An underrated gem - you're missing out if you aren't watching this
Upon a friend's recommendation I decided to pick up this drama called "Kotaru Lives Alone" just because I was bored of most dramas lately. The synopsis seemed nice but I started watching it without much expectation. But I was blown away with how good this drama was! It made me reminisce about my early drama watching days when I watched only Jdramas and nothing else. This drama seems fit for a late 2000s or early 2010s Jdrama quality.PLOT + CHARACTERS:
Honestly, it is ridiculous. It would never be legal, much less- posssible for a 5 year old to live alone and much less having a law firm or random people looking for a random kid. Were it a real scenario, they boy would be taken away by social services and they would have done as deemed fit by them. This drama reaffirms every episodes that it is a fictional set up which was sort of funny.
It's about a 5 year old who rents an apartment and how he navigates his life all alone. Of course, the neighbour steps in and from there on they go on from barely tolerating each other to forming a deep parent-child relationship. Also we have some lovely side characters thrown in and what I loved about this drama was how it was about kindness and helping others in need. The main adult character is a tsundere but his growth was pretty believable. I love how he never condescends the child and instead tells him how even an adult can learn lessons from a child. Honestly- their relationship had me very emotionally invested. We also meet a female hostess who is being abused by her boyfriend. I loved the fact that for the first time in a Jdrama, they called the police rather than trying to solve the problem on their own.
ACTING:
The main child star steals the show. His dialogue delivery was on point and he must be a smart kid because it was no easy feat! I also loved all the side actors and their interactions with each other were very natural. By the end they did seem more like a family than random people who came together. Kudos to the cast and the director who made sure that the viewer is able to feel this side of the story rather than us brushing it off as some comedy.
OVERALL:
I can understand that this drama isn't a conventional genre and Jdramas are even less mainstream among international viewers. However, it is a drama not to be missed out on as it has a fresh plot, comedy and some great characters. Like all Jdramas, it also teaches us the importance of kindness and giving others new chances. I honestly wouldn't mind a Season 2 because there is still a lot of story left to be told. Kotaru-chan's innocence lives on and I truly want him to get his real happy ending.
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All the cast are perfect especially Bella and Pope. They both slayed me with their performance as Karakade/Kadesurang and Date. Kadesurang as Karakade is no doubt the best lakorn heroine in my opinion, I just love her so much. She doesn't necessarily meddle in someone else's business, she's strong and she's so smart. As for Date, I love him too, he's so devoted to Karakade and I swooned too much when I saw him smiled. And as for their romance, I squealed too many times that my family thought there's a rat in house lol
As for the story, my only complaint is that I wish they show us more of their married life. I would love to watch more of their interaction as husband and wife. It's really fun that as we watch this lakorn we also get to learnt more about the history of Thailand. If only my country would also do something like this lakorn, then maybe I won't be as clueless as I was about my country's history.
If you're looking for an amazing, sweet and funny lakorn/drama, then I definitely recommend this to you!
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The extended shots and continuous takes evoke strong vibes reminiscent of Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, which might make some viewers find the material a bit monotonous. But if you're a fan of Edward Yang or Hou Hsiao-hsien's films, this is a treat. I would even go so far as to say this is the best thing I've seen from iQIYI and Chinese contemporary film/television in a long time.
The direction, production, and the actors' performances (there are some seriously impressive performances here) are genuinely excellent and ensure there's always something captivating happening within the frame.
The atmosphere and mood of the show stayed with me long after the credits rolled in the final episode. If nothing else, the final half-hour or so will linger in your memory long after the screen goes dark.
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"We're moving forward albeit slowly. We're standing side by side."
When I found out I was getting a Season 2 of Utsukushi Kare S2 I was over the moon. Seriously, I literally squeeled! I missed my boys so much and it was a joy watching these 4 extra episodes although I wish we had more. But, I digress.I love how the writers kept this realistic in both story and characters. Both Kiyoi and Hira are still pretty much the same but have also changed quite a bit. Kiyoi is more confident in himself. He's also more content & secure in showing his feelings for Hira. He's even mastered a way to get Hira to listen to him when he wants him to love himself more. It's a cute method, pretty much old "nasty" Kiyoi but with good intensions. Hira, although his character development is not as obvious it is there. He can see that he needs to get better and that he's stuck in the same place. While before, he refused to even acknowledge those problems. Let's face it the type of self-worth and mental health issues he has are not going to go away overnight. He needs help, I wish it came in a professional way, but he gets the second-best way: in a mentor that's been there and can be the light he needs to get better. With Kiyoi's love being the guiding force, I have no doubt that with hard work and hopefully therapy his issues will be able to go away. And there is where the title of my review comes in.
To be honest, I'm glad the writers didn't give Hira a magical cure because that is just not realistic, it's gonna take time. Sure, I would have liked more happiness and intimacy but that's not who Hira and Kiyoi are. Their love is strong and getting stronger every day, no matter the issues. I can't wait to see what the next chapter brings for Hira and Kiyoi in Eternal.
Hagiwara and Yagi brought their a game especially in the big confrontation scene in ep 3. They are so good at what they do. And it was obvious how happy they were to be working together again. There was this sense of happiness in all their scenes together. Made this even more of a joy to watch. Chemistry? 10+
I'm giving this a 10 because I loved everything about it. Even when the story may have seemed repetitive, it was important to be told that way. I'm gonna be rewatching this and S1 over and over until I can watch the movie. Highly recommended of course.
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Story - It is quite a typical revenge and fate between main lead plot line. I wouldn't say it was particularly special. Despite this it was paced well, the relationship between the characters did not feel forced and you can tell the progression in their relationship. The ending though was not very clear - i didn't read the novel but apparently was quite different to the reference. Cast - As usual Zhao Lu Shi is really well suited to these comedic historical roles as she makes it seem so natural. It was great to see the improvement in her acting and slightly more serious role compared to her previous works. Zheng Ye Cheng was a surprise, I've seen his works in Love O2O, An Oriental Odyssey and most recently Royal Nirvana - his acting is very diverse and he really executed the 'male god' character/aura very well. Definitely one of those dramas that make you fall in love with the male lead. There is a second male/female lead romance line, but that didn't gauge my interest much.
Voice - I really enjoyed that they used original voices for the dubbing instead of voice actors. It makes everything flow so much better.
Overall i think the drama is highly recommended if you are looking for a historical romance with touch of comedy. Whilst there is some political elements, it is not the main plot but supports the progression of the main characters' story.
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A Japanese take on "Sex and the City" - if Carrie was a good friend
Four friends at the age of 29 all have their worries that in a way all come down to "crap, I have to do this and/or that before I turn 30". Get married, have a kid, answer to society's often unrealistic expectations. Haruka hasn't had sex with her boyfriend in what feels like ages, and her desire to have sex again results in her sleeping with an old-turned-new co-worker and subsequently ruining her relationship with her fiancé when he inevitably finds out. While Uta is out to her mother who approves and is very supportive of Uta, reality is very different for her girlfriend, Makoto, who struggles to live true to herself and her identity as gay in a still relatively conservative society. Kyouko discovers something about herself that forces her to really think about her desire to have a child as a single person, and how to go about it. Kanon desperately wants to get married, and often turns to luck to try and score that perfect man to marry before she turns 30.All four women go through their struggles- but not alone. At times, they try to shoulder it on their own as to not worry their friends, but in the end, they all have each other's backs. And that's one of the beautiful things I will remember about this series. The way they portrayed adult friendships between women in this stage in life, was excellent and I could recognise myself in it almost all throughout. Another highlight for me was the portrayal of LGBTQIA+ relationships in a still somewhat conservative society like that of Japan, where you have a few but not many privileges as a non-straight person and couple. I'm not gonna lie, I teared up several times when they focused on Uta and Makoto, and after the gay couple came into the series near the end who not only helped Uta and Makoto get themselves an apartment in a LGBT-friendly building after a lot of struggle, they're also strongly implied to have helped Kyouko in her dreams of becoming a mother via surrogacy.
I adore this series for not being ashamed of discussing certain topics like being non-straight in Japan, mental health, sex, marriage in the sense of "is this right for me" and not just "when do I get married". I love series where we get to see women in higher positions, like being a CEO, and these women aren't just plot devices but have their own stories and are written excellently. Not only that, but the actresses played their parts very well, too. I'm not gonna lie, I went into this series because I saw that Shuntaro Yanagi was in it, and while I was initially disappointed that he ended up being a plot device, I stayed for the women in the series and am endlessly glad that I did. It's a very 'brutally' honest, realistic, and sometimes not very happy portrayal of what it's like to live in the shoes of any of these women. But that's why I really loved it, because it was so, so real and relatable.
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this drama may as well be the definition of Han.
(i dont rate rewatch value, neutral 5)- a uniquely korean concept (emotion) that is generally defined along the lines of a deeprooted unresolved pain relating to historical injustice, universally felt by koreans. it goes an extra layer deep, and pretty much explains a large part of what makes korean media as good as it is. (and why my ass be cryin during all these damn kdramas.. they literally feel more.)
Heung would be the counter, explosive and contagious joy, which this show also delivers in spades. Go Soo for one literally makes me smile just being on screen. damn near laugh even. he's so funny and kinda wacky that he almost seemed out of place at first, till quickly he became the only person fit for the role. my girl Ahn Sohee in here bossin (i say my girl but this is also the first time i saw her lol), Ha-Joon goin truh his things, Heo Junho on Go's side. and THOMAS. it's the most charming freakin cast ever, and they bounce off each other so well.
but yeah, what's more of an injustice (Han) than being killed, not even knowing why, and existing in limbo because your body hasnt been discovered? but.. then.. whats more of Heung than that limbo being a colorful, warm little village of people in the same position as you, all loving and caring for one another. on the one hand, developing all those relationships, youd wanna stay.. but on the other, you probably want someone to find you, for your loved ones to get closure.
without going any deeper into the plot, that's where Han and Heung meet. that's why the final ep was a waterpark on my face. nothing hits like kdramas hit. these mfers just whip out masterpieces like its nothing.
if you like the show Pushing Daisies i think that'd be the closest western comparison i could make, tho i was a kid when that was on and barely recall it. it has the same kinda blend of dark subject matter with a whimsically light scifi twist.
at 12 eps i cant give it anything but a perfect score. this is just everything. i'll miss you thomas 😭 and i aint even mention the puppies
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The story is well-written and progresses naturally though their growth.
I liked how they were telling the story through the interviews, and that they went back to the train station scene.
The music is nice, i'm a big fan of lofi music anyway.
The actors did a great job, I had a hard time finding their name since there's very little info about this on the internet, but when I did, I started following all their other projects.
This is something I want to rewatch many times because it just makes me feel good afterwards, I hope it does the same for you too.
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The time travel plot was pretty solid and unique (and no, I don't get tired of this genre unless executed poorly) and the story moved along at a great pace where I never felt the need to hit the skip button. I loved that there was minimal court politics and instead they focused more on the cute romance between the leads.
The main male lead was perfect, like I would marry him right now hands down no objections. The main female lead was a little ehhh in the beginning, but she grew on me. She went from "you're slightly annoying?" to "you are funny, i like you" in a few episodes.
The OST is amazing- fits the mood of the drama. I can listen to it for hours.
Overall, great story, great chem, great costumes, great scenery, great music, i would def rewatch the scenes with the main couples.
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1“What you see is no longer what it once was.”
Yanagawa was a story of love, loss, and lives that were sadly isolated. A friendship from twenty-years prior had made it difficult for at least two people to move on, and one of those people had far less time ahead of him to reminisce.Li Dong stumbles out of a doctor’s appointment and bums a cigarette off a stranger. He’s just discovered he has stage 4 cancer. He meets with his brother without telling him the diagnosis and proposes a trip to Yanagawa, Japan. When his brother rejects the idea, he tells Li Chun that their old flame, Liu Chuan, is living there. The brothers haven’t seen her in 20 years and have never gotten over her. The two men catch the first flight out of Beijing and are soon checking into their room at a Japanese house. They find Chuan singing in a small bar. Will she be as excited to see the men as they are to see her?
The first hurdle to overcome with this film were the age gaps. Ni Ni would have been 32, Edward Zhang-40, and Xin Bai Qing-47. That 20-year time lapse would have made Chuan 12 years old when she left Beijing. Apparently, the writers assumed the audience would age her up in their minds to make her compatible with Xin’s 27-year-old Chun. The brothers were also in their 40s which meant they were grown ass men stumbling around. I never could reconcile the ages.
The brothers were opposites with Dong being the quiet, reserved, bookish brother and Chun the outgoing extrovert who sought to be the center of attention. Dong never wanted to leave a trace of himself in the world and began to put his house in order. The top two things on his bucket list were to take a trip with his older brother and see Liu Chuan one more time. During the trip, Chun often belittled or interrupted Dong. The older brother was married with a child, yet made every effort possible to sleep with Chuan. Despite declaring his eternal love, he was the one who caused the alienation between the two twenty years prior. So self-absorbed, he could never imagine that the beautiful Chuan would have ever been interested in shy Dong. And Dong must have merely wanted to gaze upon the object of his affection as he never held an important conversation with her. His best joke was one he forgot. Aside from the brothers, the landlord of the house they were staying in also had eyes only for Chuan. Ni Ni’s character spent most of her time with the reverse harem fending off grabby men or singing sorrowful songs. I’m a huge fan of hers and this film felt like a waste of her talent. She still managed to shine, though her best scene was with the Izakaya where the two women deeply understood each other empathically.
The characters spoke a variety of languages. The three from Beijing spoke Mandarin though in different accents. Dong also spoke Japanese. In order to converse with Nakayama Noki, the landlord, they switched to broken English as neither Chun nor Chuan could speak Japanese. Korean singing was heard coming from one of the boats. Both Chinese and Japanese folk songs were also sung. Regardless of the thin reason for Chuan deciding to live in Yanagawa, I wondered how lonely she must have been with the language barrier. Though she often sang John Lennon’s “Oh My Love,” which spoke of finally seeing clearly and living peacefully with the world so maybe it wasn’t a problem.
Yanagawa was a low budget film that managed to be aesthetically pleasing due to the scenery and cast. Much time was spent talking on boats and benches or in Izakaya’s bar. Loose ends were left dangling as people conversed little knowing that one of them was on a ticking clock. Twenty years is a long time and people mature and outgrow the familiar. “What you see is no longer what it once was. Nothing is what it used to be.” Yet truths eventually made their sorrowful appearances, ones that could only be seen clearly in the rearview mirror.
“Oh, my love, for the first time in my life
My eyes are wide open
Oh, my lover, for the first time in my life
My eyes can see”
(John Lennon)
2 June 2026
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Nothing is stronger than family. Absolutely beautiful. As an elder sibling I loved the older brother's mature approach to the behavior of the confused younger siblings. The acting was realistic, no high school fake glamor. All actors looked natural, no make-up. God *siiiigh* I'm so tired of crying.
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Loved. Recommend.
"How to Be a Perfect Dad" is a comedy that begins with a little girl, and her non-custodial playboy father learning to become a dad, when the child's single mom is hospitalized. Maddeningly beautiful, and warmhearted. Frustrating, and saddening, even angering at times. All the emotions that such a story can invoke, the supernaturally-based "How to Be a Perfect Dad" does.It is a family tale, with layers of ghostly hauntings and mysterious figures. The underlying currents of love, throughout, are worth it. A modern tale without baggage, and a production team confident in the story they were creating. Highly recommended.
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So sweet~ QWQ Underrated, must-watch C-drama!
This drama's really good!! Oh my goddd!! Wish more people can know about it.Synopsis: A year after the prestigious QingMeng University basketball team was dissolved after the passing of its head coach, the coach's daughter takes on the challenge of reviving the team to carry on her dad's legacy and fulfill her ultimate dream as basketball is one of her biggest passions. In the process of re-assembling this team, she encounters many struggles with the recruited players and ends up meeting one mysterious, godly guy named Jun Ye. At first reluctant to join, she ends up successfully convincing Jun ye to join and as a team, she coaches the players, training them to defeat their biggest rival, ShenHua, through team-building activities. Eventually, she starts to spend more time with Jun Ye and he develops feelings for her and together they tackle the challenges that come their way.
The best thing in my viewing experience was seeing the characters' friendship and teamwork blossom into something powerful. I really loved each and every single relationship in this show, both romantic and platonic. The care and love they have for each other were genuine and heart-warming. The actors and actresses must have had such a fun time filming this drama because the cast's chemistry was amazing! I just can't get enough of them. Furthermore, I especially loved how every member of the basketball team had their own personalities and quirks, which allows you to connect to every character as a unique individual rather than forgettable, supporting characters of the main characters. The female lead, Su Nuanxia, has a great personality and is the person I want to be. Being a female head of a team of guys, it's easy for people to look down on her yet she remains independent, self-aware , and stands her ground. Among the players, we also have the handsome star player, his rambunctious roommate, the hard-working part timer, the intelligent doctor, and the shy brawny romantic. It's easy to envision how this was based on a manga/manhwa. The most exciting scenes of this drama were the basketball games, where we see the team work together and compete against their rival, their friendly competition. The actions shots during the games were so cool, intense and kept me on the edge of my seat as I root for Qingmeng's victory.
The story had a solid number of side characters with interesting enough back stories to not make me bored too. Oftentimes, the story in dramas would revolve too much around the romance of the male and female lead that I get bored of their romance. In this drama, I have never once gotten tired of watching the main couple interact. The teasing in conversations flow so fluidly and the way Jun Ye looks at Nuan Xia makes my heart melt every time. Their relationship dynamic is so wholesome and sweet. I think Aaron Deng's eyes are so attractive that I am starting to fall head over heels for him too. ;~;
At the end of every episode, there would always be a bonus scene that presents a hypothetical scenario targeted for the viewers' enjoyment. The corner on dating advice for straight men has got to be my favorite since it makes me laugh myself stupid. The main show was also hilarious bc at some points I laughed so hard my stomach started to hurt. This drama is comedic gold, I'm telling you. It's a lot funnier than most other Chinese dramas I've watched of the same archetype.
This drama is a really light, fluffy watch and the only bad part I can think is it might be too "sweet" for some viewer's taste, perhaps. I can say this show is intended for a younger audience for sure. but I'm in my early 20s and can still relate to it a lot perhaps bc I've had experience leading a club and love sports shows that promote healthy teamwork, motivation and spirit (like Haikyuu!!). The only other rather annoying thing is it's difficult to find English subtitles. I started watching it on YouTube, but it's barely translated on there so I transitioned to streaming it on the MangoTV app because it had more episodes subbed. The subtitles on the app, however, are atrociously broken and inaccurate, but my proficiency in Chinese came through an helped me tons in getting through untranslated parts. Episodes 21-24 aren't available for regular members, so I have yet to watch them, but will likely add an edit once I complete the entire drama!
Edit: Just finished watching the whole thing. Although the resolution was more focused on basketball than the couple's love life, I was pretty satisfied!
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Fluff and slice of life in one series
I watched this after I read the reviews. Quick watch for a chinese drama. 16 episodes and each episode was good the story was well put together. Besides, I was looking for something to watch while waiting for new episodes of the heiress and dance of the phoenix.5 childhood friends live together in a compound share the joy and pain of growing up. I like how the story focused on family and friendship and how the show developed each character.
Tan Song & Cheng Zi
The typical frenemies, you could tell they would eventually end up together. I like how Cheng Zi is not a weak and simple minded girl. She's a typical teenage girl who fangirls, has a crush here and there but has never been in love.
Tan Song is the boy next door that annoys her yet protects her for his own good. Lol. He does not admit thaf he likes her but if still shows.
The gradual development of their relationship from friends to being in a relationship was realistically written.
Chen Zui & Jin Xiao
The overacheiving friends in their group. What I like about this two is how their personality is a contrast of one another. Chen Zui is a boy whose sensitive and mindful of the emotuons of people he care about and Jin Xiao is a clueless girl except in her academics. This is like the opposite of a typical drama
I like and hate how their relationship was left open ended but I understand why. He understood that the girl he likes has dreams she wants to pursue and love is not on the top of her priority list. She's insensitive but not mean. She cares for her friend but it looked like she was not gonna fall for him anytime soon.
There are snippets in the last two episodes which I am not sure if the girl was hinting at him about her feelings but she asks a question like in a situational sense but dropped the topic eventually. He confessed but was not taken seriously because they were role playing at that couple gameshow. I teared up a little when the voice over at the last episode made me realize he wouldn't say his feelings for her but have done much for her without her knowing.
It made me realize something at one point we may all have had the unrequited love. You give it your best shot not expecting anything in return. It's sad. Heartbreaking even but you will never show that pain to anyone else.
Jin Zhao & Ouyang
I like these two a lot. Although they don't know want in life they are happy to live the lifw they have.
Ouyang is that guy everyone has a crush on because he's a gentleman and a manly man. Girls can't help but fall for the guy who seemed to have it.
Jin Zhao knows himself well enough to stop hoping for a college life he knows he's not good academically and he bravely faced life head on starting at telling his mom to let him be. I like how he and his sister Jin Xiao showed a typical sibling relationship.
I like also how each househould is different from the others
Yet since they have been neighbors far too long they seem like one big happy family. I must say it was short, sweet, and makes me want for more but I kinda think they concluded it well. No messy third parties and no second lead syndrome. I definitely would watch this again.
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