Luly
Argentina
However, when you continue watching content and you find yourself comparing most media you come across to this one, you start to think you have to put out there how good it is. It deserves at least that time of my day. And, also, I think Xiao Zhan right now needs all the praise he can get, because he also deserves it.
Even having seen other versions, I still fell in love with this story all over again with the drama. I feel like each adaptation of this work has its own identity, in a way, that derives of several things, like what the medium itself can offer, who portrays the characters, what the adaptation is allowed to showcase due to censorship, etc.
The drama version is, possibly, the furthest from the source material in various instances, but I feel that only adds to the fun of hearing the story all over again. Because this is, I assure you, a story worth hearing several times, not only because it’s very good but also because there are a lot of characters, time frames, mysteries and elements at play, all handled beautifully in the drama.
You can’t make a version of Mo Dao Zu Shi without two good leads that have chemistry. In the case of the drama, it was even more important, because some of the things other adaptations can show, in different degrees of explicitness, the drama cannot. So it falls on the directing and on the acting to convey the relationship that is the foundation of the story, with whichever elements they’ve got. And Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo are just perfect in the roles. They understand the characters, the relationship and the story, and it shows.
The entire cast is like hand-picked to perfection. Even if some characters have variations with other versions in terms of characterization, they all do such a great ensemble job that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the roles they’ve got. Marius Wang deserves all my praise, because Jiang Cheng is such a complex character to portray, and he does it amazingly, his emotional scenes annihilated me.
This drama is a different version of the source material yet it has in it the essence and foundation of it and works with amazing scenery, incredible production design and the music, which is such an important part of MDZS in every version, is sublime.
If you’ve never watched a xianxia series before, don’t fret, I think this drama is a good first dive to it, especially because there’s so much more material to get into if there’s something you can’t quite grasp.
If you’re looking for lgbtq+ content, this particular version might be the less explicit but it’s incredibly emotional and has the positive vibe the subject matter deserves while having the relationship involved in a fantastic plot, with political turmoil, assassinations, mystery, action, amazing female characters (with more to do than in other versions of the story, congrats CQL for doing that) and an amazing cast.
Just watch it, basically, is what I’m saying. If historical fantasy and good lgbtq+ content is in your radar, give this a go.
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I have to say that, overall, I enjoyed the movie more than the show.
The movie was able to successfully continue where it left off, when it comes to the main couple, instead of falling back on the same narrative the show used. The debacles of the series, the doubts about identity and the nature of the relationship, are gone from this, and Haruta and Maki have issues and concerns that, even if still rooted in their characterizations and instances of miscommunication, respond to a plot advancing and not falling behind on safe paths already done by the series.
The two characters that arrive, Shison Jun’s and Sawamura Ikki’s, are a lot more amenable than I thought when watching the trailer, and their natures develop throughout in unexpected ways. Both are good actors, so that lifted up the standard.
My biggest issue with the show (maybe it’s just me) was the boss’ character. I felt that using comedy derived of lack of consent situations and a caricature of homosexuality didn’t work in this show, although I understand that it might have been a safer bet to include a caricature instead of outright dealing with lgbtq+ subjects in the open, without the “satire” persona to distract some audiences. This is also why I skipped the Sky series, because the part they kept was this dynamic.
In this movie, it’s less bothersome. It’s not gone, but it’s not as bad. At first, it was going really well, and I realized that, as long as they allowed the boss to have his own narrative, it may be alright. But they couldn’t let go completely from this shtick, and to do so they had to retort to very nonsensical camp, which didn’t ruin the movie but, considering there was SO MUCH MORE going on, I have to ask if it was really necessary.
There are tropes, yes, but I feel that this movie took the fact that it is an mlm piece of media more seriously than the series, which allowed Haruta and Maki to have conversations in which they realistically put out there the limitations that Japanese society would set if they want to “marry”. So far, I've seen this only in jdramas like What Did You Eat Yesterday?, while much of what is considered “BL content” just leaves it at a ring and vague promises, which is what the series was going for. The fact that they talked about it, that their future together was realistically explored to an extent, made me feel that they took themselves more seriously and that the show is standing firmer on the subjects it portrays. Without losing nonsense and comedy and all that stuff people like about the series.
The female characters are a bit lost in this one. One thing I liked about the show is that they had very good female characters, which is something regular "BL" storylines lack of. In the movie, some of them show up but not as primarily as in the series. It can be understood, though, because of the lack of time (I’ll leave out the discourse on Kaneko Daichi barely scraping legal age between the series and the movie and the relationship they put him in). I really liked the character of the chairman’s daughter and wish she would have been treated better, but we can’t have everything.
I don’t think the histrionic moments and overall energy of both the series and the movie are for everyone, but the movie gave the series the step forward it needed, introducing more substance to the main relationship, which I genuinely wish had been even more focused. Because even as a step forward from series one and advancing in its narrative, there's still hesitance towards abandoning certain “safe” tropes, and the movie didn’t need some of them. When you have the personal relationship issues submerged in a) new characters that are important for the plot, b) the boss’ antics being partially back, c) the campy plotline that has genuine emotional moments but also explosions and guns, d) most characters from the series showing up at some point or another; you wonder if maybe the audience would have responded to it just as well with a little less of all of that and a little more of the core relationship that has become so interesting and refreshing.
Because it’s refreshing to see, even with all the camp and nonsense, a relationship between two people in their late 20s/early 30s figuring out life as they go and their identities as well. That’s the heart of this series, I feel like. And it works because both Haruta and Maki as characters work together. Even if Tanaka Kei is sometimes at a 10 for too long.
All in all, I enjoyed it, more than the series, and I’ll probably watch it again. If you liked series 1, I think this is a must watch for you. If you want more down-to-earth-dramatic type of dramas and you are not familiar with or fond of jdrama humor, it might be a complicated one to navigate, but it still has genuine moments I think you’d enjoy.
If they want a series 3, or another instance of this, they better continue where this left off and ditch the AU ideas, because this is where it’s at.
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It’s one of those dramas that have the structure in which a lead has a specific standpoint in life so, in every episode, they get to influence positively a member of the cast in escalating difficulty to deal with; like Mother Game, Kirawareru Yuuki, etc.
In this case, the setting is a company workplace, specifically of web design and maintenance, and as you can probably guess there’s room for a lot of comparisons between how people used to work and how people work nowadays. There are about 3 or 4 generations of employees depicted in the drama, and the differences between work ethics are interesting to watch.
Thankfully, this is not like HOPE, where the aim was to wax poetic about an older working practice, here every perspective is explored and ultimately the drama focuses on people’s wellbeing and the exploration of why Japanese society is so work-focused, to the detriment of people’s health at times.
The cast of characters is interesting, although there wasn’t enough room in the drama for all of them to be as showcased as they could have been. Normally, in these types of dramas there isn’t a romantic aspect underlying and if there is, it’s very minor, so that the plot can focus on the characters and their development. This one, though, has a sort of love triangle happening, which isn’t developed enough to consider it the main element of the drama, but it isn’t minor enough to not take a part of the plot.
The handle of that "romantic" aspect, if we can call it that, wasn't the best. Some decisions seemed to come out of nowhere and some plot devices used to further it along seemed rushed, which may have to do with the inability to adapt everything from the source material in 10 episodes. I don’t really care much about romance, so it isn’t a problem for me, but I felt that some decisions regarding the male characters and their actions lacked background information and seemed underdeveloped, in a narrative sense.
Yuriko Yoshitaka does a very good job as the lead, in a role that could have really influenced the whole thing negatively had the actress not been good or had they chosen someone who has a type-cast and would influence the audience’s perception easily. She really carries through the energy of the drama and works very well with her whole cast.
My favorite scene, acting wise, goes to Dori Sakurada, Yuuki Izumizawa and Yuriko Yoshitaka , their scene disclosing Shu’s past and Kurusu’s present was my favorite in the drama.
Overall, this one was good. It touches on heavy subjects at times, but never loses its hopeful spirit and does leave you with a good message and the idea that working expectations are changing and should be revised. That things regarding work don’t just have to do with obligation and money, but with an overlying cultural education and social construct around it, which applies differently to everyone.
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In the current jdrama and overall Asian media landscape, LGBTQ+ themes aren't the best represented. There are a lot of stories created to cater to fanservice rather than representation, and it's usual to find series and audiences that can't separate the two.
This series is incredibly well crafted, which is not only a credit to the manga that originated it but to the overall adaptation and the great performances by the cast, especially the leads. Each episode is centered on a specific meal (they even tell you how to cook it!), a meal cooked and prepared at home, which connects to the intimacy and the complexity of this couple, two men in their 40s who deal with their daily lives and their very different ways to handle their identities in their respective environments.
Shiro is a lawyer, he is reticent to coming out at work or to not be hetero-passing enough in public, at the start of the series. He is out to his parents, but doesn't speak too openly about things and overall seems a bit unsure still on how to present himself. Shiro could very well be the prototype of "unwilling" you find in BL dramas, in those in which consent is never clear and someone always has to say "no" to no avail. But he is not. Shiro is certain on his feelings and his relationship, but he needs to learn how to reconcile the different parts of his life in order to feel more sure with letting others know. He cherishes his relationship and is actually the one who marks most of the pace, there is nothing in him that isn't consensual, and conversation is a big part of the drama that lets him grow as a lead.
Kenji is a stylist, he isn't embarrassed to be flamboyant and open about his identity and his relationship. He could very well be the prototype of "flamboyant" and "feminine" in dramas, but he is not. He establishes in various instances the misconceptions of gay relationships, the difference between drag and homosexuality, the elements in presentation and gender dynamics. He is very taken by Shiro and isn't afraid to show affection, but he is also filled with self doubt and needs to learn how to communicate them better throughout the series, and how to reconcile his past with his present self.
The series is filled with moments throughout the life of these two, their encounters with other characters that will widen the lens, and you can see a lot of layers of the prejudice and complications of acceptance in Japanese society and the way in which they, and other couples, deal with those. It's a series that isn't devoid of its tear-inducing moments but it's not intending to be sad, dramatic or tragic, it's a happy story, and the leads aren't used for any sort of gratuitious emotional torture.
The food is not only great, and boy do I love dramas with a focus on food, it's also increadibly heart-warming and cozy and it provides a sense of the emotion and feeling you'll see on the episode and complements the story really well. And, meanwhile, you learn how to cook it.
I also immensely appreciate the fact that the couple is over 40, it really serves to discuss things that dramas centered on relationships almost never focus on. I feel that every time a drama focuses on a couple, it's going to be all about confusion and misunderstandings until a grand over-the-top ending. This one, though, is relatable in its simplicity and emotional depth, not only for those in relationships, but also those who are not but are still figuring out ways into adulthood in a couple of generations where the landscape of expectations and reality have changed so much. It isn't just about life in a relationship or life as an LGBTQ+ person, it's also about adult life in a very fast changing social landscape.
Overall, this was a perfect blend of a drama to me, the cast made it a great watch as well (one character has an actor change mid-way because the original had medical issues, but they pulled through really well regardless), and it's definetly great as one of those dramas you can come home to and relax watching, while also having a story that is compelling and emotional at times. I don't even hesitate giving it a 10/10, something I rearely ever do, but this one did it for me.
I can only hope there is a second season or something else from it at some point.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't know how to review this movie without mentioning spoilers in it, to be quite honest. Most of the plot is standing on twists, which makes it impossible to offer a review without revealing them. Still, I feel like the movie is worth an opinion, even if I'm super late to provide it. I haven't read Shige's books but, before seeing this movie, I saw Kasa wo Motanai Aritachi wa, for which I also left a review and, for that, I did read a detailed summary. I was in the dark with this one, didn't know more than what the description says, but for my experience with Shige's storytelling, it's very much his thing.
The movie has a twist in the middle of it, which makes you have to re-trace your steps and go back to the start. I appreciated that and, to be honest, I feel like that was the best thing in the whole movie. It's expected of a Shige story but unexpected for a movie like this one, and I don't think I've seen that tool used before in such a way.
I feel like there are a lot of missed opportunities in the second half of the movie, though. It was implied, through this half, that the real Gocchan wasn't like the one Dai had written in his book and performed in the first half. We found out some bits and pieces of his life as an idol, which were far from what Dai had idealized, and I wish that was the core of this part.
I wanted that discovery to be the center of the change, because it's what was shown to us throughout. We saw a very far-removed Gocchan, very private and stoic, very unreachable. This was Dai's idealized version, the one he wrote, the one he wanted to peform, and if the second half would have been a road towards unraveling this mystery and finding what Gocchan was actually feeling in this entretainment medium, if we could see what led him to taking his own life, uncovering the life Dai had always craved for and seeing it for real...that would have made sense.
Instead, the reason is pulled out of nowhere. It's given to this realtionship with a sister who showed up all but 2 minutes, something that makes no sense in the plot and I feel is just there for shock value. That "reveal" to me was not only underwhelming and a bit offputting, it was also in detriment to what the story had been building up to then. There are references to the sister here and there, the song he writes and the way he dies, but that's not enough to justify how much the movie's story was leaning elsewhere.
The second half is filled with these shock values, some of which are, I guess, understandable to showcase the raw nature of showbiz, but even though they add those things, they don't speak about showbiz in the way I feel the movie could have, given the story up to that point. I understand that Shige can't completely throw under the bus the industry that's giving him work but, at the same time, I wish the movie could have made something that made more storytelling sense and fit the theme it was carrying up to that point.
It's an interesting movie, a movie with very good storytelling devices and directorial decisions that make it stand out from the rest. Still, the simplification of its 2nd half made it a bit of a dissappointment to me, not enough to regret watching it but enough to wonder how a better outcome could have been.
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[I should warn, there's discussion on suicide in the following review, which might be obvious given the movie, but still]
A good portion of the negative comments I'm seeing are about the fact that they were expecting something else. That's fair, it's a fair thing to add in a review or a comment, that the marketing of the movie was misleading, but I personally don't think it's the movie's fault and I consider that a bad review that is based on expectations rather than the actual movie may give a less than fair perspective to those who are interested in it. But maybe that's just me.
There are a lot of Japanese movies and dramas that deal with teenage suicide, I feel like every generation has one. Which is understandable, and even crucial, concerning the social and cultural impact that the reality of these circumstances imply. However, not all stories talk about suicide honestly, not all of them delve in what it actually means. This movie does.
I might be in the minority here, but when a plot concerns 12 teens who want to end their lives, I'm hoping there's going to be some talk about the actual characters and backstories, some depth on the reasons and the perspectives, and most of all, some empathy. It's not a murder mystery dinner party, it's an event that concerns teens taking their lives. So yes, maybe there's mystery and suspense and the plot begins with questions to be asked, but that's secondary to the actual theme threading these characters together: the fact that they all want to die.
The movie doesn't center itself on the mystery, it uses the mystery to give these characters (or some of them) the excuse to stall. To talk. To ask questions. To get to know each other. And that is a brilliant, extremely realistic method to introduce, because thinking about the future as a whole is daunting, but thinking about the next question, the next doubt, the next step, is more approachable. It actually borrows something from therapeutic methodology and transforms it into a storytelling device.
The mystery and the suspense are methods to develop the character storytelling, to set the stage and to offer the opportunity for us to know these people, know their stories and see them develop their thoughts on each other and themselves. I'd say maybe the negative is that, being a movie, there isn't a lot of room for everything, and the mystery part does take some time, in order to drive the characters to where they might end. Still, in the time-frame of a movie, I feel the balance was well done and the result is a movie that leaves you hopeful but not in a bland, unrealistic way.
My advice is: don't come into this movie expecting a murder mystery, a gore slashfest or a high school drama dynamic. I'd say this movie is a combination of Suicide Club and The Breakfast Club, to put it in a very bizarre yet understandable way. Come into this movie expecting 12 teens, 12 very different teens, confronting the idea of suicide.
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I was worried initially because finding actual LGBT+ representation in Asian media is difficult, especially when the drama is centered on gay men, most often it turns out that it's just BL fanservice meant for heterosexual women, or campy humor meant to stereotype for laughs. This drama was walking on thin ice for a good while but it redeemed itself in moments of introspection and had a very satisfying emotional ending, so I'd say it's worth enduring the rest.
There's a lot of harassment disguised as humor in this drama, though. Hayashi Kento's character initially is a bit inappropriate but redeems himself soon after and continues developing steadily, so don't lose your hope after episode one if it made you uncomfortable. It could be argued that he is a bit stereotypical in the domestic dynamic, but it pays off narratively for me, so he was a delight.
Yoshida Kotaro's character made me extremely uncomfortable throughout, as did Mashima Hidekazu's. I understand that the tone was meant as comedic at times, but since there were so many emotional moments and deep sincere things, the power dynamics of the situations and the level of pushing and forcing they inflicted made me feel off, to be honest.
I did like Uchida Rio's character, how they used her as a good female support character whose feelings are explored and she isn't a mere "obstacle" of a male narrative, or someone for female fans to hate, she was very dimensional and I appreciated that.
There were other characters and narratives I wasn't too interested in but, for the most part, this was a good drama and it was worth whatever I didn't agree with. I think the entire narrative was well focused, it had some cliches and simplifications, but it wasn't devoid of development, and it's a rom com where I had reasons to root for a couple because I could see them go through different stages of a relationship, rather than just longing looks and misunderstandings.
I'd recommend this to those who like rom coms with a bit of an extra spice, and as an LGBT+ drama, it isn't perfect but it's a good step forward. And, after all, I have to admit, the ending got me smiling for a while.
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First, let's get the main issue out of the way, I would have liked to see a trans actress in the lead. I think IVAN would have been perfect for this role. But even though I find the choice conflicting, I can't undermine how good the writing is or tear down this step forward, so I'm just putting it out there now.
Miki's story is inter-woven with introspective moments, and it doesn't shy away from showcasing violence, abuse, transphobia and heartbreak. Still, Miki is one tough lady and moves forward with her impeccable fashion style and her identity intact. Her relationship with once High School classmate Goto, who comes to live with her in her apartment, is a delight to see develop, as Goto learns more about Miki and what life is like for her. Goto is an amazing character whose masculinity is strengthened by his vulnerability and his openness.
My props to Sakaguchi Riko because the story handles the subject a lot better than I expected, especially considering it uses the right terms for everything (Miki identifies herself as a lesbian trans woman from the very beginning), something that does not happen usually in Japanese media. It's very common for dramas and variety shows to use the "gay man" umbrella for everything they think fit and trans women sometimes get involved in that. I can't say much about that because it's not my identity to give an opinion on but, from my perspective of an outsider, this drama shows it all very well and the storyline serves to include a lot of related topics, as well as other general identity searches, when it comes to life as a young adult, career, dreams and relationships.
It's a pity that it's just 4 episodes long, I hope we can see more of this series in the future.
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What you need to know right away is that this is one of those dramas which, for the most part, consists of episodes which tell a "case" from start to finish, sort of one-shots, if you will. Each one is centered around one "catch", a character these three swindlers (Dako, played by Nagasawa Masami, Boku, played by Higashide Masahiro and Richard, played by Kohinata Fumiyo) are going to trick for their money. All of those catches are primarily set as "bad" people, but their nature sort of develops as the case grows, which leads to some very interesting character development and some insightful reflections that you don't normally get from this kind of drama in which comedy is very present.
The only episode which has a connection to what we could call an underlying plot, of sorts, is the last one, which is by far the best episode of the bunch and which made me up my rating from 7 to 7.5 because a) the writing is very good and b) Sato Ryuta is a delight.
My problem with the drama is that the dynamic between the characters gets a bit too repetitive for a story that stands so much on the unpredictable. Considering that the twists and turns have to do with how these people do their tricks, it would be better if their characters weren't so recurrent in the way they are with each other. They aren't one-dimensional but the repetition becomes both a bit exhausting and a bit predictable. You know who's the one that always has the upper hand, which one is the sentimental, which one is always lying and that can lead you to predict some twists and turns.
I wasn't a fan of Dako's character, which sucks because I like female leads out-witting people. But I was bothered about her attitude and the way the character lacked depth in comparison to others. The entirety of episode 8 I also disliked, I don't think the themes in it were handled well at all, but I can't expect much from male writers and directors handling the subject of the female beauty industry and representation of plus size characters correctly in jdramas, I've seen worse at least.
I'd recommend this drama to people who're looking for something fun, which can tend to the dramatic at times, shows some heart and those who don't want something too plot heavy to watch at a slower pace. If you like swindler-themed dramas, this one is a recommendable one of those.
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Signal: Choki Mikaiketsu Jiken Sosahan
4 people found this review helpful
If you're into Erased/Boku dake ga Inai Machi (manga, anime, movie or drama), this one is right up your alley. It has the same elements of detective/mystery storyline, a time travel element and the very first case of this drama is similar to the main one in Erased. This story, though, is less focused on one specific character and has various ones whose choices and lives impact the main arc, so it's more fast paced and has more puzzle pieces to gather. I appreciated that a lot.
The cases depicted in the drama are influenced often by real ones, and most of them are very graphic in terms of what they depict, so keep that in mind if you're impressionable. Still, I think they're handled pretty well and showcase the complexity of each one while making them fit on the overall story.
The time travel aspect is done via communication of the two leads, and stories of this kind tend to be tricky because of how they handle paradoxes and whatnot. I think this one uses the trope very well, it connects well throughout and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next.
As a detective drama, it isn't primarily focused on who is or isn't guilty but on how law and justice don't always go hand in hand. This isn't an ideal portrayal where policemen are always good or where the justice system never fails, it's a story about shades of grey and how what's right isn't always what's fair. Considering the subject matter and the cases portrayed, the focus of the show was impeccable in that sense, and taking into account that there are TONS of detective/police jdramas out there, this perspective is much appreciated.
As it normally happens with jdramas, this version is shorter than its kdrama counterpart. Still, I think the length of this is perfect as it is, it would have dragged too much for my liking in a longer format. There seems to be a Special Episode that apparently is linked to this drama though, I haven't found info on it, so I'm gonna assume it's a side story which doesn't add to the main one in any determining factor, but who knows.
All in all, I highly recommend this drama to those who are fans of the thriller genre, like detective stories that aren't always black and white, enjoy time travel elements and want a story to keep them hooked.
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This was one of the dramas of 2017 I wanted to see the most and it didn't disappoint. It isn't perfect, but it's very enjoyable and it has some great actors who I love seeing in general, even more if they're together.
Right from the get-go, if you're watching this to see Kimura Takuya and Takeuchi Yuko together...it's really not the focus of it. They have an interesting sort of relationship (that could have been developed better, to be honest) and they still have that chemistry on screen, but this drama is less focused on the romance and more on the individual emotions of the characters through different situations.
The plot moves like all those job-focused dramas that have a specific job in the center and where each individual case serves for a character to develop, and most times Kimutaku's character is involved in that development, because he plays pretty much one of the seemingly few honest doctors left in this hospital. So there's nothing new there. The thing is that, differently from other job-focused dramas, this one has an underlying situation that is running through the course of the series, which makes things personal for the characters, making most cases a lot more emotional than the mere "today we learned not to be terrible to patients" at the end of each episode. The strong emotional plot underneath carries it more smoothly than other dramas of the genre, making it more engaging to me.
One of the best performances to me was Kimura Fumino, which honestly, 2017 was pretty much her year. And then there was Matsuyama Kenichi, who I didn't expect to like as much in this, but he was really good.
My biggest issue is that this drama is victim of a recurring writing issue I'm seeing in jdramas as of late, which is confusing redemption and pity. I really dislike when instead of making a character go through a redemption arc with personal growth and development, it just throws karma at it so we all go "oh, poor thing, they deserve to be forgiven" and they have to do nothing to earn said forgiveness. This drama has that with a character, which made the last few episodes a bit difficult for me to enjoy, and which is why I can't go higher with the score. I know some people will probably be disappointed by the ending, maybe they make another season, it'd be a good way to fix it.
All in all, this is a good medical drama with a great cast, it has issues and it isn't perfect but I liked watching it and, honestly, Kimura Takuya still has that aura of lead that we all recognize, which I had been missing to see.
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1) If you're watching this on Netflix, you're covered, because it lists this special as a 13th episode, so it won't play before the drama; but if you're following the descriptions on various sites calling this special a "prequel" and think you should watch it before the drama: DON'T. This is a prequel, of sorts, but it's meant to go AFTER you've seen the drama, otherwise you'll get massively spoiled.
2) If you think this will shed any light on the events of the main drama...yeah, no. It does tie some things together and sets the tone for some things the drama only describes, since it's set before the main conflicts leading to the drama take place, but it's not going to answer your questions, maybe generate more.
That being said, I don't think this special was really necessary, in the grand scheme of things, so I'm giving it a lower score than the drama, but if you have it available and saw the drama, give it a go anyway.
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That being said, I don't think it was that bad. It isn't the most groundbraking suspense drama you'll find, it isn't the best written thing you'll see, but for the lack of experience these girls seem to have, the fact that it's "one of those idol dramas", the budget and the amount of episodes, I've seen much worse. To be honest, it's a very binge-watchable drama and it keeps the tension more or less throughout, so I don't regret watching it.
The plot starts in medias res, which I really appreciate in a suspense story, and I wish it had kept the focus it had on the beginning throughout the entire thing because, as the episodes advance, it gets unecessarily complicated for a story that didn't need so many unconnected twists and turns. And, for what I've seen in some comment threads, I'm not the only one left with more questions than answers when it's all said and done. I wish there had been one big focus instead of small things that have a common thread, kind of, if you squint.
Still, for all its complicated messes with the plot and its unanswered questions, it did leave me wanting to discuss it to try figuring out what just happened, and I consider that a good thing; I had left complicated dramas wanting to never look back in the past, but this is not one of those, at least. It's a mess but it's an interesting mess. And hey, I commend these girls for starting out with a suspense/horror/mystery drama rather than a typical school drama which would have probably hidden their inexperience a lot better but it would have been a lot less interesting to watch.
If you're looking for suspense with minimum to no gore, a sort of idol version of SAW, which will keep you wanting to know more, even if it's to try figuring out what on earth you just watched, and don't mind very inexperienced performances and some clear fanservice-y moments attempted to be disguised as representation (that's the idol industry for you, though, it's a general recurring problem), give this one a shot. And then DM me and tell me what you think just happened.
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Let's start by saying that I love Naomi Watanabe. A recurring problem I have with her dramas is that she's either most often pushed to the side as a supporting character/comic relief or, when she's lead, they tend to not let her shine in what she does best. For example, Five Star Tourist was a really good drama that I enjoyed a lot but they hid her behind a pretty bad wig, dull clothes and a personality that didn't let her do the most she could do. This drama lets her be 100% unapologetically herself: Kanna is funny, outspoken, stylish, everything we all love about her. And the plot doesn't revolve around her being plus size, another very recurrent issue in dramas that star plus size leads. She's also playing a fashion designer, on top of that, which is fantastic, considering she has her own clothing line in real life. So far so good.
Another great thing about the drama is that Kanna's relationships with female characters are very complex and interesting. Even the ladies that start being seen as "rivals" end up developing in something less archetypal and more human, which allows for her character to develop as well with these relationships. To be honest, some of these ladies (at least 3 that I counted) end up having more developed relationships with her than the male characters they pair her up with.
Now, if that would have been the drama (which is what the plot up there makes it out to be), if it had been all about Kanna facing life as a divorced mother with a dream to fulfill and bills to pay and facing the world through friendships and heartbreaks one day at a time, that would have been great. But enter the entire plot of Kaname Jun's character, Kanna's cheating husband, Rei (and his god awful parents).
My main issue with Rei's character, believe it or not, isn't that he's a terrible person (you need to read the plot or watch just episode 1 to see that). My problem is that they attempt, throughout the series, to give him a redemption arc, without actually focusing on him understanding his mistakes but just saying that he does and trying to fix them with money and things. It is possible to have redemption arcs with these kinds of characters without compromising the agency of the female lead or the aim of the story. A good example of this is Mondai No Aru Restaurant or even Mother Game, where the reason why the jerk guy faces his mistakes is because he finally understands empathy and sees what he's putting the female character through, but that does not immediately grant them forgiveness (Mondai No Aru Restaurant handled it amazingly well with Higashide Masahiro's character). Rei's arc is about karma punishing him, more so than empathy, so the audience would feel sorry enough for his poor soul to forgive him out of sheer pity rather than having him actually show his understanding of what he's done, besides trying to fix it with material things and empty words.
From any other drama, I would have probably let it pass with an epic eye-roll and a huge sigh. If this was yet another Ishihara Satomi/Kiritani Mirei josei drama of the last few years, I would have expected that sort of thing. But this was Naomi Watanabe kicking butt, being a strong female lead, inspiring me to keep going, and it deserved better than weak male leads raining on the plot's parade. And I'm not even gonna talk much about the character of Rei's mother, but picture the worst mother in law you've seen in a josei adaptation and multiply her annoyance times 10.
The acting is pretty good in this drama, it's very well directed, the clothes Naomi wears are fantastic (the ones she designs, I'm not so sure), it has emotional moments and funny moments, strong friendships and cool female characters, it's overall enjoyable. It just could have been so much more of that without wasting its time in an arc that went against the idea of the story.
I'll keep waiting for the drama that 100% is what Naomi Watanabe deserves as a lead.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very particular drama and not really what I was expecting when I came across it the first time. I haven't read the novel, so I don't know how it's constructed, but the drama doesn't quite follow the kind of format you'd think when you read the description. From the main plot, you'd think this is a story focused on Yazaki Rio, where these other girls and their situations with this mysterious man are secondary, but it's the reverse, for the most part. You know more about these women than you do about the protagonist, and her own story unravels slowly throughout the series, ending in a cliff-hanger that I assume is setting the story for the movie that follows. The premise of the drama is developed as a multiple perspective story, where each of the girls (A to D) get 2 episodes each focused on them (the drama has 8 episodes in total), while small parts of the protagonist's story get shown along the way. Each of the girls is reduced to represent a character archetype for Rio to write her drama about, but reality tends to exceed these limitations and even if Rio's perspective most times seems to remain objective, the girls suffer from great changes in their lives prompted by these situations, but which ultimately have to do with themselves and their life choices, as well as their friendships and relationships.
Even though I find the direction of this drama very good and very distinctive, I felt it at times confusing to follow because of how it was filmed and how transitions and back-and-forth elements were disclosed. Maybe it was the intention, to keep reality and fiction blurred, so I can't fault it too much for that.
The leads are represented as flawed girls rather than plain characters, which I applaud in a jdrama. It represents elements of reality in different perspectives while keeping the characters less idealized, as dramas tend to do, and more flawed and complex. They all make mistakes, they all have to face them and you are at times shouting at the screen for some of the things they do, but it engages. The meta element of this being a drama within a drama makes this opposition of "plain archetype characters" and "real life flawed people" a very interesting thing to see set in this way.
I also feel that the marketing for the drama could have been better, because if the whole situation with who the E woman was would have remained secret, it would have been a really good plot twist, but the posters and public releases already give that away.
All in all, it's an unexpected, different sort of drama that takes a cliche premise and deconstructs it in very interesting ways. If you're looking for something more straightforward, with a steady plot that's focused on one character's journey, this is not your thing. If you're, however, looking for something different, a bit meta and very interestingly filmed and scripted, give this one a chance. I hope that the movie that follows stays interesting as well.
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