Is This as Good as You Claim it is, John?

Why yes. Yes it is. A little while ago I had the strong desire to watch a Japanese drama. This happens every once in a while, but most of the time I check out a few shows and end up coming away disappointed. Recently though, I came across the drama Summer Nude.

In fact, just reading about Summer Nude got me all excited with anticipation to check it out. It stars two of my favorite J-drama names (Yamapi and Karina, both of which I featured in my Favorite J-Drama Actors post), it’s a rom-com drama (my favored drama genre by the numbers), and it’s getting decent viewership ratings from Japanese viewers as well.

Plus, I talked to my Japanese homestay sister and asked her what dramas she/her friends were watching. She told me that all of her friends were watching Summer Nude and were pretty excited about it. My suspicions had been confirmed. This was a show that I needed to check out.

But What’s it All About?

Okay, so we’ve got Yamapi playing the main dude, Asahi Mikuri‎ya. Asahi works at a photography studio by the ocean and is always hanging out with the same group of friends. They live in a small coastal town and live relatively comfortable, quaint, simple lives. When Asahi was little, he dreamed of becoming a famous photographer, though he currently spends his days photographing normal things like weddings and local events.

The issue with Asahi is that he was deeply infatuated with a woman, but this woman up and left the town without a trace, giving no reason for having left. Asahi is super hung up on her, even though it is now three years later. The girl was somewhat of a local celebrity because she did an ad campaign for a local brewery, and her face is plastered on a huge billboard in the middle of town.

Every day for the past three years, Asahi has said good morning and good night to this billboard, pathetically reminding himself of the girl he lost three years ago and can’t seem to move on from. He is still holding onto her in the hope that she will one day return.

And then there’s this other girl, Natsuki Chiyohara‎ (Karina), who works as a successful restaurant manager in Tokyo. But then she quits this job to start a new life with the man she’s going to marry. Asahi is hired on to photograph the wedding, but Natsuki’s husband ends up taking off and leaving her during the reception.

Through a series of events, Natsuki ends up working at the local restaurant in Asahi’s town and gets close with him and all his pals. Meanwhile, Hanae (Erika Toda) is crushing super hard on Asahi like she has been for the past ten years. And then there’s another guy crushing on her! And then there’s a model who comes to town and throws another wrench into the mix! Talk about your typical j-drama love pentagon, ammiright?

Who will Asahi end up with? Will his love ever return? Will he give Hanae a chance? Will he end up dating Natsuki? What about the other people? Everyone is crushing on everyone and there is just so many love chains and triangles going on in this show it’s insane.

So Many Feels!

Oh. My. God. Every episode of this drama is absolutely packed with feels. As you can tell from the summary, there are a lot of feelings happening in this show – I didn’t even cover them all! It starts off kind of complicated, and then it gets even more complicated from there. It’s awesome.

Most of the time I have difficulty explaining to someone the convoluted love relations that happen in dramas, but I think Summer Nude has taken the cake for me. But really, if you have a weakness for J-dramas, this one will pull at your heartstrings multiple times every single episode.

The music accompanying the scenes really fits well with everything, the beach scenery featured in the show is great, and there are great actors to be seen in the show. I know not everyone is a huge fan of Yamapi, but I really like him.

But Wait, This Can be Both Entertaining and Useful!?

Like all great recommendations that come from this fine site of ours, Summer Nude is both fun and educational. Well, it doesn’t have to be educational, but it can be. Koichi wrote a while ago about how to use dramas for studying up on your Japanese, and Summer Nude is no exception. You should probably also check out Jordan’s article on Going from Loving Japanese Media to Studying It. You can do it! Yeah!

In the show you get a healthy smattering of male and female dialogue to listen to and learn with. It’s mostly informal speech, but there’s some formal language thrown in here and there as well.

Or if Summer Nude isn’t really your kind of drama, you can always head over to DramaWiki and check out their entire list of currently airing summer dramas and find one you like. It’s a very enjoyable and potentially rewarding time consuming treasure hunt.

Yamapi Sings a Song

Also, Yamapi himself sings one of the main songs for this show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sing before (I knew he sang, I just never watched any of his stuff before), and he ain’t bad – but it feels weird to see him singing when I’m just so used to him being a stoic actor. It’s still an enjoyable song though – I think it fits well with the show.

So, have any of you seen Summer Nude yet? If you like the same kind of shows that I do (see my top ten here), then you should definitely check this one out.

Are you following any dramas this summer? I’m planning on checking out Yamada-kun to Nananin no Majo and Hanzawa Naoki at some point, but Summer Nude is more than enough for now. I’ll probably check those out once I get caught up with the Summer Nude episodes and have to start waiting a week to see the next one (the horror!).

Do you have any other recommendations for summer J-dramas this season? Share your picks in the comments!

Now that it’s the weekend, we can take a more fun approach to things. That’s why today’s post is about the YouTube series “Rino which eats world various dishes”

“Rino which eats world various dishes” is part cooking show, part Japanese parents using their adorable children for internet fame. The basic premise of the show is that the mom of two little kids (Rino and Yuuma) makes a bunch of famous dishes from around the world for her children.

She’s not a pro chef by any means, and the food probably isn’t 100% authentic (whatever that means); but it’s fun to watch her cook up these very different foods and to see the kids’ reactions.

The show covers all types of food, from Southeast Asian foods like Pad Thai, satay, and pho; to European foods like Zuccotto, Wiener Schnitzel, and Berliner; and even a few foods from home, like natto okonomiyaki and Nagasaki chanpon.

There’s a lot of variety, and it all looks incredibly delicious. Here are some of the more popular episodes from the series:

You can find the whole playlist of “Rino which eats world various dishes” here.

Lesser known (I think) is the band’s variety show, AKBINGO! Like I said, it’s one of my favorite variety shows to watch for study/immersion/etc. If you haven’t heard of the show before, you’re probably in for a treat.

AKBINGO! With English Subtitles

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Y_0iSZY1Q']

I’ve included a few videos with English subs for those who aren’t as far along in their Japanese studies, but these videos will give you a good feel for the show. I really like that every show is different with tons of different games, skits, and performances. Every show is a new experience and there’s plenty of band members for you to pick favorites from. Even I have a favorite, but more on that later.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7p0rffMCMI']

Since this is a variety show, the cast members speak much faster and sometimes even talk over one another. As such, the show can be a bit harder to understand than your usual drama, so variety shows are more for upper intermediate to advanced learners in my opinion. But even if you don’t understand much of what’s being said, you can still enjoy all the visuals and follow along with the games which is quite enjoyable.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5B8IRQpwpc']

Another bonus to the show is that it features both male and female speakers with largely unscripted dialogue. This gives you lots of exposure to raw unedited Japanese that’s very natural. If you’ve mastered learning with dramas (click here if you haven’t), variety shows are one step up in difficulty and will help take your listening skills to the next level.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAURk-GJZs0']

Like I mentioned before, AKBINGO! along with Gaki no Tsukai are two of my favorite Japanese variety shows, but they’re by no means the only good ones out there. Just look at TORE for example. And for whatever reason, the best AKBINGO! videos from YouTube were of the punishment dodge ball game, but the show has plenty of other games as well.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OeRZ_yurJs']

Another great thing about variety shows is that for the most part you can come in at any time and enjoy what’s going on. Variety shows are probably my favorite thing for passive learning since there’s not a story you need to follow along with and you can just jump in and start paying attention anytime you want to, enjoy it for a bit, then come back and pay attention again later. Variety shows make for great passive background noise.

AKBINGO! in the Raw

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And here’s one of the better AKBINGO! videos on YouTube with no English subtitles included. If you’re a Japanese master, this will test your skills with all the chitter chatter going on. Can you keep up? And for those of you who aren’t at that level yet, you can see that it’s still pretty fun to watch even if you don’t understand much of what’s being said. What do you think?

Another nice thing about variety shows like this is that they often subtitle random dialogue in Japanese at the bottom of the screen which is nice, assuming you can read (if you can’t, click here for practice). Sometimes it’s done for dramatic effect and other times it’s done when someone says something too quietly or people are talking over one another.

One potentially bad thing about AKBINGO! though is the inconsistency of the shows, at least for those who can’t understand the dialogue very well. Some shows are more dialogue heavy than others, and some don’t even include any games or skits at all (gasp!).

John’s Favorite AKB48 Member

Okay, so almost everyone who has more than just a passing exposure to AKB48 has a favorite member and I am no exception. Since I’m sure all of you are just dying to know who my favorite member is, it’s Sae Miyazawa. She’s always been my favorite. Is it her height? Her short hair? Her smile? I dunno, I just think she’s cool.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DExtd252FOk']

To be completely honest, I haven’t been keeping up with AKB48 happenings as much as I used to (I know, shame on me, right?) but I actually don’t think Sae is a member of AKB48 anymore and has moved on to something else. Well, she’s still my favorite anyway – deal with it.

Music! Music Everywhere!

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIdWXhV33vs']

Another potential benefit of AKBINGO! (or detriment, depending on your tastes) is the inclusion of lots and lots of AKB48 music. I’m actually not a huge fan of their tunes, but I do really like the song included here. Most of their stuff is too sugar sweet J-poppy, but I actually think this one is pretty cool.

There’s also another version of this music video (the non-dance version) which is way better in my opinion, but for whatever reason it isn’t on YouTube just yet. You can check it out here though, and I recommend you do so because it’s pretty entertaining.

So tell me, what do you think of the show and AKB48 in general? Do you have a favorite member? Any other cool variety shows to share? Let us know in the comments!

Over the years, I’ve checked out a great many of J-dramas. Some were bad, some were just okay, and some were downright fantastic. Below is a list of my top ten favorites. If you’re into dramas at all, I’m sure you’ve seen or at least heard of many of them. For those of you new to dramas, however, this list is an excellent place to start (assuming you have the same taste in shows that I do).

10. Boys on the Run

Boys on the Run is about a salaryman who works for a small toy manufacturer and has never had a girlfriend in the 27 years of his life. He has no experience with women and is a hopeless employee nowhere near getting ahead in life. He’s in love with one of his colleagues at work, but has no idea how to approach her. One day he runs into a salaryman from a competing toy company who decides to help him woo the girl.

Over time, Boys on the Run might rank higher on this list of mine. The reason for this is that I haven’t actually finished watching the series yet, but what I’ve seen so far is really good. Every episode is a riot. I can’t remember the last time I yelled at the screen so much during a show, just because of all the ridiculous things the main character does and says. It’s a bit raunchy, but I’ve really been enjoying this show so far.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAkOtgRTW_c']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Comedy
Who should watch this show: People who like rooting for the nerd loser underdog and dramas with continuously ridiculous situations.

9. Moteki

Moteki is about a temp worker who has never had any luck with women. One day, he suddenly starts getting invitations to hang out from several beautiful women, and he finds himself confused about how to deal with this new experience of having a “moteki” (a period when one is very popular and attractive to others).

This one was actually recommended to me by one of my friends who is teaching in Japan. It’s really funny, much in the same way that Boys on the Run is. The main character supposedly has no luck with women and is suddenly thrown into situations where he doesn’t really know what to do or how to act. Like Boys on the Run, this show can be a bit raunchy at times, but it’s hilarious, and I highly recommend it.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtuM5emjGWo']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Comedy
Who should watch this show: People who like rooting for the loser underdog in ridiculous love triangle situations.

8. Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu

Wataren highlights the lives of three women who are all looking for love but each one has something that is getting in the way of their romantical happiness. As the show progresses, they all grow and learn more about themselves and what they want out of life.

I liked this one so much I even wrote a Tofugu post about it earlier this year, soon after I finished watching it. This one came to me after a long stretch of sub par dramas, so this show was responsible for reinvigorating my interest in them.

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DramaWiki Link
Genre: Romance
Who should watch this show: Those interested in seeing the love lives of three different women unfold in a humorous and entertaining manner.

7. Papa to Musume no Nanokakan

Papa to Musume no Nanokakan is about a salaryman and his teenage daughter. One day, the two ride a train together and by some mysterious force, they swap bodies. Unfortunately, they have no choice but to swap lives, pretending to be each other at school and work.

This show is great. I really like the actress that plays the daughter in this show, and it’s hilarious to see her acting like a middle aged salaryman, not to mention seeing a middle aged salaryman act like a high school girl. This show is both hilarious and touching, as it ultimately brings the two closer together.

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DramaWiki Link
Genre: Comdey
Who should watch this show: Those who like life-swap shows and seeing middle-aged men act like teenage girls.

6. Buzzer Beat

Buzzer Beat is about a young player from a professional basketball team. Due to his relatively smaller size and his tendency to crack under pressure, he’s unable to really shine as a player. Meanwhile a strong-spirited music college graduate aims to become a professional violinist. One day they have a chance encounter and their meeting begins a friendship that eventually turns into love. However, the main character is already considering marriage with his current girlfriend. What will happen!?

This show was recommended to me by one of my Japanese friends when I was studying abroad in Japan. The main character is played by Yamapi, who has become one of my favorite drama actors, and he really shines in this show. You don’t have to enjoy basketball at all to enjoy this one, it’s merely the glue that holds everything together. This show is funny, romantic, and touching.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XtfVYPghhs']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Romance, Sports
Who should watch this show: Anyone who has a passing interest in basketball, or just really enjoys well done romantic comedies with love triangles.

5. Pride

Pride is definitely the most serious drama on this list and it centers around a playboy hockey player and his new-found love interest. He doesn’t like commitment, and the main girl has a long distance boyfriend who seems to have left her with no intention of coming back. This show tells their story and all the trials and tribulations they face.

I was actually very skeptical about this one when I first heard of it. A serious romantic drama centering around hockey? Psh, yeah okay- that sounds really interesting. But boy was I surprised. This show really pulls on your heartstrings and really draws you in. It’s definitely one of the most emotional shows on this list, and for that, I highly recommend it.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVrCUBSwUfA']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sports
Who should watch this show: People who like Queen music. Seriously, that’s all this show plays.

4. Densha Otoko

Ah, the mighty Densha Otoko. The show is probably the most famous and well known on the list. This show is a true love story that was turned into a bestselling novel, drama, and movie. A typical office lady gets into trouble with a drunkard on a train and it saved by the main character, who also happens to be the epitome of otaku. This act of bravery was extremely uncharacteristic of him, but it starts a friendship with the woman that soon blooms into romantic interest. Having no idea how to handle women, he seeks advice on message boards and all of Japan helps him along the way.

This show is awesome. It was one of the first dramas I really got into and it remains one of my favorites. It’s funny, heartwarming, and emotional. It’s a roller coaster ride of feelings, but I loved every minute of it. Also, the opening sequence is great. It really gets you pumped for each new episode.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd4xCvGW2Nw']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Comdey, Romance
Who should watch this show: Anyone who likes dramas. Really, you can’t go wrong with this one.

3. Proposal Daisakusen

Proposal Daisakusen is another Yamapi drama and coincidentally was recommended to me by the same girl who told me about Buzzer Beat (apparently she’s a Yamapi fan, too). Anyway, the show is about two people who have been friends since elementary school. The guy has been in love with the girl pretty much ever since he can remember, but she’s about to get married to another man. While he and other friends attend the wedding ceremony, a fairy appears and sends him back in time, giving him a second chance to win the girl he loves.

The premise of this show is really, really cool. Each episode a new picture of the main group of characters is shown on the wedding picture slideshow, and the picture represents the time that the main character gets sent back to. Depending on how he acts and what he says differently from the first time around, the picture changes. It’s just really interesting and you really get into it and can’t help but root for the main character. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again. This show is great.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmhKA6guC9E']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Romance
Who should watch this show: People who enjoy romantic comedies with a time traveling twist.

2. My Boss My Hero

This show is about pudding. Just kidding – it’s about other stuff too. In My Boss My Hero, the main dude is a tough 27 year old high school drop-out who is the son of a gang boss. The main character is pretty dumb, so his father decides to force him to return to high school in order to get his diploma. If he doesn’t graduate, the position of boss will be given to his younger brother.

This show is like Billy Madison with a Yakuza twist. Only this time, no one at the high school knows his true identity, so the 27 year old gangster has to learn to act like a 17 year old kid. The main character is a great actor and really plays the part perfectly. Also, the main girl in the show is the same actress from Papa to Musume no Nanokakan, so that’s great too. Also, if you’re a dude, or if you’re somebody trying to get a dude to get into drama – this is probably the best one to start with.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIoXkJJek34']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: School Drama, Comedy
Who should watch this show: Anyone who likes to laugh or really likes pudding.

1. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko

Kekkon Deninai Otoko is hands down my favorite drama of all time. I’ve watched it many times over the years, and it never gets old. The show is about a 40 year old architect who enjoys living by himself, doesn’t like people, but somehow is able to design wonderful houses that people really enjoy. Eventually he begrudgingly becomes friends with a handful of people who wonder if anyone would ever want to marry him.

I don’t even know where to begin with this show. Everything about it is great. The main character is played by Abe Hiroshi, one of my favorite Japanese actors. He really nails the part and I can’t think of anyone better than him to play this hermit-like architect. You can check out an awesome scene from the show back in the post I wrote about okonomiyaki. The show is funny, interesting, and never gets old.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bc9w8fOFKw']

DramaWiki Link
Genre: Comedy
Who should watch this show: People who like Abe Hiroshi or have any interest in dramas at all.

And there you have it – my top ten favorite Japanese dramas of all time. I know there’s a ton out there, and even though I’ve seen a bunch, I’m sure there are still more great shows to be discovered. Also, there’s a good chance that I totally forgot about a show or two while compiling the above list just because I’ve seen so many.

While entertaining, Japanese dramas are also great for study, especially if you really enjoy the show. To get the most out of them, you can check out Koichi’s guide on Studying with Japanese Dramas. It’s a great way to learn.

So tell me, how many of these shows have you seen? What did you think of them? What’s your favorite drama? I’m always looking for new shows to watch, so let me know down in the comments!

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And just for fun, here’s the latest Perfume PV. I hope your eyes and ears enjoy the experience.

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I’ve been thinking about this “project” for a while now. I’ve wanted to make my own show, but I don’t want to be wrapped into regular tv production schedules and rigmaroles (oh, and I guess there’s the problem that no television show would actually want me to make a show for them). Prices dropped, the timing became right, and I decided (just a couple days ago) to book a flight and make it happen. Thinking about “what could be” isn’t all that fun. Taking action, learning, and doing things is, so that’s what I’m doing.

So, here’s what I’m doing.

From December 1 – 21, 2010, I’ll be in Japan filming, filming, filming. I want to take you to the places that you normally never see. If you read this blog, you probably know more about Japan than the average bear. That means you know (at least a little bit) about Tokyo, Kyoto, and other big “touristy” places like that. I want to get out of the cities, get off at random train stations, talk to random people, and discover the “famous things” about small towns and villages. I suppose I’ll hit bigger cities too, but that’s not where the focus is. I’ll also be meeting up with bloggers, vloggers, and other folks to get other people on the show. I’m hoping to film 15-20 “TVish length” episodes, which will be uploaded to YouTube starting in January, free for you to watch (of course).

I don’t know where I’ll be going yet, but that’s where you come in. On certain days, while I’m in Japan, I’ll be putting up polls on Twitter, Facebook, and the Tofugu Newsletter (though not all of them at the same time, so you have to be subscribed to all of them, bwahaha!). In those polls, you’ll be able to vote on what you want me to do and where you want me to go. At night, I’ll probably post up some options for the next day (or something like that), and you’ll be able to vote on what you want to see most. Interactivity, baby. I want you to be a part of this show, too.

I’ll be posting more about this show (videos on the prep, and such) before leaving on December 1st, so make sure you’re subscribed to the Tofugu YouTube Channel (or this blog’s feed) to get a hold of those.

I’ve also decided not to ask for donations for Season 1 of TofuguTV. If you do want to support, though, be sure to check out TextFugu. It’s an online Japanese textbook that I’m writing, made especially for self learners of Japanese. If you’re looking to learn Japanese, you should seriously check it out – I wrote it for a younger me. I wish I could have had it when I was learning Japanese :( Oh, and members of TextFugu will be getting some exclusive “lesson-related” content from when I’m traveling, so current members and would-be members can look forward to that!

That’s it for now, watch the video for more info – more updates will be coming, but I hope you enjoy this “project!” I’m sure I will.

Any place/thing you’d particularly like to see in the show?

Last night, Steve Carell participated in one of the funniest SNL Digital Shorts I have seen in a long time. Now, it’s kind of a stretch, as far as Tofugu’s “Japanese Culture and Language” theme goes, but I feel that it’s interesting enough to warrant a post. Here’s the video, after the break:

Also available here.

If you could understand everything the actors were saying, congratulations. Which is not to say that they’re speaking in tremendously advanced Japanese; it’s just that their accents are so thick (Steve Carell’s especially) that at times I had to strain towards my speakers in an attempt to make out the actual words. Anyway, I hope you found this little video amusing. My favorite part was definitely the bit where they do rajio taiso (ラジオ体操 or “radio exercises”), which many Japanese companies actually do encourage their workers to preform.