Story: 9/10 because we don't get a sick kids daycare type of stories very often. It had so much heart to this drama. But it was also surprising dark regarding a character's past. I get into the life of Momoko as she works hard to be a real caregiver. It's a story about family, working hard & trying to find happiness in what you are doing.
Acting: 10/10 because Misako as Momoko took me by surprise. I haven't seen her in anything, but she was great as Momoko. I could relate to her in some aspects of her life. Hiroki as Asahina was amazing. He is amazing as a father. Trying to interact with his enstranged daughter no matter how much she ignores him. Momoko's family. . . let me just say. . . is evil! That's all I can say without spoiling it. The other characters were good. The children were cute to watch. Some of the children get character development & there were moments where I was crying my eyes out. Misako & Hiroki have great chemistry. There is a lot of character development.
Music: It fitted the scenes, but not as memorable. I was too invested in the story to listen to the music.
Re-watch value: 8/10 because I watched it twice & still liked it. Some of the scenes in the drama were too sad to re-watch.
Overall, if you like child actors/actress, comedy, romance, slice-of-life, the actors/actresses, dramas that have lot of heart & life lessons, then this drama is for you.
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Raising awareness on social issues: check!
Cute kids: check!
Implied love story: check!
...etc.
I didn't read the manga, so I cannot say much about if the story is the same. I think it's a quite interesting insight into Japanese society and I loved the story for watching Momoko's interaction with the kids and their parents.
I had the feeling that most of the characters were a bit bland and stiff, they seemed to be most passionate when talking about work/ helping the families, not so much about their personal lives. In my opinion the acting of the child actors outshined all of the adults! There are some amazing talents!
I was not very satisfied with the ending, as I feel there would have been more time needed to resolve Momoko's issues with her family. Also don't watch this for romance, that is not the main point here! I think this drama is about family and what good parenting is about.
Overall a nice entertaining drama with not too much drama and a lot of cute kids^_^
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37.5°C no Namida has certainly exceeded my expectation, although it could be because I didn't have much expectation of it when I start. I just happened to like, found this drama having high rating, looking at the casts and saw Narimiya Hiroki in it, and I am like, "hey, why not?" when I started it. Definitely not a bad decision. I do not have words on how much I <i>love</i> this drama right now.
STORY: 10/10
Because it is so good! It is so so good. I have to say, it is rather typical of Japanese dramas to infuse a darker side to their story line there, that however is always what got me hook right on the spot. Momoko's character is intriguing, there are many episodes which I spent wanting to know more about her past, what did she do? Why did her family treats her that way? I can't write more without giving the whole story away so bear with me. :-P Just note that Momoko is definitely that character that will go into your heart and stay there, and before long you will find yourself wishing for her to find her own happiness, I definitely ship her with one of the character there, which I am not gonna say more either, you better watch for yourself and witness the chemistry Momoko has with each and every characters in there!
ACTING/ CAST 10/10
I seriously have a feeling that the character Momoko-chan is tailored made for Renbutsu Misako. I know her from another movie, quite briefly, in Kimi ni Todoke and quite like her there, in this movie her acting has impressed me more. And of course, I have nothing to pick on Fujiki Naohito, Hayami Mokomichi and Narimiya Hiroki, all amazing actors who I have seen in several other shows already too, they are awesome here. Worthy of a mention here is that I <i>love</i> Suzuki Rio, who I've seen in action in Never Let Me Go, her take on Koharu Asahina is just so adorable that makes me wish for a daughter like her! I look forward to see her in other shows/ dramas!
MUSIC 9.0/10
They are pleasant, I love the theme song "Daijoubu", very nice and fitting to the drama. Definitely going to search and add it to my music collection - after I am done with this review.
REWATCH VALUE 9.0/10
I would totally rewatch the drama again once I have a chance. Such amazingly executed story, the acting, the story, everything, I love everything! That being said, I could certainly be bias on my rating and review here.
OVERALL 9.5/10
I totally recommend this drama here, though this is not really all fluffy and happy kind of drama, that's a warning, my heart got broken several times, and there are times where I was just filled with so much feels I can't describe it. I didn't cry in this drama, but that could just be me. I look forward to hear your comment on this drama once you've watch it!
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The story is about an introverted and hardworking girl, Sugisaki Momoko (played by Renbutsu Misako) who is a new asset of the agency Little Snow, which employs what we can call"nanny-nurses", people who take care of kids when they're sick enough they have to leave school yet not enough to be in a hospital. When parents can't take care of them because of work or other issues, these people are called in to help.
As in many medical dramas, the plot relates cases of the families Momoko works in with her own life in an abusive and neglecting household (content warning there), and we unravel Momoko's past and reasons for being the way she is step by step. Connecting with families with different realities and learning from parent-child relationships in very different environments, Momoko will discover more about her true calling in life.
The plot deals with very heavy subjects such as parental abuse, child neglect, toxic living environments and violence, but it does so in a way in which it isn't for shock value, it's narrated and explained and every perspective is depicted. It's not merely about parents or kids, it's about relationships, and I found its narrative very well handled. I'm not one to feel comfortable with these kinds of narratives and I was scared I wasn't going to be able to watch it all through, but the story is so well told and it gives you enough moments of peace to catch your breath and to keep wanting to watch. Instead of using the subject like a device to put people in a "good vs bad" situation, like other more popular jdramas which came last year did, this one shows it in grayscale and attaches it to the amazing performance of Misako as the lead character.
There's a bit of romance and a love triangle of sorts, but it's not really the center of the story (to the point in which a character actually states Momoko "doesn't have time for that right now"). There's fluffy and nice situations involving very adorable kids and their relationships with their parents, but I was also moved to tears for many different reasons more then once. Contrary to some, I don't feel the ending was rushed, I feel there's a very consistent narrative pace throughout the drama, and I'm very pleased with every aspect of it, especially the acting.
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Not my cup of tea...
I already found the story line boring from the start. Some of the kids they help are annoying, the female lead acts dumb a lot of times, and most of the lines with each character are uninteresting. I also don't like some parts of this drama. Like the forced smile of Momoko Sugisaki (Misako Renbutsu), it is not that scary, but they make a big deal out of it. And the rules of her job annoy me; she follows them, but she still gets scolded, and if not, they still get mad. Do they realize how flawed their command is?I think this is a good series to watch if you like simple, not too complicated, series. It is also short, so that adds a point if you want a drama that is enough to watch for a day. But personally, I didn't like this; I'll just give it a 4/10.
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The story is about how a person can overcome a deprived childhood, with the help of friends and colleagues.
I am sure the story is true to life for children among us, who may have found themselves to be the unloved child of the family, blamed for the misfortunes that happened; being the youngest or being born at an unfortunate time and being blamed for bringing calamity to others.
Quite a few leading actors/actresses in this drama and they all did a great job. The acting and the flashbacks weaving throughout the film bring the pain and suffering to the viewer. The fact that a few well-spoken words can bring reason and break the vicious cycle of suffering is pivotal to the drama. People can rise above their difficulties - your life is how you make it. It is the child actors who were the most outstanding - how they express their emotions and bring out the tears, makes the viewer want to give them a hug and protect them for ever after! Romance is weaved in through the drama too, and its easy to see why everyone falls for the main actress.
Another heart-warming drama for rainy days!
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