A lot of me watching this was that one meme of Captain America saying "I understood that reference." The chase sequence was absolutely the best part for that reason alone. The rest of the movie plays a lot like a game. Anzu might as well have been doing a 100% speedrun by the end. I won't spoil any further but... it's a fun way to kill two hours, even if it occasionally falls into the trappings it intends to parody.
Really intrigued by this now. It's got that classic dorama charm, at least from the first episode. And so many wild directorial choices! The camera moving everywhere! The stage-centric blocking! The transitions are like a spice topping, not necessary but I'm enjoying the personality it adds. It's got its own thing going on right now.
This was some light fun for the spring season. More of a rom-com than the typical late night fare. I enjoyed its comic, metaphorical approach to sex and kink. Very silly, but then the act itself can be like that! And by foregoing the actual sex, the sexiest thing ends up being their healthy relationship built on complete trust and communication with each other.
A shame this is only four eps because I feel like the fourth one was the best one, with the right balance of travel, food and cats. There's a lot more they could do with this premise!
Stellar final run. The dramatic showdown was high-stakes and gruesome but nonetheless fun to watch. Who else but a twisted nuclear family adhering to the old guard to take on the contemporaneous and, most importantly, empathic BARBER crew? Their differences only highlight the reasons for the outcome. No point finishing the mission if there's no one to share that victory with, after all.
Honestly, this was really cute. Everything about it just so gosh darn wholesome. Bright and clean aesthetics, very PG, kind of like if the Disney Channel did gay Degrassi. Or, if we're aiming closer, Hormones. I like that things just... resolve, and quickly at that. The episodic nature makes it easy, narrative arcs in bite-sized pieces. For the attention-deficit, quick gratification, TikTok crowd. Very now, very upper class Gen Z, very #vibes. Not obsessed with being #real, not interested in being scandalous, just wanting to impart lessons on life and love in the growing up years from a place of hindsight. Not what we do but what we wish we could have done. There's a market for this too. I'm not the market but I dig it. Now get KenPaul a series.
Cackling at how they found a way to incorporate Shida Kohaku's figure skating past into this. Like what the hell sure. Let this be her audition for a GL. C'mon MBS, I know you want to!
The trailer is privated on ytb so *maybe* it's not happening at all
They've privated trailers before when there's casting changes (MuTeLuv when OhmLeng got replaced by SurfJava, for a recent example). So there's still hope. They were supposed to start filming soon too, it would be a waste.
Crazy how pitch perfect the script to this was. The right balance of cute, sexy, angsty, and earnest. No scene overstayed its welcome. That it was a solo script and by the director also is impressive, really goes to show that GMMTV needs to trust in a creative's vision sometimes.
Of course, can't create this kind of magic without the right cast and boy did it strike with SurfJava (and Louis, but he's one of the most reliable actors they have so that isn't a surprise). I remember everyone being worried about the shoes they needed to fill but clearly there was something already there. Glad they took that chance. Solid acting chops here, they could be hilarious one scene, disgustingly cute the next, then staring at each other in ways that felt illegal. GMMTV, more SurfJava and more PingPong in the future, if you know what's good for you!
I always knew Sakomoto Yugo had a great slacker film in him, ironically it's about people trying to claw their way out of it. Kubo Shiori is no slouch but it's Taira Yuna who steals the show, delivering perhaps her best performance yet with a Ruka that's equal times sardonic and sincere. That final stretch is just breathless and contains one of the most powerful musical scenes I've ever seen. Great great great stuff. Who knew Sakamoto would be one of our GL saviours? (Well, Baby Assassins fans knew!)
Over the past few weeks, I kept thinking about the title. "Kaedama Bravo." A second helping. A chance to do it over again. I wondered who exactly would get that. Karina? It makes sense. She's who we follow most, and the equilibrium of her life is literally upended by one event. It's foretold to her that this period is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, that she would be remiss to not seize it. But then there's also Yumi. Things haven't been working out for so long, could it be time to enter a second coming-of-age? To close this chapter and start anew?
Turns out it's both, but more importantly, the real congratulations should be directed at their friendship. While the two were fighting, they reaffirmed exactly why they've been friends for so long. They both came out of these trials changed, but also learned. You can find new ways to fit. So, bravo to them! Or should I say, brave! This yorudora was a delight and I still can't believe it ended so soon. Kaedama! One more season! NHK, PLEASE!
The last few minutes of episode three were really good. The back-and-forth between the past and the present highlighting the thematic throughline of the episode. They fall back into old rituals but now there's a palpable shift ("comfortable" as friends but "different" as lovers). I actually like the heavy use of flashbacks because how long they've been dancing around each other is an important in understanding why Wataru is so hesistant and why Minato's proposal comes as a shock.
Really sad to let these characters go, I would truly follow them on any of their life journeys, but I'm happy to have arrived at this ending. In many ways, this and Jaa Anta airing in the same season allowed us a kind of magic. It felt like they were having a conversation with each other in certain aspects.
Not the very best Okada drama but I still found moments to laugh at and shed tears to. It was a nice comforting embrace during this particular year-end.
What a clean ending. You could argue too clean but they do the work to build up to it. Takeuchi Ryoma is revelatory…
I'm so glad they kept it open-ended. This is neither Ayumi and Katsuo's ending, but both their beginning. They're new people now, free of the baggage of their previous relationship. They spent the whole season long getting to that point, of course it wouldn't be easy to just fall back into each other. And they don't need to be together romantically to have a relationship when that box only strains things!
What a clean ending. You could argue too clean but they do the work to build up to it. Takeuchi Ryoma is revelatory in this, a weaker actor really wouldn't have been able to sell EbiKatsu at all but he's so believably earnest that you can't help but be charmed, and Kaho is striking as the burgeoning wallflower, vulnerable but not at all pitiful even at her lowest. It really is no wonder why this was the breakout hit of the season.
Of course, can't create this kind of magic without the right cast and boy did it strike with SurfJava (and Louis, but he's one of the most reliable actors they have so that isn't a surprise). I remember everyone being worried about the shoes they needed to fill but clearly there was something already there. Glad they took that chance. Solid acting chops here, they could be hilarious one scene, disgustingly cute the next, then staring at each other in ways that felt illegal. GMMTV, more SurfJava and more PingPong in the future, if you know what's good for you!
Turns out it's both, but more importantly, the real congratulations should be directed at their friendship. While the two were fighting, they reaffirmed exactly why they've been friends for so long. They both came out of these trials changed, but also learned. You can find new ways to fit. So, bravo to them! Or should I say, brave! This yorudora was a delight and I still can't believe it ended so soon. Kaedama! One more season! NHK, PLEASE!
Really sad to let these characters go, I would truly follow them on any of their life journeys, but I'm happy to have arrived at this ending. In many ways, this and Jaa Anta airing in the same season allowed us a kind of magic. It felt like they were having a conversation with each other in certain aspects.
Not the very best Okada drama but I still found moments to laugh at and shed tears to. It was a nice comforting embrace during this particular year-end.