Beyond Expectations

I'm not really sure what this show was supposed to honestly be about (the history of Kyoto, coming of age story, dramatic relationship(s), family relations, new starts somewhere fresh) but this story really blew me out of the water! I've never been so infatuated with a set of characters; this story is absolutely in my top 15 of favorite shows!


I wasn't sure what I was expecting, or even looking for, and to be honest, I mostly wanted to watch a story with Sasaki Kuranosuke in it; I usually find new stories to watch or new actors/actresses to follow by following other actors/actresses that I already enjoy watching. And Sasaki Kuranosuke did not disappoint! This story is heartwarming and gut wrenching, very raw and relatable, unique and honest, respectful and absolutely beautiful. I saw a brand new Kyoto that I've never seen from other videos or guide books.


I really liked watching the connections between an "outsider" and the community form, it was interesting to watch the relationship between father and daughter grow as well. I think the story did a wonderful job of showing a new relationship between a father and daughter as adults quite well! It can be a challenging thing to see your child as an adult, and to treat them as such; but this story really did a fantastic job of showing how strong, hard, dedicated, fun, and respectful work can pay off in the end... in any type of relationship!


I think the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, nothing too dramatic honestly, but it definitely left me wanting more of Miyano Miyako, Kakinoki Kukichi, and Kyoto! I liked hearing the Kyoto dialect, it was such a strong language yet had it's cute moments, too. I like that this story showed the viewer(s) the history of Kyoto in a fun, modern way while still staying true to their roots! I can't wait to see more!

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Filling -- in Body, Mind, and Soul

Each story leaves the viewer feeling completely satisfied; the emotional bonds of friends, family, colleagues, and general humanity is quite fulfilling to watch from an "outsiders" perspective!


While watching this story it sort of felt like things were building up to the high point, the strong long-awaited climax... however, the show itself didn't really build it up with so many dramatic moments, yet it took them in stride -- slowly, calmly, while building a strong and firm base as if to keep the show moving forward and to build an emotional, physical, and mental bond between the coworkers, friends, owner, and customers of Pas Mal. Each customer had their own mystery, which was really nice to see from a human standpoint instead of from a major crimes/police detective genre. This show itself, I believe, fits the slice-of-life, coming of age, mystery, relationship, lgbtq+, and even familial genres; and a few more, I just can't think of them right now (sorry!).


Each mysteryious worry of the customers was wonderful to watch build a rapport and relationship with the coworkers of Pas Mal, the owner, and a strong respect for their customers; as well as each other! There were not any dramatical, epic twists and turns within the stories, but I still couldn't guess ahead of the plotline. Each mystery was wonderfully preserved until the final few moments of the episode, and the finale episode, too, of course! It was nice to see a show about genuine, respectful, honest, unique, imaginative, and charming people; the cast fit so well together I thought I was watching a live recording of real people instead of a show. The story really flowed impeccably well! Not one moment did I feel lost, confused, or like I was stupid for not understanding any terms of a Chef, French or otherwise.


This show really highlights the ups and downs of humanity; trust, companionship, friends and lovers, colleagues, past and future lifestyles, taking those big, scary leaps forward without knowing what would happen next... While keeping the viewer very grounded, very "close to home" while also being on the edge of their seats! I really hope more people enjoy this fabulous show! Especially if you're a fan of anyone in the cast; it is a very fantastic show!

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Mysteriously Unprecedented

This story is amazing. I'm not exactly sure how though..... It's uncanny how dramatic it was despite only being three episodes long. I'm not sure if he's stupid or a complete genius! The story of how Sunday's grew was really intense and interesting to watch!


A few terms I couldn't understand, but I think that is just a personal problem because of my disability (Sensory Processing Disorder) so I don't think EVERYONE that watches this show will be confused or misunderstand. It was really incredible to watch the journey of everyone involved as they tried their hardest to gather information, tools, and companions within and outside of the company. Watching people grow as the company did was really fun to watch!

As each person overcame their own difficulties and helped the company grow as well, it really was like the show's title!

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Life Lessons Disguised

I have to admit that this show is definitely not what I thought it would be! And I am so glad I chose to watch such a fantastic show. At the beginning, I thought this show would be something like "management takeover" to create new life in a dying town, but I was completely mistaken... This show is much more than just "creating new" life, or anything else, for that matter!


This story is hard for me to decide if it's about coming of age, slice-of-life, midlife crisis, or human connection.... Or maybe it's a mix of all of those. Somehow creating a life for yourself, no matter where you are - new or old - with new friends or old acquaintances, starting from scratch or building up from the middle... This show is really an honest, raw, genuine, open, unique, and lovely tale of how to pick yourself no matter what the circumstances and to "bloom" no matter what, no matter where, and no matter how.


Each person has their own circumstances, some are painful and some are hard; while some are misunderstood or make other people envious. Life is full of hard lessons to learn and sometimes you can't escape those lessons no matter what, so sometimes a fresh start is necessary! It was really wonderful to see how a "new person" could count as that "fresh start" for many people and somehow even the town itself. It was really refreshing to see a story in a genre like slice-of-life or coming of age not be saturated in romance or cheesy dramatics, but for it to be like "life in general" and to show that yes even in a drama these are issues faced in real life... It was amazing to watch how everyone handled themselves and grew as an individual, friend, family member, lover, and community member. To see how people handled different issues all around them so differently, yet still clinging on to community for help or friends for companionship was wonderful. Especially during these difficult covid-era times!


I think this show is underrated, and with such a stunning cast and fantastic story, I can't imagine why. To watch life like this from an outsiders point of view somehow felt embarrassing, yet I also felt like I gained a few new perspectives and outlooks on life.

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Science and Fantasy

A very unorthodox show, but definitely really interesting! The story is quite original, I can't really say I've seen anything like that, though this show does feel vaguely familiar the more I watched it. The characters were super intense, they all portrayed their roles which sometimes felt exaggerated but when you watch the story from episode one to the finale, their intensity and energy builds and builds until to the climax!


The music really fueled the suspense and mystery of the story. There were so many twists and turns, about 40% of them felt a little over the top and unbelievable but the rest of the show's story was really incredible to watch! The imagination of the creators, director, writers, and rest of the staff and actors/actresses during this show's filming was really wonderful. Everyone did their job so ridiculously well that the story automatically sucks you in from episode 1!


I do think this show is a little underrated, but that's probably because it's "an older show" (2012 is "older" now? lol) so a lot of the filming, fashion, characters, etc may feel a little outdated or may make some viewers see the show as "ridiculous" in some parts; which I can understand, but please do not let that stop you from watching a very intricate, interesting, and imaginative show that is full of the mysteries of the unexplained --- and science, too!

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Seems Simple..... Anything but

Do not take this show for granted! The synopsis, other reviews, comments, etc....... this show is something familiar, but only in the smallest sense (odd partners that grow on each other, computer smarts, people/street smarts, good fighter, introvert, extrovert, etc), and it is also something completely different!


The general idea "if i die, i want someone to delete this" or "if i die, i don't want someone to see this" is a good basis. Definitely something I haven't seen before, usually it's detectives or some "oddball" or "genius" trying to figure out what/who/why someone died or someone killed another. This show is much more than that! I've seen people become upset because of their family issues that lead to someone/something bigger, deeper, darker, more dangerous; and I've seen reluctance in finding the answers... this show seemed to have the latter. They wanted the answers but they didn't want to uproot, demand, or disturb the person (requester or friend/family member), they tried to do their work carefully, quietly, and under the radar so as to not create more dramatics.


But when the story calls for it, the dramatics are there! A couple of episodes I was so surprised to see them happen that I had to rewind and rewatch a couple of times; Yamada Takayuki and Suda Masaki are fantastic during the dramatic moments and during the emotional moments. It takes a lot of emotional, psychological, and physical strength to get through what a few of these episodes showed; but as you watch the show, you can watch them waver as the show goes on, through each story you can see them grow as a partnership and you can see the wheels turning with each "job" they get. Something bubbling up from the very depths of the existential questions of man.


The casting was superb! It was wonderful to see Aso Kumiko, Yamada Takayuki, and Suda Masaki work as a team. They seem like such an odd partnership, but as you watch them "melt together" within their work they are surprisingly a great partnership! Such a deep look in to the depths of humanity was spectacular, it seemed like you could see the wheels turning or the "clock of life" restarting. It seemed like the "battle of good and evil" was almost tangible within a couple of episodes. I have no idea why this show only has 8 episodes, I feel like it could have lasted a few episodes longer!


If you're looking for a great detective show that has a fantastic story before anything else, and then you add in great leading actors/actresses to top it off... Then you will absolutely fall in love with this story! This show will definitely make you think, make you wonder; curiosity killed the cat and all that. It'll make you wonder if the human connection is such a good or bad thing. Please, give this show a chance!

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Familiar with Excellent Originality

***I want to start off by saying that where I watched this series the uploader jumbled up and confused the episode sequence. However, that doesn't really affect the outcome of the show, just need to figure out in which order to watch.***


This story was full of familiar actors, I've been watching newer dramas recently and forgot this one came out in 2011 so I was sort of surprised to see how many actors/actresses I recognized within this show. Each episode really was jam packed full of epic dramatic moments that I don't remember seeing in other medical drama's I've watched, minus a few familiar instances (the on call interns have trouble taking care of patients in the middle of the night; the intern(s) is/are frustrated they aren't assigned where they want to be, etc)


The medical jargon isn't hard to understand, they don't really define what's going on so much as walk you through it. I think it's a little better to see something in action as or after it's explained than to just imagine what will/would happen in your head. There wasn't a lot of blood or gory moments, so if you're squeamish or just beginning in medical dramas then this is a good starting point.


I kind of wish the elaborated on a couple other cast members instead of focusing so intensely on a couple of others (if you watch the show, you'll see my point maybe). There's nothing wrong with who they focused on but it was a little frustrating to see these 5 interns and have the basis of the story (or maybe it was just the synopsis that made me feel this way) be that they were going to work together and build this really strong bond between the 5 of them. But, that changed a little, and for good reason, too! I just would have liked to have seen them all stick together a little more. I'm not asking for a life-or-death bond, like some people think the cast of the American tv show "Friends" has/had, but I would liked to have seen a little more team work among the 5.



This show is a great show to watch, however, if you're looking for an epically dramatic story. If you're looking for exciting happenings that create fantastic stories or would like to see more of the human condition, then this may be the drama for you!

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Drown Your Sorrows or Pick Yourself Up

This is a very warm and charming drama full of human lifestyles that are extremely different, depressing, exciting, full of the unknown... As life generally is. Full of genuine sentimentality, care, generosity, understanding, and patience this story is the definition of "slice-of-life", to me, at least.


The characters within this story really had you falling in love with them and their story(ies) very quickly. One episode I was enthralled by someone dark and mysterious, the next I was crying, the next I was curious, and the next I was laughing! For only six episodes, this show really had a wide opening to the viewers feelings and emotions. It was like each episode the bars' new customers hit the buttons of your own personality, your own lifestyle.


The music really built up the story, kept the viewer wanting more and more of each story. The music kept the audience swooning for each "main character" of each episode; with even the most upsetting of moments, anger or sadness, the music kept the flow of the story going, helped it along just perfect enough to build up the story to it's climax. Kept the audience ready and waiting for more of each character's life, their story. On the edge of their seat is where you want your audience to be with the story, and the music added to the ambience and entertainment of a fabulous bar.


I think if they made this 12 episodes, it would be 50% too much and 50% the best length. This story is not a one-hit-wonder, it is a wonderful story of life and kindness in the deepest parts of humanity. I would have liked to have seen more of Fujiwara Kisetsu
(Nakauchi Satoru, Chef), Morisaki Win (Kobayashi Naoki, Bar owner), and Machida Keita (Amamiya Ryoichiro) together as friends and employees for their wonderful bar. This story is an underrated diamond, a wonderful show full of expectations at the right moment.

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Nothing Can Be Beautiful

This story is exactly what people seem to need these days. A feel good story full of insight to the differences between others; work, love life, friendships, all the way down to morals and ethics, respect, and even the simplest things of happiness or sadness, or self respect and confidence.


This story really seems to teach the viewers something like the above with each episode; but it doesn't shove it down your throat. So it really feels comfortable to watch, it feels like a book came to life and the viewers were watching the script/book as it was written. Almost like I was watching someone videotape the real thing, the real "Rental Nan mo Shinai Hito" in action with each request during the 12 episodes.


The flow between each episode had a clean cut, there was no really spill over from one case to the next, except for a few "hey I saw you do this" or "I followed you because of this". Each episode was filled with new cases of the simplest or more intense aspects of the human condition. Like the simple first request in episode 1 and the emotional request(s) of the last few episodes. The differences of each person were strongly highlighted, their emotions or reasons for each rental were highlighted and continued to show how important each case and each person are, no matter what.


It was wonderful to watch how each person grew during the episode and how Moriyama Shota grew as a person, father, and husband. It was nice to see his interactions with his wife, how they both worked together to protect and grow their family with love and work hard to support each other. It was nice to see a "medical" type drama show off Mental Health as important as well as keeping a good relationship with oneself, friends, and family. This is a very calming, charming, cheerful show; the music is absolutely wonderful, too! I loved watching each ending scene.


This show really cast an importance on taking care of yourself, taking a break or helping someone else if you can. I believe this underrated gem of a true story show will be loved by many!

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Epic Yet Heartwarming

This story did such a wonderful job at telling the good times and the bad times for each patient, regardless of their illness, injury, social status, etc... It has been a long time since I have seen such a heartfelt, raw, genuine, honest, and lovely series within a hospital about not only the people cast but about humanity in general.


The cast was picked wonderfully, even there it seemed there were some unexplored parts of a couple of characters; everyone worked really hard to fit in to their role as perfectly as they could, to understand all the medical terms and how to help patients within each episode. It was really interesting to watch them work during a couple of very dramatic episodes!


I've got to say that I was extremely emotional during each episode... I almost or actually did cry for each 11 episodes. I got angry, I worried, I was scared, happy, curious, enthralled, and mesmerized by how well the pharmacists worked with each doctor, patient, and case.


The technical terms aren't too hard to follow, things are explained very well. If you are looking for a thrilling show this is it! But if you're looking for psychological thrills, maybe not. This is a charming, heartwarming story of how multiple people deal with real life situations from their different points of view, at least that's how I saw a few episodes.


It was really wonderful to watch each character grow, to see their strengths and weaknesses balance themselves out to make them the strongest version of themselves and as a team. I really wish there were more episodes for this story, maybe something a little more character in depth, but if you are looking for a medical and human and lovely story, full of hardships and success... this is definitely an amazing show for you!

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Breathtaking Underrated Gem!

This show really took me by surprise! I can honestly say I think this is one of the best crime/detective/police shows I have seen in a long time. I don't think many people give this story a chance or compare it to the Korean parent movie/story too much.


The story is pretty original, but there are some predictable or typical stories that I've seen within other Japanese crime/detective dramas or movies. This story moves pretty quickly but nothing is too confusing or hard to understand; it sort of feels like it could have been a movie, however the 10 episodes were absolutely perfect, and I binge watched them all within one day. The show was so exciting it all went by quick as lightning!


The episodes completely blended together, so the story really didn't waver much or drag because of side stories, and it wasn't too complicated by past stories that were unnecessary. The main cast really held together quite well, it was hilarious and was really wonderful to watch them all grow as police officers and as humans.


The music was really energetic, which led to getting excited and expecting a lot from each episode. I have to say that I did NOT see the ending coming at all! This show has one large mystery that sort of sets the base for the entire show but it doesn't repeat it within every episode, which is nice; though the lead up to the finale is strong and the ending was amazing! I am absolutely positive that this is one fantastic story!

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Underrated Gem!

This show really showed off a side of Katori Shingo that I've never seen before; he became mesmerizing with every episode! I think his voice really helped to create the personality of his character, someone dark and mysterious; tall, dark, and handsome....


This drama quickly became one of my absolute favorites! The plot line itself isn't really new, but it isn't typical or predictable either. Each time I thought I had guessed who the culprit was it felt like I was lead down a winding staircase and the case would go in the complete opposite direction! I like how the cast handled the relationship between Katori Shingo and Sekimizu Arisa's characters, a little stand-offish but still able to work together; sometimes the "i work by myself" attitude can be overbearing or over done, but in this story all of the characters seemed to fit together very well. Every office has their issues, with personal in the same office or higherups or politics, and this story really surprised me in how well they all worked together even though there could have been some differences or contrasting opinions, etc...


The music was a really nice addition! The opening definitely felt extremely compatible to the story, and really helped to create a rise of emotion and expectations for each episode. The story itself moved at a very brisk pace, though nothing was left to the imagination and no part of the story was left out or confused me. I do wish there were more in-depth moments and more episodes too; it kind of feels a little like something has been left out or they're pushing to fill too much within a small(er) space than they may have originally had. I wish there were more episodes or even a special episode, I think this story shows honestly and genuinely what's going on today within society not just in Japan but in every country (fake news, gaslighting, lies, rumors, unrest, etc...)


The last sentence above was a real heavy one and I don't want people to think that that is what I am aiming for with this review, because it isn't. I do think that this drama has similarities to what is going on within the world at this moment, however; the fact that it was filmed during the Covid-19 Pandemic says a lot, too, and they even hint to it during an episode of why there is a lot of "stress" going on. It was wonderful watching the cast of the "Metropolitan Police Department Finger Murder Prevention Office" or "Yubitai" growing and working together in the office as co-workers and as their own person/character. I would love to see more of that; each actor/actress really worked hard to create a certain type of persona for their character and they all really did a superb job!

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Unexpected

I wanted to watch this story for a couple of cast members... At first...

Then the story threw me off my seat!


The story of how theres a "switch" within each one of us is quite surreal. If you think about it, what happens within the last 2 episodes is something that could be completely true. With thrilling mysterious killings and dark pasts that no one likes to talk about, let alone reveal, it's filled with your typical "good cop" vs. "bad cop" co-worker troupes; however, the story doesn't really focus on the history or future, so much as they focus on the present and their current cases.


Watching the growth of the cast as their characters was pretty intense! The dramatics were a little over the top, at first, but as the story builds and builds towards the finale it's like the puzzle pieces of the entire story are finally fitting together to create the "perfect picture". This show was thrilling and full of suspense, a couple of episodes seemed predictable, but in its entirety this show is a hundred miles above other thrilling drama's I've watched. I would like to think it's at least within the top five of the most mystifying criminal drama shows I've seen!

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Genuine Humanity

I wanted to watch this show based on the character list alone, I haven't read the manga or watched the anime (but this made me want to!), and I have to say that 1 - you don't need to read the manga or watch the anime to understand what's going on, and 2 - this is one of the most genuinely real shows I have seen in a long time.


This show is full of honest and real human/humanity moments; without excluding anything, the cast and creators of this show have managed to create a show that is full of human kindness, sadness, anger, frustrations, happiness, courage, trials and tribulations, and so many more things that affect/effect a community... or in this case an apartment complex.


Without being too dark, or giving too many spoilers if any, this show has managed to make me cry, laugh, worry, and get frustrated within a handful of episodes. The characters within this story worked very hard to bring such an important story to life; this story is a very big underestimated gem!

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Genius Mystery With Fun Adventure

This story is reminiscent of a couple of dramas I've seen before and when you add in the humor it's almost as if this two-episode special is a parody of those two other shows. Which is what makes this quite enthralling to watch, along with the wonderful cast!


I think Kitamura Takumi was the perfect choice for the main character of this story. The way he responds or reacts to a character, or a few words is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while, yet still remaining subtle. Nothing he did was exaggerated or too over the top or goofy. It wasn't a "smart funny" that a lot of people probably wouldn't understand either.


I think the supporting cast was fantastic as well! Each one worked well with the other and the support for the follow throughs and the story in general was spectacular to watch! I wish there were more episodes to watch because the continuation would be something amazing! I would love to watch the cast solve even more crimes!

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