ザラ Notes: ザ・クイズショウ The Quiz Show

22 June 2009

ザ・クイズショウ The Quiz Show

Title: ザ・クイズショウ Za Kuizu Shō (The Quiz Show)
English Title: The Quiz Show
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2009
Episode: 10
Cast:

櫻井翔 Sakurai Shō
横山裕 Yokoyama Yu
松浦亜弥 Matsura Aya
真矢みき Maya Miki

SYNOPSIS

嵐 Arashi - 明日の記憶 Ashita no Kioku (Memories of Tomorrow)

The Quiz Show is a television program that provides a way for contestants to make their dreams come true. Each contestant is asked several questions and the prize money increases the more questions they answer correctly.

If the contestant answers all the questions correctly, he gets to challenge the Dream Chance question, wherein the people behind the television program will make the contestant's dream come true if he answers correctly.

Although the initial questions start off innocently enough, later questions delve into the contestants' personal lives and secrets. The contestants are now faced with the dilemma of keeping their secrets and saving face or answering the questions honestly so that they can realize their dreams.

Kamiyama Satoru is the host of the quiz show and he has an uncanny ability of knowing everything about the contestants. Satoru has a mysterious past; he lost all his memories due to an accident.

Director Honma Toshio chose Kamiyama Satoru as the host of the quiz show. He is always at odds with the producer Saejima Ryoko on how to manage the television program.

REVIEW
I'm not really into the suspense genre but I found The Quiz Show somewhat interesting. At first, it seemed a fairly simple process to answer several questions in order to get something one has always wanted but then it all depends on the kind of questions being asked and whether it is better to answer truthfully.

I find that the reason behind all the mysteries and machinations quite insubstantial. I mean, there was great conflict but I fear it is not great enough to warrant all the drama and suspense. Considering all the build up with the premise, the final episode was somewhat of a let-down, to be quite honest.

I'm underwhelmed with Sakurai Sho's performance and it is disappointing considering that he is the top billing star in the drama, with the most important and most challenging role. To be fair, his performance is passable and he did not do a bad performance but then again, he also did not do a very good performance. I don't really think he is a very good actor and in my own opinion, a better actor would have done an exceptional job given the same role.

I have to say that Yokoyama Yu's performance was quite impressive. I did not really expect much from him because he's not really known as a good actor, but he proved himself in acting with his role in this drama.

I'm not really sure what I don't like about the drama. It was something new to me and it was something different, but I didn't find it striking enough or good enough to watch a second or third time.