I'm Home Review

Title: I’m Home

Genre: Family, Drama, Suspense, Mystery

Episodes: 10

Broadcast period: 2015-Apr to 2015-Jun

Cast: Kimura Takuya, Ueto Aya, Tanaka Kei and Mizuno Miki

“About half a year ago, I was in an accident. I lost nearly 5 years of memories. Everything is a blur. But there is one thing for certain. My wife and kid's faces seems to be wearing masks in my eyes.” (intro)

After an accident, Ieji Hisashi (Kimura Takuya) wakes ups with partial amnesia unable to remember the past 5 years of his life. While spending 6 months in recovery, he finds out that the woman he used to be married to is his ex-wife and that he got re-married to Ieji Megumi (Ueto Aya) and they now have a son. To make matters worse he us unable to see the faces of his wife and child: he sees them wearing masks. After losing the top position at his job and being demoted, he finds himself unable to get his life back without his memories.

In his possession, he had a bundle of 10 keys, which he has no idea whom they belong – so he decides to trace back his memories and return the keys, unknowingly that his life isn't as simple as it looks...

Hmm, I am not sure I got the real suspense explained in the summary, but if you watch the first 10 minutes of this drama you’ll understand it immediately.

This drama is what me and Jenji call “A Takuya Drama”, meaning it is perfect for him and he just makes the character his, so you will be amazed no matter what. The thing about this is that he only appears once a year with a drama, and every time he does he either makes a “what is this” or a “dear God yes” types. So, having him do a “Takuya Drama” is very nice to experience. I have personally loved Ueta Aya since her first dramas, so having her in the role as a mother/house mother is quite the difference – and opposite Takuya even better. The only thing I was annoyed about was that they weren’t great in hiding the actress’s pregnancy. I mean I could see her bump - even if they tried with ‘movie magic’ to make it look like she’s not, I could tell (blame that on my years of TV watching). But the general audience wouldn’t necessarily notice.

The drama was great to watch, and very enjoyable. I felt his frustration and hers – and I liked how everything made sense at the end. So, this drama I most defiantly would call a great drama with a good story and superb acting.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 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

5-ji Kara 9-ji Made Review

Title: 5-ji Kara 9-ji Made

AKA: 5→9 From Five to Nine

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 10

Broadcast Period: Oct-2015 to Dec-2016

Cast: Ishihara Satomi, Yamashita Tomohisa, Tanaka Kei, Furukawa Yuki, Takanashi Rin, Saeko, Yoshimoto Miyu,

Sakuraba Junko (Ishihara Satomi) is a part-time teacher at an English conversation school who dreams of one day working in New York. Junko strives hard to achieve her dreams, but New York seems a far distant reality. She hasn't had much luck with romance for a while either. Things suddenly start to change when one day, Junko encounters a handsome Tokyo University graduate monk Hoshikawa Takane (Yamashita Tomohisa) at a funeral service. Due to numbness of her legs after sitting for a long time, Junko accidentally knocks over the bowl of ashes, which falls right onto the head of Takene. After such embarrassing mishap, Junko figures she would never see him again. However, the two end up meeting again in a matchmaking session that was set up by Junko's mother.

I don’t know what I expected, but I was definitely surprised by the plot. It’s not one of those typical japanese dramas, where you quickly figure out what’s going to happen. It keeps surprising you with all kind of plot twists. It really has a nice feeling overall. As usual, Yamashita Tomohisa nails the character on point. I loved all the small details he brought to it, and the way he interacted with “the outside world”, since he’s only used to the temple. The chemistry between the leads were so adorable, I liked how they developed feelings for each other quite naturally. All in all a successful drama, I read somewhere they were going to make a SP, (or maybe it was fan-wishing), but I hope they do it soon, because I can’t get enough of those two. 

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ 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

Doctor-X Review

Title: Doctor-X

Genre: Medical

Episodes: 8

Broadcast period: 2012-Oct to 2012-Dec

Cast: Yonekura Ryoko, Tanaka Kei, Uchida Yuki and Katsumura Masanobu.

Japan’s hospitals have lost their values as they are dealt with as business: patients are customers, VIP patients are more important (as they pay more), and patients are always right – even if the doctor has to lie about the condition they're in. As a result many doctors have quit their jobs, in pursuit of positions that will give them not only money but also comfort. This leads to a new set type of doctors: freelancers. They work specific hours and only work part time. One of these freelancers is Daimon Michiko (Yonekura Ryoko), who doesn’t do any of the ‘business’ driven things these hospitals are doing, such as dinner parties, helping professors with their research papers and director rounds. She only does the things that require a medical license, which also includes her not having any respect for hierarchy. But due to her amazing surgical abilities she is hired, and slowly the hospital system is crumbling…

Hmm, I like medical dramas, especially Japanese ones, but this is just weird. First of all I get the problematic of the entire ‘business’ aspect and the ridiculous ‘better keep the customers happy so we won’t get sued’, but I have no idea what her point of being there has to do anything with this. Yeah she makes everyone angry, and she defies everyone. She also is amazing at her job, and she is the best blah blah blah.. Reminds me why I didn’t like Code Blue. It’s not bad, just not that good (I’m using that sentence a lot I know).  The main actress didn’t really grow, and the general hospital staff (all other actors) were just like a group of fighting bulls – if you get the idea. And it is good acted, just without really being an interesting storyline. Or to say it simply, I didn’t find it interesting. The medical part was very weak to be honest, but that might just be me.

All in all: okay to watch, but not that interesting.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts