The drama changed the characters to be more lovable, relatable, and endearing and the plot was not slow or draggy at all to me. Yankee to Megane is one of those dramas that has a manga/anime-esque feel to it, and by that I mean that the whole story revolves around small events, like Hana Kimi. It's not going to be a show with a gripping plot that'll keep you at the edge of your chair or anything because it has a different style. So I disagree with the previous reviewer that the events are out of place, because that's how these dramas are stylized to be and the way the drama portrays it is actually a lot more coherent then the manga.
The drama is a great light and funny story, but also has heart and good points of friendship. The acting is also great. The main leads were fantastic and I love how the actors portrayed the characters. The supporting cast, was average, but unimportant to the focus of the main characters.
As I am stil reading the manga currently, it makes me miss the slight differences in the characters and even though I just finished watching this drama a couple days ago, i already feel like watching it again.
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Sometimes it's slow-paced and uneventful, sometime it's so good it's the best Kdrama ever
It's hard to wrap it up in a few words. But i would say this is probably the longest buildup i have ever seen.It has 16 episodes, and the actions and dramatic parts start at around ep.11 12. Before that it was about character building and bonding (those memories will be used effectively against us later).
The fantasy romance story is intriguing. It has good plot twists and back story. Although the pacing is sometimes a bit slow, overall it sends meaningful messages of love, hate, afterlife, regret, loneliness and forgiveness. It can break your heart and also make you smile
The acting is good, nothing to complain about. The chemistry between the second lead couple is so good at all time. At the beginning the main couple feels a bit lacking, near the end it gets a lot better. But the best chemistry has to be the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper!
The characters are well built and developed, relatable and make reasonable decisions. But mostly they are madly driven by love.
The music is so beautiful and sad, wished they had kept the ending song till the end though. The special effects feel natural (the glowing sword and the power of grim reaper), but the flying moments were a bit off.
The atmosphere changes so fast. One moment it's fluff and romantic (with a little too many staring-straight-at-each-other-for-a-century), and a second later it's heart wrenching and full of dramas and actions. It's was well-balanced, i just wished it was more consistent.
Overall, i would recommend this series if you are looking for a romance story sets in the present, with wholesome bromance, fantasy elements and a tragic backstory from a past life, which would now affect the choices and emotions of the characters.
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A Better Tomorrow was the film that launched John Woo reputation as an action director after few failures in other genres. Through this film, Woo broke the usual Hong Kong ways of making action films that should always be either Kung Fu or Wuxia; he made a gangster film that became an absolute classic.
The film itself has a deep involving plot. It’s true that I admire John Woo films because I am an action junkie and I am forever in love with violent films but that’s not everything that I love about Woo’s films. What I also appreciate is his ways of making us feel the characters and care for their destinies as well as the relationships between them. The story within A Better Tomorrow is not some shallow action telling; there is the suffering of characters, the angst, the friendship, the brotherhood, the loyalty, the sacrifice and the rest of John Woo favorite themes that he never fails to make them shine.
If we leave the drama behind, we get an amazing action film with well-choreographed gunfights even if they were in a lesser amount than John Woo’s later films “The Killer” and “Hard Boiled”. You see, the usual John Woo pie of making action (heroic-bloodshed genre) is: guns, lots of guns, many people (preferably dead more than alive), two (or sometimes three) heroes who kill and kill then kill again, explosions, crazy gunplay and bullets flying everywhere. A Better Tomorrow was the film that started it all.
The acting was great, this was also the film that launched Chow Yun Fat’s stardom and made him take a big leap of success as a films’ actor. After this, he took the main role in almost all John Woo Hong Kong films. Then there’s Ti Lung and Leslie Cheng as a somewhat third lead; the three of them had a great combination but Chow Yun Fat had the strongest performance.
The characters weren’t always cool; they had their own pathetic pitiful moments which help the audience relate to them. And let’s not forget that their development was quite wonderful.
The cinematography was nice; I recently re-watched this film and it wasn’t even obvious that this was made in the 80’s. Needless to say, this is a great re-watching material especially after a long time of first viewing.
Watch if:
- You like John Woo action films because this is the one that started it all.
- You enjoy gangster films with brotherhood and friendship themes.
- You’re in the mood for a great action film.
Do not watch if:
- You dislike Action or violent films.
- You dislike John Woo’s work.
A Better Tomorrow is a classic out of its genre and a deep action film that still feels so good even after 30 years.
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The story started out strong and there is good development throughout up until episode 8. There were less noticable cliches than other Thai BL dramas like too much unnecessary 'classmates seating together in the bench with irrelevant conversations' scenes. This is not a teenybopper show and the sexiness has even surpassed the first season.
The cast also did a good job, especially Boat and Ryu (Em and Pun). Tar also did good with the little time he was given. The weakest of the bunch is the main lead Net (Sib)- his character and his acting was annoying as hell and that says a lot considering the one supposed to be annoying is the female lead, but still, even with that mentioned, I enjoyed their delivery overall.
Just like in some of my other reviews and as a decorator in real life, id specially like to mention the good quality of the sets. The one thing i hate is that eventhough the homes were all beautifully decorated, it was too obvious that they were using the model units and all of them were in the same condominium (the logo of which appears so prominently throughout the show - this is not how you do product placement).
But like I said in the beginning and unfortunately, for me, the last 2 episodes were a mess - some of the characters were making questionable decisions while the main actor was stucked in indecisiveness. That time jump in the end was also arguably unnecessary - they cant even bother to change the looks (at least a haircut) of the 3 characters just to show that 3 years has really passed. Also, it feels like the writers cant decide who is the best match and totally blotched the ending making me feel so sorry for Em and Tar cause they totally deserved better.
I gave it an overall score of 7 stars out of 10. Would I rewatch, i dont think so, unless Pun somehow magically chooses Em.
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If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student.
24 people found this review helpful
Kudos to the child actress
I picked this without much thought at first because usually I like to watch Japanese slice-of-life dramas with some supernatural or fantasy elements in them, but didn’t expect to like this as much as I did and am surprised that there are so few reviews written about it.What I liked about this drama:
Firstly, yes, the Japanese are good at making slice-of-life dramas. I believe this genre is their FORTE. They are able to make ordinary, everyday happenings interesting and very ordinary conversations touching.
Secondly, this drama touches my heart. It shows a family being torn apart by death of a family member, one who is always full of life, of good cheer, keeps the entire house proper, does the housework for the family 365 days a year, cooks all meals for the family, yes, sounds all mundane stuff, but the reality is that when this person is no longer around, the whole family simply collapses. The entire world becomes gloomy and dark for the remaining family members who simply live their lives like zombies day in, day out, year after year. And then, out of a sudden, one day, when they are given a second chance, that is, when the supposedly dead family member comes back (in the body of an elementary school kid), the family gains newfound cherish and happiness….but alas…this second chance is taken away again…..
This drama executed all the above very well. The emotions of the main leads were just right, the words said were appropriate and simply able to strike a chord.
Thirdly, the female lead. The elementary school kid who acted as the wife whose spirit had gone into this school kid’s body. This drama’s title is ‘my wife became an elementary school kid’, so obviously they had to find an elementary school girl to act as the wife and wow, I think they found a really suitable child actress. I am not familiar with Japanese child actresses, but this particular actress really acted convincingly as a 40-plus year-old woman, although she was merely a 10-year-old girl in real. It is not easy for a girl as young as her to act like a mature adult woman, but her mannerisms, body language, vibe, right down to her facial expressions and speaking, were all convincing enough in this drama. Kudos to this actress! I think her exceptional acting was the key to the success of this drama because 98% of everything in the drama was about her and her family.
Overall, the pacing was good, neither too fast nor too slow, there was never a dull moment I could remember, even when what they were doing or talking about were just ordinary everyday stuff.
I have to specially mention the OST. The drama was not filmed in the 80s or 90s, but somehow, there was a nostalgic feel to the music which was soothing to the ears.
As with most Japanese dramas I have watched, loose ends were tied properly at the end, closures were properly made, goodbyes and words of gratitude were properly said, leaving no regrets and nothing hanging in mid-air or unsettled. The ending gave a sense of satisfaction and positivity towards the future.
It reminded us that even if our loved ones were to leave us one day, we should still face life positively and live it to its fullest.
Negative comments? I did think hard, if I really have to comment, it will be that the stories of side characters were not developed much, BUT they were not irritating and did not at all worsen the main storyline. This is perhaps the characteristic of most Japanese dramas, short and focused (on only the main story and the main leads), but really, other than that, I cannot find anything negative worth commenting because EVEN IF there are, the positive ones above far surpass any negative ones.
I highly recommend this drama if you like heart-warming Japanese slice-of-life, family dramas with a supernatural element, but I have to mention that the supernatural element in this drama is not the focus and does not play a huge part at all.
There are numerous such Japanese dramas out there, but this is definitely one of them I did not regret watching.
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Worth every second.
Though Japanese BLs (and J-Dramas in general) tend to be on the shorter end watch-time wise, this drama is a great example as to why that is. You don't need that much time or endless drama and build-up to tell a good story.Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai managed to deliver something that felt real. It managed to deliver a story that you could easily see in your daily life, yet still keep your attention. It has lovable characters all around (especially the teacher side couple), and delivers a sense of nostalgia and optimism that hits at all the right spots in the brain.
Give it a try. Unless you desire in-your-face romance, this drama should not disappoint.
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1"Is it really happiness for women like us to live without making waves?"
I have struggled to put a review together for and rate Asura aka Ashura no Gotoku. The acting and production values were quite high for this slice of life about four grown sisters in 1979. Given that I’ve seen dramas set in the present with similar marital issues, I’m not sure why it was set in the past. The outcomes were still the same. If you are sensitive to infidelity, there was an abundance of it in this drama. The sisters’ relationships were almost strong enough for me to overlook the lack of pertinent social commentary on women’s roles 45 years ago. Almost.Widow Tsunako is the eldest daughter followed by married Makiko who has two teenage children. Takiko is single and works in a library. Makiko is the youngest and a firebrand living with a boxer. Takiko calls them together with proof that their father has been having an affair for years. Tsunako disapproves but given that she is having an affair with a married man, not in the best place to judge. Makiko is sure her husband is having an affair and believes that ignorance is bliss. Takiko is distraught, never thinking her father would be capable of deceiving their mother. Makiko’s husband is of the opinion that boys will be boys and they need to have a little fun after working so hard. Each of the sisters will have to deal with the infidelity playing out in their lives in their own ways.
The drama showed the pain that the men’s affairs had on the women, yet also glossed over the pain in other areas. The women had no choice but to put up with it. The drama failed to specify why. Maybe because their audience already knew the answers. The women had few career opportunities and divorce for a middle-aged woman would have been financially devastating as well as socially. The men were also skilled at gaslighting and brainwashing the women. I’m not condoning infidelity but in the drama’s context would the men have been so lackadaisical about sex outside of marriage if the women had the right to do so as well? Perhaps birth control wasn’t readily available for the women not in menopause, or being stuck in the house most of the day, they didn’t have opportunities to meet men to have their own stress relief. How I desperately wanted for Grandma to be having a torrid affair with the tofu delivery man while Grandpa was out with his second family.
Disappointingly, the widowed sister carrying on an affair had no thought for the betrayed wife. While I could see her not wanting to get married as she had her own income, her decision caused pain for someone else. Marriage would have been a step down for her as she would have reverted to being a servant instead of lover.
My favorite relationship is the one I hoped lasted and maintained their monogamous commitment. Awkward potatoes Takiko and Katsumata were adorable. Youngest sister Sakiko’s bravado could be wearing as she desperately wanted to prove her older sisters wrong about her boyfriend Jinnai. She had the most emotional growth when tragedy hit her marriage.
Because all of the excuses for the men became irritating, I feel like I have gone on too much about the infidelity aspects of this drama. What I loved were the sisters’ relationships with each other. The two youngest bickered in typical sibling rivalry. The two oldest sisters were bonded by age and years together. The younger sisters also knew that the reason they existed was that their father had hoped for a son each time. Despite their anger at the father for his extra-marital relationships, the sisters still helped him when he needed it. The women might have fought and criticized, but when one hurt, they all did. Regardless of the situation, they supported each other fiercely. If not for their sisterly contact some of these women would have been living in a socially limited world.
This family drama was well acted. The sisters were unique, with their own strengths and quirks. Their relationships with each other were believable and realistic. As for the affairs, there were no satisfying resolutions. Each generation taught the next to bury their hatred and resentment because speaking out just made the situation worse. They learned to live in the shallow end of conversations, never delving too deep. The relationships built on unequal power and status, left at least two of the wives trapped and unable to fully live. Where was their excitement, meaningful companionship, and desire? Trust and loyalty resided more in the sisterly bonds than in the marital ones.
11 January 2025
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This review may contain spoilers
This time travel/parallel universe drama started badly, the FL lead's character seems annoyingly distracting at first. I would have dropped it at episode 1 but I'm a fan of Li Hongyi so I continued to watch it.I found that was not the case later on. The FL was sensible, smart, patient and cute in interacting with the ML. I normally don't like older women-younger men relationship stories but I find their interactions to be amazing and funny until I was rooting for the FL and ML .
Less points for the ending. Though it's a happy one, a lot of details seemed overlooked...
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After I finish watching this drama, I'd dare to say it is THE BEST school drama ever made in Japan, if not the best ever made by ANY country. Only one show is good enough to be apple-to-apple comparison with it, namely Kinpachi-sensei (though I just watch one season, the 6th). Both are equally excellent, but for those cannot stand very numerous episode you will most likely end up not liking Kinpachi (it has 23 episodes@ 1 hour!)
OK, let go to the review. It tackles current issues of middle school students in Japan (as well as in my country, actually), including free (minor) sex, freedom of speech, mental age, and even at one episode it involves bullying. Seems unremarkable, isn't it? Unlike many others that trying so hard to agitate audiences' feelings by bombarding them with cliches, Suzuki Sensei comes out naturally. Everything in this drama looks so naturally, from the ambient, dialogues, responses, and even every students...everyone of them looks just come out of reality. Just like what your middle school classmates do in real life, if you had experienced one.
Everything in this drama is also in gray zone, not in black neither white zone of morality, which I really like. Perhaps the most ground-breaking feature of the drama is its way to deliver its message to the masses. Like I mentioned before, this drama does not rely on overused cliches- something like the teacher saying moral message very straightly and everyone cries all the sudden. Middle school kids need logical explanations, and this drama provides and delivers it in good manners. You might be offended by opinions by characters (usually by Mr. Suzuki himself) in this drama, but that's what this drama made for. You will see, the students are becoming more and more open-minded to criticism and others' opinion, and eventually gradually become better person.
Technical-wise, this drama also triumphantly awesome. Hasegawa portrays Mr. Suzuki, the imperfect but smart teacher very well. In fact, this is his best performance so far. The kids are also very well picked. It's not surprising many of the Suzuki alumni become involved in many good coming-of-age shows like this. I'm hoping the kids get their well-deserved breaks, since they are really good. I also enjoy the opening, as well as its soundtrack. They really represent what this drama is all about.
If you identify yourself as a J-drama enthusiast, I urge you to watch this drama. Finally, all of those explanation enough to warrant this show a must watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
While the first part focused on the set up, characters and politics; the second part went straight to the battle itself. This film is made as a package so you simply can’t watch one and ignore the other. They’re strongly attached in a way that makes them feel inseparable.I will skip the history in this review, I wrote about it in the first part and any extra historical information that I give in this film would be considered a spoiler for those who aren’t familiar with history. But let me just make something clear, John Woo didn’t exactly follow history. He changed many events for the favor of his storytelling, so the outcome and some facts can be misleading for those who want to take this as an accurate “historical reference”.
Red Cliff 2 is all about war and everyone knows that everything is allowed in war; whether be it contaminating the enemy’s camp with deadly contagious diseases, using the enemy’s spies against them or burning down the Navy. That’s war, it’s ugly and everyone loses at the end, the deadly battles and the horrible truth are definitely there. However, that’s not all what war in John Woo’s film is all about. There’s more to tell through the splendid battle scenes.
The heart and soul of this film is the epic battle of the Red Cliff that marks one of the greatest wars in Asian history whether because of the number of soldiers involved or the smart distinguished generals who were leading armies. It’s 800,000 against 50,000; the first is led by the outrageous yet politically clever Cao Cao and the other is headed by the combination of Sun Quan and Liu Bei with the magnificent aid of the intelligent Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu. The battle was all about tactics and strategists where the two advisors play an important role at confronting a huge army. The famous 36 Stratagems and 'Borrowing the arrows using the scarecrows' are one of the greatest psychological war techniques I ever read about in history and John Woo did an superb job by making them come to life.
The amazing strategies aren’t the only thing that clicked about this film; there’s also the astonishing portrayal of battles scenes, the blood spilling, the wonderfully made fire scenes and most of all the emotions and the reactions of characters’ involvements.
In this part, there’s no further explanation of actors; I already made everything clear about their amazing job in the first part. As for characters, I still insist on the over-use of the female characters, they weren’t only all over the place but they also were historically wrong.
The other characters’ developments were well-noticed between the first and the second part. We get to see more impressive sides of historical heroes especially Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu.
This film’s cinematography was stunning. The visuals, colors and the sceneries were well-fitting for an remarkable piece of Chinese war epic.
Now, if I speak about the film as a whole; I would say it’s one of the best war strategy films ever made and absolutely one of John Woo’s better works. This is not a sequel; it’s a second half of the same film so you should understand that this is supposed to be watched as a whole. Do not see the American or the European cut versions; you should search for the original release of the two films or you won’t be able to feel the whole magic.
Watch this if:
-You saw the first Red Cliff because they’re inseparable.
-You like war films or John Woo’s HK works.
-You like strategy films.
Do not watch if:
-You’re expecting a historical documentary where everything is accurate.
-You do not like war films.
Red Cliff 2 is the second part of an amazing Chinese film that deals with the famous “Three Kingdoms” epic displaying the Red Cliff battle with all of its spectacular strategies and tactics.
Red Cliff as a whole is one of the better films’ that successfully demonstrated the art of war.
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one of the best afternoons I've had in a while
At first it feels a little weird, ngl. BUT, HEAR ME OUT, it's actually really really good. There's a lot of time-jumps and it's gonna come off as stressing but once you get used to them it's the coolest thing ever, specially because the two mains didn't even know each other, it's through time-jumps and side characters that you see how their stories intertwine. I loved the coloring as well! if it had more soundtracks I would give it a 10 tbh, because it made me laugh so many times and the characters' interactions are mostly wholesome stuff.Was this review helpful to you?
a coming of age story with 3 protagonists
Overall: the first half of the series had me hooked as a romance/coming of age. However, the addition of a 3rd protagonist and the lack of romantic progression changed the focus of the story which I did not enjoy. I think I read the first volume of the manga a long time ago and I've seen the prior 2017 movie but I'm basing this review on the 2024 series' own merits. 12 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4485/i-hear-the-sunspot-2024-e01 and iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/i-hear-the-sunspot-episode-1-2556woqrs6s?lang=en_usContent Warning: punch, grief/mental health struggles
Watch Suggestions (to focus on the m/m leads)
- watch episodes 1-6
- skip episode 7 (can watch the 40s recap the beginning of ep 8)
- start episode 8 at 14 minutes
- start episode 9 at 7 minutes
- in episode 10 skip 19:30- 21:40
- watch episode 11 beginning to 4:20 and 15 to the end
- watch episode 12 at 12 minutes to the end
What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads (in the beginning half, then they needed to communicate)
- acting
- representation with a character who has hearing loss, showing how even people who are trying to be kind can isolate a person
- generally not a fan of extended flashbacks but episode 2 and the beginning of episode 3 gave us critical background information to understanding the characters and I'm glad we had this towards the beginning of the series
- that Taichi sought communication in episodes 2 & 5
- sweet moments like fishing together
- production value (some really gorgeous shots in the beginning episodes that conveyed things by showing like opening the curtains or how the basketball court went dark and empty, also good shots in episode 11)
Room For Improvement
- started the series with a flash forward and also some of the ominous voice overs
- the camera blocked kiss, I don't care if that's how it was in the manga, we are at a different time and place from when the manga was written and I expected a non camera blocked kiss
- Taichi was written to seek communication but then was unbelievably dense and didn't communicate any more
- Maya's backstory was way too late and the way she was written did not evoke empathy, the writers did her character dirty
- too many flashbacks in episode 9
- anti climactic ending, the finale had a protagonist talking with other characters for the entire first half of the finale
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Rarely a BL series will have a sequel, and when they have, there is a handful that is equally good or better as the prequel. Most, fell short. I guess given that there is a "blueprint" in the form of the prequel, one will have a hard time not to expect especially when it ended like with this sequel's prequel.
This one of the very few that figured out how to make a successful sequel. Why so? It is a direct continuation for the prequel, coupled with growing and maturing of all the characters. Making the main couple's world bigger with the sense of responsibility with real-life consequences. Introduction of the side couples didn't interfere nor takes away time from the main couple. And that's where a lot of sequels failed to do that after watching one you will ask yourself, is the sequel a way to introduce a side couple to be the main? "What the Duck: Final Call" is one of the classic example how to ruin a good enough prequel with a side couple that didn't interact with the main one. Hence, the main couple had lesser scenes.
Same how the prequel, this season has a special episode as well.
STORY
===========================================
Personally, when a relationship falls apart, there is one who is at fault and the other had/have shortcoming(s).
Equally, communication is what keep relationship healthy and can make it stronger, open communication that is. Once it lacks, doubts seeps in then and cracks develop. Little by little, cracks grew bigger until it breaks it apart.
The question becomes, after it is broken into pieces, thus one of the parties ready to endure the pain in picking up the pieces, putting it back together for the love to be whole again?
After the "surprise" episode of "We Best Love: No. 1 For You", a follower of the series will definitely have a conflict for this sequel set in mind. Questions like "What stop Shi De?", "Why Shu Yi didn't confront?", to name a few. It turns out more than a lack of communication.
Can things go back like they were used before when maturing happened, when there are new factors to consider. Will perseverance can make the person trust you again? Flirting perhaps? She Di and Shu Yi world got bigger, way bigger and it no longer involves the two of them as others may be largely affected with the decision that they will make. After all isn't that what adulting is about? More responsiblities and consequences.
When you get to choose between options, you also need to consider others' welfare and not only of yourself. Or are you willing to be selfish in dispense of others just to win someone's love, again? Can you charm back your way to your ex-partner's heart? Are you ready to endure the pain just for the person's heart to be put back together and make it whole again?
Those are dominant conflicts of having a partner when you were a student, lost it and only to meet again in the future. Carefree versus responsibilities.
How can you expect forgiveness if you haven't apologize or say sorry? "I am sorry" goes a long way.
In any kind of relationship to last, it needs open communication, and I for one couldn't stress it much more.
Those are just some of the take away a viewer can have.
Obsession. How bad can it be? If you are following, okay let's settle for stalking, someone, it is actually bad? Or what is more important is the action that can happen after? However, one can never tell what in a mind of a person obsessing over someone. Is this a case of mental health concern?
The very last scene though, the very last scene.
ACTING
================
YU as SHU YI - one can feel that the tenacity turns into angst, despise. Both emotions suits YU's facial features as he barely needs to act to expression those emotions with those sharp looks. With his snappy moves, glares and stares. Shu Yi tsundere is back and it is all over the place! Can it be tamed once again?
SAM LIN as SHI DE - the ever low-key and waiting for the right moment to hit. He is not the "strike the iron while it's hot" type of guy, a very calculated guy which he was able to carry from season 1 up to now. Noticeably, he lost weight. Nice touch to indicate that years indeed passed by. However, one of the most difficult to act out is being drunk, Sam is no exception but still like his overall acting. And he is a cute drunk. >:)
As for the rejected guys, will they be more involved for the two to get back together or drive a wedge to make sure that won't be reunited?
Also, one can clearly see how the boys now turn into men. You can clearly see how they matured in their actions and demeanor.
MUSIC
================
Episode 6 is when the songs were masterfully woven into the scenes. It gives more depth and meaning but kinda hard to be "in the moment" while reading the lyrics. Nonetheless, watch out for the scene where someone is returning things.
REWATCH VALUE
================
Like all of my reviews, not even one I have rewatch and this will not be an exception. The magic won't be there anymore.
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This review may contain spoilers
I completed this drama with Chinese subs. I will give my general sentiments before providing a summary of the whole plot. Overall, the plot was tame; nothing too extraordinary, exciting or surprising. It had a happy ending though. While I do not regret watching this, I believe that those who are unable to watch this because of incomplete subs are not missing out either. I am also not someone who typically rewatches dramas, hence the rating of 5.
Now, for the summary of the drama. If you dont want spoilers then stop right here.
Maejima has a secret affair with Takuma. One day, Shinonome, who transfers from the company's New York branch to Japan's branch, catches Maejima and Takuma acting intimately secretly in the company's library. Shinonome then begins to persuade Maejima to break up with Takuma, because he believes that she is worth so much more than being bound to a married man. Convinced she should not limit herself and can find a better love, along with her blossoming feelings for Shinonome, Maejima breaks it off with Takuma. Later, her colleague, Ono, and Takuma warn her to stay away from Shinonome. Knowing full well herself that she is already in too deep, she ignores their warnings.
Maejima and Shinonome grow closer, and they go out on a date. Unfortunately, they spot Takuma and his wife having a great time. Shinonome stares in a dejected? Defeated? Longing? manner at the two. This is when Maejima recalls the warnings from Ono and Takuma, and correctly guesses that Shinonome had been in love with Takuma's wife all along. She guesses that Shinonome only got close to her so that she would break up with Takuma, so that Takuma would go back to being a faithful husband. She runs off and their relationship halts.
The drama then rewinds to tell Shinonome's backstory, about how he fell in love with Takuma's wife. He loved her and had a relationship with her before finding out she loved Takuma all along. Being unable to have the woman he loves, Shinonome decides to at least make sure she is happy. Thus his plot of flying to the Japan branch and seducing Maejima and making her break up with Takuma.
The drama replays several of the interactions between Maejima and Shinonome, but this time in Shinonome's POV. At first, he thinks of Maejima as despicable and sought to make her pay. Over time, as they interact more, he begins to empathise and fall in love with her.
Fast forward to present time, where Maejima's and Shinonome's relationship is still estranged. Maejima decides not to pursue this relationship because she believes Shinonome still loves Takuma's wife, and hates her for making the woman he loves suffer. On the other hand, Shinonome has already fallen in love with Maejima, but decides not to pursue her because he has hurt her and believes he has no qualifications to get her back.
A bunch of work stuff happen and Shinonome tells Maejima that Ono (who has a crush on Maejima) is the man who can give her happiness before flying back to New York. Eventually, Maejima realises that Shinonome had loved her all along and flies to New York to look for him. The two meet and reconcile, and the drama ends.
Hope this summary was useful :)
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