5-ji Kara 9-ji Made

5→9 From Five to Nine

Title: 5時から9時まで
Title (romaji): 5-ji Kara 9-ji Made
Tagline: Watashi ni Koi Shita Ikemen Sugiru Obousan
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Love, Comedy
Episodes: 10
Ratings: 11.71%
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Broadcast period: 2015, Oct to Dec

Cast

Yamashita Tomohisa as Hoshikawa Takane and Ishihara Satomi as Sakuraba Junko

Plot

Junko is a part-time English conversation school teacher whose dream is to work in New York.
She hasn't had much luck with romance, either. But things change when Junko sees a handsome Tokyo University graduate monk, Hoshikawa Takane, at a funeral service.
Junko accidentally knocks over the bowl of ashes, which land on Takane's head — probably the worst first impression anyone could make.
Junko figures she will never see him again, but the two end up in a matchmaking session set up by her mother. -- Fuji TV (with edits)

Review

Yamapi tells it like it Is

because this is what can be expected if you do . . .

Yamapi in bed

And that just about sums it up, folks!

Just kidding.

This was a delightful bit of fluff from Japan that starred Yamapi and a very pretty lady as his co-star.

Chemistry: awesome
Laughs: plenty
Drama: yes, but with levity
Intrigue: Yep, when his crafty Otōto shows up about half-way through the 10 episodes
Decent Plot: Yes, and original, too -- though based on a manga
Love Story: oh, yeah -- Junko has more than just one guy after her, which makes Tanaka's job difficult, and I like that.

This is about an attractive Buddhist priest who is performing a funeral ceremony that Junko attends, and when it is her turn to pay her respects, her legs are numb from having had to kneel for so long.

She stumbles and falls, hitting the table and knocking the urn into the air.

The ashes land on the head of the priest, and when he turns around, we see his gorgeous face and a full head of hair.

Junko is used to being clumsy and that folks tend to tease her becomes an afterthought with her.

She teaches English at a night school filled with lots of cool, hip people at or near her age, and everyone loves her, including her students.

• Hayami Mokomichi as Kimura Arthur

Her dream is to move to New York and teach there, but part of that reason is because of a long-standing crush she's had on a fellow teacher who happens to live there.

Her mother has arranged omiai and Junko dutifully attends.

The candidate for marriage is none other than the Buddhist priest, Takane.

And, again, Junko fumbles and messes up on that arranged date.

Junko thinks she's ruined it for her mother and herself, but she's not really that interested in getting together with a priest even if he is super-wealthy and super-handsome.  She's still pining away for the elder sensei of her dreams.

Takane has other plans.

He's instantly smitten and begins to pursue her with the full intention of becoming Mr. and Mrs.

He enrolls in her English class and each episode shows a new and clever way for him to gain not only her trust but her heart.

Junko discovers that the guy she's been in love with all this time is married, and so she begins to lean toward Takane. But the uphill battle begins with his mother, who has no intention of allowing Takane to marry just anyone.

His mother has chosen the right girl for the job, and while Takane continues to pursue Junko, his mother continues to train this other girl to be her son's wife and the mistress of their shrine.

Then along comes the evil little brother to mess things up even more for the doomed couple.

This was funny, poignant, and interesting all rolled up into one beautifully crafted J-Do that I waited anxiously each week for another episode to be uploaded.

In fact, I was so drawn to this one that I failed to capture any screen shots!

It's available at aznv.tv and dramanice if you're interested or haven't yet watched.

Yamashita Tomohisa

I highly recommend that you do.