Shindou

Cast was at least better chosen with better execution and plotlines than Mr. Brain. Crimes at least seem more realistic and certainly the drama attempts to portray the human element with some success. Certainly not up to the standard of the best dramas ever but still comes across as pretty decent considering the low standard these days.

Bit disappointed with Kimutaku.....script is not that great and everything seems really cheesy. Characters seem almost like cardboard and you don't get any sense of there being any 'real' characters in this drama. Would have helped if things made more sense but that just further subtracts from the drama. Wouldn't watch this again if I had the chance.

A cut above most of the crap these days that pose as dramas. I was surprised with some decent character development and Amami Yuki really pulls the rest of the cast through this very well. Some things still don't make sense and that's mainly what prevents me from giving this a 9/10 but it certainly has some commendable points. Would not mind seeing another drama like this!

Yet another school drama with another wacky twist...character and plot developments are not that great. Probably being a bit generous by giving this a 7/10...

Aside from the type of family dramas based around the parents and their relationships with their children (Oyaji, Otousan, Brother Beat), this type of dorama addresses the common issues faced between daughter-in-laws and mother-in-laws. Toss in Yamaguchi Tomoko and Nogiwa Yoko into the mix and you've got an entertaining drama that has a life of its own. Great comedic and heartwarming moments!

Not the greatest dorama with its rather ridiculous storyline and juvenile plots but entertaining nonetheless. Tomoya carries this dorama by providing much of the comic relief. Yuya and Koki however.....would've been better off if Koki passed on some of his aggressiveness to Yuya.....seems so ridiculously imbalanced as depicted. The rest of the cast was ok although there's definitely potential for improvement. My recommendation? Watch it for what it's worth and you'll get out a laugh or two.

Watching this dorama was comparable to watching a picture in a picture frame slowly change and move you from one tableau to the next. While the pace was a bit slow for me, it certainly was quite appropriate and used the time exceptionally well to present the carefully prepared set and props. Certainly a dorama that heads off the beaten path a bit in presenation but its well worth your time.

A pretty enjoyable family drama with Tamura Masakazu in a role-reversal from his Otousan-Oyaji roles. Having watched Otousan, Oyaji and Brother Beat, this dorama's quality certainly hasn't stooped to the level of say Gokusen 3 in the school drama category. Main setback for this dorama, however, was the lack of realism sometimes with most problems dealt with in too idealistic/unrealistic a manner. Given that, it was certainly a nice, mellow, enjoyable dorama to pass the time.

Strange topic but even given that, the plot felt half-baked and the acting wasn't too convincing....IMO, not worth your time

Weird but comedic storylines and rather illogical plot progressions essentially capture the essence of this jdorama. Strangely enough, a wonderful story between kaneshiro takeshi and kuroki hitomi was woven in and provided for some of the best 'couple' moments in all the jdoramas i've ever watched. Kudos to a golden performance!!

A well-written, well-cast and well-executed dorama showcasing some fine acting by the cast and an intriguing storyline. This dorama definitely brings back memories of Hero and Souri to Yobanaide with Tamura Masakazu. While not overly different from his other screen characters, Kimura Takuya plays the role very well and has some great chemistry with Eri Fukatsu. Abe Hiroshi was a great addition to the cast adding some nice comedic moments to the series. Kato Rosa was perhaps the only extraneous character who, whether because of her character or her acting, didn't add much value to the series. For those who are interested in this dorama, I would also recommend watching the British dramas Yes Minister and later, Yes Prime Minister which depicts the rigidity of the civil service.

Skimmed through this for the sake of seeig what it was about and I think I think I'm being way too generous with a 5/10.....the plot is the EXACT same as its predecessors and the cast is getting less and less convincing each time. If you haven't watched the series before, watch the first and stop.

Had the same dark, chilling atmosphere as Sleeping Forest but the storyline, plot, acting and music was definitely notch above. Matsushima Nanako's acting was superb and the supporting cast did a spectacular job as well, keeping you guessing as to the identity of the murderer up until the end. My only complaint is an illogical event in the last episode and the pacing being a tad slow in the earlier episodes.

The 7th season of this drama truly fares no less than its 6th season predecessor. The great choice in casting and strong acting performances bring the story to life and takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride throughout. The drugs theme of this season was well explored in this series although there were one or two minor stories that were not as well developed as the main storyline. Yaotome was an exceptional Maruyama Shu and Hamada played Shintaro very well. I certainly hope the 8th season lives up to this very high standard set by the 6th and 7th seasons.

This dorama continues along the same vein as the first season and offers few surprises in terms of the cast or plotline. I suppose one shouldn't tamper too much with a good thing but sometimes the dorama does tire a viewer when operations are all expected to succeed despite the various complications with good expected to triumph over evil in the end. As with the first season, I do appreciate the efforts made to explain the operations to the viewer. Overall, a decent sequel.

Sato and Asada's characters were a bit over the top in my opinion while Kashi's was practically non-existent. The dorama maintained a light tone throughout and it never hurts to respin the basic guy/girl romance plot although sometimes things don't always make sense. Overall, the essence of the dorama carried through and left me a little more cheerful than before I started. Although there are definitely better doramas than this, I wouldn't mind recommending this one for those looking for a light romantic comedy to pass the time.

I was drawn to this dorama by the interesting concept but was sorely disappointed particularly by the weakness of the script and acting. Tomoko's effort is worth mentioning but Goro and the supporting cast never really built the camaraderie necessary for the dorama to take off. Compounded with the fact that many of the comedic moments were ruined by poor jokes and forced humour, this series truly disappointed me by its inability to reach its true potential.

An amusing drama yet at the same time somewhat disappointing as I was rather anticipating the masaharu/kou pair-up. Plots were reasonably well crafted although some of the material in the series didn't seem to fit. As a physics professor, yukawa sensei doesn't seem to focus on any one research field and conducts experiments from all over the field of physics which seems rather unrealistic. His sudden inspirations when he starts scribbling equation also seems a bit far-fetched as his equations sometimes don't seem to be related to the topic but I suppose I may be expecting too much from the series. Overall though, this was a pretty decent series with a nice, light tone.

Led by Asano Atsuko and Takeda Tetsuya, the cast delivers a memorable performance in this heartwarming drama. Definitely a great drama that contributed to the later popularity of jdramas throughout the 90s. The plot and acting were well done although I personally felt Asano cried a bit overly much - should definitely get her some tissues =). And aside from the idealistic (and probably unrealistic) storyline, this drama definitely doesnt lack surprise or some truly heartfelt moments.

A pretty decent dorama. Makiko is a great lead actress and Fujiki Naohito plays a character he is quite familiar with interpreting. The rest of the cast do a fine supporting job with kudos to Ryoko for a lively performance. The only drawback of this series was the weakness of the plot in the second half as the series started to drag and the dorama seemed to lack the freshness with which it began. A fine job nevertheless and an enjoyable dorama overall.

Not a bad dorama as far as recent doramas go. Kato Rosa's character was not played convincingly enough IMO, with her rise being attributed more to chance than ability. Shota's character was also a disappointment, being relegated to a minor role as the series develops. The premise of the dorama isn't bad but the good and bad characters are just too one-sided to seem realistic.

Shida Mirai does a great job as Ichinose Miki and carries her role out quite well for her age. Tanaka Misako and Namase Katsuhisa play her parents very well having played similar roles in Brother Beat. The main weakness of this dorama is with Miura Haruma who seems to always just have this stunned look on his face and Kaito Ken's character seems a bit underdeveloped. But otherwise, a pretty good series!

An amusing drama revolving around a lively family of 3 sons and their mother. Episode plots are pretty typical of jdramas but the different threads are woven nicely into a good coherent story. The casting choices were made well and each of the actors and actresses left their mark as the characters they played. With a fair bit of comedy and likeable characters, I am reminded of Oyaji and Otousan except with its own little quirks. A fun drama to pass the time!

A thoroughly enjoyable jdorama with a strong emphasis on character development. Plots were well written culminating in a satisfying but anticipated ending. Characters were quite endearing and the cast did a great job portraying them with laughs interspersed throughout. The advice meetings seemed a bit out of place I found but did give the drama some 'spicing up'. A well-cast and well-executed dorama!

HYD2 was highly anticipated given the success of its predecessor and as a result, I was a bit wary of a weak sequel as is often the case. HYD2 fortunately didn't deviate significantly enough to warrant major concern but it certainly was a bit less enjoyable than the original. There was too much teen angst and contrived situations that made watching the series sometimes rather unbearable. Overall, I'd say this isn't too bad of a dorama but you should probably only watch it if you enjoyed HYD. An 8 is probably a bit generous given that I'd probably put this more at a 7.5.

As expected of Kimura Takuya, another strong dorama. The change from a romantic dorama to one more focused on politics and business seems to be an interesting change in direction. Given the star-studded cast, this dorama did not disappoint and the scripting and plot were masterfully done. However, there was perhaps too much of a lack on emphasis on the development of the supporting characters thus weakening the overall feel of the dorama, making it seem too focussed simply on the battles of Daisuke and Teppei. Music was quite appropriate and the ending was a rather unique turn of events. If intensity is what you're looking for, this is definitely the dorama for you!

Shinohara Ryoko carries this dorama from beginning to end. Her presence is as dominating and as strong here as it was in Anego. Building on her screen presence is the riveting and at times teasing storyline, drawing the viewer in with the sense that we're just 'one step away' from solving the whole thing. The supporting cast was great; Eita has definitely been in some good doramas recently between Unfair and Nodame. Loved Ryoko's cellphone ring-tune - very appropriate for this dorama.

this was a very interesting dorama done very similarly in style to tiger & dragon and kisarazu cats eye. tomoya nagase definitely excelled in this role although i still prefer his performance in tiger & dragon over this one. the supporting characters, while endearing, don't really allow for much in terms of developing a real attachment for them. while the dorama had a single storyline tying the series together, each episode very much had an independent feel to it. overall, IWGP is a fun and decent dorama.

A beautiful story concerning the love between Natsuo and Yuki. Tsubasa, Chizuru and Shun were great in supporting roles, particularly Shun, who gave his best performance in this dorama IMO. The ending took me completely by surprise and the music integrated itself nicely into the series. Very very well done!

A well-adapted series led by Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi. Juri played her part very well and Tamaki certainly shone in the leading role. The supporting characters were well represented by the rest of the cast, Takenaka being a very interesting 'Stresemann' character. Mizukawa Asami was probably my fav character in this series :) - she looked quite professional and i'm actually curious if she played the violin for this filming of the series. The comedy in the series served the dorama well and certainly did not overwhelm the underlying storyline and the more serious issues the characters faced. Last of all, the background music and classical pieces chosen for this series were surprisingly well-picked. I would definitely recommend this light-hearted comedy without reservation! Bravo!!

There was very little on-screen chemistry between Nanako and Takki making the dorama feel a bit empty despite the controversial topic. Wooden is a good adjective to describe the overall atmosphere I felt while watching this; perhaps the slow pacing might have affected my viewing experience but regardless, this dorama isn't one that particularly stands out for me.

This dorama was very well paced with a solid storyline that was convincingly portrayed by the cast. The various stories interleaving the series were handled well, without overdoing the emotion or action aspect. kato ai's boss seemed to be less fleshed out as a character than and felt like an afterthought but overall, an enjoyable dorama to spend time watching.

From the doramas I've seen, this series definitely ranks among the finest I've watched. Character development is an important point of the series and the cast did wonderfully in this respect. The storyline itself was quite captivating aside from the slightly hurried and what I found to be a bit contrived ending. In general, very very well done!

As an overall dorama, Sleeping Forest wasn't badly done on the whole. The acting was fine and the storyline was quite gripping. However, the music created a constant aura of suspense, as though something was always going to happen the very next second, but that something never materializes. This was the main weakness of the show and trying to maintain a constant suspenseful atmosphere sorta knocked this dorama down from a 9 to an 8. but if you're a person looking for suspense, look no further.

The dishes they managed to concoct, from omurice to their katsu, looked ravishing. Unfortunately, the rest of the dorama didn't quite meet the same standard with the storyline seeming a bit directionless and too much repetition of the notion of all the brothers being in love with mugita. Dorama was quite enjoyable over the first couple of episodes but lost its drawing power in the latter half with the last couple of episodes feeling rather stretched and thin on substance. 7/10 is probably a bit stingy on my part, realistically probably closer to a 7.5/10, but i'm disappointed with how this dorama turned out given its quirky opening.

For a dorama about Rakugo (a form of storytelling), it was a pleasant surprise that this dorama excelled at storytelling. The storytelling was superb and the acting, particularly by nagase and junichi, were top-notch. There is no doubt that this is one of the most humorous doramas i've ever had the pleasure of watching. Along with 1L of Tears and Hana Yori Dango, this dorama ranks among the best of 2005!

A charming and riveting tale acted out wonderfully by Takashi and the rest of the cast. The individual episode plots were very well balanced and infused with a good mix of manga-like comedy, seriousness, and a strong sense of spirit and determination. Of the doramas I've seen from Takashi, this is undisputedly his best role. With a strong supporting cast and a worthy OST to accompany the series, this dorama (despite its slightly longer-than-usual length at 17 eps) is well worth watching.

Excellent dorama with plenty of hilarity interspersed throughout. Abe Hiroshi and Eri Fukatsu were at their finest leading the strong supporting cast while Tsuyoshi and Asaka couldn't have done any better with their characters. The dorama's first episode started off in a rather interesting way and after a few bumps in the first or second episode, the dorama came into its own, fuelled by a strong script and was truly very well executed. Definitely a must watch!

Definitely liked a lot fo the one-on-one scenes that were taken in this dorama. Sorimachi Takashi worked very well with Esumi Makiko in this dorama and I wish their was more interaction between them in GTO. Takashi also seemed to work well with Rena which probably explained their cast selection in the GTO special later on. Kitagawa wrote a fine script for this dorama although personally, it may have been a bit overly draggy. All in all though, i'd rank it among the best doramas i've seen.

This second season of Hotman seems to drag out even more than the first. The script had several subplots that never really got resolved, leaving the viewer with the feeling that many loose ends were just left dangling. The finale lacked passion and the whole dorama suffered from poor execution of the script, which was not stupendous to begin with. All in all, a rather pointless time-waster - just watch Hotman 1 and leave it at that is what I'd recommend

A wonderfully endearing and amusing dorama. This is probably the closest I've seen to something resembling Hana Yori Dango and I must say I was quite pleasantly surprised. A bit manga-like at times, this dorama had an entertaining script and great acting from both leads. Supporting cast was quite good although some of the supporting characters could use a bit of improvement. Highly recommended!

Abe Hiroshi and Natsukawa Yui play an awesome couple in this dorama - their comedic acting and humorous banter makes this dorama fully worth wathing. the rest of the cast was pretty decent although the characters themselves could've used a bit more development. the choice of music was rather interesting and it was great to hear some familiar classical pieces - a bit rare in doramas these days. in any case, i'd definitely recommend this for those looking for a light comedy or more of abe hiroshi.

Ever since I started watching doramas, I have rarely had the chance to come across such emotionally powerful doramas without the usual melodramaticism. 1L of tears is definitely one of those, with some aspects reminiscent of Beautiful Life. Erika Sawajiri does an incredible job as Aya and Yakushimaru Hiroko played the mother to perfection. The script was realistic and deeply moving thus making it one of the most powerful doramas i've seen to date. If any dorama deserves a 10/10, it is this one.

Among the finest police doramas i've seen. Oda Yuji is in top form in this dorama and comparable to his performances in Last Christmas and Midnight Rain. The cast has great chemistry together bringing out some great performances by yuji, eri fukatsu, mizuno miki and yusuke santamaria. script was very well written particularly given the difficulty of writing a great police dorama. i fully recommend this to all jdorama fans to give this series a spin.

Excellent family dorama feeling very much like a continuation of Oyaji. With another top-notch cast of Iijima Naoko, Nakatani Miki, Tamura Masakazu and Hirosue Ryoko, what's there not to like? The music was rather interesting with a latin-esque flair and the plot was different enough from Oyaji to keep my interest but with enough similarities on many of the strong points to make this dorama just as enjoyable. Two thumbs up!

Considering the star power of Kimura Takuya and Tsutsumi Shinichi, this was definitely not among their better works. The plot was rather uninventive with very little entertainment value and it was a shame we only got to see the original cast for a couple of minutes. Should this turn out to be a bridge to either a movie or a 2nd season, hopefully, the plots improve and we get to see the original cast return.

Among the finest doramas I've seen, Farewell, Mr Premier brings out the same delightful touch found in Ohsama no Resutoran. Tamura Masakazu as the premier was a great casting choice and Nishimura and Tsutsui made this feel like King's Restaurant in the Premier's office. The acting by the whole cast was excellent and the quirky plots kept me entertained throughout the whole series. I'm thoroughly satisfied that I watched this series particularly in light of all the current trendy types of doramas that seem to have lost the kind of originality and touch that a dorama like this one provides.

A somewhat slow dorama without much driving force or storyline. Plot was rather straight-forward and predictable. In terms of the acting, no one really stood out for his/her acting but this is also partly due to the weak script. Lack of deep character development also made this harder to stomach, particularly in light of the lack of a good plot.

An excellent all-round dorama. The top-notch cast succeeded in bringing this dorama to life by portraying these endearing characters to the audience. The chemistry between the cast was instrumental to the success of this dorama and the humorous plotlines definitely made the whole series very enjoyable. Despite the all-too-regular types of problems this family had to face (ie. pregnancies, school problems, marriage etc.) the script really made the situations unique and memorable experiences. Excellent OST and theme song for this seris as well!

Most entertaining dorama of 2006 (so far)! Aya Ueto is a natural for this role and nanase natsumi took to her role like a fish in water. A bit manga-like at times and keeps its light-hearted streak throughout the series. The plot was semi-predictable with surprises popping up here and there to liven things up. OST for this dorama was very fitting as well. Giving 9/10 is perhaps a bit high for light-hearted doramas but i think AP deserves it.