Love Stories from Fukuoka 18 (2023)

Spring Love

This is the 18th installment in this series of short love stories. The location is Fukuoka, Japan, a prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. I’m proud to say I live in this beautiful part of Japan.

What I like:
The story is short, sweet, and well-produced, as are all the previous episodes of this series. The two main leads are great, as usual. Kato Konatsu, playing the part of Yamaguchi Rio, and Okuno So, who plays Egashira Kohei, both put on fine performances, and they make for a nice, young couple. Although the story is only fifty-minutes long, it covers a lengthy number of years, and the viewers are able to witness their relationship at different stages, along with all the associative activities, events, and emotions. The beach locations are particularly memorable, as are the scenes in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi.

What I don’t like:
Not sure if this is good or bad, but I would have liked to see them going on dates and living their normal lives together. Scenes that would build their relationship in the eyes of the viewer. But because of the short time of this special, I don't think that was possible. I wasn't convinced when it came to the biggest trouble they faced. And I think the ending was really rushed, where they time skipped like it was nothing. But again, time constraints.

I recommend this to anyone who wants a well-made, short and sweet romantic drama. You get main leads showing a variety of emotions. You can also get a taste of how hard many Japanese struggle to begin their working lives. And you can enjoy taking in the parts of Japan away from the usual Tokyo locations.

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