Noctis

This is one of the best dramas I have watched this year and I loved it.. I honestly can’t decide what I loved more, the actors or the story.. There’s just so much to appreciate here.. I would easily recommend this version over any of the other language adaptations.. The Korean version was good but it lacked someone like Satoh Takeru, a perfect actor who could carry the weight of the story alongside the FL.. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish the Korean version because I just couldn’t get past Na In Woo’s bland performance..

Koshiba Fuka and Satoh Takeru delivered formidable performances.. Both vulnerable and magnetic.. Their chemistry is incredible, making us all root for their happiness.. Koshiba Fuka’s portrayal of Misa is especially captivating.. Showing her range as an actress and her ability to express so many emotions with subtlety.. It was honestly hard to believe it was the same person in the first episode.. Takeru’s portrayal of Wataru is equally remarkable.. A man determined to protect the person he loves when given a second chance..

One of the most memorable lines from the drama comes from the ML..
“I would be an unnamed extra… Not even in focus..
Just Student A, Interviewer B, Boss C..
A background extra with no lines..
I never would have been a part of her story...
Or so it seemed.. But on September 18, 2015, she jumped in out of nowhere.”

And he went from being an extra to the main character in her story..

I really wanted this drama to do well.. I was worried people might see it and think "Eh, just another remake / adaptation".. But it’s not that at all.. This is so much more and so much better.. This drama is elegant and there is a certain magic to the story.. I also liked that it got violent and bloody at the end.. After all they are fighting for her freedom, love and happiness..

It felt like the “Did my dad send you to me??” dialogue from The First Frost would have worked really well here.. They could have used it if you ask me..

The scene where the ML quietly takes her urn and leaves, just so he can take her to a place where she felt safe and loved, was heartbreaking.. The whole situation just made you feel so sad for the FL.. Her husband and best friend are arrested for her murder.. Her mother in law is being detained for insurance fraud and not a single person at the funeral stopped a literal stranger from walking away with her ashes.. How alone was she, really??

The supporting characters in this drama were excellent too.. Whether it was the sister or the colleague or even the friend.. They weren’t just there to elevate the main cast.. They also added so much to the story.. And Esaka Reina?? She was seriously obsessed and crossed some unsettling lines.. Splendid performance by Shiraishi Sei.. I also appreciated how nothing felt dragged out.. And there was no love triangle or unnecessary additions like the fiancee in the Korean version..

Overall, this drama had everything.. Even a satisfying, happy ending.. And I loved that ending.. Instead of the couple being portrayed as rich and powerful, we see the leads doing their best to live out their dreams.. Misa reopening her favorite dessert shop and Wataru going back to university.. They waited ten years to get married, probably because they were afraid of the side effects of altering the timeline too much.. Either way, I loved that proposal scene.. It was beautiful and showed two people truly in love..