Nobuta wo Produce

I really don't get why this dorama should be THE one which is praised amongst all the j-series. The plot is a bit weak, it lacks emotion, it's rarely funny and it gets corny and boring at some point.

If the male cast is quite fine (Akira is on my opinion the most interesting character and Yamashita Tomohisa's doing a good job playing a weirdo) I didn't love so much the girls. I didn't quite like Nobuta, she is just dull and despite the new haircut I don't see so much changes in her that would make her more popular. As for Toda Erika... she's just plain bad, I think she cannot act I've seen her in three different doramas and it doesn't get better.

Hmm. But there are also good sides of course, for example I really enjoyed the "ghost" episode, and the connection which is gradually growing between Akira and Shuji, or what's behind Shuji's poser's "guise".

To conclude I'd say it's average and I could recommend much better doramas than this one.

Greatest friendship story ever..

I watched this drama in a few day's time. It was entertaining enough to keep me coming back and watching, and overall, I enjoyed it. I do have to say though, I feel it's quite over-rated as it does have a few problems. I'll mention a few that saw...

PLOT
Before you get into an episode, you dont really feel like there's a real plot that you're expecting to be developed upon (maybe aside from answering the question of who is the mystery girl causing the three of them trouble). Nobuta's popularity thing fades quickly as the story isn't focused on it most of the time, and even tries to teach us that it's not really important.. but sometimes we have to care about it (even if the characters don't) because it's the only plot point still there. And then come completely unrelated problems that pop up in an episode and overshadow every other, more developed plot points (like the selling of those pig charms).

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The drama sometimes expects us to care or be emotionally attached in some situations, but doesn't do enough explaining or character development to make us care. For example, the short bit about Nabuto's relationship with her father. I also wasn't really even sure what the real motivation for "producing" Nobuta was.. the motivation for all three characters wasn't made completely clear.

JOKES
It made me chuckle a few times, but it seemed the jokes were getting old as they were being used repeatedly... such as Akira being clumsy and tripping over things.. or showing students in the background doing random, crazy things.

Still, I do recommend this drama. I enjoyed it an felt attached to the characters after a few episodes. But, I would say that due to these and other unmentioned problems, it is quite over-rated.