Bloody Monday 2

Better than the first one.

Rating: 4****

Code Blue 2

CB2 was a lot better than the first one; I felt it improved on its weaknesses and made most of the characters a lot more likable this time around. The cases were also a lot more interesting to watch and to me, CB2 wasn't just another medical drama.

Yamashita Tomohisa: I like his character a lot more this time around because I now understand why he is so cold most of the time. Yamashita Tomohisa did a good job in the emotional scenes. 5*****

Aragaki Yui: She got a lot less annoying in here (cutting her bangs also helped tremendously!) and her acting has also improved. 4****

Toda Erika: I actually felt her character got annoying and weaker in here. I felt that the writers switched Toda Erika and Aragaki Yui's characters since all Toda Erika's character knows to do in here is cry. 4****

Asari Yosuke: He also got less annoying in here and it actually was kind of cute seeing him have a crush on Higa Manami. 4****

Higa Manami: She is probably my favorite female character in here since she has a soft side but it's not to the point that all she does is cry. I like how her character is more developed in here. 5*****

Ending themesong by Mr.Children: It's the same one as in the first one; however, I didn't like it as much as when I heard in the first one...strange...

Rating: 4****

Liar Game 2

A very good sequel; LG2 was able to improve its mistakes from the first one to even be more captivating and thrilling to watch. I have been reading the manga and LG2 stays true to the manga for the most part with some changes to the plot and characters. There will be a movie to wrap everything up and I can't wait to watch it.

Toda Erika: She has been improving so much since her character was annoying in the first one but her honesty and naivety have grown on me. Her character has also become a little bit more realistic. 5*****

Matsuda Shota: He is still so smart and suave. I don't have any complaints on his acting and I'm glad that his character has flaws since he seems to be too perfect and smart to be true in the manga. 5*****

Suzuki Kosuke: He's a lot less annoying and a lot more likable to watch in here. I like the character better in the manga, but it has nothing to do with his acting but rather the script. 5*****

Kikuchi Rinko: Her character doesn't exist in the manga (or at least not yet...) and she was interesting to watch. 5*****

Toda Erika+Matsuda Shota: They are cute together and I hope they end up together in the movie. 4****

OST: These are all instrumental songs but they fit well with the drama. 4****

Rating: 5***** Definitely a classic.

Atashinchi no Danshi

I initially skipped this when it first came out since it didn't sound too interesting. I decided to watch this because of Horikita Maki and because I didn't have anything else to watch at the time. AnD was a lot a better than I thought since it was a cute, funny, and feel-good drama about cherishing your family/loved ones. It's similar to "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" since it's by the same producers but AnD is better.

Horikita Maki: She's adorable in here even though she wore the ugliest clothes. Horikita Maki didn't disappoint me; she's a great actress. 5*****

Kaname Jun: I like him better in here than in "Ryuusei no Kizuna". His character wasn't that important until the second half though. 5*****

Okada Yoshinori: His character cracked me up; he's a great actor! 5*****

Mukai Osamu: I didn't like his character that much and his acting was okay. 4****

Yamamoto Yusuke: I liked him in "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" so there was no doubt that I wouldn't like him in here! He's really great at comedies. 5*****

Seto Koji: My favorite "brother" since he's adorable. 5*****

Okayama Tomoki: He's really cute so I think he'll be really good-looking when he's older. He has great acting already at such a young age. 5*****

Kusakari Masao: He's such an eccentric character but a good "father". 5*****

Horikita Maki+Mukai Osamu: It's hinted that they will probably end up together. I didn't really like them together; I wanted Horikita Maki to end up with either Seto Koji or Yamamoto Yusuke. 2**

Horikita Maki+Yamamoto Yusuke: They don't look great together but their characters fitted together. 3***

Horikita Maki+Seto Koji: I really wanted them together but it was obvious they wouldn't. 4****

Themesong by Girl Next Door: 4****

Rating: 4****

Buzzer Beat

I had zero expectations for BB because it sounded boring; I thought it would only center around love, basketball, and music. I only watched this because of Yamashita Tomohisa and Kitagawa Keiko and because they are my favorite Japanese actor and actress, I couldn't resist seeing them together as a couple. I'm really glad I watched BB though because it exceeded my expectations to become one of the sweetest romance dramas I have ever seen. The characters are realistic, the plot is believable, and the basketball scenes were kept to a minimal. BB is a really cute and sweet drama about love between two unlikely people with basketball and music on the side.

Yamashita Tomohisa: I really like him in here since he was so sweet. His hair was really ugly though. His character was good but with flaws since he's has insecurities about his career and his love life. A lot of people thought Yamashita Tomohisa was stiff but I thought it fitted his character; his crying scenes were really good. 5*****

Kitagawa Keiko: She's so cute and lovable in here! She hasn't disappointed me when it comes to acting and I don't think I ever will be. I love the clothes she wears in here and she's absolutely gorgeous: with and without makeup. 5*****

Aibu Saki: I was really impressed with her acting in here. Aibu Saki is really convincing as a two-faced woman who is selfish and loose. This is my favorite role of Aibu Saki so far and I don't think she's a horrible actress anymore; she just needs to portray roles that are semi-evil from now on. 4****

Ito Hideaki: I can't believe he's Inoue Mao's older brother in "First Kiss" since he looks so charming in here. I felt bad for his character and I'm glad he didn't become evil when Kitagawa Keiko declined his love. I wished he ended up with somebody though. 5*****

Kanjiya Shihori: She was funny as Kitagawa Keiko's best friend and roommate. 4****

Mizobata Junpei: He's my second favorite male character after Yamashita Tomohisa (of course) in here. He's really cute and I look forward to seeing him in more dramas in the future. 5*****

Nagai Masaru: His character is so unpredictable since I thought he liked Ito Hideaki but he really liked Aibu Saki all along. 4****

Kaneko Nobuaki: He's really unattractive so I'm confused on why Aibu Saki would choose him over Yamashita Tomohisa. 4****

Komatsu Ayaka: A mini-PGSM reunion even though she didn't have any scenes with Kitagawa Keiko! Her role was really small but it was nice to see her in here. 4****

Yamashita Tomohisa+Kitagawa Keiko: After seeing them as a couple, I don't know if I like Yamashita Tomohisa with Kitagawa Keiko or Horikita Maki more. Yamashita Tomohisa and Kitagawa Keiko have a lot of chemistry together (their kissing scenes were really believable!) and they are my new favorite couple. The love they developed in here was really innocent and realistic. I hope they film another drama together soon! 5*****

Yamashita Tomohisa+Aibu Saki: They were not bad as a couple but I questioned if Aibu Saki truly loved Yamashita Tomohisa or not. It seems like Aibu Saki was only with Yamashita Tomohisa because he's a good man (which makes sense when she cheated on him) and then she was selfish and greedy to want him back after it doesn't work out with Kaneko Nobuaki. 3***

Kitagawa Keiko+Ito Hideaki: It always felt like Ito Hideaki was "too old" for Kitagawa Keiko so they were only an okay couple to me. 3***

Kanjiya Shihori+Mizobata Junpei: They are my second favorite couple in here. 4****

Kanjiya Shihori+Nagai Masaru: Not a bad couple but they are not compatible in terms of personalities. 3***

Aibu Saki+Nagai Masaru: Nagai Masaru deserves somebody better! I don't get why he even likes Aibu Saki and Aibu Saki got the easy way out since she still ended up with a nice guy! She should have ended up with nobody. 1*

Aibu Saki+Kaneko Nobuaki: A relationship that formed due to lust and revenge. I would have been okay if they ended up together since they matched in terms of personalities. 2**

Kaneko Nobuaki+Komatsu Ayaka: Poor Komatsu Ayaka since her character was pretty much created so they can have another woman for Kaneko Nobuaki. 1*

Themesong by B'z: I don't the singing too much but the beat is really good. 3***

Rating: 4.5****

Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name

These two are the live-action movies of the popular manga and anime of the same name. With all movies, a lot were cut and changed around but they still kept the characters intact. I would still, however, recommend either reading the manga or watching the anime first before watching the movies to get the "complete" feel of DN. Overall, this was not a bad adaptation of DN.

Fujiwara Tatsuya: He was the main character in "Battle Royale" and he was okay as Yagami Light. Yagami Light is a pretty hard character to portray since you only truly know him in his head. 4****

Matsuyama Kenichi: He was pretty good as L but something was missing for me. 4****

Toda Erika: She was pretty cute as Amane Misa and she made the character a little bit less annoying for me. 4****

Fujiwara Tatsuya+Toda Erika: 3***

Themesong by Shikao Suga: 3***

Rating: 4**** The "Death Note" series was made into two movies so you have to watch both. However, "L: Change the World" is optional since it's a spin-off.

Ryuusei no Kizuna

I was initially attracted to the cast (Ninomiya Kazunari, Nishikido Ryo, and Toda Erika) and the murder mystery plot since I think the Japanese are the best when it comes to making short and interesting dramas. RnK is a really light-hearted and funny drama for the most part until it talks about the main murder mystery, which doesn't really get too serious and dramatic until near the end. I remembered a lot of people gave up on RnK since the early episodes were more comedic than dramatic, but I think this is the best attribute of RnK: it is able to be both a comedy and a serious drama when it needs to be. This drama can be considered slow if you're impatient when it comes to knowing the killer of the main murder mystery since you won't find your answer until the last episode. The rest of the other nine episodes revolve around character developments with swindling on the side. To me, it was a little bit slow in the beginning but the pace started to pick up around the fourth and fifth episodes. The ending was nicely done and I was very satisfied with RnK as a drama since every thing was solved with no loose ends.

Ninomiya Kazunari: This is my first drama of Ninomiya Kazunari and I thought he did a great job. He was believable and his crying scenes were excellent. 5*****

Nishikido Ryo: He's so different in here when compared to "Last Friends". I remember writing about how he was so convincing in "Last Friends" that I can probably never see him as a non-abusive boyfriend, but he was able to show me that this role and the one in "Last Friends" are completely different. 5*****

Toda Erika: Every time I see her in a new drama, she keeps improving and this drama is no exception. I also love her earrings in here. 5*****

Kaname Jun: I didn't like him in the beginning but he grew on me as the drama progressed. I like how he's so sweet to Toda Erika's character. 5*****

Kiritani Kenta: This actor cracked me up every time he was onscreen. I enjoyed his eccentric character and loved his facial expressions. He's excellent in comedies. 5*****

Nakashima Mika: I missed seeing her in "Nana" so it was nice to see her on and off again in here. Her character is so random but hilarious. 5*****

Ninomiya Kazunari+Nishikido Ryo+Toda Erika: I love them as siblings! They really did seem like real-life siblings and I love the interactions between them. 5*****

Toda Erika+Kaname Jun: I'm glad they got their happy ending. 3***

Ninomiya Kazunari+Nakashima Mika: Although it was mostly one-sided, I think they will end up with each other eventually. 4****

Themesong by Arashi: 4****

Rating: 4****

Bloody Monday

BM, for the most part, was interesting due to its captivating and suspenseful plot. I like watching the many twists, turns, double crossings, and the occasionally surprising triple crossings in here. The only flaws are the episodes are sometimes boring in the middle since they wanted the cliffhangers to be at the end of each episode so they tend to drag the plot a little bit in the middle of each of the episodes. In addition, they tried to make BM too "dramatic" with too much staring and silent moments before revelations come up. The ending was a little bit disappointing since it was left open-ended but I blame that on the manga (of the same name) for not being completed yet so there might be a sequel, special, or movie when the manga is done. There are still a lot of unanswered questions at the end of BM so this might not be the right drama (for now at least) for you if you need closure but the plot is clever and refreshingly new.

Miura Haruma: He's cute and I thought he did a good job. He sometimes over-exaggerated but for the most part, he was believable. I like how smart his character was. 4****

Narimiya Hiroki: I haven't seen him since "Nana" so it was nice to see a familiar face in here. He was great since he gave out weird vibes every time he was onscreen, which was very fitting for his character. 5*****

Kichise Michiko: She always portrays interesting characters ("Liar Game" and "Maou") and this role was no exception. 5*****

Sato Takeru: I don't know if it's bad acting or that this is what his character is supposed to be but I felt his acting wasn't as good as Miura Haruma's. Maybe he is supposed to look suspicious all the time? 3***

Fujii Mina: Her character was annoying but she was better near the end. Her acting was okay but nothing too special though. 2**

Tokunaga Eri: The weakest link of the whole cast but like Sato Takeru, I'm not sure if it's bad acting or that this is what her character is supposed to be. 1*

Themesong by flumpool: 4****

Rating: 3.5***

Mop Girl

MP is a comedic and fantasy-like take on murder mystery dramas. It has an interesting idea/theme but it can get repetitive since each episode involves a new murder with Kitagawa Keiko traveling back in time to save the victims. The episodes also don’t connect with each other so there are barely any character developments. Some of the cases were interesting while some were predictable since you could guess who the murderer(s) are. The ending was left open-ended so I think there might be a sequel or special but the ratings weren’t that high when MP aired so the chances are pretty slim. The ending reminded me a lot of “Maou’s” ending but it’s not as bad since it wasn’t as cliffhanger-ish as “Maou’s” was. Overall, MP is a cute and funny drama as long as you don’t expect too much from it.

Kitagawa Keiko: This is Kitagawa Keiko’s second drama since she focuses more on filming movies. She’s extremely adorable and her acting is pretty good in here since this role was different from the one in “Pretty Guardian Sailormoon”; her character in here is a lot more silly and clumsy while “Hino Rei (Sailor Mars)" is more serious and smart. I wish her character’s power was more developed/explained though. 5*****

Tanihara Shosuke: He’s hilarious in here since he’s obsessed with foreign women. I would have like to know more about his relationship with his ex-girlfriend though. His acting is great and he is a natural when it comes to comedic roles. 5*****

Themesong by Sawajiri Erika (ERIKA): 4****

Rating: 3.5*** Definitely watch this if you’re a fan of Kitagawa Keiko since the whole drama revolves around her and you won’t be disappointed with her acting.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation has an interesting idea for a plot but it failed miserably as a horror movie since it lacked scary moments. The acting from the cast is also pretty bad and the plot dragged like there's no tomorrow. It showed too many of the same scenes over and over again that it got repetitive and annoying. The twists and the ending were actually pretty good but I was able to predict them so it wasn't so "surprising" to watch them.

Yuka: She likes to widen her eyes a lot and was too stiff in some scenes. 2**

Rating: 1.5*

Maou

This is the Japanese remake of the Korean drama "The Devil" with Joo Ji Hoon and Uhm Tae Woong. I thought the "The Devil" sounded interesting but never got into it enough to watch it since I felt it was too slow and confusing in the beginning to withstand twenty episodes. Therefore, I was thrilled when I heard Maou was made since I tend to like Japanese dramas better since they're shorter and straighter to the point. However, maybe that got my hopes high because I didn't enjoy Maou as much as I thought I would since I felt it wasn't as suspenseful and smart as I anticipated.

Ohno Satoshi: For his first acting role, he did a pretty good job since he looked and acted like the "Devil" in the inside but also nice, caring, and innocent in the outside; I felt his pain and agony. He was stiff in some scenes but overall, he was good. 4****

Ikuta Toma: I thought he did a better job in "Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e" since he tend to over-exaggerate in some scenes in here. I think he's better suited for comedic roles but he was still good in here. 4****

Kobayashi Ryoko: She's cute at some angles and she overall did an okay job; nothing too memorable though. Her character was underdeveloped since all she did was yen for Ohno Satoshi's love and sometimes use her psychic skills to help Ikuta Toma out. 3***

Ohno Satoshi+Kobayashi Ryoko: I pretty much felt nothing for them as a couple because Maou didn't focus too much on them. 2**

Ikuta Toma+Kobayashi Ryoko: It's not very clear if Ikuta Toma actually likes Kobayashi Ryoko or not since most of their scenes together consist of trying to use psychic abilities to solve the murder cases. 2**

Themesong by Arashi: 4****

Rating: 3*** I heard that "The Devil" is better; however, some also like Maou better so I think it depends on one's taste. Maou's ending was a cliffhanger since it was a lame attempt to milk money since the special can only be found on the DVD boxset. Overall, Maou was an okay drama to watch once.

Code Blue

I primarily watched this because of Yamashita Tomohisa because the plot sounded like a typical doctor drama. CB is like the American "Grey's Anatomy" and TVB's "Always Ready" mixed together but a lot shorter and obviously, Japanese. The characters reminded me a lot of the characters on "Grey's Anatomy" while the concept of using a helicopter reminded me of "Always Ready"; however, I haven't seen "Always Ready" yet. CB is just an okay drama to me since I have seen too many doctor dramas that the doctor genre is getting repetitive to me since each episode is always about saving people.

Yamashita Tomohisa: He's the Cristina Yang/Meredith Grey/Derek Shepherd of CB since he's the best intern and is on par with some of the doctors (Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, and Derek Shepherd are really good doctors). He appears cold and only wants to treat people to sharpen his skills (Cristina Yang), has a Grandmother that has Alzheimer’s (Meredith Grey), and is extremely good-looking (Derek Shepherd).

Yamashita Tomohisa doesn't look too good in here because of his ugly, permed hair. His acting is also not that great in here compared to his other dramas since I expected something more. 4****

Aragaki Yui: She's the Izzie Stevens/Meredith Grey of CB since her "kindness" gets the better of herself (Izzie Stevens) and she has hesitations/doubts (Meredith Grey).

I found Aragaki Yui's character to be really annoying and not likeable at all which is surprising because she is the lead actress and her role was written to be nice, but I found her to be unrealistic. Her hair is also extremely annoying and she likes to widen her eyes a lot. 3***

Toda Erika: She's the Cristina Yang/Izzie Stevens of CB because she also seems cold and sarcastic (Cristina Yang). She also wants a life outside of work and has hair like Izzie Stevens.

I'm starting to like Toda Erika a lot since her looks and acting has gotten a lot better since "Hana Yori Dango II" and "Liar Game". Her character can be mean but it's realistic. 4****

Asari Yosuke: He's the George O'Malley/Alex Karev of CB because he's the worst of the interns and not that attractive (George O'Malley). He is also really arrogant and stupid (Alex Karev).

Asari Yosuke was likeable in the beginning since he was like George O'Malley but as the drama progressed, he became more like Alex Karev and became not as likeable. Although, I did sort of felt pity for his character for not being able to ride the helicopter until the very end though. 3***

Higa Manami: She's the Cristina Yang/Miranda Bailey/George O'Malley of CB since she's cold but a very good nurse (Cristina Yang). She also "teaches" some of the interns (Miranda Bailey) and she is a nurse because she couldn't become a doctor (George O'Malley).

I like her character even though she isn't perfect since she is the most human-like character in here. 4****

Couplings: There were barely any romance in here so nobody really hooked up with anybody but it seemed like/hinted that if this drama was longer, Aragaki Yui and Higa Manami would have fallen for Yamashita Tomohisa with Yamashita Tomohisa probably falling for Aragaki Yui. Higa Manami seemed like to have a crush on Yamashita Tomohisa but she did meet up with her ex-boyfriend near the end so it's questionable. Asari Yosuke probably would have either fallen for Aragaki Yui or Toda Erika. However, if it was up to me, I would like Yamashita Tomohisa to be a couple with Toda Erika but Yamashita Tomohisa and Higa Manami is not bad either.

Ending themesong by Mr.Children: 5*****

Rating: 3*** There's going to be a special in 2009 so I'll watch it to see how CB really ends.

G@me

I watched this also because of my cousin since she also likes this movie. The idea is nothing really new but the various twists and turns in this movie are what make this movie watchable. The beginning was kind of slow, the love story was cheesy, and the ending was sort of unrealistic. However, it reminded me of "Catch Me Now" so it was good in the middle.

Naohito Fujiki: He acted as Hanazawa Rui in the 1995 movie adaptation of "Hana Yori Dango" so he looks pretty handsome. However, in close-up scenes, he looks really old and not so attractive. His character was pretty smart in here but I didn't really like him that much since he was pretty boring in some scenes. 4****

Nakama Yukie: The character is too "young" for her since her portrayal was annoying but she got better near the end. I thought it would have been better if her character was consistent rather than having "multiple layers". 4****

Naohito Fujiki+Nakama Yukie: Their so-called love story was cheesy and too forced. Honestly, it was so superficial when they were declaring their "love" for each other. They looked okay together though. 2**

Rating: 2.5**

Last Friends

I watched this because of my cousin since she raved on how great this drama is. Although not a bad drama since it deals with modern day problems like domestic violence (DV), being gay/lesbian in society, and having a sex phobia, it's too slow and poorly developed to be a fantastic drama. The idea was fresh and creative but none of the problems were actually solved and the ending was too unrealistic. LF focused on five characters but I was only interested with three of them.

Nagasawa Masami: Love. She's not really pretty so it was hard to believe that both men and women loved her. Her character was so annoyingly stupid since she kept falling for Nishikido Ryo's "schemes" over and over again but I guess there are women out there like her since DV exists. Her acting was also only okay since all she did was cry most of the time but at least she can cry, unlike some TVB actresses. 3***

Ueno Juri: Liberation. She, along with Eita and Nishikido Ryo, saved this drama from being a complete disaster. I still can't believe that she's the main character in "Nodame Cantabile" since she looks and acts completely different in that drama. I wished her character was developed more since it seem like she was only there as a loyal friend and the true "lover" for Nagasawa Masami. She's a fantastic actress so I can't wait to watch more of her dramas. I gave up on "Nodame Cantabile" after two episodes so I will definitely have to give that a try again soon. 5*****

Eita: Agony. The drama never explained what caused his character to have a sex phobia, other than it relates to his older sister. I think it had something to do with his older, but not biologically related, sister molesting him when he was young since the drama hinted it throughout the plot. His character should have also been more developed. 4****

Nishikido Ryo: Contradiction. This is my first drama that stars Nishikido Ryo so I was surprised that he accepted to act in a supporting role (although he appeared in almost all of the episodes) since he's a Johnny Boy and part of the boy band NEWS with Tomohisa Yamashita. He was perfect for this role since he was so creepy and scary when he abused Nagasawa Masami. I was so freaked out whenever he appeared onscreen since his character was such a psychopath and he even had his own eerie themesong. I look forward in watching more dramas of his but I don't know if I can ever see him as a non-abusive boyfriend after this. 4****

Mizukawa Asami: Solitude. I don't really consider her a big enough character to be focused on. If her character was deleted, it wouldn't have impacted this drama. She was pretty much the sexually loose friend who ends up loving her co-worker who is too weak to divorce his cheating wife. 3***

Yamazaki Shigenori: His character was kind of funny but he was also annoying since he was too wishy-washy on whom he wanted to be with. 3***

Nishihara Aki: I like how this role was different from the one in Hana Yori Dango since she's mean, envious, but also weak in love like Nagasawa Masami. Her character should have been more developed than Mizukawa Asami's. 4****

Nagasawa Masami+Nishikido Ryo: They looked cute together when Nishikido Ryo is not abusing
Nagasawa Masami. 3***

Nagasawa Masami+Ueno Juri: I felt bad for Ueno Juri since I know that her love will never be returned; however, they were nice as friends. 3***

Nagasawa Masami+Eita: It was so random that Nagasawa Masami liked Eita out of nowhere. 2**

Ueno Juri+Eita: I wished they would have ended up together but it's not possible... 4****

Mizukawa Asami+Yamazaki Shigenori: They were a funny couple. 3***

Themesong by Utada Hikaru: A fantastic song (which is no surprise since it's by Utada Hikaru) since it's catchy and fits extremely well with the theme of LF. Utada Hikaru has the most random music videos but in this one, she reminded me so much of Ueno Juri. I think it's because of the hair which is no surprise since she's probably promoting LF.

Rating: 2.5** It could have been better but it's not a bad watch to watch once. I wouldn't watch this again though since it's too slow and depressing.

Kisaragi

I watched this because of a review I read saying that it’s a good movie. I have never heard of this movie so I guess it’s kind of underrated but seeing Oguri Shun in the cast, many people will soon be aware of this movie. Kisaragi brings a whole new twist to murder mysteries since it’s also a comedy. I like the characters in here since their development was nicely done.

Oguri Shun: A.K.A Guru. 4****

Muga Tsukaji: A.K.A Yasuo. 4****

Keisuke Koide: A.K.A Snake. 4****

Yusuke Santamaria: A.K.A OdaYuuji. 4****

Teruyuki Kagawa: A.K.A StrawberryGirl (LOL!). 5*****

Rating: 2.5** The pace in the beginning could have been faster. There was a scene at the end that suggests there might be a sequel but I think the scene was there to be funny.

Zettai Kareshi

I watched this because of the plot and because I like works by Yuu Watase. I give props for Yuu Watase and for the most part, the Japanese, for coming up with new, refreshing ideas for dramas because a drama about a woman falling in love with a robot can definitely be a classic. Sadly, ZK is not a classic due to bad casting and changes to the original plot. I heard the manga is a lot better and although, ZK is far from a bad drama, it’s too slow-paced and cliché to be an outstanding one. I do admit I anticipated every single episode but after finishing the drama, I felt disappointed and wanted more. If you watch this drama with no expectations and comparisons to the manga, you will enjoy it but that’s it, it’s only an enjoyable drama to watch once.

Aibu Saki: I honestly don’t know why she was chosen to portray this role since she’s not really pretty, she looks kind of old, and she only had two expressions (one for happy/in love and another for sad/annoyed) on throughout the drama. She got a little bit better in the last episode but her acting was still painful to watch in the other ten episodes. Her character was supposed to be lovable, which is why two men (actually one robot and one human to be exact) fell madly in love with her, but I never understood why they even loved her to begin with?! 2**

Hayami Mokomichi: He’s definitely the star of this drama because I only watched all eleven episodes because of him. He was really convincing as a robot and his character was the “absolute boyfriend”. I look forward in watching more dramas of his. 5*****

Mizushima Hiro: This role was a lot like the one in “Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e” since they are both rich, “playboys”. I thought he did a better job in “Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e” though since he seem awkward when he’s with Aibu Saki. 3***

Aibu Saki+ Hayami Mokomichi: Aibu Saki is a bad actress, which is why she barely has any chemistry with any of her co-stars. She’s better with Hayami Mokomichi though. 3***

Aibu Saki+ Mizushima Hiro: I don’t understand why and when Mizushima Hiro even loves Aibu Saki since it was so sudden and out of nowhere. I think he loves her cream puffs more than her. 2**

Ending Song by Ayaka: I didn’t really like it the first time I heard it, but I absolutely love it now after listening it for a couple of times. 5*****

Rating: 3*** If Aibu Saki was replaced with a different actress, the love between Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi was developed and progressed faster, and if the drama didn’t focus too much on making cream puffs, it would have gotten a higher rating.

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

I watched some episodes of the Taiwanese "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" and enjoyed them but I was more excited to watch this adaptation than the Taiwanese one. This is a very funny drama but it can be repetitive since each episode revolves around a new story so not all the episodes connect with each other.

Horikita Maki: A breakthrough role for Horikita Maki since she was convincing as a "boy". 5*****

Oguri Shun: I thought he did a better job in "Hana Yori Dango" since he seem so bored half the time, maybe it was what the character was supposed to be. 4****

Ikuta Toma: He was definitely the star of this drama since he was so funny and lovable. He's not drop-dead gorgeous but he has the cute boy look. 5*****

Horikita Maki+Oguri Shun: I didn't really like them as a couple; they were too boring. 3***

Horikita Maki+Ikuta Toma: I wanted them to end up together but sadly, they didn't. It was funny watching Ikuta Toma thinking he was a homosexual though. 5*****

OST: The songs are really poppy and upbeat. 5*****

Rating: 3*** I would watch this again.

Liar Game

I watched this because of the plot and Matsuda Shota and it was really addicting to watch since it's a creative and clever drama. There are rumors that there might be a sequel and I wouldn't mind if there is one since the manga is not completed yet.

Toda Erika: I think this is her best acting up to date since she was okay in "Nobuta wo Produce" and "Hana Yori Dango II". I was annoyed with her character sometimes since she was too nice and naive. However, she did a great job in her emotional scenes. 4****

Matsuda Shota: His character is so smart and suave (the picture of him on the poster doesn't do him justice at all since he doesn't look like that in the drama!). His acting has improved a lot and I look forward to seeing him in more dramas. 5*****

Toda Erika+Matsuda Shota: They are cute together and I wished they would have ended up together but it's understandable that they didn't since this is not really a romantic drama. 4****

OST: These are all instrumental songs but they fit well with the drama. 4****

Rating: 4**** There were too many repetitive scenes but a good drama overall.

Hana Yori Dango II

A.K.A. Hana Yori Dango Returns. I was so excited when I heard there was going to be a sequel but I was also scared that it will turn out like "Meteor Garden II". Thank goodness it didn't and it was actually as good as the first one. This one is a lot sadder than the first one but the ending was perfect; I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

Inoue Mao: She was nothing but perfect. 5*****

Matsumoto Jun: He is Doumyouji Tsukasa. 5*****

Oguri Shun: He did a good job but I still felt something was lacking. 4****

Matsuda Shota: I'm glad he got a bigger role this time and he did well in his emotional scenes. 4****

Abe Tsuyoshi: He also got a bigger role but I wished they elaborated more on his character. 4****

Inoue Mao+Matsumoto Jun: They even had more chemistry this time around! 5*****

Inoue Mao+Oguri Shun: I still like Inoue Mao with Matsumoto Jun better. 4****

Matsuda Shota+Nishihara Aki: It's such a tease that they're still not a couple. 4****

Matsumoto Jun+Kato Natsuki: I felt sad for Kato Natsuki but they don't really look like a couple to me. 3***

OST: Both the songs by Arashi and Utada Hikaru are fantastic. 5*****

Rating: 5***** Although not as good as the first one, it's still very good.

Hana Yori Dango

This is my favorite Hana Yori Dango adaptation so far since it moves at a very nice pace and the acting for this cast is amazing. I was never once bored watching this and I'm so glad that there's a sequel and movie. This is definitely a must-watch, no matter if you like Japanese dramas or not!

Inoue Mao: She's perfect as Makino Tsukushi and I can't imagine anybody else as this character after her performance. 5*****

Matsumoto Jun: He doesn't fit the look of Doumyouji Tsukasa since he's too skinny and kind of short; however, his acting made me overlook these flaws since he was fantastic as Doumyouji Tsukasa. 5*****

Oguri Shun: I thought he did a good job but I liked Vic Zhou's portrayal of Hanazawa Rui better. Oguri Shun was too "happy" as Hanazawa Rui. 4****

Matsuda Shota: He's cute and has potential to be a good actor. I wished he had more screen time though. 4****

Abe Tsuyoshi: I thought he did a good job too. 4****

Inoue Mao+Matsumoto Jun: Another favorite couple of mine since they had so much chemistry together! 5*****

Inoue Mao+Oguri Shun: They look good together too but Matsumoto Jun is the one for Inoue Mao. 4****

Matsuda Shota+Nishihara Aki: They are cute since they are another couple that I'm rooting for to end up together. 4****

Oguri Shun+Sada Mayumi: She looks a little bit too old for Oguri Shun but it makes sense why. I wouldn't mind if they ended up together though but I doubt they will. 3***

OST: Both the songs by Arashi and Otsuka Ai are fantastic. 5*****

Rating: 5***** This is definitely a classic!