At Home Dad/ アットホーム・ダッド

Genre: Comedy/Family
Language: Japanese

Kazuyuki Yamamura was a proud business man, who looked down on his neighbor Sugio Yusuke, a stay-at-home dad. However one day the tables are turned and his wife becomes the bread winner, while he is forced to take care of the house and his child.

How will his daily life go? Will he survive being an At Home Dad?

Review:
I watched this awhile ago, when I was all gung-ho Abe Hiroshi :). From what I can remember I quite enjoyed it. I normally...hate?...no too harsh....prefer not to watch shows with elementary aged children in it. They wreck everything T_T trying to be funny or insightful or what-have-you.....Anyways this one does okay, and thankfully focuses on him(Kazuyuki) and his journey to...home-maker status?

Cute comedy; although it's no kekkon dekinai otoko, but hey substitute the dog for a kid, and the wife for...his steak? There you go! (Probably the worse analogy every used)
Actually scratch that, just watch it as a family-friendly comedy and be done with it.

I've Been Married to Hell/エラいところに嫁いでしまった!

Genre: Comedy
Language: Japanese

Kimiko Makimura marries into the Yamamoto family, via Isojirou, an incompetent, yet kind-hearted man. She soon learns that the Yamamoto family is no ordinary family, but one obsessed with traditions. As well her Mother-in-Law believes she can do no wrong; she believes that Kimiko wants to learn all the customs of their home, as quickly as possible. Each time she visits them she vows never to return, but nonetheless still gets sucked back. Each episode shows how Kimiko interacts with her new in-laws and their quirks.

Review:
Just finished this one last night. (Watched some of this series with my mom.) An alright drama. If your looking for something kind of dopey, but sweet, this is it. The whole series is a bit slow, but you do grow to really like some of the characters. Kimiko, (who is played by Nakama Yukie, the lead in Gokusen) does well. The mother-in-law played by Matsuzaka Keiko is really endearing, and quite the loving mother. However I admit the ending, like in many Jdoramas, is rather weak. I didn't even realize it was the finale until I looked at the title half way through the episode....

Anyways so in a nutshell not the best drama ever, but definately a family watch. If you are looking for a time killer this is a cute, short series with only 9 episodes.

Japanese: yes or no?

So I went to Japan, been there, done that, want to do it again.
Now I have a Japanese family, *mochiron ^-^*, from my home stay.
I phone them....I'd say once a month maybe.
I normally ask for the mom, because if I don't this is what my conversation sounds like.
(My questions translated)

Me: So are you good?
Japanese-twin: un
Me: Is the weather good?
Japanese-twin: un
Me: Do you have school today?
Japanese-twin: unUun
Me: So...what are you doing today?
Japanese-twin: ano.....etooooo.......wakarimasen. Betsuni....
*translation: ummm...aaaahhh....I don't know.....nothing.....*
(long pause)
Me: Well...talk to you later
Japanese-twin: un

So here is your Japanese lesson for today, "un" and "unUun" mean "yes" and "no" respectively. "No" is basically "yes" with a warble. It's informal, but that's how much they love me.
Back in Japan, I personally would warble it willy-nilly, just to be a rebel.
So basically head nodding or shaking was essential when I used them.