What Did I Just Watch?
This show was a disappointment for a J-Drama.
Nothing about this show gave J-Drama and I hate that for me. We know what Japan is known for when it comes to their dramas and we typically know what to expect. Japan isn’t afraid to push the envelope and truly GO for it but this drama doesn’t reflect any of that. This is gonna sound shady but it is what it is – this felt more like a K-Drama than a J-Drama. More sanitized, more polished, more tame, more bland.
I expected so much more from this drama. When you read the summary, you’re expecting something more gritty, more raw, more spicy. None of those adjectives can be used to describe this drama in any way, and that’s sad. Mainly because I feel that Japan would be the only country to do a series like this justice. Japan is the only one capable of doing it. Alas, it fell short.
The main issue is the female lead. Wow! I’ve watched a ton of dramas where the female lead is weak and purely ornamental. I’ve seen my fair share of dramas where the female lead falls into that category but I expected her to grow over time. Sure, the drama is merely 10 episodes but I still expected to see some growth. That didn’t happen. Risa had no backbone. None. It’s kind of like she was just … there. She was a plot device; nothing more, nothing less.
She often got lost on the canvas. She had no presence. She has no personality. You often forget that she was there even when she was on your screen. She completely disappeared in these scenes and not in a good way. She disappeared in the sense that anyone could have been swapped out for her and nothing would change. You wouldn’t notice anything differently. She left little to no impact on me. I’m not sure who to blame for that – the actress, the director, the writers. I simply don’t know who to point the finger at. It was just bad all around.
The male lead was … okay, I guess? He wasn’t that great either, if I’m being honest. He had more of a presence than her but he was still pretty bad too. Now that I’m writing this, I’d say that the blame is mostly on the writers and the director. They weren’t necessarily miscast but their characters still gave nothing. Their characters were flat, one-dimensional, and underdeveloped. The beginning would make you think that you were gonna get something but that didn't happen. It didn't take long for this drama to fall apart. Some people said around 3 episodes and I won't disagree. It definitely happened early on.
All in all, I would NOT recommend this drama. Unless you have a morbid curiosity that you want to satisfy, then go ahead. Unless you're bored and just want to watch something short and mindless, then have at it! However, don't watch this if you're truly looking for a good story, good characterization, an even and balanced plot, or good acting. You're not getting any of that. Also, no. This isn't a case of me being a prude who clutches her pearls over everything. This just didn't do it for me. It was so bad and it could have been so much better.
Nothing about this show gave J-Drama and I hate that for me. We know what Japan is known for when it comes to their dramas and we typically know what to expect. Japan isn’t afraid to push the envelope and truly GO for it but this drama doesn’t reflect any of that. This is gonna sound shady but it is what it is – this felt more like a K-Drama than a J-Drama. More sanitized, more polished, more tame, more bland.
I expected so much more from this drama. When you read the summary, you’re expecting something more gritty, more raw, more spicy. None of those adjectives can be used to describe this drama in any way, and that’s sad. Mainly because I feel that Japan would be the only country to do a series like this justice. Japan is the only one capable of doing it. Alas, it fell short.
The main issue is the female lead. Wow! I’ve watched a ton of dramas where the female lead is weak and purely ornamental. I’ve seen my fair share of dramas where the female lead falls into that category but I expected her to grow over time. Sure, the drama is merely 10 episodes but I still expected to see some growth. That didn’t happen. Risa had no backbone. None. It’s kind of like she was just … there. She was a plot device; nothing more, nothing less.
She often got lost on the canvas. She had no presence. She has no personality. You often forget that she was there even when she was on your screen. She completely disappeared in these scenes and not in a good way. She disappeared in the sense that anyone could have been swapped out for her and nothing would change. You wouldn’t notice anything differently. She left little to no impact on me. I’m not sure who to blame for that – the actress, the director, the writers. I simply don’t know who to point the finger at. It was just bad all around.
The male lead was … okay, I guess? He wasn’t that great either, if I’m being honest. He had more of a presence than her but he was still pretty bad too. Now that I’m writing this, I’d say that the blame is mostly on the writers and the director. They weren’t necessarily miscast but their characters still gave nothing. Their characters were flat, one-dimensional, and underdeveloped. The beginning would make you think that you were gonna get something but that didn't happen. It didn't take long for this drama to fall apart. Some people said around 3 episodes and I won't disagree. It definitely happened early on.
All in all, I would NOT recommend this drama. Unless you have a morbid curiosity that you want to satisfy, then go ahead. Unless you're bored and just want to watch something short and mindless, then have at it! However, don't watch this if you're truly looking for a good story, good characterization, an even and balanced plot, or good acting. You're not getting any of that. Also, no. This isn't a case of me being a prude who clutches her pearls over everything. This just didn't do it for me. It was so bad and it could have been so much better.
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