Japanese Drama Reviews

Note:

• Titles with links have detailed reviews/entries available.
• An asterisk (*) signifies that rating is heavily affected by personal enjoyment (or dislike) more than objective evaluation
• (#) indicates temporary rating.

Title	Rating (of 10)
14 Sai no Haha: It takes a lot of effort to like the heroine.	4
Anego: I started to watch this drama because of Jin, but my attention shifted to its female lead. Ryoko-san is one of the most provocative j-actress I have laid my eyes on. And from all the Older-women/Young-men pairing, the Jin-Ryoko has the best sizzling chemistry. I didn’t care about the 10+ age gap, they fit each other perfectly.	5
Attention Please: So corny, Aya.	5
Bara no nai Hanaya: This drama starts off terrific, forcing the viewers to make their own predictions on which path the drama might take. Unfortunately, the actual happenings are usually so simple and a let-down. But still, such great and lovely chemistry between the two leads. The sugary ending is very welcome ^_^	9*
Beautiful Life: Another classic Takuya. One day, I watched the first episode and couldn’t stomach Kimutaku’s hair-do. After 5 years, I watched it again, but this time I finished it. If I did finish it 5 years ago, I would probably have a higher opinion of it. But these past years had also made me see its flaws. Gotta thank the Korean hallyu craze for immunizing me with this kind of dramas! Still a good watch though…for Takuya’s hair-do, maybe? hehe	7.5
Brother Beat: Loveeee this drama. The relationship between the brothers is hilarious and touching at the same time. One of my favorite family dramas.	8*
Busu no Hitomi Koishteru:Great premise, badly executed.	3
Densha Otoko: Without watching the anime, I found the humor to get better halfway through; maybe because I got used to Yamada as I watch more episodes.	6
Double Kitchen: The usual family drama.	6
Dragon Zakura:Sakuragi-sensei might not be a match against Akutsu-sensei, but he’s got his own style. A level above GTO, Gokusen and Gachi baka! coz unlike those three school dramas, this one actually teaches! A good drama to marathon, I mean you have no choice…you would want to see the next episode, and the next, and the next…that’s how addicting it is.	9.5*
Egao no hosoku: Great chemistry between Abe Hiroshi and Takeuchi Yuko. They were meant to make a drama together but egao no hosoku is not that drama. It is decent, sometimes too preachy, and forgettable.	6
Engine: There’s really no chemistry between Koyuki and Takuya, but it doesn’t matter…coz the story didn’t center around them. It’s mostly about a childish Takuya against a bunch of very interesting kids. Again, the first episode is slow, but the following episodes till the end will definitely hold your interest.	8
Forbidden Love: Great beginning but it goes downhill halfway through.	1
Gachi Baka: One of the worst school dramas. Avoid like the plague unless you want to fangirl over the kiddie johnny boys.	1
Galileo:This introduced me to the American TV show NUMB3RS. Ditched Galileo and just watch NUMB3RS	7
Gambatte Ikimasshoi:Personally, I think this is 5 or 10 times better than Water Boys. Don’t watch 3 episodes and stop, coz this is one of those type that gets better and better after each episode.	7
Gokusen: Whoah, I’ll be amazed if you haven’t seen this yet.	8
Gokusen 2: It didn’t live to its predecessor’s name. It’s still entertaining though and you won’t miss much even if you skip the latter half of some of the episodes.	2
Good Luck: I didn’t like the pairing between Takuya and Shibasaki Kou. But this drama is interesting because you get to see the works behind an Airline.	5
GTO: One of the classics, make sure to watch it if u don’t wanna get behind.	8
H2: Among Yamada’s dramas that I’ve seen(yes, including Sekachu), I like his character the most in here. A bit of repetition had killed my interest and at some point I thought it was going nowhere. But overall, it’s a feel-good show and the ending is really nice.	7
Haken no Hinkaku: The ultimate office-lady drama. Well-rounded and one of the most stable episodic shows. I watched each episode with long periods in between and I never lost interest. This drama proves that you don’t need a drop-dead gorgeous actor to make it work. You don’t need one as long as you have the Super Haken actress, Shinohara Ryoko.	8.5
Hana Kimi: A very silly adaptation but still highly entertaining. Ikemen paradise it is!	7*
Hana Yori Dango: I’m not ashamed to admit this, but I really <3 this drama with its cliches, insufficient number of episodes and Domyoji’s fur coat. Even if I knew the basic plot from watching MG and the anime, the drama felt brand-new and easy to get addicted.	8.5
Hana Yori Dango 2: More melodramatic than part 1.	6
Honey & Clover: A very poor and dry adaptation of the anime and manga that we came to love. Actors didn’t do justice to the characters especially Hagu and Morita. Cinematography is well done and the only thing (aside from Ikuta Toma’s Takemoto) that gave life to the Honey & Clover world.	4
Himitsu no Hanazono: Another drama about manga writers. Better than egao no hosoku.	7
Hotaru no Hikari: My favorite jdrama romance of year 2007! I would have like an extended ending though.	9*
Iryu: Some cheesy moments but super exciting medical drama.	9.5
Itsumo Futari de: A very touching drama about friends turn into lovers.	7
IWGP: Violent and bloody.	9
Jikou Keisatsu: I should finish this…	(5)
Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake: All I can say is beautiful OST! And if you are a jdrama virgin, you’ll probably tear up, but gettinga nnoyed with Kyoko Fukada is inevitable	6
Kanojo to no tadashii: Short and sweet. Kinda like My Sassy Girl.	9.5
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko: Brilliant	10+
Kiken Na Aniki: The boys like it because of Itoh Misaki from Densha Otoko. I find her unfit for this role.	(1)
Kimi Wa Petto: Don’t u think Koyuki is the most beautiful and stylish Japanese actress? Her smile brightens up the whole screen and her tears makes me wanna weep with her. Her connection with Momo(Jun) is more platonic than romantic. And Jun’s character in this drama is the total opposite of his Domyouji. It shows you how versatile of an actor he is.	7
Kindaichi Shounen Jinkenbo S3: I love the Kindaichi series. It’s genre is kinda like whodunnit mystery dramas. My eyes and ears are glued to the screen whenever Kindaichi Jr. unfolds the mystery. There is some similarities between the culprits on each case…so it’ll get more predictable as you watch more cases.	7
Koukou Kyoushi 2003: My only problem with this drama is the ending. Other than that, I would have included this on my Must Watch List.	8.5
Kisarazu Cat’s Eye: I could have cut and paste my comment from T&G, but this one here has its own special place in my list of fave dramas. A silly comedy (when I say silly, I mean it in an endearing way) about 5 goofy guys, each with a unique character thrown in the weirdest situations. When u read the synopsis at jdorama and see the c-word, don’t assume like me and think melodrama…IT’S NOT. I almost had stomach cramps from laughing too much while watching this drama. Man, I miss them already and I feel like watching it again.	9.5
Kuitan: A detective drama about food! Sometimes, I get the feeling that its target audience is kids for it simplistic layout and no-brainer mysteries.	3
Kurosagi: The one that intensified the YamaP craze after Nobuta wo Produce.Too repetitious and episodic for my taste.	(5)
Last Christmas: Same feel(not plot) as Slow Dance, except an older leading man and a better pacing.	6.5
Last Friends: You don’t need to wait until the last episode for the shocker twist. Even with its flaws, and probably because of its theme, this drama is bound to be an instant favorite so make sure you don’t miss it (well, at least the first three episodes).	7
LIAR GAME : We have one stupid heroine here paired with the coolest character ever. If you can stomach the over the top acting, this might be a super exciting drama to watch.	6
LIFE: Fast-paced, suspenseful drama about bullying.	9*
Long Vacation: This one is a classic. It didn’t really appeal to me though regardless of the high votes at jdorama. The age gap between Tomoko and Takuya didnt sit well with me which ruined their supposedly good chemistry with each other.	7
Love Generation: I might be biased on this one…but what the heck…this drama made my heart twist in pain, literally. Teppei sukebe …poor Riko	8
Lunch Queen: Oh my…this drama would get you hungy and fall in love with Japanese food–especially OMURICE!	8.5
Million Falling Stars: This is not for the faint of heart. Try to guess what the big secret is while you witness one of Takuya’s excellent performances	8
My Boss My Hero:Another Tomoya’s classic! One of the most hilarious dramas of the year.	9
My Little Chef: If Lunch Queen gave you feeling of salivating while laughing, this one would make you cry and salivate over French cuisine while showing how it could alter the life of each of its subject.	7
Nodame Cantabile: Kyaaaaa~~~ Chiaki Sempai! A brilliant adaptation. Even better than the anime.	10+
Nobuta wo Produce: The first half was really good. But at some point, I came to develop an affection for the characters, so even if the story is starting to lose half of its magic, it didn’t matter. I’ll watch it just to get my weekly dose of Nobuta, Shuji to Akira.	7.5
Ns’ Aoi: Too episodic and most of the time boring. The medical drama to watch is IRYU!	2
Oishii Puropozu: Hasegawa Kyoko: the most annoying actress.	1
One Litre Of Tears: This is truly a life altering drama. The first episode would probably hint a very depressing mood and most people who favor comedy stop at ep01 without seeing the rest. Big mistake, buddy.	10+
Orange Days: The first ever jdrama I seriously fell in love with.	10+
Pride: My first ever Kimutaku drama. Now I know what’s the fuss about him.	8.5
Proposal Daisakusen: My favorite YamaP drama.	8.6
Queen’s Classroom: Akutsu-sensei puts Yankumi and Onizuka into shame. I haven’t watch Kinpanchi sensei, so disregarding that drama, I have to say that this the best sensei drama I have seen. It stars grade six kids, but even then, this drama would force viewers of all ages to think and speculate what the writer is hitting at. This is both an emotional and intellectual ride which would keep you at the edge of your seats.	10+
Remote: Engaging storyline(s), addicting, fangirl/fanboy friendly, often funny, but disappointing ending.	6
Sailor Fuku to Kikanjuu: I should finish this…	(4)
Sapuri: Another flop from Ito Masaki	(2)
Sekai no Chusin de ai wo sakebu: I don’t really get the hype with this drama. It’s a good drama, it has some breathtaking sceneries, excellent actors, beautiful script but I can’t really imagine myself riding the whole thing the second time around. It does have some poignant scenes but it still dragged a lot. But do give it a try, the majority really LOVED it…I ain’t one of them.	7.1
Shotgun Marriage: Ahhhh, Ryoko Hirosue is too annoying in this drama. Her cutesy acting came pretty close to Kyoko Fukada’s level.	(4)
Slow Dance: It’s like a contemporary long vacation, but the cast is a lot better/funnier and the dialogue more creative. (speaking as a Satoshi fan). Overall, it’s a feel-good show but the ending is corny. Ick.	6
Stand Up!: I’m not a big fan of Anne Suzuki. I also didn’t laugh as much as what others had said about this drama.	5
Star no Koi: A lot of times while watching this drama, I said, “HAHAHAHA, geez, Sosuke is really geeky(ugly) looking. HAHAHA.” Not in a bad way, of course. As the drama progresses, I came to like his character…his way of speaking some words…”Hai~”…his humble and nice personality…and these aspects made him handsome inside and out. They say this is the Japanese take on Notting Hill. IMO, I love this version much better.	6
Strawberry in the Shortcake: Maybe the reason that made me dislike this drama lies on how the characters were written and acted out-especially Takky and Kyoko’s characters. Nevertheless, it wasn’t draggy at all, just corny and sometimes irritating. No need to say who makes it irritating. Heh.	1
Summer Snow: It’s not that bad nor it is good. The type of drama you watch and forget…but won’t leave a bad taste on your mouth.	5
Taiyou no Uta: I’m amaze of you people who can stomach Sawajiri in this show.	(0.5)
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi: Too Korean for a Japanese drama	(5)
Tiger & Dragon: This drama and Kisarazu are from the same writer(Kudo Kankuro). The man with a fantastic sense of humour. T&G is one of the funniest drama I’ve seen(yes, even more so than Densha). Full of wit, charm, a memorable cast, and scenes that would stick with you and make you smile just from the thought of them.	10+
Unfair: Not my favorite of Ryoko’s	(6)
Utahime: Nagase in 3 different roles (2 characters). Good beginning, draggy middle, excellent ending.	7
Water Boys: I’m not really impress with this drama. For the first 10 episodes, they introduced a number of unecessary hurdles just to expand the story into 11 episodes when 2 episodes might have been enough. But the comedy keeps you going and the last episode is totally worth it!	4
Yamada Taro Monogatari: Memorable beginning; mediocre on the rest.	6
YAOH: Corny	5
Yama Onna, Kabe Onna: Ito Misaki + Kyoko Fukada = one decent drama. I hate to say this, but I actually enjoyed this drama.	6
Yukan Club: One of the corniest drama that I have finished. I enjoyed it but still mocked myself for watching it.	1.5