4
This review may contain spoilers
A sentimental journey to a simpler time
I'm just going to say it upfront. I want to love this show, but ends up liking it but not loving it.
It is set in 1930's Japan where mass media is limited to newspapers and periodicals. Some live very sheltered lives. Arranged marriage is the norm. In this case, the show builds a lot of the comedy around the cohabitation trope. Not only are our OTP total noobs in dating, but the very idea of cohabitation is alien to them! Neither of them knows how to behave around a spouse who is basically a stranger. We bear witness to their growth, discovery and romance. It does work . . some of the time.
For me, this show is too cringey. Yes, there are some cute and swoonworthy moments. The show knows this. It loves to recap them for us. That's fine, they are highlights after all. What is less fine is the characterisation of our leads.
As the series is based on a webcomic, there is a lot of exaggerated acting from our leads in every episode. Works well in a 2D panel but live action needs to be more aware of space and timing.
Early scenes when our OTP first start living together made me wince. Both are constantly pulling faces and stumbling around as they try to "hide" their surprise reactions to the most mundane situations. They also use a lot of inner monologue as if their scrunched up faces is not telling enough.
I suppose Japanese audience are more used to this style of acting. I have seen this in other productions, but this is one of the more extreme cases. I pity the ML when he has to put on the "constipation" face so many times. The FL would jerk and stutter repeatedly. Her brain seems to get overloaded and she'd act like an out of control robot. Naïve, stoic and inexperienced does not equate stupidity and ineptitude.
To be honest, you'll need industrial grade rose-tinted glasses to enjoy it to the fullest. As if to highlight this, no other character behaved like them. There is a 2CP who are also navigating their way towards an arranged marriage yet their interactions are perfectly normal. In fact, it is fun to watch the 2CP's verbal jousting as part of their courtship.
The show, like their life, does settle down as time passes. The old tropes like commitment, misunderstanding and jealousy rear their collective heads. Thankfully, they are quickly dealt with and left no lasting damage. This is definitely angst lite.
In the end, it is a fun watch but with caveats. There are some good ideas and the unusual setting spiced things up. It is also interesting to see how the pre-war Japanese society functioned. However, the delivery made it difficult to fully engage.
Another issue is the timing of this series. It is set in 1936-37. Japan invaded China in 1937. That eventually led to an all-out war in the Pacific. While the show ends on a sweet and positive note, there is an amazingly destructive storm on the horizon. I won’t even mention over 300 thousand Japanese sailors died by the end of WW2. Not to mention atrocities and countless civilian deaths.
It is set in 1930's Japan where mass media is limited to newspapers and periodicals. Some live very sheltered lives. Arranged marriage is the norm. In this case, the show builds a lot of the comedy around the cohabitation trope. Not only are our OTP total noobs in dating, but the very idea of cohabitation is alien to them! Neither of them knows how to behave around a spouse who is basically a stranger. We bear witness to their growth, discovery and romance. It does work . . some of the time.
For me, this show is too cringey. Yes, there are some cute and swoonworthy moments. The show knows this. It loves to recap them for us. That's fine, they are highlights after all. What is less fine is the characterisation of our leads.
As the series is based on a webcomic, there is a lot of exaggerated acting from our leads in every episode. Works well in a 2D panel but live action needs to be more aware of space and timing.
Early scenes when our OTP first start living together made me wince. Both are constantly pulling faces and stumbling around as they try to "hide" their surprise reactions to the most mundane situations. They also use a lot of inner monologue as if their scrunched up faces is not telling enough.
I suppose Japanese audience are more used to this style of acting. I have seen this in other productions, but this is one of the more extreme cases. I pity the ML when he has to put on the "constipation" face so many times. The FL would jerk and stutter repeatedly. Her brain seems to get overloaded and she'd act like an out of control robot. Naïve, stoic and inexperienced does not equate stupidity and ineptitude.
To be honest, you'll need industrial grade rose-tinted glasses to enjoy it to the fullest. As if to highlight this, no other character behaved like them. There is a 2CP who are also navigating their way towards an arranged marriage yet their interactions are perfectly normal. In fact, it is fun to watch the 2CP's verbal jousting as part of their courtship.
The show, like their life, does settle down as time passes. The old tropes like commitment, misunderstanding and jealousy rear their collective heads. Thankfully, they are quickly dealt with and left no lasting damage. This is definitely angst lite.
In the end, it is a fun watch but with caveats. There are some good ideas and the unusual setting spiced things up. It is also interesting to see how the pre-war Japanese society functioned. However, the delivery made it difficult to fully engage.
Another issue is the timing of this series. It is set in 1936-37. Japan invaded China in 1937. That eventually led to an all-out war in the Pacific. While the show ends on a sweet and positive note, there is an amazingly destructive storm on the horizon. I won’t even mention over 300 thousand Japanese sailors died by the end of WW2. Not to mention atrocities and countless civilian deaths.
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