Hana Yori Dango [花より男子] My favorite drama. Addictive, funny, entertaining... but also moving, to the point where I cried multiple times. Even if you didn't like the manga, I recommend this drama! The cast is so talented.
Ichi Ritoru no Namida [１リットルの涙] I cried ceaselessly, but even so, I left the show feeling as if I had been given a new lease on life. Very touching and encouraging. Excellent OST - you must hear Konayuki!
Ikuta Toma [生田斗真] Absolutely amazing as Nakatsu in Hana-Kimi - the star of the show! I was impressed by his range as an an actor; he had me rolling with laughter and just as easily had tears rolling down my cheeks.
Nishikido Ryou [錦戸亮] He absolutely shone as Sosuke in Last Friends. I actually thought to myself, 'The way he acted that scene was interesting.'
Oguri Shun [小栗旬] He played Hanazawa Rui brilliantly! I felt little sympathy for the character in the manga, but in the drama, Oguri Shun managed to make me cry for his character... not for the story, not for the circumstances, but for the character and how lonely he was. He played Sano Izumi perfectly, too. P.S. Oguri Shun is unbearably sexy! I think he's my type.
ABINTRA's dramas (24)
Attention Please [アテンションン プリース] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) I quite enjoyed this series. It gave me a newfound appreciation for flight attendants and work in general.
Gokusen [ごくせん] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Enjoyable, but not exceptional. I'd recommend many other dramas over Gokusen.
Pros: The comedic parts. Nakama Yukie's acting. Lots of eyecandy.
Cons: Gets repetitive. Not enough character depth.
Gokusen 2 [ごくせん２] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Pros: A fresh set of eyecandy. Still well-acted, amusing, and generally entertaining. Cons: If the first season was repetitive, this one is doubly so - no surprises here. Only one student from the first season, Kuma, makes cameos - the others aren't even mentioned.
Gokusen 3 [ごくせん 3] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Definitely my least favorite season, but it grew on me as I watched it. Pros: Still relatively amusing. Cons: By this point, I could predict what was going to happen next all too often, and it was getting eyeroll-worthy, zoning-out-from-boredom formulaic. Whenever a fight scene started, I was like, oh god, do I have to watch this again!? Pretty boys aren't even in the same league as previous seasons. And again, only Kuma makes cameos.
Hachimitsu to Kuroba [ハチミツとクローバー] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) I wouldn't really recommend it, though it did have its moments and Ikuta Toma was awesome as always. I admit I'm not a big fan of the manga, but the drama could've done more with the source material; I expected this to be funnier. I felt inspired, though, to get out my paints.
Hanayome wa Yakudoshi! [花嫁は厄年ッ！] Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Surprisingly enjoyable. It sounds like a totally B series, but I really came to care about the characters and their relationships.
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ] Rating: 10/10 (Watched) If you only had time to watch one more drama, I'd have to say, make it this one. Hana-Kimi is laugh-out-loud funny, and Nakatsu (especially portrayed by the excessively talented Ikuta Toma) is a character you just have to meet! This drama may not be perfectly executed, and it's not exactly an accurate adaptation of the manga, but it's so funny that its flaws can be forgiven. How I long for more episodes!
Kamisama mou sukoshi dake [神様、もう少しだけ] Rating: 3/10 (Watched) Surprisingly bad. I was looking forward to watching this drama for a long time because I thought the title was pretty and poetic, but I laughed more than I cried... and not when I was supposed to be laughing. The heroine was so whiny and annoying, I actually started rooting for her death. I watched it all the way through, but I am a perfectionist who must finish tasks, so that doesn't mean much. Pros: Pretty opening video and title; not boring, just lame.
Kimi wa Petto [きみはペット] Rating: 2/10 (Watched) The worst drama I've ever seen. You should only watch Kimi wa Petto if you want to torture yourself, waste your precious time on earth, etc. The premise is interesting enough, but then every storytelling cliche known to man gets heaped on top of it as well as dislikeable characters.
Kindaichi shonen no Jikenbo (2005) [金田一少年の事件簿] Rating: 5/10 (Watched) It was OK. I didn't figure out who the killer was, but I figured out the tricks behind the murder basically... it wasn't exceptionally clever. Not much character development, but that might be because this is the first Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo thing I've seen. I'd recommend it only if you really like mysteries or are already a Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo fan.
Kurosagi [クロサギ] Rating: 4/10 (Watched) I hate to give this such a low rating, because Yamashita Tomohisa, Horikita Maki, and Ichikawa Yui all acted admirably, but this is the most boring drama I've seen. It was incredibly repetitive, and to top it all off, there was that dastardly plot device of a love triangle. Yawn.
Last Friends [ラスト・フレンズ] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) This drama deals with interesting themes - but it executes them in ways that are somewhat repetitive and trite, and falls far short of greatness. Sosuke was definitely the highlight for me; multi-dimensional, intriguing character, acted exquisitely by Nishikido Ryou. On the other hand, Michiru... one of the worst characters ever. It all evened out to a decent show, though nothing recommendable.
LIFE [ライフ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) I could watch a million seasons of LIFE - it's just that addictive. Took off a point because Ayumu's defining characteristic in the manga, her struggle with self-mutilation, wasn't even touched upon.
Mahiru no tsuki [真晝の月] Rating: 7/10 Enjoyable and entertaining, but don't go into this series expecting an endless array of plot twists. This is a character-based drama.
Majo no jouken [魔女の条件] Rating: 6/10 (Watched) Decent drama. I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of shows to watch or anything. Interesting concept, but it could have been executed a lot better. The two main characters felt fairly hollow to me; they were too defined by their taboo relationship and lacked individuality. Not much chemistry between them, either. Ah well.
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース] Rating: 8/10 (Watched) An excellent drama! I was turned off during the first episode, but stick with it -- by the end, I was begging for more episodes and had become extremely emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships. Unique and memorable.
Sekai no chuushin de, ai wo sakebu [世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ] Rating: 9/10 (Watched) This drama is a must-see! Elegant, polished storytelling. An emotional explosion. One point deduction due to the special being abysmally disappointing.
Stand UP!! Rating: 8/10 (Watched) Worth watching, if only for the eye candy. I got to see Oguri Shun's buttocks!! It was really fun to have Oguri Shun, Yamashita Tomohisa, and Narimiya Hiroki in the same show, and I was entertained throughout, which is the most important thing.
Summer snow Rating: 7/10 (Watched) Worth watching. A good series overall, but it totally fell apart in the last episode, IMO. Also, I found the summary and title misleading. I was expecting angst, but was pleasantly surprised by the slice-of-life, upbeat and sweet feelings. Oguri Shun's acting pwned, to state the obvious, and the two leads were excellent as well.
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Hana Yori Dango [花より男子]
Hana Yori Dango Season 2 [花より男子]
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [花ざかりの君たちへ]
Ichi Ritoru no Namida [１リットルの涙]
LIFE [ライフ]
Nodame Cantabile [のだめ カンタビ−レ]
Nodame Cantabile Shinshun Special in Europe [のだめカンタービレ 新春スペシャル ＩＮ ヨーロッパ]
Sekai no chuushin de, ai wo sakebu [世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ]
Ikuta Toma [生田斗真]
Nishikido Ryou [錦戸亮]
Oguri Shun [小栗旬]
Attention Please [アテンションン プリース]
Gokusen [ごくせん]
Gokusen 2 [ごくせん２]
Gokusen 3 [ごくせん 3]
Hachimitsu to Kuroba [ハチミツとクローバー]
Kamisama mou sukoshi dake [神様、もう少しだけ]
Kimi wa Petto [きみはペット]
Kurosagi [クロサギ]
Last Friends [ラスト・フレンズ]
Mahiru no tsuki [真晝の月]
Majo no jouken [魔女の条件]
Nobuta wo Produce [野ブタ。をプロデュース]
Stand UP!!
Summer snow
