4
Find Yourself.
Another very complicated drama to rate as usual from JDoramaland. If it was me, I'd suggest Shinobu-san to never ever get married – so that then all this pain, and in short the drama itself, wouldn't exist.
When an aspiring manga artist meets a man 12 years her senior, she is caught in a whirlwind romance, culminating in their marriage and a child, Yuta. (Yuta didn't deserve any of this lunacy; I'm glad he reacted the way he did by the end of the show and he kept me curious.)
Now, 15 years later, with her desire to draw what she wants clashing with the public's demand, she once again begins to revisit her passion; now hiring the help of a 22-year-old young man named Tachibana Chiaki, who seems to have ulterior motives towards her.
However, we soon learn that Shinobu's entire happiness was a façade; particularly when Chiaki begins to confront and reveal his own demons.
☆ As I can find no fault with the actors, who excellently portrayed such characters, I'll dive straight into them.
Starting with Shinobu-San and even Chiaki, nobody in this drama is technically a nice guy. All of them had been shaped by their past traumas and tragedies, molding themselves into versions that were either terrible for their future (Shinobu-san) or for the better (Chiaki).
I can tell that the men in Shinobu-San's life (the adults, including the editor) were some of the worst individuals. The editor practically lost all brownie points from my side when he began to seemingly try to bring his fantasy to reality, even if it meant cornering Shinobu-san or overlooking what was best for her.
As for her husband? Chiaki was a pivotal moment in her life, particularly at the end of episode 3, where he openly calls her out for her trying to protect her marriage even if it meant that she was tolerating an insufferable man who had ruined lives, all for the sake of staying safe.
--- There was something about how people succumb to their darkness/harsh reality of life depicted in a rather strange way. Their actions can not be justified, but it gave a sense of 'life' to the characters; may it be Chiaki's mom or even Shinobu-San's husband.
☆ Final Thoughts? This is definitely not for everyone; an understanding of how the brain worked for certain characters is important and difficult to convey through the screen. Also, the overall theme has infidelity as the impetus for the FL, Shinobu-san, and it's hard to digest.
But, as a bizarre JDrama? Yes, you can give it a try.
When an aspiring manga artist meets a man 12 years her senior, she is caught in a whirlwind romance, culminating in their marriage and a child, Yuta. (Yuta didn't deserve any of this lunacy; I'm glad he reacted the way he did by the end of the show and he kept me curious.)
Now, 15 years later, with her desire to draw what she wants clashing with the public's demand, she once again begins to revisit her passion; now hiring the help of a 22-year-old young man named Tachibana Chiaki, who seems to have ulterior motives towards her.
However, we soon learn that Shinobu's entire happiness was a façade; particularly when Chiaki begins to confront and reveal his own demons.
☆ As I can find no fault with the actors, who excellently portrayed such characters, I'll dive straight into them.
Starting with Shinobu-San and even Chiaki, nobody in this drama is technically a nice guy. All of them had been shaped by their past traumas and tragedies, molding themselves into versions that were either terrible for their future (Shinobu-san) or for the better (Chiaki).
I can tell that the men in Shinobu-San's life (the adults, including the editor) were some of the worst individuals. The editor practically lost all brownie points from my side when he began to seemingly try to bring his fantasy to reality, even if it meant cornering Shinobu-san or overlooking what was best for her.
As for her husband? Chiaki was a pivotal moment in her life, particularly at the end of episode 3, where he openly calls her out for her trying to protect her marriage even if it meant that she was tolerating an insufferable man who had ruined lives, all for the sake of staying safe.
--- There was something about how people succumb to their darkness/harsh reality of life depicted in a rather strange way. Their actions can not be justified, but it gave a sense of 'life' to the characters; may it be Chiaki's mom or even Shinobu-San's husband.
☆ Final Thoughts? This is definitely not for everyone; an understanding of how the brain worked for certain characters is important and difficult to convey through the screen. Also, the overall theme has infidelity as the impetus for the FL, Shinobu-san, and it's hard to digest.
But, as a bizarre JDrama? Yes, you can give it a try.
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