she still did a good job for me, it's not like she does not know how to play, or like her acting made it painful to watch or unrealistic; she did a good job, she just does not have that presence that some other actresses have.
And the rest of the cast was very good.
I personally really enjoyed Maya Miki whom I mostly remembered for her role in Attention Please, and who is portraying a very different and funny character. The transformation was unexpected.
I would recommend not to hesitate to watch this dorama. You will spend a good time with this light-hearted comedy and a bit unconventional scenario.
Hotaru no Hikari [ホタルノヒカリ] Fun comedy - typical good dorama [Rating: 9/10] I read the Review from Wynter and this is basically what I felt, except I enjoyed it from the start.
I seldomly really laugh out loud while watching a dorama, but this one did it to me. The scenes between Hotaru (Ayase) and her Buchoo (Fujiki) at home were always so funny, and they kept coming with different types of jokes (not always the same thing that repeats itself).
I usually don't care much for Fujiki, who tends to always play the same type of role with his serious face (except Galcircle that was a bit too much), but in this dorama he managed to pull out a very credible character, which was far from easy considering what he had to face with the character of Hotaru, and really helped to build the comedy.
And yes, Kato Kazuki (Makoto) was a waste (he only has one face - I think he was playing with a mask on :-), but whatever, he was not the one you'd look at anyway.
It had been a while I had watched such a good comedy. I would compare it to Nobuta or Mukodono.
Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu - Rosshukan no kiseki [いま、会いにゆきます- ６週間の奇蹟] Beautiful story [Rating: 9/10] I believe that this is very representative of a type of movie that the Japanese seem to be best at. They use science fiction or fantasy to introduce an element to a movie, but then just as an excuse to explore the characters and the relationships and the emotions.
This movie is just like this. A beautiful story of a man, a woman and their son, with a touch of fantasy in it.
Itoshi Kimie [愛し君へ] Great romance - superb acting [Rating: 9/10] Although this romance is triggered by the blindness of the male character, it is not like the other tearjerkers where one of the 2 lovers is about to die. I watched this dorama as a wonderfully written romance. The story is without too big surprises (except for the expected twists to the plot) but well written anyway, all actors are very good (as always Kanno Miho is unbelievably good), and the love story unfolds at a perfect pace along the episodes.
The dorama in itself is funny, light and enjoyable, at no moment dark or depressing, it is really a wonderful and fun Love Story.
Recommended for anyone looking for a good Love Story (compare it to Long Vacation)
Koibumi [恋文~私たちが愛した男] Average drama, good acting [Rating: 6/10] Not the best of all dramas, but fair anyway, with a good set of actors. Watabe Atsuro and Mizuno Miki are excellent as usual, and the storyline, though predictable, well written. The series dragged a little bit towards the end, but the excellent acting of the 2 main actors kept me going. Worth a watch.
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] 2 dramas in one [Rating: 8/10] This is really 2 dramas in one. There is a totally-stupid-and-funny-manga-like component, and a more serious component.
The Manga-like scenes are hilarious and I just watched the first episodes just to see more of them. Then it became a bit tedious, but the director of the drama was smart enough not to let the story revolve too much around the fun part and build a serious story around it.
I almost dropped off the series at episode 3 as I was getting tired of the jokes, and basically nothing was happening to the story. Then I tried again, and I'm very glad that I did, because then the story becomes really interesting. The actors are great, the music very well chosen, and the concerts along the series are great to watch too.
Superb drama, with a mix of everything in it.
If you are not sure you like it by episode 3, don't give up! It's worth continuing to the end
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] Your patience will be rewarded [Rating: 8/10] This one is a bit unusual for 2 reasons: The first reason is obvious, and I must say hilarious the first time you see it; it is the totally-crazy-Manga-like scenes; they make the first episodes just fly. The second one is that the dorama changes quite a bit beyond the second or third episode. It becomes more serious, more interesting, more subtle, more rewarding.
So, stick to it at least until episodes 4 or 5. I almost stopped watching it at episode 3 because I was getting a bit tired of all the Manga-like jokes. But then I am glad I did not, because it becomes really interesting then, with a balance of everything that makes a good dorama: laughter, emotion, surprises, interesting characters, action, etc. So, stick to it, your patience will be rewarded!
Odoru Daisousasen [踊る大捜査線] Enjoyable watch [Rating: 7/10] Because I have seen Hero before watching Odoru Daisousasen, there was no way I could not compare the 2. The general plot and structure of the 2 doramas are quite similar: for both series, each episode is structured around a case that the main character is involved in. The detective is a bit of a maverick with different methods and beliefs. And there is a small romance with a female co-worker.
I think that Odoru Daisousasen did a pretty good job. Oda Yuji was very good and charismatic, and all supporting lead did great, including the comedy parts. I was looking for a little bit more romance, though, that would have spiced up things and added some depth to the characters. The relationship between Oda Yuji, Fukatsu Eri, Yusuke Santamaria and Mizuno Miki was easy to create a bit more of chemistry and emotion between the caharacters. This is why I gave it a lower rating than Hero.
It remains a very good family dorama with good acting and an interesting storyline.
Papa to Musume no Nanokakan [パパとムスメの７日間] Fun comedy with good acting [Rating: 9/10] Indeed, as it was said above, the scenario lacks a bit in originality, but if you take it like a fun comedy, I think that it really does the trick. All actors are good, including Tachi and Aragaki who manage to preserve the comedy and still act seriously enough so that it is believable.
I really had a good time watching it. The pace was good, there was a good progression through the 7 episodes - I liked that they did not try to extend it to 10 or 11 episodes like they always do, this kept the pace going. I also like when a Dorama has a surprise at the end of each episode to make you want to start the next one right away
All in all a lot of good laughs that you should not overlook.
rinbukyoku [輪舞曲] Very good storyline [Rating: 9/10] This one reminded me a bit of "Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi / One Million Stars Falling from the Sky" in that the leading couple is absolutely great and the story is a real and serious story that goes along all the episodes. It is not just a repetition of a situation with funny moments at each episode, it unfolds little by little, with twists here and there.
The Korean actress Choi Ji Woo was very good in this difficult role, portraying a complex character without overacting.
I recommend it for everyone, as it has a lot of everything - romance, funny moments, suspense, great acting, and a great story.
Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi [空から降る一億の星] Great storyline [Rating: 10/10] If you watch tons of doramas like I do, you should try this one. First, it will have everything you probably look in a dorama: superb acting (Kimura and Fukatsu are perfect), a mix of laughs, emotion, action, suspense, and some episode endings that will make you watch immediately the next episode.
But most of all, it is an unconventional dorama in that the story is built over all the episodes, with a beginning and an end, not a repeated story over each episode, and that it is built like a movie, with a plot that unfolds little by little, chemistry that builds around the main characters, and - for once - a real ending.
Teru Teru Ashita [てるてるあした] Synopsis [Rating: ?/10] Set in a town called Sasara, strange events occur one after the other. The episodes in this drama are interweaved tales from popular skilled author Kano Tomoko's books, "Sasara Saya" and "Teru Teru Ashita." In this new re-telling, we get a one-of-a-kind view of this fantasy world. The main character, Teruyo, writes of various parent-child relationships and also of couples' love. With a mix of mystery and horror genres, "Teru Teru Ashita" provides a little thrill as well as being a fantasy drama which allows you to understand love and kindness. So on Friday nights, won't you come and experience the warmth of a little town called Sasara?
Unfair [アンフェア] "24" in dorama [Rating: 8/10] An atypical dorama, with a serious plot, very good acting (Shinohara Ryoko amazing as always, although does not play the comic part this time), and fast pace. It reminded me a bit of the American series "24", with its pace and the surprises at each episode. And there is a little touch of comedy too, which I was looking for, with the supporting cast.
What I enjoyed in it was:
- The plot, very good and full of surprises
- The acting, from everybody - top notch
- The humour, not the main thing but always there to brighten the mood a little bit
- The fact that all episodes are different
- The last scene of each episode (I loooove when the last scene leaves you hanging over the edge of the cliff)
- The scenario, close enough to being possible
What I enjoyed less:
- The Special, not really worth it I think, although I appreciated the effort to make it a good story anyway
A must watch I'd say, for a different yet very good dorama.>
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Beautiful life [ビューティフルライフ]
Gokusen [ごくせん]
GTO [麻辣教師]
Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai Koi ga shitai [恋がしたい恋がしたい]
Last Christmas [ラストクリスマス]
Long vacation [ロングバケーション]
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ]
Orange Days [オレンジデイズ]
Summer snow
Abe Hiroshi [阿部寛]
Hirosue Ryoko [広末涼子]
Horikita Maki [堀北真希]
Kanno Miho [菅野美穂]
Kimura Takuya [木村拓哉]
Nakama Yukie [仲間由紀恵]
Sawajiri Erika [沢尻 エリカ]
Takeuchi Yuko [竹内結子]
Yamaguchi Tomoko [山口智子]
Boku dake no Madonna [僕だけのマドンナ]
Dekichatta Kekkon [できちゃった結婚]
Egao no Hosoku [笑顔の法則]
Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu - Rosshukan no kiseki [いま、会いにゆきます- ６週間の奇蹟]
Itazura na kiss [イタズラなKiss]
Itoshi Kimie [愛し君へ]
Kamisama mou sukoshi dake [神様、もう少しだけ]
Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王]
Majo no jouken [魔女の条件]
Mukodono! [ムコ殿/女婿大人]
Odoru Daisousasen [踊る大捜査線]
Pride [プライド]
Shomuni [ショムニ]
Trick [トリック]
Virgin road [バージンロード]
Water Boys [ウォーターボーイズ]
Wonderful Life [ワンダフルライフ]
Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi [空から降る一億の星]
