Panda-san
This review may contain spoilers
While this drama precedes Chuugakusei Nikki, some people may migrate towards it to find something similar. Other than the ages of the main male character, it is a completely different drama. If you do not want to see explicit sexual scenes, then you may want to skip this one. Given the short nature of the episodes, this drama can be viewed in one sitting like a movie. It is very much like a movie with the artistic direction, atmosphere and music, and movies play a big role in the drama as well. The age gap in this drama is much larger than Chuugakusei Nikki. The woman is 32, while the boy is only 15. She could very well be his mother. With that in mind, the existence of this drama is morally questionable to say the least. Engaging in a sexual relationship with a minor is a crime in most places. In fact, it is Wako (the woman) who actually feels an attraction towards Iko (the boy) and makes the first move on him. Unlike other dramas with age gap relationships, this one gets explicit rather quickly. It can be quite cringey and disturbing to the viewer to see such an adult woman freely engage in a sexual relationship with teenager despite the appearance and actual ages of the actors. I can say that as someone close in age to Wako, I could not possibly imagine myself doing such a thing with someone so young. The drama does raise the question of morality in regards to the relationship. If two people like each other, should age matter? It certainly leaves you pondering the answer to that question and questioning your own beliefs.
Apart from that, the drama also addresses the same trope we have seen again and again: a woman who is around 30 years old who is under great societal and familiar pressure to get married and have kids. In Japanese culture, this pressure is quite extreme. The drama shows Wako struggling with deciding whether or not she wants to marry her long time live in boyfriend, and why she should even want to do that. In her internal monologue, she continuously tries to convince herself that she should stay with him and marry him because he was the one who chose after she had various failed relationships. I feel like her affair with Iko is her attempt to escape the societal pressures and experience freedom in her romantic and sexual life.
I have seen quite a few dramas that feature "older" women on the crossroads of life being pressured to settle down, and in many of those dramas the women are portrayed as virginal and void of any sexual experience or desires. This drama is quite the opposite, and it was a bit refreshing to see a realistic portrayal of an adult woman who has a varied past with relationships and actually experiences and acts on sexual desires. Many people who watch Asian dramas may scoff at this, but I quite liked this aspect, even if she the morals behind her desires are dubious. Many Japanese dramas tend to gloss over this aspect or pretend like it doesn't exist at all. Instead of an awkward kiss or limited hand holding, there is much more, which a realistic depiction of natural human desires.
This is definitely not a cute, sweet innocent love story. It actually portrays the consequences of such a relationship and the differences in maturity and mindset in the couple. While Iko has many years ahead of him to do as he pleases with his life without having to worry about settling down, Wako's time is limited (at least according to societal standards). The reactions of both when confronted with this reality is quite accurate. Also, movies and film making are a prominent theme and there is even a short movie woven into the episodes.
The only thing I did not like is how the drama sort of glossed over the gravity of the actual crime that Wako is committing. While the couple do face shunning from their peers due to their relationship, there aren't many real consequences. Iko's parents are barely present and their reaction to the relationship is not shown at all. Also, with many people around them knowing of the relationship and it's sexual nature, they seem to disapprove of it but not to the point of taking action. But it's a drama so it doesn't have to completely realistic. I found the ending to be quite decent and *spoiler* it is devoid of any tragedy.
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Usually in J-dramas the topic of sex is one that is not addressed at all; in this drama, it is there and openly seen, but not in a lewd and raunchy manner (unfortunately which is seen far too much in American dramas) so that is a relief. We see characters actually acting like adults and not middle school students that are afraid to hold hands. There are actually kiss scenes that are quite believable and not overly awkward to watch. The romance scenes are not too steamy to the point that you would get uncomfortable if someone were to walk into the room when you were watching.
Another positive point is the music, setting, and atmosphere. This drama was beautifully shot and has a great soundtrack of memorable songs that get stuck in your head for the entire week after watching an episode. I myself have been listening to the soundtrack a lot. Ken Arai did a great job in capturing the perfect compositions for the various moments in the drama. I also like how the theme of chocolate was included in the drama. It is not strictly a food drama but the importance of this beloved treat in the various love interest's lives is an interesting and apt addition, without overriding the other aspects of the plot and making it another culinary porn type of series.
Things I did not like about the drama were the lack of characterization for certain characters, especially Rikudou and Sekiya , and to an extent Saeko. Rikudou could have been a very memorable character if utilized properly, but unfortunately his presence was one that contributed very little to the drama as a whole. Sato Ryuuta did a great job in all of the scenes that he was in. Sekiya was just a pointless throwaway character. The actor's performance was not memorable and neither was the character. As for Saeko, I feel like we could have seen more what makes her the person she is, like a bit of her past, her hopes, dreams, ambitions. Instead, she is regulated to an empty manic pixie dream girl who really is defined by the men she is with. Sure, there were some good instances of female bonding with Kaoruko , but the character was not developed enough. The same can be said about Olivier as well.
Also, the drama does a poor job of addressing heavy subjects such as domestic violence and infidelity. I feel the characters have done things that are taboos and generally accepted as wrongs, but very little repentance is shown. It really sends a clouded message. As for the ending, I very much though that it summed things up nicely, apart from certain unrealistic and overly optimistic aspects. I'm glad the ending wasn't the typical drama ending, but this opinion may not be shared by others.
All in all, it was a entertaining drama from start to finish, though definitely not perfect. So for that, I give it an 8 overall.
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Upon first glance, this movie will seem like the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen. The trailer alone (Youtube it) may deter many from even watching it. With a title like Hentai Kamen (or to translate it in fancy way, The Masked Pervert), you know exactly what you're going to get. There are some things that are so absurd that you can't turn away. This is certainly one of them.
The cast is full of actors and actresses any prominent viewer of Japanese dramas will recognize. The main character is played by Suzuki Ryohei, who you may have seen in Hana Kimi and Mei-chan no Shitsuji, among many other dramas. The supporting cast is filled with many other familiar faces as well playing completely different than their usual drama fare. Despite the ridiculousness of the movie, I must say the actors did a great job portraying the roles. The villains in the movie are equivalent to those you see in campy superhero or horror movies; you can't take them seriously but they are convincing as the bad guys at the same time.
I must say that Suzuki Ryohei went above and beyond when portraying the role of Hentai Kamen. He certainly achieved a suitable physic for the role, which is easy on the eyes for the entire film. You will get a laugh or more from Hentai Kamen's erotic, ballet-inspired moves. At first, I was convinced that a stunt double or body double portrayed Hentai Kamen in masked form, but it is all portrayed by the same actor.
As far as the plot of the movie goes, it's typical fare. The superhero movie influence is heavy in this one as seen in the various Spiderman influenced scenes. One scene you will recognize straight from one of the Spiderman movies; Hentai Kamen's mask along with his techniques and movements have a prominent Spiderman influence as well. It follows the basic formula of boy loses parent(s), boy gets bullied in school, boy discovers girl he likes, boy must save girl and discovers new powers while doing so, boy becomes a crime fighting vigilante...you get the drift. While the plot is nothing original or amazing, the entertaining factor lies in how it is carried out. Despite the plot and premise, the movie takes itself very seriously. It could have easily went into the typical over-the-top humor category, but it remains at best a B grade superhero movie, which I think suited it perfectly.
However, the ending pretty much ruined what was otherwise an entertaining movie. The ending contains one of the most hated plot devices ever seen on screen. When you see it, you will know what I mean. It was completely unnecessary in my opinion, but I won't let it affect the score I am giving it too much.
You're obviously not going to be getting Oscar-worthy cinema here, but this movie is none the less entertaining for what's it's worth. I'd definitely recommend anyone who likes campy and absurd movies to give this one a watch.
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As you can see from the synopsis, the basis of this story revolves around a forbidden love aspect, in this case, a woman falling in love with her husband's son. Don't worry, there's no pedophilia here, all are adults. Interspersed throughout the drama is a secondary storyline about politics that I didn't really pay attention to, and I doubt anyone else watching this will, as it had no real bearing on the story in general. In fact, with the inclusion of the political story line I felt that the focus of the drama was a bit confused. Was I watching a political drama or a romance dram?
That serves to be one of the drama's biggest flaws; the lack of focus and the lack of raw emotion on the character's part. Rei and Hitoshi are supposed to be involved in a passionate, torrid love affair. I saw nothing of that. In fact, it seems that Hitoshi's main attraction to Rei is mere a physical one; the earlier in the drama we are treated to stereotypical scenes of him oggling her while doing household chores, and the obligatory scene of Rei getting a food item stuck on her lips and Hitoshi staring lustfully at the article of food. There are scenes in which an emotional connection is sparked between the two, but those are sparse. I think the political themed side story lined could have been done away with and we could have seen more of the relationship developed between to two characters.
I can describe this drama in one word: lukewarm. Given the heavy subject matter, I expected much more from the characters. Rei's husband and Hitoshi's father does very little to make Rei remain with him and to keep the couple apart Given his controlling nature at the beginning, it is all too plausible that he would go to great lengths to keep his wife; he did not. The character who we get the most out of is Hitoshi's former girlfriend Nanami. She is the character who gives the most emotion. Otherwise, for the supposedly controversial subject matter the drama doesn't really give much to keep you hanging on to your seat.
It isn't necessarily a bad drama, though it may be dull and slow moving for some. At the beginning you will be intrigued, but by the end you may just lose interest. The end was standard drama fare, so don't expect any surprises. Ultimately this drama can be use as a time passer and an opportunity to indulge in Saito Takumi eye candy.
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The main character in this drama can read minds, and soon discovers others who have powers like he has. Those with powers are called Espers, thus the title. He meets other youths who can teleport, see through things, and a perverted older coffee shop owner who has telekinesis. The drama doesn't really revolve around suspense or twists and turns. It is a pretty straightforward slapstick erotic comedy. While other dramas tend to be very family friendly and pure, this drama pulls no stops. You will see lots of fanservice, underwear shots, references to masturbation, erections, breasts...you name it. This may be off putting to some, but most of these references are made in a humorous light and you will no doubt be laughing. However, some scenes do go to an extreme.
I can say that I fully enjoyed it, though it may not be some people's cup of tea. I personally like to watch dramas that go against the norm. Once you get to a certain point in your drama watching career, you can predict the plot of certain dramas before even getting past the first episode. This drama does not include the typical cliched plot lines you will see in many other dramas. While it doesn't have those romantic moments or strikingly handsome male leads, it has plenty of other elements to keep you interested. If you have a male friend or significant other that you want to watch a drama with, then this is definitely the one to choose.
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Story- The story in itself had a lot of potential. The story itself really isn't bad at all, just the execution of the story. I know Japanese dramas tend to move at a slow pace and don't rely on frequent twists and turns, but even this moved a bit too sluggish for me. For that, I can only give the story a six because of the poor execution. One huge plot point that was never explored was Natsuki's relationship with her former fiancee. If he ditches her at the alter, there had to be a big explanation; yet there wasn't. All we got were scattered flashbacks that contributed very little to story. I honestly wish it were explored further. Her ex-fiancee could have been incorporated as an actual character, just like Asahi's ex-girlfriend was. The ending was pretty basic and extremely cliche; in fact the last scene is very similar to the ending of Yamapi's much, much better drama Proposal Daisakusen.
Acting/Cast- I wish I could separate the acting and the cast and give a rating for each. The cast would get a high rating but the acting...not so much. Yamapi is as deadpan as ever here. Instead of engaging the viewer in with his character he really does nothing with the character at all. He's just reciting lines, not acting. The rest of the cast pulled the bulk of the weight and put on satisfactory and good performances. In fact, Katsuji Ryo who played Asahi's best friend actually outshone him. Based on acting skill alone, he probably deserved the lead role.
Music- I actually found it to be enjoyable. I like the ending theme song and the opening theme. It was suitable for the drama and I would listen to the soundtrack again.
Rewatch Value- Really, there is nothing outstanding or memorable about this drama to warrant a re-watching. If anything, the only re-watching appeal would be to see the cast in swimsuits.
Overall, it wasn't so terrible that I had to stop watching. Since I watched it while it aired it only took a mere one hour out of my week. I can honestly say that if I chose to watch it after it aired I may not have continued.
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The movie centers around a plot we have all seen before: relationships between older women and younger men. Any drama or movie with this plot tends to be rather racy. This movie was not. After the first thirty minutes, I started to wonder when it would pick up. I figured it just had a slow start. Well, I was wrong. The movie never really did "pick up", it just kept going at the same sluggish pace. There were no twists or turns; there was no depth in the characters and really no reason for us to root for them or care what happened to them; the plot was extremely shallow and move sluggishly. By the second half, I was bored. It seemed like a really long episode of a drama.
The main players of the plot are Matsumoto Jun and Okada Junichi's characters along with the older women they sleep with. This movie is chock full of pointless sex scenes that try to titillate but fail miserably. Watching MatsuJun suck face with that older women was just awkward. It is quite evident that both would rather be somewhere else. As far as the relationships, I could honestly care less. Okada Junichi's character and his mistress are seeing each other, but we don't know for what reason. The movie gives no background information on how they met. The woman is married, but everything seems okay at home. There is no reason given as to why she would cheat. Her husband obviously provides her with a lavish lifestyle. There is no visible mistreatment. So what we get is an empty, hollow romance that exists obviously for the controversial aspect; with no controversy whatsoever other than the age difference and the fact that she's married.
On the contrary. MatsuJun's relationship with his older lover was a little bit more interesting considering the woman's neurotic personality and seemingly troubled home life, but that's it. MatsuJun's acting is lacking in this. Considering it's an older movie and he was much younger and inexperienced, it can be expected. My guess is that he was handed the role because of his presence in Johnny's Entertainment.
So basically, this is one thrill-less snoozer of a movie. If you like either of the leading men, watch any of their later works. I say stick around for the first five minutes to see Okada Junichi's naked form and skip the rest. At two hours, it really isn't worth the time.
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There is a smidgen of romance at the beginning but that's all you'll really get. The main focus of the drama is bonds between friends and how those bonds can be gained and kept through the magic of video games. You don't necessarily have to get all of the video game references to enjoy the drama. I don't play visual novels but I thought the visual novel parody they did was quite funny. This drama has a great soundtrack as well, with much of it being inspired by 8 bit video game music. Anyone who liked Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro might enjoy this one as well. Whether you're into games or not, I'd recommend this one. You might learn something!
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The concept of this drama may be familiar to fans of Maison Ikkoku. The two have very similar plot points: a young widow moves to work as the manager of a flower shop/cafe, which is owned by her father in law. One of the employees is a young man who has failed to find employment after graduating college. The flower shop has an eclectic group of employees. Add the pet that has a tie to the widow's deceased husband (in this case, the cat is actually possessed by the husband's ghost) and you do have a poor man's Maison Ikkoku.
Comparisons aside this is drama is good for a light watch. It isn't anything groundbreaking or amazing but it will prove to be moderately entertaining. It has its sentimental moments and humorous moments. If you want something that you can watch without the emotional ups and downs and suspense of other dramas, then this is a good choice. Plus, the cat, Kumi-chan is just too adorable!(=^-^=)
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As you can see from that little bit of background, there is a lot going on. Most people in the drama trash with the exception of Ichihara Hayato and the lesbian character. Shida Mirai's character was awfully odd in that she entertained the lesbian love affair (to the arousal of her husband) but then dropped in when she grew tired of it. Speaking of the husband, he is basically a weird perverted freak. When he learned about his wife's tryst with another woman, he gets aroused and even tries to convince his wife to get him involved. Shida Mirai sees his weird behavior and is seemingly not phased by it at all. Their couple dynamic is perplexing to say the least. Then there is the guy with mommy issues. He takes married women out on dates, then blackmails them with photos of them in compromising positions. He believes that married women with children who go on dates with other men deserved to be punished. Of course dating other men while married is wrong, but his approach to the matter is wholly wrong. The drama constantly shows the same flashback scenes of the abuse he endured at the hand of his mother. This gets really repetitive and uncomfortable because showing it once would be enough to establish that he had a troubled past. Also, the other characters know about his sketchy behavior, even having seen the revenge porn photos, but seem to have no problem dealing with him at all.
The drama has heavy issues like homophobia, revenge porn, child abuse, and even elder abuse but these issues aren't really addressed with appropriate approach to show the gravity of these issues. They are simply used as fodder for a plot that is essentially akin to a daytime soap opera. This drama is a disappointing one for Ichihara Hayato who has done great work in the past and has had a long and expansive career starting from when he was a child. The only reason I watched this drama was for him. Since it's a short one this can be watched in a quick marathon, but even then it's barely worth the time.
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