Koi wa Deep ni (2021)

Watching this made me want to fall in love!!

I don't generally write reviews but watching this drama made me want to do it for the very first time. I don't want anyone to miss out on this lovely drama!!!

The synopsis was pretty appealing so I thought I'd give it a try. So I watched the first episode and was like "what's this? It's terrible! So much overreacting and overreacting". The only redeeming quality in the first episode was the ML who's just absolutely lovely: a tsundere heir to a company? Go Ayano plays the role so perfectly!

I was wavering as to whether I should continue watching but then I decided that I'd watch two more episodes, mostly because I wanted to see more of the ML.

And I'm really glad that I did because it's such a beautiful, cute and lovely drama!!! There are so many cute scenes in it and watching it made me want to fall in love with someone. I absolutely loved the chemistry between the FL and ML. You could say that the drama kind of has an old school K-drama vibe at the beginning, but it develops into something very different later on (something only the Japanese could pull off). As someone who's grown quite tired of K-drama romances, I found this drama very fresh and delightful.

After watching episode 3, all the overacting (in the first episode, especially by the FL) started to make sense - it was all part of the plot! I was shook! The ML is an absolute darling and I found myself screaming "from where can I find a Rintaro-san???" many, many times. At the beginning I didn't like the FL at all. I found her high-pitched voice super annoying too. But I gradually warmed up to her after realising that her overacting was necessary for the character she played.

The FL's big secret is revealed to the audience in episode 7. The revelation is so beautifully done that I couldn't help but tear up a little. From the beginning, the audience (just like the characters in the drama) will keep wondering about Nagisa Mio's true identity. This is open for interpretation and it makes the drama even better, in my opinion!

There was another plot twist in the drama, apart from the overacting part. At the end of episode 8 (the last two minutes) a certain "incident" happens. I'm not a fan of makjang so naturally I reacted by thinking that this part was unnecessary and too dramatic, and sort of forcefully "jammed in" by the writers to create an artificial climax in the story. But I had judged too soon!!! When I watched episode 9 I realized that the two minute part wasn't makjang all! I was shook all over again!

The final episode was absolutely beautiful and I cried and smiled simultaneously. The ML looked particularly droolworthy in the last few minutes of this episode.

The special "reunion" episode was beautiful too, especially the last couple of minutes. I love how we get to see the growth of each character (although there were too many flashbacks for my taste). I absolutely loved how the writers had portrayed the way Mio communicated with Rintaro during her absence: the seashells! It's just too adorable! And is it just me or did Go Ayano really look so much like a delicious snack in this episode?

Overall, I absolutely loved this drama. Everything about is just lovely and cute: the characters, the messages, the conversations, the subtle plot twists, and the love story too, of course. I guess it's time to go and re-watch my favourite scenes now~!

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"Koi wa Deep ni" is a poppy, offbeat romantic comedy with fairytale vibes. Ishihara Satomi is perfectly cast as Mio, a bubbly and passionate oceanographer who is easy to adore, but has a few secrets. Ayano Go is a little more surprising (but totally enjoyable!) as Rintaro, the tsundere businessman with some baggage. Both do a really good job with these characters, bringing them to life despite somewhat cliche character development (but those cliches are inherently a part of the storytelling style). Outside of the leads, most of the supporting characters feel underdeveloped, especially Eitaro and Aika. There's a lot to say about the writing of this drama - it's definitely not what I expected when I initially read the synopsis! It's quite unique (and to say more would spoil the drama itself), but it's that unique quality that makes it fun to see how it all kind of comes together. I wish the pacing could have been a bit better, especially at the end, but I was totally emotionally invested in the main characters and cheering them on, so I guess it worked? ;) Definitely would recommend this drama to Ishihara Satomi fans - she's just so enjoyable in romantic comedy dramas, and this one is a fun one. :)

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