timotey

This was, hands down, one of the best dramas that I've seen this year, at the very least. The music and sound mixing was fabulous, the cinematography incredible, the characters so lovable and engaging that when the end finally came, I didn't want to leave their world. It made me very, very happy!

I loved all the twists and turns of the story, the supernatural side of it, but mainly, I loved the relationship among and between the various characters, their friendship and their closeness - and their romance! And not just between the secondary characters but between the main two, Yi Kang & Hyun Jo, too.

Theirs was one of the most wonderful romances that I've ever seen. It was very mature and without a single "I love you" or a single kiss, and yet the feelings that they had for each other ran through the whole drama like a red thread, manifested in the lengths they were willing to go for each other. It was absolutely amazing!

I also loved the ending, it was everything I wished for - and more! It was really, truly, honestly perfect! Down to the tiniest hint of Goo Young possibly finding a new love in Hyun Jo's little sister! The way he ran from her was hilarious!

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I must say that this has been my least favorite Kamen Rider Build outing so far.

I get that this was a Banjo Ryuga vehicle and Cross-Z was given the chance to shine for once but that Sento was totally sidelined, as in, he didn't leave the lab even once during the whole movie... IMHO, that was taking it one unnecessary step too far.

Another reason why I didn't like this event as much was the roughly shoehorned love interest for Banjo. Female characters who are made to punch and kick men for the viewers' LULZ are really not my cuppa and she just really irritated me. Like, she blamed Banjo for not saving her in the middle of a big battle while he was fighting alien creatures, outnumbered several to one? I mean, he might be a Kamen Rider but he's not Superman!

The best moment for me was when Banjo called Sento his hero and he found in him his inspiration and strength to get up and fight. That was cool!

Overall, I'm glad that their loved ones finally remembered Sento and Banjo but overall, it kinda left a bit of a foul aftertaste in my mouth, for the above-mentioned reasons. It didn't feel like Build anymore.

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This was a great series. It seemed like the plot was simple but then came the big twist at the end and it left the plot open for a possible S2. Will there be S2? Did they plan the whole thing with the idea of another season already in mind? Or did they leave the ending open just in case it was a hit, so that they could bring it back if need be? Who knows? Not me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There were two things that I truly loved about the series: the casting and then the music.

The drama introduced me to Inukai Atsuhiro and it showed me a very different side of Suzuki Nobuyuki whom I knew from High & Low and Tokyo Revengers. And I became a big - or a bigger - fan of both. I love when that happens, when I find new actors to follow. So... nice!

And the score! The score was so good. Unlike movies, dramas rarely have a great score but this one did. And for me, it certainly added a lot to the experience.

I'm very happy with how the drama turned out. The development of Shiro & Ichiro's relationship was simply amazing. The way they went from a simple cooperation/cohabitation over friendship to something much deeper was a thing to behold. The depth of their trust and love for each other... mwah! Outright romances have less romance than this drama. Their looks, their little touches, the things they did for each other, that all honestly gave me butterflies! So good.

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This was a cute little drama. At first, I wished it was longer, both the episodes and the drama itself - 12 eps, each 20 minutes long, didn't feel like enough - but now that it ended, I think it was just right for the story, which was very simple and kinda thin for anything longer.

What really kept me watching was the relationship that developed between Doo Shim & Woo Soo. The way he became so smitten with her and the way she slowly returned his feelings, her relief that she wasn't alone in this shaman business anymore. That was really great. And also the fact that Woo Soo wasn't just an innocent bystander but that he got powers of his own. That was really cool.

So, yeah, a nice little series. And I do hope that there will be S2, this time with a deeper plot. Then I would wholeheartedly welcome 16 eps, an hour each!

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It’s a campy romp with a smidgen of horror and amazing music, though rather too modern for the setting, I didn’t mind that at all, though, because it certainly put me in the right mood for the whole thing. I laughed and I cried, it was funny and it was sad.

The main duo’s bickering was hilarious and their chemistry wonderful. And the ending open enough for a possible continuation. I loved the Netherworld setting, it was very moody. The story worked really well with themes like reincarnation, grief and letting go. Quite unexpectedly, I loved the character development of the villain’s family, the “evil” mother and her neglected stepdaughter’s relationship. That? Was very unusual, how it turned out. And I loved it.

Apparently, this series is based on a book and a movie and those who loved them, hated the series, it seems. But since I didn’t read the book nor did I see the movie, I didn’t care. Personally, I liked it. It’s definitely one of the best TW dramas I’ve seen.

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Honestly? This was the closest that I’ve ever seen a Cdrama get to an actual, honest to gosh threesome. I mean, certainly, all of the scenes where the two generals ended up in one bed together and cuddling where played up for the laughs but considering the requirements of censorship in China, I do think that they did the utmost to imply that, yeah, if the filmmakers were allowed? Them three would be an item.

This was a comedy drama. But as much as I love comedy, this was too much even for me. It bordered on parody so even those moments that were supposed to be taken seriously, I simply could not do that. Which is too bad because the main story of the two generals from opposing sites becoming good friends - at the very least - was quite an interesting one!

Best scene in the whole drama? The one where the main heroine and her husband, the general of the South Kingdom, helped their lover… err, best friend, the general of the North Kingdom, escape under the noses of both sides’ spies. That was just awesome. That they went that far and that he trusted them not to betray him.

I’m not using their names because a) I don’t want to spoil it too much and b) their names changed and then changed again so many times that it was hard to keep them straight.

So, yeah. The idea was great. The execution was… lacking. Though I still do hope that they will make S2, as implied at the very end.

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This felt... way too cutesy, I must say. Don't get me wrong, I love me sweet fluff from time to time but this felt too forcefully cheerful and cute. IMO, they tried way too hard and the end result just didn't feel really natural.

Which is too bad because the boys' back stories could've made for a really interesting drama otherwise. The found family trope was strong with this one and it's too bad that the writers didn't let that speak for itself. And when I say family, I'm not talking just about the four boys at the inn but also Yakyo and his pâtissier, Eisuke. Or the other restaurant owner, his little daughter and his clumsy help.

In the end, I found Tokitaka's backstory the most intriguing - and his relationship with Sui the most interesting, that everyone called them "mom" and "dad", respectively. But also Eisuke, whom I couldn't stand at first, turned out so fascinating! Especially his relationship with Yakyo.

Still, because of its overt sugary sweetness, it felt a bit boring. Too bad...

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This drama was one of the best Jdramas I've seen so far. At first, I thought it would be your usual easy and uncomplicated "a student falls in love with his female teacher" story but, boy, was I wrong. It was really, truly amazing!

Why?

Because Junko was very much aware of the fact that a) Kyohei was her student, b) he was underage which meant no, never, not in your dream, it's illegal, I'm not doing it! and c) she was much, much older than him - 16 years! - which she never let him forget and even after he turned 18 and after he got accepted into the Todai university and after he openly confessed his feelings for her, she made sure, double sure, triple sure that he knew what he was doing, getting involved with her, what it would mean, their age gap among other things, she made sure he actually thought it through, that it wasn't just some boyish crush or temporary fancy. That was fantastic!

And because the friendships were just ah-amazing. Like between Junko and her nightclub owner friend Miwa - Miwa was always first and foremost on Junko's side! Or Kyohei's "delinquent" friends - the way they wholeheartedly supported his drive to get into Todai, the way they defended him against their schoolmates when his politician father got into trouble! And then Kyohei, Masashi and Yamashita!

The relationship among these three was simply fantastic. They were all rivals for Junko's attention but both Masashi and Yamashita really supported Kyohei's dream to get into Todai, they helped him and they took care of him - and when Junko rejected them, both Masashi and Yamashita stood by Kyohei, they wanted Junko to get together with him, they went as far as actually telling Junko to choose Kyohei and warning her that she would regret it if she didn't...

And the ending!!! That was *chef's kiss*

It was so good! It was inspiring and satisfying and there were no truly bad characters in this, just flawed people who learned and grew and it was fantastic to watch!

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Oh, this movie was wonderful. Truly wonderful. Sweet and touching and heartbreaking and just... so lovely. And Yokohama Ryusei as Rui simply shined here.

Rui's story was so sad. He made mistakes, terrible mistakes, and he paid for them harshly and just as he was about to start a new life, it all went to hell again, courtesy of Machida Keita's big bad, Kyosuke. Ouch.

The love story between Rui and Akari was so beautiful. Two people down on their luck finding each other and making do and becoming happy, it made my heart swell three sizes. Akari was simply amazing and her love for Rui - and his for her - was just... wow.

There weren't many people who truly loved Rui, besides Akari there were only two who wanted the best for him and who did not want to use him - the nun at the orphanage and his coach at the gym - and I loved both of them. The last time Rui and the coach saw each other broke my heart...

This movie pushed all my buttons, like all of them. It was so good!

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Satoh Takeru was absolutely amazing in this drama, playing so many characters at once, so many versions of Possessed!Ryoutaro. And in certain moments, it also allowed him to showcase his fighting skills, though rather rarely, true. I also have to praise all the suit actors who played the various Imagin!Ryoutaros because you really immediately knew who was in charge, which Imagin was at the wheel, just from their body language alone. That was so great!

But!

Despite all that, I didn't enjoy Den-O nearly as much as Build, my top Kamen Rider series. Why? Because even though Ryoutaro was the lead, the main storyline was not about Ryoutaro - at all. It was about Airi, Sakurai and finally Hana while Ryoutaro was, well, he was basically the pawn. Even Yuuto had a bigger role to play within the main arc than Ryoutaro, a red herring, sure, but for a big part of the story, Yuuto was the focus of the bad guys, so...

Sakurai was the mastermind, Airi the linchpin and then Hana the one it was all about while Ryoutaro... well, he fought. Sure, he made all of it possible but he wasn't the focus of the main arc. Compare that with Build where Sento and Banjo were the fighters and the focus of the main arc - and Sento even was the mastermind who went toe to toe with the lead baddie. It's basically the difference between action and reaction. Sento acted - Ryoutaro reacted. Sento played chess with Evolt - Ryoutaro was getting dragged along. Sento was Sakurai - Ryoutaro was Grease.

Also, I didn't understand why Ryoutaro gave up his train ticket at the end. I guess I must've missed something, it's possible because with all the time hopping and junctions and Singularity Points speak, I was getting a wee bit lost in how the rules of this world actually worked. Oh well... Maybe it gets explained in one of the movies? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Overall, a good series but for me personally, it doesn't top Build, not even remotely.

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Or, This Flower Will Bloom, a one hour special that stars Inukai Atsuhiro in a supporting part. He was the reason why I watched it which is why I'm mentioning it.

It's a story about a real estate agent, Chika, in the town of Kagoshima which lies in the shadow of an active volcano, Mount Sakurajima. Her childhood friend, Yohei (Inukai Atsuhiro), asked her to marry him but she's always been hesitant about that because of how her father died when she was a child. And ever since Yohei joined the local Disaster Relief Unit, her reluctance grew tenfold because she's so terrified of losing him. And then, one day, a man comes into her office and asks her to find him a flat - a place where he won't be able to see Mount Sakurajima...

This is a very atmospheric movie, all orange tinted and almost... well, hazy, interspersed with authentic footage of times when the volcano went off in the past, one hundred years ago and then forty years ago, and accompanied by jazz music, sometimes soft, sometimes jarring. You can see what it's like living in this town where you have to follow the news about wind direction and ash fall, where you regularly have to sweep away bags and bags full of volcanic ash...

There are no big upheavals, now histrionics or drama in this special, it's just so... soft and calming, a slice of life story. And it was exactly what I needed today.

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This drama reminded me of Fishbowl Wives, just without all the cheating and with focus on the husbands - the househusbands, that is. Each of the six episodes introduced us to a different couple and the whole series was framed by the story of the main couple, of the main househusband, Riku, played by Kousei Yuki.

Out of the 5 couples that we got to know - besides the main one - I liked the YouTube one best. The househusband, Haru, was played by Okuno So and it featured my favorite trope, older woman & younger man. In this case quite a lot younger. But the love he had for his wife was just... mwah! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Overall, it was a really interesting series because each of the couple was different, each man's reason for becoming a househusband was different. And it also dealt with how househusbands in general were viewed in the society, as bums and leaches, and how it was for the men themselves, how some were embarrassed, some were proud... Quite an intriguing concept.

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Not even 30 min. long but so good because it heavily focused on Kairi (Lupin Red) and Keiichiro (Patren #1), kidnapped and brought over to the Gangler world. Every story that focuses on those two is simply marvelous.

And this one was no exception. It started with them bickering while they tried to fight the Gangler's henchmen only to realize that they would have to cooperate if they wanted to survive. And then the big explosion and the fall off the cliff and... Keiichiro waking up, realizing that he was hanging suspended in the air, held by the hand by Lupin Red whose blood was dripping down on Keiichiro's face. That was quite... something.

And the big fight between Lupin Red and Keiichiro on the one side and Gauche and Destra on the other! That was so well done! The action, the CGI!

Really, every scene, every story that focuses on Kairi and Keiichiro is gold because their chemistry is amazing. You can see that Ito Asahi and Kousei Yuki truly clicked and became great friends while filming this series.

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