[Discussion] Strawberry Night

Romance · Post by **Romance** » Jan 16th, '12, 01:00

Another new high quality drama that noone seems to carry about.
What did you guys think of the first episode? For myself, i loved it! No doubt that this will be in the top of the best dramas this season.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 16th, '12, 02:51

I'm still waiting for subs

trasuachieumua · Post by **trasuachieumua** » Jan 16th, '12, 12:11

There was sub for Strawberry Night by SBKFansub ^^
http://sbkfansubs.livejournal.com/profile
I will wait for the HD version but I watched the raw. This drama is really attractive to me although I am not interested in detective drama "D.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 16th, '12, 17:58

Thanks. I googled it and noticed the subs yesterday. It was difficult to read the text but it's great there's subs. I think the first ep is pretty good. I watched the special previously and enjoyed that too. I always thought Reiko should date Kikuta, especially when the mom insists she marry before she moved out LOL

I found the ending of episode 1 amusing. It had me rolling my eyes

Ladymercury · Post by **Ladymercury** » Jan 16th, '12, 22:00

seirin wrote: It was difficult to read the text but it's great there's subs. I think the first ep is pretty good.

We'll try harder to pick a better font set next time. I think I'm glad we were able to do hard subs at all.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 16th, '12, 22:22

Ladymercury wrote:
seirin wrote: It was difficult to read the text but it's great there's subs. I think the first ep is pretty good.
We'll try harder to pick a better font set next time. I think I'm glad we were able to do hard subs at all.

Thank you for subbing the drama! I think a simple font with white text and black outline is probably easier to read.

jell_o_jello · Post by **jell_o_jello** » Jan 18th, '12, 18:29

Saw this since it was an SP in 2010 and liked it, though it's darker and a bit disturbing (how the victims are killed).

Thank you SBK so much for subbing this. I was surprised no one announced to do it before you guys. I'm so glad you are subbing this. I have no complains about the subs, although it would be great if you could upload on mediafire too? i'm in dorm and megaupload doesn't really work most the time.

Romance · Post by **Romance** » Jan 19th, '12, 01:49

Yes I also recommend you all to watch the 2010 special. In that one you for example get to know the reason behind the name "strawberry night", and so on =)

quandary · Post by **quandary** » Jan 19th, '12, 03:06

Here's yet one more police drama where an obviously skilled detective is disliked by some of her superiors and co-workers for no discernible reason. Can't they think of any other way to have dramatic conflict? Despite that it's still pretty good. She suffers from PTSD from her sexual assault from a few years before, but she seems to function, professionally, rather well despite it. Her mother seems to have it worse than she does, which is interesting. Fortunately, her team realizes they're working for someone pretty special. I'll keep watching because Yuko-chan seldom disappoints.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 19th, '12, 03:26

I am starting to wonder though. Does the police in Japan really act that way? Racist against females I mean. If a female makes it up in ranks, do the males give them a hard time?

badcompany · Post by **badcompany** » Jan 19th, '12, 08:12

If you believe the police are in any way as they're depicted in jdramas, then you'd have to believe the Japanese police are amongst the world's most incompetent of coppers.

Romance · Post by **Romance** » Jan 19th, '12, 08:35

It's just a drama thing... but im sure it happens, just like in any other country.

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Jan 19th, '12, 10:49

I loved the first episode! I'm going to watch the second one tonight

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 20th, '12, 02:22

badcompany wrote:If you believe the police are in any way as they're depicted in jdramas, then you'd have to believe the Japanese police are amongst the world's most incompetent of coppers.

I'm just referring to the sexism at work. It wouldn't be surprising if females are treated inferior to men since Japan tends to be pretty traditional with certain things. I've heard some Japanese companies are sexist.

Anon. · Post by **Anon.** » Jan 21st, '12, 03:03

Mmm...this is a little bit off topic, but does anyone know if this is basically the same thing as the special that aired a while ago? I was hoping that the Special was some sort of prequel...but I'm not so sure...I guess maybe I'll answer my own question by watching the first episode.

But thanks to SBK for subbing this. <3

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 21st, '12, 03:09

Anon. wrote:Mmm...this is a little bit off topic, but does anyone know if this is basically the same thing as the special that aired a while ago? I was hoping that the Special was some sort of prequel...but I'm not so sure...I guess maybe I'll answer my own question by watching the first episode.

But thanks to SBK for subbing this. <3

The cases aren't related. However the case covered in the special was called "Strawberry Night". Also, there's a flashback to the special in episode 1. If you didn't watch it, you won't know why she's upset and the flashback.

Anon. · Post by **Anon.** » Jan 21st, '12, 03:20

seirin wrote:
Anon. wrote:Mmm...this is a little bit off topic, but does anyone know if this is basically the same thing as the special that aired a while ago? I was hoping that the Special was some sort of prequel...but I'm not so sure...I guess maybe I'll answer my own question by watching the first episode.

But thanks to SBK for subbing this. <3
The cases aren't related. However the case covered in the special was called "Strawberry Night". Also, there's a flashback to the special in episode 1. If you didn't watch it, you won't know why she's upset and the flashback.

Oh, cool beans~! Thanks for answering.

Now I get to know the answer before I watch it.

badcompany · Post by **badcompany** » Jan 21st, '12, 13:48

seirin wrote:
badcompany wrote:If you believe the police are in any way as they're depicted in jdramas, then you'd have to believe the Japanese police are amongst the world's most incompetent of coppers.
I'm just referring to the sexism at work. It wouldn't be surprising if females are treated inferior to men since Japan tends to be pretty traditional with certain things. I've heard some Japanese companies are sexist.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off sounding like a b!tch.

But yeah, sure it still exists in the work place, as does racism, or any other 'ism you can think of. I think we'd all be deluding ourselves if we thought otherwise.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 24th, '12, 07:35

I was just watching ep 2 and the writing seems really flawed. Or do they run things differently in Japan?

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Jan 24th, '12, 08:35

seirin wrote:I was just watching ep 2 and the writing seems really flawed. Or do they run things differently in Japan?
The scene of the crime is suppose to be untouched until the forensics arrive. Then the forensics gather all the evidence from the scene and label it. They're documented and delivered directly to the forensics dept untainted. If in between transition, the evidence is left unattended, it becomes unless because they can argue someone can tampered with it.

So how is it the inspector can hide evidence? That evidence will be come useless and can't be used later to prosecute the criminal. And the police let him do that? O_o

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 24th, '12, 08:46

Then if you follow that situation. Evidence can also be easily planted at the scene of the crime and used to incriminate. That's not investigation. Seems like they're saying there's no code of ethics.

I know some police don't follow things by the book and beat up suspects during interrogation (It happens in Canada, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happens in Japan). Not that it's right, but some do it. But tampering with evidence is illegal I think.

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Jan 24th, '12, 08:50

seirin wrote:Then if you follow that situation. Evidence can also be easily planted at the scene of the crime and used to incriminate. That's not investigation. Seems like they're saying there's no code of ethics.

Ummm, I think it's just a fictional drama, not a social commentary on Japanese policework.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 24th, '12, 08:53

emma-ba wrote:
seirin wrote:Then if you follow that situation. Evidence can also be easily planted at the scene of the crime and used to incriminate. That's not investigation. Seems like they're saying there's no code of ethics.
Ummm, I think it's just a fictional drama, not a social commentary on Japanese policework.

That's why I said the writing seems flawed. If they wanted to do it like that, they should have him arrive at the scene first, notice it and hide it. Instead of forensics finding it and handing it over to him. It's just not realistic enough even if it's a fictional story.

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Jan 24th, '12, 09:10

seirin wrote:
emma-ba wrote:
seirin wrote:Then if you follow that situation. Evidence can also be easily planted at the scene of the crime and used to incriminate. That's not investigation. Seems like they're saying there's no code of ethics.
Ummm, I think it's just a fictional drama, not a social commentary on Japanese policework.
That's why I said the writing seems flawed. If they wanted to do it like that, they should have him arrive at the scene first, notice it and hide it. Instead of forensics finding it and handing it over to him. It's just not realistic enough even if it's a fictional story.

I agree with your point there, he is rather brazen about the whole thing. Maybe it's a timeline thing as well, if the detectives are only informed after the forensics have gone on scene. I don't enough about policework to say.

From Gantetsu's description on the website it seems that he is a bit of a corrupt officer but because his arrest rate is so high no one does or says anything about it. With that in mind it could be he knows he's safe so he doesn't bother with sneaking around.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 24th, '12, 18:22

emma-ba wrote: From Gantetsu's description on the website it seems that he is a bit of a corrupt officer but because his arrest rate is so high no one does or says anything about it. With that in mind it could be he knows he's safe so he doesn't bother with sneaking around.

With that said, it seems to indicate there's corruption within the police. It's not a new concept anyhow I guess. It happens everywhere, even in Canada. Police break laws but co-workers turn a blind eye to it.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Jan 29th, '12, 20:52

This case doesn't seem too difficult. They could have solved it in one episode. I have no idea why they stretched it to two ep. Cid's identity was pretty easy to guess. Kikuta and Reiko make such a great pair

hehe As soon as she yells Kikuta, he's already prepared to intercept from the back. One brain and one bronze. Great combo!

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Feb 2nd, '12, 19:44

seirin wrote:This case doesn't seem too difficult. They could have solved it in one episode. I have no idea why they stretched it to two ep. Cid's identity was pretty easy to guess. Kikuta and Reiko make such a great pair hehe As soon as she yells Kikuta, he's already prepared to intercept from the back. One brain and one bronze. Great combo!

I felt this episode dragged a bit towards the end. I like the last few scenes though, when Gantetsu dropped off the money and the toy and when the Himekawa looks at her hand the episode title suddenly makes sense

iLLusiOnEr · Post by **iLLusiOnEr** » Feb 4th, '12, 20:24

for those who want to watch the series, i would recommend you watch the SP first to get better understanding why the title so and our 'Princess' detective behave a certain way.

'Gantetsu' is not the real character's name.It is Katsumata Kensaku. Gantetsu I remember is his nickname-'iron gun'(?)

I like the theme, Misenai Namida wa, Kitto Itsuka by GReeeeN, better than SP theme. Here's the youtube: GReeeeN ミセナイナミダハ、きっといつか

seirin wrote:This case doesn't seem too difficult. They could have solved it in one episode. I have no idea why they stretched it to two ep. Cid's identity was pretty easy to guess. Kikuta and Reiko make such a great pair hehe As soon as she yells Kikuta, he's already prepared to intercept from the back. One brain and one bronze. Great combo!

waiting for the romance bit between Hime and Kikuta. Also Nori's past seem to be a major plot..maybe?

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 4th, '12, 20:37

Kikuta really needs to make his move soon. It's already ep 4 and he hasn't shown her his feelings. It would make her mom happy if he confessed

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Feb 4th, '12, 20:42

Episode 4 - another two part case, I wonder if it'll be like this throughout the whole series?

I prefer this case to the last one, mainly because I get annoyed by 'I hate the world' high school girls. I can't imagine Kikuta making a move on Himekawa, he's more of a 'watch from the shadows' bodyguard type

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 4th, '12, 21:57

Well, if Kikuta doesn't make a move, Reiko won't realize his feelings. She's so absorbed in work, she doesn't notice anything else around her. It would be sad if it takes Kikuta's death to make him confess.

The second case wasn't anything exciting or difficult. The first one was more challenging to solve because it was mostly intuition. The third case seems to deal with corrupt cops. It's so so. I think the most interesting case so far is still the special.

omph · Post by **omph** » Feb 7th, '12, 10:46

seirin wrote:This case doesn't seem too difficult. They could have solved it in one episode. I have no idea why they stretched it to two ep. Cid's identity was pretty easy to guess. Kikuta and Reiko make such a great pair hehe As soon as she yells Kikuta, he's already prepared to intercept from the back. One brain and one bronze. Great combo!

About Sid, I thought so, too.

About your post right above mine...
I agree that the SP was the most interesting. From what I've read, the SP was based off of a best-seller novel. While the SP and drama are written by the same screenwriter, the original author only wrote the SP and the screenwriter is writing the drama. So I think that's why the drama isn't as good as the SP.
Even so, I still think the drama is great in comparison to other jdramas, which tend to be bubbly and frilly--which I like, too, but it's nice to watch something serious and a bit more complex as well.

As much as I want to see the romance between Kikuta and Reiko, I feel like it would distract from the plot line and seem really out of place. If it gets worked into the drama, I hope it'll be worked in well as to not make the drama seem off.
I think it will be really subtle... and probably in the last two minutes of the last episode.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 8th, '12, 01:31

omph wrote: About Sid, I thought so, too.
I think the problem was in the casting. They chose such a popular actress that her appearing on screen for such a small insignificant role to greeting guests didn't make sense. That, or they should've set up her character better so those who know her face wouldn't keep wondering when she'd pop up again.
I guess even if I didn't know Oomasa, I'd eventually be able to guess. Knowing her though, I was able to guess much quicker (when they realized it wasn't her dad).

It's not that actress that made it stand out. There were many hints and one was slapped in the face too.

omph wrote: As much as I want to see the romance between Kikuta and Reiko, I feel like it would distract from the plot line and seem really out of place. If it gets worked into the drama, I hope it'll be worked in well as to not make the drama seem off.
I think it will be really subtle... and probably in the last two minutes of the last episode.

I just feel bad for Kikuta who keeps his feelings contained. He's so protective of her and worries what she thinks of him in every ep ^^;

omph · Post by **omph** » Feb 8th, '12, 02:34

seirin wrote:
It's not that actress that made it stand out. There were many hints and one was slapped in the face too.

1) During interview with one of the girls at the Karaoke bar, she claimed she forged her parents card to access Gachi online. Her parents doesn't their statements. She also said there's someone on Gachi who forges credit card

2) Reiko even said Gachi is mostly used by people ages between 20's and 30's. I think also teenagers too since they interviewed one of them who does prostitution in high school

3) When they went to take in the guy (suspect for cid) for questioning, he was out and they saw the daughter. Ioka asked if she ever used forged credit cards. (The light instantly went on). She replied no but I thought she could lie. No one's gonna admit to forging credit cards, especially with the mom around.

You're right, and I did notice those things while watching, especially your last point. I also do think that their choice of actress did play a part in it though-- at least it did for me.

Romance-wise... I think she's yearning for him, too, but maybe not as much as him for her.

I'm not a writer an can't think of how the romance would fit into the story well without taking away from the main plot line of murder cases, but maybe (and hopefully) the screenwriter can. ^^

Random: The SP really reminded me of Dexter (the American series). The drama isn't quite as intense, so I only think Dexter when the gory stuff shows up.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 8th, '12, 04:03

Kikuta x Reiko

Anon. · Post by **Anon.** » Feb 11th, '12, 02:00

I agree that that Sid episode was pretty obvious.

I'm actually a huge Nori x Shunin fan....Kikuta kinda irks me for some reason. I saw this actor in his last drama, but I loved his character then (and they're pretty much 90% similar)...not exactly sure why this character's bugging me so much. Unfortunately, Reiko and Nori don't actually get much alone time together. T_T But since it's a crime drama, it'll prolly have some open-ended romance...like Boss, Mr. Brain etc.

My feelings about this drama are complicated. The bad is that it's overacted (and if I can tell, that means that it's way more than a little), a bit melodramatic, and a touch too predictable for my liking. But this drama's been the only jdrama I've really been able to get into this season...I thought for sure I'd like the Dirty Mama (forget it's name, but it's something similar) 'specially because of the second lead actress Karina (I seriously love her <3) but unfortunately the drama was rather....beyond bad and falling into utterly corny area...uhh, getting sidetracked.

But the good is that it has likable characters (well, I'm the exception with Kikuta), emotional storytelling, and that something extra that makes you keep want to watching even after figuring out the villain is 20% through the story arc. I'm going to keep watching, definitely. Just wish it had as captivating a murder-line as the original special.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 11th, '12, 02:41

The thing with Kikuta is that he doesn't disclose his emotions. He keeps it inside so you never know what he's thinking at times. He only talks about work related stuff and he's very calm and clear headed. I've never seen him upset. Maybe he irks you cuz he's too perfect? I haven't noticed any personal flaws in him. When he said he used to dislike working for Reiko, I don't think he showed it either. He just follows orders. Unlike Noriyuki. He actually shows attitude that he's not happy with her as chief.

I just think Kikuta is good for Reiko because she really relies on and trusts him. She always gets Kikuta to walk her home it seems. Ioka offered in one of the episode but she said Kikuta will do it ^^; Also from the interview it seems Kikuta considers Reiko as his princess who he will protect with his life.

As for this season's drama. Maybe you should check out Renai Neet. It's pretty funny. First episode isn't that good, but second ep on starts to get more interesting.

After watching raw for ep5, I think that story isn't too bad. It's pretty touching and unpredictable. I kind of thought it was a cop gone wild but the ending brings a twist to it. It seems to say, don't assume things. Do proper investigation before judging someone, especially a loved one. Trust is important. I think if he wasn't so stubborn and one tracked mind, he could have saved himself and his family. It's a tragedy.

lunas · Post by **lunas** » Feb 12th, '12, 23:55

I've watched the sp and now up to ep. 5.

Did they ever explain why Himekawa have to cover her shoes in plastic bags when she enter crime scene where as others investigator doesn't? is it because her shoes is brand name so she have to protect them? I noticed on ep.4 one of the lady said "wow, Hermes"

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Feb 12th, '12, 23:58

I assume it's so they don't contaminate the crime scene with whatever is on the bottom of their shoes. It's her handbag that's made by Hermes.

avieamber · Post by **avieamber** » Feb 13th, '12, 01:08

lunas wrote:I've watched the sp and now up to ep. 5.

Did they ever explain why Himekawa have to cover her shoes in plastic bags when she enter crime scene where as others investigator doesn't? is it because her shoes is brand name so she have to protect them? I noticed on ep.4 one of the lady said "wow, Hermes"

Yea, to avoid contamination. And I think it's just me but I like how the guys know her very well that once she arrives at the scene, they'll straightaway give her the plastic, one guy holds her bag, another lets her lean on them as she wears the plastic?

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 13th, '12, 02:51

This isn't the only thing too. She really seems to have a great team who understands her so well, she doesn't need to speak and they understand her thoughts. Like the nod of her head and Kikuta knew he was suppose to cover the back. They know not to order the egg dish at the restaurant cuz it upsets her. And they seem to know where she's at when she's on standby at not in the office.

avieamber · Post by **avieamber** » Feb 13th, '12, 02:55

^ all of the above too

That aside, I'm really disappointed with the last 2 episodes. The last case was just so draggy and pointless (to me though).

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 13th, '12, 03:41

I also thought the case was kind of dragging and pointless. Everyone knows about the judicial problems for juvenile punishment. And a case of cop gone bad. But the ending has an interesting twist so it wasn't all for nothing. It's too bad it ended in tragedy. If the police had put more effort into the investigation instead of being lazy ass about it,

In real life some people who are innocent get convicted by mistake and end up going to jail. Their lives get ruined and years later the police find out they got the wrong person.

As for dragging, I think the second case dragged too long. It could have been solved in one episode. It was pretty simple, I don't know why Reiko never picked up all the hints. Ioka may be a joke at times, but what he says sometimes pins the nail on the donkey. She really should take him seriously instead of dismissing him. He's saved her ass before.

The third case seems to require more time because they needed time to give background information and do a lot of flashbacks because the case has been ongoing for awhile on the side.

avieamber · Post by **avieamber** » Feb 13th, '12, 04:29

^ You're right! I like Ioka! as much as he's annoying sometimes, and can't read the atmosphere, he's always hit the bulleye on several occasions. I hope he'll come back in the cases soon.

About the 3rd case

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 13th, '12, 05:21

about ep 3. Yes.

lunas · Post by **lunas** » Feb 13th, '12, 16:38

avieamber,
Thanks for confirming my questions...and yes I do agreed with you...her teammates know her well.

As for case 3, it bother me too. If the ex-cop is smart enough to did what he did. Then why didn't isn't he thought abt the possibility and investigate...the ending for his family wouldn't be tragic. Sad! I do like how they build up/un-fold the story tho...w/ Koide Keisuke's Nori character.

I also think case 2 is draggy too. but I guess they wanted to include the relationship of each division/teams and throw in the unnecessary "twist" and try to make the case seem complicated when we (viewers) already solved the case.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 15th, '12, 08:44

A jealous Reiko makes for an interesting episode

The case is so so. Reiko seems really good at reading criminal thoughts... I'm always awed how some comes up with these odd ideas.

Anon. · Post by **Anon.** » Feb 18th, '12, 18:33

seirin wrote:The thing with Kikuta is that he doesn't disclose his emotions. He keeps it inside so you never know what he's thinking at times. He only talks about work related stuff and he's very calm and clear headed. I've never seen him upset. Maybe he irks you cuz he's too perfect? I haven't noticed any personal flaws in him. When he said he used to dislike working for Reiko, I don't think he showed it either. He just follows orders. Unlike Noriyuki. He actually shows attitude that he's not happy with her as chief.

I just think Kikuta is good for Reiko because she really relies on and trusts him. She always gets Kikuta to walk her home it seems. Ioka offered in one of the episode but she said Kikuta will do it ^^; Also from the interview it seems Kikuta considers Reiko as his princess who he will protect with his life.

As for this season's drama. Maybe you should check out Renai Neet. It's pretty funny. First episode isn't that good, but second ep on starts to get more interesting.

After watching raw for ep5, I think that story isn't too bad. It's pretty touching and unpredictable. I kind of thought it was a cop gone wild but the ending brings a twist to it. It seems to say, don't assume things. Do proper investigation before judging someone, especially a loved one. Trust is important. I think if he wasn't so stubborn and one tracked mind, he could have saved himself and his family. It's a tragedy.

First, as for episode 4-5:

Yeah...I realized after watching *half* of this episode (6) exactly what was bothering me. It's not Kikuta...in his own right, he's awesome. I think it's just the pairing...for example: this drama makes a huge noise about how women aren't weak creatures, are a formidable force...basically advocates the strong woman. This woman is epitomized through Reiko...or that was the intention anyways. I draw on this conclusion from her position (obtaining an extremely high up position, not only in a significantly short time period, but also as a non-career), the respect of her teammates (Kikuta included) and the grudging respect of the other heads. This, tied in with the small comments hidden throughout the series contradicting 'women shouldn't be in the workforce' and heck...you've got yourself the perfect spokesperson in Reiko.

Throughout this series, it's become obvious that Reiko isn't as strong as she pretends to be: that she's still 'traumatized' at heart despite her attempts to 'be strong and better than the rest'. Now I realize that every human has their weak points...and every person, man or woman, has a right to their own weaknesses (especially when the weakness results from a mind-altering traumatic event). But instead of facing them, headstrong and dealing with her problems (like a character in her position should do), Reiko just runs away...So where this ties into my pairing-problem, is this.

With Kikuta, Reiko becomes, pretty much, an ill-hidden tsundere. Plain, and simple...and I hate it. She gets jealous over him, she throws subtle hints here and there, loses her temper 'for no reason' here and there....I mean, it's like the two leads of Love Hina (a manga reference). I can't see their relationship as one being on equal grounds, rather...it seems more to me like exactly what you said: Kikuta treats Reiko like his princess...willing to do anything to protect her. It's like she can't take care of her own problems on her own -- he goes out of his way to solve them for her as if she were not capable of doing so...or as if she shouldn't have to . And in the end, she actually wants to be his princess...her personality just won't allow her to come out and say it. So...what exactly is this drama saying because I'm getting mixed messages? Is it saying that women should be treated the same as men, or is it saying that even the most powerful of women is only as strong as the weakest man? Because in the end, despite what Reiko accomplishes...despite what she's apparently out to prove, she just wants to be like every other girl -- like every other female -- and be rescued in the end. I don't particularly care what the drama's saying, but I do care that this drama is starting to look very hypocritical. Pick a side and stick with it, don't start waffling along the center line. Either Reiko is supposed to epitomize an independent woman (like Boss & Boss II), or she's stuck in a metaphorical cage, waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. When the drama (with the precluding special) started out, it seemed as if the former was the drive of the show. Now, it seems to be sliding more and more to the later. I still haven't been able to finish the sixth episode because jealous Reiko is kinda making me sick. (I'm not saying she shouldn't fall in love with anyone...I just wish it was a more mature romance as befitting a character like herself. Instead, it seems childish and immature... reminiscent, to me, of the pairing of the Taiwanese girl and Ren in Tsuki no Koibito).

But, that's my two-cents on that pairing, and the true reason why I don't like it. :]

As for Renai Neet, it looked a bit weird, but I'll check it out. Maybe it's better than it looks...like Ninkyo Helper, haha.

------

On a side note, KUMI APPEARED. OMG. (Kumi reference to Boku to Star no 99 nichi...it's what Nishijima Hidetoshi's character called her because he couldn't remember her name). Not sure what it is about her, but I love her. The last time she appeared, I jumped ships (and this is what...halfway+ through the drama?)... I think I'm doing it this season too, because I'm now shipping her and Nori...though, Nori's acting a bit...ugh. Can't really explain it.

All in all though, I might be dropping this drama...which would kind of suck, considering that it's currently the only drama I'm watching this season and I'm a huge fan of jdramas. Maybe I'll be able to get into one of the others...or maybe I'll be able to finish the 6th episode.[/spoiler]

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 19th, '12, 00:57

The story is pretty simple. It's not as complicated as you're making it out to be.

Reiko is a competent woman and far from weak. She still has to get over her past but it's not an easy thing to do. She's pretty much traumatized by it and who can blame her. Can you imagine how it must feel to be violated? She may or may never get over it but she's living on and that takes strength and courage. If you see the way she dresses; clean cut outfit, brand name shoes and brand name bag. She wants to carry the image of a confident and capable woman so that the others won't look down on her. There are many inspectors there who are trying to climb to the top and they're pretty competitive. She has to stay on top or get kicked out. After all it's First Investigation Division. Many people want to be there. She has to watch her back. She has to keep a good image and work hard to prove herself so others can't find fault in her to kick her out.

As for her relationship with Kikuta, they're both good friends and co-worker. Neither want to rock the boat I think and probably both afraid of rejection. To Kikuta, he respects Reiko and thinks she's a very capable woman. He cares about her so he will protect her from harm. He's not good with females, so I don't think he knows how to approach her. And I don't think he wants to loser her as a co-worker either if things go bad. He's also unsure about her feelings. After all, he's knows nothing about women and pretty dense. To Reiko, Kikuta is a very supportive and reliable assistant she cherishes. She doesn't know how he feels about her (he hides his feelings) and I doubt she realizes her feelings for him either. She's never fallen in love and her only goal is to work hard and put all the scum bags in jail so there will be less victims like herself. (No she's not looking for a knight in shining armour. She's not interested in dating guys, but I sense she has feelings for Kikuta she hasn't realized yet)

As for Kikuta treating her as a weakling and going out of his way to solve cases for her. That's untrue. It's his job to support her. Even if he was working under other inspectors, he would do the same thing. He doesn't treat her especially differently than the others; Other than walking her home. He treats her on the same level as other inspectors. Which is why his feelings are hard to read.

Oh one thing the subs didn't seem to mention was that Takano the female detective uses the same shampoo has Reiko LOL Reiko told her to change shampoo kekekeke jealousy?

After re-reading your post. I think you might have misunderstood the third case.

This site will give a better summary description than mine regarding the characters in the drama.
http://jdramas.wordpress.com/2012/01/12 ... rry-night/

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Feb 20th, '12, 09:21

I agree with Seirin's interpretation of Kikuta and Reiko. I don't get the impression at all that Kikuta is putting her on a pedastel as a princess, nor do I get the impression that Reiko is spending her time longing for Kikuta. I feel like the main thing that Kikuta does for Reiko is trying to get Nori to respect her, but that can be attributed to the fact that Reiko is their boss and if Nori doesn't respect her and her orders it's only going to lead to poor teamwork.

Anon. wrote:But instead of facing them, headstrong and dealing with her problems (like a character in her position should do), Reiko just runs away...So where this ties into my pairing-problem, is this.

How is exactly is she supposed to face up to her problem and deal with it? Surely it would be far more unrealistic if, having suffered PTSD for many years, she suddenly got better.

imnotamotivationalspeaker

@Anon.
"Nori...though, Nori's acting a bit...ugh. Can't really explain it. "

Haha, man, if there's one thing that really gets me down about this show, it's that character. I just hate him. There's something about him that I really can't stand. My patience is tried every time he shows up, and he made the last episode incredibly boring for me (his whole arc of being assertive and then failing to protect was kind of predictable).

Love this show, though. I catch it every week live here in Japan. Last weekend, my girlfriend surprised me with an all-strawberry love feast in celebration of Valentines Day and of watching the show.To risk being as lame as Nori, I'm posting a link below

http://www.imnotamotivationalspeaker.co ... erry-nigh/

jell_o_jello · Post by **jell_o_jello** » Feb 21st, '12, 23:22

Re: Reiko and Kikuta (and probably the rest of the team)

I actually agree with Anon that the drama is sending mixed message here. Strawberry Night is similar to BOSS in that it has a female lead that needs to overcome the prejudice of her male superiors. Whereas BOSS was light-hearted, Strawberry Night is portrayed in a more serious tone. Compared to Eriko in BOSS, Reiko here is more dependent to the men in her team. And between the 2 dramas, Strawberry Night actually stresses the feminist point more so than BOSS but ends up not doing as good a job as BOSS did.

The feminist/sex discrimination premise is pretty obvious in Strawberry Night with Reiko being the only female in her team (compared to BOSS where the team was mixed). Reiko depends so much on Kikuta and the other team members. It's pretty obvious when Kikuta almost always carries her Hermes bag for her and when she arrives at the crime scenes, the rest of the team would actually bow down to help her put the plastic bag under her shoes. I'm sure that all of this has something to do with her image as the princess/lady and her name ("Hime"kawa, obvious much?). But as a character who tries to prove herself that she can do as much as men do, I find this self-contradictory. Seriously, how can she do as much as men when she can't even carry the bag herself. Sure, the idea of having the guys around you respect, help and support you is a good thing, but the problem of this drama is that it portrays this in a patronising way. Of course, her team says they respect her as a capable detective and obeys her orders but how they still treat her like a little girl bothers me. Maybe that's the Japanese way of respecting their women superior (we all know Japan is still a men-dominating society) but I guess the feminist in me finds this very contradictory.

So yeah, I actually prefer BOSS's portrayal of strong women where the lead was more independent than Strawberry Night's and although I find Reiko and Kikuta cute together, I will always have this self-contradictory feeling of liking and also not liking them at the same time.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 22nd, '12, 00:24

About her team helping her carry her bags and helping hold her up while she puts on the plastic bag over her shoes. It's not a "weakness" of a female. Or that they treat her like a little girl. It's a gentlemanly thing to do. I think her team mates are all gentleman and nice. They have a good working relationship too. Sure she could hold her own bag, anyone can, it's not a big issue. But the gentleman will offer to hold out of courtesy. Not all guys are gentleman, so I'm glad her team has such good character. I don't really like guys that just walk beside while a girl is holding something heavy. Or if a girl needs to fix her shoe, they don't offer to help her stand on one leg but rather let her bend and do it herself. Sure a girl can say she doesn't need help, but at least help was offered from the guy would be nice.

I watched Renai neet episode where Rin is in a cast and has to use crutches. She has to carry 2 bags as well. While the guy who carries 2 bags doesn't offer to help her carry the other two. And he walks off ahead cuz she's slow and he drops off one of his bag and he walks to next place with one bag, while she's holding onto two bags --; I would curse at the bastard if I were in her shoes.

Also with the cases, the drama focuses more on team work. I find with BOSS, Amami Yukie seems to be the strongest on the team. The others are written so pathetic, I just roll my eyes because they're so silly and stupid. They seem like miscast and can't do anything right. I don't feel as much team work in that as I do in Strawberry Night because Amami overpowers everyone. In Strawberry Night, everyone pulls their own weight. Even Nori who I still think is kind of a loser has pulled his own weight at times like finding the credit card counterfeiter online. Ioka who seems to be a laugh at times and a terrible detective seems to bring very insightful observations.

Regarding the sexism, I think only certain characters treat her like that. Iron gun because he has an attitude towards her but he's just an ass and Hashizume Shunsuke dislikes everyone in the first division. Hashizume is just there because he knows first division has a good record for cracking cases fast and done well, so he stays because he can take credit and improve his status. Iron gun does detective investigation using different style than Reiko and doesn't approve of her ways at times, but he still has some admiration for her even if he insults her all the time. Some the other teams I find don't treat her with sexism. But I don't know why she has attitude towards Kusaka Mamoru. He doesn't treat her badly, though he seems to be a neat freak and competitive at solving cases. I think maybe she's jealous of him cuz he gets praised by the heads. Imaizumi Haruo is the one who saw potential in her and recruited her. So he treats her with respect. He even listens to her crazy hypothesis, some true and some wrong. Kikuta's ex-head doesn't seem to treat her with sexism either. But he is also competitive.

It's odd. I sometimes get the feeling Ishikura Tamotsu kind of treats Reiko like a daughter.

jell_o_jello · Post by **jell_o_jello** » Feb 22nd, '12, 01:21

seirin wrote:About her team helping her carry her bags and helping hold her up while she puts on the plastic bag over her shoes. It's not a "weakness" of a female. Or that they treat her like a little girl. It's a gentlemanly thing to do. I think her team mates are all gentleman and nice. They have a good working relationship too. Sure she could hold her own bag, anyone can, it's not a big issue. But the gentleman will offer to hold out of courtesy. Not all guys are gentleman, so I'm glad her team has such good character. I don't really like guys that just walk beside while a girl is holding something heavy. Or if a girl needs to fix her shoe, they don't offer to help her stand on one leg but rather let her bend and do it herself. Sure a girl can say she doesn't need help, but at least help was offered from the guy would be nice.

I watched Renai neet episode where Rin is in a cast and has to use crutches. She has to carry 2 bags as well. While the guy who carries 2 bags doesn't offer to help her carry the other two. And he walks off ahead cuz she's slow and he drops off one of his bag and he walks to next place with one bag, while she's holding onto two bags --; I would curse at the bastard if I were in her shoes.

Also with the cases, the drama focuses more on team work. I find with BOSS, Amami Yukie seems to be the strongest on the team. The others are written so pathetic, I just roll my eyes because they're so silly and stupid. They seem like miscast and can't do anything right. I don't feel as much team work in that as I do in Strawberry Night because Amami overpowers everyone. In Strawberry Night, everyone pulls their own weight. Even Nori who I still think is kind of a loser has pulled his own weight at times like finding the credit card counterfeiter online. Ioka who seems to be a laugh at times and a terrible detective seems to bring very insightful observations.

About 'the gentlemen thing' argument, I guess you can look at it that way. Although I think the gentlemen concept is more of a "passé" thing for me. Sure, a man should help when a woman is carrying something heavy but I hardly consider an Hermes a heavy thing (surely it's heavier than other less-fancy bags). At least, a girl should be able to hold her own bag. And the thing about the guy having to hold the girl's bag seems to be something that people from where I come from (an Asian country) would think should be done but I don't really see it happening in the UK where I used to live (especially if they're not bf/gf which is the case of Reiko and Kikuta). That's why I think this might be a Japanese or even Asian thing that I, an Asian myself, don't really like. I could be wrong about the Western concept about it, so correct me if I'm wrong.

Your point about BOSS is true; Amami Yuki's character is way better than the rest of the team. That's why I think it's weird that a drama that was not out to show sex discrimination (I'd say the focus of BOSS was less about her being female but rather her being the brilliant yet disgraced and flawed detective) did better to show a strong, independent woman than Reiko who's supposed to be independent and all but ends up not so independent. About the teamwork point, I guess in the first eps of BOSS, not much teamwork was there but it ended up being a really good team after all whereas the team in Strawberry Night has been solid from the start (except from Nori) and yes I enjoy their weekly dinner together. So yeah, I agree that they're a good team.

My point about Reiko is that, she would have been a perfectly fine character if she didn't have to prove the sex discrimination point. And yeah, not all characters treat her in a sexist way (true that Kikuta's old boss treats her more like an equal but also like an adult watching over). And I know that we see the gentlemen point in a total different way so I'm not saying that your way of looking at it is wrong, it's just that I don't agree with it. Hell, I'm too much of a feminist than I thought I was. I'm getting scared of myself.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 22nd, '12, 01:51

Being a feminist is okay. But too much isn't very good. It ends up insulting the other sex. For example, I was visiting Hong Kong. My friend took me on a trip. I felt bad he payed for everything so I gave him some money in an envelope to help pay for some of my expenses. I felt bad for using his money. It seems I insulted him when I did that. He was upset about it but understood because I grew up overseas. My other friend said what I did was bad because I insulated him. :S

As for holding stuff. My friends in Asia helps me hold stuff too. I hold my own bag though cuz my wallet and stuff were inside.

I think Reiko's bag isn't suppose to be all that light? I notice everyone seems to carry a bag with them. There's probably a notebook and documents in there along with writing pad and stuff. Also, I don't think Reiko was ever out to prove sex discrimination. She's just doing her job. Some staff treat her like ****, but she takes it with stride. She's not going to back out just because they insult her with sexist remarks. She got to her position by working hard and she's not going to let some asses make her quit. Reiko can hold her own stance and she investigates cases the way she does best, her intuition. However, her team helps her collect the hard evidence.

ichigo_daifuku · Post by **ichigo_daifuku** » Feb 22nd, '12, 12:18

I see where people are coming from when they say they're getting mixed messages. I do too and it does bother me at times. I like the "Hime" (princess)/Himekawa pun; I just personally wish they had used it in an ironic sense instead of literal.

That said, I still thoroughly enjoy this show and think it's better than 85% of the other Japanese detective dramas out there. It might not be perfect, but I think the characters are this drama's driving force. The characters are sometimes even more interesting than the actual cases themselves. It's not often you come across an ensemble cast with so many interesting, colorful characters.

Count me in as a fan of Kikuta x Himekawa! I like them both as a romantic and strictly platonic, professional pairing. It would be great to see them get together but at the same time, I don't want to see their awesome professional relationship ruined! I guess I just really enjoy watching them interact and I think they're both great, badass characters.

I don't think Reiko is running away from her past at all, either. If you've seen the 2-hour special, it's obvious Reiko confronts her fears head-on and it's the whole reason she became a detective in the first place. If anything, the only thing she's running away from is her mother because the lady keeps bringing up her traumas, making it harder for Reiko to move on. If I were in Reiko's shoes, I would do anything to avoid going home too.

emma-ba · Post by **emma-ba** » Feb 22nd, '12, 17:51

Another point about Reiko's bag! Maybe they hold it because it's ridiculously expensive?

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 23rd, '12, 03:46

ichigo_daifuku wrote: It would be great to see them get together but at the same time, I don't want to see their awesome professional relationship ruined!

I think that's the reason why Kikuta hasn't asked Reiko for a date. If things go bad after they date, it would ruin their working relationship which he doesn't want to risk.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 25th, '12, 02:41

After watching ep 7, I wonder if Kikuta might start to make his move soon ^^;

iLLusiOnEr · Post by **iLLusiOnEr** » Feb 25th, '12, 10:35

I agree with seirin. this is my hunch

from preview, kikuta will be more jealous next week.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Feb 25th, '12, 12:42

iLLusiOnEr wrote:I
motive : revenge
method : hired killer(hitman) or associated killer(revenger's lover?)
revenger : Mitsuyo
plot: a third person found out about Kishitani and Mitsuyo and had him killed. Mitsuyo is running for safety after reported Kishitani's death and took his pistol.

oh..the killer in the theme park must have disguised in mascot's costume. btw, the shooting wasn't that realistic; no vic's bounce from impact, close point shot and no through-and-through

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Mar 3rd, '12, 07:02

That ending was sure unexpected...

I can understand Kusaku lecturing Reiko. He does have a point. Reiko really needs to gather her evidence before she starts jumping the gun and report to Imaizumi. She needs to polish her investigation style.

Can't wait for ep 9

Finally some focus on the Reiko x Kikuta!

What I do find odd is, why does Reiko assume Kikuta always loses at pachinko? It seems like he always wins? Odd. Maybe they just show scenes of him winning but he actually loses most of the time?

Ssangchudream · Post by **Ssangchudream** » Mar 3rd, '12, 10:44

You know you're obsessed with a show when you register just to be able to comment in the discussion thread so please pardon my sudden jump into this discussion as well as for the probably long read ahead.

Anon. wrote: Yeah...I realized after watching *half* of this episode (6) exactly what was bothering me. It's not Kikuta...in his own right, he's awesome. I think it's just the pairing...for example: this drama makes a huge noise about how women aren't weak creatures, are a formidable force...basically advocates the strong woman. This woman is epitomized through Reiko...or that was the intention anyways. I draw on this conclusion from her position (obtaining an extremely high up position, not only in a significantly short time period, but also as a non-career), the respect of her teammates (Kikuta included) and the grudging respect of the other heads. This, tied in with the small comments hidden throughout the series contradicting 'women shouldn't be in the workforce' and heck...you've got yourself the perfect spokesperson in Reiko.

Throughout this series, it's become obvious that Reiko isn't as strong as she pretends to be: that she's still 'traumatized' at heart despite her attempts to 'be strong and better than the rest'. Now I realize that every human has their weak points...and every person, man or woman, has a right to their own weaknesses (especially when the weakness results from a mind-altering traumatic event). But instead of facing them, headstrong and dealing with her problems (like a character in her position should do), Reiko just runs away...So where this ties into my pairing-problem, is this.

With Kikuta, Reiko becomes, pretty much, an ill-hidden tsundere. Plain, and simple...and I hate it. She gets jealous over him, she throws subtle hints here and there, loses her temper 'for no reason' here and there....I mean, it's like the two leads of Love Hina (a manga reference). I can't see their relationship as one being on equal grounds, rather...it seems more to me like exactly what you said: Kikuta treats Reiko like his princess...willing to do anything to protect her. It's like she can't take care of her own problems on her own -- he goes out of his way to solve them for her as if she were not capable of doing so...or as if she shouldn't have to . And in the end, she actually wants to be his princess...her personality just won't allow her to come out and say it. So...what exactly is this drama saying because I'm getting mixed messages? Is it saying that women should be treated the same as men, or is it saying that even the most powerful of women is only as strong as the weakest man? Because in the end, despite what Reiko accomplishes...despite what she's apparently out to prove, she just wants to be like every other girl -- like every other female -- and be rescued in the end. I don't particularly care what the drama's saying, but I do care that this drama is starting to look very hypocritical. Pick a side and stick with it, don't start waffling along the center line. Either Reiko is supposed to epitomize an independent woman (like Boss & Boss II), or she's stuck in a metaphorical cage, waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. When the drama (with the precluding special) started out, it seemed as if the former was the drive of the show.
.[/spoiler]

@ Anon: I have to confess your comment was the main reason for me to stop being a lurker on this thread since I feel rather indignant on Reiko's behalf by your interpretation of her character. It's just a personal view kind of thing so please don't think that I'm setting out to offend you but rather that am just joining in a good discussion about an interesting subject (at least for me. I love discussing the role of women in popular culture)

Anyway, I think Reiko's character is a pretty amazing one in the Asian drama landscape. We don't get female leads in a crime related show often and when we do, we usually have a 2-D character who's sooo good at her job that nothing faze her. For example, Amie's character in Boss, which while a completely fun romp, was more of a shallow show in my opinion. She's super boss in there, always right, always strong and in control.

In Strawberry Nite, we have a female lead who's also as capable but she has a severe case of PTSD which she's still recovering from. Her temper is also leave a lot of room for desire. And once in a while, she's completely out of control and need her team to recenter her. I love the fact that her past is still affecting her every day thus making her choice of purposefully putting herself in this kind of work environment all the more admirable. It's easy to face things when you're fearless but much harder when you're crippled by it.

I also like the fact that instead of obliterating her feminine traits, the show instead chose to highlight a few key things such as her bag or her shoes. She's a woman and thus she wear heels (sensible ones though- a fact which I appreciate), so when she gets to a crime scene, I don't think there's anything wrong in her group lending a helping hand. If they're not there, she probably can just go and prop her hand on a wall. It's not a big deal but why waste time finding a wall when you have a bunch of guys there to hold onto?

I believe that women and men are equal but they're not the same. They're very different and thus, by acknowledging that yes, she's indeed a woman, who could prone to fit of petty jealousy, the show bolster their message that females are just as capable as their male counterparts more.

I'm always tickle pink by her last name with its literal meaning and connotation. In the show,we're treated to two different ways on how this is used. On one hand, she has male bosses and colleagues who deride her and who use her name as mockery because who believe that a princess could be capable, right?

On the other, we have her team who treasure their "princess" with great care and dignity. They're instinctively protective of her not because she's a girl but because they care and respect her immensely. It's like how Nori's perception had to change in having a female shunin. The most important thing in their dynamic with Reiko is that she LEADS, while they Follow. Yes, they may help her to put on her shoes, to carry her purse, to walk her home (another high light of how her PTSD affect her regular routine), but she's their Leader. Like a trusted general whose retinue follow him into battle, Reiko can do her job because she knows her team will back her up.

In other news, ep 8 was so darn satisfying for me! The case makes sense, intriguing enough with the layering of the two seemingly different cases, plus all that ReikoXKikuta interactions. Happy fangirl is spastic happy! I ship them two so hard, man! So the preview for ep. 9 just send me over the moon. I can't believe how good the show has been at giving us all these subtle hints of a romance. I was resigned to the fact that being a crime show, we will not get to see alot of the quiet romance especially since it's between a boss and her subordinate so all these advances just make me sooo fangirly happy.

Oh show, I adore you a hecka a lot!

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Mar 10th, '12, 01:14

I think Reiko is too strong willed --; She's kind of annoying in ep 9. I wish she would loosen up a bit more.

ainhoa · Post by **ainhoa** » Mar 12th, '12, 00:56

seirin wrote:I think Reiko is too strong willed --; She's kind of annoying in ep 9. I wish she would loosen up a bit more.
Her mom has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital. Reiko visits her for a whole minute and leaves. She even claims work is more important than family. I hope she won't regret not making up with her mom and seeing her more often if her mom suddenly dies. From her flashbacks, she seems to be regretting some of the mean stuff she's told her mom. It really hurts I think to have your child say "You probably wish I wasn't born".

She seems to be dumping her anger on Kikuta too. He sensed she was troubled and waited for her to see if she was okay and she pushes him away. Kikuta is really too nice for Reiko --; If she wants to act like Superwoman, she's going to live a very lonely and regretful life.

My wish is for Reiko to show a guy to her mom to ease her worry. Doesn't even matter if it's Ioka --; Her mom feels guilty for not being able to protect Reiko and worries no one will marry her and take care of her because of her past. Even if it's just to ease her mom or get her mom off her back, she should do something. All mothers worry about their children, no matter how old the children grows. To parents, they're still children.

She pushed him away when he started to grab her more tightly, and it triggered her memory of being raped. It had nothing to do with her anger or pride.

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Mar 21st, '12, 05:37

Hmm...last ep this week. What a complicate case O_o I guess Tuesday's episode should answer all the questions. Too bad no Kikuta x Reiko romance

With the ratings, there will probably be a season 2. There's still hope!

Or....maybe not. Ending of ep 11 announces an upcoming movie. It's going to be a long wait

Last scene of part of ep 11 with Kikuta x Reiko is cute though

Incase anyone wants to watch the raw streaming file.

counsel05 · Post by **counsel05** » Mar 23rd, '12, 09:38

Kikuta is rare. His "secret love" to Reiko surely makes me want to see both of them more.
Movie plus Season 2 would be great.

zephyrMZ · Post by **zephyrMZ** » Mar 23rd, '12, 16:03

Kikuta and Reiko's chemistry is sooo believable!

avieamber · Post by **avieamber** » Mar 25th, '12, 12:32

I love the last scene btw Kikuta and Reiko, they're both adorable!

is ep11 the last? I'm left wanting MORE lol.. I'm hoping for either Season 2 or a movie at least.

TofuQueen · Post by **TofuQueen** » Apr 1st, '12, 06:14

This is one of the times I REALLY wish I wasn't dependent on subtitles.

There at the very end,

Probably wishful thinking on my part as I really want them to be together.

I don't really have a problem with or see a contradiction in Himekawa being a strong independent woman and also "hime" for her coworkers. She *is* strong & their respected leader, but also has her weak points (doesn't everyone??) and her team is there to back her up. Knowing that she has her weak points doesn't make them respect her less, it's more like they're determined to let her focus on the areas that are her strong point and fill in the rest so that the whole team is strong & complete. It is also a fact that on average women are not as physically strong as men (esp. upper body strength) so her being "rescued" when there's a physical fight doesn't bother me.

I'm also anxiously awaiting the movie - anyone know when it's supposed to come out?

seirin · Post by **seirin** » Apr 1st, '12, 16:23

At work, Kikuta and Reiko have to maintain a working relationship. She is his superior, so she can't have him undermine her work. But off work is another matter, so it's okay

I think it's the right thing to do, not to mix business with pleasure.

HanieCullen · Post by **HanieCullen** » Apr 27th, '12, 16:39

Just going to give a piece of my mind about this drama. I love it. Of course there are a few things that can be change like how Reiko should have the evidence if she wants to say a piece of her mind but other than that the drama was perfect!

Gosh, I definitely LOVE ReikoxKikuta pairing

Wish, there were more "romance

" part. But anywhoo, I totally recommend this drama

Can't wait for the movie now

prestoli · Post by **prestoli** » May 13th, '12, 19:36

So far I've only watched ep 1. I like the story and the male characters are good but I find the lead woman ridiculous. I don't know how much money Japanese detectives make but you never see anyone in the NYPD carrying an Hermes bag, and this woman is schlepping that huge bag to every crime scene. I guess Hermes paid a lot for that product placement but it doesn't make sense for the character.
I will continue to watch but i really hope that in future eps they drop the Hermes and the constant flashbacks to her rape. We get it; she suffered a traumatic rape. It's offensive to repeat the scene of the rapist thrusting on top of her 5 times in an ep.

fifimimi · Post by **fifimimi** » May 15th, '12, 23:40

I love Takeuchi Yuko and I'm so thrilled that finally she isn't playing the usual very smiley happy-go-lucky girl kinda role, but I would never complain about seeing her smile.

I really enjoyed this drama, but at the same time I didn't find it ground breaking or a particularly distinctive police investigation dorama. The key was Reiko's past...but apart from her insanely good intuition...it was lacking something, some flair or twists? I dunno. It was definitely one of the best dorama of the season though.

The relationship between Reiko and Kikuta was simply beautiful and sweet...I really wanted moto moto...but I think the teasers and small moments of time they show of them together is what made it so special. The walking her back to the motel all the time...the final part. It was almost like Kikuta was Reiko's to begin with...he is just waiting for her.

As for why Reiko always though Kikuta didn't win at the Pachinko..my take was that Kikuta was always available when Reiko called...like it she needed him, he'd be like "yeh I'm free, I was losining anyway"...and hence why she thought he was always losing. If someone is winning, you don't expect them to say "yeh I'm free right now"...so I thought it was a quite natural assumption on her behalf because was also readily available whenever she called. I dunno~

seirin · Post by **seirin** » May 17th, '12, 07:03

fifimimi wrote: As for why Reiko always though Kikuta didn't win at the Pachinko..my take was that Kikuta was always available when Reiko called...like it she needed him, he'd be like "yeh I'm free, I was losining anyway"...and hence why she thought he was always losing. If someone is winning, you don't expect them to say "yeh I'm free right now"...so I thought it was a quite natural assumption on her behalf because was also readily available whenever she called. I dunno~

Well, Kikuta is devoted to his work. If Reiko calls him, it's probably work related or she needs help. Kikuta won't say no to either. Also, Kikuta always buys stuff for the staff whenever he wins at pachinko. He bought her chocolate in one of the episodes and she goes "This brand again?" and rejects it so Kikuta ate it. I wonder if Reiko says he loses, just to rile him ^^;

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[Discussion] Strawberry Night

[Discussion] Strawberry Night

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