JAPANESE DRAMA DATABASE: Jodan Jyanai <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#343D4B" vlink="#8E9AA8" background="dorama_back.gif"> <font color="#000000"><script language=JavaScript>  </script> </font> <div align="left"> <table width="581" height="614" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td height="125" valign="top"><div align="center"><font face="Verdana" color="#000000"><img src="jdd1.jpg" width="500" height="125" alt="jdd1.jpg (28854 bytes)"></font></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="577" height="20" valign="top" bgcolor="#7A7A7A"><p align="center"><img src="j-entgray.gif" width="300" height="18"><FONT color="#000000" FACE="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><small><small><small><small><small> </small></small></small></small></small></FONT></p></td></tr> <tr> <td height="461" valign="top"> <div align="left"><i><b> </b></i> <div align="left"> <b> </b> <div align="left"> <div align="left"> <div align="left"> <p><font color="#000000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="6"><b> <font size="4">Jodan Jyanai (No Joke)</font></b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oda Yuji (39) and co-stars Ueno Juri (20) and Tanaka Kei (49) were promoting their upcoming TBS drama “Jodan Ja nai!” (No Joke) on Monday. Oda Yuji plays the character of a 40-year-old man who marries Eren, not knowing until later that Eren is the daughter of his former girlfriend.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br> Oda sings the theme song “Hug, Hug” which will be released on April 25th. The drama starts on April 15th at 9:00 on TBS.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">From Daily Yomiuri, April 6, 2007 (Televiews/Wm. Penn): On the Drama Scene: Three talented veteran actors break through the gaggle of young Johnny's Jimusho stars hogging drama prime-time this quarter. Am eager to see whether Jodan Jyanai (TBS, Sundays, 9 p.m. starting April 15) will be a triumphant comeback for Yuji Oda, who has not starred in a small-screen series in four years. Oda has been criticized in the vernacular press where it has been suggested it is hard for other actors to work with him because of his perfectionism. But if it's one thing we need more of on Japanese TV, it is perfectionists truly dedicated to their craft.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">From Daily Yomiuri, April 23, 2007 (Televiews/Wm. Penn): I had great hopes that the new Yuji Oda offering Jodan Janai (TBS network, Sundays, 9 p.m.) would ace the test this spring season.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's a romantic comedy about a fashionable 40-ish guy, Keita Takamura (Oda), who marries a woman 20 years his junior only to discover her mother, Rie, is the older woman he dated in college. Still, his in-laws live on a vineyard in France. As Takamura is a research engineer in Tokyo, he figures he can keep the past a secret.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Back in Tokyo, there is no honeymoon waiting. His new neighbor turns out to be an old college pal who remembers Rie and she suddenly shows up and decides to move in with the newlyweds. Meanwhile, Takamura's company begins restructuring and he is tapped for a job in the sales department. in Kagoshima. His other option is early retirement.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And if all this is not enough, Nonomura (Naoko Iijima) is hovering in the background. Takamura casually lent her a hankie in a pub. Now she is smitten and thinks he is her "handkerchief prince."</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oda did not disappoint, but the casting of the two women in his life falls flat. The chemistry doesn't quite work. It is hard to imagine him in love with the immature Eren (Juri Ueno) or her mother (Shinobu Otake). With this cast, they might have done better to let Sanma Akashiya play the husband and let Oda use his considerable talents elsewhere.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">But Oda is a pro, and in his hands Jodan Janai was still the most pleasant way to waste an hour this week.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>STARRING:</b> Oda Yuji, Ueno Juri, Tanaka Kei, Iijima Naoko<br> <b>NETWORK: </b>TBS<br> <b>Theme Song:</b> "Hug Hug" by Oda Yuji<br> <strong>DURATION</strong>: April-June 2007</font></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <hr noshade color="#343D4B" size="1"> <p align="center"><FONT color="#000000" FACE="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><small><small><small><small><small><small><font size="2">Copyright © 1993-2007 Japanese Dorama Database. nt2099 media and entertainment.<br> A non-profit site created by drama fans for drama fans. </font></small></small></small></small></small></small></FONT></p></td> </tr> </table> </div> </body> </html>