This review may contain spoilers
A well written story of 5 young adults as they finish off their college lives together.
Story - Young adults in college together who are making their way into the work force. Each character gets their own story about some issue that we learn can be solved with the support of your friends. Episodes are plotted out with foreshadowing from previous episodes or a non contextual beginning of an episode. While some ideas may seem silly, such as how meaningful a yawn can be, there is reason and there are lessons that can be learned from them. I would say that the first 7 episodes really cover this extremely well as we are introduced briefly to something seemingly small, but as the episode finishes we realize the importance of it. The level of drama in this series is more towards internal struggles and unwillingness to share for a variety of reasons. If that turns you away then this may not be the series for you. There are small moments of funny bits littered throughout as well! As a fan of the older series Orange Days, this has a similar feel due to the group and setting.Acting/Cast - The cast is fairly large and everyone typically gets a decent amount to say. They are well written and the dialogue I found to be natural. I thought that characters could easily go on longer monologues to explain, but other characters would add in a question or comment to provide a more dynamic way of story telling. They really did seem like friends. There is a range from the more goofy to the more serious for the characters and I liked the mix. Kiyohara Kaya as the main and Mikami Ai as a support are stands outs in particular, but everyone has memorable pieces and contributions that it seems like they switch off being main characters with each episode.
Music - Had two memorable tracks. Insert song by Yamato Mori - Gunjounikki, and the ending song by Saucy Dog called Kusege. Pretty typical setup for a show. They were placed well and are memorable, so good job to the show for that.
Rewatch Value - I also found that upon a re-watch, there are a lot of little bits throughout the first few episodes that are addressed later, which is a good testament to writing the series as a whole. How characters may look at one another may not seem like much until later. What characters say are remembered and used again later. There are cute moments between our female and male leads, and even the secondary characters that enhance the relationships that can easily be rewatched.
To end, I truly think that one can learn a few things from the show, just like Yuki who was re-reading her diary.
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Poetically changing the formula and keeping the series' spirit
Following the Chihayafuru movies is a large task, and the crew behind Full Circle (Meguri) really put a ton of work into the story they wanted to show. The series result is a well put together, detailed, and modern story that has that Chihayafuru style emotional connection to our new main cast.An easy path for a sequel would be creating characters that are similar to the originals with different back stories. What this series did to change up the formula and look at a different kind of main character was very well done. As the series progresses we gradually find through Meguru's growth why she was the focus of this series and I applaud the team for this choice. Intangibles that set her apart and make the relationships she has with everyone so much more impactful are shown to us viewers in every episode.
I enjoyed the details of the show a ton. Not only do we have small bits to show what the characters go through, but we also have the poems themselves that play a huge role in the influence of each episode and character. Paying attention to this was greatly rewarding for me, personally. The stories and interpretations of the poems really makes you want to get into karuta.
While this is a show about youth and maturing, as an adult I found it to be endearing without feeling the usual tropes. The cast was chosen to perfection, and following the behind the scenes online showed how much chemistry the cast has off camera as well. Everyone played their parts well and the acting was great. The one hope I have is that someone who watched the movies goes straight into this show without any promotion media because I think that would have the best reaction.
Overall, in every episode I felt strongly for the characters and was emotionally attached. Week after week I would be anticipating watching a new episode and felt rewarded (and a little empty, not going to lie) when it all ended.
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Seemingly simple but touches on a lot of topics
I watched this movie a few times over the years. At the heart of this movie are our two leads play by Narita Ryo and Kiyohara Kaya. They are perfectly cast with quick banter and fun conversations. Ryo's character, Yasuomi is a robotic-like cram school teacher, and Kaya's character is his student, Kasumi. While this does have a teacher and student trope, it's a lot more than just that. Both are characters that personally feel "not normal". Yasuomi is a boring smart man who can't seem to date normally. Kasumi wants to stick to her gossip filled girl group but thinks they are quite fake, and would rather look at a future thinking, tech company CEO who she believes is bringing us to a better future.The dynamic relationship built between the characters and how things develop is done very well. The mix of old vs new school, female vs male views, adult vs teen, straight/stoic vs dynamic, experience vs inexperience, and probably more that I can't think of are all shown. I really enjoyed the acts as we progress through the story, and there is a fair bit of comedy in each section. The synopsis does say how Kasumi helps Yasuomi to be normal (with women), and this is absolutely what makes this movie a gem. To boot, it's filmed very well with some long cuts with tons of realistic and fun banter.
Personally, this made me a huge fan of Kiyohara Kaya and is still memorable to this day.
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Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato
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Music is a type of communication that is dynamic
Story - Straightforward premise of a conductor father who has some family mending to do after 5 years. In Japan, the people around him and how they influence one another is written out in a wonderful way. There are portions of inspiration that I think will live on with me.Cast - A very strong cast of many characters. Everyone has their own motivations that we are able to find out about as the story progresses. Nishijima Hidetoshi, Ashida Mana, and Touma Ami are stand outs, especially in the latter half of the series. I'm a sucker for talented acting and musical skill, so when combined the effect really enhances the emotions.
Music - What can you say about music for a music based show? The descriptions of the music and passion behind it are well laid out to us viewers. Even for those who may not understand a lot, like myself, there is a beginner who is learning right along side us.
Rewatch Value - There are definitely stand out scenes that I will not forget anytime soon. I've already gone back to them! However, I rated this section a bit lower because my personal taste for rewatching is finding out more about things I may have missed, which is not a knock against the show because everything is laid out in a straightforward way.
Music is a way of communication. It can be used positively and negatively. Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato shows both sides, but wants to leave us with the positive impact it can have. The characters are able to use this to mend issues and grow. By the end I found myself very emotionally attached to the characters.
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