The Reason I...
TLDR; person who loves the manga goes on a mini rantWatashitachi Ga Koisuru Riyu (The reason we fall in love/ Why we fall in love) is one of my favourite mangas as of recent so naturally I was excited and my hopes were high when I heard that it would be adapted into a drama.
I know it's never good to compare, but I had such high hopes because the drama follows the plot and also uses a lot of quotes from the manga.
The reality was that while I don't dislike the actors, I don't think Fuma and Rinka were the best options for Tomonari and Aoi. They add their own touch to the characters which is all fine in the world of creativity, but in many ways I feel like their relationship and the way in which the plot develops feels very different to how it did(does- its ongoing) in the manga.
This could also be because it's a late night drama and only 30min/ep, maybe they're wanting to keep things short and sweet and dramatic and entertaining.
Someone felt the need to maintain a very Fuma-esque style of comedy to any role he plays and that just isn't Tomonari at all. Don't get me wrong, I love the Fuma adlibs, but I didn't feel like it suited this character. Aoi is also more energetic and mature but I feel Rinka almost exaggerated the level of cute. Also she's not that tall?? They couldn't find a tall woman for the role or at least put her in shoes that made her look much taller? Thats the whole point of how they first connect.
I think the side characters are solid, a shame that they decided to take out Fumino and Munetaka, but I get that in terms of flow it could be confusing for viewers and again with time constraints it could be tricky developing that sub plot and making sure it connects to the main story. I admit when I was first reading it I was super confused as to how they related to the story.
Overall it felt a bit rushed and it was alright but I probably won't rewatch it. The manga is ongoing (Book 6 just came out) so for people who love the plot, I highly recommended it. I think it's a better medium for the story because you get to see more internal monologue which then you can use to justify why characters jump to conclusions/make assumptions and it all feels less dramatic and more just a mirror towards the reality and anxieties of being in love.
Happy holidays to everyone!
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A sweet office romance, if you can ignore the pacing and some filler characters
This office romance ticks off many of the classic cliche rom-com tropes, yet still manages to maintain a certain charm and sweetness that makes it enjoyable overall.The story features three couples working in the same office and with each other.
The main couple Kurosawa Tomonari & Morita Aoi was by far the highlight for me. Their relationship was simple, sweet and
I liked how they avoided the usual drama with those annoying prolonged misunderstandings. The ML was genuinely sweet from the start and the progression of their relationship felt organic. I was rooting for them from the get-go.
The second couple, Sakamoto Ryo and Ichikawa Ayaka, is a noona romance that had potential but sort of falters in execution. The pacing of their relationship felt rushed, particularly when it comes to the development of Ayaka’s feelings for Ryo. Her feelings came out of nowhere and left me wondering when that even started. They were sweet, but it felt rushed and a bit forced.
The third couple, Ozu Kei and Oshima Kei, just didn’t work for me. There was no real chemistry between them and their storyline felt like an unnecessary subplot. Their lack of connection made their presence feel more like filler than something important. I wish they could have spent more time on the other two couples to give a more fleshed out story.
One thing I did enjoy was the friendships between the boss group and their employee group. It added some warmth to the story and gave a good balance to the overall vibes.
If you are looking for a quick, light rom-com with minimal drama and you don’t mind the typical Japanese pacing, this is a good pick. The relationships could have been developed a bit better, but the main couple is cute enough to make it a fun one time watch.
7.8/10
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Guessing, Pining, Misunderstanding, Talking - Rinse and Repeat
For a manga adaptation, the acting in “The Reason We Fall in Love” is quite normal, and I am happy about it. This drama is really simple and you’ve seen similar stories before.. Some might find it slow and does not enough substance.Who might like this drama? Those who enjoy:
1. The beginning stage of the guessing game (does he/she like me?)
2. Pining and longing
3. Likable characters who don’t annoy you too much
4. No love triangle
I happen to like all the above, so I find this drama good enough for a quick binge. Unfortunately, all the romance storylines follow this format - guessing, pining, misunderstanding, honest talks to resolve issues somewhat quickly - rinse and repeat this 3 times.
I like the main couple, but the other two are a little ‘meh’ to me. There are a few kisses with a somewhat good/decent one (for Japanese standard). I am happy to see the couple showing affection in a pretty natural way. The three main actresses are really pretty, but I find the guys less appealing. The pouty look on ML’s face is weird and took me a few episodes to get used to it. He looks so much better in “Usokon” but here, they put way too much makeup on him.
I will only recommend “The Reason We Fall in Love” for those who like the 4 points I listed above, and are looking for an easy and light-hearted short binge.
Completed: 3/1/2025 - Review #548
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That'll do pig, that'll do
To be honest, I don’t have a great deal to say about this drama. It is quite serviceable. It is a short 10x30mins run. The A-plot is focused on office romances. To wit, we have 3 couples from different departments but in the same company. The main CP is probably the most “normal”. The other 2 have more challenges, but they are not insurmountable. It just took them longer to sort out their feelings and work through their issues.Speaking of which, we certainly have a textbook worth of relationship issues. They are ticked off one by one by our couples. Thankfully, there are no deal-breaking revelations nor breakups. There are hiccups and a dating minefield to navigate first. Everything works out in the end.
Production is par for this type of short drama. Acting is workman like. Ditto the OST. Everything clicks together and there are no nasty surprises. Totally acceptable, if uninspired.
I have not read the manga this is based on so I can’t comment on how close to the source material this is. From my perspective, it provided me with some distractions while I wait for a new must-watch release. I certainly don’t regret the time invested even though I'm unlikely to rewatch it. If you are into romance dramas then this is a solid example and well worth a look-see.
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Surprisingly Refreshing
I don’t normally watch Jdramas, but was looking for something short and lighthearted, and this fit the bill perfectly. It was a pleasant surprise and I quite enjoyed it - and was disappointed it was over so quickly.I found all of the characters quirky and charming in their own way, but also appreciated how each of them, when they coupled off dealt with conflict and misunderstandings maturely in the end. There was a lot of self-doubt and confusion, but also a great deal of maturity in being able to talk through things even when one partner was a little angry or upset.
I also found the pairing of the actors interesting as none of them appeared to be who you’d expect them to be with. It says a lot about not letting unimportant things get in the way of developing a friendship or a relationship. Not everyone is made up of the prejudices we might have based on insignificant things.
I think this will be one I keep on my go to list for angst free, drama free, manipulation free viewing. It’s worth the watch despite the low rating and spam comments.
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This review may contain spoilers
I really only liked Tomonari and Aoi’s relationship
I personally had mixed feelings for this show because I didn’t really enjoy most of the couples storyline since it was the same thing over and over again. I felt Tomonari and Aoi were so adorable and I was totally obsessed with them and I was glad they were the main couple, but the others I had mixed feelings with. I will warn you that there might be spoilers so be aware.I loved Tomonari and Aoi’s relationship because they truly cared about each other. Their storyline was adorable because it went from the rumors of Tomonari being very scary and a mean boss, but Aoi had a moment with him on the elevator where a guy was saying mean comments about her height since she’s taller than a normal girl, but Tomonari said he doesn’t care about if a girls height towers over him. Over time Aoi started to have a crush on Tomonari and couldn’t tell if he likes her since he never showed any signs until it was clear when Aoi passed out on a work trip and he ran to see her in the hospital and it was clear that he fell in love. Then they started dating and they were so adorable and they were a green flag relationship where they could tell each other anything because when Aoi felt uncomfortable because her undergarments were miss matched Tomonari said he doesn’t care about that and would rather have her be comfortable instead of look good. I would say the only bad part of their relationship was when Tomonari recommended Aoi to go to the Osaka Branch without her permission so she was sent away when she didn’t want to go, but I was glad they made up.
I personally disliked Sakamoto and Ichikawa’s relationship because their relationship became so childish due to Sakamoto always crying and always complaining about something being wrong with their relationship for example he was upset when she didn’t hold his hand and felt she didn’t like him anymore or when she distanced herself from him then he was upset. I’m also gonna bring up the fact that she rejected Robin (Ichikawa’s bed friend) who is so handsome for someone like Sakamoto that’s childish. I also didn’t like how they kept going back and forth about how they have a 8 year age difference, but it’s like what people say age is just a number.
Ozu and Oshima had a weird relationship in my opinion because it focused a lot on how Oshima wouldn’t pick anything out for their dates and always assumed that Ozu would not like him if he became fat or he wanted her to be comfortable, when Ozu kept saying that she doesn’t care about anything, but wants them to both be happy in their relationship.
I also assume there was supposed to be a BL couple which was Itami who was Aoi’s employee/intern and Kodai who was in the same department as Oshima and Sakamoto. They weren’t really in the show, but all we know is that Itami is gay and likes Tomonari and Kodai broke up with his girlfriend because she felt him and Itami were too close. Overall, this show wasn’t my favorite, but it depends on if you like the couples because I could deal with them majority of the time, so I would recommend this series if you like multiple couples.
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Pack of 3 cute junior/senior office romances
A very classic Japanese office romance plot, with a cold and withdrawn manager and a warm and hard-working female partner (who gradually warms his frozen heart).+++ Very good actors
+++ A few pretty cute secondary romances
### Nothing unexpected (except for the female partner considered very tall -1.70 m- :) But the best of the best of Japanese people stucked {{ (>_<) }} in their image, their hesitations, their status, ... How difficult it must be to live like that!!
### Soundtracks (excited Japanese OSTs :( ) including in the sweet scenes
=> Cute but not memorable series
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3 cute office romances junior / senior
Plot très classique chez les japonais de la Office romance , avec Manager cold & en retrait et FL chaleureuse et hard-working (qui lui réchauffe son coeur gelé peu à peu).
+++ Très bons acteurs
+++ Qq romances 2aires assez cute
### Rien d'inattendu (sauf FL considérée comme très grande -1.70 m- :) Mais le top du top des japonais coincés {{ (>_<) }} dans leur image, leurs hésitations, leurs statuts, ... Que ça doit être difficile de vivre comme ça !!
### Soundtracks (japonais excités :( ) y compris dans les sweet scenes
=> S&rie cute mais pas mémorable
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An honest and mature drama about relationships
I really liked this drama. It was a calm and mature slow burn romance between adults in different stages of life, and a diverse insecurities and personalities, trying to figure out their relationships but also life in general.This felt like a honest portrayal of modern love and friendship, that was sweet and fun, never overly dramatic. If there was any drama between any of the characters, it was due to misunderstandings, and these never lasted long as these are people who care for each other and actively try to fix things by communicating properly and even clumsily. Sometimes you don't have the words or the perfect speech to win back someone. Other times, actions speak louder than words.
Overall, this was a really fun drama that I would watch again in a heartbeat.
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3 Shallow love stories but good enough to entertain
An introvert, an extrovert, and a crybaby ... It's not the beginning of a joke, it's the 3 main characters of our 3 love stories.3 juniors friends fall for their 3 seniors and somehow, magically, the 3 seniors love them back.
The FL isn't that tall nor her height is mentioned for the whole series except once in the elevator scene, and she didn't say anything about her "insecurities" as a tall woman, that's false advertising.
The love stories are too easy, nothing goes on, each character have their partner by the 3rd episode or so, and whatever happens next is just normal moments is a relationship, it's not bad, actually it's fine and light, no drama or heavy subjects are discussed, but that also made it flat and boring to some point.
On the other hand the cast, the Romance and the characters are all great and fun to watch.
So if you need to watch some light romance with nothing going on then this is for you ~
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Un flop evidente fin dai primi episodi
Terminare questa serie - cosa che ho fatto praticamente solo per inerzia - è stato quasi un supplizio. Fin dal primo episodio mi sono ritrovata dubbiosa, inizialmente per via del cast, dove nessuno degli attori principali mi ha convinta (lei appena passabile, lui davvero non performante, né dal punto di vista estetico nè nella caratterizzazione del personaggio, e figuriamoci a livello di espressività).Ho voluto dare comunque una chance alla storia, se portata avanti bene sarei potuta arrivare a farmeli un po' piacere, forse. E invece gli episodi si sono consumati uno dopo l'altro in un piattume davvero allucinante, dove un intimo non abbinato degenera in un catastrofico fraintendimento e l'ostacolo insormontabile è un trasferimento della sede di lavoro. Non ci siamo, davvero. Mi è sembrato di seguire una storia che prevede il cattivo di turno ma dove poi il cattivo non c'è e viene riassegnato il ruolo a un personaggio secondario insipido e giusto un po' antipatico. Non funziona così.
Parlando poi di personaggi secondari, le due coppie portate avanti oltre a quella principale sono anche più assurde (droppate a piedi pari e senza il minimo senso di colpa).
Che dire, ho terminato la visione giusto perchè ormai era tardi per abbandonarla, il danno era già stato fatto, il tempo già sprecato...tanto valeva vedere fino in fondo l'insensatezza di un drama come questo. Il finale insipido come tutto il resto.
Se questo è l'ennesimo esempio di ciò che il mercato offre oggi, vale davvero la pena di prendere in considerazione dei sani remake di ciò che - spesso - è stato fatto bene in passato.
Visione consigliata solo a chi vuole misurare per curiosità la profondità del pozzo.
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