Grim Eyes

I insist that anyone who has ever been a student, is a student, was a teacher, or is a teacher should watch this show. Do yourself a favor and watch it today.

First, let me start this review by saying that I do not like watching "pure" dramas. By pure, I mean those that lack any kind of comedy relief whatsoever. Second, I pride myself with the fact that I have never cried because of a show or movie. Ever. I even watched "Brian's Song" and "Saisyu Heiki Kanojo" and still nothing.

That being said, I can now say that my first and second statements no longer remain true. I started to watch this drama on a whim one day and was hooked from the beginning. hearing Erika Sawajiri's eerily weak voice during the first few minutes of the series already broke my heart. Erika Sawajiri was excellent in her role as Aya, and her performance was flawless. The entire cast was also great and the writing was nothing short of remarkable. The fact that it was based on a true story only adds more depth to it. This is the first show that actually made me cry, and by cry I dont mean "teary eyed but never really falls" cry, I mean "tears falling down while making weird noises" cry.

Whether its because this show will inspire you to live your life to the fullest, or to appreciate the smaller things in life, or turn you into an Erika Sawajiri fan (like me) after realizing how insanely hot and cute she is, or maybe all three, this show will change your life.

If you've watched the anime or read the manga version, then you owe yourself to watch this. The anime and manga pales in comparison to this show. I actually fell off my chair from laughing while watching this drama. Its THAT good. Yukie Nakama is absolutely funny and every episode makes you want to watch more. Watch it NOW.

Densha Otoko tells the story of a hardcore Otaku's quest to win the girl of his dreams with a little help from a whole bunch of people all over Japan. The story is very emotional and moves you to root for Densha's character. The show was able to show its message of "just be yourself" without getting preachy or being too cliche. The performances were great for the most part but Itoh Atsushi (Densha Otoko) may annoy some poeple with his over the top crying in nearly every episode. Honestly, who the heck cries like that everytime you talk with the girl your in love with?

If you want a show with great comedy and drama, where you cheer for the underdog every episode, this show is for you.

I hated Abe Hiroshi's character in this drama. Its not because he was always giving "tough love" to his students, but because he wasnt very good at it. He would just end up preaching to his students, and most of his self righteous speeches were either annoying or not convincing at all. I guess it could be attributed to poor writing. Without spoiling the ending, I'd have to say that it was one of the worst endings ever. The whole story didnt feel like it had a climactic conclusion and made you feel like you just wasted nearly 11 hours of your life by watching this. Avoid this show at all cost. I just wish someone told me those words sooner.