Zulu-Niner

Of course they weren't as famous as they are now. But still by far among the most well-known ones among the youngsters back then. To put it into perspective, their popularity was akin to the likes of Mori Nana/Kaya in present day among the U-21 actors. Possibly the only one among the student cast of the current version that belong to that group is Hirate who was the ace of a popular idol group before she seriously ventures into acting.

A bit of trivia, fictional beer brand shown all the time in the show is Green Garden Pop. Wonder if the screenwriter is a fan of YUI or just simply tries to relate the narratives with the YUI's album, or both.

https://kisskh.at/profile/lontongstroong/feeds/wkV7viE

EDIT: it's now fully shown in the dorama's official IG page
https://www.instagram.com/p/COpjLDDpPbW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I think you need to include a credible source to back it up. Perhaps the 'intro' page of the official website will do and you can say the new synopsis is a loose translation of the info in the page.

I don't think her character here is out of her usual roles she plays (see Soshite Ikiru and Narratage). But boy, she's really good at portraying vulnerable character like this, and she does this often.

I understand why some people don't get where the show is going to. This series is EXTREMELY character driven, so much so because it portrays a bunch of people who don't have clear direction in their lives (all the leads except Rihoko), or have lost it somehow (Rihoko). Not even Mondai no Aru Restaurant was ever that so dominantly driven by its characters, which were united from the start due to a common goal. That search of 'purposes' for these characters only comes slowly into being and move the plot forward when all five of them start interacting together, which is starting to be revealed from Episode 2 or 3, depending on audience's perception.

About the comedy skit, I found the one in episode 1 is super funny though.

Recent shows with deaf main characters worth mentioning:
Love Stories from Fukuoka 13 https://kisskh.at/26782-kimi-no-sekai-no-mukogawa
Terrolun to Lunlun https://kisskh.at/66945-terorun-to-runrun

It's WOWOW though. They will almost certainly be able to work it out (at least in technical perspectives). Aside from the recycled material and narratives, I hope they can bring something new and novel to the table to make it not only engaging but fresh as well.

Mixed feeling about this one. I'm sure WOWOW will nail it HARD (most likely even more than the 2011 version) and super thrilled to see Moka leading this kind of show. She pulled such intense role so well in Kyojo 2 and I expect she will deliver this time around too. In a perfect world, it's also a chance for less-exposed 2000-liners to prove themselves in front of wider audiences. However, it's yet another remake of a material that has been recycled many times. Seems WOWOW is really going into remake spree recently. It's also announced that the setting will be changed to present time, with loads of social media effects taking place around the events in the show. I see this might be toned-down and much more level-headed version of 3A.

That's Coffee Luwak for you. It's one of the most expensive and rarest coffee beans in the world, topping even the likes of Jamaica Blue Mountain.

Bittersweet episode 3, can't wait to see episode focusing on Rihoko's background and past. I can relate why she became so depressed after going through such betrayal and grinding office politics. Props to Kasumin for pulling the long take scene of the confession, that transition of expression from normal to breakdown is quite on point. And Haruto's backstory too (the one with his older brother), brilliant storytelling and a proper ending for his bro by connecting it with Macbeth's comedy skit.

A bit of trivia, fictional beer brand shown all the time in the show is Green Garden Pop. Wonder if the screenwriter is a fan of YUI or just simply tries to relate the narratives with the YUI's album, or both.

Agreed, she's a breath of fresh air in typecast-crazed J-acting industry. I like her mentality (in acting sense) too, she is surely good-looking but has guts (and acting IQ) to pull roles that aren't meant to showcase one's physical beauty, the most notably in POP.

You should watch it! It's typical Kudo Kankuro's insanity lol.
Is it only me who don't see them fit together as real couples? Don't get me wrong, they are competent and accomplished actors who can complement each other's acting, but even on screen they'd look better together as siblings. Their facial similarities also don't help.

Kasumin and Ryuu acted together as siblings in 11 Nin mo Iru too

Holy sh*t Ep.1 is QUITE over the top, but exciting to watch. I meant, it's like crossover of Dragon Zakura 2005 and GTO 1998 lol.

If my memory serves me right, the Indonesian subtitle is already out in Bagikuy.

Yeah I've been seeing a lot of good news about her performance in this show. I guess WOWOW does pull a wonder here. Seems there's nothing they can't do when they're going all in. Perhaps they could do the same thing with Karei Naru Ichizoku 2021 too (which has one actor with terrible track record in form of Fujigaya).

Superb Ep.1! Great use and balance of comedic (especially the Melon Soda joke) and melancholic scenes. Taiga truly shines in the episode, damn this guy is so good.

Yeah her casting here is truly out of the blue, I didn't see it coming at all! But glad to see her back to Jdramaland.

Yeah the comparison is spot on. Saw her on screen a few times, their acting styles are quite similar. I hope she can develop her own though.

Not really, I'm okay with the format as is. Ditto with both episode you mentioned, ep.2 is low-key but a nice change of pace from the high-tension pilot episode. Not only relevancy of the topic it brings (loving but 'absent' parent), it's also intelligently written. While ep.4 is indeed disturbing, it does have a decent narrative and storytelling too.