Winter

The idea was different. A little *a lot* unrealistic, but still different. It shows that people are trying to think of new idears. And while it could have easily failed, it didnt.

But dont jump the gun here; it didnt excel. Despite the quirky new format and plot, it was still a typical teen-type dorama. The Kinki brothers did a....well, a good job. Koichi was by far the more entertaining of the two, and while Tsuyoshi obviously tried his best, he came off just a tad too stoic and uniformed. He tried to convey everything he could by the book, instead of just letting the emotions flow.

The mirad of extras also didnt help the performances. While there were some diamonds in the ruff, the slew of ongoing extras dampened the credibility of taking this dorama any seriously. And the problem with that, is this dorama had to have some serious-taking to it, in order to get the effect of emotions it was trying to entice.

Read above, and notice all the people who were obviously moved by it. Well it might have a big effect on you if you are easily moved, like say, by the evidence of a chia pet dying with its edges browning over...but if you have even the marginal aspect of critical tastes, you'll find the 'drama' of this dorama more comedic, then anything else.

Still, with the stigma of camp surrounding it *and no, I dont mean camp as in lets go to the woods and get molested by councilors, I meant the 'campy' kind...oh nevermind* it had quite a few moments where it 'did it right'. Most of them were comedic, but on this shows defense, those moments were meant to be comedic.

In otherwords, while I recommend it, you wont die if you miss it.

This was one of those sleeper hits for me. It had a good portion of quality, mixed in with the oddness of it. The relationship, and character developement between the siblings, and the fiancee' was suprisingly well crafted. And the supporting cast from the detective force were also a pleasant addition to the well-rounded dorama.

It had a nice blend of humor, and heart put into it. The stories were nicely thought out, not exceptional, but good nonetheless. Its not going to change anyones life in any way, but its still a very good dorama worthy of anyones time.

This dorama really had a lot of quality, and class put into it. This is one of those 'tour-de-force' types, where everyone involved was on the ball with their performances. They could have easily done without TM Revolutions bits, but nothing is perfect.

Honestly, there is little I can say about this dorama that hasnt already been said. Its very captivating, endearing, sweet, painful, and I think it has one of the best endings of a dorama I've seen in many moons.

Okay. Enough is enough Kinpachi Sensei. Retire already.

Seriously, yes its heartwarming to an extent. Yes its funny at times. Yes there are values to be learned. But nothing new. After the 20 some-odd years of reprising this role, it needs to stay in the vault.

Dont come back to school kids; Kinpachi Sensei may be there.

Sometimes I think I'm too generous with my reviews. Meh.

This one had a definately unrealistic approach, but after all, it IS just a tv show. How realistic does it have to be, to be entertaining?

Not much, according to PA.

Its the story of an ostricized girl who knows only of her mother, yet rarely ever sees her, has an innate disdain for parental units, and works 'turning tricks' via filling in the roles of people who have ceased to be. Her pimp turns out to be....oh nevermind.

Anyway, the lead carries the show suprisingly well. In the gambit of mediocrity, and subpar actors of J-Dorama, she stands out. She actually does a good job in switching roles during shows, yet still staying true to the disgruntled angst-ridden teen girl that the character is supposed to be.

The supporting characters change from week to week, sans the main support casts that work at 'HQ'.

The series has a strange premise, which is fresh in the world of run-of-the-mill shows, and cookie cutter themes. And while it doesnt hit the mark completely, it sure comes close with above-average actors, a great soundtrack by GLOBE, and suprisingly good character developement throughout the series. Throw in a mix of good humor, and you've got yourself a nifty little dorama.

Watch it sometime. Its not as bad as it could have been.

Its hard for me to give this one a bad rating, even if I really wanted to.

Hideaki Takizawa...oh what a dreamboat, yadda yadda yadda. Actually, I found his character quite stiff, and uninteresting.

The female lead however...well, even she annoyed me. She was too 'bleeding-heart' for me to put up with.

But somehow, the combo of the two made for an enchanting experience. I was compelled when they aired it on sundays here, to watch every week, to find out what will happen next. The main theme by Hikaru Utada was perfect for setting the mood of this drama.

What I liked about this drama, is the various challenges on Japanese society it posed. The relationship aspect is a given, but it even tackled such things as child abuse, which I thought was a great idea to bring to light to the public through a media form such as the tele dorama.

This is NOT a guys dorama. Definately one of the 'chick flick' types. It has subpar acting from both leads, but manages to find a chemistry that is not only engaging, but even, dare I say it, entertaining, and possibly even tear-enducing at some points.

I hated it, but it still had me coming back every week. I even watch some episodes on tape...I'm a sucker for it, what can I say.

There were no reviews for this drama? Well thats a shame, because no one should miss this one.

First lets move past the obvious plus...its in a bath house setting. Where naked ladies bathe....ANYWAY...

Lets take the plot. An angry young wife missing her newlywed older husband, who mysteriously vanishes. She lives with the family, boiling, and brooding awaiting his return. Conflicts with her new 'children', a trio of brothers, and the rest; all supporting roles in this drama deserve praise in their own right. They were all equally fun to watch, I couldnt keep in mind who was the 'lead' character.

The humor, while not terribly innovating, was still deviously entertaining, and had me watching religiously until its untimely end. *Series should have been much longer*

This drama is lighthearted, carries decent moral messages *believe it or not* and is just a well put-together package for anyone to enjoy.

Ya gotta watch this one.

Mostly in the bland area, though.

Okay, maybe I'm a bit harsh. But lets be real. Kyoko isnt a good actress. In fact, she's not even a good singer. Sure, she's cute, but thats about all. There were times when she sparked a chuckle out of me, but the problem with that, is most of those times it was unintentional; not good for an actress to do.

As for the male lead, I forget his name, and it really doesnt matter seeing as he's a darn Kinki Kid, he isnt that great of an actor either; at least not on this show. I've seen him in other shows act much better. Maybe this was just a bad role choice for him.

Regardless, I'd still say this was worth watching, just for the sheer stigma that flowed around the drama. It was carried well by the supporting roles, and the theme, and underlying score of the drama was enough to keep me watching until the end.

It wasnt deserving of any academic appraise, but its got a certain flair about it; a comical aspect that while being carefree, was pleasantly fun to watch.

I'd watch repeats. Too bad they never show any.