I first picked up Sweet 18 a long time ago through the recommendation of a friend. Sweet 18 is a Korean drama which aired from January 19, 2004 to March 9, 2004. It took me until 2009 to actually finish this drama. Nevertheless, it was a pretty good series, but there are a lot of parts that seem to drag on forever.

The story is actually pretty good – an eccentric high school girl named Yoon Jung-Sook (Han Ji Hye) has been engaged since birth to straight-laced Kwon Hyuk-Joon (Lee Dong Gun) in an arrangement by their grandfathers, who were friends. However, instead of fighting the engagement like Kwon Hyuk-Koon, Yoon Jung-Sook cannot wait to be married when she turns 18, though she thinks that her fiancee is boring and he thinks that she is too wild. In fact, Yoon Jung-Sook has a crush on a man wearing “traditional garb” whom she happened to see one day – unaware that the same man is her future husband. They get married anyway though, and the series revolves around their life together as newlyweds who really don’t care for each other.

Basically I watched this series for Lee Dong Gun, who was pretty funny throughout. Han Ji Hye also acted very well, especially seeing as though one of the selling points of her character is her many facial expressions. Lee Da Hae (who played the character Moon Ga-Young) did really well in her role of the hateful ex, because even I disliked her.

That being said, I think that the best actor in the entire series was probably Kwon Hyuk-Koon’s Grandfather, played by Lee Soon Jae. Especially when he was hanging out with the young people trying to be hip. However, outside of his awesomeness, the series is something that I would watch again and go through faster than the first time that I saw it. The main problem that I had with the series is this: I really don’t have patience for the whole overused storyline about a couple being tested by one person’s ex, more drama and so forth.

Mineta Chisato (played by Horikita Maki) is a homeless 20 year old, who lives on the streets in order to avoid her missing father’s debt collectors. Atashinshi no Danshi is a drama that aired in Japan from April 14, 2009 until June 23, 2009. Taking a new look at the genre, Chisato is confronted by an older man named Okura Shinzo (Kusakari Masao) who asks that she marry him. He informs her that he only has a limited time left alive and if she marry him, he’ll pay off her debt. The catch is that she must become a mother to his six adopted sons, all of whom have varying rebellious personalities and range from way younger than her, to some being her elders. The sons are Okura Fuu (Kaname Jun), Okura Takeru (Okada Yoshinori), Okura Sho (Mukai Osamu), Okura Masaru (Yamamoto Yusuke), Okura Satoru (Seto Koji) and Okura Akira (Okayama Tomoki).

I loved, loved, LOVED this drama! First of all, I adore Yamamoto Yusuke and Horikita Maki – so I basically only watched this drama for them in the beginning. However, I have not been sorry once that I picked this series up and wasted those hours of my life because it is excellent. All the main characters are very well developed (the side characters, not so much) and there are so many new twists in the series that it is impossible to guess what is going to happen next. Of course, the main couple is a little bit predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch.

There are very few dramas that I am able to watch the entire way through – especially moreso when it comes to dramas that are based off of a ready existing series. However, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is an exception to the rule. When I watched the first episode of the series I was a bit distraught at the changes that the directors had made to the actual manga. I was not disappointed though, and can say with certainty that I like the drama better than the original series.

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Perfect Girl Evolution) is a Japanese drama that aired in Japan from January 15, 2010 to March 19, 2010.  The premise of the story is simple, and varies a bit from the original. Nakahara Sunako (Oomasa Aya) is a college-aged shut-in who lives alone with her only friends – her anatomical models. Through some events, she goes to live at her Aunt’s, Nakahara Mine (Rakashima Reiko), mansion where four amazingly gorgeous college guys -  Takano Kyohei (Kamenashi Kazuya), Toyama Yukinojo (Tegoshi Yuya), Toyama Yukinojo (Uchi Hiroki) and Morii Ranmaru (Miyao Shuntaro) – live as borders. As Mine is always absent, the landlord leaves her son and Sunako’s younger cousin, Nakahara Takeru (Kato Seishiro), in charge of things. Mine offers the four men residing in her mansion a deal, that if they are able to turn the shut-in Sunako into a real lady then all their rent would be free. Really taking this incentive to heart is Kyohei, who is the most money-struck of the four and is always having trouble holding down jobs due to sexual harassment due to his good looks. The series follows the adventures of the group as they struggle to grow as people and as friends and try to discover what a “real lady” really is.

Personally, I loved this drama. Sunako is a heroine unlike many others. Oomasa Aya plays the role of the shy and secluded girl wonderfully and Kamenashi Kazuya compliments her role as Kyouhei better than expected. Kazuya’s acting is superb as he struggles between his feelings and his desire to deny them. The depths of emotions that Kazuya portrays is nothing short but amazing. His acting was not cheesy in the least and you felt so much for his character. Also playing a great role in the drama is Kato Seishiro. I’ve first noticed this kid before when he played in Ninkyo Helper as Hatori Ryota and was pretty impressed then as well. Honestly, I can see him going to great places because his acting is awesome, especially for someone his age. I’m excited to see how he grows up as an actor. Overall, this drama is a must see recommendation of mine.