Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Inference
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Subarashii!
That's the feeling I got when I binged this little drama. At a single glance, there really is nothing overtly fabulous or amazing about it. But, it had a strange captivating magic that weirdly reminded me of Harry Potter. Or maybe it's because of the soundtrack and Fukamachi Naoya-kun.☆ The plot doesn't exist on the surface. Each episode consists of basic mysteries and legends that many of us might have heard in high schools. The two leading heroes and Reiko-senpai set out to mentally solve the troubles that arose and dispel the rumours. What did continue was Takatsuki-sensei's unsatiated search for an actual mystery.
☆ I really loved the leading character, but he might be one of the most boring male leads I've ever seen. But, there was something really realistic about the way he was portrayed. Fukamachi Naoya had accidentally stumbled across an event that was forbidden to be witnessed by the living when he was ten years old. What follows his later years is a punishment: to be a human lie detector. This causes him to isolate himself from literally everyone. By coincidence, he chooses to study Japanese Folklore, leading him directly into the arms of Takatsuki Akira, his young and vigilant professor. Taking an instant connection to him, his new sensei hires him as his assistant and they together unveil legends and solve mysteries. But, Naoya-san never really is able to let go of the negatives that his little "gift" brought along. I connected to him in several ways. There were moments I wished that he would become normal, then I'd wish that he was once again back to being a lie detector. I liked seeing his growth and loved his smile. The dude rarely smiled, but when he did, I would become happy too.
☆ J Doramas rarely disappoint in the acting department. This one doesn't either. (I'm surprised that both the lead actors are Jpop idols.) There were numerous interesting individuals that we got to meet and I looked forward to every new mystery or legend. Most of their performances were really convincing. When it came to Sewai University, there were only a few characters in the spotlight; thanks to his little gift, Naoya-san doesn't have a pack of friends following him. But, those whom he finds solace in are his Sensei and his perky assistant Reiko-chan and later, a lively Nambu-san. I loved their mystery solving though nothing about it was far from normal. EP6 and 7 in particular captured my heart.
The cottage core atmosphere of the drama helped quite a lot. It was calming and simultaneously thrilling to watch.
☆ The opening BGM was very Harry-Potteresque and the drama as a whole felt really magical. Though there was rarely any magic in it. The ending OST Gunjo Runaway by Hey!Say!Jump! grew on me eventually due to many reasons. It's a shame that Japanese songs do not have english lyrics coming along with them.
☆ Last, but not the least is Takatsuki Akira Sensei, the eponymous character of this show. Though we see the events through the eyes of Naoya-san, it is Sensei who is the scene stealer. I didn't know what to think about him. His actions left me ---and Naoya-san-- in a whirl of confusion and his over enthusiastic response to the woes of people made me suspect if he was possessed. Half of the time, I didn't know whether to trust him or pray that Naoya-san runs away from him. He was enigmatic, charismatic and eccentric all rolled into one and I was beyond curious to know about his intentions and plans. His friendship with Ken-Chan piqued my interest.
Not to mention his hyperthesemia, a condition that makes him remember each and everything he has ever come across.
☆And the Bromance! It was a delight seeing the closed off Naoya-san struggle with the very extraverted Sensei. Their interactions were one of my favorite parts of the show. What's more, their rapport was slowly built through trust, something that Naoya-san grappled with. Also, watching the friendship grow between him and Nambu-san was amusing.
☆ I appreciated how they dealt with the topic of the supernatural and the real world in a very neutral manner. It didn't cross the border, but neither did it completely deny its existence. I hope it stays the same way.
☆ The down side about it might be the format of the episodes. We don't focus much on the main characters, but learn some part about them through the experiences of others. This can come off as boring if we aren't interested in the mystery or just don't like episode after episode of a new mystery each. The cases/unsolved events themselves were nothing new; they involve folklore and urban legends that we might find similar to the stories we hear or had heard at school. (Dead ghost/haunted rooms, objects similar to ouja boards, etc.)
Also, if we don't find ourselves comfortable with the characters and their antics, then there is a high chance that the watching experience will be quite bitter.
Many thanks to the fansubbers who spent their time to make it available and understandable for us International viewers. This drama was completely satisfying. (I pleasantly surprised by the montage at the end of the final episode!) Definitely a binge-worthy gem.
I'm still uncertain about whether to watch the second season. As a saying goes, there are some mysteries that are better left unsolved.
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Isao komori is a college dropout who spends his days playing video games and watching porn. He is living a carefree life. Every day he go to this convenience store just to see Mari, she has this angel like feature that made Komori decide to make Mari his idol. He became obsessed and his sole pleasure in life is to stalk Mari. One morning Komori wake up in Mari's body. Another Komori inhabit his old body, but it is not Mari. Mari has disappeared. Komori struggles to maintain Mari's ordinary life and starts to investigate Mari's disappearance.
If you think this different take on body swap genre is what I mean when I said original, then you are wrong. The essence of the story remains though like trying to find where Mari went, and that's why this story is genius. A combination of mystery and character study, mystery is very gripping while the character study is what draws you in. If you are into psychology you would really love this drama, it conveys all the pains and struggle of every teenagers. Everybody could relate because in the first place identity crisis is classically adolescent.
Technical-wise the acting is surprisingly strong. These three young actors did their part well, but what I'm more surprised about is Ikeda's portrayal of Mari. She manages to give this character authenticity by giving the character intensity if needed but by not making the character looks exaggerated. Very complex character that I imagine most young actress would fail to portray. Both songs are catchy too, nice touch to give the drama fun vibe.
Overall a different take to a trope (body swap) that you would think it is so clever but then you would realize there is more clever twist than that and you won't see it coming at all. Twist after twist is basically in this drama, so I wouldn't be surprised if most will find it complicated and may end up confusing to them, even at the very end.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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Nom, Nom, Best French Cuisine Ever!!!
At the surface level, the story is very simple: After a bad breakup, Dr Mimi resorts to settle only for the perfect man "World's Best Steak" until she develops a unique friendship with a fellow online gamer.Now, remove the backdrop of online friendship and that's just the plot of gazillion romantic-comedy dramas out there, one might wonder. But what differentiates it from others is two things.
Firstly, the setting of COVID-19. Unlike showing some masks and sanitisers, this drama extends into showing the shift in workplaces' paradigm, work-life of health care workers & the consequential harassment and how even restaurants and other places cope with the changing scenario. Even the change in dating places and "bases" is shown. This is endearingly shown by simple events like distribution of customer calendar can lead to a domino effect of spreading happiness and assurance to a grandma living miles away during tough times, or the buying of meal coupons can aid the restaurants. Although this drama is fictional, this doesn't fail to show the handling of the pandemic in Japan in an innovative way.
Secondly, the unconventional and delicate handling of otherwise serious issues like the mature handling of the lovey-dovey couple's decision making process or resolving the suspicions and jealousy. The best part was the importance given to the consent of the child in his father's dating. Heck, even the second male lead couldn't be hated. Lastly, the handling of online relationship merging with the real-life one. The way it didn't fake its transformation into a perfect real-life relationship or didn't completely deny the possibilities of such a relationship happening was applaud worthy.
The entire drama is a complete heartwarming treat and never induces anxiety. If at all any such moments develop, the issues are all dealt with in the episode and the only one time it didn't, was to give a completely wonderful finale. The ending was totally unpredictable given the recent release of so many marriage centred rom-com jdramas. I was a tiny tiny bit disappointed in the conventional sense. But the ending was totally justified and had a really lovely message which has time and time reiterated to us yet many of us keep forgetting it.
There are so many many food references from calling Dr Mimi as French cuisine by her ex, and comparing all men with food by Dr Mimi, to the game IDs as food names, and Dr Mimi watches Indian Food Journey (a food show). Like they say good food is a good mood. These reflect how eating and cooking food helped us cope with 2020.
The comedy aspect can sometimes be a second-hand embarrassment and face-palming but I couldn't stop grinning widely. The romance aspect was so mature and cute. Who cares about a full-on makeout scene when even hand-holding can be so hot!! The days when I watched episodes I would feel so happy and warm. All the characters are so lovely and have their own dimensions. If at all any character was acting oddly, they soon resolved their "issues".
The actors have really done a superb job. Especially Haru, who with her numerous expressions makes the character more lively and comical. The Music was very unique to this drama and the violin-Esque number suited the drama moments well. The jazzy music played other times uplifted the drama's liveliness. The end track was memorable and serene. Rewatch value, for all its messages and heartwarming scenes, it is totally worth.
Final note, Remolove needed 2020 (events), 2020 needed Remolove.
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Story : This movie follows the life of Jung Il & Soon Nam family after the Sewol tragedy that happened in 2014 and killed 304 people mostly students (250) from Danwon High School.
Jung Il and Soon Nam are a married couple that lost their oldest son in the tragedy. They have another daughter Ye Sol. The movie starts of with Jung Il coming back from abroad. During the movie we see him and his wife trying their best to reconnect with each other while raising their daughter and bearing the pain caused by the loss of their child.
It's a slow paced movie showing the process of mourning a loved one. The plot is simple but it's a beautiful and heartbreaking story. The director did a great job at showing the grief of people, it was realisticly shot. Even if it's slow paced I didn't felt bored at all. Instead i was invested in the story and i was grieving with the family. I even cried at some parts of the movie. It shows how different people, mourn differently and how we must respect their grief even if we're not directly affected. It also shows the pain of other families and friends and how they all try to support each other and how they all deal with the loss of a loved one.
The ending was really beautiful (but it really makes you cry a river). I felt like it was fitting and perfectly ended the movie.
Acting : Sol Kyung Gu and Jeon Do Yeon were amazing in this movie. They gave such a powerful performance. We could see the pain the characters felt in their eyes. It felt so real when they cried my heart broke. Kim Bo Min did also a good job as Ye Sol. All the support characters were great too, they all did a good job at portraying their characters. We could felt the pain through all of them.
Music : I can't really remember any of the music.
Rewatch value : We can definitly watch this movie multiple times. Sure we knows what happens, but as it's a story about life and tragedy we can watch it again without feeling bored.
Overall it's a slow paced movie about life, loss and mourning. The acting is amazing and makes you feel the pain of each characters. If you enjoy slice of life stories or stories that makes you cry then this is for you.
Warning : You will need a box of tissues while watching this !
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Started well with a cute love story but ended with rushed cliches.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.25“Ikinari Kon” aka “Sudden Marriage” started off so well. Despite being a little predictable, it was light and easy for the first ¾ of the drama. The female lead, Mao, though shy, is not a pushover. I am so glad she would speak up and put people in their places (in a nice way). Male lead, Hajime, is a little pushy, clingy and stalkerish to start, but he grows on me. He’s a tall and good-looking guy but that hairstyle makes him look so old. I might be in the minority of not liking that height difference. However, the leads have good chemistry and I enjoy all the scenes they are in together.
Unfortunately, things went downhill in the last few episodes. I have coined this drama, ‘Marriage of Coincidences’. I am fine with one or two coincidences to make it seem like the leads are destined to be together. But, 3, 4, 5 times? That’s a little too intentional and fake. The drama also gets all tropey when ML’s father was introduced and the whole business plot was introduced. There’s no way Hajime disappears for a week with no contact when he’s been so in love and clingy. It doesn’t matter if your cell phone is stolen, broken, or evaporated, it’s not hard to still give your girl a call or a text. A rom-com about a sudden marriage goes to waste into a rom-com full of cliches.
I did enjoy most of the drama despite my rant. I just wish we got more cute scenes and lovely kisses. Maybe the drama should have ended a couple episodes sooner.
Completed: 4/13/2025 - Review #565
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All the Potential, None of the Pay Off
I honestly had high hopes for this one after seeing clips from it on social media platforms. But at the end of it all... I was left severely underwhelmed.Like the title says... it had a lot of potention to be good... but it didn't pay off in the end. At least not for me anyway. The plot was good... but filled with holes. I think that episodes being only 5-8 (ish) minutes of actual drama hindered it... especially with the last episode which could have some explanations as to how things happened.
Don't get me started on the plot twist... it was unnecessary.
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Cute and surprising
I like this drama is sweet and very cute. The characters are well written and thru the story you keep smiling. There are some part that I felt they could have kept out of or made stronger. The lead female character sometimes is to naïve and and sugar sweet. The male lead character comes on strong and I did not understand what made him change to like her. The obsessive girl by his side was a boring character because it seem so many drama are putting this same kind of character. If she really grew up with him and care so much for his family she would have back off and be happy for him. She would not have made him hate her with the stupid stunts she pull. But I still love this drama. The actors performance was great and the cast had a very good chemistry. I especially like the story of the supporting characters. I was glad to see that we saw what happens to them at the end of the drama. The story is very much telling us that persistence and believing in yourself you will make your dream come true.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Had So Much Potential
I'm not usually into the time loop trope, but I was so intrigued by the idea of a character reliving three years of their life 33 times - long enough to be able to periodically ignore the feeling of being trapped and suffocated within a time loop but short enough to constantly feel unfulfilled by the end of each cycle. There was so much potential for the show to explore the pros of living such a long time loop -- the ability to stay young forever, to live without consequences, to never see your family and friends grow old.They could have explored the cons even more - the monotony and loneliness of living the same life 33 times, knowing that nothing you do will ever change the inevitable. I mean, the ML literally jumps off a building at the end of his 33rd life and he immediately begins his 34th life (happens in the first episode, so not a spoiler). That must be miserable!
The show spent more time navigating typical high school woes than they did on understanding and breaking the time loop. Every now and then the show would give us a little nibble of insight into the time loop and then ignore it for five, six episodes before the next feeding - just enough to keep us coming back. For example, halfway through the show, the ML and the SFL, who is also stuck in a time loop, begin studying quantum mechanics in hopes of uncovering the mystery behind the time loop. Ten, fifteen episodes go by before they even make a reference to studying quantum mechanics, and then the SFL suddenly drops that massive changes made during a time loop can break it! But what constitutes a massive change? The ML literally threw himself off a building in the first episode!
But then it also brings into question another compelling idea - if a massive change breaks a time loop, how massive does the change have to be so that you don't trash the life that you end up living past the three year mark? The SFL, in order to break her loop, changed schools, rebelled against her parents and fell in love - all pretty conservative changes but massive considering her personality. She had always been reserved in rebelling, so I'm sure she had tons of inner turmoil weighing the pros and cons of doing X, Y, Z action to break the loop, like running away from home or publishing her R-rated novel. It may break the time loop but then she would also be risking that whatever damage she does in this time loop becoming permanent if she breaks it.
Instead, we spent 45 episodes watching kids bully each other.
The characters were really charming and fun to watch, but with all these questions piling up in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the final outcome. We are no closer to understanding the time loop than we were in episode one.
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To my understanding, this story is complex and focuses on some things...
1. The longing of he protagonist bestfriend - Porsche. He is a perfect example of how people are willing to keep what they have so long as the person they love stay with them. That is selfless. That authentic love.
2. Denial. Neur knew he had feelings towards Porsche. He just didn't man up to it. He felt everything Porsche did for him. Being in denial is a big waste of emotion. But it also takes a lot of courage to process fact more so accept it.
3. Love conquers all. This is strongly showcased on the series. Love is a bond that even death cannot put a stop to. It is something bigger and more profound in both abstract and actual. It's about the feeling that never leaves us forever. It's the presence that stays with us even when the people we love are no longer around. True love is when their hearts continued to be linked even when time ran out for the other one.
This story is simply brilliant in all aspects. :)
Please watch it carefully and take note of the details. It helps you understand it better.
And please support Porsche and Neur. ??
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fangirl depiction is so divine
●FIRST IMPRESSIONWow, I enjoyed it a lot. The whole fangirl scenario was awesome depicting true fans, crazy fans, and obsessed fans. Any fan could relate to this show and be engrossed with the story. I wondered what I did in the past as a fangirl was cutting pictures out from the newspaper and sticking them to my diary.
but the shift of track from Sung Duk Mi to Ryan Gold wasn’t smooth. It felt like the title should be changed to His Private Life.
Kdramas taking a childhood trauma is nice but at times it felt forced into the story and creating more and more layers until I was bored. I wish if they kept the story focused on the Fangirl thing.
●ACTING/CAST
The cast is amazing. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook had charm oozing from them. Particularly their chemistry was so killer to watch. Park Jin Joo as a best friend was my favorite.
●FAV SCENE
When Ryan gold comes to know from Sun Joo Just friend relationship.
●MUSIC
OST is awesome. Especially “Help Me” shows the fangirl feelings with its lyrics.
●REWATCH
I loved to rewatch rom-com scenes. They are so light and heartwarming.
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This review may contain spoilers
I agree with much of amrita828's review, so basically consider this an extension of that :-) In all three versions, I think the main love interest is a complete tool. And in all three, I think that she should get with romantic possibility #2. However, even though this incarnation of Domyouji is the most horrible to start with, of the three he has the biggest improvement in character and behaviour, so by the end I could see how a relationship between them could work. And they do have chemistry, which helps.
I like the presence of Shan Cai's male friend from her old school (although apparently not enough to remember his name :-) ), I though the provided great comedic relief. And overall I think I laughed more during this series than any of the others. There were several funny, cute moments, such as Si, Lei and the biscuits (vague to avoid spoilers). Rainie is adorable in general, so I liked her as Shan Cai's best friend.
Overall, a fun, enjoyable series.
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I want Ryan as an ideal husband
Have no idea who is Jae-uk Kim. What's wrong with secretary Kim? took me to Her Private Life. At the first episode, Ryan appeared as old-fashion guy to me. It made him look old too. However, I liked his face when he got annoyed.. cold..Ryan got more handsome after each episode. What I like the most of Her Private Life is the flow of love, no fighting, no jealousy and clear. Understanding in love is very important.
Again, I liked their fashion too.... both Ryan Gold and Sung Deok-Mi.
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This review may contain spoilers
I dropped this drama once, not liking the idea of substituting love with sex, and revisited it again when I am looking for a Japanese movie/drama to watch. After diving from the surface of many kissing and bed scenes into a deeper meaning this drama brings, you will find ideas to learn about how to distinguish love/loneliness on one side and sex/desire on the other side.STORY
Japanese dramas may have the most twisted plots with the deepest meanings and Kuzu no Honkai is one of them. The character Yasuroka Hanabi is a realistic heroine for teenage/young adult girls to learn. A heroine, as she is able to overcome the teenage girl problems mainly by her thought process, as the viewers can see there are no any significant adults in this drama (older family members) who guides her to go past broken heart, despair, and loneliness. In the end, Hanabi is able to emerge to be a mature teenager who learned many facets of love.
Having watched a lot of dramas with typical heroine as damsels-in-distress being swept by knights-in-armor trope, this drama introduces us to a strong female character who is able to overcome significant issues by herself. By the end: 1) Hanabi never falls to be a victim of sex with 2 guys and a girl she has relationship with; 2) Hanabi finally steps out and terminates wrong relationship with 3 characters; 3) Hanabi is able to develop her thought process that become the main guidance to overcome her issues.
To add, I love that the role Awaya Mugi never develops into a pushy guy. Despite of initial Hanabi's decision to have an intercourse and Mugi's experiences with other women, Mugi never pushes Hanabi into this stage when in the end she stops it. Mugi respecting Hanabi's decisions on terminating sex and relationship is rare in movies/drama, where there are so many pushy, demanding, obsessive male roles out there
Finally, this is the only movie/drama so far that I DO NOT WANT the female lead to end up with the male lead. Matching Hanabi with Mugi will just create another cliche in dramas. Besides, particularly in this story, real coupling will just create more problems, as Hanabi and Mugi's relationship does not start as liking each other but more sympathy and despair complete with a clear termination contract. Therefore, I love the last scene where Hanabi walks out of the class straight passed standing Mugi (is he waiting or hoping?) and not even looking at him, to meet her female friends for a chick hangout together.
ACTING/CAST
The highest point is given to the female lead. I am amazed a young actress like Yoshimoto Miyu (she was 19 when the drama was released, possibly 18 when it was being filmed) could pull out compelling emotional acting as a virgin teenager in desire over her male teacher and jealousy at her female teacher. I gave 9 point not 10, as I did not see the male lead Sakurada Dori acted in the same level of quality of the female lead did. The chemistry is okay between them, not as lovers, but as contract partners or caring friends.
MUSIC
Music is okay, but unless a drama song gets stuck in my subconscious mind, I don't usually rate the music part high.
REWATCH VALUE
As I am more to a light-hearted rom-com drama/movie to rewatch in the future, I will not rewatch this drama again. Besides, I am way past teenage years that I have to visit this drama back to relearn about the values it brings.
OVERALL
Many issues facing by teenagers and young adults concerning love are explored in this drama. A must watch to any female who (does not matter if she is still a teenager or is older) to understand that she does not have to be a victim of so-called love, but being able to overcome the issue to be a mature woman.
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A low budget revenge drama with interesting story
Well, it is a low budget short drama. Keep that in mind while watching, and you'll be surprised by how good the story is.Firstly, this is not romance, for most of the episode the male lead doesn't even show up and has little to no screen time at all. The plot is centered towards the main female lead's revenge story and how she attain her happiness by getting everything stolen from her back. You'll be surprised at how the female lead basically does everything on her own and plotted against her own family. That's what made it interesting in terms of the story and how it was told, the bad thing about this was only because it lacks budget, short, lacks logic in certain parts and how it was filmed. The acting of the main leads are pretty decent considering how low budget this was.
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you can still watch it even if you didn't watch season 1
At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this because I didn’t watch season 1. But later on, they give you a snippet of the previous season, so you still get the story. Maybe you won’t feel the emotional impact as much as those who watched season 1, but it’s still worth watching. The way they portray emotions through Yumi’s cells is creative and relatable. It’s a mix of romance, growth, and heartbreak, but in a way that feels real and touching. The animation of the cells adds charm, making the story even more engaging and fun to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
