Some of my biggest laughs this past month came from this drama. It revels in the absurdity of institutional contradiction and dials up the wacky consequences to an 11. In the face of messy politics, I'm glad it committed to idealism.
The cast really pulled through (and *chef's kiss* to the brassy musical score which perfectly enhanced the camp appeal of some of their performances).
I like that the show is progressively tackling more complex family topics with each episode, especially the breakdown of the nuclear family structure. It's simple, of course, as the show does aim for feel-good slice of life, but it's commendable that it doesn't shy away from those cracks in life.
I also feel it's rare to have a child character feel like an actual child, but Kotaro gets there by being as inquisitive as he is emotionally-charged. His interactions with others come across as real.
2 episodes in and it's stepping up to be a great spring drama. I love watching these 20-somethings from different backgrounds with different hang-ups navigating life and romance in the modern day. Plus, I'm always down to look at pretty food.
I don't think this has a chance of beating the 2008 adaptation, but it does have Toichiro Ruto as a director who puts his stamp on everything he touches. I have no idea if his quick cut rapid-fire comedy is what a new version needs but it at least felt fresh for the first episode. The story is one of my favourites of the youth sports genre so I have a reason to stay until the end.
Also just a random side note, but this is the 3rd drama in a row where Mochizuki Ayumu is playing a supporting role to Johnny's Jrs. He's practically an honorary member at this point lol.
Watch the anime or read the manga. They're more complete and funnier.
I have, which is why I said they "pared it down to the big beats." They got the stories that I felt were most essential from the manga in telling Hori and Miyamura's relationship.
It ended exactly as I expected... which meant the finale was perfect. What started out as a wholesome coming-of-age romcom stayed as such till the end—no misguided detours taken.
I wish it had been longer so we could tell everyone else's stories, but they pared it down to the big beats so I'm not walking out feeling empty at all.
This was beautiful. In fact, I found it quite thoughtfully done. If you watch it you'll know. Similar to Anata no Soba, it's about rebuilding what was lost—not in an effort to regain it, but to simply preserve and honor its memory.
The stories adapted for episode 6 are two of my favourites so I'm glad they both made it. Even if this was around the third time I'd seen them play out, they still made me feel the way I did the first time around (which was... a lot of pain and a lot of happiness, basically).
It'll be interesting to see where they decide to end things in the finale. The preview did not give anything away lol.
Hello, I don't understand, psychologically, what does that mean when he talks to his old dark gloomy self? Now…
In the manga and anime, this story beat happens in a dream. Young Miyamura explicitly states that he's suicidal. Older Miyamura tries to talk him out of it by telling him things change in the future and what he hated will eventually give him the will to live.
I've interpreted it in all versions as Miyamura having an actualization. His younger self is how he saw himself up to this point (introverted, distant from people, etc.), but he's coming to the realization that he's changed now.
Episode 5 is my favorite so far. I love a good sports day episode. It reminded me of my own time in high school (I was definitely a Sengoku!) Everyone got a good showing here... and it made me realise I love all of our main players? They all have fun dynamics with each other. It was nice to see Yuki and Sakura being friends (loved that subtle metaphor about them being on opposite teams)—and after the recent episode of the anime, talk about a palate cleanser lol.
I liked where the anime placed the moment where Miyamura talks with himself but I also liked it here... it's a great moment and it's nice to see it being adapted with justice twice now.
Like others here, I felt the conclusion was just okay. There was a lot of promise in the first few episodes—it…
I liked Mone being a parallel of a younger Reiko, growing from someone with no dream to someone who chased it, and I liked how this collided with a Jun that went in reverse: someone who wanted to chase a dream but lived with a cloud above his head telling him not to. It was an easy set-up in hindsight and it made me forgiving of certain parts, but it chose to fall into romantic tropes by the end... Reiko was highly underutilized in the final arc it was almost shocking. I did like, at the very least, that it was Mone who pulled her out of her funk. Ultimately their mentor/apprentice relationship was the most engaging part and I wish they hadn't pushed it to the background.
Like others here, I felt the conclusion was just okay. There was a lot of promise in the first few episodes—it seemed to strike the balance between workplace drama and romantic comedy rather perfectly. However, the writing ultimately failed to make the most out of it. Many moments made me light up but overall it didn't leave a mark unlike similar workplace dramas I've loved (Pretty Proofreader comes to mind).
It's fascinating to watch both the anime and this at the same time. I'm finding that both have their charms—some…
To pull examples from the recent episode:
On one hand, I preferred the way the drama handled Yuki's story, especially with pulling Hori into the whole thing (though I did miss the subtlety of the reveal of Yuki being considerate of others to the point of hurting herself), because it gave way to Miyamura finding out as well. Following it up with the scene of him helping Yuki pick a cake to try baking made the moment feel more like a friend reaching out.
On the other, I'm not sure it was the right time for the sex scene. I think the week long separation arc that prefaced it in the anime proved a necessary step in the pair's development, thereby giving the whole scene more emotional weight. The sex in itself is meant to be casual, but it felt too casual in this regard.
It's fascinating to watch both the anime and this at the same time. I'm finding that both have their charms—some things the drama does that I prefer over the anime, and vice versa.
The last scene of episode 6 was painful to watch, but I couldn't stop laughing at grandpa's reactions. He knew what was coming and was just enjoying the show lol.
The cast really pulled through (and *chef's kiss* to the brassy musical score which perfectly enhanced the camp appeal of some of their performances).
I also feel it's rare to have a child character feel like an actual child, but Kotaro gets there by being as inquisitive as he is emotionally-charged. His interactions with others come across as real.
Also just a random side note, but this is the 3rd drama in a row where Mochizuki Ayumu is playing a supporting role to Johnny's Jrs. He's practically an honorary member at this point lol.
I wish it had been longer so we could tell everyone else's stories, but they pared it down to the big beats so I'm not walking out feeling empty at all.
It'll be interesting to see where they decide to end things in the finale. The preview did not give anything away lol.
You can also follow Furritsubs on twitter to get updates on when the episodes+subs come out: https://twitter.com/Furritsubs
I've interpreted it in all versions as Miyamura having an actualization. His younger self is how he saw himself up to this point (introverted, distant from people, etc.), but he's coming to the realization that he's changed now.
I liked where the anime placed the moment where Miyamura talks with himself but I also liked it here... it's a great moment and it's nice to see it being adapted with justice twice now.
On one hand, I preferred the way the drama handled Yuki's story, especially with pulling Hori into the whole thing (though I did miss the subtlety of the reveal of Yuki being considerate of others to the point of hurting herself), because it gave way to Miyamura finding out as well. Following it up with the scene of him helping Yuki pick a cake to try baking made the moment feel more like a friend reaching out.
On the other, I'm not sure it was the right time for the sex scene. I think the week long separation arc that prefaced it in the anime proved a necessary step in the pair's development, thereby giving the whole scene more emotional weight. The sex in itself is meant to be casual, but it felt too casual in this regard.