Just as good as the original SP!
If you liked the original SP, there's a high chance you'll like the drama as well!Yoshida Kotaro gives another solid performance as the main character whose real age doesn't really match his heart's (meaning, he's so young at heart that he'll always fall in love at first sight - just to be brought back to reality before each episode ends, LOL) and whose best quality is that, despite being initially moved by maybe-not-so-pure-intentions and by a pretty self-centered attitude (always thinking that the woman is interested in him, LOL), in the end he always puts the other person's feelings and needs first, showing the moral strength of an Edo-period samurai. Such a beautifully written character, indeed! (oh, and while we're at it: it's so refreshing to have a middle aged man as the main character! I wish there were more dramas like this!)
The supporting cast also does a nice job, particularly Takahata Mitsuki and Ogura Shun, who make up with (acting) quality to what they might lack in (screentime) quantity, giving a lot of depth to their characters - so much friendship transpires through those meaningful - and often silent - glances they give Kururi-san everytime he goes off on a tangent, convinced as he is that he's found his next bride-to-be.
The script is mostly very well-written, although some episodes are definitely better than others - as it's to be expected; the music is really nice and adds to the whole viewing experience, just like the direction and photography.
I think the only "problem" this series has (and that's the reason why I don't give it a "perfect 10") is that it's tremendously repetitive after a while; in order to avoid being bothered by this aspect, I'd suggest you do like me and dilute the watch over a longer period, so that each episode can feel "fresh" (I totally think this is NOT the series you'd want to binge-watch!)
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The weakest season so far
I'm sorry to sound so harsh, but this fourth season of "Wakako Zake" was imvho even weaker than the third one.Except for the occasional episode featuring interesting dishes (like for example the Chawanmushi, the Maguro and the Chūka ones), most of the rest is filled with bland and/or unappealing dishes (to name but two: corndogs and a "pizza" with fries and mayonnaise....URGH! >___<). I think there's a (not so) fine line between being a gourmet (i.e., someone who appreciates good food) and being a glutton (someone who wolfs down whatever comes their way, 'cause everything is good for them). Unfortunately, seeing (the anyway totally adorable!) Takeda Rina having culinary orgasms for stuff like the sliced-tomato-with-some-oil-on-top (hardly something you'd need a professional cook for, let's face it!!! >__<) or the plain baked garlic....well, it gave me the strong impression that Wakako-san has turned into a desperate glutton, and that's sad...if they keep going down that path, I can imagine a future episode of a future season titled "Bread Crusts And A Glass Of Water"...which from a philosophical point of view could still make sense, okay....but much less so considering that we're talking of a food drama, right? ^_^;;;
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The soul equivalent of a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold, dark night
I was drawn in by the cast (what can I say? I have a soft spot for Kaho! ^___^) and by the deeply interesting premise (I'm a sucker for such time-related stories...so much so that, despite all my disdain for post-1980 hollywoodian productions, I'd still consider "recent" American movies like "Frequency" and "12 Monkeys" for a hypothetical personal top-100 of all time!), and indeed, Kaho is adorable here, and the plot is absolutely gripping.The thing that really makes this movie stand out, though, is the beautiful message it conveys: that self-realization, as well as personal growth, can come through selflessness and caring for others. Such a lovely message indeed, particularly when the society we're living in, unfortunately, constantly encourages sociopathic behaviors instead (all is good as long as you don't bother the powers that be!), of course edulcorating them with sugarcoated definitions as "having a strong personality" (used for "being an arrogant ego-maniac") and "being competitive" (used for "trampling over others")...
That's why I wholeheartedly suggest this hidden gem: it's the soul equivalent of a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold, dark night! ^___^
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The Man Who Changed Okinawa
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Furuhata Ninzaburo Season 2
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The 1st season was perfect, and this is just as good!
There's an old Italian saying (of course, soccer-related - pardon, calcio-related ^__^) that goes like this: "squadra vincente non si cambia". That is, "never change a winning team" - meaning, when a formula works, there's no reason to modify it!That phrase fits perfectly to this second season of the acclaimed dorama "Furuhata Ninzaburo": the first season had been basically perfect, so why should they go and modify anything for the following season?
Luckily they didn't, and the result is just as good as the original!
As always in series with an episodic structure, some episodes are better than the rest; if I were to name a personal top3, I'd say first #10 - a real masterpiece! - and right next #9 and #4 ^____^
Note: Due to the continuous numbering adopted by this series (episodes are numbered progressively, regardless of seasons/SP etc.; therefore the 1st season has 12 episodes, then comes the 1st SP - episode 13 - then the 10 episodes of this 2nd season - episodes 14 to 23 - and so on), 2nd season's eps. 10, 9 and 4 are, respectively, episode 23, 22 and 17
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You don't need to be a regular "aniota" in order to enjoy this!
I must confess I'm a rare specimen among japanophiles: I don't like anime. No, seriously, I honestly find those childish voices plainly irritating and the whole "moe" concept just gives me the creeps!And that's *precisely* why I think that the fact that I've watched this "Koe Girl" and really, really, really liked it speaks *volumes* about its quality!
Thanks to a very well-written script, to a solid performance by the whole cast (particular praises to Fukuhara Haruka, Nakamura Yurika and Yoshikura Aoi) and to a wonderful production, you don't need to be a regular "aniota" in order to enjoy this lovely dorama, which manages to be at the same time funny (for example, the episode about screaming was positively hilarious!!!), moving (Fukuhara's performance made my eyes wet more than once!), endearing and entertaining - so much so that I didn't just *watch* it, I actually *binged* it!
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Hidden gem! ^____^
Maybe it's because I'm 46 and single myself (although, in my case, not because I got divorced, LOL). And maybe it's because of the uncanny resemblance between the ML's high-school crush and my high-school crush of 30 years ago (ok, "mine" was blonde, blue-eyed and freckled, but everything else - body figure, shape of the face, cheeckbones, ears, nose, profile, hairstyle, hands, character etc. - was strikingly similar). And maybe (and more seriously) it's because, let's be honest - who wouldn't want to have a second chance at youth with the consciousness and experience of an adult (only the consciousness, therefore minus the beer-belly and the receding hairline, LOL)?Whatever the reason, I was hooked right away and this dorama left a huge impression on me (I'm not ashamed to admit that by the end my eyes were wet!).
A simple yet not shallow premise, nicely developed throughout the series and masterfully wrapped up in the last episodes. At times I laughed, and at times I was moved. Huge congrats to the author(s)!
The cast (although, I'll shamefully admit, mostly unknown to me) did a great job too (with only one notable exception, that is the 16 y.o. version of the ML's wife - I found that idol-turned-actress waaaaaay below par, sorry - one more example of the nefarious influence of the idol-system on acting quality...but that's another story).
The music was also a very nice element, needless to say, and so were the 80's references!
All in all, a perfect 10 as far as I'm concerned! Hidden gem! ^___-
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I was underestimating Japanese writers, of course, and I publicly owe them an apology. Because here the "distopian" aspect is just an original pretext to produce an incredibly delicate but at the same time tragically romantic story, very well scripted as well as acted out by the cast. Particular mention, once again, for Morikawa Aoi, who's been my #1 favorite actress for quite some time (and I don't see anyone taking her place anytime soon).
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Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi: 15th Anniversary Special 2014
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Nevertheless, the story is pretty easy to grasp (also because, being 46 myself, those situations felt awkwardly familiar, LOL!), the acting is great, the music fabulous. Although I'll take a seaside or rural setting over an urban one every day of the week, still I have to say I appreciated how they went and showed some more relaxing, lesser known and imho much nicer Tokyo neighborhoods than the overly used and, at least to me, overly obnoxious Akihabara, Shinjuku etc.
Can't wait to watch the following series! ^__^
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