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5-ji Kara 9-ji Made (2015)
Synopsis
An extremely persistent monk, Takane, falls in love with an English teacher, Junko, who wants nothing to do with him.
Exciting moments/the pros
I picked this drama because of Yamashita Tomohisa (aka Yamapi), which I find to be a pretty impressive actor. I first saw him in Nobuta Wo Produce (2005) and Stand Up!! (2003). (Please go check these out if you haven't already!)
This drama was filmed in 2015... but he definitely does not look 33 years old. His acting is still exceptional and he had wonderful chemistry with Ishihara Satomi (who also does not look like she's in her thirties.).
The most exciting parts were the multiple times the two characters almost kissed and how unrealistically clingy/sweet Takane (Yamashita) was. His random appearances with flowers and new shoes were borderline stalking at times but also fitting for a cheesy drama such as this.
The cast overall is great. There were only 10 episodes so things moved pretty quickly. The subplots weren't explored too much, but I enjoyed watching the other characters. Each character has a problem in their love lives while still keeping the storyline flowing and not making you wonder, "What is the point of this?"
English plays a big part and everyone nailed it. I've seen some bad English moments in other dramas such as The Heirs (2013). I can't speak Japanese though so I can't judge them too harshly! Furukawa Yuki, who plays Junko's friend Satoshi, is fluent in English -- and it shows!
Check out this clip!
The cons
The cheese factor is high in this one (as you saw in this video above), but it didn't affect the drama too much. Takane is suddenly in love with Junko (the reason at the end was a bit thoughtless in my opinion) and he follows her around ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, the reality is that if Takane wasn't so good looking I think Junko would have called the police on him right away.
Junko's character starts off as being clumsy (like most romantic comedy women...). She is clueless about the multiple men who love her, but she also works hard and keeps her main goal in mind. I hate when the main character starts off with a goal and ends up forgetting it completely by the end.
Overall thoughts
Five to Nine is quick and entertaining. There are lots of laughs and cute Yamashita moments. It would have been better as a movie, but I do recommend checking this one out. I would have liked if the characters had more depth, but the back stories were consistent and helped to drive the narrative. If you're looking for a charming/non-realistic drama this is the one to watch!
Final Score: 3 Pulses out of 5
Kiss-O-Meter
2/5
Many of the kisses never end up happening and the only one seen was shot too far away. The chemistry was great between them though.
BONUS
It took me 8 or 9 episodes in to realize that Takane's brother, Amane is played by Shison Jun who also played Kazuma from Todome No Kiss. If you haven't seen that drama yet please go check it out! Especially if you like time travel and Yamazaki Kento. (And no I'm not talking about the movie Orange (2015), but that is another good time travel story with Kento.)
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