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Ikuta Toma made this show revolve around his character Mitsuru playing off of Koike Eiko's Ayako flawlessly. As a watcher I believed they had a shared history. Yasuda Ken acted the outsider Koji masterfully, as Ayako's new husband he finds an ally in his new brother in law when standing against his wife.
Music : Tomayo by Kanjani8 really grew on me and I have added to my playlist the insrt music added to the light hearted feel of the drama.
I do not rewatch shows often so in all my reviews this is a low score.
Overall this drama is about pacing and everyone has their own timing to do things. Some are go getters and hit the ground running with every task they do, and others have a turtle named Bolt that they try and emulate : )
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This show has a lot more than just Ikuta Toma as the focal point, though it's true that he is listed as the main character, but as you continue to watch it's almost as if everyone blends into the "main character" role. The family dynamic itself is such a unique system/role in society that everyone, at some point, seems to play the "main character" role within their own family system. This show has taken that title of "main character" and turned it upside down!
Each character in this show's story has brought themselves full circle, from beginning to end. Please do not be blinded by your bias for Ikuta Toma as the main character for this show, while that is true, it also isn't in its own way. Each character, including the customers of Bar Clutch and Cafe Polaris, becomes the main character in this show; it almost seems like a chapter book with the different breaks in the episodes. Though the show does seem to focus on Ikuta Toma's character's lifestyle just a bit more than it does any other character, however.
There is romance in this show but it follows along with the show's general genre and is a "coming of age" for all parties involved. As you watch, this show becomes almost familiar, like it could be a family you know or even your own family. Though some episodes also feel like a diary or secret journal entries that someone had written about their own family and they made it into a story later in their life/live(s). This show is extremely close to reality for so many genres; such as: slice of life, coming of age, romance/adult (almost), comedy, miniseries, docufiction, and even sometimes it fills the role of docudrama.
The "family" roles in this show, also, are not just limited to the role of families by blood, but they also include the families we create, that of: friends, lovers, coworkers, acquaintances, neighbors, and even pets. It fills us with confidence, happiness, frustration, encouragement, loyalty, courage, fear, ridiculous amounts of love, friendship, and so on... I can't say that this show is the definition of family in itself, but it comes very close!
I couldn't predict the ending of this show, let alone any outcome of any episode! IIf you're a fan of Ikuta Toma, like myself, then definitely watch! This is one of his best shows, his talent is extraordinary in this show! Though even if you aren't a fan of Ikuta Toma, and you are or are not a fan of any of the other cast members, then definitely watch this show, too! So many members of this show are extremely talented, their hardwork, skill, unique traits, respect, and personalities all shine throughout each episode. Maybe you'll find some new actor/actress to follow, like I did! This show is a gem, and absolutely not one to miss out on!
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The chemistry between the family members feels quite genuine, and the performances were commendable overall. It was sweet how Harumi referred to Mitsuru as a big brother rather than an uncle.
I loved the analogies used to describe Mitsuru nii-chan e.g. as a lion in a zoo or as a Roomba cleaner, and how the series continued to reference them later on. The ending was foreseeable and slightly bathetic but still felt immensely satisfying. Can't say I was satisfied with the execution of the romance arcs, however.
As the title suggests there is a lot of talking. There are also a lot of mouth-watering food scenes.
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This review may contain spoilers
..TABLE MANNERS..
..NEET - Not in Education, Employment, or Training...
..one of the social issues in Japan, they are far different from hikikomori, shy person, or being introverted - they might be lazy because they are not interested on the 3 things mentioned above, they just do what they want to do - as what Mitsuru's characteristics..
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..the plot of the story happened when her sister with her new husband and a daughter from the other man went to stay on their mother's house since his sister's (Ayako) house is on three months renovation..
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..the first two episodes are kinda shock for me - a less than an hour of fighting of words on the front of their food - I looking for some interesting part yet I found nothing..
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..but still as those end, I found in interesting to continue to watch it..
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..the following episodes are getting more interesting and funny too..
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..and even if most of the scenes are more on exchanging of words from the family members - the lesson about loving one another, friendship, and work are still there, in the end it's them that bonds as family..
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..also this series is a food porn too - they featured not only the common food served on the table but some new cuisine for me which is a bonus one for me, just right to appreciate this..
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..as I ended this series, I'm looking forward for the re-opening of the ML's shop but it's not (so better to watch what happened)..
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..but the ending is good - the ML get out of his box, push the limit and do what he didn't hate..
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This time, his role is a talkative neet who never fails to annoy his older sister. Seeing him talk so much made me laugh so much. It’s very different from the past works (dramas and movies) that I’ve watched, it’s new and refreshing.
I have a confession, I love Koike Eiko. Hihi. She’s one of my favorite Japanese actresses. In this drama, she showed her strong-willed personality that contradicts Toma’s laid back personality.
Final thoughts: I just finished watching this (yesterday) and I feel like missing Mitsuru’s talkative mouth already. Huhu. [this review is written on my tumblr blog december 2019]
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The drama is a slice of life, with not much going on for it. That is because the drama's story had a basic idea, the guy who set at home all day doing nothing and his family trying to get along with that, but, other than that, a few story lines were happening, and there were few surprises or something to look forward to, like the niece's story of first love and growing up. That is not to say that the drama was not entertaining. The main character was a delight, always talking in fast pace, and making crazy reasoning about everything. The drama had a nice, easy going mood to it actually. It was sweet, cozy and the family dynamics were great.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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Found family trope, but with real family…
Or rather reconnecting with your family while learning how to move forward - that’s what the drama is about.To be honest, it was not easy for me to make up my mind about the show. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was I excited to watch every episode? Not really. That’s the thing with a slice of life dramas - you either connect to the characters and enjoy the ride, or feel like a third wheel in a relationship. This time I felt more like a third wheel.
Here’s the thing though, the drama is good, really good. I guess it just was not for me. Kishibe Mitsuru felt like a plot device to motivate other characters and deliver some truly meaningful lines, while himself staying stagnant. I understand that it fits the theme, but I like my main characters to feel more like the main characters…
The aspect of the show I truly loved was the relationship between Akiba Koji, who also was my favorite character, and Akiba Harumi. The progression was shown in such a delicate and minimalistic way, but when comparing their interactions in first and last episodes, the progress is clear. One line here, one interaction there, but the end result made me cry.
Another thing I appreciated about the show was how mundane it was. Normal people with painfully normal issues and somehow it was refreshing. There is nothing worse than a show trying to seem relatable, but also adding stories 0.00001% of viewers could truly relate to. Here I could understand the struggles of all the characters, either because I faced them myself at some point of my life, or I saw people around me try to deal with similar situations.
The acting was obviously great. Ikuta Toma did a fantastic job with this role. He was truly subtle with some of the emotions, but they were still easily visible and understood.
Production wise, it’s kept in a rather simple style. Simplicity did fit this type of story rather well and both the writing and directing created a cohesive picture.
Overall, even though I did not fall in love with this drama, I would still recommend it. I can clearly see why people love it, and I’m a bit sad I was not able to connect to it as much as others did. It delivers some great life lessons supported by strong dialogues and moving lines.
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Warm family drama but ML can be rather insufferable
A pretty solid slice-of-life family drama that showcases the many conflicts that could happen in a family. The conflicts happen episodically so, don't expect a big conflict that ties the whole series together. The characters' interactions were fun to watch but the ML can be really insufferable because of his personality. This can be good and bad. It shows how the Ikuta Toma was really good in his performance and convinced me of the depiction of his character. But it also means that I wouldn't want to rewatch the show as watching his character argue his flaws away was really painful to watch. But he does have his cute sides especially when he helped to resolve some of the problems his niece is facing.Besides this, I wasn't very convinced with his love with the rich woman, it felt very rush and I am not sure if it's really needed for the plot. Otherwise, the music is fine and supports the vibe of the show well.
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REALIZATION OF LIFE'S PURPOSE.
I had watched this drama a few years back, when I was suffering from severe depression. Said depression came from failing law school twice. I just went into isolation and never went back to society for almost a year. Incidentally, I came across this drama and realized that the pain of regret is more painful than the pain of failing. So I tried again and graduated with flying colors. This time around I'm preparing for the bar and had to re-watch this one to remind myself where I was a few years back. Hopefully, someone struggling will also find inspiration from this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
a journey towards self-discovery
"Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai" is a compelling Japanese drama centered on Mitsuru Kishibe, a 31-year-old who moves back home after losing his job. This setup leads to an insightful exploration of family dynamics and personal growth. The series excels in character development, particularly with Mitsuru, whose relatable journey from disillusionment to finding purpose is both engaging and inspiring. One of the most remarkable aspects of the show is its ability to address relevant social themes subtly. It touches on issues like unemployment, the pressure of societal expectations, and the importance of finding one's own path in life, all while maintaining a light and entertaining tone.Was this review helpful to you?
