This drama was a representation of the Japanese trend of detective dramas during the time period it was aired, with those like Ataru and Nazotoki... dramas. Taking away bias because I am an Arashi fan, I didn't really appreciate this light-hearted drama. I felt like it was trying to show some morals in the mix of comedy but it was a bit subtle for my taste. The story didn't get me hooked, and frankly I just watched it for the sake of finishing it. In one word to describe it, it was lukewarm. It was great for passing time with nothing else to watch, but I wouldn't call this a great drama. The music was great though. I felt like the lyrics somewhat related to the main character and the song at the ending was very soft and melodic, which was nice to hear. I just wish the story delved a bit more into the plot rather than just crack the surface and made the story into its own, rather than just another detective drama.

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Granted, I watched this drama only because of Ninomiya, but am very glad I did. I thought it was slow at first; the basis of the plot was very mellow, as was the visuals, that didn't have a pop of colour but rather just a meld of the warm and the cool undertones. But, I think that is what added to the feeling of it. It was refreshing not to see the bright lights and instead using a subtle mature tone. The plot was light, but sufficient. In terms of acting, I appreciated their work. The opening music was great and it took me to the setting of the drama and that mindset very quickly. When watching the first few episodes, one might think it to be a bore, that there is no action or flavor, but some scenes are quite fast-paced. If I have to leave it with anything, as a fan, I would say the best part was Ninomiya. I feel that out of all the dramas that Ninomiya acted in, this one suited him the best so far. It was made for him and he acted quite naturally.

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Granted, this drama is slow-paced and the first few episodes worth of flashbacks become exasperatingly boring. However, it is a good thing "present-day" came right in time, otherwise I would have dropped this drama.

I watched this drama quite late, considering that it was made a while back, but it gave me perspective. Similar to other romance Korean dramas, it is a typical love story but with a twist. And although recently the twists have been quite diverse (the guy's an alien, the guy is actually a girl, they switch bodies etc) Spring Waltz's love story is very pure and therefore a bit more traditional on the melodramatic side. You might not like the story if you don't like the typical romance, but if you are a sucker for the sappy love-love, then this is a long, yet satisfying drama.

I was frustrated at points but there were others parts that made the romantic in me very glad to have watched it, especially since I love those traditional love triangles. The cinematography was brilliant. It paralleled the story, traditional, yet sweet and subtle. The music was great, considering it is key to the story and it really strengthened the drama.

Although I think that they pushed the 'spring' theme a bit too much, me not watching the other dramas of the series, I think the subtle spring setting and the pure love would have been enough without them talking about it directly. Although a bit predictable at times, it is a great watch if you have the time to watch through the first few episodes.

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The story: I appreciated the fact that the story showed a different view of the complications of love as compared to other dramas that are more idealistic. I am also glad that the drama didn't do what I feared the most when starting this drama: the dependence on the visual aesthetics. The show could have shown a lot of pretty chocolates and the image could have been glossy and dreamlike. However, much of the story was driven by the plot instead of the visuals, which was a relief.Other than that, I was left wanting something more. The plot itself was lacking, and half-done. The cast did the best they could with the plot so I won't say much there. I don't even remember the music being that intertwined in the story. Therefore, due to the lacking plot, I give it a 4.

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