VitMai

- The plot: I think the cinematography throughout the whole series still captures the essence of Japanese bls (which I have invariably adored) such as the rustic and nostalgic feelings during the high-school flashbacks and the subtle interaction. HOWEVER, everything else seems to be quite lengthy and unnatural, especially the storyline between the two main protagonists. Their ''love journey'' revolves around their reticence with each other, and this sentiment prolongs throughout the whole series without any times for genuine connection and understanding (goes on to 9 episodes). Nakano, especially, always harbor an unnecessary sense of insecurity and malaise that really troubles and hinders Yokoi to actually express why they could soldier on stepping into the next stage (which is being lovers). I know this series is a slow-burn one and the characters, given their disposition and experience in the face of unfamiliar romantic feelings, need time to adjust themselves and openly intimate their own concealed thoughts. Still, it was still quite disheartening to see them realizing this mutual romance too late into the whole series, and the after-story seems to predicate on the audience to imagine it themselves. What the plot could improve on is to actually restructure and steer their attention to the subtle ''eye glances, subtle moments of love or signals of confession'' to clearly map out how each character feel for each other.

- The chemistry between the two characters: The two main cast members seem to be inexperienced and sometimes emotionless in some of the moments in the series. Their interaction seems to be quite equivalent to the sentiment of ''reading off the script'' instead of ''genuine emotional and romantic intimacy''. I find their chemistry dialed down at the penultimate parts of the series, which are unfortunate because these episodes were quite the culminative romantic moments. Both need more training in both emotional execution in order to actually bring out the best of their characters