Life/Raifu eps 3-11

I kinda left this show in the backburner for a long time despite the first two episodes being pretty. Finally decided to continue with the show and ended up watching the rest of the series in one night. Life/Raifu is a show about high school bullying.

Blow wind!

To me the star of this show is definitely Saki Fukada as Anzai Manami. Anzai is what a good villain should be. Relentlessly cruel, unforgiving, forever scheming and most importantly is the villain because she enjoys it. Her ability to make me hate her is astounding and kept me watching just to see her get her just deserts. She is the character that drives the story. Anzai is the villain that forces Shiiba Ayumu to become the heroine of the story.

Mop Girl? Oops, wrong dorama.

Actually she's not the only 'evil' character in the show. Katsumi is fun to watch as the manipulative sob who is abused by his father. The overacting does take away from the believability of the character but he's still fun to watch. Lets not forget the useless self serving teachers, especially Seto Asuka's Toda sensei. For me Anzai is the most hateful character and I wished I could teach her a lesson with my rod of justice. :)

Bitch fight!

The set up of the show is sorta like those old school melodramas where the formula is to stack the odds against the heroine. Except this time instead of bucket loads of tears and self pity, we see Shiiba Ayumu continue to struggle against seemingly impossible odds. I wouldn't have blamed her if she went into a mental breakdown. Its like everytime something nice happened you knew it was going to get worse.

Unfortunately, this isn't what it looks like.....

The pace of the show doesn't let up. And it actually manages to pull off the Watashitachi no Kyokasho ending pretty well and make it a pretty cool scene. Kyokasho milked this really long and overly dramatic school hostage situation while in Life, its handled really quickly and succinctly while ending story arches of two characters.

I wish Saki Fukuda would say that to me...

Huge kudos to the show for not getting too preachy with the ending. I couldn't believe it when I found myself feeling a bit sorry for Anzai. For all her manipulation and evil doing, at least she has the guts to face the other students when it was her turn while practically everyone else are actually cowards who seek refuge in bullying. Even those two megane girls really got into bullying. You can say that the message of the dorama is to hate the sin, not the sinner but to me, what it has shown is that people are weak.



The hardest thing to do is to stand up to the majority which is something only 4 people in the whole school did. Its sorta like saying don't judge people by what they do but how they react to adversity. Whether the face it head one or run away/sell out their friends for their own survival. I hate to say it but when they really showed that everyone else were really cowards, I'd almost understand why Anzai did what she did. Almost.

Sonoda's one lucky guy, except for the whole cigarette thing...
Plus the guy who was the catalyst to turning the class against Anzai when Ayumu was caught cheating. It was basically the turning point of Ayumu's battle against Anzai. For a character of such significance, its kinda weird that his character is not even developed a little. I suppose he represents the other classmates who finally decided to speak up after being silent for so long.

One thing you'll definitely learn from this show is 'dogeza'. :)

Its too late to redo my top 5 shows from last year but Life is certainly up there. It has certainly shown me that Japanese doramas can have great, efficient writing. Or maybe this just applies to manga adaptations? Highly recommended show.

Bara no nai Hanaya eps 9-11

If Bara no nai Hanaya showed one thing, it is that good acting can overcome gaps in logic and soap operatic plotlines. (such as where football and sticky ball thing in ep 11 came from. Did Eiji rob some poor kids or something?) As I have said, I am willing to turn off my brain if it is necessary for the story that the writer wants to tell. And what a nice story it is. Compare Eiji with Oguri Shun in Binbo Danshi. Both are selfless to a fault except that Binbo Danshi is a fucking idiot while the writer in Bara no nai Hanaya takes effort to explain Eiji's behaviour.


I must applaud this show for actually doing a well written idealistic character. Usually such characters cross the line of stupidity thus eliminating all empathy to the character. Their idealism and selflessness blinds them to reality and they continue to make stupid decisions. ( see also Enka no Joou or any idealistic teacher show or most current anime shows)

I'm gonna miss the supporting cast. A fun supporting cast is integral to any series.

With Eiji, the writer makes great pains to show his past. I like how Shun functions not just as a plot twist but as the opposite of Eiji. Both chose different ways to deal with their past and Shun's character and reasons however lame serve to reinforce Eiji's character. To me the big pay off of the show was when Eiji was overcome with happiness. To me, the whole series was built up for that scene. So that the audience can truly understand and empathise with a man who is afraid to be happy. For most of the series, I kinda thought that a lot of actors could have done Katagori Shingo's role but he really nailed that scene and showed that he owned the role. And there is a joke about Shingo's alter ego, Shingo-mama when he farewells Shun.

No way I could have abandoned a girl as hot as Motokariya Yuika.

Takeuchi Yuko is brilliant. The whole bring her to the operating room to scream at her dad thing was cheesy but her acting was so absorbing that I couldn't care less. I think she does the whole sadness mixed with happiness scenes better than any other actress I've seen. I highly recommend this sometimes flawed but riveting show. Oh yes, I'm surprised no accident happened at Eiji's workplace. The way the shots were framed was so ominous. :)

Koshonin eps 5-8

I can't believe I watched the whole series just to see how it was going to end to only experience one of the most pathetically written shows ever. This show started out ok, with some obvious flaws but it was watchable. The show had some interesting angles; the whole negotiator stuff plus mystery and conspiracy. However, what follows is the most obvious example of amateurish writing I've ever seen. Actually, I'm pretty sure lots of amateurs can write the show better.


I feel as if I'm wasting my time trying to talk about what a train wreck of a show this is. So many freaking holes in the story it actually makes Rondo look watchable. The Diet needs to pass a bill banning Jinnai Takanori from ever acting in serious shows. The only positive thing I got from this show is Hayashi Tantan, who plays Usagi's sister. Avoid! Now to delete this show forever.....

Ashita no Kita Yoshio eps 9-11

The main reason it took me so long to write about Kita Yoshio (besides gaming and NHK yokoso) was how underwhelming the ending was. I guess one could see it coming. They revealed the secret plot 3/4 way through the show and Kita Yoshio finally Manami in episode 10 and won against Negative. The only thing left for the show to pull the audience in with was whether Kita Yoshio would die in the end?

My, why lovely eyes you have.....

I think the biggest blunder of this whole show was the demise of Negative in ep 10. Negative is the final boss, the main villain. The ultimate obstacle. The cause of Kita Yoshio's problems. How can he just be so easily dismissed? Especially after building him up so quickly. There has to be an epic struggle between Kita Yoshio and Negative at the end.

Nakanaide Shinobu-chan!

Negative is unpredictable. His existence is to end Kita Yoshio's life thereby ending his which is an interesting conundrum not explored in the show. What better twist than Negative realising at the end that he doesn't want to die? Another thing the writer could have done at the ending was for Kita Yoshio to realise that negative had taken over him for long periods and set the whole thing up including killing Mizuho's husband and Daisuke only took advantage of the situation.

Just because my bro was in Liar Game doesn't make me a liar!

Actually, I'm not disappointed that the show didn't go for either of the endings I propose above. Its just after 10 episodes of excitement, coincidences and red herrings, the writer had exhausted all climaxes leaving nothing for the end. I was so hoping that Negative would come back at the rooftop scene but alas we just had a simple scene of Heita convincing Kita not to do it.


In a show about unrelated people who just happen to get swept into the main storyline, spreading the individual story climaxes over 2 episodes is a huge mistake. So much better to end everything in the final episode. Put the fates of all the characters in the hands of Kita Yoshio.

You can almost see Shinobu's pantsu......

Still, after recovering from the ending, I still have to say I had fun with the 10 episodes and would not hesitate to recommend the show. I also appreciate that the writer managed to weave Shinobu into the story for the last few episodes despite her character arc basically being over. Writing this post got me thinking, what if the last episode was not about Kita Yoshio but rather Heita. Kita had faced his demon at ep 10 and ep 11 was about Heita facing the ghost of his father. Hhhmm... If I could read Japanese I would have loved to see how the book handled the ending.

Bara no nai hanaya eps 7 & 8

I'd love to see Takeuchi Yuko in sailor fukuu.....

In case you haven't heard, Hirosue Ryoko just divorced. In other words, my chances of getting with her just increased from 0% to 0.000000000000000001%. I shall refrain from enjoying other's misery (yes, she's single again!) and wish her best of luck as a single mom. On a side note, two of my favourite actress, her and Takeuchi Yuko are both single moms. Maybe I've got a single mom fetish from working at the Family Court. :)

If there's one unrealistic thing in the show, its that the nurse uniform is too long. I mean, it always short in JAVs.

Anyways, on to Bara no nai hanaya. As I said, this show has gaps in logic, like how there's no difficulty for Mio 'adjusting' to seeing again. She need to do a better job at faking it. Still the show is less about Mio pretending to be blind and more about her deceiving Eiji and the repercussions. Its like the writer is saying 'I don't have time to explain every thing cause there's an interesting story to tell here'.

Someone is obviously a fan of Space Channel 5. As long as Space Michael doesn't show up...

And what a great story. Eiji's decision to give up Shizuku gave me flashbacks to 'The Champ', one of the most heart rendering movies ever. The whole class wearing paper bags thing is weird but its purpose was to show the depth of Eiji and Shizuku's relationship in light of the huge revelation in ep 7.

As good as Rick Shroder's performance in 'The Champ.

And what a whopper of a twist it is. It really shifts the story into high gear and completely changes what the audience's perception of events. Should have seen it coming but I just love how they leave it to the audience to figure out what the reveal itself meant instead of spelling it out in big bold letters. This enhances the WTF factor and Takeuchi Yuko's acting just makes it even better.

Shaku Yumiko about to unleash a bitch slap.

The big reveal also leads to an interesting ending in ep 8 where once again the rug is pulled off the audience's feet. This show is turning out to be a very fun and well written ride. I love how Anzai sensei seems to be the one who is losing everything instead of Eiji. The Eiji/Mio tension is still there and I was so wanting him to ask Mio 'WTF did you do with my money?!!!!' Now that they both know that each of other know they know the truth, isn't it time for them to have a proper sit down? I just want to see them shouting and accusing each other. This show has loads of despair, we just need more anger. :)

EDIT:

After having more time to digest the last two episodes, I realised what impresses me the most about this show is the thoughtfulness that goes into the script. For example, look at Eiji's childhood as a namonaki senshi. It is something that has so much influence on his behaviour. The writer allows the audience to infer what being a namonaki senshi means to Eiji through his present behaviour. Through him helping an abused kid and through his conversation with Master after Shizuku ran away. Eiji is more than just your typical nice guy with a dark past. He is someone who has gone through something horrible in the past, developed mechanisms for coping and now lives by those defensive mechanisms. And the ending for ep 8 brings the whole namonaki senshi theme full circle.


Another example of the planning that goes into the script is that every character has a theme. Eiji's is obvious. Mio's is despair. Naoya is looking for a place to belong. Shizuku is about acceptance. Maybe deep down, she actually knows the truth. The whole paper bag mask signifies blending in, becoming just another average girl. And Anzai sensei's is most definitely about how revenge can blind someone figuratively. Wow, this show has turned from being a decent soapie melodrama into well written deconstruction of the genre.

Bara no nai hanaya eps 1-6

Its interesting how while I'm busy playing Ryuga Gotoku Kenzan, two actors who appear in the game are also in this show, especially Matsuda Shota who plays the antagonist, Sasaki Kojiro in the game. When I see him with Terajima Susume on screen together in Barai no nai Hanaya, I half expect them to draw swords instead of providing comic relief. Not to mention that Shaku Yumiko and Terajima Susume were in Himitsu no Hanazono only last year.

Straight to the point!

Bara no nai Hanaya has an interesting premise. Katagori Shingo plays Eiji, a single father with a dark past and Takeuchi Yuko pretends to be a blind girl in order to get close to him and cause him grief. Sounds kinda cheesy? Yes, it is. The good thing is the writer does not try to lean solely on the main plot to make the show interesting. The first episode is a good example. Its more about how Eiji's daughter, Shizuku always has this yellow paper bag over her head.

Kids today, so money minded....

Its so freaking weird how no one is really freaking out by the yellow bag. At the same time, it grabs the audience's attention because we want to see Shizuku's face and know the reason behind her strange behaviour. The writer masterfully uses the paper bag/mask to introduce us to the characters and a bit of their history while keeping the audience interested.

.... and violent. I wouldn't want to mess with Sasaki Kojiro though.

The rest of the episodes are decent with ep 5 being the stand out episode so far. Anytime a writer can write sentai poses into a serious scene and make it moving, its worth watching. If there is one weakness to this show, its the revenge motive. Its lame and oh so soap opera-ish. Anzai is so much like those soap villains. However, I'm willing accept that sometimes people enjoy making weird and overly elaborate plans for revenge as it is necessary to tell the story.

So, who's a better, me or KimuTaku?

Acting wise, Takeuchi Yuko is doing an excellent job. All the various emotions that Mio goes through are so evident in her face. When she goes through despair and joy. The conflict between her mission and her feelings. Seriously, I can only think of probably 3 other actresses who could pull this role off. She certainly proves that she belongs at the top. Now if only Hirosue Ryoko can get attached to a decent jdorama...

OMG! The martians from Space Channel 5! Up, down, left, left chu, chu, chu!

I love the status of the Eiji/Mio relationship after ep 6. Eiji knows the truth about Mio but can't confront Mio with it for fear of driving her away. Mio has to continue living her lie in order to stay with Eiji and can never tell him the truth. I just love the awkwardness of it, the tension. The fact that both of them have actually been caught in this idiotic plot of revenge and become unwitting pawns.

I wish Shaku Yumiko was talking about mine...

I only hope that when the grandfather comes to his senses, they make it short and to the point. There's no way to explain his hatred of Eiji to justify his elaborate revenge, or is there?

HamsapSukebe Jdorama awards 2007

There are plenty of shows I haven't watched, some shows I dropped quickly and some shows have not yet finished being subbed.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: KITAOJI KINYA (Karei-naru Ichizoku)

Come to think of it, Aibu Saki has been in 3 shows last year. Her management must be doing a good job.

Easiest decision ever. To me, he upstaged KimuTaku with his portrayal of the stoic and tragic Manpyo Daisuke. To me, he was the main and most interesting character of Karei-naru Ichizoku.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: SUZUKI KYOKA (Karei-naru Ichizoku)


Supporting actresses are mainly to look good and be plot devices. Unfortunately there was no memorable actress in a supporting role except for Suzuki Kyoka in Karei-naru Ichizoku. Her role as Manpyo's mistress was so memorable.

BEST ACTOR: 3 WAY TIE!


This is the hardest one for me to choose. One one hand you had Santamaria Yusuke and his as Dodoh Hajime in Konshu Tsuma ga Uwaki Shimasu. He really showed once again that he has the acting chops and screen presence to carry a jdorama.

If Aragaki Yui were my daughter.....

On the other hand there's Tachi Hiroshi who became the only reason to watch Papa to Musume Nanokakan. Albeit he had tons of fun doing his role and he made up for Aragaki Yui's bad acting.


Thirdly, there's Takahashi Katsunori in Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi 3. It is so rare for an actor to have two career defining roles. Though Tadano Hitoshi and Kintaro are sorta similar, ultimately, they are very different series. While his acting will not win awards, no other actor could have pulled off his tough guy role.

I can't decide or rationalise something out so I'll be lazy and call it a tie.

BEST ACTRESS - KANNO MIHO (Watashitachi no Kyokasho)


To me every actress has the one role which is a perfect fit for them. As bad as Itoh Misaki is, Densha was the perfect show for her crap acting skills. Kanno Miho to me has always been a decent actress just waiting for a right role to shine and her role as Tsukimi Tamako in Watashitachi no Kyokasho clearly demonstrates that she has learned something after more than 10 years of acting. Too bad the same cannot be said of Fukada Kyoko.

Contrast her acting in Watashitachi no Kyokasho to Ito Atsushi's lame attempt at being serious. Her brilliant acting as a lawyer torn between seeking redemption and working for her future allowed me to ignore Ito's crap acting and lifted the show to pretty good status despite the lame final episode.

Really special mention to Aibu Saki for her excellent portrayal of Suzu in Utahime. She proved that she's more than just a very pretty face and I'm sure she has many more chances to win a hamsapsukebe award. Ohga Suzuka (Sexy Voice & Robo) deserves kudos as well.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS: YAMAGUCHI SAYAKA (Konshu Tsuma ga Uwaki Shimasu)


She came in when the show was really slowing down and really genkied it up with her riveting role as Dodoh's former flame, Mizusawa. Its a shame she didn't have a bigger role but what she did in one episode speaks volumes. I always enjoy performances where what is not said is what matters.

BEST DORAMAS OF 2007

6. KAREI-NARU ICHIZOKU



If only KimuTaku wasn't the main actor. Teppei in the end turned out to be an idealistic idiot and I didn't give a fuck about him. Everything else about the show is top notch. So close to being a classic.

5. IRYU 2


Almost as good as the 1st season. Its a miracle that they've managed to capture the magic again. Please don't do a third season.....

4. TOKUMEI KAKARICHOU TADANO HITOSHI 3


I had so much fun watching this show. Yamashita Tomohisa should watch this show to see how to actually play a character who puts on disguises all the time. cough. Kurosagi. cough. Perfect cure for all the johnnys in jdoramas. Did I mention all the chicks and nudity?

3. LIAR GAME

OMG, we won a HamsapSukebe award????

Probably the most memorable show of the year. Like Tadano Hitoshi, it won't win awards but its so much fun watching it.

2. KONSHU TSUMA GA UWAKI SHIMASU



They don't make shows like this anymore. I love how they made Tohko seems like the 'villain' but halfway through, you can't help but feel sorry for her.

1. UTAHIME


Not my personal favourite due to the ending. Putting aside my personal feelings though, this is one hell of a jdorama and the best made one this year. Everything about this show is excellent, from acting to sets to music to pacing. Its very rare to have a big budget dorama with a tight script and no stunt casting. I'm pretty sure when I finally get over the ending and rewatch it, I'll appreciate it more.

Actually, with 6 must watch shows in 2007, not counting Wonderful Life which came out a few years earlier, it was a pretty good year. Better than 2006 definitely except that 2006 had the classic KDO. Maybe it was the really crap shows that gave me the impression that it wasn't that good of a year.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS OF 2007

5) Ushi ni Negai wo: Love & Farm - so much talent couldn't save the pathetic script. It was my guilty pleasure of the year though.

4) Proposal Daisakusen - Yamashita Tomohisa was way out of his league in this show. They needed someone who could actually act, like Tsumabuki Satoshi.

3) Papa to Musume Nanokakan - Script 'protected' Aragaki Yui too much making her role super boring. Really wanted to see whether she could act.

2) SP - How can you have 'filler' episodes in an 11 episode series where nothing happens? Where cool classical music is playing the characters are just posturing? Someone should have had the balls to cut it down to 9 episodes. And the action scenes at the end are so lame and defy logic. Just to have the shot of the killer standing among the bodies of the SP.

1) Dream Again - Anyone who can fuck up such a fail-safe premise has no right to call herself a scriptwriter. Poor Sorimachi Takashi. This and the horrible Blue Wolf probably killed what's left of his acting career.