Tomoe suggested that Miyuki, too, could rewrite—more like tamper with—the past, just as she did, with Yasuhiko’s pill and her own rage. Tomoe’s rewrite was tactical: a theft of narrative, a correction of being overlooked. But Miyuki’s unraveling reveals something quieter. We never hear what she tells her younger self, and maybe that’s the point. She’s not rewriting the past. She’s rewriting her relationship to it. To the memory of Yasuhiko. To the summer that was real only on her part.
That’s what sets her apart. Tomoe is driven by the ache of not being chosen until the end. Miyuki is driven by the truth of having experienced her first love, and grappling with its commodification. Her liberation lies not in changing the timeline, but in reclaiming the emotional truth that was never archived—the wind chimes that will remain a private memory between her and Yasuhiko. She rewrites not to revise history, but to honor the silences that shaped her.
I almost dropped this altogether because of the pilot episode and the awkwardness of having to watch the group and Oizumi Yo make the segments fun. (A bit harsh, yes) I came back to watch the episodes with Nagasawa Masami, TENBLANK, and Nanao--and I'm RELIEVED the members and the whole crew finally found their footing. The cooking, dynamic vision, and sense of size segments are well thought out. But what seems to be the thread that weaves all these elements together are SixTONES themselves. Their wits and humor are superb and have definitely caught my attention.
I felt conflicted when Makoto started to dress up normally, as a boy, upon confessing his feelings to Akira. It makes me wonder if he was unknowingly conforming to binary gender roles, especially when it comes to romance and dating. Can't fault him though given how rigid society is.
For some reason I can't quite explain, I find Ono Karin's acting subpar in this drama. I've seen her excel in other roles, both in dramas and indie films, and she undoubtedly has the acting chops. She was outstanding in The Pretenders and Hatsukoi Zarari, yet I find myself unable to continue watching this particular drama she's leading.
City Lives had such great concept and execution, especially in the first half. It really felt like a documentary for a segment of a program. The concept of a city as living organism also blew my mind. It was quite original for me as I haven't encountered a story like this before.
The world would be a better, brighter place if young women would just realize early on that there's no use fighting over a boy who doesn't have a backbone, and just men in general.
So who is actually the emperor (ML or FL)? the title and synopsis are confusing me? Or is Yu Zi Leng actually…
The true emperor is the ML. After the FL accidentally fell into the river while she was trying to persuade the ML to attend the imperial court more often, she woke up and assumed that she was the Emperor. This is because she has been helping the ML respond to court memorials sent by the imperial advisors before her post-coma amnesia. The ML, seeing her enthusiasm in responding to the court's issues, didn't tell her the truth until her memories came back.
This is such a well-made web short! This is my third series from Director Huang Yingxiang, after Les Belles and Your Fukubukuro. I think she thrives best in showcasing visually compelling narratives under a limited budget. She's able to flex her filmmaking strengths, and you can tell she had trained for it!
Came from AvenueX's review and she's not lying: this series is an eye candy galore! Everyone's so handsome, I can just turn my brain off and enjoy the comedic madness.
That’s what sets her apart. Tomoe is driven by the ache of not being chosen until the end. Miyuki is driven by the truth of having experienced her first love, and grappling with its commodification. Her liberation lies not in changing the timeline, but in reclaiming the emotional truth that was never archived—the wind chimes that will remain a private memory between her and Yasuhiko. She rewrites not to revise history, but to honor the silences that shaped her.