Dorama of the Year 1996 - Long Vacation (1996)
Entry posted by kivandopulus in Dorama of the Year
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Long Vacation (1996) is breathtaking .
Tags: Historical
This drama depicts the turbulent period spanning from the reign of King Taejo (born Lee Seong Gye), the founder of the Joseon dynasty, to King Sejong.
Partially translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Romance, Drama
Love and ambition collide when two brilliant architects compete for the same woman and the glory of success in their highly competitive field. Kakeru, a young dreamer just entering the professional world, starts out with the goal of building a magnificent church. The story unfolds when a world-famous architect, whom Kakeru idolizes but has never seen, collapses in front of him on the beach. The skillful portrayal of the intertwined loves and professional trials of these characters makes for a suspenseful and inspiring drama.
There's very little in plot department, just pretty random events around architects without any sort of progression anywhere and same kind of random ending. Very sad.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Romance, Melodrama
This early drama focuses on the lives of two brothers, Chan Hyuk and Chan Woo, and their relationship a wealthy girl named Hyo Kyung from childhood through adulthood. Chan Hyuk and Chan Woo move with their family from Seoul to the countryside where their widowed father finds work as a painter for the local movie theater. The two brothers eventually befriend the movie theater owner's daughter, Hyo Kyung. Although both brothers develop feelings for her, Hyo Kyung falls for the artistic Chan Hyuk. Their relationship is severely tested by multiple hardships over the course of many years including the extreme opposition of her father and uncle.
Early Korean drama is underwhelming. There's a lot of overreactions and wasting time while pace is horrendous. Just a typical low effort semi-romantic melodrama about pretty much nothing.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Tags: Food, Comedy
A comic-based comedy about the young and talented Shota who set a goal of becoming the no. 1 sushi chef in Japan to save his father's sushi shop. To learn the art of making sushi, he became an apprentice at the famous Otori Sushi. Each episode sees him picking up a new skill, and going a step towards his goal. However, many obstacles stood in his way, including a harsh and cold senior who was jealous of his talent.
Habitual gourmet competition shows don't cut it for me, and this one is simply plain and with exaggerated not funny comedy.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Tags: Food, Romance
Momoe lives a life of luxury until one day, she loses everything... her money, her father and her lover. She must now find a way to support herself. With no experience whatsoever, she nonchalently applies for a position at at French restaurant where she once enjoyed a consomme soup many years earlier.
Momoe was attracted to the French restaurant, La Petit Lapin, because of the wonderful owner, Kansuke and the delicious soup that was invented by the chef, Orita Keiji. Keiji, a first-rate chef, was trained in Paris at the two-star restaurant, Grand Bleu, and is as a result, a little spoiled and snobby. Find out what happens next when Momoe is taken on as an apprentice and must prove herself to Keiji.
Apprentice gourmet show is also not for me.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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6. Prime Minister Liu Luo Guo (1996) [宰相劉羅鍋] (Finished 1/40)
Tags: Historical, Comedy
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Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Music, Romance, Life, Drama
Sena is a college music graduate who dreams of becoming a professional musician and a world-class pianist. Unfortunately, he has not been able to find any breakthrough opportunities and has to settle for currently teaching piano at a local piano school.
Minami is an out-of-work model. On her wedding day, she was dumped by her fiancé, and when she rushed to her fiancé's apartment, she finds out that not only was her fiancé Sena's flatmate but that her fiancé had also skipped town along with all her savings. Rendered penniless, she then moves into Sena's apartment, occupying the empty room that was her former fiancé's.
The two down-on-their-luck persons with very different personalities find themselves bonding over their similar situations in life.
Watched it around twenty years ago, and basically memory of it made me start watching all the remaining dorama. Everything is fantastic here - directing, acting, OST. Rewatching now feels same great.
Overall Rating: 10/10
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8. Wakaba no Koro (1996) [若葉のころ] (Finished 1/12)
Tags: Life, Youth, Drama, Melodrama
Two teenage boys from starkly different backgrounds find themselves joined in a common search to discover how to do the right thing and find happiness in life. One boy, whose father is an alcoholic, works hard to care for his younger brother and sister, while the other enjoys the privileges of a wealthy family, but is starved for his father's love. Their friendship reflects the sadness, pain, and sometimes cruelty that can enter into the relationships between fathers and sons in today's society.
Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Historical, Drama, Melodrama, Political
The 35th NHK Taiga Drama is Hideyoshi, the story of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier".
Hideyoshi is one of main actors during Sengoku, so partially every Sengoku taiga is about him. Basically, I've seen these events repeating many times already, so there's nothing but bore left. Actors are quite good here, but primitive peasant figure of political survivalist Hideyoshi bears only negative emotions for me.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Romance, Drama, Melodrama
Papa tells the story of three couples:
The first couple could be defined as "True Love"
After living a beautiful romance on the campus Hyun Jun and Se Young marry, but as the emergence of everyday difficulties the love between them begins to be shaken and finally when Young misunderstands the Hyun Jun's relationship with Hye Min ends up filing for divorce.
The second couple could be defined as: "comic love"
A love as comfortable and natural as the friendship between two people. Yong Gong is a schoolmate of Se Young besides being a doctor of a natural medicine clinic or as it is known oriental medicine. He is a widowed father and one day he goes to the pharmacy and meets Hye Won and is attracted to But it is at this point that we see the difficulties in harmonizing Eastern medicine (which is based on natural measures) and Western medicine (which is based on medicines).
And the third couple that we could define as: "The animated and naive love"
It is a love typical of the 90's generation where we see a playboy by nature In Pyo who was accustomed to many adventures with girls. One day, he meets his niece's kindergarten teacher Sae Byeol.
Deadly plain, boring and still of pretty low quality.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Tags: Romance, Youth
This is an elementary school version of 3 nen B gumi Kinpachi Sensei. Gansuke is an elementary school teacher from Hokkaido who moves to Tokyo to be near his sweetheart Masako, who wants to become a hair stylist. He is the home room teacher for 4 nen 3 gumi. You see the elementary school setting in a different way and laugh at the same time.
Elementary school is hardly anything I can enjoy.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Tags: Romance, Life, Drama
Orihara Yuka is an artist with savant syndrome, closely protected by her mother and her cousin. When one of her works is entered into a competition and wins first place, she is thrust out into a much wider world. She meets Sawatari Toru, a bitter reporter with a hard past, who treats her as if she were normal.
Can't appreciate drama about mentally disabled since it's usually about wasting time on asking banal questions and trying to get to normalcy as final goal. This one is nothing special, and in some ways really unrealistic, so feels like a drag.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Tags: Psychological, Romance, Drama
When a woman is viciously raped, the traumatic event robs her of her self-confidence and ability to love as she had loved before. With special attention to her story of personal triumph over adversity, this touching drama recounts the tale of two lovers attempting to regain the happiness and level of affection that was theirs before her attack.
It's again the same comeback to normalcy trope. The result is just as expected - simplistic, unexciting and with numerous spontaneous outbursts, plus I consider both main leads to be rather normal though not repulsive.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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14. Eastern Zhou, Spring and Autumn Period (1996) [东周列国·春秋篇] (Finished 1/30)
Tags: Historical, Drama
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Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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15. Hakusen Nagashi (1996) [白線流し] (Finished 3/11)
Tags: Romance, Life, Youth, Drama
Sonoko, a rural high school student, notices stars drawn on her desk at school. It seems that sitting at that very same desk at night is Wataru, a poor teenage student, who with no parents is forced to work during the day and study at night. Then one day a chance encounter changes their lives in this nostalgic teenage love story.
Wataru is a high school student who dropped out but is now going back to night school. He works at a metal shop type of place. His father died and his mother abandoned him, so he is living alone, going to work and going to night school. Sonoko is a high school senior at North Matsumoto High School in Nagano Prefecture.
They meet, actually crash into each other on a street. She leaves a book about the stars behind. Wataru manages to return the book to Sonoko. Later Sonoko finds out that Wataru uses her desk at night school. Sonoko and Wataru have feelings for each other.
Well, can't stand astronomy clubs. What we see is just another such generic school before graduation story.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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16. Campus Note (1996) [キャンパス・ノート] (Finished 1/11)
Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth
First friends, first clubs, first love, first everything. This drama covers entering college til graduation, a four year time span. Haruka is a college freshman at Shonan University. She is a student in the physics department. She always wanted to live the lifestyle of a college student and now she is in college to fulfill that dream. On her way to class, her high heel breaks and she meets Kuwata a senior who is known as a guy who tries to sell anything to pay for his school tuition. Actually he has a three year old son that he is taking care of. The child's mother died soon after child birth. He helps her out and Haruka starts to like him. Her friend also likes Kuwata too. What will happen?
Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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17. Age 35 Koishikute (1996) [Age 35, 恋しくて] (Finished 6/11)
Tags: Romance, Drama
Akemi's marriage was the kind that no one could complain about. Akemi had perfect kids and a great husband. Everyone was happy. Until her husband, Hideyuki, starts having an affair, and a cruel fate calls upon her.
Constant hide-and-seek and lying. Very expected and nothing special.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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18. A Faraway Nation (1996) [머나먼 나라] (Finished 1/48)
Tags: Romance, Drama
Hyung Woo and So Young are a pair of orphaned siblings who live in Jae Goo's house. In this difficult family situation, Hyung Woo stopped studying properly and spent his time dreaming of a way to escape everyday life. Han Soo is his opposite; he works hard at school and is determined to live well in the future.
Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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19. Hitorigurashi (1996) [ひとり暮らし] (Finished 10/10)
Tags: Romance, Life, Youth, Drama
Tired of living with her parents, 26-year-old Miho decides to live by herself for the first time. She works at a department store along with her long-time best friend, Kyoko, and has an extremely affectionate and close relationship with her. She and Kyoko meet Shintani, a mysterious and handsome older man, who Miho at first simply cannot stand. However, the more she sees him, the more she's drawn to him - but even she can't explain why.
Until now, Miho has never seriously been in love with someone, and her feelings for Shintani begin to scare her. Also, there's the issue of Kyoko, who is overcome with jealousy at the thought that Miho might abandon her to be with Shintani. Living alone, Miho comes to realize things she would have never realized otherwise; she discovers exactly what kind of person she is. Along the way, she also discovers the truth about people she thought she knew well...
FL gets roles of typical naive passive girl, and now she plays the same role all the time. The general impression here is underwhelming, and the only surprise is yuri theme. Closer to trash level, to be honest - too many irritations and melodrama moments as well as lackluster open ending.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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20. Itazura na Kiss (1996) [イタズラなKiss] (Finished 2/9)
Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth
Late for a meeting, Kotoko was running along the corridor in school and bumped into Naoki, their lips meeting. Naoki showed his disgust, but Kotoko started to idolise him, who was good at everything from studies to sports. When Kotoko's house burned down, her father's good friend Machiko invited them to move in with her family. It was then that Kotoko realised Naoki was the elder son of Machiko, who took up the role of a fairy-godmother to bring the two together...despite the fact that Naoki was disgusted. Not discouraged, the clumsy and not-so-bright Kotoko started to do everything that would change her impression on him. Gradually, the icy-cold Naoki who disliked girls started to feel for Kotoko.
Can't tolerate this exaggerated silly shoujo comedy any longer, and I really tried.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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21. Im Kkeok Jung (1996) [임꺽정] (Finished 1/44)
Tags: Historical
This historical drama talk about the life of Im Kkeok Jung who was from the low class and he was the leader of a group of gang, people from the same class that wish to live a decent life.
Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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22. Doku (1996) [ドク] (Finished 2/10)
Tags: Romance
This is a sweet love story between 29-yr-old Yuki and 20 yr-old Doku. The story begins when Yuki, an ordinary OL, traveled to Vietnam and was rescued by a quiet young man, Doku. After she returned to Japan, she quit her job and decided to become an Japanese teacher. On the first day of her class, she was surprised to find out that Doku was also in her class!! Since it was the first day (and first time) of her teaching, she was too nervous and was laughed at by the students. As she started to cry in front of the class, Doku stood up and walked toward her, smiling and telling her, "Please show us your courage!!"
Not translated, but it's hardly needed as dialogues of studends who learn Japanese are very slow and simple. I find first episodes very plain, and actors don't feel great either.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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23. Shin Mokuyou no Kaidan: Cyborg (1996) [新・木曜の怪談 Cyborg] (Finished 1/6)
Tags: Sci-Fi
Akira Kaido, a high school student, was seriously injured in a bomb terror while studying in the United States. However, he returned to Japan as a cyborg that had a mechanized whole body.
Although he usually lives without his family and friends realizing his identity, he lives a new life as a warrior who buryes criminals secretly.
Not translated.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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24. Iguana no Musume (1996) [イグアナの娘] (Finished 3/11)
Tags: Romance, Life, Youth, Fantasy
Rika is a high school senior with no self esteem. She thinks she is an iguana. Why? Her mother claims that whenever she sees Rika she sees an iguana instead of a real human. Because of this, Rika has never received or was shown any love by her mother. Rika's younger sister, Mami, has been getting all of the love and attention by the mother. Rika likes Noboru a lot but can't tell him her feelings. Kaori is jealous of Rika and refuses to let Noboru go out with her. Nobuko is Rika's friend and is always encouraging her. Will Rika end up with Noboru? Will he turn her away if he finds out she is an iguana?
Hardly can appreciate it as it's mostly about mental distortion, and due to superficial elements it's far from realism.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Edited by kivandopulus
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