Still watching: Osozaki no Himawari

You know, this is exactly the kind of drama I'd recommend to someone who wanted to get into Japanese dramas but didn't know where to start. It's got a lot of the qualities that attracted me to J-dramas in the first place.

First, it looks very nice. Since it's not set in a big city, the director has the chance to use some of the country scenery as a backdrop to the action. Mind you, a lot of the action seems to take place on or around this bridge.

Second, everyone is attractive. I thought I'd got used to how pretty Japanese women can be, but maybe not. I'm up to episode seven, and I still can't work out which one I fancy most. And the men, too, are all handsome outdoors types. Seriously, if this had been the first J-drama I'd seen, I'd definitely want to see more of this.

Then there's the stories. A series of overlapping romantic triangles: that's the easiest way to describe it. It's light-hearted and fun, but there's enough of a social context (the slow decline of the town centre) to make you think that you're not wasting your time on gossipy nonsense.

And I like the theme tune, too.