The winter season has started but I’ve probably spent more time checking out the drama previews and digests rather than watching the dramas themselves. Because if they read and look uninspiring, chances are they probably are. By the time that’s done, there are many dramas that I’m surely going to stay far away from (Dr DMAT, S, Senryokugai Sousakan, Watashi no Kiraina Tantei), and a paltry number that I look forward to or will attempt to watch (Inpei Sousa, Boku no Ita Jikan, Ashio kara Kita Onna, Chi no Wadachi and Chi no Shio) along with a huge dose of drama specials. In fact, I just want to fast forward to spring. MOZU anyone?
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Protests against Ashita, Mama ga Inai; speculations about the absence of Nojima Shinji’s name … The biggest story of the moment is the uproar surrounding NTV’s Ashita, Mama ga Inai. This happened after Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto City, which runs Japan’s only baby hatch for unwanted newborns, announced that it had lodged an appeal with the network to take the drama off air for the misperceptions or biases it would give about orphanage children and staff. In response, NTV commented that the drama will show how children are innocent, strong and resilient at heart in all aspects, and depict the feelings of the people who love children with the intent of portraying what love is from children’s standpoint. The network expressed hope that the hospital will watch the drama to the end and indicated it will air as scheduled. Media watchers said that while the first episode was on air, there was praise on the internet for Ashida Mana, whose acting had broken new ground, and the story. But at the same time, there were quite a lot of comments that such content was contrived. In the midst of this uproar was the internet buzz about the absence of Nojima Shinji’s name from the official website although it was clearly stated in the ending credits for episode 1 that he is supervising the script. For the online community, this affirmed the feeling they got that this was a Nojima Shinji drama. There was also speculation if this was part of NTV’s consideration or that there would be no Nojima tomorrow. A magazine writer probably aptly summed it up for everyone with the comment that this uproar was in some sense expected because it is Nojima who is no stranger to drama controversies.
TV Tokyo’s Kagemusha Tokugawa Ieyasu causes a sensation … TV Tokyo’s period drama for the new year Kagemusha Tokugawa Ieyasu made a big splash online on 2channel with more than 170,000 comments and at a rate that momentarily catapulted it at No. 1 among all the television networks. The hashtag Kagemusha Tokugawa Ieyasu was even a hot word on Twitter for a time. There has been a lot of praise for the drama with some people calling it better than NHK’s taiga and a rare hit new year period drama. The veteran production crew’s dramatic interpretation as well as actor Nishida Toshiyuki’s convincing portrayal of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s body double Serada Jirosaburo which the audience could empathise with won approval. Viewers seemed glad for the mood and pace as well as the protagonist who isn’t some handsome hero of noble character that clamours for pacifism, but a man who struggles with his motivations; something which they felt have been missing from NHK taiga for a long time.
Will there be a repeat of Otto no Kanojo’s sorry saga? … Dr DMAT, the new TBS drama which follows in the Thursday 9.00 pm slot after Otto no Kanojo, kicked off with 7.9% for its first episode. The media is already not ruling out the possibility of it being a second Otto no Kanojo which had the dubious honour of having the lowest prime time viewership rating of this century. The bad tempo, lack of urgency despite the emergency situation and long pauses to think were some of the grouses. There were also quite a number of viewers who commented that they do not want to watch two medical dramas in one day. Iryu 4 Team Medical Dragon also premiered on Thursday in the 10.00 pm slot.
Tagged: Ashida Mana, Ashita, Dr DMAT, Mama ga Inai, Nishida Toshiyuki, Nojima Shinji Image may be NSFW.
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