Makes me smile that the stars (Anne & Higashide Masahiro) just got married in real life too...
haha yeah, they probably started dating after xxxholic :D they have a lot of chemistry in gouchisousan, kind of a shame there's almost zero skinship in the drama
I'm hoping this drama will make a turn for the better cause Kamiki is the only good in this drama..
@Moniisek I think the issue here is the wording - it's not a matter of Japanese people acting a certain way as individuals, but rather how society is organized. It is of course understood that individuals in a society have their own agency and are complex beings (and many who undoubtedly personify completely opposite character traits), but in sociological terms - it is collectively that way. 'Not wanting to feel alone' doesn't manifest itself so literally in typical scenarios - it's as simple as just mirroring others with precision in interactions that are considered important, in a roundabout way. It's like saying 'Americans are afraid of mortality' - they're not literally sitting around fearing death - but rather creating products that have a neverending shelf-life, idolizing stars who look half their age, and consuming an excessive amount of material goods. Is every American like that? No, not by any means. But from a sociological perspective, there are many reasons why a society would organize itself that way in general, whether deliberately or not.
I'm hoping this drama will make a turn for the better cause Kamiki is the only good in this drama..
@Moniisek These aren't prejudices or baseless stereotypes actually, cultures do hold different philosophies and worldviews that have a historical basis to them. Self-sacrifice is a recurring theme in Japanese society just like you could say individualistic survival and overconsumption are important to American society as a whole. These aren't stereotypes, but rather cultural traits that exist collectively for various sociological and political reasons.
Coincidentally, I'm reading a book right now that talks about this specific issue (The Mountain is Moving), here's a relevant passage I found:
"...As for the psychology of bullying, Miyamoto connects it with a national leaning towards masochism, evidenced in the messhi hoko philosophy of self-sacrifice for the sake of the group. Japanese-style bullying, he argues, 'uses the threat of ostracism to attack people's deep psychology and arouse anxiety'. He notes that bullying is despised in the West but condoned in Japan, among adults as well as children, as a legitimate method of enforcing conformity to group behaviour and values." (p. 182)
What was that?? I was fine with Il Ri's character up till now.. but she was so annoying in ep13.. she didn't need…
How was she annoying? Both her and Hee Tae were having second thoughts, because that's how it often is when a married couple gets divorced. She's not going to run off with some guy she's only for known for a few months when she's had such a long history with a husband she loves, it doesn't work that way.
In a typical Kdrama they'd probably quickly brush the marriage and the divorce under the carpet in an episode or two, but here they're giving it the proper narrative developments it needs. IMO, that's a good thing. But I can see how someone who's only interested in the drama's lovelines might be frustrated with the focus on all the messy details and not on the romance. Or the fact that she's wavering back and forth - which to some viewers might be off-putting, even though it's completely understandable.
actually...her voice is kind of bearable....but I think she looks a bit old for the role.
The casting decision is deliberate, if it weren't her then it would be someone else her age. She shouldn't be blamed for looking/sounding old or w/e when that's how the character's supposed to be to begin with.
What do you mean? The colorful styling and the lighting really suit this drama overall imo. As someone who makes gifs I can tell you that the lighting's way better than most dramas that I gif lol
If you want a good older woman younger man story, watch Renai Neet, Last Cinderella, Kimi wa Petto or even Majou…
mte. it doesn't help that there's zero chemistry and everyone's awkward with each other in a way that makes their relationship really unconvincing. it worked in the very beginning when the characters were still unfamiliar with each other, not so much by the end.
Coincidentally, I'm reading a book right now that talks about this specific issue (The Mountain is Moving), here's a relevant passage I found:
"...As for the psychology of bullying, Miyamoto connects it with a national leaning towards masochism, evidenced in the messhi hoko philosophy of self-sacrifice for the sake of the group. Japanese-style bullying, he argues, 'uses the threat of ostracism to attack people's deep psychology and arouse anxiety'. He notes that bullying is despised in the West but condoned in Japan, among adults as well as children, as a legitimate method of enforcing conformity to group behaviour and values." (p. 182)
Here's another link that explores this issue if you want to check it out: http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jh1920e/3.5.html
In a typical Kdrama they'd probably quickly brush the marriage and the divorce under the carpet in an episode or two, but here they're giving it the proper narrative developments it needs. IMO, that's a good thing. But I can see how someone who's only interested in the drama's lovelines might be frustrated with the focus on all the messy details and not on the romance. Or the fact that she's wavering back and forth - which to some viewers might be off-putting, even though it's completely understandable.