The lack of detective dramas, the sudden spamming of soap opera plotted dramas are the downsides of this season.

If there's any genre that Japan has been really successful at producing, I would say it's detective and crime. If you call Korea, the king of romance dramas, and Taiwan, the queen of soap opera dramas, I would call Japan, the ruler of all crime and mystery drama. (Singapore's probably Japan's disciple or something)

Yet, there are only 2 detective dramas out of the gazillion family, tear-jerking dramas in the whole list! And their plots are not even satisfactory to start off with.

Firstly, there is some detective drama that circles around lives of kindergarten kids and a teacher with amazing deduction skills. And they had to pick the worst actress for the main character, the Japanese version of Kristen Stewart, Tabe Mikako. I have had enough of her stone face in Jiu and now you want me to tolerate her again? If not for the fact that Koike Teppei is appearing, I would cancel this off my list immediately!

Secondly, there is another Hidarime similarly plotted drama, which cast I'm really pleased with, since they casted Yamada Yu. Splendid. I missed her acting so much. But the plot? Meh. Seeing murderers in the eye and someone makes use of this ability to solve crimes. Right. How interesting. I'd rather watch Aiba and the wannabe Holmes cat.

And the rest? Soap operas.

There's one that casted Mizobata Junpei as a runaway husband and Naka Riisa as his wife. Retarded plot and failure of assigning roles, but I'd watch this for Junpei's acting skills. I've seen him act as a lovesick psycho, a high school detective and a boy with unrequited love. Watching him act as a husband when he's only 24 is going to be quite epic.

Another thing I don't understand is why Takei Emi is always casted in some emotional, psychological, family, heart-breaking drama. I mean come on, she's only 19 in real life. How do you expect her to actually portray someone who is oh so in love that she can die for someone. I think it's impossible and hard on her. But then again, it shows how good her acting is. 

Recently, on Singapore TV, I've seen Rainie Yang's drama, Drunken to Love You, being aired at 10PM on Channel U daily (except on Saturdays and Sundays) and I'm quite glad that she has finally broken out of being casted as a character with extreme attitude problems. If I didn't remember wrongly, she once acted as a totally crazy unfashionable girl and another, a girl with serious anger management issues and an otaku who loves this princely character. For her to be able to finally act a character with more depth, I'm glad that directors have given her a chance to let us see more of what she can do. 

That's all I guess. I'm really tired from all this typing.

Wan Xin