Dorama of the Year 1980s - Takeda Shingen (1988)

Takeda Shingen (1988) made a great impression on me while Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983) felt like a firm masterpiece that filled quite some blanks for me. I think I'll just rate everything not translated as 6 for convenience purposes and inability to evaluate, won't comment on those for the same reason except first few when I tried to squeeze smth.

1. Fujin no Mon (1980)  [風神の門] (Finished 23/23) Tags: Jidaigeki renzoku It has been twelve years since the Battle of Sekigahara. The Toyotomi family was sealed in Osaka Castle with a huge amount of gold by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The calm before the storm, there were behind-the-scenes secret spying activities between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi. At that time, Iga Ninja leader, Kirigakure Saizo, was attacked by someone by mistake. The vortex of the times captures those that began to seek the truth. A group of Koga led by Sarutobi Sasuke pledges loyalty to Sanada Yukimura. Saizo puts his life on the line in a ninjutsu battle with the legendary Fuma (Kotaro) Clan who freely use mysterious techniques. Eventually, these actions lead to the demise of the Warring States period. Taiga about... some ninja spies? I got caught into my own trap to watch translated NHK jidaigeki fully, but at least it's a short one. So it's increadibly boring and melancholic story about last days of  ninja. Don't see any value in it tbh as even characters are simple and rather bland.   Overall Rating: 5/10

2. Hattori Hanzo: Kage no Gundan (1980)  [服部半蔵 影の軍団 （はっとりはんぞう かげのぐんだん）] (Finished 1/119) Tags: Action, Historical In the year 1651, 11 year-old Tokugawa Ietsuna is installed as the fourth Shogun of the Tokugawa Era, sparking the enmity of various clans and officials who continually plot to gain more power. Fearing the potential for civil war and instability in the land, the Hattori Family of ninja is called upon to resume their traditional role as protectors of the Shogun. Hailing from the powerful Iga Clan of Ninja, and led by the skilled Hattori Hanzo, they masquerade as ordinary citizens during the day. But at night, they emerge as Kage no Gundan, the secret Shadow Army of the Shogun. Another episodic drama of justice warriors, and even worse, with ninja.   Overall Rating: 5/10

3. Shishi no Jidai (1980)  [獅子の時代 （ししのじだい）] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Taiga drama, renzoku drama The story follows Hiranuma Senji, a low-ranking samurai of the Aizu clan , and Kariya Yoshiaki, a local samurai of the Satsuma clan , as they live out their lives from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era, with Yoshiaki on the winner's side of the Meiji Restoration and Senji on the loser's side . Not translated. Not that I find lives of lowly samurai during Meiji restoration interesting, anyway. Still, good to know there is a Taiga literally about ordinary people during totally peaceful time.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. The Bund (1980)  [上海滩] (Finished 1/65) Tags: Period, drama "Shanghai Beach Fighting" is a drama that reflects the intrigues among Shanghai tycoons to consolidate their power. They plunder and even take each other's lives. In this struggle, many innocent people are sacrificed. After graduating from university MC is not accepted into one tycoon, so he joins another one and grows in power there facing constant competition.  Not translated unless can count machine translated subs that aren't really great. Solid gangster series with the breath of time, just not my preferred genre and no good translation to go on.   Overall Rating: 6/10

5. The Brothers (1980) [親情] (Finished 1/70) Tags: Romance, Drama The play tells the story of Shi Qitai and his wife Su Ruifang who were separated due to the war. Shi Qitai, who thought his wife had died because of the war, married Rong Guobi who gave birth to a son, Shi Yongxi. However, by chance, Shi Qitai and Su Ruifang met again, and their old relationship rekindled, and they gave birth to a son, Shi Hui. This is a story about the intersection of the fates of two half-brothers Not translated. This melodrama from Hong Kong is of rather low quality and for domestic audience, so it's rather useless to try to discuss it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

6. Dance of Breaking Sky (1980) [파천무] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Historical Drama about Sejo's ousting and murder of King Danjong. ~~ Was canceled early as the story too closely resembled contemporary politics at the time Not translated, so hard to discuss content, but I'm surprised that quality is quite good, maybe only slightly worse that Japanese dorama of same ancient times like Heian and earlier.   Overall Rating: 6/10

7. Young's Female Warrior (1981)  [杨门女将] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Historical, action "The Heroines of the Yang Family" tells the story of how Mu Guiying leads the female generals of the Yang Clan to fight the enemy. The King of Western Xia sends the eldest prince and five princesses to invade the Chinese border. They develop a complicated relationship with the members of the Yang Clan. How will the Yang Clan resist the invasion of Western Xia and maintain the peace of the country? Not translated. Basically, Taiwanese ancient history wuxia with characters only loosely referenced in some scripture. And it's done with rather low budget and at least partially in parody mood, so really hard to appreciate.   Overall Rating: 6/10

8. Onna Taikoki (1981)  [おんな太閤記] (Finished 2/50) Tags: Jidaigeki Series depicts the period from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period ( the Battle of Osaka ) from the perspective of Hideyoshi Toyotomi 's wife, Nene ( Kita no Mandokoro ). Not translated. Wife's perspective is unusual, though not particularly interesting. From what I see the beginning has a lot of chores, gossipping and receiving guests, but it should bet more exciting the further it goes.   Overall Rating: 6/10

9. The Lonely Hunter (1981) [過客] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Action, Thriller, Crime Lee Tong (Felix Wong) grew up with only one intent in mind: revenge. After his gangster father died in the hands of friends Fang and Fong, Tong was raised by his father's henchman, trained to be a lone assassin. Coming of age, he finally sets his plan into action and kills an underworld boss. Timid driver Au-yeung Gong (Michael Miu) unwittingly witnesses the crime but is too scared to rat out Lee, leading to an unexpected friendship. Gong ends up helping Tong enter the organization, laying the path for Tong's revenge. As time passes, Tong's cold and lonely front begins to fade as he experiences life, love, and friendship for the time, but Gong is slowly transformed from a naive youth to a cold-blooded killer. Not translated. A lot better quality compared to the Bund, but I would not want to watch revenge gangster story even if it was translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. In Love and War (1981)  [烽火飛花] (Finished 1/20) Tags: Action, Thriller, Crime The background of the story is a love story that took place in a normal school in China that had just fallen to the Japanese during the eight-year Anti-Japanese War . The play is intertwined with the national mission and personal love of young people in the great era. Not translated. It's quite bold to tackle this delicate period and even depic bombings, but it does not feel all that interesting.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Sorekara no Musashi (1981) [それからの武蔵] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Action, Thriller, Crime Based on the novel " Musashi from Then " by Katsuyoshi Koyama , the story depicts Miyamoto Musashi from the duel on Ganryu Island until his death . Not translated, which is sad, but it's far from the last time when life of this most famous Japanese swordsman is show, so maybe better luck next time.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Kita no Kuni Kara (1981) [北の国から] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Life, Drama, Melodrama  Set in the town of Furano in Hokkaido, Kita no Kuni Kara centers around the story of the Kuroita family. Narrated by the son, Jun, the tale follows the lives of two children torn between their parents and their parents' divorce. Jun, and his sister Hotaru, grow and mature in the harsh climates of Hokkaido, and learn the ways of life through their interaction with the folk of Furano. Good slow meditative rural SOL with totally believable characters, but I'm alien to such rural romance. Should be good for tough life situations as characters have it really tough, but start to enjoy their life even in these circumstances eventually. It's also pretty cool that narration is done not from the viewpoint of open-minded sister, but as brother who criticizes everything, so it's easy to empathize with him.   Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Bandits From Canton (1981) [珠海梟雄 珠海枭雄] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Drama The story is based on the Pearl River area, the two great heroes -- Yang Qiuping and Pu Si with the hexagonal love affair between them. In the 1930s, the Pearl River Delta, the local tyrants and bullies ruled the roost. Among the many forces, the force of Dali Pu Si is the most powerful and dominates one side. However, although this hero is a rough man, he has the pride and deep emotion of righteousness. Because he possessed this characteristic, coupled with the circumstances of the era at that time, Pu Sisui had various frictions with the courageous college student Yang Qiuping in many ways, and even confronted him directly. Not translated. Just action series with northing really special except time period.   Overall Rating: 6/10

14. No One Is Innocent (1981) [Jok gor juk/逐個捉] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Comedy, Mystery Zhuangzhi Ren (Shi Jian) is a handsome Hong Kong film industry tycoon, who has just returned from traveling abroad, after he personally supervised the production of a new movie. Sexy actress Ha Lamlam (Carol 'Do Do' Cheng), new martial arts film actor Muscle (Ka Wah Lam), entertainment reporter Monatan (Shui-Fan Fung), female director Ni Jinhua (Dengbi Yun) and Red White Hibiscus (Louise Lee) learned and of this, and hoping to find a benefit in Zhuangzhi Ren, they have requested to meet. On Zhuangzhi's attorney's arrangements, everyone is invited to the villa resort located on the outlying islands. The private detective's investigation into the landlady for payment of wages to Zhuangzhi Ren, also comes up. Monatan suspects Zhuangzhi Ren of seducing his wife, so he brings along a variety of special instruments of death, ready to kill Zhuangzhi Ren in the villa, to clear off his wife's hate. Unexpectedly, after everyone reaches the villa, they find a large house which from time to time is heard bursts of strange sounds, but even more bizarre is the sudden disappearance of the village, which with everyone on the island already divided into factions, grow more suspicious, and panic. Not translated. Despite my disfavor of closed space competition among a dozen of persons, this one looks pretty funny and cringy. But without understanding a single word it's useless to go on.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. The Legend Continues (1981) [好小子] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Drama In the early years of the Republic of China, the great powers ran rampant. In order to save the country and fight against Japan, the patriots Chen Gongzhe, Lu Yuting and Yao Zhanbai found Huo Dongge to revitalize the Jingwumen and carry forward Huo Yuanjia's patriotic chivalry spirit. Not translated. Weird fighting action.   Overall Rating: 6/10

16. Hiatari Ryoko! (1982) 陽あたり良好! [NTV] (Finished 1/19) Tags: Comedy, Romance Characters aim to play in Koshien as a baseball team. Not translated. Never knew it was about baseball when played visual novel. Got warm innocent feeling about it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

17. Sailor Fuku to Kikanju (1982)  [セーラー服と機関銃] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Crime, Youth The drama depicts an ordinary high school student growing up by becoming a yakuza head. It tries to attract by concept of contrast alone alongside great actor play, as usual, but that's a common thing for Jdorama. What shocked me indeed was that high school got drunk after drinking real alcohol knowing it was alcohol - never saw such rules transgression in Japanese media before.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Love and Passion (1982)  [万水千山总是情] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Period, romance The play is set in China’s 1930s period of national salvation and tells the story of the love between the wealthy Ruan Tingshen and Zhuang Mengdie. Not translated. Typical early Hong Kong historical romance drama with all the same actors and even similar decorations. Nothing I'd want to watch even with subs.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. In Love and Fire (1982)  [烽火情仇] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Drama The play tells the story of Qi Tiansheng, an orphan who was bullied by his fellow villagers. He left his hometown to make a living in Shanghai in the early Republic of China. He started from the bottom, endured hardships and became part of the underworld tycoon generation.  Not translated. Another typical representative of Hong Kong drama, but this time of criminal action drama, pretty low quality one.   Overall Rating: 6/10

20. The Radio Tycoon (1983)  [播音人] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Comedy Wai Yip-coeng (Chow Yun-fat) returned from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong as a lawyer. Instead of pursuing the law profession like his family wants, he got a job as a radio DJ at a local HK radio station. Lui Hei (Michael Miu), the young and inexperienced young friend of Wai tries to get a job at the station. He soon falls in love with Au Joek-zi (Angie Chiu) who seems to be only paying attention to Wai. He now wants a job more than ever at the station, but many guys were also interested in her. The story revolves around the rather gossipy late-1970s radio station life and work. The story also feature a few sub plots.  Not translated. Workplace environment SOL is always welcome, but compared to Jdrama this is too mundane and commonplace.   Overall Rating: 6/10

21. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983)   [徳川家康] (Finished 50/50) Tags: Historical, Drama The 21st NHK Taiga Drama is Tokugawa Ieyasu. Takeda Shingen was probably my first Taiga and had a great impression on me, so I'm regarding it as a genius and have to compare other works with it for now even though Takeda comes a bit later. Tokugawa uses similar structure as first episodes are devoted to father, but squabbles over one castle over and over can't really compare to Shingen's father legacy of decades of conquering. And Tokugawa life lacks battles and is full of moderation, patience and concessions. So a lot of time is devoted to actual rulers, rumors, family matters, intrigues. Moreover, last ten episodes after Sekigahara battle are rather sour. And it lacks really witty strategies or inventiveness to acquire a score of nine from me. So firm masterpiece it is, but don't get me wrong - I enjoyed it a lot as it covered a lot of blank spots in Ieyasu biography that I was missing.   Overall Rating: 8/10

22. Tsumiki Kuzushi (1983) [積木くずし] (Finished 1/7) Tags: Life, Family ~~Adapted from a Takanobu Hozumi's (穂積隆信) memoirs. It is a story about the 200 days of conflict with his own daughter, Yukari Hozumi, who suddenly became a delinquent one day. Not translated. Tough times, many hardships, delinquent daughter Watching this conflict to unfold is not particularly interesting.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. Fuzoroi no Ringotachi (1983)  [ふぞろいの林檎たち] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Comedy, Drama Set in a fictional fourth-rate university, the story follows young people trying to overcome the dark shadow their academic background casts on their love lives and career paths. At the time of its broadcast, there was a growing concern that university students were turning away from television , so the idea was to make the reality of university life the theme of the show. It was created against the backdrop of discrimination based on academic background, which had become a social issue as universities became more popular in the 1980s . From Part II onwards, the focus has shifted to the development of individual characters. Not translated. It's based on a weak concept to present lively romantic college life instead of something serious, so hectic result is obvious.   Overall Rating: 6/10

24. Stewardess Monogatari (1983)  [スチュワーデス物語] (Finished 1/22) Tags: Drama Training center for the cabin attendant of JAL is the stage for this drama. The heroine of this drama, Matsumoto Chiaki (Chiemi Hori) is one of the trainees in 478th class. She lives in the company dormitory by the name of [KURENAI-RYOU] with her classmates and aims to be a flight attendant and struggles with training with her friends and rivals. Not translated. Just female college SOL with some additional phisical or thematic excercises and very expected development.   Overall Rating: 6/10

25. Ao ga Chiru (1983)  [青が散る] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Romance, Life, Youth Follows the lives of members of a tennis club at a college near Tokyo. Based on the popular novel of the same name by Miyamoto Teru, this drama marked the debut of Ishiguro Ken.  Not translated. Only couple episodes in poor VHS quality found. It's exactly tennis, curriculum activities and romance.  Overall Rating: 6/10

26. Sandwiches (1983)  [夾心人] (Finished 1/20) Tags: Romance, Drama The play tells the story of Jiang Junzheng who is emotionally close to Dong Peiwen, but discovers that she leaked company secrets. Peiwen is in trouble because her boyfriend abandoned her. Junzheng sympathizes with her and supports her, and they start their relationship again. Not translated. Old Hong Kong series feel especially boring and melodramatic in bad sense.   Overall Rating: 6/10

27. Young Dowager (1983) [少女慈禧] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Historical, Romance, Drama Story of how Yehenala Yulan became the legendary Empress Ci Xi. Not translated. Old Hong Kong history series are put more effort to, but can't compare even with the weakest Japanese counterparts. And constant silly comedy martial art fights actually make it wuxia that's not marked properly. Will take out such disguised wuxia further on.   Overall Rating: 6/10

28. Stars In My Mind (1983) [星星知我心] (Finished 1/40) Tags: Drama, Family The play tells the story of Gu Qiuxia's husband who died unexpectedly, leaving behind five young children. When life was in trouble, Gu Qiuxia was diagnosed with a terminal illness. So she reluctantly gave her five children up for adoption. Although her heart was broken, she remained strong and calm. The five children were sent to families of different social classes, and many touching stories happened during their time. For a time, the growth and fate of Gu Qiuxia and her five children became the focus of attention of the entire society. Not translated. Taiwanese tearjerket with kids. Hardly anything special about it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

29. Fukei-san wa Majo (1983) [婦警さんは魔女] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Crime Tatsumi Sumire is a policewoman with the gift of magic. She is half-human, half-witch. She helps her detective brother who is in a pinch by putting spells on the criminals. But disaster hits Sumire every time she uses magic spells on human beings... Not translated.  Overall Rating: 6/10

30. Oregon Kara Ai (1984)  [オレゴンから愛] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Drama, Family This drama was filmed on location in the beautiful surroundings of the state of Oregon, US. It poignantly deals with the difficulties faced by Akira, a nine-year-old Japanese boy who is sent to live in America with his aunt and her family after his parents die in a traffic accident in Tokyo. Making the adjustment is not easy at first, but as the story unfolds, Akira courageously learns to face the challenges of his new life, strongly supported by the love of his new family and the kindness of their neighbors. The series is sure to warm the hearts of viewers of all ages.  It uses a very familiar concept of Kita no Kuni Kara as narration is done by a boy who hates this countryside with lots of manual labor after life in Tokyo, so he seeks refuge with animals and gradually gets accustomed. Good slow stuff if feeling sentimental since atmosphere is cozy, but I generally need a more substantial concept to enjoy.   Overall Rating: 6/10

31. Once Upon an Ordinary Girl (1984)  [儂本多情] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Historical, Romance Mok Siu Nong is a student from mainland China who studies in Hong Kong. Having lost her parents during the war, she relies financially on her aunt Tong Ying. She soon meets James, and between the two, a love-hate relationship starts developing. Not translated. Quality slowly improves for drama from Hong Kong, but it's still same actors every time let alone simplistic concept.   Overall Rating: 6/10

32. Eleven Women (1984) [十一个女人] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama The eleven unit dramas of "Eleven Women" are: Ke Yizheng's "Happy Single Girl" and "Last Summer", Yang Dechang's "Floating Duckweed", Zhang Aijia's "My Own Sky", Li Long's "Releasing Emotions" and "Little Leaves", Song Cunshou's "Dongxian Ge", Liu Lili's "Agui", Zhang Yichen's "Idle Dream", Fu Wei De's "Go with the Flow" and Dong Jinhu's "Painted Face". Not translated. Not into omnibus collections. Just stories with some woman in the center, really.   Overall Rating: 5/10

33. Sanga Moyu (1984) [山河燃ゆ] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Historical, Drama The three Amaba brothers are second-generation Japanese Americans, whose allegiances are torn by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Determined to show his loyalty to his adopted country, Isamu volunteers for the U.S. Army and is shipped off to fight in Europe. A second brother, studying in Japan at the outbreak of hostilities, is conscripted to fight against the Americans as a Japanese soldier. The third brother Kenji avoids conflict by enlisting as a military interpreter, in which capacity he witnesses the war crimes trials that followed Japan's defeat. He is led to question the nature of homeland and patriotism and was inspired to do something to help Japan regain its lost honor. In a departure for NHK's taiga period drama series, Sanga Moyu turned away from Japan's distant past to tackle controversially recent events. Adapting Toyoko Yamazaki's novel "Futatsu no Sokoku" (Two Homelands), the show led to significant embarrassment for its commissioning channel, as Americans of Japanese descent resented the implication that their loyalties were divided between the U.S. and a country many of them had never seen, while the older generation of Japanese viewers reacted unfavorably to a chronicle of Japan's wartime activities. Though the TV adaptation was something of a ratings disaster, Yamazaki's novel was inspired by the true story of Akira Itami, the chief language monitor at the war crimes trial, himself a second-generation Japanese American, who eventually committed suicide in 1950. Not translated even though there is enough of English speech. A very surprising choice of period, so no wonder it's recepted coldly. There's almost no action, so without translation of dialogues hardly watchable.   Overall Rating: 6/10

34. Ten Brothers (1985)  [十兄弟] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Supernatural The story is based on a couple who gave birth to the ten brothers. The brothers later would discover they have supernatural abilities. Not translated. Stage is early years of the Republic of China or beginning of XXth century, when warlords were fighting for power and people were living in poverty. It's not particularly interesting how brothers use their powers to help villagers.   Overall Rating: 6/10

35. Sanada Taiheiki (1985) [真田太平記] (Finished 45/45) Tags: Historical, Drama The drama tells the story of the Sanada family. Originally serving the Takeda Clan they ruled the northern district of Shinano. The story begins right after the death of Takeda Shingen, continues through the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu who founded the Tokugawa shogunate and covers roughly the period 1580-1610. ~~ Adapted from the novel "Sanada Taiheiki" (真田太平記) by Ikenami Shotaro. Happened to have watched much newer Sanada Maru which impressed me a lot (though not for a Perfect masterpiece), so my evaluation can be clouded by it. This version is rather dim and without really starry memorable cast apart from Genji. Sanada Maru is better in everything if interested in Sanada story, and even other events are shown worse in comparison to other works. Time devoted to ninja seems to be wasted to me, and narration feels rather sparse in comparison to Sanada Maru. Plus, available quality is worse than usual and last episode is suddenly without subs. Don't want to recommend it, so can't rate high.   Overall Rating: 6/10

36. Star Tanjou (1985)  [スタア誕生] (Finished 1/28) Tags: Romance, Youth Kawada Junko is a second-year high school student and a member of her school's drama club. Her dream is to become an actress. Her setback? She has suffered from a congenital heart defect since birth. Then one day, a suspicious man claiming to be Junko's father shows up at the Kawada home in Kiso, Nagano. How will this affect Junko and her dream? Not translated. Feels like normal family and youth drama with vibes similar to Sailor Fuku to Kikanju as similarly young girl has to face countless challenges. Totally within expectation range.   Overall Rating: 6/10

37. Four Generations Living Together (1985)  [四世同堂] (Finished 1/28) Tags: Historical, Drama The life of Chinese people during the Japanese Occupation. ~~ Adapted from the novel "Four Generations Under One Roof" (四世同堂) by Lao She  Not translated. Feels pretty boring, but it's one of the earlies series from mainland China, so probably has historical value.   Overall Rating: 6/10

38. Natsu, Taiken Monogatari (1985) [夏・体験物語] (Finished 3/6) Tags: Comedy, Life, Youth  Four high school girls from troubled homes are living in a high school dormitory and decide to go on a summer vacation trip with some of their teachers. In part, the girls want to meet boys and possibly have their first "personal experience". Early example of ecchi, and even partially translated. It's a bit unexpected to see lecherous teacher and girls unanimously willing to have first personal experience, but otherwise it's not that far from American Pie in mood.   Overall Rating: 5/10

39. Kinjirareta Mariko (1985) 禁じられたマリコ [禁じられたマリコ] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama, Sci-Fi Mariko, a girl possessing psychic and psychokinesis powers, is struggling against various personal challenges and setbacks while attempting to deal with her birth father's criminal past. Not translated. In poor quality. And being centered on esper stuff hardly interesting.   Overall Rating: 6/10

40. Yanusu no Kagami (1985)  [ヤヌスの鏡] (Finished 12/18) Tags: Comedy, Youth, Drama The series is about a girl suffering from multiple personality disorder. Girl can be either shy or bully-like, so it's mostly about delinquents as a result, similar to 3-nen gumi. Not particularly interesting for me even compared to 3-nen gumi.   Overall Rating: 5/10

41. Maido Osawagase Shimasu 2 (1985)  [毎度おさわがせします] (Finished 2/16) Tags: Comedy, Life, Drama A sex education drama that depicts the interaction with the adults who are holding their heads in a slightly naughty by a trio of junior high school students who are curious about "sex". In the housing apartments in Tama New Town, Tokyo, Osawa Shuichi and his wife Asako, Mori Shunsaku and his wife Maki, and Sanokura Kazuhiko and his wife, Masayo and others live there. One day, when Shuichi and Asako returned, there was a noise from the room of his son Toru, and when they opened the door, Toru and Nodoka, the eldest daughter of the Osawa family, were hugging each other in the bed. In front of her parents, Nodoka says she showed her naked body in gratitude for the teaching of his homework. This caused the Osawa and Mori families to make a fuss. A few days later, Osawa Toru, Mori Yusuke, and Sanokura Ryota, a group of three junior high school friends, hearing the annoying voice of a woman from a car parked on the road. Looking into the car, they saw Ryota's father, Kazuhiko! Adults who are worried about the naughty caused one after another by a group of three junior high school students who are curious about sexuality in their first year of junior high school. Not translated. Another ecchi, and this time less lighthearted than Natsu, Taiken Monogatari - more about problems of youth than of adventures and with more serious dialogues.   Overall Rating: 5/10

42. The Fourth Generation (1985)  [第四代] (Finished 1/60) Tags: Drama The fourth generation is a new generation in Hong Kong. They grew up in a competitive environment and experienced the turmoils of the times. Therefore, they have become more practical and more enthusiastic about pursuing fame, wealth and love. No matter whether they succeed or fail in the end, they will never complain or regret anything. Not translated and done with a pretty low quality. Also eclectic rather than story focused, so can't say I care about it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

43. Rise of the Great Wall (1986)  [秦始皇] (Finished 1/63) Tags: Historical The series follows the life of Ying Zheng, the ruler of the Qin state in the Warring States period, who eventually unified China, established the Qin dynasty, and became the First Emperor of a unified China. The series also includes a subplot about Jing Ke, an assassin who attempted to take the emperor's life. Not translated. Can't take Hong Kong historical series seriously if it becomes funny caricatoorish swinging firsts very soon. I'll be blocking such titles with silly martial fights as wuxia. Surprisingly, there's no such thing in here. Still can't say I'm interested in all these constant palace talks and occasional intrigues.   Overall Rating: 6/10

44. Inochi (1986)  [いのち] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Historical, Drama, Medical The drama begins in August 1945, three days after the end of the Pacific war. A freight train completely jam-packed with passengers heads for Aomori from devastated Tokyo. On the train is Takahara Miki and her sister Sachi. Miki and Sachi are the daughters of a wealthy landlord living in a village in the Tsugaru area in Aomori prefecture, but they have been living in Tokyo since before the war to attend school. After seeing her village does not have a doctor, Miki is determined to become a rural doctor. Not translated, probably because life of orinary people just after WWII is hardly something interesting.   Overall Rating: 6/10

45. Yang Kui Fei Chuan Chi (1986) [楊貴妃傳奇] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Historical, Romance, Drama During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty , Yang Yuhuan, the daughter of Yang Xuanyan , a scholar from Henan Prefecture, who joined the army , was elected to the palace and became the concubine of the longevity king Li Hao . Yang Xuanyan was also promoted by the imperial court to be a doctor of eunuchs in the Imperial Academy . Later, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty Li Longji took a fancy to Yang Yuhuan and ordered Yang Yuhuan to enter Yuzhen Taoist Temple as a female Taoist priest , which was actually a cover-up. Soon, Yang Yuhuan officially entered the palace and was canonized as a noble concubine, becoming one of Li Longji's favorite concubines. Yang Yuhuan was born a woman without scheming, and she also had talents in singing and dancing. She was very different from other concubines in the palace who were vying for power, which restored the vitality of youth to the elderly Li Longji. Not translated. Suprised by the absence of martial arts. Not really interested in ancient legendary periods where only 1% is known and the rest is imagined.   Overall Rating: 6/10

46. Musashibo Benkei (1986)  [武蔵坊弁慶] (Finished 32/32) Tags: Historical The play depicts the life of Musashibo Benkei, from his exile from Mount Hiei in his late teens and his entrance into Shoshazan Engyo - ji Temple, to his final moments at Kinugawa .  Benkei is and important symbol of Yoshitsune story. And, again, my vision is already clouded by watching later masterpiece dorama about Yoshitsune beforehand. There's not much to tell about Benkei, so there are only 32 episodes, a lot of it is pretty boring and just time wasting.   Overall Rating: 5/10

47. The Feud of Two Brothers (1986)  [流氓大亨] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Romance, Drama The play tells the story of Fang Jinchang, who was born in a poor family and became an inspector through his hard work. He is about to marry. However, he has a despicable and vicious biological brother, Zhong Weishun. Zhong Weishun was separated from Fang Jinchang when he was a child and was adopted by his wealthy stepfather. For his own benefit, he murdered his biological father and used the power of his family to cause his brother to be dismissed and get engaged. Later, with the help of Song Chuqiao, Fang Jinchang took revenge on his biological brother. Not translated. Normal Hong Kong criminal low quality melodrama.   Overall Rating: 6/10

48. Oyako Game (1986)  [親子ゲーム] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Drama, Family The story is about a timid boy who is abandoned by his parents. He is taken in by a ramen shop owners, former members of a motorcycle gang. The elderly police officer who acts as a guardian for this pseudo-family does not get along with the family. The story depicts the process by which boys, young men and elderly people who have been "outcasts" by their families and society at large live together, despite not being related by blood, and form a close family-like relationship, opening up to each other despite their quarrels. Not translated and of poor quality available. So it's a difficult youth in a difficult family, thus it's full of conflicts and hardly enticing as a result.   Overall Rating: 6/10

49. Tokugawa Fuunroku (1986) [Tokugawa Chronicles Ambition of the Three Branch/徳川風雲録] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Action, Drama, Jidai Geki Tokugawa Chronicles-Ambition of the 3 Branches" tells of the battles between the 3 related families Kishu, Mito, and Owari, as each vies for the shogun’s seat in the line of succession. Highlighting the series are many fights between the young lord’s Negoro ninja helpers and their mortal enemies, the Koga ninja. History comes alive with the bloody blades of the three families at war within the highest levels of government as the search for a new shogun continues! It's done by TV Tokyo, so I don't feel obliged to watch to the end, especially because it's pretty boring period and super boring ninja squabbles concept that I can't stand.   Overall Rating: 5/10

50. Journey to the West (1986) [西游记] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Wuxia, Fantasy The story follows the adventures of Sun Wu Kong, an immortal rhesus macaque demon who gains extraordinary power from long years of spiritual cultivation and rebels against the primacy of heaven. I thought I could endure one most traditional wuxia, but eyes hurt after one episode with this quality, so enough is enough. One episode already lets to learn so many things as MC is an ape who wants to reach immortality through cultivation and thus wants to learn only practical skills from wise master that accepts him as pupil. Another nice detail is that ape did not set off on his own , but was attacked in his cave by invincible demon of chaos. Did not know conteporary wuxia still depends on just some prejudices from an old fairy tale.   Overall Rating: 5/10

51. Danjo Shichinin Aki Monogatari (1986)  [男女7人秋物語] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Comedy, Romance Travel tour conductor Imai Ryosuke wakes up one morning to find a woman he doesn't recognize sleeping in his bed. Imai has absolutely no memory of how she got there, only that he had passed out drunk the night before. Quietly, Imai climbs out to his veranda, and calls his friend Nogami for help, which is the starting point of the story. Not translated. Pretty sure I watched some old dorama in the past that started exactly like that, but in a different location and with only two protagonists. Light international romance story is always nice.   Overall Rating: 6/10

52. Dokuganryu Masamune (1987) [独眼竜政宗] (Finished 50/50) Tags: Historical, Drama Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan in 1590, but Date Masamune did not abandon his desire to control the nation. ~~ Adapted from the novel "Date Masamune" by Yamaoka Sohachi. History determines contents, and it's not really great. First lots of local in-fighting for decades, then a lot of sucking up to demands of the powerful, all that with a lot of family matters. Since there's serious lack of content, almost before every episode there is some side-story from modernity linked to Date. All good, but not at the level that I could recommend.   Overall Rating: 6/10

53. Papa wa Newscaster (1987) [パパはニュースキャスター] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama He didn't even like children, yet without warning, the handsome, single newscaster finds himself playing the role of a father to three impertinent daughters. His entire image of the roles of the sexes gets turned upside down as he makes the transition from a swinger into a caring parent. Not translated. Basically, reverse of mama wa idol as parent suddenly has to take care of three kids.   Overall Rating: 6/10

54. Terms Of Endearment (1987)  [ 애정의 조건] (Finished 1/54) Tags: Drama A drama about a poor woman who reaches the pinnacle of life only to realize the futility of her desires. Not translated, so little use to evaluate human drama without. Looks rather ordinary.   Overall Rating: 6/10

55. Aries no Otometachi (1987)  [アリエスの乙女たち] (Finished 2/23) Tags: Romance, Life, Drama After living abroad in Paris, France, Mizuho Kaoru returns to Japan to attend an elite private high school. Together with her beloved horse Electra, she joins the school's equestrian club where she proceeds to distinguish herself as an Olympic level rider much to the jealousy of her teammates and some of the teachers at the school. Her only friend at the school is fellow classmate, Kubo Emiko who is part of the school's Drama Club and an equally distinguished performer. Although only a year separates the two friends, they were born under the same Horoscope sign of Aries and have an uncanny kindred spirit with each other. It is not until later that we discover that the two high school friends not only share the same father but also share a dark family secret that will soon shatter their individual worlds apart. Wow, girls love in college with some delinquents. I find zero things interesting here, not impressed with actor work, either.   Overall Rating: 5/10

56. Mama wa Idol (1987)  [Romance, Life] (Finished 2/10) Tags: Romance, Life A high school teacher marries a popular idol despite the disapproval of his three children and the idol's management. Normal goofy comedy of three children reacting differently to their new mother after father's incoming remarriage. Cool and tough daughter is the only unexpected element here, but it can't overshadow pretty typical roles of other characters.   Overall Rating: 6/10

57. A Dream of Red Mansions (1987) [红楼梦] (Finished 1/36) Tags: Historical, Romance, Drama, Family One is an immortal flower of Fairyland, the other fair flawless jade. And were it not predestined, why should they meet again in this lifetime? Yet, if predestined, why does their love amount to nothing?" This classic story follows the everyday events and declining fortunes of the Jia family, a wealthy feudal clan. At its heart is the tragic love triangle between cousins Jia Bao Yu, Lin Dai Yu and Xue Bao Chai, and a fate long decided before this existence. ~~ Adapted from the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" (红楼梦) by Cao Xue Qin (曹雪芹).  Not translated. First episode looks rather boring, but there will be at least one remake.   Overall Rating: 6/10

58. Atsuku Naru Made Matte (1987) [熱くなるまで待って!] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Romance, Drama The story depicts the life of manga artist Saeki Yusuke , who lost his wife and lives alone in an apartment in Tokyo . At the invitation of his cousin Akutagawa Kisaburo , who is separated from his wife , he moves in with him in his luxurious mansion in Denenchofu where he is being looked after by his wife. The story follows the various turmoil that ensues from this point onwards, as well as a love story between him and Yashima Yuki, the daughter of a wealthy family who comes to live with him as a maid . Not translated. There's some comedy, too, but can't say it made a strong impression.   Overall Rating: 6/10

59. Stand by Me: Kimagure Hakusho (1987) [スタンドバイミー 〜気まぐれ白書〜] (Finished 1/5) Tags: Comedy, Drama Kurata Toshiko runs a child protection facility called "Domestic Homestay Child House" where the cook Momoyama Otoji and the tutor Tajima Goro live together. When Ueda Nobue, a selfish middle school student who distrusts people, arrives and causes trouble with Toshiko and the others, she gradually opens up after meeting Shirai Toru and eventually returns home of her own accord. Not translated. It tries to present orphanage and its drama in comedy manner, but it's not the concept I'd enjoy.   Overall Rating: 6/10

60. Ohima nara Kite yo ne! (1987) [おヒマなら来てよネ!] (Finished 1/9) Tags: Life, Family The main character, Nozomi, grew up as the eldest daughter of the Satake clan, but became shy after being told that she was adopted in junior high school . The real father is Yamamoto in Itamae. One day, at a Japanese restaurant's comfort travel destination, she meets Yoko, a woman with a child who looks just like her. Nozomi and Yoko feel that they meet by chance because their birthplaces and dates of birth are different. However, when Yoko rolls in without Misuzu, the story about the two begins. Not translated. Otherwise looks lively.   Overall Rating: 6/10

61. Takeda Shingen (1988)  [武田信玄] (Finished 50/50) Tags: Historical, Drama "Steady as a mountain, attack like fire, still as a wood, swift as the wind". NHK Taiga Drama for 1988 is the life story of the famous warlord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), aka "The Tiger of Kai". There was a very turbulent time in the warring period in history, and Takeda Shingen is considered one of the great warlords among many others, Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga were present. There were many wars fought back then for power and prestige. But ordinary people just wanted their crops planted and harvested to feed their families, but that got harder and harder as the healthy young men in the families were sent off to war and the fields went to ruin. Takeda Shingen fought for peace and to expand his home province but apparently, he should have paid more attention to his household because his home life had no peace behind the smiles and greetings. Perfect power-leveling beast with most impressive battles, outfits and epic feel. If I rewatch it nowadays, I may find things to nitpick, but my initial impression is super high.   Overall Rating: 10/10

62. Papa wa Nenjuu Kurou Suru (1988) [パパは年中苦労する] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Life, Drama, Family This is the second series following "Daddy is a Newscaster". A playboy composer is faced with an abrupt change in lifestyle when his former wife takes off for overseas adventures, leaving him to care for their four children. The days of carefree living are over, and it becomes nearly impossible to get together with his girlfriend. Both he and his children learn to rediscover their life as a family. Not translated. Wow, third work with a similar concept in such a short time. But it's difficult to fail such concept completely.   Overall Rating: 6/10

63. Netsuppoi no! (1988) [熱っぽいの!] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Medical Madoka comes to Tokyo and starts to work in a hospital as a nurse. She has been brought up too carefully and knows nothing of the world. She learns things and love. It's a drama of her experience and also a drama in the hospital. Not translated. Doubt I can like medical drama unless it's also comedy.   Overall Rating: 6/10

64. Dakishimetai! (1988)  [抱きしめたい！] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Romance Asako and Natsuko have been close friends for more than 25 years. Natsuko's husband Keisuke had affairs, so she asks Asako to let her stay at hers. Keisuke was once Asako's boyfriend. They are going to be 30 years old soon. There are other nice guys around Asako. It's a drama about their love and friendship. Not translated, so can be pretty much anything.   Overall Rating: 6/10

65. Waka okusama wa udemakuri! (1988) [若奥さまは腕まくり!] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Family Tomoko and Satoshi got married after the great love affair. So a sweet newly-married life of only two people started. At that time, Satoshi's older brorher Haruo suddenly got an order to relocate to USA?so his three daughters Mari, Hanabi, Chieko , and mother-in-law Suddenly suddenly started living with the newlyweds.  Wow, forth work with the same concept in a row.   Overall Rating: 6/10

66. Love Story in New York (1988) [ニューヨーク恋物語] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance, Life Chino Akiko comes to New York, where she falls in love with handsome lawyer Tajima Masayuki . Not translated. Guess From Oregon with Love was memorable enough to linger with exotic locations.   Overall Rating: 6/10

67. Kimi ga Uso wo Tsuita (1988) 君が嘘をついた [君が嘘をついた] (Finished 1/9) Tags: Romance Girls like rich and sophisticated boys and boys like the same. The two boys and the two girls go to a party pretending rich and sophisticated. They fall in love and get to know that the most important thing for love is not how much they have money or positions in society. Not translated.  Overall Rating: 6/10

68. Oikaketai no! (1988)  [追いかけたいの!] (Finished 1/9) Tags: Business, Romance The drama depicts the battle between the new reporter of a sports newspaper and a new cameraman.  Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

69. Hana no Asuka-gumi! (1988)  [花のあすか組!] (Finished 1/23) Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama The story of Kuraku Asuka, a junior high student who has to fight a big delinquent organisation and their underlings. Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

70. Kasuga no Tsubone (1989) [春日局] (Finished 0/50) Tags: Historical, Drama This is the story about the a very powerful Lady Kasuga who established Ooku the inner palace. Not found, but included because it's NHK taiga.   Overall Rating: 0/10

71. High School Rakugaki (1989) [はいすくーる落書] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Life, Youth Suwa Izumi is a 23-year-old who was brought up by her father in an overprotective manner at a pharmacy in Kamata , Tokyo . She aspires to become a teacher for carefree reasons, such as "long summer vacations" and "being able to work surrounded by young boys", and is assigned to the local Keihin Jitsugyo High School industrial department as an English teacher. She is put in charge of the second-year mechanical engineering class. However, that class is filled with notorious bad boys even within the industrial department. Izumi is angry at the students who tease her and cause trouble, and seriously considers quitting her job, but is persuaded by Ban, an industrial department lab assistant, and is given love letters by the students, which makes her reconsider. Tadashi, who wants her to quit high school as soon as possible, spends every day anxiously waiting. As she goes about her school life, Izumi awkwardly but sincerely deals with the problems the students cause, and the students gradually begin to trust her. Ban, Vice Principal Tasaki, and the other teachers also begin to acknowledge Izumi. Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

72. Kimi no Hitomi ni Koishiteru (1989)  [君の瞳に恋してる！] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Life, Youth The three girls start to live together. The two boys in the next room are interested in them. They are all 20 years old. What do love, sexuality and marriage mean to them? This drama shows what ordinary 20 years old people usually experience. I almost feel obliged to finish some SOL work since there are so few subbed ones of these. There's a lot of fooling around and imitating liveliness here. Feels really artificial as they can do better.   Overall Rating: 6/10

73. Looking Back in Anger (1989) [義不容情] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Family The series starts off with a business tycoon, Alex Ting Yau Kin, waiting for a telephone call. It then moves into a flashback to Kin's childhood years. Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

74. Fuun! Sanada Yukimura (1989) [風雲！真田幸村] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Historical The story follows Tokugawa Ieyasu, who plots to destroy the Toyotomi clan and the lords who sided with the former Western Army after the Battle of Sekigahara , following the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Sanada Yukimura 's group who try to thwart him . Yukimura escapes from his exile in Kudoyama and appears all over Japan, fighting against the Tokugawa. The story ends before the Battle of Osaka , and the final episode is a compilation. I'll make an excuse that it's not NHK and skip this ninja farce after first episode as it starts after Sekigahara and focuses on Yukimura who is supposedly the best ninja ever or something as silly as that.   Overall Rating: 5/10

75. Storm in Shanghai (1989)  [上海風雲] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Historical, Drama The play tells the story of Ma Xiaotian, who went from being a rich kid to a commoner, and eventually became a prominent figure in Shanghai after going through many hardships. Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

76. Mama Haha Boogie (1989) [ママハハブギ] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Family A 29-year old model meets a photographer during a photo shoot in Los Angeles and the two get hitched on the spur of the moment. While he continues to work on various assignments, Ranko returns to Japan where she meets her new husband's children from a previous marriage. Long neglected by their absent father, the teens are fiercely independent and don't welcome Ranko's friendly entreaties. The oldest, nineteen-year old Makoto, is a former academic whiz who choked twice on the entrance exam to Tokyo University. He spends much of the series brooding about his room or secretly masquerading as a Todai undergrad. The middle child constantly gets into fights at school and is currently suspended. The youngest of the clan, a sixteen year old girl is a compulsive liar. The tv drama then proceeds to capture how the four evolve into an odd family of sorts, sans papa.  Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

77. Chun Qu Chun You Hui (1989)  [春去春又回] (Finished 1/40) Tags: Republican Drama The story takes place in Shanghai, where people are crowded and traffic is heavy. MC is a dandy boy. One day he actually kills his love rival with a gun with the only eyewitness present. .  Not translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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