Such a lovely little series about dreaming. Idealism may not solve the impossible, but if you can overcome one problem today who knows what you can achieve tomorrow?
A contemporary look at teaching and student life as it grapples with the changing culture of modern Japan. Surprisingly this was more of a human drama than I thought it would be. It has little in the way of answers or platitudes for its many debates, even with its idealism. It's more interested in offering a shoulder to lean on and a mirror to the world. Not a perfect show by any means, but it definitely found a way to charm me.
The recent two-parter was brilliant. Suzuki Masayuki brought his A game with the direction... so many good moments with the camerawork, blocking and editing. 🤌
I think she is called "mama" (short for mama-san), because she is the owner of the restaurant/snackbar. I don't…
Hmm, I don't think so. It would make sense for her customers to call her that, but her own family? And it's a stretch when she literally refers to her own mother as mama. Mama is what many Filipinos call their mothers, I call my own mother that as well.
They really handled the second episode with so much grace. The story hit close to home (I've had relatives go through the exact same thing) and it showed in the details, even the way Angela was called "mama" instead of "okaa-san" by her family and referred to her own mother like that as well.
Tokuo Koji can be hit or miss but when he's locked in he's definitely delivering bangers. First episode was great and Ono Machiko and Yagira Yuya being signed on has me optimistic; it'll be interesting to see how Bando Ryota holds up against them if they have any scenes as a trio in the future.
Feels like they ran out of crazy ideas for the last episode. Definitely nowhere near the high of the earlier ones. At least they took a hard stance on AI.
The Yukimi storyline was handled too cleanly. I think tying it into the (IMO, way too obvious) mystery surrounding Kagami was okay, but she hardly got pushed to a breaking point equivalent to his to make the parallel work. At most she came across as a teenager going through a rebellious phase.
Ultimately, that's a larger symptom with Ruto Toichiro's work; his bread & butter is farcical comedy so any darker elements are pushed to the side to not throw off the balance. The Joshima episode was wiilling to go there but I guess they didn't want two heavy episodes about suicidal ideation back-to-back.
I love how much of this story is about reclaiming. Reclaiming a home that stopped feeling like it, reclaiming a family you thought was broken (and, perhaps, hurt you), reclaiming a self that once was lost. Healing isn't always about just moving on; sometimes it's about looking back, and reconciling, before you can go forward.
I'm sorry ...based on a true story? what psychotic loveless individual would ban romance and sex, and to the point…
The actual real-life story isn't as extreme. The drama is mostly original, the only part inspired by real events is the student suing her school after she gets asked to withdraw for breaking the dating ban.
Watching UchiBen right now, and I immediately knew he had a hand in it. So this is my appraisal of one of the hidden gems of the industry: he doesn't get enough credit for managing to establish a distinct style on TV, and even if it doesn't work for everything, his comedies are always guaranteed fun rides.
At times, I found this to be hollow, almost hard to sink my teeth into. One second, its thoughts on existentialism and purpose could be really compelling, then the next, muddled by its casual cruetly. I mean, "live for those that love you" as a throughline is nothing innovative but still... those are the parts that really brought me to a standstill, or to tears. When it wasn't afraid to get heavy in a meaningful way that's when it offered pure catharsis.
There is a gay storyline. The main character befriends a gay college student in a relationship, and the struggles he faces dating a man is a catalyst for many events that happen throughout the series, especially the final arc. He and his boyfriend are not the main focus but their storyline does progress in every episode and it has a satisfying conclusion.
A little clumsy. On one hand, I enjoyed how it handled its familial themes, particularly the stuff with the Mitsuzawa family. It's your typical "B-plot parallels oveararching A-plot" formula but done well enough. On the other hand, mystery was the weakest aspect, so it lost me by the end. Feels like there were better ways to say what it wanted to say without resorting to some cartoonish villainy.
A very thoughful finale. By putting the story's agency entirely in the central idol character's hands, it managed…
If people are approaching this story as a straightforward romance, the final development will definitely have mixed reception. I personally liked it, but also because I agree with the idea that Mimika and Keita could only ever converge at this one point.
Mimika graduates not just from Tetra, but from being an idol, an imagined version of herself that she was never truly happy with. Just from reading Wakana's interviews, I get the sense that she agrees with or at least understands that the journey of an idol can be one of self-discovery, with graduation almost a necessary step in some ways. Like I said, I found it very important that up to the end it's in Mimika's hands.
Keita is in a similarly aimless position and his encounter and entanglement with her is merely a catalyst from his own change. They are two different people by the end of the story, and can't really move forward still carrying each other in some way, at least not where we leave them. It ends exactly as stated: a relationship between an idol and a fan.
A very thoughful finale. By putting the story's agency entirely in the central idol character's hands, it managed to touch on aspects of the idol world that are often glossed over. It's not overly cynical, but also not lying about itself. I would love to read Abe Wakana's novel one of these days.
Ultimately, that's a larger symptom with Ruto Toichiro's work; his bread & butter is farcical comedy so any darker elements are pushed to the side to not throw off the balance. The Joshima episode was wiilling to go there but I guess they didn't want two heavy episodes about suicidal ideation back-to-back.
Mimika graduates not just from Tetra, but from being an idol, an imagined version of herself that she was never truly happy with. Just from reading Wakana's interviews, I get the sense that she agrees with or at least understands that the journey of an idol can be one of self-discovery, with graduation almost a necessary step in some ways. Like I said, I found it very important that up to the end it's in Mimika's hands.
Keita is in a similarly aimless position and his encounter and entanglement with her is merely a catalyst from his own change. They are two different people by the end of the story, and can't really move forward still carrying each other in some way, at least not where we leave them. It ends exactly as stated: a relationship between an idol and a fan.
(More spoilery thoughts under the jump!)