Otousan

Despite the cheesy intro and Tamura Masakazu's haminess being annoying for the first handful of episodes, this is otherwise an excellent drama. Tamura's acting improves after you get past the first few episodes. This drama was both funny and heartwarming. All of the daughters as well as Tamura's character all matured real nicely by the end of the drama. This was a good drama about an initially immature father ignoring his own daughters' needs and their own immaturity, which eventually leads to all of them maturing really well. This series had an excellent cast of actors and actresses such as Iijima Naoko, Hirosue Ryoko, Fukada Kyoko, and Tsukamoto Takashi. Many times I've been dissapointed in a drama that has a great cast such as Good Luck!! but failed due to bland story writing, but not this one. This one was really well written and used its cast to its maximum potential.

The basic concept isn't too different from OYAJI, a drama that was plotted so uniquely that you can't tell what's going to happen next. OTOUSAN isn't quite as inventive, but it's hard to ignore its taut pacing and bevy of strong actors. Ryoko Hirosue is wonderful at comedy, but her role as a harried, unconfident nurse is as memorable as Miki Nakatani's as an older sister who wants to change her life's role.

The players are almost uniformly attractive (aside from the comic foils), and plot would get ungainly if not the fact that the various conflicts manage to balance out quite nicely. Perhaps not an exact sequel to OYAJI, but the formula has been duplicated admirably.

If you look very carefully, you'll even find a few performances by performers who would become very big in their own rights.

I was turned off by this drama right away for numerous reasons. 1) It stars Tamura Masakazu, who I find annoying given my limited experience with him, 2) the show seemed almost identical to Oyaji, and 3) the plot was very boring in the first few episodes. I didnft find it terrible. It just seemed really dull.

Near the middle of the drama my opinion changed. There are two huge factors that differentiate this drama from Oyaji. One is the amazing set of characters that make up the fatherfs daughters, and the other are the actresses who play them.

Tamura aside, the casting was great. I love Iijima Naoko and her character ended up being my favourite. Although I found Nakatani Mikifs character a little boring, as an actress I was really impressed and look forward to watching more of her dramas. Ifve only ever enjoyed Hirosue Ryoko in Summer Snow, but I can now add this drama to her list. Fukada Kyoko maintained her pouty, talentless disposition, but she was the perfect spoiled brat and so I think she was appropriately class. If anything, shefs kawaii and can play the piano beautifully.

The plot was very cookie-cutter, but this doesnft matter. It was just fun to watch the characters be who they are and observe them interacting with each other. I can only imagine what it was like on set with such charismatic female talents.