To laugh or not to laugh, that seems to be the question! I say yes do because it added so much to the story. It is essential to the character as it is a coping mechanism. Apparently this is the actor’s natural laugh and it’s infectious. There were so many things to like about this drama. It did not follow the usual trope with the chaebol grandmother- this one was adorable. I like the actress who played the 2nd wife - she does dragon ladies well. (Catch her in My Golden Life.) The actress who played the cool mom I adored in the Tailors of Wolgyesu, She was over the top kooky in that. The characters were well-developed and the storyline was solid. The chemistry between the leads was palpable. I would have loved to have seen a reel of outtakes because I would bet they had to interrupt filming often due to uncontrolled laughter! You just know he is going to make one heck of a daddy! It was a welcome sight to see Choi Jin Hyuk without a revolver handy. The scene of him as a DJ was mind-blowing. It was a shame he had no love interest, as he is one of the best on-screen kissers out there. (See Devilish Joy.) My favourite gag was the use of the song Que Sera playing on the car radio. That was brilliant. The humour is nicely balanced with the sadder elements. The happy ending a definite bonus. The only thing I would have improved upon were the speeches given when he was lauding his wife to the public. They came off as awkward for some reason and short on the FU element. I did watch the original version and found it, for lack of a better word, childish, Definitely one to put in your top 5 comedies and on your re-watch list. You will likely want to check out Jang Hyuk ‘s extensive body of work.
aaw yeah that song was nice too. I only found this version sung by him, is it the right one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTa1Z8Dk4P0
Thank-you that is the one! I am an audiophile first and this tune was just beautiful. Maybe you might know this- in I’m Not in Love With You, REN was in a band called the Setsunas. Were they a real band?
Thank you for this post! Can someone help me to identify the slow song sung by perhaps Chen Bolin, in ‘In Time With You’? Just a location to find it would be great. The ones I have heard on YouTube did not make me tear up so I continue my search. Please and thank-you!
I absolutely recommend this series of stories adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s work on Sherlock Holmes. You will not regret it. Each story is an episode in itself so I don’t believe you need to watch them in any particular order.
acute septicemia is not the same as COVID-19, As far as pressure- Yes he felt pressure to not go to the hospital…
It is vital that misinformation not be disseminated - According to the www.global-sepsis-alliance.org
'The presently accepted definition of sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dys-regulated host response to infection. From information presently available on clinical cases of COVID-19, it appears that a low percentage of COVID-19 infections can result in such organ dysfunction and death." To repeat it can be the end-stage to COVID-19 for a few.
I need the writing to be top-notch. The narrative to take unexpected turns. Character development cannot be forsaken. As for romance, in needs to be realistic. Too many have left me thinking that certain pairings would never happen in the real world. I suspect box office names trump over chemistry and authenticity. ( I swear if I see Takeru Satoh an immature girl barely out of her teens I am going to scream so loud you will hear me in Asia, ) Art imitates life and am aware of the issues with Japanese men running away from relationships in droves , they could make it an Olympic sport! How sad is this? I think it needs to make a comeback in order to remind people what they are missing out on. Life is challenging enough and we ought to seek respite from it when we can. On another note, as much as we say we don't care for certain formulas being used ad nauseum, that is what makes them un-American and EXACTLY why Western audiences enjoy them so much. I shudder at the thought of Asian countries making movies through an American lens. No thank you! Frankly they need to set the bar higher than that when you consider the average American movie is made targeting males in their teens to early twenties. To call a spade a spade, most of the schlock coming out of Hollywood now is dumbed down for American audiences. (Again remember their target demographic...) I am reminded of a story of an Irish comedy show that wanted to create an American version. The outcry was swift and loud. People actually protested the notion of diluting one of the funniest comedies ever created. And the Religious Right would have had a fit over the Irish sensibilities that yes one can indeed question one's religion. Needless to say it never got made. As funny as Steve Martin might be, he's no Dermot Morgan. The same goes for trying to convert British comedies to American ones when British humour just does not translate that easily or that well. So my hope lies with the Asians doing what they know best - themselves and keep the American narrative on the shelf!
(On an unrelated note- please do self-isolate so that the toll of this pandemic is reduced. It's the only way we can surmount this crisis. Be good to yourselves and your loved ones!)
haha, aw, thanks! I haven't actually been writing for a while but I've been considering writing an (updated) article…
His birthday is coming up-since I cannot darken his doorway, where is the best place to send wishes? Something about Sugar rings a bell... BTW I just discovered Kamenashi Kazuya I swear he has to be his cousin at least!
I am beginning to think the sexy dork is a common male archetype in Japan! Not that I am complaining. Thank you so much for creating this page. I find him very enigmatic at present, so anything to lessen the mystery that surrounds him I appreciate. Keep up the good work!
I was not trying to convince you to watch it, believe me! And you do not have to. I found it gut-wrenchingly sad and not for everybody. I know how you feel - there is a very, very, very popular actor whom I find well, meh! And you could not convince me to sample his dramas. Sorry no names! ?
Hello, ep 1, I don't remember the pregnant lady paid him, did she? I don't think he's a prostitute, he just fascinates…
Bear with me because I am going to have to wing this because I just cannot watch this gut-wrenching drama again. So I have to go on memory. The young girl he took to a ‘hotel ‘ via boat whom he left oh shore learned to value herself and her sexuality more and abandoned the nonsense of losing her virginity for the sake of it. The older woman on the bicycle was having difficulty moving on after the death of her husband and could not bear to part with anything of his. Post Junichi she is able to finally sell his books and seems to be coping so much better and appreciates the importance of living in the moment and not on the past.
The last young lady learn that despite insecurity she could indeed fend for herself and be independent.
The lady with the hole in the ground I am drawing a blank on as memory fails me. The pregnant yoga teacher was desperate for acknowledgement form her husband that there was indeed a little person on the way,. Junichi validated both her and her child to be which made living with her daft husband a bit easier.
Gosh the other two I do not even remember who they were! If they come back to me I will add them to the list. So he helped them all in subtle ways by lifting them out of their particular negative and hurtful mindsets. The other theme of this drama is that humans will go where they have to , to get their needs met when in crisis mode, with not much thought to the consequences. Judging them serves no purpose as we are not in their shoes. We just need to witness how their choices came about.
My favourite gag was the use of the song Que Sera playing on the car radio. That was brilliant. The humour is nicely balanced with the sadder elements. The happy ending a definite bonus. The only thing I would have improved upon were the speeches given when he was lauding his wife to the public. They came off as awkward for some reason and short on the FU element.
I did watch the original version and found it, for lack of a better word, childish,
Definitely one to put in your top 5 comedies and on your re-watch list. You will likely want to check out Jang Hyuk ‘s extensive body of work.
May they both rest in peace.
'The presently accepted definition of sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dys-regulated host response to infection. From information presently available on clinical cases of COVID-19, it appears that a low percentage of COVID-19 infections can result in such organ dysfunction and death."
To repeat it can be the end-stage to COVID-19 for a few.
(On an unrelated note- please do self-isolate so that the toll of this pandemic is reduced. It's the only way we can surmount this crisis. Be good to yourselves and your loved ones!)
The older woman on the bicycle was having difficulty moving on after the death of her husband and could not bear to part with anything of his. Post Junichi she is able to finally sell his books and seems to be coping so much better and appreciates the importance of living in the moment and not on the past.
The last young lady learn that despite insecurity she could indeed fend for herself and be independent.
The lady with the hole in the ground I am drawing a blank on
as memory fails me.
The pregnant yoga teacher was desperate for acknowledgement form her husband that there was indeed a little person on the way,. Junichi validated both her and her child to be which made living with her daft husband a bit easier.
Gosh the other two I do not even remember who they were!
If they come back to me I will add them to the list. So he helped them all in subtle ways by lifting them out of their particular negative and hurtful mindsets. The other theme of this drama is that humans will go where they have to , to get their needs met when in crisis mode, with not much thought to the consequences. Judging them serves no purpose as we are not in their shoes. We just need to witness how their choices came about.