Now, if you've scanned my numerical ratings, you'll know where my review is heading. When I was watching it, I had a really hard time getting through the series and dropped the series in the middle before re-picking it up in the end to see if it got better (in my opinion, it didn't). I'll just jump straight into my problems with it:
1) Pacing is really, really slow. Some people may appreciate this (probably most, if the high reviews here are any indication), but this drama could have easily been condensed into a 90-minute movie and was instead stretched over 11 episodes. I'm guessing they wanted the slow burn to show the teacher slowly develop feelings for the student and show how genuine it was, but that leads to my next problem:
2) Chemistry is lacking. In most dramas I've heard of, even if the actual drama itself is lacking, the main couple is usually praised as having good chemistry, so this was the first drama I've felt like in which the two really didn't have chemistry (and keep in mind I don't care about the taboo stigma surrounding it). The way they paced the attraction made little sense to me: the male lead figures out his feelings almost immediately out of nowhere while the female lead spends so much time with the male lead and gives no visual indication she has feelings for the male lead, and it's only after the male lead advances on her that she's "convinced" she has feelings for the male lead. Which leads into my third point:
3) The male lead character is unlikeable and a stalker, and more importantly didn't fit the story they were going for. It feels uncharacteristic with how quickly and confidently he chases after the female lead, because he is shown with a reserved persona yet has no qualms trying to fiercely pursue this would-be-taboo relationship. My main problem with why this doesn't work is because he acts like a tsundere, and usually in a taboo drama you'd want to see the taboo couple as the underdogs, as they are going against society's rules, but his tsunderish personality makes him hard to be viewed as such as an underdog. And even excluding the taboo part of the relationship, what he does in the drama to get the female lead is stalker-y and basically assault, and people only don't count it as assault because she miraculously turned out to like him after all.
4) The female lead exerts little agency in the story, again diminishing the characterizations of the relationship. She only makes decisions when it is forced upon her and otherwise is completely subject to the wills of other people surrounding her. Her lack of agency combined with lack of chemistry made me feel like she was borderline seduced by the male lead into the relationship, and that on her own she wouldn't have wanted it. The actress is also very painful to watch and doesn't seem like she knows how to act, which is rare for me to feel like since usually I can't spot "bad acting", but man the actress really sealed the deal for me in terms of not liking this drama.
5) Every other character in the drama (including the secondary couple) is flat and uninteresting, only serving as plot devices to provide conflict for the main characters. The secondary couple is just a boring "Will they won't they" storyline, except nothing of importance happens at all during their storyline and I have no idea why it was included in the show.
I'm sure there's more stuff I didn't like about the drama, but I wanted to focus on the essentials that took away the intrigue of the drama for me. I appreciate the show's cinematography and its foray into controversial subject matter, but the execution left a lot to be desired for me.
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You may think u will drop it... You wont
I watched this drama thinking I was going to drop it, the theme is something that made me uncomfortable and I actually started it because I was really bored hahahahahaaha.. But the acting is JUST WOW, the chemistry between main lead and female lead is just incredible... Its a really good drama, a Well writtem drama... Of course, is not perfect... Sometimes the storyline was a little boring, but the way the ferlimgs are realesed is woth it. I still feel contradicted because, at least in my country, the teacher - student relationship is a very sensitivo topic, but I really finished this drama in just 3 days.Was this review helpful to you?
Onto the review:
This show could have been saved if it had, like I assumed it would, carefully built a relationship between these two in fragments over the course of 3 years, where at least the first year would have been completely, undeniably platonic (from Hijiri's side).
Ideally, I would have liked to see them interact quite innocently in the first year, then for romantic ambiguity to show up in the second year - he's working extra hard to convince her, she's flattered but dismissive of his feelings, and as they meet-cute at school and around town and she sees him more out of school she'll start to wonder about her own feelings and start avoiding him from the start of the third year. Things could culminate in the middle of the third year, with Akira feeling heartbroken and rejected and arguing with Hijiri about whatever they do or don't have, and Hijiri having to walk away from that with a similar feeling but remain firm in her denial, because rumors are spreading as their mutual feelings strengthen. Maybe the rumors get out of hand and/or she'd choose to resign because she recognizes these feelings are unprofessional. Hijiri, or any teacher figure in this type of story, should only be allowed one or two moments of impulsive romantic gestures - if she resigns and her reason for resignation is 'proof' of their still-unclear relationship, it should be a romantic gesture initiated by Akira. Anyways, Akira confesses once again after graduation, and it still can't be a very public thing but they can be together.
Instead, they are mistaken for a couple before the feelings (which are there) have properly blossomed, so it feels like Hijiri is rushing to apologize for something clearly undefined, but she falls for him as the apologies and misunderstandings increase. While I feel like, in any other case, that would build some resentment or the determination to put an end to whatever their relationship wasn't yet.
I can't believe this has an average rating of 8.6. That is madness. You are all crazy.
The directing was pretty good, not great. The acting is serviceable. The story and two main characters brought it down so much, but I still finished it.
The only reason I rated it a 4.5 is because of Haraguchi-san. We have decided to stan forever.
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"Sora wa hitotsu dakara"
Those who had doubts about its age gap part should just give it a try.. Its just a love story of a kid who loved only one woman throughout his life.. Yea his love just started at an early teen and in a more or less isn't ethical form... But...Best part:
1.STORY: Yea its true love knows no age but the way this drama shows the raw feelings of a teenagers going through puberty and stubborn yet strong feelings for a woman whom he has caused immense trouble coz of his childishness and thoughtless actions yet this kid matured up thro this process who dreamt every dream and took every step to become a capable man just to be with her ..and she who is already a grown up but still doubts herself, no confidence but a stable dream clumsy yet sensible, she restrained her every single emotion dedicated to him.. For him n herself, she avoided, restrained, ran away and lied... But no matter what she had that kid in her worry, happiness, and trouble... In a way or another, that arrogant carefree brat's words were her strength to fight... You can call her crazy? Illogical? for falling for a mid schooler... Illegal indeed... But she never took a step until she could not take any more steps back at the dead end... She was sensible and he was stubborn but both were in love and tried to forget each other... And of course, they gave us a beautiful legal ending which was a happy one...
2.Supporting Characters: This drama had some very powerful supporting character that will actually make your emotion stable and make this story way more real. First the mother of our male lead who was annoying as hell but also makes you realize what a mother is and where her fear lies... She wasn't really against his love for his teacher ..yes you read correct..she wasnt..she was just obsessed with the fact that his son might do the same mistake she did..and that made her more and more scared and she did more and more things without getting any fact straight. That obviously made a teenager go rebellious and leave home. That part was the essence that made his character more real and made the mother live a villain yet a logical person who would even go to the police to stop him. Then comes the ex-fiance, He was somehow mixed annoying and confused to me..like he was falling for a woman basically older than him too? but still could digest the same for hijiri? well, he looked more confused to me about his feelings and fears... I felt his worry about hijiri ruining her everything for a mere boy but it was way beyond his concern. Then comes Haraguchi san..one word I loved her from the moment she appeared on the screen..like she ad only she could understand hijiri even though she had no direct connection with her..and loved it how she became her support and hijiri became hers... "Hai! Sensei." that line was my favorite tbh. I almost teared up at that moment.
3. Soundtrack: Well, not being a Japanese I memorized the whole song. Yea that just amazing. When you can actually relate to every word with the story that's the best soundtrack right?
The only unsatisfied feeling was:...............
...the kiss scene.. I mean u guys gave us a mid-school kiss? A high school kiss? Then why not when he is an adult kiss? I m sure when they hugged there was a kiss but the deleted it.. Not fair.. After all those year madly in love yet waited for each other from far of course the reunion needed a kiss???????? well, it's my personal desire and feeling... XD I really wanted one... Like being a matured woman she really is far away from any desire..even our little boy feels nervous wand wants to touch her XD
Why I gave that heading? Cause of the ending.. watch it and you will find out...How the sky is related to them... As it was a common but beautiful scene and I loved how they connected them.
Happy Watching~
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An ambitious drama ruined by its scope
"A society that can't forgive someone's failures for a whole life OR a society that supports people who are doing their best at the moment. I wonder which one we want to show to our children." ¬It`s been a while since I`ve dedicated my time to watching a Japanese drama, let alone a drama dealing with such a taboo topic. It`s no secret that I tend to prefer and gravitate towards shows and movies with subject matters that make me think and maybe even revaluate some of my grounded stances. Be it moral or ethical ones. This drama, however, made me question both. And I`m still not sure where I stand with it. I realized that, unlike Korean dramas, where the main problems usually lie in the dependency on clichés and tropes, or in the absence of chemistry between characters, with Japanese dramas, the problem more often than not lies in the actual format itself and how limiting it actually is.
For such an overzealous project such as "Chugakusei Nikki", the Japanese format of creating dramas(pushing them into a pattern of 10 or 11 episodes), doesn`t lend itself to productive outcome. To be very blunt, this drama would`ve benefitted more from either:becoming a 100 minute picture OR having additional 4 or 5 episodes. As it stands, there are some things I liked about it, and some that were downright confusing to watch. So let`s talk about it.
In my reviews, I`m always readily opting to list off positives I`ve noticed while watching a particular drama. Not only is this my way of respecting hard work put into the show itself, but also because I don`t want to deter any potential watchers if they`re set on giving this drama, for example, a portion of their time. When it comes to pros, the acting from pretty much everyone involved was good, and at parts even great. Namely the male lead and the female lead are obviously talented and embody their roles quite well. There is some overacting, as is the case with most Japanese dramas(Akira`s mother), however it is not noticeable enough to ruin my watching experience. Some of the sequences are creative and engaging to watch and are also in tune with characters` emotions and thoughts, which, as a cinematic snob, I appreciated very much. Their chemistry is very much undeniable, as well, but that chemistry, unfortunately, doesn`t come from the story itself, but from the ambition and talent of the cast. The OST has some gems too, which is unsurprising, coming from Japanese dramas, they really do throw in some amazing songs in all of their shows, and this one is no exception to that rule. I downloaded at least two or three songs on my phone. Two or three times, writing parallels are drawn between past and present that worked for me and made me realize that the writing team also has talent to pull off some impressing scenes. I am a fan of how they tried to also showcase consequences of this relationship in the form of Hijiri barely finding a job and constantly being afraid of her secret being found out by the teachers and parents. And now for the biggest crux of this show.
THE STORY AND THE WAY ITS CHARACTERS ARE WRITTEN.
This is what I mean when I say that this story should`ve been either thought out more or left as a movie. Because what we end up with is a heart-wrenching plot in theory, without proper backing in terms of character development. And with dramas like this, you need fleshed out relationships and characters, otherwise you`re piling on grief without earning the interest beforehand. As I kept on watching this show, one thought became clearer and clearer:Why is Hijiri ready to go through with this forbidden connection?Nothing Akira is offering is precious enough, nor is it something she can`t find with someone else who`s not a minor. Here we come to the main issue this one, and many other Jdramas have:relationships and experiences come across as shallow because the team isn`t given enough time to deepen them. This is quite literally, the case of `biting off more than you can chew`. Even still, if they weren`t so intently focused on stretching this story out over long periods of time only, but instead concentrated on weaving their love out like a well-made sweater, using experiences and situations as balls of yarn, maybe I, as a watcher, would`ve had an easier time of believing Akira when he prostrated himself in front of his mother in desperation. Or when Hijiri decided to give up on the profession of her life. Maybe I would`ve been able to swallow this icky feeling of unrest whenever I thought of the fact that these two were impulsive, thoughtless people. Their actions(moreso Akira`s) are extremely selfish. That would be fine, as I have no issues rooting for such people IF they`ve also got redeeming qualities. Even the secondary couple, Kawai and Higurashi(who is my favorite character here, despite the fact that even she`s questionable due to some of her stances), have some good parts to them. Like how Geum Ja from "Hyena" is immoral and brash, but also ambitious and intelligent. Or how Kairi Tendo from "Love Lasts Forever" is cold and stoic, but also wise and helpful. But Akira and Hijiri DON`T have these qualities, nor duality to their characters. Akira is impetuous, with no regard for others around him. Even though three years pass, he learns nothing from what happened and the second he finds out about Hijiri`s whereabouts, he rushes there, with no consideration for her nor her job. Not only do these things make their romance even more unbelievable, but it also makes their relationship seem as a product born from Hijiri being cornered by her upcoming married life and responsibilities. And they treat this as if it`s other forces only meddling with their relationship and that others are only and strictly at fault. On the other hand, Hijiri straight up has no say over her life and it seems like she prefers it that way. She self-sabotages ,has no compassion for her friend who found her a job and a place to live, but is ready to shoulder the blame and try to come off as the ultimate sinner. It`s frustrating because, even though they have to face hurdles, Akira and Hijiri don`t talk about their next steps. Instead, they dramatically wail and ponder over their misery separately, at a time when they should be united the most. Thus, while one part of their suffering should and can be put on their circumstances, it`s also on them, for aggravating their situation further in an unneeded way.
A good juxtaposition for this drama would be its much sweeter, yet more substantial counterpart:"A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love", another Jdrama dealing with a potential relationship between a teacher and a student. Only this time, not only is the male student leaps and bounds more emotionally equipped and intelligent that Akira, but the female teacher is far too innocent and adorably clueless to his emotions. This time, they go through A LOT before she even starts falling in love with him. This credibility then, is kept in watcher`s mind when things unsurprisingly go awry. That`s the key difference. YOU need to give US a reason to care. And that is not achieved through dramatic separations only. Now, I haven`t read the manga this drama is based on, as it is still ongoing, so when it comes to that, I can`t warrant to the quality of it as an adaptation.
Finally, while this drama is definitely atmospheric and at times interesting in its presentation, it`s also far from being such a high-rated Jdrama. I would not recommend it unless it really piques your interest, like it did mine.
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Nit picks: ML did not even once feel like he was 15, Male lead was a stalker. FL unable to be truthful with herself early enough to stop relationship early on. The direction of liking the feeling to object or action around the characters became tedious.
Everyone responsible for the child reaction's were as it should be, and in the end it was for the best for Akira and Hijiri. For me the pacing was slow, maybe because I did not choose to watch this one my own, or I am loosing patience with long drawn out romances.
Overall it was a good story, it just didn't hit my sweet spot.
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i loved this!!!
alright so I came to know about this drama yesterday, and I just started watching it on a whim. I was getting bored so I thought, why not give it a try~ then the first episode blew me away. i rewatched the first few seconds of the first episode again and again so i remember the line too."sensei, that time i lost my mind and i selfishly got irritated and excited, so much that I lost sight of what's around me and even myself, to the extent that sensei, i fell in love with you."
when there was this voice-over with the background music( btw the ost was so damn good, ill talk about it later), and with akira riding that cycle with the insect's noice in the bg , with all those memories flashing by, ugh idk how to explain it. i just loved that feeling. it felt so real and it felt as if the emotions were so powerful and complex and yk all sorta things, it somehow felt nostalgic i guess. Im trynna say that it started out so beautiful.
and then i loved the cinematography. the "blue and grey" kinda camera works. which gave like, old vibes. this is my first review so idk how to explain well but all im trynna say is that the "blue and grey" vibes worked perfectly on this.
then the acting. I loved it. in some other jdramas i have watched, the acting is very awkward and kinda cringy but in this one, i didnt feel one single bit of cringe. The actors portrayed the characters so well. They totally fitted in the role. although actor acting as akira seemed a bit too big for a 15 y/o, that was not really a big problem for me. And then the actress acting as hijiri, she did so well too. how she smiled and how she handled stuff (i dont wanna spoil so heheh) even the side characters like haraguchi san's actress (one of my fav characters, i love her), and kawai kun's actor etc all did very well.
OST.... Defn one of my fav osts. i feel like an ost is good when it displays the mood of the situation/ drama perfectly and for this ost... damn, even now when i listen to it i feel the chills go down my spine. Why? good music and vocals? eh~ music and vocals were good but the reason i loved it is because it reminded me of the feelings of the drama. it like enhanced the vibes, emotions and feels of this drama. when i heard the first few seconds of the ost after i completed the drama, my eyes were filled with tears and my heart started pounding so hard, im not even lying.
story-the story was beautiful. i dont wanna give spoilers but it was such a heartwrenching and wonderful exxperience. this is a very contoversial topic but in my opinion this drama handled this topic so well. if any of you dont want to watch this because of the age gap then ure being stupid. here's why.
1. This is a drama not even real life so yk all sorta stuffs happen in dramas and this is pretty normal.
2. Even in real life, there are couples with 10 years age gap or even more.
if u think student-teacher r/s is prohibited or smtg,
1. Bruh yk people cant really control their heart. Even in this drama, we can see that hijiri did not want to like her student but obv it was not under her control whether or not to like someone.
2. Its 2021 rn and when this drama was released, it was 2018. this is a modern world where people should be free to do what they want. in intl aspect, 18 years old is not even a minor and yeah "spoiler" when they start dating, kuroiwa kun was 18 so....mmmmm
character development- there was so much of character development. we see kuroiwa kun matured up so much, hijiri san got courageous, side characters also got character development.
overall i loved this drama. it was one of the best dramas ive ever watched. hope yall give it a chance too <3 <3<3
and yeah thanks to all the people who worked hard to make this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Good Lessons about Love and Life, if you have an open mind.
Both FL and ML did an excellent job acting; range of emotions. OST was good, but nothing stood out. Interesting story, which wasn't about normalizing pedophilia, but how to handle a young person being attracted to an adult, without belittling their feelings. The show reminded us that communication and trust are the most important factors in any relationship, and without that it will fail. It taught us about being honest with ourselves. There was decent character growth with Hijiri and Akira.SPOILER ALERT:
What I REALLY didn't like was that they started the ML as a grade school/ middle school kid. He didn't even look close to that. It added a very weird element to the story. If they had started the ML as a high school guy, then as college/university, it would've been more believable. It was like the middle school portion became too long, with unnecessary drama moments, which would've been better used during the high school arc.
Meeting the Father of Akira moment, wasn't impactful at all. Akira's mother with her lies and suspicions didn't come across as a loving mother just looking out for her son. It seemed like she was more narcissistic and too controlling. The writers failed in this aspect, unless they were trying to paint Akira's mother as not a good person.
Overall it was a decent watch, no over the top sexual moments either. Re-watchable.
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This is now my all-time favorite Japanese drama, and my favorite last 2018 in dead heat with the Korean drama Hundred Million Stars from the Sky (which is an adaptation of a JDorama). This drama hits all the right notes- the acting is stellar, the cinematography gorgeous, the soundtrack piercing, the writing sharp and contemplative. This is now my favorite love story (at least in dramaland). Some people may doubt Suenaga Hijiri and Kuroiwa Akira’s love for each other- but for me it was too real, too intense, too sure. There was absolutely no doubt that they loved each other- because does love really need an explanation all the time? ? And despite the questions raised on morality especially in the first half of the series, the characters (especially Hijiri) did their very best to do the right thing. Sure the characters were flawed, they're human after all, but they struggled to stay on the right path and emerged as better persons by the end of the series.
I’ve always loved Arimura Kasumi, but damn the rookie Okada Kenshi! He truly is the star of the show. He deserves the monicker “the last Super Rookie of the Heisei Period” through and through. Not only is he super handsome, but he’s super talented as well. Okada was spellbinding from the first second he showed up onscreen. It’s hard to believe that he’s only 19 and that this is his very first acting job! He will surely go a long way (Yamazaki Kento, Sakaguchi Kentaro, Arata Mackenyu, Fukushi Sota must all be shaking from worry now hahaha) and will be a big star in no time! He reached 500k followers on IG after only 2 days and 1 post a few weeks ago! Props, too, to the supporting characters especially the formidable Yoshida You- I couldn’t imagine Haraguchi Ritsu being played by a different actress. It's nice to see her and Arimura in another heartwarming project after Flying Colors.
So to my fellow Asian drama fangirls (and boys, too), don’t be put off by the synopsis, Chugakusei Nikki is so much more than just a story about forbidden love. I forgot how many times I cried while (re-)watching the drama, but it’s all worth it. Trust me, you’ll thank me after! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I regret coming way too late to the thread party. I wish I were able to join the discussions more actively when it was airing, but at least it spared me the agony of waiting for subbed episodes as I’ve read in the comments. I've always been just a silent lurker and I'm not even a member here. I was compelled to join and post a review by this gem of a drama!
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I feel kinda conflicted how I feel about it, maybe I should’ve waited until I’ve processed it and thought about it properly.. But then I doubt I would’ve written a review..
First off, If this was the other way around where a Male is older than the female, I don’t think it would’ve had the same affect on some people, as we’re “used” to men being older..
But it still doesn’t make it right, does it?
You can see the struggle within Hiriji, and she does try to run away from her feelings.. But she’s this quiet shy type who doesn’t seem to have a backbone.. (that annoyed me)
Akira is very determined and forceful in expressing himself, so I could see why she fell for him..
Her boyfriend was this, wishy washy type guy, and she didn’t really know where she stands with him..
So if any guy’s reading this, girls like men who know what they want.. MEN, not teenagers..
As a mother of a boy, I could relate to Akira’s mum very much.,
My fave character was Haraguchi, and the actress did an amazing job portraying her..
Overall, I don’t think I’d want to watch another similar type story, because in the real world, women like her end up in prison.. And I felt very annoyed and frustrated watching it.. Because the whole time, all I had in the back of my mind was “this is wrong”..
But the acting, scenery, music made it worthwhile!
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I thought it would be sugar-coated as what I have seen to most stories with this kind, with the male lead doing such swoon-worthy gestures, but no, it did much more than that. Akira's love and adoration for his teacher is fascinating to see. Yes, he's stubborn, rebellious and immature, but that's what a normal teenager would behave. While Hijiri's inner turmoil will make you emphatize with her more. She knew that she's already attracted to Akira but she just kept on brushing it off and tried not to reciprocate that overwhelming affection ( except that one moment when everything is just too much). But the heart wants what it wants. That's the thing that the drama really did right, the execution and portrayal of their romance wherein you wouldn't see it as sensual and disturbing. It highlighted the genuineness of their feelings and how it came to that point where they're in now.
I also like that the story didn't condone and promote this kind of relationship and give us a glimpse to the consequences and what would others feel witnessing something like this blossom, like how Hijiri's friend kept on pointing out how wrong it is to fall for your student and how Akira's mom lose it when she learned that her son is in love with his teacher. Most of the characters are grey wherein you truly can't hate one, but instead pity and emphatize with them for we sometimes see their actions as something that would likely do because it's too mundane and didn't truly deviate with real life instances.
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