Coffee & Vanilla (2019)

Absolute waste of time. I can't really understand how anyone can honestly like this drama. The story is full of clichés and just awful.
The female lead has absolutely no personality while the male lead is so obsessive that it hurts. The second lead is awful as well and her best friend as well. I honestly liked none of the characters. There was zero chemistry between the leads and their romance was so toxic. The mature scenes weren't even that mature - they were just laying on the bed usually in full clothing and making out.
The only plus is that it's so short and I liked the OST.
Seriously don't watch it.

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Take it seriously when people say it's fast

This is just "meh".

I'm not even gonna talk about the problematic scenes, I'm just- No.
It's a cliché, but everything is just too... cringe? Romance really happens too fast, you can't even see HOW they fall in love because 10 minutes into the episode they're in love, and that takes the magic away.

She's always in danger, she's so insecure that she ends up being egocentric. Dude sick and she's like "But What About Me?", I can't relate to her at all. Way too inocent, I'll risk saying she's dumb, and she really needs a friend to tell her that being submissive is NOT a good personality trait. Male lead world's revolves around her and he still manages to be RICH I-. He basically spends his days saving her and teaching her how to have sex....

Anyways, there's no emotions, just a grown up woman that acts like a 5 years old and a grown up man in a suit. The story is kinda bad, wouldn't watch it again, I probably won't remember I watched. Trust me, I really tried to like it.

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Believe me, I love manga as much as the next person, especially romance. I also LOVE when they create "live-action" dramas from manga as I have loved all the other adaptions I've watched. But this one. Not my cup of tea. I never read the manga and went into this blind, but knew it was one of the top anticipated adaptations this fall. My roommate and I binged all 10 episodes in one go and it was a funny watch as everything Fukami said to Risa could have come off romantic (the way she took it) or...something one would say before he killed you. We found ourselves asking questions back and forth, "if you dated a guy and he said that to you, what would you do?" which were mostly answered with "run." 5 stars was being generous, but because it entertained us and because I do like the actor who plays Fukami, I will be generous. Maybe it is just the lead actress - I have not liked her in any of the dramas she has been in, that I have watched. Not sure if it is her, or the rolls she picks. But every roll she has played, I have no enjoyed her character. I wasn't sure if we were supposed to connect or feel for her character because I did not. Maybe if she had some character development, she would have been bearable, but literally...she started off as an insecure college student with no love, to an insecure college student who found love, but not for herself. Fukami was borderline creepy and possessive, but I guess it is very much a Christian Grey character who went through SOME development.

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Don't watch this drama if you want a plot or anything other than eye candy

In my quest to watch more japanese dramas, Coffee and Vanilla is mentioned pretty often. Also, Dori's international popularity has shot up high since his appearance in Alice in Borderland so I was pretty interested to see him in this drama. Also I didn't read the original material, so this review is coming from someone who has absolutely no knowledge about this story.

However, this drama has like... no plot.. I mean it does, but it's like a fanfiction come to life. Dori plays this just perfect CEO character that is just obsessed with the FL (who is gorgeous) but her character is so damn shy I wonder how she even is able to date him in the drama. Some scenes make me genuinely cringe, but I do like how it's just straight up taken from the manga.

The color grading on this drama is also really interesting. It does look beautiful and much more of a high production than some other japanese dramas I have watched.

Why would you watch this drama?
Probably because you watch something that involved no thinking and maybe you're a simp for Dori or maybe you're a simp for perfect CEOs who are obsessed with you and do everything for you.

However, there's this one scene in this drama that makes it ---relatively--- worth it -it involves a smirk. My god, that was a hell of a scene.

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Ridiculous show

Starting with Episode 1, I found this show weird. A naive virginal college girl meets a supposedly 30 year old guy (who looks 23 yrs old) who tells her he loves her and proceeds to bed her on their first meeting. That alone made me think this guy is an obsessive psychopath and rapist. She is flattered by his words and actions and believes she is in love. WTF?

Then in Episode 2, he shows up at one of her classes as a guest lecturer and later pulls her into a private nook to make out. There is something totally strange about this dude!

FL is supposed to be 20 yrs old but she acts like a 15 yr old with a huge inferiority complex. I know 15 yr olds with more common sense and maturity. I can't understand why a worldly 30+ yr old businessman would be obsessed with a cloistered 20 year old college student. Pedophile?

What is the point of this movie? When I thought this show couldn't get any worse, Episode 5 has FL's best friend asking FL to share her boyfriend for one date. Who the hell would agree to that? FL does exactly that in Episode 6! ?

In Episode 7, ML is supposed to be on a business trip but when FL is cornered at work by a psychotic stalker with a blade, ML is Johnny-on-the-Spot!

Oh, then there is the familiar estranged parent story arc that gets resolved by the FL who brings the ML and his mother back together in Episode 8. There's nothing special in the storyline of this entire show that hasn't been played out in other shows.

Episode 9 has the kidnapping of the Damsel-in-Distress in which the ML gets injured when trying to save her. This of course results in the obligatory hospital or sick bed scene. Did the writers have a checklist of every possible scenario in a drama? Every episode is so ridiculous and unoriginal.

This is not one of Dori Sakurada's finest works. He is not a strong actor overall but his acting was better in Perfect Crime. He should be embarrassed to be in this series. Also, I want to take a pair of shears and cut his unruly unkempt hair! His hairstyle annoyed me!

I really didn't like any of the characters in this show, and it especially angered me whenever the ML forced himself physically and sexually on the FL. Do the writers believe these acts are desired by women?

There is so much overacting in this show. Also, when the ML kept saying to the FL that she can never leave him because he loves her so much, I felt no empathy or emotions towards the couple. However, when the same words were said by Lee Joon-gi to IU in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, I totally felt the emotions and passion then.

I felt I wasted 5 hours of my life that I will never get back. Needless to say, I will not rewatch this series.

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mindless bore and waste of time

The entire drama is an unbearable mess, and the only reason I finished it was because I was basically hate watching it halfway through to see how long they could keep up being so ridiculous. The "relationship" starts off too suddenly, and there's no depth or chemistry to it. The female lead is absolutely brainless, spineless, and painfully cringey with the personality of a pillowcase. There are no interesting plot points or any relationship progression or conflicts, and there's absolutely no point to watching this unless you're into watching sexy, perverted Dori Sakurada next to whining child montages.

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A big waste of time

Originally I wanted to watch this bc Omggg finally Nao and Daisuke are together.. kinda ?? ( wink good morning call watchers) but its honestly just awful I think that Dori is a good actor but his acting stands on the chemistry with his castmate I think the writing is at fault here and also who they chose as female-lead
This whole thing was a cringe-fest from the rapey situations that shes put into with other male castmates and how she is BLAMED for it??
Forced kisses
THE SO uncomfortable intimate scenes which could be so sexy but its just ruined by...sigh HER.
Originally I gave this a 5 but now I bump it down to a 4 bc its genuinely awful

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Unintentionally Funny

Ok, so maybe I'm not the target audience of this drama. I haven't read the source material and I'm 32 years old but this was so unintentionally hilarious. Also to preface I don't believe in Love at 1st sight, I find the whole concept childish and shallow. First of all I love the male lead. I think I might have rated it so high because dayumn! Anyway the female lead leads much to be desired. Maybe it's written in to the script to act like an 8 year old who is bewildered at all times and has no concept of what the real world is like but I think it was an acting choice. If I saw one more surprised Pikachu face from her when the kissed or hugged, something they did quite a lot I was going to scream. Also, is it not stalking if you're classically handsome, cause that man definitely stalked her. She'd be just walking down the street, or in school, or in a restaurant and bam, that man would show up. Does he have a GPS device on her, why is he always there? Why does she have no spine, isn't it hard to stand up? Why did she continue working for a man who sexually assaulted her? That's not normal, her letting her friend date her boyfriend too because she saw him on the street and said she fell for him, what a toxic friend she was! Actually all of her friends were a bit toxic, that one guy was her friend just because he was in love with her. I liked that she realized that she needed to change but ugh, too little too late. I had so many unintentional laughs while watching this. Their kiss in a closet where he smirked at a guy that was interested in her was hot. It just seemed somewhat wrong, their whole relationship because he was definitely an adult doing adult things with someone who acted like a child. So many of their actions were just inconceivable, they wouldn't happen. IDK I might watch again just to see the male lead's face but he pops up in a lot of jdramas so I don't even really need to. Yeah, this show was a mess!

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My first Japanese show. The storyline was okay not too bad and not too good. It mostly revolves around their relationship. As we can see Hiroto already in love with risa ( as he said in episode 3, he opened a cafe for her... That's so sweet of him ..love at first sight) & the same with the girl, she wanted to be in a relationship with a mature guy when she saw him, she fell in love with him. Then they start dating and all couple things. Hiroto seems to be the dominant one but he's very caring and protective towards risa and gives her time to be comfortable. They look so cute together. One thing I like about them the way Hiroto pats her head. Most of we can see their kiss scenes and sometimes you can feel butterfly in your stomach with their interactions. It looks like the neck kisses in some scenes, the actor use only the facial movements. I really like Dori's deep voice and his Japanese really hits different when he has to say something sweet and Romantic, his voice totally changes and the way he gives back hugs..love it. He played Hiroto so well. You feel sometimes irritated with the female character but that's her nature. In the end, you can see a little bit of character development in girls character. Love the ending. So it's a short and sweet show with a 25minutes episode. So watch it, if you like this genre without any expectations

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50 shades of toxic sweet and HOT obsession

"Let me be your first and last love" Romantic or the beginning of a crime thriller? This drama gave out strong 50 shades of grey vibes in the beginning, not that I have seen/read 50 shades of grey, but I do live on earth and have been here for a while.

I honestly do not know what to make of this, I watched it for the week lead, and boy did I get a week lead. Reall. really, week lead making me wonder how on earth this person survived to the age of 20.

The Male lead is possessive, obsessive and horney as hell and is most definitely in need of a lesson or two in consent while at the same time showing moments of respect. Very odd combination if I may say so but fun to watch and makes way to A LOT of very steamy scenes. Scenes shot beautifully sexy yet without reveling to much skin. The sexual tension in this drama is over top.

This drama also has some interesting twists, other toxic evil men who most definitely cross the line over to seexual asult showing us how victims often blame themselves instead of the perpetrator.

All in all pretty fun to watch and very easy to binge

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This show is not for the faint heart (not because of mature content) but because of the wtf value

P.s. you might kill yourself if you watch this

What I liked
-Absolutely Nothing
-the best part about this show is watching it on Viki with the timed comments going. If you decide to watch this show beware because its basically "50 Shades of Coffee and Vanilla"

What I disliked
-the fact that this girl acts way to f-ing clueless about everything. I get that she is supposed to be portrayed as innocent but to me, she just seems like a dumb b*tch
-how fast this show got intense. it's like 7 minutes in there in a relationship then at 12 minutes in they're doing the dirty! like calm down, can we take some time to learn about each other or have some character development instead of just going right into it
-the fact that there was supposed to be a love triangle but it was only really brought up in the first and last episode
-**This show was laced with so much sexual harassment that I was like about to just drop dead with shock! like what that the hell did they think they were doing?! she'd say "no" he'd say friggin "yes and unbutton my shirt and kiss me" and she's like "I can't" and he's like "do it!!"

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