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BrightestStar
Turns out, there's really no place like home
A story about Friendship? Not really, more of a story about a story about being bound by a secret.
When I finished watching this drama, I wasn't sure how to feel about it. I mean as a story and the way it was executed is excellent by all means. The characters were multidimensional and intriguing. What didn't sit well with me though was the ending. Not the actual ending, but how it was viewed? Like condoning what those 3 did?I find this story excellent at showcasing the wrong in being in a world where it's all about gossip and being afraid of the law alone without having a sense of values to believe in and follow. Basically, as long as I don't get caught, I'm free to do as I please. There is no owning up and taking responsibility. Because society's opinion is their God and true law. And that is what makes Maho and Satoko the worst type of "friends" you can have. What they had there wasn't friendship but a bind.
As for Yuri, it's a bit of the opposite. Very early on, her sensible little self took on the burden of someone else's pain and lived the rest of her life feeling guilt over something that had nothing to do with her. That guilt lead her to take each and every action she took later on in life. And no one seems to notice her pain, not her family, not even her so-called friends.
Other than the main trio, I also enjoyed the writer's character, and how she was doing her research instead of just depending on a biased point of view of the story. The detective was interesting as well, smart in some cases, and really stupid in other times.
Directing of the drama is great. The pacing is great. What surpasses it is how lighting and colour were used. Present-day colours were vibrant, while when we go back to the past, particularly to scenes with Yuri, it gets dimmed. It's a notable contrast that helps you both immediately know where we are in the timeline, as well as portray the characters' psyche at the moment.
In short: I never thought a story about 3 high school girls would have so many twists and turns that kept me intrigued till the last moment. Depressing but a good and solid drama.
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Hope for a different way of governing
I haven't been in the mood to write a review in a while but I felt I had something to say here so here it goes.To start, if it wasn't for the last episode (or Sachi's character specifically), I would've rated this drama a 9 or a 10.
The story itself is about the experiment of changing the way governments rules today. I'm not into politics but I do think we need to change how we're doing things because it's just NOT WORKING! ANYWHERE! Unfortunately, the last 2 episodes focus on drama. I guess it's also telling why we should let people grow beyond teen years before giving them important tasks. Some can take it, like Maki-kun, most will most probably just become brats when things don't go their way, like Sachi. To be fair, I understood how she felt, but still, her actions were inexcusable.
Acting wise who most stood out were Sometani Shota and Hoshino Gen. When I used to read blogs about Japanese entertainment in the past, I didn't quite catch what they saw in Sometani. However, every role I've seen him in made me understand. He really LIVES the character, that he stops from becoming a character, but a real person. A totally different one. As for Hoshino, he managed to express that adult which used to have so much aspiration that died down over the years from, well, adulting, and how much it burdened him. That look he gave to Maki-kun, filled with admiration, envy, and also disbelief, said a lot. I haven't seen Kamio Fuju much and I can't say much about him either except that he fit the role well, and has beautiful eyelashes lol. Yamada Anna was on point with her character, I just got to hating that character so I can't say much. The other supporting roles did do much to the drama except fill space.
Overall enjoyable, and short enough to be recommended to everyone. The experiment itself is great too and gives us ideas of how things don't need to continue the way it has so far. And hope for change.
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Makes one wants go to prison ?
Unoriginal concept. Original storytelling and story unfolding. Spot on comedy despite the somewhat heavy subject. True to anyone who’s seen work penned by Kudo KankuroIt’s actually interesting that, other than one character, they all were guilty of their crimes. Watching them come to terms with what led them there was endearing. Being in a place away from their comfort zone and influences helped them find companionship through their true selves. By the time I was done with the drama, I loved each and every character despite their flaws.
Also, the presentation of gaslighting was frighteningly accurate. They don’t name it but it’s recognizable right away.
The acting ranges from excellent to perfectly matching the character played. I could write a whole essay about the characterization of some of the characters but my time is limited so I will leave it at “it was beautiful to watch”.
I do wonder though, is that an accurate presentation of prison in Japan? Seems too neat to be true. Life seems to go really well once all the prisoners go out into the world. Forgiveness isn’t what Japan is known for. Is it satire? Also the number of qualifications one can get made going to prison better than going to college XD
It does make it easier to watch either way.
I had a hard time going through episode 5 due to the subject of the episode. I’m glad I did. The ending outcome was satisfactory.
Highly recommended!
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The setting of the drama is what initially attracted me. At the turn of the century, it is an important time for Joseon, where their fate for the next few decades, even up to our day and age, would be determined during that time. One of the themes that were emphasized in this drama is the injustices some Koreans went through at the hands of their people, especially due to hierarchy. This resulted in many people with a grudge against their own country, especially against the nobles.
Another very strong point about this drama is the character development. Other than the Japanese antagonistic, and the depiction of some traitors, many of the characters were given layers and layers, that you can't help but feel for. Of course, it all bloomed thanks to the talented actors behind it. Starting with Kim Tae Ri playing the character with a mission Go Ae Shin. This character could've easily become overbearing (think Gaksital FL), yet here she remains constant. As the story goes on, you can't help but be driven by her plight. And that is what happened with all 4 other leads. Eugene Choi on the other hand is the character I connected with the most. The feeling of not belonging to neither country can be lonely. You see him struggle daily trying to understand where he stands. I admired how he never felt ashamed of his origin and felt for his pain and grudge against those who caused it. Then you see his grudge falter as he is met with people that kept challenging the preconceived notion of his birthplace. Lee Byung Hun really gave his all for this character, especially towards the end.
Watching Yoo Yeon Seok after seeing him in "Hospital playlist" it is difficult to accept that is the same person. Looks aside, his character is the most pitiful and toxic. He has no problem slicing anyone in half if they got on his wrong side, yet he won't hesitate to protect them if he sees anyone being unfairly treated. The most tragic character is Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa played by Kim Min Jung. Having been sold off previously like some commodity really shaped her personality. She is all about being in control, however, the one thing she could never control is the action of her parents. This breaks her time and again throughout the drama. You can also sense the sadness in her eyes. Finally, Kim Hui Sung played by Byun Yo Han was the main reason for me for starting this drama. He was the actual sunshine here. His smile lightened my day, even when you could feel the heavy burden behind it.
Of course, what made this drama memorable is a large number of supporting characters. Gunner Jang was a character I followed and rooted throughout. This story was as much his story, as it was Go Ae Sin's story of a man who rejected the leaders of his country but chose its people. He was the forever rebellious Jang. Another character that stood out is the king. He was frustrating for most of the drama, but as the story went on, you realize how helpless he felt, and how carefully he chose his actions to protect his people. Being in his place is the most crumbling experience. There were many more, too many interesting characters.
The horror of colonialism is really well exposed here. The actions the Japanese did makes you wonder if it was possible to lose one's humanity to this point. Now, I do not know if what was portrayed was exaggerated. Some instances couldn've been, while others not. However, I do know the dangers of collective brainwash. When being constantly fed on how those "other" people are less than you, your brain accepts it and you become desensitized. Seeing what my beloved Japanese people did was really conflicting. But that is the truth of becoming a colonizer. Though they suffer a lot later due to losing the war, I think that was a blessing in disguise. It helped them reflect on what they have become and change. That opportunity was never offered to those that never lost a war.
Action scenes were great overall, but especially the sword fights with Gu Dong Mae. The scenery was beautiful, and some scenes were haunting. The train scene will probably go down as one of the most beautiful scenes in my memory.
While the drama had all those great things going for it, it still took me so long to finish. I lost my motivation to watch due to the lack of direction for the story to take. Each episode was between 75 - 80 minutes, with much of it had the characters walking around and eating dessert. The actual story starts at around episodes 19-20. Yes, it took THAT long for the story to take off. That is too much fat needed to shed. There is also the mix of history and myths that bothered me, and no reasoning given for actions that took so long to be taken. For example, the Mori character made no sense. They used it to turn the Japanese colonization of Korea to be some family centuries-old conspiracy when this had nothing to do with the truth, nor the overall story. Just added drama that didn't amount to anything. The portrayal of America is also in the same vein. On one hand, it's treated like this paradise, only to be brought down to reality by our Korea-American hero. One line said really stood out:
"America & Britain lent Japan a total of $410 million dollars, and 40% of it is being spent on the war. The two countries basically forced Japan into the war. Hence, America will never help Joseon. The Russo-Japanese war will result in a great deal of profit for America”
The music was overall negligible, but there was some sweet background that brought peace to the scenes.
It was overall a good drama to watch if it wasn't for the dragginess. I do recommend it to all.
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I always saw Fukada Kyoko as a terrible actress, but she was also out of place here. She was just here to look pretty. I like her style though!
Eita shared more chemistry with Aoi Yu. They hit it off right away. I love how she teased him and how he looks at her with admiration. Her presence actually made the drama better even if she wasn't one of the leads. Lili Frank was also pleasant to have here he fit right in :D
The cases they take on stood out not really for their weirdness, but more each case felt like a whole different drama.
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The original story is about a man who discovers that, by kissing a certain woman, he gets to go back in time. He uses that power for his own selfish needs. Along the way, he discovers how each action may cause a series of reactions. It may change the fate of many people, their attitude, their world views, their eventual actions and choices, and finally their lives. Later on, he learns when he goes back in time, it creates a parallel universe, and the original world keeps going. That is where Todome No Parallele comes in and explores those different worlds.
Fro there you can see how the creators were having fun in dealing in "what-if" scenarios. The tone of each episode vastly differs from one another. Some are very serious, some comedic, and some go full-on meta. What's interesting for me is how humans become in each world depending on their actions and their reach for their desires becomes at risk. Some characters stay true to themselves, while others change drastically. It just demonstrates how, when you're comfortable in your skin, your core rarely gets shaken. However, when you lack faith in yourself, the slightest change may have a huge effect on your character. For example, this can be seen through both Takauji and Hasebe. Through Otaro's actions, Takauji changes the most while Hasebe stays true to himself. This I find to be a very interesting point the drama explores. Takauji constantly wants to keep a front while, as we discover throughout the drama, is falling apart inside to the point of self-destruction. His constant living in fear, living while feeling inadequate, gets him easily influenced by his surrounding. Hasebe, on the other hand, has a clear head, knows right from wrong, and is always comfortable with his choices.
For that reason, I disagree with reviewers and commentators saying to just skip to the last episode. Not only you are missing out on the fun, but you are also missing out on what the overall message the drama is trying to deliver.
Another message in this drama is the perception of love. As a Japanese drama, it probably had the most number of kisses, yet none were romantic. Many were acts, and all were to get something out of it. Love, on the other hand, true love that is, was portrayed through sacrifice. Sacrificing what you want to protect the ones you love. Keep going after to desires may have a big cost on your loved ones. And so on and so forth.
It's actually my first time watching Yamazaki Kento. Though not the best, I think he delivered his character fairly. It's an interesting choice of a drama for him. I enjoyed the chemistry he had with Kadowaki Mugi. As far as the characters go, I was not rooting for them as an end couple. Actually I wasn't rooting for Eight to end up with anyone. It was such a poisonous relationship. It was still very interesting to watch. It's my first time watching Mackenyu as well. Though subtle, his character development(s) and deliveries were most entertaining and impressive. He could easily change from light-hearted to dark and scary. And as the drama progress, despite his actions, he felt more like the victim to the evil Eight's scheming (among others).
That is not to say the drama is perfect, nor great. The drama is fun to watch but as its own flaws. Its biggest flaw is the portrayal of the female characters. Most are flat. Saiko, the most interesting among them, is a doormat. There was so much potential for her character, and the lovely actress can definitely deliver on that. Unfortunately, her story lacked depth. Mikoto's character is another one with so much potential. Part of the failure, I find, is the lack of delivery from the actress playing the role. They were trying to portray her as your typical manga female lead, but the character needed to be much more animated than this, to become even remotely interesting.
So overall a fun watch. If you have watched Todome no Kiss, I definitely recommend watching this drama, the whole drama. If you haven't seen it, I recommend checking it out :)
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I wasn't impressed with the writing. the dialogs were too long and the stories bounced from being sweet to being overly sentimental. Some of the stories were pretty standard while others were better. Personally my favourite was that of the two highschool girls. It contained so many complicated emotions and didn't settle to be convenient. There is also the mystery behind Ayumi's parent's death that seems to haunt him, which had an interesting reveal, could've been given a darker more interesting twist.
On the acting department it did not disappoint. I originally wanted to watch this movie for Matsuzaka Tori and he did a great job here + he has the cutest smile EVER! Seeing the heartwarming Kiki Kirin in it brought me so much joy. There is also Hashimoto Ai with weirdly huge eyes blowing me away with her acting. The rest of the cast did a great job with their characters as well.
Overall sweat movie with strong performances ;)
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No one is immune to mental illness, it can happen to anyone.
I decided to write a review for this drama because the number of negative reviews doesn't reflect the immense positive this drama has to offer. In general, it rarely bothers me when a drama I like gets criticized, sometimes I even agree while still enjoying it. What bothered me this time was how the critics of this drama are stuck in technicalities and apply their biased view of the situation (or apply their country's laws about it).Enough ranting and now on to what made me love this drama. Like most of my favourite dramas, it's all about the characters. They were all flawed in their own way and can be annoying at times, but at the end of the day good people. Beyond the main characters, I enjoyed the subtle growth in friendships shown with supporting characters, relationships that were originally ignored yet later become endearing.
The second aspect that made me enjoy this drama is the consistency in the pacing and not forgetting its initial message. By episode 11, it gets even spelled out for us: no one is immune to mental illness, it can happen to anyone. Having it spelled out might be a bit much, but when I think about the main target viewers I understand and applaud it. While in some countries, mental illness has become known, and less to no stigma to those suffering from it. However, in countries like South Korea, it is still a taboo. And while people try to avoid talking about it, a growing number of their population is suffering from it, and maybe don't get treated on time often (an assumption from the country being from the top countries with high suicide rates). Thinking of this situation makes me appreciate this drama better.
Now when it comes to illnesses, I am sure we are bound to find some flaws with how it was dealt with. The way the nurses dealt with patients didn't always seem the most ideal, or even professional. That being said, this isn't a documentary, it is a drama that is meant to engage us with the stories. It's not about the illnesses, it's about how characters deal with it. I also appreciate how it doesn't just blame outside influences for it. Some of the patients had great support, yet it didn't prevent the illness. Also, most of the illnesses portrayed are for those in the hospital, whose cases are more to the extreme. But less extreme cases and scenarios are also presented.
For those looking for romance, though present, it isn't something grand. The relationships are cute but I was indifferent to how they end up. For me, that wasn't a flaw at all. Though I didn't mind who the characters ended with if at all with anyone, I still cared deeply about the characters and enjoyed the growth they go through.
Finally, the way some problems related to mental illness get resolved is more on the unrealistically optimistic side. For me, that still made sense in the context of the drama even if it cannot be found in reality. After all a drama giving introductory lessons about various mental illnesses was showcasing what SHOULD be happening in those cases, not what could. It was part of the lesson.
I highly recommend this drama to anyone, really.
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Hamura Akira - Sekai de Mottomo Fuunna Tantei
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The World's Most Unfortunate Private Investigator doesn't realize her luck some times
What a delightful watch! I kept postponing it because somehow I misunderstood the synopsis when it said "The World's Most Unfortunate Private Investigator" to be dumb but that wasn't it AT ALL. She was just unlucky in that things always seemed to go the more difficult path for her. Yet as the story goes on, she seems more lucky than she realizes, just not in the predictable way.The character of Akira herself is interesting to follow, as is her thought process and attitude. The people at the bookstore who work with her are likable but, except for the female, don't get time to get fleshed out as characters besides being some sort of information gatherers. The characters of the cases get much more attention in understanding their resolve, even if not all get clarified.
Another great seller of the drama is Mamiya Shotaro. Though he doesn't show up often in most episodes, when he does, he has such a strong presence and IMMEDIATE chemistry with Shishido Kavka who plays Hamura Akira from the first time they meet. It's hard to describe it, especially when their relationship is pretty formal but like they can't ignore each other's presence. It's also interesting that halfway through the drama you start doubting Detective Okada's intentions which makes their interaction even more interesting.
My only complaint is that the drama isn't a full-length drama. It is true the story doesn't answer all the questions it poses, but it's not some glaring open ending. They are just answers that weren't found by the detective. In any case, while this drama is not for all I highly recommend it if you like Japanese quirky dramas with a bit of a SPEC element.
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Would this drama make drink more coffee?
Up to episode 6, it was such a relaxing beautiful watch! I loved the first 4-5 episodes where we followed 2 stories revolving around different types of coffee. When we got around the main lead's background, yes the drama took a turn, but it remained interesting. I think it's in part due to Nakamura Tomoya's acting, it was interesting to see his vulnerable and human side. However, the last 2 episodes became kinda wishy-washy with that 3rd generation boss due to his That self-pity cry-me-a-river coddled spoiled brat persona who's upset he's not the centre of everyone's attention. Like Ewwwww. And the way it was resolved made less sense. I have to admit some punches given were great timing and much-needed.
Up to episode 6, it was a 9.5-score drama for me. Episode 7 brought it down to 5, and the last episode brought it back up, but not enough. Basically what disrupted my joy of watching this drama was the character of the 3rd generation boss.
It is the type of drama you'd want to keep watching and not want it to finish. Therefore if there is a 2nd season, I'd definitely watch it! it'd definitely be better than the first season since we'd get more of what he had in the first couple of episodes, which was perfect and beautiful
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I enjoyed the way the story was presented, like a puzzle. The ambiance and setting were on point, and so was the music. The acting was alright, well chosen for each character. The ending felt kind of lacking. It’s probably because the drama was too short and could benefit from additional episodes to delve more into the main characters’ lives.
The drama was engaging enough to keep me interested, but bland at times. The 20 minutes long episodes fit perfectly with this style.
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Too much ToDai promotion?
Comparing this drama to its predecessor from 16 years earlier is unavoidable. But since my memory of the first season is vague, the memory of my impression of it will probably be biased. That being said, there are a few angles to analyze as to what worked and didn't work for me in this season.I'll start with the setting. In the first season, my impression throughout the whole drama was Sakuragi saying it doesn't take a genius to into Tokyo University, just the right tools and tricks to study. ToDai was never presented as this "solve-all" solution. That is the impression I was given in the current season. While students were encouraged to choose their own paths in the end, until they got there all Sakuragi was saying was something along the lines of "if you don't give your all to enter ToDai you will remain a loser. It felt like the whole drama was promoting the university.
Next, while the setting was annoying, I liked how the school was presented. It did not exaggerate it to be all teens rebelling and playing around. It was a normal school. That did make me realize how colourful people were in the early 2ks and how visually dull it is nowadays. I did like how the students were gathered and their individual stories. Some stories were stronger than others. My favourite was Fujii's and the growth he goes through. Suzuka Ouji was great at performing a vulnerable character hiding behind a know-it-all bully.
If anything did annoy me about some of the student backstories, it would be the condoning of all sorts of abuse and not taking any actions whatsoever about it. Some things can be forgiven away, but some require getting people accountable for their actions. While there was more than 1 character abused in the drama, Iwasaki's was the most irrational and ridiculous to not address.
Finally, the biggest detractor of this drama in my opinion is the conspiracy surrounding the school. While it did give the story an interesting angle of not necessarily wanting the special class to succeed, it did consume a lot of time in the drama and was generally written badly. Hayashi Kento was so wasted here, that he barely said anything and spent the whole drama just giving mischievous laughs while his friend and he were too obvious. The characters taking part in the conspiracy were all caricature-like it wasn't even funny.
Overall worth the watch for nostalgia's sake!
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Will 2.5 households become the norm in reality?
It's an enjoyable and relaxing watch of a lovely family in their sweetness and flaws. As Masaharu takes small steps to move forward in life, we see the family adjusting to the new situation. It sounds great on paper, but adjusting or readjusting yourself to live with others isn’t easy. But with rising inflation and recession felt worldwide, probably more and more people will look into living with family as an option like they used to in the past. Therefore the situation presented here will have an increasing number of viewers identifying with it, myself included.The characters feel very mundane, everyday people which makes it easy to connect with the characters. The focus here is on the choice to live together or on our own. Both have their challenges and rewards, and one must choose which challenge they are willing to face.
There is the grandpa who is used to being served and not pushing himself to help out. He can’t stand being criticized for it by his daughter because he’s always been told it’s okay. Grandma is always here robe of help to everyone, never vocally complaining but her health can’t help it and internally judges. She loves her kids so much that she does too much for their good. The daughter and her husband struggle with wanting support but not wanting to lose their place in their children’s lives. Saori in particular is typical of every working mom, trying to do her best everywhere, an impossible feat, and constantly feeling guilty that she’s unable to attain such expectations. It comes out as frustration and being ungrateful. Ema is a sweet teen whose introverted self makes her resistant to change and moody about it. As for Red, not only is he adorable, but rarely do we see children on TV present it authentically. That morning resistance to go somewhere where he’ll essentially play all day is oh so very real.
Then, there Masaharu. Unlike stereotypical Hikikomori, he’s actually a very normal guy in the way he lives his life immersing himself online in ways he can’t in the real world. It’s not online when we immerse ourselves in sites like MDL and others but maybe gone to the extreme. It’s not like he refuses to live normally, he just doesn’t have the courage. Taking the step for it needed a little motivation from the outside and a GENTLE push from within. I love his connection with the convenience store clerk. But you can tell one of his more important reasons for change was to improve his relationship with his niece. That development went smoothly and felt authentic.
The point here isn’t for the protagonist to become independent and work. It’s made clear that it’s okay to stay, accept help and receive support, as long as an active role is taken at home, to do things together while also pursuing things alone. That’s the difference between being reclusive and being home.
The only part of the drama I might be critical of is Saori’s workplace. It was shown as if we know the characters and are just returning to them, as Saori is. The failure is, that we never get the chance to connect with them or even be interested in them. The cut to their scenes always felt off place and sometimes I’d just skip it.
I have to say, I love the way the new house was presented and the camera filming the family’s movements. The directing makes viewers feel as if they’re peaking into the lives of everyday people. It made the scenes at home that much more interesting and intimate. The actors never felt like they were acting but just going through life, which in itself shows their talent.
The drama is rounded up with fitting music with many quiet moments for contemplation.
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