Problematic and disappointing

I was looking forward to this drama and had high hopes. Unfortunately it did not work for me.

The key issues were:
A) the relationship between Saeko and Yasuke didn’t build up properly. They started as a holiday fling and jumped early to bed which felt forced. I didn’t feel invested in their love at all.
B) Kazumasa emotionally and physically cheating on his wife (even explained by the gravitational pull of Yasuke’s heart) felt wrong. His wife had stood by him through dark times and loved him unconditionally. She deserved better in my view
C) the transplanted heart having memories made no sense. How can a muscle essentially give you vivid flashbacks and images? I know it’s fiction but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

On the plus side, the cinematography was beautiful and the performance of Kentaro Sakaguchi was excellent.

This fell short of my expectations and I wanted to care about the characters more…

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Poetic, beautiful and haunting

I have never felt more immersed and invested in a drama in my life.

The acting, cinematography, music and direction was transcendent.

This is not a plot-driven drama, rather it’s an all-encompassing emotional journey of contrasts and symbols. The story is multi-layered and weaves in flashbacks effortlessly. You believe in the intensity of their love and the deep regret that haunts them five years later. You see the initial hurt, betrayal and fear that prevents honest communication and how their misunderstandings slowly melt away, showing growth in only six episodes. Each rewatch provides additional details and context that enables a different interpretation of the story.

Lee se yong is superb at showing the transition from a youthful, lively student to a taciturn, business-like professional five years later. Kentaro Sakaguchi does an excellent job of conveying micro expressions and reactions, without being cheesy or giving too much away.

Overall a fantastic drama and character study.

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