TV Drama Review #117 - Joshi Deka 女警!女警!

How long? 10 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/TBS
Who's in?
Nakama Yukie ~ Hatakeyama Kurumi
Izumi Pinko ~ Sakura Hanako
Ryu Si Won ~ Park Ji Won
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
Hatakeyama is an enthusiastic rookie cop whose only strong point is her marksmanship, while Sakura is a veteran detective with the #1 arrest rate. The two work together to solve crimes, despite differences in their ways of thinking. Park Ji Won is the son of Sakura, who likes Hatakeyama and was suspected to be a criminal in a crime later on...
Love & Hates:
Plot-Honestly, the storyline could be more engaging, and the cases can be more suspenseful. Thus, quite often, the drama seemed pretty dull to me. The last case was a good one, lots of twists & turns and even the leads were suspected...and we didn't know who's the real mastermind until the very end. I wished that wld be more scenes focusing on Ryu Si Won & Nakama..but I am sad with their relationship towards the end...haiz..The drama has its funny times, interaction b/w Nakama and Izumi...
Cast-Anticipated Nakama's return, she's alright la, not much surprises from her. Her image was a little similar to her previous dramas...long hair, funky and friendly. Chemistry with Ryu Si Won was great too...
I bet Ryu Si Won put in great effort to speak Japanese throughout the show...and he's pronounciation was natural and comfortable. His character didn't really stand out, and his image was rather similar in his Korean dramas too. However, I think PJW is a much more cheerful guy, and i like his interaction with his mum.
Izumi is a cute fella...her character Sakura appeared to mean Hatakeyama many of the times, but she's actually very concerned about her rookie partner. I like her chemistry with Nakama...there's a strong bond b/w them...perfect team.
OST-Check out themesong "Chiisana tenohira" by Aqua Timez
Worth watching?
Wont be a must-watch drama, but fans of Nakama and Ryu Si Won, do give it a try.

TV Drama Review #116 - Iryu Team Medical Dragon 2 医龙2

How long? 11 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/FujiTV
Who's in?
Sakaguchi Kenji ~ Asada Ryutaro
Uchida Yuki ~ Kataoka Kazumi
Koike Teppei ~ Ijyuuin Noboru
Otsuka Nene as Kodaka Nanami
Kitamura Kazuki as Kirishima Gunji
Mizukawa Asami as Satohara Miki
What's it abt? (from Dramawiki)
Asada Ryutaro wages a new battle against the realities of Japan's medical care system. The government has drafted legislation to tackle the recent inflation of medical fees; hospitals have entered an era in which they will go bankrupt if they aren't independently run. At the same time, hospital mergers and takeovers are also taking place. Additionally, the obstetrics and pediatrics departments are being closed in succession, and there are inadequate doctors in the region - issues that are closely related to these hospital management problems. Now, hospitals, like the average corporation, face collapse if they are not profitable.
Love & Hates:
Plot-I think the storyline is rather "dry" this time round, not many twists & turns and it can be rather boring, with some specific cases. Iryu 2 focused on how Asada gathers a new team after a few of them got kicked out of Meishin and the cooperation b/w Kataoka and they crazy prof Noguchi. The surgerical scenes are as usual, done pretty well while I think the sparks of the new team lost out to the old one.
New characters were intro into the drama, and the drama did gave them quite alot of time focusing on the character's hidden past and how they finally joined the group. That also means that the old members were given less screen time.
Cast-Sakaguchi was alright, but I am a little disappointed that there's not much new developments with this character Asada...Koike looked a bit more mature this time round, and I think he has improved. Uchida gave me quite alot of surprises. Firstly, her character is "yi zheng yi xie", I didn't really know if she's a gd fella or not till the very last moment. I missed her innocent times in "Big Wing", but now she's really a super mature woman, whose expressions are really good, esp. when she meets Noguchi...looked so cunning sia. U will be thinking what is she up next...It's a pity Mizukawa gets little screen time here...and Kitamura only appeared in the last epi, sort of like cameo appearance. Why is he appearing so little in Iryu 2 and Galileo? Aiyo~~Initially I thought he may be up against Asada again, butta...nothing happened. haha!
OST-Music instrumentals rather similar to "Iryu"'s OST, with themesong sang again by AI.
Worth watching?
Would only reco to people who like medical dramas and ppl who has watched "Iryu". It can be a little confusing for ppl who watch "Iryu 2" first. As for me...I think "Iryu" is much better overall.

TV Drama Review #115 - Hataraki Man 工作狂

How long? 11 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/NTV
Who's in?
Kanno Miho ~ Matsukata Hiroko
Yoshizawa Yuu ~ Yamashiro Shinji
Hayami Mokomichi ~ Tanaka Kunio
Tsuda Kanji ~ Sugawara Fumiya
Sawamura Ikki ~ Narita Kimio
Hirayama Aya ~ Nagisa Mayu
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
The story revolves around Matsukata, an editor of a weekly magazine, JIDAI. Hiroko is so focused on her work that she has no time for romance, and others refer to her by the nickname "hataraki man", which literally means "working man".
Love & Hates:
Plot-Originally from the manga, Hataraki man has quite an interesting plot. The storyline is above average, but there's no big twist or any surprises for viewers. I really wish Hiroko can end up with someone....(Tanaka is a gd candidate..haha!) I like how each episode starts with a theme, and how each character wld speaked to the viewers.
Sadly, the ending is like many other japanese dramas, which is "no ending"...
Cast-Kanno aged alot to me...wonder is it becoz' of the hairstyle plus make up or what? Butta, she's perfectly fine in this drama. There are some exaggerating expressions from her, but that's fine...haha! I always thought Kanno couldn't act in such comical roles, but I am wrong.
I don't really know if Hayami is the lead actor yet, since this is Kanno's "one woman show".But nonetheless, i think he's performance is slightly better than his previous dramas, not much expressions from him though, perhaps it's because Tanaka's a bo chap kind of guy. Surprisingly, the more comical guy here is the camera man, Sugawara by Tsuda. I don't know him la...but he's really funny. (can be another candidate for Hiroko...ha!) The other cast gave a gd performance here, they're like a big family to me. I remembered Mayu as the gal who wld cry like siao when she read a touching novel etc..haha! (and Hiroko don't really know what to do with her...haha!)
OST-Don't think it's out yet..Themesong "Ukiyo Crossing" by Uverworld and ending theme is "Hataraki Man Ondo" by Hataraki Mitsuru, which is Sawamura actually. Hahah! I love this ending theme sia...5 middle-aged guys wearing suits and dance with the song...hahaha! Very very cute and funny!
Worth watching?
A must-watch for Jdrama lovers, though this is a more career-themed drama.

TV Drama Review #114 - Galileo 神探伽利略

How long? 10 epis + 1 special
When & which tv stn? 2007/FujiTV
Who's in?
Fukuyama Masaharu ~ Yukawa Manabu
Shibasaki Kou ~ Utsumi Kaoru
Kitamura Kazuki ~ Kusanagi Shunpei
Famous guests:
Karasawa Toshiaki (White Tower)~ Epi 1
Hirosue Ryoko (Summer Snow)~ Epi 3
Katori Shingo (SMAP) ~ Epi 4
Mizuno Miki (Beautiful Life)~ Epi 5
Horikita Maki (Hana Kimi)~ Epi 6
Fukada Kyoko (Kamisama mou sukoshi dake)~ Epi 7
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
Yukawa is a genius physicist and university associate professor, Yukawa Manabu, who helps his friend Kusanagi to solve difficult mysteries. Yukawa is brilliant, an all-round sportsman, tall and handsome but eccentric. Utsumi is a hot-blooded woman with a strong sense of justice. Kusanagi told her that she can find Yukawa to help her solve the cases. However, the two are always bickering while they try to find evidences to solve the mysteries.
Loves & Hates:
Plot-The highest rating drama for Autumn J dramas this yr. It's a long comeback drama for Fukuyama. Plot didnt disappoints me, though it is quite standard as the same stuffs will occur in every episode. That is...Utsumi trying to get Yukawa to help her, then Yukawa suddenly saw the clues and rushed to any place available to let him scribble the physics equations, then he would explain his findings in his labs or other settings, then Utsumi wld clear the rest up with her colleague. Honestly, I wish the plot is not so scientific-centred, coz' I don't believe that everything can be solved by science, which the drama is trying to prove to u. What weird and ghostly stuffs are all man made. People who are waiting for romance will be left disappointed, coz' there's hardly any here, though there's some ai mei guan xi b/w the 2 leads. (I'm sad too..lolz!) It can be a little boring if the cases are not interesting, like the last case which dragged over 2 epis.
Cast-Fukuyama, ratings guarantee...looked very different from his previous drama "Beauty and the beast". No more funky and lame Fukuyama..this time round Yukawa is quite a serious fella who wears suits most of the time. He definitely looked good in it, but somehow i think he looked a little old to me leh. Haha! Acting wise, not really much expressions from him..(scientist mah)..but i like his chemistry with Shibasaki...haha! Bickering scenes are always fun to watch. Shibasaki is not a classy lady this time round, there are scenes which I think she's really cute, with pouted lips and other "buay tahan of Yukawa" expressions.
Kitamura, honestly is having a cameo role here rather than a support lead. He only appeared in 3 or 4 scenes in the entire drama...WHAT A WASTE! I was expecting him to be more involved lo...sobbzzz! Looking dashing as ever though...hehe!
Another great attraction of this drama are the guests, see the big names? There's no drama which can have so many dua pais for guests lo.
OST- OST only includes instrumentals....Themesong "Kiss shite" is a collaboration b/w Fukuyama and Shibasaki, known as KOH+, with Shibasaki as the lead singer.
Worth watching?
A must-watch for police/detective plot lovers, or fans of Fukuyama & Shibasaki. For those who are romance plot lovers, this drama is not for you.

--4/10/08 Galileo: Episode Zero--
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
The special is set 3 years prior to the drama series, with the story being related to a murder case that was partly referenced in the original show. Detective Kusanagi is looking to solve a murder mystery, and he gets back in touch with his former badminton teammate, the brilliant professor Yukawa Manabu.
Slacker's review:
Alright, there's no Utsumi Kaoru here, the female lead is played by Nagasawa Masami, who acted as Yukawa's student. Storyline is still the same, using physics theory to solve the case. Of course we get to know more about Kusanagi and Yukawa's past.
The spin-off movie version "Yougisha no Kenshin" will include Utsumi(Shibasaki), Kusanagi(kitagawa), plus 2 new cast Tsutsumi Shinichi and Matsuyuji Yasuko. I may check it out if it shows in SG cinemas.
Those who have watched the drama version, don't miss out on the special.

TV Drama Review #113 - Dream Again 追梦人

How long? 10 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/NTV
Who's in?
Sorimachi Takashi ~ Ogi Shunsuke/Asahina Takaya
Kato Ai ~ Ninomiya Satsuki
Shida Mirai ~ Fujimoto Hina
Kodama Kiyoshi ~ Tanaka
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
Ogi Shunsuke is a pro baseball batter, who is forced to retire after a shoulder injury. He continues to train in hope of returning to the game, but a sudden accident leads to his death. Heaven messenger Tanaka said there's a mistake and Ogi isn't the person who should die, but Ogi's body has been cremated.Thus, Tanaka decides to give Ogi a second chance, placing his soul into the body of Asahina, a wealthy fund company manager, who's reputation is not very good. Ogi has to face his girlfriend, who is agaisnt Asahina due to work related matters and Fujimoto Hina, who turns out to be Asahina's daughter.
Loves & Hates:
Plot-Finally, one original series with a good storyline. No exaggerating stuffs here, and the storyline is really quite heartwarming to me. Something that is hard to find from dramas nowadays. Actually I was quite touched when Asahina and Hina lived together, and how he was there for her when she was ill...even though Ogi is not his real daddy.There are many funny moments b/w Ogi and Tanaka, though I wonder who he really is...just some messenger with power? Actually I didn't expect a good ending la, but then, though the ending turned out to be a happy one, i just felt that it somehow spoilt the whole feeling of this drama...sometimes it's not too bad if someone really has to go...Spoilers for the ending, Tanaka rewinded time...and Ogi is alive with Satsuki...he met the rest of the cast and even Asahina...like nothing happened before. (abit sian right?!)
Cast-Was anticipating Sorimachi's return, though he's nt tt popular now. He didn't disappoint me man! Great acting from him...with lots of vivid expressions, plus his character development was quite fun too. How he adjust his life to become a fund manager, which he knows nuts abt this job; how he continue to pursue his dream to become a batter again, with Asahina's body; how he wished he could tell Satsuki tt he was Ogi (lots of hidden emotions..); how he bickered with Hina and with the housekeeper; and of coz...with Tanaka. Chemistry with Kato isn't really sizzling, but it's still good enough.
Kato Ai's performance was better than I expected, looked so elegant and pretty. U can really feel that she missed Ogi alot alot...and I like her moments with Hina as well.
Shida Mirai is a very young kiddo la, but she's definitely mature sia. Initially, I didnt really like Hina, but I think this character has lots of developments too, from a lonely child, to a child who has a daddy, to when she found herself down with illness and she wanted to confess to a guy she likes...and she's sort of a middleman b/w Ogi and Satsuki as well.
OST-Only know the themesong from Kobukuro, "Aoku Yasahiku"....touching song.
Worth watching?
A must-watch japanese drama of hope, dreams, and love...

TV Drama Review #103 - Yama Onna Kabe Onna 峰壁双妹传

How long? 12 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/FujiTV
Who's in?
Ito Misaki ~ Aoyagi Megumi
Fukada Kyoko ~ Mariya Marie
Oikawa Mitsuhiro ~ Okuen Masayuki
Koike Eiko ~ Oyama Haruka
Tanihara Shosuke ~ Tamura Takehiko
Nishijima Hidetoshi ~ Iguchi Shohei
What's it abt?
Megumi is a top sales-girl at the handbag section of a department store. Many people admire, and sometimes even envy Megumi for her beauty and outstanding skills to sell the products to customers. However, Megumi secretly suffers from a complex - she is flat-chested and was once nicknamed "kabe onna" (wall woman) by her former classmate, Iguchi. One day, a new sales-girl, Marie joins Megumi's department. Unlike Megumi, Marie is extremely busty as if she's carrying mounds(yama) on her chest. On top of her great bosoms, Marie also has her own special way of selling the products to the customers. Though feeling a little threatened by Marie at first, Megumi soon realises that they have more things in common than anybody else - they both take pride in their career and dedicate themselves to help their customers. Later, Megumi's ex-rival Oyama and Marie find their respective happiness while Megumi is stuck between her boss Okuen, Iguchi and Tamura, whom she secretly admires.
Love & Hates:
Plot-Kinda cheeky but refreshing. I have never seen any dramas which has such a "open" storyline, focusing on how women's chest can affect their lives. It's quite true in real life that some people wanted to have a more perfect body, while some others are discriminated becoz' of they got bigger assets and ppl thought they are using them as their "tools" in workplace. Ironic isn't it? Well, that's life. The drama is quite entertaining, though there isn't any "gao chao" la.
Cast-I would say that the male leads here are all supporting characters, coz' the real show here is the women! Ito Misaki did a good job, and finally she has something new to show me la. Well, actually her character is quite an interesting one-unhappy with her chest, secretly in love with the floor manager, then the GM likes her while she has some ai mei relationship with her old pal. What's more, she has to face competitions from her rival and Marie, who became her good friend.
Fukada Kyoko has went downhill these years, and I would say this drama is a gd comeback for her, though I don't know if she's still popular as before. I really wonder if she had added anything to her chest, coz' I dont remember her being bustyla. Anyway, she did pretty well here. Super sweet and innocent Marie-chan! Though her voice is abit "tia" la..lolz!
Koike is famous for her her gd figure, of coz' she got plenty of chances to flaunt her assets. Lolz! Anyway, like her character Oyama's development. From Aoyagi's rival to good pal who found her true love.
Oikawa's performance in "Hotelier" was cool, but he's back to comedic roles here, kinda not used to it. Lolz...His actions were super cheesy and lame, and kinda horny..(typical Japanese men?) Well, I couldnt say his acting was good coz' his scenes were too little! What a waste?!!
Nishijima is the lucky guy, haha! (Coz' his character won Aoyagi's heart mah). Anyway, I had liked his performance since "Ooku Chap 1" and he's still quite dashing...in suit. Lolz! Nishijima did pretty well here, and I still remembered his Aoyama accent! Super funny. Liked his chemistry with Ito too...nice couple!
Themesong "Toki no Kakera" by EXILE! Wow, the themesongs sang by them are all very nice!
Worth watching?
Hmm...would recommend to those who like light-hearted romance drama. Butta, gotta get used to the content of the plot. Hehe!

TV Drama Review #101 - Hana Kimi ~Ikemen Paradise~偷偷爱着你

How long? 12 epis + 1 special
When & which tv stn? 2007/FujiTV
Who's in?
Horikita Maki ~ Ashiya Mizuki
Oguri Shun ~ Sano Izumi
Ikuta Toma ~ Nakatsu Shuichi
Kamikawa Takaya ~ Umeda Hokuto
Mizushima Hiro ~ Nanba Minami
Yamamoto Yusuke ~ Kayashima Taiki
What's it abt?
Ashiya Mizuki is a Japanese girl from the U.S. She saw the young athlete Sano Izumi competed his high jump event on television. Thus, she begins to idolise him, and decides to move to Japan to attend the same school as him. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol. While she tries to encourage Sano to participate in high jump again, she finds herself in trouble as some people starts to realise her true identity.
Love & Hates:
So, which version is nicer? JPN or TW? Well, shall do a small comparision b/w both.
Plot-I can't remember much of the TW plot. I think the plot wasn't as "crazy" as its jpnese counterpart. Initially, I didn't quite like the Jpn plot. Why? It's too japanese lo~ 2 rows of crazy hua chi girls standing outside the sch hostels to welcome the guys out. It's really exaggerating! What's more? The school and students were quite weird also. Hahaha! However, perhaps due to the culture, I think the Japanese plot showed more bonding between the students and other characters. I really can feel the unitedness of hostel 2 folks. I enjoyed the various "crazy" competitions organised by the students. You can feel the summer mood as well, very sunny and cheerful plot. I especially love the silly inventions by the students, those machines to track if u are a guy or gal, or to see if u are telling lies etc. It's really funny!
Cast-Generally, I think the cast are good for both versions. I think Wu Zun is the best person for "Sano" rather than Oguri. Something is wrong with Oguri's hair, it looked heavy on him, and of coz, didnt make him looked better. His expressions looked tired and sianz most of the time. Not his best performance.
I think Ella is the better girl for "Ashiya". Ella is definitely more boyish than Horikita. I gotta say i wasn't very convinced that Horikita cld pulled off her role. Though her performance was quite good, I still find her too girly lo. She didn't try to make her voice deeper too...that's why I think Ella's performance was better in these aspects.
Nakatsu.....actually both Wang Dong Chen and Ikuta looked suitable for this role, but i definitely enjoyed Ikuta more! He's really cute in his expressions and he's so funny. Especially when he realised that he had fallen for Ashiya, the pink colour aura appeared around him. Also, he wld talked to himself during some scenes. Haha! Da Dong was ok, but his acting needs to brush up more. Somehow i wish Ashiya wld ended up with Nakatsu instead. What a pity!!!
Umeda...we have a "anime-hair" TW version and a more "manly" Jpn version. Haha! Kamikawa did quite well la, but I think Tang Zhi Ping did better in this role, coz' he looked more gayish with that hairstyle and his behaviour. Ha!
As for Minami...I preferred Tang Yu Zhe's looks, but his character was not that impt in the tw version. Quite a pity. Mizushima is ok here...enjoyed his performance, butta he's not handsome enough. Lolz!
Definitely gotta mention the "ghostly" guy Yamamoto! Aiyo...raise both ur hands up folks! Hahaha...can u sense anything?
OST-Loved the jpn version opening instrumental "Ikemen Boogie", and of coz..the opening theme "Ikenai Taiyou" by Orange Range. Ending theme is "Peach" by Otsuka Ai, very typical Ai's song. I think both versions OST are not bad. Butta, the jpn version doest not include the themesongs, only instrumentals.
Worth watching?
It's definitely a must-watch! Those who enjoyed the TW version, do give the Jpn version a try. As for which version is better? I personally preferred the Jpn version la.

--12/10/08 Hana Kimi SP--
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
The special will take place half a year after the series' end. With Osaka Gakuen getting ready for an upcoming Valentine's Day event, Sano and Nakatsu reflect on the final week of their last summer vacation, which falls into the timeline of the original series between episodes 7 and 8. The special also includes a graduation scene and addresses the relationship between Mizuki and Sano.
Slacker's review:
Alright, the long-waited Hana Kimi Sp is finally here! Basically i think this SP is more of a recap of ep 7 and 8, with some details added. As usual, I cldn't rmb much of the drama already, so it's nice to watch it again. The Osakan boys are still as crazy as ever..and in the SP, Mizuki's girl friend Julia is added. Hmm..couldn't stand her blond hair though. The graduation scene was abit funny..only 4 ppl graduating ah? (the dorm leaders plus the leader of "Hibari 4") I wondered if the 2 schs were linked as they had the graduation together.
Well, the sp is fun and Hana Kimi fans..don't miss it!

TV Drama Review #100 - Hotaru no Hikari 萤之光

How long? 10 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/NTV
Who's in?
Ayase Haruka - Amemiya Hotaru
Fujiki Naohito - Takano Seiichi
Kato Kazuki - Teshima Makoto
Kuninaka Ryoko - Saegusa Yuka
What's it abt?
Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. She dresses up nicely for work, but it's the complete opposite when she's at home. She's a "dried fish" - Lives alone, prefers to spend her time lazing at home, wears training pants & ties her hair high up, likes to drink beer and she's not interested in love. In fact, she's not interested in anything. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto.
Her landlord is a bar owner, and one day his son, who has just separated from his wife, returns to his old home without knowing that someone is living there. He is shocked at the messy state of the house...and he turns out to be Hotaru's boss, Takano. So Hotaru starts to live together with Takano, and to complicate her life even further, she begins to find romance with a new employee Teshima, whom Saegusa is interested too.
Love & Hates:
Plot-Quite an interesting drama, the lead girl Hotaru's characterisitcs is so different from the norm, and she seemed to be so innocent somehow. Haha! Besides that, the drama is kinda standard in other factors. The storyline is fast-paced and u get to see the "dried-fish" girl falling in love and how she struggled when Teshima finally knew how she really lives. Lots of developments around the main girl. Well, there's a little twist towards the ending, and may be some of you don't like it. As for me, the ending is perfect la...lolz! Coz' I think Teshima isn't that suitable for her...(get the hint?) Do notice the hints given in the drama towards the end, then u won't be that surprised la.
Cast-Never watched Ayase's dramas before, though she's quite famous from the drama "Crying out love in the centre of the world". I think "Hotaru no Hikari" is one of her best performance from debut ba. She brings Hotaru to live and I loved her innocent expressions, like wondering if she shld text Teshima and when she goes out for her date etc. She has super great chemistry with Fujiki too...loved to see them bickering at each other, and when Takano tried to help her to get close to Teshima etc. He's like her "teacher of life". Haha!
Fujiki...finally he's back in a heavier role, and initially I thought he's not the leading guy for this drama lo. Lolz...He's still as handsome as before, and I love his charisma here. Enjoyed his performance.
Kato seems to be a newbie as an actor, but he has performed lots of stage performances and he's a singer. Well, he's not handsome, but his looks are distinctive. Acting was kinda stiff initially, but he got better a little towards the end. Somehow, he doesnt seem to be energetic to me...got a pale face ba..lolz!
The rest of the cast was alright...enjoyed their performance too.
Themesong- Do check it out..."Yokogao" by Aiko.
Worth watching?
I wld reco to u guys out there who love romance-comedy drama. Haha..do take a look at youself to see if you are a "dried-fish" wor? Lolz!

TV Drama Review #81 - Jodan Janai 别开玩笑了！

How long? 11 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/TBS
Who's in?
Oda Yuji ~ Takamura Keita
Ueno Juri ~ Takamura Eren
Otake Shinobu ~ Hirose Rie
Ijima Naoko ~ Nonomura Saeko
What's it abt?
Takamura Keita is a 40-year-old man who marries a 20-year-old undergraduate, Eren. He later finds out that his wife's mother Hirose Rie is his former lover. Soon, Hirose and Eren's sisters came to live with them from France and Takamura's neighbour and pal soon remembered abt Takamura's ex-girlfriend. Will the secret be revealed?
Loves & Hates:
Actually this drama is not as boring as what i thought. Ya it may be plain somehow, but I like how the mums of the couple came into their lives. Haha...Oda Yuji is an excellent actor and i really enjoyed his performance. Ueno did well in her previous drama "Nodame". This time round, she's not that exaggerating...butta, I kinda find her childish beside Oda. Haha...age difference sia. U may not like Eren coz' she's quite insecure and don't really trust her husband la. Oda has better chemistry with Otake though...hahaha! As for Ijima's character...kinda find her redundant...
Perhaps the other subplot was abt Takamura's change of job. Kinda telling me that sometimes we gotta accept reality and work in a totally different environment. Just like Takamura..who was an IT professional..but ended up working in a restaurant...
Worth watching?
Would reco to those who like light-hearted comedy...

TV Drama Review #79 - Hotelier 情定大饭店

How long? 9 epis
When & which tv stn? 2007/Tv Asahi
Who's in?
Ueto Aya ~ Odagiri Kyoko
Oikawa Mitsuhiro ~ Mizusawa Keigo
Tanabe Seiichi ~ Ogata Kouhei
Saeko ~ Morimoto Akane
Fueki Yuko ~ Kashiwagi Mayumi
Takenaka Naoto ~ Morimoto Masakazu
Bae Yong Jun ~ Shin Dong Hyuk (special appearance)
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
An incident in the past caused Ogata Kouhei to resign from his position and left the country in shame. Now, at the hotel's 30th anniversary, the hotel is facing a crisis; the president has just been sent to the hospital, and the hotel is facing a potential takeover. Under his request, assistant manager Odagiri Kyoko went to Korea to convince Kouhei to return. Kyoko is caught up in an incident when her purse is stolen and she meets Mizusawa Keigo, who tries to help her. Kyoko didn't manage to convince Ogata. However, under the advice of a Korean M&A manager Shin Dong Hyuk, Kouhei returns to Tokyo Ocean Hotel and become the new general manager. Upon his return however, Kyoko once again meets Mizusawa Keigo. Little does Kyoko know, not only does Keigo want to take over the Tokyo Ocean Hotel, he also carries affections for her.
Loves & Hates:
Way to short...for those who had watched before the korean version, most of you wont like the Japanese one. Why? Too short and the pace was too fast....the storyline was kinda rushing, and 9 epis are definitely not enough to contain all the contents. Also, the storyline didnt really follow the original towards the end..there's another big secret b/w Mizusawa and Kyoko. Hehe... (I find that "secret" rather bo liao la...lolz!)
Acting wise...the feelings b/w the characters were not intense enough, perhaps the drama is too short, not much time for them to build up the relationship bit by bit.
Hmm...this drama has many "split scenes". That means, the image split into 2 or 3 seperate scenes and u cld see what the other characters are doing alongside with the current scene. Quite interesting though...something new.
Ueto Aya...very different from her past characters. Looked more pretty and mature here. Love her long hair...tho' she's wearing a wig. Tanabe didnt look like a hotel general manager to me, i think they shld have look for someone else. He don't have the charisma la..sorry to say.
The male lead...Oikawa, is a singer actually. Had seen him in many other dramas, but this is his first drama where he's the lead actor. His expressions were mostly very cold, very distant..but i like his eyes...haha! Many forum folks said the chemisty b/w him and Ueto was not enough, but i thot he did his best liao la...Mizusawa is somebody who dun shows his emotions very clearly...
Saeko's character was originally acted by Song Hye Gyo....omg. This character was ruined sia...her voice was quite tia...and her acting was not good...haiz. She doesnt look pretty also.
Btw, like the themesong very much..."Namida no niji" by Ueto Aya. Ichiban daisuki!
Worth watching?
Hmm...those who had watched Hotelier before...wont reco u guys to watch...For those who havent, may be u can try la..I wld suggest u to watch the korean version tho. As for me..i like all the scenes b/w Oikawa and Ueto.....hoho!

TV Drama Review #70 - Karei naru ichizoku 华丽一族

How long? 10 epis
When & who created? 2007/TBS
Who's in?
Kimura Takuya ~ Manpyo Teppei
Hasegawa Kyoko ~ Manpyo Sanae
Suzuki Kyoka ~ Takasu Aiko
Yamamoto Koji ~ Manpyo Ginpei
Inamori Izumi ~ Tsuruta Fusako
Nakamura Toru ~ Mima Ataru
Kitaooji Kinya ~ Manpyo Daisuke
What's it abt? (edited from Dramawiki)
Originally a novel by Yamazaki Toyoko, and later a 1974 movie. The book depicts the conflicts within the Manpyo family, which is famous in Kansai's financial circles, amidst the tumultuous reorganisation of the financial industry of the 1970s. Unlike the book, the eldest son, Teppei, and not the father, Daisuke, will be the centre character of the drama.
This drama is set in the 1970s decade of Japan. The main rivalry depicted in the story is between Manpyo Daisuke, a powerful banker, and his eldest son, Manpyo Teppei, the executive managing director of a steel firm. For some reasons, Daisuke seem to dislike his own son and as Teppei seems to find out the reason for Daisuke's hatred, his whole life is turned upside down with fatal consequences.
Loves & Hates:
Plot- Oh yeah! Another Kimu-taku drama! I simply love this plot, but beware..its rather a serious drama...no sweet romance stuffs going on here. Perhaps those who like "sugary" dramas wont like it initially. Well, give it a try...the plot was good. As the plot unfolds slowly, many things wld reveal, esp the reason why Daisuke disliked Teppei so much. Maybe u wld find some stuffs bewildering, like the mistress sleeps with Daisuke & wife in the same room! Can't believe it right? It's really....(dunno what to say...) Of coz, the plot focus on Teppei lo...how he fight against his father...or actually...(u will know when the big secret reveals...just a hint..identity problem again la!) But i can guarantee u the secret wld be a super "Jing Bao" one.
Superb drama must have a grand ending right? Honestly the ending was an unexpected one...a very emotional episode.. (hint..there's another twist to the big secret...)
Cast-Simply ichiban! Kimura..i remembered in my review on "Engine"..i said his characters were usually very individualistic, and very "himself"...You wont find the same Kimura here liao. I bet u gotta thank the strong storyline and character development. Kimura's acting wont disappoint u...emotions were clear and i just love how he battled with Kitaooji. Best pair man! Chemistry with Hasegawa was average though, perhaps the focus was not on their romance la, and they were already a married couple...so scenes b/w them were not many liao.
My impression of Hasegawa was so so..and her character was actually quite a "flower vase" here..so not much to say.
Kitaooji..who acted as Teppei's dad...was an excellent actor. Daisuke is one complicated fella, his emotions were quite hidden beneath and u wont understand him somehow.
The fellas i disliked was Suzuki and Nakamura....Aiko, Daisuke's mistress acted like the "female head" of Manpyo family, constantly trying to arrange political marriages for the Manpyo siblings and bullying Daisuke's wife..Yasuko. Ha...and she had some "ai mei" relationship with Nakamura's Mima, who's the husband of Daisuke's eldest daughter.
Though i disliked her very much....her acting was good enuff to let me hate her so much. Haha!
OST- havent listen la...this drama don't have a themesong la, tho occasionally there's an english oldie la. What a pity sia.
Worth watching?
Must-watch sia! We shall see who's the winner in the end...and of coz..the big secret revolving Teppei and his parents. Btw, must congrat this drama which ended with a 39% viewership in Jpn. That's really good...

TV Drama Review #69 - Hana Yori Dango 2 'Returns' 花样男子2

How long? 11 epis
When & who created? 2007/TBS
Who's in?
Matsumoto Jun ~ Domyoji Tsukasa
Inoue Mao ~ Makino Tsukushi
Oguri Shun ~ Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota ~ Nishikado Sojiro
Abe Tsuyoshi ~ Mimasaka Akira
Nishihara Aki ~ Matsuoka Yuki
Kato Natsuki ~ Okawahara Shigeru
Matsushima Nanako ~ Domyoji Tsubaki
What's it abt?
Hana Yori Dango 2 picks up right after Domyoji leaves for New York. After confessing to Domyoji, Makino has not spoken to him for a year. Rui and the other members of F4 try and help Makino meet Domyoji again by going to New York for the christmas holidays. Though F4 and Makino meet Domyoji again, he has become a completely different person, and so they left for Japan.
Some time later, Domyoji's mother annouced that they wld be returning to Japan. They held a giant super-rich and classy birthday party for Domyoji and annouced that Domyoji wld be engaged to a rich girl and heir Shigeru. On the other hand, Rui began to fall in love with Makino... Sojiro found out that his first love was getting married...and Domyoji family's old servant Tama is back to serve the house...with Makino.
Loves & Hates:
From my previous review on HYD, didnt quite like the cast and the plot. Hmm, to those who had watched "Meteor Gdn", HYD 2's plot shld be super familiar to you, though there were some slight differences. There's more emphasis on Sojiro lah, but I didnt like how Rui had changed sia. Perhaps Rui's image was getting too "glamorous" somehow...
Finally, the plot was not as rush as season 1, and it's 11 epis..long enough la. Acting wise, nothing special from the cast. Ending was kinda "too good" plus too grand la..esp. the change in attitude of Domyoji's mum. Waha!
Everything's ok la, butta didnt get any better sia...I still prefer the tw version though acting sux and stuffs. The whole feeling is still way better than its Japanese counterpart. (perhaps i am already bias somehow..)
Ost-havent listen the cd..Arashi's themesong "Love so sweet" was standard, but not very catchy to me. Utada's "Flavour of life" simply rocks....couldnt recall other melodies in the drama tho.
Worth watching?
Those HYD fans out there, shld continue to watch the sequel la, nothing too bad but nothing too good also. Lolz...Check out "Death Note 2" Toda Erika who will appear as guest in ep 10 & 11.
There's rumour that a 3rd season....shall see in the future.

--22/12/08--
Check out my review for "HYD Final" movie.
Hana Yori Dango Final