Ishiko to Haneo: Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu? (2022)

The Witty Dynamic Duo!

The chemistry is fire!

This is a story regarding a brilliant but flawed lawyer and his by-the-book assistant.

Yoshio Haneoka is brilliant and has a photographic memory. However, he suffers from panic attacks whenever he is under severe pressure.

Shoko Ishida on the other hand has failed her bar exams 4 times. However, it is not because she is dumb. I will not spoil the reason as the reason itself is considered a major part of the plot.

They both now work in Ishida's father's law firm, taking on a variety of cases. The question is : can this flawed duo actually solve any of the cases that they take on? Can they overcome their own weaknesses and fears in the process?

Every episode deals with cases involving different scenarios and it's refreshing to see how the duo uses different approaches to solve the cases.

There's also a romantic angle involved but it doesn't overshadow the main story so it's really well done in that aspect.

The acting is top notch, as expected from the likes of Kasumi Arimura and Tomoya Nakamura.

Watch it, even if it's just for the lit chemistry between Kasumi and Tomoya.

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Charismatic Dynamic Duo solving common folks problems.

Completed: 10/9/2022 - 8.25

If I remember correctly, “Ishiko to Haneo: Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu?” is my first Japanese legal drama. I picked an easy and fun one to watch, which focuses on one case per episode. The cases here are all about the regular people. We can probably look around our own circles and find people who experience or know of someone who experiences similar legal issues. In that sense, this becomes an easy watch and most of the legal terms used can be understood by us regular folks without a legal background.

Even though the cases are simple, each has its own flavor and twists. I am not an expert in legal dramas, but I am always pleasantly surprised at the end of each episode when the truth is revealed. Sometimes the truth is heartbreaking, but oftentimes, it’s heartwarming. I am not usually a big fan of episodic dramas but this drama keeps me interested from start to finish.

The main attraction of this drama is our dynamic duo, Haneoka (ML/lawyer) and Ishida (FL/paralegal). I love their bantering and fun interactions. The chemistry is great and there’s good character development for both of them. They both appeared to be smart and capable, but deep down they are dealing with their own self-esteem issues. The way they work and complement each other is the best part of the show.

If you are a romance lover like me, you might be disappointed here. Yes, there is a side plot of romance, but it’s not really done very well. The ‘ship’ that I was rooting for didn’t set sail. I would say the romance is my biggest criticism of this drama. I would rather they take the whole romance plot out of the drama and just focus on the camaraderie and friendship of the three leads.

Acting is great all-around. I’ve seen all three leads in other dramas before and it’s nice to see them again in different roles. My last drama of Armura Kasamu (FL) was “Chugakusei Nikki” where she plays a high school teacher and is attracted to her student. These are two very different roles and she’s excellent in both. My last drama of Makamura Topoya (ML) was “Kono Koi Atatamemasu ka”, where he plays a cool CEO, very different than the flamboyant character in this drama. There are a few somewhat serious scenes in this drama and he did a fantastic job.

The regular supporting cast is small but mighty. It’s so good to watch a drama without any annoying characters. On another note, I don’t remember any songs from this drama. We also have some interesting fashion choices, especially the colorful shirts that ML wears in the beginning of the drama. You can see how his fashion sense changes as his character develops. FL has some nice outfits as well.

It seems like there will be a short spinoff season but the focus is on FL, the soba shop owner and the customers, and not the two MLs here. Speaking of the soba shop owner, what is up with the large quantity of food here? I’ve never seen such HUGE portions of food in a Japanese drama. Did you see the mountains of noodles and rice??

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