Seigi no Mikata (2008)

Country: Japan
Format: drama in 10 episodes
Genre: comedy, family, romance
Cast: Shida Mirai, Yamada Yu, Mukai Osamu, Hongo Kanata, Takizawa Saori, Nishiuchi Mariya, Irie Jingi, Yamaguchi Izumi, Hiraizumi Sei, Tajima Yusei,
Synopsis: Yoko is a young girl who thinks that she has lived her whole life in a pure hell where the devil is her older sister Makiko. Of course for everyone else Makiko is the best, the most beautiful and smartest woman in the world. People go even as far as calling her "the ally of justice" (it's the meaning of "Seigi no mikata") and do not see how self-centered and egoistic she is nor how she takes advantage of her little sister. With new guy in Makiko's offing, Yoko finally figures it out - if Makiko marries and moves out, she can be free to do whatever she wants. 
Rating: 4/5
To tell you the truth, I watched it with one night - I made a marathon with friends. If only all dramas/movies would go so fast. But watching that so fast also means that my first impression was much better and later I started to take stars down and down.

Yoko is a really cute character, but she easy to manipulate with. It is funny and sad at the same time to see how much she is used by her sister. I know they try to give the reasons why she is doing it, but I have grown up with 3 sisters and like Yoko says in one episode "it took time to understand that their relationship is not usual" (you don't say?). I could say that it is only Yoko's fault that Makiko bosses her around, but actually the whole society around them compares the two sisters, which makes me just angry. I liked how Shida Mirai acted her in a cute comical way, but also you can see her own thoughts and feelings too.

My favorite character was Okamoto Riku. I cannot say if he really was Yoko's love-interest, because at first that girl was to busy with sister's affairs to even recognize that dude as one of the hottest things in school. I actually liked Riku for personality, the fact that Hongo Kanata played him was just a bonus. Riku is sweet, helpful and rather shy as he only had two girls to talk to. From the middle of the drama I only rooted for their storyline, because it was so sweet young fresh first love (rather was that first crush, not love).
Makiko's character reminded me "Hanawake no yon shimai's" Fujiko and Takemi, because Makiko

was exactly the mix of those too (actually it should be vice-verse, because "Seigi no mikata" was written before "Hanawake"). She was very egoistic, glutton and total career-woman. It is sad that in drama she is shown more self-centered than she actually was in manga. In drama there must always be some advantages for her to make a move, which is sad, because I really did not get her actual feelings. But I was really impressed by her actions towards Naoki, even though she always gave diverse emotions, I wondered how far is one woman willing to go? especially when that woman is known for small and frequent crushes? Her character was also interesting to watch, because I was eager to know when her lies fall apart and Naoki sees her real character. Even though she was that half-good-half-bad character, I was only bothered by only little thing... whenever she made that silly "cute" fake voice. I do not understand why Japanese girls think it is cute, when actually it is so damn annoying.   

Naoki - another god in the drama. To put it simple, Naoki was everything that Makiko was not and definitely way too good for any woman on the Earth, but hei! they say that opposites draw. I felt sorry for him, but then.. read from SPOILER-review.. I enjoyed watching Mukai Osamu in this role, because it was my first time seeing him in a calculative, blind, naive and also a bit plain role. It was so sweet to see his lovey-dovey love face of total amazement.
Last character that I should mention are parents.

You can clearly see that Yoko takes after father and Makiko after mother. More than that, mom is the character who impressed me the most. At first she seems like a silly naive woman, but you can see that this woman has more layers than an onion and she has about the same amount secrets. When it comes to Naoki's parents, then gyoza how annoying one mother can be. I'd be as bitch as Makiko was with her if my mother in law would end up being like that. Get to the point, man was already getting 30 - there is no need for mother to go and clean/cook/do laundry for him. Every child grows up and sooner or later you must let go, and I'd say better sooner than later. She was the most annoying and being stuck to traditions like gum under the show will never be good.  

It is made after Hijiri Chiaki's same-named manga. I do not understand why they changed so many things and characters. Basically they had taken the first volume from the manga and changed-mixed things up and made into live-action, only some points were taken from second volume (and that how far I have read it..). I think I will just let it pass, because I am afraid that "Seigi no mikata" manga is rather unpopular and maybe most of the people do not even know that it is made after a manga..
Well, it is another good-to-laugh drama, which might make you think that you are lucky with your siblings or with the fact that you are only child, depends on your situation.

SPOILER-review: I did not like the ending. I hate when everything stays the same or goes even worse for the lead character. Yoko became total maid for Makiko's family and not even Naoki was able to see it -.- Of course I liked how Yoko's and Riku's story ended, especially because that leaves a place for fanfics, but I hate when people sacrifice themselves for someone else.  I was so surprised to find out that the baby was real and Naoki actually dug Makiko's devil side. Made me think that he might be into masochism..