Maou (2008)

This has to be one of the best series I have ever seen.  The story was just so absorbing and suspenseful.  The central characters were all interesting and magnetic.  A wonderfully delivered plot, plus great performances, plus a smorgasbord of themes, made this an intensely gripping and emotional story. 

The title is literally translated as “devil king”.  That’s because the central character is a lawyer who’s being dubbed as “angelic” for his reputation for clearing accused people who were really innocent of their purported crime.  In truth, though, this lawyer is very carefully manipulating his clients and his entire career in order to stage a vengeance that took him eleven years to plan and execute.  When he was seventeen years old, Manaka Tomoo’s brother was accidentally stabbed by a classmate named Serizawa.  

It all began there.  Slowly but surely with each episode all the events that led up to Manaka’s bitter search for vengeance unfolds.  Death comes one by one to people who were related to the case.  Serizawa, who now has become a police detective, tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding the deaths caused by a mysterious figure called Amano Makoto.  Eventually Serizawa finds out the truth about the deaths that seem to be hounding his friends and family and their connection to the painful past that he has been trying to overcome since the unfortunate incident eleven years ago.  Unfortunately, the tides cannot be turned anymore.  Manaka and Serizawa must confront each other and face the consequences of their actions, and the series comes to an appropriately tragic conclusion.

The series dealt with some very serious themes, including guilt and atonement, closeness to one’s family, loyalty to one’s friends, betrayal, justice, sacrifice, and the redemptive power of forgiveness.  It also had a supernatural element, represented as a psychic ability possessed by Manaka’s love interest.  That particular aspect of the story gave the entire series even more depth because although Manaka finds love and the hope of happiness, he ultimately sees himself unworthy of anything good – love, forgiveness, or joy.  I was truly enthralled by the story, its twists and turns, and the unexpected ways Manaka delivered his vengeance.  He was so dead set on it that he gave up his entire life for the fulfilment of his crusade.  The pacing was excellent, and the characters were all flawlessly portrayed.  I highly recommend this series to all who are looking for something of a detective thriller/mystery, because you will definitely get much more than you expect.  Maou has quickly become one of my most favourite series of all time.  

More information on Maou.

Sprout (2012)

This is a very high school story, if there ever was one.   I decided to give it a try so as to give myself a break from all the other things I’ve been on to lately that tended to be more on the serious, psychological, and dark-themed persuasion.  I’d say it was cute, if you liked this kind of high school candy.  I’m sure many out there would like it.

Souhei, along with two other people, end up as boarders in Miku’s home.  Things get awkward at first – Miku wasn’t really willing to let strangers invade her cushy home-life.  But then soon enough she develops a crush on Souhei and thinks of him as her “fated person.”  Problem is, Souhei has a girlfriend, Miyuki.  Miku, while not exactly popular in school, finds herself creating an awkward friendship with Miyuki, who gets bullied and gossiped about.  And then there’s Hayato, Souhei’s best friend, who ends up falling for Miku.  It’s a four-way street from there.  The story goes through the motions of showing the awkwardness of youth, naivete, first love, and heartbreak through a dewy summer-themed lens to the background song Betty’s a Bombshell by Grouplove.  I rather liked this song.  As to the series, the pace was good – thirty minute episodes, so it went quite fast and didn’t get too boring.  The thing is, the actors (except perhaps for the Souhei kid) came off as stiff, cold, and awkward; as if they didn’t feel quite comfortable with their roles.  But come to think of it, given the themes, they were supposed to look awkward and uncomfortable, being teens trying to figure things out by trial and error, yes?  Oh well.   Anyway, it wasn’t all that bad.  It’s good for something light and cute, if that’s what you’re after.  Enjoy! 

Rich Man, Poor Woman (2012)

I decided to give this drama a try because one of my Japanese friends recommended it, and we shared a common liking for Oguri Shun.  Although I never saw the movie The Social Network, this might probably have similarities to that much-talked-about Hollywood production.  Rich Man, Poor Woman aired in mid-2012 and centers around Toru Hyuga, a self-made millionaire who started out small in the vast world of the internet.  He and his friend Asahina have made themselves big in the online world and are now living the good life while leading a company that functions very differently from the traditional office image that most people have.  Of course it can’t all be perfect.  Toru suffers from a strange syndrome of forgetfulness – he cannot remember the faces or names of people.  This is a huge obstacle in the only quest that occupies most of his waking thoughts – to find his mother who abandoned him as a child.   His mother’s name, Sawaki Chihiro, is the only name he can’t seem to forget. 

Enter Natsui Makoto, a Tokyo University graduate having a hard time finding employment.  She remembers an encounter she had with Toru from long before he made it big, and upon taking a chance to apply for a job at his company, she blurts out that her name is (surprise, surprise) Sawaki Chihiro.  Of course such a lie has its inevitable consequences.  The series takes us through the ups and downs of Toru and Natsui’s relationship at work, deepening friendship, and romantic development.  All the while the change in the problematic character of Toru gradually comes full circle as he is faced with professional and personal conflicts one after another.   He matures, learns about humility, professionalism, friendship, love, and forgiveness.  Of course it all comes with the help of the colorful characters around him.

I’d say the series is pretty nice, well-written, and not boring.  Good performances from the cast, and commendable pacing and plot development.  Not really heavy on either comedy or drama, a little bit of romance, and a good touch of life lessons given focus.  Not bad, not bad.  And Oguri is gorgeous (let’s not forget that). 

More information on "Rich Man, Poor Woman"

Hungry! (2012)

I’m not sure why but lately I’ve been gravitating toward J-dramas that deal with food a lot.  The latest one that caught my attention was called “Hungry!” starring Mukai Osamu.  It aired in Japan from January to March of 2012.  Eisuke (Mukai), having reached the age of 30 and having his dreams of being a rock star frustrated over and over, decides to quit the world of music and return to his mother’s French restaurant to work as a chef.  His skill at cooking had always been recognized but certain events in his childhood prompted him to veer away from developing his natural talent.  Unfortunately, just as he had gathered the resolve to continue training as a chef, his mother passes away.  Trials and tribulations come in the form of Mr. Aso, a celebrity in the restaurant /culinary world and owner of several popular restaurants.  Aso had been urging Eisuke’s mother to sell her restaurant to him for the longest time; and now that she is gone, decides to take over by force.  Eisuke and his widowed father, together with Eisuke’s former band-mates are forced to reestablish the restaurant in an old warehouse.  Things sure looked pretty bad from there.  To make matters worse, Eisuke’s personal life is taking a toll from all the drastic changes.  His girlfriend, Mariya, is strongly against his move to run a restaurant, and his first “fan” as a chef, a girl named Chie, develops a huge crush on him.  Facing the many difficulties of running a fledgling business, developing his cooking skills, maintaining his relationships with his best friends and girlfriend, and trying to get a grip on his own tempestuous and rebellious personality soon makes the whole thing seem like the beleaguered Eisuke has bitten off far more than he could possibly chew.  Nevertheless, his “hungry” drive for success and self-worth continuously urges him to keep pushing for his dream. 

I found the series quite entertaining, but not so different from the other series of similar themes I’d seen before.  Themes like overcoming hardships, cultivating the bonds of friendship, showing appreciation for family support, and falling in love at the same time – these have been seen many times in many other series before.  But what set this series a bit apart, I think, is the villain.  Inagaki Goro portrayed the part of Aso Tokio very capably indeed.  There were several times in the series when you’d feel at odds whether to feel a profound kind of pity for him, or a sudden deep loathing.  This actor really gets creepy down pat (see him as the villain in Nagareboshi).  The series also had its comedic moments, such as servings of rice made to look like a brassiere, an escaped lobster, an obsessive rival chef, and others.  And of course there were the beautiful shots of delicious French dishes enough to make the mouth water.  What kind of cooking drama series wouldn’t have those, huh?  All in all, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad or boring series, but it lacks for originality in my humble opinion.  Still, if you’re interested, why not give it a try.  Oh yeah, the cast is eye-candy – in my book, a good bonus to throw in anytime.

More Info on Hungry!

Q10 (2010)

I just finished a series called “Q10” (pronounced kyuu-to) which aired in Japan in 2010.  The premise of the story gives us a kind-hearted but rather distant young man, Heita, who comes across a girl that’s actually a robot.  I know. There are already a great number of similar stories out there.  “Not another Pinocchio spin-off!” is what I thought.  But I was wrong.  Good thing I stuck around and saw the whole thing through. 

The series focused not on the robot, but the people around it.  The episodes featured themes that revolved around coping with financial ruin, loneliness, separation, friendship, aging, illness, and how people cope with life in all of its fragility and transience.   Heita behaves rather distantly towards his peers and family.  He’s very careful of his heart condition and prefers not to involve himself in anything serious or emotional.  Through Kyuuto’s innocence and unbiased view of the world, Heita learns more and more about what it means to struggle, to hope, to help and be helped, and of course, to love.  Because of Kyuuto, Heita’s world gradually changes. 

The way they handled these myriad themes was unexpectedly sensitive and moving.  I thought this would be another one of those teen-oriented comedic stories, but no.  I was pleasantly surprised by how delicately and gracefully the story developed.  The actors were very convincing; sublime performances, I’d say.  The pace of the series was unhurried; and they managed the entire tale in nine episodes without leaving you hanging.  I recommend this drama to those who would like to get a fresh view of life.  Thumbs up.

Cast: Sato Takeru, Maeda Atsuko, Kaku Kento, Renbutsu Misako, etc. 

Click here for more information on Q10.

Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de (謎解きはディナーのあとで 2011)

I’ve always enjoyed a good mystery and the Japanese literary world is rich with them.  This series was based on a popular manga of the same name and starred Sakurai Sho and Kitagawa Keiko. I felt like watching something light and witty so I decided to give this series a try.  It aired in 2011 and ran for ten episodes.

The premise gives you a young heiress (Hosho Reiko) who lives a double life, moonlighting as a police investigator, and her astute and opinionated butler (Kageyama).  Together they try to solve the murders that the young lady encounters in her job as an investigator.  It just so happens that in his functions serving, protecting, and assisting his mistress, Kageyama doesn’t hesitate to insult her and mock her naiveté and her troubles in unlocking the riddles presented by the murders.  He ends up being the one who unravels everything and solves the cases.  And while Reiko can hardly stand the mockery (she keeps threatening to fire him), she recognizes and appreciates Kageyama’s help and dependability in almost every aspect of her life. More comic situations arise due to the apparent randomness of Reiko’s chief detective (Kazamatsuri) who also happens to be the nouveau riche heir to an automobile company. 

What I appreciated best were the murder mysteries and riddles – they were really presented so that you won’t find the answers so simple to decipher.  And in the grand tradition of Sherlock Holmes, Kageyama always seems to make the revelations painfully easy and obvious.  Solving riddles comes after dinner, though.  Too bad they didn’t delve more into the characters of Reiko and Kageyama.  I would have liked it if there was at least one episode that enabled the audience to get a more involved view of the main characters even if another riddle had to take the back seat for a while.  Reiko, Kageyama, Kazamatsuri and all the other regular personages came out as quite flat and stereotypical.  Thus, the series ended with not much in terms of character development.  Other than that, the pace was good, the comedy wasn’t too corny, and I generally felt eager to see the next episode.  Not bad at all. 

Switch Girl 2011 （スイッチガール！！）

I decided to try this out on a whim because I felt a little bit swamped by some rather serious stuff lately.  I craved for a little bit of nonsense and slapstick humor.  Sometimes you just want to forget about the world around you and laugh yourself silly.  Sure enough, this series gave me that much needed break. 

“Switch Girl” is based on a manga of the same name.  The premise presents us with a heroine, Nika, a high school student who takes drastic measures to put up a façade of perfection and popularity at school while hiding her true slovenly self.  Surely any woman of any age can relate to this.  We all agonize over the image we present to the world whenever we step out of our comfort zone.  I loved the fact that this story pulled no punches.  It threw everything at the world, from “safety panties” to deodorizing one’s farts.  I found it totally refreshing that the main character was perfectly comfortable with her imperfections.  The daily ritual of transforming herself was just another way for her to have fun in her life – it neither defined her nor turned her obsessive and psychotic.  She was perfectly able to let her true self shine through whenever the need for honesty arose. 

As a counterpoint comes Arata, a good-looking boy who in exact reverse of Nika hides behind thick glasses to avoid becoming popular.  He faces abandonment issues from when his mother left their family after he caught her having an affair with another man.  He discovers Nika’s secret and they make a deal not reveal each other’s true selves to the rest of the school.  Their relationship starts from there.  Nika and Arata, trying to get to know each other more, trying to get by in school, trying to outwit those who antagonize them – with their wacky friends and Nika’s equally crazy mother and elder sister thrown into the bunch, make for a perfectly loony series.

It all sounds shallow and silly, I know, but I found the situations rather entertaining.  It felt like it was meant to be that way – coarse, upfront, and exaggerated.  With only eight episodes and each episode at only thirty minutes long, it didn’t feel overdone.  If you’re looking for nothing heavy and just want a few laughs, you’d probably like this one.  Enjoy! 

Kare, Otto, Otoko Tomodachi 2011 (カレ、夫、男友達)

This drama centers around the lives of three sisters who find themselves facing different conflicts, and shows how their close family ties helped each of them find resolution for their troubles.  Their “happy family” suffered a blow when their father left them to be with another woman.  And while they still maintained a façade of friendly forgiveness and acceptance with their father, the impact that this event created had undeniable consequences on the three daughters.  

The eldest sister, Asako, suffers from domestic violence and abuse by her husband.  She fears him greatly and wants to break away; yet mysteriously feels drawn to him, wanting to save him and herself at the same time. The second daughter, Haruko, is trying to climb the ladder of career success and while believing herself in love with her boyfriend, succumbs to loneliness and temptation.  Ikuko, the youngest, was most affected by the abandonment and cannot find it in herself to forgive their father.  She feels numb and unable to fall in love, trying to find the answer to her questions in the wrong places.  They often go back to the solace of their mother, who herself silently suffers and tries to maintain the appearance of peace and confidence in order to be the one remaining glue that holds their family together.

The pace of the series was good at only eight episodes.  All the roles were well-portrayed; the women were well-suited to their roles and gave their parts the sensitivity necessary to make the characters come alive.  I really appreciated that the female roles were not stereotyped.  Not one of them was too perfect, good or bad.  I would say that the roles were accurately rendered.  Also, I especially liked the actor who played Asako’s husband – he was really scary and creepy and you just want to strangle him yourself.  All in all a good series that I felt compelled to follow to the very end.  Women would certainly appreciate it.  Men definitely ought to watch it and learn a thing or two about women and what they have to face in the real world.  8/10.

Nagareboshi 流れ星 (2010)

Nagareboshi (流れ星) is a Japanese drama that aired in 2010.  It starred Takenouchi Yutaka and Ueto Aya, among others.  I finished following the series the other day, and I really liked it.  It’s a romance embedded in a family drama, but unlike others of this kind of story, this one paid more attention to the family aspect of the theme. 

Kengo (Takenouchi) has a younger sister who is in urgent need of a liver transplant donor.  Risa (Ueto) is a girl forced to work in the sex trade in order to pay back debts accumulated by an extremely irresponsible older brother.  Kengo first meets her when she goes to the aquarium where he works to find some solace from her troubles by watching the calming motions of jellyfish drifting their lives away.  Later on, Kengo manages to rescue her from a suicide attempt.  It is then that Kengo proposes a disturbing and quite scandalous contract.  It is a fake marriage where Risa would “marry” Kengo so that she may donate her liver for Kengo’s sister.  Kengo in turn will pay off all of Risa’s debt.  Things get even more complicated when they start developing genuine feelings for each other, as well as when they are confronted with inevitable troubles, mostly coming from Risa’s creepy brother.

I like the way they treated the story.  More than anything else, it was about how much one is willing to sacrifice for the sake of saving the life of a beloved family member.  They used the stark difference between the two older brother characters (Kengo and Risa’s brother), and Risa’s character of the long-suffering younger sister to give this theme the impact and depth it needed.  I also liked the overall pace of the story.  It only had ten episodes, which was two episodes short of a usual drama, but it was more than enough to let the story play out well-paced and quite gracefully.  The actors were very effective – especially Risa’s brother; he was such a genuine creep, I wanted to strangle him with my bare hands every time he shows up on screen.  And of course I have a very special place in my heart for Takenouchi; he is just impossibly handsome and a great actor, too. I think I could listen to his voice all day and not get tired of it. I think (good) Japanese actors and actresses are awesome.  They are rarely overacting (unless they are playing a role that’s supposed to be exaggerated), and they are more often than not believable and compelling.  I recommend this drama to you, and I hope you’ll appreciate it as much as I did.  Enjoy!

Bambino!

Based on a manga of the same name, the story revolves around the challenges faced by a young Japanese man aspiring to be a chef at an Italian restaurant.  Ban Shogo is played by Matsumoto Jun in this series, which completed in 2007.  I didn’t have any particular reason for starting with this drama, but being the quasi-obsessive-compulsive that I am, I couldn’t stand not finishing what I started.  In this case, being OC did not help, as I didn’t like the series much.  There were too many unnecessarily over-done melodramatic moments for my taste.  There are more out there that are much deeper theme/story-wise and better executed in my humble opinion.  Nevertheless, this one did have some redeeming characteristics.

It focuses on the importance of work.  It goes to show that no matter how lowly or menial one’s job is, each and every one has as much value as all the rest.  No matter how small one’s part, the whole will not be able to function without it.  This show demonstrates the Japanese way of looking at work – how highly they value it and how they take pride and show their dignity through the part they play.  They place importance on each individual’s contribution to society as a whole.  Their selflessness is clearly manifested here and I can’t help but compare it to the self-centeredness of Western thinking.  In the west, it’s more of work for personal gain and financial superiority – it’s all so materialistic.  In this story, Ban learns to rein his personal ambition and channels his energy and zeal into learning from others and becoming a valued contributor and member of a community.  He becomes less self-centered, learns to make sacrifices, and develops a lot of patience.  He arrives at his desired achievements with the help of his friends, and comes out of the whole thing with a lot more humility, respect, and understanding of what it means to be a professional.

Matsumoto was so young here, but he pulled off the role quite well.  You really do get annoyed with his boastful arrogance at the beginning of the series, but he eventually earns your empathy.  Favourite characters:  Yonamine – for being cute and winky, and Katori – for being consistently bad-ass from start to finish.  Oda was good, too.  Oh, and yeah, all that Italian food did indeed make my mouth water.  They DO make good Italian in Japan – I can vouch for that.  For the series, 6/10.

My Girl (TV Asahi)

A family drama about a struggling photographer who doesn't really follow any direction in his life until he encounters a little girl who claims to be his daughter.  It all starts from there. 

I liked the pace of this series - it doesn't drag out too long.  The conflicts presented are also quite realistic.  It also asks the fundamental question of parenthood - how much are you willing to sacrifice for the happiness of your children?  There are some moments that are really thought-provoking and emotive. 

The actors did a pretty decent job.  I didn't have any particular favorite among the characters, but I particularly disliked the senpai he had at the office (with that ridiculous hairstyle).  But I guess that character was tailored to be exactly as he had been portrayed.  I wonder why Japanese dramas cannot seem to leave off with exaggerated comic types like these?  Sometimes it's really overdoing it, I think.  The whole thing could have done without such a character.

Not too bad.  If I were to rate it, I'd say 8/10.

In order not to lose my Japanese...

I watch Japanese anime, dramas, and movies online.

It's been two years and two months since I came back from a two-and-a-half-year stay in Japan.  I learned to speak quite fine during that short time, and managed to even pass a proficiency test.  Though slowly but surely, as expected, I'm losing my Nihongo.

Watching Japanese anime, dramas, and movies have been such a big help in retaining what little I have left.  I have hardly any use for a third language here.  Being able to speak Nihongo is something very dear to me - a beautiful memento of the dream-like days I spent in that splendid country.  Just hearing the language being spoken aloud is a priceless experience.  I don't know how many anime, dramas, and movies I've seen so far - too many to remember right now.  I do regret that I didn't bother to keep a record of all the series I've seen to date.  But what better time to begin than now? 

Most recent anime: Nodame Cantabile Finale
I've loved this series since the beginning.  It helps that I have a deep love for classical music as well.  This anime is a hilarious romance centering around eccentric Nodame and the colorful and musical love she shares with Chiaki.  I'd say the story is mostly character-driven, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it is the music that gives this series all the more energy and vitality.  It also has a live action version that I've also seen through.  Highly recommended for a good laugh and an inspiring, revitalizing dose of great classical music.  It will lift you up in every way.

J-drama of the moment: Yokai Ningen Bem
"Unexpected" is the most appropriate word I would use to describe it.  One must not be fooled by the premise - this is far from a shallow adventure/hero story.  I can't recall many other stories that have dealt with the suffering, pain, and beauty of being human more deeply and emphatically than this series.  Each episode looks at life from a very different perspective - what would it be like to WANT to be human?  Being human is not easy, and people deal with their difficult lives in very different ways.  Who would want to be human when it seems that all we have is grief, fear, and suffering only to end up dying anyway?  Such questions.  This series is truly worth watching.

I'll try to recall most if not all the other series that I've seen; all those wonderful stories that I've managed to experience in a language foreign and yet so beloved to me.   This is just a beginning.  Let it be good.