Karinanose

A story that ultimately is more sugar then cake.

For a story such as this, you would expect it to go heavy into the drama territory. However it turns into a light hearted affair.
The criminal past story doesn't actually play too much into the story as heavily as one would think. I thought they would have major drama because of this. But instead it turns into a more positive spin. I think for that it deserves praise. Japan is hghly stigmatized when it comes to topics like this. It was refreshing seeing them tackle it with positivity. Mind you the crime wasn't actually that bad. In fact it was somewhat noble.

I enjoyed my time with these characters. It was a little hard to root for the relationship between Momoko and Manato, only because I felt the relationship was sorta abrupt to start but I can see the sentiment of having it be linked to their shared experiences and connection to those that are hurting. In a way Manato sees Momoko's inner turmoil despite her cheerful exterior. I believe that was their true link. She had so much she took on but now she has someone that can help her. Their shared experiences with having others affected by their actions is their bond. It's a unique link. One thing though is Manato's actor was my least liked character by the end of this only because the acting was kinda one sided. Comparatively the other characters felt like they had more range and sides to them. Momoko's actor blew it out of the water as usual with all the emotions. I liked seeing this side of her range. She was spunky and ferocious with a side of love.

The side characters are all so sweet and caring. It was one of the most supportive casts I've seen in terms of actual caring. Hinako is hilarious with her soliloquies. Satoshi was energetic and kind. Her brothers were very caring and had such a positivity brought on by their sister's raising of them. Her coworkers were all supportive and not catty. And the grand hero of them all, The security guard is the best actor haha.

For the cinematography, It was nothing special. Sometimes the scenes seemed to be too blown out with the white balance especially in outdoor scenes. I'm not sure if that was just the quality of the episodes I was watching. I led a few of small framing moments they had with the decoration scenes in the store. The score is cute. The main theme songs are much more enjoyable then the chaotic everyday themes. The main theme song "Brand New Planet," I'm not so sure I enjoyed it's inclusion. It was definitely put in as a positive theme despite some of the lyrics. Japan is known for this type of happy sounding melancholy. I just found it jarring ending dramatic scenes with the way the song presents itself.

I wondered where exactly they were heading with the plot. I have to say the "climax" scene I think was a little silly. But I think the director meant well. The series has a lot of abrupt starts and ends. But it tied together all at the end, with special little nods. I think it's mostly due to the drama's length of only 9 episodes. The scenes when they discuss emotional impacts and societal pressures really were well done. They were very down to earth and well phrased. I enjoyed when Momoko and Takako interacted . They had a very poignant scene about death that was heartfelt. The drama is silly at times. a little too much for my taste but it was good palate cleanser after heavier emotional scenes. It's a very odd tempo in this show. It goes from super happy to "damn.." so quickly.

I would probably recommend this show if you want a shot of reprieve from heavy dramas. If you just want to smile about the world this is the one to go to.