What can I say, honestly, this movie was cute but... forgettable. It had all those eye-candy main characters with decent acting and potential chemistry along with nice cinematography, but the weakness of it is the whole plot was too rushed and felt way too forced and unrealistic. Not sure how popular the manga is in Japan but hopefully this movie has at least boosted a few tons of sales for the manga because otherwise this movie truly is a waste.
seriously why is it that this drama has not been picked up yet? just look at the genres, the director, the original manga and THE CAST. what's not clicking???
Episode 6: I don’t understand Yuri. I find it hard to believe her kindness. I mean, she basically gave her boyfriend a makeover and now he’s going to be an idol and fooling around with other girls and she knows it. And she found out her useless friends had been sending flirty messages to her boyfriend but she forgives them and stays friends with them. She broke up with her bf but agreed to get back to him when the idol contest is over. I mean, she forgives everything and anything. but when she found out Kairi just crushed her ideal “true love”, it’s something unforgivable. Really? to be THIS pure and naive? it’s just not believable. Can’t wait to see what Kairi’s gonna do next though, she’s twisted and manipulative but at least she’s the most rational one in this drama.
Oh..this is rare...this just aired on July 11 and we have it already subbed :)...Jdramas are catching up! ^-^And…
as far as i know, it's fast because it's not fansubs. apparently they got the subs from VIU, an Asian streaming service. let's hope they'll keep providing english subs for J-dramas like this, it's really convenient.
One more thing. This drama literally said that artists don’t have to be suffering to create masterpieces, they can do that when they’re happy and in love too, and I’m so here for it.
(Yes, it’s been 18 days since my last comment below and i’m still not over this drama)
Can you imagine being in the industry for over 30 years and still frequently getting cast in romance projects with young male leads? That beauty, that power!!
sorry i have to list my thoughts down bc i’ve just finished this drama and my mind is a mess rn.
1. They... really made it to the end of the drama without revealing his name, none of the characters even called his name once, and they even got married, it was just so unbelievable lmao. But I can see the intention of doing that. They had mentioned the reason for that earlier in the drama, which was because they didn’t want any connection or something like that. But somewhere along the way that reason slowly changed. Until the very last moment, they still kept his name a secret. Why? I like to think it’s a way to emphasize his existence. He will be remembered forever even if he didn’t have a name. And with that his desire is fulfilled.
2. That psychic guy was pretty cool, I wanted to see more of him. Also, am I the only one thought that he was the thieft in the last episode? I mean, he rode a bike... and he probably saw the guy’s wish to die. It kinda makes sense, right?
3. I rarely dislike any fictional characters but man, that ex-husband... the actor really did a fucking good job making him unlikable. He was so annoying that I didn’t even want to read the subs whenever he talked or yelled, and he sure yelled a lot.
4. 2 years after this drama, Nakayama Miho starred in another age-gap dramas, both older women - younger man relationships and both ended with her sitting by the beach smiling. Yes, I’m talking about Kenja no Ai. She actually did a lot of age-gap themed dramas and movies, I’m not complaining though, with that youthful beauty of her, can you imagine being in the industry for 30 years and still frequently getting cast in romance projects with young male leads? That power..... Anyway, I’ve watched most of those movies and dramas and they’re all good ones, she’s amazing.
Well that’s all. This was no ordinary drama. 8/10.
I first watched this movie 9 or 8 years ago and I remember it had me so confused and weirded out, probably because…
I like to think there are some metaphors or symbolism to the piggyback scene at the end. My english is not good enough to put it into words but it felt like it was about how they have to lean on each other from now on and it can be exhausting for both of them. And them holding hands walking on that big field in the last scene meaning they will always have each other but also are all alone (like a them vs. the world situation). I didn’t get the ending at first, but now I watched it again and thought about it, that’s the ending, that they have decided to be together no matter what. Now others may read my comment and say “Girl it’s not that deep” but I like to think it’s like that because there couldn’t be a better ending than that.
Now, let’s talk about the supporting characters lol. Twisted Yori really attracted twisted people, didn’t he? That Tomoka girl is not ordinary. And Yano definitely isn’t either. But a very interesting character indeed. That last scene of him (the pic on his phone) was really a twist. And I have many questions about him. Was he gay or bisexual? Was he in love with both Yori and Iku or only Yori? That otter keychain he bought was a gift for Iku or himself (as a couple keychain with the one he bought for Yori)? Was him confessing his love for Iku really because he liked Iku or he wanted to help Yori forget or confront his feelings? I think I’m more leaning toward the possibility of him being gay and in love with Yori, but the other is still possible. Anyway, the movie left some doors opened and some questions unanswered, I’m not complaining though, ambiguities make the movie fascinating to think about.
I first watched this movie 9 or 8 years ago and I remember it had me so confused and weirded out, probably because I didn’t read the synopsis and was expecting a shoujo type of romance and boy I was wrong.
I decided to watch it again today for the second time because I found the HD version and thought “well, why not?” And it really made me realize how different my mind has changed from 9 years ago. I actually really liked it. Aside from the taboo theme, I see people complaining about it being too slow or the music is too forgettable. Yes, it’s very slow and quiet, there’s hardly any music, and I think it’s like that for a reason. Slow and quiet but not peaceful, instead it’s quite dark and very suffocating. Even so it still has its own sweet moments that I couldn’t help but smiling while watching.
Also I really like the camera work and cinematography, and I don’t mean it’s a masterpiece or anything, it just felt like it was really well thought out for most of the scenes. There’s a really classic vibe to it (well maybe because it’s already 12 years old).
I have more to say but i think i should put the rest in spoiler.
The movie itself was good. But honestly the acting was a bit... meh, especially Mayu. They even tried to cover up her bad acting by using her hair to cover her face or shooting a lot of her speaking scenes from afar. I'm not even joking. She had very few dialogues and she did well when she was not talking. The best acting performance in this movie was Kazuki, hands down. The rest was just alright.
I know there were some controversial parts in the story. I've watched the other 2 versions and various dramas from this screenwriter, so let's just say I'm not gonna go all SJW on the story and the characters, if you've also watched them you know the drill lol. And as usual all characters have layers which will be slowly revealed throughout the movie, pretty facade but ugly inside, well not just ugly but they were all filled with darkness and loneliness. I didn't dislike anyone in it and the character I liked the most was probably Mayu, even though I'm not a fan of her acting here. If only she her acting was a bit better, I could see the myself falling in love with her too if I met her in person.
Maybe because it was a movie, the last 1/3 of it felt a bit rushed and left me cold watching the ending, it did not reach me at all. Anyways, it still had some good and cute moments namely the night pool scene and the scene they where went shopping together. Recommended if you're interested in the Kou Kou Kyoushi series. 7.5/10.
I can't find engsubs or the raws of this drama but there's a team that's subbing it in my native language (which is vietnamese). I still hope someone will sub it in english though.
this is one of those dramas depicting issues that you wish it doesn't happen anymore, really, to think it's been 20 years and if society hasn't changed from that... that’s too sad.
I've finished the drama, now I'm kinda depressed but definitely not disappointed. I was emotionally attached to some of the characters although I admit I did find some of the actors a bit over-acted, but it wasn't too annoying. I didn't think the teacher (Momo-sensei) was boring at all, but not interesting either. To me it was more like she represented the audiences - us, how she viewed things, the frustrations she felt and what she wanted do to after witness the situations the kids were under. She had me rooting for her.
The drama had some characters that it could delve more into (such as Towa's family, the Manager's son and could use a bit more depth for Momo), there were many doors left opened for them. But it focused on so many characters already and only had so much space and time so I could understand why they decided not to say more about the others.
There was this one thing that bugged me though, I found it a bit unbelievable that Towa's dad suddenly became very approving of Towa and supported him in the last episode. For the whole drama, he had been really mean and harsh to Towa. it almost felt like the two had mended and bonded in some missing episode that I didn't get to watch.
This is the 13th Nojima Shinji's drama I've watched and I'm starting to see a lot of patterns lol I'm not complaining though, it's really interesting to see most of them share things in common.
(Yes, it’s been 18 days since my last comment below and i’m still not over this drama)
1. They... really made it to the end of the drama without revealing his name, none of the characters even called his name once, and they even got married, it was just so unbelievable lmao. But I can see the intention of doing that. They had mentioned the reason for that earlier in the drama, which was because they didn’t want any connection or something like that. But somewhere along the way that reason slowly changed. Until the very last moment, they still kept his name a secret. Why? I like to think it’s a way to emphasize his existence. He will be remembered forever even if he didn’t have a name. And with that his desire is fulfilled.
2. That psychic guy was pretty cool, I wanted to see more of him. Also, am I the only one thought that he was the thieft in the last episode? I mean, he rode a bike... and he probably saw the guy’s wish to die. It kinda makes sense, right?
3. I rarely dislike any fictional characters but man, that ex-husband... the actor really did a fucking good job making him unlikable. He was so annoying that I didn’t even want to read the subs whenever he talked or yelled, and he sure yelled a lot.
4. 2 years after this drama, Nakayama Miho starred in another age-gap dramas, both older women - younger man relationships and both ended with her sitting by the beach smiling. Yes, I’m talking about Kenja no Ai. She actually did a lot of age-gap themed dramas and movies, I’m not complaining though, with that youthful beauty of her, can you imagine being in the industry for 30 years and still frequently getting cast in romance projects with young male leads? That power..... Anyway, I’ve watched most of those movies and dramas and they’re all good ones, she’s amazing.
Well that’s all. This was no ordinary drama. 8/10.
Now, let’s talk about the supporting characters lol. Twisted Yori really attracted twisted people, didn’t he? That Tomoka girl is not ordinary. And Yano definitely isn’t either. But a very interesting character indeed. That last scene of him (the pic on his phone) was really a twist. And I have many questions about him. Was he gay or bisexual? Was he in love with both Yori and Iku or only Yori? That otter keychain he bought was a gift for Iku or himself (as a couple keychain with the one he bought for Yori)? Was him confessing his love for Iku really because he liked Iku or he wanted to help Yori forget or confront his feelings? I think I’m more leaning toward the possibility of him being gay and in love with Yori, but the other is still possible. Anyway, the movie left some doors opened and some questions unanswered, I’m not complaining though, ambiguities make the movie fascinating to think about.
I decided to watch it again today for the second time because I found the HD version and thought “well, why not?” And it really made me realize how different my mind has changed from 9 years ago. I actually really liked it. Aside from the taboo theme, I see people complaining about it being too slow or the music is too forgettable. Yes, it’s very slow and quiet, there’s hardly any music, and I think it’s like that for a reason. Slow and quiet but not peaceful, instead it’s quite dark and very suffocating. Even so it still has its own sweet moments that I couldn’t help but smiling while watching.
Also I really like the camera work and cinematography, and I don’t mean it’s a masterpiece or anything, it just felt like it was really well thought out for most of the scenes. There’s a really classic vibe to it (well maybe because it’s already 12 years old).
I have more to say but i think i should put the rest in spoiler.
I know there were some controversial parts in the story. I've watched the other 2 versions and various dramas from this screenwriter, so let's just say I'm not gonna go all SJW on the story and the characters, if you've also watched them you know the drill lol. And as usual all characters have layers which will be slowly revealed throughout the movie, pretty facade but ugly inside, well not just ugly but they were all filled with darkness and loneliness. I didn't dislike anyone in it and the character I liked the most was probably Mayu, even though I'm not a fan of her acting here. If only she her acting was a bit better, I could see the myself falling in love with her too if I met her in person.
Maybe because it was a movie, the last 1/3 of it felt a bit rushed and left me cold watching the ending, it did not reach me at all. Anyways, it still had some good and cute moments namely the night pool scene and the scene they where went shopping together. Recommended if you're interested in the Kou Kou Kyoushi series. 7.5/10.
I've finished the drama, now I'm kinda depressed but definitely not disappointed. I was emotionally attached to some of the characters although I admit I did find some of the actors a bit over-acted, but it wasn't too annoying. I didn't think the teacher (Momo-sensei) was boring at all, but not interesting either. To me it was more like she represented the audiences - us, how she viewed things, the frustrations she felt and what she wanted do to after witness the situations the kids were under. She had me rooting for her.
The drama had some characters that it could delve more into (such as Towa's family, the Manager's son and could use a bit more depth for Momo), there were many doors left opened for them. But it focused on so many characters already and only had so much space and time so I could understand why they decided not to say more about the others.
There was this one thing that bugged me though, I found it a bit unbelievable that Towa's dad suddenly became very approving of Towa and supported him in the last episode. For the whole drama, he had been really mean and harsh to Towa. it almost felt like the two had mended and bonded in some missing episode that I didn't get to watch.
This is the 13th Nojima Shinji's drama I've watched and I'm starting to see a lot of patterns lol I'm not complaining though, it's really interesting to see most of them share things in common.