pash
Italy
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Unsatisfied with the vast majority of the current season's J-dramas, I decided to go and try one of the many "Golden Age" ones I still hadn't watched, and picked this "Aishiteiru to Itte Kure".Well, sometimes even older dramas can be a real let down, as it was the case here, alas.
First things first, what I liked: namely, the *marvelous* OST (WOW, seriously, perfect 10 there!), the unmistakable "90's Flavor", and the always good performance by Tokiwa Takako - whereas the rest of the cast, imho, didn't do so well; most were sub-par, but I don't think it's entirely their fault, as the material they had to work with was the real problem.
In a scriptwriter's career (even when we're talking of someone like Kitagawa Eriko who's done some real masterpieces!) there's bound to be the occasional lousy work, and this was precisely such a case.
It started quite well, except for the honestly annoying subplot involving the stepsis; but then in the second half it became more and more trite and poorly written, with the last episode being particularly terrible, to the point it ended up being involuntarily ridiculous. HUGE spoilers ahead so stop reading NOW if you wanna avoid those!
*****SPOILERS*****
Misunderstanding after misunderstanding, the FL convinces herself (and wrongly so) that the ML has cheated on her, so she goes and cheats on him with her childhood friend, the 2nd ML (who took advantage of the situation, ok, but then again she had been taking advantage of his kindness for the whole series, so hard to cast the blame there, imho). Even after the misunderstanding got cleared, FL and ML still break up, she has apparently realized that it's better to be loved than to chase after someone rather cold (which might have been less romantic, but I was still fine with such a development, it would have been mature and adult and realistic and honestly quite a nice change after all). So she's bound to move back to Sendai to marry the 2nd ML and help him run the family inn. All fine and dandy, right?
But then the Nth set of coincidences unleash (seriously, the way the characters keep running into each other by chance, you'd think this series was set in a small village, rather than in the tentacular metropolis, LOL) and she runs into the ML, goes with him to an apartment/villa at the seaside ('cause yeah, what normal Japanese wouldn't have a seaside house with a fireplace, right? Mattaku...), where they open up a bottle of champagne ('cause yeah, the house is uninhabited, but of course there's a fine bottle on hand just in case!), almost have sex but stop midway after he picks up her keys ('cause yeah, what normal dude wouldn't pick up some keys while going at it, right?) and she notices the keychain belonging to the 2nd ML, thusly bursting in tears.
Come dawn, a *ridiculous* scene on the beach ensues, where we discover that deaf people apparently have the superpower of being able to understand what you say if you just put your throat on their shoulder (seriously, Kitagawa-san?!? Or was it Stan Lee who wrote that scene? Who knows, maybe the ML got bitten by a radioactive mosquito? Again, mattaku...)
Then she gets back to the 2nd ML, who's the usual, understanding nitwit and leaves alone, brokenhearted but with a big smile (oh, boy) while she stays in the Big City to pursue her acting career.
Three years later, she's been so "successful" that her single-line scene gets cut, but apparently that pays well enough that she's dressed all in style with Italian/French designer's clothes. And then the leads meet again by chance in front of an apple tree (more like, a completely different plant to which some poor sap of AD has glued half a dozen apples bought in the closest supermarket!!!), and so they can live happily ever after. *BARFS!*
Wasn't it for the OST and for Tokiwa, the grade would be even lower. 4/10
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I feel like I need to make a short premise: in my humble opinion, if you have a certain amount of interest in the idols phenomenon (you don't have to be a die-hard "wota", just not someone who can't stand it, LOL), then you're most probably gonna appreciate this "Idol Shikkaku" more than otherwise - just like humble me appreciated it.I really liked the production value / "packaging" and the script (with the sole, partial exception of the ending; more on that in a jiff). Oh, BTW, in case you don't know, the story is based on a novel written by an active member of NMB48 (hence a colleague of the four girls acting as members of the fictitious group "Tetra").
The acting was good as a whole, with some doing better than others as it is to be expected.
And now on to the ending and why I didn't like it too much (spoilers ahead, so stop reading if you don't want them!!!):
I honestly found it way too unresolved, on the one hand realistic, ok, but on the other hand a bit bland/bitter and uninspiring. It would have sufficed to have the ML's phone ring in the last scene where he's looking at the sun to make it right, imho!!!
Still, a totally solid 8/10 in my book.
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I must confess I started this "Miwa-san Narisumasu" without really having high expectations about it. On the one hand, it's a "yorudora" (similarly to the "asadora", many short episodes of 15' each, credits included) which made me wary it could've been aimed (as somehow more typical of the yorudora, in fact) at a much younger audience than poor old me; on the other hand, as you might already know if you've read my other reviews, romance ain't really my favorite genre.I'm happy to be able to say that this drama totally exceeded my expectations!
First of all, romance isn't really such a big part of it, but rather a side ingredient (just like the pinch of sugar we Italians like to add to our tomato-based pasta sauces, if you get what I mean, LOL). Secondly, it felt more mature and a little deeper than the usual yorudora, which was also a very nice surprise. Last but certainly not least, the whole cast did really well and contributed highly to the viewing pleasure.
So did the pretty high production value and the generally very nice script, although this latter wasn't absolutely perfect imho. In all fairness, I felt a few parts here and there were a bit weak, and most of all, the ending was way too rushed and left some things way too open (but then again, I've watched this RAW so chances are some details, and even more than that, escaped me...?)
I can still wholeheartedly recommend it though. 9/10
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Date - Koi to wa Donna Mono Kashira
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I'm really happy I finally decided to pick it up, as it really exceeded my expectations!!!
If you, like me, appreciate when writers manage to accomplish a well-done character development, then chances are you'll like this series too!
The leads slowly-but-surely develop, in fact, from the almost unbearable characters they are at the beginning (LOL, you'll need some patience, believe me!) to the more open, warmer, kinder and more humane persons they'll get to be in the end, all thanks to the help from those sorrounding them and to the fact that, as imperfect as they are, they can still become a little less imperfect just by staying together - and to this humble reviewer, that alone is a gazillion times more romantic than the usual "Cold male CEO x buck-eyed, eyelashes-batting Cinderella"!
(Too bad they kinda ruined it with the useless SP episode...but that's another story...)
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Although the genre (high school romance) isn't really my favorite (on the one hand, I'm probably too old for it, LOL; and on the other hand, my favorite genres are rather comedy, iyashikei, horror, mystery, etc.), nevertheless I actually liked this lil' movie that definitely managed to exceed my expectations: the story is clean, straight-forward and nice, the leads are both very good and so is the "packaging" (directing, editing, photography, music,...).
Totally solid 8/10!
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Both works, in fact, share the same fascination with time loops and the technical prowess required to portray them through sequence shots. And of course they are from the same director and share a relevant part of the cast.
I personally think that the story here is just a lil' bit weaker, and the setting a lot less fascinating (let's be honest: beautiful ryokan in the hills around Kyoto beats small family restaurant/café in an anonymous city side street any day of the week!!! ^_^;;;....), hence my grade.
It's still another wonderful movie I can wholeheartedly recommend, though! 9/10
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This was clearly visible in the story, which might result a bit (heck, even more than just a bit) too naive and simple for the older audience, as it's been the case of yours truly. Indeed, although I deeply appreciated the innocence and purity of it all - something one would actually expect from NHK, but nevertheless is always a nice "surprise" when compared to the ever-surging wave of "hollywoodian" dramas made in Japan - on the other hand, though, I'll confess the story was not really that interesting to poor old me, sorry...^_^;
Still, the acting was very good (Koyama Sae is so talented it's scary, seriously - how can she act so well at that age? >____<), the "packaging" totally ok, and the music decent enough.
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As I've already said a few times, I'm a sucker for time-travel related stories, and it was therefore with pretty high expectations that I started watching this "Toki wo Kakeru Bando" - the title reminiscing of the überfamous "Girl who Leapt through Time" also had something to do with that, as well as the presence in the cast of two of my faves from the current generation of J-actresses, Ohara Yuno and Shiraishi Sei.The script had its good moments but also some not-so-good ones. As far as I'm concerned, too little focus on the time-slip part and too much on the music - note that this "light music" (in the Japanese sense - "K-On", short for "keiongaku") ain't really my cup of tea, so there's that too (had this been about classical music, or jazz, or blues, or tango, or bossanova, or any of the dozens of musical genres I like better than pop, I think I would've like this series a lot more).
Anyway, the acting was pretty good, particularly from Ohara & Shiraishi but also from Miura.
The production value was OK, and the music objectively catchy.
All in all, not a masterpiece but still a decent series imho. 7/10
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Koibumi - Watashitachi ga Aishita Otoko
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I had this "Koibumi" sitting, so as to say, on my "virtual nightstand" for almost two decades. Why? Well, on the one hand, one of my all-time faves, Wakui Emi, is in the cast; but on the other hand, I expected this to be a deep and tough emotional journey like "1 lt. no Namida" - that dorama had been absolutely *great* but at the same time really painful to watch (one of those cases where the title says it all!).But this "Koibumi" was nothing of sorts: I could find no deep, universal messages in it, no cathartic tears nor any heartwarming feeling at the end...only a quite disturbing story of unreasonable people doing unreasonable things and therefore hurting each other in the process.
I guess Okada (the writer) is one of those who either make masterpieces (the likes of "Churasan", "Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi", "Beach Boys", "Space Travelers" and others), or else really awfully bad works (like "Iguana no Musume" or "Ai no Uta" or "Kanojotachi no Jidai"...or this one...).
The acting was OK but nothing worth calling home about (even my beloved Wakui-san was sub-par, due to the lousy material she had to work with).
The production value is pretty decent and the setting (hard to beat Kamakura, seriously) simply great - incidentally, the only reason I raised the grade a little bit in the end! Man, I want a house like the leads'!!!
One last note about the OST: if you belong to the billions of people who just adore the Beatles, you're gonna love it; but if you belong instead, like me, to the select minority who just can't freaking stand them and wish you had a time machine to go back in time and make sure, one way or another, that they never happen (I'm exaggerating a bit there, but I seriously believe that they were, together with their "rivals" the Rolling Stoned - pun intended! - the beginning of what has ruined popular music entirely over the last seven decades and counting; what can I say, I'm team Doors - and CCR, and ABB, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, etc. - real music with meaningful lyrics, in a nutshell), back to what I was I saying, if you, like me, don't like those Cockroaches, err, those Beatles, this OST is gonna be like a freaking *torture*, really. Those five damned notes repeated *over and over again* until you'll just have to run and "clean" your poor ears with some good music before they start to freaking bleed...>____<
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Kaette Kita Jikou Keisatsu
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The cast did very well, once again (and I really appreciated that they added Saori, as I've always had a soft spot for her - too bad she doesn't have many main roles in her filmography! But that's another story...).
The music was as adorable as it was in the first installment, of course - as it was the same, LOL - and the "packaging" was also on par with the previous season (nothing worth calling home about, but at the same time nothing terrible).
Imho what's changed for the worst, even though only slightly, was the script. Some episodes were better than others, and that's to be expected; but I got the feeling that the comedy was not as funny, some scenes tried too hard with mixed results.
Still, it's pretty enjoyable if you don't mind the quirkiness typical of many dramas starring Odagiri! 7/10
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Upon watching it, I can in all fairness say that I wasn't let down.
True, the series could have been even better (heck, "freaking masterpiece" would be the right definition then) if it had had a more brilliant and conclusive finale. But it's still a very solid 8 in my book!
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Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo
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It's been for example the case of movies like "Metro ni Notte" or "Blindly in Love" - while watching them, I seriously thought I was gonna give both a "perfect 10"....until they tried hard to ruin everything in the finale.
It is unfortunately also the case of this "Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo": until the very last episode, it was a crazily funny run, filled with tremendously original and brilliant ideas...but then the last episode was a complete U-turn, silly, uninspired, annoyingly boring, Now, the problem with stuff like this is it's hard to grade them; were I to consider everything but the last episode, I would seriously give this a 10; if, on the other had, I only considered the last episode, of course it'd be a 1 (and only 'cause we can't give less than that). I'll try to pretend the last episode didn't happen and grade this series as a pretty decent 8.
p.s.
I had some weird fun imagining a possible explanation of how that abominable last episode came to be:
"It was originally supposed to be only 12 episodes, as the last week of the season [Japanese TV annual schedule consisting of four seasons of 13 weeks each] was supposed to be reserved for a SP episode of a different drama. Due to a number of unforeseeable circumstances [a scandal involving the cast? technical problems? whatever...], the SP got canceld within but a few days from airing time. At that point, it was decided to produce a 13th episode of this drama, but by then, as it happens, it was Golden Week so 99% of the staff was not at work; the script was done by an aquaintance's cousin's son who said he could write it, and got greenlighted by the studio's janitor [the closest thing to a person of authority that could be found on such short notice], a foreign national who had actually lied on his being able to read kanji in order to get the job. And the rest is history..."
p.p.s.
If you happen to be a fan of Maeda Atsuko, this is a must watch, as she's absolutely A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E in here! ^___-
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It was thusly with pretty high expectations that I've watched this "Akuryo Byoutou", even more so considering my beloved Kaho stars in it (and at least she didn't let me down in the least, gorgeous and brilliant as always, seriously! ^____-).
The rest of the cast provided mixed performances (as is to be expected of this genre, let's face it).
The music and the rest of the "packaging" (direction, editing, photography, etc.) were OK.
Unfortunately, the story ended up being the weak point of the series; way too many flashbacks in the first half of the drama (to the point that you'd watch an episode, think nothing of it, and then appreciate some details only through next episode's flashbacks - rinse & repeat) and way too few good ideas in the second half.
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The premise is as interesting and original as they come, *artistic* in the true sense of the word (that is, without ever being the least bit *artsy*). It's a little hard to judge the acting, due to the static quality of the series (it's like a "manga for TV", so as to speak), but anyway I can't find any major fault in it, so it's all good.
As for the stories, as it is to be expected in such cases, alongside little masterpieces, there are also much weaker episodes. Had they kept only the top of the crop, I would've given this a perfect 10, seriously!
As is, it's still a solid 8 in my book! ^____-
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I honestly didn't have high expectations (if any at all!) about this "Crime Family", but it has really surprised me in such a tremendously positive way!The premise is pretty absurd but still quite interesting, and I'm happy to be able to say that it was very well developed, coming up with a short (heck, TOO short! >____________<) drama that stands out for its originality (LOL, those "quiz" scenes are a) really creative, and b) a nice, witty touch - most of all considering how they contain the key message of the series! ^___-)
The cast did a very good job (with a particular mention for Ohkura Koji who's always brilliant, imho), the music and production value are OK, and all in all it's a cute lil' drama with a wholesome message about the importance of family. Highly recommended! ^___-
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