Jdrama: School!!

I just finished another great Jdrama.  This one is called School!! I found it quite by accident when checking ::JDramas::.  It is the story of Naruse Seiichiro a tunnel construction worker who gets asked by his old teacher to come back to his old elementary school and be the principle.   The school is in a lot of trouble (darn those modern kids) . . . can he turn it around.

Like to sir with love but less rough and with smaller children

The show is really great.  It is a straight up drama (though funny) without any kind of romance etc.  I found the plot captivating and it really pulled me in and I couldn't wait to get to the end.  Not only are the stories fun to watch, but i felt I learned more about actual Japanese culture and what is considered "normal" than I usually do watching dramas.

He never looks that dower in the drama . . .

A plus of the drama is that the cast is just fantastic.  Another plus of the drama is the really stellar cast of adorable children.  The focus in on the 5th grade class and they all did a great job.  It was good to see that Japanese girls are usually taller than the boys at that age too. :)

Naruse or Eguchi if you prefer

The story revolves around the boisterous Naruse Seiichiro played by Eguchi Yosuke (who I already love from Lunch Queen).  His acting is just great.  There is just something about him that really is just more present than everyone around him.  He is a joy to watch, even when he is crying (which he does really well).  He really made the show.  If your already a fan you must watch School!!.

Not the most accurate chart  . . . .

Overall, this was a really enjoyable drama.  It was really addictive and I never hoped the show would just get on with it.  Its only 9 episodes long, so there isn't much filler.  If you don't want a lot of romance bogging up the story this is great for you.  Personally, I wish there was just a touch of romance, but that is just me.

Lunch Queen and Gokusen

I recently finished two very good dramas Lunch Queen and Gokusen.  Both were very enjoyable in their own way.

The cast and delicious omurice!

Lunch Queen is about a young women who loves lunch and gets bribed into pretending to be the run away eldest son of a family (who happens to own a yummy lunch shop's).  Unsurprisingly all the sons soon fall in love with the now absent eldest sons soon to be bride.  It was very cute and funny, all the characters were interesting, but once again the ending does leave a bit to be desired in the resolution department.  However, I still really enjoyed it and would suggest it though it will make you hungry.

Our fearless teacher.

Gokusen is about a yakuza princess who wants to be a teacher.  While keeping her background a secret she must try to help class 3D the worst in the school.  The story is fun, though very similar to GTO (which I would also recommend).  Its funny and the characters are strong.  The ending is stronger than most, so all around its a good choice to watch.  If you read the manga the story and characters do appear to be a bit different in the drama.