It's a pity this drama is underrated because it was a well-crafted, well-acted, and well-made story that kept…
8/10
Would I have liked for this to be darker? Yes. But can one really find salvation after sinking to a place of no return? Nope. And that's why I was able to appreciate this for what it was. She took her 'revenge' but she also saved herself by not going to a low she would not be able to return from. Afterall, she is also a mother and she needs to protect her child.
The last 3 episodes - A lot of people have a problem with the 7 year leap but I actually liked it. Too many stories stop at the revenge but then life goes on.. and an eye for an eye makes the world blind.. in many revenge stories, i always wonder what will happen to the characters thereafter.. would the perpetrators seek revenge to get back to the FL, would the FL be able to survive and live with herself after all she did? So I like that this show addressed how the characters were living with the aftermath of all that happened. I love how everybody was scarred. Wataru's dialogue to the FL that you don't have to carry the burden was a beautiful writing moment because she didn't technically have the affair or destroy the family but still, we hold on to the burden for others and due to others. It might be melodramatic but I love the way it came all around.
RE: The romance I don't think this needed one. But the way they presented it, I found myself thinking 'why not'. Yes, it's a messed up dynamic given the relationship between her ex-husband and his mum but from another perspective, isn't this the best revenge that he left his mum, got with her and at the same time, both of them healed together due to sharing a common pain. I can see why he was attracted to her - yes she manipulated him, but she also showed him what humanity is like by owning up to her mistake in involving him, motivated him to study and encouraged him to live better. He saw her kindness; something he never saw in his mum, fake father or even the girl pursuing him at school. Why she chose him? Because he persisted and stayed, despite everything. Being cheated on by the guy who was her first love and the man she married clearly took a hit on her self-esteem and made her lonely. The question she asked her husband 'did you really love me' wasn't just rheotorical; she was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he did love her and would come around. But he never did. And there comes this guy who stays, tells her he loves her time and time again despite her breaking his heart by the beach, I can see why she was swayed. This is the same guy who apologized for his mum's mistakes and took her side. The same guy who protected her all the way. So both of them were essentially attracted to the humanity and kindness they both had.
It's a pity this drama is underrated because it was a well-crafted, well-acted, and well-made story that kept me hooked throughout. The use of the classical score and Galileo as the ending song, the ominous atomsphere, the plot twists, and Matsumoto Marika's fantastic performance as a scorned wife; it was all so humane and presented with such vulnerability and yet it managed to be satisfying and entertaining. I also love that it wasn't just a revenge story, but a psychological / human story where we went through the emotional journey and transformation of all the characters involved to the aftermath of it all, making it well-rounded overall.
While this isn't Kurosawa's best work, it is definitely one of the best adaptations of Dostoyevsky's 'The Idiot' put to film. It's a pity the studio trimmed this from a 4hr+ length down to 2h45mins. I would have loved to watch the whole thing as Kurosawa intended, alas it's now lost forever. It's a great watch nonetheless (without any spoiler) for the beautiful cinematography set against snowy Hokkaido, the powerful dialogues, Kurosawa's use of frame in contrasting Kadema's innocence with the twisted morals and meanness of the society. The actors were great, and I particularly loved the way Kurosawa used their eyes. A very underrated gem; worth the watch!
Dropped at E12. It tries to be very poetic and pretty in dialogue and cinematography, but the writing fails to deliver by not fleshing out the characters and giving them substance and depth. Not to mention, the pacing is all over the place. Why not infuse whatever happened in the past with the current, rather than focusing purely on the romance in the first half and then pushing back all the conflict and melodrama to the last quarter. There are way better slice-of-life and calming dramas.
I know right. But I realise this is pretty much the standard response all these South Korean celebs give nowadays whenever they are exposed. So bogus and insincere.
The leads were really cute and there was nothing unlikeable about the movie BUT it tried to pack too much to the point that I didn't get why some characters were there. At some point, it just felt a gathering of all the younger A-list actors from Japan, and I zoned out.
I watched this drama an year ago and I still can't find a Jdrama that is as comfortable and funny with the same…
You can check out some of these dramas -
Beach Boys Satsui no Michinori Hot Spot Trespassers Rebooting If Talking Paid Mr Nietzsche in the Convenience Store My Dear Exes Quartet Ikebukuro West Gate Park Shinjuku Field Hospital Yutori Desu ga Nani ka
This drama is just very badly written overall.Finally dropped it at E11. Can't even be bothered to finish it anymore.
The convo between the ML and 2FL had little effect whatsoever because like the show never fleshed out why their relationship went south. Also wasn't he in love with her when the drama started and then suddenly he didn't love her anymore?
Prosecutor randomly grew a conscience after talking to FL. Yeah right. If only all bullies were like that.
Badly done murder mystery - i mean there was nothing unpredictable, no shock value. A whole 11 episodes of running in circles leading to pretty much where we started. Also regarding the toxic substance found in the ML's blood and the friend's - was that something the writer overlooked? Who gave them that substance LOL What about the voice recording with the CEO and door lock opening? Another overlooked detail?
Procedural / legal - again little attention to detail there, very different from how it works in reality. Also how did their romantic relationship not affect the case, given how high profile it was? It is a clear ethical breach to be in a relationship with your client. Oh it was just to create the situation where leads could run away and kiss.
Characters have continued to be so surface-level; ML's mental health was barely addressed. He never got a panic attack again (surprising) given all that happened. THAT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Throughout the drama, he literally did nothing other than reading the case files with her in E10 to help. Also when will writers stop portraying celebs as having the worst life? Celebs also do enjoy and have good moments. When will they learn to be more balanced about their portrayal?
Leads kissed and confessed, but there was hardly any conversation shown about the status of their relationship.. they just jumped back to case-solving. FL never took agency to solve her father's case, hardly anything was ever addressed as to why she was this cut-throat lawyer who saved criminals (after all the shit her father went through), they showed her like she was very cold but essentially a typical nice FL with hardly any complexity (and you're telling me she's a damn good lawyer) Prosecutor guy was shown as heartless throughout and grew a conscience overnight? 2ML - what was his contribution to the story? 2FL - again what was her contribution to the story?
You're telling me the prosecutor and the police overlooked such an obvious camera at the building? Oh wait, they needed to overlook it so they could drag the drama. What about the 2FL's prints at the crime scene? You're telling me she did such a thorough job that she didn't leave any DNA at all?!
FL finally decides to investigate her father's case - erm.. late much? Didn't she already mention very early on that she regretted not doing anything for her father so why didn't she start then?
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Another drama with SK leads in TW drama adapted from JP manga.
It's a must watch unlike this one.
Would I have liked for this to be darker? Yes.
But can one really find salvation after sinking to a place of no return? Nope.
And that's why I was able to appreciate this for what it was. She took her 'revenge' but she also saved herself by not going to a low she would not be able to return from. Afterall, she is also a mother and she needs to protect her child.
The last 3 episodes - A lot of people have a problem with the 7 year leap but I actually liked it. Too many stories stop at the revenge but then life goes on.. and an eye for an eye makes the world blind.. in many revenge stories, i always wonder what will happen to the characters thereafter.. would the perpetrators seek revenge to get back to the FL, would the FL be able to survive and live with herself after all she did? So I like that this show addressed how the characters were living with the aftermath of all that happened. I love how everybody was scarred. Wataru's dialogue to the FL that you don't have to carry the burden was a beautiful writing moment because she didn't technically have the affair or destroy the family but still, we hold on to the burden for others and due to others. It might be melodramatic but I love the way it came all around.
RE: The romance
I don't think this needed one. But the way they presented it, I found myself thinking 'why not'. Yes, it's a messed up dynamic given the relationship between her ex-husband and his mum but from another perspective, isn't this the best revenge that he left his mum, got with her and at the same time, both of them healed together due to sharing a common pain. I can see why he was attracted to her - yes she manipulated him, but she also showed him what humanity is like by owning up to her mistake in involving him, motivated him to study and encouraged him to live better. He saw her kindness; something he never saw in his mum, fake father or even the girl pursuing him at school.
Why she chose him? Because he persisted and stayed, despite everything. Being cheated on by the guy who was her first love and the man she married clearly took a hit on her self-esteem and made her lonely. The question she asked her husband 'did you really love me' wasn't just rheotorical; she was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he did love her and would come around. But he never did. And there comes this guy who stays, tells her he loves her time and time again despite her breaking his heart by the beach, I can see why she was swayed. This is the same guy who apologized for his mum's mistakes and took her side. The same guy who protected her all the way.
So both of them were essentially attracted to the humanity and kindness they both had.
And yes, their rain kiss was HOT haha
He's got potential.. hope he'll continue to do interesting projects.
Absolutely fantastic performance.
It's a great watch nonetheless (without any spoiler) for the beautiful cinematography set against snowy Hokkaido, the powerful dialogues, Kurosawa's use of frame in contrasting Kadema's innocence with the twisted morals and meanness of the society. The actors were great, and I particularly loved the way Kurosawa used their eyes.
A very underrated gem; worth the watch!
Eng subs in spoiler below
Gannibal
Ouroboros
Mystery to Iunakare
More tight-scripted, better crafted, less melodramatic and concise.
It tries to be very poetic and pretty in dialogue and cinematography, but the writing fails to deliver by not fleshing out the characters and giving them substance and depth. Not to mention, the pacing is all over the place. Why not infuse whatever happened in the past with the current, rather than focusing purely on the romance in the first half and then pushing back all the conflict and melodrama to the last quarter.
There are way better slice-of-life and calming dramas.
But I realise this is pretty much the standard response all these South Korean celebs give nowadays whenever they are exposed. So bogus and insincere.
I kept going thinking it would get better, but it didn't.
Beach Boys
Satsui no Michinori
Hot Spot
Trespassers
Rebooting
If Talking Paid
Mr Nietzsche in the Convenience Store
My Dear Exes
Quartet
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Shinjuku Field Hospital
Yutori Desu ga Nani ka
Prosecutor randomly grew a conscience after talking to FL. Yeah right. If only all bullies were like that.
Badly done murder mystery - i mean there was nothing unpredictable, no shock value. A whole 11 episodes of running in circles leading to pretty much where we started.
Also regarding the toxic substance found in the ML's blood and the friend's - was that something the writer overlooked? Who gave them that substance LOL
What about the voice recording with the CEO and door lock opening? Another overlooked detail?
Procedural / legal - again little attention to detail there, very different from how it works in reality.
Also how did their romantic relationship not affect the case, given how high profile it was? It is a clear ethical breach to be in a relationship with your client. Oh it was just to create the situation where leads could run away and kiss.
Characters have continued to be so surface-level; ML's mental health was barely addressed. He never got a panic attack again (surprising) given all that happened. THAT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Throughout the drama, he literally did nothing other than reading the case files with her in E10 to help. Also when will writers stop portraying celebs as having the worst life? Celebs also do enjoy and have good moments. When will they learn to be more balanced about their portrayal?
Leads kissed and confessed, but there was hardly any conversation shown about the status of their relationship.. they just jumped back to case-solving.
FL never took agency to solve her father's case, hardly anything was ever addressed as to why she was this cut-throat lawyer who saved criminals (after all the shit her father went through), they showed her like she was very cold but essentially a typical nice FL with hardly any complexity (and you're telling me she's a damn good lawyer)
Prosecutor guy was shown as heartless throughout and grew a conscience overnight?
2ML - what was his contribution to the story?
2FL - again what was her contribution to the story?
You're telling me the prosecutor and the police overlooked such an obvious camera at the building? Oh wait, they needed to overlook it so they could drag the drama. What about the 2FL's prints at the crime scene? You're telling me she did such a thorough job that she didn't leave any DNA at all?!
FL finally decides to investigate her father's case - erm.. late much? Didn't she already mention very early on that she regretted not doing anything for her father so why didn't she start then?