I'll watch anything with Hana Sugisaki

After watching Hana-chan in Hana Nochi Hare, I'm slowly going through her filmography. I've liked everything she has been in so far, even that weird "Bleach" movie lol. "Haken Uranaishi Ataru" is unlike any drama I've seen before and definitely would not be something I would've watched if Hana had not been in it. For J-dramas, I usually only watch romantic comedies and manga adaptations. Anyway, I'm so happy I watched this!

Though I couldn't necessarily relate to every character, I found myself touched by their problems. I cried a lot, of course lol. One character hit pretty close to home for me, but I won't say which! I loved seeing Ataru help fix their problems and then see how they all changed after. By the end of the series, they all worked so well together that I wished I could have worked with them. Regarding Ataru's character, I think Hana played her rather well and the mystery of her background was a nice touch. Though I liked her best once we really got to know her.

This review got kind of rambling, gomen. I think anyone who likes slow-paced, slice of life dramas will enjoy this series.

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"Shokojo Seira" is an adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic "A Little Princess". My second favorite version of the story was also produced in Japan, an anime,titled "Princess Sarah" (1985). "Shokojo Seira" places the story in modern-day Japan and makes Sara (renamed Seira) a teenager. I liked the lead actress, Mirai Shida. Despite some changes to Sara's personality, Shida captured the more important aspects, including her selflessness.

After being raised in India, Seira returns to Japan to attend a boarding school. However, when her rich father dies, the school's headmistress forces her to work as a maid. In this version, the headmistress at least has reasons for hating Seira, though it is still appalling to watch her treat Seira horribly. Becky is changed to a male love interest named Kaito Miura. Their love story was sweet, but I felt the episode where they visit his hometown was a bit out-of-place. Masami (Ermengarde in the novel) kind of annoyed me, while I thought Maria (Lavinia) was probably the most interesting.

SS was a sweet story but unremarkable story. I think some might find the series frustrating, because the bullying scenes were a bit over-the-top. However, I still think most people will enjoy this drama. I also recommend the 1986 (find it on YouTube) and 1995 versions, though the latter does not really follow the book.

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No Life Is Meaningless

At a glance, "Junjo Kirari" might seem like just another story about following your dreams. The story, however, grows along with our heroine Sakurako (played by the wonderful Aoi Miyazaki) as she discovers the meaning of life itself. For this reason, the drama starts off very light and fluffy which represents childhood and adolescence. As the Second World War looms, it quickly becomes about persevering through hardships. Then the post-war section is where Sakurako finds true happiness surrounded by her love ones.

This is only my second asadora. The first being "Hanako to Anne." There are a lot of similarities between the two as both follow a heroine from a poor family living in a small town who goes to Tokyo to follow her dreams. And both also cover the war. I've knocked out a half a point from "Junjo Kirari" 's score because of some story elements I didn't really like. So let's cover those first.

1) I disliked Sakurako's engagement with Saito Sensei. I'm assuming that there's not much of an age difference, but still a grown man being interested in a seventeen-year-old will always give me the ick. I'd also like to point out that they have zero chemistry together. Thankfully, this storyline doesn't go on for long.
2) Fueko's character easily becomes one of the most inconsistent characters of the series, but I have mixed feelings about it. It might be natural for a woman to change after marriage and childbirth. I'm not really sure.
3) The war weeks were already going on too long, but they just had to have Sakurako fall in love with Togo (Fueko's husband). Nothing happens of course, but I still hate it.

Now these complaints are out of the way. "Junjo Kirari" has a lot of good points. The heroine is a lovely and fun person to follow as she follows her music dreams and sacrifices for her family. Sakurako is stubborn and strong-willed, but not in annoying way. There are some great supporting characters like Tatsuhiko (Sakurako's love interest), Togo (a wandering artist), Kane (Tatsuhiko's mother), Momoko (Sakurako's sister), and others. I will say I didn't feel as attached to the side characters in this series, but I think that's just because the focus is given more to Sakurako. The music is also nice in a calming sort of way.

My final comment is that though this drama has a tragic ending, I will not lower the score for that. Sometimes tragedy is called for at the end of a drama. That does not mean our time was wasted, just that sad things happen some time. I really liked this drama and had a nice time watching it.

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An interesting take on complicated feelings

This film's story seems cliche at first, but actually becomes interesting. Cali (played by Liza Soberano) has not forgave her ex Gio (Enrique Gil) for cheating on her a couple years prior. Suddenly, he is thrust back into her life when they have to work together. Now he has to convince her that he has changed. This description is simple, but where this movie shines is its portrayal of complicated feelings.

For most of the movie, Cali struggles with whether to forgive Gio or not. She receives pressure from all sides. Some calling her "heartless" for still being angry with him, others yelling "Once a cheater, always a cheater." The thing is: feelings are not that simple. And that's why I liked this movie. It did a good job on showing how complicated feelings and relationships are. You are free to forgive or not forgive someone whom you felt has betrayed you. Your feelings are always valid. I love that a rom-com had me thinking this much.

I had some issues with a few plot details, but I won't include them here since I already made a rant in the comments section. Overall, I think this was a good movie. A little emotionally heavy, especially towards the end. I particularly liked the part where they visited Korea. It's fun to see the country from the eyes of Filipinos and it was a nice contrast from the rest of the movie. I recommend this to anyone who likes romance, but I suggest you avoid it if you hate cheating story lines.

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"Courage. Love. Trust. Hope."

"Beppin-san" is my 25th asadora [Have I really watched that many of these lol]. This is a very solid asadora, though I have some issues with the plot which I will get into later on. "Beppin-san" reminds me of two other asadoras, "Ohisama" and "Carnation." Coincidentally, Nagayama Kento and Kora Kengo both appeared in "Ohisama" but in opposite roles. The lovely Charlotte Kate Fox from "Massan" also has a small role in "Beppin-san."

First, let's address the heroine, aka Bando Sumire (played by Yoshine Kyoko). She's a very understated heroine, being quiet and absent-minded. Surprisingly, the attention isn't always on her though this is still very much her story. It's interesting to me because it shows that a "normal" person is the main character of their own story. Sumire, however, can be assertive when she needs to be and becomes self-confident over time. Another interesting part of her character is that she had a relatively sheltered childhood, which makes her a bit of a naive "ojou-sama". I really enjoyed watching her grow as a character.

"Beppin-san" has some wonderful side characters, particularly Sumire's lifelong friends: Akemi (Tanimura Mitsuki), Ryoko (Momota Kanako), and Kimie (Tsuchimura Kaho). Each girl goes through their own character development and I really love the friendship between these girls and Sumire. My next favorite character is Norio-san (Nagayama Kento), Sumire's husband. Their relationship is really sweet, but also shows that marriage isn't all smooth-sailing. You have to make an effort to understand each other. And then the next best character is Eisuke-san (Matsushita Yuya). His arc is surprisingly poignant and made me cry on more than one occasion. Honorable mentions go to Sumire's father (Namase Katsuhisa) and mother (Kanno Miho, also narrator); her older sister Yuri (Renbutsu Misako), her daughter Sakura (Igashira Manami); and Kimie's son Kentaro (Furukawa Yuki). And really there's so many more~

Now on to my issues with the plot. The first three weeks of "Beppin-san" kind of rush through Sumire's childhood, marriage, and then giving birth. It's a bit of a whiplash moment, though I realize it's because they wanted to get to and then through WWII relatively quickly. I liked the pacing of the drama much better after the war. Halfway through, there's a time-skip to Sakura's teenage years. Honestly, I really hated this plot. Mostly because it dragsss on for four weeks worth of episodes. I actually understand Sakura's feelings, having a workaholic mother myself. However, it some point it just becomes too much and the plot felt like a chore to watch. Thankfully, Sakura becomes a much better character afterwards. She's assertive without being bratty. In the grand scheme of the asadora, I think these are minor complaints and overall it's very good.

I really liked "Beppin-san", despite said minor complaints. It has a really cohesive theme of friendship and parenthood. I love the whole four leaf clover meaning "Courage. Love. Trust. Hope." Sumire and her friends each represent these traits and I think that's why their children's clothing company works so well. On the technical side, it was interesting seeing every step of the company's growth. It's also ironic that Sumire and her friends aren't ambitious and really just go with the flow. If you liked the asadoras "Ohisama," "Carnation," "Gochisosan," or "Toto Nee-chan," I think you'll really like "Beppin-san."

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"I'm going back to the North..."♫

"Amachan" is the 24th asadora that I've watched. I hesitated to watch this one since it's SO popular. My track record with popular asadoras hasn't been so good. Thankfully, I pleasantly surprised with "Amachan" and ended up really liking it. It's an interesting blend of comedy and emotional moments, when asadoras (particularly popular ones) usually go for the big historical dramas. However, it is not without its faults. Warning for small spoilers of the ending

Non is really sweet as the heroine Amano Aki, and I liked her 99% of the time. But... She can be annoying sometimes with her denseness and naïvete, which is mostly played for laughs. I would also say that her motivations are kind of weak. She wants to be an ama because she likes diving; she wants to be an idol because she likes singing and making people smile. I understand that this is in fact part of character, but I think her weak motivations is probably why viewers don't like the idol arc of the asadora as much. Anyway... I consider Aki's mother and grandmother, Haruko (Koizumi Kyoko) and Natsu (Miyamoto Nobuko), to be the second and third heroines of this asadora. Their performances are honestly perfect and their stories were executed perfectly. *Chef's kiss* Props also to Arimura Kasumi playing young Haruko.

"Amachan" also has the perfect cast of side characters. I know asadoras are known for their wonderful side characters, but "Amachan" is the first I've watched where I liked everyone. I felt like everyone had a well laid-out personality. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering characters in asadoras, but I never had that problem here. I particularly related to Yui (Hashimoto Ai) who has a slightly twisted personality. Her arc isn't perfect, but I liked how it mirrored both Haruko's and Aki's experiences. Then there's Suzuka Hiromi (Yakushimaru Hiroko), an actress who can or cannot sing? [Lol I loved that they left that ambiguous at the the end.] I really wasn't expecting to like that character so much, but Yakushimaru plays her with the right amount of comedy and divaness. And, of course, there's every townsperson of Kitasanriku which is too many to name, but I will carry them within my heart from now on.

Now a couple of complaints. "Amachan" doesn't have much in the way of romance, which is fine but I've come to expect stronger romances in asadoras quite frankly. Aki's love interest Taneichi is kind of just there, and a lot of the drama around their relationship feels forced. Especially when you think of Aki's age lol, though I guess she really is naive. My other complaint is that the music is repetitive. The opening is instrumental and can kind of feel like you're on an amusement park ride if you watch multiple episodes in a row. "Shiosai no Memory," sung by several characters, is nice but only made an impact once I heard it 10+ times. GMT's "Hometown" song I thought was terrible and I found it hard to believe that it was a hit lol. Other than that, I liked the frequent plugs of old 80s songs and Daikichi singing "Ghostbuster randomly.

A lot of asadoras explore the theme of "hometown," but I think "Amachan"'s exploration of this has become my favorite. Aki doesn't particularly like Tokyo, where she was born and grew up. She instead finds her "hometown" in Kitasanriku, where her grandma lives and her mother grew up. Therefore, your "hometown" is where you love to be and where the people you love are. Aki does return to Tokyo for a year and a half, but ultimately decides to pursue her dream of being an idol in Kitasanriku. Yes, she'll never become a superstar that way, but she'll get to stay in the place she loves with the people she loves. Honestly, I really love this sentiment. "Amachan" easily enters my top ten asadoras. I love it so much, even the idol arc ;)

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I liked it but...

This is the third asadora spin-off/special episode that I've watched after the ones for "Natsuzora" and "Mare." I'm grateful that fansubbers have translated these specials, but I can't say that any of these specials have been "must-sees." This "Massan" spin-off is probably feels the most skippable in my opinion. The "Natsuzora" was just pure fun and the "Mare" one wrapped up some storylines for major characters (though I didn't like it that much). This one, however, deals with some minor supporting characters but doesn't really do anything really...

The first episode focuses on Sumire (Hayami Akari), Massan's little sister. I was really looking forward to this actually, because I always felt that Sumire could've been a bigger character than she was. Sumire runs away to Osaka, but it takes too long for them to reveal why. It also tries too hard to avoid putting Massan and Ellie in too much of the story. Lastly, it ends with Sumire going home to become a teacher. Something we already know! I don't know. The story was nice, but ultimately does nothing for the bigger picture of the asadora.

The second episode focuses on Yoshiko (Eguchi Noriko), for some reason? You remember Massan's co-worker from the beginning part of the story, right?? Yoshiko and Ikeda elope to Hokkaido [This story is set in 1938 btw]. Massan and Ellie quickly exit the story, and it only gets worse from there. Yoshiko is married remember? So she's committing adultery. Honestly, couldn't get pass this part of the story. Hana's and Chie's husbands also use this opportunity to act like complete misogynists to their wives. This one I really don't know the point of it. The main character is a questionable choice and the messaging is just completely wrong [even if she does go back to her husband in the end].

I'd probably give Sumire's story at 7/10, and Yoshiko's a 4/10. This is yet another skippable asadora special. At the end of the day, I guess "Massan" really didn't need a "spin-off" since it's mostly perfect by itself anyway.

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"Love is a dangerous visitor."

"Mio Tsukushi" is my 21st asadora that I've completed. I started watching it right after the English subtitles were completed over at d-addicts. I really appreciate fansubbers who decide to pick up older asadoras like this one. "Mio Tsukushi" was originally released in 1985 and had very high ratings at the time (next to the very popular "Oshin"). 80s asadoras are similar to modern ones in many ways, though I've noticed that they tend to rely on suspense more often. For example, nearly episode and especially the last episodes of each week end on a cliff hanger. For this reason, I found myself saying "Just one more episode..." time after time (lol). P. S. Major spoilers follow so stop reading here if you don't want to know anything else!

The main theme of "Mio Tsukushi" is love and how it effects not just the lovers but those around them. Sawaguchi Yasuko plays the heroine, Kaoru, in her lead debut. Considering she was a relatively new talent at the time, I was very impressed with her performance. Kaoru is the daughter of a soy shop owner and his mistress. She falls in love with fisherman Yoshitake Sokichi (played by Kawano Taro) at the very beginning of the drama. Unfortunately, fisherman and soy shop workers are like water and oil. Furthermore, her father has finally accepted Kaoru into the family register and will not approve of Sokichi. Kaoru tries to forget about Sokichi at first, but their feelings only grow stronger. This section of the drama is my favorite as we watch their relationship develop and the general conflict that arises from those around them. It has a satisfying conclusion as well with Kaoru, despite being disowned, triumphantly marrying Sokichi as the asadora's insert song plays.

The actual part of Kaoru and Sokichi's marriage is less entertaining in my opinion. The question of whether they were going to get married was better than the reality I guess (lol). Now don't get me wrong, there are still some cute moments between the couple. I especially liked their trip to Itako, which gets referenced several times later on. Their romance is cut short when Sokichi goes missing during a storm. After about two years, Kaoru's parents encourage her to remarry. Her new match is Umeki Kensaku (Shibata Kyohei), the head clerk of her father's shop. I really liked Umeki's earnest love and I think it's easy to see why Kaoru would choose to marry him. His jealousy when Sokichi returns alive is also completely understandable. Ultimately, I think both men were good matches for Kaoru though first loves are obviously harder to get over.

Kaoru is, of course, the main character but this asadora sometimes feels more like an ensemble. Many characters are given story arcs away from Kaoru. Of these characters my favorite was hands down Ritsuko (Sakurada Junko), Kaoru's half-sister. Her personality is slowly uncovered and developed over the course of the drama. The ending of her character is pretty sad, but I think fits the tone of the final week. Other great characters are Kaoru's parents, Rui (Kaga Mariko) and Kyubei (Tsugawa Masahiko), her brother Eiichiro (Washu Isao), and mother-in-law Tone (Kusabue Mitsuko). The maid, Ami (Takashi Miyuki), also has a nice, heartbreaking arc. I was really surprised that the writer took the time to complete Ami's arc. The only character I really didn't like was Yataro (Akashiya Sanma). He was supposed to be comic relief, but I really only wanted to slap him.

I'm not knocking off any points for the music. It has a simple melody for the opening, which can get repetitive after hearing 162 times (I'm lazy or I would've skipped it lol). It also has an insert that is played a few times of the course of the asadora. I really liked this one, and I think the tune and lyrics really fit Kaoru as a character.

"Mio Tsukushi" is another asadora I'd recommend. It has strong characters and strong love stories. The final two weeks are hard to get through, but that's expected since it's covering WWII. I liked the open-ended ending to be honest, though I acknowledge that it's not for everyone. It leaves it up to me to imagine what ultimately happens between Kaoru and Sokichi, and I think that's fun.

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"Let's send a cheering yell!"

"Yell" is my 20th asadora and it's the third I've completed from this decade. It was also a great way to kick off 2020 and they made a great drama, despite all of the COVID-19 issues.

"Yell" is what I like to call a "couple asadora." I've seen a few of these couple-focused ones and the problem is normally that they become uneven at some point. For example in "Manpuku," the attention shifts to the husband and the wife becomes less important. In "Yell," the attention feels more equal. Yuichi (played by Kubota Masataka) and Oto (Nikaido Fumi) each have their own childhood weeks and both have dreams. I think Yuichi is obviously the "main" main character, but Oto never vanishes into the background. She remains important to the narrative from start to finish.

I previously watched Kubota Masataka in "Hanako to Anne" and I was delighted to see that he had his own asadora. He plays the composer Yuichi with a lot a nuance. Kubota and Nikaido Fumi have really good chemistry together, which accounts for nearly all of the charm of this asadora. Nikaido, who plays the aspiring singer Oto, also has a really great singing voice. I loved every moment that she was singing. I wish the narrative had let Oto realize her dreams, but I feel that the character has a very fulfilling life nevertheless.

Like most asadoras, "Yell" has a lot of great side characters. However, unlike some, "Yell" gives a lot of these characters arcs and storylines that [for the most part] are given satisfying conclusions. I'll name a few that were stand-outs to me. There's Yuichi's childhood friends, Sato Hisashi (Yamazaki Ikusaburo) and Murano Tetsuo (Nakamura Aoi), an aspiring singer and lyricist. Both are given strong characterization and great storylines, which brought me to tears. Yuichi's and Oto's daughter, Hana (Furukawa Kotone), also sticks out to me. She has a likeable, realistic personality, which makes her one of the few children of asadora characters not to annoy me (lol). Oto's and Yoichi's family have quite a bit of storyline as well with their own fun romances. And there's a lot of reoccurring characters that populate the asadora, which are delightful whenever they're on your screen.

Okay, now on to the very few issues I had while watching. The twelfth week of "Yell" was a very obvious filler week as it consisted only of side stories of characters that we really didn't need to see. [I wonder if this week was made because of COVID?] I disliked seeing Oto's father as a ghost. For an asadora that had so much realism, it was just a weird juxtaposition. Also, after Yoichi is finally successful as a composer, his storyline becomes a bit on the boring side. Thankfully, it does pick up around the WWII weeks. Lastly, I'm tired of asadora heroines giving up their careers because they're pregnant. It's probably true to life [and let's face it, realistic], but it becomes annoying after so many times (lol).

Finally, I want to conclude this review on a positive note. "Yell" is very different from other asadoras. It has a unique opening and ending. The first episode is absolutely perfect, honestly. The last episode is technically a special concert episode, which was a really fun way to go out (though not necessary to watch). The last moment of the asadora narratively (episode 119) is such a sweet way to conclude and will remain in my memories for a long time to come. The music is impeccable and the talent of the entire cast is obvious. I definitely recommend "Yell", despite the few narrative flubs.

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Skip it.

This is only the second asadora special that I've seen after "Natsuzora"'s special. While that one was at least fun, this was borderline boring and useless. I do appreciate fansubbers subbing these specials since that's actually pretty rare, but I'm starting to think that the specials should mostly be skipped lol.

If you're interested in watching this, I'd recommend watching the first episode which is about Takashi and Minami. I thought this episode was mostly cute even if it's strange to choose a character that doesn't talk [much] as the main character. I do think the conclusion of the episode was rushed, but it at least resulted in something that I had hoped would happen since the main series.

The second episode is a waste of time. It's about Yoichiro's attempt to get over again Ichiko [yet again]. In my review for "Mare," I said that I really disliked Ichiko so you can guess how much I liked this episode. It felt like an exercise in futility watching Yoichiro, whom the writers seem to hate. [Just let him be happy.] The plot ended up being so convoluted that I didn't care who Yoichiro ended up with. Anyway, complete waste of time.

The 7 I'm giving this is for Takashi's story only by the way.

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"We'll meet here again."

"Mare" is my 17th asadora and I confess that I was a bit disappointed. I wish I had watched this asadora earlier on in my journey, especially since I've had it downloaded for quite a while. I think "Mare" would appeal to newer viewers of asadora but if you've seen more than 10+, I think it'll leave you a bit frustrated.

Let's talk about what I liked first. Tsuchiya Tao plays an aspiring patissier named Mare. Tao basically sells this role because Mare could've easily been annoying. [Though if you don't like Tao, you'll probably hate Mare lol.] I really enjoyed Mare's journey. Her initial hesitation to chase her dream was a tad exasperating, but I also felt that it was realistic. Not everyone goes head first into doing what they want like most asadora heroines. I'm not such a fan of her relationship with Keita, but we'll get into that later. However, I do like Mare's struggles with marriage and motherhood. Essentially trying to "have it all." Though the storyline stumbled a bit, I think this is an important storyline for modern day Japanese women.

I also liked the supporting cast, except for Ichiko (played by Sengen Yoshiko) during her "I hate Mare" phase. It was a delight to see Tanaka Yuko again. She starred in the 1980s hit asadora "Oshin." [Ishimatsu Guts from "Oshin" was also in this asadora.] Tanaka plays Mare's adoptive grandmother and my only complaint that we don't see her nearly as much as I want to. Then there's the patissier, Ikehata Daigo (Kohinata Fumiyo), whom Mare apprentices for. He's one of those typical eccentric mentor characters you see a lot of in asadoras. I really disliked him at first, but he ends up being so sweet by the end. Tokiwa Takako as Mare's mother Aiko is a delightful mix of emotion and comedy. I really like how she supports Mare and encourages her to leave when she realizes that Mare is trying to protect her. I'll stop here, but there are a quite a few interesting and fun characters.

On to Mare's father, Toru (Oizumi Yo). I honestly don't know what to think of this character. He abandons his family not once but twice. But in a sort of noble way... I guess? I liked his character at times when he was trying to do things for his family. Him being a big dreamer wasn't really the problem like the drama tries to say. It's his bad decisions in the process of trying to achieve that dream. And honestly did the writer hate Toru? Lol this man literally could not do anything right.

Now on to Mare's backstabbing friend, Ichiko. Oh my good I hated Ichiko even as a child lol. She was so rude even then. The real hate came when she started dating Keita (Yamazaki Kento). Mare had not said that she liked Keita to Ichiko, but I will maintain that that b*tch knew what she was doing. She only gets worst tbh and I could never forgive her after she said that she hated Mare. I don't care that they essentially made up and became good friends again. I really don't care.

Finally, on to the last thing that irritated me. I'm not a fan of Mare's love interest, Keita. Not only does he date Mare's best friend after confessing to Mare just a few episodes before that he loved her, but his personality is also just annoying. And he's a freaking hypocrite. Him and Mare then get together and married way to quick. There was hardly any romance to it. There relationship gets better once they become parents. I like them as a family unit and I think Keita is a good father. I really Mare had dated Daisuke (Yagira Yuya) for longer than one episode. I preferred him as her love interest. He was more interesting and was showing a clear interest in Mare, while Keita was still all about Ichiko (for some reason). Anyway, justice for Daisuke. He was way better than Keita.

In conclusion, I think "Mare" is a good asadora but the romance aspect of it is a dud in my opinion. It also left me wondering why every asadora heroine has to get married. I wish in this case that they had decided to focus on her career instead. I would recommend "Mare" to beginners since it has a lot of good points to it. I especially liked the music, which a lot of effort was put towards. However, veteran viewers will be able to spot the flaws easily.

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"Thank you for the meal."

"Gochisosan" is amazingly the 16th asadora that I've watched. (Honestly, I'm just so grateful that so many of dramas are subbed :)) I'd describe this asadora as very solid, referring to the writing and acting. It's also a foodie's dream with all of the different types of food. For someone like me, I kind of think of eating as a chore lol but this asadora gave a newfound appreciation for the sustenance and joy food can bring. I now want to try cooking more.

Watanabe Anne (playing Meiko) and Higashide Masahiro (playing Yutaro) serve as the co-leads. I've seen two of what I call "couple asadoras" (meaning the couple is the focus instead of just the female lead). The mistake with couple asadoras is that sometimes the wife turns into a "yes dear" type and the husband just does whatever he pleases. This was especially apparent in "Manpuku", but not as bad in "Dondo Hare." "Gochisosan", unlike both of those asadoras, was able to strike a perfect balance. Meiko is supportive of Yutaro's dream but doesn't live to help him. We also get to Yutaro on his own pretty often so his whole character isn't defined by his wife either. I do think the story suffers a bit in the last few weeks due to Yutaro's absence. Watanabe and Higashide have great chemistry, which explains why they married in real life. (Though he did turn out to be a cheating bastard and they divorced *shrugs*)

More on Meiko. She's an interesting asadora heroine since she doesn't necessarily have an ambition. What she lives for is eating/cooking and her family. I think it's important to show that housewives can live just as fulfilling lives as career women. However, I won't lie... I feel like this also makes her somewhat boring at times lol. Thankfully, these times are few and far between. As a character, I really like her honest and giving nature though she's willing to fight when it comes to it. And I do really feel that she has solid character development, which is apparent when you get to the final week of episodes.

Like all asadoras, "Gochisosan" has a wonderful cast of side characters. I particularly liked Takahata Mitsuki as Yutaro's younger sister. She has some of the best character development of the cast. Suda Masaki and Nishihata Daigo as Meiko's and Yutaro's sons were also some of favorites along with Kondo Masaomi and Miyazaki Yoshiko as Yutaro's father and stepmother. The latter two in particular had some outright hilarious moments. Matsuura Miyabi as Meiko's and Yutaro's daughter wasn't my favorite but I appreciate the level of care put into writing someone "different." I'm guessing she's supposed to be autism spectrum disorder-coded. Lastly, I wish they had showed more of Meiko's family and friends in Tokyo after she left for Osaka. At some point, it was like they just didn't exist anymore lol.

Now for what I didn't like. 1) Kimura Midoriko gave a surprisingly good performance as Yutaro's overbearing elder sister Kazue. However, despite the nuance given to the character, I could never quite forgive her for bullying Meiko in the first place. Her final appearance, being as spiteful as ever, was actually hilarious. 2) There's one storyline with Yutaro and his childhood friend Akiko (Kato Ai) that's just not satisfactorily concluded. It seems like Yutaro's going to cheat, but Akiko decides against it?? And Meiko isn't given the space to feel how she feels by either of these two people. Like Akiko, I don't care how hard your life is, why are you spending so much "alone time" with my husband?? Storyline could've been realistic, but was just written badly. 3) The ending felt kind of underwhelming for me. I knew Yutaro was going to come back because if he had died they would've given at least a week's worth of episodes to process that. And for them to throw Gen-chan's almost love confession in there at the end. Ugh for that one.

Anyway, three things that I didn't like isn't really that bad. For the most part, I was quite happy while watching this show. I only found the weeks where Kazue was bullying Meiko unbearable. The lead couple, the side characters, writing, acting, and the food were all solid aspects of this asadora. "Gochisosan" did not become my favorite asadora, but most certainly entered my top ten (as of August 2024) and will be one I recommend to others.

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Clothing gives people hope

"Carnation" is my fourteenth asadora. I've wanted to watch it for a while since it kind of gives off the same vibes as my favorite asadora, "Ohisama" (which also aired the same year). I really liked "Carnation" overall, but it hits a stumbling block around week 17 that it never really recovers from. Well, for me, at least. Warning! Major spoilers follow~

The heroine, Itoko, is played by Ono Machiko. She really deserves all the praise I've seen her get for this role. Ono was able to play the stubborn, somewhat pigheaded Itoko in such a way that she never becomes insufferable. She stays consistently funny and enjoyable, despite her bad traits. Kuriyama Chiaki playing Otoko's childhood classmate, Natsu, also sticks out in my mind as a stand-out performance. Her relationship with Itoko made me laugh until the very end. I also quite liked Natsuki Mari as an older Itoko. Definitely a great actress. I only wish that they had introduced her a tad sooner as I think the transition from Ono to her was a bit awkward. The rest of the supporting cast I could best describe as comforting. I just loved continuing to see the faces of Itoko's family, friends, and neighbors.

On to the minor things that I didn't like which resulted in me giving "Carnation" a 9.0 instead of a 10. First, her father. I hated him. This has nothing to do with the actor (Kobayashi Kaoru) as I think he acted him really well actually. Even if I sit and think about it, I can relate to the dad's feelings. But... I just find it inexcusable for a man to hit his child so much and just generally act like a tyrant. I was really waiting for him to die, even if he finally chilled out a bit lol. Second, I thought all of Itoko's children were annoying. Tbh this is an ongoing issue with asadoras set around the war. The children that grow up afterwards are almost always intolerable. Yuko is probably the most tolerable, but her fights with Naoko (the most annoying) are so hard to watch. And poor Satoko is just portrayed as an idiot. And the third thing...

Itoko doesn't have a decent love interest. I really liked her husband Masaru (played by Suruga Taro) until he goes off to war and she discovers he was having an affair! After the war, she gets a new love interest in Suo (Ayano Go) but he has a wife! For me, this is where my interest started to wane. I don't really care that the show wants us to think that their love isn't "dirty." Whatever, he has a wife (who suffers from the aftereffects of the atomic bomb) and children. They eventually come to their senses and part, but I can't help but think about how painful this affair was for everyone. This was around week 17 and I didn't particularly like the weeks that followed since they started to focus on Itoko's daughters. And I said before, I find them annoying.

However, "Carnation" is a pretty solid asadora until week 17. I loved the focus on dressmaking and fashion, and Itoko achieving her dream of owning her own shop. The weeks focusing on the war are also very good and don't focus too much on the tragedy of it all. Following the war, Itoko is able to refocus on her dream and I really liked the 1950s fashions. It was also funny for her to realize that she has a harder time relating to newer fashions now that she's middle aged. Then I also really liked the final four weeks with older Itoko and her storyline with her granddaughter. I was reminded of my own grandmother and definitely cried a lot. It was surprising that they showed Itoko passing away as this is only the second instance of a heroine that I've seen. Even though she died of natural causes, it was still very sad.

Interestingly, I looked it up and the real-life Itoko (her real name was Koshino Ayako) really was a fan of asadora and wanted her life put to screen. It was kind of meta that they actually put this into the plot lol, but I loved it. Especially seeing Natsu watching it at the end. Cue tears.

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"I'm back."

"Okaeri Mone" is the thirteenth asadora I've watched. I had this one downloaded on my computer for a while, but I wanted to watch some older ones before watching the [currently] latest completely subbed asadora. An interesting note: "Okaeri Mone" is 120 episodes which, yeah is long, but feels short since asadoras used to be 150-156 episodes. I feel like this asadora would've benefited from being maybe two weeks longer (10 episodes). I have some issues with the pacing and making it slightly longer might've helped.

Let's start with the things I liked. 1) Mone (played by Kiyohara Kaya) is a great heroine. I love her. She's breaks the typical mold of an asadora heroine since she has more of a moody air to her. Her character development is slow, but ultimately very satisfying. 2) The way 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was shown through flashbacks was a brilliant move on the writer's part. It doesn't dwell on the horror of the event, but instead focuses on the way everyone was affected afterwards. 3) Mone's love interest Suganami Sensei (Sakaguchi Kentaro) was *chef's kiss.* They are very much a slow burn romance. I love how they are not depended on each other and are even just content to support each other from afar. Mone says to him "To us, distance and time doesn't matter." Awwww. 4) The supporting cast as per usual with asadora was great. My personal favorite being Imada Mio as Riko-chan.

Now on to my very few problems with this asadora. I really (regrettably) disliked Mone's sister Michi (Makita Aju). It's not the actress's fault. The blame lies squarely with the writing. She acts out in very small ways, but honestly I thought she was just being a brat lol. The reasoning behind her character is not revealed to the very last week of episodes. And really, the third act is the weakest and is completely dominated by Michi's character. I would've preferred the reveal be more towards the middle of asadora. That way, I could've been more invested in Michi and her romance with Ryo (Nagase Ren). But because I already disliked her, I couldn't give a care for the couple. Besides Michi, the third act is also unsuccessful with Mone. She never does quite find her new place in her hometown as a weather forecaster and it's kind of just shrugged off.

Despite the lackluster pacing of the third act, I would still recommend "Okaeri Mone." The first two acts in Tome and Tokyo are amazing. I loved learning about forestry and weather forecasting. The earthquake storyline is handled with care and grace. The finale is satisfying as Mone realizes that she has "come back" as a stronger person. Her friends then say "Welcome back, Mone" (Okaeri Mone) and she answers "I'm back.' Cue tears. Honestly, this whole asadora is bit a tear-jerker lol. "Okaeri Mone" was well worth watching even if it's not my favorite asadora.

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A Fun Ride That Doesn't Stick the Landing

I started watching "Dolce Amore" right after finishing Enrique Gil's and Liza Soberano's previous project "Forevermore." In some ways, I feel like I set up "Dolce Amore" for failure in my mind. It was originally going to be my first Filipino telesyre but then I decided to watch "Forevermore." I anticipated it being better than "Forevermore." And it in some ways it does, but it in other ways it doesn't... For my "Forevermore" review, I mostly just summarized the drama. But for "Dolce Amore", I have more clear negative opinions so I'll skip the complete recap and just give a short one.

"Dolce Amore" has a great opening set-up that immediately draws you in. It starts by establishing the childhoods of Serena (played by Liza) and Simon "Tenten" (Enrique), both of whom are adopted but under vastly different circumstances, from different economic classes, and living in different places. Serena is from Italy and Simon the Philippines. After the childhood portion (about three episodes), the story falters just a bit when Serena and Simon meet as young adults. It picks up once the two become friends. Nearing the end of "Chapter 1" (first fifty-three episodes), Simon and Serena are now dating. (If I'm being honest, I find it hard to believe that Serena would fall in love with a man who acts so juvenile lol.) Now enter the conflict. Simon's brother, Binggoy (Kean Cipriano) decides to ransom Serena in order to raise money for their father's heart operation. This, of course, ruins Serena's and Simon's relationship. Though, she doesn't remember it, because, of course, she has memory loss.

Now going in "Chapter 2" (eps 54-106). Serena is back in Italy with her adoptive mother, Luciana (Cherie Gil), whom, of course, arranged the whole kidnapping thing. The shock of this revelation put Serena's adoptive father, Roberto (Ruben Maria Soriquez), into a coma. Why? Because Luciana wants her daughter to marry the rich Giancarlo de Luca (Matteo Guidicelli). Giancarlo has mostly been portrayed as a good guy though somewhat jealous so far. But *ding ding ding*, first red flag. Giancarlo goes along with Luciana's plan, and he eventually proposes to Serena after two years. After a woman, named Alice (Sunshine Cruz), claims to be her biological mother, Serena returns to the Philippines and meets her father, Uge (Andrew E.), and sister Angel (Sue Ramirez). Meanwhile, Simon has become a successful composer working with Angel who has just started dating. Serena's return causes the truth to come out to Simon's parents, Dodoy (Edgar Mortiz) and Taps (Rio Locsin). Soon, everyone knows but Serena.

Finally, Simon admits the truth to Serena. She's mad and returns to Italy to b*tch out Luciana and Giancarlo, before coming back to the Philippines to find herself with Simon's help. Simon and Giancarlo then squabble for Serena's affections. It ends with Serena falling in love with Simon again. Giancarlo seemingly takes it well at first, but soon turns into the most cartoonish, mustache-twirling villain I've seen put to screen. Aided by his evil uncle Favio (Alvin Anson), Giancarlo demands for Serena to marry him instead of Simon. In the process, Binggoy is accidentally killed instead of Simon. His death and funeral, unfortunately, feels so unserious despite becoming the emotional current for the rest of the drama. Serena decides to go with Giancarlo to save everyone else. Fortunately, at the alter, Giancarlo and his evil uncle are murdered. *And the crowd goes wild*

Now time for "Chapter 3" (eps 107-137). It gets even more complicated from here. Simon is now working in business with his "real" mother, Vivian Dubois (Tetchie Agbayani). Serena and Roberto, now awake, are living on a vineyard. Her and Simon's paths cross when he buys her family's previous home. Wanting to preserve it, Serena goes to the Philippines in hopes of negotiating with him. Simon keeps her on the line in order to get what he wants: Luciana returning to the PH so he can prosecute her for Binggoy's death. She does eventually come after reconciling with Roberto. Luciana strangely professes her innocence, only to later reveal the truth to Vivian. She was inadvertently involved in Binggoy's death because she worked with Giancarlo to have Simon killed. However, it turns out that Simon is actually the children she abandoned over twenty years ago. So she had Giancarlo killed and gave all her money to Vivian to give to Simon. Oh my f*cking god, what the hell was that?

Turns out that Giancarlo's evil uncle Favio with a bad Italian accent didn't actually die. Just when Simon and Serena become a couple again, he reveals Luciana's role in Binggoy's death. Of course, this stops the engagement. You know, I really don't understand what Luciana was thinking was going to happen... Anyway, Simon eventually learns that Luciana is his real mother. He doesn't take it particularly well, though his parents encourage him to find it in his heart to forgive her. Simon asks Serena to run away with him, which they do for a while. I think I would've prefer they ended it this way. But no, they had to make it "legal." After the wedding, the drama ends with a stupid comedic scene where Serena finally gets her memories back and gets jealous over Simon and another girl from *way* in the past now. Underwhelming to say the least.

Okay, so perhaps you see a pattern. At the end of the first two "chapters," the drama does something incredibly stupid just to keep the main couple apart for just a little longer. I absolutely hated the plots concerning Serena's kidnapping and Giancarlo becoming an evil, mustache-twirling villain. I cannot understate how bad Giancarlo and his uncle are as villains. The uncle, in particular, has the worse Italian accent I've ever heard. He's two steps away from just adding -a to every other word. Every time he pulled a gun out or something, I was just laughing my a** off. Giancarlo, on the other hand, was way overacting his role. It was so painful to watch him, though, ironically, he still succeed in me hating him lol. Luciana was the only decent villain thanks to her actress, who tried her best to act with nuance because lord knows that the writing wasn't doing her any favors.

As for the good parts, I actually think that the first two chapters are mostly good. Enrique and Liza have a nice, comfortable chemistry though their characters are not always written consistently. The supporting cast consisting of their various family members and some hangers-on friends help to give the drama a lighter tone when it needs. By the end, I was living for all three sets of parents becoming the best of friends. It was so cute. The drama, unfortunately, fell off because of Giancarlo's turn as a villain. It picked up a bit at the beginning of "Chapter 3" but honestly the damage had been done. They then crammed so much drama into the last ten episodes that the ending just doesn't seem feasible in my opinion. I was happy with "Dolce Amore" for a majority of the time, but it wasn't able to surpass "Forevermore" after all. Personally, I'm giving it a 7.5 for my list but the real score is 6.5 to 7.

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