Despite its short length and the limited scope to prove its mettle, Unemployed Romance delivers and how.
In ordinary rom coms, we see that either the male lead is financially in the ruts or it is the heroine who scrounges for every penny and works a million part time jobs. Rarely do we see a rom com in which both the leads are going through financial troubles and have more or less achieved nothing in life and, quite possibly, never will. What do they do in such circumstances? Dare not have a romance because they're poor and unsuccessful?
Unemployed Romance is yet another example of the cliche of 'love conquers all' being stretched in to a realistic story. Jong Dae and Seung Hee overcome various odds from jealous new romantic interests, poverty, sick parents to unemployment and bitter memories of a break up, to finally get together in the end.
The drama has hilarious moments which arrive in the form of Jong Dae's hopelessly silly friends and Seung Hee's irresponsible boss. It also has its fair share of emotionally poignant scenes in terms of Jong Dae's conversations with his hapless, generous and amiable father. And this is not to mention the excellent chemistry between Nam Goong Min and Lee Young Ah - both of them should be applauded for their realistic portrayal of two individuals who have never had it easy in life.
Everything put together, 'Unemployed Romance' is a really cute, funny and heart-warming drama which does not veer off completely from reality at any point.
Definitely worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Candy Eye Male Leads and Dog Trainer Female Lead.
There is 4 Version for this adaptation story and I watched 3 of them including this version (Tian Jiu Luo, Jinzi and Wang Yunyun). For the Stellar Male Cast, This one wins for sure when you can see Lan Bo, Yi Hang, Huang Youtian and Liu Ziheng on the same drama It's like F4 for costume drama in vertical short drama.All of plot are same with same open ending (There is hint for season 2 as the novel still ongoing) so there is nothing to compare between the version. I will make notes for the main cast.
-Wang Yunyun stills play safe like her usual costume drama. Not too bad but also not great either. At least she are not making Female Lead look like bratty princess and still got the 'dog-trainer' literal meaning. For Yun Qi character, I still like Tian Jiao Luo boldness and she still wins over Jin Zi characterization.
-Lan Bo plays as general who was FL ex husband for two days. For the characterization most of all version are same with forceful attitude. I disliked ML characterization even there is season 2 i wont hope FL ends with him. in all the version. Ming Chuan and Zhang Tingrui are losing with slightly difference with Lan Bo.
-Huang Youtian plays as crippled prince for all the version i quite like FL with him despite calculating attitude and he never force FL and just getting along with her antics. He still win over the three version. I am rooting for FL and this ML to end together.
-Yi Hang well i quite like him in here and he plays FL 'adopted' brother aka Yun Jin Chen while actually he just slave for her family. He suits playing dog prince. For this i favored Yi Hang over other previous versions.
-Liu Zi Heng compares to all these male lead here has most weak advantage due his acting skills and the Xie Lin Yu was supposed to be comedic character while he lack the fun part compared to previous version (The Jin Zi one is the funniest followed by Tian Jiao Luo version).
I enjoy FL can kiss all the MLs like the original version even still lacks of seductress feeling. But I like her chemistry with Huang Youtian in here.
Overall, I recommended to watch this first if you haven't watch the Tian Jiu Luo one.
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This review may contain spoilers
Draaaaaged. I liked the first episode and the last episode. But in between I skipped a lot. Daoming Si wasn't even Daoming Si. I mean, he was too mature. I missed the bratty, stubborn, spoiled, violent, Pineapple-headed Si. And I hate how the amnesia thing went on up to the 24th episode. And even afterwards he didn't tell anyone he remembered everything because he wasn't sure who he loved -.- Rainie Yang didn't even turn up! I liked Ye Sha. She wasn't like those wannabe girls from the other versions who pretended to be the girlfriend. And her letter to Loony was the only part in this drama that made me cry (besides Quinghe's Valentine message to Shancai). At least they didn't kill her off. That would've made me boycott this drama altogether. By the way, my favorite part was Vanness Wu and his matchmaking date. That girl was so pretty! I'm so glad he fell in love (: Overall, the series was frustrating but worth the wait. Sort of. Maybe. And I never shipped Lei and Shancai in season 1 and throughout season 2. But after hearing his true feelings that he confessed to Mei (along with flashbacks) I felt so sorry for him! To be very honest, I never really enjoyed his character. Probably because he never expressed his feelings directly and Daoming Si was much more interesting and pretty much overshadowed him. But now I can't wait to watch MARS! :) Was this review helpful to you?
Director Leesong Hee knows how to film, the cinematography is exceptional with passages of intense colors for the happy moments and black and white for the sad one.
So please watch this film you will not be disappointed and do not pay to much attention to the previous bad reviews, because each of us has his own sensitivity regarding movies.
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I don't think that I ever cried that much for a movie. I'm not really used to cry for movies or drama in general, even if they are sad.
Story:
I really liked the story since it's a bit inusual. It's not the usual movie that makes you cry for the jerkness of one of the two leads or watheva. Both the leads have strong characters and don't get in your nerves with stupid actions.
The story it's more usual of a Japanese movie than a korean, making the disease the focal point of the story, but it gets rid of the slowliness of Japanese movie.
Even if it's a sad story, at the end, it leave you with a smile, when you rethink at the story. Since the characters are really enjoyable!
While watching the movie be ready with the tissues, you will need them!
Acting:
I really liked all the actors, they were really good. I like Baek Jin Hee, and I'm happy that finally she gets the main role (the same goes for Lee hong Ki).
Music:
What to say both baek jin and Hong Ki have beautifull voices! I really enjoyed the hospital band idea!
Rewatch:
I would indeed like to rewatch this movie!
(And I'm happy that is a Movie and not a drama, I think that a drama version would have been rather heavy going)
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Before watching this I already knew that the director is Norihiro Koizumi, the same guy who directed Taiyou no uta(movie) and the liar and his lover so I am confident that this would be a good adaptation when I first heard about it and I am not wrong. He is great creating meaningful scenes for the reason that cinematography is one of his strongest points especially long shots, people who saw taiyou no uta know what I mean. The other thing is that he is great in showing the emotions of his characters, even an angle where only back of a person is seen. He's an actor's director, the one who makes his actors looks better and probably the reason why Suzu Hirose looks so fine here.
Visuals in this movie is so damn fine as slow motion in those karuta battle works so damn well, it gives those scenes so much impact, also give kudos to editing . The music they use really adds up to the feels of the movie it makes such scenes epic and those battles engaging. The only complaint I have is the song they use in the end, I'm a huge perfume fan but that the song didn't capture the whole atmosphere of the movie.
Perhaps the best casting in a live action ever as all those character are well played, a great ensemble of talented young cast that would probably become A class actors in the future namely Suzu Hirose, Mone Kamishiraishi, Hiroya shimizu, Nomura Shuhei, Mackenyu, Mayu Matsuoka. At first I was bit worried that suzu hirose might not give justice to the role, although I still felt the same in the first movie but this second movie prove me wrong. I think it's just right to cast her as chihaya, she is fun, she's passionate and she has done a nice job of giving energy and freshness to the character. Mayu matsuoka nailed the role as the queen, she really looks like queen, spot on casting, but more than looks it's the acting that makes her standout in this movie, her facial expressions and that way she handled the character change, she's a versatile actress indeed. What I thought would be the cutest card battle ever ended up becoming the most emotional card battle I had witnessed as it serves as a venue for the character development of chihaya and the queen, this is really important because this is the theme they wanted to convey here, like in any sport solo or team and definitely in life "doing it with friends is better than alone".
I agree that most Manga and Anime should not be made into a live action but stories that are so good should be shown in different platforms and chihayafuru is among them. Also, the good thing about watching a live action is that it would be a fascinating experience if the feels from watching an anime translates well into live, I will never get tired of watching live action for this reason.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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Rough around the edges
I couldn’t stop giggling from the chemistry in the first 16 episodes. Those two, Gan Yang and Ding Zi Tong, are well matched. The story itself was lacking in parts but the actors and actresses did an astounding job with the script.I've seen people complain about the misunderstandings but I think that the big misunderstanding that lead to the breakup was understandable compared to some other dramas I've seen.
Both characters had their own flaws but at the end of the day, they just wanted to protect the other. I'd say they acted like each others sheild but ended up as each others enemy.
I didn’t really care about the attempt at making up which was almost completely one-sided sadly. Their sad scenes weren't as good as their cute, lovey dovey scenes and then each of their big reveals to each other about everything that happened during and after that breakup was rushed and neither seemed to care rather than to be silent and "feel bad". I wanted some yearning and begging from both sides because they are both stupid😂
That being said this drama is more character driven than plot driven and the drama does a good job with that. Don't take the drama too serious and you won't be disappointed. Also people need to stop the comparison with lighter and princess to this drama. They are not the same even if they are the same genre. Good bye now👋
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The romance was amazing.
The story was epic and had layers and depth.
All the side characters were interesting and fun.
I never wanted to skip scenes and I binged this like a pro. I adored it and added it to my "favorite Chinese historical" list easily! If you're on the fence... WATCH IT. You won't regret it. :)
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Why Didn’t I Tell You a Million Times?
15 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
Ditto
Somewhere a screenwriter was watching the movie Ghost for the fifth time and decided it would make a great drama. Just trade out a police officer who can see ghosts for the clairvoyant Whoopi Goldberg and Satoh Takeru for Patrick Swayze. The title I Should Have Told You a Million Times was even reflected in the 1990 movie. If you've seen the movie, nothing in this drama will come as a surprise. Having said that, the characters were all likeable enough to keep my interest throughout the drama.The story opens with a Sixth Sense beginning, but if you've read the synopsis, the suspense fell flat. Thankfully, they didn't drag it out. Yui and Naoki were childhood friends who reconnected and began dating. On her birthday, he disappears. Along comes Detective Uozumi whose latent spiritual sight evolves just in time to see Naoki. Uozumi works to figure out what happened to Naoki while he's embroiled in another murder investigation. The three become friends as they dig through the past to see how old relationships and old crimes are playing havoc with the present. There were also some Ghost Whisperer moments where they helped a couple of wandering ghosts with their regrets.
Despite some repetitious scenes and obvious borrowing from other sources, I enjoyed the story as it unfolded. The bromance that developed between Naoki and Uozumi helped cover over some of the weaker writing. The suave Satoh Takeru and nerdy Matsuyama Kenichi had a nice chemistry. Inoue Mao showed how hard it is to let go as Yui held on tight to a man she couldn't see. With all the extra time they were given and a translator as well, it was frustrating that Yui and Naoki didn't work through their emotions and regrets. In some ways, their relationship came across as fairly shallow instead of an intimate love---words matter.
The supernatural murder mystery came to its natural ending in episode 9, but then they decided to tack on a wish fulfillment ending for the last episode that almost completely ruined this drama for me. With one little tweak they had the opportunity to showcase the perfect ending for a tearjerker drama but by dragging it out, took all of the emotional punch from the previous episode. In time, I will block out the last episode, grind through the five stages of grief and remember the other episodes and engaging characters fondly.
7/5/23
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What would you do if you were given a chance to change your past?
This is probably one of the most well thought out time travel dramas that I've felt satisfied with. I haven't seen Someday or One Day or any other acclaimed ones, but this made me think and wonder what was about to happen after each episode. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes time travel, romance and a mix of fantasy.Very rarely do we meet someone who absolutely has no regrets in life. Ye You Ning was no different - he had chosen his path since a young age and followed his heart, until he realizes that his decisions cost him the things that were worth more than words. When a freak thunderstorm has him thrown back into his 2006 younger self, he is forced to make new choices all over again and change his view on life itself… he also discovers that the girl, Xia Wen Xi, whom he had declined to be the deskmate of in the past had the "time machine" - and thus starts his journey to relive his life once again.
This is no simple romantic drama. Although classified under Sweet On Series, this one is far from sweet. It's also one of the most well written time travel dramas I've seen. And be warned - the time travel aspect governs the whole plot. With only 24 episodes, we see Ye You Ning change the past and travel multiple times through various timelines, in varying situations from which he once again attempts to escape. In a way, the time machine gives him a chance to redo his days as a student and cherish the time he'd been given. What makes this drama special is that the cold male lead is literally forced to change and re-experience his life through multiple ways, each time realizing how certain small things in life could change your fate. We experience his varying parallel universes with him, and by the end of the drama, I realized that I had somehow begun to care a lot about him.
I gradually grew attached to the characters. I liked how the young and silly Xia Wen Xi communicated with the adult Ye You Ning. I liked Yang Youchung and Xiaoai; Ting Ting and Jiaqi. I loved how the relationship between the Grandfather and Grandson progressed!
Although the drama shifts to romance as promised by the title, I often wondered about the future of the two fated people. The Universe had laws after all. And this drama managed to make me wrack my brains to find out how it all ended. And it did not disappoint with the ending - the writers for once actually thought for once instead of pulling a cope out.
Both Xia Wen Xi and Ye You Ning start off as 'barely' classmates, yet the time machine forges a strong, unyielding connection that crosses both time and space. The last few episodes solidified this and I couldn't be happier.
Both the lead actors stunningly portrayed their roles with viscious intensity. It was only 24 episodes long, but it seems like I had gone along on an adventure with them. To me, time travel has never been a thing that seemed impossible - It's just that science hasn't yet reached a threshold where it can theoretically be explained. It was absolutely fascinating to watch the drama unfold.
I initially did not find the music appealing, but by the last episode, I was crying with the songs. Time's magic indeed...
One thing I might advice for future viewers is to get a grip on the time jumps and events. Those are the most rushed parts in the drama. It also provides pretty sweet high school and college memories to momentarily save us from all the angst.
I will rate this a solid 9. Despite it's flaws, it stole my attention and is one of the best dramas I've watched this year. It made me look back and think for once - what would've happened if I had done this or chosen that?
All in all, it's 100% worth watching.
I hope that both Xia Wen Xi and Ye You Ning finally get to enjoy themselves together in whichever timeline or universe they are in.
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If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student.
15 people found this review helpful
Don’t let the age gap tag stop you from watching this!
First of all, this drama offers more than you can expect. One of the main reasons people avoided this, was because of the age gap but this is not about romance at all, it is about family and how you feel or act when you lost someone you love. Of course! it has a pinch of romance but not from them and it isn't the main plot either, which I love, since it made the drama go more naturally. Secondly, I read the manga and I had high expectations on this adaptation, and let me tell you: “It exceeded them!” The manga had many things I didn’t enjoy. However, the drama made changes and that made me really happy. But, simultaneously, there were things I wanted to be included in the drama but they weren't. Nonetheless, I prefer the drama way more than the manga, sorry. The manga is still ongoing, therefore, there could be some things that can change my mind in the future; I'm not saying this drama is perfect, though. It has tons of flaws. The setting was really beautiful, camera movements and scenes were well-developed; I noticed the producers took many shots from different angles and were shown as flashbacks...Nice move! However, there were plenty of continuity errors that made me a bit upset but it's not something I cannot forgive. Another thing is how good the cliffhangers of each episode were but the producers' inability to continue them was very disappointing, to an extent they were not exciting anymore and I was just like..meh! Regardless, I haven’t felt so excited while watching a drama in a long time. This drama kept me every week waiting for the episodes and couldn’t help but rewatch and rewatch them over and over again, I’m not exaggerating.Story: Such a heartwarming journey I enjoyed from beginning to end. On one hand, the drama exposes us how painful it could be losing someone you love and suddenly comes back, a miracle! On the other hand, how this miracle influences the characters’ current life and their future. I really loved how the conflicts were handled since they were approached from a real-life point of view. Prepare some tissues!
Acting/Cast: I have plenty of things to say here. Since I’m a huge fan of Ishida Yuriko, I couldn’t skip this one. However, I didn’t stay because of her but Maida Nono and Morita Misato. The veteran actors were not disappointing at all but I expected more from them, some scenes were not developed correctly, it felt a bit overacted and unnatural (I exclude Yoshida Yoh, she was on point). On the contrary, we have Nono-chan whom portrayed her character perfectly, her gestures and reactions were indeed from a middle-aged woman; sometimes I forgot she’s actually a kid. Then, we have Morita Misato whose character was my favourite by far. I grew fond of her so deeply that I was more excited about her than the main plot. Her kindness, voice, mannerism, and smile kept me obsessed with her, I mean.. a healthy obsession, you know. Those two left the veteran actors behind but by a lot! And yes! I supported Moriya with all my heart!
Music: Absolutely fresh and original. The main song suited the scenes so well (That bike scene from Ep1: MAJESTIC!). The soundtrack is so unique, I really appreciated the use of wind instruments, loved it!
Rewatch value: I already did, every single week. But I would definitely do it again.
Final verdict: My cup of tea! So happy I watched this while it was airing. The content provided by the drama Instagram account was delightful. I had never seen such chemistry among all the cast! They all look like a real family. The only reason I don't give this drama a 10, is because of the ending, I wanted a more specific one. It ended how I expected it but I wanted a bit more, just a bit more but yeah! I can't get everything I desire.
Cheers
Belu
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Next: the character Do young ha portrayed by park seo joon. is bullet proof as in no flaws what so ever. okay if he was to have a flaw it would be that he is too nice hence hence gals get the wrong idea, yeah thats all i can come up with, even when he yelled u could see over flawing kindness, he was straight forward, mature yet very immature at times who ever wrote him is a good writer.
YOU ALL NEED TO WATCH THIS.
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The best one
I'm pretty sure everyone already knows this story but for me whether you know it or you don't this series is a must watch.I've watched all the different versions ( the Korean was the first I've ever watched ) and up until now the Japanese one was my favourite. After watching F4 Thailand I have to admit I changed my mind. This one was amazing.
The series stayed true to the story but with a more modern twist. The cast and the acting was on another level, not cringy or over the top, but just enough to make you feel so invested in their story.
I can understand than many people will not enjoy it. This is a plot we've seen many times before but, for me at least, this is a classic. I totally think you should watch this. Even if it isn't your cup of tea I truly believe that this series will steal your heart. But even if it doesn't it will be something funny for you to watch and enjoy.
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This review may contain spoilers
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[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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I stumbled across this drama by accident when I wanted to watch more shows with Kudo Ayano. I read the synopsis for this and it looked like it was going to be another decently entertaining but cliché school drama. So I started it. After about three episodes in I realized that what I had thought to be a rock was in fact a sparkling diamond. This show is a masterpiece.
Since seeing my last favorite drama which was awhile ago I've felt that I wouldn't really have an easy time finding another drama I'd love enough to rate it 10/10. Well, I finally did. The thing is the grade for this show is different even. Most of the dramas I rate ten is because I think they are amazing shows and pretty much appeal to my own special taste. This one is different in that I think any fan of asian dramas could love this. It's hard to explain why this is a special case but after I'm done mabye I've made myself clear enough. In my eyes it should belong with one of the classics, but I know why it won't at the moment. Anyways, forgive me for being long-winded but I've got alot to tell you about this drama and it's going to take some time to describe why it's so great.
Many dramas have this episodic layout which I'm not a big fan of. They have an ensemble cast and in episodes they single out one person at a time to work on his/her problem and in the next they pick another one. All this while keeping an overarching storyline that they focus on in the first episode and then abit later towards the end. The problem with this for me is I have a hard time connecting with the characters and getting invested in the bigger storyline because all the small different stories that happen in each episode take away time from a coherent narrative. Suzuki Sensei looks like one of these shows at first, only it isn't. They do indeed take up a few persons problem each episode, but everything is connected pretty much. Everything is relevant to the overarching story and important things happen all the time and not just in the end. The characters doesn't just have their scenario told and then their done, not at all. They continue to develop and their stories are brought up and not just forgotten plus relevant to where the story eventually ends up going.
This show is very radical. In terms of theme and opinions. It is alot about minor sexuality. It's amazing how well written and real it feels and the problems they take up are very important things that doesn't get talked about because people might feel they are taboo. Well, someone has to talk about them and bring them up. This leads into what might be the best thing about this show. The radical opinions and behavior of Suzuki sensei himself. He presents opinions and views on things that surprised me alot, in fact sometimes I didn't agree but that's the beauty of it. Even though you might not agree with him, in fact you might very well dislike him but what he is saying isn't wrong, it just different from what we are normally told to be the right thing while still being very rational and good opinions.
I have to warn you though, this show isn't very flashy or cartoony like Gokusen or GTO and the likes. It focuses alot on discussion but it's done in a very intense way still due to what must be some of the best writing I've seen in any tv-show. I was never bored.
I recommend this show to anyone who claims to love asian drama. To me this is how a show is done right. I actually learned something from watching this, something important. I won't tell you outright what it is, you are just going to have to watch it for yourself. Actually I think what you and me get out of this might even be different depending on your own view on things.
The cast is amazing, especially considering alot of them are very young. The music captures the mood of the show incredibly well.
I do have one complaint against this show and without spoiling anything it has to do with something that kinda sticks out in a drama that is so down-to-earth as this is. It's a minor thing, you might not even notice and in the long run it didn't matter. But I rather wish it wasn't there at all. Anyways, I'm going to wrap up this review, I feel I could go on for ages about small things that makes this show the masterpiece it is but then I'd be here all night.
I recommend it, it's a definite 10/10. It's not very flashy or "over the top", it's pretty radical and you might even get offended by some of it. Frankly, having your opinions and beliefs questioned is something good because at the end of the day you can chose what to think yourself anyways but you'll get a broader view of the subject by hearing other sides. I'm sad to see so few people having actually seen this here, it's got about 8 rating votes.
Also I recommend you to go into this with an open mind and pay attention to the details, some smaller things might not be spelled out for you. I hope you didn't get bored with my wall of text and I hope you like this show alright at least if you decide to watch it.
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