Omg, Ayano Go is so hot in this and so is Takahashi MaryJun! Honestly, I've only ever seen her in some cutesy romcoms before and don't particularly remember being impressed with her acting, but she is killing it in this. Love all the action scenes. She's so handsome and it's so refreshing to see a physically and mentally strong and capable woman like this in a Jdrama who goes against a stereotype.
OK, so I'm full of question marks after watching the last episode about Shishio and Izumi... Maybe I totally misunderstood or I just don't get the Japanese thinking, but what's the point of their relationship?
Have they suddenly become asexual that they're ok with having an unromantic sexless relationship with each other??? I mean they could've just become best friends and be in each other's lives and support each other that way, but they somehow implied that they're life partners of some sort? Honestly, I think Shishio just said to Izumi something like "I want to be with you?", so it's very vague, but I feel like the nuance was that they've become "partners" who spend time together instead of best friends? Maybe I got it wrong.
Anyway, as it stands, I'm genuinely confused because it's not like they're in their 80's and they just want a companion now that they're old, but no, they're still in their mid to late 20's, in their prime, but they're choosing not to have a romantic sexual relationship even though they’re not asexual? What's the thinking behind this?
I get that she was very understanding and accepting of him after his confession about being in love with another man, and over time he may have come to rely on her and see her as someone he cares about a lot, but he himself says that the feelings he has for her are not romantic and that he's not sure he'll ever see a woman romantically/sexually, so surely it would get harder and harder for either of them to stay in this kind of relationship long term? I just can't see it working out well to be honest. So, what's the point?
I mean it could've been so simple. They even had the time jump of a whole year, so they could've easily shown Shishio with a BF and also Izumi with a new love interest (people get rejected all the time, so she could've moved on like the rest of us) but showing them support each other simply as friends that way. That's not difficult is it? That's actually so much simpler and healthier than this contrived "I'm with someone I care about but I'm not romantically interested in her even though she is in me" plot. They deserve a lot more than their current relationship can ever give them but they're ok with settling?
Anyway, I just genuinely don't get it, so it's not even a criticism. It's more like what the hell????? Was it just for the sake of depicting a man and a woman being together? Did the producers chicken out of having a proper LGBT representation in a prime time drama or what?
Kioyi about Koyama. Does he mean his clothing or specifically his taste for Hira?"And who is that guy with a bad…
I might be able to help. I think I got the scenes you're talking about, all from episode 5, right?
"And who is that guy with a bad taste in everything?" should be "And who the hell is that plain looking guy next to him?" ("him" refers to Hira)
Kiyoi is talking about Koyama here and how he is "地味", which when referring to a person means "plain jane", "average joe", nothing special, ordinary looking, etc. Also, I think the tone and nuance of this sentence warrants including "the hell" IMO, but you can leave it out if you want.
The rest is: I'll...quit the photography club now I'm not asking you to be with me (or I'm not asking you out) I'm not asking for more No, that won't work Why not? But how could you not find it hard to be around me? (or But how could you be OK with just being friends?) Even an idiot like me can see that
The last two lines are hard to translate for an amateur like me... so maybe someone else can have a go, but if I translate it literally, it means something like "but this situation can't be not painful/upsetting/hard ". Can't seem to find an exact word for "辛い" in English, because it's a word that has layers of meaning lol It's an awkward sentence to translate, so I feel like you have to prioritise the nuance as opposed to how close it is to the original sentence, if you know what I mean.
It's so refreshing to have a drama like this for a more mature audience. The issues they discuss each episode…
The highlight for me was how the drama portrayed the complicated family relationship FL has. I feel like it's a lot more difficult to write or convey the complexity and pain of a "subtly" dysfunctional family (not so obvious at first glance yet deep rooted) than an outright abusive one, for example (at least for me), but it was beautifully and vividly written. It was like I could almost see the layers of dysfunction being peeled off one by one. It was painful and intense. I was bawling my eyes out towards the end of the series.
It's so refreshing to have a drama like this for a more mature audience. The issues they discuss each episode are very "now", serious and deep, all handled in an honest and respectful way. Makes you reflect on your own views and your own life/circumstances.
Finally finished watching the series and loved it! It was hilarious and very real. Loved the way the drama didn't judge or sugar coat anything. Also liked that there were a number of different characters with their own unique views/outlook on love, sex and relationships. We're all different and should be free to express our sexuality in the way we see fit.
Who hasn't encountered a situation like the plumber and FL lol You KNOW the other person is thinking exactly the same, but both of you just can't/won't say it lol That was so real. Sigh... hahaha
This drama is turning out to be my weekly guilty pleasure!
I'm sure I'm probably the only one, but I'm hoping this drama won't go down the usual "good winning over evil" or "all's well that ends well" route, but I'm waiting to see if they have the guts to go all out and make Aiko the villainess of all villainesses! hehehehe Her lines make me laugh every single time. Call me evil, but I really want her to succeed and say in her sweet little voice "what, why are people so angry when I've found my happiness. Isn't the world a terrible place"! looool
But fear not, it's a Jdrama, so I don't think the producers will let that happen :-)
What an incredible film!! Superb performances from the two main leads, Aoi Yu and Takahashi Issei, but a worthy mention goes to Higashide Masahiro. He had a smallish but an important part and he nailed it. Definitely left an impression.
Loved the script and there were certainly some memorable lines. I wish we had more films like this with a realistic, sophisticated theme and depth that won't treat the audience like idiots. I read some reviews elsewhere where some were complaining about the lack of sex/physical scenes. How ridiculous and immature. If you like trashy and meaningless films that you forget as soon as you watch it, then this isn't for you!
This director has a way of drawing you in to the drama and into the characters' world and I love that.
I'm not a fan of a manga or anime in general, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but personally, I can relate to Uenoyama so much that I like how Suzuki Jin portrays the character. When you fall hard for someone as a teenager, it's overwhelming af, not to mention confusing and it feels like you're going insane. Plus, the other person has a past you don't have, they're your first real love, but you're not theirs and can never be their first. They already had someone else before you and experienced something you never have, not to mention the trauma they must've been through. You feel inadequate and "pointless" like "what have I got to offer". It's so excruciatingly painful. It feels like your heart's being ripped apart, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about it, because it's all in the past. Even if there's the future, you wonder if they will ever love you as much as they loved their ex. You wonder if you're always going to be the second best. You wonder if you'll ever be enough for them to heal and move on. You just want to be their entire world. It's agonising.
Anyway, I get how his acting might seem OTT to some, but to me it isn't because watching Uenoyma brought back so many painful memories from many years ago and all the anguish I felt as if it was the end of the world (it wasn't!) lol Ah, to be so young! But I don't regret falling passionately in love then for one second :-)
Wow, what a unique and wonderful film tackling complex subjects with such simplicity. It's so hard to describe this film. It's light, yet it's so dark and heavy. It's full of hope, yet it's so full of despair. It's loving, yet it's toxic and dysfunctional af. Komatsu Nana's character is just "xz$*&DY?&^%G"... I just don't have the right words to express my feelings atm lol. But her portrayal was spot on and incredible.
Anyway, the film is rated G in Japan, so I don't know why MDL has put 18+, which will no doubt put many people off, which is a shame as it's a great film with so many layers, especially for deep thinkers. Create a separate row/section for MDL's own rating system or trigger warnings, etc. if they must, but they have no right to "edit" the original content details.
Edit: Glad to see they've changed the rating back to G.
Great write up! I'm taking a break from Asian dramas in general (esp. Kdramas and Cdramas) because it got to a point where I couldn't stand the filters and pale faces anymore. I mean why are they all so white? So unnatural and unrealistic. Very disturbing how they worship the pale skin so much. Now I only watch a drama if it's got natural lighting. This is why I can't get into Asian dramas more even though I want to. I keep going back to UK/European dramas because they don't care about looking perfect and keep it real.
Amazing drama! I really love raw, gritty dramas that don't shy away from the realities of life and aren't afraid to show them however ugly, so I really enjoyed this one including the ending.
What actually pissed me off the most was when the woman (and her father to some extent but he wasn't as involved) started giving a lecture on how ML should turn himself in and do the right thing, blah, blah, blah. I mean, who made her the moral police ffs! I know her character is there for a reason and her voice probably reflects the majority's, so her lines needed to be said, but it's one of my pet hates when people take the moral high ground and be so judgemental. But I guess that's what the drama was trying to say as well that things are not always black and white, yet most people and especially the law only see things in black and white, because grey areas are "uncomfortable", "unsettling" and most of all "inconvenient".
Anyway, the ending actually kind of made me chuckle because I couldn't help thinking if this was an American drama, there would've been at least a few more people dead or injured. No offence to American dramas as I love them too! lol
Really enjoying this drama! So many thought provoking moments and I really love the ending song. Such a cool tune. Also, Okada Masaki (husband 3) has a bone structure and jaw line to die for. He's just so handsome as long as he keeps his mouth shut! LOL
OoOoOoOhhh, this show almost looks like a remake of the American movie "The Secretary" (which I loved btw). The…
The Secretary is one of my favourite films too which actually opened my eyes to the world of BDSM and fetishes, and before you know it, found myself a member of Fetlife lol Anyway, this drama is nothing like it! It's sillier and more light hearted. Very funny and actually sweet. I really enjoyed it! Now if only I could find someone to put a leash on lol
This was so good! Surprised by the rating and comments here but then I've now come to the conclusion that MDL and I don't see eye to eye 90% of the time. lol
Have they suddenly become asexual that they're ok with having an unromantic sexless relationship with each other??? I mean they could've just become best friends and be in each other's lives and support each other that way, but they somehow implied that they're life partners of some sort? Honestly, I think Shishio just said to Izumi something like "I want to be with you?", so it's very vague, but I feel like the nuance was that they've become "partners" who spend time together instead of best friends? Maybe I got it wrong.
Anyway, as it stands, I'm genuinely confused because it's not like they're in their 80's and they just want a companion now that they're old, but no, they're still in their mid to late 20's, in their prime, but they're choosing not to have a romantic sexual relationship even though they’re not asexual? What's the thinking behind this?
I get that she was very understanding and accepting of him after his confession about being in love with another man, and over time he may have come to rely on her and see her as someone he cares about a lot, but he himself says that the feelings he has for her are not romantic and that he's not sure he'll ever see a woman romantically/sexually, so surely it would get harder and harder for either of them to stay in this kind of relationship long term? I just can't see it working out well to be honest. So, what's the point?
I mean it could've been so simple. They even had the time jump of a whole year, so they could've easily shown Shishio with a BF and also Izumi with a new love interest (people get rejected all the time, so she could've moved on like the rest of us) but showing them support each other simply as friends that way. That's not difficult is it? That's actually so much simpler and healthier than this contrived "I'm with someone I care about but I'm not romantically interested in her even though she is in me" plot. They deserve a lot more than their current relationship can ever give them but they're ok with settling?
Anyway, I just genuinely don't get it, so it's not even a criticism. It's more like what the hell????? Was it just for the sake of depicting a man and a woman being together? Did the producers chicken out of having a proper LGBT representation in a prime time drama or what?
"And who is that guy with a bad taste in everything?"
should be
"And who the hell is that plain looking guy next to him?"
("him" refers to Hira)
Kiyoi is talking about Koyama here and how he is "地味", which when referring to a person means "plain jane", "average joe", nothing special, ordinary looking, etc. Also, I think the tone and nuance of this sentence warrants including "the hell" IMO, but you can leave it out if you want.
The rest is:
I'll...quit the photography club now
I'm not asking you to be with me
(or I'm not asking you out)
I'm not asking for more
No, that won't work
Why not?
But how could you not find it hard to be around me?
(or But how could you be OK with just being friends?)
Even an idiot like me can see that
The last two lines are hard to translate for an amateur like me... so maybe someone else can have a go, but if I translate it literally, it means something like "but this situation can't be not painful/upsetting/hard ". Can't seem to find an exact word for "辛い" in English, because it's a word that has layers of meaning lol It's an awkward sentence to translate, so I feel like you have to prioritise the nuance as opposed to how close it is to the original sentence, if you know what I mean.
Who hasn't encountered a situation like the plumber and FL lol You KNOW the other person is thinking exactly the same, but both of you just can't/won't say it lol That was so real. Sigh... hahaha
I'm sure I'm probably the only one, but I'm hoping this drama won't go down the usual "good winning over evil" or "all's well that ends well" route, but I'm waiting to see if they have the guts to go all out and make Aiko the villainess of all villainesses! hehehehe Her lines make me laugh every single time. Call me evil, but I really want her to succeed and say in her sweet little voice "what, why are people so angry when I've found my happiness. Isn't the world a terrible place"! looool
But fear not, it's a Jdrama, so I don't think the producers will let that happen :-)
Loved the script and there were certainly some memorable lines. I wish we had more films like this with a realistic, sophisticated theme and depth that won't treat the audience like idiots. I read some reviews elsewhere where some were complaining about the lack of sex/physical scenes. How ridiculous and immature. If you like trashy and meaningless films that you forget as soon as you watch it, then this isn't for you!
(Oh yeah, I'll put my comments under spoiler too, thanks)
I'm not a fan of a manga or anime in general, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but personally, I can relate to Uenoyama so much that I like how Suzuki Jin portrays the character.
When you fall hard for someone as a teenager, it's overwhelming af, not to mention confusing and it feels like you're going insane. Plus, the other person has a past you don't have, they're your first real love, but you're not theirs and can never be their first. They already had someone else before you and experienced something you never have, not to mention the trauma they must've been through. You feel inadequate and "pointless" like "what have I got to offer". It's so excruciatingly painful. It feels like your heart's being ripped apart, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about it, because it's all in the past. Even if there's the future, you wonder if they will ever love you as much as they loved their ex. You wonder if you're always going to be the second best. You wonder if you'll ever be enough for them to heal and move on. You just want to be their entire world. It's agonising.
Anyway, I get how his acting might seem OTT to some, but to me it isn't because watching Uenoyma brought back so many painful memories from many years ago and all the anguish I felt as if it was the end of the world (it wasn't!) lol Ah, to be so young! But I don't regret falling passionately in love then for one second :-)
Anyway, the film is rated G in Japan, so I don't know why MDL has put 18+, which will no doubt put many people off, which is a shame as it's a great film with so many layers, especially for deep thinkers. Create a separate row/section for MDL's own rating system or trigger warnings, etc. if they must, but they have no right to "edit" the original content details.
Edit: Glad to see they've changed the rating back to G.
What actually pissed me off the most was when the woman (and her father to some extent but he wasn't as involved) started giving a lecture on how ML should turn himself in and do the right thing, blah, blah, blah. I mean, who made her the moral police ffs! I know her character is there for a reason and her voice probably reflects the majority's, so her lines needed to be said, but it's one of my pet hates when people take the moral high ground and be so judgemental. But I guess that's what the drama was trying to say as well that things are not always black and white, yet most people and especially the law only see things in black and white, because grey areas are "uncomfortable", "unsettling" and most of all "inconvenient".
Anyway, the ending actually kind of made me chuckle because I couldn't help thinking if this was an American drama, there would've been at least a few more people dead or injured. No offence to American dramas as I love them too! lol
Also, Okada Masaki (husband 3) has a bone structure and jaw line to die for. He's just so handsome as long as he keeps his mouth shut! LOL