Keiji 7-nin 2 Review

Title: Keiji 7-nin 2

AKA: Seven Detectives 2

Genre: Detective, Crime

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2016-Jul to 2916-Sep

Cast: Higashiyama Noriyuki, Takashima Masahiro, Kataoka Ainosuke, Suzuki Kosuke, Kurashina Kana, Yoshida Kotaro, Tsukamoto Takashi and Kitaoji Kinya.

This is the second season of the drama Keiji 7-nin.

Continuing from season 1, the 12^th Division is still working cases based on being “the bottom” of the hierarchy. Amagi Yu (Higashiyama Noriyuki) has been transferred to division 6, driving around in his patrol car and responds to radio calls, and is first on scene. Though he is transferred, the division works together, and investigates crimes - always in a dramatic way.

When a serial of body parts is left in gift boxes around Tokyo, the team, together with other divisions, try and track the killer, who seems to taunt them. At the same time, Aoyama Arata (Tsukamoto Takashi) is tasked to keep an eye on division 12, and report back to the head investigator…

I watched this right after the first season, and compared to first season, this season is dark. There is a heavy seriousness and very little humor, which is odd, because in the first season it was explained that Division 12, was for outcasts and weirdoes. Basically, they did a 180 degree turn, on our characters, and I didn’t appreciate that. All seem so dull and stoic, compared to the loud and funny characters from season one. Especially our main lead, who straightened his curly hair, and changed his brown suit, to a black one. Worst of all, he only speaks when needed, and has a frown. Definitely different than season 1…

Other than that, the entire season was good. The stories were great, and the team work was intriguing to watch. I honestly liked every single story in this drama, so kudos to the writers.

All in all, different from season 1, but still a good drama.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Keiji 7-nin Review

Title: Keiji 7-nin

AKA: Seven Detectives

Genre: Detective, Crime

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2015-Jul to 2015-Sep

Cast: Higashiyama Noriyuki, Takashima Masahiro, Kataoka Ainosuke, Suzuki Kosuke, Kurashina Kana, Yoshida Kotaro and Kitaoji Kinya.

While working at the Lost and Found Center for the MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) Amagi Yu (Higashiyama Noriyuki) gets a visit from Katagari Masatoshi (Yoshida Kotaro), who tells him to return to the First Investigation as a detective. When he arrives at his division, Division 12, Amagi is met by 6 odd members. Infamous for being a “detective graveyard”, Division 12 is the place where detectives go, but don’t move up, no matter what they accomplish. The chief, Katagari is laid back and chain smoking, not really invested in his position. Samura Kosuke (Takashima Masahiro) a brute detective, with temperament issues. Nagasawa Keita (Suzuki Kosuke) a worrisome detective, who doesn’t stop talking. Mizuta Tamaki (Kurashina Kana) the only female detective, but without real motivation. Yamashita Takumi (Kataoka Ainosuke) a fancy detective, who works as the team’s lab expert. And Domoto Shuntaro (Kitaoji Kinya) the forensic professor, who seems to know Amagi well.

When a boat explodes by the harbor, Division 12 is set out to investigate, but due to hierarchy, they lose the case to another division, and get two minor cases instead. Soon they realize that all three cases are entwined, and they uncover an even deeper conspiracy…

So, I really like Higashiyama, like I am a fan, since I started liking Johnny’s, but I never knew he was doing TV. This was a pleasant surprise, as I really enjoyed this drama. It was interesting, fun and it got me emotional at times, but still managed to have a bit of action. Though I would occasionally find it a bit dragged, not in the bad sense, but in the “filler” kind if way, it was still a good drama to watch. The cast was good, pretty standard, and Higashiyama was alright… I mean, his character is a bit typical, and the rest are also quite stereotypical, so I wasn’t blown away per se. But it was good, nonetheless.

All in all, a good drama, with good storytelling.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Kizoku Tantei Review

Title: Kizoku Tantei

AKA: Noble Detective

Genre: Detective, Mystery, Comedy

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2017-Apr to 2017-Jun

Theme song: I’ll be there by Arashi

Cast: Aiba Masaki, Takei Emi, Namase Katsuhisa, Kinami Haruka and Okayama Amane.

Takatou Aika (Takei Emi) is a young detective, working at her master Kitami Kirikos (Igawa Haruka) detective agency. She hasn’t had a breakthrough even though she spends most of her time focusing on cases and her work - she rarely gets a deduction right.

Everything changes when she one-day encounters “The Noble Detective” (Aiba Masaki). Nothing is known about his except that he identifies himself as such, and that he is an aristocrat with a lot of money. All his deductions and investigations are carried out by his staff, and he spends most of his time entertaining young women involved in the cases.

Completely befuddled by his way of “being a detective”, Aika decides to prove to him what a real detective is, and competes with his in solving cases. Soon she realizes that The Noble Detective has some past with his master, and she starts to investigate him, but the further she goes, the less she is sure…

When I watched the first episode I wasn’t hooked at all, then when I continued I found the first drama ever that I couldn’t guess the ending off till the very last episode. That not only made me intrigued, but also looking forward to every week to see if the things I had guessed were right.

The acting in this drama was good, and the storyline is weird, though it grows on you quite fast. I must say that I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much, and for the first time ever I hadn’t noticed the small hints that were given throughout the series. When the last episode came out, I was surprised that I hadn’t connected the dots. And this made me realize how nice it must be not to be able to guess the ending. (Ha ha ha)

All in all, a weird yet good drama, with good acting, and they managed to ‘fool’ me, so a “well done detective drama”.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Tunnel Review

Title: Tunnel

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Detective, Time Travel

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2017-Mar to 2017-May

Cast: Choi Jin Hyuk, Yoon Hyun Min, Lee Yoo Young, Jo Hee Bong and Kim Min Sang.

In 1986 Park Gwang Ho (Choi Jin Hyuk), working as an experienced detective, is faced with a serial of killings. Back in the days the term ‘serial killer’ isn’t a popular used word, but Gwang Ho is one of few that notices a pattern. One evening while almost catching the serial killer, he is runs through a tunnel and is hit on the head. While regaining feet he walks back to his station, but is met with an empty station and an unfamiliar face, Kim Sun Jae (Yoon Hyun Min) at his desk. In the confusion he handcuffs Sun Jae, but soon notices that there is something wrong. He slowly realizes, with the help of his junior now team leader, that he isn’t in his own time. He has traveled 30 years into the future, and is unable to get back.

While trying to figure out how any of it is possible and how to get back, he notices that the serial killer from 30 years ago still is at large. But as older case files have been burned in a fire in the past, he is the only one remembering the case. So, he decides that in order to get back, he must solve the case. Unfortunately, there seems to be something else going on, when a person with the same name as Gwang Ho is supposed to show up at the very station, but has disappeared…

Sorry for the lacking summary, it’s hard not to spoil much of this great drama.

I really enjoyed watching this drama, even though for the first time ever I disliked both supporting actors. Their characters were unlikeable! I mean for the first 4 episodes I wasn’t interested in their screen time, but as time went by I guess they grew on me. Choi Jin Hyuk was great all the way through – I could totally see him as a man from 1986, by language and how he carried himself. The Yeon Suk and Gwang Ho coupling was so cute, made me not care about any other couples. Story and screenplay is great as well.

Unfortunately, I guessed 85% of the drama before the end of, so I was just expecting things to happen by the end of it. But that doesn’t mean everyone will feel that way! So, I would recommend this drama to anyone.

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Kamji’s Verdict

What a marathon! I Personally have a liking to all OCN’s crime/mstery themed dramas. Therefor of course Tunnel was a drama I looked very much forward to. It didn’t disappoint me. The acting was on point, the storyline and the cinematography between the 80’ and present day was really believable. The storyline throughout the drama was very predictable, but I gotta admit the particular cases and crimes throughout was not, at least for me. I liked the suspense a lot, and definitely the teamwork at that police department. Also I agree with Bunji, that Choi Jin Hyuk, was the perfect one for that role. Everything about him screamed the 80’. So to conclude I would say yet again, good job to OCN.  

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Unubore Deka Review

Title: Unubore Deka

AKA: Conceited Detective

Genre: Comedy, Detective, Romance, Suspense

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2010-Jul to 2010-Sep

Cast: Nagase Tomoya, Ikuta Toma, Kaname Jun and Arakawa Yoshiyoshi.

“Unubore” means being conceited and overestimating your own abilities when it comes to wooing girls. Our lead (Nagase Tomoya) in this story is called ‘Unubore’ by everyone he knows, because he simply is thinking that every girl falls in love with him. After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend/fiancé, Unubore lives by falling in love with any girl after the 3 seconds stare - meaning after 3 seconds of they look at each other it means love at first sight. One day he enteres a bar where 4 other unubore guys are staying: actor that can’t get pass the corps role Honjo Sadame (Ikuta Toma), a narcissistic patisserie Matsuoka Seishiro (Kaname Jun), a glamour photographer Anai Kiichi (Yagahi Ken) and the leader/master who is over his 50’s Kurihashi Makoto (Bando Mistugoro). They all boost each other’s conceitedness, by overestimating themselves.

But surprisingly every time he falls for a girl she ends up being a criminal, so he ultimately asks them a question: will you sign the marriage papers or will you go to jail?

Yeah.. Uhm, this is so slapstick humor that I couldn’t even laugh. I think I kind of tried to see it as funny and ended up rolling my eyes even more. Though it has some scenes that make me face palm myself because of its ridiculousness, but someone these people are so dumb it’s not even funny. The huge and famous cast couldn’t even save this sinking ship, but you could kind of enjoy it because of the crazily conceited guys and their way of seeing life and women. The story though is so silly and yeah.. Ridiculous.. I can’t think of any other word.

So recommendable? I wouldn’t, but you can give it a try.

☆☆ / 2 out of 5 stars

♥♥ / 2 out of 5 heats

Kagi no Kakatta Heya 2014 SP Review

Title: Kagi no Kakatta Heya Special

AKA: The Locked Room Murders

Genre: Mystery, Detective

Broadcast date: 2014-Jan-03

Theme song: Face Down by Arashi

Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Toda Erika, Sato Koichi and Fujiki Naohito.

The story continues after Enomoto (Ohno Satoshi) leaves Japan, after the case of the missing diamonds. Serizawa (Sato Koichi) has been successful in many of his cases due to the extra time he has got with not following around Enomoto, and Aoto (Toda Erika) has become more familiar with her work after having become a real lawyer on her own. Even though they have not heard of Enomoto for a long time, the two secretly miss the “Team Enomoto” and the mystery cases.

When Serizawa arrives early at a client’s home, he sleeps in his car after spotting a man looking at him, and is woken by the client’s niece. The two enter the locked room only to find him murders. At the same time Aoto is looking for a man who has saved a man’s life, but had no way of entering the room except with a key. There she meets Enomoto again, who solves the case in matter of minutes, and decides to help Serizawa in finding the locked door murderer…

This drama has a certain ‘feel’ to it, which I had forgotten about. But when watching the special all the emotions and the ‘feel’ I had watching the serial, I remembered when watching the special. The comedy was great and awesome as always, and the crime was amazing due to the point it being actually reasonable and not theatrical. I was actually very interested in seeing how the killer did it, which I couldn’t do in any way even if it was possible to guess. I love these actors, Ohno of course, Erika as always, but I really enjoyed Koichis comedic role. I love that Erikas character has become smarter in guessing the murders, and also I love Ohnos character becoming more interesting, with that I mean his past and most definatly his way of dealing with his knowledge..

So recommendable? Yes, but you should watch the drama, just for the sake of the amazing cast.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri Review

Title: Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri

Genre: Detective, Comedy

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2012-Apr to 2012-Jun

Theme song: Your Eyes by Arashi

Cast: Aiba Masaki, Fujiki Naohito, Okura Tadayoshi, Oomasa Aya and Matsuko Deluxe.

Katayama Yoshitaro (Aiba Masaki) is a detective really unsuitable for the job: he is afraid of heights, blood and women. He loves doing housework, is incredibly naïve, believing everyone, and is very gentle and too nice. Being forced to be a detective by his older brother Katayama Hiroshi (Fujiki Naohito) and younger sister Katayama Harumi (Oomasa Aya), due to the family’s percept “One family, one detective” meaning that there is every generation has to be one detective. Hiroshi dreams and strives to become a novelist, and Harumi is working part-time jobs dreaming of becoming an actress. The two basically don’t let Yoshitaro quit his job so the two can do whatever they want, even when Yoshitaro takes a resignation letter to his boss, the siblings make sure to go to his workplace and take back the letter.

After his 4^th failed resignation, he and his fellow co-worker detective Ishizu (Okura Tadayoshi) are assigned to go to a girl’s school, where Yoshitaro sees a cat. He is warned about the cat having a reputation of scratching and biting people so no one wants it, but when he approaches the cat, nothing happens. The cat is introduced as Holmes, and when he takes it home he is surprised to see the cat transform into a human form (Matsuko Deluxe), but only in front of him/in his eyes. When a murder happens in the same school Holmes helps Yoshitaro, and slowly Yoshitaro becomes better and better at his job.

This is a very family oriented drama, which focuses on making the audience guess who the killer is. Presenting the evidence do that everyone understands, and having a family discuss the issues makes the audience get involved and helping them guess the methods and reasons. The cats as ‘Holmes’ gives it a humorous side to it, and having the lead actor not being interested in being a detective makes it funnier than usual police dramas. This drama suits Aiba the most, and fits his personality almost perfectly.

I did enjoy this mainly because it’s not as annoying as the typical dramas, and it’s very light, meaning a great break from all other dramas. A good Japanese drama.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 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

MONSTERS Review

Title: MONSTERS
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Episodes: 8
Broadcast period:  2012-Oct-21 to 2012-Dec-09
Cast: Katori Shingo, Yamashita Tomohisa, Yanagihara Kanako, Warabino Tomoya, Kikuta Daisuke, Hino Tatsuya, Shiroishi Tomoya, Hinaka Yasukage, Otake Makoto, Endo Kenichi . . .

Saionji Kousuke (Yamashita Tomohisa) is a young man who has fighting his was up to become a detective. On his first day as a rookie detective of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division, he is supposed to meet the Chief, and that is what he does.. he believes. But he is tricked by Hiratsuka Heihachi (Katori Shingo), the odd detective nobody really wants to work with. Hiratsuka makes Saionji do all sorts of weird things making him believe it is all right, since he is the chief, but then when the real cheif walks into his office, Saionji has a hard time explaining himself. The cheif then gives Saionji his mission, which is to watch Hiratsuka and report back any wrongdoing of his, so they can bust Hiratsuka. Hiratsuka is a quite odd person, he is rude yet manner-ly. However compared to the investigation department he seems to be the most capable of solving the mysteries that occur. The rest of the investigation team misses a lot of details and thinks traditionally while Hiratsuka and Saionji manage to catch the small things, using which decide the outcome of most cases. We follow the two solving mystery after mystery.

I must say, this is one of those ridiculous, serious dramas. The humour is ridiculous and it makes you laugh. Bunji recommended this drama, she said she watched 20 minutes and she was still laughing, and I thought well, why not. And it really is those small ridiculous things, like the syncronisation of the police officers, the way they bow, the ridiculous way they handle the cases and such.. but yet it is still serious, when it comes to solving the mysteries, it is quite interesting. But I felt as if it wasn't one of those mystery dramas where you could be a part of solving it. Since it was solved by them being at the scene and seeing things we couldn't see, they had to walk around and look at the crime scene finding things and such. Which made me a bit.. sad? But I was compensated by the laughs lol. It is the kind of detective drama that doesn't make you all tense and completely absorbed, trying to figure it out, it's more laid back, leads you, with fun. Not that it isn't interesting, just not tense. I did enjoy it, it was fun and short. Recommend ;)

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict

Well, the beginning was funny, and the same humor goes on throughout the entire drama. But the murders were just too obvious, especially after episode 2, like I knew who the killer was before the evidence came out. Of course it was interesting to find out HOW, but still when you know the killer, 45min seem long. I liked the last episode story, though again, obvious.
I was happy to see Yamapi in a comedy. And generally an okay drama, just the actors were as the drama, a bit silly (with silly I mean funny yet interesting).

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Bystanders Movie Review

Title: Bystanders
AKA: Diary of June
Genre: Detective
Origin: Korean
Release date: 01 December 2005
Cast: Shin Eun Kyung, Eric Moon, Yoo Joon Sang and Yunjin Kim

Cho Ja Young (Shin Eun Kyung) a loud and proud police woman is senior in the second crime division. She has a younger rookie partner Kim Dong Wook (Eric Moon) who seems a bit lazy but in fact is good at what he does. When they one day get called on their day off, to apparent suicide by a high school student. But when a mystical capsule is discovered in an autopsy, in the belly of the student, stating that he had killed someone. This someone is a student at the same school who was murdered on a bridge sometime prior the suicide. Ja Young and Dong Wook link them together, but something doesn’t seem to add up, and when another capsule is found in the murdered victim stating that the student who killed himself didn’t actually do so, but was made to look like that, it becomes a case of a serial killer…

This movie revolves around one of the few subjects I don’t like: Bullying. And this movie has some severe bullying to do with. For a movie that is 7 years old, I feel that it is really interesting, and has some pretty reasonable sides to it - like the dilemmas in the movie are still present today, which makes it a classic (though not completely). I love Eric Moon and I was afraid that I might have been biased while watching it, but I really didn’t see any flaw in his acting, though the lead actress sometimes seemed to either overact or just wasn’t in the ‘right mood’. But the two, the duo, they are genius. Like these to personalities and their teamwork is brilliant! Wish there was more :)
It’s not one of those “omg” movies, but it has a lot of either creepy or sad moments, ocassionally freaky.. I recommend honestly!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Kagi no Kakatta Heya Review

Title (romaji): Kagi no Kakatta Heya
AKA: The Locked Room Murders
Genre: Mystery, Detective
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2012-Apr to 2012-Jun
Theme song: Face Down by Arashi
Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Toda Erika and Sato Koichi.

When Aoto Junko (Toda Erika) officially starts working at a law firm, she somehow manages to mess up on the first day. Her boss Serizawa Gou (Sato Koichi) is sort of a dominant man, but is easily persuaded. The two go to a bank in order to deal with a financial case; the bank director and Serizawa go inside a high tech vault, only to be locked inside by Aoto. When she finds out that the only way to open the vault is the bank director, all hope seems lost. That is until a funny character arrives: Enomoto Kei (Ohno Satoshi) a weird and expressionless person with an incredible mind. He works at a security firm and manages to open the ‘impossible’ vault in matter of minutes. This leads Aoto to ask Enomoto for help, solving a ‘Locked-room-case’ they had been entrusted in earlier that day, which Enomoto doesn’t refuse; because he believes that “There is no room that can’t be unlocked”.

Defiantly one of the best Japanese dramas of the year; not that I have watched that many this year, but so far the best. Ohno Satoshi doesn’t fail to empress me, and Toda Erika is surprisingly good at being bubbly. I really like the theme of the drama, and to be honest, I would never had thought that I would need so much time to figure out who the killer is to the point where I had no clue, and I’m usually decently good at it.

Anyways, the drama is recommendable, so if you missed interesting Japanese dramas you should watch this : )

☆☆☆☆/ 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Lucky Seven Review

Title: Lucky Seven
Genre: Detective, comedy
Episodes: 10
Broadcast period: 2012-Jan-16 to 2012-Mar-19
Cast: Matsumoto Jun, Eita, Naka Riisa, Kadono Takuzo, Tanihara Shosuke, Fukiisho Kazue and Kaneda Akio.

The story revolves around a group of seven detectives in the detective agency “Lucky”. Tokita Shuntaro (Matsumoto Jun) is an unemployed part-timer (freeter) that doesn’t have any interests in work, and he’s a playboy whose M.O is older married women.  When he one day leaves the hotel with his lover a group of detectives try to get a picture of him and her. Sometime later the lover calls Shuntaro and explains to him that she can’t meet him because they go busted. Shuntaro happens to see a man he had met at the hotel at that exact time again, connects dots, starts running after him, and follows him to Lucky Detective Agency. There he finds out that the man he had run after is Nitta Teru (Eita), and that he can’t beat him in fighting. On the other hand, the boss Kirihara Yuki (Fukiishi Kazue) finds an interest in the ‘active’ Shuntaro and decides to scout him.

Okay first things first, this is probably the only drama ever that has such awesome fighting scenes! It beats ALL I’ve ever seen! I was a bit worried if Jun would make weird faces (which usually happens because of his face being, well special), but he looked pretty professional! Eita was just cool, he always is, and he didn’t let me down. The Jun and Eita pair was the best part of the drama, so good together, just a bit sad that they only were together for a few episodes… I loved the way the seven detectives (or should I say six most of the time) were together, really cozy somehow. I have to admit I was disappointed about the Eita part, like I said before, Lucky Six.. And another thing bothered me… The entire sensual tension between the boss and Jun, even though it wasn’t romantic or anything, it felt like they would start to make out the moment the talked to one another. But that was the boss’ character I think, like sensual in her own annoying way.. Didn’t even look or act much like a boss.. Anyway.. A good one, wasn’t that bored, only after episode six, it became ‘loose’, like not following the a real storyline, even though they tried to suspense it with the mentioning of the boss’ father’s case, didn’t really work for me…

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict  
Really it wasnt bad, but not favorite either. I didnt have a hard time watching it, it was really okay, but only average for me. Even though I'm really fan of Jun and Eita, it wasnt "waaah!!". But thats how I felt, the drama is well-made, but not really anything extraordinary, nothing we havent seen hundreds of times before.  Jun's acting was very fine and Eita is really good ! Off camera he is so awkward I was really surprised to see that so he must be a real good actor. And I actually liked the relationship between him and jun in the drama. It was those people that annoyed one another who became best friends, always fun watching them "fight". The rest of the detectives I felt were too much in the background, but that might just be me. In the end I felt it was becoming a bit hard to finish. I think it was just a bit too weird though I liked the last episode (or second last, I dont remember). Sorry, but..

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

BOSS 2 Review

Title: BOSS Season 2
Genre: Crime, Detective, Comedy
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2011- to 2011-
Cast: Amami Yuki, Toda Erika, Takenouchi Yukata, Hasegawa Kyoko, Mizobata Junpei and Tamayama Tetsuji.

This season continues two years after a terrorist situation, where the team got split up because of an incident that happened shortly after. Osawa Eriko (Amami Yuki) is back, older, louder and much bossier, putting the team back after her friend and boss Nodate Shinjiro (Takenouchi Yutaka) becomes director. As Kimoto Mami (Toda Erika) is blamed for the mishap that happened in their last incident, she is transferred and new members join the team. But the team has trust issues towards Osawa, believing she is the one that threw Kimoto out, making them lag in action.

I love this series. Watched season one and thought it was different; funny and somewhat realistic. To be honest I watched season one because of Toda Erika, but ended up being a big fan of Amami Yuki (the one that plays boss), now waiting eagerly for subs on one of her newer dramas. Different than season 1, season 2 is a bit loose at the beginning, with random cases, but ends up pretty thrilling, was very excited at the last episode. On the other hand, the last scene(s) are a bit disappointing. Was at least expecting a big POW, or something... To sum up, good/great watch, but not too wowing: P

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3,5 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
Waaah, I really missed this drama, I love how japanese dramas (not saying tht other dont but mostly japanese) make you really excited and looking forward to watching the drama. This one did too, a lot of things happen and its actually a really good drama when talking about quality. It did start out a bit weird, it was confusing because you dont really get to know anything from the end of season 1, but I guess that was because of the ending. Still really great, but I missed a bit that.. they are always successful, you know that at the end of every episode its gonna end good. But again not necessarily a con, just me maybe got a bit tired of it, some times its really complicated and you feel like an idiot watching it but thats mostly typical japanese dramas lol. But if you have watched season one definitely watch this one too, its great.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3,5 out of 5 hearts

Zettai Reido Review

Title: Zettai Reido
AKA: Absolute Zero
Genre: Crime, Police
Episodes: 11
Broadcast period: 2010-Apr to 2010-Jun
Cast: Ueto Aya, Miyasako Hiroyuki, Yamaguchi Sayaka, Maruyama Tomomi.

The story revolves around the rookie detective Sakuragi Izumi (Ueto Aya), working unsolved cases (cold cases), without any feel of being a detective, meaning she doesn’t qualify in any detective ability. On the other hand, she has a strong sense of empathy, meaning she not only feels the pain of the victims, but is able to put herself in their shoes and almost rein act the last scenes of their lives. Or is able to understand their emotions, as well as understanding their logic, making her much different than the usual police.

Okay, first off if this drama shows how the police WAS in Japan, I have to say, they are insanely stupid. I mean, several of the unsolved cases were honestly easy to find out, if you just look through the evidence. Like, there was one of the ’tough’ ones, were high scholars were killed. And all they had to do was check out one of the students phone! Instead of just going after loads of crap. Hmph!
Anyhows, beside the fact that I was able to guess 7 out of 9 cases (the two last ones were GOOD), I have to admit that the sentimental part of the drama is decent. I actually got teary a couple of times. Points for that.
But facts on the table, it’s nowhere near the American series Cold Case, even though it’s basically the same thought. And it really has moments when I rolled my eyes.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts