This drama was a huge disappointment. I almost want to call it Summer Snooze because that's what it was. I was originally excited about the drama because it seemed like it would be the drama of the summer given it's beach setting, all-star cast and heavy promotion. Out of the summer's dramas, it ended up being one of the most disappointing.
Story- The story in itself had a lot of potential. The story itself really isn't bad at all, just the execution of the story. I know Japanese dramas tend to move at a slow pace and don't rely on frequent twists and turns, but even this moved a bit too sluggish for me. For that, I can only give the story a six because of the poor execution. One huge plot point that was never explored was Natsuki's relationship with her former fiancee. If he ditches her at the alter, there had to be a big explanation; yet there wasn't. All we got were scattered flashbacks that contributed very little to story. I honestly wish it were explored further. Her ex-fiancee could have been incorporated as an actual character, just like Asahi's ex-girlfriend was. The ending was pretty basic and extremely cliche; in fact the last scene is very similar to the ending of Yamapi's much, much better drama Proposal Daisakusen.
Acting/Cast- I wish I could separate the acting and the cast and give a rating for each. The cast would get a high rating but the acting...not so much. Yamapi is as deadpan as ever here. Instead of engaging the viewer in with his character he really does nothing with the character at all. He's just reciting lines, not acting. The rest of the cast pulled the bulk of the weight and put on satisfactory and good performances. In fact, Katsuji Ryo who played Asahi's best friend actually outshone him. Based on acting skill alone, he probably deserved the lead role.
Music- I actually found it to be enjoyable. I like the ending theme song and the opening theme. It was suitable for the drama and I would listen to the soundtrack again.
Rewatch Value- Really, there is nothing outstanding or memorable about this drama to warrant a re-watching. If anything, the only re-watching appeal would be to see the cast in swimsuits.
Overall, it wasn't so terrible that I had to stop watching. Since I watched it while it aired it only took a mere one hour out of my week. I can honestly say that if I chose to watch it after it aired I may not have continued.
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