Since I've been back, this is the only dorama that I've been making time for. Looking back at the series, its interesting how Dandarin basically follows the rules of the GTO conventions yet it never felt like it was ticking the convention boxes ala Fruits of Faith. This led me to pondering whether the cause was the unique subject matter, writing or a combination of both?
I think it has partly to do with the backbone of the individual episodes being about a certain aspect of labour standards rather than being about each colleagues' backstory. In your typical GTO clone, its basically about one colleagues sob story and they turn over a new leaf at the end whereas in Dandarin in not an open and shut case.
Secondly, its has to do with the parady nature of Dandarin. Its a super hero comedy that pokes fun at so many elements of Japanese working life issues and bureaucracy that it feels true despite not being realistic. Contrast that with Hanzawa Naoki which plays up the issues of corruption and bureaucracy in banking with a seriousness but acting like a comedy.
I had only two concerns with Dandarin. Firstly, that it would not be able to sustain the momentum and that the Dandarin backstory which hung over every episode threatening to derail it from a must watch to a watchable dorama. Good news is there are so many labour law issues for Dandarin to explore. Plus its based on a manga so I'd imagine the writer can cherry pick the best stories.
The Dandarin sob story didn't turn out to be a dud. It gave a nice explanation for who Dandaring is and her catchphrase but it did threathen to descend into too much moral argument though I suppose the last episode is more about talking to Japanese society about the country's ideas about what working life is about and why labour standards are important versus excuses that humane working hours and conditions are to the detriment of Japanese society.
THINGS I LIKED
- Episode 4. The human resource manager taking the fall and Dandarin feeling angry because the true decision maker escapes unscathed. Dandarin may be a comedy but its not a fairy tale.
- Episode 5 about the sweets shop. Issues of cutting corners and maintaining standards once a shop has become famous and seeking a satisfactory outcome for both parties.
- Caring about foreign workers in Japan. Lol. As if but that's what makes Dandarin a super hero. I love how the Thai and Vietnamese workers speak English when probably they would communicating in Japanese.
- Episode 7 about the factory worker who died on the way home from work. Its not just an interesting legal conundrum, I'm glad that it didn't have a happy ending plus it looks at Japanese aversion to doing autopsies as well.
- Episode 8. Promoting workers to managers running understaffed shops so that they have no choice but to work long hours and using excuses like training to cover up what is abuse of workers. I'm betting this probably happens a lot in Japan. Also looks at the fact that finding employment is difficult and many people feel like they have no choice.
- Episode 9. The Doteyama episode and sneaky turn employees into contractors so you pay them less issue. Sometimes its less how will Dandarin solve this and more what type of ingenious labour abuse will the killer brother from Soredemo come up with? Did I mention Doteyama is one of the most entertaining bosses since GTO's principal.
- Episode 10 and 11. Minamisanjo-san's relationship with Dandarin never feels like a tacked on older actress with Johnny thing. (He's not a Johnny but you get my point) Its more about colleagues who have grown to respect each other.
THING I DIDN'T LIKE
Kazama Shunsuke's acting as smart lawyer who looks like a 19 year old. I loved his performance in Soredemo but his wide eyed trying to be evil overacting is a complete failure of channeling King Joffrey. I don't hate his character but rather I hate his overacting. I wonder whether the director or he is to blame.
That's the problem with Johnnys and Ueto Aya type 'actresses'. They can hit 30 but they can't or are unable to convincingly play that age. Kurimizawa's tacked on redemption ending just doesn't work for me.
SUMMARY
Must watch. Very sad that its rated poorly. I guess Japanese audiences look at it and say what a load of fiction.
JDORAMA TOP EARNERS LIST
Its going to take me a while to get back into the jdorama groove but I just noticed jadefrost has two really good posts and top money makers in Jdoramas here and here. Its kind of a depressing list. Those who I think deserve to be on the list are bolded.
WARNING: Reading the lists below may cause depression and destroy whatever interest you may have for the Japanese entertainment industry.
ACTOR LIST
1. Sakai Masato (13.2％) (3 million yen/hr)
2. Fukuyama Masaharu (12.9％) (3 million yen/hr)
3. Mizutani Yutaka (12.5％) (4 million yen/hr)
4. Kagawa Teruyuki (12.3％) (2.5 million yen/hr)Sometimes he overacts but he can be very good.
5. Kataoka Ainosuke (12.0％) (1.6 million yen/hr)
6. Nishijima Hidetoshi (11.8％) (2 million yen/hr)
7. Yakusho Koji (11.6％) (4 million yen/hr)Best actor on this list.
8. Watanabe Ken (11.2％) (5 million yen/hr)
9. Kimura Takuya (10.9％) (5 million yen/hr)
10. Sato Koichi (10.7％) (3 million yen/hr)
11. Matsumoto Jun (10.3％) (3 million yen/hr)
12. Oikawa Mitsuhiro (10.0％) (2 million yen/hr)
13. Oda Yuji (9.8％) (3 million yen/hr)
14. Ayano Go (9.6％) (1.5 million yen/hr) I'm starting to think he's way overrated for the amount of money he's pulling.
15. Okada Masaki (9.2％) (1.3 million yen/hr)
16. Mizobata Junpei (9.0％) (1.5 million yen/hr) Why is Hachi-One on this list?
As dgundam said, wtf is Abe Hiroshi and Moteki?
ACTRESS LIST aka THE INVERSE ACTING ABILITY LIST
1. Yonekura Ryoko (13.5％) (3 million yen/hr)
2. Anne (13.0％) (1.1 million yen/hr)
3. Ayase Haruka (12.7％) (2.5 million yen/hr)
4. Ueto Aya (12.5％) (2 million yen/hr)
5. Mitsushima Hikari (12.3％) (1.5 million yen/hr)Should be no.1 but at least she's making money.
6. Kanno Miho (12.0％) (2 million yen/hr)
7. Aragaki Yui (11.8％) (1.2 million yen/hr)
8. Nounen Rena (11.4％) (1.2 million yen/hr) I still haven't watched Amachan.
9. Koizumi Kyoko (11.1％) (3 million yen/hr)One of the best ever.
10. Shibasaki Kou (10.9％) (1.6 million yen/hr)
11. Dan Mitsu (10.6％) (0.7 million yen/hr) WTF is she doing here?
12. Horikita Maki (10.4％) (1.6 million yen/hr)
13. Nagasawa Masami (10.2％) (1.4 million yen/hr)
14. Yoshitaka Yuriko (10.0％) (1.4 million yen/hr)
15. Honda Tsubasa (9.8％) (0.6 million yen/hr)
No Hirosue Ryoko on the list but then her dorama choices have been bad. Where's Takeuchi Yuko?