shiawasenohikari

It always seems he gets a little taken aback by her enthusiasm and encouragement. 🤭

Thank you so much for your time and comprehensive list! 🥰💗
Tbh, some of these were on my to-watch-list. However, your stamp of approval has motivated me to actually watch them. Thanks again. 😬 I think I'm going start with QVV given it's by the same director as D&D.
I like it when FLs have both the smarts and the brawn. 😅 Or if they are only smart, then it ought to come across through actions, like the FLs in Blossom and TPOB and not because the script said so.
I did watch the few seconds shoehorned in happy ending. However, it wasn't enough. 😅
I have watched the Taiwanese original that Love in Time is adapted from. I really liked it. I never got around to watching the Chinese remake. I think I will watch it, since you loved it. I trust your choices. I remember you were amongst the minority who actually liked Mr. Hermit which I really liked too. I love reading your comments.
Thank you and see you around. 😁

Dominion and Devotion was so good, even though I prefer HEAs. Yes, she absolutely did know enough to protect herself and her nanny. However, what I meant was that she was never known as a formidable warrior like the FL here. I guess I just don't find ZY believable as a seasoned martial artist. However, I am glad that you are enjoying this one. It's a shame, I like most the cast from their other dramas, yet, am not able to get into this one. I enjoy beautiful fight choreography, but, I am unable to suspend my disbelief here for some unknown reason. Can you suggest something that you have watched recently that absolutely blew your mind?

Exactly, she just isn't convincing as someone who is a soldier, let alone a general. The trailers did not appeal to me at all.
I feel very few actresses have done justice to such roles. I guess it will be a while before we get to witness someone like that. Cue: Dilruba Dilmurat as Chang Ge in The Long Ballad. 😍 The ironic thing is she wasn't even going out of her way to present as a man. She just looked like a really pretty teenage boy with feminine features.
Even in Dominion and Devotion, the FL felt so effing believable as a man who was apparently a weakly prince who hardly knew martial arts.

Preach!

By groomer, you mean the cougar, I hope. 😅 If so, yes.
I guess she derived joy out of belittling him. She strikes as someone who loves attention. Some people are actually like that. She had also clocked how quitely shaken Takamori looked in the elevator given Ogawa's presence. He certainly looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there. Also, she's a regular of that prick, the no. 1 of the club. So, perhaps, it was her way of showing "loyalty" to that prick...

Interestingly enough, it really fits Takamori-kun. 😬

Thank you so much for your post! Your insights make this already beautiful drama so much more enjoyable. 🥰😘
No wonder, Ogawa was so effusive in her declaration of how cool name his name is. What I really love about her is she always addresses him as Takamori-san, subtly indicating that he's worthy of respect just like anyone else. 💗

It was so wholesome, almost like her having taught him how to properly write his name cheered him up after what had transpired.

Exactly, like little children who don't like sharing their favourite teacher.

He seemed like he wanted to bail on that freak when he spotted Ogawa in the hotel. I cannot let slide anyone who is purposely emotionally cruel to someone innocent who has done them no wrong. Poor Takamori looked like he'd burst into sobs any second. She wasn't even his client to begin with. And his rival is such a hypocrite. Both are in the same profession, yet, he has the cheek to look down upon Takamori and go out of his way to rile Kaoru up.

IKR?! The design of the characters right down to their clothes is so spot on. Ogawa with her high collared shirts and high waisted formal pants and Takamori with his blindingly flashy shirts and flamboyant pantsuits. Though it does seem that his personal style is quite subdued. 😅 Lots of blacks and greys. So, I totally get what you mean. It's like he becomes more of himself when learning kanji from Ogawa.

They are both quite self aware. Despite how messed up they are, both are essentially good people at their core. Yet, life circumstances have made them look down on themselves to an unhealthy degree.

Takamori's mother is a piece of work. It's astonishing that he still is kinda a nice guy after all the hell he must have been through.
Japanese dramas are so difficult to find in general. *sigh*

It was a gem. And thank goodness, it was a clear HE.

Yes!!! I thought it was so adorable of him to serve her milk with ice. 😅 🥰 Also, not him sprucing the place up. These two despite being so vastly different, yet seem to fit each other perfectly. I don't know if I was imagining it, but, Takamori didn't seem too thrilled about her having a fiancé. It felt less to do with the disappointment of losing a potential customer, and more to do with the fact that she wasn't entirely "his". Yet, by the time they meet at night, he seemed to have decided to sincerely wish her happiness. Perhaps, it was also his way of making out how invested she was in her fiancé.

Nagareboshi, one of my most favourite romances. 🥰

This!!! Tbh, I want Manami to bail on the fiancé asap, with her and Takamori riding off into the sunset.

Ikr?!
The host club manager (owner?) seemed to insinuate that he too had no choice but to be a host. However, ngl, he too gives me the ick especially how he forced Takamori to take on that psychopathic customer.
Takamori, I suspect, may be mildly dyslexic and his mother obviously didn't care enough to get him the necessary help/therapy.
Tbh, I regret live watching the drama. The wait is agonising. I had been planning to watch it when the trailers came out, and promptly forgot about it. Then one day, I stumbled upon the page and my curiosity got the better of me.

I also suspect that Takamori sort of knows he's being exploited. As often with children from dysfunctional families, they grow up to both resent their parents and crave for their attention (and love). I think the only reason he doesn't call her out is because he knows she would not care if he's dead or alive otherwise. It's this conflicting feeling of wishing both to run far away from her and to have her in his life. I also suspect she's the one who pushed him to become a host.

I absolutely love how layered both Ogawa and Takamori are as individuals. I also suspect that Takamori sort of knows he's being exploited. As often with children from dysfunctional families, they grow up to both resent their parents and crave for their attention (and love). I think the only reason he doesn't call her out is because he knows she would not care if he's dead or alive otherwise. It's this conflicting feeling of wishing both to run far away from her and to have her in his life. I also suspect she's the one who pushed him to become a host.
It's pretty interesting how he gently nudged Ogawa to not let down her guard when he told her she should not go to meet a host when he calls her out late at night. He certainly has conflicting feelings about her. He wants to reel her in as a customer, yet, also wishes her to be safe which is similar to his interactions with that high school girl.

I suspect that his half brother isn't actually sick.

Please put this in spoiler.