[Discussion] Iki mo Dekinai Natsu

Lily_B VIP

Oct 11, 2013 01:42 pm

Jeaniessi wrote: Now I definitely need to watch this. I've been meaning to download and it has hit my radar more than once to watch so it's now at the front of the line.

That's good, Jeaniessi! :) I have only seen two episodes, but I really like this! It's about a very complicated situation; at this point, I have no idea how it is going to end. There are also some "mysterious lurkers" that I'm very curious about. **At first I thought the old man who likes apple pie was the biological father, but after learning that the father is dangerous I was glad to know I was wrong. It's the grandfather! But of course, I have no idea what he's up to... **

I agree, it's a good opening. Adele! <3 Also, I like all the cake baking scenes! That's a kind of eye-candy I enjoy. :D (Another drama I'm currently watching is My Name Is Kim Sam Soon. There should be more close-ups on cakes there, imo!)

Lily_B VIP

Oct 14, 2013 08:41 pm

Ari_Lee wrote: I already finished it yesterday and I loved it. The only thing that kind of bothered me, at first, was the casting of the actor who played Ayukawa. I thought he looked too young for the role, but, still, he was pretty good and convincing. So as the drama progressed it bothered me less and less. About the romance, once I started to judge the romance in this drama by reminding myself of other J-dramas I watched, I definitely saw it and really liked the way it developed. I still think they look good together.

I just watched episode 8. I read some of the comments on the MDL page and many people are talking about the lack of romance... I'm like, no, wait, what are they talking about?!... but I guess I understand, because of the way the synopsis is written. If you hadn't mentioned it already, maybe I would have been bothered, too. BUT I definitely see the romance. **And his girlfriend can see it, too! I guess that's where the "a love forbidden by society" from the synopsis comes from, because he's not single.** She always comes to him when she's worried, he makes her feel better, he always runs to her whenever something's up... **Like now in the end of episode 8, just imagine how worried he must have been when he got that call from his ex co-worker! And then, I was sitting here like "come on, why aren't you saying anything?! Give her a hug already, come on, hold her!!" *lol* I'm glad he did!** Imagine how different this drama would have been if there were no special feelings between them, or if he and the mother were to develop feelings for each other...

I also thought that Ayukawa looks too young, but on the other hand, he and Yoko met 20 years ago when she was 18, and they never said that he's older... so when I think about it, I can't say that a 38-year-old can't look like him. (Or maybe I'm saying that because I'm already used to him.)

Lily_B VIP

Oct 25, 2013 07:49 pm

Okay, I completed it. (So I'll stop spamming this thread with comments when I've posted this one...) This was a very good drama in my opinion. It had me hooked from the first episode. I think it's underrated due to the disappointment created by the phrase "love forbidden by society" in the synopsis. The only thing forbidden by society in this drama (if society = the general public) is doing things that makes you stand out in any way. (If your mom happens do do something that ends up in the news paper, people will come and stare at you at your workplace.) The power of gossip and curiosity!! That's why I submitted a change to the synopsis, so people don't have to think this is a "romance story" anymore. :) Speaking about romance, I have veeery mixed feelings about the ending. Isn't it realistic, the way it is? Could it not be called "an open ending"? Well, yes. I can see that it makes sense! But I'll admit that I would have preferred at least some hint that they were actually going to meet again..... and despite what I just said about this not being primarily a love story, would a kiss in the end have been too much to ask for? Even knowing that j-dramas often don't have kisses at all (even romance dramas!), it's not like they absolutely can't do it... (But this is not a serious complaint against the drama overall. I really liked it, this is just my spontaneous reaction immediately after watching the final episode...) I have read some of the other comments in this thread, and it made me laugh that so many people felt that we're supposed to feel sorrry for Ayukawa in the end. It's not like I'd ever say "he deserves to die" about anyone, but I really don't think that we were supposed to feel sorry for him, and I don't think that he "changed". Men who beat up their wives for no reason - men who think that violence is an answer to anything, or worse yet, men who think that it's okay to show their "love" that way - like he did, they're actually very irrational. There's no evidence to support the theory that he'd behave diffrently if he was given another chance, in fact, the way he spoke to Yoko suggests that he hadn't changed at all. That's what I think. I think his death was just a convenient way to wrap up the drama and put an end to it.

darkdragon88

Nov 7, 2013 04:18 am

lily_b wrote: Okay, I completed it. (So I'll stop spamming this thread with comments when I've posted this one...)

This was a very good drama in my opinion. It had me hooked from the first episode. I think it's underrated due to the disappointment created by the phrase "love forbidden by society" in the synopsis. The only thing forbidden by society in this drama (if society = the general public) is doing things that makes you stand out in any way. (If your mom happens do do something that ends up in the news paper, people will come and stare at you at your workplace.) The power of gossip and curiosity!! That's why I submitted a change to the synopsis, so people don't have to think this is a "romance story" anymore. :)

Speaking about romance, I have veeery mixed feelings about the ending. Isn't it realistic, the way it is? Could it not be called "an open ending"? Well, yes. I can see that it makes sense! But I'll admit that I would have preferred at least some hint that they were actually going to meet again..... and despite what I just said about this not being primarily a love story, would a kiss in the end have been too much to ask for? Even knowing that j-dramas often don't have kisses at all (even romance dramas!), it's not like they absolutely can't do it... (But this is not a serious complaint against the drama overall. I really liked it, this is just my spontaneous reaction immediately after watching the final episode...)

I have read some of the other comments in this thread, and it made me laugh that so many people felt that we're supposed to feel sorrry for Ayukawa in the end. It's not like I'd ever say "he deserves to die" about anyone, but I really don't think that we were supposed to feel sorry for him, and I don't think that he "changed". Men who beat up their wives for no reason - men who think that violence is an answer to anything, or worse yet, men who think that it's okay to show their "love" that way - like he did, they're actually very irrational. There's no evidence to support the theory that he'd behave diffrently if he was given another chance, in fact, the way he spoke to Yoko suggests that he hadn't changed at all. That's what I think. I think his death was just a convenient way to wrap up the drama and put an end to it.

Yeah, I don't know why the synopsis speaks of a love story between the main characters -that was a reason why I wanted to check it out. Everything aside from that I thought was good but nothing more than that.

I agree with you on the death at the end. Seems like they just wanted to get rid of the bad guy.

Lily_B VIP

Nov 7, 2013 09:42 pm

For me, this has turned out to be one of those dramas that I've thought about even some time after having completed it. I guess I wish it could have been a little longer... I don't know; it's not in my current top 5, and I'm not sure I'd re-watch it, but I have fond feelings for it. :)

Grumpy Witch Author VIP

Jan 28, 2014 05:41 pm

lily_b wrote: Okay, I completed it. (So I'll stop spamming this thread with comments when I've posted this one...)

This was a very good drama in my opinion. It had me hooked from the first episode. I think it's underrated due to the disappointment created by the phrase "love forbidden by society" in the synopsis. The only thing forbidden by society in this drama (if society = the general public) is doing things that makes you stand out in any way. (If your mom happens do do something that ends up in the news paper, people will come and stare at you at your workplace.) The power of gossip and curiosity!! That's why I submitted a change to the synopsis, so people don't have to think this is a "romance story" anymore. :)

Speaking about romance, I have veeery mixed feelings about the ending. Isn't it realistic, the way it is? Could it not be called "an open ending"? Well, yes. I can see that it makes sense! But I'll admit that I would have preferred at least some hint that they were actually going to meet again..... and despite what I just said about this not being primarily a love story, would a kiss in the end have been too much to ask for? Even knowing that j-dramas often don't have kisses at all (even romance dramas!), it's not like they absolutely can't do it... (But this is not a serious complaint against the drama overall. I really liked it, this is just my spontaneous reaction immediately after watching the final episode...)

I have read some of the other comments in this thread, and it made me laugh that so many people felt that we're supposed to feel sorrry for Ayukawa in the end. It's not like I'd ever say "he deserves to die" about anyone, but I really don't think that we were supposed to feel sorry for him, and I don't think that he "changed". Men who beat up their wives for no reason - men who think that violence is an answer to anything, or worse yet, men who think that it's okay to show their "love" that way - like he did, they're actually very irrational. There's no evidence to support the theory that he'd behave diffrently if he was given another chance, in fact, the way he spoke to Yoko suggests that he hadn't changed at all. That's what I think. I think his death was just a convenient way to wrap up the drama and put an end to it.

I couldn't have said it better myself.