maxcriden wrote:I'm annoyed. I tried Ishi no Mayu and really liked the first ep a lot. Then in the second ep something a bit disturbing happens involving animals. I'm more sensitive to this than most but after Hi no Ko (which was friggin' horrifying) I really am frustrated with animal harm in Japanese thriller dramas. What's up with that? Any other J dramas I should be avoiding if sensitive to this? I know I'm a softie in this regard but I don't think a thriller or crime drama with no animals harmed is too much to ask (like, I don't mean a Marley and Me kind of situation, I mean animals being put in situations where they're harmed so the show can show how edgy it is). I don't count something like Mother at all in this category.
Anyway, I would greatly appreciate any tips on shows to avoid, and on crime shows that are great and definitely don't have anything like this in them. :/ Thanks all.
I'm guessing you're talking about that scene with the guy with his feet crushed and the rat sitting on his face kind of nibbling away.
That's something I've always thought was funny about the Japanese. They put so much stock in manners and politeness, but when it comes to blood and gore in the movies and TV they don't take a backseat to anyone!
Anyway, I would greatly appreciate any tips on shows to avoid, and on crime shows that are great and definitely don't have anything like this in them. :/ Thanks all.
you might want to skip 'ON', the last 2 eps will offend you. there's a scene in the last ep, i thought went to far to be showen on tv.
ap- i dropped "ON" because Spoiler — click to revealShinoda Mariko's character was killed
anyways, i just finish watched Hajimemashite Aishiteimasu last ep was very sad and unbelievable. i also finish Aogeba Totoshi few days ago.. the truth is i like Terao Akira despite i did not watch all episodes of his drama last year starring Misaki Aiba
so i will look forward to-
Yui Aragaki's new drama
Doctor X 4
Yuki Amami's cooking drama
Masahiro Matsuoka's new drama
Started Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, very fun first episode and I enjoy the chemistry between all the characters. Love the bickering between Koizumi Kyoko and Nakai Kiichi, they're so fun together. And it's been a while since I've seen Iijima Naoko in such a light-hearted role, so that was lovely. Kamakura is gorgeous, I gotta go there sometime.
I'm sad that the drama already got the dreaded Korean remake. Ah well.
I'm currently watching Totto Terebi! It was almost a total random choice. Yesterday I was in the mood for a Jdrama, I checked the 2016 ones, found one which seemed fine (I love Mitsushima Hikari ) :bow: and it turned out as W O W. : this is really awesome. Never seen anything like that, everything is perfect I am learning about first years of TV shows in Japan with a super cast. Great surprise!
Watched Shinzanmono SP, the one with the ballet dancers. Pretty decent, but felt Kaga wasn't as quirky as in the original. It was nice hearing the theme song again after so long, and Abe Hiroshi was excellent as usual.
Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu. Watched the first 2 episodes.
Felt pretty awkward the first episode and it's strange how in some scenes they filmed it like a documentary but the second episode had some pleasant surprises and the writing had some food for thoughts too so I will continue watching.
xploring wrote:Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu. Watched the first 2 episodes.
Felt pretty awkward the first episode and it's strange how in some scenes they filmed it like a documentary but the second episode had some pleasant surprises and the writing had some food for thoughts too so I will continue watching.
Watched episode 3. It's not bad but it feels awkward again. It reflects some Japanese issues such as the husband-wife relationship that Japanese audience can relate to, but I couldn't get into it. Feels more like a social study than a drama or story.
Started Career for Tamaki Hiroshi. Decent first episode with some humour, and Tamaki did well, but don't really like the actor who plays Detective Minami.
Wow, I really loved Ouroboros. I was enjoying it solidly throughout but the ending really snuck up on me. I cried like a baby during the very end. Really wonderful show.
I find a show like Ouroboros is the best kind of drama to watch while exercising. What are some similar, action-packed recommended shows? Something with action but also some good character drama to it as Ouroboros offered. Thanks all!
(Is that Higabana show one of them perhaps?)
Edit: anyone watch Siren? The description for that one warns of "gruesome" murders... are we talking another show here that's going to revolt me like Hi no Ko or Ishi no Mayo?
And gaijinmark or junny, you both watched Yami no Bansosha... where does that fall on the above criteria? Thanks! (I see one of the writers is the same writer as No Con Kid... a series I really disliked.)
(Also wondering how violent Tantei no Tantei and N no Tameni are.)
maxcriden wrote:Wow, I really loved Ouroboros. I was enjoying it solidly throughout but the ending really snuck up on me. I cried like a baby during the very end. Really wonderful show.
And gaijinmark or junny, you both watched Yami no Bansosha... where does that fall on the above criteria? Thanks! (I see one of the writers is the same writer as No Con Kid... a series I really disliked.)
(Also wondering how violent Tantei no Tantei and N no Tameni are.)
"Yami no Bansosha" was good, but not nearly as good as "Ouroboros". Nao Matsushita was okay, who I really liked was Arata Furuta as the manga otaku, one of those guys that right off the top of his head can tell you the dialog on page 27 of some manga written 10 years ago.
"N no Tame Ni" I liked a lot. There's some domestic violence early on between Manami Konishi and her husband. But, if we don't have that we don't have a murder. I think in the last episode where they finally show us how the murder happened there's some violence, but there again, that's the only way we can find out who did it. Nana Eikura was a big surprise for me in this one. I'd seen her in a few other dramas and never been impressed but she was great in this.
maxcriden wrote:And gaijinmark or junny, you both watched Yami no Bansosha... where does that fall on the above criteria? Thanks! (I see one of the writers is the same writer as No Con Kid... a series I really disliked.)
I liked it a lot and thought it was excellent, several notches above Ouroboros - then again, I did not think much of Ouroboros, heh. I thought the use of manga as a mystery backdrop for Yami no Bansosha was a refreshing idea and also liked Furuta Arata in his role. Also, it's a WOWOW drama and those are usually pretty solid.
Thanks so much Mark and junny for your detailed and thoughtful replies! :woot:
I ended up watching N no Tameni and really liked it a ton. Lots of interesting and engaging twists and turns with some real suspense to them and strong emotional cores for the characters.
Ok, so now I guess I'd say I'm looking for something similar to that show! :)
I like the the roles of Yuko Takeuchi (Chacha) and Mayu Matsuoka (Otani Yoshitsugu's daughter) a lot.
I also like the actor they casted for young Sanada Daisuke.
Masami Nagasawa still gets way too much screentime. Her character Kiri is just pointless and annoying until the end. Like Fumi Sugi from Hana Moyu.
Taiga doramas are not Masami's thing. Her characters in Tenchijin and Komyo ga Tsuji were boring as well. The only two movies I liked Masami in were Crying out Love in the Center of the World and Umimachi Diary.
Currently on Career, Cain and Abel, and Suna no Tou. The latter is rather hard to watch, and the expected (acting) showdown between Matsushima Nanako and Kanno Miho is not happening - then again, I'm only 5 episodes in. Tamaki Hiroshi keeps me going for Career, while Cain and Abel is continuing the trend of mehh Getsu9.
Chef - foodie show, nothing spectacular....will continue because it hasn't been a turn-off yet.
Doctor X - watching it because I loved the soundtrack. I got so bored that I started watching the first series all over again. I am beginning to think the casting director is running out of old men to challenge Daimon Michiko.
Medical Team: Lady Davinci's Diagnosis - Plots seemed quite convincing but I am not in the medical field to judge the accuracy of their diagnoses. I think the earlier episodes put me in doubt over their hasty conclusions.
Career - nothing spectacular...will continue because it hasn't been a turn-off yet.
Storytelling and execution is really quite good but there are parts which I found hard to watch, like how Nozomi's mother was. Naruse's change in episode was rather incomprehensible with little buildup. Not sure if I will continue, not a big fan of mystery and crime drama, albeit character driven.
junny wrote: Suna no Tou. The latter is rather hard to watch, and the expected (acting) showdown between Matsushima Nanako and Kanno Miho is not happening - then again, I'm only 5 episodes in.
Started this one. It has one of my least favorite scenarios. New people move in and are met with the housewives from hell that make the new people, especially the wife's life miserable.
But Miho Kanno hasn't had a big part in a drama in a few years, so that's keeping me going for now. This director has a real infatuation with slo-mo. If this were done in real time it would probably only be 9 episodes.
Replying needs an account. Registration opens soon.