Kingyo Club (2011)

Kingyo Club was one of those dramas that I heard about somewhere and remembered hearing good things about. I saw a recommendation for it the other day and I up and decided I was going to watch it. I didn't even realize the episodes were only 20 minutes long! Needless to say, this is a drama you can easily finish in less than a day.

The story was good, it covers a lot of different issues concerning things such as bullying, family problems and rumors. It's a story set in a high school setting, there's drama and even a love story. The drama is very short though, which is why I can't give it more than an 8 - because while it was a nice short drama, there are other things they could have done with it to make it an even better drama.

All of the main actors in this drama are younger ones, some of them even starting out with Kingyo Club being their first drama. That being said, I think they did a really good job! The acting seemed natural and there isn't anything bad I can say about it.

There were a few songs they played in the drama, I found both of them to be nice songs. Even though I'm not sure how they really fit the drama at some points.

Overall I think this is a really nice and short drama that I would recommend to anyone looking for something that deals with more than just school and a "cute couple." This is a drama that deals with more serious issues.

Also, I mentioned already - the episodes are only 20 minutes long! (:

The last 3 episodes were finally subbed recently and hopefully someone will update some of the streaming sites for those that don't download :D

I might rewatch this drama someday, although it might not be for a long while.

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I just happened to come across this drama a few months ago while searching for a good J drama to watch cause I hadn't seen one in a while...I was only able to finish it recently cause the rest of the eps finally got subbed=)

Story- The story was simple but never boring. The first part deals with bullying but most of the plot is just the trials that the couple faces in order to stay intact. I found myself becoming too into the romance between the leads. A lot of the scenes they had together were awkward in a good way, they made me laugh because it really was cute. I liked how they came together as friends first because they had something in common (they wanted to escape from their reality). The Kingyo Club is the place where they could that. I even wanted to be a part of their club too! lol. The ending is sweet.

Acting/Cast- Most of the cast is newbies which really surprised me. The acting was very natural which I'm not used to seeing in J dramas. The leads were phenomenal and had an amazing chemistry. They really made the cutest couple ever. The supporting cast all played thier roles well. The villains were villainy but you still felt sympathetic for them.

Music- Fit the scenes well but nothing I'd listen to outside the show.

Rewatch- This drama is short and I loved the leads so I definitely could rewatch this every year.

Overall Kingyo Club might be simple but its a very memorable piece.

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This is a drama about young love and growing up while facing difficult times.
During the story it’s nice to see how both characters influence each other in a positive way. The reserved Koto slowly becomes more confident, and Haru, who spends his last year of high school in a carefree way, begins to enjoy his life. The chemistry between the two leads is a bit low in my opinion, but overall it’s really cute and a little awkward, which fits the theme of first love.
Considering the fact that most of the actors are young and have few experience, I found the acting solid. Kariya could have been more expressive at times, but her timidness and reluctance fits this particular kind of character well.
This drama is a short and simple watch, but it covers serious problems as well. It doesn’t really show something entirely new and the story didn't leave a strong impact on me, but it feels very believable and sincere. Especially the general insecurity and non-belonging many young people experience is shown in a very relatable way. I recommend this to everyone who likes slice-of-life type dramas & high school stories, that show both the cuteness of first love and the difficulties of school life.

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This short drama is only 10 episodes, with 20 minutes per episode. I liked the plot and the buildup, but the only issue is that the ending is not very satisfying. The bullies do not receive any kind of punishment, and I feel like the plot is not resolved. I also do not like the romance subplot. It would've been sweeter and more realistic if the male main character remained a big brother-like figure to her rather than trying to romance her. They are not on equal footing as all, due to not only the age gap but also the gap in social skills/ social standing/emotional stability.

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Kingyo Club was a really enjoyable, yet short, drama. Honestly, the reason I even decided to watch it was because I was bored, so I didn't really have any expectations but boy did it blow my mind.

The music at the beginning and during the dramatic scenes was really moving, though it didn't really fit in with the drama at some points, I still loved it. The actors are fairly young, but they're a breath of fresh air, to be honest. The acting was natural and so was the drama itself, which was surprising to me because I used to think that Jdramas were all about standing out - but this was completely different. It even managed to make me cry, to be honest.  The things that the drama tackled was relatable in a sense, to those who are in high school or have been through high school and have experienced things like bullying, neglect, rejection, heartbreak and other things.

It was because of this drama that I found out about Ryo Yoshizawa (the fact that he exists lol) and his works! So, a huge thumbs up for that! Anyway, the last two episodes were really tough to watch because it was RAW and not subbed, so I had to watch the 9th episode without any subs...it was a major let down so I hope someone subs it soon so more people can watch it!

Oh, and a complaint I have about this show,  is the fact that it was too short!!! There were so many things they could have done if it was 15 episodes in total, not 10. I just felt like some things were a bit too rushed. >.< but despite that, I was satisfied with the drama as a whole AND it's only about 20 minutes so it won't take long to finish at all!!

So, all in all, I think this drama deserves more attention and everyone should watch this drama, for sure!

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Surprisingly, Goldfish Club was a decent drama. Although the theme is school, the main characters have a lot of baggage to be trapped into the shoujo trops of the genre. The drama was dark at times and it followed the course of the relationship, as the two of them healed each other. The side character were, however, like out of the romantic comedy and her reaction was a bit too childish and predictable. However, except of that, the drama mainly follows a darker, more melodramatic path and it explores the characters quite well. The performances, finally, were really good as well.

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