Kahogo no Kahoko (2017)

Great drama! A beautiful drama! Unfortunately it was short.
As the title suggests, it tells the story of Nemoto Kahoko (Takahata Mitsuki) who lives an extremely protected life. So, despite being in the senior year of college and in the job hunting phase, it is the furthest thing from being independent. We  can say that she has super protective parents, especially her mother  (Kuroki Hitomi), who still wakes her up every morning ... And her father  (Tokito Saburo) is aware that his wife is being overly protective of  her only daughter, but can not have the courage to speak.
Things  begin to change when Kahoko meets this great art man, Mugino Hajime  (Takeuchi Ryoma), who naturally leads a complete opposite life to hers. Without a father and with a temporary multiple, he is astonished to  learn the extreme case of the girl being spoiled by the mother who she  is, and how unsatisfactory her future is.
Kahoko is basically a great baby. It's not childish but childish. She does not realize that she is living in a bubble all her life or dependent on her parents. As  the drama unfolds high grades one learns from it, and we will see that  Kahoko even being spoiled gets to turn around, drama is a lesson of life  and wisdom.

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In the current trend of crime, medical, or complicated dramas, this show shined because of its simplicity and sincerity. It has such a big heart (just like Kahoko), you can't help but fall in love with it.

From the moment I saw Takahata Mitsuki's transcendent performance as Kahoko, it was love at first sight. From her multitude of expressions to her voice acting to so many intangibles, I have no words. Screen-caps and gifs alone don't do her justice. She made a flawed character like Kahoko feel real and lovable.

I also now have a soft spot for Takeuchi Ryoma, he's such a natural actor, and esp. gifted in comedy. His chemistry and comedic timing with Mitsuki was spot on. Their OTP was too darn adorable. This was such a funny, heart-warming show composed of all these talented actors, who all did such a great job.

Coming of age dramas are usually about school or career, but this is about family, which resonated all the more with me, with life truths that will stay with me long after the show is done. Some may have found Kahoko's childlike innocence and naivety off-putting. But that continuous hunger to persevere, grow and learn, and not lose that endless optimism and positivity for life is the perfect armor in this current world full of troubles. I'll always remember Kahoko fondly for being the beacon of happiness when I needed it the most.

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