Pin to Kona (2013)

Modern youths engaged and steeped in Kabuki tradition is the backdrop of this Jdrama. The actors were strong,the storyline is directionally solid even with the accompaniment of the standard poor girl who helps a boy, father and family grow-up & a love triangle, all which works well together. The costumes & pageantry of this theater backdrop was compelling,& educational. The most fascinating aspect, was to see young adults (YA) who are holding fast to their important rituals that define their culture. These YA were dedicated (for some obsessively) to their painstaking yet stunning art - most impressive. Each episode is full of rich dialog, kabuki practices and segments of a performance (nicely & tastefully debriefed by the family caretaker to explain to all of us non-Kabuki theater folks). Well done finale nothing too over the top, just solid closure on relationships. Enjoyed this series!

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Overall, I give this drama a 9 out of 10. I took off the one point because the last ep didn't feel rushed, but I felt like more time could have been spent on Ayame and Kawamura in the last three eps. I mean, why not? Everything that was an obstacle had been resolved (very well too). So while I liked the ending, I was kinda mad that we didn't get more. I'd love it if they did a special for this one.

Other than that, I loved it. The cast was great, everyone's acting was excellent. I enjoyed all of the characters and appreciated their complexity. I loved that this drama was such a great mix of drama, romance, and education.

At first, I wasn't going to watch because I thought Kabuki (which I knew nothing about) being the center of the story would bore me. I'm glad I decided to watch in the end because I found the Kabuki aspect very interesting and well done. I can honestly say there wasn't anything that I didn't like about this drama. I recommend that anyone tired of the same old detective/mystery dramas give this a chance. You won't be disappointed. Overall, this drama left me feeling happy and satisfied.

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