I Suppose There's Always Tenimyu

[mousapelli]

I really think my mother would dig J-dramas, I just haven't quite found the in yet to get her into it. She really likes medical dramas (like ER and House) and comedy, and romantic things. Maoh would be too dark for her, for instance. We tried one episode of Code Blue, but it was kind of boring. I'm hesitant to try HanaKimi, because I don't think she'll know enough about Japanese culture to make the harem parody funny, but otherwise it'd be perfect since it's sweet and funny. I might give Yukan Club a try? Do you think that would hold her (non-boyband) interest?

Any suggestions for what dramas I could tempt my mother with? I don't watch a lot of girly/romance dramas myself, so I thought I'd ask the flist.

Comments

[shinigamitabris.livejournal.com]

nobuta? or would that be too much utter insanity?

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

Nobuta might be good. Maybe I can get her addicted to Yamapi. I was also considering Kurosagi, but I haven't watched much at all of it and I wasn't sure if it was going to have a tragic ending and whatnot.

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

If you want something less based in Japanese culture, I'd go with Nodame Cantabile, as that's more centered around music. And is really, really good.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

it's no so much that it shouldn't be Japanese, just that all the harem jokes, she won't get.

but Iris agrees with you so I'll look into it.

[kittiec.livejournal.com]

I also rec Nodame!

[saturnianlove.livejournal.com]

My mom liked Hana Yori Dango :x

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

I didn't think about that! That might be good. Jun's in that, right?

[saturnianlove.livejournal.com]

That's right. My mom was a little jealous when I told her I was going to see Jun last year, haha. I think it would be good because it's a popular Japanese story, but with concepts that everyone can understand...well, perhaps with the exception of the overly intense bullying. Still a very loved drama though (:

And I would never recommend Yukan Club to anyone :|

[irisated.livejournal.com]

I second Nodame Cantabile, and also Zettai Kareshi and Sapuri for mostly light-hearted romantic comedies, and Fated to Love You, which is Taiwanese. As for medical dramas, Code Blue really only gets awesome (I might be biased? for Gakki and T-Erika and Yamapi, though) after like episode 4 or 5 and then you're hooked. Um. There's also Godhand Teru, that's short and cute and has Hiraoka Yuuta repeatedly shirtless, naked, or ripping his clothes off. Team Batista no Eiko is another medical drama, but that one is sort of mysterious/darkish (IDK if it's totally dark, I haven't finished it yet). There's also Mr. Brain, that's sort of medical, sort of forensics, funny and fun.

Tentatively Love Shuffle? It's more quirky than funny, and touches on a bunch of different ~forbidden/taboo/psychological~ subjects. Tentatively Voice? It's not so much medical as forensics (like Mr Brain), but i looooooove it. Guaranteed to be ~touched~ and weepy nearly every episode though. But it's got the slew of medical/romatic/comedic moments.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

oooh, you seem to be an expert. awesome~

Isn't Kame in Mr. Brain? I will freely admit, when they were talking about it, for a long time I thought Kame was just being a talent on some stupid game show. But if it's forensic-y maybe i can get my dad involved (he loves Bones and Numbers and shit like that).

I'll look into it, and some of the other stuff! Thank you!

[irisated.livejournal.com]

Lol not really, I'm completely out of the loop on 2009 dramas XD I'll ask my mom what she's liked, I started her off with one and then my sister linked her to crunchyroll so she's streamed a bunch of different dramas.

Kimutaku and Mizushima Hiro are the main Mr. Brain guys--Kame was just in Episode 3. :D Mr Brain and Voice are v. forensic-y and both from medical perspectives? Or at least Mr Brain is neurology/neuroscience and Voice is forensic pathology.

♥ happy to help!

[imifumei.livejournal.com]

Yukan Club might be good because it's fun and sort of random so you don't know exactly what to expect. If she likes medical dramas and sweet things, I would definitely recommend Voice. It's beautiful, engaging, full of adorable friendships, and has a really nice overall feel. It's one of my favorite JDramas ever and I have seen quite a few.

What I've seen of Mr. Brain has been very promising.

Oh, I agree on Love Shuffle as well. It was lots of fun and funny.

I think Voice, Love Shuffle, and Mr. Brain will be engaging to someone who isn't just watching for the boyband-iness.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

I've had a couple people mention Voice, so I'll definitely look into it.

[shimmeredusk.livejournal.com]

TEAM MEDICAL DRAGON~~~~ for the medical drama. Sure it's not funny but the dramaaaaaaa (who can resist JESUS WITH MUSCLES?) Also "Tomorrow" is supposed to be a really good medical drama too but again, not that funny... (but the main actor is hot :x Takenouchi Yutaka~)

BOSS was good for the comedy mix and the investigations, plus it's good for adults because Takero's parents were watching it every week too XD And the cast is really varied so she might find it interesting?

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

oou, i'll look into those!

also i realize this is very silly, but when i was mentally picturing Takero's family watching television together, they all looked just like Takero, only his mom was like in a dress and things. Like in Prince of Tennis, how Inui's mother is just Inui with a bow in her hair. *facepalm*

[chiharu.livejournal.com]

Proposal Daisakusen? Buzzer Beat?

idk, I don't think your mother will be into the same post-teenage years nostalgia themes I'm into ):

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

once my mother has fallen in love with pi as all inevitably must, maybe we'll talk about Buzzer Beat.

What's Proposal Daiskusen even about? and has Scrap Teacher finished being subbed yet? I only watched like 3 of those but they made me laugh.

[jeniski.livejournal.com]

if she likes food maybe Bambino with Jun.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

Jun is in EVERYTHING. srsly.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

I'll add my vote to Voice-- Toma and Eita are adorable in it. Hana Yori Dango has already been mentioned plenty, so I'll just agree that it's a classic.

I love Nodame Cantabile; that would be great if you can get past the manga-stylized physical abuse. You might try Hana Kimi anyway; it was the second jdrama I ever saw and is still one of my favorites.

Anego's fun. One Pound no Fukuin is mostly an excuse for Kame to run around shirtless, but it's one of the few dramas that actually has an emotional resolution.

Kimi wa Petto is kind of cracktastically awesome, although I am convinced it's actually a nuanced exploration of societal unease with evolving gender roles. No, really.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

Looks like Voice and HYD are the two that are getting the most votes. I'm pretty sure my mother won't be into abuse, stylized or anything.

Once she falls in love with MatsuJun, maybe we'll give Kimi wa Petto a shot XD

[aliquot.livejournal.com]

Maoh was also pretty dumbbbb. I didn't even finish it. So was Kurosagi and Proposal Daisakusen (WORST ENDING EVER). These people clearly have no idea what they are talking about.

I think maybe Hana Yori Dango would be good? Its both funny AND romantic!

1 Liter of Tears was also excellent, but a tear jerker.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

I actually enjoyed Maoh quite a bit, but I haven't watched enough or Kurosagi or any of proposal to have an opinion. I think my mother would dig internally distraught Yamapi, though.

But yeah, Hana Yori Dango and Voice seem to be the two that everybody agrees on.

[kbrookej.livejournal.com]

*delurks* I sucked my mom in with Pride, and then Hana Yori Dango. She's now a huuuge MatsuJun fan and on LJ too - I just have to keep her away from the porn, haha.

[fireatwill.livejournal.com]

Also chiming in for Voice. I'm a sucker for really good openings (like Last Friends, omg best opening ever) and I thought it really beautifully established how the show would work. It's kind of sad, but you can't not love Eita and his never-ending search to be the 'voices' for these people. nejdbhjfthjf it really was sooo so good.

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

I vote HYD! I've seen so many people hook their friends/roommates/co-workers through that one. (Best story I've heard is when someone showed it at the office and all the guys were like, oh, Rui is so dreamy.)

Also seconding Iryu, that was a fantastic medical drama.

Does it have to be Japanese? Because I can think of a lot of more adult-centric romcom kdramas.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

well *I'M* not so hot on the k-dramas, but you can give me a few if you think they'd do it. I know Jemz's mother really liked Coffee Prince. And they just did a Hana Yori Dango version too, right? SS501's Leader was in it.

Lol I have never used this Jun icon so much.

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

YES YES YES COFFEE PRINCE.

I'd steer clear of the Korean HYD, it started great and then flew off the rails as an utter mess.

I just finished Last Scandal of My Life (kdrama), a great romcom about a pair of highschool sweethearts who meet again 20 years later when she's a housewife and he's a movie star. There's also Pride (jdrama) about an office lady who falls for an ice hockey stud.

Powerful Opponents (kdrama) is wickedly funny -- a tough female bodyguard in a love triangle with two brothers, lots of hijinks, lots of good family stuff.

Yaoh and Giragira (jdrama) are host dramas, so if you mother likes eyecandy...

Does she dig action stuff? I ask because my mother goes nuts for procedurals and "hot young cops," as she'd say. There's plenty in dramaland.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

hmm, maybe? Not cops so much, but she does like lawyer things (she's a paralegal herself), although since the J and K legal systems are so different I'm not sure if she'd be into it.

is Powerful Opponents the one where the lead walks in on the two brothers in the bath and thinks that they're together? Somebody on my flist was just talking about a drama where that happened.

[darkeyedwolf.livejournal.com]

Hokaben is my favorite lawyer drama, but it's depreeeeeessing. Bengoshi no Kuzu is fun and cracky but kind of gender skeeved. Majo Saiban is a decent court drama (though it makes me fear the Japanese legal system).

is Powerful Opponents the one where the lead walks in on the two brothers in the bath and thinks that they're together?

LOOOOL. No, I haven't heard of that one. The PO brothers are intensely slash though. One rubs the other down when he gets a fever. And there's CPR.

[lloneke.livejournal.com]

Hana Yori Dango!

[snowqueenofhoth.livejournal.com]

Nobuta? My mom KIND of liked it? Erm.

Anego? That has to be one of my all-time favorites. It's cute and adorable and silly and sweet, but yeah, not so much with the medicine.

Kurosagi is pretty good, too. I think not so in-your-face Japanese, and more a general story that anyone can follow. Plus it has sort of self-contained stories in each episode, with a longer running arc... pretty easy to follow, and interesting.

[myjulien.livejournal.com]

Iryu Team Medical Dragon. Two seasons so that'll occupy her for some time if her interest gets piqued. It remains my favorite J medical drama to date. It's not exactly light-hearted but it's really pretty good. And addictive. I see Nodame Cantabile and Hana Yori Dango up there too; you can never go wrong with those. Hokaben is pretty good too I hear.

I ACTUALLY LOVE MAOU LIKE BURNING. Perhaps your mom will too? The best J drama is still Great Teacher Onizuka. Go, go!

[diamondsjack.livejournal.com]

Mr. Brain. 8D It's ridiculous, but uh. Strangely charming. An NCIS/House kind of cross, from the feel of it? ♥ (Nodame gets anooother rec by me, also. xD)

[taleia05.livejournal.com]

My mother's all time fav jdrama is Nino's Yasashii Jikan. But she also loved Pride, Nobuta, Kimi wa Petto and Haikei Chichiue-sama. Oh, and she also liked the Hana Yori Dango series, even if she did think Jun looks weird.

[nil-chi-tsosie.livejournal.com]

I would recommend mr. Brain. it has light suspense, kimutaka plays a neurologist, its funny and rather wacky, but you don't have to understand japan to follow it. You also don't have to watch it in order, the plot is rather formulaic but not in a boring way. It also stars adults which could be important to parents who don't want to watch 20 hours of teenage romance. good luck!

[nil-chi-tsosie.livejournal.com]

and i second pride as a romance drama with good acting and a good script

[ragedyfairy.livejournal.com]

lurker here! My mom loved Summer Snow, Star no Koi, and Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru. If your mom likes the medical stuff, I'd recommend VOICE also. I don't care for the medical stuff, but that drama was just delightful to watch.