Toshishita No Otoko

I watched this drama in one sitting -- only a story of the rarest of rare quality can hold my attention so long.

It was refreshing to see Inamori Izumi in a role in which is isn't comic relief. She does a great job as the lost 30yr.-old daughter. Still, the rest of the cast played their parts perfectly.

I am a fan of Inamori so I turned this one on just to see her, but even if you are not, you are missing out on a good story if you pass this one up. There is a deep sadness you can feel with each episode and all the characters are affected. All of them find it hard to find a reason to smile and we don't know why they should until the end -- the very end. The music, all of it, perfectly matches and enhances the mood of the show.

Youngerman has to be one of the most cringalicious dramas I have ever seen. Almost every scene unfolds with uncomfortable psychological drama. The actors are great. The pacing is brisk. The actresses are normal enough looking to where they don't interfere in the process of losing yourself in the story. A Married with Children for the psychotic. Women are much better and deeper characters than men in drama because they are allowed a wider range of emotion. Allota Fun.

I only watch this because of Inamori Izumi. Other than that, this drama irks me. There are attractive older women in J-drama world like Kuroki Hitomi (Dark Water, Golden Bowl), and I find it extremely unconvincing that any younger virile man would find Fubuki Jun attractive with her eyebags, sagging chin and neck and "obaasan sweater". This drama is very unrealistic for me and I cringe each time the younger man declares his desire to the older obaasan.