Ajin

Going to the cinema is a luxury these days because ticket prices rise quicker than I can watch dramas, but the opportunity to watch Sato Takeru on the big screen again was hard to resist. Oddly enough, the last film I caught in the cinema was also another live-action film starring Sato – the final act in the Rurouni Kenshin trilogy. This must be a sign, so I splashed out the cash and had an enjoyable couple of hours.

Nagai Kei (Sato Takeru) is a hospital intern who discovers he is an “Ajin” when he is hit by a truck. Ajin are immortal beings with the ability to regenerate when they die and can summon IBM (invisible black matter). They are regarded as dangerous by the Japanese government and subjected to experiments when caught. Kei is rescued by Sato (Ayano Go), another Ajin who is hell-bent on exacting revenge against the government for its treatment of the Ajin. As Sato’s actions become more extreme, Kei finds himself having to choose sides…

Saikou no Rikon

A drama about divorce doesn’t have to be heavy and melodramatic, as Saikou no Rikon proves. This was touted to be one of the best dramas of 2013, with a stellar cast and solid writing, and eventually I took the plunge to try it out.

Hamasaki Mitsuo (Eita) is a salaryman working for a vending machine company. He is whiny, OCD to the nth degree, and not particularly good with people. Married to Yuka (Ono Machiko) for a couple of years now, Mitsuo is realising that he and his wife don’t really have anything in common. On the spur of the moment (or not?), they end up divorcing but have trouble breaking the news to their respective families and are forced for a good part of the drama to continue sharing their (ex-)matrimonial home as though nothing has happened. One day, Mitsuo runs into his ex-girlfriend Akari (Maki Yoko), and has thoughts of rekindling their relationship, only to find out that she is married to Uehara Ryo (Ayano Go), who is apparently cheating on his wife…

Long Goodbye

Part of getting back into J-dramas is the fun of discovering new stuff and seeing actors in another light. Recently, I had the pleasure of watching Long Goodbye, which is a Japanese adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s novel of the same name. Having never read any of Chandler’s novels, I could only go by word of mouth regarding this adaptation – and the reviews were very good indeed, with some praising it as the drama of the year. I went into the drama completely blind, not even reading the synopsis, and came out of it really liking it.