They've started showing "Aibou 14" locally here. I'm not sure what episode we're on because they stretched the first case out for three weeks. (LOTS of commercials! ) They showed the third case last night. Not bad. It was interesting how the traffic ticket the bad guy had gotten 5 years earlier was what tripped him up.

Before in the Aibou series whenever Sugishita got a new partner, usually the first couple episodes showed the new partner being very irritated by all of Sugishita's oddities and quirks. But with Sorimachi, his character seems to be taking them in with a little humor and not as bothered. They're also referring Sorimachi as the "guest" in the Special Missions unit although Sugishita refers to him as his "roommate". Maybe the producers did it this way so they have an out if people don't like Sorimachi as the new partner or if he decides after just one season that was enough. Maybe we'll find out when the season ends if he stays on, but so far he's been pretty good.

ashley juggs wrote:

Started "Juhan Shuttai" also. It's okay, nothing special so far.

Now up to episode 4. Haru Kuroki's character "Kurosawa" was kind of aggravating but now I'm starting to like her. This one seems to be getting better as it goes along. That's why I hate to give up on dramas too soon.

gaijinmark wrote:

Now up to episode 4. Haru Kuroki's character "Kurosawa" was kind of aggravating but now I'm starting to like her. This one seems to be getting better as it goes along. That's why I hate to give up on dramas too soon.

I am kind of the opposite. I really like the first two episodes but feels like it's stalling in the episode 4 and 5. I like Kurosawa, I actually want to see more of her when she was doing Judo training.


With Sanada Maru, I agree the character Kiri is really unnecessary. They gave her so much screen time, I don't understand it. Strange how she acted like she can say anything but she's only a servant. The first battle of the Ueda castle was so short. It felt almost like playing rather than back to the wall last ditch survival attempt. With the scope of the drama, I guess they have to include the youth period, Taiga is long and they often struggle for material to fill in almost 50 episodes.

Just finished watching Hotaru no Hikari. It was kinda cute and definitely light-hearted.
I'd love to start Replay & Destroy but I can't find it anywhere with english subs

I'm hooked on "99.9 -Keiji Senmon Bengoshi". Fast-paced, good script....but i am still bothered by the thick cake of make-up wore by the male cast.

Anyone try Good Morning call with Moe Arai on Netflix?

Sanada Maru episode 19 was pretty good. This one focuses on Takeuchi Yuko's character, chacha. The plot/theme is nothing new but the storytelling/acting was well done.

...started on Juhan Shuttai too.....i thought it was an Asadora. It just makes me wanna run to Kinokuniya to grab all of Shigeru Mizuki's autobiographical works.

Started Neko Zamurai 2. The feels, I'm lovin' them! Kitamura Kazuki is still a hoot as ever in his role, and I love that the drama has so many cats
_________________

Waiting for subs on some of the 2016 stuff so watched "Sanbiki no Ossan":http://www.jdorama.com/drama.2166.htm

It's good but not great. 3 retirees decide to do crime prevention night patrols. Funny at times, especially the going back and forth between Yoshiko Nakada as Kinya Kitaoji's wife and their daughter in law played by Naomi Nishida. Every episode ends the same with the 3 guys coming out of the dark before they whoop ass on the bad guys. Didn't know there were tumbleweeds in downtown Tokyo.

There was a second season in 2015 so will probably check that out next.

Juhan Shuttai episode 7 was great, probably the best episode so far. The story centred around a senior manga assistant, his inner conflict and struggle with regards to his professional future and dream. Nagayama Kento's character has a special charisma, even if there's not a lot of screen time. He could easily be the central character in another drama.

Sanada Maru episode 20 felt like a filler episode. I wish this phase and the siege of Hojo is over soon so we can see new stories.

I wonder if writers of Japanese dramas have watched a lot of American TV from the '60s.

There's an episode in "Aibou 14" where they are dealing with a supercomputer and Sugishita realizes the computer has been tampered with when he is able to beat it at chess the second time he plays it. There was a similar scenario in an episode of the original Star Trek where Spock gets Kirk out of jam by being able to beat the ship's computer at chess.

And shades of the old "Patty Duke Show" in episode 7 of "Our House" we have identical cousins.

Is there a time/geographical limit on plagiarism?

Also watched the first two episodes of "Good Partner". Too early to tell so far, but for right now all I can say is Takenouchi makes a better taxi driver than he does lawyer.

Finished Neko Zamurai 2, as funny as ever. Love it!

Started Shinya Shokudo 3, and the feels are still there. So far so good.
_________________

Just watched Juhan Shuttai episode 9. Rather moved by the end. Only 1 more episode left. This is quite a good series but I expected more after the promising beginning. It didn't focus much on the main character Kurosawa. She is kind of a gateway to find out more about manga publishing and all the people associated with it. The content/stories felt a bit scattered as a result.

Sanada Maru episode 23. We are almost at the halfway point in the series and Sanada Nobushige is still a low-level soldier who is ordered around to do some minor tasks most of the time and lead no man of his own. He is known and trusted by some of the most powerful daimyo at the time but it's hard to see how he is to become one of the most feared and respected general. I thought the seige of Hojo would offer some insight into the siege of Osaka in future, but that's not in the picture either. The episode itself is watchable and entertaining in a way, but sometimes it's a bit puzzling. We learn more about Ishida Mitsunari(sp?) but that's it really. When are they going to develop the character of Nobushige...

I recently downloaded some taiga dramas from 20-30 years ago, maybe I should watch that and give up on this.

Finished Juhan Shuttai. Last episode was really cheerful, crowd-pleasing. Nice ending to a good series. Despite the story being a bit too scattered, it was well-written, directed and acted. I enjoyed it.

xploring wrote:

Finished Juhan Shuttai. Last episode was really cheerful, crowd-pleasing. Nice ending to a good series. Despite the story being a bit too scattered, it was well-written, directed and acted. I enjoyed it.

really? thank for let me know. yes i like Juhan Shuttai

Sumika Sumire...very sweet drama about an aging woman who is given a 20-year-old body so she can experience romance...

Ghostwriter...sooo many unlikeable characters in this drama...

Partners in Darkness...this one is sooo dark and freaky...

I need something cheerful and romantic now...and I don't mean candlelight dinner with a clown...
_________________

Finished Shinya Shokudo 3. Pretty decent overall, but I prefer the earlier seasons.

Started Seirei no Moribito. Solid opening episode and the fight scenes were pretty good. Ayase Haruka looks nothing like a bodyguard, but she's thrown herself into the role, which is always a good thing to see.
_________________

So I'm watching episodes from season five of Kodoku no Gurume, a series which is basically about a guy (Matsushige Yutaka) eating meals at local restaurants around Japan (though in this season he travels to Taiwan and pigs out there as well).

Anyway, in one episode I was pleasantly surprised to see Asano Atsuko playing a waitress. Asano, along with Yamaguchi Tomoko, were the two queens of dorama back in the 90's when good actors and good scripts were more prevalent. It's nice to see she is still working.