ThatJapaneseDramaGuy

Drama: Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKare Mania (English title) / Ex-Boyfriend Mania (literal title) Romaji: Motokare Mania Japanese: モトカレマニア Director: Michiko Namiki Writer: Yukari Takinami (manga), Fumi Tsubota Network: Fuji TV Actors: Yuko Araki, Kengo Kora, Kenta Hamano, Minami Tanaka, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Shuri  Things to expect in this drama People who can't get over their ex Gorgeous Araki Yuko   Araki Yukos   Kengo Kora's first rom com   Beautiful cinematography Now for the review:   I'm sure the main plot is relatable to most hopeless romantic out there. It's about people who can't move on from their past relationships. They will continue stalking the person on social media and even go to places they usually go. Just like what the main character is always telling to herself, "memories won't hurt you", who is she fooling right? They turn it into a comedy fest which works effecti...

  Drama: Cheat Romaji: Chito: Sagishi no Minasan, Gochui Kudasai Japanese: チート～詐欺師の皆さん、ご注意ください～ Director: Noriko Yuasa, Goro Yasumi Writer: Miyako Matsumoto, Subaru Yamashita Network: NTV, YTV Things to expect in this drama   Tsubasa Honda as an idol   Swindle the swindlers   Fun characters Now for the review: Swindle the swindlers is the objective. This team consists of the former policeman Kamo Yuto, ex-detective, Negishi Shun, genius hacker, Mizuki Maruyama, and the wannabe idol, Saki Hoshino who seems to be fitted for this job as she's clearly the brain of this group. The team is lead by Anzai Kazuki, whose character is still a mystery right now. It reminds me of the Korean drama The Swindlers as they have the same premise, but this one is one the comedy side, so don't expect high production, unpredictable twist and turns, realistic acting, and excellent execution. The comedy is very Jdorama comedy, so if you ...

Drama: Nippon Noir Romaji: Nippon Nowaru: Keiji Y no Hanran Japanese: ニッポンノワール ―刑事Yの反乱― Director: Ryuichi Inomata Writer: Shogo Muto Network: NTV Actors: Kento Kaku, Ryoko Hirosue, Arata Iura, Kazuki Kitamura, Kaho, Asuka Kudo, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Tetta Sugimoto, Yui Sakuma, Eri Tachibana Things to expect in this drama:   Detective with amnesia    Exaggerated acting    Bearded Kaku Kento Now for the review: I have mixed feelings over this one. First, I love plot; it is intriguing like those you don't know where the story is going, but it's very over the top in my opinion. The execution is off; some of the characters' actions don't make sense at all. It is like a live-action of a murder-mystery visual novel game. LOL Yes, I know Japanese dramas are known for being over the top, and it has its charms, but in my opinion, it could only work with comedy or business dramas written by Jun Ikeido. Is Nippon Noir sta...

Drama: If Talking Paid (English title) / My Story is Long (literal title) Romaji: Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai Japanese: 俺の話は長い Director: Satoru Nakajima Writer: Shigeki Kaneko Network: NTV Actors: Toma Ikuta, Ken Yasuda, Eiko Koike, Kaya Kiyohara, Yosuke Sugino, Mieko Harada Things to expect in this drama:    Ridiculous banters  Awesome characters    Slice of life    Food   Now for the review:   It reminds me a lot of a classic Japanese family drama Wakamono Tachi. Although not as melodrama but similar in a way that they are both dialogue-heavy. Both shows have long talks to resolve their misunderstandings like looooog talk. In the case of Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai, I think seventy-five percent of the episode was just dedicated for the long ridiculous banter. It's entertaining, especially if you are into dialogue-driven dramas with subtle humour. Comedy slice of life/human dram...

Native Title: 愛なき森で叫べ Also Known As: Shout in the Loveless Forest , ai naki mori de sakebe Director: Sono Sion Writer: Sono Sion Network: Netflix Actors: Kippei Shiina, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Kyoko Hinami, Eri Kamataki, Young Dais Things to expect in this movie:   Girl kiss    Compelling female characters     Dark comedy     Gore of course       Warning!!!   It's one of those disturbing films that most people can't handle. I'm not even talking about the gore part but the depiction of women in this film. It's the type of movie where if you are not familiar with the director's filmography or with his intention of making these type films, you may end up hating him, the director for his work. Think of Quentin Tarantino and the criticisms he gets, those type of criticism are nothing compared to what Sion Sono is getting in Japan and especially in the more sensitive western...