Koisuru Keigo 24 Ji (2024)

Not enough time to fully develop and tell the stories of an interesting plot.

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

I think my biggest criticism, or I can call it weakness, of “Koisuru Keigo 24 Ji” is the length of the drama. Being a J-drama, it’s not surprising that the episodes are short (less than 30 mins) and only 9 episodes long. For most rom-com and slice-of-life, this might be an acceptable runtime. However, “Koisuru Keigo 24 Ji” actually has a pretty interesting plot and individual stories about the ML and FL. Add romance to it, the drama feels rushed and unfinished.

I really like the plot of the drama. Rika (FL) is being threatened due to a lawsuit where she defended a big corporation and affected the livelihood of many normal citizens. Her boss hires a bodyguard to protect her. Tatsunoskuke (ML), the bodyguard primarily assigned to protect Rika, also has his own backstory and mystery to solve. The leads have good chemistry and I really enjoy all of their interaction together. Iwamoto Hikaru looks fit and handsome as the bodyguard. I love his cool deadpan face, and also his cute smile when he’s off duty. Shiraishi Mai looks beautiful and believable as the tough lawyer.

The supporting characters are a lovely bunch. The drama is easy to watch and the acting is good. Since this is not an anime or manga adaptation, we don’t see the usual Japanese, over dramatic acting and I am grateful for that. I also really enjoy the action scenes. I was very impressed with all the actors in taking down the siblings. The punches, wrestling and takedown are all realistic and believable. I would have loved to see more of these action scenes throughout the drama, since this is about a bodyguard and security.

With a great cast and a good setup, the time restraint prevents the stories from being told adequately. I want to see more of the security threats to Rika. The bodyguard storyline goes away after the first few episodes, then the focus switches to Tatsunosuke’s investigation. Although we get some flashbacks to the past, I don’t see what present-day Tatsunosuke has done to solve the mystery. Romance also takes a back seat in the latter episodes. The main leads’ relationship and rapport are nicely developed in the first half, but too little screen time is given in the second half. By the time Rika supported Tatsunosuke in a professional manner, I was not moved emotionally and the chemistry between them subsided..

Nevertheless, this is an easy and enjoyable watch. It just has so much more potential that I am disappointed. I would recommend this drama if you enjoy the bodyguard storyline with good-looking leads and a lovely supporting cast. However, if you are big into crime investigation, this might be lacking.

Completed: 7/20/2024 - Review #463

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