watching

• 鍵のかかった部屋: 8/11
• リッチマン、プアウーマン: 8/?

to watch

• ATARU
• MR. BRAIN

on hold

• HUNTER~その女たち, 賞金稼ぎ~ (2011): 1/10
• 婚カツ！ (2009): 3/11
• 커피프린스 1호점 (2007): 13/17
• 三毛猫ホームズの推理 (2012): 9/11

completed

• 13歳のハローワーク (2012) ★★★★☆
  • if I hadn't been uploading this drama, I probably wouldn't have watched it, so I can honestly say that I am glad to have been given the opportunity to do so, because I thought it was great. I'd say the one downfall is that I never really understood Teppei's ability to slip through time, and how it was so easily accepted by the people who knew him. but overall, it was funny, it was interesting, and I enjoyed it.
• 魔王 (2008) ★★★★★
  • I loved it. LOVED IT. Ryo/Tomoo's character was an interesting one to follow. he was terrifying, but had 11 years worth of built up bitterness and pain, and you felt sorry for him, you pitied him, you couldn't help but give sympathy to the devil. an exploration of human relations, of morals and what it means to be justified, and how important the truth is above all else. I sort of want to try the Korean version, too, just for comparison's sake, but I have to find the willpower to go through K-dramas again lol. oh, and also, I thought Ohno's acting was GREAT (especially the last episode when he was shouting, I didn't know Leader's voice could be that loud l o l). he definitely has that mysterious vibe that Naruse needed, and quite frankly I'm amazed that he did such a good job, given that it's his very first drama.
• 謎解きはディナーのあとで (2011) ★★★☆☆
  • okay yeah, I get why people have a bad impression of this drama - it's repetitive through and through and there's pretty much zero character and plot development. but even so, it was SO much fun to watch - I loved trying to solve the mysteries with them, the hilariously over-exaggerated interactions between Kageyama and Reiko, and, of course, Kazamatsuri-keibu, the king of the show. it was enjoyable for purely entertainment purposes, but yes, there's really not much depth to it.
• 謎解きはディナーのあとでSP (2012) ★★★★☆
  • I FEEL CHEATED, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE POSSIBLE LOVE LINE BETWEEN KAGEYAMA AND REIKO? but hey, a butler is a butler. anyways, the crime this time was pretty much the same as the case in every other episode, just extended into 2 hours plus 3 different locations. but I'll go ahead and give it another star just because it's officially over and Sho playing the piano is always, ALWAYS A+. biased like yeah. and, once, again, Kazamatsuri is the KING. I can't believe he still can't get that Hou Shourei = Houshou Reiko. but that's his charm, the ever oblivious hidden genius.
• ハングリー！ (2012) ★★★★★
  • Mukai's character, the friendship he had with everyone else, Goro's character's strange, slightly gay advances at him, his relationship with Chie, the music, and the delicious food - I loved it all, with all of my heart. it's a story about the hardships of making your dreams come true while struggling to decide whether to follow what you believe in or giving in to the man and being someone's puppet, with a unique twist - and it was fun, it was cute, it has a certain charm that no other drama has, and most importantly, it really made you hungry. I'll miss them all. GIVE ME A SEASON 2.
• ラッキーセブン (2012) ★★★★★
  • THIS WAS GREAT. I really appreciated that Matsujun did all of his own stunts, and that he was actually really good at it and made it look real; bless. Oizumi Yo also gets all the awards for being consistent in his role as the boke in every situation and for being super charming. all of the characters shined, but I definitely found him the most entertaining. I still have my reservations about Jun's acting skills but I really liked him this time around. As for the plot, it was interesting; sort of inspired you to become a detective, or to at least find something that you find worth fighting for. I'm disappointed that Eita was absent for half of the episodes though :( I'll be expecting an SP!
• SPEC (2010) ★★★★★
  • flawless cast, refreshing characters, an intriguing plot with a twist, and a script filled with sass and witty one-liners. how can anyone not love it.
• 歌のおにいさん (2009) ★★★★★
  • I don't care what anyone says, this drama slayed left and right. I loved Kenta because his character was so relatable for me - he lost everything he once held important to him in one go, he struggled trying to find what he wanted to do with his life and to find something worth living for, and his personality is more or less like mine. so to see him find a place he felt like he belonged to while remaning true to himself and not having to consciously change for anybody and being unconsciously changed by the ones around him in a positive way really, really hit home. the message of the drama was clear - no matter the circumstance, keep looking forward, chase after your dreams, and don't stop fighting for it. it's not what you could call an unforgettable drama, but even so, it was inspiring.
• 木更津キャッツアイ (2002) ★★★★★
  • this is a BEAUTIFUL DRAMA. friendship, beer, baseball, death, and laughs all around. absolutely a classic. I will cling to this drama for the rest of my life.
• 罪と罰: A Falsified Romance (2012) ★★★★★
  • thrilling, graphic, heartbreaking, psychologically mind-fucking, brilliant.

dropped

• 平清盛 (2012): 1/∞
  • sorry but /I can't/
• 僕とスターの99日 (2011): 1/10
  • as much I love Nishijima Hidetoshi, no.
• Big/빅 (2012): 15/16
  • AS MUCH AS I LOVE GONG YOO and as much as I wanted to finish this...no! the ending was so poorly scripted! I'm glad that I didn't sit through that shitfest. I already felt bad enough reading the summary on Dramabeans.