Neechan no Koibito (2020)

Feel good drama with mature characters and honest conversations

This drama filled my heart. This is what I would categorise as a "feel good" drama.

The characters clearly were not living fairytale lives and had their hardships and traumas to overcome, but the drama never dwelled on all that pain and sadness. We saw an honest attempt with characters reflecting on their lives and trying their best to live for the moment. It wasn't about forgetting the past and ignoring it, but rather accepting what happened and counting blessings for the people left behind, the time they currently have, and the future they can build.

This is why I love J-dramas so much, because it is not the plot or dramatic points that drive the characters, rather it is the other way round with characters driving the story.

I absolutely loved every character and couple in this drama and I would recommend this to anyone looking to watch something light yet healing. Watching this made me feel a little less lonely.

Special mention to the leads who really hit it out of the park with their acting. So much expressed through their eyes, and emotions. I teared up (out of happiness) at so many of their moments <3

All in all (and I rarely say this) - THIS WAS PERFECT.

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I was intrigued by the drama title when I first came across this and I'm glad my curiosity got the better of me. This year has been super difficult, but watching this drama every week really helped lift my mood. It was just so sweet.

I loved the family and work dynamic, and the acting was great. Felt very natural. There is not a single character to be disliked. I'm glad the cast was selected for this series, especially the actress who plays Hinako san.

Prepare your tissues if you're one to get emotional as there are some tough issues covered.

But, overall, time well spent. Totally worth checking out.

Note: although, my rating for the music and rewatch value are much lower compared to the scores for story and acting, my personal overall score for Neechan no Koibito would still be 10. It's just that good.

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This is such a feel-good, pick-me-up, give you hope in life story, which is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for a lot of the time right now. It addresses the 'pandemic' very lightly (although I wouldn't have minded if it had touched on it a little bit more), but chooses to keep it's focus mainly on the simple, heart-warming, sometimes challenging lives of it's characters.

That's not to say that there's not some real trauma and pain (unrelated to the pandemic) to be processed by some of our characters, because there is, and the drama never shies away from it. Instead, it highlights this trauma and pain and then offers an antidote. It offers hope. It's obvious this drama was made with the intention of giving it's viewers a reason to keep trying in what has been a trying time for many. And while I can't speak for the Japanese audience, I can say that for myself, it succeeded.

It tackles some deep, heartbreaking issues while never losing the heart and joy and wonderment that makes the story special. If you're struggling to keep hope right now, give this drama a shot. I don't think you will be sorry.

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Sweet, smart and ... SWEET

This was yet another J-gem. Thoughtful, intelligent understated dialogue (that made me REALLY wish I didn't need subs), believable characters and a consistent sweetness that never got cloying until the last half of the last episode, by which time a little excess sweetness was forgivable.

Even though it's unlikely that the three unlikely couples at the core of the story would have anywhere near so smooth a ride in real life, the emotional depth of the dialogue and the understated acting helped to sell the very sweet story. And of course, it helps that it was only 9 episodes - no risk of an overdose of saccharine or of the sweet soufflé going soggy from being dragged out too long. This heartwarming treat cemented Japan's top-ranking in "average sore by country" in my personal database and put Fuji TV clearly in front in "average score by network" for those 7 networks I've seen more than 20 Dramas from. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Feel good two thumbs up drama

This was such a feel good show. The drama could easily been made angsty but they presented the story from a positive perspective. There was balance; it was not all “rainbows and roses”. There were worries and insecurities, but it was very refreshing to see the characters being honest with each other, they communicated and left it up to the other person to decide for themselves. Everyone was mature.

I liked Momoko Adachi’s character, she was strong-willed and confident but not over bearing. Very well portrayed by Arimura Kasumi.

It was nice to see Manato’s confidence grow and become more comfortable around people as the series went on.

Kazuki and Miyuki were too cute. The Adachi family was enjoyable to watch, their interaction, how they respected and supported each other.

Ending put a smile on my face. Two thumbs up.

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Good Enough

Japanese Drama "Nechan no Koibito" is a slow-paced slice of life that centers around family, work, and human relationships.

The story follows mainly the female lead, as she goes through life, making every moment count and making ends meet in order to support her family. From time to time, though, it also follows the male lead, as the viewer discovers his past and who he is. However, the drama focuses a bit too much on the work area and left out the family dynamics in the beginning. Also, the female lead often acted too optimistic, giving out saint vibes.

Other than that, the romance was well paced and had many twists, even though the love story was closer to reality. The side couple was cute too.

Finally, the performances were great from everyone in the cast.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Cute story

I enjoyed this show for what it was. The Japanese dramas that I've seen tend to be simple and straightforward, which I appreciate. This show fell into that category. I rated it a little lower because this one was a little TOO simple. Add to the fact that even with a limited number of episodes, there were scenes that I felt were repetitive.
STORY/WRITING: I enjoyed the dynamics between the female lead and her siblings. There was a lot of mutual love and respect between them and they were enjoyable to watch. The female lead was a little too-good-to-be-true, and the mystery of the reason for the male lead living a lonely existence didn't quite ring true. However, the emotions displayed by the male lead were very good. There was a longing there, to be able to live a normal and happy life. I also enjoyed the work scenes, though these could have been cut back some to delve more into the main characters.
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The scenes where the co-worker was in the bar and thinking, the camera work was bad. They could have done something different to show internal dialogue.
CHEMISTRY: The main couple was very cute together. There was some hand-holding, one kiss.
MUSIC: I don't remember it.
REWATCH VALUE: In order to re-watch a show, there has to be something extra (amazing chemistry, humor, believable storyline, or a show that just makes me feel good when I watch it). This show doesn't fall into that category, especially since there are a ton of shows out there to watch. I would, however, say that if you want an easy, cute watch, this one might be for you.

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This drama doesn't have many episodes, so for the few episodes it has, it contains a good and interesting story. It is not really chlichee, but it also isn't something new or unique. I guess it's somewhere in between. But let me tell you, that it is easily interesting and beautiful enough to keep you captivated through all 9 episodes^^
The acting can be a little bit over the top, but that's not something new in asian dramas. Otherwise in my opinion it is really good acting from the main and second leads.
The music is, let me quote Jisoo "not bad but not good"
It is a drama that you can rewatch easily at least one more time.

And now for all big romance fans like me, a little checklist, so you know what to expect^^
No break up (This is a good one!)
No love triangle (I know hard to believe right?)
A little bit angst, but not that much :)
Slow burn romance (Really slow burn, but the way until they get together is it worth^^)
No evil in-laws

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