[Dorama Review] Toshishita no Otoko / Younger Men / 年下の男

Hello! Since it's corona and we are advised to stay at home, I've been at home all the time except for work purpose... What I do is either reading a book or watching something, and it's somehow awaken my love for Japanese dorama which once disappear...

Tonight I'd review a dorama called "Toshishita no Otoko" or you can translate it into "Younger Men". As you probably know (if you've read my blog before), Takahashi Katsunori is my favourite actor ever and I watch this dorama because of him.

This is the story of a 30-year-old-single-woman, Yamaguchi Chikako (played by Inamori Izumi) who was so desperate to get marry. She felt that she would left behind if she didn't marry soon.

 Chikako, so beautiful in her 30s. Why bother just because you're a not-yet-married?

She seemed to have a good family. Her younger brother Taku (played by Yamazaki Yuta) which was 8 years younger than her, with a lovely mom, Hanae, and dad, Mr. Yamaguchi (played by Fubuki Jun and Hirata Mitsuru, respectively)

The Yamaguchi family. The parents want their son to be a lawyer and 

want their daughter to marry someone and be happy.

Well, Chikako did have someone. She went to a gym, and meet Izaki Shun (played by the one and only Takahashi Katsunori („• ֊ •„)).
In short, Chikako confessed to Shun, but Shun rejected, saying he was seeing someone else.

Izaki Shun, somehow I respect him because he doesn't play with women's heart 

and give them false hope, but he rejects them directly.

Later, it turned out that Shun was seeing Chikako's mom, Hanae. Shun was a regular in a bento shop where Hanae worked. Both Hanae and Chikako didn't know it though.

 Shun with Hanae having an affair. Hanae was trying hard to break up with Shun, but cannot.

 Mr. Yamaguchi, start to be suspicious about his wife. But he didn't really care.

Mr Yamaguchi didn't care about his wife having an affair. I wonder if it might happen 

when love turns into an obligation only. An obligation to always stick with the family.

On the other hand, Chikako started to date her brother's best friend, Kengo (played by Kashu Toshiki). At first, Kengo was chasing her only for fun because he was a playboy. But he turned up to get serious about Chikako.

Kengo, once said, "I'll make you forget Izaki"

But Taku ex-girlfriend, Asami (played by Hoshino Mari), started to fall in love with Kengo for real.

Asami always looks for Kengo due to loneliness after breaking up with Taku, at first.

It's so complicated right?
Not to mention, Azusa (played by Aso Yumi), Chikako's coworker who was super evil. She was older than Chikako, and also a not-yet-married evil woman. Afraid of being left alone, she looked for many ways to destroy Chikako's relationship, even other people's family.

Azusa, having dinner (or lunch?) with Chikako. Back then, Chikako had no idea that she was so evil.

Azusa tried to attract Izaki by getting close to Izaki's adoptive father, Jiro-san (played by Takahashi Masaya). She wanted to marry Izaki so she could feel she won the 'game'. Crazy girl indeed.

Jiro-san always follows Izaki Shun. He was so afraid of being left alone, and sometimes made Shun fed up.

A melancholic side of me always appears every time I watch a good Japanese dorama. They always wrap up some moral lessons behind all of these dramatic scenes, and it always amuses me.
A 30-year-old-beautiful-woman who desperately wants to marry a 40-something guy, but that guy wants to marry an 50-year-old-aunty... Youth and beauty are not everything for some people after all... If they are comfortable with each other, then physical attraction is not a matter anymore... Wish I can find a love that won't see a physical appearance only as a criteria, but see what's deep inside me...

A father who doesn't have jealousy over his wife and wants to 'graduate' from the family... A mother with an affair... A daughter who wants to marry a young kid... And a son who abandons his law school to pursue his dream as a gardener. Well, I don't see much mistakes from the daughter and the son, but maybe from the parents' point of view, it can kill them inside, too... But the most important is the father and the mother part. It really broke my heart to see that the parents are happier when they are not with each other... What's the meaning of their marriage then?

Actually I don't see the urgency of a marriage even for women who have reached their 30s. But loneliness is something else... It does scary to be lonely, don't you think? Jiro, Azusa, Asumi even Chikako... I think they all are afraid to be alone... That's why the girls are so desperately want to marry... And probably they won't realize that it would be even lonelier to be in a fake marriage, without love... That's usually where an affair starts... Like what Hanae did.
I wonder, would I have an affair too, if one day my husband doesn't care about me anymore, and someone like Izuki Shun chases me? Maybe I would too... But a drama is always too good to be true, right? If we assume that Shun and Hanae will marry each other and live together, there are possibilities that their marriage, too, will fall off. Then once again, what's the meaning of those kind of marriage....?
But the drama really portrays a beautiful, lovely relationship between Shun and Hanae. Just if it's not an affair, just if it's happening from the start, it would seems like a perfect love story... I almost forget if Chikako is actually the real main character here.

Azusa and Asami are so evil, they are really sick... They thought they lose to older women, and they try hard to ruin everything... But is that really the matter? It's not about young or old, it's all about their attitude, that's why the man didn't choose them...I remember Izaki Shun whispered to Azusa "A woman who talks bad about another woman only degrade herself"
I do agree with him. I don't mean every single woman are mean, but some of them might be single because they are mean. And it's super real, even in my circle. I found lots of woman who hate another woman whom their crush like. I wonder what's so wrong when that man is the one who choose, love, and want to be with that particular girl?

And I remember Taku was saying this to her Nee-chan, Chikako, "If I were to choose, I will choose Asami since she is young, but the second choice would be mom, because you're too desperate to marry". I don't agree with his choice, because he chooses only based on age, but I do agree that someone who is desperately want to marry and willing to do anything for a marriage, is super unattractive. I really hate it, to be chased by someone who desperately wants to marry, thinking anyone is fine as long as it's their opposite sex.

In the end, Chikako start to accept for what she has, her parents, her self-being, and she starts to be happy even though everything stay the same. I think it's a good moral lesson. We can't change the world, but we can change ourselves, and change how we see the world.

This dorama reminds me of a dorama called "Dosokai", where Takahashi Katsunori was also playing as someone who has an affair. I wonder why every time he plays in a dorama, it's either a manager, a policeman/detective, or an affair? Is he so suitable to be in an affair? lol ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ
You can read my review about Dosokai dorama here, it's one of my favourite.

A lot of people prefer a dorama with young-handsome-actors and pretty-sexy-actress. You absolutely won't find it here. It's more to an old man and old woman relationship, probably it can be gross for some particular people. But for me, I find it super interesting, the unique story line but also feels so real, and all the moral lesson behind this, I could say this dorama is one of my favourite.

The ending is a bit ambiguous, it's not a happy ending, not a sad one either... It's not clear but it's not hanging either... But I can say I'm super satisfied... Super worth it!

I gave this dorama 9 points out of 10 points.

[Dorama Review] Kakuho no Onna ~ Kanagawakenke Tokumei Sosa カクホの女～神奈川県警・特命捜査～

I was desperately waiting for this dorama to finish 😂 And at last, around last week, candy lemon as this dorama's subber finished subbing the last episode.
Now that I've finished watching, I will write about this dorama, Kakuho no Onna, which was aired in the beginning of this year.

A woman who previously worked in the HR Department of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was transferred to Kanagawa Prefectural Police. Her name was Hojo Yuriko (played by Natori Yuko).

Of course it was unusual. Someone near retirement from Headquarter moved to the Prefectural Police Station, moreover, from office work to field work. Everyone in the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Station was questioning about this transfer.

Well, it turned out that Yuriko-san wanted to know the real truth behind the death of her fiancee, Kariya Shinsaku (played by Tsurumi Shingo), who was said to die because of suicide. She believed that Kariya Shinsaku would never commit suicide.

And the leader of Kanagawa Prefecture Police division 1, Miura Aya (played by Asou Yumi) was said to have a relation with the death of Kariya Shinsaku. That's the reason why Yuriko-san wanted to be transferred there before her retirement.

Well, don't forget about Kisaragi Kotaro (played by Takahashi Katsunori, the one and only, lol 😂), a Police Chief from Tokyo MPD, who was Yuriko-san's back up and helped her to be transferred to Kanagawa.

Okay, that's the end of my synopsis.
Now, what I want to comment is that the story of this dorama is really the best... until I watched the ending which is quite disappointing for me. It somehow was... like being forced to end quickly in the last episode. But anyway, the episode 1 - 6 is good enough for me to recommend this dorama.

The dorama is also filled with a little bit comedy, which makes it funny. Now that I think, many Japanese dorama is wrapped with a little bit comedy. It's somehow mainstream but always make the dorama better.

The main casts are old actors and actresses, I don't know much except Takahashi Katsunori, who is always so cool and has charisma every time he acts as a police officer. Since they are old, people might know them but it doesn't mean they are popular... how to say it... you know, like usually someone young and handsome would be popular amongst the nation and helps to make a higher rating, doesn't it? So, in my opinion, it means that the rating they got was purely because of the story, not because of the casts.

A scene that I like most is in the end of episode 5, where Miura was asked, who is the one she trusts the most? And she said "No one, but there is someone I want to trust". If I cut it only this scene, it somehow reminds me of myself. I hardly believe in people but I do want to trust someone. I think many people is also like me, hard to believe in human. But believe me, there are still many people who is actually kind, even they still, of course, have flaws, and might disappoint you one day. But when you realize that everyone is not perfect, you can face the disappointment and continue to still believe in them.

Another quote that I remember got from this dorama is "There is no one in this world it would be better to kill", means no matter how bad the person is, we shouldn't kill, we should forgive them instead, I guess.

The song "Unmei no Hito" by Hayashibe Satoshi is so perfect. I'm really really moved with the lyrics of the song, and this song is super suited to the dorama. His voice was so soft, I thought that the singer was a female, before I found out that he was the one who sang the song. I always nearly cry every time I listen to it lol. I also made the translation of the song, it might be not so perfect due to my limited Japanese language but you can go check it out:
http://jpopenthusiast.blogspot.com/2018/04/kanji-romaji-unmei-no-hito-by-hayashibe.html

So, overall I would give this dorama 7.5 out of 10 points. Just if the ending didn't disappoint me, I could give this dorama like around 9 points, maybe.

[Dorama Review] Medical Team: Lady da Vinci no Shindan メディカルチーム レディ・ダ・ヴィンチの診断

It's been a while since the last time I watched dorama. Well, I was so busy with work, watching something like a 10-episodes-drama will sure take a long time. But at last, I could find a drama which is quite good to watch, Medical Team: Lady da Vinci no Shindan which was broadcasted on 2016.

The story is about a genius neurosurgeon named Tachibana Shiho (played by Yoshida Yo). Due to having hallucination, she decided to quit being a neurosurgeon, since it could be dangerous if the hallucination appeared in the middle of the surgery.

Then, Kitabatake Masayuki (played by Takahashi Katsunori) which is her former professor and the director of Toko University Hospital came to offer Tachibana-sensei to be one of the team doctor in the newly-built Analysis and Diagnosis Department.
I somehow reminded of Iryu 4 since the role of Takahashi Katsunori here is similar with Iryu 4. I think they made it similar on purpose though.

Rather than doing surgery, the department is used to analyze and identify unknown illnesses. If General Medicine is the first step of the treatment, Analysis and Diagnosis is the last bastion. The member of this department is 7 female doctors with various background.

The one who often accompany Tachibana-sensei is the intern in the department, Tamaru Ayaka (played by Yoshioka Riho). She is more to the clumsy character which makes the dorama quite funny.

Another one who often accompany Tachibana-sensei is a former genius Cardio-surgeon, Nitta Yukino (played by Aibu Saki).

Don't forget the leader of the A&D Department, Iwakura Yoko (played by Ito Ran). She has a TV show called "Doctor SOS", and in that TV show she always do her catchphrase "Even if the gods lie, these eyes of mine will never lie" which is quite funny to me because of its absurdity.

Well, if you have read by previous dorama review, you could find out that actually I'm a real big fan of Team Medical Dragon~Iryu~ series. Ever since I watched that dorama, I'm so into the medical world. I've tried watching several medical dorama before, but I didn't finish it because I think it's boring compared to Iryu series.

If Iryu series is all about surgery, Lady da Vinci told us that the medical world is not just surgery, but it's also important how to diagnose accurately and giving the right treatment. Iryu also focused on the politics of the medical world story, the rivalry between antagonist and protagonist, where in Lady da Vinci is purely more to the medical treatment story with a little bit sense of humor. You barely feel the sense of rivalry in Lady da Vinci, because even if they got a little bit of rivalry, they have the same vision and mission to save patients with all their might.

The theme song is "Miracle" by AI, how it once again reminds me of Iryu, because Iryu 1 and 2 theme songs are also AI's songs.

I could say this medical dorama is quite different from Iryu, and reveal a different story from Iryu. I love how they make the dorama with some sense of humor which make the dorama not boring.
I recommend this dorama and I give 7 points out of 10 points for this dorama.

[Dorama Review] Hotel Concierge / ホテルコンシェルジュ

Well, this gonna be my first review in 2017 as well as the first dorama I watched in 2017. But before that, let me say Happy New Year to all of you! May this year will be a wonderful year for us!

This dorama actually not a so-recent-dorama, Hotel Concierge. I've always been hoping to watch this dorama since it was aired on 2015 but my Japanese is not that good to understand the whole dorama without English sub, so I postponed it until all the English sub released by kowaihitotachi in the d-addicts forum website (￣ ￣|||)

Go get them here if you'd like!

Now, let's get started!

The idea of this dorama is "Concierge is the face of the hotel" because concierge helped all the hotel's guests who is in need of something and make them satisfy. Well, I've stayed in some luxurious 5-star-hotel, and never noticed the Concierge actually. When I need something, I only went to the receptionist (or some random staff there) and they would help anyway. Maybe my requests were too easy  ╮(￣ω￣;)╭

So the story of the dorama is focusing on the Concierge in Vollmond Hotel (which the shoot is taken in the Nikko Hotel Tokyo Odaiba)

Amano Toko (played by Nishiuchi Mariya) is a new concierge which is moved from food and drink department. She is so ambitious and always try her best to fulfill the guests' request. Never say never might be her motto (￣ω￣;)

Just realized that Nishiuchi Mariya took part on Rain Tree no Kuni as the female main character who got a hearing problem. In this dorama also, she is able to do the sign language, which make me quite amazed.

Another concierge-san, Honjo Kazuma (played by Miura Shohei) which is very famous because of his good-looking and professional services.

And the elderly legendary concierge which joined them by the end of the episode 1: Shukuri Taichi (played by Omi Toshinori).

The three of them are doing their best as the face of the Vollmond Hotel.

Don't forget the talented-and-kind-manager Washio Ryusuke (played by my favorite actor ever Takahashi Katsunori - who make me want to watch this dorama). He cares about people and he tried to make the hotel great using his care without too much calculating the profit.

Every story has its villain, let me introduce you the villain: Katagiri Mihoko (played by Wakamura Mayumi), a new female manager from England who only cares for making the best profit. Her favourite word is "Not elegant". Somehow, she got a 'special' relationship with Manager Washio. I don't want to be a spoiler, so just watch it and you'll find out the real truth in the very very last episode.

Actually I'm not sure if I can say her a villain since she is not that bad also - not like those villain who hurt and harmed people (￣□￣」)

The whole dorama is telling us about various requests which is asked by the hotel's guests and the Vollmond Hotel's concierge will help them with all their might. Not only the concierge, but all the hotel staff is also helping.

Let's say the bell boys

 Or the cleaning department and housekeeping department

 The florists

 And the chef

All of them showed us a good acting to picture the daily routines in the hotel - as the workers of the hotel - even some might be too exaggerating.

Well, this kind of dorama is more likely to be a family, life genre of dorama. It's something light to be watched, yet it still give motivation and encouraging words, just as how the Japanese dorama would usually be. It's not something which would make you curious to watch the next episode, so you could just slowly watch it when you had time.

The theme song is "Desperado" by Honey L Days. Even though I think it's quite good, I don't know why everytime Takahashi Katsunori played on a dorama, most of the theme song is a not-so-famous-song from a not-so-famous-singer (at least to me). However, it never failed to get into my music playlist.

Not sure if I should recommend this to anyone, but I think it's still worth to watch.
I gave 7 out of 10 for this dorama.

*this review is a personal opinion and made by me who is a newbie reviewer, if there is any mistakes, please feel free to make a correction*

[Dorama Review] Team Medical Dragon ~ Iryu Season 4

Ok, continuing my last post, I’m going to write a review about Iryu Season 4.

For those who doesn't read my review yet about Iryu 1, 2, and 3 before, you can find it here:
Team Medical Dragon - Iryu 1
Team Medical Dragon - Iryu 2

Team Medical Dragon - Iryu 3

Again, in this season, Team Medical Dragon is back once again. Sakurai Shuzo (played by Hira Mikijiro), Asada’s former teacher called out Asada. His hospital is lacking of human resources as the doctors would choose a bigger hospital in this globalization era. 

Asada tried to form Team Medical Dragon once again in Sakurai General Hospital. Not as the other seasons, in this season the team was restored so fast in the first episode. 

A new, yet an advanced-in-technology hospital is built, and again, Noguchi Takeo (played by Kishibe Ittoku) is the director of this newly built hospital; L&P Hospital. As always, he wanted the Team Medical Dragon to be on his side. What a mainstream story lol.

Okamura Tadashi (played by Takahashi Katsunori), a consultant management in the medical world, is entrusted to take control of L&P hospital with future aim to provide medical treatment in India, a country with a big population and  believed to provide a lot of money. With many strategies, he lured the Team Medical Dragon to join L&P Hospital.

I could say this season 4 is the best season to compete the first season. Even though the season 4 and season 1 is focusing on a little bit different kind of matter, both season is really great and worth to be watched.

Season 1 focusing on medical treatment with super complicated surgeries, season 4 is still the same with some addition on how to manage the hospital instead of only doing that super complicated surgeries. The blend between medical world and economic world is best described for this season.

The missing of Satohara Miki in the season 3 still continue up till now. However, in the very last part, there is a little bit trailer of the appearance of Miki for the next season, season 5. Hopefully season 5 won’t be disappointing!

I gave 9 out of 10 points for this dorama.

*this review is a personal opinion and made by me who is a newbie reviewer, if there is any mistakes, please feel free to make a correction*

[Dorama Review] Summer Nude

I’m going to review another romance dorama, Summer Nude which was aired on 2013.

The dorama consist of some love story in a summer, in a beach area. Mikuriya Asahi (played by Yamashita Tomohisa) is a photographer who works in the beach area. One day, he took a shoot of a wedding from a bride named Chiyohara Natsuki (played by Karina). However, at the end, the groom left her and the wedding was cancelled. She lost both her husband-to-be and her job. Pity her, Asahi sent a photo to cheer her up, and Natsuki was very thankful to him. In short, Asahi could get her helps for a restaurant beside the beach which is usually managed by Shimojima Setsuko (played by Itaya Yuka) who is on a maternity leave. A lot of love story is starting from that summer…

I’m actually quite confused to write a review about this dorama. The several first episodes are quite boring for me that I need to force myself to watch the dorama. I usually finish one dorama in a day or two, because I’m so curious with the continuation of the story. However, for this dorama, I even watch another movie in the middle of watching the series, means I’m so bored with the dorama. Starting in the middle, I’m a little bit more interested in the dorama, and there is also a sad scene that makes me nearly cried. It’s a scene when someone moved to Tokyo to pursue his dream. Well, I’m so touched because I feel the same. Seven months ago I did the same thing, moving from my hometown to the capital city just because to pursue my career.

The beginning of the story can be so boring but from the middle to the end, I could say it’s rather special. I don’t expect the story to end up like that. I thought when the summer ends, all of the people in the beach area will be together and some couple will be made, that’s what I thought for the end of the story. However it came out differently. I’m quite entertained with the unexpected story.

The cast consist of, again, some of Johnny’s Entertainment artist: Yamashita Tomohisa and Sato Shori from Sexy Zone. Those two people is enough to make Johnny’s fans to watch this dorama.

For those who is a Johnny’s fan, you should watch this dorama. For the others, you can try to watch this dorama if you want. I gave 6.5 out of 10 points for this dorama.

*this review is a personal opinion and made by me who is a newbie reviewer, if there is any mistakes, please feel free to make a correction*

[Movie / Dorama Review] Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ 2

Last time, I’ve reviewed Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ movie, now I’m going to review the next sequel of the movie, Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ 2 which was aired on 2014.

For those who doesn't read my review yet about Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ 1 before, you can find it here:
Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ 1

So the plot now is one and a half year after Hyuga Akira (played by Tamaki Hiroshi) and Kageura Takuma (played by Tanaka Kei) met and worked together for the first time. Kageura realized to shoot and kill people are not as easy as he thought. Kageura was being moved to security department since he couldn’t follow the chief’s order, while Akira is working at a University Hospital and taking care of a patient named Tachibana Aki (played by Sugisaki Hana) who is waiting for a heart transplant. On the day when Aki got a heart transplant, there is an incident of a hijacked bus, and the heart for transplant exploded on the operation room. Now they only have 4 hours left to do the alternative procedure, but there is an interference in every alternative they though. What actually happened? Are all of these related or just a coincidence?

As I love the first movie, I continue to watch the second movie. The 2^nd movie also not bad and still amusing, but compared to the first one, I can say it’s quite disappointing. The story is good but I like the first movie’s story better. The good thing about the second movie is, there is more action scene here. After all, it’s worth to watch. I can’t wait to watch the continuation of this movie.

I give 7 out of 10 points for  Jiken Kyumeii ~IMAT no Kiseki~ 2.

*this review is a personal opinion and made by me who is a newbie reviewer, if there is any mistakes, please feel free to make a correction*