Imagine watching a rainbow after a long day :)
As usual, Japan is a CHAMPION in the slice of life genre. This is no different, from the heartwarming characters to the heartwarming conversations. In one word, this was UPLIFTING.This is a drama that touches upon the lives of those living in a small village known as Niji no Mura. The FL relocates to that village because they are the only ones that hire her after she loses her job in a reputable hospital due to the discovery of her illness. She is distraught intially, but after moving to the village, she grows thankful for her illness that allowed her to meet these people in the village. While her job primarily is to cure them & help them out as a doctor, the relationship grows beyond that on the very first day that she relocates. The villagers are welcoming and warm. So are the surgeon and nurse, who she houses with in the clinic. As the drama progresses, we see how these people in the village are not just one community living together. They are essentially one big family that love and care for each other. They support each other on the darkest & happiest days. No one tries to exclude anyone. Everyone tries their best to understand & help each other.
The entire cast was perfectly casted & while there wasn't much of a plot, I tuned in each day to watch these people interact and support one another. The acting was BRILLIANT. This drama is all about human interaction & reaction. From the random to the heartfelt & meaningful conversations, to the tears & joy that just overflowed. It wasn't overtly sentimental or melodramatic but I found myself crying (both out of happiness & sadness) in each episode because of just how much I connected, and felt the characters & their conversations. For those of us (like me) who live in modern cities where we do not even know our neighbors or the people living on the same floor, this drama will have you craving for that sense of community support.
Special mention to the relationship between the FL, the nurse, and the surgeon. I have rarely seen a drama focus on such a beautiful platonic bond between two men and a woman. You even hear her say that she wants to hug them both & kiss them both because she just loves & treasures them so much. They support her on her toughest days & they argue like Tom & Jerry almost everyday. It was just such a WHOLESOME relationship.
The OST was an icing on the cake, especially the flute theme that made me emotional each time it played.
I don't want to give away too much about this drama. It is really an experience. I would recommend everyone to watch this. It will teach you a thing or two about being kind & compassionate to the people around you. Much needed in times of COVID where not only are people feeling isolated & lonely, many are being cast aside on the basis of their race or religion. This will show you what INCLUSION really is, & how inclusion is important for a mentally healthy society.
It is a 10/10 in every aspect.
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Will become your second home :)
I can't even begin to explain how beautiful this drama is. It's beyond words. As a fairly new jdrama watcher, I have found that Japanese dramas have this way of touching your heart, a way that Korean dramas could never replicate.They become your second family, you never feel excluded, and you grow and learn with them. They become your friends, brothers, sisters, parents, and neighbors. The viewer themselves is considered part of the village, they're part of the family. as the drama progresses, we laugh and cry with the characters, and we learn new things about them. inside jokes start developing, jokes that you wouldn't get unless you had watched the previous episodes
It's hard not to get attached to the characters, each having their own charm. Not to mention how scenic this drama is, the setting of the village is beyond extraordinary and so cottagecore-esque, it makes you feel warm and fuzzy :))
beware before you start this drama, because you will definitely have a hole in your heart once this drama is over, nothing can replace this gem !!
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This review may contain spoilers
Favorite Comfort
This drama put me through so much in such a short time! I have never cried nor laughed as hard as I have when I watched this lovely story. The characters were absolutely perfect; the definition of small town friends and family joining together to create their own picturesque, charming, and perfect community. This is the definition of slice-of-life, there's romance and friendship and family drama(s), but there is also the medical drama(s) even though it isn't too dramatic (like emergency issues under little to no supplies or skills)... But this drama is the absolute definition of "perfection", all around!The characters and cast were picked so well, everyone fit together so amazingly! I really liked watching everyone rally around Yukino-san; and the interactions between Taiyo(u)-san and Saku-sensei. Their relationship to be boss and subordinate while also being best friends was something really special to watch; also, it was absolutely hilarious! The emotions and reactions of Taiyo(u)-san, Saku-sensei, and Masora-sensei really was fantastic to watch; I laughed, cried, worried and got angry during each episode.... Well, mostly laughed and cried. The feelings within this show are absolutely tangible; I was scared, angry, worried, happy, envious, sad, and enthralled by all of the immense and intense emotions and connections this show portrayed!
The music really helped to lighten or dramatize the moment. The music either chimed in or quietly came to a stop at just the right moment. I believe the music really helps build up a story, or it can tear it apart; even without car chases and explosions, the music really created a wonderful chemistry for everyone.
I really liked watching the villagers come together as a very tight knit community, and grow as their own person or as co-workers or friends, during each episode. To watch all the hard work everyone (staff, camera people, director, writers, producers, actors/actresses, etc) put in to the show come to life was so immaculate and depicted the perfection of raw, genuine humanity, kindness, and love. A very heartwarming, bittersweet, honest, unique story full of talent and fantastic imagination, knowledge, and respect for the human condition -- no matter what!
This show is an instant classic and my absolute favorite! Please do not skip this absolute diamond of a story!
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Un arc-en-ciel de bonne humeur.
Certains personnages vous marquent à vie pour de bonnes ou de mauvaises raisons, d'ailleurs. Et quelques acteurs par l'identité forte qu'ils ont su insuffler à leur personnage, le reste, pour tous et pour toujours. Kaoko, la jeune étudiante surprotégée de Kahogo no Kahoko (2017) est pour moi, un de ses rôles marquants et j'ai bien eu du mal à l'imaginer en médecin d'un grand hôpital de Tokyo, toute débutante qu'elle est.Ça tombe bien elle se fait virer dès les premières minutes pour une maladie incurable dont elle serait atteinte. Cela n'empêche pas son travail, mais ne lui permet pas d'être à 110% efficace. Discrimination abominable, me direz-vous, après 10 ans d'études de surcroît, mais tellement réelle dans la ville de la sur-performance. Elle se retrouve donc, par un concours de circonstances, médecin de campagne malgré elle.
Et pour la campagne on est servie. Le cadre de ses montagnes reculées magnifié par une photographie soignée et parfois surprenante (ses focales ...) est l'un des atouts de la série. Pour ceux, comme moi, qui aime foret, champs et personnages bruts de décoffrage, vous serez aux anges. Sans être aussi extrême que de se retirer de la vie moderne, vous vivrez ses 9 épisodes comme des vacances à la campagne bien méritées, en ce moment.
Certains trouveront le personnage de Takahata Mitsuki bien trop nunuche, surjoué, ou trop proche, justement, de Kaoko, mais bien au contraire il est pour moi extrêmement touchant et juste, dans les émotions qu'il cherche à transmettre. Comme tous ses villageois, d'ailleurs, qui ayant chacun une blessure pas seulement physique et certainement pas guérissable, mais qui par leur entraide, leur amitié et leur empathie, deviennent pour nous comme pour eux une vraie famille. Petit à petit l'ensemble du village éclipse les personnages principaux et notamment Takahata Mitsuki, ce qui n'est pas si gênant. Ce n'est pas le genre à vouloir tirer la couverture vers soi.
Chaque épisode s'attache justement à un personnage et ses fêlures et nos médecins sont souvent les premiers à être épaulés par tout le village dans leur propre guérison, rédemption, renaissance, ... Mais on comprend bien qu'ils atténueront juste la douleur. Trouver le bonheur est-il seulement possible ? Peut-être l'ont-ils déjà trouvé ?
On retrouve, presque 20 ans, après toute l'ambiance d'un de mes dramas préféré, l'indémodable Dr. Koto Shinryojo. Ses dramas sont intemporels et transmette une humanité forte, sans jamais tomber dans le pathos. Des moments de joie, malgré les torrents de larmes versées vous éclaireront. Iura Arata est comme d'habitude parfait dans son rôle de bougon désenchanté. Il cultive le légume à la perfection, d'ailleurs.
Certain Français rêvent de vivre à Tokyo. Moi, je rêve de vivre dans le village aux couleurs de L'arc-en-ciel, de connaitre comme voisins et amis tous ses habitants et je crois ne pas être le seul.
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