chillingindoors

Actually I didn't mind the subject matter for Chugakusei Nikki. I didn't enjoy it that much because I didn't feel the connection between the leads. They barely had scenes together & I couldn't understand why they couldn't move on from each other. The other aspects of the drama from characterisation to the impact/consequences of their actions were well done.

Agreed. Slice of life really hit different and when Japan does it, it hits on another level altogether. They are undoubtedly the champion of the slice of life genre.

I love 35sai No Shoujo! What fantastic acting by the FL and her mother. Blew me away. I didn't enjoy Chugakussei Nikki that much. Will check out the rest, thank you :)

BTW if you like slice of life, these are a MUST watch-
Nagi's Long Vacation
Osozaki no Himawari
Nijiro Karute
Bread and Soup and Cat Weather
Takane No Hana
Saka no Tochu no Ie
Kokoro no Kizu wo Iyasu to Iu Koto

Takane No Hana (the one with Ishihara Satomi). Great drama dealing with some complex issues.

I think you saw Takane to Hana. That was a subpar drama.

Perfect World and Kimi Wa Petto were strictly decent for me. Though I must say that Perfect World did a great job presenting the message of creating an inclusive society for everyone (esp people with disabilities)

I am sorry but I just have to say this. I find your comment ignorant and rude.

She is fine the way she is. I hope you realise that not everybody on this planet has a skinny body. Also, her body weight does not define her. Let her be! If you are against LGBT, that is your opinion & I won't even try to change that. BUT don't stop other people from being who they are.

How many J dramas have you seen to form the opinion that they're all bad actors? Probably you're watching the wrong dramas because each J drama I have seen introduces a fantastic actor to me to the point that my watchlist is now 95% filled with J dramas. I am more than happy to recommend J dramas to you.

Some fantastic J dramas that I would like to recommend (from a variety of genres) for you to check out:

Nagi's Long Vacation
In This Corner of the World
Nijiro Karute
Remolove
Never Let Me Go
Soredemo Ikite Yuku
Neechan No Koibito
Quartet
Dele
3 Nen A Gumi
35sai No Shoujo
Kazoku Game
Takane No Hana
Kyou Kara Ore wa!!
Juhan Shuttai!
Aishiteiru to Ittekure
Tengoku to Jigoku: 2 Psychos
Karamazov no Kyodai
Unnatural
Kyojo
Kokoro no Kizu wo Iyasu to Iu Koto

I will be more than happy to recommend more if you like these :)

I gotta disagree with you here. The thing is problematic & shallow dramas like Shanai Marriage Honey are more popular & thus they are visible to a wider audience. Thus people have the impression that Japan creates those kind of superficial stories.

Real good Japanese dramas (which form the majority) do not have that kind of viewership. Majority of the international audience doesn't even know about them. You quoted popular dramas that are known to a wider audience group. But if you ask people who watch J dramas regularly, they will tell you those shows are no where near fantastic. For instance, this season I watched close to 20 ongoing J dramas & they were all absolutely fantastic (acting, writing, screenplay). You can look at my watchlist. But they were only viewed by those who mostly watch J dramas & not the larger community.

Let's be honest. This is a site, that is populated by people who watch mostly Korean/Chinese/Thai dramas. And just because some people saw 1 bad J drama, they think that all of them are bad. This may not be the case for you, but I often see very generic comments people make on J dramas & when I ask them how many they have even viewed, I realise they've not even seen enough to make an informed opinion.

Yes, J dramas are not perfect. But as someone who's majorly switched from watching Korean/Chinese/Taiwanese dramas to Japanese dramas, I can tell you that other east Asian counterparts pale in comparison at least when it comes to storytelling. and variety of stories. This is purely my opinion. And I have grown up on Asian dramas since the 90s.

You are free to hold on to your opinion. I would be more than happy to recommend good J dramas to you.

LOL Kanae & gang saying they can't forgive Kurumi. To be honest, none of them are in a position to judge another. They are all murderers and doing what it takes to survive. All of them need to get off their moral high ground. Having said that, I do appreciate that Kanae acknowledged that she wasn't being fair, and encouraged Hibiki to speak to Kurumi. What injured Mum said was telling, obviously she'll root for someone she knows & adores (Kanae) over another human she knows little about (Kurumi). Going by Hibiki's personality, Kanae will never stand a chance (regardless of what Kurumi did) and I definitely felt bad for her when Kurumi/Hibiki spoke to each other on the phone.

I am pretty sure Kurumi shot Hibiki to protect him from Shuto's revenge. Also we don't know what Kurumi saw in that machine. The finale looks intense! Bring it on :)

What a movie! I loved every minute of it.
Among the thousands of films & dramas I've watched, I related to this FL the most & that is very telling. It's difficult to define her character or place her in a box. She was so layered, so complex & yet so simple at the same time. She was a mix of everything (just like how most humans are). From being awkward sometimes, to being painfully honest, from feeling painfully lonely to living happily on her own each day, from holding on the guy she loved all her life, to letting him go in a snap. I don't even know how to describe it, she was just so real.
This is undoubtedly Mayu's best. She was absolutely phenomenal. She needs more roles seriously.

Hehe! These days, I keep getting told (on many of the currently airing J drama pages) that I'm everywhere lol
So see you. And do let me know how you find the dramas I recommended :)

Have you seen MIU404 and Karamazov no Kyodai? He was good in those 2 dramas as well.

Oooh me too! I love Ishihara Satomi & Ayano Go. Can't wait for it to start in April :)

Some I will recommend from different genres-

Nijiro Karute (last ep this week)
Tengoku to Jigoku (last ep this week)
Nagi's Long Vacation
Soredemo Ikite Yuku
Karamazov no Kyodai
Kazoku Game
Never Let Me Go
Remolove
Aishiteiru to Ittekure
Unnatural
Lupin No Musume
Dele
Todome No Kiss

Both for me. The character has been poorly written as a one-note obnoxious & self-entitled brat. The actress is also a huge over actor who screams all the time. For the life of me, I cannot understand how she was a high school sweetheart because being ignorant & obnoxious is one thing. You don't necessarily have to be unlikeable. And she is extremely unlikeable.

I know how you feel, my friend. Same same!

Foxy, prepare your tissues for E9. It really made me cry.

Hehe people do tell me that I'm an enthusiastic viewer & I proudly say that's true. Oh man I need another drama with Ayase Haruka & Takahashi Issei together. They are so so good together. I fell in love with the pairing in this episode. Their scenes were far from romantic, but they just appeared romantic to me (esp that last scene). The teamwork was just beautiful to watch. The kind of bond they've formed, it beats all kinds of romantic connections. I have no idea how they're going to save each other with Sekuhara arresting both of them. I get this bad feeling that the show will break my heart in the finale :(

ACCURATE AF.

IKR :(
Now we know what hell means (in the drama title). Makes me wonder what heaven is?

That's an interesting thing you pointed out! I did not think about the rock. It is from Amami. There's also the dream that Mochizuki had on the 1st episode of Hidaka stealing the rock from her.. I wonder what that was about.

Also I don't know if I understood correctly? Real Kushugou still seems to be out there? Like I know Azuma took over the identity of a dead person but it isn't confirmed to be Kushugou right? Or did I misunderstand that part? Also what's with the phone switching on at the end of the episode? Something is up.

Agree. Hidaka & Mochizuki both don't deserve painful endings. Now we know what hell means in the context of the title (with Hidaka telling Mochizuki that he won't drag her to hell with him).. makes me wonder what heaven is?

Hello again! HAHA! Lucky you. BTW did you manage to figure out the twist yourself or did you come anywhere close? We were all scratching our heads here in frustration over not being able to figure it out hehe. Me especially!