The main characters are three women, friends since their school days, and we follow them during their work lives and private lives, for example at the restaurant where their friend Ma-kun works. This set of characters is, I believe, not unusual, but it is an interesting drama, if a little bit predictable.
It is a love story, sure, but even more than that, I think it is about what a Japanese woman can and cannot do, in the eyes of those around her. This topic is also not unique, but this drama deals with it seriously without too much silly nonsense. Living up to gender roles can be a burden; this drama doesn’t try to make a joke out of it. I liked that. One of the women learns that her position at work is directly related to her marital status. Another one is a housewife whose husband can’t understand that she longs to feel “a connection to society”. The last of the three friends isn’t married and everyone is worried because she’s already 39, and a woman’s “market value” decreases rapidly after 35. Because what you learn here (if you didn’t know already from other j-dramas) is that marriage is extremely important. On the other hand, there’s this idea about freedom, independence, personal choice and the right to decide for yourself what “happiness” means…
As for the romance in this drama, I like it! The main focus is on Ogata Satoko (Amami Yuki) and Okamura Keitaro (Fujiki Naohito), who are colleagues.
However, Ogata is a psychiatrist and Okamura is a younger psychologist… so they are different when it comes to social status, income and age. Okamura is also very much into ecology, to the point of being called “stingy” by workmates and ex girlfriends, and at first, it looks like he doesn’t have a lot going for him. They have this relationship where they are constantly irritated and bickering with each other, but in a “good” way. Because even if that guy can be very nit-picky about certain things, he’s honest, smart, caring and gentle, and he’s cute and he likes kids… The more I watched him, the more I liked him, and I enjoyed how their relationship played out.
If I would mention any weak point, then it would be that the “twists and turns” of the drama are a bit too simple and obvious (but I was never bored because I liked and cared about the characters), and also the lack of, well, passion. I’ve learned not to expect j-dramas to be “hot”, but still; a little bit more intensity and chemistry between the two leads (who are both hot and excellent in their own ways) shouldn’t be too much to ask for, and it was perhaps what was lacking for me to give this a higher rating. (I could give Fujiki Naohito a 10 for being impossibly cute when he smiles, but I don’t think that would be fair…)
I’ve got nothing to say about the music, it was okay I guess. And although I enjoyed watching this, I don’t think I would be interested in rewatching it.
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An adult Drama
After watching about 3 episodes of this Drama, I was getting similar vibes to one of my TW faves, My Queen. The leads have similar attitudes and behaviour, and so the end of this Drama came as no surprise to me. It fitted very well with the way My Queen ended. Learning that My Queen was made the year AFTER this one makes me onder hether it was in part inspired by or modelled on this one.Another reviewer commentd on the lack of romantic chemistry between the ML & FL, and I would agree. They always seemed more like friends and colleagues, to the point where I think the Drama had not tried to force them together.. That said, the ultimate resolution was satisfying and in character for both of them. I gave it 9 for what it said about the challenges faced by women of that age in a society still as overtly patriarchal as Japan
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It avoids most of the popular tropes and doesn't rely on physical contact to imply intimacy between the leads. Instead, smiles and facial expressions express how much they care about each other so when they do actually touch near the end of the series, it feels like a huge, super important thing has just happened.
The ending is what I was hoping for but not really expecting. While still being a drama with all of the dramatic elements, the story felt more real somehow. The whole age-gap thing aside, Satoko and Keitaro felt like real people making genuinely real choices that had nothing to do with the fantasy world. Their choices were logical in a very real-world way, and I related to that realism.
It was a fun aspect of Keitaro's character having him be dedicated to ecology and preservation. Carrying around his own set of chopsticks, unplugging things from the wall, making sure the lights are out when not in use, and religiously recycling all made him someone I would like to know in real life. There's something awesome about people who have it a part of their daily lives to care about recycling and repurposing and ecology.
I know that I'll be rewatching this series. It expected nothing from me, gave me no angst, and just let me enjoy being a part of the characters' lives. As I said, it was so soothing and calming. I came out of it feeling like I'd watched something truly special.
In other words, I loved it. I also loved the OST and opening credits. It was super creatively done.
On a whole other side note, Fujiki Naohito was gorgeous in 2008. What a stunning smile!
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So much potential, but it was wasted
I love Amami Yuki dramas, but this has to be my at my top for horrible male counterpart. Her character had so much potential, a fun woman, capable and independent, but they just killed all her personality for the romance between her and another doctor. Okamura's is boring, they don't have chemistry, they don't share any single thing aside for the sense of humor, he put Amami's character down a lot, putting the blame on her for things she can't even control, and all she does is say yes and apologize.It's a shame that a character with so much potential, and an actress who is excellent at portraying these types, just goes to waste. The side cast, has a lot of interesting stories, but they don't develop well too. The best part, by far, is Maria Takeuchi's opening song.
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This drama literally changed my life
My age was far from being around 40 so I didn't want to watch it, but I had to... because there's Amami-san..At around the time that I was watching this drama, I had only finished watching 3 K-Dramas. Those three dramas gave me three (very) different life lessons that got me saying "wow, incredible dramas, rare".
However......... while it previously took me 3 different dramas to give me 3 different lessons, "Around 40" gave me (more than) those 3 different lessons in just a few episodes.... that's crazy.
The script is just awesome and is very very very neat, I love everything about this drama, I'm okay to say that this is probably my favorite drama. This drama also gave me a lot of considerations to my own personal life. I personally have already permanently changed a lot (for the better) thanks to this drama.
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