Japanese Fall Season 2016 – A Banner Watch Season For Me!

Japanese Fall Season 2016

This had to be the best season to watch Japanese dramas! This was the first time that my watched list exceeded my wish list by leaps and bounds! The Fall season started in late September and now that we approach January, 2017, I’ve seen all but one of the dramas to completion. That is a total of 11 dramas! 11!! That is some kind of record for me! I loved that the season covered every genre: from thriller to crime, to romance and comedy. A little of something for everyone!

The fall season was impressive to me because of the content. I actually got to watch 2 medical dramas in the same season! Another great thriller to cap off the 2016 watch and lastly, some of the best romances for the year (my opinion)! Here’s what I watched. Compare it to you list or consider some of these for your future plan to watch lists!

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Suisho no Kodo (2016)
Crime, Detective, Investigation, Mystery, Suspense

Stars
Kimura Fumino as Detective Kisaragi Toko
Aoki Munetaka as Takano Hideaki
Synopsis
A continuation of last year’s Ishi no Mayu, the story follows Detective Kisaragi Toko of the Eleventh Section of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division once again and the trauma she suffered at that time still affects her to this day. Toko and Assistant Inspector Takano Hideaki begin an investigation to a bizarre murder that occurs in a room that has been turned a deep red.
Thoughts
This was a pretty dark drama, so beware, I’m warning you. The murders were pretty vivid and “in your face” detailed. The short, 5 episode drama followed you through the case and exposed the culprit as well as Toko’s continued issues that affected her job as well as the safety of her partner.
Rating: 8/10

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Destiny-Like Love (2016)
Unmei ni, Nita Koi; Love Like Fate
Drama, Romance

Stars
Harada Tomoyo as Sakurai Kasumi
Saito Takumi as Ozawa Yuri
Synopsis
During their childhood, a little girl and a boy made a pledge to meet again. Now at the age of 45, the girl, Kasumi, is now a divorced mother of a son of high school age. She works as hard as she can at a laundry delivery shop for the wealthy, in order to make a living. Then one day, Kasumi encounters a young male designer, Yuri, who has attracted international attention. He is somehow far too familiar with her and pokes his nose into her affairs. Kasumi is initially wary, but she soon learns that he has a pure heart and starts to get drawn to him. These two people with different backgrounds fall in love. Why did Yuri appear before her? Could he be the boy from that time?
Thoughts
This drama was pure JOY to watch! I was so lucky to watch together with 2 great drama friends! If you could have read our Twitter DM messages; it would be embarrassing!! We had great fun watching this together! We fell deeper in love with Saito Takumi and his chemistry with Harada Tomoyo was OFF THE CHARTS!!
Rating: 8.5/10

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Career (2016)
Comedy, Crime, Investigation

Stars
Tamaki Hiroshi as Toyama Kinshiro
Takimoto Miori as Aikawa Misato
Takashima Masahiro as Minami Yozo
Synopsis
Toyama Kinshiro is a 36-year-old newly-appointed police chief at Kitamachi Police Station who firmly believes his mission as a policeman is to listen to every voice of innocent citizens and protect the peace in the community. He comes off as aloof and a bit quirky at first, but in fact he has brilliant investigative instincts and spots clues that no one else can detect. Unlike his elite career bureaucrat colleagues, Kinshiro doesn’t read more
Thoughts
I admit that I simply watched this for Tamaki Hiroshi! After the Asadora, Asa Ga Kita, I really needed more of him. The cases and stories at the beginning were really interesting and his character, Toyama was very quirky but as we got to the end, the real reason that he became a police office, especially within the elite force, came to a head and the real case began. Not the strongest crime drama for the season but the occasional silliness made it an okay watch.
Rating: 8/10, because it was all about Hiroshi!

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Medical Team: Lady Da Vinci no Shindan (2016)
Medical, Mystery

Stars
Yoshida You as Tachibana Shiho
Synopsis
Shiho works as a neurosurgeon at Nishitokyo General Hospital. She decides to quit her profession after hallucinating during surgery. Her ex-teacher Masayuki Kitabatake is the director at Tokyo University Hospital and he persuades Shiho to work at his hospital in the diagnosis department which consists of all female doctors. Shiho, who is more stubborn in her will to save other patients, sometimes come in conflicts with the other doctors there, but she cooperates with them to reveal a mysterious malady.
Thoughts
One of the two Yoshida You dramas for the season. As medical dramas are one of my favorites, what I loved about this drama was it featured women! The A&D Team (Analysis & Diagnosis) was a fascinating look into diseases. As you watch, you learned just how several diseases can take on the look of another. Shiho was a shown as a brilliant thinker! The other members of the team, especially Nitta Yukino (played by Aibu Saki) was shown in a great light and to be highly intelligent women! Its rare that you get to see woman in the medical environment at this level. Every case was interesting and the final episode left you wanting more.
Rating: 8.5/10

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Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (2016)
Comedy, Life, Manga, Romance

Stars
Aragaki Yui as Moriyama Mikuri
Hoshino Gen as Tsuzaki Hiramasa
Synopsis
25-year-old Moriyama Mikuri graduated but had no job offers. She became a temporary employee but was even laid off. So while she is taking a break right now, Mikuri feels unwanted and displaced. She starts work as a housekeeper for bachelor Tsuzaki Hiramasa by chance. One day, he proposes a contract marriage to her. The two of them get married in secret, but will their married life work out?
Thoughts
This turned out to be the top drama for season; it might have been close to the top one for the year! This was a drama that I liked from episode 1! The pairing of Yui and Gen was sheer genius! These two together worked brilliantly together. It was a fun watch, less than zero angst and you couldn’t help wanting to learn the dance! It rare that you watch a drama through to the end but because so many of us wanted to learn the dance, we thought nothing of watching the ending credits over and over again. If you watch nothing else on this list, I HIGHLY recommend this drama! Definitely one of the top watches for 2016!
Rating: 9.5/10

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Doctor X 4 (2016)
Drama, Medical

Stars
Yonekura Ryoko as Michiko Daimon
Synopsis
Surgeon Daimon Michiko is sent to Totei University Hospital this time. Although it reigns as the top university hospital in the country, the hospital’s reputation has suffered greatly from various cover-ups, medical malpractice and fighting factions. Furthermore, the person who has snatched the seat of the new hospital director with the plan of reestablishing the hospital’s brand and gaining great power, is none other than the strategist Hiruma Shigekatsu, who has a longstanding grudge against Michiko.
Thoughts
I’m not sure I’ve ever been bored with the Doctor X franchise. Once again, Michiko was entertaining and brought us her genius medical skills to the screen. This season introduced new characters and expanded some of the old. Medicine with a comic flare? Only Doctor X does this the best. Realism? If you are looking for that, not sure why you watch dramas. I like this simply because it is entertaining and informative! I always learn about a disease that I’ve never heard of before. Thank you, Japanese television for once again educating me!
Rating: 9/10

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Suna no Tou – Shiri Sugita Rinjin (2016)
Crime, Drama, Family, Psychological, Suspense, Thriller

Stars
Kanno Miho as Takano Aki
Iwata Takanori as Kohei Ubukata
Matsushima Nanako as Yumiko Sasaki
Tanaka Naoki as Takano Kenichi
Synopsis
Takano Aki is a happy, ordinary housewife whose family (sweet husband and two kids) has moved to their dream apartment. Just as they are starting their new life, they encounter an ominous, terrifying neighbor, Sasaki Yumiko, who manipulates the dark emotions of pride, vanity and jealousy of the housewives living in the apartment building. She drives Aki into isolation within the building with unexpected methods and eventually causes the break up of her family. Meanwhile, a series of abduction cases take place. There seems to be a connection to the kidnapper and the frightening neighbor.
Thoughts
After watching this drama, you walk away with one fact: Japanese housewives and their hierarchical thinking is way too scary! Takano Aki was a pushover in this drama. The things that she allowed Sasaki Yumiko to manipulate her to the point of almost losing her entire family was sad. The funny thing is you have no idea why this woman focuses so much on Aki until later and the reason will surprise you. In addition, we have the mystery of the missing children that were kidnapped right under their mother’s unwatchful eye! This drama is definitely more family and drama than anything else. Aki’s character frustrated me until no end as she tolerated and remained clueless for most of the drama. But you cannot fault the acting! All of the actors were great, it was simply the story line that failed me.
Rating: 7/10

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IQ246 – Kareinaru Jikenbo (2016)
Detective, Investigation, Mystery

Stars
Oda Yuji as Homonji Sharaku
Tsuchiya Tao as Wato Soko
Fujioka Dean as Kensei
Synopsis
Homonji Sharaku is the descendant of an esteemed, scholarly aristocratic family in Kita Kamakura where the line of eldest sons have had high IQ of 246 passed down from generation to generation. The present 89th head of the Homonji family, Homonji pursues nothing but knowledge. He is fond of saying, “I’ve nothing to do. I’ve nothing to do. Where’s a case that’s worth my while to solve?” One day, Wato Soko, a detective of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, is suddenly assigned to the First Investigative Division. However, she is given the mission to guard Homonji rather than investigate brutal crimes. It seems that everyone who was assigned resigned within a month.
Thoughts
I’ll say it once and not again, watching this drama was all about DEAN!!! There was no other motivation to do so otherwise. Though I liked most of the drama, the story line with Maria T started to wear really thin to the point that when it came to the ending, it made no sense at all!! Why save someone responsible for so much death and mayhem?! And then to barely have DEAN in the last episode and no scene with him whipping his glasses off to save the day, I was disappointed. Admittedly, this was my first Oda Yuji experience so for his fans this is a great vehicle. However, overall, it was a fairly decent drama that I didn’t feel like I wasted my entire time watching. Though some characters were definitely wasted (case in point Homonji Hitomi played by Shinkawa Yua).
Rating: 8/10, because of DEEAANN!!!

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Kaseifu no Mitazono (2016)

Stars
Matsuoka Masahiro as Mitazono Kaoru
Synopsis
Mitazono Kaoru is a superb housekeeper who belongs to a housekeeping agency. Although he is a male in an industry dominated by females, he handles housework such as cleaning, laundry, cooking and babysitting perfectly. However, it is not just the dirt in the house that Mitazono cleans. He completely cleans off “deep-rooted dirt” in the households that he is assigned to each time. These are the households that society calls the “successful” where the people are proud, condescending and insufferable. Mitazono learns the family secrets and slowly lays traps to expose all of the secrets and reveal the family for who they really are. Then he gives the last push that breaks up relationships. However, this becomes the catalyst for the family to start again and solve the problems they have.
Thoughts
This drama took me by surprise! I went into watching it because of the cross-dresser element but ended up loving it for the stories, cleaning tips and the pure fun from watching the characters! Shimizu Fumika as Hanada Emiri and Kaoru’s cleaning partner was so fun to watch! The more I watch her in dramas, the more I’m starting to like her as an actress. I still have to put together my post of the cleaning tips! They truly are priceless!! I’ve tried a few out of curiosity! They’re real!!
Rating: 9/10

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Cold Case: Shinjitsu no Tobira (2016)
Crime, Detective, Investigation, Mystery

Stars
Yoshida You as Ishikawa Yuri
Nagayama Kento as Takagi Shinjiro
Takito Kenichi as Tachikawa Daisuke
Mitsuishi Ken as Kaneko Toru
Miura Tomokazu as Motoki Hidetoshi
Synopsis
Based on the U.S show of the same name, this Japanese version of Warner Bros ‘Cold Case’features Yuri Ishikawa and her team try to crack unresolved cold cases in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Thoughts
This drama was definitely the second best of the season for me. The story lines and the acting was superb! As Warner Bros. was involved in the making of the drama, it was faithful to the original! Ishikawa Yuri was just as smart and interesting as her American counterpart. I loved the story lines because in Japanese fashion, they were sometimes deep and dark. I think I cried at the end of every episode, they were so thought provoking and sometimes incredibly sad. Overall, the Japanese version did a wonderful job in maintaining the greatness of this excellent US show. It did it justice and I really hope for season 2!
Rating: 9.5/10

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Other Dramas That I Watched
– Cain and Abel (2016) starring Yamada Ryosuke and Kiritani Kenta in the lead as the brothers Takada. Don’t be fooled. It is NOT based on the original Korean drama of the same name and hardly as good. I floundered through this and barely finished it. Rating: 6.5/10
– Jimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko (2016) starring Ishihara Satomi and Suda Masaki. Come for the drama, stay for the fashion. We are still waiting on the last 5 episodes to be subbed. But overall, it’s a decent story. Rating: 8/10
– Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance (2016) starring Nakamura Aoi. Aoi was the reason I started this; however, not too sure I will be finishing it. Strange story, not very appealing to me.
– Rent-a-Rescue (2016) starring Sawamura Ikki and Fujii Ryusei. Ikki was the reason I even watched the first episode; however, another drama that really isn’t appealing to me.