shu__uji

When I first started watching this, I was really put off by how overproduced and clean it was. I tend to prefer film that aims for a more realistic vibe over this sort of pristine, highly polished look/sound. I also had the same issue with the plot; it was just really hard to get genuinely invested in something so clearly contrived to bring about a particular final result. That said, there is an earnestness to this show's production that starts to come through, and I think that's what kept me interested. This show clearly wasn't produced just to look/feel good, but with a very specific artistic intention in mind. In spending some time going through BTS clips and learning more about Takeru Satoh's process as co-producer, I found a lot to appreciate about this work as a passion project, and have developed an annoying love for it despite how ridiculously contrived some of it is (the yacht scene in particular comes to mind). Add to that the final episode—literally just an entire live show from start to finish—and Naoki's extremely well-written monologue about why we make music (and art more broadly) that genuinely resonated with me on a profound level—I had a pretty good time all things considered.

Something I definitely want to mention is how authentic all the music in the show and its associated performances were. While they of course didn't write and produce the music themselves (it was the combined effort of 26 brilliant artists from all over the industry), the actors all put tremendous effort into learning their instruments to be able to actually play while acting, which, beyond just being a really impressive feat, gives this show a uniquely authentic aura that I wouldn't have expected after the pilot.

I could say a lot more about this, but anything more would probably wind up repetitive, so I'll keep it at that. If you're a musician, you will almost certainly have a good time with this, especially if you're willing to overlook a few contrivances. 7.5/10