What a sweet drama! While the premise of Nobuta wo Produce is not original, it is freshly told and I enjoyed every episode. What I really found endearing is the frankness of the lead male Shuji and his inner monologue/narration. I like that he was outwardly popular but inwardly unsure, bored, scared and lonely. The theme of this show is a simple one. Finding true friendship...whether you are a popular kid, a quirky loner or a withdrawn, scared and painfully shy newcomer. Each episode is written to show the development of this core friendship. As the synopsis and title reveal, these three come together to 'produce' Nobuta and make her popular but...wow is that so not what really matters here. I loved the way the story unfolded in such an original manner compared to the way a westernized show would have handled this. Lovely. The acting is great. Not perfect but very good. My favorite was Yamashita Tomohisa who played Akira. He was so quirky, clumsy and strange but what a loyal and steadfast friend. Yamapi was great. There are a lot of wonderful characters to be found within the setting of their school; teachers and students alike. I enjoyed Shuji's family. They were a hoot! Nobuta was like a flower opening up to the sun when Shuji and Akira found her. I loved the development of her strength and their loyalty to her. Wonderful! At 10 episodes, this series was a fast and entertaining watch. No story line or plot point dragged on too long or bogged down the pace. The music was fine..not memorable but not bad either. But this drama isn't really about a standout soundtrack so I did not find it distracting or lacking in any way. I gave the re-watch value an 8 because while I might not watch it again this was a very entertaining drama and others might really enjoy watching more than once. I recommend this drama highly. It's quick, it's sweet, it's touching and fun. Give it try if you are hesitating.