Winter 2012 Drama Preview
It's that time of the year girls.
As usual, we're probably not going to feature dramas obviously for old people or obviously for children.
Starts: January 16, Monday-9 slot
Who's in it: Matsumoto Jun, Eita, Oizumi Yo, Matsushima Nanako
What they say it's about: The story revolves around a team of seven detectives who work together to solve difficult cases, with Matsumoto playing a rookie named Tokita Shuntaro. The theme is "action", "laughter", and "being positive."
Translation: Matsujun is a rookie detective that just cares too much about his clients! He'll ganbaru until the end! First episode will include a prolonged scene of him crying in the rain.
Yao: Dear god TV show makers, when will you stop casting Matsujun as the "earnest rookie (insert profession here)"? Actually, when will you stop casting any Arashi member as the earnest rookie? Probably not until they're all 50.
Veronica: Things MatsuJun is not particularly good at:
So yeah. Looks promising. If it's funny I'll watch and I like Eita, but this is making my Shitty Senses tingle.
Starts: January 8, Sundays
Who's in it: Matsuyama Kenichi, Tamaki Hiroshi, Matsuda Shota, Fujiki Naohito
What they say it's about: The 51st NHK Taiga drama recounts the life of Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181), a general of the Heian period, who established the first samurai-based government in Japan.
Translation: High-budget jidaigeki with a lot of Matsuyama Kenichi looking rugged.
Yao: Not gonna lie, kinda excited about it. The cast is super star studded and the production values must be through the roof. Did I also mention the official website looks awesome?
Veronica: Every guy in this is on my Top Sexy list. I have no clue where I'm going to find the time to watch the fucking taiga drama this year but idk I'll figure it out.
Starts: January 13, Fridays
Who's in it: Matsuoka Masahiro, Yokoyama Yu,
What they say it's about: Matsuoka plays the role of Ogure Teppei, a 35-year-old policeman who dreams of being promoted to the First Investigation Division. One day, he suddenly slips back in time to 22 years earlier, at the height of Japan’s economic bubble. There, he meets his optimistic 13-year-old self (played by Tanaka Taketo). In order to help himself find the job and life that he hoped for, he has his younger self try out different kinds of work. It is said that more than 15 jobs will be presented in the drama. Yokoyama plays a Tokyo University graduate who looks up to Teppei as an older brother. Kiritani plays a college student who works as a special teacher for prep school. Other cast members include Fubuki Jun and Furuta Arata
Translation: Ok, what they didn't mention in that little blurb is that it's based off a best-selling series for kids. So either they're gonna make it less Saturday morning cartoons to encourage all these NEETs and perpetual freeters or this is going to be another Japanese Government Sponsored Show for Your Health and Wellbeing.
Yao: I am going to be angry if this isn't hilarious. Who am I kidding I know this is going to be mostly lectures about how it's important to find a "real job" so your parents don't have to keep on sending you money well into your 30s. I also doubt future Matsuoka's gonna be like "Hey kids! You're about to experience a soul-crushing economic meltdown that the country will take years to recover from!"
Veronica: I'm just excited to see Yokohama Yu try to convince me he's a Todai grad. BIG CHALLENGE FOR HIM.
Renai NEET ~Wasureta Koi no Hajimekata~
Starts: January 20, Friday-10 slot
Who's in it: Nakama Yukie
What they say it's about: Rin works in the sales promotion department at a publisher, though she is treated as unreliable by both her superiors and her subordinates. One day, she and her friend Nanako go their friend Miho’s “divorce ceremony,” where they meet three men: a dentist named Naoya, a flavorist at a major food company named Kota, and a handsome young man named Shunpei. The story focuses on the relationships between these 6 characters. The Tokyograph summary is misleading: Nakama Yukie is a 32-year-old who hasn't had a boyfriend in 8 years and has essentially forgotten how to "love" and is now hanging out with 5 other people in the same situation. I'm guessing this is a drama approved by the Japanese government to get those pesky singles to settle down with each other!
Translation: People liked Watashi ga renai dekinai riyuu, let's make a somewhat similar show for a different age bracket.
Yao: What is up with the garden of eden imagery in the promo pic? Also, I guess now "NEET" is the new trendy word people are going to use for everything damned whether it actually makes sense or not.
Veronica: Divorce Ceremonies are one of those "Weird Japan!!!" things that I cringe at and then forget about. I feel like I hate this already.
Starts: January 10, Tuesdays
Who's in it: Mukai Osamu, Tsukamoto Takashi, Inagaki Goro
What they say it's about: Mukai is taking on the role of Eisuke, a former bassist of a rock band who gave up his music dreams to carry on the tradition of his family’s French restaurant. The show will involve a love triangle as Kuninaka and Takimoto play rivals for Eisuke’s heart. Kuninaka has been cast as Eisuke’s older girlfriend Maria, who works at a bank. She is shocked to learn that Mukai has abandoned his music to devote himself to the restaurant, leading her to uncertainty about their relationship. Takimoto’s character is a 20-year-old college student named Chie who comes from a farming family. Although she initially had a bad impression of Eisuke, she begins to develop feelings for him after tasting his cooking. SMAP’s Inagaki will play Tokio, the owner of a competing French restaurant. In the past, he was fond of the restaurant that Eisuke’s mother ran, but after she passed away, he deceived Eisuke’s father and bought out the restaurant’s chefs and staff. Knowing of Eisuke’s ability as a chef, Tokio views him as a rival. Eisuke’s friends, who were part of his band ROCKHEAD, are being played by Tsukamoto (guitarist) and Miura (vocalist). Both of them help Eisuke with his restaurant.
Translation: Yo, I heard everyone has a boner for that Mukai Osamu guy cause he's hot off the heels of doing Gou. Quick! Put him in an innocuous food drama with just a tiny bit of spice to keep it fresh!
Yao: What is this promo video, I don't even. Were you guys too lazy to actually shoot film?
Veronica: I hate Mukai Osamu. He always has a bad attitude and I don't know why women find that attractive. Who wants to bet there's a tie-in album for whatever lame band his character is in within six months?
Starts: December 24, Saturdays
Who's in it: No one I care about.
What they say it's about: “Switch Girl!!” is a manga series by Aida Natsumi that currently runs in Shueisha’s magazine Margaret and has sold close to 5 million copies total. The story revolves around a high school student named Nika (Nishiuchi) who appears to be a stylish and fashionable girl at school, but that’s really a fake persona that she uses when she’s in public. At home, she “switches off” the facade and her returns to her true slovenly nature. Kiriyama Renn (26) plays the good-looking transfer student Arata, who is Nika’s love interest in the story.
Translation: Hotaru no Hikari for children teens.
Yao: I will watch any series about a girl that is a gross old man/otaku at home and fabulous at school/work. All I want to know is how come they don't go all out with how gross women in their 'off' modes really get? I'll see how long I can stand this series before I get tired of high school "problems" that really aren't problems.
Veronica: I've read a little bit of Switch Girl and it's your run of the mill "OMG THIS WOMAN DOESN'T PERFORM FEMININITY THE SAME WAY MOST OF SOCIETY DOES, GROSS!" story. Oh, but in High School so it's really immature. The girl in that picture has what the internets likes to refer to as "jizz lips". Put on some cherry Chapstick PUH-LEEZE.
DisHonorable Mentions (aka, shit I care less than normal about): So apparently they're making a drama about Teen Court, where some high school girl reinvestigates cases so she can use her ~unique perspective~ as a teen to solve vapid mysteries by applying her knowledge about emoji and facebook photos. Everything about this drama makes me want kids to get off my lawn. Speaking of dramas aimed at the under-18 girls and over 40 men, NTV's trying to make Hello!Project relevant again by making Suugaku♡Joshi Gakuen (yes there is an actual heart mark in the title - indicating it's Emmy material). Like OMG it's a math school where the girls all look like HelloPro idols!!!11 I'm sure this will totally address the biases against women in the math and sciences and not just be thinly veiled fap material for nerds. JDrama tries its hand at old people romance with Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi. I'm not even going to go into everything that's wrong with Risou no Musuko. All you need to know is that it's essentially about having a massive Oedipal complex and it's populated with heysaywomp members. Hayami-san to yobareru hi seems so incredibly ryosai kenbo 2012. I guess Yamapi is making a drama where he's a funeral parlor worker/more detective than actual detectives. I know most of you Yamapi stans will think this is the beautiful, well proportioned baby of Six Feet Under and CSI but I know this is going to be another snooooring pseudo whodunnit show. Seinaru kaibutsu-tachi could potentially be interesting because the premise rests on possible foul play involving big money but I am not tween enough to watch for Okada Masaki and I really have 0 interest in hospital dramas. Ekiben Hitoritabi is one of those shows I have 0 interest in watching (unless of course, they decide at the last minute to cast shirtless Kimutaku. Let's not think too hard as to why you would need to be shirtless to eat/travel) but 1000% interest in actually doing. I also don't know why but I feel like I would be more encouraged to watch this if it were an anime. Idk, maybe I am just thoroughly amused that the protagonist looks like your gay bear friend from Portland.
I have had it with all these motherfucking detective/cop shows on my motherfucking Japanese TV.
