Iryu Sosa 4 Review

Title: Iryu Sosa Season 4

AKA: CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 4

Genre: Police, Mystery, Crime

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2017-Jul to 2017-Sep

Cast: Kamikawa Takaya, Kuriyama Chiaki, Toda Keiko, Nagai Masaru and Miyazaki Karen.

This is the fourth season of the drama series.

During a cruise trip in Kyoto, Itomura Satoshi (Kamikawa Takaya) is, together with the passengers and crew of the ship, hijacked by gunmen, right leaving the harbour. While threatening to blow up the ship, the gunmen blow up one of them, leaving small burnt pieces of paper behind. Using his smarts, he tries to alert the police, who have occupied the harbor, of possible on-shore accomplices. His signal is spotted by Kanzaki Rio (Kuriyama Chiaki), a detective of the Special Crime Management and Control Office (Tokutai), a team that specializes in crimes that are seen as either too wired or hard to solve. Soon enough the cruise is saved, but the hijackers are nowhere to be found. But Itomura believes otherwise, and the Tokutai are introduced to the unique man, only interested in the burnt pieces of paper, left by the hijackers….

Sorry about the summary - it’s been a while.

After four seasons, you kind of get used to the flow and storylines of this drama. It is a nice break from serious and heavy dramas, and you can enjoy it without much prior knowledge. Though I haven’t watched the special that is in between season 3 and season 4, I felt that I didn’t need it. I could follow the story, and I again, didn’t need any backstory. Season 4 is also different, in the sense that we are in a different city and with different characters (except Itomura of course), so it is very refreshing. I also feel like this season has turned up the storytelling - the individual episode stories are really well-written and good.

All in all, a good drama with good acting - and good storytelling.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Library Wars 2 Movie Review

Title: Library Wars: The Last Mission

AKA: Library Wars 2

Genre: Action, Romance, Thriller

Origin: Japanese

Release date: October 10, 2015

Cast: Okada Junichi, Eikura Nana, Tanaka Kei, Fukushi Sota, Matsuzaka Tori and Kuriyama Chiaki.

“Media Betterment announces new controls on media. A bright future for our society a sound upbringing for our children. Eliminate harmful books, media, and thought. Juvenile of fences are down 2.3 percent since the Betterment Act was passed. We must eradicate harmful books and harmful thought. The burning of books is suppression of thought! This country now exists under a reign of terror!” (intro of movie)

The sequel continues after the special. Kasahara Iku (Eikura Nana) has figured out that Dojo Atsushi (Okada Junichi) is the man who saved her favorite book and her first love. Unable to confess her love, she tries not to act different around him; but when one of her coworkers decides to burn some confiscated book she is framed for it, and in order to save Dojos reputation she takes the blame.

On the opposition - the Media Betterment Committee – someone is feeding hate toward the Library Defense Force. While the LDF is out on a mission helping a fellow Library set up a confiscated book drop off, the MBC decides to go all out and remove the task force once and for all…

Compared to the first one I liked this one a bit better, but it was no less to the first one. For some reason when you watch it you don’t think about how absurd the ‘wars’ are, and yet when you have to explain it; you kind of face palm yourself. The movie is so great, and I love that it isn’t a movie about people hating other people, rather it focuses on the issue such a free will and thought. Though there is the usual villain, and the ‘us’ against ‘them’ vibe flowing around. As the climax goes this movie nails it, as even I was pretty shocked when I understood what was happening – so that is quite the achievement.

I absolutely adore the lead couple: the fact that she is taller than him, and that he has to look up to meet her eyes *amazed* And for some reason you don’t really feel the age gap at all… so great acting! To be fair the movie has a lot of thin layer of missing substance, but they actually make up for it by giving the characters such great chemistry and personalities.

So would I recommend this movie? Yes, I would. But I believe people should watch the first one – just to get the entire picture, and be a bit loose on the entire ‘war’ thing.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Library Wars SP Review

Title: Library Wars: Book of Memories

Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance

Origin: Japan

Release date: April 27, 2013

Cast: Okada Junichi, Eikura Nana, Tanaka Kei, Fukushi Sota, Kuriyama Chiaki and Suzuki Kazuma.

Continuing from the movie, this special is about managing regular life and that of being a ‘protector of books’.

After being stroked on the head Kasahara Iku (Eikura Nana) is starting to believe that Dojo Atsushi (Okada Junichi) might be her ‘prince’ who saved her favorite book years back. While worrying how she’ll face him, after all she has said to him, she is visited by her parents, who have come to see her job. The only problem is she had told them she was a clerk, and not a solider in the special task unit.  Dojo, because of his personality is at first very upset of her lying about her profession, but decides to help her out. Komaki Mikihase (Tanaka Kei) on the other hand keeps a close relationship with Nakazawa Marie (Tsuchiya Tao) a hearing impaired girl that visits the library every once in a while. After recommending a book to her, about a hearing impaired girl falling in love, Komaki gets arrested – and it’s up to the LDF to save him…

I was trying not to spoil much of the special, as it is a special, but I am not sure that I gave it a good summary. Oh well… The special is a bit different than the movie, as there are way too many restrictions to TV versions compared to the movies, but they still managed to make it both interesting and quite genuine to the movie. I watched the entire thing in one go without any breaks, and I really like the entire relationship with Dojo and Iku, I can’t really put my finger on it. The age gap is pretty apparent as well as the height difference, but they grow on you… or me. All characters are written with finesse, and they are just my cup of tea.

Okay, I won’t spoil anymore. It’s is a good watch, but you’d need to watch the first movie though…

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Library Wars Movie Review

Title: Library Wars

Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance

Origin: Japan

Release date: April 27, 2013

Cast: Okada Junichi, Eikura Nana, Tanaka Kei, Fukushi Sota, Kuriyama Chiaki and Suzuki Kazuma.

In 1988 the Media Improvement Act was put in motion by the MBC (Media Betterment Committee). The MIA has the sole purpose in censoring books and other material deemed too violent or too vulgar for the public. Due to the publics aggression and refusal to cooperate, the MBC was granted arms, in order to abide law. This sparked the LDF (Library Defense Force), and was formed in 2004 to oppose censorship: who also was provided arms.

Kasahara Iku (Eikura Nana) is opposed to the censorship, and was once in an iffy situation with the MBC since her favorite book almost got censored. But she was heroically saved by a LDF, whom she is unable to recognize. This event leads her to join the LDF. Here she meets her instructor Dojo Atasushi (Okada Junichi), whom she cannot stand, but little does she know he is the very hero who saved her.

In 2019 after a serial murder is arrested, horror books are found in his home. This becomes a public stunt for the MDC, as they decide to ban all horror books – but the LDF refuse. So the wars of the libraries start…

I heard about this movie from an episode of VS Arashi, and I have always been a fan of Okada Junichi, so this was not a problem to watch. There was one thing though: I didn’t think it said ‘Library’ as in the place where there are books, but I thought ‘Liberary’ as in liberty, or at least there was a miss translation. I was quite surprised it actually was LIBRARY as in the place with books, and that LIBERARY is not a word. So… Yeah, a movie about censorship of books, and actual was, with guns and swat uniforms. Believe it or not the idea is not THAT bad, but seriously… people die… like you know… guns and shooting… FOR BOOKS. I love books and I am against the entire censorship, but dying for books in the 21^st century is barbaric. Like really. How stupid do people need to become in order to have other people die, just because you can’t agree on censorship?!

Anyways… It is really well-made and action packed. The pace and story is great, so is everything about the relationships – a decent movie with all it need. I don’t really like Eikura Nana, but she was bearable here. Okada is awesome as usual, so no complaint from me.

All in all, a great and entertaining movie.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Team Batista 4 Review

Title: Team Batista 4

AKA: Raden Meikyu

Genre: Medical, Mystery

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2014-Jan to 2014-Mar

Cast: Ito Atsushi, Nakamura Toru, Yanagiba Toshiro, Aitsuki Akiko and Kuriyama Chiaki.

Dr. Taguchi (Ito Atsushi) and Shiratori (Nakamura Toru) are back again, this time at a family hospital “Hekisuiin” owned by the doctor family Sakuramiya. After being demoted to another hospital, Taguchi is sent to Hekisuiin Hospital, which serves like a hospice for patients without a possible cure for their illness. There he is meets the family owning the hospital, consisting two doctor daughters and the father as the director. While getting accustoms to the place, he meets a familiar face: “Dr.” Shiratori, who is posing as dermatologist.

Still undercover, Shiratori meets the another hospitals radiologist who tells Shiratori that he has some ‘evidence’ about bad thing happening at Hekisuiin hospital, and arranges a meeting with Shiratori. Having received a message directly from an anonymous source about the hospital, Shiratori waits for the radiologist, but he never shows.

After receiving Ai images of a dead body from the radiologist, Shiratori informs Taguchi about it, and the two are once again teaming up to find out the truth behind the letter and Ai…

I really like this franchise, and I really enjoy these two on screen together. I have to say I was a tiny bit annoyed when I started watching this since I didn’t like the overall theme, but different than the other 3 seasons this one freaked my completely out. I was actually scared of this family, and also what they did/do to these people. I mean yeah I get they want to be of help to each other and others as well, but that is just too extreme.

The duo was even more fun this time around and I like that they both influence each other, though they have different ways of doing so. I also like that they are dependent of one another, which really makes them a team - I am thinking back on seasons 1 where Shiratori kept pushing Taguchi around, and Taguchi being incredibly displeased and over trusting towards everyone.

That said it is a good drama and great season, and I can’t wait for the final movie.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

ATARU Review

Title: ATARU

Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Police

Episodes: 11 + 2 SP

Broadcast period: 2012-Apr to 2012-Jun

Cast: Nakai Masahiro, Kitamura Kazuki, Kuriyama Chiaki and Tamamori Yuta.

Arriving from America a Japanese guy (Nakai Masahiro) with autism gets lost from his guardian, overhears the news on TV of a man dying in a blast seen as a suicide, and decides to go visit the murder scene. There he encounters police woman Ebina Maiko (Kuriyama Chiaki) who is pretty famous as the ‘face of the police’ since she is doing add for the police. Wanting to be recognized as a real police woman she wants to solve the case believes it was a murder, and not a suicide case. Her friend and superior Sawa Shunichi (Kitamura Kazuki) keeps telling her not, since she might get fired, and he with her because he had recommended her for that position.

The guy and Ebina meet and somehow he keeps giving her hints of how to deal with the case, by telling her hints, ending up solving cases that even the police were unable to figure out. At the same time his guardian is desperately trying to find him since he is more than just a man with autism…

I really found this quite interesting even though the main story was a bit boring, each side story was kind of fun. The main cast was hilarious and the humor was awesome, and not to mention well-acted. Playing an autistic is not easy, and I was kind of blown away by him at the beginning, because I remember him as a tough guy, but then I remembered that there is no other actor able to pull that role off except for Nakai. I don’t really like the characters, but that is a person-to-person kind of feel, since I felt they were too ridiculous, kind of reminded me of MR. BRAIN drama few years back. Then again, I think they tried to make it a bit more light hearted than it usually is, and just add more light/heart to the side stories.

To sum up: a good fun drama, with quite the interesting story.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts