Hokaben (2008)

Country: Japan
Genre: law
Format: drama 10 episodes
Cast: Ueto Aya, Ryo, Kitamura Kazuki, Kato Shigeaki, Osugi Ren, Toda Nahu, Sasai Eisuke, Nakayama Megumi, Kato Kazuko, (Quests: Katsumura Masanobu, Katase Nana, Sato Tomohito, Yamazaki Hajime)
Synopsis: Domoto Akari is a fresh lawyer just graduated from university. She starts working at a famous big law firm mZa in pro bono section - the section, which deals with social service obligations. Domoto Akari has a naive thinking that she can help the weak ones and make world a better place, but the reality is something else.
Rating: STARLESS
After watching this I seriously consider giving "Sugar and Spice" at least one star because "Hokaben" showed me what STARLESS drama really means.
It had nothing!! They had a fabulous cast, but the drama was just soo horrible and boring! The script seemed like unfinished. It had a proper start, but then there was no development in main story, did  not have an end (It was totally predictable end to finish this drama -.-). Also it did not had side story lines. It seemed like they wanted to make DomotoXKatase love line. Thanks to Kato Shigeaki's amazing acting, it was totally see-able that Katase had feelings for Domoto, but Domoto was just eeeemm plain dumb. Compared to Domoto, Katase was like a grown up and knew what it means to be a lawyer and it was so sad in the end that this liking went to unliking ("From crush to crash" like my sister said). They wanted to make SugisakiXKuramoto love line, but it sucked, because they did not show that really much. They also did not explained the situation between Sugisaki and Kudo. I thought that may be they were ex-lovers or something happened with work or something, but they gave me nothing!

But the worst thing in "Hokaben" was the main character Domoto Akari. She was always whining and complaining, she was totally unprofessional in her work, she was tactless and loud. She disobeyed the confidentiality between the client and lawyer. She said she wanted to save the weak ones, but she managed to ruin over 20 people lives in one episode (The episode of bullying). They wanted to give a big impact to her words, but actually they did mean anything, mostly she said two-way stuff, which was total crap. How was it possible for her to graduate????!!! I felt like she only dreamed in university, but did not study the law perfectly, because she was just so naive and did not know the basic laws! -.-  In addition, they all said that Domoto reminds them Sugisaki - I thought "WHAAAAT???! They are totally opposite!!!" Sugisaki was a real lawyer until the accident and after that he just stopped working properly.  I would never want to have a lawyer like Domoto, because all her appearance told me how unprofessional she was. She did not even knew what is the case when she went to interview!! A social worker or a detective work would have suited to her much more than a lawyer's. She like always forgot what her job is about.

I liked that Ryo played a total bitch, it was funny xD But  I really watched only for Kato Shigeaki (Now he seriously must love me, because those were 10 most horrible hours of my life. I hope I made up that "Gekidan Engimono - Ie ga tooi" picture),  but he only got mostly up to 2 minutes of screen time in every episode and he did not get much lines. My favorite scene was when Katase and Domoto were in a bar, but that was the only high point in this drama.
This is the drama where I really want to say "I do not recommend it to you", but in the end it is your decision. I managed to live those 10 hours, but it was real torture. I have heard of many people who have dropped this after first or second episode (It was a great decision as the first one was most promising episode).

Code Blue

CODE BLUE (2008)
Season 1
Country: Japan
Genre: work, medical, life
Format: drama 11 episodes + special
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, Higa Manami, Asari Yosuke, Ryo, Kodama Kiyoshi,  Katsumura Masanobu, Yanagiba Toshiro, Sugimoto Tetta, Terajima Susumu, Yuui Ryoko, Shima Kaori
Synopsis: Interns Aizawa, Shiraishi, Hiyama and Fujikawa start their flight-doctor training. They must save people in unpredictable and dangerous situations with less time and equipment.
Rating: 3/5
I did not liked the first season very much, it was kind a boring. Almost in every episode they saved the person, but in real life it is great if there is at least one person who doctors can save. Also in first season it totally looked like they do not have a personal life (except for Hiyama), that made drama monotonous.

I liked that Aizawa's character made trough a big change during the drama. At first he was a "bastard", then he became "cool bastard", then "cool lifesaving bastard" and finally he was "cool lifesaving bastard with emotions and reasons". Why he still was bastard? Because he was so egoistic and thought he really is better than other (Oke he was the best, but it is a big difference between knowing it and showing it!!). But I must say that I would have preferred to be treated by Aizawa too, because he  was sooo ahead of others.

I also liked Kuroda-sensei, he had personality problems, but in the end he did everything to help interns. Who I did not like, were Shiraishi and Mitsuno-sensei. Shiraishi was just too theory-type person and that made her annoying. Mitsuno-sensei was the doctor, who did not have the doctor-attitude... but I must say that I did not recognize Ryo at the first place, because I was more used to see her with really short hair. And on Hiyama and Fujikawa spot, I much stayed neutral. Drama does not concentrate on other doctor's personal thinking at all, which makes the drama a little bit too plain. It is like only Aizawa's world. You could say that it pretty Japanese version of "Dr. House", exepct that dr. House is young fresh intern in "Code Blue" and is named Aizawa.. 
There is only one special story-line and it is "them as interns"... yes, nothing more.. but it is a great "mediacal research drama"! =P
The special really seemed like another episode of season 1, so there is not much to bring out.

CODE BLUE (2010)
Season 2
Country: Japan
Genre: work, medical, life
Format: drama 11 episodes
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, Higa Manami, Asari Yosuke, Ryo, Kodama Kiyoshi,  Katsumura Masanobu, Sugimoto Tetta, Terajima Susumu, Yuui Ryoko, Shiina Kippei, Shima Kaori, (Quests: Lily Franky, Hamada Gaku, Hirayama Hiroyuki, Yoshida Yo)
Synopsis: After going back from the suspension, interns are soon going to end their internship. They all have their hesitations and concerns about the past and future.
Rating: 4/5
I liked it much more than the first season. First of all people died in it, which made it more like real life, but now in every episode someone died. It kind a look like, when in first season they saved all the people, then in second season they cannot save them. Secondly, it showed their personal life, so they are not all robots and workaholics. Even a doctor has it's own family and personal problems.

In season two Aizawa was not a bastard anymore (Thank you, Kuroda-sensei!!), he turned into cool!best!handsome! New supervisor was annoying at the start, but he turned out to be more appealing that you will guess. Also Shiraishi was less annoying.
In first season, there did not seemed much friendship between four of them, but in second season they stand for each other. I think that because of the suspension they bounded together, which was great.
Surprisingly I did not cry much during it, but the episode where Hamada Gaku was guest was the saddest and the BEST episode of all seasons. This episode totally gave a plus marks to it.
In the end, second season was much better - it has more activity going, more realistic, characters' personalities have made trough a change etc. They more concentrate on characters' thinking and life-views. So it has more different story-lines than in first season.But still it mostly concentrated on Aizawa and his past.

Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari: Law of Recycling suicides (2009)

Country: Japan
Genre: surreal, law
Format: part of Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari series
Cast: Ikuta Toma, Ryo
Synopsis: The country works up a secret law of recycling suicides: people are saved at the last moment from death, they are declared dead and their further lives are used for the sake of the country.
Rating: 5/5

This movie is sick and awesome! It is psychologically challenging to accept the events of the movie and it definitely makes you rethink about life, law and suicides.

Ikuta Toma is one of my favorite actors for his diverse acting skills. I think that filming for it was wild and I would really like to see the making of it. His  character has given up on life and decides to commit suicide, only to end up finding himself on weird twisted program where he has no right to make choices over his life.
No matter what character Ryo plays, she has always given me the "bitch with no morals"-feeling and this is exactly the movie where she is it. She has no emotions, this is just her work in front of her country and "it is a good deed for the society". She sees all the people in the program just as small inanimate pieces that are needed for the job.  
I would understand the program if it would have been acting to remind those people how precious the life is, but as it was all real deal, the law was horrible.In some way I understand this law, because it is like Kamiya-san says: "You were the one who decided to make suicide, now by law you are considered as died in suicide." but at the same time there is no right to use other people lives for no matter what reasons. This law is really scary and sick, but also leaves me thinking about possible secret conspiracy laws where maybe some people how are "gone missing", have gone missing by some other ways. But in the end, it is just my imagination thinking too much again. I think that people will go crazy from the start of the program.
Suicides have become more and more frequent in our society and especially in youth due to school-bullying and of course for grown-ups after break-ups or job loss. Despite showing signs of someone being suicidal, we tend not to notice them until it is too late. I like how this movie shows that many suicidal people actually do not want to die, but they just do not want to live their lives. It might be difficult to understand, but at least that was what I got from this movie. I definitely agree to Kamiya-san's saying: "It is selfish to end your life yourself". In my point of view, people who commit suicide are weak and selfish as it takes a lot of  more strength and confidence to continue living and they tend to see only their point of few.  But at the same time I understand that while just seeing things from their side, they are unable to think about others. Maybe that is just human nature? I just find that committing suicide is like a cheat-code in life to finish a level in game without actually playing it. In this life there are so many chances of every hour that we might die the next minute and also, there are many people who want to live so bad, but some unfortunate moment takes them away. If you are alive, then you should appreciate every second you are breathing. If you think I do not have experience with suicides then you are wrong - I have seen how suicide has ruined a whole family and I have seen people grow up "thanking" for their "unsuccessful attempt" as their life turned into something beautiful and cheerful. I live by the moto that "everything is possible until you are alive - things can never get better when you are dead".
This movie definitely left a strong impression on me and this 20 minutes are worth spending on it.

JOKER ~Yurusarezaru sousakan~ (2010)

Country: Japan
Genre: law, police, justice
Format: drama 10 episodes + special
Cast: Sakai Masato, Ryo, Nishikido Ryo, (Watanabe) Anne, Osugi Ren, Kaga Takeshi, Hirayama Hiroyuki, (as a quest cast Oshinari Shugo)
Synopsis: Date Kazuyoshi (Sakai Masato) is a police detective. He is known as "Saint" as he has not arrested a criminal for years and because of his quiet, peaceful nature. But at night he is going to punish criminals who have gotten away by law, but there is a time, when even Date misses the weak point. At the same time he has to watch over Miyagi Asuka (Anne), a young detective, who wants to know the truth about his brother's, Date's old pair-man, death and Date's ex-girlfriend and used-to-be detective Katagiri Saeko (Ryo), who starts investigating "Mysterious disappearances".
Rating: 2/5
Okey.. I start from the start. The extra name "Yurusarezaru sousokan" ("Unforgivable police detectives") is lame and tooo long to say, just JOKER would have been better or something else with JOKER.

 What was totally funny, was that Date reminded me Sailor Moon (but he did not make the transform like she did xD). Every time he was going to bust criminal, he said "There is no tomorrow for you!" and shot, Sailor Moon said : "By the power of Moon. I will punish you" and made something to the bad guy.  In addition, he sometimes imitated Lt. Horatio Caine from "CIA Miami" (played by David Caruso) with his head and look. In one episode the criminal even said that Date tries to act cool xD
But I must say that actually the drama is predictable - all the first LIVING guests are criminals, even though they try to confuse people (but it does not work). The drama more makes you confused about the law, even though I know that it all is corrupted, the drama was too negative about it. I try to think like Miyagi Asuka, who believed that you can punish people by law.. but at the same time there are many cases where criminal gets out of the jail and kills again. On the other hand, for some of the criminals I found that in the JOKER system the punishment was too much. This drama makes you think about justice. In this drama, most of the criminals seemed lunatic to me.
What really made me think, was that there was no security cameras, when Date worked at night! I understand that some placed it was usual that they are missing, but places like art gallery???  just too weird.

 About characters and actors... I already told you about Date, he was so cute by his nature, but Sakai Masato was great too. And there was a person about who I have not told a word: Nishikido Ryo who played the part of Kudo Kenji. He was just sooooo great. I enjoyed it very much. Kudo's character was well explained and Nishikido Ryo played it all out. I actually wanted that Kudo would have gotten his long waited kiss, but I was not much disappointed  when it did not happen as it still was a police-drama and he actually made a progress with his feelings. Kudo's character was like a piece of sunshine in a black and white drama. Beside, at many times it seemed like Kudo was the smartest of them all!!!! there was a footprint place and even I was able to say that those were different people!!! -.- But I liked  that he was not afraid of anything in it.
annoying characters...Katagiri Saeko, Asuka and Master.. Katagiri Saeko was just stupid and annoying, she really had a big mouth and did not know when to shut up. It was sad that she and Date still loved each other, but sometimes I felt like she loved Miyagi Natsuki more. But actress Ryo looked so beautiful and young (There are times when she looks old like in "Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari: law of recycling suicides"). Asuka was just naive, she actually was not that annoying and I liked that her feelings for Kudo were nice. She more was natural character, for who you cannot really say anything annoying or great. Master... it was all because of the end.

 There were many cases, where I did not understand the reasons and some proofs were bad. I liked the ending theme "SCAR" by RIP SLYME. I usually to not listen to that kind of music, but it is really addicting song and now there is even a JOKER-episode-ending-dance and you are lucky that you cannot ever see it!