bossmama

This is actually my favorite Sakamoto's show after Soredemo Ikite Yuku and Saikou no Rikon, though indeed not for everyone, even more so due the largely experimental and offbeat storytelling on top of its subject matter. The quirky humor and hyper chaotic energy are in gross contrast with the dark sides of porn industry that it attempts to shed lights on, as if to represent the contradictory nature of the industry itself. This is probably Sakamoto's most cynical and nihilistic work I've seen, but I like those kind of stuffs too so I enjoy this regardless. Though it's not like things end badly for every 'good guys', with the character who represent the group the show obviously cares the most having the most wholesome ending. With such difference between writer's works in terrestrial channel vs this one work in cable however, I'm rather curious what else he will come up with if he continues to work with non-terrestrial channels. Naked Director in comparison is the more straightforward underdog show, but Mosaic Japan's view on pornography, human sexuality and overall slogans are actually less challenging and easier to relate to, imo.

Japan had been exporting their dramas overseas since 30-40 years ago. In the 80s Oshin was broadcasted in many (Southeast, Middle East, and South) Asian countries, even in Brazil as well. Nowadays you still can find many 80s and 90s Japanese dramas with English sub online at least a lot more than 80s/90s Korean dramas, many of them are ripped from VHS tapes recorded from when they were airing in Hawaii/US or from surviving exported pirated disks. From what I heard it’s only in recent decades that Japan has been rather inward-looking in their dramas production and making it hard to license their dramas overseas. Naked Director’s director Take Masaharu stated in an article that he sees Netflix as an opportunity for local content creators to produce contents that they couldn’t in local channels due to reasons being either the subject matter is too controversial hence would require too much ‘watering down’ for it to air or it's too expensive to produce with no guarantee for profit as it strays from whatever popular/trendy/has worked in the past. It appears local networks executives aren’t very keen on investing on fresher ‘unproven’ ideas and styles of storytelling. Of course, this doesn’t mean they can’t make good dramas out of a premise that’s been done a dozens times before. However, just look at the recently aired big-budget fare primetime dorama Tokyo MER that enjoyed high ratings home ground, it’s just another Code Blue with different vehicle or the type of doramas KimuTaku would star in in his younger days, only with newer faces and different profession. Midnight doramas and cable doramas allow room for creators to do more experimental stuffs (which find their ways to overseas fans' diet thanks to fansubbers), but what they can actually put to realization is still limited due to budget issues and limited exposure. It's not a very bright looking situation for creators/viewers who want more creative, out-of-the box content delivered in its full potential from drama industry.

So personally as an overseas J-drama fan, I see the presence of Netflix in J-drama industry as a win-win situation. Overseas fans can get Japanese content more easily, while creators can have more creative freedom. In another article director Take from Naked Director also stated that Netflix did give them some conditions such as the story has to be an underdog tale and relatable to modern viewers (as it sets in the 80s), but other than that they have full creative freedom with the budget reaching 100 millions yen per episode (versus locally produced dramas budget which averaging 10 millions yen per episode). If anything, I’m looking forward to more Netflix J-dramas. So far among Netflix production, while I wouldn't call Naked Director and AiB the best j-dramas in their respective years, I like what they offered. Hibana Spark on the other hand is a hidden gem.

As for Kdramas, personally most Kdramas I’ve been enjoying in the last two/three years are Netflix produced ones, due to them being shorter, have more compacted storytelling, and clearer direction in what they want to do and convey (basically, qualities that make me a Jdrama fan hehe). Iirc I've also read Kingdom's writer Kim Eun Hee saying that the drama couldn't have been made if it's not because of Netflix, so there's probably similar sentiments in both countries regarding Netflix giving creators opportunities to create contents they couldn't make before due to various reasons.

It happened
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_South_Korea_shooting_spree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganghwa_Island_shooting
Though I heard things have gotten better now.

Learning the story behind it makes me view the drama as a kind of prelude chronicling the events leading up to the epilogue, considering the drama set around 2014 as well.

The ending with Yohan 'exiting the stage' and leaving things to Gaon is just depressing rather than hopeful because the latter is never shown to be competent at anything at all except at being manipulated. Why Yohan would trust and rely on Gaon about anything is beyond me, but then again being sensible is never this show's forte xD

This drama is equally entertaining as it's nonsensical. I shut my brain off while watching so I don't get frustrated as much.

Nice addition to Kingdom's lore but an unremarkable movie on its own.

Just like you, I've been having difficulty finishing K-dramas and C-dramas, though in my case it's been for years xD. I think J-dramas, even though they're short and even when the topic is light, they still feel substantive enough to keep my mind engaged and give me an emotionally satisfying experience. Anyway, I've seen Unnatural and dele among this list and highly enjoyed them. Dele especially has cases that will stay with me, like the one about a spy who's left in a dying town, and the episode about an ESPer who died leaving an unfinished 'job', they're... solemnly hopeful? Populated with flawed characters, they're gloomy, filled with sense of loneliness, and regrets, but also meaning, and the strength to move forward, all conveyed through unjudgmental eyes and subtle expressions. Though I have to say sometimes the premise can feel rather gimmicky... like the main characters' job is to delete their client's files after confirming their death, not to uncover the whole reason why said client died and "solved the case", which is what the drama ended up being. Ntm to do so they will be "forced" to take a look at the files they're asked to delete, didn't the client ask to delete them after their death because they didn't want anyone to see them in the first place. If this kind of service existed irl I wouldn't trust these guys with my files lol. Alas, it was still a good watch.

I also recommend these for episodic dramas: Toumei na Yurikago about parenthood/motherhood, Rental nan mo Shinai Hito for empathetic and undemanding portrayal of real life issues, Legal High for intriguing legal cases (especially the second season), Juhan Shuttai for incredibly uplifting watch about manga publishing, Suzuki Sensei for intriguing and taboo teenage problems discussed through open-minded dialogues, Rivers Edge for unique cases similar to dele's, and of course the classic Shinya Shokudo and Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi!

Personally I just don't see how Hiroki and Futaba can be together without their mere presence constantly reminding each other and their respective family of the painful past they've been trying so damn hard to move on from. Her taking care of her brother's victim's daughter is a completely different thing from her having 'normal' relationship with Hiroki. The ending with them finding strength within themselves to walk on their individual paths instead of continuously clinging on each other feel more realistic yet incredibly hopeful to me as it shows that even when they're left on their own facing whatever life throws at them they are strong enough to pick themselves up now. Not every one of us has someone or anyone to hold our hands in time of hardship but we will always have ourselves. It's nice to be shown that we do have it in us what it takes to not be defeated even in situations where there's no possibility of 'it will get better/easier' in sight. And I love how the showcase of 'strength' and 'moving on' portrayed in this drama are so simple and undemanding, like Hiroki finally returning the porn video he borrowed the day his sister got murdered, the father starts to visit the brother in prison unlike before. Small gestures even I can afford and it shows how these mundane actions can be rewarding too. This drama really spoke to me when nothing else did.

Also, I understand that they probably felt trapped and helpless when they were teenagers, but when they've reached adulthood, I feel like they could've tried other options first before resorting to murder. In Satoko's husband case, the show kinda glossed over the the whole thing with 'we tried everything but didn't work' line from Maho but it would've carried more impact had they actually show it. I just didn't get that there's-nothing-else-we-can-do sense of desperation from Satoko's situation with her husband. I suppose their past has shaped their way of thinking to immediately point to that direction as the 'correct' and 'surefire' solution. In that sense though, I think it's fitting that this is the murder that put Yuri in jail and not the other murders. Even for me this is the one that feels the least 'justified' and 'excusable'.

Things got a bit contrived at some point, but can't deny the cathartic roller coaster this put me through.

Both Saki and Koichi are byproduct of their respective upbringings, imo. In Saki’s family everyone’s free to do whatever they want, they take care of their own needs and problems, they have little to no expectation/needs from one another. Even with the father's chronic cheating, no one seems to make a big deal of it. Saki got into the marriage with the impression that is normal for family to be like that, so she didn’t expect she would need to make compromises to cater to other’s needs. Meanwhile in work environment it’s very clear in what you can and can’t do and the following consequences, hence her attitude towards the novelist. Koichi came from family with each member having clear roles, and he understands that compromises and sacrifices are sometime necessary from growing up watching his mother. At the beginning episodes, Koichi was the one having any kind of expectation of what husband and wife should be. Though the show makes a good case on how this is not the most ideal form of family either. Saki and Koichi have very different ideas of how family works, and now we’re witnessing how both families are crumbling in their late maturity stage. Both Saki and Koichi are changing little by little (Saki's slower than Koichi, perhaps because Koichi falls in love with Saki first and he is the one with something to lose if he didn't try to understand her, unlike Saki), but it’s not easy process.

No wonder I find her voice distinct yet familiar! I know Usagi's VA and her works yet somehow I failed to make the connection lol.

I've seen Japanese viewers theorizing that Mio is Otohime from Urashima Tarō folk tale, given that her name 'Mio' in kanji has 'Oto' in it, and that the Hasuda siblings all have 'Tarō' in their names (also written in the same kanji as Urashima Tarō's "Tarō").

The scene where Mio just got home from the beach outing however, when she's reminiscing her kiss with Rintaro, she was moving her body like a seal/dolphin/or well, mermaid, so I'm personally still subscribing to the theory that she's a sea creature. Then again Otohime in the folk tale has another form as a turtle, so she might be it?

Not yet as far as I know. I heard there was a subbed version years ago on youtube but they got taken down and it's disappeared since.

Seen the first 2 eps and they're really fun so far, simple yet interesting cases, chill and morally grey main character, jazz music, noir vibes, nice chemistry between Akira and Shotaro's character, what's not to like. Thank you so much for the subs!

DISH (ending song band) released official version of the song Kouji made for Mineko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJbKuuzPiA

The ending leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't think Chiaki HAS to change, after all unlike Rika, Chiaki had more of a mix of positive and negative experience with the match-making app, mentally she's also in a different position than Rika. But I do wish the show justified/rationalized the change in her stance more, from being depressed post Rika's death and swearing to never use the app anymore to going back to her old lifestyle, instead of just skipping the entire process altogether.

I'd like to think that Muroka got the idea on how to kill Kazu's dad from his "girlfriend" in ep 3 (or if not her, one of his other girls) just like how Kazu got advices from Konoha on how to kill someone without getting caught.

Show is too eager to kill its useful characters while stubbornly keeping its useless characters alive lol. What is there to even feel excited about in the possible new season/continuation? By the end of this season except for Hyunsu and Lee Shi Young's character I only see a bunch of deadweight.

Haven't read the manga but figured it would be something like that. Such a shounen-manga thing to do.