Summer Snow is a beautifully written, beautifully acted Japanese Drama which will surely touch anyone who watches it.
It deals with many different topics surrounding family life and romance in a very real way and does not fall to some of the cliches that some dramas use.
The ending was both brilliantly written and unexpected which I find unusual in a Japanese Drama, which just adds to it's timeless quality.
I recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch a heartwarming tale, and you may just shed a tear or two in the process.
Was this review helpful to you?
Take Five - Oretachi wa Ai wo Nusumeru ka
4 people found this review helpful
Without giving any of the plot away, the story follows a group of 'criminals' and a detective who are all trying to find out the truth about what happened in an incident 20 years ago. Every part is beautifully acted and it made me love every character. Which makes it hard to chose who to identify with. Do you support the thieves that are stealing with 'love' involved, or the detective who believes that all theft is evil? Just like the characters, your ideals may change throughout the story too!
The music was hit and miss for me. The main themes were brilliant, including the ending by kpop group 2pm, but the other bgm were not so memorable.
Overall, I recommend to give this drama a watch. Whether you like crime drama or just want to watch something with a gripping story and a lovable cast this is a good drama for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast is superb and each member of 'Team Dragon' brought both a different personality and skill set to the team which made it extremely interesting to watch.
The operations were tense and exciting, although admittedly as I am squeamish there were times that I had to look away, even though I knew it was not real. The story line was interesting, if not a little unrealistic, but compared to the following seasons not as over the top.
What really stood about this drama was the soundtrack. It has an amazing soundtrack that can be spiritual, exciting and dramatic depending on the situation. It really helps bring an extra dimension to each scene and turns it into a more outstanding drama.
Overall I recommend this drama to people who are fans of the medical genre or just want to watch a good quality Japanese drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
There was just the right amount of tension and fear throughout the drama which kept you gripped to see how the story would play out. Some parts of the story were emotional and some were action packed, it definitely was not just blood and gory injuries.
The helicopter being a central part of the drama makes it stand out from other medical dramas as it emphasies the need for treatment in the air and on location after accidents and not just in hospitals.
The cast acted their roles well and each doctor brought a different personality and back story to the drama.
I would highly recommend this drama to those who have not watched it and want a good quality medical drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is full of suspense and is gripping from the very start, with the different 'games' that the characters are put through just become more and more exciting.
The dark and devious Akiyama (Matsuda Shota) is a perfect match to the innocent and naiive Nao (Toda Erika) and the combination really works. The rest of the cast too are over the top, a bit crazy, but it perfectly fits the drama.
The music used in this drama is sensational. It is a soundtrack I find myself listening to often, and each piece fits the situation in which they are used perfectly.
Overall this is a brilliant quality drama. The writing is both witty and suspenseful, and never gets boring. Anyone who is considering watching it should, as they will not regret it.
Was this review helpful to you?
The characters are brought to life perfectly by the actors and everyone performed their roles outstandingly, especially Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun who are staples in modern Japanese dramas. The characters all felt so human with human flaws which made them very easy to relate to.
Although I have never read the manga, the story of the drama was well written and had me in tears at various points across the story. This was also helped immensely by the song 'planetarium' by Otsuka Ai which beautifully accompanied the story.
Overall I would recommend this drama to anyone who is considering watching it. It is funny, touching and romantic all at the same time and I consider it a must watch drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
In one sense it feels likes nothing really happened in the drama. That there was not much of a story line or much character development to speak of. But, weirdly, this is what I like about this drama.
It is nothing that will change anyone's outlook on life or top anyone's best drama lists, but even years after watching this drama I still think about it. It had a relaxing pace and with each episode being only half an hour it is a good drama to wind down to. The music was also lovely and fit the drama's atmosphere really well.
The drama reminded me so much of summer and that slow summer pace with the music adding to this feeling, like a short lived summer romance. It won't be a drama for everyone, but give it a try and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Was this review helpful to you?
It brings together the different stories of a group of newly formed friends brilliantly well, and shows how their lives intertwined with each other with both wonderful and unfortunate consequences.
I thought that the cast portrayed each character very well and helped them to feel realistic and for the audience to feel the same things that they were feeling.
The music that accompanied the show was lovely and helped to portray the varying emotions that the cast were feeling.
I have rated the show slightly lower on the rewatch value as I do not believe the drama would have the same effect on someone going into a second time in comparison to the first.
Overall I recommend this drama to those who like stories of adult friendship and romance with a twinge of sadness. It is a great quality drama and I am sure many will enjoy it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Based on the manga and anime series, the drama is actually faithful to some of the events from the anime. So if you have watched the anime and enjoyed it, you are sure to enjoy the live action drama interpretation as well!
The acting and 'special effects' on the screen were a bit over the top, but as it suited the characters and the anime origins of the show it actually fit the drama well and were enjoyable. The actors played their roles well and were pleasant to watch.
Overall I would recommend this drama to those who have watched the anime, liked other dramas such as Hana Kimi, or just want to watch a fun, slightly exaggerated, drama. Just come into it with an open mind!
Was this review helpful to you?
The concept itself seemed interesting, and as a learner of the Japanese language, I thought that from watching it I could learn more about the language. However the drama left me feeling disappointed.
It is interesting from the perspective of a Japanese language leaner as it does explain some concepts of the language, and as a casual viewer some of the stories the drama presented were enjoyable. However where it fell down the most was in the acting.
The acting from Kano Haruko was okay, which helped to bring it all together, but the acting from the members of her class were overall an extremely poor quality. The foreign cast member's acting made the series hard to watch at times and I felt myself feeling awkward or embarrassed while watching it, which is not a good feeling to have as a viewer!
For that reason it is hard to recommend, but I did overall enjoy it. So if you are willing to look past some poor acting and have an interest in the Japanese language you may also enjoy this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story of the drama was enjoyable. I have only read a few volumes of the manga so I can not compare it well to that, but the writing had a good mix of both funny and serious moments which kept me hooked to the end. Although I did find the ending slightly disappointing and nothing that has not been overused in Japanese dramas.
Overall the cast gave a good performance, especially Ikuta Toma as he shone in his role. Some of the reactions from the cast could be over the top, but as this added to the overall comedic feel of the show I felt this was alright. There was a good mix of characters so everyone should find someone that they like!
The soundtrack is brilliant and fits the moments of the drama well. I even find myself listening to the tracks from time to time, so the music was a job well done!
Overall I would recommend this drama to those who like more light hearted school based drama with cross dressing, romance and want to watch something that makes them smile. It is also a good first, or early, Japanese drama to watch for those who want to start!
Was this review helpful to you?