 Bambino! [バンビーノ!]
Expect nothing to happen. [Rating: 4/10]
The lethargic pace almost put me to sleep. Not much happens. I don't mind slow pace dramas, but when there's nothing to advance the drama along, then I get bored. Sure, Bambino learns from his mistakes at the end of each episode, but it just gets to the point where, "Why am I even watching this?"
The storyline is extremely weak. It just focuses on the food. At times I just wanted to fast-forward through each episode. The only reason I stayed with this drama is because of Matsumoto Jun. He was excellent in Gokusen, and endearing and perfect as Domyoji Tsukasa in Hana Yori Dango. I became a fan of his after watching Gokusen.
Matusmoto Jun is very good as Ban Shogo (Bambino), but he cries so much. After the fifth or sixth straight episode where he was feeling depressed and down on himself and started crying, I almost couldn't stand it anymore. I kept on thinking, "Man, get some confidence back, and stop crying!"
Another thing I liked about it was the food. It was so mouth watering. I could practically smell the aroma in the kitchen. Every dish just looked delicious.
I agree with some people on here who said that Yonamine Tsukasa is creepy. It's just something about his smile.
If it wasn't for Jun, I would have rated this 2/10. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I don't want them to suffer through it like I did. | Bara no nai Hanaya [薔薇のない花屋]
Great acting all around [Rating: 10/10]
I finished downloading this a few weeks ago and the disk was just sitting on my desk. What made me watch mediocre dramas over this one? I don't know. I think it was because the storyline wasn't glossy or fascinating, but, wow, was I wrong. I watched all 11 episodes at once. It was that good.
There are so many good elements of this drama that I don't know where to begin. The daughter/father scenes are so touching and poignant, everyone acted well, especially the little girl...for someone so young, she's mature beyond her years. The cinematography is breathtaking also, and the ending left me satisfied. Everything came full-circled. Lastly, this has heart, and makes you care and want to invest time in the characters.
It did get a little draggy in the middle, but I can overlook this because of the strong performances from the actors. |
Brother Beat [ブラザー☆ビート]
Pretty good [Rating: 10/10]
I enjoyed watching this. It's fast paced and the mom and the brothers have good chemistry. The oldest is very responsible and looks after his family, the middle brother is a ladies' man and is quite charming, and the youngest cooks all the meals and is still in school. The mom seems a little immature and irresponsible, but her sons don't really mind helping out around the house.
It's basically a heartwarming drama about the family's life and the daily struggles they encounter such as love, life, and growing up. It's nice to see how close all the brothers are because they're constantly fighting, literally, not with just words, but with fists.
Great actors, good storyline, and just overall, entertaining. | Gokusen [ごくせん]
Good, but repetitive [Rating: 8/10]
Although each episode was fairly formulaic and predictable, I enjoyed this immensely because of the cast. Nakama Yukie is funny as Yankumi. Matsumoto Jun is very good as the quiet and complex Sawada Shin, and the rest of the students were a blast. They were well developed and had good chemistry with each other and with Yankumi. |
Gokusen Season 2 [ごくせん２]
An absolute abomination. [Rating: 1/10]
I would give this a ZERO but I can't because 1 is the lowest.
This just seems like a poor imitation of the original, instead of being a sequel. The first one had a better theme song, storylines, and more memorable characters. You actually got to know more of the students than in here. They also had better chemistry with her in Gokusen 1 than in Gokusen 2. In here, it just seems so forced.
If there's a weak script, hire as many good-looking guys as possible to attract an audience. Why focus on the acting or the mediocre and repetitive script when you have eye candy?
Sawada Shin will always be the leader of 3-D. He was a complex and mysterious character, unlike the leader in Gokusen 2. The students in Gokusen 1 were more endearing and likeable.
If you really liked Gokusen 1, don't waste your time with Gokusen 2. You'll be disappointing .
Those who are rating it 10 are fangirls who only like Gokusen 2 for Kame and Jin. | Hachi-One Diver [ハチワンダイバー]
Nice first episode [Rating: ?/10]
I like this drama so far. The protagonist is charming and likable. Nice simple storyline, but I wonder how much they'll squeeze out of it.
One of the more interesting spring dramas. |
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ]
Yawn worthy. Only saving grace is Ikuta Toma. [Rating: 4/10]
The good stuff:
The first half was stronger than the second half.
Ikuta Toma stood out from everyone. He portrayed his character very well.
The theme is very catchy. I quite liked it.
Why didn't I like it that much? I don't know what it is exactly. I think it's because of the actress. I didn't really care much for her at all. I thought she was too pretty as a boy. She didn't pass off as guy, unlike the actress in the Taiwanese version. When they discovered her sexuality, I was hoping they'd expel her.
If it wasn't for Nakatsu, I wouldn't have kept on watching this. He's the only reason why I forced myself to finish this drama. The script was average, but if the chemistry between the two leads had been there, I would have liked this more. Ashiya and Sano had ZERO chemistry. | Hataraki Man [働きマン]
Captivating first episode [Rating: ?/10]
Currently watching. About to start episode 2. |
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース]
Very good, better than I thought. [Rating: 9/10]
I thought it would be a typical teen drama, but this has surprising depth and warmth. It started off slow. I didn't understand why people liked this so much except for all the teeniebopper fangirls of Yamashita Tomohisa and Kamenashi Kazuya. I almost stopped watching it after the first episode, but I continued on to see what's so special about it, and I'm glad I stayed with this drama.
The three main characters have incredible chemistry; they play off one another very well. They're just so likable. I didn't like Horikita Maki in Hana Kimi because I found her annoying, but in here, I find her endearing. I don't like Kamenashi Kazuya, but he's a revelation in here.
It's about three lonely people from different cliques coming together to become best friends. Their bond is so strong that nothing or no one can penetrate it. It makes me nostalgic for when I had such good friends in school. I love themes about friendship. What I also liked about this is that there's no romance. They keep it light, almost non-existent, and just focus on the friendship.
And, the theme song is one of the catchiest I've ever heard in a drama. I love it. | ROOKIES [ルーキーズ]
Hmm [Rating: ?/10]
I'm currently watching this. Haven't finished the first episode yet, but the storyline's old, been there, done that already: a teacher inspiring a group of underachieving and troublesome students. I'll reserve judgment until I see two or three more episodes. |
Stand UP!!
Interesting take on American Pie [Rating: 7/10]
I love American Pie, not the trilogy, just the first movie, so I also found myself laughing stupidly at some parts. It's very hilarious and raunchy, in the same style of American Pie.
I watched Gokusen before this and Narimiya Hiroki and Oguri Shun are so different from their characters in that movie, which is to be expected; however, it was still surprising to see the total turnaround from tough delinquents to nerdy and lacking in confident guys. | |
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Log in
