Learning to live
This drama has all the main elements of a typical romantic comedy, but it covers topics you may not expect to find. Overcoming a learning disability, navigating social norms and when life collides with them, and dealing with difficult family relationships are some of the main themes we get to dive into. Some moments are a bit over-the-top, and some story elements remain underdeveloped, but it's an overall pleasing watch compared to many rom coms out there.At the story's heart are two seemingly very different people from very different walks of life who connect deeply with each other - brought to life by Kimura Fumino and a surprisingly compelling Murakami Raul Maito. Bolstered by a strong soundtrack and a memorable supporting cast, this is one drama to check out this year if you love romantic comedy but with a poignant message (or several) attached to it.
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A Lesson Well Taught
There are countless series that showcase age-gap relationships or that of host culture, however none quite feel as captivating and nuanced as this one. On the surface, Ai no, Gakkou may be your standard Japanese drama, but after unraveling all the layers through each episode, it shows a higher level of depth and complexity that makes the audience feel for the characters, as flawed as they are. Although the main focus of the series revolves around the blossoming relationship/romance between Manami and Kaoru, there are many characters at play with their own agendas to get themselves ahead to achieve their goals.(WILL CONTINUE AFTER SERIES CONCLUDES)
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A short drama that tackles a lot of stigma and how people accept it
This is the kind of drama where you couldn't be so sure about what will happen next. But I'm happy about how everything turned out. I like the character development of all the cast but I just wished the ending was a bit longer or I hope they showed more of the romance between the leads.Although the encounter of ML and FL was something not usual, and they came from a totally different background, but how their opposite personalities complemented each other made it reasonable as to why they were both drawn to each other and how they overcame social stereotypes.
The ML, even if he is surrounded by so much attention, obviously craved for some genuine care and attention which he was able to receive from FL. The way he shuts off others was also very understandable given the kind of life he grew up into. Also, I really liked how even though he was a host, compared to FL's fiancee, he treats FL way better. He really has a good heart, which is why we shouldn't base a person's worth on the surface but really look deeper into them.
The acting of all the characters was good, and the director was able to capture the emotions and the acting nuances of the actors, especially the ML. I think this show really highlighted the ML more and it's good that he was able to justify the character.
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Loving Someone Doesn't Mean Looking For Happiness
A romance drama with unique premise. Centered on a woman who's a teacher of girl's school. Once, her student get in a trouble, her student caught in a bar, named The Joker, and she spent almost a hundred million yen through her parent's card. The teacher was asked by her parents to solve the problem. But, she was trapped by one of the host on there.The tale of forbidden love also the different shape of every love that every single person has on their own life. The true love that beyond the normal norms and social justice. Everyone could describe the love as it was a something strange, but the one who fell for it will always have an excuse of their own stuff.
Honestly, I barely enjoyed the age-gap themed. But, surprisingly, I enjoying this more than I expected. The premise was indeed unique, but how they crafted it as a natural and realistic one have already mesmerized me. It seize me up through the show as far as it runs.
The mature romance that nothing cringe left behind, the problem solving that too-far realistic, the dynamic chemistry that natural. Oh I guess, I just watched the romance documentary, instead a dorama, by how far the naturality they served for. Japan always have the best realistic plot I've ever seen. Too realistic that somehow sick, yet addicted.
I love the way they don't make an excuse of "exploitating woman" or "womanizer" in this dorama. Also the main topic of "night's club" was barely got the right excuse. They serving the very make sense reason, the way they have almost many negative perspective towards it. But, they also serving their positive one too, with nothing exaggerate. Just giving both point of view, and let the audience choose which one they'd take out to.
The cinematography, the back song, even the scenery, they looks so simple. Nothing spectacular at all. But indeed some shot looks pretty eye pleasing. It's not a bad tho, at least for me.
All in all, this dorama was stunned by the unique plot and how they crafted it with well enough. Don't expect something "Wow" technical visual or sound design, but the screenplay itself was enough to make you sit since the very first second it played. Just give it a try, if you love a mature romance!
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A female lead with a bad attitude that leaves a trail of destruction in her path.. Yikes!
So the story started off setting the scene of how pathetic and weak the female lead was, she stalked her ex fiance and tried to kill herself when he rejected her. We then moved onto the arranged marriage bit with her rascal of a new fiance who was a bit of a scumbag but had a decent redemption arc and showed growth. I’m really not sure why people think this is so good because the female lead was horrendous, she had a bad attitude towards everybody, including her best friend who was always trying to help her. I get her father was overbearing but she literally couldn’t give a crap about anybody but her own feelings and the dodgy host who was the male lead. I get people like to see flawed characters but she was just too selfish and self absorbed and she didn’t give a crap about anybody else apart from our own feelings. I’m glad I fast forwarded through most of it because it was rubbish.Was this review helpful to you?
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Learning to Love? More like, Learning to Leave.
I usually have a soft spot for noona romances — something about older-woman-younger-man dynamics hits that sweet mix of maturity and yearning. But this one just didn’t click. I made it past the halfway mark hoping the emotional core would finally show up, but the pacing and editing made it impossible to stay invested. Every scene faded out like it was afraid to commit, and the constant cuts made the story feel like someone stitched together a bunch of half-scenes and called it a drama.Now, about the male lead — I’m not saying he’s unattractive. He’s got that clean, polished “Smart-from-Top Form” appeal. But there’s a certain aesthetic — the ultra-smooth, almost lip-filler-adjacent kind — that just doesn’t resonate with me. It’s purely a matter of taste, of course, but I tend to connect more with performances than symmetry — and here, neither the prettiness nor the chemistry filled that gap.
And don’t even get me started on the fiancé. Why is this man spending more time talking to Manami’s friend than to Manami herself? It felt bizarrely misplaced, like the show forgot who his fiancée actually was.
Manami ended up being the least likeable for me. Her arc had potential, but the way she handled the breakup—absolutely not. The guy was already struggling, and instead of respecting Kaoru’s space, she bulldozed right over it. What made it worse was how the show framed it like some grand romantic gesture, when really it just made her look emotionally tone-deaf. I actually thought the breakup was a rare moment of mutual clarity—finally, something adult. But then she immediately backtracks, ignoring everything they’d just agreed on. She’s the older one here, supposedly the more grounded one, yet she completely disregards Kaoru’s boundaries like they were optional. At that point, I was out. I couldn’t root for them anymore, and I definitely wasn’t going to stick around to watch the show pretend that was growth.
By the time I dropped it, it wasn’t out of anger, just fatigue. The setup had promise, but the execution felt like it was trying to mean something without ever earning it. Sometimes, the most grown-up thing you can do — both in love and in viewing — is just move on.
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DYSLEXIA presented in a different and interesting way. Sweet. Evoking. Maybe even poignant.
Kudos !to the writer(s), creators, producers and investors for making this excellent TV program showing the socio-economic damages and life-long suffering that DYSLEXIA (consequently, other learning disabilities too) can cause in people's lives.
It's amazing that this show managed to be funded, produced, and aired in Japan and be brought internationally (for example, via Netflix in the US).
We are in the 21st century... and yet to learn that governments and societies in Japan (proud of its modernization) and in so many other countries (and not just developing countries... as I found out after doing a bit of research) are not systematically addressing learning disabilities is rather shocking.
Hence, this TV show is amazing because it not only addresses DYSLEXIA, but also other socio-economic prejudices, stigma and problems in a relatively light-hearted, sweet, and chewable format (light romance) so it may be more appealing to a wider audience.
Please read other people's comments and reviews about the romance, production, actors, plot, etc.
I just decided to comment about the dyslexia because I have not seen much about this important subject.
(By the way, I do not know of relatives or close friends suffering of learning disabilities, but my heart goes out to those who are and have been.)
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Just Not Sure
I started out really loving this series. Sometimes Kaoru would act a bit awkward in the club, but I still like his character. He's really cute too!The series is not over but I've watched up to the current 8 episodes. This last episode has me upset. He acted like he really didn't care. Am I missing something? I'm frustrated. Isn't he supposed to love her? Ugh
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Emocionante e inspirador
Os doramas japoneses tem essa maturidade de conteúdo que os destaca dos coreanos e chineses. Eles mostram uma realidade mais crua, mas também com muito lirismo e inspiração. Essa série é muito gostosa de assistir, põem na mesa vários questionamentos sobre o machismo, a moral e os bons costumes, o ensino e o mercado de trabalho que atropelam sem dó os menos favoráveis como as mulheres e as pessoas com deficiência (neste caso na figura do personagem principal Taiga que tem dislexia). Mostra como uma sociedade totalmente pautada no sucesso, competitividade e excelência absoluta de educação tem seu preço, e ele é muito caro aos que não tiveram as mesmas oportunidades dos naturalmente mais favorecidos. Gosto demais desse tipo de narrativa, escancara com muita elegância a hipocrisia dessa sociedade e ao mesmo tempo nos dá outra perspectiva de esperança e perseverança, apesar de todas as dificuldades. A trilha sonora é muito bem escolhida, uma delícia de ouvir, e os personagens tem todos seus altos e baixos com evoluções próprias e particulares, ninguém ali é 100% bom ou mau, são tão bem construídos que não caem nos estereótipos, tornando esse dorama até um tanto imprevisível e interessante de acompanhar. A jornada da personagem principal é um excelente exemplo disso, passando de uma moça totalmente acuada, que se anula e vivendo à sombra de um emprego estável e um pai extremamente protetor para uma adulta independente, que respeita e defende seus próprios limites e desejos, e até mesmo disruptiva e irreverente. Ela é um exemplo lindo de superação, desapego e autoestima construída com o tempo.Was this review helpful to you?
Apprendre à écrire c'est appredre à vivre et à aimer...
Je l’ai beaucoup aimé !! Si la situation est convenue, elle est très intelligemment traitée, soutenue par des dialogues bien écrits et des personnages à la psychologie tout-à-fait crédible. Jamais ils ne tombent dans la caricature, même si parfois c’est sur le fil du rasoir pour le père, ou la « cliente » addict de son hôte. Les situations de la culture japonaise sont mises en place clairement (mariage imposé, autorité patriarcale, différences de classes sociales infranchissables, système scolaire écrasant et le fameux club d'hôtes… ) J’ai vraiment cru à un moment que ça allait mal finir…Le drama est porté par l’interprétation brillante des deux principaux acteurs. Kimura Fumino est d’une justesse parfaite, illustration de l’infirmité mentale que l’éducation à la japonais (ou à la coréenne, d’ailleurs !) peut infliger ! Ce que j’ai aimé, c’est la délicatesse avec laquelle le scénariste a écrit son « réveil » et sa prise de conscience de son besoin de liberté. L’autre personnage fascinant, c’est Kaoru, interprété magistralement par Raul ( Murakami Maito). D’après ce que j’ai lu ici et là, il est dans son naturel, car plus qu’acteur, je crois que c’est un showman, un animateur d’émission et de spectacles. Il a une façon superbe de jouer de son physique (1,92 m du genre filiforme) avec grâce et fantaisie, et j’ai mieux compris d’où venait son visage particulier : moitié japonais, moitié vénézuélien, il doit y avoir une goutte de sang indien Arawak !! Il peut-être très touchant, ou très manipulateur, deux facettes d’un homme resté enfant dyslexique incompris et méprisé, caché derrière le masque souriant du séducteur professionnel ! C’est elle qui, la première, ressentira une attraction amoureuse, sans doute parce qu’elle est plus âgée, mais lui ira de la fausse relation professionnelle à une tentation d’amour filial, mais comme elle le traite dans un rapport d’égalité en adulte responsable, ses sentiments vont évoluer vers un amour plus mûr.
Je pense que ce drama sort maintenant à cause de la nouvelle loi sur le divertissement que le Japon a émise en juin dernier, interdisant la « manipulation émotionnelle » des femmes, et les « techniques de séduction » en clair le mensonge et la tromperie ! Il faut être au Japon pour légiférer là-dessus et que ce soit nécessaire !! Bon courage aux flics pour distribuer les contraventions à ceux qui ne respecteront pas la loi !! C’est fort bien explicité dans le drama, d’ailleurs, qui se passe au moment de la promulgation de la loi.
Les personnages secondaires sont très bien, avec cependant un bémol : ils changent (en mieux) un peu trop vite et facilement, ce qui donne à la fin un aspect rapide un peu bâclé, genre « fin obligée »mais bon, ça passe quand même bien !!
J’aime aussi que la relation du couple principal, si elle est devenue claire et bien installée, ne donne pas de concrétisation lourde façon « engagement pour la vie et ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d’enfants » Il leur reste encore bien des problèmes à résoudre, mais l’avenir est lumineux et positif…pour le moment !
Dans l’ensemble j’ai passé un très bon moment, et j’aimerais bien découvrir Raul dans un tout autre genre de personnage, voir de quoi il est vraiment capable !!
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This review may contain spoilers
um arraso
q delícia de romance meus amigos, adorei o desenrolar disso tudo!!amei o tema e tratando tabus numa sociedade tão conservadora quanto o japão, foi lidado com muita clareza e fico mt feliz por não ter o mesmo costume que os coreanos que terminam todos os personagens com casais independente do sentido na história.
Personagens extremamente realistas e complexos, com suas lutas individuais e suas motivações.
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L'école des sentiments tarifés
Les romances réprimandées par la société, malgré leur exploitation dans la littérature depuis Genji Monogatari, font encore le bonheur des producteurs et auteurs, tout média confondu, en cette bientôt fin de monde annoncée. De surcroît au Japon, terre de la bienséance et de la discrétion. Imaginer une amourette entre une professeure et un élève analphabète peut encore, malgré le cliché de la situation, faire vibrer les foules en 2025. Et pourtant, on a du mal à imaginer faire mieux que Garden of Words de Shinkai Makoto, surtout qu’en 2013, avec son trait de crayon et seulement 46 min, il avait tout dit et tiré les larmes nécessaires à la situation.Ici, pour faire vibrer la corde sensible, le cordonnier est remplacé par un host de Kabukicho, ce qui ne nous rassure pas au premier abord. Du rentre-dedans et des beaux mecs androgynes vont parsemer 10 épisodes de hime-sama en direction des trentenaires à la recherche de l’aventurette télévisuelle. Vous entendrez donc soit votre voix intérieure, soit celle à côté de vous dans le canapé vous dire : C’est honteux cette exploitation de la misère amoureuse, tout en sachant que le voyeurisme est la raison principale de notre fascination.
Mais en réalité, tout est fait pour dénoncer le mizushōbai, à commencer par le ridicule dont les jeunes hosts s’affublent. Car si l’ensemble des intervenants semble donner les bons arguments pour critiquer l’exploitation de la solitude des femmes, ce sont les situations vécues par les hosts qui en font la meilleure critique. Mis plus bas que terre, traités comme des moins que rien, pas seulement par leur patron. Les clients, la société, les regardent comme des caniches à maman. Et c’est d’ailleurs très touchant de voir à quel point le héros de l’histoire cherche à travers son métier la reconnaissance maternelle qu’il n’a pas eue dans sa jeunesse.
Le trait sera donc forcé pour l’héroïne incarnée par l’excellente Kimura Fumino, en mère courage prête à tout pour sauver de l’illettrisme Murakami Maito Raul. Sa photo illustre d’ailleurs sur Wikipédia la définition de vieille fille. Dans son tailleur grisâtre, affublée d’un chignon et de lunettes, esquissant très peu de sourires face à sa classe de jeunes filles d'une école privée catholique. Oui, tout est dit. Les clichés sont ultra-forcés, comédie romantique oblige. Le paradis blanc, la journée. L’enfer rouge, la nuit. Raul-kun est présenté comme un Satan prêt à dévergonder la plus toute jeune vierge. Il faut choquer le bourgeois, que diable.
En vraie, la production cherche à choquer un public habitué et donc anesthésié par les mœurs de Kabukicho, mais n’y arrive pas vraiment. Encore moins si on vit au Japon, où les lieux de culte catholique n’ont pas réellement de sens au-delà du mariage. Mais toutes ces montagnes de clichés gâchent-elles l’expérience ? En réalité, très peu, car on assiste ici à de très belles performances d’acteurs. Kimura Fumino est évidemment habitée par sa mission de super neketsu sensei (celle-là je vais la ressortir à chaque fois, maintenant) mais sans en faire trop. Elle met énormément de temps à succomber au soi-disant charme de Raul-kun. D’ailleurs, est-ce qu’elle y succombe seulement ? Ces situations donnent une part de réalisme bienvenue. Ce drama est ancré dans la vraie vie et fait finalement très peu de place à la romance. Exit les longs plans "je te regarde dans les yeux pendant une minute". Kimura Fumino refuse et exècre les tapes sur l’épaule et autres avances ou mots doux appris à l’école des hosts. Les histoires de couple sont bien ancrées dans le Japon d'aujourd'hui: mariages arrangés, rencontres sur appli, misère affective, monétisation des sentiments. Les questions sociétales sont nombreuses, bien amenées et rendent le suivi de l’histoire passionnant.
En effet, Raul-kun ne cherche pas à faire plaisir à sa professeure, en apprenant à la vitesse grand V à écrire. Au contraire, le jeu du chat et de la souris dure et montre à quel point enseigner n’est pas donné à tout le monde. Une IA est encore loin de remplacer le contact humain, tant vouloir faire apprendre quelque chose à quelqu’un contre son gré est délicat. Délicat sera donc le mot d’ordre du drama.
Loin donc d’un énième reportage voyeuriste pour occidentaux prêts à se complaire dans des remarques du genre "tous des pervers ces Japonais", tout en se rinçant l’œil. Ce drama renforce la certitude de chacun sur la nécessité de mettre fin à ces pratiques d’escortes. Pas seulement pour les arnaques à l’argent, mais surtout pour les arnaques aux sentiments. Et pour cela, une seule solution : l’éducation.
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