This review may contain spoilers
Think of the most unlikely pairing and this jdorama has it
This is probably one of the best romance jdoramas I have seen in 20 years. (My favorite, "Long Vacation" with Takuya Kimura came out 30 years ago, followed by "Hana Yori Dango" which came out nearly 20 years ago. "Bandage" with Jin Akanishi came out in 2010.) Now, we have "Ai no, Gakko." which ranks up there with these top romance doramas and that will turn the actor (Raul) who played the male lead Kaoru/Taiga into a once-in-a-generation, household name.
From start to finish, the story, production value and acting are top notch.
STORY: "Ai no Gakko" is a slice of life jdrama modern day romance about 2 common tropes: forbidden love and opposites attract- this time between a straitlaced, serious sheltered older female teacher and a flamboyant, worldly, playful, younger male host. The two main leads inhabit worlds that couldn't be farther apart from each other, yet remarkably, and, against all odds and societal taboos (e.g., host bar/teacher relations), they are drawn to each other and connect in a way that seems to work. Kudos to the author and production studio for keeping the story nuanced and realistic (for the most part) in spite of an unbelievable premise and to the actors for playing off each other and making their characters likable. Surprisingly, there few plotholes or loose ends (except for Kaoru's search for his dad, which is heartbreaking). Caveat that although it is a love story, it contains darker and mature themes of emotional manipulation, psychological abuse/control and violence. The ending felt a bit rushed as they had to make cuts to the story due to time constraints. I don't know that Kaoru has grown from their last breakup to be able to resolve his inner demons to truly be able to stay with Manami, I think his love letter to Manami is meant to show his acknowledgement of what she means to him upon further reflection.
PRODUCTION VALUE: The editing and cinematography were movie caliber. The cuts are not all seamless however, and the fade to black between scenes is noticeable and a bit annoying. Everything in the story and "set" is meticulously and intentionally planned. Even the way the words "Ai no, Gakko." are written changes as the ML learns to write, until the last episode, when he is able to write the strokes correctly. The author and production also place special value on props such as pens, books, scraps of letters, hats, and umbrellas, all which became important symbols of their relationship later in the story. Even the lighting and character hair styling and clothes are used to convey the mood and stage of their relationship (Notably Manami's hair starts in a bun and unravels as she starts to spend more time with Taiga and he teaches her to loosen up.)
ACTING/CHARACTERS: I heard the director spent 2 months having the leads rehearse and get comfortable becoming their characters and was open to them ad-libbing some of their lines (as long as it was something their characters would say). This results in scenes that make you feel like you are looking at a documentary (compared to other jdoramas) for its natural rapport and seemingly unscripted dialogue (probably because it is!). The characters all have incredibly well layered backstories and come with their own, sometimes troubled past and associated baggage. However, each character is trying to survive their past trauma the best they can and explain their own motivations for their actions clearly which makes him or her feel real and sympathetic (even if some of them do horrible things to themselves or others). Some redeem themselves in the end, including her fiancé, her dad and his mom - all of whom end up rooting for the leads to be together. In fact, I found all the main and side characters (and their storylines) relatable and likeable.
The FL, played by Fumino Kimura, is thoroughly believable as a teacher who really wants to be liked by her students and do right by them but doesn't seem to know how. She starts out meek and becomes the stronger of the two leads towards the end. The ML is played by Raul, a relative newcomer to acting, who is a revelation and his ability to go from sleek, sleazy Kaoru to fun-loving, goofy Taiga really shine to where I don't know whether he's being himself or acting. He proves to be an excellent foil to Manami's staid personality and teaches her how to freely live, highlighting how sheltered she is. He initially tries to take advantage of her naivete but has a change of heart when he is moved by the fact that she still wants to help him learn to read & write. And for anyone wondering what he sees in her, it turns out Taiga is a boy who, like the FL, also has a heart of gold, made cynical by his dyslexia and traumatizing upbringing and family circumstances. She makes him feel seen and feel supported, even when he doubts himself and is able to help him remove the beliefs that shackled him.
Interestingly, as an outgoing, smarmy, confident host who has no problem saying "I love you" to his customers, Taiga has a LOT of trouble voicing his feelings for Manami. He is so afraid of showing any vulnerability that he can only tell her he loves her when she is distracted and not listening to him. Instead, he uses his body language to express his love for her: he grasps for her fingers, grabs her hands, steals her food, pretends to fall asleep on her shoulder and on her sleeping bag while holding her hand, and hugs her from behind, He says he can't kiss her because his lips are tainted by the 100 women he's kissed, yet when Manami tries to kiss him, he can't stop himself from kissing her over and over. He treasures the pencil she gifted him and takes her hat which he often looks at to remind himself of her. That said, I did find his goofiness a bit over the top and cringey at times but it made him a memorable character for sure! I've never seen a Japanese actor like him.
The beach scenes feel improvised which is groundbreaking in jdorama because it feels like they're responding in the moment to each other and having real conversations instead of reciting lines from a script.
The series holds up very well under rewatch. Episodes 5 (starting with his confession), 6 (first date) and the last Episode are my favorites to rewatch as they seem more relaxed and themselves when around each other.
The only thing I couldn't stand was the song "Reini," which was overplayed to the point I was turning down the volume and reading the subtitles to watch the episodes towards the end! That said, the lyrics were VERY appropriate for their relationship.
From start to finish, the story, production value and acting are top notch.
STORY: "Ai no Gakko" is a slice of life jdrama modern day romance about 2 common tropes: forbidden love and opposites attract- this time between a straitlaced, serious sheltered older female teacher and a flamboyant, worldly, playful, younger male host. The two main leads inhabit worlds that couldn't be farther apart from each other, yet remarkably, and, against all odds and societal taboos (e.g., host bar/teacher relations), they are drawn to each other and connect in a way that seems to work. Kudos to the author and production studio for keeping the story nuanced and realistic (for the most part) in spite of an unbelievable premise and to the actors for playing off each other and making their characters likable. Surprisingly, there few plotholes or loose ends (except for Kaoru's search for his dad, which is heartbreaking). Caveat that although it is a love story, it contains darker and mature themes of emotional manipulation, psychological abuse/control and violence. The ending felt a bit rushed as they had to make cuts to the story due to time constraints. I don't know that Kaoru has grown from their last breakup to be able to resolve his inner demons to truly be able to stay with Manami, I think his love letter to Manami is meant to show his acknowledgement of what she means to him upon further reflection.
PRODUCTION VALUE: The editing and cinematography were movie caliber. The cuts are not all seamless however, and the fade to black between scenes is noticeable and a bit annoying. Everything in the story and "set" is meticulously and intentionally planned. Even the way the words "Ai no, Gakko." are written changes as the ML learns to write, until the last episode, when he is able to write the strokes correctly. The author and production also place special value on props such as pens, books, scraps of letters, hats, and umbrellas, all which became important symbols of their relationship later in the story. Even the lighting and character hair styling and clothes are used to convey the mood and stage of their relationship (Notably Manami's hair starts in a bun and unravels as she starts to spend more time with Taiga and he teaches her to loosen up.)
ACTING/CHARACTERS: I heard the director spent 2 months having the leads rehearse and get comfortable becoming their characters and was open to them ad-libbing some of their lines (as long as it was something their characters would say). This results in scenes that make you feel like you are looking at a documentary (compared to other jdoramas) for its natural rapport and seemingly unscripted dialogue (probably because it is!). The characters all have incredibly well layered backstories and come with their own, sometimes troubled past and associated baggage. However, each character is trying to survive their past trauma the best they can and explain their own motivations for their actions clearly which makes him or her feel real and sympathetic (even if some of them do horrible things to themselves or others). Some redeem themselves in the end, including her fiancé, her dad and his mom - all of whom end up rooting for the leads to be together. In fact, I found all the main and side characters (and their storylines) relatable and likeable.
The FL, played by Fumino Kimura, is thoroughly believable as a teacher who really wants to be liked by her students and do right by them but doesn't seem to know how. She starts out meek and becomes the stronger of the two leads towards the end. The ML is played by Raul, a relative newcomer to acting, who is a revelation and his ability to go from sleek, sleazy Kaoru to fun-loving, goofy Taiga really shine to where I don't know whether he's being himself or acting. He proves to be an excellent foil to Manami's staid personality and teaches her how to freely live, highlighting how sheltered she is. He initially tries to take advantage of her naivete but has a change of heart when he is moved by the fact that she still wants to help him learn to read & write. And for anyone wondering what he sees in her, it turns out Taiga is a boy who, like the FL, also has a heart of gold, made cynical by his dyslexia and traumatizing upbringing and family circumstances. She makes him feel seen and feel supported, even when he doubts himself and is able to help him remove the beliefs that shackled him.
Interestingly, as an outgoing, smarmy, confident host who has no problem saying "I love you" to his customers, Taiga has a LOT of trouble voicing his feelings for Manami. He is so afraid of showing any vulnerability that he can only tell her he loves her when she is distracted and not listening to him. Instead, he uses his body language to express his love for her: he grasps for her fingers, grabs her hands, steals her food, pretends to fall asleep on her shoulder and on her sleeping bag while holding her hand, and hugs her from behind, He says he can't kiss her because his lips are tainted by the 100 women he's kissed, yet when Manami tries to kiss him, he can't stop himself from kissing her over and over. He treasures the pencil she gifted him and takes her hat which he often looks at to remind himself of her. That said, I did find his goofiness a bit over the top and cringey at times but it made him a memorable character for sure! I've never seen a Japanese actor like him.
The beach scenes feel improvised which is groundbreaking in jdorama because it feels like they're responding in the moment to each other and having real conversations instead of reciting lines from a script.
The series holds up very well under rewatch. Episodes 5 (starting with his confession), 6 (first date) and the last Episode are my favorites to rewatch as they seem more relaxed and themselves when around each other.
The only thing I couldn't stand was the song "Reini," which was overplayed to the point I was turning down the volume and reading the subtitles to watch the episodes towards the end! That said, the lyrics were VERY appropriate for their relationship.
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