Not watching: Nobunaga no Chef

A chef from modern day Japan falls backwards in time to the 1500s. He loses his memory, and can't remember anything, except how to cook. And about the history he learnt at school. And other stuff too, whenever he needs to remember it.

In fact, his memory loss just seems like a convenient way for the writers to give the lead actor as few lines as possible. Tamamori Yuta does not impress in the lead role. I'm not surprised no one believes him when he says he came from the future, because he doesn't convince me either.

The drama starts badly by throwing us straight into the middle of a battle with no idea about who anyone is. Perhaps this is so the viewer is as confused as the our hero, but it means we have to sit through the fight scenes before we find out what's going on.

On the plus side, Shida Mirai is in it and she's got one of the more interesting characters to play. On the other hand, she's got some very clunky lines such as a speech about her dead family far too early in episode one. Also, she doesn't really do anything except add a few laughs and look adorable in armour.

As you'd expect from the whole timeslip business, it reminded me a lot of Jin, but instead of inventing penicillin, curing cholera and saving lives, our hero just makes really nice food. This simply isn't very dramatic.

Currently watching: Ghost Mama Sousasen

This light hearted drama aims to mix family life and some police work as the ghost of a police officer can only be seen by her young son.

The show runs into problems very early. For a start, the first part of the episode is all about setting up the premise. The main character is introduced and then killed off, and then there's a five minute bit where everyone has to be sad, otherwise they'd just look callous and unfeeling. Then they have to introduce the moment where the son discovers he can see his mother, but no one else can.

Once all that's done, there's hardly any time left for the crime to be solved.

So far, it's a bit bland. The child actor can't really carry off the sad scenes. The rest of the cast work fine. But won't this just fall into the same trap as Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri? When you have a supernatural being able to solve crimes, too much time is spent trying to explain why it's taking so long to solve a crime, and not enough on solving a clever mystery.

Just finished: Bull Doctor

There was a point in the final episode when I realised that the final crime has just been solved, but there was still fifteen minutes left before the credits roll. It was then that I mentally prepared myself for a series of happy endings as the writers finished off each unresolved sub-plot, one by one, cliché by cliché.

The show wasn’t terrible, and in the end I liked the storyline about Dr Takeda’s blackmail, and the initial event that started the whole situation was believable and original. I kind of wish they’d kept that as the big storyline, but instead they went for the corrupt politician and his evil, manipulative ways.

But the show lacked any real spark. As I’ve written about before, I don’t think any of the roles were particularly well cast, the mysteries were fairly obvious to solve and the directing was as flat as a pancake. When I finally finished, I felt somewhat tired and lethargic, like I'd walked up a very boring hill and looked across a very grey landscape.

Still watching: Bull Doctor

... but, you may ask yourself, why?

This series is quickly becoming a parade of bad casting decisions. Esumi Makiko is good as the working mother trying to balance work and family, but that’s about all the show has going for it.

And while I like Ishihara Satomi as a comedy actress, she doesn't have the gravitas to pull of some of the more emotional scenes here. Shida Mirai is one of the more promising young Japanese actresses I’ve seen, but you wouldn't know it from this show, in which she barely appears. Kohinata Fumiyo is similarly unremarkable as the boss with a terrible secret.

But it’s Inagaki Goro's performance that really demands your attention. His performance passed "so bad it’s good" a long time ago and it's now the main reason I watch the programme, as he refuses to show any acting talent whatsoever. It's quite bemusing and, frankly, very funny. This, for example, is his expression when he hears the shocking news that a friend of his is dead, and that he's one of the suspects...

In his defence, he doesn't have much to work with. His character is one of the more uninteresting Japanese archetypes – the strong, silent, emotionless hero. Unfortunately, he's taken the lack of emotion to such extremes that his part could be played just as well by a balloon tied to a chair.

Perhaps it's wrong to take such pleasure in someone else's misfortune. But as long as this show is entertaining – for whatever reason – I'll keep watching it.

Currently watching: Bull Doctor

This new series stars Ishihara Satomi as a career-minded police detective and Esumi Makiko as a no-nonsense forensic scientist. Despite not getting along, they work together to solve crimes.

The first episode followed two cases to their end and yet it seemed like nothing was really happening. There was little time for police work, amongst all the side-stories being introduced, such as families and bottles of gin hidden in desk drawers and a calligraphy class where, by coincidence, Satomi’s character and Makiko’s son both go. Although they don’t know who each other are. I hope this doesn't turn into a major plot device, because it's just absurd.

The acting of the two female leads is fine, and the supporting cast are okay too, if somewhat uneven. Shida Mirai is sorely underused as a first-year medical student, while Inagaki Goro (from SMAP) doesn’t convince at all. In fact, he went through the entire first episode using only one expression.

The writing and directing lack any subtlety. In a scene where a mother and her daughter learn the true reason for the death of her husband, the imagery, music and dialogue were so cliched, it was like someone poking you in the chest, saying “This is sad! This is sad, isn’t it?”

And they really don't credit the viewer with any intelligence. In one scene near the beginning, Makiko begins an autopsy without putting her hands together in prayer first. This is mentioned during the show and then, when she mentions why she doesn't do that, the scene is repeated as a flashback. Just in case you couldn't remember what happened half an hour ago.

A poor start, which is a shame. We’ll see how it goes.

Currently watching: Himitsu

This is one of those body-swap dramas, in which an adult somehow ends up in the body of somebody much younger. Usually, this is played for laughs, but not in this case. A mother and daughter are both in a coach crash, but when the teenage daughter regains consciousness, the mind of the mother (who died) now inhabits the daughter’s body.

The story focuses on quite practical, realistic consequences of this very unlikely situation. The daughter’s friends are confused by her new middle-aged attitudes, and the presence of a boyfriend that the mother didn’t know about causes some awkward situations. Also, any sexual relationships between husband and wife have ended. Thankfully so, because that would be weird.

That this story doesn’t fall apart is partly due to the writing and also due to the performances, especially the two lead roles. Shida Mirai (Hammer Session, Queen’s Classroom) is perfect as the woman in a girl’s body, and Sasaki Kuranosuke (Shimokita Sundays) is great as the husband.

Halfway in, and with the body-swap story fully set up, it’s difficult to see where this can go next. And I mean that in a good way. So far, the only person who seems to suspect what’s happened is their nosy next door neighbour, but she’s too daffy to be any kind of a threat. The other storyline that is being developed is the reason for the crash, currently blamed on the driver falling asleep at the wheel. Whichever way it goes, I hope the good work in the first half of the series keeps on until the end.

Currently watching: Hammer Session!

This one almost completely passed me by. Despite having a well-known cast (Shida Mirai (Seigi no Mikata), Hayami Mokomichi (Zettai Kareshi) and Kohinata Fumiyo (Ashita no Kita Yoshio)) I hadn't really paid it much attention when reading about forth-coming series. In fact the only reason I downloaded it is because someone on d-addicts said their girlfriend did the subs to practice her English and I wanted to see if the subs were any good. Turns out they were.

This is the tale of a con man, “Otowa Yonko”, who is helped by a headmaster of a school to evade the police in return for being a teacher at his school where the headmaster thinks Otowa's skills of manipulation can bring order to an unruly class. And that's pretty much how the first episode plays out. The storyline is engaging and it was quite a relief to see that Hayami Mokomichi can act. He wasn't terribly good in Densha Otoko, and as a robot in Zettai Kareshi he didn't have any emotions to display. When I saw him as the lead character I did wonder if he could carry it off, but luckily he has enough charm and humour to steal most scenes he's in.

So that's good. An interesting idea, with a strong cast and a lot of potential. I don't know if that person's girlfriend feels she needs enough practice to sub the whole series (her English already seems pretty good), but I'll be looking out for future episodes, whoever picks them up.

Currently watching: The Queen’s Classroom

Downloaded on a whim, I’ve found myself quite entertained by this series (also known as Jyoou no Kyoushitsu) set during the last year of elementary school in a class lead by a manipulative, mean teacher (an inch perfect performance by Amami Yuki, also seen recently in Boss). By awarding favours to students who do well, and punishing those who don’t, she creates divisions and mistrust between the haves and have-nots and the story could potentially be the basis of some in-depth musing on society. Except that it’s played for laughs. And tears.

Since I’ve already watched Seigi no Mikata, it was a bit weird to see a younger Shida Mirai playing what is essentially the same down-trodden yet plucky character as she did in Seigi no Mikata. It felt a lot like a prequel in some ways. Which is no bad thing.

Perhaps the most interesting part is during the credits at the end when, as if the producers were worried that Amami Yuki's coldly perfect performance as the evil teacher might make viewers think she really is like that, she comes out of character, bows in gratitude to the crew while walking from the set and before you know it, she’s doing a happy dance in the playground! Almost entirely unnecessary, but then again… why not?