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Taikan Yoho japanese drama review
Completed
Taikan Yoho
3 people found this review helpful
by Ariel
Oct 13, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10.0

Such a good show

This is one of those shows in which you really have to know the culture to appreciate properly. A lot of people watching it are watching it with a western mindset, which very much impacts the enjoyment of it. The importance that amae, as well as cultural interdependence, plays on this show is huge, and it needs to be in your frame of reference to understand some of the characters' more... questionable actions.

Now, I'm not saying that their miscommunication nor their more toxic traits were okay, but it is important to have the Japanese culture in mind as a reference while watching. If you want to go into more of a deep dive into this, I can suggest a post by notfreetoday on Tumblr (feel free to ask me for it).

Now, into my own reaction of the show: I loved it. This show reminded me of my early manga-reading days, when the only translations available were fan translations of really blurry scans. Both actors were amazing at portraying their emotions, and the chemistry between the two was off the charts.

Segasaki's insecurity whenever Yoh wouldn't treat their relationship as seriously as he did was portrayed wonderfully and expertly, and whenever Yoh couldn't pick up on the amae that Segasaki was putting out, you could tell how hurt Segasaki was. Conversely, Yoh's confusion about what their relationship is and his desire for Segasaki to be more straightforward with him was also beautifully portrayed.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and both of them growing and clueing in to what the other's communication style was (a bit, haha. They definitely still have work to do there). The last episode was very satisfying for their relationship, and made me wish for more episodes with them. However, I do think it ended very well and that the episodes they had were perfect for the story they were trying to convey.

I recommend this to those who watch a lot of Japanese shows and/or are familiar with the culture. Yes, there are some questionable aspects, but watch it more with an open mind! (Also, let's remember: this is fantasy! It's not a real relationship, so we're allowed to enjoy it for what it is.)
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