 Aoi tori [青い鳥]
Extremely good with a little bad [Rating: 9/10]
Ok, there were two plot turns in this drama that were extremely annoying and only made a little sense to me. So why rate it a 9? Because the rest of the story was one of the best I've seen from Japanese TV. The first 4 episodes were filled with a slowly building sexual tension that created a terrific dramatic atmosphere. And if you view the main characters as obviously having had emotionally damaging pasts, the events that occur could make sense. If you just go with the plot, the story really sweeps you along. The acting is good all around (though there were times when I wished the male lead would have displayed a bit more energy.) Both actresses playing the daughter were fantastic, especially An Suzuki. She was adorable without being overly cutsie.
The ending can leave you with questions but the short special episode answers them. | Five [ファイブ]
Laughably bad [Rating: 2/10]
Wow, there was pretty much total incompetence at all levels in the production of this. Maybe the stupid, annoying direction/cinematography was used in hopes no one would notice the writing was so horrible. The "plot" is disjointed, inconsistent and really makes no sense. The script has absolutely no respect for any of the characters, they're just stick figures to be moved around and spew idiotic dialogue. I guess the actors are to be forgiven for their performances. It's hard to imagine anyone able to make the words in the script believable. |
 Fukigen na Jiin [不機嫌なジーン]
A bit of a mess [Rating: 5/10]
Takeuchi Yuko is such a likeable actress but is pretty much wasted in this drama. There's very little logical flow to the series and there was only about three episodes worth of plot; the whole thing felt very drawn out. The lead male character is not particularly endearing and Uchino Masaaki's poor acting didn't help matters. There just wasn't much interest in seeing the two leads get together. If you're looking for a romantic comedy/drama there are many more better choices. |  GTO [麻辣教師]
very disappointing [Rating: 4/10]
I was very eager to watch this drama after seeing all the rave reviews. I just finished the last episode and am definitely disappointed. I like dramas with some silliness (I loved Gokusen) but this one really requires you to turn off the logic centers of your brain.
Generally each episode contains what is often called the "idiot plot", meaning the conflict could quickly be resolved with just one sentence spoken at the right time. But then, of course, each
episode would only last 10 minutes.
Each episode is pretty much the same:
1. Some ridiculous conflict arises.
2. Onizuka takes an action which in the real world would result
in a significant prison term.
3. One or more people do a bunch ignorant things to make the
situation worse.
4. Someone makes a teary-eyed speech defending Onizuka.
5. Conflict is resolved.
Often this "great teacher's" actions are negligent and harmful to his students (like ignoring an unconscious, injured student for what appears to be hours in order to search for a lost necklace.)
I don't see what anyone sees in Takashi's acting. He seems to
have gotten his training from watching monkeys at the zoo.
Absolutely no subtlety in his performance, mostly just mugging for the camera. (Granted, there's no subtlety in the scripts so that might be part of the problem.)
There are touching moments in most episodes but they are based on such artificial situations that they don't ring true. |
 Hoshi no kinka 1 [星の金貨]
bad soap opera [Rating: 4/10]
Given the other good reviews I read this was surprisingly bad.
I'm usually an easy touch for sentimental romances but this one
was ridiculous. Amnesia, murder, suicide, cheating spouses,
evil doctors, pregnancy, terminal illnesses, etc. , this one pulls out every
cliche from the hackneyed soap opera handbook. Even the
"good" doctors are incredibly incompetent and no one behaves
with an ounce of good sense. Can't believe there are two sequels. | Ichi Ritoru no Namida [１リットルの涙]
Try not to cry [Rating: 10/10]
When I first heard the title of this drama I thought the title sounded silly and lugubrious and the show would be horribly overwrought. I just finished watching the final episode and have to say the title is perfect and the drama is nearly perfect. The story is, of course, sad but also inspirational. I pretty much cried every episode. I guess the fact that it is inspired by true events is what made it so poignant for me. I'm truely amazed by the courage of this young woman and what she, and others like her, have to endure.
The acting was good all around. I had never seen Erika Sawajiri act before; she was just a pretty face to me. I was completely blown away by her performance. Her abitlity to portray both strength and fragility was amazing. I will definitely be hunting out other work by her.
For a story of this type it's hard to think of a better one. |
 Ikebukuro West Gate Park [池袋ウエストゲートパーク]
disappointing [Rating: 5/10]
This just did not click with me. I enjoyed the direction and cinematography but the writing was very weak. Some of the characters were interesting and some of the humor worked nicely but the general plot made little sense. I guess I was expecting a bit more realism but much of the story seemed to take place in an alternate reality. Too many overly dramatic moments with no purpose; mostly a bunch of immature guys trying to act manly. I just couldn't much care about the characters and I really hope the police in Japan aren't as pathetic as they are portrayed here. |  Majo no jouken [魔女の条件]
Not a romance [Rating: 6/10]
As a romantic tale it completely fails but as a story of a deeply emotionally disturbed woman, it's fairly good. This woman has serious problems and I'm not talking about falling for an underaged guy. It's how she deals with it. She seems incapable of rational thought or having concern for anyone but herself. She had to know how her life and the lives of those around her would be impacted but instead of waiting a year for the boy to graduate and avoid all these problems she went ahead.
This is mostly just a criticism of the main characters actions and not so much against the drama. As a psychological portrait it was interesting, as a romance it was very lame.
It's about two immature people falling in "love" and making a series of really bad decisions. |
Proposal Daisakusen [プロポーズ大作戦]
Disappointing [Rating: 6/10]
Oh, how this would have been so much better as a two hour movie than an 11 part TV series!
Ken's repeated lack of courage quickly becomes tiresome and then really irritating. Finally, it became hard to root for him since Rei deserves someone much better than him.
The main reason to watch is to witness why Masami Nagasawa is an increasingly popular actress. She is so very engaging and likeable on screen that she can almost make you overlook the plot.
My recommendation for new viewers would be to watch the first two or three episodes and then skip to the last episode. | raiaa geemu [ライアーゲーム]
Nice change of pace [Rating: 8/10]
This is a very unrealistic drama that clearly shows its manga roots.
The situation doesn't really make much sense but if you go with it, it can be a lot of fun. It's basically a dramatic game show and it was nice to see a show that requires some thinking. You might have to hit the pause button when some of the schemes are explained to mull them over.
It's far from perfect: It should have been shorter and there were too many scenes of guys with strange haircuts laughing manically.
But, still, the mind games that were being played and the moral of honesty and fairness to those around you was nice. |
 Somurie [ソムリエ]
Wasn't expecting much [Rating: 5/10]
Wasn't expecting much and that's what I got. It's sort of a wine based version of "My Little Chef" but no where near as good. The biggest problem is the robotic performance of the lead character. You can't really blame the actor, I'm sure that is how the role is written but he just comes off as a dry pedantic guy with no personality. He's just not capable of selling the idea that the right glass of wine (and the story that goes along with it) can solve most of life's problems.
Miho Kanno's energetic performance almost makes up for it but just isn't enough to recommend the series. |  Summer snow
Fairly standard stuff [Rating: 6/10]
Typical soap designed to tug at your tear ducts. Yes I got weepy but too much of the plot was unbelievable. You definitely need to turn off your logic detector to enjoy this. Most actions by the characters make little sense (apparently in Japan, if a doctor treats you, you are required to become his girlfriend). Plenty of moments got to me emotionally but you are required to ignore that the story line is kind of lame. |
Watashitachi no kyokasho [わたしたちの教科書]
Good job [Rating: 9/10]
This is probably my favorite japanese drama of the last couple
years. From what I have read recently, its topic, bullying, is
very timely in Japan. It does a great job of ending most episodes with a bit of a cliffhanger that keeps you coming back (I watched all 12
episodes in two days).
The story takes alot of interesting twists,
probably a few too many in fact - it would have been better with
two or three fewer episodes and the final scene in the teacher's room was a bit much. However, with the usual terrific performance by Miho Kanno I can't complain. | |
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Ichikawa Miwako [市川実和子]
Kanno Miho [菅野美穂]
Mimura [ミムラ]
