Anego [アネゴ] Rating: 10/10 (Bought & Watched) One of the best dramas I've ever watched. It seemed very real and unpretentious, yet still has it's outrageous funny moments. Would recommend especially to females since it doesn't seem like a guy's kind of drama =P | Antique [アンティーク〜西洋骨董洋菓子店] Rating: 1/10 (Bought & Watched) The cakes are really good, though the plot is most of the time too cheesy, unrealistic, and B-O-R-I-N-G. Disappointing~ | Bara No Nai Hana Ya [薔薇のない花屋] Rating: 8/10 Still watching. Great first episode, went downhill for a couple of episodes and then picked up with interesting twists in the plot. Can't wait to see the ending! |
Beach boys [ビーチボーイズ] Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) I don't understand why I like it, but I do ^.^ The story is a bit too sentimental, but nonetheless makes me want to go to the beach and live in a bed and breakfast place....! | Beautiful life [ビューティフルライフ] Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Good romance drama! So sad yet touching...makes me cherish the life that I have. | Big wing [ビッグウイング] Rating: 1/10 (Bought & Watched) What can I say...major cheesiness. Why?!! Why do they put Kashiwabara in such a stupid dorama?!!! |
Bijo ka Yajuu [美女か野獣] Rating: 9/10 (Bought & Watched) Don't know why this is isn't that popular...it should be! Love the mystery of their relationship between the two main characters that was slowly unraveled through the whole drama. | Dekichatta Kekkon [できちゃった結婚] Rating: 9/10 (Bought & Watched) A wonderfully developed story...Don't think there was a single episode that was boring or meaningless. Definitely one of the greatest j-dramas I've ever seen in my opinion. Love the chemistry between Takenouchi and Hirosue and the selection for the cast, although Hirosue's bad crying acting wasn't my favorite thing in the world. | Engine [エンジン] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Horrible drama, yet another reason why I don't like KimuTaku. |
Erai Tokoro ni Totsuide Shimatta! [エラいところに嫁いでしまった!] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I love Matsusaka Keiko, she's such an awesome actress. The plot of the drama was great sometimes, but also kind of gets old after a while. I got really sick of all the characters thinking Kimiko is so great =P The good parts of the drama are its hilarious and touching moments. The downside is that there are also A LOT of cheesy moments (eeuck). I kind of started to like the theme song, but unfortunately, I can't find anywhere to download it >.< | Friends [フレンズ] Rating: 1/10 (Bought & Watched) Ehh...Fukada Kyoko is really cute...but she also has very bad acting skills. I really cannot stand another minute of her widening her eyes and giving this "I'm so innocent, what are you talking about?" look. Also, she is probably the first Japanese actress I've seen with such heavy eye makeup on in a drama. Won Bin deserves better!! The storyline is also pretty typical; the supposedly "sad" or "touching" parts are almost comical because they are sooooo overdone and cheesy (e.g. hugging in the rain, all that Christmas light at the end). Plus, their conversations were sometimes a bit stupid 'cause one person would talk in Korean and the other would talk in Japanese. And then occassionally Fukada Kyoko would repeat what she said in Japanese in her horrible-sounding Korean. Uck! So bad and so boring, I was falling asleep half way through the drama, so glad this is short =P | Galileo [ガリレオ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Interesting show that seems more like the American style of TV shows where each episode is a stand-alone story. Kept me entertained but there wasn't anything special about it, though there are some pretty hilarious moments. I think I only finished it for the shallow reason of wanting to see Fukuyama Masaharu. |
Gokusen [ごくせん] Rating: 2/10 (Bought & Watched) Fairly disappointed by this j-drama. Very funny at times but thought it was also quite pretentious and not nearly as good as GTO. A bit too unrealistic for my taste. Really loved its theme song, nonetheless. | Good Luck !! [グッドラック!!] Rating: 6/10 (Bought & Watched) Very good! Really like the story and the cast, especially Kuroki Hitomi and Tsutsumi Shinichi. Takuya's character is a bit too typical tho and there just seems to be some it factor lacking for me, thus the reason I didn't give it a higher rating. | GTO [麻辣教師] Rating: 8/10 Funny and touching at times...makes me want to watch it over and over again! |
Haken no Hinkaku [ハケンの品格] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Not bad, but not great either. The overall plot is pretty boring and predictable, but I would watch it for the entertainment value and its hilarious moments. It is different kind of role for Shinohara Ryoko as compared to her other dramas. Best thing about the drama: the theme song "Mienai Hoshi" by Nakashima Mika *thumbs up* | Hana Yori Dango [花より男子] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Okay, better than Meteor Garden IMO ('cause the actors can actually act for a change, tho many are not that much better) I applaud Inoue Mao's performance, I think she's really the only who stood out in the drama, all the other main characters were only so-so (...unless you count Matsushima Nanako, who was as great as usual ^^) It started great, but slowed down and became worse and worse as the story progressed. My favorite episode was the third one when Matsushima Nanako appeared ^^ I love that scene when she's talking to her little brother in his room...so funny ^o^ | Hataraki Man [働きマン] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Only watched the first episode, and all I can say is, what a boring drama. |
Hero Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) Not so much romance and not very exciting, but still a decently good drama! | Hotman [ホットマン] Rating: 6/10 (Bought & Watched) A bit cheesy, but overall a feel good drama. I would not like it as much if it weren't for the cute little girl. The ending is a bit unsatisfying. It was like the writer of the drama had no more to write so he/she just ended the drama...in other words, abrupt ending with no closure. | Ichi Ritoru no Namida [1リットルの涙] Rating: 10/10 (Bought & Watched) Truly outstanding. Everyone did a good job acting-wise and the story moves along at a good pace (not fast, but just fast enough ^^) The story is very aptly named as I've probably cried one liter of tears by the time I finished the drama. I pretty much cried at some point or another in every episode except for the first. I also like it 'cause it concentrated on both Aya's family, friends, and love life, unlike Sekai No Chuushin which mostly only concentrated on the main character's love life. It's a truly inspirational story that I'd recommend to everyone. |
Iryu 2 [医龍 2] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) I think it's hard for me to get into this drama since I haven't watch the first season or read the manga. Only watched the first episode, but it seems like a really slow story with too much focus on the skills of the surgeon for my liking. (I didn't really enjoy the whole hype about the batista thing...thought that was kind of cheesy) | Itazura na kiss [イタズラなKiss] Rating: 4/10 (Bought & Watched) Really funny in the outrageous manga way in the first half...but as the plot developed, story became a bit draggy and super cheesy =P I only finished it for the hotness of Kashiwabara ^.~ | Itsumo futari de [いつもふたりで] Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Was good at first, got kind of tedious as the story progressed >.< The cast was pretty good, especially Matsu Takako and Kashiwabara Takashi, but the drama didn't have a good focus...kind of wavered between focusing on Mizuho's career or her life with childhood friend Hachi. |
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko [結婚できない男] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I love the theme song "Suimii" by Every Little Thing ^_^ The plot is pretty creative, though I still got a bit sick of the reoccurring theme of the main character being inept in social skills after a while. The younger supporting actress is pretty cute, and I like the lady who's the lead's coworker, she was great as the evil lady in Nyokei Kazoku and as a single working woman in this drama. | Kindaichi shonen no Jikenbo (2005) [金田一少年の事件簿] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Horrible. Acting, the look of the set, makeup...all horrible. I don't understand why the vampire looks like a mummy, tho it still kind of freaked me out. | Koori no sekai [冰の世界] Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) Really intense...love Nanako! |
Koshonin [交渉人] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Sorry to Ryoko fans, but Yonekura Ryoko can't act to save her life. That plus a horribly cheesy and overly dramatic script means Koshonin = something you should not watch unless you are bored out of your mind. Sorry, just my personal opinion, but I feel very strongly about the issue. I just can't imagine anybody thinking that this is a genuinely good drama. Unless the person's definition of a good drama is seeing a hot girl in tight clothing pretending to be professional =P | Kyumei byoto 24 ji [救命病棟24時] Rating: 9/10 (Bought & Watched) Very impressed! Started kind of slow at first but the intensity increased substantially as the plot developed. Each episode has its own plot but still contributes to the overall plot of the series. Really enjoyed the performance by Eguchi Yosuke and Matsushima Nanako. I did not like Eguchi from Tokyo Love Story, but this totally change my perspective of him. | Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji 2 [救命病棟24時 2] Rating: 8/10 (Bought & Watched) Very good sequel to the first one. Too bad there's no Matsushima Nanako in the plot, but the new female lead did well too. Eguchi Yosuke is, of course, as good as ever ^.^ |
Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji 3 [救命病棟24時 3] Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Went off to a great start, but the whole series was a bit anticlimatic because it had such an amazing start to the series. After the earthquake and everything was finally a bit in order, the story became quite boring. Initially, there are a few episodes that are true tear-jerkers, but after a while, it just wasn't touching anymore. However, they did really well in staying with the overall theme of coping with a major disaster, and I guess it couldn't be helped that it was anticlimatic if the story was meant to show people's strength in overcoming the problems in the aftermath of the disaster. It is also worth mentioning that this series is not as cheesy as Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji 2 were in some episodes. Nonetheless, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of a great ending. Also, I'm a bit fan of Matsushima Nanako and has admired Eguchi Yosuke's previous works, but they didn't really shine in this drama. If anyone, it's the young ones that acted well and really showed a depth of character. I think it is mostly the script writer's problem tho. He/she should've further develop the character of Kojima and Shindo rather than just having them as being the "cool" doctors that always knew what to do and was calm and collected. So, all in all, a pretty good drama, but I had higher expectations. I wouldn't be surprised if most j-drama lover's find this to be boring after the first two episodes. | Last Christmas [ラストクリスマス] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Pretty much just a funny, cute, heart-warming romantic comedy that had a typical "happily-ever-after" ending. Some of it was a bit cliche, but I really like how the two main characters were able to trust each other when they were in love, whereas in a typical romance drama, the two main characters would develop a series of misunderstandings about each other through the whole drama and kept the audience frustrated for their stupidity >.< It's kind of bad, but I got hooked onto Oda Yuji's version of Last Christmas, it's just too catchy, even though he has a bit of a Japanese accent =P (not as bad as when he talks in English tho) | LIFE [ライフ] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) A pretty good drama for a mediocre cast. It was one of those dramas that kept you entertained while watching, but would not make you want to watch it over and over again. I think if it wasn't for the shock factor of the story and the shortness of each episode, I wouldn't have watched till the end. And a plus (for the male audience) is the shortness of the girls' skirts. Those definitely seem a bit too short to be within regulations... |
Long vacation [ロングバケーション] Rating: 3/10 (Bought & Watched) Way overrated.... | Love generation [ラブジェネレーション] Rating: 5/10 (Bought & Watched) Pretty good, but still not as good as I thought it would be. Also overrated. | Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王] Rating: 6/10 (Bought & Watched) Disappointed...plot was okay and kind of cute at times, but a bit too unrealistic and cheesy. (Side note: I wish Natsumi would get together with that someone called Junzanburo...~>.<~) |
Majo no jouken [魔女の条件] Rating: 3/10 (Bought & Watched) Nothing special, kind of tedious. Reflected upon the society's faults, but that didn't make me like the drama. | Meitantei Conan: Kudo Shinichi he no chosenjo [名探偵コナン- 工藤新一への挑戦状] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) This really would have a much lower rating if it wasn't for the fact that it is a Conan movie. Sadly, I don't think any main character in this drama special can act (particularly Oguri Shun), which contributed to the entire downfall of the drama. The story on the whole wasn't too bad, though I guess the whole tone and the speed of plot progression is more suitable for a manga than for a drama. | Mukodono! [ムコ殿/女婿大人] Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Laugh and cry in every episode...even though they do have some problems with their logic and it's totally cheesy, I still managed to like it due to Nagase's hotness =P |
My Little Chef Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Only watched the first episode, but looks like one of those cheesy shows about ryori. | Ningen no Shoumei [人間の証明] Rating: 9/10 (Bought & Watched) Wow...this was a truly captivating drama. I finished this in one day, too. Very fast paced with lots twists in the plot...the muderer I guessed about halfway 2/3 of the way through the drama tho. It also got me thinking a lot about humanity and family values...ending made me cry like crazy. Also really liked the soundtrack although I think they probably should've just used the original American version of the ending song 'cause the Japanese guy has really bad pronunciation. I was also impressed by Takenouchi's English; he certainly had an accent, but he probably has the best English I've heard from any Japanese person by far =P I was a bit disappointed by the guy who plays Johnny tho; it's a bit weird when your character is black and was raised in America but speaks worse English than a Japanese character in the story (Takenouchi).....but that probably didn't matter to the majority of the Japanese audience =P Last note: really like the title of the series, very meaningful and thought-provoking ^.^ | Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース] Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Pretty good, reeeeeally funny, but is lacking substance (as most high school dramas seem to do) There are some very special moments/scenes in this series that I will remember forever (like when Akira teaches Nobuko the "Nobuko Power chuunyu" scene, when Akira breaks a stack of stone blocks to warn Shuuji, and when Akira tells Nobuko that her hands are not dirty and puts one on his cheek) but the storyline/plot is mostly just okay. My favorite scenes all have to do with Akira, I think =P Yamapi is so cute in this series...I never used to like him much, but I'm liking him much more now that I've fallen in love with his character in this drama. Final note...Kame is so totally a girl (kind of not a good thing, I mean, he's nice looking, but a girl =P) |
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Enjoyed the first two episodes for their hilarity, but got sick of the cheesy happiness and very cliche plot after that. Tamaki is hot tho =P | Nyokei Kazoku [女系家族] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) A very serious drama. Kind of slow, but it has it's merits. | Onna Keiji Mizuki 2 [女刑事みずき 2] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Perhaps not a thorough review since I didn't even finish half of the first episode. Seems to be a mediocre story with a mediocre cast that has mediocre acting skills. Also, I have to say that I am a superficial person so I was hoping the lead would be a more attractive woman if nothing else...(I just like attractive leads in general) |
Orange Days [オレンジデイズ] Rating: 6/10 (Bought & Watched) Shibasaki Kou truly did a great job expressing herself through her sign language in this drama...she really impressed me. However, other than that, this series is just merely so-so at most...I had no trouble taking my time watching it. In other words, it didn't seem to make you want to keep watching and watching until you finish. Basically, there seems to be an 'it' factor lacking. Nonetheless, I would still recommend watching it. | Oyaji~ [オヤジぃ] Rating: 4/10 (Bought & Watched) Loved this drama in the beginning, but my love decreased as the drama went on. Thought it got a bit too dramatic with the woes of the family members. | Pride [プライド] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Only give it such high rating for the interaction between Haru and Aki that was really touching in certain episodes. Other than that, quite a disappointing dorama. (Side note: one of the hockey players in the story is Matsu Takako's brother!! o_O) |
rinbukyoku [輪舞曲] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Much worse than I thought. There are some unpredictable/intriguing parts that makes you want to keep watching to see what happens, but usually that only happens towards the end of an episode. I watched all the episodes on d-addicts that have hardsubs but decided to not buy the drama even tho not all episodes are online b/c it's not good enough for me to want to buy it. Definitely not one of Takenouchi Yutaka's good performances, and I'm sick of Choi Ji Woo's "I'm shocked and sad" face....ugh >.< | Ruri no shima [瑠璃の島] Rating: 5/10 (Bought & Watched) Have only watched three episodes so far, but every episode has been a tear-jerker. Although Ruri was a brat in the beginning, gradually she became more and more likeable as she's accepted by the people of Hatomijima and finds people who truly care about her. Sometimes, the whole "love will conquer all" theme is a bit cliche, but for the most part, they did a great job ^.^ I'm also liking Takenouchi Yukata's little side story, which I'm actually more interested in than the main plot =P Especially after that scene where he runs into Sanae Sensei (Konishi Manami) and he looks up, and the audience and Sanae Sensei can see that he's been crying >.< Oh my god, Takenouchi Yukata is CRYING!!! Ahhh~ I can't stand it (in a good way) when hot guys cry ~~>.<~~ EDIT: The story gets much worse after the third episode...becomes way too majorly sappy it makes me want to vomit =P | Sailor Fuku to Kikanju [セーラー服と機関銃] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Had a good start, but tries to include to much cheesy "important lessons of life" throughout the drama. Kind of like a GTO thing (i.e. fun, but needs to teach the audience a cheesy lesson with every episode). It's entertaining, but not for long. |
Sapuri [サプリ] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) Something to watch if you are reaaaally bored (like I was). I really don't know how I endured through the whole drama...I must have been amazingly bored (it was a bad season IMO). Good songs for the drama, nonetheless, yay for Ayaka redeeming the drama ^^ | Satomi Hakenden [里見八犬伝] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I watched a couple of episodes on TV, too bad I didn't get a chance to finish it >.< The acting is not top notch, but I like the story. The fighting scenes are also not as exciting as in Chinese films =P | Sekai no chuushin de, ai wo sakebu [世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) I must say...a definite tear jerker ~>.<~ I've cried at some point (sometimes more than once) in every episode since the 4th or 5th. The story got a bit slow at times, but there is always some scene in each episode that redeemed the slow bits. I was especially impressed with the ending...my favorite part was when bits of the grown-up life of Tomoyo, Ohki, and Bozu were shown...it was those moments that had me smiling amidst the tears that just wouldn't stop =P (ESPECIALLY memorable is the part with Ohki saying to his son "You can do whatever you like OMAE-SAN, just don't go to Yumejima with a girl you like" while the camera focuses in on the photo Ohki took of Saku and Aki asleep on the beach of Yumejima...gave me butterflies in my stomach *shudders*) |
Shiroi kage [白い影] Rating: 5/10 (Bought & Watched) It was okay...ending was a total shocker, but the whole drama was too depressing for me. I can stand depressing endings like Beautiful Days and Summer Snow, or a depressing drama with a happy ending like Koori No Sekai, but I cannot stand a whole entire depressing drama with a depressing ending like this one. Too much =P | Shiroi Kyoto [白い巨塔] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Surprisingly good...I was never a fan of depressing doramas, so even though I wasn't interested at first, I got caught on more and more as I watched this dorama. Too bad the set I was watching was a defective bootleg version so I missed a lot of episodes ~>.<~ Looooove Kuroki Hitomi and her character in this! | Shota no sushi [将太の寿司] Rating: 2/10 (Bought & Watched) Ehhh....very very very disappointed. I shouldn't have had high expectations tho. I guess it was because I liked the manga and I love Kashiwabara so I thought this might have some merit. But no. Totally slaughtered the spirit of the manga. |
Slow Dance [スローダンス] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) A very well-chosen title for this drama since it was VERY SLOW. Although it started out okay, I quickly realized that this was going to be a bad drama. I still watched the whole thing anyways because of the theme song, "Tokyo", by Fukuyama Masaharu...I could drown in his voice (well, only for this song tho). In short, don't watch the drama, but download the theme song. | SP [エスピー] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Only watched the first episode. Weird story plus not very interesting. A horrible waste of Tsutsumi Shinichi's good acting skills. | Summer snow Rating: 7/10 (Bought & Watched) Didn't think much of it at first...just so so...but made me cry so much afterwards because of the great ending ~>.<~ (Note: IMO the best ending to a drama that I've seen so far, I'll never forget the scene when Yuki was at first crying in the train, but soon she wipes away her tears and smiles as the ending theme "Natsu No Ousama" comes on) (I hope it went like that...o_Oa...it's been a while) |
Sushi Oji! [スシ王子!] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) Hahaha, I have to say the lead's turtle thing is reeeeeeally hilarious. But that's only because I only watched about five minutes of the entire first episode, and not even the first five minutes. Other than his turtle thing, I personally didn't find anything else interesting in the story. | Taiyou no uta [タイヨのうた] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Only watched 1 episode, but there was enough bad acting/dialogue to kill any possibility that I would watch the whole thing. Sawajiri Erika seems to have done an excellent job in 1 littoru no namida, but in retrospect, maybe it was 'cause it fit her personality better or something...I mean, she definitely did a horrible job in Taiyou no uta. Also, I think it would've been better if they just found another person to sing her song. She doesn't have a bad voice, but it's not good enough to make me want to listen to it =P | Tantei Gakuen Q [探偵学園Q] Rating: 1/10 (Watched) Only watched the first episode. All I can say is, I really don't like watching a drama full of little people =P (especially little people who don't act that well *ahem* the lead *ahem*) Even the fact that it's a detective story can't save it from getting a 1. |
Teppan Shoujo Akane [鉄板少女アカネ] Rating: 1/10 (Watched) Really horrible drama...I have yet to watch a good live action drama about cooking. I thought Lunch No Jyou was not that great, but it's heaven compared to this. | Tiger & Dragon [タイガー&ドラゴン] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) A totally random drama that's very entertaining, but has absolutely no value. Something to watch if you are in need of laughter. | Tokyo rabu sutori [東京ラブストーリー] Rating: 3/10 (Bought & Watched) Because of its age, the fashion was horrible...I really couldn't stand it. Not only the clothes, but also their hair styles and Eguchi Yosuke's glasses...ugh...Memorable ending tho...maybe could've been a good drama if not for the bad fashion trend at the time =P. |
Top Caster [トップキャスタ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Basically another cheesy profession-related drama. | Trick [トリック] Rating: 2/10 (Bought & Watched) Ehh...only watched the first episode. Just not my kind of drama, way too weird and unstructured. | Unfair [アンフェア] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) Wow...I crown this drama to be the best I've ever seen. The cast was great; all of them had superb acting skills. It helps, of course, that Shinohara Ryoko is the lead actress. Her other drama Anego is probably my second-favorite drama of all time. I loved the interaction between her and Kato Masaya, who also appeared in Anego. And the little girl is absolutely adorable!!! As for the story development, the plot was intense and mind-boggling, yet it all seemed to make sense at the end. Not to be cliche, but definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time (or more like curled up in my chair for fear that the murderer will jump out the next second). Also, excellent ending song by Ito Yuna. I think the reason why I couldn't stop crying at the end was partly due to the ending and partly due to the lyrics of Ito's song. Definitely a must see!!!! |
Watashitachi no kyokasho [わたしたちの教科書] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) This is the first time I've seen Kanno Miho as a lead, and I must say, I am immensely impressed. I don't think this drama would've been nearly as good if it wasn't for Kanno holding up the show. The supporting actor was also really good, of course (I forgot his name, the teacher guy), and so was the supporting actress who played the principal. The story was great for the first two or three episodes, but it seemed to go downhill from there. The plot became very dragged out, and I think at episode 6 I was already screaming for it to end. Thankfully, the ending was shocking enough to redeem the drama overall. Interesting ending song by Bonnie Pink. | Yamato Nadeshiko [やまとなでしこ【大和撫子】] Rating: 3/10 (Bought & Watched) Kind of disappointed...could be better, too cheesy most of the time. Too bad cuz I love Matsushima Nanako =( | |