It's a shame such a fantastic cast was wasted on this movie, it could've been so much more. That being said though, I do like the ending, so that's at least one redeeming factor.
Watched the trailer. Both leads have the completely wrong look; Iriyama Noriko doesn't have the stature nor does she really exude Sumire's air of dignity, and Shison Jun looks about fifteen. The sets look a bit too polished and bubblegum too. I couldn't stand MatsuJun but it seems that the original live action captured the atmosphere of the manga much more accurately even despite that ending.
Also, why do all the actors in this have crazy deer-in-headlights eyes like they're on speed?
I suggest looking for the raw to download and then search for the subtitles to download separately. It was pretty hard to find a readily subbed version to stream.
I wish some more time had been dedicated to Yuri-chan and Kazami, I was definitely more invested in their relationship…
I totally agree, and I loooved them both as individual characters too. The thing about Kazami "using other people first before they use [him]" was such a great comment on the way his character's been shaped from people not treating him seriously because of his looks, and it was so much more refreshing than it stemming from a ~traumatic past~ like other dramas so often do. I loved that even though they both had emotionally crippling inferiority complexes they understood and accepted each other's major flaws rather than being the person that would "fix" them. I like Yuri just fine using her career to overcompensate for her insecurities about her age and singledom, and I'm really glad that what she needed was to be true to herself rather than to snag the man to be a complete person.
If you take this movie as a sequel to Strawberry Night, prepare for some disappointment. Nothing really wraps up and there's no pay off; after all the development throughout the series, STILL no one but her own team + Kusaka respects Himekawa, the team doesn't spend that much time together and then is disbanded after a pretty quick last case, and Kikuta and Himekawa break up. It seems a bit of weird decision considering that their relationship had been cultivated throughout the whole drama and pitched as the series "OTP", but then it's suddenly decided from the very beginning of the movie that they're not a good match. I guess they really wanted that sexy-scandalous-forbidden-romance-drama-with-the-enemy storyline to happen, but it was pretty needlessly cruel to have Kikuta accidentally witness them doing the dirty imo. Takeuchi Yuko and Osawa Takao's chemistry was sizzling though, so I was a little torn on that. That sex scene was the perfect blend of sad but hotttttttttt.
Furthermore, it was pretty messed up that the dickhead chief is suddenly painted in this tough-but-noble beacon of hardboiled justice at the police as if he hasn't been a sexist, verbally abusive antagonist pig throughout the entire series. I know things don't always work out in real life but good stories need closure for their story arcs aaaand Strawberry Night doesn't really tie any of the loose ends together. In the end, Reiko loses everyone she cares about and ends up starting over again completely alone. Like it's depressing as fuck.
This drama really shows Aya Ueto's wonderful range as an actress. Breaking out of the cute personas really suits her better despite what she's famous for. She carries tortured/melancholy/heavy drama fantastically and her performance in Nagareboshi is totally immersive. Risa, rough around the edges with a hidden heart of gold, is probably one of the most complex, well-written heroines to emerge in a J-drama. I think Nagareboshi could be worth the watch just for her character.
I think it might be because of the nature of the main heroine's occupation. She's a sex worker but there's actually nothing explicit enough to warrant the 'mature' tag in my opinion. In fact, it really shouldn't be on there. You're good to go :-)
It's a bit nitpicky, but I also wish that last scene with them coming out of the studio had them interacting with each other rather than just stoically walking out side by side. I think the candid approach would've been better after they'd broken the fourth wall (which I actually *liked* because it was a good conclusion to the narration they'd been doing throughout) rather than *keeping* them aware of the cameras? The last 30 seconds are just weird. Like significantly brings down the rest of the film.
I understand that Yasuko's coercion into her secret rendezvous with Nishino were inferred, but I wish they'd shown a bit more of it or expanded more on the reason behind her falling so deep into it - for example, like exploring a bit more of her subconscious desire to be happier with her home life or her husband etc. Even though it's alluded to later ("I'm sorry I haven't been regarding your feelings"), the reveal wouldn't have felt so contrived if they'd been foreshadowing a little bit from the start. I also wished there was a bit more of an insight into her own inner struggle while she was secretly meeting up with him, even if under the influence of the compliance drugs. I think it would've made her breakdown at the end of the movie all the more powerful if it was coming on from a slow buildup of details like the rest of the plot did. I liked the moments where she was just sitting zombified in front of the fan because, even as a simple scene, it spoke volumes and it's little things like this that I wish there was a little bit more of to make her more of a complete character.
The drug that was used should've been explained a little more too, rather than just concluding that it must just make someone compliant. It made it a little bit too convenient that way, and felt more like a plot device rather than an integral part of the story. This could've been explained by exploring more of Nishino's background - exactly how he was able to get his hands on this drug (and how he seems to have a steady supply of it) and how he knew how to administer it. He's a great villain but his motives aren't that clear and thus makes him kind of an incomplete character. Like why is he so fixated on nuclear families? Why do the housing complexes have to be the same structure? I understand that it's also a convenient cover, but a villain is all the more terrifying if you can empathise with them. Unfortunately, there's nothing to really work with because nothing is revealed about his background.
The same with Takakura. He was well-acted but he was a run-of-the-mill hero til the end. I wish he could've unravelled a little bit more or showed a little more vulnerability throughout everything he'd just endured.
I actually like this movie and found that it has a lot of potential, but it's the individual characters and their lack of depth that make the film a bit of a low-angle launch. It could've been a more gripping thriller if their psyches were a little more revealed.
I understand that Yasuko's coercion into her secret rendezvous with Nishino were inferred, but I wish they'd shown a bit more of it or expanded more on the reason behind her falling so deep into it - for example, like exploring a bit more of her subconscious desire to be happier with her home life or her husband etc. Even though it's alluded to later ("I'm sorry I haven't been regarding your feelings"), the reveal wouldn't have felt so contrived if they'd been foreshadowing a little bit from the start. I also wished there was a bit more of an insight into her own inner struggle while she was secretly meeting up with him, even if under the influence of the compliance drugs. I think it would've made her breakdown at the end of the movie all the more powerful if it was coming on from a slow buildup of details like the rest of the plot did. I liked the moments where she was just sitting zombified in front of the fan because, even as a simple scene, it spoke volumes and it's little things like this that I wish there were a little bit more of to make her more of a complete character.
The drug that was used should've been explained a little more too, rather than just concluding that it must just make someone compliant. It made it a little bit too convenient that way, and felt more like a plot device rather than an integral part of the story. This could've been explained by exploring more of Nishino's background - exactly how he was able to get his hands on this drug (and how he seems to have a steady supply of it) and how he knew how to administer it. He's a great villain but his motives aren't that clear and thus makes him kind of an incomplete character. Like why is he so fixated on nuclear families? Why do the housing complexes have to be the same structure? I understand that it's also a convenient cover, but a villain is all the more terrifying if you can empathise with them. Unfortunately, there's nothing to really work with because nothing is revealed about his background.
The same with Takakura. He was well-acted but he was a run-of-the-mill hero til the end. I wish he could've unravelled a little bit more or showed a little more vulnerability throughout everything he'd just endured.
I actually like this movie and found that it has a lot of potential, but it's the individual characters and their lack of depth that make the film a bit of a low-angle launch. It could've been a more gripping thriller if their psyches were a little more revealed.
If you take this movie as a sequel to Strawberry Night, prepare for some disappointment. Nothing really wraps up and there's no pay off; after all the development throughout the series, STILL no one but her own team + Kusaka respects Himekawa, the team doesn't spend that much time together and then is disbanded after a pretty quick last case, and Kikuta and Himekawa break up. It seems a bit of weird decision considering that their relationship had been cultivated throughout the whole drama and pitched as the series "OTP", but then it's suddenly decided from the very beginning of the movie that they're not a good match. I guess they really wanted that sexy-scandalous-forbidden-romance-drama-with-the-enemy storyline to happen, but it was pretty needlessly cruel to have Kikuta accidentally witness them doing the dirty imo. Takeuchi Yuko and Osawa Takao's chemistry was sizzling though, so I was a little torn on that. That sex scene was the perfect blend of sad but hotttttttttt.
Furthermore, it was pretty messed up that the dickhead chief is suddenly painted in this tough-but-noble beacon of hardboiled justice at the police as if he hasn't been a sexist, verbally abusive antagonist pig throughout the entire series. I know things don't always work out in real life but good stories need closure for their story arcs aaaand Strawberry Night doesn't really tie any of the loose ends together. In the end, Reiko loses everyone she cares about and ends up starting over again completely alone. Like it's depressing as fuck.
Also, why do all the actors in this have crazy deer-in-headlights eyes like they're on speed?
Furthermore, it was pretty messed up that the dickhead chief is suddenly painted in this tough-but-noble beacon of hardboiled justice at the police as if he hasn't been a sexist, verbally abusive antagonist pig throughout the entire series. I know things don't always work out in real life but good stories need closure for their story arcs aaaand Strawberry Night doesn't really tie any of the loose ends together. In the end, Reiko loses everyone she cares about and ends up starting over again completely alone. Like it's depressing as fuck.
The drug that was used should've been explained a little more too, rather than just concluding that it must just make someone compliant. It made it a little bit too convenient that way, and felt more like a plot device rather than an integral part of the story. This could've been explained by exploring more of Nishino's background - exactly how he was able to get his hands on this drug (and how he seems to have a steady supply of it) and how he knew how to administer it. He's a great villain but his motives aren't that clear and thus makes him kind of an incomplete character. Like why is he so fixated on nuclear families? Why do the housing complexes have to be the same structure? I understand that it's also a convenient cover, but a villain is all the more terrifying if you can empathise with them. Unfortunately, there's nothing to really work with because nothing is revealed about his background.
The same with Takakura. He was well-acted but he was a run-of-the-mill hero til the end. I wish he could've unravelled a little bit more or showed a little more vulnerability throughout everything he'd just endured.
I actually like this movie and found that it has a lot of potential, but it's the individual characters and their lack of depth that make the film a bit of a low-angle launch. It could've been a more gripping thriller if their psyches were a little more revealed.
The drug that was used should've been explained a little more too, rather than just concluding that it must just make someone compliant. It made it a little bit too convenient that way, and felt more like a plot device rather than an integral part of the story. This could've been explained by exploring more of Nishino's background - exactly how he was able to get his hands on this drug (and how he seems to have a steady supply of it) and how he knew how to administer it. He's a great villain but his motives aren't that clear and thus makes him kind of an incomplete character. Like why is he so fixated on nuclear families? Why do the housing complexes have to be the same structure? I understand that it's also a convenient cover, but a villain is all the more terrifying if you can empathise with them. Unfortunately, there's nothing to really work with because nothing is revealed about his background.
The same with Takakura. He was well-acted but he was a run-of-the-mill hero til the end. I wish he could've unravelled a little bit more or showed a little more vulnerability throughout everything he'd just endured.
I actually like this movie and found that it has a lot of potential, but it's the individual characters and their lack of depth that make the film a bit of a low-angle launch. It could've been a more gripping thriller if their psyches were a little more revealed.
Furthermore, it was pretty messed up that the dickhead chief is suddenly painted in this tough-but-noble beacon of hardboiled justice at the police as if he hasn't been a sexist, verbally abusive antagonist pig throughout the entire series. I know things don't always work out in real life but good stories need closure for their story arcs aaaand Strawberry Night doesn't really tie any of the loose ends together. In the end, Reiko loses everyone she cares about and ends up starting over again completely alone. Like it's depressing as fuck.