chillingindoors

This drama is very realistic, heavy and contemplative but if you are able to appreciate it, there is so much to take away from it.
Episode 6 - another fantastic episode, focusing on what it truly takes to make a marriage work. Stellar writing and screenplay especially in this episode.
Can't wait to watch the finale.

P.S If you liked the award-winning Hollywood film 'A Marriage Story (2019)', then you might enjoy this.

Ramblings as I watch the episode
Episode 6
Otoyan is the classic case of pot calling the kettle black. Cannot take his wife having a one-night stand while he had countless amounts of sex with his mistress for over a freaking year. Worst, he leaves her in agony and still has the guts to tell his sister that he will not get a divorce and he's trying to prevent that. Like dude if you want to save the marriage, look within first, talk to her and try to understand her instead of distancing yourself.
I enjoyed the conversation with the sister. Very realistic, and there was a beautiful advice hidden underneath the whole why-the-marriage-ended. But unfortunately, Otoyan didn't hear it and that was COMMUNICATION.
Interesting how the sister notes that it's great he could talk to Ichiko as friends, but eventually they became friends. WORD! While a great marriage is founded on friendship, it is more than that. It is companionship, which includes being independent of negative outcomes.

Shiro and Mitsuki's conversation on 'family' - so so well written. This show is seriously so well-written. What a fantastic exchange showing how flawed, selfish both of them are., how the man so conveniently calls it a family when she doesn't live up to his standard, but brushes all responsibility on her. Same with Mitsuki - yes you guys are a family and you cheated on him? How is that being a family? And how do you not expect him to question whose child that is when you have been having an affair for so long?
And you guys want to bring another child in this world to make another unhappy human be born into this universe?! I wonder if the writer is trying to prove me wrong with the next scene after that. Shiro takes 1 step forward and walks with Mistuki and Hiro. Looks like they'll keep the baby... SIGH.
Also I cannot believe I'm saying this but I actually feel like I am beginning to prefer Mitsuki / Shiro over Otoyan / Ichiko.

I zoned out the moment manipulative Rei said Ichiko is no longer a client. Ichiko, GIRL, how do you not see what this guy is doing? He literally earns money from making people comfortable and seducing them. Of course I'm not saying that those who prostitute themselves don't deserve love or are fake, but Rei is. HAHA.
And there we have the bait - do you want to have dinner? after dinner, Ichiko wanna go to hotel?
I am glad she shut him off and declined. Ichiko, focus on your issues before getting involved with another man.

"I know I have no right to feel hurt" YESSSSSSSS Otoyan continue. Ugh the message cut off his thoughts. Interesting cordial message exchange between husband-wife oops I mean friends.
"Why exactly am I feeling hurt" FINALLLLLYYYYYYY

"Its disgust over the lopsided power balance" and the unfairness of it.. interesting perspective. I did not think about that at all.

Another interesting perspective / conversation about comfort and eroticism. I think Ichiko definitely had a point. But it also seemed like a fantasy? Like you don't get expect your relationship to be as passionate as it once was. Comfort takes over in every relationship and isn't that what we all strive to achieve? To come home to someone that makes you feel comfortable and someone you can share everything with..
It's almost beginning to feel like the perfectness of their relationship (like no matter what happened, the fact that they were able to hold on and be cordial) is beginning to bother them.. clear case of grass is greener on the other side. Like they're yearning to be a couple that fights and has hot make-up sex like some teens over the middle-age calm romantic relationship.. let's see if I am right..

What a contrast with Shiro and Mitsuki who are actually beginning to find comfort in their relationship and taking a step forward to be a family. Unlike Ichiko / Otoyan, these two are trying to change, and re-build their relationship. Finally Shiro understands what Mitsuki has to go through everyday, and the amount of care and attention his kid requires. Very beautiful sequence between Shiro and Hiro and the way the kid kept saying Yanyan. Even more beautiful was the couple sitting on the kitchen floor having an honest conversation as parents. That simple pat on the shoulder, and those simple words of 'thank you' and 'sorry' AHHHH that was lovely. Hats off for the writing, acting and direction. That's what companionship is.

"We need to focus on what we can do to be happy together"
says the person who found another woman the moment the wife didn't want to have sex.
says the person who left the house.
And then immediately goes on to talk about kids and sex.
OTOYAN YOU NEED A TIGHT SLAP RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU EVEN HEARING YOURSELF?!
Goes on to kiss her and leaves so that things don't go back the way they were
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW I don't even know what to say.
The silver lining is that both of them love each other but let' s see how long this fake bliss lasts..

"I trust you.. I want to trust you" YES, THAT IS A MATURE COUPLE RIGHT THERE. Shiro is not a perfect man by any means, and has a lot of shortcomings but he's trying to improve, trying to listen and understand. Everyone deserves a second chance especially when they prove themselves worthy of it.

Can this player Rei stop calling Ichiko?! Something about him rubs me the wrong way..

HUH?! Mitsuki seems to have some warped logic / understanding.
FIrst she let Hiro apologize for her getting involved in an affair when it was her fault because remember Hiro walked away from the lady at the bar instead of sleeping with her.
And now she thinks that Otoyan had an affair with her because he cherished and trusted Ichiko?
GIRL WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING?!
Is she trying to play some game here and egging him to think about himself = get a divorce?
And then goes into you saved me and I'm trying to re-build my family.. girl you stabbed him in his genitals and you're rubbing the fact that you're pregnant and then you tell him to be happy.
I am beginning to see why Otoyan and Mitsuki fell for each other.. they have similar warped logic and do the exact opposite of what they say. Hypocrites of the highest order.

and there we have it. Rei plays his game. Weren't you in support of her marriage, and now you're trying to push her into re-considering? There we have it! I told you he's manipulative. And my point proven further when he asks her for sex again. ICHIKO STOP MEETING THIS GUY. Glad she cut him off once and for all.

I just realized another difference between Mitsuki / Shiro and Otoyan / Ichiko. MS don't share their marriage issues with others and resolve it within themselves, while OI talk to the whole world about the issues instead of each other. Sharing is great, but be careful of who you share with. Also don't conflate others' opinions with your own; another downside of sharing.

I was all for "We might have been stuck circling the same spot in the past and will do that in the future but .. we were serious.. we never broke up" but her let's have a baby threw me out. Let's see where this goes because the way I see it, having a baby is not the way
oh wait
she just said we got a divorce
HAHAHA I knew it.

LMAOOOOO at that ending! I laughed out so loud.
Amnesia was used in the most tropey way possible that you can't take it seriously. That aside, it was a simple and feel-good story of self-love, full of positivity and heart. Kudos to the way their love story was written like any other, without an emphasis on her fatness / looks.
Time well spent :)

if you're looking for historical Japanese dramas with romance, you should check out 'asadoras'. They are historical dramas that air weekdays mornings in Japan and are usually 15 mins an episode, spanning over 100+ episodes.

Some recommendations with beautiful romances -
https://kisskh.at/13553-asa-ga-kita
https://kisskh.at/7411-hanako-to-anne
https://kisskh.at/33564-yell
https://kisskh.at/7889-gochisousan

Non-asadoras (full length dramas) that are historical romances -
https://kisskh.at/28252-in-this-corner-of-the-world
https://kisskh.at/12252-tenno-no-ryoriban
https://kisskh.at/49689-kaidan-botan-doro-beauty-and-fear

Is the movie a compilation of the drama or a sequel?

Is this a sequel to the drama or are they the same?

You guys making me emotional 🥺
I am glad my reviews / comments are read, and appreciated.
Thank you! *countless bowing*

Shiro is very patriarchal and I really dislike that about him. It doesn't help that he's also very detached as a person. I don't want to give away spoilers so we'll discuss more after you watch the next 2 episodes hehe

I would think that Mitsuki subtly flirted first, but Otoyan probably made the first move to invite her for tea / coffee. But the show doesn't give that away and I doubt it matters because the focus of the show is more on both couples' marriages rather than the affair relationships.

Regarding the class, all we know is he is interested in flower arrangement. And he started taking it after the couple grew distant.

Oh yes,. She has clearly been suppressing her anger and the way she feels stifled by her husband, mother-in-law and past relationships under the facade of a soft-spoken, gentle person. But like they say, no matter how good you are at keeping up with the facade, you give yourself away in little moments when you think no one notices and before long that facade slips..

Like for instance, if this stalker was truly bothering her, why didn't she report him to the police? It appears like she was waiting for Shiro. She seems to be interested in people who are unavailable, like Shiro who was detached but popular, so she used the opportunity with the stalker to invite him to her house. Or with Otoyan who's married but in a distant relationship with his wife.
And then she expects them to be attentive and committed to her, clearly ignoring the flip side of the coin that they were unavailable in the first place. It's like this fantasy that many women have of love being this magical weapon that they can use to change the toxic man.

I warmed up to Shiro a little more in Episodes 4 -5 as we got more of him.

I find all of them to be red flags for each other..

Oh yes, that was assault and I definitely did not expect Mitsuki to go that far. But then, people in real life do.. it's scary..
I could feel her rage and hurt because she clearly wasn't taking the relationship lightly and he also seemed to have given her the impression that he was serious. and then he threw that bomb at her that too in a "nice" manner after using her for over a year "let's go back to being friends who discuss our problems" like she was someone he had his share of fun with. Not only that, but it's the way he did it like he didn't even have the guts to tell her that I wasn't expecting it to get serious, rather he chose to act like he's such a nice guy who's doing her a favour. She clearly couldn't take his bullshit.
But it's interesting because she probably wouldn't dare to do that to her husband because he's not the kind of person who would take it lightly.. I guess being nice comes with a cost?

Aww.. thank you :)
The comments section is pretty quiet so I write my thoughts to have a convo with myself about the drama LOL

What an effortless and flawless performance in Unmet.
Now I want to watch everything he's acted in.

Another fine actor who delivers a fantastic performance no matter the role or genre.

Opposite for me. I empathize with all of them, and don't hate any of them though I disagree with their perspective and actions.

Episode 4 ramblings as I watch the episode

There's something so real and vulnerable about all these characters that I strongly empathize with them even though I dislike their actions. Ichiko's feeling of heartbreak and betrayal with Otoyan's affair and how he couldn't take her not wanting sex, Otoyan's feeling of heartbreak and rejection when Ichiko didn't want to sleep with him and asked him to look for a lover.. Mitsuki's anguish when Otoyan took her lightly and just asked her to be friends after all that they went through together.. Kashiwagi's love for his wife but inability to connect and attach the way most people do.
None of them set out to be bad people or betray one another but they were so overwhelmed by their own hurt, loneliness and fear that they ended up hurting each other.

It was interesting how having sex allowed Ichiko to release a lot of the built up tension, stress, hurt and heartbreak she was harbouring. It's like a storm that finally ended, allowing her to initiate an honest conversation with Otoyan. The way the conversation played out and the simplicity of it. It was so realistic. As someone who deals with divorced couples day in and day out as part of my job, I really appreciate how refreshing and real this drama is on what a marriage entails, and what it takes to make it work. It's about finding that common ground with one another. Many people come up to me and question how some couples can fix a marriage after infidelity and the answer is simple - is the infidelity the main problem? And secondly, what do you want? If you want to make it work, then you have to re-start. Forgiving someone for infidelity is not giving them a free pass to do it again, but it is about having that conversation and understanding what both of you really want. Are you able to put things behind, and give it a try again, and work on re-building and re-connecting what you once had, with new boundaries and approaching each other differently? Of course, some couples just can't do it, and that's fine because loyalty is important and a non-negotiable for everyone. But you'll be surprised at how many couples are able to do it, and are genuinely able to find happiness again because like Ichiko and Otoyan, the infidelity wasn't the issue. It was the lack of honesty, and the way both of them were suppressing their love and disappointment with each other.

I love the contrast we get with Mitsuki and Shiro who are probably reaching that dead end because they just can't communicate and see each other anymore. Probably they never did. The infidelity was merely the last straw, because the building rocks laid in how they never connected. Mitsuki fell for Shiro because she was attracted to his bluntness, and to the way he appeared distant. For her, that was a sign of a gentleman - one who left after tea and took his time to touch her. And for Shiro, Mitsuki was the gentle, hardworking and soft-spoken woman. But now they're beginning to realize how that was just part of a picture they wanted to see, ignoring the flip side of the coin.

Episode 5

"Was sex something this serious and grave?" contrasted with "sex is not just about penetration" in Episode 4. Interesting....
Love that we get to the psychological parts of it, like on surface they attempted to re-start in Episode 4. But now we get to the is-it-as-easy-as-just-wanting-to-start-again bit. This drama has clearly been written by a person who has been in a relationship and that's so refreshing because so many drama writers write relationships so linearly and perfectly like its coming out of a fantasy. Fantasy is great, but it would be nice if it was combined with some reality.
Was sex really the problem is the question? Instead of going straight for sex, shouldn't they try to spend more time doing things they enjoyed together like camping, going on a walk etc.
Interesting how so many couples think sex is the answer to resolving a problem, especially when that is only part of the problem..

I love the scene with Shiro at the bar. Temptation is everywhere, it's about how strong you are to resist that temptation, and stay true to your commitment. Great development with him picking up the book on child developmental issues..

Otoyan / Ichiko appear to be the more perfect couple on the surface, but I like how this episode breaks that illusion a little bit and the couple that appeared to be reaching the dead end (Shiro/Mitsuki) are the ones who are slowly changing a little bit and are actually thinking about the real problem while things are turning ugly for Ichiko / Otoyan.

This Rei guy is such a bad idea. Clearly manipulative with the way he started out by giving her solution of the singer (appearing very helpful) to slowly baiting her by saying he's leaving soon and when she didn't take the bait, moving to sit next to her and holding her hand. So that's how he fools people, by taking their money and making them addicted to him at the same time.

Otoyan can fall in love with Mitsuki and sleep with her countlessly over the year and Ichiko can't have a one-night stand with a man once?! Yes I don't agree with prostitution and can understand part of his disgust but placing himself on a pedestral for having sex with someone he loved VS her doing that with a random man.. WOW clearly shows you how problematic this world is. Both of them cheated, but his cheating is justified and hers is not?

Separation on the cards in the next episode preview - well it was coming! And a pregnant Mitsuki.. interesting.

Now I know why the episodes were released that way; first 3 episodes together, then 2, and then the last 2. Clearly a well-packaged and calculated move!

The first 3 episodes seemed to be laying the background for everything that happened, why it happened, and what the current scenario is.
And now that we've been given the picture, Episodes 4-5 slowed down to unpackage it all, with more introspection, reframing of perspectives and re-building via some honest conversations. Looking forward to where the last 2 episodes will take us though I think I know..HAHA

I kept my expectations low before starting, but this drama has clearly exceeded them :)
Finally a drama written by an adult who does not hesitate to show the greys of a relationship.

P.S I was hoping we'd get more of Narita Ryo...

Thank you for your reply :)
I can't wait to binge it once it finishes airing!

THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU <3

I KNOW RIGHT
I was so impressed. It took them days to film that opening sequence!

There are so many many more. like the thread that Wakaba Ryura tied in E10, it was so thin that even neurosurgeons find it difficult to do it and he freaking did it 1 attempt, how they had to zoom into it with a special lens.
Even the last episode, Wakaba Ryura did the scene with the letter and diary in one 15 minute take without even knowing what was written in both. He didn't even know where it was kept, it was all natural!
Or like the ad lib by Sugisaki Hana in Episode 9 during the ending convo between Miyabi and Sanpei, which was so so perfect.

I could go on and on... all of them truly became the characters. I miss this already.

Watching the first episode made me realize how classy, charming and beautiful the 1996 original was. I'm not one to drop dramas easily and yet, I could barely last an episode of this.