Fight Song vs. Silent vs. On A Starry Night

Last fall I watched a Japanese drama called Fight Song, which had a story line about a girl who was afraid she would lose her hearing. Shortly afterwards, Silent came out, with a synopsis about a character with hearing loss. I was curious about it, because here were two shows with that theme. Then this spring I was surprised when a third one aired, On a Starry Night. Come see if these dramas made sense all together!

Continue reading

Japanese Drama: Sleepeeer Hit

Sleepeeer Hit, also known as Juhan Shuttai in Japanese, is a fun look at the world of Japanese mangas (comics) as seen through the eyes of a newbie editor who has loved reading mangas for a long time, but doesn’t know anything about the business. And yes, it really has all those “e’s” in the title. Listen for the characters to say it in the show. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, lighthearted story, you’ve come to the right place!

Continue reading

Fangirls’ Japanese Drama Review: Don’t Call It Mystery

When is a mystery not a mystery? I’m dying to know because I was totally intrigued by the title of this Japanese drama. Here’s a hint: it’s a mystery! Okay, sorry for the bad Dad Joke, but I’m almost finished with this drama, and it’s totally a mystery. Based on the famous crime-mystery manga Mystery to Iunakare by Tamura Yumi, this drama revolves around college student Kuno Totono. Heads up: spoilers ahead! Also, this is a review and not a recap, so while there are spoilers, it’s not a full summary of what happens.

Continue reading

Warm Guy/Cold Guy Face-Off: A Girl & Three Sweethearts vs. Oh My Boss! Love Not Included

Two recent Japanese dramas impressed me because they each had a warmhearted guy and a cold guy, and for most of the show, you couldn’t tell which of them would turn out to be the main lead and get the girl. A Girl & Three Sweethearts and Oh My Boss! Love Not Included have similar characters and even similar plots. Who do you think wins out?

Continue reading

The Fangirls’ Japanese Drama Review: Under the Miracle Cherry Tree

This is a story about Kota, a teenage boy who has died but then shows up again several years later, seemingly out of the blue. Actually, Kota died several years earlier on the way to confess to his love under the cherry blossoms. Now, the old cherry tree has been slated to be removed, so he’s come back to tie up the loose ends in his life and confess his love. It’s kind of like Hi Bye Mama but with a lot less crying.

Continue reading