Last Hope Review

Title: Last Hope

Genre: Hospital, Medical

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2013-Jan to 2013-Mar

Theme song: Calling by Arashi

Cast: Aiba Masaki, Tabe Mikako, Tanabe Seiichi, Koike Eiko and Kitamura Yukiya.

This drama revolves around a group of special doctors, who just recently were hired in one of the up-to-date hospital as a form of special team that help people who are at their last chance of getting cured. Hatano Takumi (Aiba Masaki) is a strange fella who has to eat a snack when the clock hits 3pm. He is different than the rest of the team since he is the only one not having a specialty. He is a “country doctor” meaning he is a doctor from a small village, and has helped his father in the family clinic. Being haunted by images from his past and having a scar on his body he can’t really explain, Takumi one day notices a newspaper with faces of the people he remembers from his childhood. Tachibana Ayumi (Tabe Mikako) is known as “The Machine”, meaning she never gets emotional about any cases, nor does she try to connect with her patients. Due to this she is being sued for malpractice by a family who believe that she is guilty for the state of their family member, this also gets the attention of a journalist who has found out that Ayumi is actually Aitani Kiko, but changed her name due to her father’s mishaps. Besides these two there are Takagi Junji (Tanabe Seiichi) a player ‘look-a-like’, but in fact has a deep emotional scar from losing the love of his life because of an illness. Ogiwara Yukiyo (Koike Eiko) a mother, divorced due to her husband’s infidelity, who wants to find the person who was responsible for her mother’s death. Soejima Masaomi (Kitamura Yukiya) the son of a hospital CEO who has had problems with his marriage, and Komaki Toshiaki (Kohinata Fumiyo)a researcher who lost his son, but refuses to believe so.

Every doctor has a past and dealing with, along with trying to be the last hope for their patients…

This is officially my favorite Aiba Masaki drama, and my favorite Japanese medical drama. I love that the backgrounds of the doctors is shown and every story is taken care of, and I love that there isn’t really a love story, I mean sometimes you just shouldn’t add one. It does have love stories in it, but not as the main story which made it more enjoyable than expected. I love that every character is its own and that they really have this individuality - also that they all somehow connect without crossing paths. I never really imagined Aiba as a doctor, but it really worked for me, also I didn’t expect to like Tabe, but I did.

Without trying to ruin the drama, I’ll just go ahead and recommend t :)  

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Juui Dolittle Review

Title: Juui Dolittle
Genre: Animal
Episodes: 9
Broadcast period: 2010-Oct till 2010-Dec
Cast: Oguri Shun, Inoue Mao and Narimiya Hiroki

Tottori Kenichi (Oguri Shun) is a mean, unsocial vet, who only works for money, it seems. He is very talented, and cool-headed, but has problems being around people, mainly because he prefers animals over humans. He feels that humans are horrible creatures, and likes to give people lessons and giving them his clear opinion, if they in any way seem not to show 100% of care towards their animals.
One day, Tajima Asuka (Inoue Mao) comes to his clinic, after being turned down by other vets, and was recommended Tottori from Hanabishi Masaru (Narimiya Hiroki) a vet-celebrity, who went to school with Tottori and believes that Tottori is the best vet of all. Tajima asks Tottori to take care of her horse, Asuka Mirai a racehorse who broke its leg during a race, but the first thing Tottori does is telling Tajima the price of the surgery and the recovery treatment, which ends up being extremely expensive. After some while, Tajima agrees, and decides to work at Tottori’s clinic to pay him back.
But someone near them hurts animals, much to Tottori’s despair.

Short and honestly, it was good. Brilliant cast and decent enviorment makes a great drama. Though I felt that sometimes the script didn’t really do the actors justice, and 50% of it seemed fake. But somehow they managed to fix it, and make everything seem okay. Oguri Shun as Tottori is not only a totally different sight of him, but he does it with such an ease that you would think that he’d always played this character. Mao as Tajima was nice, though her character is dull and very typical for her, but on the other hand, it suits her. Narimiya as the ‘charasmatic vet’ was perfect, and like Oguri they sort of became the characters, instead of acting them out.
This drama is good, if you are an animal lover, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it. The focus is mainly on animals and how pet owners treat their animals, also it touches the subject about how vets ‘survive’ the competition..

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
My first this kind of drama i think, and it was quite good. Of course it had something to do with the actors,, keehee. like Oguri Shun, which was really simply just great. Again he shows his great skills, acting a role like this, i was really surprised. Though in this drama he is like reeeaally really grown up and all. like really MAN.. u knw. But his acting,,, wuufff... And then Narimiya hiroku,, which was also really good. But the whole drama is like really serious and it almost only had something to do with animals (of course duuh), and well that side story with the evil-rich-guy-and-his-screwed-up-family , but other than that it was all about needing to take care of your surroundings as we share it with the nature as well. It was a cool drama, with a bit comedy here and there. But it was serious and not just something for fun. And i really enjoyed the personality Tottori, it was cool, like he was so realistic all the time and people find him rude but what he really wants is to help everybody, but in his own way. Maybe one of the things i didnt like that much was the character of Mao,, i didnt like that she was one of those that like cry the whole time and get too emotional, and in a few episodes she like totally qualified to be a nurse,, huuuh?, i mean i know she studied and all but like.. she doesnt even have experience.

☆☆☆½ /3.5 stars out of 5

♥♥♥♥/ 4 hearts out of 5

Code Blue Season 2

Title: Code Blue
Genre: Medical
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2010-Jan-11 to 2010-Mar-22
Theme song: HANABI by Mr. Children
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, Higa Manami, Asari Yosuke aso.

In the second season we continue to follow the four interns while they face even bigger challenges. This time we get closer to each person as they struggle to become doctors. We follow them as they get to know a lot more about their themselves and some even their backgrounds. As in Aizawa Kosaku(Yamashita Tomohisa)'s case, he discovers some things about his past, his father left him and his mother died at a very young age so he was raised by his obae-chan whom he cares very much for. As his obae-chan falls ill and she is admitted in the hospital where he is an intern they get much closer. At the same time his father visits his obae-chan and so some secrets are revealed. As for the other interns they too have to face some problems themselves. Shiraishi Megumi(Aragaki Yui) gets some personal problems, she keeps arguing with her father though she doesn't know he is very sick. Hiyama Mihoko(Toda Erika) has to face her illness and even gets into some trouble when she doesnt get some DNR-order signed so she actually "kills" a kid, so she almost gets sued and stuff. The nurse, Saejima Haruka(Higa Manami).. now this is really sad.. her friend/lover .. well.. he aint okay. I mean like he's sick.. not mentally.. Well he gets admitted to the hospital where she works, and she tries to visit him as much as possible and all. And in the meantime the guy Fujikawa Kazuo(Asari Yosuke) falls in love with the nurse but cant tell her because,, well her friend/lover.. just.. something happened to him. So a lot stuff happens but as always,, things will b just ok.
I watched this drama mainly because of YamaP-chan. Yup big P-chan FAN:D I watched the first drama and totally loved it,, well cuz of P-chan. But he just made the whole thang even betta.. And it was exciting watching him with this kinda role.. like this really cool guy, knowing how to do things and doesnt even get distracted or anything by the situation. I mean in situations where most people would either faint, puke, or freeze he kept focused (i know its just acting and all but still..). But for some reason,, this wasnt that kind of drama which would keep u on the tip of the chair., like when u finish an ep. u would stay up all night(bit exaggerating) wondering what would happen next. Its more one u watch just because its fun/exciting to watch the whole medical procedure.. Thats why its not a super-top-must-watch-drama. Its more like a.. well,, watch-if-u-feel-for-cool-p-chan-acting-+-got-medical-interest. And what might have ruined it for me is that it got subbed reeeaally slow. So i got busy with other stuff and well. yeah.
Anyway. Great drama but not the best..

☆☆☆3/4 /3.75 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2,5 hearts out of 5 hearts

Bunjis Verdict:
Okay, can you say boring? Yeah, the drama had its moments, and yeah Yamapi is hot, but the storyline was waaaay more boring than the first season, and seriously, nothing really happend in this season! Acting was on the other hand better from all four actors. They are all young actors, so that was a great surprise. I also liked the new boss, and his love story, but seriously? Why does Aizawa have to be mr. perfect? Silly. EXPECIALLY if he's a doctor, they allways have flaws... Guess you can't blame Yamapi, but the director.. Stupid director.. Ruining my likning in Pi.. (darn you!) Lols.. Okay, back to bussniss.. I cant say it was crap, because it isn't. Every actor is cool, and their characters are stronger this season, except Aizawa (who seems to be the best of the best... boring) lol.. SORRY! :P
But its a good watch, has good elements sometimes. Like there was one with some soccer players, and their bonding.. That story I liked the most :)

☆☆☆½ / 3,5 out of 5 stars

♥♥ / 2 out of 5 hearts