I have a love-hate relationship with new drama season. On one hand, new dramas starting are always exciting and there’s plenty to sample from. On the other hand, the previous season has ended and now you’re in this kind of withdrawal from your favorite of the previous season. Sometimes it helps if there wasn’t anything too good last season, but usually, there’s one drama that I just need more of. Well, anyway, I’ve definitely been sampling quite a few of the dramas from this season and here they are:

Ando Natsu
This is the story of a young woman who wants to become a pastry chef who one day comes across a small Japanese sweets shop looking for a part-time employee. So, she starts working there and learning about the art of traditional Japanese sweets from them. I really liked Kanjiya Shihori in KimiHan and does anyone remember her from Hanadan 2 as Hinata Sara? And also has the crazy guy who was Manami’s boyfriend from LIFE, his role seems rather minimal, though. Unfortunately no one has picked up this series, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still be watching it =) And I can never refuse sweets…yum!

Code Blue
One of the more anticipated series because of its all star cast of Yamapi, Aragaki Yui, and Toda Erika. I admit I haven’t joined the Yamapi fanclub, but I really like Toda Erika and Aragaki Yui isn’t bad either. Also has Ryo in her usual type of role of the beautiful and very experienced __(fill in occupation)__. Basically this drama is Grey’s Anatomy with a helicopter and without the sex . I’m in!

Maou
Whee! Ikuta Toma! =) Mystery, suspense, thriller? I’m in! Of course there’s Arashi’s leader Ohno in his first starring role, and he has pleasantly surprised me as the two-faced lawyer. It’s an interesting type of mystery drama, since the culprit is already known, but I’m been captivated every minute of it. Does this drama remind anyone else of Death Note? L and Kira? I’ve always loved Death Note and I can never get enough of physiological thrillers… So far it’s been very good, and I’m a little surprised at the average ratings, but I suppose the genre can turn off even the biggest of Johnny’s fans/

Seigi no Mikata
It’s the story of two sisters: the older is a devil masked beneath a beautiful and intelligent woman, the younger is the victim of the older and the only one who knows of the older sister’s true evil ways. I don’t really like Yamada Yu and I don’t think she’s all that beautiful, either, but she’s quite entertaining as the evil older sister. The upside is that Shida Mirai is playing the younger sister and I have watched her in a number of roles and every time she impresses me. So far, it’s no different - this girl is going to be a big star (if she isn’t already). Plus what makes this drama so fun for me personally is that I’m the younger sister and when I was younger, I felt the exact same way as Youko (the little sister) feels, even though my sister isn’t actually evil (or is she?) Watching this, I just want to laugh and say “story of my life!!” haha… but watching just the first episode I just think…man, how can everyone think she’s actually nice….she’s a complete bitch to everyone and not just her sister!

Cat Street
Adapted from Kamio Yoko’s manga, this tells the story of a former child star, Aoyama Keito, who has cut off the world but slowly starts coming back when she starts attending a school for teenagers like her. It’s by the same author as Hana Yori Dango, so you know what to expect. Amazing storytelling with relateable characters. I’ve read parts of the manga myself and am looking forward to this finally airing! (starts in August) Stars Tanimura Mitsuki as Keito (remember her from Watashitachi no Kyokasho?). Also stars Kimura Ryo (Hana Kimi, Puzzle), Namase Katsuhisa (Gokusen 1-3, 4 Shimai Tantei Dan), and Kurokawa Tomoka (Detective Conan 1 and 2). I’m looking forward to this drama the most….start already!

Koizora
Drama adaption of the movie, which tells the story of Mika and Hiro’s painful love. I enjoyed the movie and I’m looking forward to better timing of the events and some backstory on their friends! The girl starring as Mika, Mizusawa Erena, is pretty unknown, so this could be her breakout role! Seto Koji is going to play Hiro and he’s from D-boys, which I known pretty much nothing about. Looking forward to watching Nagayama Kento aka Eita’s little brother in his supporting role. I think this one starts in August too.

Lotto 6 de San-oku Ni-senman Yen Ateta Otoko
It’s the story about a divorced man who suddenly wins lots of money in the lotto. It sounded sort of interesting, so I watched the first episode but never finished it. Maybe I’ll finish it eventually but I doubt it. Oh and it has that cute little boy from Last Friends in it!

Walkin’ Butterfly
It’s about this girl who has a complex about being too tall (partly because she is always rejected because she is too tall for her crush). One day she gets mistaken as a model when she’s delivering pizza to a fashion show and she realizes that her body is perfect for modeling. Unfortunately, she’s totally ungraceful and acts just like a guy, so it’ll be a tough climb to become a real model. Stars Nakabeppu Aoi as Michiko, who’s actually a model, Toray’s swimsuit model for 2008. Also stars Ishihara Satomi and Sakai Ayana in small supporting characters, which is a shame because they deserve to be the leading characters in some other drama on a bigger network. Generally, I find that TV Tokyo dramas are kind of weird, so I’ve never watched them before. But since this is adapted from a manga, it should be okay, right? Even though this one isn’t being subbed either, mostly I’m finding it easy to get through, as the language they use isn’t very complicated.

Honorable mentions
Shiro to Kuro - stars Nishihara Aki (Yuki from Handan, the hairstylist bitch from Last Friends) as Ayako, who’s in a love triangle with two brothers that have two opposite personalities. It’ll be interesting to see her finally star in her own drama, even though it’s daytime. I’d like to watch this but don’t know if I actually will.
Yottsu no Uso - sounds like Desparate Housewives, but I never got into that
Tomorrow - another hospital drama but it has Kanno Miho who is amazing
Here is Greenwood - adapted from a shoujo manga that I heard of but never read. and it’s also on a network with generally weird dramas
Taiyou to Umi no Kyoushitsu - seaside school drama that starts Oda Yuji who I only know about because of Oguri Shun’s Kisaragi. Also stars Kitano Kii from LIFE and a bunch of other young rising stars like Yamamoto Yusuke, Okada Masaki, and Tanimura Mitsuki (who’s also in Cat Street). Hm… maybe I should pick this up….

Starring:
Ishihara Satomi as Ayukawa Misako
Yamamoto Yusuke as Imamura Shinichi
Kimura Ryo as Kanzaki Akira
Nagayama Kento as Tsukamoto Yoshio
Iwata Sayuri as Matsuo Yuko
Sato Chiaki as Takamura Michiru
Asakura Aki as Wada Hitomi
Tsujimoto Hiromasa as Nagatsuka Kenichi
Kaneko Norihito as Daido Gorou
Shiomi Sansei as Kamata Torahiko

Puzzle stars Ishihara Satomi as Ayukawa Misako, an English teacher at a prestigious boys’ high school. At first sight, she seems to be a meek and humble teacher, but in reality, she’s arrogant, greedy, and terrible at English. Her students know this, but the rest of the world has yet to catch on. Each episode is done pretty much the same way. Three of her students find out about some competition where you have to solve puzzles and riddle and if you win, you get some big expensive prize. She finds out about it and comes with them, intent on winning and becoming rich. After they get there, it later turns into a murder mystery of sorts. Even though her English is atrocious, she’s actually very clever and can solve the riddles easily.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: mysteries series are pretty much all the same. What makes Puzzle entertaining is Ishihara’s character. Most times two-faced characters are a pain, but that’s usually because it’s in a drama context. In this mystery-comedy, it’s pure fun and, although it can be a little repetitive at times, it’s still quite entertaining. One thing that’s especially funny is Ayukawa’s English lesson. Because her English is actually quite poor, she teaches them vocabulary by giving mnemonic devices; Japanese phrases that sounds like the English word. Here’s my favorite: hesitate -> he shite ito? Which means “do I have to fart?” Ayukawa goes on to explain, no matter what context it’s in, in public you would always hesitate before farting.

The supporting three students were also pretty entertaining. There’s Yamamoto Yusuke and Kimura Ryo from the supporting Hana Kimi student cast and then there’s Nagayama Kento, who’s Eita’s younger brother. Since I’d consider myself an Eita fan, it became more obvious later on in the series that they’re brothers. Like, at some points, they look very much alike and sometimes, they even sound the same! But anyway, all three were enjoyable to watch, even if they weren’t given any depth. Well, none of the characters had any depth.

Generally, if you like mysteries or riddles, Puzzle is your drama. The comedy is pretty good, but there’s a little more gore than regular mystery dramas. So if you have a hard time with blood, this might be hard to watch at some points. Otherwise, it’s an entertaining watch.

Buy the boxset: Japan Version

New season, new dramas! Here are my first and pre-impressions for some of the dramas this season.

Last Friends
It’s the story of people who have been hurt and how they are coping with it. It deals with many issues such as domestic violence and sexuality, so needless to say, this series is rather mature and serious. Not only does it have an amazing cast with Nagasawa Manami, Ueno Juri, and Eita, the story is interesting and compelling. Add to that a GREAT OP sequence and I think I’ve already decided that Last Friends is going to be my favorite of the season. And isn’t that promo images so beautiful?

Zettai Kareshi
I was pretty hesitant to pick this up mainly because I have read enough of the manga to know that I don’t really like it. But then they cast Mizushima Hiro and I really like him, so now I’m watching it. And Maya Miki also plays a role in it, which is definitely a nice addition because I have always enjoyed watching her. The writers have changed the setting from high school to a cake company, which was probably smart, considering the nature of the show. Don’t know how long I’m going to keep watching it because it’s kind of bothering me right now.

Around 40
As the title implies, it’s the story of people who around 40. And as series a series with older actors and actress just means that it’s the veterans of the business who are again taking leading roles (as opposed to mother/father to leading roles). Basically the story of three women, one who wants to get married, but has high standards, so she has a lot trouble (also because she is very intelligent). Another is a housewife who is tired of just staying at home and wants to get back into society again. The last is a fashionable magazine editor who vowed never to get married, but did anyway. Stars Fujiki Naohito as the love interest of the main character

Kimi Hannin Janai yo ne?
Every mystery series is pretty similar, but they each have different gimmicks. In Kimi Hannin Janai yo ne? (You’re not a criminal, right?), the leading girl, Morita Sakura, has an amazing memory and can remember the tiniest details. She happens to get caught up with Usagawa Kyosei, an detective who is pretty crappy and falls in love with female suspects. The male lead is played by Kaname Jun, who was the villain in last season’s Ashita no Kita Yoshio. His character here is very comedic, so it’s strange for me to watch him here. Also because, he was also in the Taiyou no Uta drama where he played another very series character. And as I’ve said before, I can never resist a good mystery!

Ryokiteki na Kanojo
Based on the South Korean movie, this drama pretty much follows the same formula of the movie (or at least as far as I’ve watched to far). I’m not really a big fan of the movie…I could never understand why the guy just took all of her abuse. I am interested to see how the writers are going to stretch a movie into an entire drama, though. And how they integrate the change in setting from college students to working people. But actually, I never finished the first episode, so…

Hokaben
A lawyer drama with Ueto Aya starring as a rookie lawyer who wants to help the weak and works for the pro bono section. Her law firm is the largest in the nation, but the pro bono section only has one other lawyer - her boss. So far, it seems like this drama is going to focus on some heavy subjects and the first case is separated into two episodes (which she’ll probably win). Also stars Kato Shigeaki for Johnny’s fans.

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Puzzle
This one is like a mystery, but not exactly. It starts Ishihara Satomi (who I’ve always thought is really beautiful) as an English teacher who isn’t really very proficient at English. She’s selfish and arrogant in front her students, but acts meek and kind in front of her coworkers and the rest of the work. But she’s really smart and can solve puzzles and ends up solving various mysterious things with three of her students. And speaking of her students, is this a HanaKimi reunion or something? Because 2/3 of her students are from the main student cast… So far, though, it’s really fun and Ishihara Satomi is great.

Starring:
Horikita Maki as Ashiya Mizuki
Oguri Shun as Sano Izumi
Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu Shuiichi
Kono Mahiru as Hara Akiha
Kamikawa Takaya as Umedo Hokuto
Yamamoto Yusuke as Kayashima Taiki
Mizushima Hiro as Nanba Minami
Okada Masaki as Sekime Kyougo
Kimura Ryou as Senri Nakao
Ishigaki Yuma as Tennouoji Megumi
Kyo Nobuo as Himejima Masao (Oscar)
Iwasa Mayuko as Hanayashiki Hibari

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (roughly translating into For You in Full Blossom, nicknamed Hana Kimi) is a Japanese dorama that aired in the summer of 2007 on Fuji TV. It aired on Tuesday nights at 9:00 PM. Its average ratings were 17.3%, though the finale hit 21%. Hana Kimi is one of the few dramas that has both an opening and ending theme song. The opening is Ikenai Taiyou by ORANGE RANGE and the ending is PEACH by Otsuka Ai.

Hana Kimi is a live-action adaptation of the popular manga of the same name. Though the drama uses the same storyline as the manga, the scriptwriters modified a few key point and a few minor characters. It chronicles the high school life of Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese-American girl who admires a Japanese youth athlete, Sano Izumi. He was injured and quit high jump. Mizuki is determined to change his mind, so she decided to study abroad in Japan and tranfers to his high school, Osaka Gakuen. The only problem with this is that Osaka Gakuen is a boys’ boarding school.

So that’s the basic premise for the show. Mizuki is hiding her true gender from her classmates while trying to become friends with Sano, so she can convince him to start jumping again. While she is trying to accomplish this, she comes across various problems - her identity almost being exposed, unexpected family visits, rivalries, etc.

Watching Hana Kimi feels very much like a manga. Effects such as little hearts, flowers, special framing give the entire show an overdone comedic feeling. It makes the series very fun to watch and it’s hard to not to laugh out loud at certain points. As funny as some portions are, there are very dramatic moments as well that sometime come right after the high comedy parts. So, comedy and drama are written really well.

One big problem I had with the changes made to the script was the seemingly lack of friendship between Sano and Mizuki. In the manga, they were very clearly best friends. (So why are they always saying Mizuki and Nakatsu are best friends?) Mizuki helped Sano train; they were very comfortable with each other. Halfway into the dorama series, Sano and Mizuki still didn’t seem to be friends yet. Other characters would say things like “Mizuki is the one who made Sano start jumping again,” but it sure wasn’t shown. It wasn’t really until the eighth episode that Sano started being overprotective of Mizuki.

Plus, Sano’s character is kind of moody. I like Oguri Shun, but it’s hard to say if I liked him in this particular role, since the way his character was written is sort of iffy. I also didn’t like how Sano was written to be so aloof and not friendly with anyone. It made his character a lot harder to like and relate to, which definitely does not add to the drama. I began to like his character in the last third of the series, since his role became less moody and stand-offish and more friendly like Sano was in the manga. Well, in the end I liked him.

I did like the way Mizuki’s character was portrayed, though it got pretty cheesy at times. I also really enjoyed the Nakatsu falling in love with Mizuki storyline. The comedy was really well done and Ikuta Toma did a fantastic job with that portion. Well, he did a great job with the whole thing. Nakatsu could easily be my favorite character in the drama. The special framing of Mizuki in Nakatsu’s thoughts was a little over the top, though, as was many portions of the series (like with Umeda and Hara and the school events).

One of the things I missed most about the manga was the ending; I really liked the way the series ended in the manga. There were a lot of elements that were the same, but the key things I loved about the end were changed.

While Hana Kimi was not the best drama of the season, it was really entertaining. High in comedy but not lacking in drama, it’s something that can make you laugh out loud and pull on your heartstrings. I liked some of the changes the scriptwriters made to the series, but there were also a lot of things I really appreciate in the manga that weren’t present in the drama. Unless you hate over the top comedy, you’ll mostly likely enjoy this one.

Buy the boxset: Japan Version - Part 1 | Japan Version - Part 2