At times delightful, and then haunting, this is a rollercoaster of emotions that much like life itself begs us to soak it all in, with a masterful performance by Yakusho Koji in both the physical and emotional. It feels like everyone in my cinema was looking at their own reflection by the end. No notes; a perfect film.
Just as majestic as the first season. I was drawn into its world once again almost immediately. Something I loved about the first season is how much it mulled over the haunting past, but this one is different. It's almost... optimistic. Excited about the new and the old. The downstream as much as the upstream (ha). Such brilliant writing!
I actually really like how they handle the Shishio/Izumi arc. I fully expected them to stay as friends or have Shishio realize he could actually like a woman, but instead they decided to do something complex and nuanced. Shishio cannot love her as "a woman", could never be attracted to her like that, but he clearly loves her and values her as an important person in his life. Similarly, Izumi felt an initial romantic & sexual attraction to Shishio, but clearly something shifted when she wanted to be in his life as his "fan." That probably reads as a shallow relationship to some but there's a deeper meaning there that we unfold. She wanted to be his life partner and support him every step of the way... and later he realizes he feels the same way about her. I actually know people who aren't in a romantic/sexual relationship with each other but are basically married, so in a fantasy-like drama, they manage to represent a very real thing a lot of people experience.
And it's such a great parallel to Morio/Yukiko! They're both relationships based on supporting each other and being each other's rock.
The dramas we get for watershed timeslots are definitely getting more diverse. I like that the space once thought of as mostly for exploitation material now also gets to be a space for an offbeat comedy exploring the taboo.
To add to the discussion: I don't necessarily think there's a hate train for J-dramas. They just have a lot less watchers on MDL so there's a lot less people inflating the score. On average, K-dramas get watchers in the 5,000s to 15,000s and C-Dramas get them in the 1,000s to 10,000s. In comparison, J-dramas are lucky to get even 500 watchers.
The higher barrier to entry (less streaming services, still reliant on fansubs, etc.) means that the few dedicated J-drama watchers on here tend to be more critical, meanwhile any person can watch a K-drama or C-drama easily and rate it indiscriminately. It's also why BLs dominate the rankings for J-dramas. There's a dedicated community of rabid fans for them, and the more people watching tends to mean the higher the score.
I would say a 7+ score is perfectly fine for a J-drama that's just starting out, you just have to adjust and remind yourselves a 7 for a J-drama is good. (A similar score for a K-drama or C-drama meanwhile... it's probably a warning sign of it being average or even bad lol.)
Wasn't sure about this until Nogi Akiko's script pulls everything together right at the end. A serene rumination on the unknown destinations of life. Great lead trio.
The sleekest entry in the series is somehow paired with the most introspective storyline. It's nice to see everyone's favourite Gen Z assassins are growing up. 😆
Good first episode. Had no idea what I was getting into but I thought I could put trust in Nao and Matsuda Ryuhei being the leads. I expect them to carry the show so let's see where this takes us.
Where the previous season felt like a controlled response to the first one's surprise success, this one felt like one last push to see where they could take this concept. At its core, though, is still a loveable narrative of growth. Like all great summer stories, ephemerality brings with it a heavy dose of nostalgia, and as the looming end becomes visible in the horizon, the Komukai family begins the process of starting anew once more, carrying the weight of the summer behind them. As we say goodbye to summer, we say goodbye to our heroine, once again reborn from "mass-produced" Riko to a Komukai Riko of her own.
All this to say... absolute banger of a final season, with all the creativity and wonder you've come to expect from this hidden gem of dramaland.
A beautiful story about closure. Everyone needed it: Sakura needed to close the chapter on her first love, Toki…
I'm so glad Sakura and Mone got those moments in the finale to be together alone and vocalize what was once unspoken. They may have missed the timing to seize something more, but that doesn't mean they can't be in each other's lives, and "fate" or a "miracle" or their own "will," whichever, made it happen.
A beautiful story about closure. Everyone needed it: Sakura needed to close the chapter on her first love, Toki needed to reckon with his feelings over his absent father, and Mone needed to be freed from the regret of her past choices.
Such a lovely little series about dreaming. Idealism may not solve the impossible, but if you can overcome one problem today who knows what you can achieve tomorrow?
A contemporary look at teaching and student life as it grapples with the changing culture of modern Japan. Surprisingly this was more of a human drama than I thought it would be. It has little in the way of answers or platitudes for its many debates, even with its idealism. It's more interested in offering a shoulder to lean on and a mirror to the world. Not a perfect show by any means, but it definitely found a way to charm me.
The recent two-parter was brilliant. Suzuki Masayuki brought his A game with the direction... so many good moments with the camerawork, blocking and editing. 🤌
I think she is called "mama" (short for mama-san), because she is the owner of the restaurant/snackbar. I don't…
Hmm, I don't think so. It would make sense for her customers to call her that, but her own family? And it's a stretch when she literally refers to her own mother as mama. Mama is what many Filipinos call their mothers, I call my own mother that as well.
They really handled the second episode with so much grace. The story hit close to home (I've had relatives go through the exact same thing) and it showed in the details, even the way Angela was called "mama" instead of "okaa-san" by her family and referred to her own mother like that as well.
And it's such a great parallel to Morio/Yukiko! They're both relationships based on supporting each other and being each other's rock.
The higher barrier to entry (less streaming services, still reliant on fansubs, etc.) means that the few dedicated J-drama watchers on here tend to be more critical, meanwhile any person can watch a K-drama or C-drama easily and rate it indiscriminately. It's also why BLs dominate the rankings for J-dramas. There's a dedicated community of rabid fans for them, and the more people watching tends to mean the higher the score.
I would say a 7+ score is perfectly fine for a J-drama that's just starting out, you just have to adjust and remind yourselves a 7 for a J-drama is good. (A similar score for a K-drama or C-drama meanwhile... it's probably a warning sign of it being average or even bad lol.)
All this to say... absolute banger of a final season, with all the creativity and wonder you've come to expect from this hidden gem of dramaland.