4
This review may contain spoilers
A wild ride which ends surprisingly timidly
Behind the glitz and glam of the Japanese entertainment industry there lies a dark underbelly. Host clubs have been known to use predatory practices on their female clients. Those clients can rack up huge debts in the name of supporting their favourite host. New Japanese law aims to counter this has been enacted recently.
Maybe it is this high-profile change that sow the seed of this drama. Our ML works as a host in a popular club. The amount of money being spent by "princesses" are staggering. We bear witness to some disturbing fallouts. Into this nefarious world bravely walked our FL.
Our FL is 35 years old and the pressure on her to get married is immense. She is inexperienced in love, but I won't say she is totally naïve. To be fair, she has a strict upbringing and leads a sheltered life as a teacher in a catholic girl school. Her value system is quite binary. There are not many grey areas in her life. You can imagine her discomfort when she was forced to visit a host club when one of her students became obsessed with the ML. She is totally out of her comfort zone.
What sordid tales are contained within those walls? There is an opportunity to make some hard-hitting dramas. Yet, by the halfway mark, we know there won’t be any serious exposé on the Host Club industry.
While I'm a little disappointed by the missed opportunity, I can't complain too much as the focus on our leads highlights some serious talents. Not only is our ML's appearance striking, he is also a singer and model in RL. He is perfect for the role.
Similarly, our female lead IS the meek and strait-laced teacher. She is not a particularly good teacher, yet she never gives up trying. She found a new purpose while teaching the dyslexic ML. Their growing attraction is relatable.
This drama doesn't hide the fact that the A-plot is tropey. Their meet-cute is essentially Opposite Attracts writ large. With a bonus serving of Good Girl/Bad Boy to seal the deal. Our leads projected enough sincerity to make it work.
In essence, this show looks at relationships from two opposing ends. On the one hand, we have the loveless social contract, akin to a lifetime of role playing. While on the other hand, we have pretended ones where a female engage a handsome host to live out a fantasy, billable by the minute. Neither one is ideal, but they are symptomatic of our time.
We find our FL faced with just such a stark choice. Will she accept a loveless but stable life like her mum or will she rebel? As expected, this leads to much soul searching and eventual growth for all. It is their journey we are buying into.
Is the drama perfect? Not quite. There are some minor pacing and narrative issues. However, my one real gripe is how the show bends over backwards to land the happy ending for everyone.
To wit, the show makes sure we understand the hosts are honest people just doing a job. The two timing SML plays cupid for our leads. Owner of the club is a kind, fatherly figure under his gangster facade. The FL’s old fashion, control freak of a father only wants to sing, I mean retire and be a house husband. Oprah Winfrey will be proud as the show dishes out redemptions like free trips to Australia.
The last couple of eps is a surprising wild ride. They packed some big highs and deep lows. Our leads really bring out their A-game. Their romance blossomed and then wilted. It is hardly an easy cruise to the finish.
Thankfully, the writer-san delivers the ending we craved. The last scene with the FL calling out the ML for writing the word LOVE incorrectly is delicious. They then practise writing it over and over in the sand until the whole area is covered by LOVE. How poetic and a heartfelt conclusion. Bravo!
In the end, I can't recommend this show unreservedly because there are caveats. If you have read this far then I implore you to sample a few eps and judge for yourself. You can do worse, chingu. Peace.
Maybe it is this high-profile change that sow the seed of this drama. Our ML works as a host in a popular club. The amount of money being spent by "princesses" are staggering. We bear witness to some disturbing fallouts. Into this nefarious world bravely walked our FL.
Our FL is 35 years old and the pressure on her to get married is immense. She is inexperienced in love, but I won't say she is totally naïve. To be fair, she has a strict upbringing and leads a sheltered life as a teacher in a catholic girl school. Her value system is quite binary. There are not many grey areas in her life. You can imagine her discomfort when she was forced to visit a host club when one of her students became obsessed with the ML. She is totally out of her comfort zone.
What sordid tales are contained within those walls? There is an opportunity to make some hard-hitting dramas. Yet, by the halfway mark, we know there won’t be any serious exposé on the Host Club industry.
While I'm a little disappointed by the missed opportunity, I can't complain too much as the focus on our leads highlights some serious talents. Not only is our ML's appearance striking, he is also a singer and model in RL. He is perfect for the role.
Similarly, our female lead IS the meek and strait-laced teacher. She is not a particularly good teacher, yet she never gives up trying. She found a new purpose while teaching the dyslexic ML. Their growing attraction is relatable.
This drama doesn't hide the fact that the A-plot is tropey. Their meet-cute is essentially Opposite Attracts writ large. With a bonus serving of Good Girl/Bad Boy to seal the deal. Our leads projected enough sincerity to make it work.
In essence, this show looks at relationships from two opposing ends. On the one hand, we have the loveless social contract, akin to a lifetime of role playing. While on the other hand, we have pretended ones where a female engage a handsome host to live out a fantasy, billable by the minute. Neither one is ideal, but they are symptomatic of our time.
We find our FL faced with just such a stark choice. Will she accept a loveless but stable life like her mum or will she rebel? As expected, this leads to much soul searching and eventual growth for all. It is their journey we are buying into.
Is the drama perfect? Not quite. There are some minor pacing and narrative issues. However, my one real gripe is how the show bends over backwards to land the happy ending for everyone.
To wit, the show makes sure we understand the hosts are honest people just doing a job. The two timing SML plays cupid for our leads. Owner of the club is a kind, fatherly figure under his gangster facade. The FL’s old fashion, control freak of a father only wants to sing, I mean retire and be a house husband. Oprah Winfrey will be proud as the show dishes out redemptions like free trips to Australia.
The last couple of eps is a surprising wild ride. They packed some big highs and deep lows. Our leads really bring out their A-game. Their romance blossomed and then wilted. It is hardly an easy cruise to the finish.
Thankfully, the writer-san delivers the ending we craved. The last scene with the FL calling out the ML for writing the word LOVE incorrectly is delicious. They then practise writing it over and over in the sand until the whole area is covered by LOVE. How poetic and a heartfelt conclusion. Bravo!
In the end, I can't recommend this show unreservedly because there are caveats. If you have read this far then I implore you to sample a few eps and judge for yourself. You can do worse, chingu. Peace.
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