It's summer! And many good films came out at this season, especially in Japan. Since there will be summer vacation and all coming up. Currently, I'm watching 12 anime series, 3 J-doramas, and 2 K-dramas. Anyway, this time, I'll suggest the current dramas I'm watching, taking note if it's good or not. Reminder: I will update and adding more review each time I found something new in this post. So I posted an unfinished page here, sorry. But I don't care. I should inform you of a new, promising dramas so you won't be outdated.

1. Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto

Main casts (added the films I have watched):
- Kiritani Mirei : Sakurai Misaki (Sumika Sumire, Heroine Shikkaku, Koisuru Vampire)
- Yamazaki Kento : Shibasaki Kanata (Death Note 2015, L-DK, Heroine Shikkaku, Orange, Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu)
- Miura Shohei : Shibasaki Chiaki (Kanojo ha Uso wo Aishisugiteru, Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai)
- Nomura Shuhei : Shibasaki Touma (Enoshima Prism, Boku no Ita Jikan, Koinaka)
- Ohara Sakurako : Nishijima Manami (Kanojo ha Uso wo Aishisugiteru, Koinaka)
- Nanao : Takatsuki Kaede (Siren, Kaitou Yamaneko)

This is not the first time Kiritani Mirei and Yamazaki Kento acted in the same film. Earlier, they played a role as high school students in Heroine Shikkaku movie, a manga adaptation. Mirei is older 5 years than Kento, but that doesn't look like that. She's still pretty and cute, right?


Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto tells a story of Sakurai Misaki, a faithful patissier who is jobless in summer. She met a school's senior, Shibasaki Chiaki, who asked her to come helping at his family restaurant. Misaki met Kanata, Chiaki's younger brother, by accident and they always get in a fight nevertheless. Meanwhile, the youngest brother, Touma, is a playboy.


Misaki wished to be helpful in Shibasaki's restaurant. But Kanata, the chef, didn't approve of her skills. He thought she came just to have a kiss. After some misunderstanding, Kanata agreed to take Mirei as their patissier. But some problems happened at the restaurant, being wanted by a chain owner. What will happen to Shibasaki brothers and Misaki? Will they help each other as long as finding love?




Currently, I have only been watching for the 1st episode and it's already took my mind. This is the first time I watch Kento in a tsundere role. Usually, he's the one getting too much attention just by standing quietly and I don't know whether to think of him as a good actor or not since he's just stays silent. But here, he can talk! Rudely, on top of it. So this is the beginning of my approval of his talent. And also, usually he gets the role where the heroine falls in love first for him. But I think this time, it will be different. He will feel jealous of Chiaki and Misaki!

So far, am in love with the food here:




Funniest moment on episode 1:


NEWS: If you happened to live in Indonesia (or SG and Myanmar), you can watch this dorama on Wakuwaku channel starting 12th August every Friday at 10PM.





2. Happi Mari: Happy Marriage!?

Main casts (Added the films I have watched):
Fujioka Dean : Mamiya Hokuto (Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai)
Seino Nana : Takanashi Chiwa
Shirasu Jin : Yagami Yu (Gakkou no Kaidan)
Shinoda Mariko : Shitara Misaki


Another J-drama from josei adult manga. I have read the manga fully. Chiwa is a single woman and has huge debt thanks to her stupid father. She was asked to marry Hokuto, from Mamiya family. Chiwa doesn't have a choice since she must pay the debt. Meanwhile, it turns out Hokuto is an unlegitimate child from Mamiya household and has revenge to destroy their asset. It is up to Chiwa to help him on getting revenge or separate herself from Mamiya.


Actually, this is a short dorama. Only 30mins each episode. It's good right? So far, there are 5 episodes have aired. I like Seino Nana's acting here even though it's the first time I watch her. And Dean, I like his acting ever since in Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai. But there's no change in his character here so I can't give more comment.



This dorama has slightly differences with the manga. While the manga contains smut, Hokuto haven't done anything to Chiwa, except kissing her once in ep4. Maybe chapter 5 has development to bed scene in the morning, but still doesn't have someting-goes-to-smut-like "Second Love". The timeline is a bit different to fit the short dorama.


ZOOM



3. Seisei-suru Hodo, Aishiteru

Main casts (Added the films I have watched):
- Takei Emi : Kurihara Mia (Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu)
- Takizawa Hideaki : Miyoshi Kairi
- Nakamura Aoi : Miyazawa Aya
- Mizusawa Erena : Masaki Akari (Sumika Sumire)
- Reina Triendl : Miyama Chiaki
- Nakamura Hayato : Kuno Atsushi


An adult manga adaptation, similar to Happi Mari. But this time, an affair! Told about Kurihara Mia, a career woman who refused to get married to her boyfriend, who laughed at her job. She'd prefer to live alone than to throw away her chosen work at jewelry company. She meets a new vice president under her care, Miyoshi Kairi, and falls in love with him. But he has a sick wife. And I do think their marriage is for political purposes. Both Mia and Kairi are struggling through their own life & career, because Kairi also dreams of becoming an architect.


I took a slight view of the last volume manga in raw. Kairi's wife knew about their affair and chose to get divorce. In the end, Kairi sent a wedding invitation to Mia. While preparing her makeup with tears, Mia wishes for Kairi and his wife's happiness. But when she got to the church, Kairi proposed to her and said it's their wedding day.


Uh, I still don't like an affair storyline. I can stand smut (maybe Second Love) and cliche shoujo drama, but I can't accept a love story with a married man. I'd prefer to find happiness alone rather than breaking someone's marriage.


I find the 1st episode of this drama is a bit boring. A few differences also occured compared to the manga. For example, the time story where Kairi kissed Mia to push her ex-BF away. I don't actually recommend this dorama except to watch Tackey and Takei Emi? Though I'm also not their fan. Well, I'll keep up my interest of Japanese women's makeup & fashion style through this dorama. It has the best fashion sense thanks to the luxurious working style of a jewelry employee.




4. Uncontrollably Fond

Main casts (Added the films I have watched):
- Kim Woo Bin : Shin Joon Young (The Heirs)
- Bae Suzy : No Eul (Dream High, My Love From The Star)
- Lim Ju Hwan : Choi Ji Tae
- Lim Ju Eun : Yoon Jung Eun (The Heirs)


So basically, I watch this for Suzy. I also like Lim Ju Eun in The Heirs. But as for male cast, I don't think they're my favorite. And Lim Ju Hwan. I don't think he has a good face and his smiling face doesn't look real. The other reason to watch is because the story will be teary, I can't let it pass. My favorite is sad story than happy ending (the same as my love life? Forget that).


This tells a story of No Eul and Joon Young, a high school's enemies. They always fight for no reason than to tease each other. Especially Joon Young. His teasing ability is up to a criminal degree. But their connection is not that simple. No Eul's father died because of a car accident by a strange pretty woman. The woman asked her prosecutor, Choi Hyun Joon, to win the court. Turns out, Hyun Joon is actually Joon Young's father. Knowing this, Joon Young took No Eul's bag full of fact to bring Hyun Joon down for his career on street, resulting in her accident. While No Eul had an operation, Joon Young prayed to God that he will give everything as long as No Eul is safe. In the end, Joon Young became an actor rather than a prosecutor like his father.


So the story goes back to present. No Eul doesn't have a job anymore and she often works as a con. When she knows Joon Young manager's problem of convincing Joon Young to shoot documentary, she agreed to help pursuing Joon Young filming it. Later does she know that Joon Young's life is no more than a year due to his sickness.


The story was told through present-past timeline and it might be confusing for some people. But I do agree it lacks comedy. Well, I think I like it for the mystery and sad story so I don't mind confusing timeline for now, as long as it doesn't go anymore messy than this. In the end, Joon Young got his own karma for teasing No Eul until her bloody state, didn't he? Took a lesson from that.
 
4. W

Main casts (Added the films I have watched):
- Lee Jong Suk : Kang Chul (I Can Hear Your Voice, Doctor Stranger, Pinocchio)
- Han Hyo Joo : Oh Yeon Joo
- Jeong Eugene : Yoon So Hee
- Lee Tae Hwan : Seo Do Yoon


Usually just called as "W", but it also has this "W - Two Worlds" name, depicting its own story. Oh Yeon Joo is a surgeon. Her divorced father is a webtoon creator, Oh Sung Moo, who created W webtoon with Kang Chul as the main character. Kang Chul had a tragic past. He first came up as an Olympic winner in shooting category. But his families were murdered and he was captured as the main suspect. Because the police doesn't have enough proof, he's being released after a year of trial. Though in the end, when he's already a big boss at the rooftop in his own hotel, he was shot by unknown person.


Meanwhile, Sung Moo is missing before the final chapter of W. Yeon Joo searched for him at his home, but she was taken to webtoon world to save Kang Chul. Yeon Joo is finally able to do that but now, Kang Chul is seeking for her because he feels she owns the key to his life.


Just watched the 1st eps and truthfully, it didn't give me enough feeling to continue. 1st episode is lacking comedy. Although I must say that the mystery is quite interesting. Where is Yeon Joo's father? Who is the one who shot Kang Chul? What is Kang Chul's intention through Yeon Joo? Who drew the continuation of W webtoon, while Yeon Joo said it's not her father? Why does Yeon Joo's father needs to kill Kang Chul?


I'll keep following this drama because it's different than normal and have mystery. Actually, I'm very tired of doctor theme in a drama, either J or K drama. There are too many medical theme drama this past 2 years for Korea. Meanwhile, Japanese dorama also used a few medical theme (Doctor X, etc). But I'll continue watching because W medical scene is very minimum. Meanwhile, I thought Kang Chul would be a shooting athlete forever because it would be more interesting rather than a businessman. Han Hyo Joo doesn't look like 29 years old. I thought she is 21?