4-punkan no Marigold (2019)

Usually when I pick up a drama, I carefully read the synopsis to sniff out any hint of tragedy or bad ending. As I absolutely want to avoid em. "4-punkan no marigold" was giving off that kind of vibe. But the Older Woman/Younger Man tag made me continue it(I admit, I love this kind of pairing), and I'm glad that I did.
The story centers around 4 siblings and each of their personal struggle in life. An older brother who sacrificed his prime time of life for the happiness of his younger siblings. Youngest sibling trying to figure out, whether to pursue his dream or to lay it off for the father like older brother. Main protagonists Mikoto is a paramedic with a special ability to see the last moment of someone's life, struggling to find a way to impede the fate waiting for her stepsister and love interest Sara. The drama might feel slow paced if someone isn't used to "slice of life" genre. Almost each episodes disclose more story of the siblings, their daily life and how people around them helps to seek different possibilities in life. Death, struggle is part of life but familial bond just might be the cure to go past these obstacle and live on, a common message of this type of drama and no difference here.
The drama title has a hidden meaning and one have to watch till the end to get it.
To me, ending is the most important thing to judge a drama. 4-punkan no marigold delivered not only a happy ending but a very satisfying one. Ken Hirai's『#302』in this drama is like cherry on top.
*btw this is my first time doing a drama review. So there might be tons of mistake(apology for that), but I loved this drama so much that it felt like i need to write it.

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More of a Family drama than a Fantasy Romance drama.

Completed - 8/24/2022 - 7.75 rating

“4-punkan no Marigold” also known as “Marigold in 4 minutes” should be viewed as a family drama and not a romance fantasy drama. When reading the synopsis, it seems like the focus is on the step siblings' romance and how ML is trying to change FL’s fate. I would say that FAMILY is the focus.

I didn’t realize the “4 Minutes” in the title is referring to the rule of performing 4 CPR within the first 4 minutes to maximize the chance of saving someone, until I read @timotey’s review. Doh… now it all makes sense. Initially, I thought the drama would be very episodic with different EMT medical case stories. I was concerned that I might be bored, but was pleasantly surprised that’s not the case. At least for me, it’s a good thing. There are still several meaningful cases but it’s not the one case per episode format.

When I think of this as a family drama, I could be a little less disappointed in the romance. I have a new crush on our ML, Fukushi Sota. When he smiles, his eyes smile with him. He seems so kind and caring. However, because the romance is between two step siblings, no time is spent on the development or getting-to-know-each-other phase of the relationship. The point of the romance is not the romance, but to show that ML loves FL that he wants to change her fate. I don’t think their romance is believable. They feel like siblings to me.

Jdorama is known for its fast pace, since they are quite short. However, there are times when I feel the pacing is quite slow, and I lose focus and get sidetracked. The drama does not hold my full attention throughout the 10 episodes. This might also be due to the fact that there aren’t enough mini climaxes. It’s a very mellow drama. It’s not particularly sad or exciting, and didn’t evoke a lot of emotions from me.

Acting is pretty good, not amazing but not bad either. Yokohama Ryussei was still quite young in this drama, and you could see his potential to be a future popular star. I am also glad that there are no annoying characters in this drama. All the supporting characters are friendly and supportive.

This is not a solid 8.0 drama for me personally, only a 7.75.. It’s decent and a good relaxing watch. Although it’s not a slice-of-life drama, it feels like one.

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