So few titles start in last year's season, so again no masterpieces. Guess Hatachi no Koibito was not bad. Looking back at 2007, the only thing that evolved was Korean historical action drama, but it's way behind taiga still.
1. Hatachi no Koibito [ハタチの恋人] (Finished 10/10)  Tags: Comedy, Romance Hatachi no Koibito tells the story of Inoue Keisuke, a married salaryman. At the age of 50, he begins thinking about his purpose in life. By chance, he encounters Sawada Yuri, a 20-year-old graphic design student full of hopes and dreams for the future. Because of her resemblance to his girlfriend from long ago, he finds his heart unexpectedly beating faster... Watchable, ofc, but did not expect it to beat around fake identity most of the time. Leads are cool, and this is not supposed to be romance, but decisions and actions leave much to be desired. There's a sight fake odour. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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2. Abarenbo Mama [暴れん坊ママ] (Finished 1/10)  Tags: Comedy 22-year old Kawano Ayu was brought up way out in the country. She's a rough-mannered tomboy. When she meets Tetsu, a divorced beautician, the two fall in love and get married. Immediately after their happy new life begins, they are visited by a 5-year old boy, Yuki, who claims to be Tetsu's son. Ayu reluctantly becomes the boy's mother, but has no idea how to raise a child. What's more, at kindergarten, she must confront the elegant mothers of the neighborhood. Ayu's humorous life as a rookie mother begins. Just childcare with tomboy sudden mother. There's high competition among childcare drama, and this one misses in many areas to be called great. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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3. Utahime [歌姫] (Finished 1/11)  Tags: Comedy, Romance Koizumi Akira, a son of a popular songstress, travels to a small-town cinema in far-off Kochi Prefecture to watch the closing movie before the theatre shuts its doors forever. The movie takes place in the same village but during the Showa 30s (1950s), in the years following the war. The story follows a young soldier who washes ashore on the beach one day, having lost his memory. He is "adopted" by the family who owns the village cinema and given the name Shimanto Taro. Although his past remains a mystery, Taro becomes good friends with many of the villagers, discovering his love for movies and falling in love with a feisty young girl. Amnesia. Village. 50s. It usually does not work for me when there are 3+ red flags. Acting is also far from natural. I'm not invested to go on. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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4. Billie Jean, Look at Me [빌리진 날 봐요] (Finished 1/26)  Tags: Comedy, Romance Yoo Bang Hee's Prince Charming is teen idol Choi Hye Seong, not exactly the most approachable person. Turning her one-sided love into near stalking, Bang Hee ends up ruining Hye Seong's young career by revealing information she shouldn't have to the public. Eight years pass by, and Hye Seong is still suffering from that failure, roaming the streets aimlessly when a familiar face suddenly appears. Bang Hee, now an assistant writer for a Star Making Project, promises she'll make up for all her mistakes by making Hye Seong a star. From first scenes of a loudly shouting scandalist FL I already knew I was not going to like it since it's a rather typical case. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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5. In Soon Is Pretty [인순이는 예쁘다] (Finished 1/16)  Tags: Romance, Drama Park In Soon accidentally killed another girl when she was in high school. After serving her time in prison, she tried to rebuild her life but was unsuccessful due to her criminal record. She was encouraged by her high school teacher but feeling down and out, In Soon decided that her life wasn't worth living and attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the train track. Just then she was stopped by Yoo Sang Woo, her childhood friend who had moved to Canada before the incident. Through a series of events, In Soon was reunited with her mother, the famous actress Lee Sun Young who abandoned her soon after her father passed away. Can In Soon finally begin a new life and find happiness? Fine for kdrama, but I'd prefer to finish literally any jdrama from this season as everything is dull and accustomed here without room for creativity. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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6. Shigeshoshi (2007) [死化粧師 エンバーマー 間] (Finished 2/12)  Tags: Psychological The hero, Mamiya Shinjuro, earned his embalmer's license in the United States, but for reasons that will probably be easier to understand once the series starts, he is working in a Tokyo hospital as a janitor. In the premiere episode, a friend of one of the nurse's is killed in an accident. The woman had just been made the principal soloist in a ballet company and was about to get married to the man of her dreams. The woman's fiancee, hearing of Mamiya's special skills, asks him to restore her corpse to the way she looked when she was alive. Useless occupation and useless cases. Second episode only proved there's nothing interesting for me here. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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 Tags: Action, Thriller, Romance, Drama This drama is about a female lobbyist dealing with international arms traders. Kang Tae Hyuk is a successor of a main munitions business company in Korea. He is a young businessman with perfect appearance using a refined phraseology. He has an innate ability as a lobbyist and is a master schemer. He plans to sweep over the whole of Asia. Korean thriller action about arms dealers already sounds like sentence for me. Not seeing any redemption qualities here. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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8. Dung Duang Haruetai (2007) [ดั่งดวงหฤทัย] (Finished 1/15)  Tags: Historical, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy Dung Duang Harutai is the story of three kingdoms. Kasit ruled by King Rungsimun is the wealthiest and most powerful but they lack a sea route, for this reason, King Rungsimun had planned to politically wed Princess Munisala of Thanta in order to conveniently use their water route. However, if both Kasit and Thanta were to unite that would cause Puntoolat to become isolated and for this reason, the three kingdoms have longed lived with suspicion of one another. Princess Munisala decided to flee in order to escape the wedding because she had heard many ruthless stories about King Rungsimun but she accidentally fell into a trap and was rescued by Prince Tiyuttithorn/ Pee Chai of Puntoolat where she asked to seek refuge. Upon hearing the news of Princess Munisala's disappearance and learning that it may be linked to Pee Chai, Princess Tasika feared the start of a war and so she made her way to speak to Pee Chai and got kidnapped by King Rungsimun and brought to Kasit. Tasika believed she was kidnapped as a hostage in order for Kasit to negotiate Munisala's return and so she began at first to dislike Rungsimun. However Rungsimun had fallen in love with Tasika at first sight and so began their love story, but things get complicated as Mina (Nok) constantly stirs up trouble, by trying to harm Tasika as she was in love with Rungsimun. Meanwhile, Munisala and Tiyuttithorn also started to slowly fall in love. Thai can make even typical shoujo fantasy horrible, which is still better than their usual plots. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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9. Bull Fighting [鬥牛。要不要] (Finished 1/17)  Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth, Sports It started as a 3-on-3 basketball competition between two rival schools; an annual event in which the winner would control the 13th Street basketball court for the following year. To everybody's surprise, the 9-year reigning champion lost this year... and it was all because of one girl. Now, this game has a new purpose. Yi Sheng Xue, a hot-headed young girl, is an avid Bull Fighting fan. At her side is her loyal childhood friend and personal bodyguard, Jin Zi Cong. Their lives take a drastic turn when they meet Shen Ruo He, whom Sheng Xue falls deeply in love with. However, they encounter many obstacles that stand in the way of them being together. Will love triumph over evil? And will Zi Cong be able to live with seeing the woman he loves, love another man? Don't know what's sillier here - plot of Taiwanese humor. Unbearable. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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10. Likit Kammathep [ลิขิตกามเทพ] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Romance, Drama Karnploo, an orphan raised by an abusive aunt, is sold to a wealthy man to support her aunt's lifestyle. Unaware of the arrangement, she believes she is going to serve the man. His son, Nit, mistakes her for his bride and accuses her of deceit, treating her cruelly. When he learns she is his father's intended wife, he continues to mistreat her, hoping she'll back out. After their marriage, Karnploo avoids consummation, but Nit wrongly believes she is promiscuous. When Nit’s father dies, Karnploo discovers she's pregnant, intensifying the conflict between her and Nit. As jealous exes and family members try to tear them apart, will they resolve their misunderstandings or face further tragedy? Remake of typical lakorn material. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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11. Cruel Love [못된 사랑] (Finished 1/20)  Tags: Action, Romance, Drama, Melodrama Na In Jung was a successful orchestra cellist in her 20s, a nice, kind girl lacking nothing. She met a handsome stranger, a successful businessman, Lee Soo Hwan and fell in love at first sight. Their short romance was beautiful and full of love, but soon everything changed for In Jung after it was revealed that her first love, Lee Soo Hwan, was married. Jung loved him so much that she was even ready to be a secret lover, but Soo Hwan broke up with her because of pressure from his wife's rich, powerful family. After these events, In Jung loses everything, including her mother, house, and the ability to play the cello. Feeling hopeless and ruined, she ends up selling fried chicken, her dreams long gone. Kang Yong Ki is an heir of a prosperous conglomerate family. His half-sister, Kang Joo Ran, is married to Soo Hwan, who only married her to attain the CEO position of the Kang siblings' father's company. Yong Ki lived in New York with her first love, Joanne. He returns home after her suicide. His heart is still in pain from losing her. After 5 years have passed since breaking up with Soo Hwan and the hardest period of her life, Na In Jung lives in a small town where she meets Kang Yong Ki, who recently returned from New York. After several coincidental run-ins, they slowly start to fall in love. By this time, Soo Hwan, who had destroyed her life, approaches her. Soo Hwan has realized that his career ambitions are not able to fill the emptiness he feels, and he asks for In Jung's forgiveness, believing he needs her in order to be happy. However, In Jung and Yong Ki are already in love. Will she return to her first love or stay with Yong Ki? Bad love, bad actors, bad melodrama. Why tolerate this misery at all. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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12. Dream Again [ドリーム☆アゲイン] (Finished 1/10)  Tags: Drama, Sports This original series stars Sorimachi Takashi as the pro baseball player Ogi Shunsuke, who is forced to retire after a shoulder injury. He continues to train in hope of returning to the game, but a sudden accident leads to his death. God decides to give him a second chance, placing his soul into the body of another man - a wealthy fund company manager - but adjusting to his new life isn't easy... Not sure why watch such useless reincarnation to adult fantasy at all - stale and unenthusiastic through and through. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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