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BrightestStar
Turns out, there's really no place like home
I have to say one of the strong points in the drama is that it has a solid plot, and is it fast paced. There is always something happening so I don't ever remember it being draggy, which a very important factor. Nothing can bring the drama down more than the feeling that nothing is happening and the story is going round and round. Thankfully that wasn't the case for this drama. Another point I liked was the costume, decoration, and makeup used throughout different stages of the main characters' life. I like the colours used and the different hairstyles. What was annoying was the dubbing, which would prevent me from evaluating the acting fairly, but I think in the very least, it was decent overall.
If I am to talk about characters however, that is my main issue with the drama. First of all, other than about 6-7 characters, all surounded by the main love story, and all the others were no more than extras. second of all, to put simply, most characters's way of thinking and actions did not make sense to me whatsoever, which totally disconnected my feelings for this drama. I'm saying this mainly about Pei Lin, Jing Wan and Jin Zhi. Their emotions are too reckless and volatile. Sometimes it felt more like lust and possessiveness rather than "love". Even when in love, their priorities were all over the place. It was hard for me to empathize when most of the time I was rolling my eyes.
The process that Jian Zhang went through was actually interesting, but I felt they didn't go deep enough. I think his character would've been portrayed better if they had given more character to his siblings. The Doctor was my favourite but mostly because he was the voice of reason in this drama, telling the characters exactly what's on my mind. Unfortunately none actually listened to him. One character I really liked and cared for was Pei Lin's sister. Unfortunately she was casted on the side.
For all those reasons, the show overall felt uneven. There were great episodes and there were not so great ones. By the time I got to the ending, I had lost any emotion left for the characters, and did not care much for the outcome.
As for music, it was fine overall, but there was one song that was played when some characters are in agony that felt too modern and out of place.
Overall, if you love dramas all about intense love and romance, you may find exactly what you're looking for here and may find it decent to boot. If you're looking for a more realistic story, with logical characters, about somewhat fitting pracmatic leader, this may not be the drama for you as it wasn't for me.
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The characters themselves were annoying most of the time. Minami never ceased to be annoying but at least she toned it down a bit after about a third into the drama. Sena is wishy washy for about 10 episodes of the drama. Ryoko is too childish and never grows, Momoko is just a convenience when the writer wants to get the characters from one place to another, never had a real depth. I liked Ru-chan but again she was ignored by the writer and most of the characters, except sometimes Sena. Even Shinji was hard to read as to what he wanted. I thought around episode 9-10 there was an interesting exploration of the character's relationship but then it got somehow dropped :S
So yea I felt the writing was lacking. I loved the choice of music but many times the editing was weird in the way it cuts the sound/music. It wasn't the typical effective way to show a change of mood or some shocking event, it felt just random.
I didn't really care much about the coupling I enjoyed watching the character interactions and I got plenty of that. The weirdest is the Shiji-Sena relationship, but I loved that the most. They're awkward and can't be real friends but they each have deep respect for the other (and probably envy) for different reasons.
Despite my criticism I enjoyed it, I felt genuine and relatable. It would've been a masterpiece if only the characters were given more depth, and the lead girl was less pushy and over intrusive :P
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The music theme, the less we talk about it, the better.
Costume designs looked so cheap! The production was really bad. Action and fight scenes also weren't well choreographed. It would've been okay for another story, but this is the Shinsengumi!
In the end, the main problem is the focus. So much time was wasted on stuff I didn't care about. Is it really that important to see every step of how Kondo gets himself a 2nd wife? And why spend so much time on a character like Sutesuke that not only didn't matter for us the Viewers, but also nobody else gave him any importance, all the way to the end. He was just used (in very stupid ways) to get some things to happen.
Anyways I don't regret watching it but I don't recommend it. If you want to know more about the Shinsengumi, watch samurai movies like Until the Last Sword is Drawn or Twilight Samurai.
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This is a story of greed. The story starts about four characters, four sides, playing each other off, until only one is self on top of the empire. A man coming from the ghetto, who will do anything he can to get on top of the world, on top of those who step on him, not out of revenge, but of envy. A man always there next to that empire, but can never enter it. So close yet too far, he will stop at nothing to take it from those who deny it to him. A woman alone on top of the empire, who always wanted to escape it, but finds herself being the only one part of that empire capable of preserving it. Finally a woman who's own self-victimization keeping her from realizing her truth, greedy and selfish. Most of the drama is spent sitting, either having a meal or drinking tea. During those events, allies happen, betrayals, power switched from one hand to another, lives change, some go to prison, other to castles. It is a hell of a life.
As for the acting, it really got me hooked! I think it's my first time watching Go Soo, and oh boy he swept me off my feet. He's flawless, with a beautiful face that he sure isn't afraid to uglify it to suit the mood and state of the character he plays Tae Joo. Tae Joo sure is an inspiring character. Despite being a greedy jerk, what made him capable of turning his fortune he is what I would call a great leader. He manages to move people to his side, have them loyal to him, all in this together, taking the same path. As one of the characters say, he manages to both fill his stomach and his heart. That is where Seo Yoon fails, and will never fill anyone's heart. Her attitude of always telling people *stay put, behave, and I will take care of everything for you* is overbearing. She is very loyal to the family, but her way of showing it, in short, sucks. I'm not a fan of Lee Yo Won, but she plays her character magnificently. Son Hyun Joo is AMAZING! He can do the most devilish thing, but the moment he does this sad look in his eyes, he just gets to me! He was the one I was rooting for, for the most run of the drama. The chemistry that got me hooked was the one between Go Soo and Son Hyun Joo. When they are fighiting, when they are allies, and they face each other off, there's this excitement when they share the screen together.
There are many other intriguing characters. The list is too long, but just a couple of highlights: Uhm Hyo Seop as Won Jae, the older brother that is too simple for that hell of a world; Jang Shin Young as Seol Hee, who find a way out of her greed always has an interesting story to tell; Ryu Seung Soo as the awkward gangster with a sense of humour; Kim Mi Sook as Sung Jae's Mom's was terrific.
Other than those points, another terrific point is the soundtrack. It was overall a good soundtrack but there was this dramatic music that played out every time a new turn of fortune happen, and had this way of adding of drama and excitement to the scene. I got really addicted to it.
As I said the drama is not perfect. One of the main issue it may not have many people complete it, and the reason it took me so LONG to finish it myself is that it drains my energy, specially when you have someone rooting AGAINST. Every time I finish an episode, it just becomes too hard to start a new one, but once I start the episode, I couldn't take my eyes off it, as much as it drained me.
Another issue is one I have with many kdramas, there is no sense of time passing. We meet the characters from the time they are in there mid to late 20s (or older), and over 15 years pass, but they are as beautiful as ever, no sense of aging at all. It takes out from the sense of realism, especially when so much emphasize is put on the time those battles took from our protagonists' lives. There was also not much care put to show the different eras the story goes through, from the 90s to the 2Ks. Finally, as the episodes go by, the amount of flashbacks kept increasing, and while I was watching this drama very slowly, I didn't need THIS MANY reminders of what this person said or did.
So to summarize it all, it is an amazing, unique drama,that is for a specific audience. It's not perfect by any means, but it excels in its good points. If you like an intelligent drama about people's greed, playing each other off, and corporate politics that mirror real life politics, then that is the drama for you. However, it is NOT a drama about the romance between a self-made man and a heiress. Sometimes I wonder how the drama would've turned out if it followed the synopsis, but I realize it'd probably just be like another kdrama. Then again with such genius writing who knows.
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Before I go on further I'll first introduce the 3 main characters here. Those characters and the casted actors were a perfect fit with what the dorama is trying to portray.
Muraki: Maybe the most mysterious of the bunch. Lazy, laid-back, uninterested, which is most perfectly fitted to be played by my dear old Odagiri Jo. Being usually unconcerned about anything, I enjoyed his interactions with the other two.
Megumi: She's the opposite of Muraki. She's full of energy and always up to something different. For some she may be hard to take on at first but she does grow on you in a big way. She doesn't change or anything, but you learn ti accept her as she is as a viewer.
The boss/Director: He's an interesting old man. I never get tired of listening to him. He's full of wisdom and somehow can have empathy with creepy weird men. His reactions to what Megumi is up to each episode is a delight to watch and he's the only one we get to know a bit about his past.
As for dorama itself, each episode deals with a case. The cases are mostly pretty simple, but need some digging. My only complaint here is that many episodes become repetitive with a number of similar cases.
I found the music to fit perfectly with the dark mood and general ambience of the show.
Finally I need to mention, as a Tv Tokyo midnight time slot, it has more freedom to become more artsy as well as more racy then your usual dorama. Specially compared to your usual detective dorama, although this one has hardly anything similar to the usual detective dorama.
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Choosing it to be set in the late 80s or 90s bring this nostalgic feeling with it. It is a time where people were pretty outgoing, but before the technology where it feels that people were more hopeful and had more dreams. We do meet the character's older selves that may have lost that magic just carrying on. It could be because of age but could also be because of the era. The setting and characters made me enjoy the me enjoy the movie and not notice one thing until after finishing two thirds of the movie. The movie did not have a story. We are not told why were visiting Yonosuke's life at that timing. It's not about accomplishments and what not, but even though the movie was a bit too long, it felt like the ending was incomplete. It was more like watching the first 3 episodes of a drama then watching the last scece of the last episode, wondering what happened in between and how did this lead to that.
Seeing as what attached me wasn't the story, it was mostly the characters. They were fun and acting was top notch from all. Kora Kengo was pure delight and seeing Ikematsu Sosuke (Shingai!!) is such a different role was a surprise. Ayano Go's character was the silliest because he took himself too seriously which cannot be done when Yonosuke's around :P
In the end, the movie was entertaining for the most part but felt like it took me nowhere and the ending left me unsatisfied.
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I think this is one dorama who's concept may have been better executed if it was done in the 90s. I feel the actors being very restricted in the way they express themselves and act the characters, the pattern used in the dialog and so one. I think it's a similar to the dorama to "Ice World" but missing the "it" factor that we used to see in 90s dramas. That "it" factor is, for me it's passion expressed freely by the actors. I don't mean romantic scenes, not at all. I mean let the actors freely and passionately embody the characters so all interaction seems more instinctively, and enable chemistry to grow naturally.
It is my first drama with Nagayama Kento and I don't feel able to judge his talent based in this role. I couldn't help remember Eita every time I start watching an episode. They do have a strong resemblance and even their voices are similar. Nagayama Kento may be a bit better lookin' but I like Eita more ;). This drama also shines the light at who I think is underrated Renbutsu Misako. She was amazing in the movie "Murder of Snow White" and here though the role is less challenging giving her the spot light is nice. Lastly Hirosue Ryoko I had a lot of mixed feelings about her here. Her dramatic scenes are flawless, from crying to acting delusional. I had issued when she was acting surprised and supposedly having a poker face. Her surprise face was similar to that of a rookie actrice, as if someone telling her "now open your eyes wildly and feep them open". The standout in the cast could be the wife of one of the victims at the hospital. The rest of the cast was standard.
As for the ending, I just want to say I just didn't like it. I was okay with the final outcome but it could have been better. I just felt the ending being underwhelming.
All in all though it's a sweet short watch with a nice story.
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Story
The premise is nothing new. We've seen it just recently in a couple of korean dramas, and the concept was used countless times. However, this dorama approaches it in a totally different, obscure manner which I found refreshing. At the introduction, we got a detective who deals with his job in a pragmatic way because if he's not out catching criminals, he wouldn't be doing much else. Then he got this power, and the more we watch him, the more we see how its been affecting him and his emotional state. Some episodes were better than others, some episodes had more interesting "victims" than others. Overall the dorama didn't give me this attachment that I MUST watch the next episode as soon as its available, but kept me interested in the development of the main character. I gotta say it was more of a one man show, all the other characters didn't add much, and are just here to accompany our hero in his journey.
Acting
Oguri Shun is the star here, everything about his character development, his actions, the acting were near perfect. He might not be in my top 10 fave japanese actors (I don't have one yet lol) but he gave it his all here and you FEEL it. The rest of the actors weren't really given much, and honestly didn't do much with what they're given. Even the 2 geeks, though their presence was entertaining.
Music
I found the soundtrack a little too dramatic for my taste, but it fit the overall mood of the show.
Directing
I gotta say thats my favourite part of this dorama. That was a constant here. I loved the lighting and the dark colours used throughout the dorama. I love the mood it created. It added so much to the story, and though I didn't jump in to watch each episode, once I started 1, it engulfed me throughout the episode.
Finally, I found the ending fits perfectly with where the character was going, the story and its mood.
PS I don't put much on rewatch value, specially detective shows so ignore that :P
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The main premise was our father-&-son duo who haven't been in contact for a while. The son does have some parents issue but doesn't let it control his life and, when he gets the chance, expresses himself clearly. His personality is extremely cute. You just believe in his shyness & awkwardness. The dad might appear as a bully, but you can see his affection for his son. You can feel some hidden pain that he avoids with his silliness. He's a weird mixture of pettiness and cool, making his character most fun.
The other characters aren't too important but add a nice touch to the mixture. Some of the episodes concerning their characters were well made. The girl in the group was alright. She didn't bother me throughout (except her acting stupidly in that 1 episode). The crush the dorama was hinting on the part of Sahara-kun was cute too. It just welcome spice to the mixture. The villain of the story is 1 dimensional and just here to make the main characters' life harder. He's still creepy enough to keep you on your toes.
I liked the music and the action scenes here as well, though not a fan of our leads' signature move, they make it work ;)
Overall entertaining, easy to watch on stressful days, fun to watch on depressing days.
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*In a house in the outskirts of Tokyo, there lives a family of eight. Such a large family is rare these days, however not one of them is related by blood.*
I did not read the rest so the first episode shocked me, but it also hooked me. In this drama, we meet nine individuals, of different background and diverse age, at their most vulnerable moment in their life. It was a moment where they had lost what was most precious for them in the world, and were left stranded. Some were at the point of reaching their dreams, while others had taken what they love for granted. That weakness I saw in the characters is what made me emotionally attached to them. I cared so much. Watching every episode transformed from enjoying a drama to watching over them, making sure they are fine, and that, somewhere, somehow, they can find happiness again. That is to what point I got attached.
The story itself is well thought out. It's very reflective of life, death, choices, and what is truly important. While it deals with such a heavy subject, it is very much a slice-of-life dorama, and watching it is more heartwarming than sad, hopeful than despairing, and gives you the most beautiful emotions. The dialogs however, can sometimes be preachy, but, being this connected with the family, the cheesy dialog becomes believable. The quality of the video I watched wasn't good, but the setting and the choice of music made it all fitting. And one of the most important aspect about it is having a satisfyingly perfect ending.
What I find that is most well thought out is how the characters were written, and the performance did not disappoint. Being character centric, there is a nice balance between uplifting bonding and the individual struggles. Society's cruelty is also exposed here, while people's kindheartedness, as little as it is, is well displayed. The drama carefully used many subtleties to give us hints, as well as effective revelations. I'm really glad how the attention was spread out. It isn't perfect. There are some stories that I wish were explored on a deeper scale, but at the very least, the writer made sure to touch up on them. Most of the drama time however, was used for family interactions, which is a lot of fun. I felt like joining them every single time.
I really want to add a comment on each of the family members, but I know if I start, it'll take me all night to write, and I don't think anyone would be interested to read a review that long :P
All I can say is, if you like slice-of-life dramas, family dramas, and emotional drama, that is one for you to check out. You won't end up watching a drama, you will end up meeting the most beautiful family. You will become their guest that refuses to leave.
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The main characters were well casted more or less. This is the first role of Nishikido Ryo that I actually liked. I also think he has an attractive voice when he talks so I didn't mind his "reverse preaching" :P (no I don't follow his music). Kurashina Kana may appear overbearing at first but grows on you. I also found Chinen Yuri okay for the role and don't have much complaints. I like the interactions between the 3 and their relationship and trust that grows over the course of the series. As usual, affection was hinted between Shomei and Michiko but nothing substantial that's been followed through. I would've loved it if they had explored it instead of just hinting it. It would've been fun because their interactions in general is plenty of fun.
Another role I feel that I have to mention is Michiko's grandpa. He doesn't get involved much in the stories each episode but somehow has such a strong presence that you feel the drama wouldn't have been the same without him. The other regulars were mostly there to add more noise and over acted A LOT but it somehow felt appropriate. One of them I liked a lot is Shunta?'s mom. She has this motherly figure sweetness without letting go her her immaturity and silliness.
A light drama that doesn't take itself seriously but bundles a mystical atmosphere and fun characters and comes out with an entertaining and inspiring outcome.
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Unlikely story but with lovely and consistent characters
A friend recently told me "it's not that most men are evil and bad, just that a lot of them somehow become incompetent when they get married"And while watching this drama, the dad's character Mu Jin reminded me of what my friend is saying. He can have the best intentions, but it has exhausted his family.
This drama is not your typical kdrama, hence it got quite a bit of hate from kdrama lovers that prefers a bit of melo and tragedy in their comedies as is usually expected of com-com kdramas. I really enjoyed every bit of it and am happy they didn't drag on to the usual 16 episodes length. It kep being light and fun throughout while approaching different family dynamics and its long term side effects on its members. My only critism would be that they managed to resolves all issues that usually would take years to unravle without truly diving enough. However, it would've lost its light touch if they did.
There's a lot of critism about the mom character Geum Ae Yeon but she was the one I was able to understand most. Did I condone all her actions? Certainly not! But her actions her consistent with her character. The daughter's character Mi Rae annoyed me numerous times throughout the drama but given her character history, it just made sense. At the end of the day it was a family that had love there, but did not do well in the communication department which caused the damages it did.
The ending was a good as things can get. It might not be to everyone's taste but made sense to me. The only thing preventing me from giving this rama a higher rating is how it all felt synthetic. I just feel like the ideas were there, the conversations reveal a meaningful going into the creation of the characters. It just could have dived a bit more for authenticity.
It's a flawed drama with flawed characters but overall but and worth the watch.
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Shinsengumi history summarized
This movie centers around the historical figure Hijikata Toshizo. He can be seen as famous or infamous, depending on which side you're looking. Written and directed by Harada Masato, who also was behind the sengoku period movie Sekigahara, you should expect a lot of information thrown at you throughout the movie, like having a history lesson. Watching it required a lot of concentration but the story and its portrayal was very engaging. The pace of this movie was much better handled, without being incomprehensibly fast, nor extra scenes to skip. I loved the way the narration helped in understanding situation, while giving us a breather after intense scenes. It moved the story smoothly.Unline Sekigahara, Baragaki engaged me more by focusing on the relationships and interactions of the characters, all of whom are based on actual historical figures. Well almost all, I'm not sure if Oyuki existed. Her relationship with Hijikata isn't central to the plot and her characters does seem to represent many women during that era so it didn't bother me. It didn't aggravate me like the love interest in Sekigahara.
No matter how you view him, Hijikata Toshizo had a hand in affecting history, and changed the lives of most who have known him, be it by his words or swords, therefor a very interesting point to look through. Like many historical settings, this movie did try to emphasize the heroic of its leading character, however this time it was well balanced with other elements of the setting, including the characters representing the most important people in Hijikata's life.
I think the best part of this movie is the casting. I cannot complain with any of the casting, and some of them were so spot on. I never viewed Okada Junichi as a "Hijikata" type of character but he sure convinced me here, especially with his interactions with Suzuki Ryohei. Now they wouldn't have been able to find anyone more suiting than him to play Kondo Isami, in all his strengths and fragility, in the way he lets himself be manipulated or when he wants to follow his beliefs. The rest of the cast did great as well, fitting perfectly in character and setting. On a personal note, I find it funny when Saito Hajime keeps being played by one of my crushes. This time it's by my newest crush Matsushita Kouhei.
Another thing I loved about the movie, where Sekigahara was also successful, is action scenes. In this movie, the choreography for both dance and fighting was enchanting to watch, with a dose of realism.
My review might be all over the place, I wasn't ready for it. I just felt the need to write one since there is no reviews for this movie. I would definitely recommend it to any history lover. Though this movie was made for an audience that have studied the history, I think it can be enjoyed even without history knowledge. I highly recommend this movie to at least be given a chance.
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I enjoyed the cases that are closer to our daily lives than the usual law kdramas
While this drama (I think) is most popular being about the "genius autistic lawyer", what I liked most is how the story spreads beyond that. Being more of a workplace drama, as she gets closer to her coworkers and gets to know them better, we learn more about who they are. Cases are also interesting. They aren't the usual heavy cases with conspiracies and corruption. They are closer to day-to-day cases with people similar to those you know in life. This is what made the drama feel closer to the viewer.The drama has its ups and downs, but it did leave me with a smile on my face and a desire to watch more, without needing to binge-watch to get it over with. In short, a decent and relaxing watch. Most of the points of my ratings is for that reason
Now we do need to address the elephant (or in this case the whale) in the room, which is having a leading character that is officially on the autism spectrum. I can't, and neither do most viewers, tell to what degree the portrayal is accurate. I don't think you can tell even if you know or have someone in your family on the spectrum. That is because it is a spectrum, in addition to each person having their own personality and quirks even without being on the said spectrum. I can say though, I didn't get the whole whale show every time our leading lady figured something out to make her case, and neither did I appreciate it much.
The part I appreciated the least in this drama was romance. I actually wish it was written out. Kang Tae Oh does have a romantic look in his eyes and is generally pleasant to look at, and I'm not totally against the romance being there but it did happen way too soon. It felt uncomfortable, and didn’t make sense to me as to when the love actually happened. I would've liked to see the development of their friendship instead. The secondary couple made even less sense to me. It came suddenly out of nowhere. I just didn't feel it.
The part I enjoyed the most is the friendship and camaraderie portrayal. The dependence and trust Young Woo develops towards everyone's favourite (for good reasons) attorney Jung, the growing bond between her and Choi Soo Yeon, her relationship with her father, and so on.
Actually, her relationship with her father was actually is actually what the most stood out for me. The distance felt when having an autistic child at times, closeness beyond any at other times, the worrying about always being available for your child, and the loneliness of being a single parent, all felt too real. The portrayal by Jeon Bae Soo could hardly be matched. He rarely needed to express it, the look in his eyes and his mannerisms said it all.
Out of all the other actors, Joo Jong Hyuk as Kwon Min Woo stood out for me the most. His character didn't actually make sense to me at times, especially in the last couple of episodes, but the actor's performance added more consistency and realism to the character.
Another point I enjoyed is the portrayal of the dilemma that comes from being a lawyer. Yes, most cases did eventually find an ideal ending, but the potential damage that comes from doing their job isn't glossed over. And I liked that Young Woo wasn't there to be the paragon of virtue, her priority was that of any lawyer, to do her job well and serve her client.
The writing had strong points but was uneven at times. Strong performances from the actors, and good directing made up where writing was lacking.
The drama ended on a good note, giving it a satisfying ending while leaving us with a taste of potential in case there is a second season. If the second season does happen, I look most forward to seeing a growing relationship between the siblings (WITHOUT the stereotypic overused Rubik's cube - FYI It does NOT indicate genius!).
PS. Does anyone know the actor playing CEO In Cheol? He looked so manly to me no matter how much he cried and begged LOL I think I just developed a major crush on him XD
Any recommendation for this actor is welcome for me :D
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It really sucks you in!
This movie is such an inspiration to me. It causes so many types of painful feelings but never gets difficult to watch. I guess it's because we get emotionally attached to the characters and want to see more.A family of two, mother and daughter, were living a simple life, full of love for each other. When the mother realized she has a terminal illness with numbered days, she decided to make sure her daughter is not left alone. The overall story is actually very simple and predictable. There are some surprises here and there, but nothing to impact the story. It's mostly to add to what makes the characters who they are.
I can't really say much about the setting except it really sets the tone of the movie. From their small home to the bathhouse, to the surrounding streets, it gives you a richer experience of their daily lives. The scenery during their small trip wasn't there to impress, but it makes us feel the change of scenery they were experiencing.
When it comes to the characters, that is the bread and butter of the movie. First, Futaba, who seems to recognize all those missing love in their lives and is ready to fill that void. She doesn't try much. It's an instinct she has. And as much as she can show affection, she can also give some tough love. She isn't flawless, which makes her even more lovable. She has a lot of anger towards those who hurt her. In extreme situations, she can downright be violent (it's actually satisfying). Then there's Azumi, once very timid and meek, she pushes herself, time and again, to find the strength to move forward. She's really the sunshine of the movie. Then Ayuku comes along. Feeling estranged, she didn't want to let herself get attached but realized how connected she is to them. I loved seeing the development of the relationship, and the way she found her comfort throughout the movie.
When it comes to Kazuhiro, I just don't know what to think. Sleazy and irresponsible, I was ready to dislike him, yet I just couldn't. I have to admit it doesn't help that he's being played by Odagiri Jo (my bias), but there is more. I thought at first he may be plain selfish but that wasn't entirely true. He just doesn't know how to step up to the situation. The extreme circumstances forced him to learn quickly. I think the most redeeming quality of his is that he doesn't make excuses. He doesn't pretend to not be sleazy and doesn't have the courage to face her so he decides to go behind the scene. The roles of the other male characters in the movie were short but heartfelt.
The cast was great, but Miyazawa Rie and Sugisaki Hana were both spectacular, so natural in their characters.
Despite the emotional premise, it leans more towards a slice-of-life story. Rather than an emotional roller coaster, it felt more like a collection of heartfelt moments, yet doesn't get overwhelming, as we view how life goes on.
I highly recommend it.
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