I think Ishihara Satomi was spectacular as Konno Ecchan. She has that bubbly personality that fits the character. Her laughs always made me laugh, they are so silly and contagious. Her clothes were beautiful and fit her like glove. I love the various hairstyles and accessories she wears throughout the episodes. Since I am a huge fan of nail art, I was a bit disappointed to see that her nails were simple done, nothing fancy. I get that her character is based on a girl who loves fashion, but it was also a bit unrealistic that she wears a different outfit every day, wears a different piyamas every day, and has a elaborated hairstyle every day. Oh well, at least she repeats the shoes...
But more than anything, I liked how hard she worked (even though Proofreading wasn't her vocation) and how her work inspired her co-workers to give it all. Maybe Proofreading is a bit tedious, and I don't think it involves all the research they did, but I wanted so much to work in that Editorial, it looked so much fun. Reading books and researching, to check that all facts were correct. With a calm work group and a nice boss. What more to ask??
There is more romance than I thought it would be, but I wouldn't watch this for it (in my humble opinion, I think she falls for the wrong guy...not that he is a jerk, quite the contrary, he is the nicest, but she has more chemistry with another guy). The beauty of this show is the characters and the the motivation to and for work.
I loved the OP sequence and song, catchy and fun and kinda girly.
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Let me tell you why:
I didn't expect our female lead to be a well written strong female lead, yes she is beautiful and yes she is stylish but at the same time she's hilarious and strong, she stands up for herself and for others, and she does so without being a hypocrite.
No unnecessary drama or misunderstandings.
YES, the characters actually communicate and are reasonable.
The romance part is just the right amount, I loved the romance part, the male lead is handsome and kind and cool and perfect and so is our female lead, watch it guys!!
Our female lead AND everyone else is capable, the teamwork is great because everyone has great skills and our female lead doesn't have to do everything by herself.
The comedy is on point, it's not over the top but just the right amount. And proofreading can be really interesting.
Overall 10/10 because perfect drama is perfect.
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This review may contain spoilers
I must start this review by fangirling over the female leads amazing wardrobe and lamenting the fact that the official website for the drama does not have individual shots of each of her outfits, because I would have been screenshotting each and every one. Etsuko is Stylish, and I want to be her when I grow up.Ok, now that that's out of the way, I can fangirl about the actual drama itself.
This drama is really good! Etsuko is an extremely likable female lead. Personable, tenacious, thoughtful, intelligent, bubbly, kind, she puts a smile on your face and makes you wish you Were her and had a best friend who Is her. Of course, the rest of the characters are nothing to sneeze at. A perfectly wonderful boss, a snarky/difficult editor who's really quite nice once you get to know him, a lovely little ensemble team working in the Proofreading department, a male lead who's thoughtful and introspective and a little quirky, a relatable second female lead struggling to fit in at her job and find meaning in the work she does, and of course, all of the interesting authors you get to meet along the way. There's no one in this drama you ever really dislike.
I LOVED this drama's intense focus on a career field that isn't glamorous or showy but something that happens in the background without any fanfare. It's repeated multiple times throughout the drama that no one ever hears about proofreaders. They don't get the recognition they deserve, something that frequently frustrates Etsuko. But that makes the job of a proofreader all the more important and worthwhile, because proofreaders aren't doing it for themselves. They're doing it for others. The drama ties all of this together nicely in the last couple episodes with the publication of the male leads new book which focuses exclusively on writing about people with jobs that operate in the background yet hold fundamental value to keeping the rest of society running smoothly. The message is clear: You're work may never been seen or noticed by most people, but it holds meaning, and that's what matters.
I truthfully don't have much about this drama to complain about. I wasn't on board with the romantic pairings initially, because the potential opposite pairings have some bang on chemistry that really makes you wonder what they're relationships would have looked like instead. But I did warm up to the writer's OTP's of choice over time, and I do think both couples are compatible. Was I disappointed that we don't get to see our main couple become official at the end? Yes. I don't totally buy Etsuko's reasoning for putting their budding relationship on hold till future notice. It would have been one thing if the two of them had been causing too much of a distraction for each other in their work and daily lives, but they don't. Quite the opposite, in fact. They both do a fabulous job of supporting one another and encouraging each other and pushing each other to give their best in their chosen fields. But her decision, their decision ultimately, was not so far out of the realm of possibility for me to be flipping tables over, so I'm willing to forgive the writers for it.
And surprisingly, I actually really like that Etsuko doesn't successfully transfer to the editorial department of Lassy at the end. As much as I think she would absolutely flourish there, and it's obvious that she will eventually get that transfer because why would you Not hire her for your fashion magazine (and there's no way Etsuko would let anyone or anything stop her from doing it), it felt more natural and realistic for her not to leave the Proofreading team just yet. This is a story about the importance of people whose work takes place in the background, after all, and I think Etsuko needed to learn that lesson before finally achieving her dreams.
So in the words of Yukito, 'For those who work with pride and keep this world afloat. I cheer for all the plain, wonderful people.'
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Glamorous world of ....proofreaders!
I was convinced that the Japanese could not surprise me with the drama topics anymore. I was wrong! Who would have thought that a drama about proofreaders (what is that?) can be funny, interesting and suspenseful? Not me!Kono has been trying to realize her dream of becoming a fashion magazine editor for years without success. One day she gets a job at the magazine publisher's proofread department. Reluctantly, she accepts the job thinking that that way she is already one foot closer to her dream job. But the intricacies of the proofreading job she takes to new levels, unwittingly have her achieve excellence in it.
Kono is a fascinating flamboyant character, always dressed in lively colours who bring light in the drab proofreading office. She is brought to deal with different books and authors and at the same time accumulates extensive knowledge. She is always happy, sees everything in a positive way, talks too much and is mostly without a filter which takes some time getting used to. Her coworkers, after the initial reluctance, are drawn to her colourful personality and she changes them as well.
There is only one main character here. This drama is about Kono, her life and her growth. The other characters are there just as an mirror in which she can see herself though they cannot stop from being drawn to her sunny disposition. There is a half-hearted noona romance with a depressing and depressed young writer: unfortunately the actors have zero chemistry and the romance just fizzles out by the end when they decide to stay friends and work on their dream jobs rather than romance and life. Fine, that is a choice but why can't you have both?
From the get go, Kono crosses swords with an editor she nicknames Octopus. Now this is an interesting relationship, enemies to friends (I wanted them to be lovers!), bickering with oodles of chemistry: so much so I suffered a massive SLS!
This drama is a comedy dealing with the office life, stress and pressure people who work in publishing are put under. How do you keep your sanity in such a world?
Costume department worked a lot for this drama in order to provide magnificent clothes and styling for Kono: I particularly loved some of her hairstyles which made me think of the roaring 20' (1920s!!!), she was so beautiful. But apparently they had no budget left for the rest of the cast where EVERYONE was dressed in the same gray outfit throughout. Including the big star Suda Masuki, who looked unkempt and messy, I guess in accordance with his depressed taciturn character.
It is a fun comedy drama but you should not watch it for the romance which is rather superficial and unimportant.
I learned a lot about proofreading which, I guess they do not have with the publishers in the USA: I read a book recently where the author placed the year 1911 in the 19th century. Such a mistake would never be tolerated by Kono!
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ishihara satomi is so cute
To be completely honest I watched this simply because I kept being recommended Ishihara Satomi posts on Instagram and also kept seeing Suda Masaki in every other trailer on youtube. Them being together in one show completely took me by surprise so I checked it out. I didn't check any details about the plot or their roles and just watched. The main girl, Etsuko, is super cute and likable. She gets along with everybody and there is no toxic friendship or strange female rivalry. Communication is also great between the characters.I loved the beginning so much! I loved Etsuko and her upbeat personality. I think Ishihara was a perfect cast for it. Also the director of the proofreading department???? How is he so attractive to me idk? (If you like male English teachers who lost their wives by death or divorce you will love him)
*** spoilers***
I honestly thought that Etsuko would end up with the editor Kaizuka since they had that cat and dog kind of relationship (which was super cute). I was kinda expecting that throughout the entire series but then she just ended up with Yukito. It makes sense since she showed that she liked him at first sight, but I thought that Yukito would build up a relationship with Morio. Like in episode 9 when the director was like "do you like Kono or something" to Kaizuka I thought that was it. That was the start of the real love line. Where Kaizuka realizes and then confesses to Etsuko, then Etsuko thinks about it for a couple of days and also realizes that her feelings for Yukito were more along the lines of friendship. Then at the very end, there is a hard to watch Yukito's rejection but then they do a time skip and it shows a cute scene of Etsuko with Kaizuka and Yukito with Morio.
But I am also glad that they just ended up being truly platonic friends (Etsuko and Kaizuka that is) since I really enjoy their friendship.
Finally, I felt that Yoneoka's actions were taken a bit too far and played too much into the "hey sister" type gay. I also felt that Etsuko was queer coded and kinda hoped she wouldn't end up with any man.
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Fun series and I am enchanted by Satomi Ishihara
Being a fan of Satomi Ishihara and Rika Adachi, I've added this series in my watchlist. Decided to watch it last weekend upon finding out that it would leave Netflix on 14 October 2024. What a fun series!What I liked:
1) Etsuko Kono characterisation - Satomi Ishihara was radiant and enchanting. I love that she's cheerful and colourful. She might seem frivolous because of her appearance but she was never condescending. Great to see that she takes her proofreading work seriously despite that not being her first job choice. I also like that Etsuko enjoyed learning new content through her proofreading job and saw its value for the future.
2) Supporting characters - From Etsuko's proofreading colleagues and Oden buddies to her clients/writers, all of them had significant role in her growth as a person. My favourite is Mr Takehara, who was a wonderful mentor to Etsuko.
3) Etsuko - Mr Kaizuka's dynamics - To be honest, I prefer their feisty proofreader-editor relationship to Etsuko-Yurito budding romance. I feel that the former has a lot to offer to each other despite them budding heads most of the time. They had more honest conversations with each other.
4) The fashion - I love Etsuko's fashion style though she often wore very high heels, which always concerning me. I love her mantra "When I dress my best, I do my best!".
5) The ending - Yukito's first attempt at writing something he's passionate about resonate with me. "There are work that may never been noticed nor recognised by most people, but it holds meaning, and that's what matters." It is realistic and I like it! I wish there was season 2.
What I disliked:
1) Morio's immediate boss - She didn't seem to care much about the articles makes me think that she saw her job as a paycheque.
2) Etsuko - Yurito's dynamics - I feel like Yurito hero-worshipped Etsuko. Yes Etsuko is an amazing woman but dude barely spent time with her. She knew what she wanted in terms of career but Yurito was still figuring out, which is fine but he needed to know his priorities.
3) Colour grading - There was too much yellow during the outdoor Tappi-bashi scenes.
Favourite scene
When Etsuko, Ms Fujiwa and Yoneoka helped Mr Kaizuka to proofread Mr Kiritani's work
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An intriguing drama about the life of proofreading
When I first started this series, I was kind of skeptical because how will a drama be exciting if it’s just about proofreading but I was proven wrong as the drama did make it interesting to watch even though the profession might be dry to some. But I think a Japanese person would appreciate this more because they tend to explain some technical proofreading stuff related to the Japanese language and while it’s intriguing to learn, I might not comprehend its nuances entirely.In terms of acting, I think the FL was amazing here. Her expressions and flair for comedy is really good. She is indeed the life of the show. But I was a bit let down by Suda because I felt his character is more of a side character here rather than a ML. However I think it’s more of the script rather than the actor’s fault.
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I think to call this a romance is a mistake, but worth watching
I'll start by saying this was NOT a romantic comedy. Comedy yes, but romance? There was someone that she was in love with, but there was no chemistry between the two, no kissing, actually no touching between the two at all. They could have been brother and sister, in my opinion.I thought she had more chemistry with her editor! The lead actress was just precious. Her character, Etsuko, was very high energy with a positive attitude. At the beginning I almost quit watching because she had not taken any job in seven years because she only wanted to be an editor for one specific magazine - was she stupid? Did she think she was so special that she should be given a job that she had no experience in? I'm glad I stuck it out, though. She finally got hired as a proofreader (she thought she was going to be an editor) but made sure to tell the proofreaders that she was working with that she wasn't going to be there long, because she was going to be moved up to editor. Each episode focused on a new job she was working on. She learned a lot as a proofreader and taught everyone else in the process. I loved watching the developing friendships with the authors, her editor, and especially her proof reading colleagues. For me, this show was mostly about the clothes (how did she afford them? Where did she put them in that tiny apartment?). I loved the preview of the outfits she was going to be wearing before each scene. Etsuko was one of those characters that, on paper, would be a big pain in the neck, but she was so likeable that you just had to root for her to be a success.
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Love Konoetsu!
Pretty Proofreader (2016) JDramaJimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko
Likes
1. Kono was a little ball of sunshine! She was always cheerful, loud, optimistic. She can't help but influence all the people around her. Although she didnt get the editor job of Lassy like she wanted, she still gave it her all as a proofreader, even going beyond her normal scope, and in return inspiring everyone to do the same.
2. I loved each of thr episode's stories, but i especially liked Ms Fujiwa and Mr Tankenaka's stories, the aspiring writer and Mr Hongo's stories.
3. I also like her little group of friends and work mates and her small family. They always support each other.
4. Kono's unique and charming fashion and the opening credits song!
5. This drama paid homage to all those people who work tirelessly behind the scenes, not expecting recognition, so that everyone else can live a better life. Maybe we can be more appreciative of them too.
6. This drama is also about dreams, how some may reach them, others dont, but that still should not stop us from being the best of ourselves and living our lives to the fullest. And maybe someday we will all achieve our dreams.
Dislikes
1. That there were only 10 episodes!!
2. Not a dislike, but i though Yukito and Kono had no chemistry but felt more like friends. On the other hand, i absolutely loved Kono and Kaizuka!! They are both energetic and hyper and well matched. Likewise, Yukito and Morio felt better suited. I almost thought they will all have a realization and switch partners! I'm surprised no one ended as a couple, but I'm also happy they didnt and focused on their careers and dreams instead.
Rating: 9/10
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.."EVEN IF YOUR DREAMS CAME TRUE, EVEN IF THEY DON'T, BE PROUD OF YOUR CURRENT WORK"..
..a story of a girl who is aiming for her dream job for a long time but assigned to work that she feel doesn't suit to her...
..at first, I don't have any idea what a proofreading is - it's kinda mind blowing job to check every character that might give taste to the reader as the author of a piece to some review on it..
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..they do a lot of outside the company work just to check that the information indicate on those pad of papers are true..
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..a story of a girl that little by little understand her role with the help of her co-workers that sometimes step out of the line that causes her to make some faults that also affected the department she's working with..
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..but going through on challenges and obstacles in the end she received respects and appreciation by standing what is right for her - accepting fault and moving on to be a better person..
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..don't expect much on love story, yet I am expecting some focus on the other workers she work with but isn't. . .well that is all right - that's how the story flows. . .also, if she will get promoted and to move on the job she dream of?..
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..and what to expect to Satomi-chan, I first watch her on "Heaven?" - a fashion icon really suits to her and I enjoy watching every emotions she did on her roles saying that I must reflect on her character..
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..in the end, I learned to appreciate on every day of work I have as I am pursuing my dream, also, even if you are like a shadow working for the people that receives almost the recognition, you must still be thankful for it - that's why we work after all, to work for them and give them satisfaction..
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A charming slice of life
One might not think a drama about proofreading would be worth the time, but don't overlook this charming drama! I watched every episode one after the other as soon as I could.I love dramas that encourage me to work harder. I watched this while I was finalizing edits on my Masters thesis so I might be a tad biased, but I found it extremely enjoyable!
The main character is enchanting with her energy, much like her character in 5 to 9. She has a positive impact on the people around her - supporting characters who are also great, with their own complexities and stories that tie in nicely to the overall plot.
At it's heart, this drama is about loving what you do, no matter the title or how important people think the job is, which I think is a very sweet and inspiring message.
If you like workplace dramas, dramas related to fashion, or dramas with an energetic, determined female lead, I would recommend Jimi ni Sugoi! Koetsu Garu Kono Etsuko.
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