I appreciate the glimpse into the working habits and styles of the Japanese. How they can and do overwork themselves because they feel that it's a requirement. I love that Yui stood against that flow, but at the same time, also had to yield to pressure at the end because of decisions made outside her control. Watching the work ebb and flow and see her have to compromise when she didn't want to was very true to real life. Yoshitaka Yuriko did a terrific job as Yui and is one of my favorite Japanese female leads to date.

Now to what I didn't care for, the romantic manipulations that were thrown in just for "drama." I mean, yes, we're watching dramas, but that was unnecessary. I liked Takumi. A lot. He was a lovely man with a generous and giving nature, so I can't picture him cheating on Yui and I can't picture their lives falling apart like that. He would have been the type to understand and be supportive of her while her work life is crazy busy, not cheat on her. But, Yui's and Takumi's relationship needed to fracture in order for her to be with Kotaro. It was really just a manipulative ploy that I didn't care for because while the rest of the drama felt almost true to life, that part was very contrived. It didn't matter to me that Yui and Kotaro had been together before. She was good with Takumi so I resent that the writers felt the need to reunite her with Kotaro. It was unnecessary and made me knock a couple of points off an otherwise excellent drama.

I'm a KAT-TUN fan so it was fun seeing my first drama with Nakamaru Yuichi. Even though he ended up on the losing side. Mukai Osamu was likable as Kotaro. And I truly loved the rest of the cast, particularly Shishido Kavka as Mitani-san. She is AMAZING and I have to watch more of her dramas. This is the first time since "Good Morning Call" that I've liked Sakurada Dori. He surprised me since I've disliked the last 3 dramas I either watched or skimmed through with him in them. I didn't think I could like him in a role anymore, but I think I liked Shu apart from him if that makes sense. Sakurada Dori usually plays skeezes now and that is not Shu's character. Dori didn't do the role a disservice so I was able to accept him as the emotionally damaged and distraught younger brother.

The drama is super clean, no skinship whatsoever really unless Takumi and Yui are teasing are each other when they're still engaged which is awfully cute. They were comfortable together so they poke and touch each other a little bit and it worked for the characters as a couple.

It's a drama about many important and touchy subjects in Japan, like women working after they become mothers, like feeling obligated to work overtime, like not being able to voice concerns to upper management and actually have them listen to you, etc. For all of these reasons, I feel it's important to watch. Even though I didn't agree with the romantic ploys, it was still an excellent drama.