kininarimasu!

This is not a review. As the title says, this is unfinished business. I like to think of this as getting the frustration out of my chest.

Koizora a.k.a. Sky of Love: A Sad Love Story. This drama has six episodes. SIX. And I can't bring myself to finish the damn. Series.

No. Just no. I can't.

My feelings can't handle it. And I'm a hormonal woman with enthusiasm for drama. I'm basically a walking bag of feelings.

I was asking my coworker who also has a liking for Japanese dramas to recommend something. We have similar tastes in dramas, so I figured her recommendations would be something I'd enjoy. She mentioned this drama and said it would be full of feels. I figured, yeah, I can handle sad dramas.

How very wrong I was.

Let me tell you a little bit about this series first. This is a sad, sad, sad story about two high school students, Mika and Hiro. Hiro is considered a delinquent in his class, in a rock band with bleached hair. Mika is an average student who still has yet to experience being in a relationship with a boy. On that fateful time that Hiro steals Mika's first kiss, she can't get him out of her head. And before she realizes it, she has fallen for him.

Apparently this was originally a novel that was published online, which then became popular enough to have a movie, drama, and manga adaptation.

I only made it to the third episode. Just halfway. Why? Because in just the first two episodes, a lot has happened. I know the feeling of getting all giddy with taking pictures with your first boyfriend, your first kiss, etc. etc. But the show has a lot more than that.

Being bullied by a boyfriend's ex is terrible. A girl's first time can be a little nerve-wracking. Getting preggers and telling your traditional parents about it is even worse.

Then losing said baby after convincing them? Might seem like a loss. But just when you think all is well, they find a tumor in Hiro's head.

Why??? Whyyyyyyy? And they even have that stupid sneak preview for the next episode where Mika is crying and the subtitles say "Don't you love me anymore?" and her dad tries to kick Hiro's ass with subs that go "You said you will make her happy!"

Fuck dammit. I already know what's going to happen and it will potentially give me a migraine the next day because I cried my guts out watching the drama.

Nope. No no no no no no no waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

There's no need to say that I am a big softie and will most definitely bawl away at any drama that comes my way. Heck, I cried a few times watching Fairy Tail and some episodes of One Piece during Nami's arc. How the hell do you think I will react to three more episodes of this???

I stopped because I can't. I just can't. I even had a week of vacation and told myself to finish it to get it out of my head, but everytime I was about to hit that play button, I would  dread the bawlfest I was about to jump in to. And then the week after that my normal schedule was sent topsy-turvy coz I picked up a few day shifts instead of my usual evening ones, and the only other thing I hate next to waking up early is waking up early with a headache and puffy eyes.

No. Just no.

I can't possibly give a rating for this, beacause, well, obviously, I didn't finish it. There is also a movie for this with Miura Haruma and Aragaki Yui which I didn't watch. Of course. And then again it has Miura. He's everywhere. My gosh.

Although this was a drama fail for me in terms of willpower of watching, I would just like to mention how lush Seto Koji's lips are.

Yum. Yeah, just wanted to throw that in there. You're welcome.

I will almost absolutely will favor him as Hiro more than Miura, because, you know, it's Miura.

So, this drama will remain untouched for me until I find the willpower to plough through the sadness. The tab for episode four remained untouched in my browser for a month. It might just stay there for a little while longer.

But until then...

One Piece may be defined as an anime, but anime is NOT defined as One Piece. Or Naruto. Not even Lucky Star or K-On!.

Let's break the stereotype here. Anime was originally intended for kids in Japan, but the industry has since then expanded its audience. It's not just about Doraemon anymore. And note that there are anime that kids might not be able to comprehend.

At the same time, it's not just pirates, ninjas, mythical creatures, transforming sailors, or cutesy costumes.

Often, anime gets associated with otakus, weeaboos, nerds, cosplayers, or people who are seen as stuck in their childhood. But admitting to watching and/or enjoying anime doesn't mean you automatically fall into those stereotypes, or that you're all about childish fantasies. Getting your drama fix through anime doesn't mean you're a nerd.

Most anime are manga-based, but not all of them are created equal. There are some gems in the anime world that I think would be worth a try watching. Some can deliver just as much, if not more, satisfaction to your drama feels.  Some anime are up there on the drama level. Just to let you know.

If you're at a loss on deciding which drama to watch or book to read next, why not consider anime? It's not fair to snub it off when some of the best manga-based dramas and movies, like Hana Yori Dango, have anime versions. Two ways of telling the same story. They're not unlike dramas. You just see animated hair and big eyes instead of your favorite actors.

And when we watch dramas, don't we live in a fantasy world as well? What's the difference, whether you're watching computer animation or real people?

If you're testing the waters on some anime and don't want to dive headfirst into ninjas and pirates, here are some of my recommendations to watch:

1. Hyouka

Hyouka easily tops my list as one of my favorite anime to watch. I did, in fact, name my blog after one of the main characters' famous line. I discovered this while searching for a video of Arashi's Love So Sweet on Youtube. A video came up with screenshots of this anime with Love So Sweet as the BGM. I'm glad I stumbled into that video! It has been deleted, though, and I forgot who uploaded it, so I can't give credit :(

This is based off a novel by Yonezawa Honobu, of the Classic Literature Club series. The story revolves around Oreki Hotaro, a boy who lives by his own standard of "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to, I'll do it quickly". He is urged by his sister to join her former school club, the Classic Literature club, to keep it from dissolving. He is joined by Chitanda Eru (Watashi kininarimasu!), Fukube Satoshi, and Ibara Mayaka. Together, they solve different mysteries in their school. Hotaro eventually finds himself immersed in school activities.

There are hints of romance in this anime, given that it's a shounen (geared towards boys) anime. It has some mystery aspect to it, and it's a really enjoyable watch. I recommended it to one of my friends and she might just have liked it more than I did. I also especially liked the closing song of season 2. Quite catchy.


The series is only 22 episodes long, and I really wish they'd make more! If you like your detective shows and high school life, this is a must-watch.

2. NaNa

The two Nana

From manga artist Yazawa Ai, NaNa is one of her more famous works. It is about two girls, both named Nana. Osaki Nana is a member of punk rock band named Black Stones (BLAST for short), on her way to Tokyo to pursue her own rock career. She's very independent and ambitious. Komatsu Nana, on the other hand, is your very girly girl who often falls in love at first sight, yet often gets her heart broken. She has a habit of depending on others, but is very caring. She is on her way to Tokyo to join her hometown friends and boyfriend. The two Nana with opposing personalities meet by chance on a train to Tokyo, and the two embark on a journey of fame, romance, and relationships.

I want to note that this anime has one of the best music and opening and ending credits. After getting caught up on this 47-episode anime, I immediately downloaded the soundtrack NANA Best. Featuring Anna Tsuchiya as Osaki Nana and Olivia Lufkin as Reira.

This is not an anime to pass. Seriously, if you love your dramas, do yourself a favor and watch this. But let me warn you, if you're one of those people that have withdrawals when a series ends... *evil laugh*... Just watch the damn series. And may I also note that watching the live action movie will not replace watching the series. Both movies don't do the series justice.

And damn that Takumi, that sexy sleazebag.

3. Paradise Kiss

Parakisu :*

Another one from Yazawa Ai, Paradise Kiss focuses more on fashion. The characters are very vibrant and have very interesting personalities, especially Joji. This is one of the first non-fantasy anime I've watched, I think right after watching Densha Otoko. There's only 12 episodes like a standard Japanese drama, but it's so easy to get lost in Yazawa's works. Just like in NaNa, it's hard not to fall in love with her characters, especially the male ones. Her endings always leave you hanging, and it's hard not to beg for more.

The story mainly focuses on Hayasaka Yukari, dubbed as "Caroline", who is bored with her school-driven life. She gets scouted by some students in a fashion school and her life gets tangled with the people in the Atelier. It is noted that the series is after Yazawa's Gokinjo Monogatari, which I haven't watched. The story is standalone, though, and you don't need to watch Gokinjo to understand the story.

There was also a live action movie made about this, but I have yet to see it for myself. So many drama, so little time.

4. Kimi ni Todoke

This is a popular one, although I didn't watch this until last year on Crunchyroll. From Shiina Karuho's manga, Kimi ni Todoke is a light-hearted anime about romance and high school life. The story revolves around Kuronuma Sunako, jokingly referred to as Sadako by her classmates, due to her resemblance to the ghost from the infamous The Ring horror movies. She is very sweet, timid, and always has the best interests of everyone at heart, but is always misunderstood because of her appearance. She becomes friends with Kazehaya Shota, a popular boy that everyone likes. With Kazehaya's help, she comes out of her shell and makes friends with a lot more people. She then idolizes him and can't be grateful enough for all the opportunities. Before they realize it, they start to fall in love with each other, amidst all the obstacles high school love throws their way.

This anime just makes you want to scream JUST GET TOGETHER, DAMMIT! There are so many missed connections, it's a little frustrating. But I love this anime nonetheless. The story is just adorable, Chris even watched it twice, and he fangirled more than I did.

I watched the live action movie, and it was alright. If you're a Miura fan, by all means, go wild.

5. Say I Love You (Suki-tte Ii Na Yo)


I'll be honest, this wasn't one of my favorites, mainly because I wasn't a big fan of the opening song. I know that's a case of don't judge a show by its soundtrack. BUT this is actually an okay anime. It's another one of those weird girl + popular boy stories. If you dig those, this anime is for you. I really can't say much coz... it really is just a weird girl + popular boy kind of story.

Tachibana Mei is very antisocial and doesn't have friends because she believes people will eventually betray each other. Kurosawa Yamato is a very popular boy in school and becomes interested her after she accidentally hit him with a roundhouse kick that was intended for his perverted friend. Yamato eventually draws her out of her shell and she eventually makes friends and build relationships.

It's only about 12 episodes, so it's like a drama standard. I didn't grow very attached to it, but it helped pass the time.

6. Silver Spoon (Gin no Saji)


This one I'm really fond of. I was in my random media mood and decided to watch this just because, while I was browsing through Crunchyroll. This attracted me because it featured farms and organic food, and I have this secret desire to have my own farm and live in the countryside one day. Random true story.

In this delightful slice of life drama, Hachiken Yuugo is a city boy who enrolls in an agricultural high school in the countryside. He is smart in academics, but this was due to his father's strict upbringing of him to study. Thinking agricultural school would be a breeze, the daily challenges of life in a farm prove him wrong. He eventually starts to adjust to a different life even though he was thrown into the deep end. His compassionate and empathetic nature paved the way of making friends for him, but it also made him realize the difficulties and consequences of the agriculture business.

This has two seasons, totaling 22 episodes. The animals featured are very cute, especially Vice President! Warning though, this anime may make you gain weight, because they eat delicious food often. Damn that pizza episode.

I mentioned before that there is a live action of this! I still have yet to download it. It stars the very pretty Alice Hirose as Mikagi Aki :D

7. My Little Monster (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun)


In this anime, a very smart girl named Shizuku, was forced to deliver class material to Haru, the boy who sits next to her in class. Shizuku is all about school and studies, often cold and indifferent to relationships to other people. Haru has always been viewed as a "monster" because of his lack of social skills in his childhood, but is actually kind and gentle and just wants to make friends. He just has a weird way of doing it.

The day Shizuku shows up at Haru's doorstep, Haru immediately dubs their meeting as a start of their new friendship. Not long after that, he spontaneously tells Shizuku that he likes her. What used to be all books and exams for Shizuku is now a world of tangled emotions with Haru. Despite herself, she is drawn to his innocence and falls for him eventually, but she wants to be certain of Haru's feelings first.

It's hard not to like Haru. He's very cute and innocent, it's almost childish. He has a pet rooster and cabbage. Yes, cabbage. Their personalities are on opposite ends of the scale, yet they're perfect for each other.




See? Not all anime is about magical fantasies. There are some great stories in the form of anime, too, so don't scoff them off! I think anime could well be added as a whole different genre of dramas. You have your J-dramas, K-dramas, C-dramas... Why not anime dramas? What matters is the story, yes? Yes.

If you have watched any anime along the likes of these, I would love to know them! And if you've watched any of them, I want to know what you think :)

Next on the rom-com queue is Last Cinderella, starring Shinohara Ryoko, Haruma Miura, and Fujiki Naohito.

This is one of the funnier dramas I have watched. Based on the manga by Natsumi Aida, this aired around end of 2011, so I'm a little bit late, but it was still a fun rom-com nonetheless.

Nishiuichi Mariya stars as Tamiya Nika, a pretty and popular girl in her school that has a hidden side to her. She has what you would call a "switch mode", wherein once she steps into the boundaries of her home, she completely reverts into her... not so appealing nature. Her popular girl image is a facade that she puts on and has to constantly maintain, lest she be avoided by her peers. The only person who knows about this "off-mode" nature of hers is her best friend, Nino (Sakata Rikako).

A transfer student named Arata (played by Kiriyama Renn), catches her eye. He also has his own "switch mode". He purposely hides behind an uninteresting nerdy image to achieve the opposite effect: to have girls avoid him, since he's too much of a fangirl material.

(O_O) *drool*

Okay, maybe yes.

The two accidentally discover each other's secret, and promise to keep them for their own sake. And thus, their romance ensues.

The adventures in the story aren't quite new. I don't know what's with the author and her obsession for people who purposely want to destroy other people. There's the second-guessing of love interests, as usual, and third parties. You know, rom-com stuff. If that's not your cup of tea, then I doubt you will enjoy this as much as I did.

There were definitely some things I could relate to, like the frustration of always putting on a socially-acceptable front. Coz we all have our sides that we don't want anyone to know. Like fashion emergencies, bodily misfunctions, and smelly food. I always get self-conscious whenever I bring fish to work, because I'm afraid people will scrunch their noses and say "Something died in here!" while I munch on my dried herring on the corner. Off-mode problems. But it's so good, I still eat up.

And I have times like these with Chris.

And definitely this.

You will also see a lot of this cat drawing covering up otherwise censored images, which I think is quite funny

And yet another eye candy alert! I'm having a secondary actor syndrome (SAS). Why, hello there, Jinnai Sho~

He looks like freakin' Tae Yang!

The fangirl in me has been revealed!

Bottom line, the story itself was okay. Typical rom-com with all the toppings, and if your sense of humor is pretty shallow like mine, then you will enjoy this. If you're a little hard to please... then I suggest move on. Acting wise, I think Renn wasn't so bad. He can smile at the very least. And Mariya really got into the acting, which is nice, I guess. Sometimes a little exaggerated, but better than under-delivering.

At least the kiss was convincing.

The gist: 6.5/10

It's an average drama, definitely funny for me. Not the best, but a fun watch. If you like your rom-coms and shoujo manga, this would be a good choice. I definitely got annoyed at some parts of the story, but that's okay. It's not one for the books, but if you're up to kill time, why not? I watched this on DramaFever, but you have to be a premium subscriber to watch beyond episode 6 for both seasons, which sucks. But they offer free premium trial for one week, so that's one thing to consider. I watched some episodes on GoodDrama.net, but they have subs for Chinese behind the English ones which makes them FRIGGIN HARD TO READ. DramaFever premium is only around $5 anyway.

So, to watch or not to watch? The choice is yours.

PIKA!!

Gif photo creds to the owners

As I mentioned in my previous drama post, before I watched 35 Sai no Kokosei, I was on a rom-com roll for about a few weeks. I haven't watched any sort drama for a good two years, but one day I was hanging out with my friend Isabel and she mentioned that she was watching a Korean drama on Crunchyroll. That was during my stuck-in-a-rut days and I was looking for something different than usual to occupy my time. I figured, why not watch a new drama for kicks?

I will talk about two dramas today, called Playful Kiss and  Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo. They are basically the same story, adapted from Kaoru Tada's manga from the same Japanese name. It has a Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese adaptation, released in the same chronological order. I haven't watched the Taiwanese version, and I don't know if I want to. It's only going to be the same story all over again anyway, just with different actors and voices. Same banana.




When I first saw Playful Kiss on Netflix, I wasn't really intrigued about it. It was again a random choice, just to get the ball rolling on the drama stigma. I recognized Kim Hyun Joong from the infamous Boys Over Flowers series and figured this might be one of those cheesy dramas filled with ikemen (notoriously handsome boys), and I thought, why not? I liked him in Boys Over Flowers and I think his acting is... okay. Jung So Min plays Oh Ha Ni, a girl hopelessly addicted to her crush Baek Sung Jo (Joong) since freshman year of high school. I'm being slightly mild when I say hopelessly addicted.

She seems normal enough, a typical high school girl who has a crush on the most popular boy. Ha Ni's unrequited love for Sung Jo is all too obvious, because despite being utterly handsome and smart, Sung Jo's as cold as my butt after falling one too many times while snowboarding. After heartlessly rejecting Ha Ni's confession, he claims he hates dumb girls, and Ha Ni is...well... she falls in that category.

One of the main stir-ups in the drama is that Ha Ni's new house collapses due to a ridiculous reason. In this case, a 2.0 magnitude earthquake. Yeah, an earthquake that hardly shakes any windows. Coincidentally, an old friend of her dad sees them on TV and asks them to temporarily reside with them while they wait for insurance claims and such. And guess who the son of that old friend was? You guessed it, Baek Sung Jo. Ha Ni's appaled whether she should be happy or not, after being rejected by her crush and all.

In the Japanese version, Ha Ni's counterpart is Aihara Kotoko, played by Honoka Miki, and Sung Jo's counterpart is Irie Naoki, played by Furukawa Yuki. A couple differences: in the J-version, their house collapses due to an even more ridiculous reason: a lone meteoroid shooting through their house. In the later episodes, the girl Naoki is engaged to (spoiler!) is not Yuko, whose counterpart is Yoon He Ra, who Sung Jo gets engaged to in Playful Kiss.  It sounds confusing, but watch it so you know what I'm talking about.

There are still a few more differences, technically speaking, but only a few subtle ones that don't really take away the essence of the story.

To be frank, I'm not a big fan of Korean drama for several reasons. I think Japanese actors and actresses are more natural and less fake-looking. They don't look like they've undergone much surgery, if anything at all. I like how their physical imperfections are hardly ever altered (like their teeth), which shows a more down-to-earth facade, rather than the too-perfect plastic-surgery ridden Korean Hollywood. Even though stars are big in Japan, I like how they see beauty in imperfection and embrace a person's natural physical characteristics.

Although that being said, I think they could've cast a much better Irie. No offense to Furukawa and Furukwa fans out there, he's cute but... just cute. Not drop-dead gorgeous like how he's supposed to be portrayed in the manga. How does he compare to Kim Hyun Joong? His supposedly 'cold' expression is just...a blank. When he tries to woo Kotoko, it was all just a blank, serious expression that does not make you want to drop your panties. Why couldn't they cast the strikingly handsome Shirota Yuu? I would drop my panties for him in a heartbeat! Or some other epitome of drop-dead gorgeousness like Matsumoto Jun? Thank Lord for MatsuJun and Shirota Yuu. I'd say Oguri Shun, too, but he's too old. Battle of the Hanazawa Rui/Yoon Ji Hoo. It would've been perfect.

Gif from kdramanmore

Imagine that with MatsuJun of Shirota Yuu. I could die.

Although, in the university part of Playful Kiss, I wasn't a big fan of Sung Jo's permed hair. I preferred his helmet hair.

Parts of the story that really annoyed me though, was how Kotoko/Ha Ni was just a little too persistent. I mean, you go girl, but sometimes get a clue, you know? To go somewhere as far as joining something you know you're going to be terrible at and will just piss the hell out of your crush (like joining a tennis club) could either be classified as sweet or stalker material. But then that persistence is what got her the guy, I guess. I admire Naoki/Sung Jo's patience though. Patience is a talent, not a virtue.

And there's Kin-chan/Joon Go (Yamada Yuki/Lee Tae Sung). Give me someone who hasn't fallen or grown to love either of these two. They are both super cute and are chefs-in-the-making. Twas a good thing shame Kotoko/Ha Ni didn't go for these guys. Wonder how the story would have fared out. I especially loved how Joon Go's uniform was all studded and decked out.



And his transformation! Oh god.

Oh hai durr

Oh wait, no. I meant this:



Yamada Yuki wasn't looking too bad either.

=^x^=

And I just loved his facial expressions.



Bottom line, I personally prefer Itazura over Playful Kiss, primarily because I fell in love more with the characters and actors in the J-Drama. I also felt like there was a lot less extra stuff in the Japanese one, like the weird unicorn dream in the beginning on the Korean one or the kicking-the-vending-machine thing. Itazura was a lot more lovable, IMO, with a lot more funny scenes and expressions.



Overall, it's a good drama with enough oomph to hit your drama spot, whichever version you want to watch. Although Playful Kiss extends a bit farther along the story, but there will be a season 2 for Itazura, which will be aired on September 12, called Itazura na Kiss Love in Okinawa. I'm excited for this just for the Okinawa part!

gif from tumblr

The gist: 7/10 for Playful Kiss, 8/10 for Itazura na Kiss.

Great drama, fun, and will tickle your heartstrings. A little bit of a tearjerker, but with just the right proportions.

If you are familiar with the Gokusen series, then I'm sure you will find the plot in this drama to be kind of similar. The setting is in an urban high school in Japan, Kunikida High, with the usual dressings: bullying, a caste system (a ranking of sorts), kids who think they are above everyone else, the unmemorable ones, and the depicted lowest of the low. In comes Baba Ayako, a mysterious 35 year old woman who turns up on opening ceremony day. She's not a new teacher, principal, or counselor, but she is, in fact, a student enrolled in senior year.

No one knows anything about her, her past, why she's there, and what the hell she's thinking. She goes to school in some fancy sports car, wears stylish clothes outside of school, and has a body of a 20 year old. In what could be a brewing recipe for even more bullying, Baba Ayako, known to her peers as Baba-san or Oba-san (granny) just casually brushes it off. And just like Gokusen style, she slowly brings to light what could be the hidden demons lurking behind this dreaded caste system.

 The opening line goes:

Modern high schools are degenerating into lawless wastelands

Vicious bullying. Absenteeism. Depression.

Their lives completely at the mercy of the dreaded school caste system.

Everyone is driven to exhaustion from playing their assigned role.

These apply not only to students, but parents and teachers, too.

Perhaps, even to school pets in extreme cases.

A cloud of darkness, impenetrable by hope.

That may be the case...

That's why we wonder...

What will a 35-year-old student experience in that endless void?

Okay. Wow. I mean, get a load of that. Talk about some serious drama business. So, what gives?

I've been seeing the poster of this on Crunchyroll since about the last time I was browsing through the drama section after I just finished Itazura Na Kiss. This was early June, I think. I decided...no, I'm still in a rom-com mood, so I went on to watch Switch Girl! and Last Cinderella respectively. And then after they were over, nothing was catching my eye. So I went on to watch this...just because. I was in my whatever-I-choose-randomly-will-probably-turn-out-fine mode. And it did, surprisingly. I did a little research (Google) and saw that it had good reviews online and for Crunchy users as well, so I knew it was going to turn out okay.

The way Baba comes up with solutions to something is kind of non-traditional in a sense. I mean, you have all your the-person-you-hate-saves-you-in-the-middle-of-a-crisis situation or shows you a scene about your classmates having feelings or you don't know what shit they're going through moments. The way she deals with it is getting into the root of the problem and let the people involved solve it by themselves. Genius.

The first couple episodes, she had the parents and the teachers be held responsible for their kids' actions, which is true in a way. But let's ignore the elephant bullies in the room, shall we? Everyone knows the problem lied between those seven kids in the back row who thought they were THE SHIT and was ready for a good fire extinguisher hosing. Every episode was screaming "SOMEONE SHUT THOSE BRATS IN THE BACK IN AN EXPEDITED PARCEL TO FUKUSHIMA" Maybe the radiation will cure whatever's up in their arse.

Although there are some scenes that are funny, as well. It's not all serious. I found it funny that Koizumi-sensei had to keep on slapping himself from blurting out the funny truth about situations (like "Kaiser!" in episode 8). His shoes bothered me, though. They didn't go well with his suit and tie. Reminded me of the runners seniors in the west would wear. Unless teachers also had to wear some sort of special shoes for inside the school walls? I don't know.

I was waiting for the whole violence extending to school pets thing (seriously, how the hell can that be?) or that they would egg her fancy blue sports car (Corvette, methinks) at some point, but sadly, they didn't. Bummer.

One thing that was a little too obvious apart from the acting (it was too obvious they were acting... but then again that's a standard in Asian drama) was that you just know that the silent guy with the headphones had something to do with it. Duh. He's the only one who barely looks affected by whatever. He looks like he's scheming something and he always had a cutscene. You just know he was up to something, and who was it controlling the whole website ranking anyway? Did no one ever thought of who was ranking who? Who started the whole stint? Did no one ever ask themselves that? Again, main ingredient for Asian dramas: extinguish all common sense. It happens in all dramas, though. The obvious, the forced smiles, doing things no normal human being would ever do. The cheese factor is way up it's practically the free cheese for nachos at 7-11. It's a given, but it wouldn't be an Asian drama without it.

One thing I also want to point out is freaking Yonekura Ryoko. Ok. Those legs. She's bloody 39 years old (today is her birthday, August 1st), and the series was filmed last year when she was 38. Not much of a difference between 38 and 35, according to the series title. But seriously. The Japanese are concocting some sort of youth elixir and hoarding it. It's not the radiation. Sure, she's an actress, but I'd kill for those legs.

The other students were cute too, lots of fresh faces, unless I'm just not that really updated with the J-Drama scene. I thought Yamazaki Kento, Katoono Taikou, and Takasugi Mahiro were all cute (but too young for my tastes!). Hirose Alice was really pretty in it, as well. She is Mikage Aki on the Silver Spoon movie! Must find torrent...

I can be a little bit of a crybaby. My heartstrings get pulled at the merest tug and I just start to bawl my eyes out. It's a drama, come on. I was crying in every episode for no apparent reason, only God knows why. I could not get a hold of myself. I guess I couldn't help relating to underdogs and those who are maltreated, all the while thinking what best dish to cook those bullies into.  Some cases shown were a little too extreme to be considered realistic in a high school setting, like throwing buckets of water over people or kicking chairs and stuff. I'm not too familiar with the Japanese high school environment, but I'm sure they're not that mean. It was a work of fiction after all, but still. Someone please tell me teenagers in Japan are not that violent.

And another thing, if one of my classmates tried to kill me, I think I would find it really hard to be buddy-buddy once they're out of juvie. Just saying.

The episodes are a standard 45 minutes-ish long, eleven episodes with the final being an hour and a half. Bottom line, I enjoyed it. It provided a nice refreshing break from all the even-cheesier rom-coms I've been indulging on lately. A glass of water between chocolate bingeing. It's different from Gokusen in a sense that, once you've seen one Gokusen, you've seen all three seasons of Gokusen. This one has a different approach, but same banana. Although there are some unexpected twists, with some that I didn't see coming, like the fact that someone else was the spy and her whole reason for being in school after all was an entirely different thing. Yeah.

The gist: 7.5/10

Not the *best* non-romantic drama, but definitely a great one. Available to watch on Crunchyroll. Email me for a guest pass!

Ps.

I don't get the whole slow-mo falling on the opening thing. Do you?