First let me start off by saying Etsushi Toyokawa as the handsome, deaf-mute artist Sakaki Kohji will stir your heart. A wonderfully emotive actor, I just love performers who can express a million feelings with only their eyes and this guy totally nails it. It’s not possible to look at him and not be moved. I thought the female lead went a little overboard with all the ‘aegyo’, but thankfully she toned it down a bit toward the second act. Once things took a more dramatic turn in the latter part of the drama I could see that she had some good acting chops, but unfortunately the material she had to work with was a disservice to her character. Supporting cast were like pestilence, especially Shiori and Ken, but in some scenarios Hikaru too. I was too annoyed by them to care about how they deliver. I just wanted them to go away.
Acting aside, this love story just completely captures you away. I enjoyed watching the unique challenges the male lead's deafness introduced to his life and relationships. The Japanese, as per usual, are masters in depicting regular everyday life in all its sweet mundanity. No flash of wealth, no chauffeur driven chæbols. Just an ordinary slice of life about two young people trying to figure stuff out.
Kohji and Hiroko’s chemistry is apparent from the start. They steam up the screen with every glance, every touch, every intimate embrace; and there's just something wistful & nostalgic about the exchange of love letters written by your lover's hand. I enjoyed the music - repetitive though it was, but certainly fitting and beautifully sung.
For a while there I couldn’t believe I was watching a Japanese drama, because for sure the Japanese just don’t do romance this good, do they? And an older one at that. When I found out the same writer who wrote Orange Days wrote Aishiteiru that pretty much explained it. The sweet sentimentalism, the pure headiness of falling in love, the slow build up of passion, it’s all there. Though this time around it’s the guy who has the disability, their love evokes those same warm, wonderful feelings Orange Days did. I was on cloud nine.
Sadly by ep 9 this setup starts to unravel. It’s not possible for Asians to give us a simple love story without all the nonsensical drama … can they? One hopes, but the sick feeling that blossoms in the pit of your stomach tells you something’s up, and sure enough the usual tiresome drama cliches start to rear their ugly heads. By ep 10 an otherwise well developed script takes a most illogical and drastic turn. Things go from bad to WTF in a minute, and by the final episode the show is irrevocably ruined. I was stunned.
It made it really difficult for me to decide on a rating because the first 8 eps and the last 4 eps, esp the final 3, felt like 2 entirely different dramas. And to add insult to injury the terribly ambiguous, unsatisfying ending left me feeling let down and bitter. Mostly, I felt really bad for Kohji. The guy got a raw deal. I wanted something better for him. He didn’t deserve all that crap. If I were to rate this drama based on the first 8 episodes it easily nets a 10. Not because it’s a masterpiece of any kind, but because the emotions resonate so well & so deeply. In the end my 9 rating here is also a reflection of this fact. Eps 9 - 12 get a 1 because ‘pathetic’ is truly an appropriate label for ensuing events that were totally unnecessary and foolish.
So here’s what I recommend, chingus. Go ahead and watch this show in its entirety at your own risk. But if you need to have or prefer to have a happy or relatively satisfying conclusion to a drama you’re about to invest 12 hrs of your life in, stop after the 8th episode. Arassoyo? Save yourself the grief and just create your own ending. I sure wish I had. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
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So, this drama has won me from the start. With such a strong chemistry between them and from the first second (reminded me of MARS and the chemistry between the main couple from there) I was hypnotized. The story was really great and Toyokawa has done the job like a real pro, how he portrayed the deaf, emotional artistic painter, it was fascinating, he has captured my heart and my mind right away. Not to mention his great looking and his tallness, just for the record he was smoking hot. Of course that is just a plus to the story.
And somewhere until the episode 9 it was fantastic drama but then everything was ruined. I would easily give it a strong 9.5 or even a 10 but I was very very mad about the last three episodes, it was completely unnecessary, stupid and wrong way of writing. I mean I hated the female lead, she was annoying all the time with her screaming, yelling and overly dramatic scenes, this time I hated Takako's character. Somehow I managed through the whole drama to be cool with her character because she loved him and their chemistry was worth watching even just for their kissing and love scenes, all those scenes were simply beautiful, so passionate, sweet, full of lust and real things with very natural relationship but that moment in drama when she did what she did was enough for me to lose my interest in a happy and beautiful ending, even more I would be more happy if the drama took different kind of event at the end. At least I know how I would act in that situation.
No, really, this female character became one of the most hated characters ever in my dramaland and I am truly sorry because of that 'cause this drama had such a potential with a great story, brilliant acting, especially from Toyokawa , you could feel everything that he felt without saying a word and you could just be carried away with his expression of emotions through the sign language, simply magnificent, and it didn't work out at the end. They ruined it with a betrayal in the worst kind of way and at the most important moment.
I gave it this score because of everything that I have already pointed out what was good and the biggest part of this score is because of the most natural, real expressions of love and attractiveness which was abnormally strong and high. Also this drama is indeed a Japanese classic so it should be on everyone's list, it is a real romance drama with a very great actors and storyline regardless of a few mistakes in it.
I think that it's never enough to see a great love story that it seems so real to the core.
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This review may contain spoilers
It seems like I'm the only one who didn't feel bad for the male lead, well to be quite fair I also didn't feel bad for the female lead, in the end I think both of them were better off without one another.When it comes to the female lead, she was obviously ableist and very immature, and would cause more harm than good to the male lead, that became clear to me when she jumped to say very hurtful things about his disability when they fought. As a POC, I know very well what it's like to suffer from microaggressions even from the people you love, and in the long run maintaining a person like that in your life will slowly eat you up. I suppose that with the passage of time and the open ending we're supposed to accept that she changed, but I'd have preferred to actually see that development, and I don't think I saw much of it, considering that up until episode 11 she was still hang up on the fact that he couldn't/wouldn't speak.
As for the male lead, the one everyone feels sorry for, I do think this drama is a product of its time, watching this not long after watching Silent shows how far we've come in the portrayal of people with disabilities and interabled couples. I think the way the drama would sometimes made it seem like the male lead would be unable to find love was ableist in itself, and I say this based on the things his sister and ex-girlfriend said and how the break up made it seem like they were right in their assessments, so overall the writing was questionable.
But if I focus only on the characters and forget the world outside of them, I feel that the male lead also wasn't ready to be in a relationship, a lot of focus is put on the female lead's actions with her friend, both by the audience and the drama, but if I'm being honest I think the male lead's "situationship" with his ex-girlfriend was inappropriate, and showed how inconsiderate he was with his partner's feelings. The second the ex tried to kiss him, he should have cut her from his life, or at very least made clear there were lines she couldn't cross, but instead he became even more involved in her life, allowing her to be even more close to him despite her confessing to him multiple times, it was no surprise the female lead questioned their relationship, I think anyone would.
And then there's the slap....... again, forgetting the time period, forgetting the questionable writing, and thinking only about the characters and their actions, if you ask me, a man who commits an act of domestic violence gets the karma he deserves from the universe, and that's exactly what the male lead got.
So yeah, ultimately I don't think the break up is solely because of the female lead's actions, I guess that's where my opinion differs from others. And as for the open ending...... meh. If the drama had taken the time to show how they changed in those three years apart, then maybe I could see it, but since that didn't happen, I prefer to think that they just ran into each other and didn't get back together.
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Awesome drama
One of the most beautiful dramas Say I love you.. The series shows how deaf and dumb suffer, but in a romantic context that melts the heart. What is that strong actor and his professionalism. He did the role perfectly relying on his facial expressions and beautiful signals. I don't know this actor, but I decided to watch the rest of his roles. As for the heroine, her innocence and vitality made the series more beautiful. The series made me cry a lot because I felt the suffering of the hero and the heroine in communicating between them not physical communication but emotionally.Was this review helpful to you?
The series revolves around a Woman who is in theater and man who is an artist but also hearing impaired. It shows how they met and how their relationship grow overtime. What I really liked about this series Waze it showed how far the female lead was willing to go to connect to the male she was interested in. She didn’t see a hearing impaired male, she saw a man and he was sweet and stunning.
You will get a set of the difficulties in their relationships but it also shows some real world complications that anybody with experience in their relationship such as the ex-girlfriend showing back up in jealousy taking please. It just showed it from a different perspective what it looks like and how it’s communicated. Overall this series was really good. It was short and sweet. I did not give it a 10 because I felt like I didn’t get the ending that I wanted. But I could not hate it.
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I am not making excuses, just advocating for the fact that this story was amazingly well done and while the ending was I admit a bit unsatisfying...We all know what happens. The whole show showed us a great deal so it's not like we were waiting for something we haven't already seen.
A very classic, almost perfect Japanese drama in my humble opinion. I love how short they are because every second of the drama is pure substance.
Toyokawa Etsushi is both a very fine actor, and simply GORGEOUS at this point in his career.
I also recommend Aoi Tori (Blue Bird) by him. He was brilliant in it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unsatisfied with the vast majority of the current season's J-dramas, I decided to go and try one of the many "Golden Age" ones I still hadn't watched, and picked this "Aishiteiru to Itte Kure".Well, sometimes even older dramas can be a real let down, as it was the case here, alas.
First things first, what I liked: namely, the *marvelous* OST (WOW, seriously, perfect 10 there!), the unmistakable "90's Flavor", and the always good performance by Tokiwa Takako - whereas the rest of the cast, imho, didn't do so well; most were sub-par, but I don't think it's entirely their fault, as the material they had to work with was the real problem.
In a scriptwriter's career (even when we're talking of someone like Kitagawa Eriko who's done some real masterpieces!) there's bound to be the occasional lousy work, and this was precisely such a case.
It started quite well, except for the honestly annoying subplot involving the stepsis; but then in the second half it became more and more trite and poorly written, with the last episode being particularly terrible, to the point it ended up being involuntarily ridiculous. HUGE spoilers ahead so stop reading NOW if you wanna avoid those!
*****SPOILERS*****
Misunderstanding after misunderstanding, the FL convinces herself (and wrongly so) that the ML has cheated on her, so she goes and cheats on him with her childhood friend, the 2nd ML (who took advantage of the situation, ok, but then again she had been taking advantage of his kindness for the whole series, so hard to cast the blame there, imho). Even after the misunderstanding got cleared, FL and ML still break up, she has apparently realized that it's better to be loved than to chase after someone rather cold (which might have been less romantic, but I was still fine with such a development, it would have been mature and adult and realistic and honestly quite a nice change after all). So she's bound to move back to Sendai to marry the 2nd ML and help him run the family inn. All fine and dandy, right?
But then the Nth set of coincidences unleash (seriously, the way the characters keep running into each other by chance, you'd think this series was set in a small village, rather than in the tentacular metropolis, LOL) and she runs into the ML, goes with him to an apartment/villa at the seaside ('cause yeah, what normal Japanese wouldn't have a seaside house with a fireplace, right? Mattaku...), where they open up a bottle of champagne ('cause yeah, the house is uninhabited, but of course there's a fine bottle on hand just in case!), almost have sex but stop midway after he picks up her keys ('cause yeah, what normal dude wouldn't pick up some keys while going at it, right?) and she notices the keychain belonging to the 2nd ML, thusly bursting in tears.
Come dawn, a *ridiculous* scene on the beach ensues, where we discover that deaf people apparently have the superpower of being able to understand what you say if you just put your throat on their shoulder (seriously, Kitagawa-san?!? Or was it Stan Lee who wrote that scene? Who knows, maybe the ML got bitten by a radioactive mosquito? Again, mattaku...)
Then she gets back to the 2nd ML, who's the usual, understanding nitwit and leaves alone, brokenhearted but with a big smile (oh, boy) while she stays in the Big City to pursue her acting career.
Three years later, she's been so "successful" that her single-line scene gets cut, but apparently that pays well enough that she's dressed all in style with Italian/French designer's clothes. And then the leads meet again by chance in front of an apple tree (more like, a completely different plant to which some poor sap of AD has glued half a dozen apples bought in the closest supermarket!!!), and so they can live happily ever after. *BARFS!*
Wasn't it for the OST and for Tokiwa, the grade would be even lower. 4/10
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it was great up until the last three episodes
I watched this show for a calm and good time, something not too heavy and where I wouldn't have to think too much, and while it served its purpose and had beautiful cinematography, a plot that could have been wrapped up nicely was messed up with an unnecessary plot. I would have given this a 9 or 10 if it weren't for the last three episodes. And as I watched these last three unfold I was constantly asking why it had to come to this. I would still recommend it it's a good show but it could've been even better.Was this review helpful to you?
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Emotional Turmoil
I have to say that this is really great. It’s worth the watch, even if you don’t like the ending. I don’t get why so many people hate the female lead for what she did. In my opinion, I feel like Ken fully took advantage of her. I mean, what kind of scum attempts to sleep with a girl who is crying her eyes out? She was vulnerable. Then she felt like a bad person and felt her lover deserved better than her. Then he acts all desperate and guilt trips her. When her heart wavers, he is cold and pushed her to the floor. That type of man could easily become controlling and abusive. I wish she had realized that while she slept with Ken, it could also be the case that it wasn’t consensual. If she had realized that then maybe we would have gotten a happier ending.Was this review helpful to you?
A beautiful story
I really enjoyed the drama. It gave me a warm, nostalgic feeling and a deep sense of longing for love. Typically, I shy away from dramas where there’s an age difference between the leads, as it tends to make me feel uncomfortable. However, I found myself a bit hypocritical this time because Hiroko and Koji's relationship drew me in. Hiroko, an aspiring actress with a bright and optimistic personality, was beautifully paired with Koji, a deaf artist living a lonely and reclusive life. Together, they created a love that felt sincere and captivating.That being said, I did feel like Koji was somewhat insensitive to Hiroko’s feelings at times. He didn’t always seem to understand her or make an effort to reassure her when she needed it most. Hiroko, on the other hand, was persistent in trying to understand Koji and encouraging him to open up, but it felt like he just wasn’t able to meet her halfway emotionally.
I also felt bad for Ken, as it seemed like Hiroko unintentionally used him to fill the void. However, I do think he should have known better and protected his own heart in the situation. Then there was Koji’s manipulative and unstable ex-girlfriend, who I absolutely disliked. Her interference added unnecessary chaos to Koji and Hiroko’s relationship, and I can’t help but feel that without her meddling, things could have ended differently for the two of them.
Overall, this was a fantastic drama. The cast was outstanding, and their performances were both heartfelt and nuanced. They brought the characters to life in such a way that you couldn’t help but be invested in their story. Not to mention, they were all incredibly good-looking and talented, which certainly didn’t hurt!
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