Now on to the story! The movie covers the first seven volumes (Fun fact: only nine volumes of the series had been released at the time). Unfortunately, this also means it covers some of my least favorite parts of the manga, the Shizuka Arc and Rui Tries to Steal Domyoji's Girl Arc. I can forgive it though since they only had so much material to work with. My biggest complaint about the story is the rearranging of events (maybe only manga fans will notice), it makes some things not make any sense. And Tsukasa nearly assaults Tsukushi and it's all hunky dory, let's go to the beach time now?! (Atleast in the manga she is noticeably scared to be alone with Tsukasa for some time) That part really should have been left out, instead of Tsukushi and Tsukasa's first 'date'.
I'm not going to comment much on the acting. They were all newcomers at the time with many making their film debut in it. Honestly, the over-the-top acting kind of suits the manga vibes. On another note, the actors playing Akira and Sojiro aren't given hardly any lines! So sad. If you're interested check out the late Koichi Hashizume in Picnic (1996), he really shows off his acting chops in it. And did anyone else notice Shizuka's accent?
Lastly, my personal feelings on this movie. I waited a long time to watch it. It wasn't available online for years. Now it's conveniently located on YouTube. Since then, I've seen it atleast three or four times. I just never get tired of the wacky story and acting or the soundtrack, "Baby's Growing Up," or laughing at Tsukasa's missing shirt. Not the best version of Hana Yori Dango by far, but still entertaining. I recommend to veteran fans of the manga or the other adaptations.
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The strongest story in the film I felt was "Self Immolator". It had moving characters and was the most informative, discussing several points in Hong Kong's recent history. "Extras" and "Dialect" were also food-for-thought, both dealing with political themes. "Season of the End" was probably the weakest as I'm still not quite sure what it was about. The final story "Local Egg" was a good closer, giving the viewers hope for the future.
According to Wikipedia, any reports of Ten Years was censored by China and the Hong Kong Film Awards was barred because the film was nominated for Best Picture (and won). Ten Years was also a surprising box office success, which I think tells you a lot about Hongkongers feel right now.
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This version probably has the most care put into it. Angie Chai, who also produced the original 'Meteor Garden', was very careful about adapting it to a millennial audience while staying true to the manga. It shows. 'Meteor Garden' (2018) by far covers the manga's plot better than all of the others. This is both a good and bad thing. It allows the character's to fully develop, but feels kinda draggy towards the end (the manga has the same effect). It is 49 episodes long after all.
I loved the chemistry between the leads, Dylan Wang and Shen Yue. All of the supporting characters were enjoyable, though some were better than others (>_< ugh Caina). Like the other adaptations before it, this version has its good points and bad points. It's inevitable that 'Meteor Garden' (2018) will be ruthlessly compared to the other versions. I suggest to all fans to check it out since you'll probably like it if you give it a shot.
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Overall, the film follows the book very well. It even covers the second half of the book, which I've noticed many "Wuthering Heights" adaptations skip. However, I thought it was just a little too long and it was startlingly dark at times.
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Run-of-the-mill horror flick
I enjoyed this movie primarily for Kathniel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla). As a couple, they are to die for and I will watch any movie with them in it. I believe fans of these two will also enjoy this movie. Otherwise, it is just a typical ghost kills everyone one-by-one movie that every has seen at least once.The one thing that was interesting about it was learning Filipino superstitions regarding wakes, such as not going home directly after a wake. I've never been to one so I don't if there are any such traditions in the US. The story became slightly more interesting after learning the ghost's motivations wasn't just because said teenagers violated a bunch of superstitions.
Was it scary? Eh, no. Lol but I don't believe in ghosts or spirits so these kind of movies rarely scare me. To conclude, horror fans will find this movie basic or forgettable but Kathniel fans like me will be happy to see their favorite pair in something different from their usual rom-coms.
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"There's always a wind blowing through this town.."
"Kaze no Haruka" marks the 32nd asadora that I've watched. I picked it for no particular reason, just that there are few asadoras with subtitles for me to watch. "Kaze no Haruka" is a more of a modern asadora as most of the story takes place in the early 2000s, leading up to the year the asadora aired. For the most part, this asadora attempts to tackle taboo subjects in a sensitive manner. However, it does not always stick the landing with the execution. On top of that, it fumbles the romance element...The asadora follows Haruka (played by Murasaki Maya→Murakawa Eri). When she was a child, her father Yosuke (Watanabe Ikkei) decides to follow his dreams and open a restaurant. He settles in her mother's, Yuko (Maya Miki), hometown of Yufuin. Yuko, however, wants to stay in Osaka to pursue a career, which leads to their divorce. Haruka and younger sister Asuka (Kurokawa Mei) decide to stay with their father. The family struggles for several years and then there's a time-skip. Asuka wants to go to college in Tokyo after winning a contest with her first book. Haruka is reluctant to ask their mother for help, but eventually does. There's a compromise and Haruka comes to Osaka to live with her mother. She begins working for a travel agency to send Asuka money and comes to love the tourism field. That's the basic plot of the first beginning of the asadora. I'll elaborate on some more of the plot later on. For me, this was a very good beginning full of emotion and potential.
Unfortunately, I hate judging an asadora based on the romance plots. There are several asadoras with okay romances but a great overall plot. Sadly, once Haruka is settled in her job, this asadora becomes all focused on the romance so I kinda have to judge it on that. Now I have to address the character I hated the most in this asadora, Haruka's childhood friend Masami (Kikawada Masaya). He's basically a spoiled child in an adult's body who runs from his responsibilities at every opportunity. Masami's also the heir of an traditional inn, which most of his insecurity stems from him. Despite his immaturity, Haruka develops a crush on him early on in the asadora. However, he doesn't feel the same and they part ways for a bit. Watching this is kind of painful for the viewer. Haruka even tries to help him win the heart of his crush Aya (MEGUMI), whom later becomes a good friend of Haruka's. But, I thought it was done once he rejects her but no...
Haruka never seems to get over Masami, though she dates some other loser for some time. Around the middle of the asadora, Haruka decides to return to Yufuin to put her tourism skills to good use there. Masami had already returned earlier and was trying the whole "fake it til you make it" thing at his family's inn. Now that Haruka is more beautiful and sophisticated, Masami becomes interested in her.... They start dating, despite her initial misgivings, and eventually become engaged. [Imagine me being tortured the whole time I'm watching this btw.] Of course, Masami runs away AGAIN. This is very painful for Haruka. The actress did do a good job portraying these emotions at least. After some time, he returns but Haruka can never trust him again. Later on, he develops feelings for another childhood friend Nanae (Mizukawa Asami) and they start dating. How two girls could fall for this man is news to me. I truly hate this character, but I will say that the writer tries to give him an arc and doesn't just excuse his spoiled, jerky behavior. That doesn't mean I can like him remotely though...
Haruka's real love interest is Sarumaru Keitaro (Matsuoka Mitsuru). He's a little ridiculous, but he quickly grows on you. Unlike Masami, he truly cares for Haruka and wants to see how grow as a person. I don't understand why she couldn't fall for him earlier. It's definitely unfortunate that the asadora waits until the last two weeks of episodes to establish their relationship. However, the moments of them together are worth watching. I love their first kiss and their confessions to each other. And the last episode was great. But why? Why couldn't we have gotten this earlier? I can only think the writer was really trying to drive into the ground that you can have more than one love in life. [Haruka makes a nasty comment to her mother about this early on.] Why as viewers did we have to be tortured?
On to the "taboo subjects." First, there's divorce. I'm not a complete fan on how the asadora portrays divorce. If they wanted to normalize it, they should've portrayed it as a net positive. But, if you blink, you could swear divorce was the worse thing to happen to these people. Any logical person though can tell that the family would've been miserable had they go on as they were. The other taboo subject is premarital pregnancy. This was handled horribly lol. Asuka is like twenty-three and everyone is like "How could this have happened?" Hmmm... I can think of few ways. Of course, this also leads to her marrying a man at least fifteen to twenty years older than her. Thanks I hate it. I wish Asuka had instead raised the child on her own. The only good thing about this plot is that she's not forced to quit her job as a successful writer.
I'll talk briefly about the other characters before closing out this review. It's getting a little long. I didn't really like Haruka's parents Yosuke and Yuko at first. He's a little too pathetic and she's a little too career oriented. The drama, thankfully, puts a lot of character development into these two and I ended up really liking them. It's also always nice when an asadora portrays the parents as not perfect. Both of their endings are great, though it's dragged out too much. I also really liked the townspeople of Yufuin. By the end, I felt warm feelings towards everyone and I understood why Haruka wanted to return to that hick town [lol].
In conclusion, "Kaze no Haruka" is a far from perfect asadora but I really enjoyed the parts that were good. Haruka's first romance with Masami really brings down this asadora. I felt miserable watching these parts. Besides from that, the asadora feels very unfocused when it comes to Haruka's career. She kind of just falls into it, and later on it's just ignored completely. By the end, you're just waiting for everyone's arcs to conclude.
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"Our one piece of a lifetime"
"Asuka" marks the 26th asadora that I've completed and the first for 2025. I'm happy that I saved this one for wintertime since it has weeks dedicated to Christmas and New Years'. For the most part, "Asuka" starts off very strong. Sadly, however, it's ruined towards the middle by an unnecessary love triangle. It does get exponentially better after the love triangle is solved, but it's hard to get back into it after that. This review will mostly be complaints about the storylines I didn't like.The drama is unique in some of its storytelling and structure. It begins in its first week by telling the parents' love story. Kyoko (Konno Misako), whom is set to inherit her parents' confectionary, runs off from her betrothal ceremony to marry the head confectioner Rokutaro (Fujioka Hiroshi) instead. Of course, this is a big no-no in society at the time and leads to repercussions throughout most of the drama. Kyoko was originally supposed to marry the son of Tahei (Kaneda Ryunosuke), an influential man in Kyoto. He seems to enjoy harassing her family from then on. I rather liked his antagonistic role in the story, even if it seemed a bit unreasonable at first.
After the parents' love story, we spend five weeks of episodes with Asuka (Enokizono Miho→Takeuchi Yuko) as a child. The aforementioned love triangle is set up here, but not really a problem yet. Asuka's childhood friends are Hayata "Professor" Shunsaku (Asari Yosuke→Fujiki Naohito) and Ayase Mai (Sugimoto Yuria→Sato Hitomi). Mai turns out to be her cousin through Asuka's wayward, often useless uncle Tamajiro (Umezawa Tomio). Asuka and her parents return to Kyoto to help the family's shop. Tamajiro later abandons Mai and her mother Hiroko (Natori Yuko) at the shop as well. Once they have grown up, Asuka decides to become a confectioner like her dad and Mai aspires to be an ordinary office worker.
The love triangle comes in full force when Shunsaku comes to Kyoto for college. I really think this is the worst part of the drama and really makes all the parties involved look terrible. Mai is in love with Shunsaku and knows that Asuka feels the same way. She, however, has no qualms in using her friend's loyalty against her and ropes Asuka into helping her get him. Asuka is a pushover and lets all of this happen. (I'm sorry but I can't feel bad for her over that.) Shunsaku is obviously in love with Asuka, but willingly goes out with Mai despite his feelings for her not being that strong. (This goes on for WEEKS of episodes btw.) Finally, after Mai and Shunsaku are engaged, she learns that Asuka and Shunsaku have been meeting behind her back. Nothing funny is going on, but once you lose trust, it's over. (Not that I cared that much.) Mai, of course, takes this opportunity to act like a complete victim. She starts dating Asuka's now ex-boyfriend Tetsuji (Inoue Charu) and they marry rather quickly. Despite the obstacles being gone, it takes several weeks of episodes for Asuka and Shunsaku to get together.
I already hated Mai before the love triangle if I'm being honest. Her personality is terrible and she's always treating Asuka meanly. Near the end of the drama, she admits that she has always been jealous of Asuka which explains her behavior. However, after everything, I'm not sure how Asuka can even stand to be in her presence. Asuka is not an angel and made some mistakes, but Mai is just a manipulative bitch who only cares about her own feelings. I don't think she gets any better in the latter half of the drama either. As for Shunsaku, I don't understand how Asuka can be in love with such a wishy-washy man. I was really rooting for her to be by herself, but asadora heroines always have to get married seemingly.
After abandoning Mai and Hiroko, Tamajiro returns to them several years later. He couldn't make himself successful with any of his ventures and now wants to take over the family business since it's successful. I can't stand this man lol. He's so sneaky in the way he gets control of the business, nearly ruining Kyoko's and Rokutaro's relationship in the process. He too admits to being jealous of Kyoko his entire life. Just, ugh. Tamajiro runs the business into the ground, thanks in part to the 1980s bubble era. (I'll admit that it wasn't 100% his fault, but he should get most of the blame.) Like his daughter, I don't think he ever gets better. On occasion, the other characters can also be annoying (particularly Asuka's parents) because of their stubbornness. However, I think everyone is written very well and true-to-life (even the characters I hate).
Now for the parts I like. First, there's Takeuchi Yuko as Asuka. She's very expressive in the role and I think she's the real saving grace of this asadora. I liked her aspiration of being a confectioner (and I wish the drama had focused on it more instead of the stupid love triangle), and her rivalry with her father who’s in the same profession. Then there's the themes of family, togetherness, and community. All of it was expressed thoughtfully, but maybe goes a little too far.
For some context, "Asuka" was written in the "Lost Decade," a period of time when the economy was really bad in Japan following the "bubble bursting." The 60s, 70s, and 80s are portrayed with a sense of nostalgia for a time when the economy was booming. "Asuka," in part, feels like it was written to comfort people of that time. To show them that there is hope for the future, for the 21st century. I think the context of when it was written/broadcast is more interesting than the drama itself. However, I'm happy that it ends on such a high note and I will look upon the good parts of the drama with fondness.
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"Courage. Love. Trust. Hope."
"Beppin-san" is my 25th asadora [Have I really watched that many of these lol]. This is a very solid asadora, though I have some issues with the plot which I will get into later on. "Beppin-san" reminds me of two other asadoras, "Ohisama" and "Carnation." Coincidentally, Nagayama Kento and Kora Kengo both appeared in "Ohisama" but in opposite roles. The lovely Charlotte Kate Fox from "Massan" also has a small role in "Beppin-san."First, let's address the heroine, aka Bando Sumire (played by Yoshine Kyoko). She's a very understated heroine, being quiet and absent-minded. Surprisingly, the attention isn't always on her though this is still very much her story. It's interesting to me because it shows that a "normal" person is the main character of their own story. Sumire, however, can be assertive when she needs to be and becomes self-confident over time. Another interesting part of her character is that she had a relatively sheltered childhood, which makes her a bit of a naive "ojou-sama." I really enjoyed watching her grow as a character.
"Beppin-san" has some wonderful side characters, particularly Sumire's lifelong friends: Akemi (Tanimura Mitsuki), Ryoko (Momota Kanako), and Kimie (Tsuchimura Kaho). Each girl goes through their own character development and I really love the friendship between these girls and Sumire. My next favorite character is Norio-san (Nagayama Kento), Sumire's husband. Their relationship is really sweet, but also shows that marriage isn't all smooth-sailing. You have to make an effort to understand each other. And then the next best character is Eisuke-san (Matsushita Yuya). His arc is surprisingly poignant and made me cry on more than one occasion. Honorable mentions go to Sumire's father (Namase Katsuhisa) and mother (Kanno Miho, also narrator); her older sister Yuri (Renbutsu Misako), her daughter Sakura (Igashira Manami); and Kimie's son Kentaro (Furukawa Yuki). And really there's so many more~
Now on to my issues with the plot. The first three weeks of "Beppin-san" kind of rush through Sumire's childhood, marriage, and then giving birth. It's a bit of a whiplash moment, though I realize it's because they wanted to get to and then through WWII relatively quickly. I liked the pacing of the drama much better after the war. Halfway through, there's a time-skip to focus on Sakura's teenage years. Honestly, I really hated this part of the plot. Mostly because it dragsss on for four weeks worth of episodes. I actually understand Sakura's feelings, having a workaholic mother myself. However, at some point it just becomes too much and it felt like a chore to watch. Thankfully, Sakura becomes a much better character afterwards. She's assertive without being bratty. In the grand scheme of the asadora, I think these are minor complaints and overall it's very good.
I really liked "Beppin-san", despite said minor complaints. It has a really cohesive theme of friendship and parenthood. I love the whole four leaf clover meaning "Courage. Love. Trust. Hope." Sumire and her friends each represent these traits and I think that's why their children's clothing company works so well. On the technical side, it was interesting seeing every step of the company's growth. It's also ironic that Sumire and her friends aren't ambitious and really just go with the flow. If you liked the asadoras "Ohisama," "Carnation," "Gochisosan," or "Toto Nee-chan," I think you'll really like "Beppin-san."
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"Love is a dangerous visitor."
"Mio Tsukushi" is my 21st asadora that I've completed. I started watching it right after the English subtitles were completed over at d-addicts. I really appreciate fansubbers who decide to pick up older asadoras like this one. "Mio Tsukushi" was originally released in 1985 and had very high ratings at the time (next to the very popular "Oshin"). 80s asadoras are similar to modern ones in many ways, though I've noticed that they tend to rely on suspense more often. For example, nearly every episode and especially the last episodes of each week end on a cliff hanger. For this reason, I found myself saying "Just one more episode..." time after time (lol). P. S. Major spoilers follow so stop reading here if you don't want to know anything else!The main theme of "Mio Tsukushi" is love and how it effects not just the lovers but those around them. Sawaguchi Yasuko plays the heroine, Kaoru, in her lead debut. Considering she was a relatively new talent at the time, I was very impressed with her performance. Kaoru is the daughter of a soy shop owner and his mistress. She falls in love with fisherman Yoshitake Sokichi (played by Kawano Taro) at the very beginning of the drama. Unfortunately, fisherman and soy shop workers are like water and oil. Furthermore, her father has finally accepted Kaoru into the family register and will not approve of Sokichi. Kaoru tries to forget about Sokichi at first, but their feelings only grow stronger. This section of the drama is my favorite as we watch their relationship develop and the general conflict that arises from those around them. It has a satisfying conclusion as well with Kaoru, despite being disowned, triumphantly marrying Sokichi as the asadora's insert song plays.
The actual part of Kaoru and Sokichi's marriage is less entertaining in my opinion. The question of whether they were going to get married was better than the reality I guess (lol). Now don't get me wrong, there are still some cute moments between the couple. I especially liked their trip to Itako, which gets referenced several times later on. Their romance is cut short when Sokichi goes missing during a storm. After about two years, Kaoru's parents encourage her to remarry. Her new match is Umeki Kensaku (Shibata Kyohei), the head clerk of her father's shop. I really liked Umeki's earnest love and I think it's easy to see why Kaoru would choose to marry him. His jealousy when Sokichi returns alive is also completely understandable. Ultimately, I think both men were good matches for Kaoru though first loves are obviously harder to get over.
Kaoru is, of course, the main character but this asadora sometimes feels more like an ensemble. Many characters are given story arcs away from Kaoru. Of these characters my favorite was hands down Ritsuko (Sakurada Junko), Kaoru's half-sister. Her personality is slowly uncovered and developed over the course of the drama. The ending of her character is pretty sad, but I think fits the tone of the final week. Other great characters are Kaoru's parents, Rui (Kaga Mariko) and Kyubei (Tsugawa Masahiko), her brother Eiichiro (Washu Isao), and mother-in-law Tone (Kusabue Mitsuko). The maid, Ami (Takashi Miyuki), also has a nice, heartbreaking arc. I was really surprised that the writer took the time to complete Ami's arc. The only character I really didn't like was Yataro (Akashiya Sanma). He was supposed to be comic relief, but I really only wanted to slap him.
I'm not knocking off any points for the music. It has a simple melody for the opening, which can get repetitive after hearing 162 times (I'm lazy or I would've skipped it lol). It also has an insert that is played a few times of the course of the asadora. I really liked this one, and I think the tune and lyrics really fit Kaoru as a character.
"Mio Tsukushi" is another asadora I'd recommend. It has strong characters and strong love stories. The final two weeks are hard to get through, but that's expected since it's covering WWII. I liked the open-ended ending to be honest, though I acknowledge that it's not for everyone. It leaves it up to me to imagine what ultimately happens between Kaoru and Sokichi, and I think that's fun.
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"Let's send a cheering yell!"
"Yell" is my 20th asadora and it's the third I've completed from this decade. It was also a great way to kick off 2020 and they made a great drama, despite all of the COVID-19 issues."Yell" is what I like to call a "couple asadora." I've seen a few of these couple-focused ones and the problem is normally that they become uneven at some point. For example in "Manpuku," the attention shifts to the husband and the wife becomes less important. In "Yell," the attention feels more equal. Yuichi (played by Kubota Masataka) and Oto (Nikaido Fumi) each have their own childhood weeks and both have dreams. I think Yuichi is obviously the "main" main character, but Oto never vanishes into the background. She remains important to the narrative from start to finish.
I previously watched Kubota Masataka in "Hanako to Anne" and I was delighted to see that he had his own asadora. He plays the composer Yuichi with a lot a nuance. Kubota and Nikaido Fumi have really good chemistry together, which accounts for nearly all of the charm of this asadora. Nikaido, who plays the aspiring singer Oto, also has a really great singing voice. I loved every moment that she was singing. I wish the narrative had let Oto realize her dreams, but I feel that the character has a very fulfilling life nevertheless.
Like most asadoras, "Yell" has a lot of great side characters. However, unlike some, "Yell" gives a lot of these characters arcs and storylines that [for the most part] are given satisfying conclusions. I'll name a few that were stand-outs to me. There's Yuichi's childhood friends, Sato Hisashi (Yamazaki Ikusaburo) and Murano Tetsuo (Nakamura Aoi), an aspiring singer and lyricist. Both are given strong characterization and great storylines, which brought me to tears. Yuichi's and Oto's daughter, Hana (Furukawa Kotone), also sticks out to me. She has a likeable, realistic personality, which makes her one of the few children of asadora characters not to annoy me (lol). Oto's and Yoichi's family have quite a bit of storyline as well with their own fun romances. And there's a lot of reoccurring characters that populate the asadora, which are delightful whenever they're on your screen.
Okay, now on to the very few issues I had while watching. The twelfth week of "Yell" was a very obvious filler week as it consisted only of side stories of characters that we really didn't need to see. [I wonder if this week was made because of COVID?] I disliked seeing Oto's father as a ghost. For an asadora that had so much realism, it was just a weird juxtaposition. Also, after Yoichi is finally successful as a composer, his storyline becomes a bit on the boring side. Thankfully, it does pick up around the WWII weeks. Lastly, I'm tired of asadora heroines giving up their careers because they're pregnant. It's probably true to life [and let's face it, realistic], but it becomes annoying after so many times (lol).
Finally, I want to conclude this review on a positive note. "Yell" is very different from other asadoras. It has a unique opening and ending. The first episode is absolutely perfect, honestly. The last episode is technically a special concert episode, which was a really fun way to go out (though not necessary to watch). The last moment of the asadora narratively (episode 119) is such a sweet way to conclude and will remain in my memories for a long time to come. The music is impeccable and the talent of the entire cast is obvious. I definitely recommend "Yell", despite the few narrative flubs.
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"First Penguin"
"Asa ga Kita" is the fifteenth asadora I've watched. While watching the last six weeks of episodes, I realized that the story sounded familiar. Naturally, I looked up the woman whom Shirooka Asa (played by Haru) is based on. Her real name was Hirooka Asako by the way. Finally, it clicked and a pulled out the book, "Anne's Cradle: The Life & Works of Hanako Muraoka." This book serves as the basis for the 2014 asadora, "Hanako to Anne," which was also my first asadora. The author dedicates a few pages to Hirooka Asako, whom Hanako met when Asako was in her sixties and she apparently influenced some of Hanako's feminist leanings. I'll include this quote by Asako, which influenced Hanako and others Japanese women of the time:"From here on, politics will be crucial. Unless we raise up female politicians active in governing this country, true emancipation for women can never be achieved. We must start by obtaining the right to choose our leaders, the right to vote, just as women in other countries have done. You must work together for the same goal."
Another Japanese feminist, Hiratsuka Raicho, who appears in the final week of "Asa ga Kita," is also mentioned in this biography. I'm including this in my review not just because it's interesting but to highlight that "Asa ga Kita" is one of the more overt feminist asadoras. It doesn't exactly "go there." For example, there's no mention of women's right to vote. And, as much as I wish it had gone there, my hat goes to it for even touching what it does. You could argue that all asadoras are feminist, but in a more sanitized way in my opinion. "Asa ga Kita" highlights the strength, problems, and progress of women during the Meiji era, a much more oppressive time period than when most asadoras are set.
Speaking of time period, "Asa ga Kita" begins in 1857 and is set mostly during the Meiji era. This is a very interesting time period for Japan and really laid out the groundwork for what modern day Japan is. Also interestingly, this is the earliest time period for an asadora. (NHK appears to reserve this time period for their taiga dramas instead.) The asadora starts off with traditional kimono and topknots, and by the end there are dresses and cropped hairstyles everywhere. It's an interesting dichotomy and serves as a good example for the changes of the era. Moving on from history...
The best part of "Asa ga Kita" are the characters, of course. Haru plays the pioneering businesswoman Shirooka Asa, a tomboy who questions why women can't learn certain things. Miyazaki Aoi plays her sister Hatsu, a traditionally feminine girl with a hidden strength. Hatsu is often the secondary main character, but the narrative smartly recognizes when her story isn't as interesting as Asa's and we sometimes won't see her for a while. Nevertheless, we follow her throughout her life and her romance with her husband Sobei (Emoto Tasuku) is very compelling. Next, we have Asa's husband Shinjiro, a man who prefers to indulge in his various hobbies instead of participate in the family business. Even though, he sounds like a "useless" man, he is played perfectly by Tamaki Hiroshi, giving him both humor and humanity. As a husband, he is always supportive of Asa which only makes him more endearing.
Asa's and Shinjiro's only daughter, Chiyo (Koshiba Fuka), comes off as very annoying at first, being the opposite of Asa but also not seeing the value of someone like Asa. I thought she was going to fall into the trap of other asadora children at this point. Thankfully, the writers have her come to appreciate Asa though Chiyo remains the complete opposite of her nonetheless. The final character I'd like to talk about is Godai Tomoatsu (based on a real figure and played by Dean Fujioka). He is what every second male lead should be. Someone who doesn't impose his feelings on the FL and just supports her from afar. Honestly, he had my heart beating fast at certain points. There are, as always, a plethora of other side characters who are all endearing in their own way.
"Asa ga Kita" surprisingly has four romantic couples to get invested in. Asa and Shinjiro are the best of course and are now one of my favorite asadora couples. Hatsu and Sobei are super sweet together despite their rough start. Kisuke and Fuyu seem kind of mismatched but I couldn't help rooting for them. I was a bit sad that Fuyu doesn't appear again after their marriage, but I suppose that Kiyohara Kaya ("Natsuzora", "Okaeri Mone") just appeared too young at the time. Lastly, there's Gansuke and Ume, a couple that doesn't need to be together to know that they love each other. Honestly, I felt very spoiled with the amount of couples in this one.
Okay, this review is getting too long so let's wrap it up. "Asa ga Kita" includes everything you could want in an asadora and then some. I recommend this to old and new asadora watchers alike. (I hope I didn't spoil it too much.) If you're looking for a next watch after this one, I recommend the 2024 asadora "Tora ni Tsubasa" which explores similar feminist ideas as "Asa ga Kita" but in a more "in your face" way. Happy watching!
My Asadora Ranking: https://kisskh.at/list/LAlqpp21
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Impressive adaptation
After hearing that this series was coming out this year, I read the book and then watched the 1980 miniseries before sitting down to watch this. One of favorite things with adaptations of books and ones with multiple adaptations is comparing them. When I do this, I often find that there are things about each that I like and usually there is not one I would deem the "true" adaption. The 1980 and 2024 versions of "Shogun" are a perfect example of this.*The 1980 version I would say is more faithful to the book plot-wise, but the 2024 version I think captures the essence better. Watching the 2024 one, I reminded of why I liked the book so much and what made me keep reading despite it being 900+ pages long.
*One of the biggest differences is that the 2024 version subtitles the Japanese characters, while the 1980 one doesn't. The reasoning was that Anjin-san doesn't understand them so we shouldn't either. I think this was fine to a point, but they should've started subtitling towards the end when Anjin-san understood them. The 2024 version allows more of the Japanese characters to shine because of the subtitles and honestly there's no way they wouldn't have subtitled them anyway in this day and age lol.
*1980 Anjin-san (played by Richard Chamberlain) is stronger than 2024 Anjin-san (Cosmo Jarvis). However, I saw some good potential in the final episode and I have faith in him for season 2. Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada were just acting rings around him.
*The 1980 version cuts some scenes (possibly for logistics) that I felt should've been kept and 2024 version covered some of the scenes in question while also adding a lot of extra scenes not in the books. Ultimately, I think these scenes will work in favor for season 2 as they helped established lore that could be expanded upon later and show the potential for this series.
*Anjin-san's and Mariko's romance is underdeveloped in the 2024 version. However, as this was my least favorite part of the book and 1980 version, I didn't particularly care that much.
*Also, Tsuji-san didn't seem to play as big a part in the 2024 version. I hope his role is expanded in the next season.
So that was just some of my thoughts, I won't do an in-depth review since there's already plenty on here. Now which was the best? I watched this and the 1980 series with my dad and he preferred the older one. Me, personally, I liked both about equally though I'm slightly inclined to the new version as I liked the visuals better. I'll say that this was the first series I've watched from FX in years and I'm actually looking forward to season 2. I believe that they can pull it off as long as they keep the same standard of quality.
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"People are like chopsticks..."
"Chiritotechin" is my 10th asadora. It is also the last one I'm watching before "Natsuzora," in which "Chiritotechin" lead Kanjiya Shihori also appears. "Chiritotechin" was a surprising gem from start to finish. I wished I had watched it prior to the two asadoras I recently finished, "Dandan" and "Manpuku." My gut isn't always right after all lol.Kanjiya plays Wada Kiyomi, a distinctive "negative" heroine for an asadora. By "negative," I mean that she's very pessimistic unlike the stereotypical hard-working, cheerful asadora heroine. Kiyomi's misery seemingly stems by her arrival in Obama, Fukui as a child to discover another girl with the exact same name as her. This begins Kiyomi's never-ending series of "tensai" (meaning a disaster from heaven). "Chiritotechin" finds humor in these "tensai," leading me to quite literally laugh through my tears. Humor is one of the central themes of the series since it's centered around the art of rakugo storytelling. I particularly liked the reenactments of rakugo stories as well as Kiyomi's daydreams.
Besides Kanjiya's great performance, the cast is full of several heavy-hitters. The most notable being Watase Tsunehiko (from "Oshin"!) as Kiyomi's rakugo teacher and Wakui Emi as Kiyomi's hilarious mother. There's also Aoki Munetaka as Soso, Kiyomi's love interest. And Katsura Kichiya, Shigeyama Motohiko, and Kato Toranosuke as her rakugo "brothers" Sogen, Kosojaku, and Shiiso. Kichiya is actually a real-life rakugo storyteller and Shigeyama is a Noh actor. Sato Megumi had a surprisingly nuanced performance of Wada Kiyomi "A" (aka "A-ko") in the second half of the series. I guess that's enough with praising the cast, just know that they are all great. The only character I ended up not liking was Soso's apprentice (played by Tsujimoto Yuuki), but I don't know how the writer expected us to like a pathological liar.
Traditional arts are another central theme of "Chiritotechin." Kiyomi's grandfather and later her father are lacquered chopsticks craftsman. This is where the quote "People are like chopsticks..." comes to play. Designs are put onto the chopsticks between layers of lacquer. Kiyomi's grandfather compares this to People's experiences through life, which turns into something beautiful despite hardships. Her grandfather is also the person who introduces her to rakugo, another traditional art. "Chiritotechin" emphasizes the need to preserve these arts for future generations. As a non-Japanese person, I was surprised to find myself invested in both of these arts.
Equals parts hilarious and heartwarming, "Chiritotechin" made me laugh and cry in turn over and over again. An unforgettable asadora that I will carry with me for some time. I would give it a ten but some of the weeks after Kiyomi's marriage feel like filler (though are enjoyable nonetheless). Speaking of her marriage, the culmination of her unrequited love and subsequent wedding are some of the most hilarious episodes I've ever seen on television. "Chiritiotechin" had somewhat low ratings for an asadora (I think due to the subject matter and the way the series isn't exactly easy to jump into), but attracted die-hard fans. To me, this encompasses the drama perfectly. It doesn't have universal appeal, but if you love you'll LOVE it.
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A Fun Ride That Doesn't Stick the Landing
I started watching "Dolce Amore" right after finishing Enrique Gil's and Liza Soberano's previous project "Forevermore." In some ways, I feel like I set up "Dolce Amore" for failure in my mind. It was originally going to be my first Filipino telesyre but then I decided to watch "Forevermore." I anticipated it being better than "Forevermore." And it in some ways it does, but it in other ways it doesn't... For my "Forevermore" review, I mostly just summarized the drama. But for "Dolce Amore", I have more clear negative opinions so I'll skip the complete recap and just give a short one."Dolce Amore" has a great opening set-up that immediately draws you in. It starts by establishing the childhoods of Serena (played by Liza) and Simon "Tenten" (Enrique), both of whom are adopted but under vastly different circumstances, from different economic classes, and living in different places. Serena is from Italy and Simon the Philippines. After the childhood portion (about three episodes), the story falters just a bit when Serena and Simon meet as young adults. It picks up once the two become friends. Nearing the end of "Chapter 1" (first fifty-three episodes), Simon and Serena are now dating. (If I'm being honest, I find it hard to believe that Serena would fall in love with a man who acts so juvenile lol.) Now enter the conflict. Simon's brother, Binggoy (Kean Cipriano) decides to ransom Serena in order to raise money for their father's heart operation. This, of course, ruins Serena's and Simon's relationship. Though, she doesn't remember it, because, of course, she has memory loss.
Now going in "Chapter 2" (eps 54-106). Serena is back in Italy with her adoptive mother, Luciana (Cherie Gil), whom, of course, arranged the whole kidnapping thing. The shock of this revelation put Serena's adoptive father, Roberto (Ruben Maria Soriquez), into a coma. Why? Because Luciana wants her daughter to marry the rich Giancarlo de Luca (Matteo Guidicelli). Giancarlo has mostly been portrayed as a good guy though somewhat jealous so far. But *ding ding ding*, first red flag. Giancarlo goes along with Luciana's plan, and he eventually proposes to Serena after two years. After a woman, named Alice (Sunshine Cruz), claims to be her biological mother, Serena returns to the Philippines and meets her father, Uge (Andrew E.), and sister Angel (Sue Ramirez). Meanwhile, Simon has become a successful composer working with Angel who he has just started dating. Serena's return causes the truth to come out to Simon's parents, Dodoy (Edgar Mortiz) and Taps (Rio Locsin). Soon, everyone knows but Serena.
Finally, Simon admits the truth to Serena. She's mad and returns to Italy to b*tch out Luciana and Giancarlo, before coming back to the Philippines to find herself with Simon's help. Simon and Giancarlo then squabble for Serena's affections. It ends with Serena falling in love with Simon again. Giancarlo seemingly takes it well at first, but soon turns into the most cartoonish, mustache-twirling villain I've seen put to screen. Aided by his evil uncle Favio (Alvin Anson), Giancarlo demands for Serena to marry him instead of Simon. In the process, Binggoy is accidentally killed instead of Simon. His death and funeral, unfortunately, feels so unserious despite becoming the emotional current for the rest of the drama. Serena decides to go with Giancarlo to save everyone else. Fortunately, at the alter, Giancarlo and his evil uncle are murdered. *And the crowd goes wild*
Now time for "Chapter 3" (eps 107-137). It gets even more complicated from here. Simon is now working in business with his "real" mother, Vivian Dubois (Tetchie Agbayani). Serena and Roberto, now awake, are living on a vineyard. Her and Simon's paths cross when he buys her family's previous home. Wanting to preserve it, Serena goes to the Philippines in hopes of negotiating with him. Simon keeps her on the line in order to get what he wants: Luciana returning to the PH so he can prosecute her for Binggoy's death. She does eventually come after reconciling with Roberto. Luciana strangely professes her innocence, only to later reveal the truth to Vivian. She was inadvertently involved in Binggoy's death because she worked with Giancarlo to have Simon killed. However, it turns out that Simon is actually the children she abandoned over twenty years ago. So she had Giancarlo killed and gave all her money to Vivian to give to Simon. Oh my f*cking god, what the hell was that?
Turns out that Giancarlo's evil uncle Favio with a bad Italian accent didn't actually die. Just when Simon and Serena become a couple again, he reveals Luciana's role in Binggoy's death. Of course, this stops the engagement. You know, I really don't understand what Luciana was thinking was going to happen... Anyway, Simon eventually learns that Luciana is his real mother. He doesn't take it particularly well, though his parents encourage him to find it in his heart to forgive her. Simon asks Serena to run away with him, which they do for a while. I think I would've prefer they ended it this way. But no, they had to make it "legal." After the wedding, the drama ends with a stupid comedic scene where Serena finally gets her memories back and gets jealous over Simon and another girl from *way* in the past now. Underwhelming to say the least.
Okay, so perhaps you see a pattern. At the end of the first two "chapters," the drama does something incredibly stupid just to keep the main couple apart for just a little longer. I absolutely hated the plots concerning Serena's kidnapping and Giancarlo becoming an evil, mustache-twirling villain. I cannot understate how bad Giancarlo and his uncle are as villains. The uncle, in particular, has the worse Italian accent I've ever heard. He's two steps away from just adding an -a to every other word. Every time he pulled a gun out or something, I was just laughing my a** off. Giancarlo, on the other hand, was way overacting his role. It was so painful to watch him, though, ironically, he still succeeded in me hating him. Luciana was the only decent villain thanks to her actress, who tried her best to act with nuance because lord knows that the writing wasn't doing her any favors.
As for the good parts, I actually think that the first two chapters are mostly good. Enrique and Liza have a nice, comfortable chemistry though their characters are not always written consistently. The supporting cast consisting of their various family members and some hangers-on friends help to give the drama a lighter tone when it needs. By the end, I was living for all three sets of parents becoming the best of friends. It was so cute. The drama, unfortunately, fell off because of Giancarlo's turn as a villain. It picked up a bit at the beginning of "Chapter 3" but honestly the damage had already been done. They then crammed so much drama into the last ten episodes that the ending just doesn't seem feasible in my opinion. I was happy with "Dolce Amore" for a majority of the time, but it wasn't able to surpass "Forevermore" after all. Personally, I'm giving it a 7.5 for my list but the real score is 6.5 to 7.
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"All women are like the sun."
"Ohisama" is the fifth asadora that I have completed. The drama has been on my radar for a long time since it stars Mao Inoue, whom I love from the "Hana Yori Dango" series. However, I was always scared of the length of asadora series. Thankfully, I have gotten over that and quickly put "Ohisama" on my plan to watch list. I was actually surprised by how much I liked "Ohisama." It even rose to become my favorite asadora, beating out my beloved "Hanako to Anne" by a slight margin.The drama uses an interesting framing device similar to "Oshin" (which I was watching concurrently). It opens with a modern-day (2011) housewife, Fusako (Yuki Saito), meeting an elderly woman, Yoko (Ayako Wakao), who asks if she wants to hear her story. The story then frequently returns to present-day Yoko and Fusako as the drama unfolds. Ayako Wakao also provides the narration. I think both devices combined enhanced the story-telling experience, especially for a drama set during World War II. Subtle hints of the fate of characters were given either through the narration or a mention/appearance in the modern day. This helped keep the sometimes sad tone of the series down in my opinion.
Yoko's story starts in 1932 when her family moves to Azumino, a village in Nagano Prefecture. Her mother, Hiroko (Tomoyo Harada; whom I loved in "Hanbun Aoi") has long been sick and has chosen this place to die essentially. [Only the first week and I'm sobbing.] Yoko losing her mother at the young age of ten shapes the entire rest of the story, even to the final seconds. Her mother gives her advice to be "like the sun" (her name uses the character for the word sun). Yoko from then on frequently tries to be the sun for those around her. Older Yoko uses the quote "All women are like the sun" to Fusako much later in the drama and I just thought was such a beautiful thought.
The story then shifts to Yoko's high school days with her best friends, Machiko (Maiko) and Ikuko (Hikari Mitsushima). These two are some of the most important people in her life besides her father, elder brothers, and later on her husband, daughter, and in-laws. Yoko becomes a teacher after graduating (This will be her main ambition for the majority of the series). Unfortunately, it is now 1941, the year Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. If you're familiar with the Japanese retelling of the war, you'll see the typical "Japan cannot lose" rhetoric the common people were fed at the time. Yoko, unlike in the previous asadoras I've seen ("Hanako to Anne" and "Junjo Kirari"), is not even slightly politically inclined one way or the other. She is a little bit disturbed by teaching the children military tactics, but does as she is ordered. Perhaps paradoxically, I found the war easier to watch because of this. I would've been harder to watch Yoko fighting against the tide, really. Yoko represents the common people whom were simply there witnessing all of this.
Now addressing Yoko's husband, Kazunari (Kengo Kora). Their relationship is probably my favorite of the asadoras I've seen so far. These two are so sweet together and seeing them smiling at each other makes me want to smile. Their relationship starts from an "omiai" (arranged marriage meeting), but they feel totally natural with each other. The chemistry was so good. After he comes back from the war, I loved seeing them grow and learn together. Even up to the next to last week, they are becoming better at communicating with each other. I love to see such a healthy relationship in drama land. The way they tease each other is so cute too.
"Ohisama" has a lot of great supporting characters. I honestly loved them all and I can't even single one of them out because then I'll just start listing them all. Yoko's best friends are obvious contenders. The writers kept their lives consistently surprising. I wish Hikari Mitsushima had been given her own asadora; she was so good as Ikuko. Yoko's mother and father-in-law are like real parents to her and I love their constant banter. Likewise, Yoko's banter with her brother Shigeki (Kento Nagayama) never falls to entertain. His relationship with Ikuko was a surprise, but in hindsight, I should've seen it coming. They're perfect for each other. Then there's Yoko's father, brother Haruki, grandmother, Natsuko-sensei, Kayo-san and her husband, and all of her wonderful students. [Haha I did just end up listing them]. On a side note, "Ohisama" also features two future asadora heroines Tao Tsuchiya ("Mare"; also supporting in "Hanako to Anne") and Sakura Ando ("Manpuku").
The ending of "Ohisama" was bittersweet but not because anyone died. It's because I didn't want it to end. I've loved plenty of shows and books before, but there's very few I wish could go on forever. This one I would pick to watch on-and-on until the end of time. The finale, however, was still perfect so if it had to end, I'm happy it ended this way.
My Asadora Ranking: https://kisskh.at/list/LAlqpp21
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