In terms of the story, it is nothing like I had seen before. It revolves around switching bodies where the personalities and minds remains the same. However, even though it is a plot that was used many times already in media, Switched is one of those stories which will certainly grip you and keep you glued to the screen the whole time, anticipating what would happen next and wondering whether they're actually going to solve the problem in the end. I like the fact that there is a whole back story in terms of Switching and that it is a global supernatural phenomenon that had affected quite a lot of people which goes to show that the world is not as black and white as it seems but rather corrupted because people have these desires such as desiring a life much different than their own. The creators and author used this occurring device and twisted it into their own way to make a suspenseful and mysterious storyline.
However, what I can say though is that I felt like the last episode was particularly rushed. Because the series only had 6 episodes, I felt like a lot of the things that happened were all squashed to fit in one single episode. This includes the solving of the conflict and the aftermath of the events. It gave me the impression that the whole conflict was in a rush to be solved before the end of the episode which I thought had the potential to be extended and explored if we had more episodes. Needless to say, I'm not particularly complaining since it is not the first time that Dramas had executed rushed and less fluidity as opposed to the rest of its episodes, but overall, I was glad that Switched had graced us with the ending I'm sure we wanted to happen and I'm really happy for that. Not to mention, I was a bit sad that it only has 6 episodes and that it is too short to my liking; we need more of these wonderful goodness ;; However, if it did get extended and it had more episodes, I would have liked to see more exploration about the Red Moon, the history behind the Switching and also the psychological effects of people who had experienced it especially Ayumi and Umine's situation.
Furthermore, I don't know about you guys but the acting was remarkable to me. It was simply fantastic. The feelings that were expressed did resonate to me as an audience and man did it impacted me quite a lot. I wouldn't have cried a few times whilst watching the series if it weren't for the powerful acting that was demonstrated consistently throughout the show. Each of the four teenagers made an impact to me in their way and man, can I say I love Kaga to death - he is such a pure angel <3 Umine had shown an outstanding performance presenting someone who had lived a horrible life and was corrupted and driven by hate and greed, someone who was unwanted in the society and was treated nothing worse than scum but then realised how to be a strong person and to tackle her problems with a positive attitude. As for Ayumi, she was someone who emphasised and sympathised with Umine after being switched to her body and developed to this caring and aware person as opposed to her naivety before. And Koushirou...he's just a whole enigma lol. You just won't expect what he would do next; quite a good manipulator as well.
Anyway, moving on, I wouldn't have enjoyed the whole series experience without the amazing soundtrack like honestly, it's wonderful to listen to. I've always been a music person so the Ost affects my viewing experience as a whole when watching a show, so when watching Switched, it just added more of the depth and atmosphere that is needed to support the acting and it made it more enjoyable to me. This reminded me of Devilman Crybaby's soundtrack actually because it pulls at your heartstrings yet some are upbeat and pleasurable to the ears. Switched has one of the soundtracks that I would listen to in a playlist and download.
To conclude, I really enjoyed watching the series. I love the themes that was explored because I feel like it is something that has the importance to be addressed especially in a society like ours. The way it was portrayed was just enthralling to the point that I was even in tears. So yes definitely would rewatch it again at some point in the future because I haven't really watched a series with that kind of approach in a while and the fact that it is quite different to the other usual Dramas out there. I may be exaggerating in some areas lolol but it just goes to show how much I've grown to be attached to it because it is something I relate to in many levels. Plus the soundtrack is worth listening to as well.
I may have loved it but it may not always be the same case for everyone but all I can say is that it is definitely worth the watch. Totally recommending it if you are looking for a series that has mature, supernatural and psychological themes :D
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Thus, is the case in Switched, when the least popular girl steals a popular classmate’s body. A common storyline of someone who switches bodies with someone else, but with a twist. The series focuses on Ayumi Kohinata, who was the once popular student and how she must now cope with her new body, try to get back to her own, and figure out who really cared for her, and not just for her looks.
One of the aspects I found refreshing in this story was the fact that Ayumi Kohinata was NOT a mean character. Many times, in body switching type stories, the popular girl would have been cruel and would have previously bullied the unpopular girl. That was not the case in this drama. Ayumi was sweet, and truly cared for her friends and boyfriend. However, you come to find out that not everyone is that way, and many care more for appearances than what lies beneath.
This drama was in no way the BEST drama I have ever seen but it was short, addictive, and totally binge-worthy. I LOVED some of the characters, especially Kaga. And I also, like the mystery, and twists that this drama had. I went into this show having low expectations but ended up watching it all in one sitting and truly enjoying it! The acting was great, the storyline was interesting, and the characters were interesting.
If you are like me and tend to steer clear of body-swapping dramas as they tend to be overdone and lack originality, reconsider on this one. This one is a really fast watch and has a different take on the subject. It might surprise you. (I know it did for me) Definitely recommend!
Happy Drama Watching!
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It wasn’t so much that I felt like the wrong couple was together in the end as it seemed like the drama was edging us on in a different direction so I felt rather betrayed.
Having said that, it was a good watch and I highly encourage you to spoil who the OTP is for yourself before you go all in so that you don’t have to go through the crushing disappointment I did.
That aside, the story is pretty interesting. It definitely highlights some issues we have of our perception of people based on appearance and it’s packed full of a lot of heart. Plus, it’s so short that it’s as easy to breeze through as a movie.
Overall it’s worth a watch if you go into it prepared.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was hooked by the first half of this drama, and I loved the way appearances and bullying were explored through the eyes of both Ayumi and Zenko, plus Kaga was a total sweetheart who had me rooting for him the whole time. But at some point, after episode 3 or so, it became more about the "science" of switching bodies and enacting a plan that would get them back to themselves. This pulled my focus away from the themes of the story and the character dynamics, especially when they reinserted Kohiro into the love triangle and tried to make his earlier actions more romantic.
So in the end, I would rate this story much higher in theory than in execution. I think that if you're invested in the romance you'll be disappointed, but at least you'll come away with some strong friendships and memorable characters.
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What seems to be a straightforward body swapping story is anything but, as the show tackles heavy themes like the power of envy, the casual cruelty of people, and beauty vs. ugliness in surprisingly nuanced ways for a six episode series about highschoolers. I found myself at odds with my own feelings on more than one occasion, as the show made me question my knee jerk reactions to scenarios that are usually covered in a more shallow way in other dramas.
Typically shows try to teach us that it’s whats inside that counts by giving us the simple black and white image of a kind girl in an ugly, bullied body, alongside a cruel girl in a beautiful body. But in Switched, things are more complicated. Both girls are flawed in their own ways, and both must struggle and grow as they realize that each girl’s life is nothing like what the other had expected. What’s inside is still what counts, but there’s nothing simple about it.
All of the actors did a stellar job, and without giving anything away I’ll just say that I was amazed at how flexible some of them are in their acting, at such a young age.
Regarding both the story and the acting, the word I keep coming back to is “nuanced.” The final episode did have some pacing issues, but overall I definitely recommend this for anyone who is looking for a quick but fascinating and impactful story.
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To some people, my rating might seem exaggerated as to them it may not be the best and it may even be unhelpful, but to me, this was legit the best Japanese drama (or any drama actually) I had ever seen. Switched brings about the issue of envy and societal expectations of a person, especially girls. Though the plot was straightforward, there were other issues that it tackled - these are problems in our society today and so I really appreciated that.
The plot was interesting and didn't feel cliche at all. There were times (mostly towards the end) where I bawled my eyes out because, not only could I relate with Umine, but the show did a perfect job of conveying the emotions and the problems and made every character stand out in their own unique way.
This show - mostly Umine's character - really hit home with me. I've gone through some pretty dark times like her myself, so I found myself empathising with her when I probably shouldn't have, but I just couldn't hate her character. I just felt bad.
The music in this show was outstanding!! It was dramatic but so emotional as well, which I loved. It also went with the pace of the show perfectly - every time the music played it was during the most dramatic of moments and it just worked. The music was part of the reason why I cried during the last few episodes because it's just so moving.
All the characters were portrayed beautifully and the actors were amazing! I loved them all and though there were times of frustration when it came to the whole love thing, they were still just so loveable. Kaga was my favourite and you will fall in love with him throughout the whole show. The actors should be praised for their superb acting - they're so versatile when it comes to acting in a different way and with a different personality - they executed it perfectly too. I
have never binge-watched a show in my life but I did with this one and I was wishing for it to never end! 6 episodes feel like its nothing but it was paced perfectly in my opinion - it wasn't unnecessarily dragged on and nothing was left abandoned. It's a short watch but there are issues and emotions that a show with 16 episodes probably couldn't even convey! The ending was simple and sweet but it was also a teensy bit disappointing for me....but, overall, the show was amazing! I definitely recommend this show for people to watch as it's worth your time. :D
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This review may contain spoilers
“You never really understand a person until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.” A.F
**Minor Spoilers**'Switched' takes the oft-used concept of the body swap and gives it a cruel twist: the 'beautiful' girl gets the short end of the stick despite having done nothing wrong, while the 'ugly' girl that appears to win it all is callous and selfish. What follows is a simple but well-made parable on how envy causes more harm than good, how real beauty isn't only skin deep- and how it takes just one kind friend to pull you out of despair. But the linchpin of the series, in my opinion, is the way it shows that true ugliness is created from the internalisation of cruelty and mockery. And this true ugliness? All-consuming hatred, a self-propagating force that eats away at everything (yourself included) and pushes others even further away from you. This naturally causes you to hate yourself even more and closes the doorway of hope- until shrouded in the darkness of your mind and standing under the crimson moon, you stare in anticipation at the streets far below. Yikes. Though I included Atticus's quote because of its relevance towards empathy, it only applies to Ayumi, truth be told. Zenko, on the other hand- she may walk around in Ayumi's skin, but as her mother points out, she is still the same hateful, spite-filled girl within.
Notes:
-Six episodes was just the right length.
-One might say that the symbolisms used, e.g. birds representing freedom, each girl seeing their true self in mirrors, were too on the nose. However, I don't see this as a problem because this series is intended to be accessible and easy to understand rather than esoteric. The fact that the series even has symbolism which it uses to further its didactic purpose is rarely even seen amongst J-dramas, to be honest.
-The production value was clearly a cut above the average J-drama, in no small part to the Netflix funding. It was thoroughly refreshing, a blast of fresh air even, to watch a Japanese drama that didn't look as if it was filmed and produced by an amateur crew with a bad camera.
-Acting was very strong from rookies Kiyohara Kaya and Tomita Miu, (who gets a role that doesn't boil down to 'ha-ha fat person funny'). They succeeded greatly in not only playing duel roles but characterising each role with pinpoint accuracy- pulling off Ayumi's sweetness and Zenko's homicidal finger-biting equally well. Kamiyama Tomohiro and Shigeoka Daiki also did quite well, although I do question the typical high-school series/movie trait of having two men in their mid-twenties play students almost ten years younger. I admit that Shigeoka, as the endearing Kaga, triumphed thoroughly in channeling his grinning schoolboy.
-Soundtrack was good but a bit kitschy and sparkly.
-If I had a complaint besides all the slow-mo's and awful 'splat' noises for when the bodies hit the floor, it would be the excess of love-triangle shenanigans when the series could be delving further into its social issues. It would be a truly excellent series if not for these flaws, but I do understand the need to add sugar to make a dark series palatable for its young audience.
As it stands, it is one of the finer J-dramas and dare I say, a much better examination of bullying than the hypocritical 3-nen A gumi (where, might I add, Tomita was used solely for the purpose of comic relief based on her weight).
9/10
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I was ok with it because I guess it can help someone who feels alone and wants to end it to think about it more.
Personally, I end up being the one who rejects help and thinking noone is there for me but sometimes it's actually not true.
Kinda being Spoilerish, so let me just talk about the show.
I watched it all just now-I couldn't wait to see what happened next. luckily for me I work from home and don't have school, hence the warning in my headline.
It was short and sweet which is great. This show really makes you want to be nicer to people and maybe even look out for those who are always hanging out alone.
The acting was amazing because I could really see the actual "switch" through their acting, they did an amazing job with that.
Some parts were incredibly confusing, but I tried to ignore the technicalities of everything and ended up enjoying it.
Now I will look up the actors and see their individual works :)
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This review may contain spoilers
This one came as a surprise to me. I was just minding my own business trying to find something that would catch my attention in the depths of Netflix, and came across this. I don't typically watch jdramas, as they pull me in with their dark themes and no chill, and then crush my soul in the last few minutes of the final episode, but for some reason, I keep being pulled in. This drama was no exception -
I loved all the characters - Kiyohara Kaya stole the show with her double role of playing Ayumi & Zenko;
Tomita Miu & Shigeoka Daiki also stole the show with their chemistry; and just overall, everyone did amazing playing their roles as well as embodying each character's personality with the switch
I loved the dark themes of how society and social norms play a part in young people's life. There were so many times where I was like...does anyone think it is bizarre when Kaga keeps calling who they believe to be Zenko, Ayumi? But it played into what I believe the theme was - how mindless the youth is and how they want to fit in so badly because they don't want to be an outcast, do they just follow what they believe the crowd follows. Yes, there were themes of self-internal beauty vs outward beauty which ended up separating the main characters from everyone else, and it was interesting seeing how each of the main 4 characters embodied a different viewpoint.
This is how I fell in love with Kaga, as I am sure, based on all the comments on this drama's page, everyone else did as well. Zenko believed that because she was ugly on the outside, no one would ever love her, and the only way to get love was to be beautiful externally. Ayumi was a very neutral person in the beginning - she was sympathetic and tried to reach out, but once she was rejected, she didn't try anymore. Koshiro was tricky. He had a good heart, but a jealous one. Much like Ayumi, he also reached out to Zenko and had better luck, from the goodness of his heart, but he also seemed to want attention. We wanted people to like him so he became the top of his class and star athlete, but he wanted the same attention that Kaga had. Kaga, even though wasn't the smartest or most athletic, had the love of his classmates. I think it was because he oozed happiness, which made people gravitate towards him as well as his huge heart. And because of all of this, Zenko was jealous of Ayumi while Koshiro was jealous of Kaga. Two people wishing what their counterpart had, and instead of trying to build themselves up, they wanted a shortcut that the Red Moon could provide.
I loved this drama because no matter how much my roommate who watched this with me says it was over the top and not realistic, I thought there was truth to the story. Yes, it was over the top which paired really well with the supernatural element, but it also showed the darkness in people's hearts when they've hit rock bottom and want an easy release. It was a drama about people who learned from one another's pain and learned to empathize as well as become allies.
And I wanted so badly to give this a 10/10 because it was amazing in every way, but I had to deduct half a point because this jdrama was no different from previous ones. The ending...the final minute or two tore my heart out of my chest. Which I thought was interesting- somewhere in the drama, Kaga had told Ayumi that throughout this whole switching process the two people who got the short end of the stick, were both Koshiro and Zenko. This is true, but by the end of the drama, after seeing Kaga's expression, the audience knew that he was the one who actually suffered the most and it honestly made me dislike Ayumi in that final minute. It made you think about how Koshiro was always so envious of Kaga because of his happiness and how people were drawn to that and how it seemed like he had zero worries in the world, but in that final minute, you see him fighting with himself to be happy even though he was heartbroken. It made me, as a viewer, appreciate him more because just like the other characters, he also wasn't happy as everyone thought he was, and it shows another way the youth handles rejection. We have two people who were envious of the others that they were so desperate to switch lives with them, but then you have Kaga who was breaking on the inside after everything that had happened, but he only wished to be himself and fight through the negative and bring out the positive. They really did us and Kaga dirty with that ending, but it did show strength in his character. #justiceforkaga
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Ending felt wrong & rushed.
Overall amazing drama, the ending was offputting as the true man and amazing character in general Kaga was sidelined when he should have been the love interest. ending was bad but not completely off putting to change my view. Acting was AMAZING, and so was music. Great! (last episode is where it is rushed but all others 10/10) Rushed as in it should’ve had another episode to make everything clear. And Kaga should’ve got the girl. End of story. I am now trying to make this fit 500 characters don’t mind me ?Was this review helpful to you?
A rather different and innovative way of portraying body-switching
To put it simply, this was about a pretty girl whose soul was switched with a not-so-pretty girl.The switch was only possible under 3 conditions, red moon, jumping off a tall building and at the point of jumping off, facing the one whom he/she wanted to switch with.
And the conditions were there when Umine Zenko (Tomita Miu), the ‘ugly’ girl, decided to jump off a building, with the intention of switching with Kohinata Ayumi (Kiyohara Kaya), the ‘pretty’ girl.
I had low expectations from this drama when I started watching, but eventually binge-watched the whole drama. Usually if I were to binge-watch any drama, it meant this drama was interesting and could hold my attention all the way and yes indeed, the acting was convincing, the idea was refreshing – changing your soul with someone just by jumping off a building under a red moon and only 6 episodes. It was not draggy and everything happened fast, there was really no dull or boring moment throughout the drama.
Basically, the drama centered on 4 main characters, Ayumi, Zenko and their classmates cum Ayumi’s best friends, Kaga and Koshiro. After Ayumi and Zenko switched souls, it was interesting to see how Ayumi dealt with being ‘an ugly girl’ in school as she had always been the pretty and popular one and as the drama moved along, we could see that no matter how the physical appearance might change, what ultimately mattered was the innate character of the person.
This drama also touched on bullying in Japanese schools. Zenko was short, fat and ugly. As a result, she had low self-confidence, became anti-social and eventually was an ostracized outcast in school, but we saw from Ayumi, when she was ‘inside’ Zenko’s body, that being ugly should not hinder a person from being kind or socializing with friends. I thought this did teach us something about outward appearances versus the true personality and character of a person.
Naturally, one of the reasons for the binge-watch was that I wanted to know whether the two girls would return to their original bodies eventually. Not giving any spoilers, I would say that the ending or rather the plan to switch back was rather well-thought out and a brilliant idea, but also quite a nerve-wrecking one as there were many risks involved.
Finally, I have to mention the two guys, Kaga and Koshiro. I thought their acting was exceptional and their characters were not flat nor one-level given their relatively young age, not to mention that they were also quite good-looking.
All in all, I enjoyed this drama, but I would not say to the extent of very much because it was kind of too short, maybe 10 episodes would be ideal. I would recommend to anyone who likes to watch body-switching dramas because this drama had a rather different and innovative way of portraying it from the usual ones.
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The Most Important Thing: Beauty or Personality?
Switched is a thoroughly enjoyable drama that is not only full of plot twist but also on it’s life lessons. What’s more important? How beautiful your exterior or how beautiful your interior is? That’s the question Switched tries to tackle. I truly believe it does a wonderful job of handling the topic with grace but fair warning suicide, whether it’s mentioned or actually shown, is a big part of the drama so if that triggers you please be aware.To be honest Japanese dramas and me do not mix well—I’m not used to the cinematography, subtle language, and acting—but Switched made made open my heart to watching more of them. Like all dramas Switched is flawed, hence the fact that I only gave it 8 stars but I’m fine with overlooking those flaws since I liked it.
Ayumi, Umine, Kaga, and Koushirou as the main leads all have good and bad qualities that will make you root for them which I found interesting. No character is completely evil or completely good—they are just human. How far are you willing to go to achieve what society deems as ‘perfect’? That’s a hard question to answer honestly. You can be the most beautiful person on the outside but at the end of the day it’s your personality that matters. Obviously society is superficial and continues to judge off of physical attributes but to the people who truly matter they will value your personality.
The plot is full of so many twists that I don’t want to go in-depth on what happens but it takes a very cliche trope (body switching) and gives it a unique spin complete with its own backstory and lore. On top of the interesting plot you also have a phenomenally talented cast who really delivers when it comes to the emotions. I could truly feel like the Ayumi we met in the first few minutes of episode one really was stuck in Umine’s body by the little mannerisms and ticks; likewise can be said with Umine in Ayumi’s body. Hats off to the four main leads and the side characters for giving it all they got despite the fact that the limited runtime. I don’t remember anything that stands out in the OST but I would say it enhances everything rather than takes me out of the scene.
Switched is a little gem I’m so glad I stumbled upon on Netflix and I found myself glued to my screen time until the very last minute.
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