DramaHeroine

I think the drama’s portrayal of what it’s like to be a 20 something looking for meaning in life and a place to belong is spot on. The stress of job hunting and job interviews. The frustration of working a job that’s not fulfilling and/or brings extra baggage. The pursuit of a dream that may or may not be attainable. The desire for life to have some kind of meaning. The writers really understand what it’s like to be in your 20’s and seeking purpose.

I also think the struggle of losing a family member was, apart from one moment, very tenderly and appropriately portrayed. I felt for each family member as they tried to deal with her death in their own unique ways, and I rejoiced with them when they finally came together as a family and made the choice to let go and move on.

Kim Sol is the cutest thing ever, and I want to be her best friend. She can do my nails, and I can…um…I can…well, I’d think of something, but it would awesome and wonderful, and I want it to happen now. Kim Seul Gi has been one of my favorite Korean actresses ever since I saw her in Flower Boy Next Door as the stressed, cranky, tired editor with the puffy eyes and big personality. The life she brings to her characters is contagious and really makes you want to like her.

Im Seul Ong is a hottie patottie and really makes me wish I liked 2AM’s music. (Me and Korean ballads? We don’t hate each other. We just don’t hang out.) His character, Seon Jae, was just so painfully sweet and shy, and I alternated between wanting to snuggle him and wanting to attack his face with mine. (I’m talking about kissing.)

The rest of the characters were fabulous and really made me wish I lived in the boarding house too. Think about all the fun shenanigans you could get up to?

There were really so many sweet and precious moments throughout this drama. I was squealing and flailing and just generally fangirling the entire time. When Seon jae helps Kim Sol lock the door to her nail shop. When they sit outside looking at the stars. When she takes him shopping for new clothes. That kiss. Everything was very real, very possible. Nothing felt unrealistic or over the top. You could see they were really falling for each other, and I didn’t feel like I had seen this same kind of relationship in another drama before.

I didn’t totally believe it when they started fighting with each other, because it was a rather abrupt change from all the ‘I like you. You like me. We like each other. Should we tell each other?’ pleasantness that had preceded it. I just wasn’t on board for the fighting, and I don’t think they were either. But it all worked out in the end, and my precious babies ended up together just like they were meant to.

This is definitely one of the best web dramas I've ever seen. It’s only 6 episodes long at 11 minutes each, so it’s perfect for when you’re in-between dramas or trying to introduce someone else to them or just want something short to enjoy. The story is sweet and realistic and really hit home with me, a 26 year going through my own quarter life crisis of trying to find a job I can do that I'm good at and find fulfilling. Just a great little series overall, and I recommend it to Everyone!

Read More

I've read the first two volumes of this manga and really enjoyed them. My Happy Marriage is every bit of a Cinderella story, which is a trope/theme I enjoy when done well. So when I saw there was a movie version, I was immediately sold. And all I have to say after watching it is WOW. This movie is phenomenal.

The filmography, the music, the visual effects, the acting, the story, there wasn't anything I was dissatisfied with. The movie had my eyes glued to my screen in rapt attention from start to finish.

Now, I can't say for sure if reading the first two volumes of the manga aided in my ability to follow the story in this movie or not, but I can admit it's possible. From what I can tell, there seems to be an even split between people who understood the story without interacting with any of the other versions and people who didn't understand it because they'd never interacted with any other version, so I would be aware of that. But I do feel that even if you go in blind, there is a lot to be impressed by with this movie.

For my part, I'm even more pumped to keep reading the manga (which I definitely recommend people read) and maybe even the light novels, which is saying something, because I don't really read light novels.

Also, that bonus scene after the credits setting up another movie. I want, I need, I mUSt hAvE!!!

Read More

It's hard to sum up your thoughts for a drama that had such a great start before making a really good go of squandering its characters and stories. But sum them up I will try, because I do have some thoughts about this drama.

First and foremost, this drama has great chemistry between its leads. Ayaka and Togo are fun to watch together as they bickeringly charm their way into each other's hearts. Their little online videos together start off as part of their contract marriage obligations but quickly become some of the best moments of their genuine enjoyment of one another's company. (Not to mention they become more and more hilarious as the drama goes on.) These two are a couple you really want to see truly become a couple. Secondly, although I consider this of equal importance to the first point, the female lead is an incredibly sympathetic and complex character. I always love it when a drama surprises you with its characterizations, and Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi definitely does that with Ayaka. Ayaka has always been naturally pretty, and it has garnered her lots of attention in her life from the opposite sex. Unfortunately, much of that attention has not been good. A male teacher in her high school behaving inappropriately towards her, a client at her job as a wedding planner attempting to cheat on his fiancé with Ayaka, etc. To add insult to injury, Ayaka never does anything to encourage this behavior and she actively tries to avoid it, but the people around her consistently leave her holding the proverbial bag, wielding her attractiveness against her like a weapon, an excuse to turn her into the scapegoat for their own behavior. She's so pretty, so it's obviously her fault.

Not surprisingly, Ayaka has learned to handle this by acting nonchalant and unbothered, pretending she doesn't mind all the (truthfully negative) attention she gets from these men and that the sneers and accusations from others are like water off a ducks' back to her. Of course, we learn better when we see her alone holding back tears after she's been unfairly blamed for another incident. This characterization is very beautifully done, and gosh does it make me really like her. Unfortunately, the story drops this characterization in the second half, which I consider a serious misstep by the writers (among the multiple missteps they make with this drama). Ayaka is a strong female lead with a lot of depth worth exploring, but the writers appeared to only be interested in exploring it half-way.

Sadly, the writer's decision to step away from developing Ayaka as a character means they have to fill their time else ways, and they are two specific plot decisions in the last four episodes that deeply hamper the overall story. One is a very common, and often bemoaned trope, in Asian dramas that I actually think could have been made to work if given the time to develop properly. But the other is an infuriating, mind-boggling, head-scratching choice that was so improperly conveyed to the audience that there's really no way to fully salvage it as a writing decision.

Starting in ep 7 and concluding in ep 8 is a plot point around a possible sexual assault against Ayaka by the second male lead, Kamiyama. Personally, I don't believe any sexual assault actually occurred, but the whole things plays out in a way that does not make that clear. From the way things are set up, it very much looks like Ayaka has been assaulted. We start with her leaving a school reunion drunk, then she's passed out in a taxi with Kamiyama who intentionally hangs up her phone when Togo calls her, then Ayaka is waking up in a hotel room not wearing her dress and Kamiyama walks in without a shirt and intimates that something happened between them. Then when Ayaka tells Kamiyama she doesn't believe him, he tells both her and Togo that something absolutely did happen. Of course, Ayaka was passed out drunk while Kamiyama appeared to be relatively sober, so the perfectly rational conclusion for anyone watching would be that he did, in fact, assault her. But THEN in the very next episode, Kamiyama apologizes to Ayaka, saying he lied about something happening between them, and it's clear from the way this is presented to the viewer that he is telling the truth, and we as the viewer are supposed to believe him.

The problem is that the writers thought this one moment of apology was sufficient enough to clear up all of the confusion around what actually happened. But why Ayaka is not wearing her dress the next morning is a very important detail that the writers never explain, and not explaining it leaves viewers with the very strong impression that Kamiyama did, at the very least, attempt to sexually assault Ayaka and then maybe stopped himself part way. (Which is still assault.) I'm someone who tries to understand and respect the writers' intentions for their story, so since that's what the writer intended, I've chosen to believe that Ayaka took the dress off herself when she crawled into bed, and that Kamiyama left her there for the night and went home. But it's perfectly reasonable and understandable that some viewers would believe she was assaulted.

Of course, I have to talk about Togo's reaction to this situation, because it is not the best. His immediate reaction is anger and distrust, which very much upset me. He has no questions for Ayaka or Kamiyama about what happened, he immediately makes assumptions about Ayaka's character, he just has no interest in having an objective understanding of the situation. But it's also not clear he actually understood that Ayaka had potentially been assaulted in that hotel room. I get the impression that he thought Ayaka and Kamiyama had a consensual sexual encounter, which is obviously completely different from rape or assault. Since Ayaka never tells him what she remembers (for completely understandable reasons), and Kamiyama straight up lies, Togo never gets the full picture. I still think his reaction was unfair, and he owed Ayaka an apology when things were cleared up (and Kamiyama a swift kick in the groin and a clear warning never to come near Ayaka again), but I am willing to be more gracious and understanding towards Togo since I'm not sure he ever truly understood what was going on.

I wish I could say it was a surprise what the writers decided to do next, but this trope is so overused it literally never surprises me when I see it in a drama anymore (although it certainly often induces rage deep with me). After the very heightened events of the (very poorly handled) potential sexual assault, the writers decide the last two episodes are the perfect time for a forced separation between our leads (some drama writer habits die hard, apparently), and there's nowhere near enough time left in the drama to deal with all the varied aspects of this plot point. It comes with arranged marriage (between Togo's father and step-mother), prior relationships of both parents that both produced sons (Togo and his suddenly introduced half-brother), Togo's stepmother's unhealthy attachment to him, her terrified unwillingness to acknowledge her biological son, and a rushed conclusion where all four of them are suddenly happy and reconciled. There is so much to unpack in this plot point, things I actually wanted to see the drama unpack, and if the writers had not chosen the last two episodes to address all of these things, I think we might have actually gotten to see this part of the drama be more fleshed out. But it's not fleshed out. Instead, it's rushed and awkward, and Togo's stepmother ends up looking completely unhinged and irrational.

Overall, the writers bungled the last four episodes of this drama. They should have chosen to focus on one of the above plot points instead of trying to do both, because trying to do both hurt the story. For my part, I think it would have been a wiser use of their time to focus on Togo's relationship with his stepmother and her secret son and all of the things that come attached to a situation as tenuous as that. There was a lot of really interesting stuff brought up in that situation that was never explored, and I even think the forced separation could have worked if the writers had really wanted to do it.

But we'll never know what that would have looked like in this drama, will we? Cause it didn't happen.

Having finished this and gotten plenty of genuine enjoyment out of it, I wouldn't tell people not to watch this drama. I think you might want to be aware of the missteps that happen in the latter half so you can temper your expectations. But some viewers aren't going to be so frustrated by the writing choices in the latter half of the story as I, and many other viewers, are. I myself might even rewatch this someday just to relive the leads amazing chemistry and the comedy and enjoy the short-lived effort at exploring such an interesting and sympathetic female lead.

Key word being someday.

Someday farrrrr in the future when I've gotten over the disappointment that the ending of this drama was.

Read More

Ahhhhh, what a delightful special that was! The original series was a charming, more realistic take on the marriage contract trope, and this special was a heartwarming 'where are they now' that touched on a number of issues such as the 2020 pandemic, becoming new parents, and juggling your responsibilities in life. All of our favorite, likable characters are back, and they're all as likable as ever. And what's even nicer about this special is that (pandemic aside), it isn't a story built around melodrama or high stakes but rather the every-day, real-life challenges you face. A character discovers they have cancer and subsequently goes through a major surgery to remove it, a couple we came to love in the series ends up not being together anymore in the special and that's okay, our leads demonstrate to the audience how they found the best way to divide and conquer the household chores and tasks while still appreciating and valuing and supporting one another in a way that is fair and giving. It's a low-key yet very impactful special that reminds you not only of how lovely the original series was but makes you wish the whole thing would just never end. I only have one other drama special in my Favorite Drama's list, but this one is the definitely the second.

Read More

I'm a sucker for contract relationship dramas. There's just something about watching two characters finding themselves unexpectedly falling for each other despite their best plans not to. And We Married as a Job (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu) is no exception. Watching these two slowly fall for each other and open up to each other and come to rely on one another was sweet and charming and incredibly wholesome. These are two likable characters who develop a very likable relationship with one another. What makes this drama stand out from the pack, however, is how realistic and believable it all is. I can 100% see this happening in real life, something that can't typically be said for these sorts of stories. That's not to say that I have a problem with contract relationship dramas that are not realistic. If a story is well-written and the relationship is likable, then I don't mind having to suspend my disbelief. But there is something nice about watching a contract relationship drama play out in a way that would be very plausible in the real world, and I think this drama illustrates this well.

First and foremost, Mikuri and Hiramasa are very well suited for each other. Despite their difficulties around expressing their feelings for one another, they are surprisingly adept at communication otherwise, and that's ultimately why their relationship works so well. Whenever they hit a roadblock or setback, they sit down and work out a plan to overcome it, and most importantly, neither of them give up. They each have their moments where they think about quitting, but every time, they ultimately choose to stick with it and make it work.

Other things to note about this drama:

I initially was confused by Mikuri's daydreams as I did not realize that that was what they were, but once I figured it out, I found them quite enjoyable. They give you a really great insight into who she is as a character, not to mention they're really fun. (She frequently imagines herself taking part in different Japanese television programs that exist in real life, from documentaries to news shows, etc. They make for fun references even if you've never seen the real programs themselves.)

I related to Mikuri and Hiramasa's struggles with finding meaningful, romantic connection with others. In the case of Mikuri, her personality has apparently turned off all of the guys she's dated previously despite her best efforts not to do so, while Hiramasa has always been too fearful of putting himself out there to make an attempt at finding love. Turned out, their personalities were perfectly suited for one another, and once they found each other, they were able to put those fears and insecurities to rest.

I quite enjoyed the eventual loveline, and message behind it, between Mikuri's older sister and Ryota. They made a really charming secondary couple.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I really like this drama, and it's now in my favorite dramas list on MDL. With such likable and relatable characters, such a wholesome and heartwarming story, and conflict that's believable, it's hard to find something not to like. We Married as a Job was a breezy, enjoyable watch, and I highly recommend it.

Read More

This is the definition of a heartwarming, innocent romance. A slow and steady build, focused on genuine connection more than crackling chemistry, no real skinship on screen apart from some hugs and maybe hand holding, and both leads are thoughtful and kind and well suited for each other. It's just a charming little series that, while it probably will not beheart-pounding for most, is very compelling.

Personally, I'm reaching an age where I've begun to appreciate the idea of a simple romance over the high-intensity, butterflies, excitement, idealistic romance of youth. That's not to say that I don't still love those heart-pounding love stories that give you goosepimples all over. I do. But at a certain point, you realize that what you really want is not wild passion but just someone who is going to be there journeying through life with you, taking on your burdens with you, and building you up so you can be the best you can be. And that is this drama's love story.

The premise, a law to force NEETs into marriage, is obviously not realistic and would have no effectiveness towards getting NEETs to participate in the work force, but considering it's somewhat outlandishness (and I do say somewhat because I don't think it's the most ridiculous plotline by any means), it plays out in a very natural and realistic way. The main character's supervisor remarks multiple times that the NEET Protection Law is kind of messed up, and the male lead develops increasing concern with it as well. The female lead is never actually forced into the marriage. The overall tone of the drama is very much one of respect for people's boundaries and their autonomy, and it stays consistently so through the last episode.

I do want to explain here for those thinking about watching this drama the difference between a NEET and a Hikikomori, as it is relevant to the story. A NEET is someone Not in Education, Employment, or Training for a variety of reasons. A Hikikomori is a person who has chosen to withdraw from society, going to extreme degrees to do so. There is some overlap between these two categories, as many Hikikomori are unemployed and not in higher education, but they are still two seperate categories. The reason I'm explaining this difference is because there is some confusion over Himari as a character. She is described by the drama as a NEET, but she also has some Hikikomori tendencies, especially early on in the story. The drama does not address these tendencies, and while I don't know that it was necessary for it to do so, it does cause some confusion and a mild (in my opinion) plothole when Himari overcomes some of these tendencies a little too quickly in the first few episodes. But this did not ruin the viewing experience for me in any way, and I don't really think it has to for others. Himari overcoming some of her anxiety and discomfort so quickly is meant to signal to the viewer that she feels comfortable with Shin enough to open herself up, and I think this is done effectively.

This is definitely going in my favorite dramas/favorite romance dramas lists. It just makes you feel good inside, and I highly recommend it.

Read More

I'm gonna say right off the bat that this is not a strongly written, tightly plotted drama. It has some obvious flaws that are apparent from the first episode. But it's heartwarming and thoughtful and sprinkled with humor (and some tears for good measure), so I don't think it is without any merit.

Of course, because this drama has time-travel in it, we get to see both the modern day and the past, and there are good and bad things to this. Mainly that the present day portions and the past day portions felt like two very different dramas which created a very striking/jarring feeling while watching that took me awhile to get comfortable with. The modern day portion was like a silly, stereotypical, nothing new here, kind of drama, but with genuine heart and thoughtfulness. I was somewhat disappointed and let-down with aspects of this part of the story and would have liked some things to have been done differently, but it's not unenjoyable. The past day portion had a very human, slice of life, Reply series feel to it, and, for my part, I think it was the better portion. Young Ha Ni is a dynamic character, and her relationship with her father is incredibly endearing. We only received glimpses of the past here and there throughout the drama though, and there were next to none in the latter half, which was really disappointing.

The theme of the drama, the affects of trauma, was probably my favorite thing about the story. I really cared about Ha Ni, both young and adult. But while I think young Ha Ni had a mostly good story arc with a very satisfying conclusion, adult Ha Ni got somewhat jipped in the last few eps. There's a lot of focus early on on the difficulty of adult Ha Ni's life and how much she's given up on herself out of shame and regret, and I think the drama does a really good job of exploring this. There's also the start of her growing and changing and giving herself permission to forgive herself for her past. I was very eager to see more of this in the later half of the series as it's really heartfelt and emotional, but adult Ha Ni's story ends up becoming more about corporate business things/saving the company, and I didn't understand the point. None of it serves the main crux of the drama, and it's honestly quite boring and uninteresting.

As far as the time-travel aspect of the drama goes, it ended up being better than I initially thought while also being somewhat non-existent to the plot most of the time. The only time time-travel is ever mentioned in the story is when the writers need to move a certain part of the story along or when it had been awhile since we'd last thought about the fact that young Ha Ni would need to go back to her timeline eventually so the writers threw in a reminder. It's not a super big or important part of the plot, so if you're looking for some cool timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stuff, you won't get it. And if I were to sit down and really hammer out the problems with the time-travel/shamanism aspect of the story, I could 100% present you with a list of holes that keep it from being accurate or affective. But while this is a drama featuring time-travel, this isn't a time-travel drama. The writers aren't all that concerned with the mechanics of time-travel or even that much with time-travel itself as long as the device serves the story, so you probably shouldn't let yourself get too hung up on it either.

The last thing I'll say for this drama is that while the character archetype of the male lead has been done far better in other dramas, and this male lead would not be my favorite I've ever seen (I think I actually like the second male lead in this drama better because of the really fascinating trajectory his story and character progression takes), there's still something about the male lead that makes you really like him. He starts out a little annoying, but his thoughtfulness and charm and positivity grow on you. By the end, I was really happy the female lead had someone so kind and thoughtful on her side.

So what would I say to those thinking about watching this? Hello, Me! is a feel good, don't think too hard about it, just have a good time, sort of drama, and if you go into it with that mindset, you'll enjoy yourself. It's not ground-breaking or the most tightly plotted, but it's uplifting, and sometimes that's enough.

Read More

This is one of those dramas that is pleasant enough but somewhat unnecessary at the same time and doesn't really leave much of a lasting impression when it's done.

First and foremost, the romance is meh for me. It progressed unnaturally quick in the first half and then became kind of boring in the second. It's not that I dislike the pairing. They're both generally likable characters and fairly cute when they're together. I just never really understood what it was that made them like each other which in turn made the romance feel bland. Their romance has a really promising start, but in the end, it just didn't have much substance.

I really enjoyed everything to do with the magazine office. Chief Editor makes some hairbrained decisions early on that would Not be successful in real life yet inexplicably are in the drama, but that withstanding, seeing the inner workings of a magazine was fun and a little bit fascinating. I was consistently invested in seeing Miyavi, and the people who worked on it, be successful. The magazine team felt like a real team that really cared about doing a good job, and I appreciated (most) every member. I greatly enjoyed seeing the female lead come into her own as the Chief Editor's assistant, learning to find joy in a job well done and even desiring to improve herself. And the Chief Editor herself is a really compelling, and impressive, character.

The drama's messaging on whether you should follow your dreams or not (or if you should even be so worried about having one) is somewhat incoherent, however. It makes an attempt at conveying to the audience that it's okay to have a simple, average life, and you don't have to be chasing some sort of 'dream' in order to be happy and fulfilled, but then it...kind of betrays that message?

Considering how hyper-obsessed we all are in the first world with 'following our dreams,' I would honestly really love to see more stories that let people know that it's okay if you don't have a dream and maybe that's really what's best for some of us. The truth is, most of us can't and really Shouldn't be 'following our dreams.' Just because you're decent at drawing doesn't mean drawing should be your career. It's okay for it to just be your hobby. Just because you really love volleyball and play it well doesn't mean you need to play it at the Olympics. It's okay for volleyball to just be a fun means of exercise. Contentment and purpose aren't found solely in having a 'dream career' or 'doing what you love.' Sometimes it's found in a job well done, regardless of what that job is.

In the end, this drama tried to be something it wasn't, and I think it suffered for it. It tried to be a story about purpose, but ended up being more of a fluff piece. And that's okay, I just think it would have been better if it had chosen one and committed to it.

Read More

Probably everyone and their grandmothers has described this show and it's female lead as quirky at this point, so I won't do that, but I'm honestly not sure that quirky is the right descriptor anyway. Somewhere between peculiar and bizarre is more accurate, in my opinion. You see, Sayoko's love of bathing occasionally borders on the side of concerning. She never does anything particularly out there or disturbing, but her love for the bathtub can be...intense and a little too all-consuming. Of course, that's the entire premise of the show, and it's definitely played up for both laughs and heart, I just think if we were friends in real life, I might be a little bit concerned for her and would probably make an effort to get her out of the house more.

This is why, I think, that while I got the humor and the message and appreciated both, I didn't always enjoy the drama. I don't think I experienced a true guffaw until the last episode when she threw a rock into her tub, and the waxing poetic over bathing and how important it is for life had no affect on me. I wasn't touched by her emotional connection to bathing like the drama clearly wanted me to be. But that might just be me. I personally prefer showers to baths, so I don't have that same relaxed feeling when I think about taking a bath, and while I didn't connect with the story in an emotional way, I can at least agree with the drama's sentiments about the physical, mental, and emotional benefits bathing can have for some people.

I do like Sayoko, of course. She can be every bit as self-absorbed as what appears to be her only friend in the story, but if we really were friends in real life, I would probably come to find her obsession with the bathtub endearing rather than weird, and I would probably appreciate her unique view on life and the bathtub, even if it's not a view I share myself.

Read More

I could have sworn I had a review up for this, but it's nowhere to be found, so I guess I'll write it again, lol. Just a heads up, I watched this before ever reading the webtoon it's based on, but as of writing this review, I am currently almost finished with season 1, so I probably will end up referencing it here.

This is, like so many web dramas of it's genre, kind of surface level and cliche and truthfully too big of a story for it's run time, but it's also very cute and fluffy and generally feel good and the acting is decent, so I enjoyed it well enough. (I would honestly love to see another season (especially now that I'm reading the webtoon).) My biggest complaint with the story would have to be how everything plays out with Nari's 'boyfriend.' That entire part of the plot is terribly handled, in my opinion, and doesn't make any sense without reading the webtoon for context. To spoil it (cause that's what I do in my reviews, lol) Nari starts going out with a boy at her school, and he's incredibly kind and supportive and thoughtful the entire time and appears to genuinely like her...until it's suddenly revealed that he's only been dating Nari to get to her classmate/friend Yuna, because he's been stalking Yuna for ages and can't take no for an answer. It comes completely out of left field and is so unbelievable that it's laughable. The plot point does come directly from the webtoon, but it also makes Sense in the webtoon. There's proper pacing and foreshadowing, and he isn't this completely perfect in every way boyfriend, so even though the reveal is shocking, you still believe it. The drama writers didn't get this part of the plot right, and I think it's probably the biggest flaw of the story.

My only other complaint with this web drama is the treatment of Yuna. There are a lot of complicated layers to Yuna and Nari's relationship. There's hurt and betrayal, some unhealthy attachment, and ultimately just too many layers for a short webdrama to properly explore. Unfortunately, this affects how Yuna is portrayed in the story. She is very manipulative and selfish and demanding in the webtoon And the webdrama, but the webtoon adds context to her behavior, and her part of the story is ultimately one of her working towards reconciling with Yuna and growing as a person so that their friendship can be healthier for both of them. Because of the time constraint inherent in webdramas, there was no way the drama writers were ever going to be able to do the same thing, and Yuna ends up suffering as a character for it, which is disappointing.

I admit it's probably a good thing I watched this Before starting the webtoon, because aside from the two complaints above, there were some other changes to the story that could have made this a frustrating watch, but I went in with fresh eyes and I'm glad I did. I'm able to view the webdrama and the webtoon as two separate entities and enjoy them both as such without the differences ruining my experience. If you're reading the webtoon and wondering about watching the webdrama, I recommend approaching the webdrama in the same way. It will definitely help you enjoy it more.

Read More

I finished this drama out of a sense of obligation to the beautiful story the production team had made together more than anything else. While I wrote down many, many quotes in my journal that I found particularly moving and profound, I ultimately didn't connect with the story or the characters as deeply as I had hoped. I was particularly disappointed by the romance, namely how little there was of it in the second half. The way the male lead expresses his feelings for the female lead, initially only to himself out of respect for her marriage, then slowly more openly where she can see, until eventually, declaring his love and making it clear where he stand, I appreciated his delicate and respectful yet earnest and open approach. Their natural transition from friendship to romance was very true to life. But once they're together, the drama really pulls back from giving us more than the lightest hints of romantic interactions between them, and I just don't get why. Why not give us the romance we've been waiting for? Why not give us the romance you've been teasing us with?

Then there's the issue of her being a single mother. There was so much focus on this in the first half, how her husband left her high and dry and she's had a genuinely hard time of it, and you feel genuinely upset on her behalf. But part of me wonders what was the point of the writers focusing so much on this if they were only going to drop this plot point from the story almost completely in the second half. We go so long at one point without any mention of her daughter or her ex-husband that I forgot either existed. Once she starts working at the publishing company and the story begins to focus on her difficulties with being respected and taken seriously at work, she stops behaving like a mother altogether, and it begins to feel somewhat like child abandonment.

There are a number of positive things to say about this drama, of course. I am giving it a 9 overall, after all. First, I found the story and the treatment of it's topics thoughtful and retrospective. When it did address the difficulties of single parenthood, it did so with honesty and kindness. Similarly, it handles the struggles of being a woman re-entering the work-force after a long absence due to motherhood, etc. with a compassionate touch. I don't know that I agree with all of the messaging the drama presents around this topic, but I understood where the drama was coming from and can agree with it's ultimate message that just because you chose to take a step back from the working world to start a family, that doesn't mean you have nothing to offer when you come back.

Ultimately, I think my problem with this drama is simply that I expected something very different. This isn't quite the story I thought it was going to be going in, and that had an impact on my viewing experience. That's not the drama's fault. The writers told the story they wanted to tell, and it's not their responsibility to make that story appeal to absolutely every person who watches it. I was just hoping for something a little different, and it didn't quite meet my expectations. But I can say that I appreciate this drama for what it was hoping to achieve, and that it ultimately did achieve it. And that's really all that matters.

Read More

I don't know that I like this drama. I like the main characters and relate to their struggles with finding love and purpose and meaning in their lives. I like their friendship with each other and how loyal they are to one another and always there to lend a shoulder or an ear. And I inherently love stories that explore what it means to love and be in a relationship and all that juicy romantic stuff. It's just the story built around these characters and their friendship and their pursuit of love that could have been fleshed out better.

Rinko's story has the most substance to it and the most development. She's a rather immature character who spends most of the drama seeking the most shallow idea of love possible. Throughout the story, you find yourself feeling more and more frustrated with her childish, immature way of thinking and how many times she makes a decision only to change her mind at the last minute, because the truth is, she really doesn't know what she wants or what she's doing. But she does have a genuine story arch and experiences some real character growth, and by the end of the drama, you can tell that she's finally, genuinely trying to get it right. She really wants it this time, and she's doing everything the right way...and yet she still gets it wrong. Ooof, did I feel for her in that moment.

The other female leads stories were not nearly as engaging.

We have Kaori whose story arch starts off strong. She runs into her ex after having not seen him for years and swiftly finds herself engaging in an affair with him despite her better judgement. I will never approve of affairs as a matter of principle, but the storyline Makes Sense. There's history there, unresolved feelings, the question of what-if, and you can understand how Kaori would find herself in such a situation, even if you don't agree with her choices. But the storyline starts to fizzle out toward the end, and by the time the situation is resolved (and it's resolved in a mostly satisfactory way), you've kind of lost interest.

Then's there Koyuki. I feel like the writers got to Koyuki and were like 'Uhhh, we don't know what to do with this character, sooooooooo let's make her have an affair too!' Not only is her relationship with 'random guy' probably the most BORing relationship ever, but it feels so incredibly out of character for Koyuki to engage in an affair in the first place. She's the most headstrong, conscientious one of the three leads, and I was hoping for something more meaty and interesting for her character. Like maybe she meets a man who is disabled, and the people around her are all telling her not to be with him because of how difficult the relationship would be, but she defies them all and loves him anyway. Or maybe she decides to eschew love and marriage altogether and live out the rest of her life a single lady, because she's happy with things just the way they are. Either way, both of these options would have been better than what we ended up with. I honestly feel bad for her character, because she really does get the short end of the stick in terms of storyline.

But what really frustrates me with this drama is that none of the leads, with the exception of the main lead towards the end, take any real responsibility for their part in the situations they find themselves in. It takes two to tango (or to have an affair in the case of this drama), but neither of the girls involved in the affairs really take much accountability for their actions, and that's just about the most annoying thing ever.

You're probably wondering at this point in the review why I kept watching this drama if I found the female leads separate storylines so frustrating. Well, first and foremost, their friendship with each other is one of the best parts of the drama, and one of the things that kept me coming back. As annoying as it is to watch them make such silly decisions on repeat, it's equally delightful watching them together, chatting over food and drinks about the daily goings on of their lives. They're such a tight-knit group, so loyal to each other, and they just look like a lot of fun to be around.

I also really liked Rinko's two biggest potential romantic interests, KEY and Tetsuro. I was sad for Tetsuro at the end, because he came so close to getting the girl (and honestly is every bit deserving of her as any other guy, and might even be more suited to her, if we're being honest), but he ultimately found himself in second male lead land through no fault of his own, and I hope he's able to find his own happiness in the sequel drama coming out later this year.

As for KEY, a lot of people think he's mean or abusive or what-have you, but I have to disagree. Yeah, he could be kind of a jerk at times, poking his nose into the leads business and offering his unwanted opinions and being rather judgmental of them (although I can't totally fault him for that one considering how consistent these girls are in making stupid choices and then whining about it later), but he's certainly not this awful, abusive monster that a lot of people have made him out to be. His bark is definitely worse than his bite, and I personally was not opposed to him ending up with our female lead at the end.

My only complaint with KEY is that his tragic backstory...is that he married his high school teacher because she was dying to fulfill her last wish????? I'm not surprised to see this in a Japanese drama, because it's the sort of thing I would expect at this point in my drama viewing history, but I will never stop finding these sorts of plot lines ridiculous. I don't know much about marriage laws in Japan, and it may very well be legal for a teacher to marry their student, but I certainly don't find that particularly...copasetic. I also just find it pretty stupid, because how does marrying your student whom you are not in love with fulfill your dying wish of falling in love and getting married? Um, it doesn't. But it's a fortunately small part of the drama and was no more than an innocent friendship rather than romantic relationship, so I can overlook it.

Now, if you've read all of that above ^ and are thinking 'this girl didn't like this drama and probably won't watch the sequel'........I will most DEFinitely be watching the sequel, because as frustrating as this drama was, I also strangely enjoyed it. I know. I started this review saying I don't think I like this drama and then I ended the review saying I enjoyed it. I guess I'm as illogical and all over the place as the Tokyo Tarareba Girls, lol. But it's true. I've given this drama an 8 overall, because in spite of it's flaws and the frustration with characters decisions and there not being enough character and story development for two of the leads, I'm invested in these girls and want to see where they end up.

That and I had planned a trip to Japan this year during the Olympics myself that all fell apart (before the Covid stuff ever happened), and I guess I want to live vicariously through these characters a little bit.

So sue me, lol.

Read More

This drama wasn't quite what I expected. I expected a story about a small little government agency that went around helping different women each episode or couple of episodes on their quest for love and marriage. Something like Five Star Tourist (https://kisskh.at/13029-five-star-tourist) but about a government agency helping people find love rather than a travel agency helping people plan the perfect vacation.

What you get is still a small little government agency, but one that mostly spies on a particular group of women for what they call 'research' but then never explain what the research is for. So something more like Tokyo Tarareba Musume/the I Need Romance trilogy/most dramas with a similar 'Group of Female Friends Seeking Love' type of story but using the Peanut Butter Sandwich organization as story framing.

While I still think the first synopsis would make for an interesting story, I will say that This drama makes for a very breezy, enjoyable watch. The characters are all generally quite likable (even if some of the choices they make are not so likable), their journey's are all fairly relatable, and I like (or can at least accept in the case of one of the characters) how each of their stories ends. My only major complaint would be that I would have preferred the issue of cheating (presented in two of the women's journey's) had been addressed a little differently. (Japanese dramas always seem to be just a tad too ambiguous for me with their messaging around this topic, and I find that very frustrating.)

I'm still not sure what the purpose of the Peanut Butter Sandwich organization is. They don't actually Do much other than give random little factoids about what Japanese women are feeling and wanting based on their answers in various polls (no idea if this is based on real data or not, but that would be interesting to find out about) and spend the rest of their time spying on a group of four women as part of their 'research.' They make for an affective story framing device, but you also finish the drama not really knowing what their purpose is in the stories universe.

But that's fine. This isn't a drama that's meant to be read into too deeply, and for the most part, I was able to not do that and just enjoy the ride. If you're like me and you enjoy the 'Group of Female Friends Seeking Love' drama trope, then you'll probably enjoy this drama too.

Read More

'Your dream doesn't have to be your vocation.'

I would say this sentence sums up not only this special but the Pretty Proofreader series as a whole. When you first start it, it seems that this will be the story of a girl pursuing her dream and ultimately succeeding. And it absolutely is. She absolutely pursues her dream throughout the series, and she absolutely finds success in the special. But what this special reinforces for us, and what the series proves to be saying all along, is be open to possibility and change.

The original series has a clear and well-written ending that is satisfying and the creators easily could have left the story there, but this special feels somewhat like a True ending to Pretty Proofreader. We get to see our female lead achieve her dream of becoming an editor for her favorite magazine and be successful at it before realizing...she's just too passionate and good at proofreading to give it up forever.

While I certainly would have been happy to see her thriving as an editor for Lassy, because the writers most definitely could have taken the show in that direction and it would have worked, I have to admit that a part of me wanted her back with the rest of the proofreaders as it just feels like that's where she belongs.

And potential viewers of this drama and drama special, I'm happy to say...

She's back on the proofreading team!

It's a slightly different role from the one she had before, instead of proofreading books, she's now proofreading Lassy itself, but it's the same little office space with the same crew, and it just leaves this wonderfully full, happy feeling in your heart to see them all back together.

This is a ten star drama and a ten star special for me.

Read More