Jdorama review: Ace wo Nerae!

Title: Ace wo Nerae! Translation: Aim for the Ace! Broadcast dates: 1/15/04 - 3/11/04 Number of episodes: 9 Genre: Sports Cast: Ueto Aya, Yoshizawa Hisashi, Matsumoto Rio, Uchino Masaaki Plot: Hiromi Oka (Ueto) has decided to join the tennis team at her new high school. Despite being her first time playing, she has caught the eye of the new tennis coach. What is good: You get really caught up in the last half of the series. What is bad: The beginning is very slow and the outcome is rather predictable. Letter rating: B- Overall: I generally don't watch a lot of sports series. I'm just not a big sports fan. However, once we got through the "Hiromi sucks at tennis!" theme that looms over the first half of the series, I found myself excited for the next episode. Unfortunately, since the series is so short, it is filled with predictable outcomes. Even when something surprising happens, it gets 'fixed' so that you end up with what you knew would happen. As a whole, it's not an awful show. It would just be nice if it was a little longer so things could be shaken up once in awhile.

JDorama review: Kamikaze Girls

Title: Shimotsuma Monogatari Also known as: Kamikaze Girls Release date: 2004 Genre: Slice of life Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Anna Tsuchiya Plot: Momoko (Fukada) is a Lolita girl. Ichiko (Tsuchiya) is a delinquent. This is the story of their friendship. What is good: The cinematography is beautiful. What is bad: Tsuchicya's acting seems very forced and fake. Letter rating: C Overall: As a general rule, I'm excited to see live action Japanese movies get licensed in the United States. Unfortunately, for every Death Note, there's a Kamikaze Girls. The movie isn't completely awful. I did manage to get through it entirely. However, it is dragged out and dull. While you would like the characters to better themselves, you don't really care about them and, for the most part, you'd prefer if they just left each other alone for once. The ending is very sweet...it just seems to take forever to get there.

JDorama review: Mop Girl

Title: Mop Girl Broadcast dates: 10/12/07 - 12/14/07 Number of episodes: 10 Genre: Mystery Comedy Cast: Kitagawa Keiko, Tanihara Shosuke Plot: Momoko (Kitagawa) starts her new job at a small funeral services company. She soon finds that she has the ability to go back in time when she touches a precious object of someone who was wrongly killed. What is good: The interaction between the characters was pretty cute. What is bad: The ending felt unfinished. Letter rating: C+ Overall: I started watching this because Kitagawa played my favorite senshi, Sailor Mars, in the live action Sailor Moon series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. She's not a fabulous actress but she is definitely getting better as time goes on. Unfortunately, the role of Momoko is dull. She's klutzy and beyond dumb. There are many times when she could have solved a problem on her own. Instead, she ran to Otomo (Tanihara). Then, at the end, when they show the surprise relationship between Momoko and Otomo, the story doesn't go anywhere with it. It actually gets ignored completely. On one hand, I'd like to have a special episode to tie everything up. On other hand, the story isn't really worthy of an extra episode.

JDorama review: Zettai Kareshi Special

Title: Zettai Kareshi Also Known As: Absolute Boyfriend Broadcast date: 3/24/09 Genre: Romantic comedy Cast: Hayami Mokomichi, Mizushima Hiro, Aibu Saki Plot: Shortly after Riiko (Aibu) and Soshi (Mizushima) get called back from Paris to open a new store, Riiko finds that Night has been resurrected by a new Kronos Heaven employee. Will Night destroy the couple's engagement? What is good: It's nice seeing these characters come to life again. What is bad: The story was completely unnecessary. Letter rating: B- Overall: When the series ended, I felt like I needed more closure to the story. This isn't what the audience needed. While it felt like Night's character had more to him, he was used throughout the entire special. It was wonderful seeing the characters on screen and interacting again. However, it's akin to taking that last extra bite of cake. Yeah, it was tasty but now you feel nauseous.

Jdorama review: Uta no Onii-san

Title: Uta no Onii-san Translation: The Singing Brother Broadcast date: 1/16/09 - 3/13/09 Genre: Comedy Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Chisa, Katase Nana, Maruyama Ryuhei, Kimura Yoshino Plot: After his life gets turned upside down, Yano Kenta (Ohno) finds himself working as a Singing Brother on a children's show. What is good: Everyone acted wonderfully What is bad: The children's show seemed pretty 'one-note.' We never got to see if they do more than just sing children's songs. Letter rating: B Overall: It was a really fun show. Even when you wanted to smack Yano on the head, he was still a lovable character. There's nothing really deep but, if you pay attention, you just might walk away with a life lesson learned.

JDorama review: Maou

Title: Maou Broadcast date: 7/4/08 - 9/12/08 Genre: Suspense drama Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Ikuta Toma Plot: Eleven years ago, Naoto (Toma) was involved in a fatal accident. Now someone is murdering those around him as revenge. What is good: Everything pieced together perfectly. What is bad: The supernatural parts felt slightly overused. Letter rating: A+ Overall: I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this. Ohno is known as being the Leader of the boy band Arashi. This was his first starring role in a drama so I semi-expected him to be bad. Surprisingly, he is an extremely talented actor and I never once had to suspend my belief in him. At the same time, Toma, who is commonly known as a comedic actor, held his own in the drama setting. This is a show that I feel everyone should watch.

JDorama review: Densha Otoko (movie)

Title: Densha Otoko Translation: Train Man Release date: 6/4/05 Genre: Romantic drama Cast: Yamada Takayuki, Nakatani Mika Plot: A relationship between a pretty woman and an anime otaku blossoms after he saves her from a drunk man on a train. What is good: It really is a sweet story. What is bad: The television drama was better. Letter rating: C Overall: I think I might have liked this better if I hadn't watched the TV drama version of the story first. In the film, Yamada pulls off the geeky anime otaku better. However, I think that Ito Misaki was better as Hermes, the pretty woman on the train. This version of the story was very awkward. The main characters were understandably uncomfortable with each other but where the movie really failed was in the secondary 2chan characters. For example, there was a trio that kept comparing Densha's attempts at love with a war. It could have been a really great metaphor for the battle of the sexes. Yet it came off weird and unnecessary. While this wasn't awful, I'd rather watch the television drama any day.

Jdorama review: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Special

Title: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Also known as: HanaKimi Translation: For You In Full Blossom Broadcast date: 10/12/08 Genre: Romantic comedy Cast: Horikita Maki, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma Plot: Six months have passed since Mizuki has left Japan. During a Valentine's Day contest, Nakatsu tries to figure out exactly when Sano fell in love with Mizuki. What is good: More HanaKimi! What is bad: This isn't the special episode that should have been filmed. Letter rating: C Overall: I really enjoyed the HanaKimi television series. So why did the producers decide to stick us with this? Instead of a special involving the boys' trip out to California to visit Mizuki, we get a slew of flashbacks. A majority of the special is supposed to take place between episodes 7 and 8. However, someone made a decision to introduce a new character, Julia, to try to get Sano to confess his love to Mizuki. Not only is Julia unnecessary but she is also annoying. I would have preferred a special dedicated to more of the hijinks of the various dorms instead of focusing on something that was already determined in the series - Sano loves Mizuki. There is no need to try to figure out the exact moment that it dawned on him.

JDorama review: Ikebukuro West Gate Park Special

Title: Ikebukuro West Gate Park Special Also known as: IWGP Sp Broadcast date: ?? Number of episodes: 1 Genre: drama Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Sato Ryuta Plot: Taking place three years after the series, Makoto and his mother are currently homeless. She is staying with various friends (like King's father's sauna) while Makoto sleeps in their now-traveling fruit stand truck. One day, a homeless man wakes Makoto to tell him about a rash of homeless beatings. Ken, the leader of the homeless, wants Makoto to find the culprit. Meanwhile, Makoto is feeling restless in Bukuro. What is good: The last half hour or so is pretty good. What is bad: Boring! Letter rating: F Overall: While I didn't particularly like the series, it was at least interesting on some point. The special is painstakingly boring. There's two full-length songs sung in concert form for no real reason. Yes, both of the musical acts are important to either the storyline or a character revelation but the songs weren't really necessary. Kubozuka Yosuke, who played King in the original, is absent for a majority of the show. In his absence, both of the major gangs from the series have set up ramen shops. There is a sub-plot about which gang makes the best ramen. Now I know why I put off watching this for so long.

JDorama review: Zettai Kareshi

Title: Zettai Kareshi Also Known As: Absolute Boyfriend Broadcast date: 4/15/08 - 6/24/08 Genre: Romantic comedy Number of episodes: 11 Cast: Hayami Mokomichi, Mizushima Hiro, Aibu Saki Plot: Riika (Aibu Saki) is terrible at love. One day, she finds herself strapped with a free trial for a new love robot, Night (Hayami Mokomichi). Despite Night's absolute devotion to her, Riika finds herself falling in love with her boss, Soshi (Mizushima Hiro). Which will Riika choose? What is good: Much like Ghost in the Shell, it has a "what does it mean to be human" theme wrapped up in the romance storyline. What is bad: How come Night can't willingly destroy property but he can go around telling everyone he's a robot even though Riika was explicitly told not to tell anyone? Letter rating: A- Overall: As a drama, I found it to be excellent. I was even crying during the final episode. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems. The robotic sound effects that Night makes when he blinks or turns his head get somewhat annoying after awhile. We know that he is a robot. We don't need to be reminded. We do need some continuity though. Why doesn't everyone else hear Night's blinking noise? Also, Riika is told very explicitly that Night is a secret and she is not to tell anyone that he is a robot. So what does Night do? Blab it to everyone. Even if no one believes him, why wouldn't he be programmed to not say he's a robot?

If you look past those few small problems, the show really is good. The actors do an excellent job, especially Hayami Mokomichi. This would be a great show for any romantic comedy fan.