Like many asadoras before it, I like it a lot. The little girl playing little Hana was adorable and enchanting. Nakama Yukie was great at creating her character and depicting her inner conflicts and complexities. Yoshitaka Yuriko is a good actress but she doesn't seem to be especially suited for this type of character... Perhaps she will change my mind when the story revolve more around Hana. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud funny moments but also tinge of melancholy sadness sprinkled within. Hana's family is really likeable too, Kuroki Haru stood out particularly as Hana's sister in only a handful of scenes. The harsh, rural way of life of her family really adds a lot of gravity and substance to the series.
I've watched up thru episode 24 and I pretty much agree with your assessment . Young Hana (Mochika Yamada. Geez, where do they keep coming up with these great kid actresses?!) is terrific. I'm thinking Yoshitaka Yuriko may have been miscast in this. Maybe they should have done the usual asadora thing and cast an unknown. It didn't start to get good for me until Yukie showed up. My only other complaint is the actress (if that's the term) playing Principal Blackburn. Kind of reminds me of the non-Japanese "actors" they had in "Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo".
I think they just go out on the street, find some non-Japanese person and ask, "Hey, wanna be on TV?" and use them.
Episode 9 of "Oyaji no Senaka". Masaaki Uchino was the father and Ryunosuke Kamiki the son. Pretty good episode. As an added bonus Yui Natsukawa played Uchino's wife. It's been awhile, it was nice to see her again, she was very good as usual. :applaud:
I finally finished the entire Liar Game franchise! It has been an awesome ride, I really enjoyed it. Matsuda Shota was fantastic as Akiyama, I loved it everytime he outwitted his opponents. His chemistry with Toda Erika was very good and I liked their partnership, although as a character, Nao was very frustrating and I didn't like that she was questioning Akiyama half the time.
In season 2, Kikuchi Rinko was particularly good as Katsuragi - her smiles were pretty creepy. I enjoyed her duel with Akiyama, and frankly wouldn't have minded a spinoff with just the two of them.
The specials after the first film were good too, but without Akiyama, it felt like there was something missing. I enjoyed the first film more than the second, it just seemed like the tension and stakes were a bit higher. Also, I honestly think the franchise should have ended at the first film - the stuff after that, while still good, seemed rather like milking the popularity of the earlier seasons and first film.
Started Top Caster, a 2006 drama with Amami Yuki as a top newscaster, and it's pretty hilarious. Really liking the workplace hijinks and camaraderie among the staff - and I can quite relate to all that's going on in the newsroom. Tamaki Hiroshi is in this too, in a role that's very un-Chiaki :hehe: but he's still super funny and adorable :muack:
Two other Love Shuffle pals are here too - Matsuda Shota, looking really young and scruffy, and Tanihara Shosuke with a very improved hairstyle!
Still working on "Hanako to Anne". The subber is only about halfway thru so I'm only watching one episode a day, up to episode 36 now.
Have sort of gotten used to Yoshitaka as Hanako. My only real complaints are first, Hanako's family back on the farm. They have a river close by I'm pretty sure back then people knew how to wash their face. They've got them looking like something straight out of "Taira no Kiyomori".
And who did Yukie's hair? It looks like she's wearing a turban. :shakehead:
Still on Top Caster, which is very funny and engaging.
Also started Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu, where Tamaki Hiroshi is effortlessly exuding sexy, manly charisma despite being the second lead. Fukushi Sota who? It'll be a sad day if and when Ayase Haruka's Hanae chooses the bland Yuto over the smouldering Yu.
Finished "Oyaji no Senaka". Epsiodes 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9 were the best.
Here's a list of each episode. The father and then the son or daughter except in the case of Toshiyuki Nishida in episode 3 because he was dealing with his whole family.
Finished Top Caster, it was really enjoyable. A lot of the stuff was very relatable and acting was solid all round. Tamaki Hiroshi was all sorts of adorable and hilarious, love his Kani-chan character, such a sweetheart! Yada Akiko was a bit bland, but still generally good. Amami Yuki was solid as usual, she really does have the market cornered on strong-woman roles. She did make a likeable pair with Tanihara Shosuke, whose hairstyle was so improved he was actually pretty watchable (he should consider sticking with this hairstyle forever).
I've never been a fan of Nana Eikura but so far I really like her character in this, trying to keep things together after Dad has taken up with another woman (Yuki Shibamoto) and Mom is going nuts.
I'm afraid it might get very confusing though because first of all there are three different timelines. One covering things that happened in 2000. Another for events in 2004. And another for the present time.
Plus everybody has an "N" starting either their first or last name and two people have Nozomi as their first name.
Started Shinya Shokudo, really enjoyed the first two episodes. Didn't realise each ep was so short, so I finished two in no time. The kitty bit in ep 2 really got me! And I like Master and his oddball regulars, should really hunt down a similar place if I ever visit Shinjuku! The opening theme song is lovely as well, and I love the whole late-night restaurant theme, there should be more late-night eateries around.
Still on Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu, and Tamaki Hiroshi is seriously the best thing about this drama even though he doesn't get a lot of screentime. Ayase Haruka is still doing well but god, Fukushi Sota is boring as heck, he really only has two expressions. Is he the male equivalent of Takei Emi??
junny wrote:
Still on Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu, and Tamaki Hiroshi is seriously the best thing about this drama even though he doesn't get a lot of screentime. Ayase Haruka is still doing well but god, Fukushi Sota is boring as heck, he really only has two expressions. Is he the male equivalent of Takei Emi??
I was going to start on that one but when I saw your comments decided to pass on it for now. Started "Yube no Curry, Ashita no Pan" instead: http://jdorama.com/drama.2047.htm
Can't really say if it's going to be any good or not yet. Looks like it might be one of those quirky family dramas. But Mimura is in it and she's always good. I noticed that someone had requested a YouTube video of it but it's been so long since any moderator working on those has been around that YouTube has already deleted it.
I was going to start on that one but when I saw your comments decided to pass on it for now.
I think it's still a decent drama on the whole, as both Tamaki Hiroshi and Ayase Haruka are selling their characters well - I particularly love Tamaki's Yu, and it's criminal he gets so little screentime, but he's making such an impact and he and Ayase have good chemistry. It's just that with the way things go, Yu and Hanae will not be end game and I've accepted that, but the lack of progress between them frustrates me to no end.
The other actors are doing a great job as well generally, and there are lovely relationship beats - for example, the parents get plenty of screentime this week and they were wonderful. I don't like Naka Riisa's character, but she's improved 0.00001% this week.
Fukushi Sota is the only problem in this drama - as Hanae's love interest, his one-note acting is not doing it for me and I can't buy her interest in him, nor his in her. So there's imbalance not only in the level of acting - hers far outstrips his - but also in basic establishment of interest and progress. I know next to nothing why he is attracted to her and why he cares for a woman 9 years older, and it's both the fault of the writing and the actor, though in this case it's really more of the actor.
Nobunaga Concerto.......funny re-enactment of the Oda legend.
I thought it was going to be as dumb as Nobunaga no Chef but I guess the cast saved the script.
Shinya Shokudo 3 .....always my midnight favourite.
Three episodes into Alice no Toge and quite enjoying it, despite the dramatic start to it. Liking Ueno Juri in the role and her chemistry with Odagiri Jo, though I have to confess to thinking at times that it'd have been awesome if Tamaki Hiroshi had taken on Odagiri's role instead. Ahh, the what-ifs. But I do like Odagiri and he's doing fine in the role. Anyway, it's moving at a good pace and finally Asumi is not so wary of Nishikado.
I do wonder if all these medical malpractice dramas have dented anyone's faith in the medical profession, even if just a smidgen. There's always the "this drama is fictional" disclaimer, but it's not inconceivable that certain professions sometimes close ranks when things go wrong...
Also finished Shinya Shokudo season 1, excellent stuff. Need to get to seasons 2 and 3!
I think it would've been too much of a Nodame flashback for people... :mrgreen:
Haha, yeah that may be so. But I also think it was a good opportunity to break away from the Nodame mould, because the genre and roles were so different. I guess it's next to impossible for Juri and Hiroshi to team up again, sigh.
Anyway, finished episode 4 and still interesting. Glad that Asumi and Nishikado are working together, somewhat... And normally, Kuriyama Chiaki's overenthusiastic nurse would grate on my nerves, but she's kinda endearing for now.
Up thru episode 5 of 'N no Tame Ni'. It was getting confusing during episode 3 but the last two episodes things have started to come into focus and I'm really liking it. Nana Eikura is very good. You're sympathetic with her character because she's gone thru a lot but on the other hand, I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw Tokyo Sky Tree. First drama where I've actually had to think in quite awhile.*
Also up to episode 66 of 'Hanako to Anne'. I like Yoshitaka as Hanako and most of the other characters, but the subplot of Yukie and her oafish husband is more a distraction than anything else. Doesn't really add anything to the drama.
* If you want to watch something mindless there's always the "Doctor X" series.
Nice short one (four episodes) from WOWOW. Usual good stuff. They can do more with four episodes than most can with 10 or 11. I think they have a policy that they will only use real actors, no idols allowed.
In this case the real actor was Rie Miyazawa. :applaud:
A heads up though. The version I watched the sound went crazy about halfway thru episode 2 and I had to watch the rest of the episode with the sound off just reading the subtitles. Wasn't that bad but did get a little confusing if two people were talking at once.
Replying needs an account. Registration opens soon.