Omotesando Koukou Gasshoubu! Review

Title: Ometesando Koukou Gasshoubu!

AKA: Omotesando High School Choir!

Genre: School, Choir, Romance, Family

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2015-Jul to 2015-Sept

Cast: Shirota Yuu, Yoshine Kyoko, Shison Jun, Yoshimoto Miyu, Mirokawa Aoi and Takahata Atsuko.

After her parents’ separation Kagawa Makoto (Yoshine Kyoko) decides to live with her mother in Tokyo. Her father and younger sister stay in Seto Island. As a huge fan of choir singing and growing up with parents who always did choir signing, Makoto decides to join Omotesando High Shcool - the place where her parents first started singing choir and also where they fell in love. Her goal is to reunite her parents by finding the famous 'love song' which makes you reminiscent of your past love. But the only problem is that the current choir club on the school only has 4 members and has 0 motivation in singing. Since the club lacks member, they must have at least 8, it is on the verge of closure, and the club advisor Suzuki Ariake (Shirota Yu), whom Makoto knew from when she was younger and whom she admires, is no help either as he is too busy with hostesses.

So Makoto decides to rebuild the choir and save it from abolishment, as well as save her parents' crumbling marriage. Can she do it?

I decided to watch this drama out of one reason only: Shirota Yuu. I didn’t really know any of the actors, so it was kind of random when I saw the poster, and noticed him. Also I really have not heard about choirs in school, so I was full with prejudice honestly – as choir singing is pretty ‘geeky’ from where I am. But I must admit I really enjoyed it. It was sweet, and really nice to listen to. They are sort of grow on you, not matter how geeky they are. And about Shirota Yuu… really… chameleon. I was quite shocked when I saw him. I didn’t expect him to look and act that way, but it was nice to see a different side of him. *thumps up*

I was quite glad that it wasn’t just about her saving the choir club nor it only being about her fixing her parents’ ruined marriage – kind of nice mixing both and getting a bit from both.

So all in all, I enjoyed this typical yet refreshing Japanese school drama.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

GTO 2 Review

Title: GTO 2

AKA: Great Teacher Onizuka Season 2

Genre: School, Human drama

Episodes: 11

Broadcast date: 2014-Apr to 2014-Sep

Cast: AKIRA, Yamamoto Yusuke, Shirota Yu, Sano Reno, Higa Manami, Katayose Ryota and Tayama Ryosei.

After losing his house Onizuka Eikichi (AKIRA) is forced to move, and is invited to move to the high school he graduated from in Shonan, to act as a temporary teacher. The homeroom teacher of the class 2.A is Fujikawa Honami (Higa Manami) who is a good teacher, but believes in befriending the students rather than disciplining them, and thinks that every class has a certain ‘feel’: if bothered it would make everyone feel awkward, even the teachers. Moving with him to Shonan is his two best friends Danma Ryuji (Shirota Yu) and Saejima Toshiyuki (Yamamoto Yusuke).

Even though there aren’t any delinquents at the school, Onizuka meets different kinds of students with normal problems, but also students who try to solves their problems or hide them, making matters worse for everyone involved. So the great teacher decides to take matters in his own hands, and make the kids his students - by teaching him life the Onizuka way.

Compared to season one this season is much scarier and realistic. It is not as funny as season one, and it kind of gives you the chills of a real life situation. I know I like school dramas, but these kinds of realistic stories are making everything sad. Even though the GTO stories are dramatized, a bit too situational and too much of a happy ending, these stories could without a problem be real life situations. I like it, but it makes me sad… does that make sense?

The cast was fantastic - I mean the young actors are beyond good, and superb at their acting (comparing them with idols), of course there a bit of small things they should change, but that they are going to do great in the future.

All in all: a great drama and really interesting.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

GTO in Taiwan Review

Title: GTO in Taiwan

AKA: Great Teacher Onizuka in Taiwan

Genre: Drama, School

Episodes: 4

Broadcast period: 2014-Mar to 2014-Apr

Cast: Akira, Shirota Yu, Yamamota Yusuke, Chuo Genie, Lou Hong Zheng and Wei Jin.

As part of an international course, Onizuka (AKIRA) is visiting Taiwan for a few days, in order to get the insight of the different ways schools work. Together with Danma (Shirota Yu) they go sightseeing in Taiwan, and as faith will have it, Saejima (Yamamoto Yusuke) happens to be there as well. After a night out Saejima goes missing with Danmas bag which also has Danmas and Onizukas passports.

In the school Onizuka encounters a different kind of atmosphere: the studnets and teachers are ignoring the hardcore bullying of a student who by their definition is “invisible”. When Onizuka tries to deal with the situation he is blocked by both the class’ teacher and also the school principle, saying that he just has to let it go. But as the teacher he is: Onizuka refuses to let any of his students suffer - no matter where they are.

Hmm.. I think the idea was good, and probably also the choice of cast was well thought of, but somehow it feels weird. It might be the length that does it, but it really felt like Onizuka was too fast in fixing the issue. Like the school had to deal with it for some time, and he is there for 3 days and wupti. But that is Japanese dramas for you.

It is good and for some people preferably short, and the story is actual kind of deep, which I did not expect. Even if it only is Onizuka I like the way he is facing the kids.

To sum up: a good GTO special.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out if 5 hearts

GTO Graduation SP Review

Title: GTO - Graduation Special

AKA: Great Teacher Onizuka  - Graduation Special

Genre: School, Human drama

Broadcast date: 2013-Apr-02

Cast: AKIRA, Takimoto Miori, Yamamoto Yusuke,Shirota Yu, Yano Masato, Fujisawa Ayano, Nagasawa Nao and Kabayashi Yumi.

Graduation is around the corner, and the exam preparations are stressing out the students in year 3: Onizuka’s (AKIRA) 3.B is no exception. Even though some are going to college, a few of them have already got jobs, and others are in training. Feeling the pressure, the students end up fighting and even turning their backs on Onizuka , believing he simply does not understand them. On the other hand Onizuka is being told to let the students deal with their own problems as he won’t be there for them ones they leave the school, and their teacher-student relationship will end once they graduate.
Not knowing what to think of it Onizuka decides to stay low, but when the students are starting to hit walls, Onizuka feelings begins to have mixed and confused feelings. What is he going to do, and will 3.B be able to graduate?

Compared to the other special I liked this one more, just because the story is much more fitting for Onizuka’s class and general personality. It has the entire ‘feel’ of students having to deal with the concept of growing up and how Onizuka is able to help: it sort of feels like another episode from the serial, which makes it all better.  
Honestly when I thought this was the last time I’d see the class I was a bit upset, mainly because I liked them. Okay yes, they are fictional, but somehow you grow with them. And not to mention how great the relationships are.
I’m really trying not to spoil anything, so I am going to end here and say that it is really good!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 4 hearts

Team Batista no Eiko Review

Title: Team Batista no Eiko

AKA: The Glorious Team Batista / The Glory of Team Batista

Genre: Medical, Mystery

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: Oct-2008 to Dec-2008

Cast: Ito Atsushi, Nakamura Toru, Shirota Yuu and Tsuyoshi Ihara.

This drama is based on the movie with the same name, but the cast is completely changed and most of the story is altered.

“When a sudden streak of patient’s death has occurred with cause unknown, the question is: where they just unfortunate accidents? Or was it malpractice? Or was it a serial killing?” (Intro)

Taguchi Kohei (Ito Atsushi) is a doctor working in the “Special Complaints Outpatient Clinic” at Tokyo Hospital, where he basically listens to patients complains about their medical case or their treatment, but sometimes he gets serious cases where he works as a counselor. One day he is called up by the director who asks him to investigate the numerous deaths occur to the team Batista - a team the handle a special kind of heart surgery. The team is annoyed and mostly against Taguchi’s involvement, but they reluctantly agree.

At the same time a man is admitted to the hospital, Shiratori Keisuke (Nakamura Toru) who is acting a bit weird, and for some reason believes the death are murders and wants to help Taguchi solve it…

Okay, so I thought that the movie with the same name was the first stepping stone to this franchise, which I found out it was not! It basically is a drama based on the movie, with some few changes like the ‘killer’ and who he might be, which surprisingly I thought made more sense than the movie. Also it focused more on the real life situation compared to the movie with the entire board being involved and everything. But honestly the most surprising part was that Taguchi is a man! LOL… Or in the drama at least.

Anyways, if you haven’t watched the movie, you can still without any problem watch the drama!

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts 

Koshonin 2 Review

Title: Koshonin 2

AKA: The Negotiator Season 2

Genre:  Detective

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2009-Oct to 2009-Dec

Cast: Yonekura Ryoko, Kakei Toshio, Sasano Takashi, Takaoka Sousuke and Shirota Yu.

The story continues with Usagi Reiko (Yonekura Ryoko) in the SIT (Special Investigation Team) as a negotiator. After the entire Mariya Kyosuke (Shirota Yu) situation, Usagi has finally become a real part of the team. Amari Yusuke (Takaoka Souske) on the other hand, has become doubtful in whether he is suited to be in the SIT, and has found him liking the Juvenile District, even starting to counsel a teen who has locked himself in a room due to bullying.

When a series of cases occur involving the same type of gun, they find out that a certain ‘Summer Claus’ has been delivering guns by mail, to regular people - from families with children to old people’s houses. Though attaining 14 guns, they discover that there are 27 guns distributed all over Tokyo, and now it’s up to the team to recover the rest, before any more victims appear..

I’ve been seriously waiting 2½ years for this to be subbed, and somehow not really worth the while. I mean I remember season one to be brilliant and it’s not like the second season is bad, just okay if you ask me.

I really wasn’t that caught, and I was partially bored watching this. I don’t know what to think of it, I mean it really didn’t shock me or surpised me. Like I kind of knew what was going to happen most of the time - EXCEPT the deaths.. That took me by surprised, and what made me really confused was that even if they happened. No one really seemed affected? Lol. I don’t know. I rather just remember season 1.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Seito Shokun! Review

Title: Seito Shokun!
AKA: Attention Students! / Dear Students!
Genre: School drama
Episodes: 10
Broadcast period: 2007-Apr-20 to 2007-Jun-22
Cast: Uchiyama Rina, Shiina Kippei, Horikita Maki,Hongo Kanata, Okada Masaki, Watanabe Ikkei, Kobayashi Nenji, Masana Bokuzo Ishii Masanori, Uehara Misa, Shirota Yu …

Naoko (Uchiyama Rina) is the new homeroom teacher for class 2-3, a class that doesn’t trust teachers and who teachers have given up on teaching. There is a secret hidden in the school, the secret about why the students don’t trust any teachers. Naoko, the happy energetic teacher is very different from the rest of the teachers. She will give her everything to make her students happy and enjoy the time they have together in high school, but will she be able to break through to the students and make them trust a teacher again?

The drama had me right away. I usually like high school dramas but I can’t watch the same story again. However this one was different in its own way. The teacher couldn’t bond with her student right away and really had to fight for it till the end. She wasn’t just preaching but really tried to convince her students. It’s a quite serious drama, it’s not a comedy but really tries to deal with the problems. It takes the student’s side and really wants us to understand why the students cant trust anyone. They feel like only they can protect themselves and no one else understands them or wants them their best. I wasn’t bored at any part of the drama it was interesting watching. Want a school drama/teacher fighting (lol) then this is the one. Really nice.

☆☆☆☆ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict
This was one of my first, Japanese dramas ever watched, and I loved it. I loved it so much that I think I re-watched it 5 times, which I never do when it comes to dramas. When I started watching dramas, especially Japanese, I just watched High School dramas, meaning I’ve basically watched almost all of them. Out of all, this one was one of my fave, even beating Gokusen.
The drama is different than like Gokusen or even Misaki Number One, it’s not humor based at all. No fun scenes at all, but still catchy. It’s very recommendable, ask Jenji :P

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Koshonin Review

Title: Koshonin
AKA: The Negotiator
Genre: Police, Crime
Episodes: 8
Broadcast period: 2008-Jan to 2008-Feb
Theme song: Ogon Soul by Shonen no Kaze
Cast: Yonekura Ryoko, Jinnai Takanori, Takahashi Katsumi, Takaoka Sousuke and Shirota Yu.

Usagi Reiko (Yonekura Ryoko) is a tough police woman: she is strong, wilful, smart, and not to mention stubborn. When she finally enters the SIT (Special Investigation Team) who works as a negotiating team, she is faced with opposition from not only the criminals, but the rest of the male dominant team, being the only woman there. Kirisawa Keigo (Jinnai Takanori) the head of the department sees her as a huge burden and can’t see why a woman is to be let on the team. Together with her there is another newbie, Amari Yusuke (Takaoka Sousuke), who is treated differently because of his gender, but has less of a brain than Usagi. Besides having to deal with the men in SIT, she occasionally visits the mentally disturbed convict, Mariya Kyosuke (Shirota Yu) who was the main suspect in a case involving her father’s death, 5 years ago...

To be honest I started this drama because I missed Japanese dramas, and what other to watch than a drama that’s about a woman’s fight in a man dominant world? And as I was watching it I thought it was pretty dull for a police/action drama. But I ended up liking it. When I started watching this, I was annoyed, because I thought I didn’t have ‘the red thread’, meaning something linking the story together. I was wrong. I should’ve gotten used to Japanese drama already; they all have one MAIN story, followed by small ones. Though not all succeed, this one does it remarkebly well.
The actress Yonekura Ryoko I’ve never seen or heard of before, but I’ve become a fan (though I find her staring odd, creeps me a bit). The performance I was blown away by, was by Shirota Yu, like can you say AMAZING?! Now I’ve seen him as a bully, geek and a mental person. I put very high standards on crazy people, because you need skill and you need to give that “chill feeling “, in order to make it believable, which he scores pretty high on. To sum up, GREAT watch!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Samurai High School Review

Titel: Samurai High School
Genre: Comedy

Episodes: 9
Broadcast period: 2009-Oct-17 to 2009-Dec-12

Theme song: "Kodoku no taiyou" by Monobright

Cast: Miura Haruma, Shirota Yu, Anne, Kobayashi Ryoko, Sakurada Dori, Yanagishita Tomo, Ichikawa Mikako, Matsuda Saki, Muro Tsuyoshi, Kobayashi Masahiro, Kaneda Akio, Muroi Shigeru and so on.

The drama is about Mochizuki Kotaro (Miura Haruma), a senior high schooler. One day he is recommended an ancient book about a heroic samurai from the Sengoku period 400 years ago. Kotaro notices that he has the same name and age as the samurai described in the book. And since then, everytime Kotaro is in some sort of danger, he gets possessed by the spirit of the samurai and can only return to his real self when he gets near girls.

Kotaro is a guy you can't take seriously and he doesnt has any goal in his life. He isn't good at school and is a coward. But he is a moodmaker and cares alot about friendship. The samurai is quite the opposite of Kotaro. He is all about moral, strenght ethics.
But still both Kotaro and the samurai learn about the battles of the world from each other.

While watching the drama I was so fascinated by Miura Haruma's acting. He is acting both Kotaro and the samurai. And those are to very different personalities. To be able to work like that is really amazing. It is a great plus that his acting is so reliable. He is the perfect actor for this role. It truly showed his potentials. And because of the drama I think that samurais aren't just cool, they are awesome! While watching the drama, you'll laugh so many times because of the small, but funny details.


This drama is a must if you like comedy, Japanese history and ofcourse Miura Haruma.

☆☆☆☆/4 out 5 stars

♥♥♥♥/ 4 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's verdict
The drama was fun and had a interesting plot. Miura Haruma as the lead made the drama superb, and extremely funny (I love his facial expressions). From his first role that Ive watched (14 sai no Haha) to Samurai High School, I really see and feel the change, simply outstanding. Shirota Yuu was also amazing to watch, since I only remember him as hardcore fighter Shinjo from Rookies. His akwardness and shyness surprised me, and Id go" why doesnt he fight back?" then Ill remember its not the same drama(hah, atashi no baka :P). The female cast were a little dull, didnt give me anything memorable, and they really didnt do any impact in the drama (if you ask me). All in all, fun and sometimes little ridiculus, but definetly a good passtime drama :P

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars (BUT Im being abit generous now :D )

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts