Nostalgia

Cybercops is nostalgia for me because I grew up as a child watching a vhs tape of it dubbed in a different language. I wanted to find out more about it and what it was actually called. Years later I had discovered it but at the time there weren't any eng subs. I ended up watching the show in Portuguese dubbed because that's what I could only find and the show became very popular in Brazil. Couple years later the show has been subbed in English with the original Japanese audio. I decided why not rewatch the show again but I can follow along the show now with eng subs.

Cybercops is actually created by Toho not Tokusatsu. Tokusatsu is known for popular series like super sentai. Cybercops is basically like a super sentai show. You have the 4 heroes in bit suits armor (5th hero aka 6th ranger trope in super sentai appears later in the show) in different colors. Something unique they do is their names of them. They don't just call them by their color but each are named after a planet Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Mercury, and Lucifer(sometimes known as the planet Venus so kind of counts). Cybercops is basically a special police force team to handle more complicated threats. There is also a heroine on the team and her name is Uesugi. It is never explained why she doesn't have a bit force armor like the rest. But still Mika Chiba the actress of Uesugi plays a fine role in aiding and taking on Deathtrap along with her teammates without a armor.

The main plot doesn't really kick in until the midway point between episodes 10-20. One of the main plots is finding out about Jupiter who is a man that has no memory of himself. Later turns out that he and 2 other people came from the future 23rd century. The character episodes focusing on each member are pretty good at showing more about our heroes. The team has good chemistry with each other. Although sometimes I wish it was more consistent in the story of these characters. One episode Saiyonji(Mercury) is shown as a badass fighting off thieves that stole a woman's purse to the next episode being a laughing stock getting beaten up by the lowest level lackeys of the villains. They relied too much on Jupiter using his special weapon cyber thunder arm to defeat the villains that it felt repetitive. Even some character episodes not about Takeda/Jupiter, he still takes the final credit defeating the monster instead of his other teammate. Thankfully later on in the show, they actually mention how the other 3 rely on Jupiter too much to defeat the monsters. They actually work together to create a strategy to defeat the monsters without always having to rely on Jupiter.

For a show made in 1988, the motive of the villains was kind of interesting. Their goal is to side with the computers and have the computers rule the world instead of humans in the future. Lucifer is probably my favorite cybercop. He starts off as a antihero with no memories like Jupiter. But he believes in the story that the main villain Baron Kageyama tells him. So he fights against Jupiter thinking Jupiter killed his friends. Then Jupiter remembers his memories that Baron Kageyama was a spy and set a bomb that created a portal that sent all three into the past. Lucifer actually has two versions of his cyber bit suit. The noticeable difference is that as a antihero, the gear around his mouth is like a bandana mask(making him like a outlaw). But what is kind of cool is how when we see him use his ultimate final power, the bandana mask armor falls off changing his face armor to looking like a good hero now. They both look wonderful but his suit with the bandana mask looked more awesome. He's basically on the same power level as Jupiter since they both came from the future their cyber bit suits are more advanced and stronger. I might even say he is stronger than Jupiter except that Jupiter has the strongest final weapon/move.

The show relied heavily and I mean heavily on green screen. Remember that this show was made in 1988. Maybe at the time people were fascinated by the green screen effects they captured. As someone watching in the 2020s, I kind of cringed at the scenes lol.

Acting and cast is pretty good for a hero show. The one person that stands out and many would agree is Mika Chiba. She is really gorgeous and plays her role excellent. A little bonus is that the show does tease subtle romance between Uesugi and Takeda. Scenes of her being jealous, him rescuing her, almost kiss scenes, and emotional moments. One of my favorite parts of watching hero shows/movies is the subtle add of romance. I am glad that they actually acknowledge one of them likes the other. Most times in super sentai shows, their is subtle hints of one liking the other but don't acknowledge it. The sad part is that they never kissed.

The best thing of this show is easily the music. They nailed the OP and Ending of the song. It's a masterpiece for me. The ending song is my favorite between the two. The reason why is because Mika Chiba aka Uesugi sings the song. Not only is she beautiful, likable character, and good acting she can sing. Another bonus point is that the main cast played the band of the ending song for the first 15ish episodes. You need to listen to "Shooting star" by Mika Chiba.

Overall fantastic show for me that his nostalgia. I wish the final episode had more time. Lucifer and Jupiter go back to the future to their timeline but Uesugi goes too because she loves Takeda. It ended after the battle and we just see the 3 in the sky waving. The show should have ended with like a time skip to see how the past cybercops are battling crime without Jupiter and Uesugi. Show them improved in skills of what they learn. Then show the timeline in the future how Jupiter and Lucifer changed the future so there wasn't a war. Also how does Uesugi living in the future timeline affect things. Well this part might be too complicated to think creative wise.

Still a fun show for me. Mika Chiba was the star.

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Bittersweet end but still a beautiful story

25 21 was a drama in a weird spot for me. I wanted to watch it but didn't at the same time. I had spoiled myself and checked the spoiler of this drama because I heard that it was a hot topic from fans. It took me a while to decide to watch this drama preparing for what would happen.

My honest opinion is that I very much loved the first 9 episodes of this drama. But the other episodes after when Hee Do and Yu Rim become friends weren't as good as the first 9. They still were good but weren't incredible like the first 9. The drama captures you in with our main characters backstory to connect and root for. Both of our leads have clear goals and issues. Hee Do strives to become passionate with fencing again and also becoming her fencing idol's rival. She has a mother who is a popular busy news anchor that neglects Hee Do leaving her alone a lot. She is not there to support her which leaves their relationship miscommunicated and bickering. Yi Jin wants to bring his family back together one day as they are separated from the times crashing his father's career. He once had it all but now has to start at the bottom alone. Both of the leads become each other's support as they get through these tough times.

The ending to this drama is the most talked about whether you were fine with it or hated it. So in short our two leads do not end up together. If I saw this drama when I was couple years younger, I would be on the outrage of why they didn't end up together. But my current self "ducks undercover" was fine with the ending and understood it a bit. They had this friendship or "rainbow" relationship as Hee Do was growing to become a fencer winning gold medals and Yi Jin starting out as a news reporter. When they became more successful and older, their relationship became well romance. Their turning point is when Yi Jin goes to America suddenly to cover the 9/11 attack. He is there alone and suffering from how this news affected people and himself. He then holds his suffering to himself which he stops replying or reading messages from Hee Do. Yi Jin got accepted a job in New York where he will be staying that would lead to their break up. He returns back to Korea and they both break up. Hee Do mentioned that when they became a couple, she wanted to share everything with him including his suffering. He thought her support was burdensome to her. She sees her relationship with Yi Jin as her relationship with her mother now. She waited for her and was let down leaving her alone a lot which Yi Jin is doing now. Also Yi Jin's career path is similar to her mother's too. She doesn't want to experience that kind of relationship again in the future which is a reason to their break up.

I can agree that it was a sad ending for me when they didn't stay as a couple and gotten married. But I don't find their breakup ending to be bad. It does make sense to me. I think I missed some stuff but I couldn't find a reason to support Yi Jin's side. I could only understand it from Hee Do's side on why their relationship had to end. He stopped communicating with her sharing his suffering with her and their schedules were too busy to handle a relationship. I feel like they became a couple at the wrong time when their journey was at it's busiest. Some might say well why couldn't they get back together when she retired from fencing and he was back in Korea? Well he still would be busy now as the news anchor which doesn't fix the issue Hee Do had with him of how he was going to be not there for her like her mother.

Their story is told from a perspective of the present from Hee Do's daughter reading her mother's diary. A couple of episodes in, there are clues that can give away the end game. Her daughter's name is Kim not Baek which is in Yi Jin's name. I don't really like this idea of their story being told from it being in the past. It didn't interest me. It also kind of played viewers into the guessing game of who Hee Do's husband is. Unfortunately or fortunately, they don't show her husband and to me that's ok. I realized her husband that isn't Yi Jin was not a important part of the story. I think the drama would have been fine without it being told in the present from a diary. I can see a bit why they done this so you can feel not as sad when the ending happened assuming you caught on the clues they gave out early on.

The cast was phenomenal. Kim Tae Ri was an excellent choice as Hee Do. Music of the drama was good as well. Would I rewatch it again, surprisingly I would. The story built of how it all happened is worth it even if it's a sad ending. Sometimes dramas go with the sad ending that doesn't make sense but here it does make sense for me. The leads had great chemistry together. Dare I say their chemistry before becoming a couple was better.

My favorite story in the drama was the determination of Hee Do training to win the gold medal and beat Yu Rim. My favorite scene was when Hee Do was congratulated, cheered up, and proud of her by the old folks at the restaurant after she was being called horrible stuff by the public.

Whether you liked the ending or not, I hope you at least admire/enjoyed the story.

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Season 2 was amazing as season 1.

Story: It starts off continuing off of season 1 with the serial arsonist case and the cliff hanger of whether Hogae and/or Dojin survived the fire blast in the garage. The first couple of episodes of season 2 is wrapping up a case from season 1 so it doesn't feel like a new season yet. The big moment that happened was Dojin ended up dying early on. It's a big deal when the writers kill of a main character only couple episodes into a new season. I think these first 4 episodes could have been fit into the first season and having both seasons be 16 episodes like how most Kdramas are.

It doesn't feel like season 2 yet until after episode 4. They introduce two new characters to replace Dojin and Anna(I don't know why Anna had to be replaced). Doha filled in for Dojins spot in the drama as a member of the NFS team. Woo Sam Soon replaced Anna's role in the detectives team. Both showed more lively personalities that I was unsure of but later on I was fine with their additions to the drama. Another difference is more focus on the NFS team and much less screen time for the firefighters. When they killed off Dojin, they also killed off a lot of focus on the firefighters too. Instead of replacing Dojin with a new character in the firefighters team, they replaced him with a new NFS character and focused more on that team. It still had great suspense as I was on the edge of my seat in these cases. A lot of more bomb/explosion scenes than fires.

I was impressed by the teases and twists from the writers. The ones that stood out to me was the character of Doha(Dojin's childhood friend). They made him look very suspicious as the arsonist. He was in a hotel room by himself calling Dojin, he wore black clothes, was at the scene of the crime where Dojin died and he left, and was the childhood friend of Dojin that wanted him to help take out the fire. I thought he was the arsonist because of that reason. I was fooled by the writers and Doha turned out to be a good guy. I loved how in depth they also went at making us believe the MC Hogae did die at the end. Him being in the caravan as it exploded? The bodies found in it looked like it could be him. Hogae dying together with his father from a bomb at the rooftop of a building. They even showed us a autopsy of Hogae to make it look real. Even the characters that loved him showed real emotion of his death. Of course he was alive at the end and it was a heck of a plan to trick the main villain he died to finally catch him.

This drama is not a focus or heavy focus on romance but they did tease it early on and delivered. I adored the relationship between Seol and Hogae throughout the drama. Great moments between them that didn't feel forced. The romantic subplot was a perfect touch to the drama. It probably hooked viewers to stay and watch even if someone as beloved as Dojin died.

Acting/characters: The acting and characters have to be my favorite part of the drama from both seasons. The police team had the best chemistry between the teams. Everyone was so likable.

Music: The soundtrack was good. My favorite song was "Hold my breath". It has a sad tone and fit well into the sad moments of the drama.

Overall/rewatch: If they ever decided on a season 3, I will be ready to watch it. I can see why there wouldn't need to be as this one wrapped up everything well. Great cast, great plot, and best of what I like a subplot of romance with a happy satisfying ending. A amazing journey I'd love to watch again.

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Almost perfect

Story: From reading the plot of the drama to watching the first couple of episodes, I and hopefully others expect this to be a sad drama with a sad ending. The plot of this drama is certainly interesting that hooks viewers to keep watching. A man named Hae Sung who died 12 years ago is suddenly resurrected 12 years later but why. The writer does a fine job in the melodrama aspect with the details of the main lead Hae Sung. In the first couple of episodes, they give us enough details to feel sympathy to Hae Sung. Hae Sung was a 18 year old boy living in the countryside with his 4 younger siblings and his grandmother. Right away we see that Hae Sung is a person with responsibility that takes cares of his younger siblings and grandmother by with tasks such as cooking and working after school to support them. Charismatic and selfless and two great words to describe who Hae Sung is. He is a perfect ML to me but why is it that the perfect ML I like is dead.

Throughout the drama, the writer wants you to keep watching to find out who actually killed the boy in Hae Sung's class, who ran him Hae Sung over leading to his death, and how Hae Sung's family and friends are impacted by his sudden resurrection. The characters that were impacted the most to Hae Sung's sudden death are his 4 younger siblings and Jung Won. His younger siblings are now stuck with the tag of being a sibling of a murderer since Hae Sung was blamed for the death when he found the dead persons body at school and he wasn't alive to prove his innocence. His 4 younger siblings were not all on good terms anymore and each struggled living without their older brother. While Jung Won feels very guilty thinking Hae Sung died because of her. The day of his death, she asked Hae Sung to stop by at the school to pick up her wallet where events later lead to Hae Sung dying.

I loved everything about this plot but things that could have certainly made this drama perfect. First, the amount of episodes was just too much. I understand they last 30 minutes on average which is around half of a normal KDRAMA episode would be but 40 episodes is still a lot. So in the middle, the plot would not move and we just see fluffy moments between the 2 leads or so. My next biggest issue was that we did not get enough scenes of their lives 12+ years ago. I think after the first 10 episodes, they stopped showing anything that happened in the past. They do a okay job of explaining the siblings lives after the death of Hae Sung but not enough about his friends. I guess they wanted to express his friends better in the present timeline than the past where they would have not stood out as much? The cast that played the younger version of his friends except Jung Won, were barely used. I thought the actresses playing the younger version of Jung Won was more talented than the actress playing the adult version of Jung Won. It was a big let down not seeing more scenes of her. If I were writing this drama, I would have shorten the episodes from 40 to 16 with each being a hour long and start most episodes with flashback scenes of their lives back then. This would have helped for the mystery plot about finding who killed the boy in their class. Because later on, we get introduced to other new characters from their school that eventually leads to the suspect where my response was like "who?" It would have been helpful to get to know the other students/staff at their school 12 years ago to be able to react to the reveal. I just wished it was a character of importance than a guest appearance. I got invested into the mystery of who killed the boy in his class that I became confused that they also revealed that the person who ran over Hae Sung is a culprit that they need to find. I thought it was an accident and the person served their punishment. But actually someone paid a person to take their blame. This mystery was actually easy to solve.

I wished they had Hae Sung meet more people that were resurrected like him. He actually meets only one person that was resurrected Mr. Ahn and Mrs. Do a person that experienced a person being resurrected. I disliked the character of Ms. Do when it is revealed that she is wealthy and started to give things out easily to the leads. I was so glad the writer didn't forget about the money Mr. Ahn saved in his storage locker which played a key role for Hae Sung later on. Mr. Ahn was a better character that helped Hae Sung learn things than Ms. Do. I wanted Hae Sung to meet more resurrected people and learn a thing or so from them.

Another issue is the "love triangle tease". It is tagged as a love triangle on MDL and the cover photo of the drama makes you think so too. This was so not true. They tease it during the beginning but Jung Won never falls for Cha even though he likes her. They even had Hae Sung towards the end want her to be with him after leaves the world again. That was my fear at the beginning of the drama but thank god that didn't happen. I just wished I could watch this throughout without having to fear that she would have to end up with the SML. I don't get why the SML is in the cover photo of the drama. It misleads viewers thinking it is a love triangle. I would rather they had focused it on the 2 leads or include his siblings that played a more major role than the SML.

My last issue is how some characters are forgiven at the end. First lets talk about Young Joon. It takes all the way towards the end of the drama for him to acknowledge the existence of his siblings and rejoin them. He changes when he sees his youngest sister Soo Ji in pain waiting for a transplant which he coincidentally is the person who can provide it. It felt quick and not enough given how he was the last sibling to change. Before this, he reveals the truth to his ex's mother(the director of the hospital he works at) about him having a family of siblings that he abandon and 1 year later he and his ex are getting married again. Okay so I guess after Hae Sung was cleared of not being a murderer, the ex's mother just forgave him or something? Hae Chul's ex left him years ago leaving the child she gave birth to behind which Hae Chul decide to raise up as a single father. His ex wanted to take her back selfishly to America but failed so. 1 year later, she was forgiven by Hae Chul and they live together as a happy family now? Then again they never went into enough details to why she left her behind or how these even loved each other in the first place. Lastly it is Tae Hoon's father. He wanted to turn himself in for running Hae Sung over but Hae Sung doesn't want him to so others don't suffer(Tae Hoon and Young In probably). But he was supposed to atone for the crime he wasn't punished for only to see him smiling and welcoming Young In to their family as she and Tae Hoon will get married. Is he atoning for his crime by just accepting Young In? Very weak for these characters.

Acting/Cast: I like the actor playing Hae Sung. I admired the his bright smile he made as Hae Sung and his sad expressions. I only wished we got more scenes of him with the actress playing the younger version of Jung Won. Their chemistry felt more connected.

Music: The sad song/instrumental used was perfection. It hits you on the right moments you want to cry. For example, when we first hear it during the moments where Hae Sung is flown into mid air slowly as he sees Jung Won, his siblings, and grandma waiting for him to come home for his birthday only to die seconds later.

Overall/Re watch: After reading my negative aspects of the drama, you might think I hated the drama but I still loved it. The character of Hae Sung is one I enjoyed and is similar to characters that I like in other dramas. I would not mind watching this again in the future but it would be tearful. It is still a sad ending even if his loved ones are able to live better off now than before when he left the world. This drama could have been a perfect 10.

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Enjoyable sweet youth drama.

Flourish in time is a drama that feels enjoyable. It doesn't have one tone that sets the drama throughout, but mixes the tone throughout.

This drama does so well on is the plot and the characters. Sure the drama can feel slow at times, but it focuses on the two leads school/youth life. It is supposed to be slow and fun. The friendships they formed or the events they participated in was so enjoyable. But it is not just a typical youth drama focusing on their youth. The character background of Jiang Haoyue plays a huge factor into the plot and how his life is today.

Don't get scared that the two leads are "siblings" and develops more than that kind of love. It has an emotional story of how they become close to each other. The slice of life and drama are a great addition to the fun youth journey of the drama. It helps make the drama not become stale with just focusing on their youth. The interesting personal background of the leads and their families throughout the drama was good. The story it told as the drama progressed as well as how the characters would change was wonderful. The friendship here is actually satisfying. Each friend of the Jiang and Lu Miao felt like a real friend. Not one didn't feel annoying.

It was a shock to me to found out the female lead was very young at the time. It was the reason to why there isn't much romantic moments you expect like a kiss. This actually helped the drama because it balanced it out more. It connects the leads background story to the progress of their relationship. There is not much of romantic cliches like love triangles or forced teases. Sure both leads had a person other than the leads like them, but it didn't last long or the leads weren't dumb. This made it so refreshing to see because I hate it when one(usually the male lead) doesn't understand their feelings for the female lead. Right from the start to the end, Jiang Haoyue likes Lu Miao in a way where he interferes in Shi Che's attempts to win Lu Miao over. It was funny at times too instead of personal. Both leads never fell in love with another person except for each other.


It can't be a perfect drama without the OST. The opening song has a joyful mood and tone that is about their youth. The ending song has a feeling that focuses on the two leads love for each other. The other soundtracks used for the emotional moments in the drama were great as well.

I can't wait for the day when I want to go rewatch this drama again. It is just satisfying to watch it all over again. It has a tremendous plot for a youth drama with terrific characters. Flourish in time has become my favorite Cdrama of all time.

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Time machine

I don't write reviews for Cdramas much and I don't enjoy modern Cdramas as much as historical/wuxia/fantasy. But First Love Again was a Cdrama that I felt I had to give my thoughts on.

Story: I liked the time machine idea for the drama. The regrets that the MC Ye Youning had that he went back in time to fix made me want to keep watching. At first it was about saving his relationship with his Grandpa. The Grandpa arc sounded simple but came with lots of emotions watching it. Ye's grandpa plays a crucial role to Ye as his parent due to his background. After came the romance moments where Ye fixes in the past to ensure a better present with his lover Wenxi. It made it interesting to how Ye communicates through a phone that the past Wenxi has as she is communicating with the 2019 Ye although she doesn't know it. I think how easier it would be if the present Ye just communicated with the past Ye but the way they make it a bit more challenging to say for the time machine to work. It helps that the character for Ye wouldn't fall for this. At first the time machine idea with all the science and physics stuff can be confusing but it is a bit more simpler than you think. Although the last couple episodes might confuse people. I like the mix of high school and the present where they are grown up. It was a nice focus on the college life although in the original timeline they wouldn't have gone to the same college together. The ending of the drama is a universe where there is no time machine but that Ye and Wenxi are destined for each other. It gives viewers hope that some universe out there they were meant to fall in love. It was well written and the drama didn't feel too stale or cringe. Each episode makes you want to watch more since the events of the past play a huge part to the timeline of the present.

Characters: Ye and Wenxi are two main characters were well loved by me. Ye is an intelligent and independent person but he is weak inside from a sad childhood he went through. Wenxi is a bright and cheerfull girl. I loved Ye's grandpa as well as he was Ye's parent while encouraging and supporting him. The friends of Ye and Wenxi were alright. The raps that Yang Chaung would make were a bit cringe at times. Not the strongest friendship in a drama. Their high school teacher was great. He wasn't too strict and had a softer funnier side of him.

Music: I love how a song/music they used was popular during the past (2006). I thought I heard the band Mayday before and I did as I love one song of theirs before finding out another one called "Time Machine". A perfect song used as the ed theme for a drama about a time machine. The song feels like you are in the past as well. I loved how Mayday was factored in as a band Wenxi loved and still did. Nice to see older music artists get love today.

Re watch: This drama has two main characters I enjoy and their love story was well written. I would love to re watch this drama to re visit their story again.

Overall: I think this is an underrated drama. It has two good mc's and the romantic moments are great. The story is well written that it builds up emotions as you keep watching.

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The importance of a smile

Most people know Kamen Rider Kuuga for being the show that made an impact to many things. The Odagiri effect is named after the main actor in Kuuga, Odagiri Joe. You can find more about the Odagiri effect online. Kuuga also helped restore the kamen rider franchise and why it is still going on today. Back in the 90s, the kamen rider franchise didn't air any series until kuuga in 2000. The difference between shows back then to today can be seen in Kuuga to many factors.

Story: The plot in Kuuga is quite simple. The monsters in the series are called Unidentified lifeforms number # (or grongi) that have revived. Godai Yusuke is chosen to become kuuga (unidentified lifeform number 4). When you watch kamen rider, you have to consider what are the goals for the villians. In kuuga it is simple, the unidentified lifeforms just want to kill humans for their game of killing a certain amount. Sounds pretty simple and cliche but it is actually dark. You see today in kamen rider or other tokusatsu shows killing people is not common anymore. In Kuuga death is common and it plays a huge factor into characters. What makes Kuuga special is how the show feels like a Japanese drama than a typical kamen rider show. It has features in it like police action and elements of human drama or slice of life. Kuuga has only one kamen rider in it compared to today, almost all kamen rider shows has more than 1 rider. Having one kamen rider in kuuga, helped made it feel unique. Kuuga felt like a big deal to the people in the city as he was their hope to defeat the ULFs. Also the police in this show are useful than other kamen riders series as they learn from the ULF and improve to help kuuga defeat the ULFs. The show is also violent in scenes of blood during some Kuuga fights. Adding scenes of blood helps the realism of the show that creates drama.

Acting/Cast/Characters : Kuuga couldn't be successful without Odagiri Joe as Godai Yusuke. Godai is a happy positive guy that makes others smile. Godai is a great main character as he balances the personality of one that isn't too comedic nor serious. There are many things about Godai that make him who is he as I remember him after. His iconic gesture of giving a thumbs up to people, his joyful smile, the 2000 skills he knows, the blue sky he adores, or just being a great human being in getting through to people who are sad/mad. Godai Yusuke would not be the character he is if not for Odagiri Joe.

In Kuuga, the supporting characters are some of the best in kamen rider. My favorite has to be Godai's elementary school teacher. His first appearnce in the 2 part episode is still my favorite episodes of Kuuga. Ichijo is a police oficer that leads the police team when the ULF appear. Ichijo is mostly called as the second "kamen rider" in Kuuga from fans due to his fearlessness of fighting along with Godai in his battles. What is great about Ichijo is that he does not always rely on Godai. Other characters are friends with Godai or his younger sister help make Kuuga great due to their connections, usefulness, or stories with Godai.

Music: The opening for Kuuga is legendary like most kamen rider openings. It fits the mood of the show well. Some memorable lyrics from the opening is "No Fear! No Pain!". Kuuga has an ending song that is rare in kamen rider shows these days. The endning song of Kuuga is a mood to calm down and feel better after watching an episode of kuuga.

Rewatch value: I finally decided to watch Kuuga as I have seen mostly all other kamen rider shows and wonder how great is Kuuga. The way Kuuga feels like a Jdrama than a normal toku show, plays a part to how I would want to watch kuuga again. Watching Godai's positive personality over again would be a joy.

Overall : If there is a goat in Kamen Rider, then Kuuga/Godai Yusuke is that goat of kamen rider. I can see why he is so popular and beloved. If you ever want to watch kamen rider then choose Kuuga as your first. If you like Jdramas, then Kuuga is right for you because it feels the closest to one.

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Living together as a family can mean more than you think

I had high hopes for this drama before I watched it. Lately I have been running out of dramas that I want to watch but I found this one. A reason why I wanted to watch it was due to Eguchi Yosuke as the lead playing a father figure role that I have seen him play before which I loved.

Story : I admit the first episode started a bit slow introducing the plot but as it went on I got the hang of it. What I loved is that each sibling had a backstory and weren't shoved in the background most of the times. I say each of them had fair amount of time. They all felt important. There was also good side characters that connected with each sibling in a way. There were plently of life lessons and issues in the drama like dealing with a victim of sexual assualt, the challanges a ex-convict faces in life, or what is there to live for a disable person. There is also a love triangle you could say between 3 oldest siblings but it doesn't end with a winner because it focuses more of the family love aspect.

Acting/Cast : I was hooked because of Eguchi Yosuke but finished loving Sakai Noriko more. Outside of Eguchi, I haven't seen much dramas or movies from the rest. It didn't matter because I fell in love with their roles. They each stood out and made me cheer for them.

Music : It had a calming gentle song used for the op of the drama. It fit the tone of the drama perfectly.

Rewatch value : I put it at very high if I would re watch this drama. Just because of how simple but relaxing it was.

Overall: I highly recommend people to watch this drama. It's a classic but one of the best family dramas out there.

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Keep on living

The title of this drama doesn't really come into play until the last episode but it delivers a great message.

Story: The simple way of explaining the plot is a a whole school along with some students and teachers suddenly are transported to a desert like area. The drama has a other messages as well as live for the moment. For a sci fi drama that aired in 2002, I think they did the best they could with adding in effects. The story is the best part of the drama as it keeps you watching to see if they will continue living or will they get back to the past. It makes you keep guessing to how the world became like a desert. It features a lot about surviving with so little resources around you. It gives you a message of don't give up on living no matter how tough it is. I think the ending was that Asami changed the future by calling Misaki which changes a lot in the future. At the end they showed the school but in the background was a grass area that meant the future wasn't a desert.

Cast/Acting/Characters: First off I want to rant about the character Sekiya. I think this character was not needed at all in the drama. The challanges the students and the teachers had to face were already tough but this crazy woman being there as well was a pain. The character was a big part to why I can't give it a 10 due to how annoying she was.

Now, I think that the two leads Asami-sensei played by Kubozuka Yosuke and Misaki-sensei played by Tokiwa Takako were great in their roles. Their small love story progressing through the drama didn't feel cringe at all. I like how they become the father and mother to the students during this hard time.

Music: I like Tatsuro Yamashita's song loveland island. It gives off a vibe to the era of music this drama aired although the song feels more 90's but fits in well in the early 2000's. The song gives a opposite feeling than the serious plot.

Rewatch : I was really motivated to watch each episode to find out what would happen next or so. This drama is worth watching again due to so many moments it brought.

Overall: Watching them struggle so much in the future was hard but I enjoyed seeing them keep living and restoring the world. One last thing to say was the best scene to me was in episode 8 they were all singing the song "kyou no hi wa sayounara" (farewall for today) and a miracle happens as it rains and they are all happy that there is finally rain.

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The first half of the show was good

Story: At first the story got me interested to see the show and it was working. The first couple of episodes up to around 20 moved at a great pace then the story just dragged and confuses you with the plot twists. I was very disappointed in the fight scenes in the show as they weren't many memorable. The first half of the show featured more fight scenes than the second half. It didn't help that I honestly didn't care about the romance between the male lead and the female lead. I didn't like the female lead's character nor did I care.

Acting/Cast: I like the character Lu Ping and the actor Arthur Chen is someone I will consider watching more films/dramas of. This is my first time seeing him in a drama and the character wasn't the best but not the worst. I was very impressed to find out that the actress who plays Su Tang was very young while filming the drama. I didn't like the acting who plays the female lead. I don't know if it's her acting, the character, or the story but I didn't care enough for her to be with Lu Ping.

Music: The music to me is the best part of the show. Well I certainly loved the soundtrack in the drama. I like the ending song more than the op by not by much and I don't really like pop style music for wuxia dramas. They really did a great job with the soundtracks. They were pretty good memorable one's I like but I can't find the name of them.

Rewatch: The first half you could say of this drama was great if I would watch it again. I don't see myself watching through the whole episodes again based how the second half of the show went.

Overall: I can't say I hated the show because of how poor the second half went or the lack of fight scenes due to the soundtrack and the first half of the show. I ended up finishing the drama instead of dropping too. It was an ok drama.

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It's Lunch time!

I choose to watch Lunch Queen in honor of the passing of Takeuchi Yuko this year. I needed to watch a drama of hers to remember her of her great works and not think of the sad side of this.

Story: I think the plot of this story is kind of weird/dumb but great in the same way. I wasn't a fan of having Natsumi faking that she was the fiancé to their older brother throughout the show because they wouldn't make a move on her so I thought. I think they could have made the plot work as well if she just worked their as her job instead of faking as their brothers fiance. The show is about a woman who has had a rough life before but changes and cherishes the best days of her life as she works in a restaurant. It also teaches you about how wonderful one's food can change a person. Most people would watch for to see who Natsumi ends up with (romance), but the show leans more towards food, drama, and family.
At first I looked at it as Natsumi being a sister like character to the family but over time the two brothers Yujiro and Junzaburo fall in love with her. These two are really the only ones that really show they like her. By the end of the drama, the romance genre has been applied but I think they should have went all in on it. They really play with your mind on the last episode by having Natsumi not ending up with one. At first I thought she should end up with Junzaburo because he liked her first but then they decided to make Yujiro slowly like her as well as Natsumi seemed to like Yujiro more. It would have made sense for Junzaburo and Natsumi to be together because then Yujiro would be the man and letting it go but if Yujiro ended up with Natsumi, as shown Junzaburo couldn't get over her. It would be awkward to see the girl you loved everyday in your place where you work who is now your brothers wife. Maybe they ran into a dead end so they ended with her not end up with one.

Acting/Cast: First thing that impresses me of this drama is the loaded and I mean loaded cast. This drama was made back in 2002 and these names weren't as popular as today. Your main casts consist of Takeuchi Yuko, Eguchi Yosuke, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Yamapi, and throw in Yamada Takuyuki. This drama might have been the start of these young actors careers into popularity in the acting industry. Eguchi might have been a known name by this time but still this drama was a great role for him that is amazing. I really liked Yuko's character here as it is more of a tomboyish. She has shorter hair and has strong skills such as fighting skills. The trio of Eguchi, Satoshi, and Yamapi as brothers were my favorite part of the drama. Eguchi really nails the role as a father/older brother figure.

Music: The ending song is an american song which can be rare for Japanese dramas. It suits the fun comedy style of the show. The drama has a nice emotional insert song called Morihana Shojo Hajashi by Inoue Yousui. It really makes you think back and reflect.

Re watch value: I love the cast of the drama. I would re watch this drama for the cast and their interactions with one another.

Overall: I would have given it a 10 if they gave a ending to who Natsumi ends up with instead of that. Putting aside the romance aspect of the show, it is worth a watch. Watch it for the simple plot or for the cast.

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So heartwarming

Tokyo tower is based off real life events told by author Lily Franky. So right away this drama is going to be a based on a true story feel. I think what Japanese dramas do best is showcasing how a normal human being's everyday life can be so simple yet emotional. There are dramas about a father-son, father-daughter, or mother-daughter but I think that mother-son dramas are rare these days.

Story: Tokyo Tower is about a mother and her son face the difficulties living today. The whole theme of this drama centers around how much your mothers are important to you and you should treasure them while they are still there. While watching the drama, I thought Ma-kun would be the star of the drama but actually his mom steals the show. Ma-kun is unmatured, coward, or unthoughtful kind of guy but grows as a person. Ma-kun's mom works hard for her son, sacrifices a lot, cheerful, and a lot of caring for Ma-kun. I have watched a lot of dramas and I think Ma-kun's mom might be my favorite mom character of them all. I really liked how she becomes a mom figure for Ma-kun's friends. She is always there to support Ma even in a time where Ma-kun is in his darkest points. Ma-kun really starts to change when he founds out his mother is sick. His mother took care of him and now its his turn to take care of his mom.

Acting/Cast: I think this drama is not that popular here is maybe the cast or that it's not a recent drama. Yeah when you look at the cast of this drama, it doesn't have the big names aside from Mokomichi. Baisho Mitsuko who portrays as Ma-kun's mom was the best actor in the drama. She really nailed the role of a typical mom would be like for the supportive stuff to the giving them a lesson.

Music: The ending song is by Kobukuro called Tsubomi. I think I like Kobukuro's music. Their music really suits these family slice of life drama. There's also a inster theme that I couldn't find but sounded sad.

Re watch: I ended up liking this drama when I didn't expect too. I love watching simple yet emotional growth of people. I'd re watch some of the episodes but not all. I would like to watch it again because of how special Ma-kun's mom was.

Overall: I think you should watch this drama. It's gonna be a slow drama, it might not excite you, it doesn't have the actor names you love, or you don't like human dramas but give it a try. If you are a other or have/had a mother, you should watch this to reflect about how much your mom can mean so much to you. This drama falls in the 2000's where I find the best dramas are from. This was heartwarming family slice of life drama.

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This is Ruri's island

Ruri's island Hatomi is based off a real island called Hatoma located in Okinawa in Japan. The drama uses realistic facts like that on the island, they have a low population. I'm not sure about the school issue being a real problem but if not they did a great job of adding in a realistic problem that connects with their low population issue. The drama focuses on the growth of a kid, learning to realize who you are again, and the relationships of family and friends. There is something about these Japanese dramas that are based around islands or in the country that I enjoy a lot.

Story: The plot seemed interesting of the island needing at least one kid to live on the island and attend their school. The problems I thought were what kind of kid would do this or how could they get one kid? The idea of adopting a foster kid was a good choice to choose where it wouldn't look bad then forcing a non foster kid to go. There is also a mystery aspect to the drama based around the character of Kawashima Tatsuya. The drama focuses on mainly Ruri in the beginning where she is adopting to living on the island and becoming a better person followed by side plots of other minor characters on the island, then to Kawashima's mystery. The drama moves in a slow realistic pace but captures the moments beautifully. The drama deals with a lot of aspects in a human life. The people on the island made it comfortable that you would feel loved being there.

Acting/Cast: The drama is filled with more veteran actors but has 2 fine leads in Narumi Riko and Takenouchi Yutaka. I knew a lot of these veteran actors and they are some of my favorite veteran actors. Narumi Riko played her role exceptional as the only kid on the island from the beginning to the end as she grew.

Music: The ending song is called Koko ni Shika Sakanai Hana by Kobukuro. The song fit the mood of the drama. It doesn't sound too happy or too sad

Re watch value: I loved the moments of Ruri bonding with her foster parents and Ruri bonding with Kawashima. The setting being based off an island helps make me want to re watch the drama again along with the cast.

Overall: Ruri's island is one of my favorite dramas now. The island and the characters are my favorite parts of the drama. You might not watch it because it's "older", weak cast, or it's slow, but give it a try when you want to watch something different.

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A song that connects you with anyone.

First off, I saw the title of this movie "little love song" and thought to try it out. I had low and I mean low expectations because it looked like a usual high school music movie. I decided to give this movie a shot and it blew me away which made me write a review for it.

Story: This movie teaches you about friendship, music, and life. While watching the movie, I kept thinking about the title of this movie in English and Japanese. I thought that it sound familiar and then I realized oh its that song Chiisana koi no uta. This movie was based on that famous song Chiisana koi no uta and the band Mongol800. I'm not sure how accurate if the movie was fully based on the band's true story or not but it still was a beauty to watch. I enjoyed the ways the characters had a motivation goal to keep playing their music. Whether it was for someone gone or someone who was leaving, they loved music and wanted to play it. I thought the interaction with Lisa (american girl) was different to a youth music movie. Having 3 band members put more focus on each member and gave them a better identity in the movie. I wish they had more scenes of the relationship between Mai and her brother to showcase how much he meant to her. I think more bands having a female member in it with males work out well and we should see more of them in movies/life. They wanted to play their song for the school festival/lost friend, then for a memory of their american friend, and last for their love of playing. The love of music is powerful.

Acting/Cast : I looked at this cast and didn't recognize anyone. I'm not really a big fan of the newer actors today but I was introduced to some in this film. I think the main cast who played the students didn't look too old as students, they fit quite well enough. The actress who played Lisa was fine. I didn't care much about the other "american" actors.

Music: The strongest point of the film is the music of course. Chiisana koi no uta is a famous song in Japan and the many versions of someone new singing it doesn't disappoint. The other 2 main songs in the film "Sayonara doll" and "Anata Ni" were also good. Both fit the mood of who they were singing it for.

Re watch: Yes I want to re watch this movie. My before expectations were at low then after watching the movie, I am at a very high for re watch value. It has two things of a movie I enjoy youth and music.

Overall : This movie is a hidden gem and more people need to watch this. The ups and downs they go through and their love for music is a joy.

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An enternal love it was

Just a quick review of watching this drama. I thought it was very good but not like the best ever. I liked the drama but didn't love it.

Story: Theres like 3 arcs you can say in this drama that involves the story of the romance between the main couple. I enjoyed the first arc and then the final one but I got bored during the second one. I didn't enjoy Susu because she is the type of character where they have no memories of their past, this I don't like. I must say that at first I was pulling for Mo Yuan and Qian Qian but later on Ye Hua won me over as the drama went. I have to say I did enjoy most of the love story between the 2. But here's the problem for me, I didn't care for the second couple of this drama. I wasn't into it as most people were. After the 2 leads I had a hard time enjoying any characters outside of them except for thier kid, Yan Zhi, and Li Jing of the ghost tribe. I really thought they should have focused more of Yan Zhi than Qian Qian's niece.

Acting/Cast: I think the 2 leads played their parts to the best. I enjoyed the kid who played the son of the couple. Then I adore the actress who played Yan Zhi (she deserves more work) and Li Jing who has become a new actor that I have started to like. I couldn't care for anyone else.

Music: This is the most important part of the drama. I happened to find out the ending song called bracing the chill in a youtube video of best chinese drama osts. I really enjoyed this song and found this drama leading me to watch it. The song is very good for the tone of the drama. The other soundtracks in this drama are quite good too.

Rewatch: The middle part of the drama was difficult for me to watch because I didn't enjoy it. Also some episodes at the end were too happy mood that they drag as well. I was waiting for the climax but it was taking a while. I would only watch some of the episodes again one in particular was my favorite episode. I believe this episode has the most viewed of any episode on youtube.

Overall: A very good drama but not the best ever.

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