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Let's talk about Japanese Dramas!

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L

LordCanti

Member
Hanzawa Naoki Finale:

The conclusion was pretty much exactly what I expected (you don't get to Chairman by not being a backstabber, and people in positions of power don't like to see others in that position made fools of) but this last episode felt very rushed to me. In other episodes, you really felt like they went through a lot to get information but in this episode it was like "Hey Hanzawa, I found this information while the camera wasn't pointed at me". There was also a camera crew in one shot at the bottom. It's like they threw the episode together in a hurry. I'm tempted to go track down a synopsis of the other novels in the series to find out what happens, but with as popular as this thing was, I'm sure the sequel is already being planned. If Naoki doesn't somehow get the chairman back for fucking him, I'll be a sad panda.

I don't really get why this is one of the most watched dramas in decades (a lot of rage pointed at bankers right now perhaps), but I enjoyed it.
 
K

Kurita

Member
M_Night said:
Kurita,.... now that Woman is over what else is cracking?
Click to expand...
Well next season we'll get Legal High 2.
I haven't really checked the upcoming dramas so...

I'm halfway through Hanzawa Naoki, still loving it. I guess it'll be my favorite drama of the year.

Also, I recently finished Moteki, the adaptation of the manga.
It was really really good. The soundtrack was perfect, as it used songs by artists such as Flower Companyz, Perfume, eastern youth, Sakanaction... All of these songs create a unique atmosphere which really fits the tone of the drama.
I still have the movie to watch, hopefully it'll be just as good.
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
For some reason, I took a break from all the school related stuff today and decided to catch up on reading/drama. Finally restarted watching Amachan again, from episode 127 to 138 and they had some great highlights. Honestly, I can't believe this ended last week. Only 18 episodes left of feel good awesomeness...after that, I'm on another journey of finding a good drama again. :\

What fall drama are people watching here?　Any dramas that I should be on the look out for this fall?　The drama that replaced Amachan doesn't really seem my type but maybe I should give one episode a try. There's this other drama that only catch my interest since Ieiri Leo is doing the main theme for it...
 
Z

zeroshiki

Member
You are experiencing Amaloss アマロス an actual made up word that they're using to describe that hole left in your soul now that Amachan is gone. I heard its affecting a lot of people. I have the first week of Gochisousan recorded but I'm not even sure I'll ever get around to watching it. Aki~~~ :(

As for the new season, everything looks especially shitty as with last season. I'm probably gonna check out:

Legal High S2
Ms Pilot (because Horikita Maki)
Android (latest Kimutaku egotrip vehicle); and umm...
Dokushin Kazoku
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
So I guess I should take my time with the last 18 episodes instead of watching them in one run. I'll watch 2 episodes a day then. Amachan really lifts my mood up and I will definitely experience Amaloss...I've been watching it since it was released and can't believe ５ months has passed and now it's over. Really felt attached to these characters throughout the season...

I digress. So I guess I have to pick something at random. I didn't watch the first season of legal high so not sure if I should watch the second season. But nothing really catches my interest so far. I wonder if there's anything worth watching on the anime side...

Edit: Also, why haven't they released that one track that played in end of episode 22 of Amachan?! I've bought all the soundtracks and yet, they still don't contain that one track I've been waiting for...
 
K

Kurita

Member
Memento_Mori15 said:
So I guess I should take my time with the last 18 episodes instead of watching them in one run. I'll watch 2 episodes a day then. Amachan really lifts my mood up and I will definitely experience Amaloss...I've been watching it since it was released and can't believe ５ months has passed and now it's over. Really felt attached to these characters throughout the season...

I digress. So I guess I have to pick something at random. I didn't watch the first season of legal high so not sure if I should watch the second season. But nothing really catches my interest so far. I wonder if there's anything worth watching on the anime side...

Edit: Also, why haven't they released that one track that played in end of episode 22 of Amachan?! I've bought all the soundtracks and yet, they still don't contain that one track I've been waiting for...
Click to expand...
You should watch the first season of Legal High, it's hilarious.
Sakai Masato is amazing in it. There's a memorable scene where he makes an epic speech, barely stopping to catch his breath, while talking super fast (forgot the episode, I think it was the last one, or the episode just before). Really impressive.
 
K

Kurita

Member
Tokyohive released their traditional Prime Time Drama Preview for the new season.

Watching :
Legal High 2
Tokyo Toybox (not featured in the article)

Will try :
Yorozu Uranai Dokoro ~ Onmyoya e Yokoso
Tokyo Bandwagon ~ Shitamachi Daikazoku Monogatari
Ando Roid ~A.I. knows LOVE?~
 
Go_Ly_Dow

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Shouta said:
Good, someone mentioned it. This was one of the best J-Dramas I ever saw. It's REALLY good from what I can remember. I'm due for a rewatch eventually.
Click to expand...

Shouta said:
Kimi to Ita Mirai no Tame ni

君といた未来のために
Click to expand...

Nocebo said:
ycSCdqy.jpg

"For the sake of the future where we were together"? I've started watching this recently. It's about a 22 year old guy (Atsushi Horigami) who's not all too happy with the life he's currently leading. He appears to have a lot of regrets etc. On new years eve 1999 something happens to him and he somehow finds himself in the past, 4 years earlier as his 4 year younger self with all of his memories in tact. He decides to take this opportunity to lead a perfect life and fix his mistakes. During he rise to fame Atsushi one day meets a mysterious man who tells him to remember his face. He thinks nothing of it. Anyway, he gains fame and fortune but will he get the happiness he seeks? Also, what is the meaning of this mysterious man?
Click to expand...

started this yesterday. Enjoyed it and looking forward to see where it goes!
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
Kurita said:
You should watch the first season of Legal High, it's hilarious.
Sakai Masato is amazing in it. There's a memorable scene where he makes an epic speech, barely stopping to catch his breath, while talking super fast (forgot the episode, I think it was the last one, or the episode just before). Really impressive.
Click to expand...
Guess I'll give one episode a go then.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Just finished Legal High special in order to start the new season. Super excited! I enjoyed the first season a lot.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Legal High is even more absurd with it's second season and I don't mind it at all. I found the sub-zero prosecutor funny and the case was good. Hopefully the show maintains this quality and if it does, then it's going to better then first season. It also seems like this season is going to have long running arc which is only a good thing, little continuity and character development is always welcomed.
 
A

Akira

Member
Just finished Hanzawa Naoki the other day. I don't really like Sakai Masato (mostly for his forever-squinting eyes), but he was incredible in this. Will I like Legal High if I loved Hanzawa Naoki?

I am down to the last episode of Woman and it's been incredible. The child actor are amazing and natural in their roles. Very good dynamic between the cast.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Akira said:
Just finished Hanzawa Naoki the other day. I don't really like Sakai Masato (mostly for his forever-squinting eyes), but he was incredible in this. Will I like Legal High if I loved Hanzawa Naoki?

I am down to the last episode of Woman and it's been incredible. The child actor are amazing and natural in their roles. Very good dynamic between the cast.
Click to expand...

Legal High and Hanzawa Naoki are totally different shows, no correlation at all. Legal High is a comedy show, there is basically no drama in it. Show relays much on Sakai Masato's performance, so if you don't like him, then the show is not for you. There is really no other way to find out except for you to watch few episodes of Legal High.

Personally I like Legal High much better, no phony melodrama at all, and the over the top acting goes with the shows overall feel.
 
K

Kurita

Member
40 seconds into the first episode of Legal High 2 and there's already a Hanzawa Naoki reference *dead*
And Aragaki Yui is as cute as ever.

EDIT : ok, that was a really great first episode. The Nexus firm looks pretty interesting, looking forward to the storylines where they're involved.
The whole part with Komikado being silent and depressed... Man... That was pretty heavy, I didn't expect that.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Legal High 2 had pretty great ratings. Rating of 21.2%, first season was around 12%. Hanzawa Naoki effect no doubt, hopefully ratings don't drop too much, I want another special, maybe even a movie.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Akito said:
Legal High S2E1: promising start, things also seem more serious from the get-go.
Click to expand...
More serious? The case was bit darker but other then that it was more zany then first season. I mean, we didn't have anything close to sub-zero prosecutor in S1. It does look like they are going to do some real character development during this season, I also bet that the
murder case will arch over this whole season.
Either way, this is going to be awesome season, I can feel it!
 
K

Kurita

Member
ЯAW;86249584 said:
More serious? The case was bit darker but other then that it was more zany then first season. I mean, we didn't have anything close to sub-zero prosecutor in S1. It does look like they are going to do some real character development during this season, I also bet that the
murder case will arch over this whole season.
Either way, this is going to be awesome season, I can feel it!
Click to expand...

The depressed Komikado part wasn't something we saw in the first season.
It really threw me off.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Kurita said:
The depressed Komikado part wasn't something we saw in the first season.
It really threw me off.
Click to expand...
Yup, caught me off guard too. But more depth in characters doesn't automatically mean more serious show. I know it's kinda pointless to speculat, but I wonder if the upcoming lawyers will have their own quirks like Daigo did?
 
A

Akito

Member
ЯAW;86249584 said:
More serious? The case was bit darker but other then that it was more zany then first season. I mean, we didn't have anything close to sub-zero prosecutor in S1. It does look like they are going to do some real character development during this season, I also bet that the
murder case will arch over this whole season.
Either way, this is going to be awesome season, I can feel it!
Click to expand...
It was a poor choice of words, by "serious" I meant that the first case was already pretty high-stakes with Komikado virtually losing rather than the overall tone of the story.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Akito said:
It was a poor choice of words, by "serious" I meant that the first case was already pretty high-stakes with Komikado virtually losing rather than the overall tone of the story.
Click to expand...
It was a big game changer for sure and it already had impact of the overall tone as you said. I'm glad they decided to go this route, far too many times JDramas just keep beating the dead horse... I might be overly optimistic, I mean we are still at episode one ;)
 
V

vas_a_morir

Banned
The Mirai Nikki drama was hot-garbage. I loved the manga when it first came out.

At first, I thought they were doing everything wrong. (Yuno was too old, hot, clean, fashionable, friendly; the male lead was too much of a boss) But then...

I found out that the entire plot is different. And they don't even use their diaries. So bad. In case you don't know, she was his real-life girlfriend trying to save him from a computer simulated reality instead of murderous stalker.
 
G

GloomyHitsuji

Member
ЯAW;85889368 said:
Legal High 2 had pretty great ratings. Rating of 21.2%, first season was around 12%. Hanzawa Naoki effect no doubt, hopefully ratings don't drop too much, I want another special, maybe even a movie.
Click to expand...

Dropped to 16.8% in the second episode. Haven't watch the second episode yet, but it'll probably be my favourite drama this season, since I loved the first one so much.

Btw, anyone watched any of the other new drama?
Enjoying Kurokouchi a lot so far, loving Gouriki's character too, despite disliking her a bit from before (Mirai Nikki, IS, a bit of Biburia, etc)

Ando-lloyd was sort of a disappointment for me, story all over the place, the cast is still pretty good though. (Fukuda Ayano & Tsubasa was great in their short appearance), will continue watching a few more episodes.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
GloomyHitsuji said:
Dropped to 16.8% in the second episode. Haven't watch the second episode yet, but it'll probably be my favourite drama this season, since I loved the first one so much.
Click to expand...
If they can keep average of 15% then I suspect there is more to come. Second episode wasn't all that interesting, shouting match and Cherry Boy brought some laughs but that's about it.

PolishQ said:
Legal High sounds like it's up my alley so I'm looking for the best way to watch it. Are these DVDs legit?
Click to expand...
Hmmmmm.... I have only seen the official JP-release, it has 7 discs, it's not region free and no eng. subs either. I suspect shenanigans.
 
B

bjork

Member
I was cleaning and came across my box of recorded-off-tv-then-ripped-to-dvd dramas from 1991-1997 or so. The quality is so bad, but man the shows are so good. Maybe nostalgia talking, but Kou Kou Kyoushi, Homework, Aoi Tori, man...
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
PolishQ said:
Legal High sounds like it's up my alley so I'm looking for the best way to watch it. Are these DVDs legit?
Click to expand...
Do they even localize Japanese dramas? I don't think so, but I could be wrong. So usually, those are fake.

Only have one more week of Amachan goodness...I really don't want this to end and I was taking my time watching them. ;-;

I think I'll give legal high a chance(need to watch the first season though first） and a clinic on the sea. Yoshida from amachan..err..Yosiyosi is in it and features Ieiri's new single. However, it doesn't really see interesting...

I'm keeping an eye on hard nut as well since Ai Hashimoto is in it. Will definitely watch its debut tomorrow.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Done with Going My Home. You could tell it was Koreeda's handiwork. Describing the plot is hard since it doesn't unfold, just happens. Very heart-warming show with great cast. Has other big name Japanese directors done TV shows?
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
Well, looks like I found the drama I'll be watching this fall: Hard Nut. Really liked its debut and can't wait for the next episode. Hopefully it stays good lol.
 
Z

zeroshiki

Member
Legal High S2 is the best show this season by far (fuck you Android goddamn do you suck Kimutaku).

The ending of the episode yesterday (ep3) made me LOL in real life. I absolutely lost it at the very end. Its also benefiting from the outsized focus Sakai Masato is getting for Hanzawa so Fuji TV upped its budget to insane levels and it now has stars up the wazoo along with some really smart writing.

ЯAW;86741803 said:
Done with Going My Home. You could tell it was Koreeda's handiwork. Describing the plot is hard since it doesn't unfold, just happens. Very heart-warming show with great cast. Has other big name Japanese directors done TV shows?
Click to expand...

Kudo Kankuro wrote Amachan :p He's kinda big.
 
Ð

ЯAW

Banned
Legal High s02e03

Good episode and definitely better then last weeks episode. I was bit worried that
there was going to be lame warm hearted ending. Man oh man, I was wrong. It was cold! You go girl, uggo had it coming. Mayuzumi's make-up schenanigans also got laugh out of me, especially the end credit part.
I'm not sure about Nexus. I feel like finger snapping guy brings something to table, and I'm not against him... Even though I hate his idealism and enthusiasm, but the guy fits the show and brings in some interesting character dynamics. Hippy girl is waste of screen time and I hope they don't start building up her character, what we have now is enough for me. As for the old guy? Tad disappointed. He was supposed to be top notch lawyer according to Miki, but he is a joke. They did say he was top notch in crime cases so I guess we will see him in his element eventually.
 
W

waypoetic

Banned
Hashtag awkward silence? I've watched some japanese drama films and ffffuuuuck... I wish they could act better and/or had better scripts.
 
M

Memento_Mori15

Member
karasu said:
I'd like something new to watch. Favorite are Nodame Canatbile,Orange Days, and Kekkon Dekinai Otoko.
Click to expand...
Kurita's list in the OP is pretty good. Have you looked at it? From the list, I highly recommend: One Litre of Tears. One of the best jdrama I have seen.

Maybe Rich Men and Poor Women would be up your alley.

Btw, please tell me the name of the girl in you avatar.

waypoetic said:
Hashtag awkward silence? I've watched some japanese drama films and ffffuuuuck... I wish they could act better and/or had better scripts.
Click to expand...
My biggest grip about jdramas is the acting.

However, there are some good ones, requires some searching. The last terrible one I saw was The Life Story of Bookstore Clerk Michiru. Laughably bad.
 
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