Koko wa Ima kara Rinri desu (2021)

I would have loved having a teacher like Takayanagi Sensei. Gender, age, none of it would have mattered because the information being shared is so invaluable.

The drama covers attempted rape to bullying to self-harm by cutting and everything in between. Some episodes are stronger than others. There's an episode that deals with a teen girl trying to seduce her homeroom teacher, and that just made me roll my eyes because it was frustratingly melodramatic and tropy. I also wasn't sure what to think about the episode with the creepy pedophile dude. While I'm sure that happens, it felt melodramatic in ways that lowered the episode's credibility. Also, it's easy to lose track of who is who, especially if some of the characters aren't strongly focused on again after their individual episode. It's easy to forget what their specific story was since the focus is so strong on Aizawa and Taniguchi in their relation to Takayanagi. Everyone else fades a little bit into the background.

Speaking of Aizawa, I wasn't keen on her. She's the one character I could have done without because she was the trope. The angst-riddled teen girl in love with her high school teacher (and she's not even the teen girl I was talking about trying to seduce her homeroom teacher! It happened twice in the same series!). There was nothing original about her, and while I felt bad for her, there was also nothing truly likable about her. I'm sorry, but what girl in their right mind decides to fall in love with their ETHICS TEACHER? It was just weird and she annoyed me.

But, all of the Aizawa stuff aside, the show is brilliant and extremely relevant. Where is the line drawn between individual rights and collective rights? When is it possible for the bullied to become bullies? How does collectivism morph into totalitarianism? All extremely relevant questions for the time in which we live where if someone dares to have an opinion contrary to the popular one, they're burned alive online. Emotion trumps logic in this new world of ours.

At the end of the day, Takayanagi Sensei is still a bit of an enigma. The character is a private person and we only get to know him as much as any of the people who interact with him know him. It's implied by how he behaves that he is a deeply damaged individual whose only desire is to teach his students to think for themselves and make rational, informed decisions that respect themselves and others. He is a teacher, and we see him only as a teacher. If Yuki Yamada never stars in another worthwhile role, at least he starred as Takayanagi. I've been waiting for "his role" to come along, and this is it. Not as a romantic male lead, but as something so very much more valuable.

I will undoubtedly rewatch "Koko wa Ima kara Rinri desu" many, many times. Because it is just that good.

From now on, we begin ethics.

Read More

Is ethics for nerds only?

So many are sleeping on this drama and it is pity. No wonder, there is not enough content in TV, the net, cinema, SOCIETY talking about ethical things... well it needs thinking and for the majority of modern people it is "painful". Anyway, when I found out there would be a jdrama about ethics in schools I needed to watch it.

I must to say I enjoyed this drama and plan to read also manga in the future. Why? Because as a person with a philosophy, pedagogy, and ethics degree I know a thing or two about this beautiful and for most people "useless" science" called ethics. I was really curious how they would manage to put ethics into a Japanese high school setting.

Actually, so many things were poorly explained but only real scholars would get it. The majority of the audience won't get it anyway but might find it interesting. Ethics in Japan is of course is practiced, seen, and done differently than in Europe. All in all, drama touched a rather wide range of representatives and their works which were included in modern students' life and troubles they had to face. * SPOILER * One thing which ruined a feeling of the whole drama for me was the unnecessary "student-teacher confession". Like can they stop promoting this kind of fetish? It was totally out of context and it left a bland taste of the whole drama. *END OF SPOILER * So, not great, not terrible, this show had more potential if it was longer and scriptwriters had done their ethical research done more thoughtfully.

Ok now let me continue with acting - great choice of young actors/actresses, so nice to see fresh talented faces. The kids really did a great job. And Yuki was brilliant as mysterious ethics sensei. My only dissatisfaction was the length of each ep. Just 20 min was not enough to fully explain and deeply involve the attentive viewers in the stories of the students. So many things were unsaid but ok I understand the manga is still ongoing.

Alsooo, want to say a few words about Takayanagi sensei. He is not the happy-go-lucky overly hyped annoying nosy teacher. On the contrary him being deep, enigmatic, introvert, observer, philosoph with a cynical view of the world and people. Even though he is broken he empathically helps people when needed and gives his students much more than just empty useless words. Actually, he inspired me too. Definitely, he showed introverts can make more capable teachers and mentors than his extroverted colleagues. I indeed learned a lot from his role which I want to keep to myself only.

I recommend this drama mainly to philosophy geeks or people who want to get a bit view of how (not so real) ethical classes are. It is not a drama that attracts many people, some might find it boring but some might found new inspiring ideas and get interested in ethics.

PS: Rewatch Value is low because I am not the type of person who rewatches films/dramas even if I like them. Also, there was not much music to rate. And I tend to rate things quite strictly, so some people might give a better rating.

Read More