21 posts tagged “jdorama”
Title: Maison Ikkoku
Broadcast date: 5/12/07
Genre: Romance
Cast: Itoh Misaki, Nakabayashi Taiki, Kishimoto Kayoko, Kishibe Ittoku, Takahashi Yumiko
Plot: Godai (Nakabayashi Taiki) is a rounin, a student who has failed his college entrance exams, with obnoxious neighbors distracting him from studying. When Otonashi Kyoko (Itoh Misaki) becomes the new apartment building manager and moves in, Godai falls in love with her at first sight. He hopes to pass his college entrance exam so he can win her heart.
What is good: It stays true to the anime.
What is bad: It is boring.
Letter rating: D
Overall: I did not like the Maison Ikkoku anime. While I generally like romance stories, this seemed to be about people who were either complete losers or completely oblivious to the world around them. This drama sticks close to that synopsis. Very little got accomplished in this two hour drama. We were introduced to some characters and one plotline was completed. Everything else is left hanging. It felt like this was a prologue to a new series or possibly the beginning of a series of specials.
I wish there would have been a bit more external conflict in the series. As it is, almost all of the conflict in the story takes place within Godai. Even the annoying neighbors don't present any real conflict since Godai just lets them walk all over him. If you are a fan of Maison Ikkoku, you might enjoy this but don't expect to get any resolution out of it.
Broadcast date: 5/12/07
Genre: Romance
Cast: Itoh Misaki, Nakabayashi Taiki, Kishimoto Kayoko, Kishibe Ittoku, Takahashi Yumiko
Plot: Godai (Nakabayashi Taiki) is a rounin, a student who has failed his college entrance exams, with obnoxious neighbors distracting him from studying. When Otonashi Kyoko (Itoh Misaki) becomes the new apartment building manager and moves in, Godai falls in love with her at first sight. He hopes to pass his college entrance exam so he can win her heart.
What is good: It stays true to the anime.
What is bad: It is boring.
Letter rating: D
Overall: I did not like the Maison Ikkoku anime. While I generally like romance stories, this seemed to be about people who were either complete losers or completely oblivious to the world around them. This drama sticks close to that synopsis. Very little got accomplished in this two hour drama. We were introduced to some characters and one plotline was completed. Everything else is left hanging. It felt like this was a prologue to a new series or possibly the beginning of a series of specials.
I wish there would have been a bit more external conflict in the series. As it is, almost all of the conflict in the story takes place within Godai. Even the annoying neighbors don't present any real conflict since Godai just lets them walk all over him. If you are a fan of Maison Ikkoku, you might enjoy this but don't expect to get any resolution out of it.
Title: akihabara@DEEP
Broadcast date: 6/19/06
Genre: Action and Adventure
Cast: Kazama Shunsuke, Ikuta Toma, Himura Yuuki, Hoshino Gen, Matsushima Hatsune, Kosaka Yuka, Honjou Manami, Kitamura Kazuki
Plot: A group of otaku come together to form a troubleshooting company. They try their best to solve the problems of the people in Akihabara.
What is good: Kitamura Kazuki is an awesome villian
What is bad: Maybe it's because the concept of Japanese otaku is so foreign but they seemed to overreact to just about everything.
Letter rating: A+
Overall: I went into this series expecting something along the lines of Densha Otoko. However, I think this is so much better because it doesn't revolve around the life of one person. You have six people, each with some sort of oddity. Each of them turned to a website, Yui's Lifeguard, in order to help them live their daily lives. It's through this website that they come together and become friends. It was really awesome to watch these people grow into something more than just otaku. They really become close friends.
On the other side, you have Nakagomi Takashi (Kitamura Kazuki) as the bad guy. Kitamura played the bad guy in the latest Densha Otoko special. I think he may be getting a little too close to his otaku side! While Nakagomi is a creepy character, Kitamura plays him perfectly. He really was my favorite character here.
I would recommend this series to anyone interested in the otaku culture. You may not understand a lot of things if you don't have at least a tiny grasp of what otaku means to the Japanese people. Otaku in America is very different from otaku in Japan. If you can make that distinction, I think you would really enjoy the series.
Broadcast date: 6/19/06
Genre: Action and Adventure
Cast: Kazama Shunsuke, Ikuta Toma, Himura Yuuki, Hoshino Gen, Matsushima Hatsune, Kosaka Yuka, Honjou Manami, Kitamura Kazuki
Plot: A group of otaku come together to form a troubleshooting company. They try their best to solve the problems of the people in Akihabara.
What is good: Kitamura Kazuki is an awesome villian
What is bad: Maybe it's because the concept of Japanese otaku is so foreign but they seemed to overreact to just about everything.
Letter rating: A+
Overall: I went into this series expecting something along the lines of Densha Otoko. However, I think this is so much better because it doesn't revolve around the life of one person. You have six people, each with some sort of oddity. Each of them turned to a website, Yui's Lifeguard, in order to help them live their daily lives. It's through this website that they come together and become friends. It was really awesome to watch these people grow into something more than just otaku. They really become close friends.
On the other side, you have Nakagomi Takashi (Kitamura Kazuki) as the bad guy. Kitamura played the bad guy in the latest Densha Otoko special. I think he may be getting a little too close to his otaku side! While Nakagomi is a creepy character, Kitamura plays him perfectly. He really was my favorite character here.
I would recommend this series to anyone interested in the otaku culture. You may not understand a lot of things if you don't have at least a tiny grasp of what otaku means to the Japanese people. Otaku in America is very different from otaku in Japan. If you can make that distinction, I think you would really enjoy the series.
Title: GTO the movie
Release date: 12/18/99
Genre: School comedy
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Tanaka Rena, Kasahara Hideyuki, Fujiwara Norika
Plot: Onizuka-sensei goes to a small village in Hokkaido to teach. As usual, he ends up with a troubled class, thanks mostly to the rich girl, Katsuragi Ayano. He takes it upon himself to fix Ayano and make everyone happy again.
What is good: The acting isn't terrible
What is bad: It is pretty dull.
Letter rating: D+
Overall: Sadly, this franchise has gone downhill. The series was awesome, the special was OK but the movie is on the edge of terrible. Onizuka rescues two students from suicide and, despite being fairly mean to him, ends up as the depressed boy's best friend.
As he works his magic to make the lives of these two students better, he's being chased down by a reporter who mistakes him as a serial criminal. While he isn't guilty of the crimes she accuses him of, he does steal, kidnap and get involved in a police chase. (I'm hoping he borrowed the truck he was driving at the time since it isn't stated how he obtained it.) This doesn't feel nearly as light-hearted as the series or the special. Maybe it was the lack of Fuyutsuki-sensei's 'straight man' to Onizuka's comedian. Throughout the entire movie, I was hoping she would pop in at some point to tell Onizuka he's an idiot but she never appears. I suppose if you really love the GTO series it might be worth sitting through the 2 hour movi but I'm sure you could find a better way to spend your time.
Release date: 12/18/99
Genre: School comedy
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Tanaka Rena, Kasahara Hideyuki, Fujiwara Norika
Plot: Onizuka-sensei goes to a small village in Hokkaido to teach. As usual, he ends up with a troubled class, thanks mostly to the rich girl, Katsuragi Ayano. He takes it upon himself to fix Ayano and make everyone happy again.
What is good: The acting isn't terrible
What is bad: It is pretty dull.
Letter rating: D+
Overall: Sadly, this franchise has gone downhill. The series was awesome, the special was OK but the movie is on the edge of terrible. Onizuka rescues two students from suicide and, despite being fairly mean to him, ends up as the depressed boy's best friend.
As he works his magic to make the lives of these two students better, he's being chased down by a reporter who mistakes him as a serial criminal. While he isn't guilty of the crimes she accuses him of, he does steal, kidnap and get involved in a police chase. (I'm hoping he borrowed the truck he was driving at the time since it isn't stated how he obtained it.) This doesn't feel nearly as light-hearted as the series or the special. Maybe it was the lack of Fuyutsuki-sensei's 'straight man' to Onizuka's comedian. Throughout the entire movie, I was hoping she would pop in at some point to tell Onizuka he's an idiot but she never appears. I suppose if you really love the GTO series it might be worth sitting through the 2 hour movi but I'm sure you could find a better way to spend your time.
Title: Great Teacher Onizuka Drama Special
Broadcast date: 12/98
Genre: School-related drama
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Matsushima Nanako, Kitamura Soichiro, Katase Nana, Shimizo Chika, Asami Reina, Hosokawa Shigeki
Plot: Onizuka is substituting at an all-girls school. Just when he's thinking this could be the perfect job for him, three of the girls in his class blackmail him into becoming their "Genie of the Lamp." That is when he finds out one of the girls is deeply troubled. While he is helping her, he also has to make a good impression for Fuyutsuki-sensei's father so he can marry her properly.
What is good: Sorimachi-san is still awesome as Onizuka
What is bad: This probably would have been a lot better as a second season instead of just a special.
Letter rating: B-
Overall: From what I hear, a lot of people didn't like this special. I thought it was pretty good, albeit a bit rushed. The subplot with Onizuka trying to get Fuyutsuki's father to like him was cute but this was a really good example of how things were cut short to fit into a two hour special. It definitely would have been a lot better if this was expanded into a full-fledged plot of its own. As for the class Onizuka is teaching, we don't get to see a lot of them as a whole class. The special focuses on three girls and, again, this is rushed as Onizuka is able to "transform" them into good girls within a half hour. GTO is a better show when Onizuka is able to work with the students one-on-one in order to help them get past their problems. Oh and for those fans of the series, no worries, the group of students from the old school do show up and hang out with Onichi for awhile. It was nice to see them still interacting with their teacher, even if he isn't their teacher right now. While this isn't a great show, it isn't terrible either. I'd recommend it to someone who enjoyed the GTO series.
Broadcast date: 12/98
Genre: School-related drama
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Matsushima Nanako, Kitamura Soichiro, Katase Nana, Shimizo Chika, Asami Reina, Hosokawa Shigeki
Plot: Onizuka is substituting at an all-girls school. Just when he's thinking this could be the perfect job for him, three of the girls in his class blackmail him into becoming their "Genie of the Lamp." That is when he finds out one of the girls is deeply troubled. While he is helping her, he also has to make a good impression for Fuyutsuki-sensei's father so he can marry her properly.
What is good: Sorimachi-san is still awesome as Onizuka
What is bad: This probably would have been a lot better as a second season instead of just a special.
Letter rating: B-
Overall: From what I hear, a lot of people didn't like this special. I thought it was pretty good, albeit a bit rushed. The subplot with Onizuka trying to get Fuyutsuki's father to like him was cute but this was a really good example of how things were cut short to fit into a two hour special. It definitely would have been a lot better if this was expanded into a full-fledged plot of its own. As for the class Onizuka is teaching, we don't get to see a lot of them as a whole class. The special focuses on three girls and, again, this is rushed as Onizuka is able to "transform" them into good girls within a half hour. GTO is a better show when Onizuka is able to work with the students one-on-one in order to help them get past their problems. Oh and for those fans of the series, no worries, the group of students from the old school do show up and hang out with Onichi for awhile. It was nice to see them still interacting with their teacher, even if he isn't their teacher right now. While this isn't a great show, it isn't terrible either. I'd recommend it to someone who enjoyed the GTO series.
Title: GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka)
Broadcast date: 7/7/98 - 9/22/98
Genre: School comedy
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Matsushima Nanako, Kubozuka Yosuke, Nakamura Aimi, Kirari, Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Oguri Shun
Plot: Onizuki Eikichi dreams of being a teacher. He is finally hired by a strange director to teach a class of troublemakers at Seirin Gakuen. Of course, his antics always get him into trouble but he'll always believe in his students.
What is good: Sorimachi Takashi is awesome as Onizuka
What is bad: A lot of people will compare it to Gokusen
Letter rating: A
Overall: After watching the first episode, I said "So this is Gokusen but with a male teacher?" I was wrong. It is similiar to Gokusen but only because both are set in a high school class filled with troublemakers. Once you look past that, the two series are completely different. In Gokusen, Kumiko becomes friends with her students by keeping them from fighting and pretty much forcing herself into their friendships. Onizuka becomes friends with his students just by being himself. While he does protect his students, he has "They'll make the right decision" type of attitude when it comes to trying to get them to do the 'correct' thing. GTO is a really good series that I would recommend to anyone.
Broadcast date: 7/7/98 - 9/22/98
Genre: School comedy
Cast: Sorimachi Takashi, Matsushima Nanako, Kubozuka Yosuke, Nakamura Aimi, Kirari, Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Oguri Shun
Plot: Onizuki Eikichi dreams of being a teacher. He is finally hired by a strange director to teach a class of troublemakers at Seirin Gakuen. Of course, his antics always get him into trouble but he'll always believe in his students.
What is good: Sorimachi Takashi is awesome as Onizuka
What is bad: A lot of people will compare it to Gokusen
Letter rating: A
Overall: After watching the first episode, I said "So this is Gokusen but with a male teacher?" I was wrong. It is similiar to Gokusen but only because both are set in a high school class filled with troublemakers. Once you look past that, the two series are completely different. In Gokusen, Kumiko becomes friends with her students by keeping them from fighting and pretty much forcing herself into their friendships. Onizuka becomes friends with his students just by being himself. While he does protect his students, he has "They'll make the right decision" type of attitude when it comes to trying to get them to do the 'correct' thing. GTO is a really good series that I would recommend to anyone.
Title: Tantei Gakuen Q
Also known as: Detective School Q
Broadcast date: 7/1/06
Genre: Detective Drama
Cast: Kamiki Ryunosuke, Shida Mirai, Yamada Ryousuke, Matsukawa Naruki, Kaname Jun, Nakao Akiyoshi
Plot: Junior high student Kyuu (Kamiki Ryunosuke) wants to be a detective. In order to fulfill his dream, he must get into DDS, the Dan Detective School. While taking his entrance exams, he joins up with some other potential students his age.
What is good: It's interesting to see these kids puzzle through crime scenes.
What is bad: There were some changes made to the characters.
Letter rating: B+
Overall: I loved the Tantei Gakuen Q anime series. While I haven't read the manga that both the anime and this live action special, this did follow the entrance exams of the anime pretty closely. There were some changes made though. Minami Megumi (Shida Mirai) was turned from a junior high student into an elementary school student while Narusawa Kazuma (Matsukawa Naruki) looked more like a junior high student instead of an elementary school student. (It is not specifically stated what grade Kazuma is in.) Luckily, none of the changes detracted from my enjoyment of the show. It would be nice if there was a little more suspense but the special is only 90 minutes long. I'd recommend this to anyone that enjoys detective shows.
Also known as: Detective School Q
Broadcast date: 7/1/06
Genre: Detective Drama
Cast: Kamiki Ryunosuke, Shida Mirai, Yamada Ryousuke, Matsukawa Naruki, Kaname Jun, Nakao Akiyoshi
Plot: Junior high student Kyuu (Kamiki Ryunosuke) wants to be a detective. In order to fulfill his dream, he must get into DDS, the Dan Detective School. While taking his entrance exams, he joins up with some other potential students his age.
What is good: It's interesting to see these kids puzzle through crime scenes.
What is bad: There were some changes made to the characters.
Letter rating: B+
Overall: I loved the Tantei Gakuen Q anime series. While I haven't read the manga that both the anime and this live action special, this did follow the entrance exams of the anime pretty closely. There were some changes made though. Minami Megumi (Shida Mirai) was turned from a junior high student into an elementary school student while Narusawa Kazuma (Matsukawa Naruki) looked more like a junior high student instead of an elementary school student. (It is not specifically stated what grade Kazuma is in.) Luckily, none of the changes detracted from my enjoyment of the show. It would be nice if there was a little more suspense but the special is only 90 minutes long. I'd recommend this to anyone that enjoys detective shows.
I know I'm doing a lot of status updates lately but that is just to let everyone know that I'm not abandoning the reviews. I am now better so I can get back to typing up my reviews. I am currently watching the Great Teacher Onizuka jdorama. If everything goes as planned, I'll be wrapping that up in early June. Maybe I'll make that a Father's Day review ^_^
My previously listed backlog has not changed. I'm hoping to rewatch the first season of Trick this weekend. Since this is a holiday weekend, I should be able to motor through it pretty quickly. Expect that review to pop up by Monday or Tuesday.
I know I have been really behind on posting reviews and I apologize for that. I have had some health-related problems for the past few weeks. Luckily, they should be fixed this week and I can be back to normal posting next week or the week after.
Here are the series I still have in my backlog to review:
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Trick
Trick 2
Trick 3
I also have the first Nana movie, the Densha Otoko specials and Moon Child (movie). I will also try to post a few more mini-biographies of some j-actors. If you liked the concert review, I have 4 more Gackt concerts I can review as well as 1 Arashi concert and 1 L'arc~en~Ciel concert.
Please bear with me a little longer. The reviews will return full force as soon as possible!
Title: Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Also known as: IWGP
Broadcast date: 4/14/00 - 6/23/00
Genre: drama
Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Kato Ai, Kubozuka Yosuke, Sato Ryuta, Yamashita Tomohisa, Watanabe Ken
Plot: Majima Makoto (Nagase Tomoya) tries to live a quiet live in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, a place infamous for gangs. One of his best friends from high school, Takashi (Kubozuka Yosuke), is the leader of one gang - the G-Boys. When he tries to solve the murder of a friend, Makoto finds himself solving everyone else's problems. Gang tensions begin running high in IWGP putting Makoto, who refuses to join any gang, directly in the middle of it all.
What is good: Kubozuka Yosuke is very entertaining as the king of the G-Boys.
What is bad: The show loses direction almost immediately.
Letter rating: D+
Overall: I spent the entire first episode trying to figure out what was going on. There were these murders but no one seemed to really care about them. Sure, the cops said they were looking for the killer. It just didn't seem to go anywhere beyond talking about it. From the second episode on, the series goes in an entirely different direction. Makoto, who is supposed to be trying to find who murdered his friend, spends all his time helping just about everyone in Ikebukuro. The yakuza, the prostitute from the sex shop across the street, his own mother....the list goes on. About two-thirds of the way through the series, another gang is introduced - the Black Angels. The end of the series brings us back to solving the original murder and adds in the tension between the G-Boys and the Black Angels. I think that the final episode was the only thing, besides Kubozuka's antics, that saved the show from a lower rating. As a whole, the series is very violent. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who couldn't handle gang violence and the blood that goes along with it.
Buy it here!
Also known as: IWGP
Broadcast date: 4/14/00 - 6/23/00
Genre: drama
Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Kato Ai, Kubozuka Yosuke, Sato Ryuta, Yamashita Tomohisa, Watanabe Ken
Plot: Majima Makoto (Nagase Tomoya) tries to live a quiet live in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, a place infamous for gangs. One of his best friends from high school, Takashi (Kubozuka Yosuke), is the leader of one gang - the G-Boys. When he tries to solve the murder of a friend, Makoto finds himself solving everyone else's problems. Gang tensions begin running high in IWGP putting Makoto, who refuses to join any gang, directly in the middle of it all.
What is good: Kubozuka Yosuke is very entertaining as the king of the G-Boys.
What is bad: The show loses direction almost immediately.
Letter rating: D+
Overall: I spent the entire first episode trying to figure out what was going on. There were these murders but no one seemed to really care about them. Sure, the cops said they were looking for the killer. It just didn't seem to go anywhere beyond talking about it. From the second episode on, the series goes in an entirely different direction. Makoto, who is supposed to be trying to find who murdered his friend, spends all his time helping just about everyone in Ikebukuro. The yakuza, the prostitute from the sex shop across the street, his own mother....the list goes on. About two-thirds of the way through the series, another gang is introduced - the Black Angels. The end of the series brings us back to solving the original murder and adds in the tension between the G-Boys and the Black Angels. I think that the final episode was the only thing, besides Kubozuka's antics, that saved the show from a lower rating. As a whole, the series is very violent. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who couldn't handle gang violence and the blood that goes along with it.
Buy it here!
Title: Strawberry on the Shortcake
Also known as: SOS
Broadcast date: 1/12/01 - 3/16/01
Genre: drama
Cast: Takizawa Hideaki, Fukada Kyoko, Uchiyama Rina, Kubozuka Yosuke, Ishida Yuriko
Plot: Irie Manato (Takizawa Hideaki) has withdrawn into himself, creating a 'false self' that he displays to everyone around him. One day, he meets Misawa Yui (Fukada Kyoko) and his life is forever changed. Manato finds himself falling in love with Yui but she has fallen in love with Saeki Tetsuya (Kubozuka Yosuke), who is in love with his teacher Asami Mariko (Ishida Yuriko). Meanwhile, Manato is the target of the affections of Sawamura Haruka (Uchiyama Rina). Is it possible to find happiness with the person you love or should you settle for the second best?
What is good: Once you are drawn into the series, it is easy to stay emotionally wrapped up in it.
What is bad: It's pretty depressing through a majority of the episodes.
Letter rating: B
Overall: I recently re-watched SOS with my friend, Cori. At the end of most of the episodes, she's say how sad or depressing something was. I had to keep promising her that it would get better. This really is a good series. All of the actors do a wonderful job of pulling at your heartstrings and the writing makes this love pentagon easy to understand yet still complicated enough that it's difficult to predict exactly how the series will end. It would be nice if there were a few more happy moments, though I understand why that wasn't done. The writers intended to show a somewhat darker side of teenagers in love instead of the stereotypical love-at-first-sight-and-everything-is-wonderful side that a lot of shows highlight. It's very difficult to say who I would recommend this show to. It would have to be someone who can handle watching absolute heartbreak while still believing that everything will be OK in the end. Or at least someone who can just watch the show for what it is - a really good drama.
Buy it here!
Also known as: SOS
Broadcast date: 1/12/01 - 3/16/01
Genre: drama
Cast: Takizawa Hideaki, Fukada Kyoko, Uchiyama Rina, Kubozuka Yosuke, Ishida Yuriko
Plot: Irie Manato (Takizawa Hideaki) has withdrawn into himself, creating a 'false self' that he displays to everyone around him. One day, he meets Misawa Yui (Fukada Kyoko) and his life is forever changed. Manato finds himself falling in love with Yui but she has fallen in love with Saeki Tetsuya (Kubozuka Yosuke), who is in love with his teacher Asami Mariko (Ishida Yuriko). Meanwhile, Manato is the target of the affections of Sawamura Haruka (Uchiyama Rina). Is it possible to find happiness with the person you love or should you settle for the second best?
What is good: Once you are drawn into the series, it is easy to stay emotionally wrapped up in it.
What is bad: It's pretty depressing through a majority of the episodes.
Letter rating: B
Overall: I recently re-watched SOS with my friend, Cori. At the end of most of the episodes, she's say how sad or depressing something was. I had to keep promising her that it would get better. This really is a good series. All of the actors do a wonderful job of pulling at your heartstrings and the writing makes this love pentagon easy to understand yet still complicated enough that it's difficult to predict exactly how the series will end. It would be nice if there were a few more happy moments, though I understand why that wasn't done. The writers intended to show a somewhat darker side of teenagers in love instead of the stereotypical love-at-first-sight-and-everything-is-wonderful side that a lot of shows highlight. It's very difficult to say who I would recommend this show to. It would have to be someone who can handle watching absolute heartbreak while still believing that everything will be OK in the end. Or at least someone who can just watch the show for what it is - a really good drama.
Buy it here!
