Honestly, it’s not too bad. I’m impressed

There’s not many dramas that take place at uni, so this was nice to see.

PROS
- Topics you might be interested in: university admissions for low income students; general financial problems; computer engineering students; the ethical and dangerous problem with dating apps; diabetes; ocd; cheer leading; app and game development and more!
- A group of six friends who are comfortable with each other
- Childhood lovers to friends; campus couple; and noona relationship (by only 2 years)
- Jeong jaehyun (he did really good) and the kisses? My jaw dropped
- Sibling relationship
- Simple plot - easy to follow
- Characters had own backstories and problems they dealt with throughout
- 12 episodes so no dragging plot

CONS
- The female characters (main and side) were stereotyped a lot in the first half. Whilst the men seem to be very laidback and chill whilst the women are obsessive and jealous and crazy, but it does improve by the second half
- The side characters - at some parts, they were more relevant than some of the main characters. For one in particular, they made them do something very shady which I didn't like (basically just to get ride of him), and by the end of the drama, they all became irrelevant. I was kind of disappointed. There was another character introduced very late and didn't really contribute anything...
- At times, certain main characters were background characters because they weren't in a relationship and most of the problems in the drama are relationship problems
- Miscommunication. This is a big turn off for some. I didn't think it was as bad as some people have said. But the weird thing is, when characters did communicate, there would still be problems and some characters went two episodes without talking to each other properly
- I expected better confrontation for certain characters

There are some other things I want to mention.

I though the plot was quite interesting, especially considering that it’s a campus romance. It didn’t feel like a typical university drama where everyone falls in love. The main six each have some sort of problem in their personal life that also defines their personality and choices at times. I also like how they depicted uni life. They actually go to class and do work (because they genuinely care), and have a social life. As mentioned before, I like the incorporation of their majors and the apps they use. And of course, the anonymous love letter that was posted, and the mystery element behind that which was a catalyst for misunderstandings and confusion.

There’s also a few other small things I enjoyed that I wanted to mention. Joo Ah and Min Ho’s friendship is really cute at the start: them sharing a drink, him typing his jacket around her, him calling her mum, ‘mum’ as well. They had a good platonic relationship which I like to see. And of course, him being in love with her for a while. And the small things he did when he was jealous were hilarious since they weren’t actually mean spirited in any way (e.g. the lip balm scene on the road trip - p.s. I LOVE ROADTRIPS IN DRAMAS SM!!.) Jaehyun's character spends half of the drama being 2nd ML but he doesn't fall in any good guy trope, and isn't possessive or toxic. Despite knowing he she likes someone else, he doesn’t treat her differently (i.e. badly). And lastly, there’s a main character (Bo Young with diabetes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character in a kdrama have diabetes. I can’t speak on how accurate the representation was, but I did appreciate how she briefed the people she was close to in case something ever happened. It felt realistic. And we also had a main character with OCD which he really took pride in (once again, can't speak for representation).

Also, I teared up during the last episode when Jaehyun gave his speech...

All in all, this is a drama that doesn’t do too much or too little. Aside from a few things, nothing else felt unnecessary. If you’re a fan of any of these actors, and of course, if you want to finally see Jaehyun’s first acting role, check it out!! For my fellow nctzens, you will not be disappointed - jaehyun knew the assignment. And the kiss scene!!!! wow

At the moment, I've given this drama a 8 but it may change in the future. This series is not my thing at all and I only watched for Jaehyun, but it was decent enough to get through

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The best thing to do is to go into this drama blind

TL; DR: It's a drama that deals with a lot of difficult issues, particularly surrounding child abuse and adults' constant abuse of power, which ends in a lot of people (especially the victims) being let down. And for the most part, it is a revenge story with main characters who want the truth to be revealed. A really interesting and eye-opening watch. (I'm sorry this review is soo long)

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You know how you’ll accidently tangle your earphones and try to undo the knots, but every time, a new, much smaller knot appears? You can’t just simply unravel it, that’s now how it works. It takes precision and dedication. And that’s how I sum up this drama. And if that sounds interesting, give it go! ? And the fact that the end has to mention that children and animals were kept safe during the shooting should indicate the type of drama that this is (i.e., it deals with heavy topics which I will include in a trigger warning at the end, so no one is accidently spoiled).

So, why is it called blind? Because in a world where children are most vulnerable, they are not being protected by adults. Instead, they are broken down by the adults around them. These adults are easily able to turn a blind eye to their own wrongdoings, both in the past and present. So much so, that when karma is coming back around, they still maintain a level of blindless where they refuse to accept responsibility or even acknowledge the fact that they are shitty human beings, like literal scum. The main characters, however, refuse to be blinded by this. They work to protect people who have been wronged and get them the support they deserve.

Now, on to the actual review…

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Hm... I almost slightly regret starting this during the first week. It's a thriller. And it's confusing. Not because it's complicated, but more because you don't really know ANYTHING. But despite all that, it's very intriguing.

/PLOT/
I don't have much to say because it's a very mysterious plot. It's a drama that relies on flashbacks at the start of episodes that slowly reveal more and more like a jigsaw puzzle … that just never seems to end..? I'm eager to be able to understand everything that has happened between the flashbacks and present day, and finally connect all the puzzle pieces, yet nervous to know all the bad things that have happened.

The best one sentence synopsis I can give you is: A revenge story focusing on hurting the people around the targets/puppets, rather than the puppets themselves, with an unknown puppeteer controlling everything/everyone.

To add to that, I do think the pacing is okay. It's fast paced in the sense that it feels like the side characters are doing more of the work whilst main characters are in danger. Although this does change, it doesn't exactly feel like the plot is progressing, but I will expand upon that a bit in the next paragraph.

I did have a small gripe early on with how everything seemed so contrived. And I will say that I managed to figure out how it was possible toward the end, and it was then confirmed in the last few episodes, so I'm happy about that. They did manage to fit everything in nicely, in my opinion. Other than that, I also have to bring u the fact that SUNG JOON kept doing his police duties ALONE. He would randomly go meet up with a perpetrator in the middle of the night to arrest him by himself, despite spending the day with his team trying to find said person. Why does he not have a partner??

But since then, another annoyance came into existence (to do with choice the writers made). This will probably count as a spoiler so BEWARE and just skip this paragraph if you want to
⚠️ So, as I previously mentioned, rather than targeting the real baddies, they targeted their children. And in every single case, their children were daughters. And the kids all locked up in Hope Welfare Centre were boys. And I'm not sure why, it just feels icky, especially since nearly all of the baddies were men. So, in order for a character to exact their revenge, they targeted the children of the people they hated, without thinking about how it would affect the children of the buddies' children, for example. I can't quite explain why, but it rubs me the wrong way. Also, one girl who was killed had no connection to the Hope Welfare Centre other than knowing EUN KI. I also just don't understand why she had to be killed, or the events leading to her being in danger in the safest place for her. ⚠️

This begs the question then, when is revenge taken too far? At what point do these innocent victims exacting revenge on behalf of their childhood selves just become just as bad the perpetrators who caused them so much grief? Definitely a bit of a morality thing to consider. Also, the plot twists were good.

/CHARACTERS/
The main characters that we follow seem slightly unique compared to other thrillers. We know who the protagonists are, but as for the antagonists, they remain, to some extent, a mystery. There is also more than one antagonist. But we're not following the person exacting revenge, instead we're following three people who are also just trying to understand what is going on, just like the audience. In that sense, it's very refreshing, but it's easy to wish that they would hurry up and figure at least one thing out. I feel like the side characters know more than the actual main leads at times, which can be frustrating, especially since I'm waiting for the characters to be on the same page and understand they have a common goal.

the FL (EUN KI) is the rational mind, the third-party perspective that - for the most part - doesn’t necessarily have any personal ties to most of the characters. The two MLs on the other hand are a bit different. Whilst one is more rational (SUNG HOON) than the other, he’s still involved in a way that causes him to fight with the other ML, who happens to be his brother (SUNG JOON). Despite the annoyance some of the characters bring me, I still enjoyed watching them, and I did for the most part like them. SUNG JOON is definitely annoying towards the start because he just does not listen, but I do tend to root for him more and I like him. SUN HOON was definitely a bit boring. He did have some nice interactions with YU NA (a side character connected to EUN KI) which I appreciated for its wholesomeness. And EUN KI, EUN KI, EUN KI. My favourite character by far that pretty much just became a background character. Towards the end, she just started slowly disappearing and there were less and less scenes with her. And her contribution seemed to also dwindle and her role as a character, role in the story, and her role as a social workers became less significant. And I truly did miss seeing her by the end. I think that once more information was revealed, she writers of this drama kind of put her in her place and didn't really let her move.

/MUSIC/
In most thrillers, the music tends to be subtle, and this is no exception. It's not constantly there, but I like it when it is. If anything, this has more of a film score than anything. It's eerie and quiet and it works. For the actual OSTs that exist, I really like them. There is one song that kept being played in the final episode which I'm trying to find still.

/REWATCH/
Thrillers in general can be fun to rewatch because it's nice to be able to go back and pick up on small things and understand them better. And with a drama like BLIND, I can't wait to be able to binge watch this (probably years later) but be able to pay attention to detail a bit more, particularly the characters themselves.

/OVERALL/
I actually liked the ending, in terms of where the main characters ended up. But at the same time, I feel like justice wasn't fully served. Certain people were just slightly tossed to the side to make room/screentime for the main characters, and we didn't get to see them being fully punished because of it. And I kind of feel numb now. I'm sat her just wondering what to rate it and how I even feel about it. I am sad that it has come to an end. I had high hopes - 2022 has given us a lot of thriller kdramas, and I hope this can be added to my list of favourites with a satisfying ending! But still, I think I just want to forget about this drama for a few weeks, come back, and really deduct how I felt about this.

I also want to mention the importance of a character like EUN KI. As SUNG JOON mentions in the final few minutes, if those kids had someone like EUN KI to support them and guide them, a lot of things could have turned out differently. But of course, at the end of the day, the fault is on the people who ultimately abused their power by either abusing others, by turning their head the other way and ignoring those in pain. And I think that this drama raises those very important points.

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[02/10/2022 update - some comments I have after watching eps 5 and 6 - no spoilers] I just didn't know how to fit it into the review...

I'm almost annoyed with how slow certain things are progressing.

Also, I have a few theories on who's who but because the side characters are hardly ever seen, it's easy for us to suspect them since we hardly know them.

And some of it seems SOOO contrived and obviously fictional. E.g., what are the chances that the victims and perpetrators of a case, along with the police and judges involved and the jurors are (nearly) all somehow connected through their past (which is extremely dark). I'm expecting some very good storytelling when it comes to the mastermind behind all this considering this person has managed to get them all in the same vicinity and is messing with all of them to this extent.

I will say that SUNG JOON is so freaking impulsive that it began to bother me. He's that one character in a horror film who goes through the door when we all know he'll be killed. Like, come on!! Your brother tells you to make sure you tell him before doing something, and you just decide not to? He's constantly putting himself into situations where he could be seen as suspicious, and he doesn't seem to care...? Or realise why it's such a bad decision.

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tw // child abuse, murder, kidnapping, torturing, mentions of sexual assault

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There's something about this series that bugs the hell out of me

[15/09/2022 UPDATE]: that freaking cover.... I thought I would address it because I saw a few people asking if it was a BL. The answer? No. It's such a random cover to me. The first thing you see is three guys laughing. Two of them aren't even relevant, and the other one (the ML) is a jerk to the other two at times. But they're pretty much nobody. And then you have two pretty editorial shots at the top of two other characters (one being the FL), that means absolutely nothing to me. At the end of this review, I added what I think the cover should have looked like, and how I would change the plot. I did not like this drama so I do have a lot to nit-pick about

──── ✧《✩ STORY ✩》✧ ────
It has an interesting premise, it really does. But the execution felt disjointed. Going from a story about a summer first love to a dating reality show about teenagers was slightly odd. The storytelling was just awful in my opinion. Like, actually bad. And the screenwriter just wasn't great at using plot devices

The whole reality show arc was weird to me. It was like none of characters (the ones actually participating and the ones watching) had ever watched reality TV. Like, YES, it's sometimes scripted. It's not exactly a big secret. Yet some of the characters had the biggest attitude when things didn't go their way. And the ending just made me question the point of everything.

This also gives me Victorious vibes (yep, that's right, that Nick show). Because, you have a bunch of characters that are all supposed to "shine", but really, it's just the main two that are relevant. Like, the side characters were specifically created to revolve around the main two. They're just there to serve the plot, but don't contribute anything to their own character. In fact, even Victorious gave some personality to their side/minor characters at least. This was just bad.

──── ✧《✩ ACTING/CAST✩》✧ ────
I didn't really like the characters at all. I did my best to try and understand the characters and why they made the choices they did, but in the end, I kept coming back to one thing: they're teenagers who haven't experienced much and I JUST DON'T CARE about them or what was happening to them. Yagi Yusei's character was the only one I really liked (which might be my bias for him showing since I like FANTA's music), but he never got much of a backstory. But he was the nicest character and he was just really understanding and sweet.

The other characters all just annoying and selfish. Like, they (the screenwriter irl and the reality show's director) really milked a story that happened over the span of probably a month. The FL basically stirred shit over something that happened years before despite her terrible confrontation skills. And I swear it was the most PICK ME GIRL BS EVER!!!! Come on!!! She started shit for no reason and tried to hide and ignore it.

There's a scene in episode 4 (~19:38) of Itagaki Mizuki's character walking up the stairs and it's the most bizarre scene. his shoulders are hunched and he looks slightly scary. Out of context, the scene is giving me low-budget horror vibes... I just had to mention it because it's so weird. Also, the scene itself was weird to me because I felt like what he was doing was for the wrong reasons, and he also went after the wrong person

I also wonder why so many of these actors were casted. This feels like something that was written by a rookie (even though it wasn't), and should have starred rookie actors, but a lot of these actors have been around for a while and have acted in things A LOT better.

──── ✧《✩ SCREENWRITING/DIRECTING ✩》✧ ────
The cinematography was really great. It was filmed in a small seaside town and was really pretty. There were a lot of great shots. The writing was a bit off, and the characters didn't always feel like teenagers, or even people.

All the problems I mentioned above could have been resolved easily - with more episodes. It felt so restricted in every way possible. As if the actors didn't have enough time to get into the role of their characters before they finished filming. The small plot points came and went so fast so I never really felt like I could have known any of the characters as people. Which is why I found it hard to connect. For example, one of the characters was going through something in their home life, but then it just stopped being relevant and I really think they could have kept coming back to it throughout to see how it still affects the character. But there was nothing!! It was only there to turn the ML into a jerk.

──── ✧《✩ MUSIC ✩》✧ ────
They played a song that was actually decent. It had a summer feel that matched the drama. But it was also slightly forgetful.

──── ✧《✩ REWATCH VALUE ✩》✧ ────
I'll honestly never watch this again. There's no need to. I only heard about this because of Yagi Yusei, and then happened to recognise other cast members.

tl;dr: good plot, bad execution; good acting, bad characterisation. Not terrible, but not good - i.e. very mediocre

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[15/09/2022 UPDATE - MY VERISON ]
I came up with this before falling asleep last night but I'll try my best to remember everything.

The cover should be similar to the kdrama The Smile Has Left Your Eyes cover. The FL is either embracing the ML or Yagi Yusei's character, with the other man on the other side with their hand out, failing to grasp the FL. This should also be a thriller (I have a excessive need to turn anything and everything into a thriller). The plot for the most part can stay the same - the friends having hung out together during school and over the summer. But I would also make the FL a childhood friend as well, that always moved around but still kept in touch. There should be a big betrayal or fight and then years later, she appears again on the reality TV show, just like this drama. But there's going to be a plot twist, I just haven't figured it out. Either the ML or Yagi Yusei's character is evil (hence why I couldn't decide who should hug her in the cover). The one holding her is evil. And he's obsessed with her. And the other ML has to try and convince everyone that he's evil, but no one believes him. Ok, I got it. Yagi Yusei's character is evil and joined the reality show after finding out she was in it because he knew her when they were young and he had a crush on her. But now he's straight up obsessed. The ML knows this, but no will believe him because he became a jerk at the end of middle school, so they don't trust him. His friends are more important in my version and are watching most of it together at home until the last few eps where they show up because they realise something is wrong. But, plot twist - the ML is a serial killer. He didn't just become a jerk after middle school, he also started murdering people (ones that resemble his mother). And the FL also resembles his mother. So, they're both evil (to different degrees). And her friends on show have to help the ML's friends figure out what happened and then take down the ML. Oh, and Yagi Yusei's character is killed trying to help the FL. He went out a stalker hero...

A bit dramatic but that's what I came up with last night and just now as I wrote this :) Of course this show could have been better without the thriller plot, just a few other changes. Oh, and if you try to use my plot to create something, I expect royalties. So you better pay up :)

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They really went all out and did not come here to play

Loved it!

I am totally biased because I love seeing Iwata Takanori acting and have been waiting for this ever since he posted about it on his Instagram, but I like it regardless.

This is a very controversial topic, but should be discussed nonetheless. It deals with infidelity from multiple perspectives, and gives an insight into multiple couples who all live in the same apartment complex. Rather than approaching this drama thinking that it has been made to justify certain behaviour (cheating and abuse), think of it as a way to explain it. Because humans aren't perfect, and we don't always make the best decisions with sound judgement. Often, I experienced feeling annoyed with characters but then understanding their struggles. At times it will be frustrating, but that's the point. Certain characters will try to justify themselves, and you'll just roll your eyes, but that doesn't mean the character wronged will forgive them.

The acting was really great. The leads really outdid themselves and went all out. The side characters also put their all into their characters, despite not being part of the main plot. I'm always impressed with Iwata Takanori's work and his choices of roles outside of EXILE-related dramas. I really felt his anxiety over wanting to protect Sakura. Shinohara Ryoko also did really well at expressing her pain. The name of the drama is really important - Fishbowl Wives. And that's exactly how Sakura felt. In the condo, she felt she had to live up to expectations of being totally in love with her husband, but behind the scenes, she was suffering. Shinohara Ryoko did a really good job of expressing that.

Back to the title - it is significant in understanding the emotions of the women in this drama. Many wives in Japan become housewives after marriage, and the wives in this drama are no different. They are confined to the private sphere of their home with no room to grow, and as Haruto explains, goldfish need room to grow in their bowls. With no room to grow, the wives are additionally scrutinized and judged and cannot find a place to fully be themselves. Sakura was able to find such a place with Haruto, but it was different for all the wives.

Side note, episode 6 had a twist that had the potential to make this drama a psychological thriller and I love that. ?

Overall, the drama raises important questions on what it means to be successful and happy. It also gives an insight into the expectations of women and some of the choices they might make when they feel lost, despite being in a loving marriage. I definitely do recommend this drama, but it is of course important to read the tags, because it is much more mature than other dramas.

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I only just finished it and I already want to rewatch it!!

This was honestly really fun to watch. I made predictions at the start about what I thought would happen so I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the film.

Suda Masaki's character (Yamashiro Keigo) just want to succeed with his art and manga. And once he finally does, things go south. Despite him drawing upon a murder he witnessed, the murderer decides to follow the murders in the manga. It's a bit of a full circle moment, especially during the climax. It's relatively slow for the most part but the director did an amazing job at building up the tension. Especially when Morozumi started appearing in Keigo's life. I was worried for all the other characters but also excited to see and know more.

The acting was phenomenal. The fact that Fukase Satoshi who played the serial killer - Morozumi Shuichi - only just had his acting debut with this film is insane because of how good he was. I did wish we knew more information about his character and how he used another person (Henmi) with his killings, but I'm still satisfied. Suda Masaki was great as usual. I expect nothing less from him. He really captures different emotions well - from joy and happiness to anxiety and frustration. I also love Seida-san. Seeing Oguri Shun act is always so enjoyable. He wasn't just a detective. He also had interests. And of them happened to be reading manga, specifically Keigo's manga. The other actors also took on their role well.

I really do recommend this film. If you love any of the actors in the film (especially Suda Masaki and Oguri Shun), and psychological thrillers with serial killers, and manga, this film is for you.

PS. Sorry if this review is all over the place, I might go back and edit this. I'm also glad that I am the first review for this amazing film!!

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This is actually a hard film to watch and recommend. Because of that, please do check the tags before watching. This is a complicated film to talk about since is deals with domestic abuse. However, it's an important film.

It follows a man who starts stalking someone he previously went to university with, only to find out that she's a victim of domestic abuse. The ML (Naoto) isn't necessarily a great character. For one, he stalks her, and invades her privacy, and even befriends her. Whilst this isn't told from the perspective of the victim (the FL - Chihiro) , we are still able to catch glimpses, from the Naoto's perspective, where you can see how her trauma affects her. And the abuse does get very graphic, which is why I tend to skip over those parts if I do re-watch it. However, the choice not to censor it is important in my opinion, because it shows what victims experience, and it shouldn't just be sugar-coated.

Another thing I would like to mention is memory, and one's perception of their own memory. Without going into much detail, we see many flashbacks of their university days and the interactions they had. Seeing the importance of those interactions explains why (not justifies) why he chose to stalk her after seeing her all those years later.

There's also a slight plot twist at one point which I thought was interesting and engaging. There is also another side character whose is slightly eccentric. In my opinion, the importance of his character is to show he people (including him and Naoto) latch onto something in times of need and in turn, they provide an emotional anchor for them. However, in this case, it isn't as simple as finding a band through a song that means a lot to you. Here, we see the extreme version, along with the extreme choices some people will make, especially if that anchor is being threatened to be taken away from them.

If this is something you are interested in, please check it out. Because of this film that I first watched last year, I have gained an interest in the main characters. Also, I hope you like my analysis in the paragraph above and are able to take away your own meaning from this film in the same way I have :)

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This was mediocre at most

?? I'm actually disappointed with how much I disliked this.

This drama had nothing much to offer, in all honesty. The story seemed pretty interesting, especially coming from Japan which dominates the gaming industry. However, they went in a different direction where, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a constant plot to link the entire drama. Don't get me wrong, there was an attempt, but somehow, there lacked consistency and coherence. There were a few other problems scattered throughout which just disintegrated after being solved 20 minutes later.

The characters...I didn't mind. I've seen a lot of comments praising the bromance, but I thought that also lacked, The entire drama only focused on games, and that's it. For the two ML's, it seemed their only conversations were about making a game/taking down a company. I would've much preferred it if we saw more casual conversations sprinkled throughout with the two of them and the FL as well. The FL was also ok, but I feel like she could've had more importance. Her only relevance was that she was in charge of the family company, but her previous work experience, for example, wasn't particularly helpful. In all honesty, they were forgetful characters. All of them.

There's nothing else to really talk about, to be honest. I did see a comment calling this drama camp, and I can see that. This didn't have a good production value by the looks of it. So yes, pretty disappointing, especially as a fan of Yamazaki Kento who has been looking forward to more dramas from him.

Oh, and of course I can't be completely negative in this review, so let's go over that this drama has contributed to my life in a positive way... it introduced me to Matsushita Kouhei who I had honestly not come across before, surprisingly. Yep.

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Interesting, but a bit too short

Off the bat, I just want to mention Girl From Nowhere. I've only watched the first episode of GFN, but I will say that it is very similar to the 2nd episode of this drama.

To be as vague as possible (because I think that's the best way to watch this drama), it follows a new girl at school who befriends two siblings (fraternal twins), and mysteriously, things start to go very weird. That's it. That's all you're getting. That's all you need.

The main three characters are all very distinct and interesting. The acting was also very good. And I appreciate that they're all very young actors (the actors playing students are nearly all under 19) which is refreshing and also fun.

There are some plot twists, and possibly red herrings (but it may be a stretch to label them as that). The only possible problem is the length. I do wonder what kinds of things could be added if they had chosen to extend to episode number, but I truthfully can't think of much. Maybe expand upon some plot reveals with more flashbacks in order to gain a better understanding of characters' emotions. Depending on who you ask, the length is either a good or bad thing. It was short and concise, and straight to the point. There was no fluff. The first 3 episodes involved some build up, but even then. they didn't drag. Once things were started to be revealed, the theme of the drama pretty much switched, and I was in disbelief until the end because I didn't know what to believe.

I do think that the title may give away one of the first plot twists (because yes, there are quite a few until the truth is actually revealed in the last episode). It's not listed on MDL as an alternative title, but the subber did translate the title which kind fo gives away an important reveal which takes place in the second half of the drama

All in all, it was a pretty decent drama. I don't think it built up the suspense perfectly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and I would't mind re-watching it?

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It's nice to be reunited with Kiyoi and Hira once again.

The main thing I want to say is that this drama is self-aware. Season 1 was weird to some people because Hira has this sort of reverse god complex which he projected onto Kiyoi. But at the end of the day, we all know Hira's feelings and opinions towards Kiyoi aren't necessarily the best. Hira has created this parasocial relationship towards Kiyoi in the same way people do towards celebrities, despite actually knowing him. Kiyoi explains it perfectly in the end of episode 3 by saying Hira prefers unrequited love. Hira views Kiyoi as a God, without considering the fact that Kiyoi has his own feelings and likes Hira back. However, Hira is insecure in himself to realise Kiyoi could actually like him. All Kiyoi wants is to feel equal. We saw this in season 1, and despite everything, they were able to be together, but this is only lasting so long in season 2.

Also, I feel like the acting has gotten even better. And I love the opening - both the song and the graphics.

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I'm slightly confused … and uncomfortable.

I feel like I've seen this plot quite a few times - two young people get into a toxic relationship where they just use each other

For the ML, he is dealing with grief and is very closed off, and because of that, he is outcasted. For the FL, truthfully, I'm not sure what her backstory is. Somehow, these two characters form a sexual relationship. And although he claims to like her, he treats her like shit. And she denies liking him for a while.

I feel like this film is hypersexualised. From what I know, the source material involves a lot of sex. And this has quite a bit as well. But I need I remind you, these kids are MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS!! They're not even in high school. They're around 14-15 for a majority of this film. And I'm watching them have sex... It's weird, and honestly, feels unnecessary. They could have aged them up to at least high schoolers

Like I already mentioned, the plot feels stale and overused, and doesn't add anything new to coming of age films. I have given it a high re-watch value because I do want to eventually watch it again and try to understand it better, and maybe gain a new perspective.

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I'd probably go crazy if I heard those birds scream everynight.

I think this film was packed with too much symbolism which I could not pick up on (e.g. the birds). It was honestly an ok film, I just can't find anything to really appreciate about it.

I think the ML's writing could've been explored a lot more. I keep thinking about him talking about his novel and him just describing what happened in his relationship. Like, completely conspicuous. And for the ML, I would've liked to see her past relationship a bit more as well. And also a bit more of their relationship beforehand when they were just mere acquaintances. We only got one scene from when they were just acquaintances/friends. It would have been interesting to look at, what I would describe as the ML's obsessiveness, a bit more.

It felt quite depressing and gloomy at times despite nothing in the present day was bad. In fact, they shared quite a lot of good moments together. I did find it to be almost hopeful at times.

I will say that I totally skipped over the sex scene, and the make out one the next morning which the FL resists at least twice before she just gives in.

I would definitely watch it again to see if I could actually pick up on anything new. Especially because of how good the acting was.

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ONE OF THE MOST RE WATCHABLE SHOWS I HAVE COME ACROSS

This isn't so much of a review of the story as it is me discussing the two leads.

A tale of people who lose hope but manage to regain it.

It's been 11 months since I first found this drama, and since then, I have watched episodes of this many times since then. It's become my number one drama to watch when I feel burnt out or just lacking in inspiration or motivation.

Sometimes, I'll randomly think about Shun's values. He identifies as a minimalist. He chooses to only own what brings him joy anf value. Although I have no intention to be a minimalist (at least not now), it's interesting to see him as someone who diverges from the norm. He doesn't use a phone and just takes things at his own pace. He's by no means a "perfect" person - or rather, character. He has his own set of issues and insecurities which hold him back. But he's someone who does things for himself. Allow me to demonstrate with something he says:

"If someone says they need you, if they say you are dependable, ...is that the measurement of happiness?
"I decide things on my own. I decide my own worth. I won't heed anyone's expectations. That's what I want to become."

I do think that the first part is rather... controversial. Especially since, as humans, we constantly seek out validation from others to make ourselves feel better. But I find his view refreshing.

To an extent he can be seen as a bit of a hypocrite at times, yet I don't find him condescending in the slightest. Rather, it shows a very human side to him that I can see parts of myself in.

As for Mashiba-san, she's an over achiever; an overthinker; and a people pleaser. She strives to to present herself in a way that makes others like her. Hence why Shun replies to her with the quote I mentioned earlier.

And her need to achieve this supposed measure of success also overlaps with her job where she is putting herself on online. Through curating an online presence, she burns herself out and doesn't know how to bounce back.

Despite not having a similar path to her, in terms of being someone who people depend on for advice or guidance, particularly online, I also found myself relating to her. Like her, I'm someone who wants to do my best but it can become overwhelming. Hard to cope, even.

Episode 3 is a particular favourite episode of mine. For one, the four of them go on a little road trip (#GOALS lmao). Another great thing about the episode is that the characters become self-aware and come to a realisation about the different struggles that each of them have to go through. And even if they can't relate on the surface level, through communication, they come to a mutual understanding and bond in a way that finally makes the four of them a family of sorts. And the food in this episode, omg!! yum.

The incorporation of both fashion and food is also interesting. It adds some flavour, some zest, if you will.

All in all, it's a drama which will remind you to slow down, and even spark some creativity and inspiration which may have gotten lost in our need to put our craft before our own wellbeing. So do give this drama a try. As a plus, the chemistry between the leads is great. Their relationship is based on mutual understanding and communication.

25/06/2022
10:36 PM

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A bit predictable...

First things first, I have not seen the original so this will have no comparison whatsoever.

I don't really have much to say about this, to be honest. Initially, I was excited. I had watched the trailer and had high expectations because of it, along with the fact that I'm familiar with most of the actors in this film.

But ultimately, it fell flat.
Visually, it was great. The set was amazing, and the acting was good. They all played their characters well, despite not having much to work with because this of course all takes place in a cube. It was clear the type of people they all were. But, it sometimes felt repetitive. Like yes, we know you hate young people, but you don't have to complain about them every five minutes. And I feel like I've seen Okuda Maskai play similar characters before - is it just me, or is he typecasted to play roles where he's a bit crazy...?

The only other problem was that it was so predictable. Like I mentioned above, it was made clear what type of lives they all lived which made it easy to guess everyone's outcome. Because of that, it sucked the fun out for me, unfortunately. It was also bizarrely long for a film which covers so little situations and is constricted to one location.

Maybe watching this again and also the original will change my opinion though. Either way, I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to - I assume fans of the original would be curious to form their own judgement. And also if you're a fan of any of the actors. I was initially only interested because of Suda Masaki (but any project with Takumi and Masaki is always a plus in my books).

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A drama filled with clichés that were executed horribly

It was painfully repetitive.

The ML and FL were dry as hell and desperate and I didn't care about them whatsoever.

The rich friend was also irritating because she spent the entire time desperate for a relationship just to realise "he was there the whole time".

I did like the story of the other friend and her love interest because it felt realistic but that made it all the more sad (for the most part). I wish it could've been developed better because it fell into the same routine as the leads where there's this back and forth of her telling him she's not good enough and then him saying he doesn't care about her struggles because he loves her, then they break up and get back together. Her story with her family was developed well but their relationship wasn't which is disappointing because they were the only couple I liked.

I get that the relationship of the leads was supposed to be realistic but it wasn't. It was this constant cycle of her confessing and him rejecting. And once they were together, there was a lack of communication. When he was away for that one year, they both messed up their relationship because all he did was ask her questions that a distant relative would at a wedding, and she was too afraid to tell him that she wasn't happy with the relationship and then he felt that she suddenly broke up with him. I don't mind the fact that they broke up but there was no communication or indication that she wasn't happy in the relationship.

And the love triangle? unnecessary. I didn't care for the other guy at all and tbh, he was boring. The 3 in the love triangle had no chemistry and I don't know why the 2nd guy was pining so hard when she obviously wasn't reciprocating the feelings.

Additionally, why was the FL so angry with the ML after spending so much time away from her? I understand that he was annoying when he moved back there, but why was she always drunk calling him and getting angry before that? Didn't he do a good thing by not forcing himself to be with her because he didn't see her like that? He rejected her, unlike when she started dating the other guy when she had no real interest in him.

I feel like it could've been good for the leads to have a convo in which he goes into detail about his fam a bit more to help her understand why he's so indifferent and a jerk. But tbh, I sometimes felt his feeling were uncalled for and he acted out so much instead of confronting them like an adult. That's a running theme throughout this drama: acting like they're still in school.

Also, they got together in the end, but who's to say they won't make the same mistake again?? Their entire relationship was based upon misunderstanding and a lack of communication but how have they suddenly realised that they're going to live happily ever after....?

Lastly, did the characters even like each other, or was it just because they had no chemistry? The 2nd guy seemed to only like her because she reminded him of his ex who left him for his brother. The FL seemed like she was holding onto her school experiences with the ML because it felt like she didn't like him. And ML just smiled more at the FL when they were together and his jerk trope was overdone. I've seen other dramas where the ML was a jerk and cold-hearted but the ML in this was written terribly.

Overall, I hoped that they wouldn't end together. The drama was also too long considering there was so much repetition, so it would've been better at 12 episodes. The last two episodes especially were a drag.

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Interesting premise, and mostly good execution!

It was cool! I had DNF-ed psychopath diary but the ML's execution in this drama was great. I also like the FL and the side characters were all relevant which is something I look for in a good drama.

The plot was also well-paced. I know some say it was rushed because it was only 12 episodes but I prefer it like that. Once one major plot point had been revealed, you were already moving on to the overall case so you do need to be careful not to lose track, or else you might get confused.

I think both the plot and characters were superb and it was all realistic (despite it being sci-fi) as intentions were made clear and there was a justification for actions.

I have seen some critiques on how there were plot holes and how the characters weren't realistic for police officers as they were emotionally motivated at certain points, but I think it allowed for a catalyst in order to keep the story moving. But it sometimes doesn't make sense when certain characters aren't reprimanded when they make silly mistakes as a police officer that could be life-threatening (which they do become at certain times) but I've seen this done in other crime dramas, so I'll look past it.

Overall, I did enjoy it and it was a quick watch as it was only 12 episodes. It may be confusing for people who aren't as familiar with sci-fi, but I've had plenty of experience with sci-fi so it was easier for me.

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