Densha Otoko
Total Episodes: 11+2sp
An otaku of all otakus (Yamada Tsuyoshi) saves a lady (Aoyama Saori) from being sexually harassed by a drunkard on a train. She send him a set of Hermes teacups as thanks and he goes off into a forum for single guys to ask for advice on his next step. Cue endless love advices from people who have no actual experience in love whatsoever in reality which results in hilarity, warm encouragement, touching scenes where the underdog's sincerity prevails among all etc. Or in short, geek gets hot chick story.
So I admit I watched this drama mainly for 3 reasons:
1. Faye mentioned it. The girl who cannot sit through dramas so it must be something XD
2. OGURI EFFING SHUN ♥
3. I was bored and out of dramas plus the ratings were kinda high...
Say hello to reason number 2 ♥
So this drama is said to be a spin-off from a real life story (o rly?) and all I can say is the guy must have been real handsome (or rich) for her to accept him or that love potion from that creepy old lady in a tattered shawl I saw the other day must have worked. But that's funny cuz the otaku in my class fooled a girl into drinking one and all he got was a broken head. Thanks to the Oxford dictionary she threw at him when he made his moves on her later. Well, then I guess she must be blind then.
Because really, as touching as this drama might be, there is no way I (nor anyone) would date an otaku. If otakus are anything like this drama is to go by that is. Why can't otakus be handsome srsly? Oh wait, then they would be too busy dating 3-d girls instead of 2. Speaking of which, I WANT TO PLAY A DATING SIM! Just so I can see how long it takes to piss the guy off in the game :DDD
But really, guys who collect anime figurines freaks the hell out of me and possibly any sane girl out there too. To be fair, girls who collect all sorts of memorabilia of their fav. pop idols freaks me out too. I may rave but I don't buy.* But you have got to see the guy's room with all the posters and figurines. Like wth it's borderline stalkerish. Minus the stalkeree.
Cuz you know, anime aren't supposedly real.
And if they were then WHY THE HECK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SO? Oh Hitachiin Kaoru where are yoooou?
But what was I initially talking about? Ah the drama.... well, at any rate this is a somewhat amusing drama to watch if you can stand the lack of eye-candy (very the important if you're like me) because like I said, Shun hardly appears *grumbles* and this is a drama about an otaku seeking advice on a singles message board after all. Meaning lots of weird guys in it who you cannot help but wish to do a makeover on.
That aside, its funny and worth the watch. No really, it is. Or how do you explain the high ratings? Aside from 'wow Japan must really have lots of otakus where this drama is now their source of encouragement'. Which I highly suspect it to be the cause. I'm just sayin'....
My Rating: 4
(because I still need bishies in a drama)
*Yeah, so much for 'raving but not buying my fav. idols stuff'. How ironic that the post right below this is one of me spazzing about my GD album. Hypocrisy is a bitch XD
HYD Final
Total Episodes: idk. like how many eps does a movie has? hmm.
The last installment of the Hana Yori Dango series. If you're going what 'Hana Yori Dango? Oooh is it yummy???' you can just crawl back into the hole you came from */contempt
Rich hot guys, extravagant spending, crazy head over heels devotedly in love with dirt-poor slash not-really-pretty you boyfriend who happens to be Japan's richest heir and an insane oh just kill me now mother-in-law from hell. What more can you ask for? Ok, slow torturous death to the mother-in-law from hell which involves dunking her head into the waters of her gold plated toilet and holding it there till the last bubble goes bloop maybe but I digress.
So the last installment of the drama ended with MatsuJun, I mean Domyoji, proposing to Makino and of course everyone wants a full-blown wedding scene to top the happily ever afters of all jdramas happily ever afters cuz srsly, jdramas really really suck in giving you romantic scenes and I've lost count of the times I went all 'gimme my kiss scene dammit before I tear my pillow apart rawr!!!' whenever I'm watching them.
Enter HYD Final the movie.
Where wonder of wonders, bitchy mother in law from hell agrees to the wedding and bestowed upon the couple a tiara set with 5 precious stones along with some mouthful of a legend that comes with it (read: I cannot remember and cannot be bothered to) then yada yada the tiara gets stolen and off they go in search for it in fear that bmilfh might go ballistic and call the wedding off once the loss is discovered. Of course, the rest of F4 steps in
The first setting is in Las Vegas (where you can see MatsuJun speak in English and go all WTF?! something something sorry I kinda lost track of everything after the 'omg he even makes swearing sound funny haha' moment) followed by a whole slew of other destinations and I totally predicted the entire effing plot in the span of the first 15 minutes but really, who watches it for the plot at this point anymore? We watch mainly for scenes like this:
That's it. Someone gimme a Domyoji NOW! And a whole platter of Whoppers while you're at it cuz didn't you hear? It doesn't matter if I'm [quote] a swollen fatty [/end quote] cuz he loves me still! Ha, chew on that you poor skinny starving anorexic bitch. My boyfriend pwns!!! Woots!
And of course also for other much more
So if you've never watched the drama series, don't bother. And if you did, well, just watch it for the occasional chemistry between Makino and Domyoji and for the pretty boys cuz really, that's all you're gonna get. Oh and the ending. Cuz that's the whole point I sat through 2 hours of zzz.
Rating: 3 [that is if you're a follower of the drama series]
(unless topless MatsuJun all wet is your ultimate fantasy then 4 or 5 (!) [srsly get a life he isn't that hot to get a 5 okay!]. And stop looking at me like that, I wasn't talking about me. My ultimate fantasy is MASSU covered with strawberries and whipped cream all nak-- I mean...yeah)
Kimi wa Petto
Total Episodes: 10
"Smart, successful and good-looking Iwaya Sumire works for a big newspaper. However, after being demoted for being too "perfect" a woman, Iwaya returns home depressed, and most of all lonely. However, when she finds an unconscious young man lying in a box out the front of her home and takes him in. He looks like a dog she used to own called Momo. She dubs him Momo and decides to "keep him as a pet." It's the start of an unexpected life together as they overcome obstacles and become quite attached to one another. But can love like this exist? -TBS"
IT'S MATSUJUN AGAIN!!! *flails*
Ok now that I'm done flailing....mostboringdramaever. Next!!! =D
What?! Fine. I'll give you review. Sheesh.
So Jun here plays a pet dog to a woman. Yes, a pet. Which means she so totally feed him,
And so they practically continue to break all sorts of unwritten taboos in jdramas shying stop of sex itself because she doesn't think of him that way.
Now isn't that just handy? Next time my parents drop by my apartment unexpectedly, I'll have the perfect excuse: 'oh hi mum! This is not what you think. Uhm meet my newest uhm pet? Yeah, meet my pet Nick :) We were uh just playing a game of tag on the carpet uh right Nick? Nick: ermmm....wuff?
This drama just rubs me on all the wrong levels because not only is Sumire damn effing selfish to the core, because I think even the blind can tell that Jun is so totally in love with her, yet she continues to chase after another guy right in front of him. One who really loves her as much too if not more. So not only is she cheating on her boyfriend -because I don't care what you say, a guy cannot just be a pet (A PET OK IF THIS IS NOT SEXUAL IDK WHAT IS) without any strings attached whatsoever- but she is also hurting Jun by giving him false hope. Plus I seriously hate her pushover character that doesn't know how to bitchslap her rival (slutgirl above) who is probably the only other person I hate more than her.
But sat through the entire drama I did. Simply because I still harbor a soft spot for Jun and want to see him happy
The drama has to go and DISAPPOINT my romantic soul with what is probably the CRAPPIEST ending ever.
So don't even bother watching it cuz aljkfhalfhaslfhjas ITSUCKS.
But hey, if you
Rating: 2
(If it weren't for Jun, I'll give it a 0.5)
Ryusei no Kizuna
Total Episodes: 10
Remember my Hayashi Rice post? Yeah so this is the drama that inspired me to attempt that dish which I must say was superyummilicious mmm... But plot first:
"Based on the popular novel of the same name, Ryusei no Kizuna tells the story of three orphans, whose parents were murdered long ago. Together, the three vowed on a shooting star to one day avenge their parents. After many years, the two brothers have found the murderers, and are set to carry out their plan for vengeance when they realize they've made a serious miscalculation..."
Oooh a murder mystery story I LOVE! Have you watched Maoh yet? Go do so now if you haven't =D Plus this drama has a gold star cast of Nino (Arashi), Ryo (NEWS) and Toda Erika. To me, anything with JE boys = gold star cast. Johnny practically rules Japan with his tiny kingdom of pretty boys anyway so gold star it shall be.
The beginning of this drama was promising really with cryptic clues and sly plans to trap the suspect and the hilarious anime style swindling schemes concocted by the 3 siblings to get money. Until they found the murder suspect and that's where everything went downhill which is like for a good 2/3 of the drama -_-
Its like they become so obsessed with the suspect they have no definite proof of save for Ryo's memory of the guy and so they concoct plan after plans to plant fake evidence to trap him instead of going to the police for help. AND THAT IS WHERE IT BECOMES TEDIOUS AND UNBELIEVABLE you think Japan's police force is as competent as a baboon or something if they distrust their abilities so much. Where is CSI Japan when you need one?
The 2 detectives are also incredibly sluggish (must they talk so slow really? I'm starting to think I have dyslexia) and put them with 3 impulsive siblings who are so filled with hate they can't think straight, you get a drama that is seemingly going nowhere.
There was an interesting twist at the end though and imo is the drama only saving grace until...
I REALIZED THAT MEANT THAT I HAD TOTALLY WASTED 9 HOURS OF MY LIFE WITH UNRELATED THINGS DID I GET A LIL IRRITATED.
The whole story flowed smoothly in the beginning before slowing down to a sloth like pace in the middle then rushing off like a madman at the end to tie things up after the unexpected twist till it feels like one whole big indigestion.
And that is the best way I can think of to sum this drama up. Even if you like Ryo or Nino lots, just skip this in favor of upcoming Spring dramas okay? It's not really worth it unless you're a die-hard fan who must watch every drama of theirs. Even still....IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
Cuz although Gachibaka sucked like anything, the Tegomass moments in there was reason enough to make you squeal but Ryusei no Kizuna? Nothing. It's not like Nino and Ryo are a pairing in the JE fandom anyway so no reason for you to endure this drama.
Rating: 2
(Just cook the Hayashi Rice dish and skip this drama)
Yamada Taro Monogatari
Total episodes: 10
"Yamada Taro (the one on the left), a freshman on a scholarship at Ichinomiya Private Senior High School, is high-achieving, strikingly handsome, and truly athletic and seems perfect. But he is actually extremely poor. The story humorously portrays Taro, who tackles problems that occur because of his poverty, and his six younger brothers and sisters. --TBS"
Comedy drama my fav. genre ♥ Stars both Nino and Sho from Arashi ♥♥ Your shiny pop idols acting like silly cute dorks the whole time ♥♥♥
So it's basically a story of a poor schoolboy (Nino) constantly mistaken for a rich heir due to his intelligence and good looks and whose only goal in life is to provide for his family. Throw in an equally poor girl whose only goal is to marry a rich guy and a real rich kid (Sho) who finds no satisfaction in his sheltered life and you have a drama filled with hilarity and life lessons and true friendship.
Ya, I sound like some cheap car salesman now.
Anyway,
So which would you pick? I would pick commoner and handsome ok because I am superficial just like that (as if you're not when you picked rich *snorts) and looks to me weigh more than money~♪ Ok so that's a lie. The real reason is cuz I don't have any interest in bedding an ugly guy (hot looks=damn turn on) and the idea of a non-existent sex life scares me so handsome guy it is. All you rabid inner beauty supporters can just stuff it cuz that was never in the question above was it now?
I also want pretty children so genes is like damn important m'kay :D
Also, I can earn my own money but I can't make my husband hotter can I (unless I'm a plastic surgeon but then again the genes is still there wteff) so I am sticking with my choice still falala now tell me yours ;D
Back to the drama. So poor girl who dreams of being a tama no koshi (rich woman) makes plans to snag Nino, or Taro if you prefer but I like to call him by his real name cuz its easier, not knowing that in reality he is poor. Her imaginations of him and her together are super wtf (think anime) as seen from above and so if its those whacky comedy you're looking for then this is it. Similar dramas to this are Yasuko to Kenji and My Boss My Hero.
Because they are so damn cute!!! Nino is like my fav. Arashi member!
Even though it looks like a love triangle, it isn't. Sho's character isn't interested in anyone and he's just your typical ultra rich kid who is bored with life and spend half his time trying to please his father/grandfather I can't remember which, to no avail. Of course, he ends up being good friends with Nino and the girl.However, as much as I like Nino and his sweet caring character in this drama, I simply cannot stand his passiveness and over selflessness. There is an effing limit ok to how generous you can be. His parents are the epitome of stupidity and should be locked in their rooms forever I don't care because they are just SO DAMN STUPID AND HOPELESS I highly doubt they actually raised him at all. He was probably left to fend for himself ever since he was born like Mowgli from Jungle Book I bet. All his siblings were raised by him ok? Not only does his mother not work but yet still simply spend the money he earned working 4 part time jobs daily on stupid road side paintings wteff! His dad is a useless bum too who travels around painting for a living. Only he gives them away for FREE half the time the stupid moron.
Obviously, I have a low tolerance for stupidity.
Anyway, this drama is your typical high school romance comedy that is full of silly fun and at the end of the day, precious life lessons. What is jdrama without life lessons anyway? Quotable quotes in jdramas are like the love rectangle turned triangle turned couple and dying sick girls in kdramas. Its fixed. So if you're looking for a light-hearted feel good comedy, then this is the one for you. However, do bear in mind that the Japanese are not known to favor romance in dramas very much so most of the time you're left with a half assed ending on their relationship situation unless its a romance drama to begin with. Even then, the only one that did it right was Hana Yori Dango. The rest like Proposal Daisakusen still left a lot to be desired.
Do give this a try anyway if you're a girl :p
Rating: 3.8
(Not bad for mindless entertainment. JE boys are always love too heh)
So this concludes my random jdrama review post and till then, happy watching~♪
at
Like The X-Files, only everything is scientifically proven in the end. So I didn't have any expectation for this drama in the beginning because there isn't any pretty young idols and all the cast is virtually unknown to me except for the rare 2 or 3 I've seen in various dramas over the years and was ready to ditch it until it started raining fish.
Now how is one supposed to react to that except go all wth?! and stick around long enough for a logical explanation. Which is what I did and was pleasantly surprised at how interesting this drama was despite all the bad lighting and stuff. It's of the mystery genre and you all know what a sucker I am for mysteries :D
So basically, Kiina and the guy whose name I cannot remember make up the Beppan unit and are in charge of all paranormal seeming cases. Like a transplanted heart that can give off past memories of the deceased donor, poltergeists, death through fortune telling etc. However, after much investigation all turned out to be simple scientific stuff anyway and so are mostly plain murder cases masked by paranormal myths to throw the police off.
But it still gives you the shivers every now and its just sooooo gooood. I love Kiina's weird personality and I am all for her and that guy ending up together somehow or another in this drama :D They are so perfect for each other and oh so cute. WANT. Please please please let them end up together. Or at least go on a date.
I know that romance has nothing to do with this drama but c'mon, I want this pairing to happen :3
So Kiina also has this amazing photographic memory where all she needs to do is just FLIP through a page and everything is embedded in her memory. Huh. Right. That part I don't buy. At least scan through the pages instead of just flipping through it like some motion picture book. She can remember every detail in a glance too.
Oh and that fat guy above is her ex and I, like every other viewer, find it amusing how that guy, gah I need to google his name brb, ahhh Takeru! Yeah, how Takeru keeps hounding her in disbelief about her actually dating a fat guy before. Like lol that would've been effing rude in real life if you ask me. And I don't know what he find so shocking about that since I've seen tons of couples where the girl was drop dead gorgeous and the guy........well, leaves much to be desired. AND IF HE IS LIKE SO AGAINST HER DATING HIM, THEN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, ASK HER OUT INSTEAD.
I think she still likes her ex though and vice versa BUT NOOO I WANT KIINA/TAKERU OKAY *stubborn*
Anyway, it got one of the highest ratings for the season so I'm not the only one spazzing about how interesting this drama is. Its weirdness is its charm
My rating: 4.5