It's been a long time since I've been this giddy with happiness watching a drama. A fresh (pink) air of breath XD Each episode was better than the previous one. And every time I finished an episode, I couldn't wait for the next week, so I'd rewatched the last episode and couldn't think of nothing else for the following days XD

As the J-netizens said, I would like to think Yuri was the heroine of this drama. I loved how supportive was everyone of him. There isn't a single bad character here. And all 3 rivals were nice, handsome guys who wanted nothing more than Junko's happiness. Each one of the guys had their amount of support from the netizens, I am not sure who was the most popular. But since episode 1 I had my favorite, and that is because I am a huge fan of manga-Shinkumi <3

I have yet to watch the final episode subbed, but just watching it raw I loved it (I covered my eyes but peeked between my fingers in the last scene). I'll write a proper review (with a proper rant over this actor whom I fell head over heels) when I finish the last episode subbed.

Favorite scenes, in no particular order:
- The "heroine in a dating game" (but the whole study camp made me happy)
- The "betrayed" look in front of Junko's house
- All the hugs (kyaa they were all amazing, the most romantic I've even seen)
- every time my fave smiled
- Nishioi and Miwa were funny, but together they were hilarious

Favorite drama of the year? XD too early to tell but I loved it so much I am having drama withdrawal symptoms ^_^ And listening to the OST ("Happy birthday" by back number) isn't helping ^_^

Read More

According to the recommendations in MDL, this one is similar to "Juhan Shuttai", which I can totally understand. It is about work and the heroine being inspired by it and inspire people around her.

I think Ishihara Satomi was spectacular as Konno Ecchan. She has that bubbly personality that fits the character. Her laughs always made me laugh, they are so silly and contagious. Her clothes were beautiful and fit her like glove. I love the various hairstyles and accessories she wears throughout the episodes. Since I am a huge fan of nail art, I was a bit disappointed to see that her nails were simple done, nothing fancy. I get that her character is based on a girl who loves fashion, but it was also a bit unrealistic that she wears a different outfit every day, wears a different piyamas every day, and has a elaborated hairstyle every day. Oh well, at least she repeats the shoes...

But more than anything, I liked how hard she worked (even though Proofreading wasn't her vocation) and how her work inspired her co-workers to give it all. Maybe Proofreading is a bit tedious, and I don't think it involves all the research they did, but I wanted so much to work in that Editorial, it looked so much fun. Reading books and researching, to check that all facts were correct. With a calm work group and a nice boss. What more to ask??

There is more romance than I thought it would be, but I wouldn't watch this for it (in my humble opinion, I think she falls for the wrong guy...not that he is a jerk, quite the contrary, he is the nicest, but she has more chemistry with another guy). The beauty of this show is the characters and the the motivation to and for work.

I loved the OP sequence and song, catchy and fun and kinda girly.

Read More

I am sad that this lovely dorama had low ratings. As fan of NwP, I think this was a wonderful reunion. Kame's and Yamapi's roles were perfect for them, and I could feel that they had fun working together again. I much prefer Kame in this kind of role: honest, a bit enthusiastic, hard-working, a bit silly, a bit naive. Kinda like his character in "One Pound Gospel", only less, LESS, enthusiastic. And Yamapi, dead-fish-eyes Yamapi, whom I don't really like (although I can't hate either, since he is so calm, and, well, nice), was lovely as GOD. Anyway, both of them were perfect in their roles, and their scenes together were so enjoyable to watch.

Maybe Horikita Maki has retired, but Kimura Fumino looked a bit like Maki (in my opinion) in this dorama. It may be her short hair. It may be her high cheekbones and sweet smile. From certain angles, she looked like Maki.

I don't understand why some people say she was frustrating in the first couple of episodes. I think any girl, especially any girl with bad experience in love, would be wary of any guy, no matter how cute or honest he looks, who approaches her and tells her he is her destiny. It is expected of the girl to be cautious, to be in doubt. If she agreed to be with him from the very beginning, I would have thought she was too naive and easy.

The story has the perfect amount of friendship (Makoto and his "rival", Haruko and Mitsue), good comradeship (Makoto and GOD, Makoto and his boss, Makoto and his coworkers), a nice rival (who is not really a rival, and who is just one of the nicest guys ever), present parents (who are there for their daughter). I liked the different tasks Makoto had to do, since it all served for a reason.

I am not satisfied with the ending. I was left with a "this is it??". I think there should be a SP. There HAS to be.

I love the OP and ED sequences. The dance was cute, and the song is pretty. I also like Yamapi's smirk when both of them are sitting in the couch, in the ED sequence. Only that, that same smirk is somewhat bittersweet in the final episode :(

Read More

I loved it. Only 3 episodes long, perfect length, perfect cast, perfect everything.

To think I once didn't like Sato Ryuta *face-palm* and I blame it on the roles he played (the idiotic but kind secondary guy). He was excellent as the MC in this drama, I love how he goes from a judgemental, ignorant guy to a understanding friend. His twin brother, Ryoji, was gay, he died and his Canadian husband comes to Japan to meet his brother-in-law Yaichi and all the places Ryoji loved.

I confess I usually don't like the foreign actors in J-dramas since it seems like anyone who is foreign but speaks a little of Japanese can be an actor; meaning, terrible acting. But Baruto, as Mike Flanagan, was perfect, he portrayed perfectly the gentle giant (he is gigantic! I remember how Nakai loved to pat his belly in SMAP Bistro XD)

This is a very realistic slice of life, where there would be ignorant people who rejects homosexuality or just refuse to accept it. At the beginning, Yaichi was all "would be make a move on me?", or just calling him "my brother's friend" or not liking Mike near his daughter. Slowly, he begins to see that Mike was a nice guy who just happened to love men. Mike was never ashamed of who he was, and he taught his niece and his niece's friends that men can love men (and marry them) and same with girls. And the little girls were confused at first, but they quickly were "if you love someone, is wonderful you can marry that person, even if the both of you are guys" :D

I smiled, I cried, I loved it! Very recommended. I will read the manga as well (the author was in my "banned" list but this one is very different from what I thought).

Read More

Jpn dramas are the best when it comes to human stories

If it wasn't because a regular subber started working on this sub, I wouldn't have picked it. Boy, am I glad I watched this! One of my favorite dramas of this season. It was sweet, with a wonderful cast, soothing OST, and amazing script. Like Kounodori S.1. Medical dramas in the pediatrician department is usually more moving, and it always depend on the scriptwriter to not make it corny, and it worked with GD.

I have to apologize to Yamazaki Kento, since when I've read he was going to be the lead, I wasn't interested. He is OK, but that's all for me. But he was amazing as Minato-sensei, since the very first episode. Portrayed wonderfully a sweet guy with Autism and Savant Syndrome (I've read that he did a research over the subject, so he was well prepared). I have not seen Freddie Highmore's version so I can't compare.

Of course, to me the MVP was Ueno Juri, such an amazing actress. Very natural, and looked very comfortable working with YamaKen.

I think I shed tears in every episode. I loved each one of them. Every episode was heartwarming, emotional and to the point.

Read More

Five seconds into the first episode and I was "this is my favorite 2017 drama". Not because of the setting, not because of some cute  actor... no, the first line had already hooked me. Never happened to me before. I wish I was more eloquent in English, to describe how much I love this drama. Every second of it.

For people who want eye-candy, there is the Shoujo Prince and two Tokusatsu heroes... but their pretty faces can't beat the talent of the veteran actor Yakusho Koji.  His gentle smile, his determination to achieve his goals, his  tears of frustration, of happiness. President Miyazawa, who loved his little company, his employees... always wearing his blue hanten. This man impressed me so much I was constantly posting about him.

Short version of my review: this drama reminded a lot of the anime "Haikyuu", in spirit.

Real rating: 100/10... thank you to yamazaki-kento dot com for subbing this amazing drama <3

Read More

Girl Power and Strong Female Bond. This is how I would describe this amazing drama. I don't think there are many dramas that revolve around this 2 subjects... mixed (female and male), yes; male, yes. 100% female, no. The plot is about 5 women kidnapping a powerful man. Episode 1 is the kidnapping and till Ep. 9 all happens in the same night. Except that each episode shows flashbacks of these women when they meet in prison, start to bond and finally, to plan the kidnapping and the justice for Hime/Yusuke.

I took half a star because I truly feel like this needed an extra episode... Ep 10 felt a bit rushed.

It is a very fun drama that made me laugh several times and cried a bit over the Yusuke story. The cast is colorful, each girl is amazing, and the villain is super charming. ED song is "Showtime", by Amuro Namie. I loved it, catchy and girly.

I'll definitely rewatch this when my sister decides to watch it. Super recommended.

Read More

My reviews almost always have spoilers, so I will keep it short so I don't spoil anything.

It is true that this drama is flawed, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It is very suspenseful, with creepy characters (most of the times creepy characters are far more enjoyable than nice characters) and a mystery that you can find in any Agatha Christie book. In this episode you will suspect of A character; next episode would be B character.

So there are still many questions unanswered. And that ending was O_O so unexpected. Like WOW, I was-left-speechless-kind-of-unexpected.

I wasn't going to watch the SP, because I didn't have any interest in Shota's and Nana's love story, but I surprisingly liked it. Will definitely watch the sequel, no doubt. In fact, can't wait for it.

Read More

I picked this up not only because it was subbed by a trusted subber (thank you aoihachi!) -and by "trusted" I mean I know this subber will finish the subbing, but also because I've watched the TFP episode where the 3 leads guested, and I loved their team spirit, which is reflected again in the drama and it is one of the highlights of the show.

This is a fun, light show, there are no villains, it is a slice of life, involving music, friendship and romance. The beautiful "Air" by Bach is a wonderful companion throughout the drama, and it is also a big part of the plot. There is a character development in all characters, from Yaeko-san, Rihito-kun and Yukie (the 3 main leads). For their relationship alone, I love the entire drama, but all in all, even the romance was sweet and fun and far from corny or believable. Thank God there was a chemistry between Haru and Taishi, and in spite of the 7-8 years gap, it wasn't obvious at all since Taishi does look older than in his twenties.

Even the OP song was cute.. I love all of it :)

Read More

I was prepared for a very angsty drama. The plot is about a young mother, Yui, whose son was kidnapped when he was 3 years old. 9 years later, she is told that his son is in an institution. Turns out, he was found a short while after being kidnapped, by Asako, who raised him like she was her real mother. So this is the story of the woman who gave him birth, the woman who raised him, and how he comes back to his real family.

The first couple of episodes were painful to watch, since THAT letter was too cruel. I hated Asako, and I didn't like the boy. Actually, till the end, I couldn't figure this boy out. But on the other hand, I felt too sorry for Asako, in spite of all her many mistakes. While Yui was suffering for almost a decade for the lost of her baby boy, Asako's intentions of being a mother were mostly selfish. She wanted a son because of social pressure, because of loneliness... But still, what does being a mother mean? Doesn't it mean to love and raise the child to be someone, to be there for the child, to give him everything the child needs in order to become a better person?

While there were many painful scenes, and scenes that make you upset (like when Asako was telling Yui SHE was the one who raised Kou, SHE was the one who knew him better... thank Heavens for that slap!), there were also many light scenes, heartwarming scenes. This dorama is mostly about family, not only blood-related, but also people who are always there for support and interventions and good and bad moments.

I love the cast, specially the women. I think Sawajiri Erika may be too young to be a mother of a teenage boy, but she was dressed very homely in order to look more mature, with baggy clothes and light-to-zero make-up. Her friend, interpreted by Itaya Yuka, was excellent. She always plays the sweetest and kindest friend to perfection. I think it is her smile. But the one who deserved all awards was, for me, Koike Eiko. Her role, as the woman who raised the boy, was meant to be hateful. But her tears... oh gawd, her tears made ME tearful. For about 8 episodes I had a love-hate feelings for her, but by the end, I pitied her enormously. Poor woman, in spite of everything!

The husbands were good as well, nice sidekicks. But what impressed me the most was Nakajima Yuto. This guy has everything to play a romantic MC; he is tall, young, handsome and can act, and here again we have him, as a serious worker who should be played by someone older. WHYYYY...

The kids were ok, obviously with the least experience and you can tell, especially since the older cast is so good. Still, the boy who played Kou was adorable.

I love the OST! Very moving, and I love the EP, "Just you and I", by Amuro Namie. I am currently listening to it. The lyrics are very meaningful.

The ending was satisfying. I think this is one of those doramas that will be liked by anyone, specially those who like family genre.

The other cover is much better and meaningful that the one here on MDL.

Mini-reunions: "1 Liter of Tears", "Hotaru no Hikari", "Kounodori", "Date".

Read More

Heartwarming Family Drama

The drama with the highest rating of the season. And it deserved it. Not only because Ayase Haruka is and will be forever Japan's favorite girl, but because this was funny and sweet and with zero drama and a real representative of a Japanese Slice of Life Drama.

The story is divided in two parts, so it was like Season 1 and Season 2 together. From ep01 to ep05 is one timeline, and from ep06 to 10 is another, 9 years later (that was a total surprise for me!). I adored "Season 1" and it was my favorite. Akiko-san trying, first, to be accepted as a stepmom to Miyuki, and then, her first duties as a mother. I love the little girl who played Miyuki (Yokomizo Naho), awesome actress! She behaved like a little girl behaves, not like a smart-ass girl who talks like an adult. My favorite episodes were 2 and 3: ep2 because I loved the little "game" Akiko-san and Miyuki played at the supermarket, and ep3, because of the "battle" of Akiko against the Parents Association.

Ep 06 was a total shock to me because of the time-slip and because of... well, change of actors. Still, the actress who played older Miyuki was really good and likeable (Hiroki-kun too. Both boy and older boy are so cute!), and some of her expressions resembled her younger-self (both girls have big eyes). I liked how Akiko-san starts working again; her role in the bakery was amazing, totally plausible. I love how everything she does, it is because she is thinking in her daughter. And everything Miyuki does, she always has her stepmom in mind. They may not be blood-related, but their love for each other was as strong as a blood-related mother and daughter have.

If there has to be a minus it would be that Akiko-san looks the same after the time-slip. Same as Shimoyama-san (even the highlights in her hair...)

In spite of the many comedic scenes, there were also some touching scenes :( I am still not sure of the ending, only because I did not fully understand it. I know that it was a "miracle" too, but why? What does the train ticket mean??

All actors were excellent, except for Takeru Sato. I think goofy roles don't suit him. I noticed that some "cool" actors, like him, do wonderfully in action and cool roles, but when it comes to goofy roles... nah. And too bad he had to go and fall in love. I mean, it provided many funny scenes XD but Akiko-san and Ryuchi forever <3 And I was disappointed since I truly thought he was going to be some kind of angel, the one who was going to bring a miracle into Akiko-san's and Miyuki's lives. I guess he sort of did, but not the way I wanted. And at the end, it was really Akiko who was like a miracle to him.

The little touches, like the miracles (I thought it was going to have a bigger role, like **coughcoughthefathercoughcough**), and minor characters, like Taguchi-kun, were very nice. I actually laughed out loud several times with Taguchi-kun, he was a silly sweetheart :)

The OST was excellent, I want it. And the funny one made the scene even funnier XD I did not pay attention to the ED song tbh.

So overall, first part is a 10 and second part is a 9 for me. I love this kind of "non-drama" drama :D

Read More

Visually speaking, this is a gorgeous movie. Vibrant colors in walls, clothes and scenery. The contrast between the black-and-white princess and the colorful real world. Miyuki's clothes, every one of them. Ayase Haruka as a princess, Kenji as a poor director's assistant. The shots of the camera. There is one scene at the beginning of the movie that was filmed from above, and it shows the little made-up town and all the actors in their clothes, and it was simply beautiful.

As for the story, it was a nice, clean romance, with a bit of mystery and heartbreaking moments. I watched it twice in a week and I cried in both occasions. However, it could also be because of Ayase Haruka's tears... she almost always manages to move me with her tears. And she looked amazing as a princess. She had a nice chemistry with Sakaguchi Kentaro (she almost always has a good chemistry with whatever actor she works with), BUT as always, she is terrible in love scenes. She is a like an unreachable princess, cold and stiff in regards to hugs and kisses. Thankfully, it wasn't properly show in this movie, so it didn't bothered me so much.

I though at first that the movie had some plotholes. Like, she has to put make-up on her entire self to disguise her black-and-white self. But she remains colorful even under the rain. However, I noticed that it only rained when she was upset or sad, so maybe the rain was magical like her and couldn't affect her. It isn't explained how she comes to this world, but since it is a fantasy, there is no need for that. And as for all her wardrobe, it could be because they are in a movie set, and there are a lot of clothes.

SPOILER...

The ending was very sad. I couldn't live like them at all, without touching the one you love. And when they finally do... :(( so sad. Why??? The final scene was just a way to calm our broken hearts :((

Read More

The wait for the complete subs (in Spanish) was totally worth it. I loved this drama since ep01. It was a thrilling story, with a compelling mystery and an excellent script. I couldn't tell what was going to happen next. It was like reading a Kanae Minato book: the setting is kinda dark, there are screwed-up stories with mothers, and other obscure subjects, like suicide, physical abuse, bullying, high school dating (joshi-kosei osanpo), etc.

I think the cast was amazing, especially the students. And among them, I love Yamaguchi Mayu (Masuda) and Daichi Kaneko (Hasebe). Although Endo Kenshin (Keigo) was also great. But overall, the students were excellent, and I can't wait to see them in other roles. My new adopted children <3

The setting is in Kamakura, which is a beautiful city. I am not sure about the ED song, "Reboot" since it didn't fit the drama, but it was a catchy song nonetheless. Being a school counselor must be so hard. I think Inoue Mao was a good choice for her role since she has a reliable face.

I can't think of why this would have a low rating, because I loved it. Anyone who likes to read mystery books with unexpected revelations would like this.

Read More

What a lovely dorama! The plot was super interesting, I love all the characters, the setting was so mabushii, so bright and colorful and clean.

The story is a very engaging one: the world of mangas and mangaka. To be more precise, the world of editors. They also have to struggle, not only the mangaka do. They need to take care of the mangaka, give them advice, move here to there. There are also moments of tears and frustration. Editors need to walk along the mangakas, they need to be there for them all the time and built a trust, which is fundamental.

Since I am a big fan of BAKUMAN, it was impossible not to link them both. One is from the Mangaka's POV, the other one is from the Editorial's POV. I looked everywhere to read the manga Juhan Shuttai, but unfortunately is not translated :( It really is a heart-warming story, and the art is so cute, especially chibi Kokoro, who looks a lot like dear Sawako from "Kimi ni Todoke".

The cast was marvelous. I was familiar with most of the secondary characters only; more specifically, the mangakas (Mikurayama-sensei, Takahata-sensei...). And of course, Namase Katsuhisa-san. But this is the first time I see Kuroki Haru (Kokoro) and although I've seen some photos of him, this is my first time watching Odagiri Joe (Iokibe-san). I am not sure which one of these 2 were my favorites! Kokoro was the typical bright, positive girl, but she was far from annoying and stupid. Her motto was "Gambaremassu" and she motivated a couple of characters, like emo mangaka-to-be Nakata-kun, and poor, nice Koizumi-kun, whose professional life was a bit depressing at first, but once he was motivated, everything changes for him for better. It was really touching. Impossible not to like a girl with that kind of enthusiasm! Also my first time seeing Sakaguchi Kentaro, who is a real sweetheart! His smile is so adorable, and he acts really well! Can't believe his filmography is so short; he acts like a pro and ten million times than veterans!

**sighs** Odagiri Joe... I've read some lists before were he was mentioned, like "more kissable lips" or whatever, but have never paid him any attention. My, I was so impressed with this guy. Let's talk first about his role. Iokibe-san is one of the coolest guy I've seen in a dorama. Super nice, real intelligent, a perfect mentor, a humble editor, a nice guy, a kind co-worker, a capable editor. Only once he shouts in the whole dorama, otherwise, he speaks with a calm, soothing voice. No wonder Kokoro admired him so much! If I were her, I would have probably fallen in love with him. Because not only he was the nicest guy and mentor, he also looks real good! Glasses and man-bun, perfect combination! With some facial hair, the cherry on top. Sure, some of his shirts were, errr, colorful, but he looked like a model! I loved him and I am glad Episode 9 was more or less about him.

Clothes were colorful, specially in Kokoro's case. Some of her skirts were a bit old-fashioned, but overall her clothes matched her character: young, happy and bright. Editor Mibu was always wearing T-shirts with food drawings on them (I love this actor, he is so funny!), Yasui-san was always wearing stripped sweaters, Takahata-san always in Adidas outfits, Nakata-san always in dark sweatsuits and Koizumi was always in suit. I love that even the clothes were important to the story, every detail meant something!

The sountrack was lovely, and the ending song was ok. But my favorite thing is that it is an inspirational dorama. If you love something, you give it all, like Kokoro did, and for that, she was rewarded at the end. I laughed many times, but I also cried a couple of times. There wasn't a single episode that was boring or dragging, I loved it from Ep. 1 to 10, and I wish it was longer! Nevertheless, it has a perfect ending, because it wasn't really an ending.. more like a beginning :D

I recommend this dorama a hundred times Top quality, top cast, excellent story, I loved it!

Read More