Gakkou no Kaiden Review

Title: Gakkou no Kaiden

AKA: School’s Steps / The Steps of School

Genre: School, Human Drama

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2015-Jan to 2015-Mar

Cast: Hirose Suzu, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Ishibashi Anna, Sugisaki Hana and Suga Kenta.

“If you have friends there, school is fun. For the strong, school is a paradise. But for the weak...it's a mine-ridden battlefield. There are no passionate teachers who will help you, and you can't rely on your parents. All you can do is try to avoid the mines and wait for graduation. That's right... You should keep your breath hushed, and not move. If you move even a little, you'll become a target. When that happens... I've lost? Fight back and break it all! This is the story of the world's biggest weakling... And her rebellion.” (Intro of the drama)

Haruna Tsubame (Hirose Suzu) is a student at a prestige school, where rich kids are enrolling. She, with numerous of other students, is part of a program where children from ‘not-so-rich’ families are enrolled. Due to the money given by 8 riches students, called Platinum 8, or rather their families, the 8 are allowed to do anything without being put responsible.  As a joke the Platinum 8 put Tsubame as the president of the school’s council, knowing that Tsubame has a fear of big crowds. This leads to Tsubame encountering Shizukui Kei (Kamiki Ryunosuke), who tells her that she need to fight and that he will help her.

At first she refuses him, but when her best friend is at the verge of being expelled, she seeks the help of Kei…

As a fan of Kamiki’s I have to say, one great drama! I didn’t really know what to expect since I didn’t read the summary of the drama, but I really enjoyed watching it. You would think that 10 episodes with speeches would make you bored, but somehow the monologues where nice to hear. I call them monologues, but when talking you really felt like she was talking to you. So it wasn’t boring to be honest.

Kamiki was great; I am officially going to watch all his dramas/movies. Besides him, the rest was good too. I kind of thought they were all good actors.

All in all: a great drama with great acting.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Resident Review

Title: Resident

AKA:  5-nin no Keishui

Genre: Medical

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2012-Oct to 2012-Dec

Cast: Naka Riisa, Hayashi Kento, Masuda Takahisa, Oomasa Aya and Ishibashi Anna.

This story is about residents becoming doctors, at their very first practice after passing the exams, and their 3 months in Emergency medicine. It follows 5 residents: Miyama Shizuku (Naka Riisa) a strong headed and opinionated lead that believes doctors should do more than just save their patients. Yazakawa Kei (Hayashi Kento) is top of the bunch with an arrogant attitude, but is most like a doctor. Manaka Junichi (Masuda Takahisa) son of a doctor family that owns a hospital, but different than his family he is over caring and lacks confidence. Koiwa Hinako (Oomasa Aya) who is focused on her looks and prefers not to work too much as it can affect her skin, and is rather selfish. Lastly Shinjo Sachi (Ishibashi Anna) a strict and straightforward girl, who doesn’t like halfhearted or lazy people.

Together they learn, what it is like to be a doctor and what it takes, but also what the limits are of being a resident, as well as a doctor…

I had been waiting for this drama for so long, mainly because of the subbers, not that I blame them for taking so long, but I have wanted to watch it and I finally did. I could not keep my eyes off it as I finished all 10 episodes in one go. The story is good, and yes Masuda is here (my main reason for starting this), but I was head over heels for the love story for the two side characters Shinjo and Yazakawa. Besides it being a serious drama with actual realistic stories, I loved that we saw the real world of the residency. I mean I know residents and interns have it hard, but I was kind of surprised of how small they were and how easy they get blamed for, of course not being deemed responsible, but someone expecting to know how to do things without having any experience is really mean and though.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I am going to say this: a great drama with a realistic view of residency.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts