Firstly we are presented with a (handsome) young man, Junichi, who likes to have sex but maybe that's how he feels he can relate to the women he encounters? We don't know. To me Junichi is a complex character who, like most people, hides a lot of himself from others and understands that real connections with people are hard to make and they can be quite scary despite his bold and upfront desires. He is likely comfortable with himself at this level. We get to learn more about the women he sleeps with who have their own stories and they all seem happy to use him sexually for their own purpose and largely likely due to his allure, availability and willingness to get down. In each episode though, we learn a little more about him. He is emotionally elusive and appears to like his life that way. It is a very modern way of thinking and comments on society with a brutal honesty.
I feel like at the end though, it's less about his libido and the porking and more about how he and the characters learn more about themselves as the story unfolds.
What I loved was the acting. It was simple. It was honest. And there was less dialogue to lead viewers in a pointed opinion towards each specific issue presented in each episode. I appreciated this greatly. It does also help that Shison Jun is just so gorgeous. Forget that he is jarringly thin, when you get to see his eyes and his lips there's something there that even I would have a hard time not giggling like a fool if presented to me.
The music was simple. There were lots of moments without music that made each scene more relatable because in life there is often no background music. But it was effective when employed. I enjoyed the nature sounds a lot.
In all honesty, I probably would not re-watch this unless I was craving me some Shison Jun. But it was an enjoyable watch and an interesting story.
Overall Junichi is the kind of drama I personally enjoy watching. It reminds me a lot of a summers' afternoon with a gin and tonic and cucumber, or a pineapple, mint and apple juice over ice with perhaps a splash of vodka or white rum... It's been hot and dry all day but then that sea breeze hits and that is Junichi. In a nutshell. That is the feeling that this drama gives me.
I'd be interested to see if anyone else felt similarly on reflection after finishing this drama, please drop a comment and let's chat.
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This Is Nothing Like Call Boy.
I think the synopsis is giving people the wrong impression. The kid is sort of a drifter and works doing odd jobs; so far he's been a bartender, moving man, and a construction worker. In Call Boy, the man took pride in his job and felt like he was doing a valuable service. In JunichI it feels like he's lost. When we meet him he looks devastated, like he's been hit by a truck. I don't know because they haven't uploaded the rest of the drama yet, but I think he might have a terminal illness or something similar... I think it was the tender way he touched the pregnant woman's belly that give's me that impression and the way that the women talk about him... at any rate, don't go into this drama expecting to see a hot guy who's mission it is to please women cuz this is not that.Edit: I just finished watching the last two episodes and in the end this whole drama was pointless.... just like the main character.
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Then I deicded to skim through the other episodes as well. And they all have the same theme. Some unhappy woman stumbles into this kid and this kid somehow ends up having sex with them. There's no nudity in this FYI, just pretend sex with minimal skin. If I had to sum up this drama in a few words it would be Japanese porn without the porn part. Its like a slow drama which somehow leads to sex with this one kid. Turn off your brain and throw logic out of the window. Glad I didn't waste my time with this so if you wanna watch what I just described, then be my guest. Otherwise skip it and save yourself the time of actually watching this illogical sex snoozefest.
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The acting wasn't bad, but the story lacked depth or character development. You don't really learn anything about any of the characters, even Junichi, who remained the most mysterious of all even at the end, besides the fact that they are all unhappy with their lives and hooking up with a stranger gives them a brief moment of happiness. What's so frustrating is that Junichi, the one character who should tie the whole show together, has no back story. Oh, sorry, we learned that he gave up his dog when he turned 18, but that's seriously it. I really think that the writer of this show just wanted to create a story where a young attractive guy hooks up with a bunch of older women.
This show is a waste of your time. If you love Shison Jun, just go watch Kimi Wa Petto because he gets more screen time and it has an actual plot.
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THE END.
I just saved you the trouble of watching this senseless meandering drama........
Rating:
4/10
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Unpredictable
This drama made me think. Usually when I look at a work, I just let myself be carried away by my emotions, my feelings. I evolve emotionally with the characters in the drama and I easily pick up the messages in the drama or at least I can get interpretations out of them. For Junichi it was different.My opinion will join Ange's one.
This drama, either can be taken in a very simple way: it is what it is. No more and no less. The characters are who they are and do what they do for no apparent reason or motive. Sometimes there aren't necessarily reasons or messages behind people's actions. It is what it is.
Or, we have the more analyzed version of the drama and this is the one that got me thinking.
Junichi for me is a story of women. Enhanced by a man. Sublimated by a man: Shison Jun. He is the one who brings to light these stories of women, these slices of life.
There is the “before” and the “after” Junichi. I wondered sometimes if he was not a reflection of some unconscious desire of these women, a creation of their mind in the reality, something that would have taken shape from their unconscious.
Because what's amazing is that he is always there, at the right time, in the right place. I mean he adapts to each woman and their very meeting is tailored to each one.
For me this drama is a puzzle whose meaning you only fully understand when you look at the big picture with the last episode, it is this one which connects everything.
So yes, he has sex in almost every episode. Presented in a raw way often. And what is curious is that if stay in a "moral way of thinking", if you look at it from a judgmental point of view, the moments of sex are not especially "positive". I mean infidelities, sexuality to be like other girls, sexuality in a self-destructive pattern, here, no romance or fairy tale, just human stories, with their dark side too.
And that's where he comes in. When these women meet him, they are not happy. They are mostly empty of meaning, of emotions (at least positive emotions), they are lost. Completely.
And after sleeping or having a connection with him, it's like their life is changing.
As if they had found themselves again.
Junichi is exactly what they needed at this precise moment to reconnect deeply with themselves and reconnect with life.
And once he's done his mission, he leaves and disappears.
It reminds me of those lucky charm that we find and once they use their positive charm on us and accomplish their mission, they disappear.
I really saw him like that. A lucky charm, a way for them to reconnect with themselves.
My biggest question would be about him. Is he happy? Is he really happy and satisfied with this life? Does he feel he has a mission? Is he aware that he is bringing an emotional transformation to these women? Does he let himself live and drift, where his boat takes him. Does he have meaning in his life? Is he happy? Does he feel alive ?
Sex is often frowned upon in our society. Yet in my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful, moving, deep and most effective way of communication. (Of course, I'm not talking about all kind of sex. Not all of them are beautiful and can even be negative or even damaging) but with the right person and the right intention, this is the most powerful form of communication. We connect to the person on all levels. Emotional, mental, physical, psychic, energetic, our souls connect. It is as if he is using this medium of communication to heal and heal the souls of these women. He traces a path to their deep being.
But who is treating him? Who acres about him ?
The last frame when he smiles because he's going back to yet another story with a woman, I just felt sadness.
In France there is a song (the theme really has nothing to do with this drama ) with those lyrics:
"You would like to feel her already in the crook of your arm. The wife of those who don't have one ”.
And that reminded me of him. In symbolism.
And then this Koji Nakamura end-of-drama music is just so powerful, melancholic, nostalgic. It shows how fragile, ephemeral this life is and at the same time, there is this little ray of sun behind this heaviness and this fog.
There is always hope in the darkness.
I don't know if he's happy, if he loves his life, if he's satisfied, and that is what bothers me the most.
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Disjointed, pointless, but interesting in a werid way
I was lost at first, because I was expecting a traditional storyline....instead I think this is actually an adult fantasy story. It only makes coherent sense once I realized that the ML is not real. I think he's a figment of each woman's imagination. Each of them seem to be at some sort of crossroads in their life (newly widowed, 1st pregnancy/new mother, Virgin thinking of having sex, crumbling marriage/divorce, etc)...and they obviously are having some sort of anxiety or emotional crisis...and that's when Junichi appears and he basically does whatever that woman desires or in two cases does whatever they need him to do to get them through their issue... usually its sex but not always. I don't even think the sex is real....its a symbol too. The sex is a symbol of their release of tension that comes with the resolution of a stressful/difficult time in their lives. Thinking of the series this way is the only way it makes sense to me....otherwise its just smut.Was this review helpful to you?
Commitment Issues
There wasn't much acting going on, the story seemed pointless, including the last episode. ML has sex sometimes with women, their ages vary. He can't seem to commit to anything; pets, people, jobs, etc. The details of each episode are vague and even so it moves so slowly. Some shaky camera moments where someone forgot to activate the video stabilizer. No FX to speak of. A lot of scenes in the dark, where you barely make out the actor/actress or anything.Scenery is okay, music was okay.
Almost a total waste of time. Even with no expectations, this was completely underwhelming. Not worth the original watch, wont rewatch and wont recommend.
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