A drama full of cliché elements done right!

Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi is an adaptation of the manga of the same name, which I haven't read, so my review is from the point of view of a person who is not comparing the drama to its original work.
What is the main trope involved you ask? Fake Marriage!
Do we have plenty of dramas in dramaland of the same trope? Yes! Definitely!
Even then, is this drama still worth watching? YES! ABSOLUTELY!

The drama can be categorized as a breezy watch, with all the cliché tropes present (fake marriage, first loves, rich man/(comparatively) poor woman etc.) but what really sets it apart is its acting and script. The actors succeeded in involving the audience (at least me) with their characters. I felt the emotions that they were feeling , especially the main leads, Ayaka's tears, Togo's micro-expressions added so much more depth to the emotions... I basically laughed with them, got embarrassed with them, felt sad for them etc. The chemistry of the main couple makes you root for them and the friendship and family moments are really heart-warming.
As is implied earlier, the story is pretty cliché but the script is well-written and really fun. I smiled through most of the episodes and waiting a week for the new episode was honestly a torture! The drama really puts your mind at ease as all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the episode (without a lot of thinking).
The drawback would be:
Was the last episode a little lackluster? Yes.
Was the least episode disappointing? To an extent, yes. It felt as if something was missing.
What about the last 15 minutes of the last episode? It kind of redeemed itself.
But was the last episode enough to destroy the enjoyment felt throughout the drama? NO! I am usually someone who lowers the rating significantly if the ending, in my pov, is messed up. That's because a bad ending makes the entire drama very insignificant and unmemorable to me. But even though Ousama's finale episode was a little disappointing, the good parts of the drama are so damn memorable that I probably won't be forgetting this drama anytime soon.
I am not usually a fan of rewatching shows, but I can definitely see myself coming back and rewatching the drama for Togo and Ayaka.

Conclusion: DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING!
(Just because I liked it, doesn't mean you will too. But I can say with confidence, that its a drama worth giving a chance!)

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Give it a try!!

Personally, like very personally, I liked the series!
I think that the pace of the drama can't be categorized as slow or fast. The drama sort of follows its own pace. Sometimes it is reasonable, sometimes a bit fast but not rushed and sometimes not exactly slow but not fast either. It varies greatly and of course also depends on what is slow and fast for the viewer watching it.
Because it is not supposed to have spoilers, I will just say that all female characters grow and become better. Ren Ran's growth was moving for me as I loved how she learnt to let go, to accept (but maybe her new love life came a bit too early). Sun Yi He was such a bright character and despite the many drawbacks you will watch, you can still not stop liking her. Karen was also a nice character, strong and weak at the same time. Ding Ding was a very cute character with a mostly cute love life.
Coming to the male characters, I will only mention my favorite, Yu Tian! No matter what he does, as long as he is on the screen I smiled, even when he was heart broken. I loved his and Sun Yi He's friendship (sometimes more than the girl gang's friendship).
The ost was really nice, it actually went with the show . The acting was wonderful, maybe lacking sometimes, very rare times but still wonderful.
As compared to other dramas with female centered plot and female friendship (like Ode to Joy, Dear Missy etc) it may be a little dull... But overall it is a drama you can at least give a try, and if you are going to, please be patient for at least 5 episodes. Good friendship, good romance and good slice of life too.

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The Delightful Journey of the Kishida Family!

At the center of this drama are the members of the Kishida family, which includes the mother (Hitomi), the father (Kosuke), the grandmother (Yoshiko), the younger brother (Sota) and our protagonist and the daughter, Nanami.
In my opinion, Nanami was initially a very chaotic character. A teen with emotional baggage, yet having a cheerful personality that is very unique to her. Life has not been easy on her and when things go awry constantly, we see our protagonist grow.
However, she doesn't grow alone...because the Kishida family doesn't work like that.
The entire family grows together. Sometimes helping each other and sometimes through the support of the supporting characters. They expand their horizons, overcome challenges and you will not be able to stop rooting for them.
As a family, their love for each other was genuinely beautiful. They are each other's best source of support and add the supporting characters to the mix, you get one of the most heartwarming line-up of people, who I believe, we all eventually find. Be it the mother's love for her family or the way the father still watches over them. You will find yourself with moist eyes at the end of mostly all episodes along with a cozy warm feeling seeping into your heart.

The acting of the entire cast was nothing short of perfection. The emotions of the characters come through very clearly and engage you so much that you will find yourself crying, laughing and smiling almost unconsciously, making you heavily emotionally invested in the drama.

A must watch for sure! You may not love it as much as I did, but I don't believe you will regret watching it either.

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A Nice Treat for Supernatural Lovers!

To start off, the story is quite unique, it succeeds in mixing up the supernatural element with the modern world smartly. Thus giving it an interesting and enjoyable premise.All characters were well thought and written (Akira's character is not as deeply explored because it is going to be the main focus of the next season). There aren't any unnecessary characters and nowhere in the drama do you think that a scene was dragged out. The acting by all characters is satisfactory. I use the word 'satisfactory' because it is a matter of fact that the acting of few characters (not the main actors) was not amazing at certain times but it should not and it absolutely does not hinder viewers from reaping the maximum enjoyment from the drama. Leaving aside the acting, all char caters included have good dynamics and most importantly:
The chemistry between Akira and Naoya was absolutely mind-blowing!
Personally, I find folklore and myths interesting and maybe that's why this show was more appealing to me (and I could brush off the few loopholes).
But I strongly believe that this show could be enjoyable to those who usually put off supernatural genre dramas.
It's definitely worth a try and its only 8 episodes , so the first two episodes or actually even the first episode is enough for one to understand whether this show is for you or not.

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A lighthearted watch perfect for casual viewing!

9 Border does not present any new storyline or concept to its viewers. Its essentially a female centric drama with elements of both romance and slice-of-life. However, with a blend of well known casts, the drama succeeds in presenting a work which is fun and engaging (though not at all times).
It mostly revolves around the three Oba sisters, whose problems we are introduced to at the beginning of the drama. With every episode we see them trying to confront their problems, coming to terms with it and changing themselves for the better while solving it. They grow as individuals for sure, but their bond as sisters also strengthens/deepens. Of course there is romance, but it's not the main part of the story. I personally loved the story of the youngest sister, Hatsumi. I felt that her storyline was something new (everything from the way her character was designed to be and her approach or attitude towards her problems).
I don't think any of the cast members were actors I haven't seen. They are all considerably known to regular J drama viewers and their acting did not fall short, it was well matched to what I think their characters asked of them. Finally, the music was by Sekai no Owari, so I do not have any complains. The rewatch value is as low as it is, because I deem it to be a very good one-time watch, not something to watch multiple times.

Overall, the story is nothing new, but has just enough elements to still keep it fresh among other dramas of the same genre.

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Keep a box of tissues in hand!!!

I am writing a review after watching it the fourth time. I have told myself to avoid watching it but I just can’t!

The story is very well written and paced. The characters are described very much in depth and the viewers won’t have a hard time empathising with them because of the acting by all actors, which was on point. They make you laugh and cry with them automatically.

The ending if you judge by only happy and sad for the viewers, it is sad. But logically speaking it stayed true to the story, there was no miracle of any sort. I should say - it was very realistic.

If you see this drama and think “Should I try it or not?” , the answer is a definite Yes. It’s worth trying, though I agree it may not suit the taste of some.

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