First Love: Hatsukoi (2022)

To be honest, I really like this drama but I have mixed feelings about it as a whole. But let me just say it's really a simple cliché love story with a few twists in this.

Things I've enjoyed from this drama:
- The cinematography of this whole drama, the color grading of each scene was just *chefs kiss*; it was so good I honestly loved it.
- The casts! Especially both the younger and older version of Yae and Harumichi. These four did a good job in portraying the main leads of the story. The cast of the younger version really did a good job portraying such a cute and innocent love. While the actress and actor of the older version, they are veterans in the J-ent industry and I really enjoyed how they brought the characters to life. Takeru with his micro-expression was so spot on and his yearning for Yae. While Hikari did a very good performance as Yae, I loved her acting especially during the last few episodes where it fleshed out her character's early married life.
- As a huge Utada Hikaru fan, I seriously love hearing her music throughout the series.
- There is a sense of nostalgia going through the series, and just reminds you of the good old days too. It hit me when I saw some old items I've used in the past and hearing the song Automatic.
- The way they presented the younger main lead's relationship. It really gives you the feeling of how sweet, innocent and pure first love felt. Honestly have enjoyed this part much more than the main lead's present storyline.

Cons:
- It is one of the few things I wished they got rid from the series. But it is an explicit 18+ scene on the earlier part of episode 5. There are a few nudity in this, so if you're uncomfortable with this... this might turn you off. Honestly the drama is really about the yearning and innocent feeling of first love, and I felt like this kind of scene was just out of place and not needed in this series.
- The ML's action during the present time. I was not happy with him cheating on his fiancée when he reunited with FL. For me I just wished he cut off his relationship first before making a move towards the FL. Also I felt so bad for his fiancée through this series, she tried so hard to salvage the relationship and she didn't deserved how things have ended between them both.
- The amnesia and 'villain parent' troupe being used in this series. These troupe just felt over-used for me. Honestly after the amnesia part started, I felt like I didn't much enjoy the following episodes so much. But that's just me.
- The FL's mother, honestly I seriously dislike her so much. If it weren't for her, the main lead's relationship might not have gotten worst.
- I felt the flashbacks and change to present timeline wasn't executed well in the drama. The change is just so abrupt, suddenly you would be confuse on what is happening. I wished that they mentioned what year the scene was supposed to be in.

Overall:
I think it's still a good drama despite it being cliché, the flaws and several frustrations. It did made me cry especially near the end. As mentioned I do like this drama and I can see a lot of people as well have enjoyed it. I don't think it's a series for me to re-watch, experiencing this one time is good enough. If you're hesitating to watch, just give this series a try and maybe you'll enjoy it as well.

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A story of first love and of one true love, suppose we could find plenty of such kinds of stories being written throughout the years. As much as everyone would've at least experienced love at least once in their lives, what are the odds that your first love would be the true fated love for you? Chances are that the odds of that coming true could be one in a million or may be more. But what it such a miracle could happen to you?

First Love: Hatsukoi was such a love story yet it wasn't quite a full fairy tale love story. Unlike love stories in faity tales our main pair didn't quite get their happy ends so easily. Through a fated encounter, their lives started to change. And as they strive to reach out achieve their dreams, they encountered many obstacles along the way as their lives took a detour into different directions before crossing paths again in order to reach the end.

As much as this drama was a love story, it can also be considered a coming of age series. At first Namiki Harumichi's life didn't seem to have any specific direction, but after meeting Noguchi Yae he started to have a dream to which he aimed to achieve with everything he's got. You can't help noticing how Harumichi and Yae start to shine as they strove to achieve their dream. Yet due to an unexpected accident, both of their lives took a different turn. The two parted way afterwards and that seemed to be the end of that relationship, but what if fates decides to give them a second chance? This drama basically try to explore that possibility.

The drama had a very beautiful and cinematic visuals and it also had a unique storytelling where past and present intertwined to tell us the story of what shaped the lives of both Harumichi and Yae. And because of that, it made this story pretty refreshing despite the recurring theme of first love as well as amnesia as a plot twist.

One would argue that the story could've been better if Harumichi and Yae's circumstances were switched but I'm glad that it wasn't. Since the plot would've been a bit too similar to Winter Sonata and I wouldn't have liked that.

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The Best Love story Ever told

I watched this base on a review on this site and I have to say it was a beautiful story. It was well written and kept you engaged the whole time. I watched all 9 episodes in 1 day on Netflix. The story gives you the past and the future of both main leads. It starts off in their high school years and goes thru their adult hood all the way to the present. All the characters in this story are intertwined with each other. The story is about a bad ass kid that falls in love at first sight with the girl on the train. In order to get into the same high school as the girl the boy changes his life style from being a delinquent to a young man that is studious. This is the first love for both characters. You get to see on the realistic side of things on how they fall in love with each other, how they bring out the best in each other, and how they deal with separation and find each other again in their adulthood.

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The fact that I love Hikaru Utada’s music is no secret. So when I heard of this show that was inspired by two of her songs, released 20 years apart, I knew I had to watch it. Sadly, I wasn’t really in the mood for a story like this when it came out, so I decided to save it for when I felt better, and I’m glad I did.

I don’t think I could’ve appreciated First Love for what it is if I wasn’t in the right mindset. On the surface, it appears to be a pretty typical boy-meets-girl tale about two high school sweethearts whose romance comes to a screeching halt before they rekindle it 20 years later. But what really sets it apart from similar shows and films is the way it’s told. First Love’s nine episodes are straight killer, no filler, which helps a lot with its pacing. Even though this is a slow burn, it never gets boring or uninteresting, and the non-chronological order of the story that’s being told here is a big help.

I won’t go into detail about the plot since you’re better off discovering things on your own, but I’m so glad this is a series rather than a movie. It’s crucial for these characters to have a lot of depth because the plot spans 20 years and the female lead has amnesia. This is made possible by the runtime, and while a love story like that certainly works in film (see The Notebook for example), I think it works better here. I’m also really glad they used the Hikaru Utada songs this show is based on really sparingly and didn’t force them into every touching scene. This makes the moments when the songs do show up feel even more special.

There’s just so much to love here. For starters, all the actors are excellent, but the young ones are particularly fantastic. And not just the young actors who portray the leads throughout their early days, but also the B-plot actors, which involve an extrovert dancer and an introvert producer who makes Nujabes-type beats. It also looks fantastic, with some of the best cinematography of any 2022 show I’ve seen, and the gorgeous score by Taisei Iwasaki really puts the finishing touches on the cozy vibe this show exudes. I would almost call it flawless.

Sadly, there are a couple of things that keep me from giving this a perfect score. The first thing is my age old complaint about characters not talking about their feelings. I get that they’re struggling with them, but talking about their feelings would be way more helpful than walking away from them. While I understand that this is a story about fate, I found some of the revelations in the last episode a bit far-fetched and some of the fateful encounters throughout the show a little difficult to believe.

Luckily, those things are no reason to skip the show. This is an impeccable watch and definitely one of the top 10 shows of last year. I can already see this becoming one of my comfort watches that I watch every few years.

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You won't like this if you are not into cliche plots

To be honest, I was quite disappointed with this as my friend strongly recommended me to watch this. But what I got was a very cliche plot. FL got into an accident, conveniently got amnesia and forgot all the memories with her first love seriously??? It does not help that the FL mother was being such an ass and prevented the ML from contacting her? Like there's really no reason for her to do that. Also, I feel really bad for the ML fiancee, like she's just there in the show to be a substitute and nothing else. And also, the FL son giving me stalker fan vibe with the celebrity crush tbh, idk maybe its the acting.

But I still gave the story a solid 6.5 as the chemistry behind the main couple is on fire and the nostalgia was done pretty well and not overdone. Satoh Takeru is fine af, The really good acting between the the main leads were probably the reason why I continued watching. Music fits the nostalgia vibes but I wasn't very into it. Personal preference.

But as I was typing this review, I thought that maybe the big cliche was intentional as it wants to fit the nostalgic genre. Probably but who knows. Overall, it was a nice watch but I wouldn't watch it again. But the ending was great though.

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Fateful Love

It is in every shape and form, stunning. The drama made me feel like I was flying through space, destined to unite with someone written in my fate.

The nine episode short package is impactful. You don’t need more. It’s effective and heartwarming. The plot, like the title, revolves around the premise of a fateful first love. Though, drama has its own natural way of narrating the perfect love story. The poetic dialogues and scenic beauty of each frame captured me.

The direction is fantastic, melancholic like a warm sip of coffee on a freezing day. To be honest, I’d say the plot is very common but the execution is so raw and full of expression that it seems like an untold story of two fateful lovers.

The drama doesn’t fail to touch upon some real issues in our society: poverty, sexism, broken marriage, struggles of a parent and struggles of a single mother. The list can go on and on.

The actors were exceptional. Takeru Satoh is my fave but both leads were flawless. I binge watched this and cried a couple of times. I really recommend watching this drama to everyone. Even if you’re not into romance, please give it a go. It will leave you overwhelmed with joy, heartbreak and warmth.

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full of cliches (in a good way)

" Every moment is a unique piece of the jigsaw puzzle of our lives, but what if we end up losing an important piece of it "

I started this out of 'blue' during my holidays just for the pretty cinematography but god, I'm so thankful I did. The drama follows the lives of adult Yae Noguchi and Harumichi Namiki, the main subjects of the first love story, in parallel with their younger selves, and depicts how certain circumstances in their lives lead them to who they are now. Along with their heart-wrenching love story, other elements (for the lack of better words) such as family warmth, friendship and nostalgia are crafted beautifully in this series.

Inspired by Hikaru Utada's First Love, the use of music has a great impact on the overall storytelling. It makes the series more special than what it could have been without it. Editing overall is well done, the switch from older to current times is done naturally and each moment of it doesn't feel draggy or rushed at all. As for the acting, I really enjoyed Hikari's portrayal of Yae, you definitely see a glimpse of her younger self even when she was *SPOILER* ( please watch the show to figure it out). Satoh Takeru's also pretty charismatic and was able to deliver his role smoothly. The younger ones, Rikako and Taisei definitely deserve a praise! They truly capture the innocence of first love with their amazing chemistry. The supporting actors also did a pretty great job.

Last but not least, I saw some comments online that they're turned off by cliches (well everyone is free to have their opinions), but i disagree. They are implemented so well compared to other romance dramas actually. They somehow still manage *shake* your heart, even when you kind of already guess what is likely gonna happen, for me that's a good use of cliche. And come on! what are romance dramas if without cliches here and there!

Overall, a good show for those who want to dive start trying j-dramas, or those who just want to watch romance dramas just to feel something.

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a beautiful story grounded in beautiful music

When I heard that this show was based on my two favourite songs by Hikaru Utada I was worried. I thought it would be an extended music video with no substance of its own (as I had seen done previously). However, once I started I couldn't stop. My favourite part was the end, I was moved by the innocence and beauty of both sides of the story. This story is not perfect by any means but honestly, its flaws round off a beautiful love story that crosses generations. Overall, I may have been a little biased against it but I should have trusted that a story based on music so beautiful would be able to stand on its own. I loved it and definitely will rewatch!

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A tender, moving series, full of sensitivity

That's really a tender, moving series, full of sensitivity,... as Japanese filmmakers know how to do.

Plot: reunion 18-20 years later, of 2 high school lovers, aviation fans, separated by the FL's amnesia, following a car accident. She is now divorced, taxi driver, with a music-loving teenage child. He is works in the security team of a building and is in a relationship with his ex-therapist.

ACTING just phenomenal! Mitsushima Hikari and Satoh Takeru get in live their characters, with accuracy, subtlety, intelligence. It's all in their eyes...
The other actors are also excellent, but the OTPs are so intense that everything else only serves to explain their story.

TECHNICAL Perfect.
The images are beautiful, the plans well studied. The pace is sustained. The story is well written even if the many flashbacks sometimes make the storyline a little confusing.
The music is awesome.

Conclusion: a little gem that I will definitely watch again (and not just for Satoh Takeru :)
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Une série tendre, émouvante, pleine de sensibilité,... comme les cinéastes japonais savent le faire.

Plot : retrouvailles 18-20 ans plus tard, les 2 amoureux de lycée, fans d'aviation, séparés par l'amnésie de la FL suite à un accident. Elle est maintenant divorcée, taxi, avec un enfant ado fan de musique. Il fait partie de l'équipe de sécurité d'un building et en couple avec son ex-psy.

ACTING juste phénoménal ! Mitsushima Hikari et Satoh Takeru incarnent / vivent leurs personnages, avec justesse, subtilité, intelligence. Tout passe dans leurs regards...
Les autres acteurs sont aussi excellents, mais les OTP sont si intenses que tout le reste ne sert qu'à expliquer leur histoire.

TECHNIQUE Parfait.
Les images sont belles, les plans bien étudiés. Le rythme est soutenu. L'histoire est bien écrite même si les nombreux flashbacks rendent parfois la storyline un peu confuse.
La musique est géniale.

Conclusion : un petit bijou que je regarderai certainement à nouveau (et pas seulement pour Satoh Takeru :)

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Second chance first love

There have been so many second chance first love stories and this is no different. To be honest, I was drawn in by the Utada Hikaru song First Love which I listened to extensively in the 90s and it has a special place in my heart.

This drama definitely looks like it was stuck in the 90s - young girl and young boy meet, fall in love. Tragic circumstances cause them to be apart. They meet up again 20 years later. Typical plot from 1990s Korean drama.

The only part that this show does well yet also poorly is giving equal screen time to the 90s set of actors and story, and the-now set of actors and plot. It starts off a bit jarring where they can suddenly move from the 90s to now and back again without any transition. It helps a totally different set of actors are used rather than attempting to age or de-age actors or using different colors or dressing/makeup as as some other dramas have done. Once you get used to the lack of transitions and know which era's story is unfolding, it makes for interesting and light viewing. Things develop at a good pace because you're essentially watching two different stories unfold.

I like the drama because it's easy to watch and moves fast - thank goodness for only 9 episodes! I also like the themes - lost youth and unfulfilled dreams but now they have the chance to right the past but will they? The theme is also relived through their next generation (secondary leads) who are at important junctures in their lives - will they take the same missteps?

Watch out for the mid credit and end credit scenes in the last episode! Don't miss them!

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