But then I noticed that one J-drama was getting very high ratings, almost a 30% share. It didn’t seem to have anyone very famous in it, so I started to wonder why it had done so well. I took a look at the first episode, and although I wasn’t hooked, it was an enjoyable slice of drama.
The story is about a banker, Hanzawa, who suddenly finds himself blamed for a loan made to a company just before they went bankrupt. And at 500 million yen, this is the kind of loan that could end a man’s career. It’s up to him to clear his name and get the money back.
It’s nicely made, with some very dramatic music pushing the action along. There’s a lot of meaningful looks and jostling for power in the bank. It’s all very macho, in a way. In fact, there are almost no female characters at all, and perhaps this makes Aya Ueto the surprise highlight of the show, being very good in her role of Hanzawa’s wife.
I shall keep an eye on it. I'll be honest, I'm not sure why it's been such a ratings hit. Maybe because it doesn't have much competition?
The first ep was really nice. Ep 2 was not that exciting, but still ok. But I understand from the reviews that they can't keep the high level up.
ReplyDeleteAmachan is getting better all the time now. Am up to ep 50 and loving it : )
Same here. Made it to episode 2 and it felt "meh" xD - Teruyuki Kagawa's role became a Japan Meme though. xD
ReplyDeleteI'm up to episode five now. I watch it when I have some spare time. It's not bad, but I didn't see why the ratings were so high. I asked a Japanese friend why she thought it was so popular, and she said because everyone in Japan wants to tell their boss to go stuff themselves (putting it politely).
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