This review may contain spoilers
Okay so i watched this drama because of Sakurada Dori. I like the actor but this show.....I will try not to be biased about the whole thing.
STORY :- The story is bit similar to the description but when the description said that there is a dark past about male lead it drew us in right? But the point is that there was no dark past in my opinion as it said in the description. Also some people like cute female lead (I am one of them) but cute doesn't mean not to have a bloody backbone. Also In my opinion the fl here was not a least bit cute more like annoying. Also Fukami hiroto (ml) said that she was so cute so many times that it is now ringing in my eyes. Annoying I must say.
I think the secretary (Ichiyanagi Yuki) was more cute than fl. In episode seven it showed that he liked ml (this is when my bl fan heart died) Anyway there was not much shown regarding him. T_T
Back to the story It wore more like the the leads met had *** and grew fond of each other. And the whole thing was romance with *** and no genuine romance. Its not slow built but a intense fast paced one.
ACTING:- As I said earlier I liked the ml and supporting characters because their acting was good but not the fl. She is was just too annoying. Sorry to Fukuhara Haruka lovers
MUSIC: The music was okay as much I remember. (My whole mind was focused on finding the dark past. lol)
REWATCH VALUE: I don't think I'll rewatch it. It would only annoy me.
OVERALL RATING: Can watch for a quick intense romance. But want to avoid because of "You are so cute" line that was repeated again and again. Seriously the ml should have given some different line from that one.
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Awkward
This was my first Japanese drama. Unfortunately, I selected it without reading about it first. My mistake. I had no idea that this was a manga adaptation. Hence, my shock at the weirdness.Most of the character interactions felt odd/unnatural. That includes conversations and actions of all roles. I’m assuming this had something to do with manga portrayal.
Thankfully the male lead is attractive because the mature scenes are…awkward. It’s like seeing an accident but you can’t help but look. Poor guy was put in the role of a 30 year-old when he looks the same age as FL. Then the FL is portrayed naive like a child even though she is 20. Which is extremely annoying through the whole thing.
If you plan to watch, go in to it knowing this is not your average drama. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it better than I did.
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To those that are contemplating if they should watch this or not, I only recommend it to those who are looking for something short and sweet to satisfy their thirst for straight-forward and quick paced racy romance! I believe the entire purpose of the show was to bring the 'doki-doki' and heart fluttering feeling to the intended young female audience. A young and naive virgin girl meets a handsome, capable, kinky, and rich man?! Isn't that a fantasy a lot of young women have? It's simply to satiate that fantasy, NOT to offer a well developed story.
However, if you're someone who wants the mature/racy content that this drama offers but also need the character and plot development, I instead recommend Scum's Wish (Kuzu no Honkai). Smutty and racy, yet it seamlessly includes self-growth and acceptance. It stars the same male lead casted in Coffee and Vanilla.
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only 4 dori
hi guys, i just went through immense pain watching this dumbass 12 year old girl get seduced by king dori.. i closed my eyes and in the next second they be pouncing on eachother like rawr ig?? BUT DORI POPPED OFF IN THAT BAR OOO. this is my 13th reason like WHATS THE MORAL????!! what i learnt from this is to never taken drink coffee and learn self-defense against kinky people. i would recommend if u into like kinky shit but save urselves if u not into it. i think jdramas aint for me but yall stay safe! xoxoWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Very shallow not much character development
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Japanese drama With 10, 25 minute, episodes. Risa Shiroki (Haruka Fukuhara ) is a shy, naive 20-year-old university student. Originally from the countryside, she moved to the big city, Tokyo, to attend a university. Risa gets constant male attention as she is really pretty and nice and struggles to avoid the many advances. As she is uncomfortably on the run from one amorous suitor, Hiroto Fukami (Dori Sakurada) steps in and pretends he is just late meeting her. Looking handsome and suave in a business suite, the 30-year-old Immediately catches Risa’s interest. Risa and Hiroto are very different she is naive and innocent and he is worldly with a dark past. This drama is based on the manga series "Coffee & Vanilla" by Takara Akegami.spoiler 🚨 I was really surprised how risqué this was. Their relationship turns physical really quickly. I felt a little frustrated with her total lack of confidence. He is gorgeous and it was a bit challenging to understand what he saw in her. It was entertaining and interesting for me to watch a Jdrama as I watch mostly Korean dramas. I enjoyed it. It just lacked complexity and character development. It ended well which I find important.
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Know what to expect.
I loved this story, BUT its not for everyone.I'm not an expert but I think this is based on shoujo/josei manga. The FL is innocent and pretty and the ML is successful, attractive and somewhat dominant. If you don't like these kind of characters, then this show isn't for you. If you're second or third wave feminist this show is probably not for you either.
Personally, I like these kind of stories. It's fantasy, without the fantasy, and it's OTT. Every male in the FL's vicinity falls head over heals for her and she is mostly unaware of her charms. The ML is the perfect boyfriend and is almost too pretty to be real.
If you like this kind of manga/anime. give it a shot. If not, give it a wide berth because it WILL irritate you.
100% re-watch value.
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Coffee and Vanilla
One of the few japanese dramas I have throughly enjoyed. the FL was naive and innocent and the ML was a mature CEO hotshot. The love scenes was sizzling and explosive for a jdrama. Give it a try. Although I am 5 years late in watchimg this drama but it did not lose appeal despite the years gone by.I wish more dramas are made with this maturity instead pf making them into live actions. Granted the plot came from Mangas and Animation; the actors are talented to pull pff good acting without being loud and animated. pardon the pun. So I hope my review reaches ou there to provide some ideas to improve Jdramas
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I'm just saying. But.. it;s not that bad.
I watched the full episode 1 but I began to skip a lot of scenes till the end.
I began to lose interest because of the way they act... Risa's acting is more like a fear than a shy-innocent person. I like how Fukami-chan acts but there's something missing.
This is based on the Manga... tbh.. I recommend the manga more than the show, but that's just my opinion.
Thanks.
5/4/20 8:24pm
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A Twisted Cinderella Story
I decided to take a break from c-k-drama to watch the Japanese series Coffee & Vanilla. First I was admiring how this live action version matched the manga, but soon I felt myself looking at downtuned scenes from movies like 9 1/2 weeks (1986), Wild Orchid (1989), Sleeping With The Enemy (1991).Plot
Coffee & Vanilla has the same plot as these other western movies, a shallow twisted Cinderella story that is meant to glue the emotional, intimate scenes together. There is this naïve girl from the country, without an impressive resume or pedigree, who doesn't realize how pretty she is. She gets discovered by a mundane rich guy, full of tricks, but tired from his own lifestyle. Without breaking a sweat he conquers her, takes her in, starts to cuddle and experiment with her, apparently enjoying her freshness, but after a while even this dum girl feels there's something really weird going on. Her Prince acts strange, at times he's alienated from her, showing signs from some psychic disorder or traumatic event in earlier life. The outside world doesn't seem to matter to both of them. No questions or background stories are asked, parents, family, and friends are strangely unimportant. In stead of that, the outside world gets more hostile for this girl. She starts to feel like a helpless chick, a burden to people around her. Main question is, has Cinderella found her Prince Charming, or not?
The Good
I guess the central theme of this drama is self confidence. The story shows that it is better not to trust easily, but when you really love someone you can break a curse with nothing but your courage and steadfastness. Both elements are nice to know, and reassuring.
The Bad
Too bad I couldn't feel a spark of eroticism between the leading couple. A romance can be based on instant attraction and passion, but their story didn't convince me. The casual remarks of the male lead that he already knew her, wanted her, prepared even a house for her, was creepy to say the least. I know there are many people on this forum who think otherwise, but I've really had my fill of male obsessiveness, or males saying Kawai all the time. If someone would pat my head like the male lead did to others...I would pinch his face real hard.
Verdict
So, can you spend your time with this series? Yes you can, it's just not my cup of tea.
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This review may contain spoilers
There are better Jdramas out their to spend your time on.
OverallI do not recommend watching this. The story is pretty bad and it's basically just a bunch of clichés put together and call a plot.
Story
This story was pretty bad. To start out with, she falls in love with a guy who she doesn't know because he helps her get away from guys hitting on her by taking her out on a date and after spending the night together seems schechy and not honest. Seems realistic asf, right? Now, make this all happen in one afternoon and you have the first episode. After that bad premise, the show brings in two other guys that are interested in her in the next two episodes and does virtually nothing with them after that. After this, the show becomes a series of damsels in distress situations, and the ML always, ALWAYS, finds a way to save her, even if he is in Hong Kong and she is in Japan. Sprinkle in there two more love triangles and that your story.
So now let talk about the characters. Risa is a pretty and young college girl that has all the single guys dying to talk with her and she doesn't allow it. Later on, we find out that she actually thinks very little about herself and actually does not think she is enough for Fukami. On the other hand, Fukami is an obsessed 30-year old that wants this girl he doesn't really know, and once he dates her treats her like his personal pet or object. These are the basics of the two leads
So to recap, this is a love story, with a romance that is faster than the flash, between a girl with no self-esteem and a man who is obsessed with her. This couple then goes through 4 love triangles and many situations where the girl needs to be rescued by the man.
Acting/Cast
Why do they cast a young-looking actor to play a 30-year-old? I know that Sakurada Dori was 27 at the time of filming but this man literally looks like still isn't legally supposed to drink if he was in America. This really takes away from the believability of the drama. Other than that, both Sakurada Dori and Fukuhara Haruka are good actors, although I think I have seen them act better in other works that they are in.
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This review may contain spoilers
Expected sexy romance but got damsel in distress instead
Coffee & Vanilla is perhaps the least enjoyable jdrama I've watched. Don't waste your time. Actor Dori Sakurada looked like Suga at times though!What I like:
1. Scores featured in episode 1.
2. I like Risa's clothes except that red dress. Made her look matronly.
3. Each episode is less than 26 minutes & only 10 episodes in the series. That prompted me to finish this series.
What I dislike
1. Female lead Risa is childish & meek, she even acknowledged those traits. Damsel in distress.
2. The romance is unbearable. Risa keeps on receiving, Hiroto treats her like a possession. Risa is always being manhandled, but just obliges.
3. Underdeveloped characters even for leads.
Favourite scene
When Risa realised she needed to grow up so she applied for internship.
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Tsundere and girl with no self-esteem
I'm not going to reiterate the other reviewers. For me, the rating is mostly for being able to look at Dori Sakurada - oh, my goodness! That said, there really wasn't too much of a story line, other than repeating over and over and over again how low the girl's self-esteem was. I was so tired of "I'm not good enough for him". Actually, she said that so much I had to agree with her. She never even really talked to him so I don't get how they could be in love. He was aggressive, which if she was as innocent as she kept talking about, she would have run for the hills. I just kept waiting for her to get a spine, and it never really happened.Was this review helpful to you?
