Despite the premises though, there is something about this drama which made it into one of my favourites in its genre.
Perhaps because on further analysis it doesn't deal with falling in love with someone, but with learning to love oneself and appreciate the little, daily things one gives for granted.
Esumi Makiko is so beautiful here, one soon forgets the age gap. The story revolves around her, her internal struggle, her doubts, her self-esteem. Yamashita Tomohisa plays his part very well too, portraying a young man in that fragile phase between adolescence and adulthood in a very believable way.
Overall, a delightful, suave drama.
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It's not your typical "older woman/younger man" themed "romance." It's all about the inner turmoil in our main lady and what love, relationships, monogamy, marriage, etc mean to various people in modern times.
The pacing is moderate, but perfect for this type of storytelling. The acting was good. I wasn't a huge fan of minimal eye contact (mostly from the leads) which is why the score is only a 7 on that. Sometimes I couldn't tell if they were trying to remember the lines or in character and uncomfortable making eye contact with the other player in the scene. I also really like how age played a large role in this, but it didn't weigh down the story at all, which makes me wonder if that was where some of the awkwardness came from. It totally works either way.
Other than that, the secondaries were ok, the family had interesting dynamics and the co-workers kept things lively when needed. There were no bad guys or good guys in this. Just people acting and reacting like people with honest emotions.
If you're looking for sweet and cuddly moments, this isn't the drama for you. If you're looking for a moral quandary regarding life and relationships then grab your bag of popcorn and settle in for a few hours of self debates.
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This review may contain spoilers
The love of a confused couple is pure white... (OST)
This story is one of my favourite genre as I like the topic of betrayal in married life but mainly the husband was the one who start it in most dramas but when the wife it is not so common...This is underrated drama and not well known, though it is been 19 years but the social realism of age gap as older woman/younger man is not something new in asian drama.
When a housewife is not satisfied with her boring married life and think she loves her husband and is happy with him but deeply deny the fact that they are just like housemates no more than that... this is what the case is here about the relationship of kozue and hideo.
It was sudden like a storm (english title) because the unexpected encounter of kozue with someone teenager who makes her yearn for her youth days that she lived complaining being the tallest with no so much intimate friends around her and nothing in common between her mates in junior high till the lonely and abscent minded brown hair school boy with bangs striking her attention at the middle of the road of a rainy day... (Takuma the storm who changed her life)
Kozue is the one confused and not honest with her self didn't mind the accompany of takuma the dancer teacher and mysterious one, at the beginning he pushed her to practice dance when persuading her that dance will change her view of herself and as she thought she is not the one who may know how to do it, taking steps by steps to join him after the fate of them meeting so many times...
Something inside her made a storm in her feelings toward him, is it a "disease of luxury" as she said to pamper herself by dancing to awake after the slump in her boring life or is it the feelings for the person who made her more confident about herself and to take care of her beauty that she missed while she is with hideo her husband?!
Takuma did not wanted to reveal his mystery to kozue as sick person suffering from emphysema, at each time she decided to end her relationship with him, something happening to him about his disease stopped her from being decisive and empathy with him, couldn't help leaving him alone when her husband was in need for her...
It was not a scandalous affair to say but a betrayal of kozue for hideo who is oblivious and didn't want to doubt the loyality of kozue for him cause at everytime takuma taking a step ahead towards her, she would avoid him for no more feeling guilty about her husband...
Kozue's mother caught her when takuma confessed to her and warned her that "married woman shouldn't falling in love"...
Yoriko was the one receiving the messages of what kozue did in detail with takuma and yoriko wanted kozue to be with takuma as she knew his medical issue and she is the cause for confessing to hideo what kozue was doing behind his back but yoriko did all of this because she had a crush on hideo...
The confess of takuma to kozue that he loved her after he didn't know what this kind of feeling of him for her, was shaking her more and she strayed his seriousness with another talk but couldn't do anything just to love him back but didn't have the courage to tell him that as the society will judge her badly and everyone around kozue and takuma will be in pain and despise them regarding their 16 years age gap...
Divorce will happen after hideo saw the real scene of kozue hugging takuma who has been attacked by emphysema and crying loudly, couldn't dance anymore according to his health condition was more worthy for kozue than to justify to hideo what is her relationship with takuma was what about...
I didn't like the end at all as I wished kozue and takuma ended up together but kozue choosed to be independent and as takuma is special for her she wanted to free him from her for not facing more criticism from the society but takuma wanted for sure to be a great man and finding a job for kozue to accept him and he didn't care for the great age gap 18 vs 34 as he wanted her so badly but if it was the opposit I would give it 10 as overall rating for sure...
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