I came into this drama for the cast alone, but I got much more than I was expecting. If you are expecting a great romance, you may be disappointed. There are some romantic feelings, but it is not the main point. The quartet of flawed but likable individuals find friendship and support at a time when they all have a deep need for it. As a hardcore romantic, I thoroughly enjoyed the friendship and didn't feel any lack due to the barely there romance.
The best things about this drama:
1) the acting- the casting could not have been more perfect. Each actor seemed fitted to the role, bringing out the best in their character.
2) the characters- perfectly imperfect, and quirky. Their interactions with each other made each episode special.
3) the witty banter- I applaud the writer. So very clever. This truly made the drama a joy to watch.
4) the music- brilliant!
Quartet may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for me, this is the best drama of the year.
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Story : This drama is mainly about four third rate musicians friendship, group struggles and their individual stories with a little bit of romance in it.
The romance here is very weird . It forms a near cycle missing one link. you will understand when you watch the drama. as far as J dramas go Quartet is a very good drama with slice of life vibes in it. The cinematography is good with snow covered locations. The 4 lead's acting is very good.
Pros :
- Good story
- Good acting
- Music is very good
- end Title song
- Light comedy
As far as cons go, the romance here is little weird and unsuccesful. Not much to say as this isn't a drama which you pull your hair out for, but a very feel good drama you watch on a slow day.
This drama is worth a 8.5 / 10.
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"Adults keep secrets".
'Quartet' is a truly fantastic series that plays out in a similar manner to a well-composed musical composition. There are conflicting motifs of trust versus betrayal, truths versus lies and dreams versus reality, spun together with friendship, secrets and unrequited love.The four protagonists are excellently characterised. As with their instruments, they each shine individually, during one-on-one conversations and when they're all together. It was great how over the series, you don't stop learning about their pasts, their families and friends and the secrets they hold within them. The charisma of each character and the allure of their rapport are in no small part to the amazing performances and chemistry of the exceptional actors and actresses; Matsu Takako, Matsuda Ryuhei, Takahashi Issei, Mitsushima Hikari are four legends I won't forget. Seriously, the acting is some of the best I've seen in a J-drama so far, and they have to be applauded for making an effort to look as if they are actually playing their instruments. The dialogue is masterfully produced. Aside from being witty and feeling very natural, seemingly small remarks and humorous situations often take on overarching significance that tie into the themes of the series. Clever metaphors, symbolisms and double meanings are also planted generously through each episode, making one feel rewarded for paying attention to them. There are enough excellent quotes to fill up a small notebook.
The locations used were well chosen, endowing an intelligently written series with aesthetic value as well. The town of Karuizawa was beautiful, especially in winter, and the villa and restaurant had a cozy, homely feel to them. While there could've been more variety, I love the selection of classical pieces, especially the quartet arrangement of Smetana's "The Moldau". The BGMs are pleasant but the ending song, along with the lavish music video, are absolutely incredible. The food looked nice too. A nice bonus was seeing Kankuro Kudo act (which he is also good at).
'Quartet' doesn't limit itself to a singular mood. Sometimes it wants you to laugh out loud. Sometimes it wants you to feel awkward and slightly creeped out. Sometimes it wants to move you to quiet anger, and sometimes it just wants to make you feel warm inside. For me at least, it got me every single time.
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Sebuki Suzume was my favorite, she was pure(?) a kind of overlooked personality, she hides her feelings and she feels weak but she also never backed down from her feelings and personal beliefs and with that her friendship with Maki Maki was my favorite.
Iemori Yutaka was another weird personality I loved, he seemed easy going and quirky but he also had his own struggles, though I don't think they were able to show the depth.
Beppu Tsukasa was the leader, and Maki Maki was the glue and overall the four of them had a beautiful connection~
I also really loved the ending ost and I was kinda disappointed it wasn't a solid part of the story ;(
Kisugi Arisu was a really weird random personality, tbh she was a comic relief but also a "wth" kind of existence xD and with that I think the writers lacked in making anything real and deep beside the friendship.
most of the other side characters felt weird. I especially wasn't really happy with ep6-7, plus the whole backstory for any of the characters, it felt rushed, not fully thought out and shallow(?)
I was also not really happy with the hints of romance though thankfully it was not the focus.
but I loved the ending and overall it was like a sweet warm hug that really touched my heart~
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This review may contain spoilers
AWESOME!!! This drama not only talk about music (but I really love the music scenes), but they talk a lot too about the friendship which feels like family. They support each other when the troubles come. The conflicts outside the quartet are not too deep also not too shallow. The settlement somehow didn't feel like a settlement for me, maybe because it's go so smooth so I didn't realize that the problems are solved.My first thought after I read the synopsis is that somehow I will find any suspense theme in this dorama. My other first guess is that the three of them hired by Maki Maki’s mother-in-law to make friends and observes her. Refer to the synopsis, not only Beppu, but every member in the quartet have a secret either from their past or their present. At first, I think I can say a lot about this drama, but then I realize that I can't told the beauty of this drama with words. So maybe it's better for you all to watch and feel the warmth of this drama.
Two of my favorite actor/actress are here and I'm really pleased. Takahashi Issey is really funny in here! He had a lot of lines and he nailed it to say it with such a speed (⁀ᗢ⁀) The other casts played great too, but for me the outstanding acting goes to Takahashi Issey and Mitsushima Hikari.
Music :
I really love the ending song of this drama because it's the song sung by the four of them : Otonano Okite - Doughnuts Hole
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Quirky, surreal, warm and friendly
There is a somewhat bizarre plot which meanders along picking up themes as it goes. We go through digressions into crime, music, friendship, blackmail, betrayal, unrequited love, abuse, possible murder etc, all embedded in a wintry slice-of-life, set two hours drive out of Tokyo. It gathers all the themes together, along with a seemingly random selection of self diagnosed failures as characters (with the obligatory oddball viola player - musician’s joke…), but like strangers at a party, they don’t quite mesh. There is a slightly surreal feel that I am coming to associate with Japanese dramas and it has a strange affinity with Sartre’s play, “No Exit” (Hell is other people) where each of the characters wants something from the others which the others can’t or won’t give them. However, this is not a story about Hell, but about acceptance, both at a personal and an interpersonal level.It doesn’t really follow a single plot line, but presents sequences of fragmented scenarios that have a thread running through them. Just when you think it’s all fallen apart, it comes back together at the end.
There are some really good performances from the core cast who hook you in and carry you through. The “playing” of the instruments is a bit unconvincingly painful to watch at times, but that’s a constant gripe in many shows that involve musicians and the actors do a good enough job if you don’t look too closely.
A bit like a meal of leftovers, it’s all hashed together, but tastes good! I was in two minds about how to rate it, but in the end enjoyed it enough to bump it up from ordinary to good.
Note the Easter egg squirrel in the final episode, just before the credits :-)
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This review may contain spoilers
The Joy of Doing What You Love!
If you are not doing what you love to do, then by the time your life is winding down, you may look back with regrets because of how much time was wasted. Kobe Bryant put this to his listeners once during a conference. He said, “If you aren’t doing what you love, then why are you doing it?” I think very few people in the world do what they love because of so many factors: money (usually assuming a lack of it), what people will think (family, friends, society), or even because you don’t believe in yourself enough to take the chance. Let me point out something about people like Bruce Lee, Kobe Bryant, and others. They never rested on talent alone. They put in the work so that they could be the best that they could be. And, yes, that is what it takes.Quartet is a lovely story of four misfits. I call them “misfits” because they feel that they are outsiders who don’t seem to fit in anywhere. However, they all share one passion: the love for music. Three violinists and one cello player find themselves at a karaoke bar—seemingly by happenstance, but I think by the end of the series, we realize that it wasn’t an accident. One person sharing a joy is one thing, but it gains even greater power when four people combine their passion and talents.
Beppu is the leader of the group. He not only has a talent for the violin, but he’s someone how knows how to get things done. However, he doesn’t rule with an iron fist—unless it’s about taking out the garbage! He has no problem listening to the others and gaining their thoughts and feelings about something. His family owns the villa in the countryside where the four choose to live together and perform nightly at a local restaurant. The venue may seem small, and perhaps insignificant to some, but that’s not the point. They’re doing what they love.
Maki is the heart and soul of the group. A woman with a mysterious past. First, we’re left to wonder what happened to her husband, as her mother-in-law recruits Suzume to find out, as she believes Maki has killed him. We also find out that not is all as it seems with Maki, and will her dark past find its way into harming the group?
Iemori is easily the funniest member of the group with his quirky logic when it comes to identifying and discussing seemingly insignificant things. He’s always a source for a laugh, but make no mistake, he’s got a big heart. He’s almost childlike and in a good way.
Last, but certainly not least, we have our cellist in Suzume. A lonely young woman who loves playing her cello on the streets for whatever money she can get. She also wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s pretty clear early on that she truly loves the other members of the group, especially Maki. Perhaps this is the only true family Suzume has ever had. And when she begins to shed tears, it’s hard to hold back ourselves. She’s a little clumsy and has the propensity to sleep anywhere! Under the coffee table, slumped over chair, it really doesn’t matter. She will also do whatever she can to protect and help the other members of the group. We find out, very quickly, that she is not at all comfortable spying on Maki for Maki’s mother-in-law.
The group’s four members are endearing as they get to know each other throughout the series. Only one of them has a real job when the series begins. The other three are either unemployed or are about to leave their respective jobs. Of course, they begin to question the rationale of simply being a quartet. Even friends and family find it difficult to understand the logic of essentially doing something for very little. Toward the end of the series, it’s Suzume who answers this question when she talks about seeing the smiles on people’s faces or those rare moments when they get some feedback about how happy the listener is because of their music.
We also see the sad lives of those who are not living their passion and dreams. Arisu is a petty, vile young woman who works at the restaurant where the quartet performs. All she cares about is getting out there and finding a way to make a quick buck or perhaps find someone wealthy to take care of her. At one point, she schemes to steal Maki’s violin when she finds out how much it’s worth. She’s extremely self-centered, doesn’t care about anyone else, and it’s easy to see why she’s such a miserable woman. Even she finally finds her rich husband at the end, we also know two things: it will never last, and that type of happiness is always fleeting.
We also find a letter in the last episode from a musician who clearly didn’t make it as one. The person unloads their own frustrations and unhappiness at the group, unable to understand why they continue to play when they don’t play well. Of course, anyone who listens to this group can see that they play just fine. They may not be on par with some of the elite, but they can play! And the point is that they never gave up. They don’t let anyone or anything discourage them from doing what they love. This is showcased beautifully in the last episode when a can is thrown at them as they perform on stage, and many of the listeners get up and leave in the middle of the performance. However, what is truly magical is that none of these things prevents the quartet from continuing to play with smiles on their faces for the few who’ve remained behind.
In the end, if you are doing what you love to do, you don’t care if you’re doing it in front of a thousand people, a few people, or even none at all. You’re doing it for yourself, which is the most important thing. You don’t care if it brings you millions of dollars, a few dollars, or none at all. The joy of doing it is its own reward. And that is the beautiful message of this lovely series!
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Multi-layered Story about Friendship, Loyalty & Trust
This is the second J-Drama that I've seen centring on classical musicians that I found to be just adorable!What I loved:
- the complicated plot that unravels slowly with lots of surprises
- the acting by all the ensemble cast
- the soundtrack- the modern adaptations of classical music - wish they had it on Spotify
- the developing friendships between the characters
- building on the themes of trust and loyalty
What was iffy:
- almost no chemistry between the characters who were romantically attracted to one another
- would have been better if it were 11-12 episodes long
- needed more development to the character development of Suzume, Iemori and Beppu.
- as is, it leaves the impression that this was not a story about an ensemble of characters, but one that centred on Maki as the solo lead character instead.
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Un drama lleno de música y humanidad.
Estaba en conflicto conmigo misma en cómo calificar este drama, porque es casi un drama perfecto, empezando desde el cast, que tienen una química increíble que se refleja inclusive cada vez que tocaban sus instrumentos en un centro comercial, en la calle o en un escenario.¿Qué decir del OST? Sencillamente es el corazón del drama entero. Lo que más disfruté del drama son todos esos momentos musicales.
El guión es sólido, cada episodio contiene frases muy buenas y muy memorables.
Entonces, ¿por qué no un 10? Es sencillo, la primera mitad del drama me pareció muy disfrutable y equilibrada, en todos los aspectos, incluída la historia, pero en la 2da parte siento que el escritor se enfocó mucho en cierto personaje que tenía tintes Mary Sue, es decir, en cierto punto parecía "Ella y sus otros tres amigos" cuando se supone que son 4 los personajes principales. Cosas que con el resto resolvía en un capítulo, con el personaje "Mary Sue" se tardó casi 3 capítulos en contar todo, sacrificando escenas o historia de los demás, de cierta forma, eso me aburrió y molestó un poco.
De cualquier forma, este drama no deja de ser increíble, casi una joya para mí, amé esa originalidad de pensar en una historia de 4 músicos fracasados con sus personalidades imperfectas en busca de hacer realidad su sueño como cuarteto.
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