Loved: Abe Hiroshi is excellent in this role (it was the first I saw him in and probably still my favourite) - he maintains the balance of strictness, understanding and self-interest well and the students develop a real rapport with him. While the students were all quite young when Dragon Zakura was filmed most of them are now big names (Yamashita Tomohisa, Koike Teppei, Nagasawa Masami, Aragaki Yui) and it's interesting to see where they started out (although the acting of some has definitely improved with time!).



Didn't Love: The student's homeroom teacher (played by Hasegawa Kyoko) can be annoying at times but she always has the student's best interests at heart. Like most high school doramas there is a whole bunch of anti-change teachers to irritate the viewer and an incompetent but well-meaning principal with a penchant for hats tops it off.



Dragon Zakura isn't just another high school dorama - it's unique, funny and focuses on encouraging the students to want to improve themselves and their lives, rather than just mass-producing exam bots who can't think for themselves. A feel good show with some wacky characters and teaching methods thrown in for good measure.



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Loved: The opening credits (the cast in adjoining toilet cubicles)! Oguri Shun is amazing as usual - totally in character. For someone so unique-looking he always manages to create characters that are so different from each other in both appearance & personality. I also love Miura Haruma in this role (it's the one that made me a big fan) - he is so shy and tentative; so completely unlike his previous character in Gokusen 3 (yes, I really watched it).



Didn't Love: It's possible that Shun's hair in Binbo Danshi compares unfavourably with Matsumoto Jun's in Kimi wa Petto: an impressive feat indeed! The money lender's goons can get a bit tiring after a while (why do evil sidekicks never have even one brain between them?!)



Binbo Danshi features a rag-tag group of people with a common enemy (money) which brings them all together despite their differences in background and character. The result is an appealing mix of humour, friendship and feel-good moments. A wacky and lighthearted look at the struggles of ordinary people - definitely worth watching.



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Loved: Tanimura Mitsuki gives an excellent performance as Keito - the awkwardness and embarrassment of her character is conveyed well. Kurokawa Tomoka also does a good job as Keito's Lolita friend Momiji (although I think she looks too old for the role). The ending feels complete and is a natural progression of the story.



Didn't Love: I was disappointed the dorama wasn't as true to the manga it is based on as it could've been (they seem to have combined two characters into one and introduced a completely new one). Also, the ramifications of Keito's traumatic experience as a child aren't conveyed as well as they were in the manga. Similarly, the friendship/rivalry between Keito and Nako doesn't come across as complexly as it should. The cliché of a jealous, selfish rival is not new and adds little to the dorama.



Despite not living up to my initial expectations (those who haven't read the manga will probably enjoy the dorama more than those who have), Cat Street still manages to capture the original feeling of genuine friendship between the main characters. It can be a bit slow at times, has little comedy and a distinct lack of eye-candy - it's best suited to the serious viewer interested in the exploration of the complex feelings of the human heart.

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Liked:



The chemistry between Hiroto and his friends is good (feels like they've been buddies for years) and the friendship between Nao and Yuko also feels genuine, although I have to admit Yuko is a far better friend than Nao.



The acting is generally good although there are some 'fish-face' moments from Kame, but I'm not quite sure if this is because of the character he plays; there is a lot of subtlety in the character of Hiroto and body language and mannerisms play a large part in conveying his thoughts to the audience.



Nao on the other hand is childish and at times seems almost apathetic, but having seen some of Haruka's other work I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and saying it's the character that's a little 2-dimensional rather than the actress.





Didn't Like:



Hiroto's retrospective narration of the dorama is in the style of everything-seemed-good-at-the-time-but-little-did-we-know-certain-doom-awaited-us-just-around-the-corner (I think it's simply a hook to keep the audience interested when the relationship appears to be going well).



The most off-putting aspect of the dorama is by far the lengths Nao's family (especially her father and brother) go to in order to prevent her relationship with Hiroto. I think this goes beyond what is believable, even considering aspects of Nao's past which come to light.



Summary:



The dorama focusses largely on the relationship between Hiroto and Nao and the obstacles the thrown in their way as a result of their radically different circumstances and their families' skepticism. While these themes are definitely not new, I think they're explored in perhaps a more realistic way (for the most part) than in some other dramas.



I would recommend this dorama to anyone who at heart just wants a Love Story - you will get one. The ending is a little disappointing for those who would like a set-in-concrete-defintely-getting-married scenario, but the open-ending isn't nearly as bad as in some other doramas I have seen.



Tatta Hitotsu no Koi is one of my favourite dramas and I confess to having watched it (in its entirety, from start to finish) at least two or three times!



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Loved: I only watched Bloody Monday because it has Miura Haruma in it - but I'm glad I did. The storyline is well crafted, there are continual emotional and plot developments and our hero bravely battles on when hope seems gone. There are also some real tear-jerking moments - something I totally didn't expect in this dorama. Narimiya Hiroki as the terrorist 'J' is a treat to behold - he totally pulls it off in a charismatic, slightly insane way! The rest of the supporting cast (including all the THIRD-i agents) are great as well.



Didn't Love: I wasn't particularly fond of the violence in Bloody Monday but it's a given in this type of dorama. The idea of Falcon being a genius able to hack anything and everything is a bit too unrealistic (although understandable as he is the hero).



Bloody Monday is a suspense dorama so I wouldn't recommend it for the really squeamish (it should be fine for most viewers though). There are plenty of other aspects to Bloody Monday that more than make up for the occasional 'scary bits'. I think ultimately it's about the bonds which bring people together (love, friendship, family, sacrifice) and the things that destroy them (jealousy, hate, and selfishness). Not a lighthearted show, but worth watching if you're a more serious viewer - plus you get some great Haruma eye-candy!



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Loved: The light-heartedness of it and the refreshing (sometimes wacky) humour. I also liked the subtle romance that develops between Chisato and one of her 'sons' (no, it's not gross at all, despite how it sounds). The 'are they a goodie or a baddie' aspect that develops for some of the characters towards the end also adds a much-needed sense of suspense once the initial conflict with the boys subsides.



Didn't Love: The complete unrealisticness of it - while all the gadgets and gizmos (that couldn't possibly be invented yet!) are amusing at times they can get a bit tiring after a while. Chisato's friend from high school also gets increasingly annoying as the dorama goes on. And, if all homeless people lived as good as Chisato does then I'm sure there'd be a lot more homeless people in the world!



Atashinchi no Danshi is quirky, hilarious at times, about having a good old-fashioned family and state of the art modern gizmos! An eclectic but pleasant blend (with a few handsome guys thrown in for good measure). Recommended for the light-hearted... or the bored!



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The Good: The highlight of the show is without a doubt Oguri Shun; it truly wouldn't be the same without him. He is completely in character as the young, elite, no-nonsense detective and delivers his lines completely deadpan. His scenes with former-gang-leader-group-date-loving partner Maruo are the main comedy for the dorama and are generally quite enjoyable. Yuriko also does a good job as Yuki; she conveys the character's internal struggles well without over-doing it.





The Bad: Tokyo DOGS suffers from a seemingly unorganised and random plot. The dorama can't seem to make up it's mind whether it's a character dorama following Sou, Marou & Yuki's daily struggles together on the manhunt for Jinno, or whether it's an episodic Cop Show dealing with a new crime each episode. It goes back and forth between the two and the flow of the dorama suffers considerably. Evidence and tips also have a habit of turning up out of thin air just in the nick of time.



Unfortunately, Hiro's acting is what really lets this dorama down; he tries hard (perhaps too hard) but it is obvious that he's not suited to the role at all. A good character actor in the role of Maruo could have made Sou & Maruo a memorable duo indeed; as it is we are left with only half of a great comedic partnership.



Summary: While Tokyo DOGS could have succeeded burdened by either a poor plot or poor acting from one of the lead characters, it struggles to cope with both.



The script offers the continual promise of a possible romance between the main characters but the chemistry just isn't there and in the end it simply doesn't deliver. The ending is also far too vague for my liking, although it does lend itself well to a possible sequel.



Despite its many flaws Tokyo DOGS is a dorama I generally enjoyed watching and would watch again on a rainy day.



I would not recommend Tokyo DOGS if you are looking for a serious Police Dorama. It is better suited for those who would prefer a semi-serious show with some comedy and very little romance.



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Loved: I loved that the leads remain friends for the majority of the dorama - once they started living together it would have been very easy (and not at all unusual) for the writers to throw them headlong into a co-habitation romance. 9 End 2 Outs is easily the most realistic exploration of the friendship vs lover dynamic I have seen in a dorama. The soundtrack is also enjoyable and complements the onscreen action well.



Didn't Love: Although adorable in his own way, I felt the story improved when Jung Joo was absent, ditto Ji Sun. The story did drag a little at times, but nothing like most K-Doramas - in fact I think I actually enjoyed the second half more than the first! Hyung Tae's unconscious two-timing seemed a little strange - surely he would know which woman he actually loved (the dorama kind of skips over this). Also, I still don't understand why Korean parents can control who their children marry once they're of age - and surely 30 is considered of age in any country!



9 End 2 Outs is about true friendship and deciding which is more important: friendship or love. A very realistic (as far as doramas go) exploration of the topic, not just between the leads but some supporting characters as well. Not really a comedy although there is definitely comedy in it. A nice relaxed dorama to watch at your own pace.



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NOTE: This review is based on the first episode only. It may get better (or worse) but I won't be watching it to find out.
The Good:
There is comedy to be found it Ohitorisama, even if it does feels recycled rather than fresh. The 'you drank too much so I carried you home and stayed the night' concept is so over-used that it's barely funny anymore but Ohitorisama manages to give it a slight twist.
One of the better performances in my opinion comes from Maya Miki, the school Principal - she manages to convey to the viewer a lot without actually saying anything (and as a bonus she gets to wear sophisticated and fresh hairstyles for a woman her age).
The Bad:
Teppei's character seems tired and uninteresting; I've seen him do much better work in the Love*Com movie, Gokusen 2, Shibatora and Dragon Zakura. If you're a fan why not check out one of those instead?
The supporting characters seem to detract from the dorama rather than enhance it and the sheer number of them in the first episode is overwhelming.
Having watched three seasons of Gokusen (and a proliferation of other Japanese High School doramas) I have come to realise there are only so many variations on a theme within the Principal/Vice Principal/Head-Teacher relationship. Although it tries to revive the dynamic Ohitorisama doesn't seem to have anything new to add.
Also, should teachers really go out drinking multiple nights of the school week?
Summary:
Firstly, I have to say that I only watched the first episode of Ohitorisama before dropping it. It's not that it's not good (there are some good laughs in there), but rather that it's just not new or interesting. I feel like I've seen it (or doramas like it) before; Sapuri and Hataraki Man come readily to mind, and perhaps Hotaru no Hikari & Kimi wa Petto as well.
If you haven't watched any of those doramas (or you absolutely loved them) and you like the idea of an age-difference-relationship based dorama (they tend to take themselves more seriously than popular doramas) then Ohitorisama may be for you.
If you're looking for more of an outright comedy without any re-hashing of the past and mulling over one's marriage prospects (or lack of), then perhaps you should try something else...

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