Jdrama Review: Kazoku Game (2013)

Kazoku Game
家族ゲーム
9/10 ♥♥♥

As usual, I make sure I receive good recommendations on Jdramas before I watch them – and supposedly Kazoku Game, or The Family Game, is one of the year’s best? I think can understand why now this drama was winning awards left and right, particularly with respect to its casting and the myriad of complex characters.

I looked into the plot as little as I could before diving straight into this, but it might be worth knowing that Kazoku Game is no easy breezy drama. At its heart is the character building, or un-building, of those who would be bullied, and those who would be bullies. Granted, the theme of school bullying is hardly unheard of in Asian drama (it’s basically got its own genre), but what sets this apart is in the unique perspective of family life and how it effects not only the children but the parents themselves.

Meet the ‘home tutor’ of a lifetime, Yoshimoto Koya (Arashi’s Sakurai Sho) and his charges. 

He’s going to help the Numata boys Shigeyuki (Uragami Seichu) and Shinichi (Kamiki Ryunosuke) do better in school, and train their parents to help them become a more loving and caring family. 

Or is he?

Welcome to the mystery, and the ride – whatever it is.

What’s crazy about Kazoku Game is that we really have no idea what’s going on, or what’s going to happen from minute 1:00 to the ending scene. What’s real, who’s genuine? Starting with Yoshimoto, the biggest creeper of the entire drama – I should admit that he scared the shit out of me. What’s his story and what’s his game? No one knows, and no manner of digging ever seems to unearth the real personality underneath. It’s a great thriller. Is he a psycho teacher/tutor or just a really unconventional do-gooder? And just how much will he push his charges until they become just as psycho as he is (if they weren’t already before?)

Spoilers Beyond + Thoughts on Character Relationships 

Post Surgery + Drama Update

Behold! I have found my computer chair again - and believe me, it hurt s*** to lower myself down into this place. I'm typing now because I'm relatively comfy and I'm not sure yet how I'm going to get myself out of it, hehe.

Woe is me

Long story short - I was having a picture perfect recovery cozily back at home, until 3 nights ago when my left leg started having incredibly painful spasms, probably related to a temporary form of sciatica. Gone are my cheerful facebook picture updates showing a happy patient. Born is an incredibly grumpy version of myself, who walks with a cane, angrily dialing my doctor's nurse and playing phone tag for 2 days straight. I've come to the conclusion that being old in 40-50 years is gonna be a bitch. At least I've got my cane skills down, as I've figured out how to aim at and poke people when they walk by. Yeah, I'm gonna be one hell of an old person some day.. xD

Funny, in all this time I have watched less dramas, listened to less Kpop, and read less books than I expected in the week since my surgery. Most of the time I've spent sleeping, pretending to sleep, trying to sleep, or just staring blankly at the world; happy when visitors come by, happy when they leave. 

I did manage to watch last week's episodes of The Master's Sun in the hospital with my mom (a good wtf experience for both of us), another episode of Just You, and I added a few more eps to my long tally of Shin Don, a drama which simultaneously excites me with its awesomeness, and bores me with its talking heads. Oh, and I also started watching Hotelier with my mother-in-law. I've been trying to explain Kdrama cliches to her for months. Now she predicts them with me. It's awesome. 

On today's agenda: who knows. But now that I've found my computer again, a whole new world is reopened to me. :)

Having Surgery: Need Drama Recs

I'm about take another short vacation, an extended stay at the hospital. My favorite place. Oh the joy! But yes, I'll be gone for a bit, as I'm having a small-ish spinal operation tomorrow morning. 4 days admittance max, if all goes well of course, and then I should be home on bedrest for 2-4 weeks. You know what that means... DRAMA MARATHON!!! Give me recs. I'll need lots and lots of dramas to keep me entertained. I'm naturally a lazy person, but that's only by choice. Being forced to stay down may not really sit well me with (sit well... get it? Hah) 

Oh the horror! I will miss several of my
 currently airing shows! How will I live?

Fun Fact (sort of): I signed all the pre-op forms this morning. There's general anesthesia involved - of course one of the possible though extremely rare side effects could result in, dun dun Dun!... Amnesia! I barely resisted the urge to shout out, "So I could wake up in a Kdrama??"

I've actually got no real anxiety about this. Doctors have been searching for a diagnosis for 2 years, and for at least the past 10 I have consistently just ignored my physical condition, believing it to have no real cure and that it wasn't going to get any worse. Wrong! But I'm pretty confident that this will help me immensely, and it's not nearly as complicated as most "spinal surgeries" are made out to be. 

Now I just need to pack my hospital bag with books, lots of books. Because no doubt there will be crummy TV in my room that may or may not work, and if it works, it's definitely not going to have streaming Asian drama. 

See you on the other side, chingoos!

DRAMA CLUB: The Master's Sun, Episodes 3-8

I know, I know.. My recaps/reviews have been spotty for a few weeks. Blame traveling across the country, plus lack of stable internet for weeks, plus moving into a new house and the LOADS of work that involves. I need 10 more bookshelves, and an additional room for a library. Anyone want to donate to a poor, helpless used-to-be-reader? 

 But I've still managed to watch The Master's Sun, which is turning out to be more than I'd hoped for! *fingers crossed* 

And eyeballs opened! 

Check out my reviews for Episodes 3-4 and 7-8 on DramaFever.