Dylan Rodrigues

counterpoint: the OST in this drama is beautiful and extremely memorable in its own right.

I agree so much. Tokiko is the only person with common sense and some semblance of emotional maturity in this drama - I wish she had more screen time honestly!

Honestly, I am the complete opposite. I think that except for Mikami, who is a complete piece of garbage, everyone in this drama is basically a good person with very human flaws. Satomi is a sweet, caring person who also happens to be clingy and easily jealous.

While I agree if Nagao hadn't been cowardly, things might have been different, you have to realize, Satomi always had feelings for Mikami and only considered Kanji her close friend, nothing more. Most likely, she would have turned him down or if not, the relationship would not have worked out.

I completely agree that it was bad of Kanchi to wait until Sekigumi broke the news to Rika. However, it wasn't a full blown affair or anything. it was a single kiss during a moment of weakness, after months of exhaustion and stress - he was also feverish and not thinking straight. While he could have communicated better, he did wait until he broke things off properly with Rika before he embarked on the relationship with Satomi.

Honestly the friend of Satomi was the most normal and mature person in this entire drama lol

I just watched this and honestly yeah. That rape scene is utterly gross but it is a really interesting enjoyable and engaging romance drama. The relationships get really toxic and tumultuous but there are happy endings. Just be aware of the SA scene and a lot of bed scenes though.

I watched this drama and I honestly enjoyed it. I haven't seen the 1991 one (it's next on the list now) and I agree this drama is more of a reflection of what it is like to be in a modern but tumultuous and borderline toxic relationship. Except for that one unnecessary and uncalled for, horribly mishandled rape scene, this drama was a really good entry in the romance genre and surprisingly enjoyable and engaging. I would def recommend it.

If a person forces another person into sex without their consent, it is rape. She said she was forced and hurt because she was... it was sexual assault. She didn't give in, she gave up - she could not stop him and couldn't fight him off.... But I agree that it was extremely unnecessary. We didn't need the rape scene to know Mikami was an awful human being and there could have been another inciting incident that made Satomi break it off with him.

As for the skinship and bed scenes, I again disagree. This drama seems like an update from the 90s one. Values have changed in the almost thirty years since. We have grown more comfortable with such scenes of intimacy and affection and this is reflect in modern relationships.

I have to disagree there. Ishibashi acted her heart out and almost seemed to become the character. I could not imagine anyone else playing Rika, at least in this story (I have not seen the 1991 one yet). As for her being bipolar... I think that's just the character. She embodies Tokyo in lot of ways. She's brash, Independent, assertive, fun-loving and often cute & childish but she also has a vulnerable side. She is a deconstruction of the manic pixie dream girl trope - IRL a person like would be lonely as she is in the drama. She's moody and gloomy at times because is a lonely person who has been hurt too many times in the past and feels continually hurt by Nagao.

I actually really liked the ending - Rika x Nagao had one of the cutest romances I've seen in jdramas so far and had lots of chemistry together but they were just incompatible. Everyone could tell that Satomi and Nagao were the best suited to each other in terms of morals, personality and values. After seeing the sheer pain Satomi, I'm glad she got someone as kind as Nagao and I can see them together as a happy ending. I just don't understand why Rika left in the end?

As for Mikami... the less said, the better. I'm glad that Naoko regained her agency over her life and got her happy ending but... the man is a literal rapist. We never once see him repent for his *literal* crime and acknowledge his faults. I just grudgingly have to admit that Naoko and Mikami do make a good couple.
I also don't buy that Mikami, Naoko, and Satomi mended their relationships and became friends after what they put each other through...

This drama was actually really good. I binged all 11 episodes in a couple of days, I was enjoying my selves so much. I don't really like romance OR melodrama but this drama had both and was really engaging! The romance was interesting and the plot got quite deep at times, with a lot of different themes being explored; the melodrama was not too draggy at all, it just added to the story overall.

Tthe cinematography and production was so much better than your avg jdrama; I loved all the beautiful shots of Tokyo, I wanted to take screenshots all the time. The acting was amazing. Ishibashi Shizuka's acting skills has to be seen to be believed - she embodied Rika so damn well, from the strong, independent assertiveness, fun-loving childishness to the surprising vulnerability and loneliness. Ito Kentaro also did an amazing job and he looked so young and cute here - did he age backwards from Ashi Girl??

The only problem I had was with That Incident and Satomi's character. The latter could have been written much better and Ishii Anna felt wasted in her role but she still acted well. I would give this drama a solid 8.7/10 and would recommend to anyone who likes extremely emotional or angsty romantic dramas. Just be careful because there is a scene of sexual assault in one of the later episodes.

Onigawara looks so damn hot in that suit lol

so pretty! she needs more main roles!

you people always talk about how all these massive corporate entities (who are ofc famous for their progressiveness and concern for the working class & marginalized groups) have some sort of evil, secret agenda but you never specify what it is...
oh no, Netflix's secret evil plan is to have... *drumroll*... a couple of black people in a TV show!!! truly, the world is going to the dogs...

yup, the trailer made the show seem really cringe and painfully unfunny. but trailers often lie so I'll give the first few episodes a try.

wait, they aren't? they're shown in the cast like they're one of the main couples lol ... and I agree, their visuals together and on their own, are amazing XD

Ep 6: that's just rape. What the actual fuck?? I never liked this guy from the very start, a filthy cheater who loves to gaslight her but this is just too far and too fucked up even for a scumbag like him. She also had so many red flags and warning signs and she never chose to take him to task or leave him.... Her friend who always advises her to leave him or at least confront him is the only intelligent or emotionally mature person in this entire drama.

Ep 7: And the way she described the rape to Nagao and how she felt... It gutted me. Jesus.

Ep 8: Okay it's fucked up how people are treating Mikami as basically a good guy with a few flaws instead of a rapist and a serial adulterer... Why is Nagao, the strait-laced guy who disdains infidelity and anything untoward, encouraging Satomi and the asshole to get together? It's not he forgot her birthday or anything, he literally raped her and cheated on her at least twice...

Yet another of those Japanese movies which I'm too dumb to understand and have too short of an attention span to enjoy - I found it quite slow and too contemplative at times. But it is hilarious at other times and the acting was amazing - Non did a great job and she is heartbreakingly gorgeous. Also I loved Hashimoto Ai's brief role in this movie, she was very notable and she looked so cute. And Kento Hayashi was so sweet and adorable in this movie - we need more MLs who are so patient and understanding.

Definitely Tada for having the patience to deal with her lol but she's so gorgeous and adorable