49 first episode impressions

Moving along with catching up with the NTV late night dramas it is time for me to watch 49.

From the start it is easy to see that this will be a human drama, that is to say something that really focuses on the characters than an overall story line. Though 49 does give itself one to help drive everything by adding in the touch of the supernatural by having Kagami Dan (Sato Shori) being possessed by his father's spirit.

So far we basically have gotten the set up for the series in the episode. I do not think there is enough to really judge Shori's acting ability, though I began watching Hungry! recently as well and it is easy to tell he has improved from that. This does seem like a role that would help him improve even more as long as the director is good enough to lead him in the right direction.

Jinguji Yuta is another I have seen in a lackluster performance for his first drama role with Sprout. It is even harder to tell if he has improved since then and his character does not seem like one that will get much spotlight. But perhaps I will be wrong and we will see more of him and hopefully will be able to see improvement with Jinguji's acting skills.

I feel rather foolish for not recognizing the actress for the character Takami Sachi, Yamamoto Maika, until I looked her up. She was in Kamen Teacher and a couple other of these late night NTV dramas. This is her first chance as a lead female character in one though, and from what I can recall of her past roles I have faith she will be good in this. Her character in this drama seems the most sympathetic so far.

I was about to write that I have not seen Yasui Kentaro in something yet but then I remembered BAD BOYS J. Yet I have a hard time recalling how he was in that, but even the better actors in that series did not come off as good in that mess so it is probably for the best. We only have the briefest of introductions of his character, Yashiro Kento, so far but it does look like there will be more of him and the rest of the basket ball team in the next episode and beyond.


The first episode did not really grab me, but neither did the first half hour of Kamen Teacher yet I found myself loving that series by the end of the hour. So I am more than willing to give 49 another episode to get me more interested in the story it is trying to tell. If anything it has some colorful characters to round out the cast and it should be fun to watch them I hope.