Alice no Toge (2014)

I gotta say this one didn't do as great as I'd hope.

Story
We started with an interesting mystery but I just did not enjoy how it was handled. The first few episode never gave me the feeling that our lead girl was smart, but just that our villains at the beginning were too easy to take out. Later episodes had interesting villains, and thats when I felt that Mizuno wasn't up for it and was way in over her head, but it still kept me interested. The drama would've been better if they had ended it at episode 9, but they used what I'd call a cheap cliffhanger at the end of the episode, while many revelations in the last episode did not sit well with me. Its not because of how the story went, but more how it was handled and the reasoning behind it. Lets just say I wasn't happy with it.

Acting
Now that is why I watched this drama and why I was mad the drama wasn't well executed. Ueno Juri did great in that role. From the first moment she's onscreen she convinces she's to get people (though her actions aren't convincing :P). I don't think you can mix her with any other character she played before, she was a totally different person. Odagiri Joe on the other hand, Although I really liked, I felt he was restrained in that role. I guess I'm just used to him doing the craziest or weirdest role and this was waaaayy too tame for him. Iwaki Koichi and Kunimura Jun were excellent in their role. Nakamura Aoi was cute as always and fit the role perfectly. Even the cartoonish villains from the beginning were well acted just not added any depth. On that department I don't have any complaint.

Music & Art
I liked the music throughout the drama, the ending song and I love the alice in wonderland drawings they used but I actually never felt any connection with Alice's story and this drama. It just didn't add anything to the drama only a nice picture to look at, at the beginning of every episode.

Finally I don't give much attention to rewatch value since I rarely rewatch stuff. Also mystery dramas kind off lose most of their value after the first watch since you already know the end of it.

Overall I don't regret watching it because I enjoy the acting, but I just didn't like how the story when and how many scenes were executed. It did not feel genuine or unique.

Hope you enjoy the review & don't find it too harsh :P Its just how I felt about it ;)

Read More

Finally I've seen not cute and shy Ueno Juri, but the opposite one. Her character here shows a lot of her devil side who sees nothing but revenge. Sometimes her cold-hearted decisions and eyes made my hair move.

I like the Alice in Wonderland story theme used as kinda hunter guide tool. Such an artistic idea, feels like a thrilling ribbon going through the drama.

I'm glad here is no a lot of medical issues. Medical scenes take may be only 20-30% of drama time.
Most time there is something else like conversations or other actions outside of the hospital.

I'm glad that this drama has no actual romance.

For me, this drama misses some deepness and realism. Mizuno Asumi doesn't look capable enough for such severe actions she does. So it's not totally unrealistic, but quite so..It is more like fiction than real life:
There are too much of twists in characres and plot. Also I'm confused and irritated with how at first some disguisting villains are suddenly later shown to have their sensitive, innocent and kind side. And opposite - at first innocent and kind ones turned to actually be villains... The villians are aslo the kind of too obvious and too nonsense villains who barely exist in real life, with lack of intrigue.
I think this drama is raw and need alot of improvements. I felt also here are too many flashbacks.

Nevertheless this drama is catchy. Twists are still dynamic and interesting. Scenes are beautiful. I never watch something just because I started to and have to finish at any cost. I always drop when I'm not interested or put on hold when I it's not bad but not captivating enough. This drama was one of that I didn't wan't to drop neither to postpond.

Soundtracks here suit this drama very well.

Read More