Good Morning Call (2016)

The Performance of Haruka Fukuhara Makes This One of the Sweetest Shows I've Ever Seen!

This is my first foray into the world of Japanese television, and frankly, after over 40 years of watching shows, this is already one of the best that I have ever seen.

I've enjoyed a number of memorable TV characters and icons over the years, and Nao, who is expertly portrayed by Haruka Fukuhara is right up there. She captivates you with a her sweetness, her naivety, her pureness and innocence. I don't recall seeing this type of role being done so well. Perhaps that it is why it is so memorable, touching, and altogether poignant.

Fukuhara has a gift for acting. I've always said that when an actor/actress can act without words but by using simple facial expressions to convey exactly what they're feeling, then that is the sign of a master at their craft. It isn't something that can be taught either.

Good Morning Call is based upon a manga series about a high school boy and a high school girl, due to a scam, end up sharing the same apartment together. You can easily predict some of the situations that this will create.

Nao is a young girl whose parents have moved to the countryside and have left her in the city so that she can continue to attend her high school. Her best friend is Marina. Nao is a girl who is about as pure-hearted as anyone can be. But, it's not over-the-top. She is quite naive, and she has a talent for getting into trouble. She's a bit clumsy, and she's not the best at thinking things through. She can also be as skittish as a mouse, jumping at the smallest noise or when someone unexpectedly "pops up" in front of her. This is all done for comedic effect. Most of the time, Nao will make you laugh as often as she touches your heart.

Uehara, Nao's roommate, is the most popular boy in school. Girls gush and swoon over him, wishing and hoping that he might show one of them some interest. However, Uehara is someone who isn't interested in the silliness of those girls. He's a character with a tragic past who is extremely independent. He works at least two jobs to make ends meet as well as being one of the school's top students. Uehara, however, can come across as a brooding person who is unfeeling and unsympathetic. Many viewers have characterized him as being rude and mean. On the other hand, Uehara speaks his mind, and he's not given over to flattery. You know that a compliment from him actually means something because he's sincere, and Nao knows this. Shun'ya Shiraishi does a very good job of playing the complex character of Uehara. Uehara may not be there when Nao wants him, but he's always there when she NEEDS him.

These two characters bounce from one problem to another which keeps the story lines fresh and interesting as well as the friends and other characters who come and go throughout the course of the season. At any rate, you'll find yourself cheering for both of these characters.

Good Morning Call is one of the best and most fun shows I've seen. It may not be for all tastes. You have to be open to the cultural differences to fully appreciate the beauty of the characters and the story. At any rate, Haruka Fukuhara's Nao is a character you won't be forgetting any time soon, as she burrows her way into your heart to weave her sweet magic.

Read More

i didn't know i could love something but hate it so much??!???!?!!

This is my first ever review i've written and i just need to say this so bad. I HATE UEHARA HES HORRID no it's not that its just his personality is soo bad and i know sometimes he can be nice and sweet but the other times(the majority) he's so rude if i was Nao i would've definitely broken up with him long ago IT MAKES ME SO MAD. and Nao's character also is just a bit too much like she is wayy too dramatic. Nao is so stupid too like SO STUPID. ISSEI WAS SOOO MUCH BETTER4KGK4GGNJGJNKGRNJKGRJKNGR. BUT it's still very entertaining to watch . ALSO why is the actor 8 years older thats just weird he looks old too AND he's not even that attractive i think they should've made the male lead someone else.... like daichi or issei, i feel so bad for them i literally cried when daichi got rejected. This drama drives me mad. It's so addicting though and i didn't get bored at all. Like i would wake up and be excited to watch it. I do recommend watching it just don't get your hopes up, and season 2 isn't needed it doesn't end on a cliffhanger or anything. anyways yeah i just hate ueheara

Read More

Warm-hearted, but traditional and patriarchal ...one of the best of the old school shojo

I like this far more than Mischievous Kiss, Boys Over Flowers etc.

Nao-chan is average in school and appearance, but special in her ability to be a warm, caring and welcoming friend. Uehara -kun one of the top 3 coolest guys in the high school, is smart and athletic, but no one would guess he actually is in real need of someone like Nao.

At first, the relationship is very off-balance. Nao is head over heals, with a big vulnerable open heart and at risk of bullying. Uehara-Kun has difficulty risking his emotions, and his reputation seems to be getting sky high . . but then it all starts to change

The actress who plays Nao-chan just does a 150%+ job. She is silly but endearing, not a doormat, and very willing to stick up for those who deserve it. The actor who plays Uehara-Kun manages to pull his weight and attempts his Mr. Darcy type role well.

I like this one due to the every day at ease, physicality of the relationship between the two actors/characters. They interact a lot, go through a lot, and have a very symbiotic way of interacting that's very different from these shows where at the end the couple still feels like they barely know each other.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 7.5
Being reliable, helpful, and a good friend are rare qualities that should be cherished. Speaking honestly and truthfully will save a lot of trouble.
Character Growth: 7.5
Uehara- kun does the most. He becomes more open, and attempts to make sure Nao-chan knows that she can count on him. He grows to respect her ability to make people feel at home. It becomes clear (esp. in Season 2 more so) that he has a much higher esteem for Nao-chan than she does for herself.
Nuanced Female Characters: 8.5
Uehara-kun's sister in law is a fascinating study in an adult woman finding marriage not what she expected. Nao-chan's relationship with Marina is a great one. I do wish it didn't have the stereotypical female queen bee bullies, but it is what it is.
Cinematography - 6
It looks like a drama that was shot in the 90s. BUT, it does have its strong points. I like that that it's staged like a manga . There's also no unfortunate attempts to depict wealthy or exotic locations. The show works really well with its 'every day' sets in a comfortable way.

Read More

This drama presents a cute story with a good romance and some
interesting situations. The whole drama was a bit like a manga, but
fortunately not as much as others, with only the girl acting a bit over
the top from time to time. However, she was cute and lovable, plus her
acting was really good. There were some funny moments, and the love
story was okay, especially at the beginning. The drama kind of had a
downfall towards the ending, with the love story getting a bit boring
and the events being idiotic at some point. Though, at that time, the
love triangle grew stronger and it was interesting to watch that at
least. Overall, 7 out of 10.

Read More

This show had such awesome ratings on Netflix, so I decided to give it a go.

Goodness. This was beyond disappointing. I felt like this was a typical J-drama: insecure & innocent girl falls in love with a deadbeat guy. The acting was great; the story itself is what I have a problem with. The female lead (Nao) constantly doubts herself and whenever she has a problem with the male lead (Uehara), rather than going to him and talking about it, she rants on and on to her friends. Uehara is just as problematic. He talks about how he likes her but then constantly pushes her away (for not apparent reason at all). Acting was fine, but there really wasn't anything outstanding about this drama or story.

Read More

This is one of the first times where I've watched a manga-show adaptation show, without reading the manga. Good Morning Call is a recipe filled with sweetness, a dash of humor, and some slight angst. It's basically the same recipe that I often see in these types of shows, but that doesn't make Good Morning Call any less lovable. I do recall reading the first few chapters of the manga, but from the beginning point, the drama moves slower and is stretched out in comparison. It's not a complete detail-for-detail adaptation but it's still enjoyable. The complexity of their relationship isn't new where it's a main lead chasing a cold, popular guy but thats the kind that's slightly addicting in my opinion. It's slightly leaned towards the cliche route but it's still a good watch. Even though you probably see a lot of these types of dramas, Good Morning Call is one that'll be the reason why you keep watching them.

Read More

Infeliz.

Vent

When it's anime I think the aggression is less.

Regretful what the writer did to the image of Nao's character in season two.

In my country she would be classified as a slut.

The writer turned her into an easy girl and manipulated by anything, the same boy kisses her twice to destroy her relationship and she doesn't react, and thinks it's normal after his explanation that it was a joke.

Do this in real life?

This Asian exaggeration denigrates the conscience of those who watch within the hypocritical version that shows their culture that dictates as perfect and conservative.

We are in 2022, make a more rational version of this work.

In the same drama there can be reason even with clichés.

I hope another Pais makes a better version.

And in the end they all become friends?

Excuse me. I know it's a movie but it's my opinion

Read More

What I always love about mangas adapted into Japanese Dramas is that they know how to work with the source material to make it suitable for a drama. In the dramas I’ve watched, they’ve rarely done it badly. This adaptation is an example of a good one.

The manga is a lengthier one, and dramas cannot possibly cover everything. But I feel they’ve taken the important story arcs and the essential spirit of the manga story and made the a really good version of it. The characters are lovable, and the progression of the story is set at a pretty good pace.

Watching drama adaptations of mangas I enjoy is always scary, but I’m glad I gave this a shot. It was really cute and sweet and a good watch.

Read More

When Naos parents go to take over the farm of her grandparents, she decides to stay back in Tokyo to graduate from school and thus has to live by herself. What starts exciting and good ends with her and one of the three hottest guys in school - Uehara Hisashi - being swindled by someone who rented the apartment to both of them. Since they both have troubles to face if they can't stay in the apartment, they arrange to live there together until one of them gets the chance or money to move out. As long as the school and their friends don't find out, everything should be fine. At least they think it's that simple.

This story is based on a manga that started in 1997 and watching the drama really made me feel thrown back into the 90s. I loved the style and the story, the characters are good and cute. There is something innocent but lovable about most of them. It has many similarities to Itazura no kiss, but only in some subtile things. The way he talks to her sometimes, how she has to walk behind him. How she is somehow stupid but kind-hearted and can only see him. That they live together. All those things make me think of Itazura na kiss, but the good way. I never got bored of the story, so it didn't have many similarities to Itazura.

Also, was it only me or did the actress of Nao-chan remind me an awful lot of Yankumi from Gokusen? She looks like her and also her behavior at some points was so much Yankumi, that I wondered if that could be her daughter. And later in the story, Uehara-kun reminded me a lot of a young Ogrui Shun...

Anyway, the story itself did not have many weaknesses to me. There was a major plothole in the end, I think they got overwhelmed by the problems they had to resolve in the last episode. But then again, they resolved everything nicely (one thing TOO nice, if you ask me) and I was satisfied with the ending. I even wanted to know more, just like in Itazura na kiss, where they show us how they go to university etc. I wanted to see more of that. I heard the is a sequel manga, so need to check that one out.

For those who dig some good old-school-romance, this is what you're looking for. Missing Itazura na kiss? Go and watch this. They main characters might lack a bit of chemistry, but it overall is a very enjoyable show and very romantic. Overall 4* from me!

Read More

As of right now (episode 13) I'm dropping this. I can't stand how this show makes me feel. It's driving me insane.
When I first started this, I thought this show was so cute and I thought the MC was so quirky but quickly that turned into pure overreacting annoyance.
As a shy person, we may be meek but nowhere do we flail about when we are startled or scared. I hated how anytime something happened, she would jerk her arms around like someone just tazed her or something.

I thought that would be the worst of it, but no... she has to chase the one person -- the ONE PERSON -- who doesn't give a crap about her. Everyone around her loves her and treats her so much better than he does. I literally do not understand why the hell she is so gaga over him.

Now at episode 13 we have a new character - why? No idea. More over the top drama? She popped up and instantly it's one of those "oh here the fuck we go. *eye roll*" moments.

I really will say I stuck around as long as I did for Dori Sakurada. Say what you will, but I love that man. He makes every show he is on imo. Maybe I'm just biased.. maybe not. Doesn't take away from the fact that this show drove me nuts.

I really tried to stick it out. I tried. But I can't anymore. I feel like screaming at my screen the whole time. Will I come back to this? Maybe someday, but not right now. Plus, I'm 99.9% sure I know how this will end. So i'm sure I won't be missing out on anything.

UPDATE 2/22/21:
Oh holy hell was fuckery was that bullshit? I hate season 1 so much. All through this show FL is "in love" with the ML who couldn't give a damn about her. All through this show he literally treats her like shit on his shoes. Why would you treat your girlfriend that way? No, really. Tell me. Because any time he is around ANY OTHER FEMALE he is so sweet to them. I wish I was kidding, but nope. He is sweet ,talks to them like they are friends and doesn't mind being around them.. Meanwhile, Nao gets the cold shoulder all the time and brushed off. Everyone that meets her instantly loves her, and just look at all the guys that want to be with her, yet she wants to stay with Uehara. WHY?! I honestly don't understand! Make it make sense! She even say he is sweet to her and blah blah blah.... bitch, where?! Because he looks at you and has rare fleeting moments where he makes you smile BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DOES IN YOUR THOUGHTS?!? Literally.... only in your thoughts is he ever actually a caring boyfriend. He man reminds me of a gaslighting narcissist. And I can't get over when he was with that other girl and saw the milk pudding and said "I know someone who loves that stuff like crazy" --- I'm sorry, would it break you in half to say "girlfriend"? Especially when you're with another girl?
Just a few other parts that just drive me up the wall:

-S1E14; 24:28(?) "I guess our future together doesn't look good."
You, sir..... are a mighty BITCH!

S1E14:
-"Being with you is really exhausting"
Ex-fucking-cuse me!?
-"I don't trust myself. I don't know if I can trust behave if we sleep in the same room."
You literally just told her she was exhausting to be around then say that shit? Y'all have slept in the same room before?! THE FUCK!? SHE'S SCARED, YOU JERK!!!
-"Don't worry, I'm not interested in anyone but you right now"
Are you... are you fucking joking right now? Is he joking? Is that supposed to be some kind of compliment? *beats head against keyboard* kdhfkdasuhfsdkhufvds UGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Just so much is wrong with this show that it makes me want to scream myself raw. And before anyone asks why I kept watching, oh yeah... I pulled one of *THOSE* people. I watched it purely for Daichi Shinozaki.
Don't hate. The man is amazing and dhwdiufhwiufhewiuf I love him. So I want to support him. Don't act like you haven't done it before.

Now, the ultimate question, will I watch season two? I swore I wouldn't but I cheated and looked up how season 2 goes and from what I saw.... *chefs kiss* I just might actually watch it to see if that shit show really happens. If not, I'll just drop it .... again. lol

Also, yes, it ended exactly how I knew it would. No surprise there.

Read More