Reviews

"The sunset was so gorgeous; its clothes were made of clouds."

This series is so beautiful that I eagerly waited every day to watch it on time when a new episode was released. The actors all performed exceptionally well, bringing their characters to life in a way that I won't forget for a long time. I loved how everyone from Wufeng had their own story, and you could empathize with them. I was able to feel both sadness and happiness with the characters. The relationship between the two gong brothers (shangjue and yuanzhi) was what I liked the most in the series; they found comfort in each other and helped each other to keep going.

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Come on!...what just happened?

I read some of the reviews, and whole heartedly agree with the following:
1. Slow! Slow! Slow! Too many " fillers".
2. Unnecessary, l o n g staring...while Zung expresses his feelings thru his eyes, it cannot be said about Mark's insanely long, unpenetratable staring and long, well, saying nothing...
3. Does anybody really believe Aek's ( Mark) lack of sensing the love/lust coming at him? If he struggles with his own feelings, there is no clear indication...and we are already on ep 8...
4. How many nasty/ jealous/ having their own agenda Chefs do we need in one story???
As for why I will continue to watch it:
1. Main couple is beautiful, and hopefully the natural chemistry will come thru...it is a bl!
2. The photography...the food...the music...Aue supporting family...
3. The trailers ( happy ending...).
4. Hoping the director will let Mark show some real acting going forward...I trust he can act. Zung is great already.
So far, a bit disappointing. I have noticed in other BL stories the tendency to keep slow motion untill the last episode and then tidy everything in a real hurry....hoping this is not the case here.

Update after the 10th episode- what I was hoping for happened...Mark (Aec) is expressing what he is feeling, and he can act! Finally, he becomes clearer and we understand what he going through and his inner struggle...glad the director did not wait to the very last moment. I changed my overall impression accordingly 😉

Well...I just watched Ep 11, and reduced my overall impression accordingly. I hope the producers read these reviews - I hereby strongly suggest to never employ the screen writer, and especially never use the director! What a waste of two talented actors! Everything about it was wrong! The idiotic dialogues ( who cares about pork??? Yes, we got the symbolism of the food in prior episodes), the unrealistic lack of progression in their romantic and physical relationship ( a peck of lips and a hug?!? really?), turning the MC into a boring, secondary couple to the dessert Chef and his BF giving them a bed scene and the longest love confessions scenes (one minute was enough), Playtime is involved with Eve!?!?..What was that all about???? 10 last minutes showing scenes from prior episodes!?!?! Why? We saw it already! Nothing made any sense. I am so disappointed with this lackluster end...

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do better

If you’re thinking of watching the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint live action… Please don’t. Like seriously, just read the novel or the manhwa instead. It’s so much better. The live action barely even feels like the same story.

I haven’t even watched the full thing myself tbh but from everything I’ve seen and what people have been saying, I can confidently say it’s just Not it. The changes they made?? Wild. And if you actually care about the original, it’s kinda painful hearing what they did to it.

First of all WHY are they saying Dokja hated Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse (TWSA)??? No he didn’t. He literally LOVED it. He was the only reader left by the end, like he stayed with it from chapter 1 to the end. The author wouldn’t have even been able to keep writing without him. That story meant everything to Dokja—it was literally his reason to live.

And then they’re saying he was a bully?? What??? Dokja was the one getting bullied. He was quiet, alone, and barely holding it together. The novel was his escape, it was all he had. Flipping his whole backstory like that just completely messes up his character.

The casting too 😭 I’m not tryna be mean or anything but the actors just don’t feel like the characters. It’s not just about appearance either, they just don’t give off the same energy at all. The whole thing feels super disconnected.

Also Yoo Sangah being a healer now?? Since when. She had thread-based abilities and she was strong in such a calm quiet way. They really just took that and tossed it. For what.

Heewon using a gun instead of a sword is crazy too. Like her whole constellation was tied to justice and the sword was such a big part of that. Also she wasn’t even supposed to be in the story until Dokja entered TWSA and changed the plot. But in the live action they made her the protagonist?? That’s not how any of this goes.

Joonghyuk was the actual protagonist of TWSA. In the novel, Dokja spent years reading about him and admiring him from behind a screen. It wasn’t a bond or anything like that, not at first—Dokja just idolized him. He was obsessed with watching his journey and surviving alongside him from the outside. That whole dynamic was super important and they barely even touch it in the adaptation.

Idk. It just sucks seeing a story that meant so much get turned into something that barely feels like ORV. It doesn’t have the emotion, the depth, or the weight of the original. It’s just not the same at all.

If this is your first time hearing about ORV please please read the novel or the manhwa first. That’s the real story. This live action ain’t it. ORV deserved so much better.

To whoever directed this please do better and actually take criticism.

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Easy on the eyes with a touch of boredom and a rushed, crazy finale...

While I understand what the production tried to do - replacing homophobia with xenophobia for merman, they did not do a thoughtful job. Especially the story around the events 20 years ago were not done properly. It is mentioned in the middle of the series and culminates in the finale with a ridicilous solution to cure poisoning. Of course when you first see the actor playing Phraphai father, you already know who the bad guy is - that's when you "typecast" an actor for mostly bad guy roles. So the predicability shot through the roof - and I don't like that. That his adoptive son also plays a psychopath is also not helping.

The rest is ok, they even put effort in the merman fins which did not look out of place. The setting is also nice, it's not in the city, but of course we have the typical rich city boy and a very naive bartender who does not stand up for himself and is under the thumb of the psychopath most of the time. Because it's not a school setting I expected him to be more pro-active and not display such a passive behaviour. He is old enough to know what he wants and what he does not want. The first four episodes drag on a bit and I wished they had introduced the past event much much earlier and kept that storyline more in focus and did tell that story in more details and not so rushed. The side-story of Pings mother was just ridicilous imho. If you tell your son for 20 years, that he is a "monster" - but then change your mind when he left for a day - it's just not realistic in my book. And they did not really need that story-plot.

Storywise this is an average show, the production was ok most of the time and it's easy on the eyes. But just cute/handsome actors do not make a convincing story. It's far away from the worst thai BLs we got to see this year but it's also not really good either. It's an ok show and if you like the premise it's not too bad to watch.

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A Building of An E-Sport Team, Plus Romance & Bro-Ship

Out of all of the E-sport dramas I've seen, this is probably my favorite by far. Story plot was pretty good, enjoyed the action scenes from the e-sport, loved the actors, loved the silly but cute romance between the leads, and the amount of bro-ship between the group of guys. Let me break it down what I experienced when watching this.

E-Sport
* The E-sport part of this drama is a little different than the other E-sport dramas. This drama showed lesser number of tournaments, I believe 2 in all, first one when they compete as a new team and the second one towards the end of the drama when they understood & learned how to work with each other. This E-sport is more focus on their team building, getting along with each other, learning each other's weaknesses and improving on it. It also shows the struggles & strengths of building a new team.
* Instead of showing multiple tournaments, there are a lot more e-sport training in this drama. There were a lot of in person game scenes from the actors and I appreciated this a lot because seeing the behind the scenes, this was a lot of work to do. Their work paid off though because I enjoyed those game scenes. They were action packed!

Romance
* It's the typical bickering of the ML & FL who eventually finds out they were each other's crush. Even a little misunderstanding in the beginning but you don't have to wait too long for the misunderstanding to get clear out.
* A funny but cute chemistry between our main leads: Lots of disruptions when it comes to kissing and the numerous times ML's character Yi Chuan fail on being romantic. Like, seriously, I just love watching their scenes. It makes me so happy and I laughed so much.
* A love triangle: SML likes the FL, who you do feel bad for. He does move on from it and becomes close bros with the ML afterwards. There's also this one girl announcer who likes the ML as well but her role, while annoying, is very minor. She doesn't play a big role so not much of an annoyance from her thank goodness.
* Secondary couple (Dong Shi & Girl Chu Tian): Not the best secondary couple I've seen but not the worst either. I just couldn't sense the chemistry as much compared to Yi Chuan & Jiu Jiu.

Other things I enjoyed:
* Best bro-ship: I love Bo Yu. He is so funny, the goofball of a friend but also a very caring bro to Yi Chuan. We also see the building relationship of the bros between Yi Chuan and boy Chu Tian.
* The reality aspects of building a new e-sports team: Some members don't get along, new players, pressures, struggles, & not much support in the beginning but then you see how things turn around with not giving up, dedication, and hard work.

What's missing for me:
* FL's character Jiu Jiu didn't really have much of a story. Focus seems to revolve more around the ML's character Yi Chuan.
* As part of the secondary couple, I expected a bit more about girl Chu Tian but the way she was presented, it seemed like she wasn't important at all.
* The ending was good but with all the focus on the Yi Chuan's injury in so many episodes, I felt like they miss details on this towards the end. Like there wasn't really a good conclusion on Yi Chuan's issue.

Overall, I enjoyed this E-sport drama. It was a different approach from the ones I've seen. The ending was not what I expected or preferred, but it was enough to leave me satisfied with it. The lead's chemistry, the bro-ships, & the in game battle scenes are why I enjoyed this drama the most. Definitely will re-watch again in the future.

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"Lost in the Drama: CWN-MR's Love Saga - A Rollercoaster of Emotions and Unforgettable Moments!"

From the moment I stumbled upon this captivating tale, little did I know that I'd willingly become a clown, forever enchanted by MR's endearing puppy-like charm and CWN's enigmatic cat allure. Their love story is a masterpiece, navigating the storms of life, teaching us resilience and the beauty of true connection. We've transformed into giggling, blushing, and stair-fearing enthusiasts, and the story's happy ending, uncensored scenes, and sweet moments have left an indelible mark. Here's to being forever haunted by the echoes of their love and the pure joy they've brought into our drama-loving souls!

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A Sugary Sweet Romance Tale...

Based upon the renowned manga (Hori-san to Miyamura-kun) and having been released fairly simultaneously with an anime series in Japan, the drama version ” Horimiya” undeniably regurgitates the same plot premise of social butterfly Kyoko Hori ( Kubota Sayu) beginning to date seeming otaku Miyamura Izumi ( Suzuka Ouji) who hides a deep secret from his school-life persona. While there are prominent points to praise about “Horimiya”( which will be raised later), there are notable faults which arise from the drama production from casting, trying to transcend notable setups from the manga into a real-life setting, as well as the abridged closure ( or lack of it) in the finale.

Before anything else, it is probably important to address the primary issue which has surrounded the drama with casting choices.

Respectfully, Kubota Sayu wasn’t entirely ‘’ terrible’’ as our female lead Hori. In fact, in an odd way, Sayu did seem to grow into her role fairly well with a sense of genuine emotional investment into her character. However, it is difficult to really point out anything particularly captivating or striking about Sayu’s performance as Hori.

Ironically as a character, Hori is fairly unforgettable by her her eccentricity and outspokenness. Of course, this is not turning a blind eye towards the typical tropes used as a drama sourced from a manga such as the “ popular girl” , the “ academic student” and the “ tougher than she seems” cliches , however, even in the drama, Hori’s greatest trait remained within being able to overcome certain stereotypes about herself as well as her relationship with Miyamura. Hori was given an actual chance in the drama for viewers to fortify her characterisation through her interactions sans with Miyamura, such as her interactions with her father Kyosuke ( Kimura Ryo; one of the few actors who felt fairly well-cast within his role) and her younger brother Sota ( Takagi Haru). Arguably, Hori’s interactions with her mother Yuriko ( Kawai Aoba) and her later friendship with Sengoku Kakeru ( Onodera Akira) and Ayasaki Remi ( Marsh Aya) felt fairly minimal within the drama version, nor truly giving viewers a chance to see Hori’s interactions as a friend as well as her maternal relationship with her own mother in a respectfully fairly masculine household .

The relationship between Hori and Miyamura was the focal point of the series and the plot development. For Hori, Miyamura has a metamorphosis from the archetype “ weird kid” in her class, to a more multifaceted individual. Against all odds of the notable problems which arose in the series and can strike to the surface of romance dramas with emotional gaslighting and “ obstacles in the way of their romance” , the pairing between both characters felt fairly natural as teenagers. Neither character followed the cliche archetypes of having “ had a crush on one another forever” , nor manipulating “ to win someone else’s affections”. Hori simply entered her relationship with Miyamura upon shared grounds early on in the series before the rest of the drama focused upon both characters learning to understand one another and for their feelings for one another to grow mutually. (Perhaps the one element of the relationship that the drama version did better than the manga and anime, was leaving out the more “sexual undertones” of their relationship . This isn’t to condemn these elements in either versions as they do help to portray a more realistic notion of teenagers, however, this always felt slightly mismatched against both characters as individuals even in the original manga and therefore wasn’t really necessary.)

It is fair to say that whilst Sayu is a good actress, she was slightly miscast as Hori by struggling to channel Hori’s personality as a character, consequently making Hori in this drama version, a fairly forgettable character against other romance heroines. ( A shame for an otherwise interesting character.)

Then of course the biggest elephant room (regarding casting) is often raised by the choice of Suzuka Ouji as Miyamura Izumi. Similar to his costar Kubota Sayu, Suzuka was not inherently appalling within his performance
as the male lead. In many ways he did certainly help to animate his character away from the more one-dimensional realm of male protagonists as “ emotionless” . On the other hand, Suzuka did seem to mismatch his character slightly within his physical appearance. This is not suggesting that Suzuka is “physically unattractive” or a slightly younger actor would have been better for the role,however, it does raise certain questions when the drama production sees Suzuka in a terrible long-haired wig without even attempting for the drama production to make this look natural.

Similar to Hori, Miyamura was an intriguing character against all odds of setups. Although initially appearing as “peculiar” and taciturn, Miyamura was fairly kind-hearted as well as hardworking and altruistic by helping out at his mother’s bakery, as well as the ongoing and unusual friendship between Miyamura and his best friend since middle school, Shindo Koichi ( Inoue Yuki). Parallel to Hori, Miyamura enters his relationship with her romantically upon mutual grounds before growing to like her more in a natural process which felt odd against the more cliches stereotypes of the drama. However, there’s a lot to note about the dynamic between Miyamura and the other characters of the series ( sans Hori), both within his fraternal friendship with Hori’s younger brother and father, as well as of course with his best friend and their complicated reasons behind becoming friends in the first place. Arguably, the one element of the series which did feel incredibly rushed and underdeveloped with Miyamura as a character, occurred within his past, especially with his estranged relationship with Makio Takihara. Therefore whilst Miyamura was a fairly intriguing character, it is fair to say that Suzuka was perhaps not entirely suited for the role.

The other side characters of the drama such as Kakeru, Remi , Kono Sakura ( Sakura) and Iura Shu ( Sota Ryosuke) should have been by default interesting characters, however, lacking screen time and setups, easily made them fairly forgettable over the course of the series as individuals (besides their occasional involvement within the plot dynamic between Miyamura and Hori).

Overall whilst certainly not an unwatchable or dire production with some praiseworthy features of having a healthy, fairly realistic relationship between teenagers as lovers and friends as well as some intriguing characters, poor pacing, tropes, miscasting and lacking focus upon certain plot lines for characters, often made this drama feel underdeveloped. The ending of the drama whilst arguably allowing some ground for a second season , did not truly bring a sense of closure or help to tie off characters and the relationship between Miyamura and Hori, as well as friendships also. Therefore it’s important to summarise that whilst Horimiya is not a terrible drama upon any grounds and was sweet within its ultimate concept , there are certainly better dramas to watch out there.

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Watch it, it only takes up 45 minutes of your time.

Watch it it’s only 45 minutes of ur time
So I watched this because I saw it somewhere on YouTube and thought why not? Funny part: I did not know at all what genre this was... I basically went in there expecting some innocent BL (although the title kind of should have tipped me off).

First about the acting: I can’t really complain... three 15 minute episodes are really short to make a statement about acting skills.. however I did like how all the actors portrayed their roles and it all seemed convincing. I absolutely loved how all the feelings where conveyed in episode three.

Now the story line: I like confusing things... so this was basically heaven for me. I watched episode one and was so confused that I started episode two right away, which explained a lot and ended quite interestingly... I loved episode three, though it did feel a little all over the place... however it suited the series nicely.

So I absolutely loved what they did with such a short amount of time.. there where some confusing parts till the end however not always understanding everything is sometimes a good thing. Gives you more to think about.

I’m pretty sure I’ll rewatch this again another time.

If you’re bored and don’t know what to do/watch definitely give this one a go, it’ll make the 45 minutes spent on it worth the while.

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Neko is the only reason I don't regret watching this series.

Most GL series either have good, satisfactory, or poor production values. But in my opinion, Roller Coaster has good production values. It’s not just about the cinematography, but also good visual storytelling and seamless editing. Kantana Post really lives up to its reputation. I also like the well-balanced ambient sound and good audio mixing, which most series usually don't pay close attention to. The only technical thing I’m not a fan of is the driving scenes VFX. I wish they could do the actual car tracking shot to give more emotional depth to the scenes as most of the scenes look floating and distracted.

In the acting department, Pundao and Shelly, being newcomers, did okay, and there’s still a lot to be improved. Pundao still needs a lot of practice, as her dialogue delivery sounds pretty rigid and unnatural, and also her expression sometimes feels forced. But I personally think Neko deserved a standing ovation for her performance as Air. She ate and left no crumbs. She nailed every action and emotion so effectively, especially with her expressive eyes, whether it's happy or heavy scenes. She really brings nuance to this series with her performance alone—no fan service, no hype. NEKO NAERUNCHARA LERTPRASERT... SHE'S PURE TALENT. #TeamAir. Without her, this series would certainly feels bland. I think Neko is the one doing most of the heavy lifting but getting less recognition. And Roller Coaster is one of very few GL series with a good male character we can root for.

Now the storylines/plots. I've read the book and there were some chapters and parts that I don't quite like, especially with the 'harmless flirting' that’s pretty much predictable that it will lead somewhere. Whether it's morally right or wrong, let's leave the argument for another space and time. But in the series, while I still dislike those parts and there’s something about the changes that put me off a bit, the plots flow at a nice pace until the end. The script manages to bring the book to life, but with some changes that did not quite impress me. And I’m never one to care about NC scenes and the hype, and I believe those scenes or the execution don't define the quality of a series, so it won’t even affect my rating one bit.

Honestly, this series turned out well, plus a good main OST, but still not up to 'the best' or 'outstanding' just yet for me to rate it higher. I would give a 8 for production quality alone, but that’s not the case here. Overall, while it’s a well-produced GL series, it's still lacking in some areas.

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Story was well executed leaving you entertained without feeling like you learned a lesson. This family feels like one that could actually exist, with the sibling rivlry, loving mother, step parent and mild marital issues.

Ikuta Toma made this show revolve around his character Mitsuru playing off of Koike Eiko's Ayako flawlessly. As a watcher I believed they had a shared history. Yasuda Ken acted the outsider Koji masterfully, as Ayako's new husband he finds an ally in his new brother in law when standing against his wife.

Music : Tomayo by Kanjani8 really grew on me and I have added to my playlist the insrt music added to the light hearted feel of the drama.

I do not rewatch shows often so in all my reviews this is a low score.

Overall this drama is about pacing and everyone has their own timing to do things. Some are go getters and hit the ground running with every task they do, and others have a turtle named Bolt that they try and emulate : )

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Pointless Idealism and disappointment

It tells the story of a secret and sweet real-life romance between Seo Hye-jin, a veteran cram school instructor, and Lee Joon-ho, a quirky student who returns after a decade to stir her heart. The secret midnight romance that begins when the lights go out in Daechi-dong Academy, and the colorful stories of the academy instructors we didn't know about.

The subject matter is important to me but they failed to deliver it compellingly. I'm not even complaining about the romance but about the lack of coherence and the presentation of the story itself. The real issue isn't just the plot but the pacing, tone, coherence, and expression of ideas throughout the drama. The script starts with a strong foundation of idealism, but those core themes are abandoned by the end. It's a classic case of bad writing where the initial promises aren't fulfilled. It's too preachy and idealistic while lacking that "realness" quality. You can tell what they were trying to say but they failed to convince the audience with their story-telling and execution it in a memorable way.

Initial episode 1 to 10 had romantic buzz, their plot was interesting and it was good to watch but after 10th episode the drama got so boring that I didn't want to watch it but I watched it.

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Problematic show

First of all, the background music is too sudden and makes tension scenes ridiculous. Plus, even though is can be funny at first, actors really accentuate their expressions and we can not feel invested in a serious scene. The show is overall disorganized and doesn't make sense sometimes like the homophobic dad that accept so easily his son, lmao it's just impossible regarding of the character.

Now all the problems:
-Tonhon is the definition of toxic masculinity, he takes Chon as granted and didn't feel sorry at all for cheating on Chon (TriNg To pROvE He Is a MaN) and even considered it would be easy to "win" him back because Chon has loved him for so many years, I still think Chon deserves better.
- Na have been used very rudely by his friends not considering his feelings
-Tonhon dad is transphobic, considers women only as wombs and homophobic but they still wanted to make him become the good dad at the end, it's just unrealistic
-BaiPai, who I loved, didn't hesitate to out Ai and Ni, it was not her job to tell his dad and it is not acceptable but make her a remarks about that
-How Miriam didn't have a character for herself, she was literally a hardcore fangirl (I hate this type of characters, fetishize homosexuals is wrong) and a comic resort but exists only through others.
-They slutshame a lot, Miriam is chosen to be the surrogate because she is a virgin by Ton's father, they consider it is a shameful condition and make fun of the girls there. Some are here because they do not have a choice and need money, others because they genuinely like it . In either case, it shouldn't be mocked
-The tentative of rape on Chon wasn't took seriously. Overall, Amp friend is really problematic, he forces himself on Chon by heavy flirt even though he can clearly see he was uncomfortable. He tries to rape him but this subject is taken lightly like if it wasn't cool but not that bad either.
- Also the actor playing Tonhon took off his shirt way too often. Don't get me wrong, he has a great body, but it was at such a point that it was getting annoying.

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Selfless love, action, "damsel in distress" trope - it has all the elements that i want in a drama so you could say i'm a little bit biased with my rating. When I read the synopsis, I already started preparing myself for a tragic ending. I mean, if i put myself on the FL's shoes, i don't think I could ever forgive someone who killed my family - regardless of the circumstances. Who would anyway?? However those are just my initial thoughts and everything has changed since then.

Most of my sympathy goes to the ML (Kawin/Nai Noi), which was odd because I thought I would pity the FL (Chalita/Bell) more. The guilt he had to experience as a child and the lengths that he could do for the FL will truly melt your heart. The chemistry between the two leads is one of the best I've seen. The acting is amazing, most especially Alek. One look in his eyes and you could already see the love that he has for the FL. The kind of love that is not possessive, the one that seeks for FL's happiness more than anything. He loves her and yet there's that boundary that he could not cross because of the guilt. Oh I tell you, the scenes where he looks at the FL with his endearing eyes is heart-rending - because even if I (badly) want them to end up together already, I just can't bring myself to do so. The character that I also pity the most is Chakrit. It's kinda funny because I used to hate him in the beginning, but towards the end, I just want him to find the happiness he seeks.

There were TONS of times where the ML will save the FL so if you don't want that, well I guess this drama ain't for you. The FL is innocent and grew up in such a peaceful community (after the tragedy), so it's just understandable that she would find the fighting appalling. As a matter of fact, I love how the ML will do literally ANYTHING just to keep the FL safe. I think the only one thing that is annoying with the FL is how she easily comes with Chakrit and ends up being in danger in the end :---) But i guess, again, it's because she's innocent and was just really determined to find out who Nai Noi is. In any case, I must say that the FL is a pretty likeable character compared to other lakorns - how she could be smart and bold where it needs to be. She does not act on impulse and very much examines the situation carefully.

Most importantly, I love how the drama highlights the importance of forgiveness and acceptance. Let me quote what Nai Noi said in the end: "Don't let the bad past ruin the good time in the present. We might be upset, but must be upset with understanding. Accept it, and continue to move forward." This has really struck a chord in me and probably one of the few things that this drama has taught me. I could never stress enough how understanding and forgiving the FL is. She doesn't get mad easily, but is rather willing to forgive, accept, and cherish the present. Huhu both leads really deserve each other. They are wayyyyy too kind-hearted.

Overall, I would recommend this drama. It has a good solid beginning and has consistently kept my interest and suspense until the end.

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Sweet, But Worlds Apart From Its Predecessor…

For those unaware ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ ( alternatively known as ‘ 星から来たあなた’ or ‘ My Love From The Stars’) is adapted from ‘ My Love From The Star’ starring Kim So Hyun ( ‘ Dream High’, ‘ Secretly Greatly’ and ‘ It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’) and Jun Ji Hyun ( ‘ My Sassy Girl’, ‘ The Legend Of The Blue Sea’ and ‘ Jirisan’).

‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ focuses upon the same basic plot premise as its predecessor . Mitsuru Higashiyama ( Fukushi Sota- ‘ BLEACH’, ‘ Omukae Desu’ and ‘ Avalanche’) is a seemingly ordinary university lecturer, apart from one fact: he’s not human.

Stranded on earth during the edo period, Mitsuru has been forced to blend in with humans for more than 400 years whilst keeping his abilities and identity low-key.

However, everything changes for Mitsuru when he encounters popular and seemingly haughty actress Sasahara Tsubaki ( Yamamoto Mizuki - ‘ Tokyo Alice’, ‘ Perfect World’ and ‘ Ningen Kowai’). Tsubaki and Mitsuru soon find their paths crossing in more ways than one, as Mitsuru finds it harder to keep his secret…

As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is based upon the popular Korean series ‘ My Love From The Star’ and was initially written by award-winning screenwriter Park Ji Eun ( ‘ My Husband Got A Family’, ‘ The Producers’ and ‘ Legend Of The Blue Sea’).

However whilst there are certainly some intriguing things to note about Amazon Prime’s Japanese adaptation ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, it’s admittedly hard not to notice where the screenwriting felt inconsistent even as a standalone piece.

Naturally this isn’t entirely the fault of writing problems alone. A limited duration length did naturally restrict the abilities to explore plot lines, or counterplots in detail. On the other hand whilst time can be a limiting factor for any production or adapted series, it was still noticeable for viewers that ‘ ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did little to adapt itself to its limitations.

Whilst the series did admittedly draw greater attention upon the potential romantic relationship of main leads Tsubaki and Mitsuru, the overcommitment for attempting to tie in several unexplored subplots in a short space of time could often make the events of the narrative feel somewhat sporadic and desultory . As a consequence this allowed restricted and limited opportunities in order to explore characters beyond their surface level.

The acting quality of the series is admittedly variable dependent on scenes. Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki were fairly decent as our main leads, though surprisingly, despite the talents of both respectful actors , Sota and Mizuki’s onscreen chemistry felt somewhat lukewarm at best.

Admittedly this wasn’t entirely the fault of the actors. Despite several attempts in order to reiterate the importance of the romantic relationship between the main leads in ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, there were few and far distinguishable or emotive moments in the series where the audience could truly understand the importance or relevance of this relationship.

Of course whilst there were several heartwarming exchanges and insights into the characters at times, the paper thin roles of the main characters could often impact their presence onscreen.

Despite Tsubaki seemingly being an actress who has suffered under false stigmas and stereotypes , it was hard to truly pinpoint moments where audiences saw Tsubaki as a dynamic character, mature or at least be explored with more vulnerable sides. Similarly, whilst Mitsuru is seemingly a character who has carried a seemingly arcane burden of being stranded as an extraterrestrial on earth, Mitsuru rarely seemed to be affected, develop or being given opportunities in order for viewers to digress his current persona or past.

In addition to our main leads, there is also an array of side characters. Whilst some of these side characters are necessary to a certain extent in the events of the series, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ rarely fleshed out the significance of these particular characters , built up their presence onscreen or at least foreshadowed or tied in certain actions or events surrounding their appearances to make them memorable for the audience.

Then of course there’s the question of pacing with ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’. As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was limited from the outset with having to compact a storyline into a space of ten episodes. Whilst the narrative is certainly expedited by mainly focusing upon the romantic aspect of the main leads, this also manifested as a double-edged sword with execution.

Pacy, engaging and allowing opportunities in order to allow the storyline to progress, but rarely did this allow time for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ to build upon its characters, plot line or a sense of conflict, dilemmas or obstacles for the main leads. Indeed whilst the drama did attempt to throw in several conflict points by the final part of the series, the finale felt somewhat anticlimactic as a result.

As for the filming quality and cinematography , ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is admittedly average. The quality, whilst not bad per say, was unimpressively fuzzy in certain scenes for a production released under the name of a top company such as Amazon Prime. In addition to this the absence of a sleek gradient, versatile camera angles as well as absent palettes schemes and even a lack of subtle motifs were prominent as the series progressed.

The OST for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was sparsely used in the series. Notably when music was present in scenes, it was often faint and synchronic; attempting to place emphasis on characters or scenes, without always leaving an impactful punch by the end of episodes. Arguably one of the few memorable tracks found in the series was GReeeeN’s ‘ Ryusei no Kakera’; an avant-garde yet surprisingly upbeat melody which played as the drama’s main theme song.

Acknowledging a drama as a standalone piece is always quintessential when talking about adaptations. Admittedly ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did add its own idiosyncratic touches to the storyline by bringing on board the talents of Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki as the main leads. On the other hand it’s hard to deny that the chaotic bricolage of the drama’s inconsistent narrative, characters, pacing and filming, couldn’t help but make the series feel as though it failed to live up to legacy of its predecessor and past incarnations. An average and easygoing binge-watch, but perhaps not a worthwhile investment.

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