[Discussion] Iki mo Dekinai Natsu

Ari_Lee wrote: I already finished it yesterday and I loved it. The only thing that kind of bothered me, at first, was the casting of the actor who played Ayukawa. I thought he looked too young for the role, but, still, he was pretty good and convincing. So as the drama progressed it bothered me less and less. About the romance, once I started to judge the romance in this drama by reminding myself of other J-dramas I watched, I definitely saw it and really liked the way it developed. I still think they look good together.

lily_b wrote: Okay, I completed it. (So I'll stop spamming this thread with comments when I've posted this one...)

This was a very good drama in my opinion. It had me hooked from the first episode. I think it's underrated due to the disappointment created by the phrase "love forbidden by society" in the synopsis. The only thing forbidden by society in this drama (if society = the general public) is doing things that makes you stand out in any way. (If your mom happens do do something that ends up in the news paper, people will come and stare at you at your workplace.) The power of gossip and curiosity!! That's why I submitted a change to the synopsis, so people don't have to think this is a "romance story" anymore. :)

Speaking about romance, I have veeery mixed feelings about the ending. Isn't it realistic, the way it is? Could it not be called "an open ending"? Well, yes. I can see that it makes sense! But I'll admit that I would have preferred at least some hint that they were actually going to meet again..... and despite what I just said about this not being primarily a love story, would a kiss in the end have been too much to ask for? Even knowing that j-dramas often don't have kisses at all (even romance dramas!), it's not like they absolutely can't do it... (But this is not a serious complaint against the drama overall. I really liked it, this is just my spontaneous reaction immediately after watching the final episode...)

I have read some of the other comments in this thread, and it made me laugh that so many people felt that we're supposed to feel sorrry for Ayukawa in the end. It's not like I'd ever say "he deserves to die" about anyone, but I really don't think that we were supposed to feel sorry for him, and I don't think that he "changed". Men who beat up their wives for no reason - men who think that violence is an answer to anything, or worse yet, men who think that it's okay to show their "love" that way - like he did, they're actually very irrational. There's no evidence to support the theory that he'd behave diffrently if he was given another chance, in fact, the way he spoke to Yoko suggests that he hadn't changed at all. That's what I think. I think his death was just a convenient way to wrap up the drama and put an end to it.

lily_b wrote: Okay, I completed it. (So I'll stop spamming this thread with comments when I've posted this one...)

This was a very good drama in my opinion. It had me hooked from the first episode. I think it's underrated due to the disappointment created by the phrase "love forbidden by society" in the synopsis. The only thing forbidden by society in this drama (if society = the general public) is doing things that makes you stand out in any way. (If your mom happens do do something that ends up in the news paper, people will come and stare at you at your workplace.) The power of gossip and curiosity!! That's why I submitted a change to the synopsis, so people don't have to think this is a "romance story" anymore. :)

Speaking about romance, I have veeery mixed feelings about the ending. Isn't it realistic, the way it is? Could it not be called "an open ending"? Well, yes. I can see that it makes sense! But I'll admit that I would have preferred at least some hint that they were actually going to meet again..... and despite what I just said about this not being primarily a love story, would a kiss in the end have been too much to ask for? Even knowing that j-dramas often don't have kisses at all (even romance dramas!), it's not like they absolutely can't do it... (But this is not a serious complaint against the drama overall. I really liked it, this is just my spontaneous reaction immediately after watching the final episode...)

I have read some of the other comments in this thread, and it made me laugh that so many people felt that we're supposed to feel sorrry for Ayukawa in the end. It's not like I'd ever say "he deserves to die" about anyone, but I really don't think that we were supposed to feel sorry for him, and I don't think that he "changed". Men who beat up their wives for no reason - men who think that violence is an answer to anything, or worse yet, men who think that it's okay to show their "love" that way - like he did, they're actually very irrational. There's no evidence to support the theory that he'd behave diffrently if he was given another chance, in fact, the way he spoke to Yoko suggests that he hadn't changed at all. That's what I think. I think his death was just a convenient way to wrap up the drama and put an end to it.