Bokura no Yuuki - Miman City SP

Title: Bokura no Yuuki – Miman City Special

AKA: Our Courage – Miman City Special

Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Suspense

Broadcast date: 21 July 2017

Cast: Domoto Koichi, Domoto Tsuyoshi, Matsumoto Jun, Aiba Masaki, Kohara Yuki and Mukai Osamu.

20 years ago, Shindo Yamato (Domoto Koichi), Takigawa Takeru (Domoto Tsuyoshi), Eguchi Morio (Matsumoto Jun), Inagawa Akira (Aiba Masaki) and Okamoto Kiichi (Kohara Yuki) made a promise to reunite again at Makuhara. 20 years later, they meet again, but only Yamato, Takeru and Akira arrive, and the Makuhara they know, now looks completely different than it used to. The city has been trying to get on its feet after the cover up, and a lot of money has been invested in the rebuild.

One year later both Yamato and Takeru realize that something weird is happening with Akira, and while asking around they find out that he has been asking around for money. Morio had turned Akira down, and wants nothing to do with the past, so the duo decides to find him. Soon enough they realize that Makuhara isn't as safe as it is made out to be, but compared to before they might be too grown up to deal with the threat...

If you haven't watched the 1997 drama this summary might very well confuse you. I remember the drama being one of the first dramas I had watched in my early drama watching days, and I was so hooked due to the 'dark' elements of it. This special took me right back to those days, but it also took it up a notch. I was amazed that I didn't see 20 years of difference in their acting, and the reality of 'becoming a grownup' is so clear even in this special. Of course, I noticed things (such as lacking acting and lousy cover up) that made my eyebrows wrinkle, but it doesn't ruin the overall experience. It made me very nostalgic, and happy.

To sum up: a good special of the continuation story, of the 1997 drama – but I would recommend to watch the drama before the special.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Starman ~ Kono Hoshi no Koi Review

Title: Starman - Kono Hoshi no Koi

Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2013-Jul to 2013-Sep

Cast: Hirosue Ryoko, Fukushi Sota, Koike Eiko,

Kenchi a.m.m

Uno Sawako (Hirosue Ryoko) is a single mother with three boys that has been left by her husband who ran away from her and his family. Sawako lives with her grandmother and the three boys in a small town far away from Tokyo, and greets every day happily even with her luggage.

One morning while driving her youngest to childcare she almost hits a man (Fukushi Sato) swaying along the road, but barely manages to stop. When she walks out to scold the person, he passes out right in front of her. Captivated by his way of looking at her, she takes him home, and she finds out he has lost his memory due to shock.

After pondering she decides together with her best friend Misao (Koike Eiko) and her grandmother, to tell the man that he is her husband. When managing to make her children get on board, he wakes up, and the story of her younger husband ‘Hoshio’ begins…

I was pleasantly surprised, and I was sort of head over heels even though I have no idea why. I mean the story is seriously absurd, from memory loss to aliens, it really has the most bizarre situations, and I say that with having watched all other dramas. The relationship seems shallow when you think about it, but I was kind of liking it. The couple was cute, so where the kids, and the entire family was so adorable.

But I do think the main reason I liked it as much as I did was because I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next episode. I was taken aback by everything, especially by the pace. It was fast!

So if you want a cute family story with a hint of the weird and the sci-fi, this is a great pick.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts