Uri wo Waru: Issen wo Koeta, Sono Saki ni wa (2024)

Trying to tell too many stories, but a VERY lovely main romance & First experience

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

Stumbled upon “Ripe for the Picking” on Netflix as it silently shows up without much fanfare. As I read the synopsis, I was expecting another over-the-top rom-com about a 30-year-old virgin and a socially awkward guy. But I was pleasantly surprised that this is lovely and heartfelt love story between two vastly different individuals.

This is a very short drama, only 9 episodes and less than 30 minutes each. I would say my biggest complaint would be too many side stories. As much as I enjoy learning each co-worker’s individual journey to love and finding themselves, they are too short and take away screen time from the leads. The leads’ love story has become an afterthought in the first few episodes, while the drama spends its precious limited time on:

A working mom trying to find work/life balance, and her own identity.
A career woman whose sole focus on work jeopardizes her personal relationships
A girl with low-esteem struggling to find love in all the wrong places and being shallow as hell.
A asexual co-worker whose story was mentioned in passing without much depth

These are all interesting stories individually, but with such limited time, they just seem to be stories that hit all the checkboxes. They are not given the proper time and effort in developing them into meaningful ones.

Having said all that, the main romance is lovely. The leads are both awkward but sweet individuals. Their encounters and subsequent development are lovely to see. Oh, and there are quite a few frustrating moments with communication, but I’ve learned to forgive them because they tug my heartstrings.

Female lead is pretty and quite successful at work, yet she hasn’t had a boyfriend since high school (hard to believe!). She’s embarrassed to be a virgin at 32 and is on a mission to sleep with someone. That drive and desire propelled her to take the initiative in approaching our socially awkward ML. I have to applaud FL’s shy forwardness because she is the one making all the moves and trying to clear all misunderstanding/miscommunication. My heart breaks for her when she was ‘rejected’ and was so confused about what happened.

But what I love best about this drama is how it gives us a sweet, awkward but very realistic portrayal of a first sexual experience. I’m glad so much care and thought are put into writing their intimate time together. It was beautiful to witness (and quite embarrassing as I feel like a voyeur). When they do open up to each other, no matter how weird and awkwardly frustrating it is, it feels honest and intimate. And special brownie points to great kisses that feel romantic, tender and a lot of desire.

This drama might not be for all, especially if you usually get upset with a lack of communication. We have some of those frustrating moments, but they get cleared up pretty fast. I had a lovely time watching this and shed some tears of (seemingly) heartbreaks for the leads.



Completed: 4/21/2024 - Review #431

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Awkwardly Ever After!

The series beautifully portrays a shy woman in her 30s who is a virgin, alongside our ML who struggles with regrets of a lost dream and has serious self-esteem issues. They both have their own demons to face!
What's great to watch is how they motivate each other to be a better version of themselves (both directly and indirectly). The emotional connection between them provided the much necessary comfort they both needed to get out of their shell !

Despite some lack of communication, they don't drag it out unnecessarily. The story is genuinely sweet and their chemistry shines through.

There are side stories too tackling themes like loneliness and work-life balance but I felt too many sub plots were present considering the run time! Though they gave a happy ending to each!

The English translation of the title is terrible and the synopsis is way too vague and doesn't do justice to the depth of the story.
I would definitely recommend this drama for the characters and their awkward heartfelt journey!

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I was looking for something to watch and stealthily this series appeared. She was looking at her without much expectation, really. But it's very good, it's short because there are only 9 chapters and the episodes only last 30 minutes so you watch it in one sitting.

The only annoying thing for me was the side stories. Generally I like to see secondary stories apart from the main one. But it didn't happen here, I think they were quite unnecessary and boring to watch.

Regarding the lack of communication, you'll see a lot of that here but since I've been watching Japanese dramas for more years than Korean ones, I've gotten pretty used to that (I don't know if that's good or bad hahahaha).

Anyway the topic of sex was illustrated in a wonderful and true way. Honestly, I am one of the people who doesn't care much if a person is a virgin when they are an adult.

You know, sometimes it happens that you don't have much sexual appetite and you focus your life on studies or work, so the issue of having a partner usually takes a backseat.

What happens to the protagonist is that she feels that pressure from society and seeks to have sex, with people with whom she feels nothing. Many people don't care, but for many (myself included) it is important to have an emotional connection with the other person, because if you don't you feel empty and you don't really enjoy your sexuality.

When she begins to establish an emotional connection with the protagonist, she begins to feel good, even if it is just kisses because he is a person she is attracted to both physically and emotionally.

Your first time will always be a little awkward and embarrassing, so I didn't feel uncomfortable watching it, because it happened to me. It's a reality, it's not something that doesn't happen. It's not that when it's your first time you will be an expert in the Kama-sutra, you know hahaha

I think it's also important to do it with a person who doesn't have as much experience or hasn't had experience because people who have had experiences tend to be a little abrupt. On the other hand, when you are with a person who is in a situation similar to yours, it is much easier to communicate what you like, what you don't like, whether it hurts you or not.

Obviously the first time always hurts, if it hurts it is better to tell your partner that it hurts and to slow down, like the protagonist did.

I really liked that scene because it is something realistic and it has happened to all of us who have had sexual relations the first time.

I really recommend it, it's short and nice. And you will look at it quickly.

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A fresh down to earth story among so many hyper romantic dramas

If you are looking for an exciting romance full of energy then this one might not be for you. Though i would encourage you to try an episode or two.

Its a story about quite adult issues of people between around 30 years old doing regular jobs. The female lead is a virgin at 32, which is established right away and she craves to have sex, not in a lustful way but more being embarassed about never having it. Her friends/colleagues have their own relationship issues, but she is romanticising all their relationships a bit. Overall focus is on her, but we get a little window into the others lives. Ending is quite nice and relatively sweet without glamour, just like the show . Its a chill watch and with 9 episodes less than 30 minutes each its an easy recommend for a weekend or midweek afternoon.
As both character leads are very awkward and inexperienced there is many awkward moments and misunderstandings, but they get resolved through actual communication, wow what a concept for a romance dram, but seriously its so nice to see a misunderstanding not causing some convoluted plotline for 3 episodes.

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Love in many forms

The synopsis above does no justice to this sweet little series! In three hours it tidily shows a beautiful relationship blooming between Kosaka Maiko and Kagiya Senri with four other stories around Kosaka's life informing how we see their story.

I was really charmed by each of the 'side' stories and how they tied into Kosaka finding her way into a positive and lovely relationship with Kagiya. Kosaka learned a little bit from each of her co-workers' relationships through off-hand remarks, which is such a charming way to show how we all affect each other.

To me, each person's experience shared the lesson that we should find love and happiness in a way that suits our lives, rather than what we have been told to expect or want by others.

Even more interesting to me was the repeated theme that we need reminders now and then about why we love our partners, and that it is important to reflect that back to them. This feels very real as I enter the twelfth year of a relationship and is something I have rarely seen addressed so beautifully.

I absolutely adored this little snippet of sweetness and will definitely rewatch when I'm in the mood for something emotional with an adorable happy ending.

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