The ending was absolutely beautiful, I had to rewatch that kiss scene. So passionate and pure, it made me really happy I watched the show. Great acting, loved all the emotions. Plus my favorite actress Ueto Aya made it all the better. Definitely recommend this one!
I'm just starting the last episode but I'm very surprised!! How did Nao not know she was 6 weeks pregnant? If she was really focused on the fertility issues wouldn't she have noticed she skipped a cycle...? Also the show made it seem like the husband never fulfilled his promise (aka never slept with her that night she asked him to come home early?)
I really, really loved this drama, until I watched episode 9. Man, that episode made me cringe so hard. I like how this show touches on important topics such as maintaining family life in Japanese homes and the financial commitment buying a home needs, but I really despise the way they portrayed the foreigner Victor Musa. It's bad enough that they made him look/sound dumb (not even a beginner speaks Japanese like that let's be real), but I was even more annoyed with the fact that they made him Nigerian. Those facts he stated like 'a man lives with all 7 of his wives', are outdated as fuck and taken out of context (that was long before colonization...but even then I can't fully speak on this because there are so many different tribes in the country). My point is that it made Nigeria sound socially backward, polygamy isn't a thing anymore. And before anyone says I am overreacting please try and see where I am coming from. Japanese people rarely interact with people of other countries (especially Africans) so now some people probably have a false image of what Nigerians look like. As a Nigerian who has spent a lot of time learning Japanese/Japanese culture, and even immersing myself well in the streets of Tokyo, this was a unwanted and sad portrayal of a foreigner overall.
If there's anything anyone can take away from this, it's that representation matters. I hope some can empathize with how upsetting the episode was. It really had so much potential. If they had really wanted to get it right, Victor would have been speaking fluently (his actor is apparently half-Cameroonian and Japanese, and he lives in Japan plus his twitter is entirely in Japanese so I'm pretty sure he can speak well). Plus, Victor would have been educated on Japanese culture and would not have been making such embarrassing outbursts toward the end of the episode (especially the part where he yelled and the mother-in-law called him scary, wow way to demonize black men >_>). If Japan really wants to have a positive, global perspective they need to make the effort to show that foreigners are not from a different planet. We have the ability to share information and learn about places far from our homes, and if someone really puts in effort, they will do their best to understand and respect Japanese culture enough for one to look past the fact they aren't Japanese.
*Feel free to message me or even send a friend request if you like, I'm open to comments*
EDIT: Thanks for the likes guys :') I actually got in contact with the actor to discuss my feelings and we had a great dialogue on representation of foreigners in Japan. He too did not like the situation, but he had no idea about the character's detailing until actual filming came around (and he couldn't go against the director which is understandable). I guess I just wanted to say that you should always speak up if something doesn't sit right with you because something good might come out :)
I enjoyed this drama, especially the connection between Eguchi Yosuke and Shinohaka Ryoko's characters; it felt real and reletable, plus the theme song was beautiful
As someone who loves romance dramas, I was let down pretty badly. Too many cliches, lack of real relationship development aka "Oh look, another girl who gets shit on by this dude who actually loves her but doesn't care to communicate his feelings and instead does a few kind gestures once in a while to keep her just close enough"
The music and cinematography are nice, but the story falls short and employs too many useless plot lines that don't really add anything to the overall story. If you are looking for a good romance drama, this isn't it
(Is it just me, or does Yamazaki Kento play the most unlikable characters...someone please give this boy a break so I can try to like him lol)
Honestly I was expecting so much better, but the drama played up too many cliches that I have really grown tired of when it comes to Japanese dramas. Am I the only one confused as to how Chiaki had already signed the restaurant contract to that creepy dude, only for the family secret to be revealed then everything went back to normal? It was completely useless to the plot. Plus Chiaki dumping Misaki for his ex, then dumping his ex for Misaki? Tired trope that really made Chiaki's character an untasteful presence in the last few eps. Finally, I hate the lack of real relationship development between Kanata and Misaki. They were constantly fighting and did not even communicate well... Don't fall for that 8.0 rating because you will be left disappointed.
At least Misaki went to New York, it's basically the only thing that saved this from being less than a 4.5 for me...
I just finished this drama and honestly it's a 7 at most. I found Misaki's character unbearable one too many times but the plot kept me watching. I'm glad the ending was a good one, and I appreciated the theme of forgiving and forgetting the strife of the past. I still wish they paid more attention to Hazuki's happiness overall
If there's anything anyone can take away from this, it's that representation matters. I hope some can empathize with how upsetting the episode was. It really had so much potential. If they had really wanted to get it right, Victor would have been speaking fluently (his actor is apparently half-Cameroonian and Japanese, and he lives in Japan plus his twitter is entirely in Japanese so I'm pretty sure he can speak well). Plus, Victor would have been educated on Japanese culture and would not have been making such embarrassing outbursts toward the end of the episode (especially the part where he yelled and the mother-in-law called him scary, wow way to demonize black men >_>). If Japan really wants to have a positive, global perspective they need to make the effort to show that foreigners are not from a different planet. We have the ability to share information and learn about places far from our homes, and if someone really puts in effort, they will do their best to understand and respect Japanese culture enough for one to look past the fact they aren't Japanese.
*Feel free to message me or even send a friend request if you like, I'm open to comments*
EDIT: Thanks for the likes guys :') I actually got in contact with the actor to discuss my feelings and we had a great dialogue on representation of foreigners in Japan. He too did not like the situation, but he had no idea about the character's detailing until actual filming came around (and he couldn't go against the director which is understandable). I guess I just wanted to say that you should always speak up if something doesn't sit right with you because something good might come out :)
The music and cinematography are nice, but the story falls short and employs too many useless plot lines that don't really add anything to the overall story. If you are looking for a good romance drama, this isn't it
(Is it just me, or does Yamazaki Kento play the most unlikable characters...someone please give this boy a break so I can try to like him lol)
At least Misaki went to New York, it's basically the only thing that saved this from being less than a 4.5 for me...