I'm slightly confused … and uncomfortable.
I feel like I've seen this plot quite a few times - two young people get into a toxic relationship where they just use each otherFor the ML, he is dealing with grief and is very closed off, and because of that, he is outcasted. For the FL, truthfully, I'm not sure what her backstory is. Somehow, these two characters form a sexual relationship. And although he claims to like her, he treats her like shit. And she denies liking him for a while.
I feel like this film is hypersexualised. From what I know, the source material involves a lot of sex. And this has quite a bit as well. But I need I remind you, these kids are MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS!! They're not even in high school. They're around 14-15 for a majority of this film. And I'm watching them have sex... It's weird, and honestly, feels unnecessary. They could have aged them up to at least high schoolers
Like I already mentioned, the plot feels stale and overused, and doesn't add anything new to coming of age films. I have given it a high re-watch value because I do want to eventually watch it again and try to understand it better, and maybe gain a new perspective.
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But for now, I just want to say how amazing it felt to start a drama and instantly love it (it's been a while since that's happened to be, excluding rewatches). And I already see myself wanting to rewatch this in a few months, despite how stressful it can seems sometimes, because I truly just want the main 3 characters to be happy and experience freedom in their own ways.
The relationship between the brothers and the child is so wholesome and loving, and I think that is enough of a reason to pick up this drama
<3
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I'd probably go crazy if I heard those birds scream everynight.
I think this film was packed with too much symbolism which I could not pick up on (e.g. the birds). It was honestly an ok film, I just can't find anything to really appreciate about it.I think the ML's writing could've been explored a lot more. I keep thinking about him talking about his novel and him just describing what happened in his relationship. Like, completely conspicuous. And for the ML, I would've liked to see her past relationship a bit more as well. And also a bit more of their relationship beforehand when they were just mere acquaintances. We only got one scene from when they were just acquaintances/friends. It would have been interesting to look at, what I would describe as the ML's obsessiveness, a bit more.
It felt quite depressing and gloomy at times despite nothing in the present day was bad. In fact, they shared quite a lot of good moments together. I did find it to be almost hopeful at times.
I will say that I totally skipped over the sex scene, and the make out one the next morning which the FL resists at least twice before she just gives in.
I would definitely watch it again to see if I could actually pick up on anything new. Especially because of how good the acting was.
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Favourite comfort drama of 2023
*story*Nice and simple and just involves 3 characters meeting up to eat good homemade food and make amazing memories together.
*characters*
The main 3 characters are all so distinct from each other. Tane and his big brother, Minoru, have such a sweet and genuine relationship, and seeing Yutaka with them is so great and fun as well. All in all, this is definitely character-driven.
*music*
I think it fits the drama perfectly.
*Overall*
It's definitely something I want to re-watch on a winter afternoon. It'll make you feel less lonely and more inspired to eat homecooked meals.
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A bit predictable...
First things first, I have not seen the original so this will have no comparison whatsoever.I don't really have much to say about this, to be honest. Initially, I was excited. I had watched the trailer and had high expectations because of it, along with the fact that I'm familiar with most of the actors in this film.
But ultimately, it fell flat.
Visually, it was great. The set was amazing, and the acting was good. They all played their characters well, despite not having much to work with because this of course all takes place in a cube. It was clear the type of people they all were. But, it sometimes felt repetitive. Like yes, we know you hate young people, but you don't have to complain about them every five minutes. And I feel like I've seen Okuda Maskai play similar characters before - is it just me, or is he typecasted to play roles where he's a bit crazy...?
The only other problem was that it was so predictable. Like I mentioned above, it was made clear what type of lives they all lived which made it easy to guess everyone's outcome. Because of that, it sucked the fun out for me, unfortunately. It was also bizarrely long for a film which covers so little situations and is constricted to one location.
Maybe watching this again and also the original will change my opinion though. Either way, I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to - I assume fans of the original would be curious to form their own judgement. And also if you're a fan of any of the actors. I was initially only interested because of Suda Masaki (but any project with Takumi and Masaki is always a plus in my books).
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This review may contain spoilers
A drama filled with clichés that were executed horribly
It was painfully repetitive.The ML and FL were dry as hell and desperate and I didn't care about them whatsoever.
The rich friend was also irritating because she spent the entire time desperate for a relationship just to realise "he was there the whole time".
I did like the story of the other friend and her love interest because it felt realistic but that made it all the more sad (for the most part). I wish it could've been developed better because it fell into the same routine as the leads where there's this back and forth of her telling him she's not good enough and then him saying he doesn't care about her struggles because he loves her, then they break up and get back together. Her story with her family was developed well but their relationship wasn't which is disappointing because they were the only couple I liked.
I get that the relationship of the leads was supposed to be realistic but it wasn't. It was this constant cycle of her confessing and him rejecting. And once they were together, there was a lack of communication. When he was away for that one year, they both messed up their relationship because all he did was ask her questions that a distant relative would at a wedding, and she was too afraid to tell him that she wasn't happy with the relationship and then he felt that she suddenly broke up with him. I don't mind the fact that they broke up but there was no communication or indication that she wasn't happy in the relationship.
And the love triangle? unnecessary. I didn't care for the other guy at all and tbh, he was boring. The 3 in the love triangle had no chemistry and I don't know why the 2nd guy was pining so hard when she obviously wasn't reciprocating the feelings.
Additionally, why was the FL so angry with the ML after spending so much time away from her? I understand that he was annoying when he moved back there, but why was she always drunk calling him and getting angry before that? Didn't he do a good thing by not forcing himself to be with her because he didn't see her like that? He rejected her, unlike when she started dating the other guy when she had no real interest in him.
I feel like it could've been good for the leads to have a convo in which he goes into detail about his fam a bit more to help her understand why he's so indifferent and a jerk. But tbh, I sometimes felt his feeling were uncalled for and he acted out so much instead of confronting them like an adult. That's a running theme throughout this drama: acting like they're still in school.
Also, they got together in the end, but who's to say they won't make the same mistake again?? Their entire relationship was based upon misunderstanding and a lack of communication but how have they suddenly realised that they're going to live happily ever after....?
Lastly, did the characters even like each other, or was it just because they had no chemistry? The 2nd guy seemed to only like her because she reminded him of his ex who left him for his brother. The FL seemed like she was holding onto her school experiences with the ML because it felt like she didn't like him. And ML just smiled more at the FL when they were together and his jerk trope was overdone. I've seen other dramas where the ML was a jerk and cold-hearted but the ML in this was written terribly.
Overall, I hoped that they wouldn't end together. The drama was also too long considering there was so much repetition, so it would've been better at 12 episodes. The last two episodes especially were a drag.
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Interesting premise, and mostly good execution!
It was cool! I had DNF-ed psychopath diary but the ML's execution in this drama was great. I also like the FL and the side characters were all relevant which is something I look for in a good drama.The plot was also well-paced. I know some say it was rushed because it was only 12 episodes but I prefer it like that. Once one major plot point had been revealed, you were already moving on to the overall case so you do need to be careful not to lose track, or else you might get confused.
I think both the plot and characters were superb and it was all realistic (despite it being sci-fi) as intentions were made clear and there was a justification for actions.
I have seen some critiques on how there were plot holes and how the characters weren't realistic for police officers as they were emotionally motivated at certain points, but I think it allowed for a catalyst in order to keep the story moving. But it sometimes doesn't make sense when certain characters aren't reprimanded when they make silly mistakes as a police officer that could be life-threatening (which they do become at certain times) but I've seen this done in other crime dramas, so I'll look past it.
Overall, I did enjoy it and it was a quick watch as it was only 12 episodes. It may be confusing for people who aren't as familiar with sci-fi, but I've had plenty of experience with sci-fi so it was easier for me.
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What I thought I was getting: a look into a manager with a mysterious and secretive past of being an ex-child actor doing her best to lift up these no-name/D-list actors with a powerful message and look into how celebrities are unfairly treated by an arbitrary standard of morals.
What I got instead: a very watered down version of what's above with random spurts of violence and not at all fleshed out side characters who are barely featured. (There's a part of the drama at the start when the FL says these D-list celebrities are all either old and/or unattractive and the camera pans to Suzuki Jin - THE DISRESPECT!)
To be honest, the main characters don't even feel fleshed out. We're thrown into the FL's first day working as a manager but we're never shown how she's been living her life for the past 15 years and how her "scandal" which caused her to leave the industry affected her real life. Her love interest (played by amazing and talented Yamada Ryosuke), whilst very charming, was barely in it, and once again, had no fleshing outside of being a famous actor who once had a conversation with the FL when they were children.
The episodes were honestly a bit meh. I expected each of the talents she helped manage to get their own episode, but only some of them did, and even then, they would frequently just disappear and would appear just for times when the scene would end in everyone talking over each other.
And don't get me started on the violence...I know it was supposed to be comedic, but the FL would hit everyone she encountered, including COMPLETE STRANGERS. I was beyond confused by that. At first, I thought she would just take her anger out on inanimate things such as a cardboard cut-out, but she only does that once, and the rest of the times, it was directed at her co-workers.
Of course there were plenty of things I enjoyed (aka Yamada Ryosuke). There relationship was not the main focus at all and I really enjoyed that. When we saw them together, they were often just chilling together after work and I really liked seeing their progression from strangers to friends and then lovers. Also, for any fans of The Killer Inside, you got to see them together in a much lighter context. My personal favourite detail (if you can even call it that) is that whenever Yama Ryo would sit by her, he sat thigh to thigh, knee to knee and I loved it every time.
We also get to see the FL come into her own throughout the drama and become more and more confident in herself and her abilities rather than relying on her boss to give her literal lines to use when dealing with her co-worker's problems. From a more bird's eye view, I really enjoyed this drama and for whatever reason was feeling rather nit picky when I started the review.
02082025
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You're pretty much just thrown into a world where there's gamblings and even weird murder games. The backstories are not particularly fleshed out, which is fine because it's a 2 hour film, but I would've liked to have seen more about Yokohama Ryusei's character's backstory.
One fault(?) I would like to point out is that it was too predictable. There wasn't much tension or suspense because of that. This film can be compared to many other dramas and films and those all have much higher stakes and had a much more interesting execution, for example, the card games played.
Not really sure how I feel about the acting to be honest. It was ok but sometimes felt like characters were doing too much to come across as cool. The blonde guy was cool though.
I have no recollection of there being any music but there might have been.
This might come across as a negative review but I still had a fun time watching the film regardless. The card games were fun, especially seeing Yokohama Ryusei's character calling other characters a liar. So, it's a fun time regardless!!
One last thing to add: I need more of Yokohama Ryusei with this hair style
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This was disappointingly bad...
The premise is that Japan has made sex illegal. That's it. It's only been 15 years, I think, since this law was passed.Truthfully, I can't really think about one positive comment to make about this, so I'll just pass on this for now.
The drama follows a high school boy being exposed to underground sex. Essentially, a place where people go to have sex. It kind of reminds me of Love Whirlpool since they just hump people (sometimes strangers) all in one room. The nudity isn't too much, in my opinion, and I just tended to skip over the scenes. A lot of the slightly sexual scenes, particularly the ones with the ML are very awkward, for obvious reasons, since this is all new to him. I do feel bad for him though; his crotch was grabbed a lot by a bunch of different people - including adults...
The story. Well, Japan does like their quirky stories, particularly the ones which involve sex. But this just fizzled out. This could have given a better commentary. I did find it weird that the adults didn't really question why sex became illegal, and I thought that was really weird, to be honest. Instead, we have the ML's mum shaming him over a wet dream. It isn't until the end where we find out why it's illegal. I don't have much to say about the reason, because I really don't remember it.
There was also a bit of sexual harassment and assault which I don't think did much. It felt weird that it was being included in a story about illegal sex without there being a clear distinction between the two.
So yeah, I didn't like it.
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So, without being bias, I will say it's my favourite film out of all of them. Seeing all of Oya High together and friends was the best part for me. And of course, Kazuma's character (Fujio) is as friendly as ever which makes him endearing to watch.
I also think the character stories for Amagi and Suzaki was unique compared to other friends in this franchise. Suzaki especially because you can see in his actions and gaze that he's conflicted about a few things. And the overall message that is conveyed, mostly about friendship and unity adds to the story.
The directing and fight scenes have also gotten much better and it was really cool to see the transitions from one fight to another. And the OST was also so great, I really need to add all these songs to my playlist.
After months of anticipation and excitement, I can proudly say they they exceeded my expectations!
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The 5283 beginning service
It was great and that's all that matters lmaoIt was nice to be reunited with these characters again, despite feeling quite different from the first season to the point that they almost felt like different dramas.
I do think that the beginning two episodes weren't amazing at setting up the season because I did find myself a bit confused with what happened. But episode 4 was HILARIOUS.
I don't think the running storyline throughout wasn't really compelling enough for me at all times, and there were certain things that I was expecting that didn't end up happening which is ok. To be fair, it did feel slightly less dark and I doo feel like I've seen certain storylines in other kdramas specifically, e.g. the cult week episodes.
Still a solid season with characters I still love <3
ps don't take this review too seriously, I just want to make my mark to able to remember that I watched this as it aired.
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My New Comfort Show!
I watched this drama the weekend before my dissertation for undergrad was due - the last assignment I needed to do as an undergrad student, and for the past few months, I've had so many people (family and even strangers) tell me I should do a Masters. And the more I heard it from people, the more I got worried about my choices. Being in education for so long wears you do after a while, especially me who did a very ambiguous degree that does not have the most obvious career prospects. And this drama is what helped me realise the choice I needed to make: I need a break from higher education. And for the comfort this drama has brought me, I can only say this drama means a lot to me.
Anyone can say this type of drama is nothing new, and you can say that about anything, but at the end of the day, the viewing experience is subjective. I recently watched a video of someone saying people should stop reading cosy books, particularly South Korean and Japanese translated ones, and this drama is the exact reason I disagree.
This drama is about a burnt out worker (Yuta). and through having this bankatsu with his two closest friends (Kosuke and Aoi), he starts to find joy again. And what I love about this the most is that this drama isn't just an upwards trajectory. Without spoiling anything, just because he starts to experience happiness again, his problems don't go away completely. And I really appreciate showing that side of things.
There's also his friend who is currently an unemployed chef (Kosuke) who is the one hosting this dinner parties, and their other friend (a konbini worker who recently got divorced - Aoi) who is admittedly seen a lot less than the other two characters because he's a supporting character (much to my dismay). So this drama is just layers upon layers of people who feel a little lost in life and their friendship and food gives them healing and comfort. And whilst one of the friends is the chef, I appreciate the fact that all three men help around in the kitchen whilst they cook, instead of relying too much of thee chef friend.
This drama came at such a perfect time for me, and I cannot be more grateful for that, and I really recommend that you all watch it!!
The OST:
Opening song: Categorize by Retroriron
Ending song: Hanasouze by Aki
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Story
It's hard to talk about because I do genuinely think you have to just watch it for yourself to see how it all ends (assuming you've already seen part 1). There will be a moment around half way through where things will get more confusing before they can get answered, but you just have to trust the storytelling and know everything will come back full circle to part 1. And I do believe it's crafted so well that it'll be worth the wait in order to see everyone get exactly what they deserve. Of course I won't spoil the ending but there is one thing I wish had happened but I will include it right at the bottom of this review (it's not really a spoiler but more of a way for everyone to get closure after everything that happens in episode 10).
Acting/Cast
Honestly such an amazing performance from everyone. The terrible people did such a great job at making you hate them. In fact, I probably hate the characters more now than I did when watching part 1. And of course our main cast, they were so great and embodied their characters so well that I regularly got emotional watching them.
Music
Perfectly fits every scene. And just like the first part, I love the opening sequence/credits so so so much. So beautiful. I do need to see if anyone has made any playlists for part 1 and 2, or I might just make my own. [update: I found a wiki page with the OST so I just made my own playlist]
Rewatch value
I have given it a 10 for rewatch but I do feel like it'll be a while before I can rewatch it. But in the meantime, I will be listening to the music a lot.
Overall
Definitely a favourite of the year and I don't if I'm just good at picking them, but I always manage to find dramas from Taiwan that I just absolutely fall in love with. Just like many dramas I've watched from Taiwan, this drama will stick with me and I'll be thinking about it for a while. So if you have seen part 1, waste no time in starting part 2. And if you've somehow stumbled onto this page without watching part 1, go back and watch it because it's so special. Although please do check out the trigger warnings because it can be a tough and painful watch and episode 10 might leave you heartbroken.
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the one thing I wish happened at the end:
they make the documentary exposing everyone!!! omg, it pains me so much to know that only a few people would know the full truth
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The antagonist's actions were also a lot more tame than I was expecting. Without spoiling it, I just think they could have done more crazy things once he had access to the main characters' devices.
I do like that there was a plot twist that wasn't related to the current stalking situation. It was pretty interesting, but I don't think there was enough build-up towards it to make me feel invested and interested in finding out the truth.
Truthfully, I was only interested in this because of the upcoming Korean adaptation , but once I saw the cast, I was a lot more excited to watch it, and I did think it fell flat, unfortunately.
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