Zenkai Girl (2011)

I really liked this drama. One reason is because I've been searching for exactly this story - reverse roles of the usual drama where the girl is the innocent, sweet person and the guy is the cold, self-centered one. I also liked it because none of the characters were morons or annoying IMO.

Also, it had kissing. I haven't really seen Japanese dramas having skin contact much, and that kinda annoys me. This drama didn't have that anime feel to it either, which I like sometimes, but I know alot of people who don't like Jdramas because of that comical way they talk and stuff. Oh yea, I liked the ending ;D

Overall, I would recommend this drama to all. It was nice to watch. Blah... now I want to find a similar drama!

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I am a guy and at first I thought this might be a girly show so I didn't want to watch it, but after hearing some good reviews I decided to try it out. I'm so glad that I did because it was great!!! I really loved it. The story was great, the comedy was great, the romance was great, the life lessons were great, the acting was great, and the little kids were great. Almost every episode had 1. something that made me laugh, 2. Something that broke my heart, and 3. Something that touched me. This show managed to get my heart burning/breaking/soaring a few times. Teared up a few times too, but I didn't cry because you know, I'm a guy. Anyways, Zenkai Girl is definitely worth your time.

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The premise of Zenkai Girl is an interesting one: A girl from a very poor childhood grows up driven to rise above her lot in life. She is sharp, smart and tough. Ever the outcast due to poverty, she studies her heart out, fighting and clawing her way up and out of her circumstance. (And let me say..If you don't love the girl who plays young Wakaba...you are all dead inside. She will tug at your heart.) She fixates on her goals and feels the only way towards success is to stick to these goals unwaveringly. And she succeeds. But her circumstance has given her no insight on how to love. So, when she meets a man who, while she finds her heart wavering for him, he is her polar opposite. He confounds her and she doesn't know how do deal with the love growing in her heart. She genuinely doesn't understand the personality of the man to whom she is so attracted. He doesn't mix with her plans.

For about 9 episodes of this drama I was completely drawn into the puzzle of how Wakaba was going to change as well as being drawn to watching both her and Shota learn to find some middle ground and find some way to come together. The writing was good, the episodes plotted out fairly well until the last few.

They spent so much time driving home the point that Wakaba was damaged and tough and Shota was meek, complacent and overly kind, by the time we got to the end of its run they rushed the couple's big moment. It should have felt more natural. I have only watched 3 Jdramas and so I understood they were shorter than Kdramas. The shorter length didn't seem to hurt them so I knew it could be done. Not so with Zenkai Girl. I ended up enjoying it but the pacing was off and that mistake cost this drama the ranking of being something more than 'just okay' in my eyes. It simply could have used another episode or two.

But..I liked all the characters, even Wakaba and she was tough to take sometimes. Shota was a sweet loving character and the children were delightful. (if a little too adult in their wisdom and reasoning) This show is enjoyable and I liked the episodic conflicts that were solved pretty quickly and the lessons learned. Zenkai Girl is not hard to follow and can be a lot of fun. It is simply too short for the wrong reason. The viewer should feel a drama has ended too soon because they don't want to see it end. A drama shouldn't end with the viewer thinking "Wait...you haven't quite finished the story!"

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Zenkai Girl is a cute drama. It has a great cast and all its characters are enjoyable. The love story between an over-ambitious girl and a man who doesn't dream as high as her was interesting. In spite of huge differences and opinions, they fall in love with each other. This is a kind of show that can be watched with the whole family because it deals with those issues as well.

It emphasizes a lot on family and loving and caring for others. It remained cute till some time but after that it went downhill. The plot became repetitive and everything felt dragged. I love Yui Aragaki but her character was at times difficult to relate with. She annoyed me at times. Sato is a perfect nice guy but even he gets boring after a while. My favourite part of the whole show were probably the kids. The little girl was really cute and funny. That made up for a lot.

I wasn't crazy about the soundtrack and the song they played in the end was just okay.

Overall, I'd say if you're looking for a lightweight drama here's one for you. It is a decent drama. But sadly, no rewatch value for me.

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MUST-WATCH JAPANESE DRAMA!!
This month, I watched this drama and at first, I did not have anything to watch since I was up-to-date with the current dramas. However, this drama is totally underrated. It has reverse main lead roles unlike most dramas. I enjoy the main characters esp. Shota and Wakaba.Wakaba's character had a great mixture of seriousness, quirkiness, and ambition side to her. Shota is very laid back and care-free. He mainly focuses on his life as a father to his child. Quite opposites.

Try it! If you're bored of having the ditzy, care-free, and annoying female main lead, this is a great change!

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Are your dreams and your ambitions the same? What if they are not? What if what you always dream of is not what your really wanted in the end? What if what you always wanted is not what you need and makes you happy? This is the reality Ayukawa Wakaba faces when her dreams, ambitions, and emotions collide...and the result, it wasn't what she was hoping for.

Ayukawa Wakaba is a strong minded, never back down kind of person. Someone who tasted pain and suffering since she was a kid. As an adult, those experiences leave her wanting so much more, and she got what she always wanted...but that was what she need it? That is the question Ayukawa Wakaba needs to answer...

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Zenkai Girl is about a girl who wants to make it big in life after having a poverty-ridden childhood. It is about a man who only wants to love his son even when he is not related to him biologically. It is about a father who may not have much to provide for his only daughter but will give everything he has just to see her happy. It is about a mother who will provide only the best for her daughter even if it means never being there to see her grow up. Seems like a melodrama, right? But Zenkai Girl is not a melodrama per se. It is a sweet romance drama with a lot of life’s lesson to be learnt. It is about how ‘not-so-rich’ people (rarely found in dramas) live a ‘not-so-fancy’ life. This dorama offers a lot of depth and unadulterated sweetness. If you have been yearning to see some good performances and are game for a little bit of emotional drama then hop on, Zenkai Girl might be the destination you have been looking for.

Good Weights

I enjoyed watching Zenkai Girl because…

…I have come across people like Sato and they are JUST like him. I don’t think Sato’s character is a complete work of fiction. The writer must have based him off some real-life person. I personally have seen people like him who are extremely helpful and forgiving. I too can imagine being in his place and living life just the way he does. Sato for me is not an imaginary character but someone similar to me. I am not saying I am as accommodating as him. But yes there are some things Sato does selflessly that I too would have done in real life. (No. I’m not talking about adopting someone else’s kid when still unmarried.)

…Nishikido Ryo played Sato like as if the character was based on his real life. His scrawny physique, tanned skin, and unkempt hair suited the role beyond perfection. His apologetic smile and awkward body language made me forget that he is actually a popular singer in Japan. There is not a trace of the famous Japanese idol, Ryo in Sato. Not even a smidge.


Bad Weights

I did NOT LIKE Zenkai Girl because…

..the kids spoke and behaved like adults. Hinata and Pitaro are five-year-old kids who identify two adults’ feelings for each other. They plot to have them together and even scold them for not confronting their true feelings. They even give relationship advice to Wakaba and Sato. I would have believed it had they been teenagers but to have little kids read between the lines feels completely implausible. The two kids even kissed each other. I know it was for an important scene but I personally don’t like to see children doing adult stuff.

…I fail to understand Mr. Shindo who I do not know why is in such a haste to marry Wakaba. Wakaba is smart, hard-working, sincere and beautiful so it is likely for him to be attracted to her. But why would a person of Mr. Shindo’s stature be so insistent on marrying a girl he hardly knows. They hardly spend any time together. He has never even held her hand and he wants to marry her. He is a flirt so I understand him chasing after her but insisting on marriage was a little too much. Never seen a guy so eager to commit before.


Zenkai Girl is a typical Japanese drama about love, ambition, kindness and a lot of life’s other lessons. This drama might move you with its honest appeal.


Originally posted on AlphaGirlReviews.com.

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You know, seeing this poster, I thought that I'd be watching a silly rom-com drama but since I was in the perfect mood I decided to watch it. Little did I know that "Zenkai Girl'' is such a heart-warming, cute show. I really loved it and honestly, this poster is so misleading lol.

The story was simple - an ambitious woman falls in love with with a poor man who has no goals for the future. But even though it was simple, it has some depth. The drama shows that we should follow our dreams and we should never give up because anything is possible if you work hard enough. But at the same time, we shouldn't forget that there are more important things in life and we should never forget about them while chasing our future goals.

Wakaba was quite an amazing character. She was annoying at times but she developed a lot. Actually, I saw myslef in her so many times, it felt uncomfortable at some point haha. I think she was a realistic character who I really loved. Sota was also a good character, he was too naive sometimes though. But a husband material for sure.

The romance between them was cute, BUT the drama became too draggy because of them. Like, c'mon, how many times did Wakaba decide to confess her feelings and how many times did something happened to prevent her from doing it? It became annoying. And even though I liked the ending, it felt a bit too rushed.

The acting was decent. I love both Nishikido Ryo and Aragaki Yui and I think their chemistry was nice.

Overall, ''Zenkai Girl'' is a very nice drama and I recommend it if you are in the mood for slow romance. If you're into fast paced dramas, though, maybe this one won't be for you.

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