After all, only Kou Kou Kyoushi (1993) really stood out for me, but lots of nice yet not outstanding titles as well.
1. Ghost Husband (1993) [鬼丈夫] (Finished 1/22)  Tags: Historical, Romance, Drama Chi Hsuan meets Yuan Le Mei at a masked dance and falls in love with her. However, the mother of Yuan Le Mei doesn't approve of them being together. After Chi Hsuan saves Yuan Le Mei, they are allowed to marry, but on the eve of their marriage, Chi Hsuan is injured by a fire and left with scars on his face. He hides his identity with a mask and is afraid to face Yuan Le Mei again while Yuan Le Mei mourns the loss of her lover. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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2. Onegai Demon! (1993) [お願いデーモン！] (Finished 1/5)  Tags: Mystery, Comedy, Romance, Supernatural Demon Ichiro is a demon who lives with his demonic sisters undercover in the human world. Once in a thousand years, demons are supposed to marry a human woman and have a child, and this Christmas is the deadline. But Ichiro doesn't care about it. He is just working at school as a teacher. The new female colleague appears, but before that, they met accidentally... Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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3. The Edge of Righteousness (1993) [龍兄鼠弟] (Finished 1/30)  Tags: Crime, Drama, Medical Fashion drama describes the story of a paranoid doctor fighting a murderer. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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4. Tokugawa Bugei Cho Yagyu Sandai No Ken (1993) [徳川武芸帳 柳生三代の剣] (Finished 2/13)  Tags: Historical, Drama, Political A 12 hours long drama depicting the three generations of Yagyu swordsmen, in connection with the political events of the early Edo period. Yagyu Sekishusai is a consummate swordsman teaching the Yagyu Shinkage style of fencing from his family dojo. His ambition has always been to achieve fame for the Yagyu clan. His son Munenori hangs around with the local ninja children and frequently avoids practice to do so. As a result, the father considers the son to be weak and is harsh and disparaging both in training and in personal life. After Munenori's older brother is injured during the Battle of Sekigahara, Sekishusai decides to name his grandson Hyogonosuke as his successor as head of the Yagyu Shinkage school, considering Munenori to be unworthy of the position. Munenori witnesses his 'mutodori' technique of unarmed combat against a weapon-bearing opponent and then sets out to develop his own style based not on the desire to kill but to defend one's self. He becomes a master in his own right while forming a strong alliance with the Tokugawa who ascend to take power in the land. Munenori becomes a highly-placed key vassal for the Tokugawa, initially as sword instructor and then as Minister of Justice. He also helps to institute the draconian policies of suppression designed to quell any opposition to Tokugawa rule thereby bringing peace to the nation. This viewpoint is not appreciated by his son Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi who is opposed to what he sees as underhanded tactics, regardless of their eventual results "for the greater good". Father and son must put aside their differences in order to confront a plot that could de-stabilise the country. Banal concept as samurai reveals conspiracies and curruption and fights those. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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5. Kou Kou Kyoushi (1993) [高校教師] (Finished 11/11)  Tags: Psychological, Romance, Drama, Melodrama The life of the lead character has been a series of embarrassing events beyond his control. Yet his fate is sealed when he falls in love with one of his students, with a passion that seems to intensify in the face of social mores. This drama explores the complex emotions that lead to forbidden paths of infatuation. Pretty sure it's classic as even I managed to have watched it before and since it's got a remake. Today it looks strange with all the harassment and abusive relations, but it has old time magic and really has scent of 1990s as well as classic literature vibes. Overall Rating: 7/10 |
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6. The Third Republic (1993) [제3공화국] (Finished 1/26)  Tags: Military, Historical, Drama, Political It depicts the third republic of 1960s-1970s from the viewpoint of brewing mutiny inside it. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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7. The Vampire Returns (1993) [大頭綠衣鬥殭屍] (Finished 1/20)  Tags: Mystery, Horror, Romance, Supernatural In the behinning of 20th century China emperror was too weak to rule, wars broke out everywhere in the world while demons and monsters went rampant. Taoist master and his apprentices start fighting zombies and befriending ghosts in Hong Kong. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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8. Hitotsu Yane no Shita (1993) [ひとつ屋根の下] (Finished 4/12)  Tags: Life, Drama, Family A car accident killed a couple, orphaning their six children. At that time, the eldest child, Tatsuya, was only 18 and had to attend marathon training. Lacking the confidence to take good care of his siblings, he separately relocated them to the homes of their relatives and adopters. However, after seven years and a career-ending injury, Tatsuya decides to reunite his brothers and sisters to live together under one roof. To his disappointment, he is met with resentment and discord. Nice drama about family values, but mostly about fooling around. And that's what averts me. Since everyone has to fool around most of the time, it feels unnatural and forced while exaggerated reactions and antics only irritate. Two characters are purely like this, and they are given way too much time to test my patience. Other more serious lines are simplified, sometimes to ridiculous amounts. Alas, it's not something that I enjoy. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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10. Oka no Ue no Himawari (1993) [丘の上の向日葵] (Finished 3/12)  Tags: Life Film company engineer Kohei is on his way home one night when he sees a woman taken ill at a train station. He ensures that she gets home safely, at which point the woman, Fumi, tells him, she has conceived, birthed, and raised his child. Actors are actually nice, and mood is serious. But after slightly playful and mysterious setup in first episode the next two are completely empty not moving anything and just consisting of empty interactions with only minor details. So it's definitely above average, just not finding it exciting enough for a masterpiece. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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11. Chance (1993) [チャンス!] (Finished 2/12)  Tags: Music, Comedy, Drama Yuji was once a top rock star. He comes back to Japan after the two years of US life. Nobody pays attention to him any more. Aoi who becomes his manager tries very hard to get work for him. He still has pride. Finally by Aoi's effort he can hold a concert. Arrogant unpopular musician and diligent manager play repeats over and over with rather unsatisfying comedy. And since even actors lack apeal for me here, I'd rate it as ordinary. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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12. Double Kitchen (1993) [ダブル・キッチン] (Finished 2/11)  Tags: Comedy, Romance, Family A heartwarming situation comedy about a newlywed couple sharing a house with the husband's parents in a suburb of Tokyo. Ordinary situations become hilarious cross-generational battlegrounds, as the wife and her mother-in-law pursue vastly different images of the ideal family. Typical conflicts of two families cohabitation. Banal, repetitive, sour. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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13. Watashitte Busu Dattano? (1993) [わたしってブスだったの?] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Romance, Drama Determined never to be defeated, the heroine of this story is economically independent. Yet with each passing year, she experiences greater isolation and uneasiness. Her quest to live with integrity, despite the scars of previous battles, raises deep questions of how anyone can find their own way through these times. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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14. Subarashiki Kana Jinsei (1993) [素晴らしきかな人生] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Romance, Drama Yume (Asano) is a single mother raising a now teenage daughter, Haruka, by herself. She has trouble trusting men, as Haruka's real father Kunio left before Haruka was born, and her first marriage ended when her husband cheated on her. It is then though that she meets Kunio's younger brother, Mitsugu (played by Oda). He falls for her immediately, and sets out to win her heart despite her disbelief. Absolutely can't stand Asano Atsuko and her same weird role of chased fatal woman repeating over and over again. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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15. Kacho-san no Yakudoshi (1993) [課長サンの厄年] (Finished 2/13)  Tags: Comedy Assigned to Tokyo, a mid-level manager in the prime of his career receives a mysterious warning and suddenly finds himself ambushed by one misfortune after another. His family is also affected; even they had never known such a run of bad luck, and subordinates as well are left bewildered at the wicked turns their lives take. Totally normal workspace cheerful drama, but I just can't call it comedy. The fact that it's all about luck and unluck does not help either. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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16. Homura Tatsu (1993) [炎立つ] (Finished 2/35)  Tags: Historical, Drama This Taiga Drama based on the novel (written for TV) by Katsuhiko Takahashi. Homura Tatsu (roughly means On Fire) tells the story of the Oushu Fujiwara clan spanning generations, 140 years in the late Heian era. They established their domain in Touhoku area (North-east area of Japan), independent from the rule of Minamoto clan. Heian is the most boring period of Japanese history for me, and Fujiwara rule the most boring part of the period, so I'm higly prejudiced against this piece from the start. And first episodes only confirmed my worst expectations. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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17. Akuma no Kiss (1993) [悪魔のＫＩＳＳ] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Life, Youth, Drama Misao is studying to be a manga artist, Mariko is a university student but getting money by various dangerous ways and Sachiko is working diligently but spends money on the dangerous religion. This drama shows many problems in which young people these days are involved. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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18. Dare Ni Mo Ienai (1993) [ 誰にも言えない] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Mystery, Drama A happily married woman is suddenly confronted with a painful past when her old boyfriend moves next door. Blinded by the pursuit of power and status, he had abandoned her to marry the daughter of a company president. Now, she must once again journey through a minefield of love and hate to guard her marriage and her own integrity. Abuse stalker mystery with unappealing actors playing dumb roles is one of the worst things I sampled. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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19. Asunaro Hakusho (1993) [あすなろ白書] (Finished 1/11)  Tags: Romance, Youth, Drama On the day of entrance exam someone helps Narumi by giving her a pencil. She wants to thank him but he's soon gone. She couldn't forget her hero so she hopes to see him again. While looking around the campus she hears the sound of the piano and enters a room where other four freshmen are present. Here she'll meet Seika, Tamotsu, Osamu and Junichiro. Together they decide to form the Asunaro Club. It's super melodramatic and primitive to the point of irritation, at least for me. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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20. Dousoukai (1993) [同窓会] (Finished 1/10)  Tags: Romance, Drama This is the story of Onihara Natsuki, who is married to Ando Fuuma. During his high school days, Ando Fuuma was once in love with a schoolmate, Atari Kousuke. However, as Kousuke is straight, Fuuma tried his best to forget about him, by hanging out at Shinjuku 2-chome. Together with Kousuke's girlfriend's brother, Tanno Arashi, Fuuma has sexual orgies with partners of both sexes. Now, Ando Fuuma is married to Onihara Natsuki, who doesn't know that Ando is gay. One day, Natsuki accidentally found out that Ando is gay. In her despair, she sets out to Shinjuku 2-chome, wandering around aimlessly deep in the night. There, she bumps into Arashi, and had a one-night stand with him, after which Arashi demanded money from her. Soon after, Natsuki realises she is pregnant with Arashi's child. She abhors the thought of having a child from paid sex and is adamant to have an abortion. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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21. Dinosaur Teacher (1993) [공룡선생] (Finished 1/70)  Tags: Drama Drama depicts youth issues from the perspective and mind of youth in school. Not translated. Overall Rating: 0/10 |
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22. Da Tai Jian Yu Xiao Mu Jiang (1993) [大太監與小木匠] (Finished 1/40)  Tags: Drama, Historical The play tells the story of Ba Jia, a young carpenter during the Xizong period of the Ming Dynasty, who was involved in the power struggle in the palace because he was too close to the emperor. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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23. Ying Xiong Shao Nian (1993) [英雄少年] (Finished 1/70)  Tags: Drama It tells the story of Jiang Fugui, the richest man in Ping County, who was told by Ma Banxian that "where there is water, there will be a son". He picked up Yu Wensheng by the water and named him Jiang Shuisheng. Ma Banxian warned Fugui that if he left home before Shuisheng got married, his whole family would suffer a disaster. Not translated. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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 really stood out for me, but lots of nice yet not outstanding titles as well.){kind=link}
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