This drama is one of the best medical/forensics, detective/crime, and mystery shows I've seen! If you're expecting something darker, then you probably won't get that from this story; however, not one moment of this story is lacking in suspense or drama!

Each bit of this story fits together like a skeleton (pun intended) and the thrills and suspense within each episode fit together piece by piece to create a magnificent story filled with genuine, raw human emotion and honesty that is something very fitting with reality.

The actors and actresses that portray each person have a wonderful talent and respect for their skill and their work that is almost tangible and feels as if they've been swallowed by the character they are acting as, while the viewer(s) watch the story unfold. Each episode is very unique and completely different to any stories I've seen or read before, this show and its story are very intriguing!

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At the beginning of this drama, I thought it would be something a bit darker and I was afraid to start watching because I am a giant scaredy-cat; I can't even watch horror movie trailers! But, I am so glad that I started watching this drama, even though I haven't seen the first series. Part of me watched this because of Sakurai Sho and Yokoyama You, but as the show went on, all of the contestants and production crew and supporting roles became super interesting. Sakurai Sho took his acting skills to a completely new level; at some points, I even forgot it was him as MC Kamiyama/Kamiyama Satoru! Yokoyama You is also really, really good at portraying the "evil/bad guy" character! I was engulfed in this show from the beginning, I absolutely love this show!

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Perfect blend of reality with what we hope for~

The story of the Maki and Kuwahara families, along with their friends and co-workers, is an epic not to be missed. This is one of the most accurate, relateable, genuine, raw, honest, and beautiful telling of life as we know it; the ups and downs, the terrifying and exciting, the scary and hopeful, the good and bad.


This season of Kansatsui Asagao truly served as a beautiful and honest visual story telling of life itself. It broke my heart to continue watching some episodes along the way, but "that's life". And honestly, this wonderful story has very extraordinarily told the story of life's ups and downs, the peaks and valleys, the despair along with the joyous moments so very well. I don't want to say this story is dark and depressing, or full of medical jargon or gory details, because it isn't; however, this series does a splendid job at telling the truth for both sides of life, without hiding one detail.


A couple of episodes broke my heart or took my breath away, I simply couldn't believe what was happening or think of what was to come. I really respect the cast, creators, writers, directors, staff, etc... for showing their respect, kindness, understanding, and compassion to the March 11th tragedy throughout this series; that had to be hard to do. While I didn't cry during the first or second season, I did tear up a lot! As a foreigner, it was hard for me to remember March 11th, though not as hard as it had to of been for the actually Japanese, more specifically for Ueno Juri, Tokito Saburo, Ishida Hikari, and Emoto Akira. To have to deal with their roles throughout the series haad to have been tough, mentally and emotionally; and possibly physically.


It was really a treat to have such "cute relief" during the heartbreaking and hard moments from such a hard working and talented actor as Nagase Yuzuna; I look forward to more of her work! Watching Tokito Saburo as Maki Taira was incredible, his talent and power never cease to amaze me.


I wish there was more of this family to watch! Their story is a lovely story of life, how to win in the dark moments, and even how to celebrate both the good and the bad. The atmosphere created throughout this series showed one of the more realistic "slice-of-life" story's I have seen in a very long time!

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Original and Unique Yet Familiar

The story within this show is most definitely an original script, however, there are a lot of similarities in the show to other shows I've seen before; in a "read between the lines" sort of way, though. It also felt a little familiar to the American show "Criminal Minds", which made me curious if maybe this was an attempted remake or an attempt to "open the door" for a show remake.

Let me restate/re-word the above: this story is definitely an original story, however, the "feeling" and/or the "atmosphere" this show has is familiar. Which makes me wonder if it's the script, if it's myself comparing this story to other story's, if it's some members of the cast (since I've seen them in other criminal/detective shows), or if the creator/creators wanted it to be familiar in a way. In saying all of that, though, I'm not trying to say "do not watch this show"; on the contrary!

The hard work of everyone involved in this show is almost tangible through the screen; watching each case unfold made me want to continue from one episode to the next as soon as possible! While some parts of the episodes are cliche and a little confusing, each episode is clarified towards the episode's end and each episode creates a piece of the puzzle that fits so perfectly together, I was holding my breath while on the edge of my seat.

While some episodes are truly scary, not all of the episodes are, and not all of the episodes are too scary to watch. I have to admit that I did want to watch this story because of a few interesting sentences in the synopsis, though the cast really gave me the extra "push" to continue the show. I wasn't expecting so many popular and famous stars, watching their skill and talents in action really made each episode exciting.

I don't know why only Kitagawa Keiko was set as the "main character" in the listing here on MDL, because after watching the show in its entirety it truly felt like each person had their "five minutes of fame" in the spotlight... Or "limelight" as it were.


If you like thrilling, suspenseful, rollercoaster dramas, or if you're a fan of any actor in this show, then give this show a try!

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Unassuming Beautiful Story

This story is a gorgeous telling of what it means to be a member of any community and/or family, whether a new or old member of society. Each episode is full of stories of growth, honesty, raw and genuine feelings, determination, and respect. Growing from one's past isn't exactly easy to do, but with the support of friends and family or people from your community to support and guide and reassure you, anything is possible!


This story only has 7 or 8 people I recognize within its cast and that made it really interesting and enjoying to watch. I've found a few new actors/actresses whose careers I would like to follow, given this story was created in 2009 I'm sure they have a ton of new shows and movies to watch!


This show's episodes were really a mishmash of what happened on the island; it was calming and beautiful to watch, with a twist at the end that I did NOT see coming at all! However, the mystery and suspense really knocked the air out of my lungs and had me hanging on the edge of my seat! I did cry a few times during the show, so keep some tissues prepared! What I wasn't sure about was the ending, I feel like it ended too soon, and a few things needed to be expanded on or at least given a "1 month later" or "1 year later" type of conclusion.


This story really had it all! Dramatic backstory, lifestyle worries, old and new relationships, relatable problems, epic thrills, hysterical comedy, and heartfelt yet bittersweet moments. I wish they had a few more episodes than just 9, I really enjoyed watching each member of the Narumijima Island grow into their true self as they supported the community and became stronger versions of themselves. I am really interested in seeing how the Island grows and continues to address their issues, separately and as a community; each member of the cast really had a wonderful, bright, positive personality and attitude during the entirety of filming. It was something really special to watch!

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I've Never Wanted to Travel More!

When you think of Japan, most people travel there for it's popular media (music, anime, manga, fashion, etc) and other people seem to travel there for culture (food, history, architecture, museums, etc) and most people even think of one city: Tokyo! While theres nothing wrong with Tokyo, it just seems to be the most populated and popular place to visit; this show shares multiple wonderful reasons about why Kyoto and Osaka are wonderful places to venture to as well!



Each story really had a thrilling impact of intense emotions! From tears to laughter, anger to frustration, worry to pure unadulterated happiness. Each story was filled with a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar, like a mini-travel show, and while I did learn something new each time about new places to visit, I also learned new things about being a good friend or just being a good human, in general.



This show really tells a fantastic story of traveling, alone or in a group of friends or even strangers; almost like a travel blog come to life! Watching the characters and cast visit so many places around both Osaka and Kyoto, while listening to the dialects of different regions, and learning varying new things about the towns and foods and places visited was not only gorgeous but seemed to me to be an absolute privilege! Watching Kokoro-chan, Nanami-san, Sosuke-san, Jun-chan, and Miyama-san work together to help their customers or visitors throughout each episode was really charming and absolutely stunning! There were a few, tiny moments, when I thought "oh this person would fit well in this episode" or "this person would be an interesting choice for this role" but it really only lasted for a few seconds because this story really blew me out of the water! Each episode was really packed with a lot of information and entertainment; it was really fun to watch Jun-chan grow as a person and watch her confidence grow as she fulfilled each new customer's wish, even if she didn't realize what was going on. It was nice to see an airhead willing to grow within the story, instead of an airheaded victim that remains the "damsel in distress".



The show didn't really go in the direction I thought it would, it was absolutely completely different from what I imagined it would be considering the synopsis, too. I really enjoyed watching and learning so much about Kyoto, Osaka, and Japan in general. This show also served to make me extremely hungry! All the food not only looked delicious but very beautiful, too! A lot of the food I didn't recognize, but a lot I knew a little about; it was nice to see the difference in regional food names even though the food seemed to be similar, and it was nice to see the differences in regional areas. Something like that is similar to what we have here in the USA, however I think what we have is limited to accents or what we call things (buggy vs cart; etc) and in Japan it seems that it applies to more diverse things (what they call things, accents, types of foods or even mannerisms).



Wandering around Kyoto and Osaka was quite an adventure! I really liked how each episode showed off different sides of each city, town, and person no matter if they were new or recurring. The connection between each cast member was really wonderful to watch grow, I enjoyed that there were hints of romance, but nothing really ever seemed to connect, each person who visited Kizunaya (Kizuna-ya) seemed to get almost exactly what they were searching for even if they didn't realize it was coming for them. "A place where your wish can come true" seems to be pretty generic to Japanese drama, movie, anime, or manga stories; but this story is unique in and of itself! A genuine take on the human condition: kindness, anger, hilarity, sadness, courage, communication, friendship, love, facing the past, braving the future.... This story is an underrated gem full of history, growth, impressive sights, sounds, and mouth watering moments full of joy and enchantment!

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A little bit of everything

This show really has it all! Romance, fantasy, drama, mystery, suspense, hilarity, ingenuity, and even a few moments where I've had to hold my breath or grab a tissue. I did not expect a lot from this story, but each and every episode with its wonderful cast really did their best to deliver a one-of-a kind, unique, talent filled, enjoyable show!


It was interesting to see that there was a sort of "behind the scenes" look at a police officer's lifestyle besides the nitty-gritty dirty details of their work. Also, I really enjoyed watching the different types of families, with or without kids, throughout the show. For some reason, this show felt familiar to a family/slice-of-life anime style, but also with little bits of "Bewitched" and the typical family life thrown in. Each episode was filled with suspense, thrills, mystery, comedy, and sometimes even a little life lesson. I liked that the family unit for the Morikawa's was completely upended, definitely not the "typical" or "normal" family style.


Watching this story was intense! So much happening all at once, but never once did I lose my train of thought or get confused. It was really fun to watch the kids seem to have their own lives, but also come together as part of the community and support their friends and families. So many times you see kids be bratty or self centered, but it was really fun to watch each member of the little town where the Morikawa's lived come together on different, yet similar, common ground(s) at times. As an aspiring writer myself (as if my ridiculously long reviews didn't hint at that already lmao) it was also nice to watch Morikawa Akira struggle and yet still continue his writings; often in shows we only see failure and quitting or succeeding and winning or succeeding and then failing after a while... viewers don't often get to see the journey that Akira goes on throughout the episodes, so it was really fun to watch!


From cooking and stain removal to fighting bad guys and bullet proof vests to odd souvenirs and new friends to stubborn visitors and funny relatives, this story really does seem to have something for everyone! Though, if you're looking for epic gun battles and "fire fights", this may not be too interesting. The story of the Morikawa family, their neighborhood of family and friends, and how they persevere throughout difficulties and hard work together, or separately, is really wonderful!


I think this show is sort of underrated, being as I don't really see a lot of people talking about it, but if people decide to give this fantastic show a chance, I really think and believe that the viewer will enjoy themselves! I laughed, I cried, I was anxious, and even got a few new outlooks on life while enjoying myself! The narrator has a calming voice, yet he was also really funny, too! I am so interested in season two of this family and neighborhood's story!

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A Little Bit of Everything

This story has a little bit of every genre mixed within it. Slice-of-life, romance, mystery, science fiction, family, but most importantly it really tells a story of reality and humanity and (i apologize for sounding so sappy) and the relationship with your own self.


At the beginning, this story set out to be exactly what the synopsis said: a tv screenwriter who rekindled a dream he had given up for years (in short), however, the story itself is so much more than that; and while it does seem to be a little slow in the beginning, as each episode builds and builds, the story creates a wonderful world full of imagination, creativity, mishaps, dramatics, and a fantastic adventure!


(i apologize if the below is a spoiler for anyone)
The show does resemble Ikuta Toma's drama "Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai", but in atmosphere only. I couldn't find one similarity within the script, characters, or anywhere else. This story was something like a sequel, but not quite EXACTLY a sequel... Maybe something like an alternate reality? Though I do have to say the differences between Ikuta Toma's main characters for each show is quite strong; I couldn't find any similarities between them (except for the fact that Ikuta Toma was the main character actor) and he doesn't seem the type of person to be type-casted into any roles. In fact, seeing him in roles like this (charming, family man, calm and quiet, slice-of-life, almost non-main-character type if you follow the popular views) makes me want to see him in other more active, strong, dramatic (think Ouroboros) type of roles. Ikuta Toma does a marvelous job of sucking you in to, not only admiration for his character, but also admiration for the show and each and every character.



This story is very comforting. A family that works together, yet has their own almost "secret society" within it. While most families do have this dynamic, it was nice to see that each member of the Yoshimaru household had their own life that did not revolve around the celebrity that was their parents. Yes, everyone (family included) around them wanted to celebrate the new job(s) and be supportive, but this show was so much more than just celebrating one or two specific peoples. I would have liked to of seen more of Sora-kun, Erika-chan, and Sengawa-kun, though! I feel like that is a side story worth exploring.


I think this story may be a bit underrated, but then again I'm not one that follows the bandwagon for "popular" things, either. I wanted to watch this show because of Ikuta Toma, but then I realized there were more cast members that I enjoy watching and following their career(s), and as I started watching this story the show really made me laugh out loud, gasp with suspense, and worry along with the characters. Each actor really blended in with their character well, almost chameleon like level; at some points within the show it felt like I was watching a docu-drama of a real family that was put together as a drama and not a full documentary to keep the interest and entertainment of the original story. I really enjoyed watching the ups, downs, and in-betweens of the Yoshimaru family, the co-workers, and their friends. I wonder why this did not get a few more episodes or more detailed story for a few other cast members, but I'm also kind of glad that this story wasn't too busy or cluttered with information that would be unnecessary. It was really wonderful to see the "behind the scenes" work of a screen writer!

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Underrated - Intense - Genuine - Painful, Bittersweet Reality

I was extremely unprepared and had little to no expectations for this show. I went in to it thinking it would be something of a comedy, since I mainly know Sato Jiro from comedic genre type shows and movies and I rarely ever look at the genre listing of a show (unless I'm specifically looking for a certain genre) so I won't be too biased going in to the story. I am not exaggerating when I say that this show completely blew me away, blew my mind and absolutely left me breathless.


The story is almost literally what the title says it is: a hikikomori man who regained the self confidence little by little to go outside for work, for food, and for himself. Hikikomori's are not unknown within Japan, between 2010 and 2011 there are 700,000 (according to Wikipedia and google anyways). To see a show created with hikikomori's in mind, almost as if it was created for them, with such respect, dedication, compassion, and intensity toward human kind no matter their issues and how to help not only the "main" person involved but everyone involved within the (same) problem was the definition of epic. To me, at least.


Each episode left me wanting more, to know what was going to happen to, not only the students, but the teachers and the principal, and especially to "yakitori-sensei" and Yoda-kun, too. The dramatics for each episode left me in tears; the emotions of the students and parents involved were so dramatically intense, so raw and fierce, and full of brutal, bittersweet honesty. It was inspiring and empowering to watch the students rise above their issues, not full of entitlement, but full of confidence, preservation, love, and genuinely face themselves and their problems, and especially life itself.


I completely felt depressed when covid reared its ugly head. The feelings and emotions of each person, student and teacher alike, really was a punch to the gut. It completely took my breath away. Personally, covid was a 50/50 high issue. I quarantined and got vaccinated of course, especially because I'm high risk, and I actually did get covid for a week last month, but since I'm vaccinated my covid wasn't as bad as it could have been. Watching how hard covid had hit society, even though it's oceans away from me and involved people who (even though the actors/actresses are real, the characters are not) are strangers to me and (sort of) not real was really hard to watch. I felt my breath leave my body during a couple of episodes, I was so upset and concerned for each person; I sympathized and empathized with almost all the students and hikikomori-sensei, too!


This show was very special, and to me feels underrated; it definitely needs more press and more people to see such a beautiful story full of the joys and sadness and frustrations and hardships that life deals us. I cannot wait for season 2!

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Manga Live Action Done Right!

This live action make really holds the manga original very, very close! The similarity in the episodes is uncanny and produced so well, it was like watching the manga float right off the pages, which can be a difficult thing considering this is an extremely original and unique type of story.


Granted, there are some cliche Japanese Drama/Movie tropes within the show, but they really take on lives of their own. They don't come across as too cheesy or ridiculous, each moment has just the right amount of balance for the serious, hilarious, and many more! I've never laughed out loud so much, so loud, and so often within a show as I have with this show; granted, not every episode and not the entire episode(s), either. This is one of the funniest yet sincere, honest, and most beautiful shows I have watched in a long time.


The music was really wonderful, the voices more so than the melody I thought really created a nice atmosphere for the show and built up the curiosity to find out what happens next. There were a couple of episodes where I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation! Hiroshi Tamaki and Kawaguchi Haruna really blended into their roles so well that I completely forgot who they were as an actor and actress and fell totally in love with their characters; its almost as if all the actors and actresses within this show came to life from the original story, they all fit their roles and carried them out with the highest pride, dedication, respect, and, of course, enjoyment! It was nice to see some actors/actresses that are new to me and that I will now follow their paths because I liked them in this story so much, and actors/actresses that I know and already follow in different roles that I'm used to seeing them in; especially for Takito Kenichi. I would really like to know how they did some of these scenes without dying of laughter.


I'm so glad this story continues in so many ways (manga of course, a sequel, a spinoff, the anime, a Netflix adaptation, and a movie) because the world needs to see more of these wonderful people and the story of the yakuza house husband needs to continue. This show is a hilarious yet serious and sincere, honest and genuine, raw true story of love, family, relationships, and life. I've enjoyed it very much and hope more people will, too!

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Otori no Yu is Perfection

First off, let me start by saying: no, this isn't a "typical drama", however, this is one of the most hilarious and epically entertaining shows I have seen in a long time! I laughed out loud multiple times within an episode. I got worried in a couple other episodes. This is a skit show, even says so at the beginning of each episode, though the way the story builds and continues (unlike most skit shows in America) this show is also a drama. A very exceptional even split between skit/sketch comedy and a drama story creating a fantastic show!


I thought the laugh track/live audience laughter would be annoying, but it was kind of helpful in a sense and was really nice to hear as the actors and actresses showed off all of their hard work during the 10 episodes. I wish there were more, or the episodes were a little longer, but seeing how physically demanding, imaginative, fulfilling, and creative each episode was, it's easy to see how the actors/actresses and staff/writer(s)/director(s) were giving the viewer all of their hard work, respect, and dedication to their characters and each other while working.


I like how the setting was created. Building such a wonderful set and atmosphere around the characters, instead of letting the setting build the characters. I saw a few different sides of actors/actresses who I really like and it was ridiculously entertaining. I don't really think this show can be considered a launching pad to put the actors/actresses out in to the celebrity world, but in some ways it sort of felt like it. I really enjoyed watching actors I was familiar with and unfamiliar with come together to create such a spectacular story without making it seem like one actor/actress was more popular or favorited than the others.


The story itself was really interesting! The build up from episode one until the finale was intense, it's small and unassuming, but if you pay attention the story is truly one the more genuine, unique, honest, and emotional stories I've seen. Granted, nothing like murder or the like happens, but this story has got a severe punch to the gut that will take your breath away with laughter!

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Warning: Do Not Watch If Hungry

I'm not sure if this story was supposed to be a drama or if it was created by Japan's tourism industry in the midst of Covid-19, but let me tell you a show/movie/anime/manga/drama/music group/history lesson has never fueled my love and want for traveling to Japan! Also, fair warning as stated above, but: do not watch on an empty stomach!


I really love how this show created such a wonderful story that showed not only each specialty of food, drink, and sweet from wherever region in Japan that Takamiya Susumu had traveled to, the story also was fantastic at showing off Japan itself! The scenery, the people, the local towns/cities were absolutely stunning. I feel like I was taken on a personal tour of Japan itself.


Each town was showcased so perfectly, I really felt like I had been there myself; the food and drinks shown looked so beautiful, and (to someone who is american, a sensitive eater, and has watched Japanese shows passionately for years) the foods and drinks they showed really appealed to a person who has never tried Japanese food before. Everything was simple yet extravagant and even though there were some pieces of food that I probably wouldn't (or couldn't because of personal food restrictions) try, there were so many pieces of foods and drinks that looked so delicious they made my mouth water! There were so many different types of foods that, even though I know I don't like them, made me want to try them immediately! From seafood to pasta, steak to vegetables, traditional sweets to traditional alcohol... this story really captured the spirit of Japan within its 12 episodes!


If you're looking for a calm, simple, comedic, heartwarming, genuine, purely beautiful story that will leave you stuffed and with a feeling of sweet bliss and nostalgia, then this show is definitely for you. An underrated gem of a show that is filled with amazing people, delicious foods and drinks, and will most definitely remind you to take proper care of yourself with good food and "personal time", while also showing you that it's great to step out of your comfort zone and explore the unknown!

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Impossible Possibilities

This story was really nothing like I expected it to be. The synopsis and poster are completely, I don't want to say "misleading", but they are the complete opposite ALMOST of what this show's story truly was. I'm not entirely sure parts of this show weren't all dreams in the first place...


The cast line up was amazing. The story and cast carried this show together in an even balance of 50/50 quite perfectly. I've seen some stories similar to a few cases within this show, however, the cast really made such a compelling and enthralling story. I haven't been able to stop watching since episode one! The dramatics of this show aren't exactly what you would expect, and some stories aren't really dramatic at all, but the intense story itself is ridiculously epic from episode 1 until episode 10!


I think this show may be an underrated gem, but then again, if I'm being completely honest, I almost gave up on watching this story within the first 5 episodes, however, as the story base grew and grew, to lead up to the finale, I changed my mind and was simply swallowed whole by the story itself.


However, and this may be irrelevant and/or my personal opinion, but.... I'm not entirely sure the "sidekick" role was necessary for this story as a whole. Even though the creators seemed to build up the role's importance from episode 1 and as time continued, the role seemed to fit as the last perfect puzzle piece. I feel like Ayano Go could have handled this show (i dont want to say "better" or "best") by himself well enough, but that may just be because of his popularity, too. If you watch a few episodes, if not the entire show, without really paying attention to Takei Emi's role, imagining her not there at all, then this show seems to be lacking something of a "female touch"... whatever that general, old way of thinking is. In other reviews and/or comments, I noticed people calling her a "damsel in distress role", which really only seemed to fit for an episode and a half; please, believe me when I tell you that that way of thinking is only half right. Takei Emi's role is a very smart, strong character and while she does seem to attract trouble, she doesn't seem to fit the "damsel in distress" way of thinking. Though maybe that way of thought is because this show is from 2014 and I'm watching this story in 2022.



Each person's way of thinking is different and wonderful to watch and listen to, so please, watch this show and enjoy... And please leave a review or comment to show your own hypothesis!

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Real Reality Truths

This show really threw me for a loop; after reading the synopsis, I thought I had an idea of what this show would be, but the phrase "do not judge a book by its cover" really do apply here!


The reality and relatable issues this story bravely faced were done with talent, respect, genuine care, and raw emotion(s) that are really rare to see from American television. American's prefer dramatics, explosions, drama, romance, blahblahblah... But this story really served its purpose for being entertaining as well as educational, though not in a scholarly way but more so from a humanity and kindness standpoint.


The cases this show followed were gut wrenching, heartbreaking, scary, emotional, raw cases that one wouldn't expect to generally see for a medical drama unless one is watching a dark-brooding-mystery-crime type story, maybe. I've never once thought of dropping a show yet continuing it so quickly... literally, I thought of dropping it by the end of episode one, but when I started episode two this show swallowed me whole and I binged it within one day! Yeah, yeah, I know; only 10 episodes so "binge watching it should be no big deal" lol


The picture/poster for this show, posted here of course, really misled me as well. I thought it would be melodramatic or too cheesy and those types of shows aren't generally for me, I'll watch them, but I tend to like reality thrown in to my shows (ironic, no?) instead of the cheesy "this could never happen in real life" types. Does that make sense? I hope so! Anyways.... This show really gave me a punch to the stomach, without being too over the top, this show really delivered on the emotions and realities of not only being a doctor within this day and age, but really delved deep in to how a resident doctor feels, acts, learns, shows off their knowledge, how they take care of patients, and even how they take care of themselves. If you're looking for a purely medical show, then this may not be for you. This show really took the 10 episodes and ran with it! A show all about humanity, genuine care, and the bettering of oneself from the perspective and difference of every patient!

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Never Underestimate the Fly on the Wall!

I have never been so terrified of a secretary in all my life. First of all, these women are the epitome of "strength" and I can see why they are all so popular, yet go unnoticed. It's not like they do so purposefully, but that people usually take them for granted so they just don't seem to give them any attention, let alone respect, nor the time of day... Like they don't even exist! Which is just perfect for the seven (or is it 8?..... maybe 9?) "someone who isn't great enough to be identified" persons.


First of all, I was unsure of a couple of casted individuals, but that was dispelled right away! The more you watch, the more you realize that their "invisibility" is actually perfect. Through their hard work, they are all recognized at work but they are also taken for granted and treated as nothing more than servants or a pawn. As each story builds the pressure, I found myself waiting with extreme anticipation on the edge of my seat! The cases were different, extremely different, than anything I've seen before; granted there are a few moments of "ah this is typical for a Japanese police/detective/crime drama", but they go by in a flash! This story really does pride itself on its remarkable originality!


The climax was spread between multiple episodes, which sort of felt dragged out on purpose but really the more I watched the more the building blocks of a fantastic story were being created. I never imagined the outcome, though it was sort of expected in some places; even so, I could never predict what actually happened! The twists and turns within this case seriously threw me for a loop more than once. The music really helped to encourage the cliffhangers and empower the epic scenes. A few times, I cried way too much; a couple of episodes, too, I felt like all the air was sucked out of me.


This show is full of life. Hard fought, grateful, appreciative, raw, genuine, honest, respected, happy, sad, mad, unexpected life!

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