shanghai_honey

Nodame Cantabile is the best live-action adaptation of a manga I've ever seen. It's full of comedy, touching and inspiring music, larger than life characters who are all very endearing and funny. All the elements just blends perfectly together to create this masterpiece of a drama. Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri are fabulous together as Chiaki and Nodame. No one else can play these lovable lead characters the way they did. Highly recommended!!

After hearing so much about this supposedly 'classic drama', I watched it with high expectations. Boy, was I let down. What a tepid love story with unlikeable characters that made me feel like killing them all. Oda Yuji's character is such a wishy washy man who doesn't deserve a spirited woman like Rika. He and Satomi should just get together already from day one and spare others the pain.

Summer Snow is an unexpected gem. I was putting off watching this dorama for a long, long time until I've finished off some others. I saw the first couple of episodes which seemed slow. But when I finally got down to watching the rest of the dorama, it got me completed hooked. I felt involved and engrossed in the situations all the characters were in, and I laughed and teared up with them. Dohmoto Tsuyoshi acted as the caring, comical and big hearted elder brother to perfection. It was his strength and spirit that inspired and guided his siblings and those who got to know him. What a great memorable character. Oguri Shun played the semi-deaf brother very well. The rest of the supporting cast also performed well, and their characters are authentic and relatable. There is not a false note in their performances, that is why Summer Snow is very memorable to me. It is a simple but moving tale about life, values and love. The soundtrack is very fitting and beautiful.

Long Vacation remains to this day my favorite Jdorama of all time. The story, the cast, the OST, the pop culture influence it created - it is simply a classic. The story is simply but very moving and certain scenes left a deep impression on me, especially the conversations between Sena and Minami. Long Vacation is an apt title to describe where the main characters are at - it's about the period of time when people come at a crossroad and they're lost about what to do with themselves. The chemistry between Takuya Kimura and Tomoko Yamaguchi is simply spectacular and untoppable. Tomoko makes her character very fascinating with her bursts of energetic intensity and moments of vulnerability. Takuya shows his true depth as an actor here with his touching portrayal of Sena. Two thumbs WAY UP!

Orange Days is simply charming and poignant, and I fell in love with both Kou Shibasaki and Satoshi Tsumabuki in this dorama. The story is not a new one, but it is fresh and very well told. The performances of all the supporting casts were very good too. In the end, we cared and felt the growing pains of these young adults as they strived to become adults and make something of themselves. Sae was very challenging role and Kou Shibasaki was splendid in playing her, so much so, that I can't imagine another actress as Sae. Great drama, do not miss this!!