I have this crazy theory that chizuru sensei the one who always appear with hijiri is already dead. She maybe the reason why hijiri decided to be a teacher, I don't mean she's a ghost but more likely living in hijiri's head and speaking her thought.
Do I need to watch the first season to understand this new season?
Season 1 have closure, the story didn't left hanging that it requires season 2, so I guess you'll be fine without watching season 2. I am even surprised to learn that it wil have another season. My guess is that they will just give you flashbacks on what important events that happen in season 1.
Ando sakura to me is the best Japanese actress right now. Search for the roles she has done and you will be mesmerized. Her best perfomance is in Koreeda's film Shoplifters, actually it's hard to pick her best performance because she has done alot but her performance in that movie is like one of the best I've seen in any asian films. I am happy that she is now getting attention mainstream, she will knocked any famous actress in terms of acting no doubt.
This drama reminds me of a song called "rewrite the stars", so I kinda got curious as to what will happen if I put the song in the drama. Here is result.
omg the scene where she found him after he fell on his bike—with that music, close ups, slow motion—i felt…
That reaction by the actor though. I love the casting here especially the actor, he is just new but it makes sense since the character demands to be raw and also arimura kasumi is perfect for the not so mature type of character.
This is fantastic drama like seriously what an engaging first episode. At first glance it is that taboo kind of drama but it is way deeper than that, it is so poetic, characters are flawed but also interesting to see how they will develop. Great cinematography and music, reminds me of Soredemo, Ikite Yuku and old romance dramas like Orange days. Again you will notice a taboo type of relationship at first but they are just conveying a story of two person that has difference mentally, one graduating from a kid and the other barely an adult, so if you have that mindset of an adult you would understand this is just a fiction no need for hate. Don't worry though because based on my experience with Japanese Dramas, I bet they WILL NOT end up together in the end.
I'll take words than numbers. Before I watch a certain drama/movie I always check the reviews, I don't pay attention to the rating as I know myself those numbers are full of fangirl/fanboy feelings or from people who voted just by reading the synopsis. To each their own, we all have different taste and by reading some reviews you would know that drama is for you and not just random numbers.
I didn't like the movie much either but you should know it was going for the realism, showing what usually happens…
The ending just make sense because it realistic, it was based from the directors life in the first place. The ending is not bad nor sad, I would call it bittersweet. It like when you have a relative that has an incurable disease you were sad at first but later you will realize atleast he/she won't suffer anymore. You would only narrow your chance to experience great films if you have that mindset especially that movies made by makoto shinkai such as Kimi no nawa and 5 Centimeters per second are two of the best anime films ever.
Deym the taiwanese movie is like one of the best romantic comedy I've ever seen. Though I am a japan movie guy first, I really hope this movie will give justice to the original.
They are trying to portray a story, so if it turned out to be a good drama then its a good drama. Keep your opinion to yourselves. To anyone who says they might affect the minds of children, then that's when parenting comes, to tell their child that it is wrong, or stop them from watching shows like this. We are adults here or so I guess most of us are, we should know this is just a fiction and rating should be based on how good the drama is.
1 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDT9Rzgqnbg