Through the years, I get impression something or some aspects are changed in J drama landscape. Perhaps it is only the change in the policy, not reflection of what happen in society. In 90ties J dramas seem more loose in showing relationship between opposite sex many showing a lot of skin ship (more passionate kiss, hugs, and make-out) and not to mention one night stand relationship anddd smoking cigarette scene 😠 For the recent days, J dramas seem stricter in skin-ship compare to K drama or T dramas, even if there are ones, they look so limited, stiff and awkward. I've never been to Japan, though there's a plan so I've been reading some travelling websites and blog, they always said Japanese people are such nice, polite and conformist, perfect place for woman traveling alone. Looking from their recent drama, I Believe them.
Some aspects may be changed but what makes J drama appealing to me may not. No matter how wacky the story or the execution, J drama always manages to insert contemplative feeling about it. They seem playful but they keep touch on heavy subject about life in general, like loneliness, depression, single person household, anxiety of thirty something women, dilemma being stay-home mother or career woman, woman emancipation, growing older, etc. Sometime I can't even wonder how they did it to cover that much bases. I don't know sometimes I think the contemplative quality is really Japanese people nature. It is just how they are. Because I can feel the contemplative nature across platform, from drama, movie, novel, even comic. Beside that I love their short format (11 - 11 episodes and 45 - 50 minutes long). And yeah J drama excels in medical, slice of life, office life, and crime-procedural. The last has never changed, but K drama and C drama have been catching up.
The actor appearances seem more natural and their costumes too. Don't you ever wonder why poor girl in K drama has such look expensive and sophisticated coat, and ever changing designer bag? 😃 I don' t know in which should I include that bad thing or good thing, since often that the reason I continue to watch K drama when the story line fail me, is the fact I love the costume choices, I may take example for real life use.
Oh yeah the strict policy on copyright issue also the reason why I don't really follow J drama. How can I follow and fall in love when I can barely have my hands on? You can see it from how fast a fans' video would have been taken down after being uploaded into World Wide Web. This policy really has a double edge sword effect. It gives more profit for the copy right owner, meanwhile less chance for free promotion by avid fans. No fans no free subtitle, no international followers, less national income from drama tourism, or drama merchandise, or drama advertisement, no investor for drama production. Here I lay the facts for you. So yes, I may not watch many J dramas, but when I watch it, and finish it. It probably is sooo good.
Here the list of J dramas I've watched and finished (will be up-dated):
A Million Stars Falling From The Sky
Japanese Title: 空 から 降る 一 億 の 星 (Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2002
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Mystery, romance
Actors: Takuya Kimura, Eri Fukatsu
sPlotlight:
I was sold by the premise that it would be about a romance between real siblings. It is not playing it safe turning incest to fauxcest. So I said, Go fucking head! I wanted to see how they are gonna fix this kind of mess. Call me excited. Of course it doesn't end well, but I'm satisfied! Dark and gritty, a rare beast.
“To me, there's no God. No one, nothing, was given to me. If it was not for someone wrapping a blanket around this frozen body, there would have been no one to hug this lonely heart. That was the start of my life. That's why I, myself, became a God. That way I can do whatever I want. This is the only way I can reflect my will to the world. Nothing will come if I just wait. No one would come. The stars wouldn't fall. Whatever I want, I will get it myself. I don't need things like rewards. I don't need things like love. With my method, I'll obtain the result I want. It's like playing a game. This would be my lifestyle.” - Katase Ryo.
Beach Boys
Japanese Title: ビーチボーイズ (Bichi Boizu)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1997
Episode: 12 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Takenouchi Yutaka, Sorimachi Takashi
sPlotlight:
Let me remember this. It is about a trip to a beach done by two young men from Tokyo, whom I only remember one of them played by Takenouchi Yukata. Always remember the beauty, ha, ha, ha. He plays a serous, quiet type Tokyo office man taking a vacation. It was in 90ties when Japan was in economy blooming, so the drama is basically a reminder of the simple, carefree, laid-back lifestyle people living in little town in coastal area. During the trip the two boys meet new people (and girl) and have some fun.
Beautiful Life
Japanese Title: ビューティフルライフ (Byūtifuru Raifu)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2000
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Takuya Kimura, Takako Tokiwa
sPlotlight:
The romance story between a disable woman and a famous hairstylist. How they do it against all odd. The take home massage, in line with the title, that life is still beautiful even you are on wheelchair and have a little time to live. Sniff. The ending is bitter sweet.
Border
Japanese title: ボーダー
Country: Japan
Released year: 2014
Episode: 9 episodes
Genre: Police procedural, mystery
Actor: Shun Oguri
sPlotlight:
Oh so convenient to see the ghost of the victims and murderers when you are the cop in charge investigating the criminal case. I’ll be glad to be able to read mind and see the future, if that can make my work easier :P I really like the main character is written. He is a tenacious policeman but not in the way he uses fists and barks often, but he is brave to embrace some “unusual” ways in solving his case. He is so devoted to his line of work, even after a bullet stuck in his head, he is got so unhinged, he can see “ghost” but only if the ghosts related to his work. Lol if it is not devotion, I don’t know what it is. :D He even shows some kind of aversion to violence, yet still appears obstinate enough to go against his senior officer’s advice, but it is only until he hears Adele calling: “Hello from the other side.....”, hence the title. Ha, ha, ha.
Cold Case season 1
Japanese title: コールドケース～真実の扉～ (Korudo Kesu: Shinjitsu no Tobira)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2016
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Police procedural, Remake
Actor: Yo Yoshida, Kento Nagayama
sPlotlight:
I always love story about a competent independent career woman. While I'm not intent on watching the original US version, I do like this Japanese version very much. Japan is good in making procedural dramas with seasonal format like this. Yes, their woman main character are always believable as you know professional career woman, not like Korean or China dramas who makes the career women seems so incompetent makes me want to pull somebody's hair.. And I love detective Ishikawa's working suits! Off to watch season 2.
GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1998
Episode: 12 episodes
Genre: Coming-of-age. School life
Actors: Takashi Sorimachi, Oguri Shun
sPlotlight:
I think the one that I watched is the adaptation number one from the original comic. Is it? I'm not quite sure. After that GTO has been adapted and remake over and over again till the recent years. Perhaps story about a cool teacher loved by his student for helping them going through the turbulence of teenage years is never out of time.
Good Partner
Japanese Title: グッドパートナー 無敵の弁護士 (Good Partner: Muteki no Bengoshi)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2016
Episode: 9 episodes
Genre: Rom, com, law procedural
Actors: Takenouchi Yutaka, Yasuko Matsuyuki
sPlotlight:
As a sucker for a drama about a couple reunited, of course I like this drama. The divorce couple is both lawyers working at the law firm. Is it a bad idea? Of course it is. After years of being stay-home mother, the wife tries to renew her life, but then the crack on their marriage start showing. The problems in their household brought to office, and the problems from their office muddle their family life. So yeah they divorced after that. You know there's a quote: There's a crack in everything, so the light can get in. So yeah they now know what is wrong in their marriage before, so that they know what to fix. i.e. Not working at the same office, and know to separate private life and work life.
Heartbroken Chocolatier
Japanese Title: 失恋ショコラティエ (Shitsuren Chocolatier)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2014
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Matsumoto Jun, Satomi Ishihara, Kiko Mizuhara
sPlotlight:
At the age of watching dramas online, I felt a little bit out of ordinary when I can watch and finish one drama on TV. This is one. I barely watch TV now day. An unpopular, no body student (Matsumoto Jun) at school has a crush to a famous, popular pretty student (Satomi Ishihara) at school. That is one sided first love for the boy, his chocolate for her in valentine day got rejected. So heartbroken, he intends to make perfect chocolate with her as inspiration thus he goes to French to be chocolatier. Finish his study, he goes back to Japan and open his own chocolate store. Then his childhood crush marches back into his life as his chocolate fan who loves his chocolate to forget her unhappy marriage to some rich, successful man. First love revival, but what if only she only plays with him? While as popular chocolatier now, he got girls falling for him, from his chocolatier colleagues in store to some aspiring model sex friend (Kiko Mizuhara) who starts to have feeling for him? Seriously I don't fancy the first love, teenage crush lady just dancing back to his life when he is already made it big. Hmmmm but the writer doesn't agree with me 😈
Hotaru No Hikari Season 1
English Title: Glow of Fireflies
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2007
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Romantic comedy
Actors: Ayase Haruka, Fujiki Naohito
sPlotlight:
This is story of dried-up-fish office lady (Ayase Haruka), who likes to spend her free time, just rolling around at her messy room, doing nothing but reading her favorite mangas, snacking her favorite dish, and drinking can of beers. As a girl who does the same things in her free time, I can feel her. She is actually a capable office worker who seems having a lot of energy, doing everything that is asked as long as she can do it, she will do it. This is really contrary of her private life, who lack of life energy, she can’t even have the urge to go out, get dress, and less get a date. Until one day Fujiki Naohito comes to her life, he is the son of the owner of her rental house. He just gets divorce and needs to find house after leaving his former apartment for his ex-wife. He thinks his father’s house is empty only to find a weird girl opening him a door to looked-like-a-ship-wreck house. Yeah so he who is so neat, tidy, self-serving domestic work capable, gentlemanly though rather stoic, ends up with the doing-nothing-all-day-long girl. They have this amazing, comfortable relationship which I envy so much. Hah.
Hotaru No Hikari Season 2
English Title: Glow of Fireflies
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2010
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romantic comedy
Actors: Ayase Haruka, Fujiki Naohito
sPlotlight:
After being roommate for sometime, they start to like each other. Rather than changing completely for their partner, Hotaru and Buchou choose to compromise and accommodate the other’s needs and wants. Ahhh envy >.< When they think to just date each other out, she is sent to over sea job. And I know it! People like us are bad at long distance relationship. So during her long stay over sea, she sent nothing but one post card. LOL tough love Buchou! It turns their relationship into the complicate Facebook status. Hah. She also meets her co-worker who has the same habit with her, lay-around-at-home-all-day doing nothing. He gives Buchou a hard competition. As an addition, Buchous is pointed as Hotaru’s boss. Working at the same office, and living the same house, while learning how to be a lovey dovey couple, that’s a lot of task for dried-up-fish girl like Hotaru.
Country: Japan
Released year: 2014
Episode: 9 episodes
Genre: Police procedural, mystery
Actor: Shun Oguri
sPlotlight:
Oh so convenient to see the ghost of the victims and murderers when you are the cop in charge investigating the criminal case. I’ll be glad to be able to read mind and see the future, if that can make my work easier :P I really like the main character is written. He is a tenacious policeman but not in the way he uses fists and barks often, but he is brave to embrace some “unusual” ways in solving his case. He is so devoted to his line of work, even after a bullet stuck in his head, he is got so unhinged, he can see “ghost” but only if the ghosts related to his work. Lol if it is not devotion, I don’t know what it is. :D He even shows some kind of aversion to violence, yet still appears obstinate enough to go against his senior officer’s advice, but it is only until he hears Adele calling: “Hello from the other side.....”, hence the title. Ha, ha, ha.
Cold Case season 1
Japanese title: コールドケース～真実の扉～ (Korudo Kesu: Shinjitsu no Tobira)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2016
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Police procedural, Remake
Actor: Yo Yoshida, Kento Nagayama
sPlotlight:
I always love story about a competent independent career woman. While I'm not intent on watching the original US version, I do like this Japanese version very much. Japan is good in making procedural dramas with seasonal format like this. Yes, their woman main character are always believable as you know professional career woman, not like Korean or China dramas who makes the career women seems so incompetent makes me want to pull somebody's hair.. And I love detective Ishikawa's working suits! Off to watch season 2.
GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1998
Episode: 12 episodes
Genre: Coming-of-age. School life
Actors: Takashi Sorimachi, Oguri Shun
sPlotlight:
I think the one that I watched is the adaptation number one from the original comic. Is it? I'm not quite sure. After that GTO has been adapted and remake over and over again till the recent years. Perhaps story about a cool teacher loved by his student for helping them going through the turbulence of teenage years is never out of time.
Good Partner
Japanese Title: グッドパートナー 無敵の弁護士 (Good Partner: Muteki no Bengoshi)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2016
Episode: 9 episodes
Genre: Rom, com, law procedural
Actors: Takenouchi Yutaka, Yasuko Matsuyuki
sPlotlight:
As a sucker for a drama about a couple reunited, of course I like this drama. The divorce couple is both lawyers working at the law firm. Is it a bad idea? Of course it is. After years of being stay-home mother, the wife tries to renew her life, but then the crack on their marriage start showing. The problems in their household brought to office, and the problems from their office muddle their family life. So yeah they divorced after that. You know there's a quote: There's a crack in everything, so the light can get in. So yeah they now know what is wrong in their marriage before, so that they know what to fix. i.e. Not working at the same office, and know to separate private life and work life.
Heartbroken Chocolatier
Japanese Title: 失恋ショコラティエ (Shitsuren Chocolatier)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2014
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Matsumoto Jun, Satomi Ishihara, Kiko Mizuhara
sPlotlight:
At the age of watching dramas online, I felt a little bit out of ordinary when I can watch and finish one drama on TV. This is one. I barely watch TV now day. An unpopular, no body student (Matsumoto Jun) at school has a crush to a famous, popular pretty student (Satomi Ishihara) at school. That is one sided first love for the boy, his chocolate for her in valentine day got rejected. So heartbroken, he intends to make perfect chocolate with her as inspiration thus he goes to French to be chocolatier. Finish his study, he goes back to Japan and open his own chocolate store. Then his childhood crush marches back into his life as his chocolate fan who loves his chocolate to forget her unhappy marriage to some rich, successful man. First love revival, but what if only she only plays with him? While as popular chocolatier now, he got girls falling for him, from his chocolatier colleagues in store to some aspiring model sex friend (Kiko Mizuhara) who starts to have feeling for him? Seriously I don't fancy the first love, teenage crush lady just dancing back to his life when he is already made it big. Hmmmm but the writer doesn't agree with me 😈
Hotaru No Hikari Season 1
English Title: Glow of Fireflies
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2007
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Romantic comedy
Actors: Ayase Haruka, Fujiki Naohito
sPlotlight:
This is story of dried-up-fish office lady (Ayase Haruka), who likes to spend her free time, just rolling around at her messy room, doing nothing but reading her favorite mangas, snacking her favorite dish, and drinking can of beers. As a girl who does the same things in her free time, I can feel her. She is actually a capable office worker who seems having a lot of energy, doing everything that is asked as long as she can do it, she will do it. This is really contrary of her private life, who lack of life energy, she can’t even have the urge to go out, get dress, and less get a date. Until one day Fujiki Naohito comes to her life, he is the son of the owner of her rental house. He just gets divorce and needs to find house after leaving his former apartment for his ex-wife. He thinks his father’s house is empty only to find a weird girl opening him a door to looked-like-a-ship-wreck house. Yeah so he who is so neat, tidy, self-serving domestic work capable, gentlemanly though rather stoic, ends up with the doing-nothing-all-day-long girl. They have this amazing, comfortable relationship which I envy so much. Hah.
Hotaru No Hikari Season 2
English Title: Glow of Fireflies
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2010
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romantic comedy
Actors: Ayase Haruka, Fujiki Naohito
sPlotlight:
After being roommate for sometime, they start to like each other. Rather than changing completely for their partner, Hotaru and Buchou choose to compromise and accommodate the other’s needs and wants. Ahhh envy >.< When they think to just date each other out, she is sent to over sea job. And I know it! People like us are bad at long distance relationship. So during her long stay over sea, she sent nothing but one post card. LOL tough love Buchou! It turns their relationship into the complicate Facebook status. Hah. She also meets her co-worker who has the same habit with her, lay-around-at-home-all-day doing nothing. He gives Buchou a hard competition. As an addition, Buchous is pointed as Hotaru’s boss. Working at the same office, and living the same house, while learning how to be a lovey dovey couple, that’s a lot of task for dried-up-fish girl like Hotaru.
I Don't Love You Yet
Japanese Title: 僕はまだ君を愛さないことができる (Boku wa Mada Kimi o Aisanai Koto ga Dekiru)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2019
Episode: 16 episodes
Genre: Romance, Friends to Lover
Rating: 4/5
Actors: Adachi Rika, Shirasu Jin
sPlotlight
You know friend-turn-to-lover dramas will always be my comfort drama, so it is natural that I LOVE In Time With You with all its remake versions. The only version I have not watched yet is the Chinese drama version. I tried but I only made through episode two. Maybe I’ll try again someday when I need some comfort. I like this Japanese version more than the Korean version. And perhaps the sign that friend-turn-to-lover drama done it right is that how far the male lead makes you frustrated about his love confession. The more frustrated are you, the better. Wk, wk, wk.
Japanese Title: わたしのウチには、なんにもない。(Watashi no Uchi ni wa, Nanimo Nai)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2016
Episode: 6 episodes
Genre: Slice of Life
Actors: Kaho, Kondo Koen, Enami Kyoko
sPlotlight:
Such an inspiration, lol. For the new it life style : The minimalist. She is like me but in the worst case scenario, like to throw away anything. If she doesn’t like to see any unused things scattered around (if they can be thrown away, why keep them?? Wkz), I don’t like anything unfunctional, scattered around (If they can’t be fixed, be functional again, why keep them?) . We like to throw them away! Sentimentality our ass. Ha ha ha
Long Vacation
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1996
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Takuya Kimura, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Yutaka Takenouchi
sPlotlight:
How am I supposed to remember a drama from 20 years ago?? 😑 I think the story is about a cohabitation romance. Two strangers suddenly find themselves have to live under one roof in big bustling city of Tokyo. Both of them are young adults who just trying to navigate their live, face and solve the ordinary problem faced (finding job, try to compromise dream for uncompromised reality, scarfing for money, etc) by many of their same-aged peer, finding companion in each other and falling in love. What is special in that?? But I remember I finish watching it because I remember it is a good drama. And what I remember the most of all is its OST La,La,La Song by Toshinobu Kubota.
Love Generation
Japanese Title: ラブ ジェネレーション (Rabu Jenerēshon)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1997
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Takuya Kimura, Takako Matsu
sPlotlight:
What makes it so long writing this list is not because of the number but I have to really rock my brain out to remember something from so so long ago. This one is about the love and life of generation in Japanese society around 90ties? The hero has to adapt his free-spirited self to monotonous office life or we called it do some grown up adult things 😂😅😤 As a part of generation that spend almost all their 24 hours at an office working, no wonder he also find some romance with his office co-worker, hence the 'love' generation title. I don’t quite sure about the ending. Don’t look for me for some verification. My memory is maybe going through some confabulation. Ha, ha, ha. The OST is also one thing I remember the most. Because we remember melody using heart perhaps.... 😃 Shiawase na Ketsumatsu by Ohtaki Eiichi
Love Revolution
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2001
Episode: 12 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Fujiki Naohito, Esumi Makiko
sPlotlight:
It is about a journey to find love from a successful, 30 something, tall and beautiful female doctor. People around her always know her as independent woman and capable doctor makes it even harder for her to find a man with the same independent and capable quality. Oh the prejudice, I heart you! Oh yes the OST: Kiss of Life by Ken Hirai!
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2006
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance comedy
Actors: Ueno Juri, Tamaki Hiroshi
sPlotlight:
This one made me regret not learning how to play music when I was young. Ueno Juri plays a genius classical pianist, who doesn't like to play by the book that can only make Tamaki Hirosi, an aspiring young classic music conductor and former pianist going crazy. She is a slob, he is a neat freak. She is his fan that follows him around, and he is annoyed by the way she plays her music yet fascinated by it.
Japanese Title: わたし、定時で帰ります。(Watashi, Teiji de Kaerimasu)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2019
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Romance, office drama
Rating: 5/5
Actors: Yoshitaka Yuriko, Mukai Osamu
sPlotlight:
Ahh so good 👍👍I love drama with some message. Once I was a civil servant, this was principle that I hold firm while doing my job. I don’t let my country, those taxes that can be used for other important matters, are used to pay me for working overtime while the benefit of the job that I do in my overtime is minimal. Work as efficient as possible, try to make working hours, human resources, and energy as minimum as possible but get the highest quality and benefit from the job that we do. Yet, still there’s misconception that people who work the hardest are the one who work overtime. That’s why I quit right?? 😃😄
Ordinary People
Japanese Title: あすなろ白書 (Asunaro Hakusho)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1993
Genre: Romance drama
Actors: Hikari Ishida, Takuya Kimura
sPlotlight:
This is a story about five collage best friends. They are going through such kind of love triangle or love pentagon? 😃 I forget. I think they separate when they graduate, but still have lingering feeling. After few years of separation they meet again. Regardless the plot, I know I have finished watching this because I still remember the last scene of the drama: The remained four friends (I think one of them dead in early episodes is reason behind the separation?) come back to their university and have little commemoration of their lost friend around a grand piano. 😃 It is not happy ending, bit bitter sweet. Oh yes I have to mention its superb OST: True Love by Fujii Fumiya.
Reverse
Japanese title:リバース (ribasu)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2017
Episode: 9 episodes
Genre: Mystery
Actor: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Erika Toda, Yuta Tamamori, Takahiro Miura, Hayato Ichihara, Teppei Koike
sPlotlight:
It is a good 'who've dunn' eeeettt?!?' drama. The writing is excellent. The writer takes us with him in the journey to find the culprit. He doesn't look us down, thinking we are fools not seeing what is going on. We are partner in this journey. He uses the many facets of human’s memory. It is not that the characters lied about the event in the past or how they know one’s character, it is just in how people remember things. Wow, it is amazed me how I was shifting the blame from one person to another every episode. And the ending is unexpected, peppered with a little bit a cheeky dark humor which I LOVE it.
Rich Man, Poor Woman
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2012
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Oguri Shun, Satomi Ishihara
sPlotlight:
The rich man is a founder and CEO of a tech company. He is like the stereotypical techno nerd who is bad with people but once he got an idea inside his head he does whatever he can to make it come across to other people. The poor woman is a new intern in his company. She is reserved and timid who can't find herself to say no to anybody. Though she graduated from a prestigious university, she has problem to secure a job, until she meets her rich man. Ha, ha, ha. Together they become a more mature person.
Screw-Up Adults' Sharehouse
Japanese Title: カカフカカ-こじらせ大人のシェアハウス- Kakafukaka Kojirase Otona no Share House
Country: Japan
Released year: 2019
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Morikawa Aoi, Nakao Masaki
sPlotlight:
Watching this, I can’t keep wonder how women being valued in Japanese society. I think they value woman who can cook, great at doing house course, being obedient more than anything else. I don’t think those characters aren’t great but you know, I’m just wondering. Is it only men who have the right to be nerd and still considered attractive? LoL. We, women, are only right if we keep being “normal”.
Strawberry on the Short Cake
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2001
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Hideaki Takizawa, Kyoko Fukada
sPlotlight:
The story about unrequited love 😂 Hideaki Takizawa plays a depressed, introvert high school student who finds himself drawn to his easy-going, extrovert new step sister (Kyoko Fukada) in the mean time he has a secret admirer for himself who is apperantly an understanding girl next door. While the step sister has a crush with her senpai who likes his teacher. So I has this quote to describe their relationship 😃: “I choose to love you in silence…For in silence I find no rejection, I choose to love you in loneliness…For in loneliness no one owns you but me, I choose to adore you from a distance...For distance will shield me from pain, I choose to kiss you in the wind…For the wind is gentler than my lips, I choose to hold you in my dreams…For in my dreams, you have no end.” (Rumi). And this song will stuck in your head for awhile after you watch the drama 😂
Tokyo Love Story
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1991
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Honami Suzuki, Yuji Oda, Narimi Arimori
sPlotlight:
i still can't wrap around my head, yes after 25 years later, why the male main lead choose to get back with his childhood friend who is a woman with no back bone and like to play victim who just serves to get my blood boil. What is it wrong with independent, capable, career woman?? Huh? He is afraid that she doesn't suit his big ego? 😈
One Liter of Tears
Japanese Title: 1リットルの涙 (1 Litre no Namida)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2005
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Melodrama
Actors: Erika Sawajiri, Ryo Nishikido
sPlotlight:
It tells story about a girl with spinocereberal degenerative disease. The story starts from picturing a girl who is good at sport and still can walk and jump around until she is a bedridden who can barely speak. It is sad and tragic wrapped into one. It weight in your heart.
Last Cinderella
Japanese Title: ラスト シンデレラ (Rasuto Shinderera)
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2013
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance comedy
Actors: Fujiki Naohito, Ryoko Shinohara, Haruma Miura
sPlotlight:
A woman starts to show male sex characteristic because hormonal imbalance. She thinks it is the point of no return from her feminine side, so she needs to start to search for good romance now or never. After 39 year of doing fine on her own, now she faces two candidates for her love partner one her old colleagues and competitor hairstylist and, the other a young freelance biker. Noona romance is not my favorite kind of romance, this is one of them. It is not the age problem but they always get the notion 'younger' means carefree, it is okay to not dependable; it is okay to be superficial. That's the kind of character that I don't think I fancy them. What made me stay through to the ends is that she would choose Fujiko Naohito but…
Rondo
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2006
Episodes: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance, Action-thriller
Actors: Choi Ji-woo, Yutaka Takenouchi
sPlotlight:
It has an 'Internal Affair' kind of vibe. Yutaka Takenouchi plays double agent for Japan police department and underling of Korean gangster operated in Japan. Choi Ji-woo is a Korean girl who try to live in Japan in search of her lost father together with her sick sister. Who knows she is not merely Korean girl who lives in Japan. ☺ They got me at that one too!
Unnatural
Japanese title: アンナチュラル
Country: Japan
Released Year: 2018
Episodes: 10 episodes
Genre: Police investigation, medical forensic
Actors: Satomi Ishihara, Arata Iura
sPlotlight:
Set the bar for other medial forensic themed drama way up high. Yes for second season with subtle romance between Misumi and Nakado, no? Girl can dream 😃
We Are Made of Miracles
Japanese Title: 僕らは奇跡でできている (Bokura wa Kiseki de Dekite Iru)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2018
Episode: 10 episodes
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life
Rating: 4/5
Actors: Issey Takahashi, Nana Eikura
sPlotlight:
It is the kind of drama that leaves you with that warm and fuzzy feeling after watching it. And a drama with a nerdy main character always got me. It feels like I finally find a friend. Maybe there’re people who don’t really feel such a romantic love kind of feeling and who are not the marrying type. LOL
We Married As A Job
Japanese Title: 逃げるは恥だが役に立つ (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu)
Country: Japan
Released year: 2016
Episode: 11 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Gen Hoshino, Yui Aragaki, Ryeohei Otani, Yuriko Ishida
sPlotlight:
Oh J drama, if you are good you are just soooo good. You gets everything covered, from discussing how much exactly housewife's income is, the life of 40 something, success, single, top management woman and the prejudice she faces (and how cool this lady is), older woman younger man romance, gay romance, the romance of people who choose to not marry, what the advantage of marry or not marry, what if people choose to marry without wanting to have child. I can't kiss you enough Drama!
With Love
Country: Japan
Released Year: 1998
Episode: 12 episodes
Genre: Romance
Actors: Yutaka Takenouchi
sPlotlight:
Oh the story about to people meet and fall in love out of the sheer of Fate (wrong addressed email) always got me at the heart. I wish Fate is such kind thing in real life.
No comments:
Post a Comment