All hail Ozaki Masaya, one of the best jdorama writers out there having written KDO, Love Generation and Tadano Hitoshi! KDO is one of the greatest jdoramas ever and I never suspected that we would actually get its spiritual sequel in Black President!
Sawamura Ikki is Mitamura Yukio, the president of a black kigyou (business), which means a company that overworks his workers. Mitamura is a very direct person who likes to say what he thinks, actually cares about what other's think of him, always sexually harasses Kuninaka Ryoko who plays his secretary and emphasizes results over the treatment of his workers. Mitamura decides to enter University to study business management and ends up being taught by Kuroki Meisa and he also enters the movie club.
THE GOOD
+ Brilliantly funny like KDO.
+ Ozaki Masaya is a genius at creating jokes that don't need the punchline to be said. For example, he sets up the ball pen thing in the beginning of the episode and the name of his automatic vacuum and makes them pay off at the very end.
+ Sawamura Ikki is very well cast to play the playful Mitamura.
+ Mitamura taking off his trousers when all Dan Mitsu only asked him to unbutton his shirt. lol
+ Dan Mitsu in a role that doesn't require acting. I still need therapy to forget her horrible acting in Hanzawa Naoki.
+ The mature age university student angle is interesting because it hardly happens in Japan.
+ After Dandarin, I'm happy for more worker's rights issues, this time from a management perspective.
THE BAD
- Kuninaka Ryoko should have swapped roles with Kuroki Meisa. This feels like casting according to name value cause Kuroki Meisa just doesn't have chemistry with Sawamura Ikki and Kuninaka Ryoko deserves her chance to play the Hayasaka sensei role since she was basically Natsukawa Yui's understudy in KDO.
THE UGLY
- Sawamura Ikki shaking his shoulders and doing the 'yarou yo...'
SUMMARY
While I doubt Black President will reach the great heights of KDO, I think there's a 90% chance this will be a very good dorama cause I absolutely believe in Ozaki Masaya's writing. He's got the ability to address issues of management and youth looking for their way in life with a deft and funny touch. Must watch jdorama.
