Why You Should Watch 49

Yes, that 49 starring Sato Shori. The one with the cliche plot where a father dies saving his son and then borrows his son's body to fix his regrets. I swear that plot is so cheesy and overused. But it actually works out here...

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The pacing of the drama is actually quite nice, not too fast and each episode has its own subplot which wraps up nicely. There's enough mystery in each episode that you want to keep watching until the end and there's a satisfying feeling when a problem wraps up by the end of the episode.

There are themes of bullying, family issues, and acceptance. They're told in a kind of refreshing way, so it doesn't get boring. Even though I've seen a girl who gets water poured over her head in the washroom stall many times and the outcast boy trying to win the heart of the most popular girl at school etc etc.  The writers did a good job playing with common tv tropes by adding a few twists to the plot and some insightful lines to the script.The balance between the serious themes and humour is good, too.

The actors and actresses do a great job at portraying the characters. (I am really bad with names...I only remember Dan, lol. So I searched her up) Maiko Yamaoto who plays Sachi Takami is a good actress. She's got potential! Sato's quite good as well for his first leading role. There are tons and tons of Juniors in this drama as well....and they're good! Well I'm not watching this show for the juniors but it's good on them for more exposure. Their cross dressing is fantastic, I might add! XD

Also, the music.....there's some catchy pop instrumental being played in every episode. (BUT I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT AND IT'S BUGGING ME!) It's so familiar, I swear it was really in during the 2000s or something. Sato sings a solo song for this drama. It's okay....just another ballad. =/ I prefer the piano instrumental of it though.

So this drama might not change your life but it's nice entertainment. Point is, go give it a try!! :D
(I overused the word "good" here...hahaha, guess that sums up what I think of the drama!)

Other Blogs talking about 49:
http://helloheydays.com/japanese-drama-49
http://jnewseng.wordpress.com/2013/10/20/review-first-impressions-on-49-episode-1/

Last Impressions of Mayonaka No Panya-San

I finally finished watching 8 episodes of Mayonaka no Panya-San! Yayyyyy! It took way to long. Well I kind got bored or rather got distracted by other dramas and things. :P Also, I had to watch this drama late at night...I tried to watch it during the day but it didn't give off the same feeling. Lol, I guess if the bakery only opens at night, I can only watch this drama at night as well.

It was a good drama, all in all. Towards the middle, I got tired of the storyline. :( But it picked up near the end! :) The ending was good but boy, there are a lot of unanswered questions. First of all, WHEN THE HECK DO THEY EVEN SLEEP?! They run the bakery from 11 to 5, and then they made breakfast around 8 or 9 (I'm assuming because Nozomi goes to school and eats breakfast with them). It takes them a couple of hours to clean up after and make the bread before hand and they always seem to be awake during the day.  >.>

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Putting that aside, the interweaving of stories was interesting. I thought some were stronger in terms of plot than others. All the characters were related to each other whether it be a strong bond or a meeting in the past. Also, the food was sooo delicious looking. I really wanted to take a bite out of my computer screen, lol. XD I should try to make some fruit sandwiches or chocolate cornets!

The acting was top notch! Kodama was such a cute kid and his story arc really made me feel sad and lonely at times. I could relate to Nozomi the most. The losts ties between Suzuaka and her reminded me a lot of my past. When her mother appeared in the last episode, I was kind of unsatisfied with the conclusion of Nozomi and her mother. I think I just didn't understand it. Her mother was last shown going to the hospital; was it because she was ill and could not take care of Nozomi?  Maybe that's why she pushed her daughter away.Or was just because of the fact that her mother was dating the doctor? 

Edit: She didn't date the doctor and she didn't want Nozomi to know she was a patient at the hospital. Can you tell that I totally missed that part? >.> Sorry! (Flees away before anyone tries to hunt me down)

I recommend this drama to those who are looking for a slow paced, feel good, and family/ social problems/ slice of life-oriented show. :) Although I say it's slow paced, the story arcs that are quite serious. Mayonaka no Panya-San is a good reflection of reality and includes themes such as how one finds their place in the world and how one accepts their family who they are. It's a drama that will make you feel sad and happy and hungry! Be careful of being bored with the story arc near the middle.

Side Note: The picture is from the first episode. I really really like when the trio eats melon pan....It gave me all sorts of fuzzy feelings. XD

First Thoughts of Mayonaka no Panya-san!

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Honestly I'm not too familiar with T&T or B.A.D. I remember seeing Kiriyama in my 2007 wink-up magazine, he was in gokusen, right? ^^ As for Tacky, I've only heard great things about him. He seems like a nice senpai!

The drama, Mayonaka no Panyasan or Midnight Bakery, is about ....you guessed it...a bakery only open at midnight! (Actually it's open from 11pm to 5am) It's a very heart warming drama that heals your soul. The actors are good and the plot is actually based on several characters, whose lives are intertwined somehow.

At first, it seems like your typical drama where they focus on one type of bread (ex melon pan in the first ep) and how things always seem better with food. BUT MnP has a lot of deep and intense themes shown in a different light. Yes, there's the loss of a loved one, a love triangle, and bullying and peeping and cross-dressing and parents leaving their children etc but the characters are so believable and fresh. The music is awesome, especially the ending by Chara (God, I love her voice and music!). The episodes often leave with cliffhangers (of how it ties into another character's story) but leave you with just enough satisfaction that you don't feel the urge to watch episode after episode. It's good 'cause I can watch an episode a day and take my time to enjoy all of the wonder MnP has to offer.

The main girl, Nozomi, likes being alone and she justifies it in a way I could totally relate to. And her backstory is based on a common happening (in shoujo manga and dramas) where her mom left her alone in the house to go see her lovers. But the actress is really good at not making me feel bored (lol). She's so cute when she's with the little kid~ Ah, they're like brothers and sisters!! >W<

And there's so much good food to watch. The crisp crust of the bread, the fluffiness of the cream, the softness of the dough....Can you tell I love food? lol.  It really made me want to eat bread or go visit a quaint bakery like Boulangerie Kurebayashi.

In short, go check out this drama! ^^ I'm sure it'll heal your soul as well!