Hoshi Furu Yoru ni (2023)

Definitely a Gem.

This series was surprisingly good. It is a bit slow paced but it was consistently endearing. I’ve watched many Jdrama’s and this one is by far one of the best I’ve ever seen. Aside from the initial awkward moment, it’s genuinely a well written series. No supremely weak and and easily manipulated females. No forced dating. No weird triangles. Just good friendships, communication and humor. I loved how supportive the friends were towards each other and how they treated each other like family. It was a very warm series. There were some sad moments but so many heartfelt and funny moments too. I highly recommend this and will most certainly put it on my rewatch list.

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Unexpectedly Not Triggering and Heartwarming

As a CNBC (childless-not-by-choice) woman, I tend to avoid plots that would provide lots of potential triggers for me. Although I have accepted life as CNBC for about a decade, there are still some shows that trigger my infertile side. I knew this would be about an ob/gyn clinic, but I was nicely surprised because it wasn't triggering AT ALL. Most likely it's because of the layered aspects of the clinic part. It's not all roses and happy endings for couples or individuals when the female gets pregnant. Things can get complicated. This drama has managed to show a lot of different layers of pregnancy/birth/grief experiences. Different individuals react differently, but the overall tone of this show is positive and heartwarming.

As for the deaf/mute plot, I've seen more serious ones, but this one is kept heartwarming and positive, too. I have a slight problem with the way they dealt with the (spoiler alert) "villain" in this drama, but at the end of the day the way they continued the road with how they dealt with him was still acceptable for me. In some of the scenes, the villain character surprised me with his acting chops, so even though I hoped in real life they would deal with it differently, he got to show more of his acting chops because of the plot.

The dynamics + chemistry between the two main leads are awesome, too, for an age-gap drama. I love the way they communicate with each other. I appreciate the way that (spoiler alert) the ML kept repeating signing "I like/love you" to the FL because he said he didn't want to regret anything. This is something I can relate to and it feels realistic based on his background of losing both his parents. Plus I love the OSTs, so much, especially Yuka's "Hoshizukiyo". It fits the drama and the lyrics are so good. And Doyoung's voice is so soothing and hauntingly beautiful.

This drama has made me ugly-cry so many times. I'd consider this a healing drama. Sometimes healing takes a decade or more...healing from complex grief isn't a straightforward journey. It can take many different twists and turns. This drama also reminds me to cherish the time I have left with my loved ones and that family aren't only made up of blood relations.

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