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Drama Review: 99 Days with the Superstar

September 14, 2015

The show jumps right into the action but loses me somewhere in the middle, and unfortunately I ended up losing interest in most of the characters. Too bad, I had high hopes for this show.

99 Days with the Superstar

The story from Crunchyroll: Namiki Kohei (Nishijima Hidetoshi) is a 38-year old bachelor who has worked part time at a security company for twenty years. His boss is Saegusa Emiko (Baisho Mitsuko), who assigns him the detail to bodyguard Han Yoo-Na (Kim Tae-Hee). Yoo-Na is a South Korean superstar actress who has come to Japan to star in a drama series “Blank Memory”; her stay is for 99 days. This show aired in Japan in 2011.

The review: The story between Namiki Kohei, a bodyguard, and the Korean actress, Han Yoo Na, is cute and whimsical — but very different from a lot of Korean dramas I’ve watched. Nonetheless, it brings a unique charm with its variety of characters – from Namiki’s boss to the paparrazi out to get Yoo Na.

The diner owner with Takanbe spying on Kohei, Yoo Na, and Kohei’s nieces and nephews. They provide comedy to the show.

My favorite interactions are between Namiki and his former childhood schoolmate turned famous actor, Yamato Takanabe. In fact, I prefer their interactions to Kohei and Han Yoo Na interactions. Kohei and Takanabe are cute and their awkward bromance and rivalry makes me ship them together. They have more chemistry than Kohei and Yoo Na. But since Kohei and Yoo Na are the main couple, I’ll discuss them.

I like Kohei. He is earnest and noble, even if it gets him in trouble. He cares about people and he cares about helping Yoo Na achieve her goals. Yoo Na, while showing some affection to Kohei in the beginning and middle, treats him like crap in comparison. She’s not completely mean towards him but it’s enough to make me not like her (in relation to Kohei). Eventually she does reveal her true feelings for him.

Besides that relationship point in the story, there is something else that bugs me: the paparazzi that won’t leave her alone and the mysterious man Yoo Na is looking for.

Annoying paparazzi guy

I won’t spoil it for those who might watch the show, but the first couple of episodes I felt they were missing important information regarding why this paparrazi guy is so focused on Yoo Na and how the mysterious man becomes entangled in it (to the detriment of Yoo Na’s reputation). This also bogs the plot down and makes me care less about all the major players involved. This includes when Kohei and Yoo Na’s positions come at odds in their relationship. This stinks, as I was rooting for Kohei’s happiness. Even as he goes against what he really wants he tries to do his best for Yoo Na.

The drama ends predictably, of course. This show was a let down, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to like it.

Kohei and Yoo Na face each other after an argument

Music: The intro’s theme song is really catchy and visually appealing. It matches the show’s airy atmosphere, which lacks a lot of seriousness (even in serious moments). The drama has a fantastic soundtrack including “Superman” by Crystal Kay, which is an awesome song. I suggest you listen to it even if you don’t watch the show.

Audience: Fans of Japanese and Korean pop culture will enjoy the mash-up as you’ll recognize a few Korean and Japanese stars, including Kim Tae Hee from the recent Yong Pal and from IRIS, Yuki Furukawa from Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo, and Taecyeon of 2 PM.

Media: All episodes are available on Crunchyroll.