Notes
I'm slowly getting more familiar with Kitagawa Eriko's writing, so I can say with confidence that this was her usual run of the mill--stellar. Everyone speaks their mind, the lies get overturned quickly, and the ponderings of love flourish. I loved it.
Not slow enough for a 7, not fast enough (resolutely) for an 8, so it hits a funny place right in the middle. A few scenes were repetitive, i.e., everyone sulking and brooding in their respective rooms/apartments/restaurants after the same old fights and confrontations. But the love story was developed nicely.
No cardboards. As the romantic hero, Sena makes great use of the keeps-to-himself-but-is-a-nice-guy stock character. Minami is the quirky and jaded older woman, which she pulls off with endless enthusiasm. The rest of the cast is, in great Japanese tradition, a funny and sincere party of supporting characters.
I don't think the older woman/younger man plot will ever get old with me, no matter the drama, no matter the country of the drama, no matter the actors. They pull it off so well every time. It's like my literary candy.
Nope, kept itself on track, even with the complications.
Resolved and feel-good. More commentary in the chemistry section.
For being 12 years old, this looks better than some dramas made today. Even the full screen isn't so cringe-worthy. In general, everything was very natural, especially since they used locations rather than set/studio.
The opening theme will have you chuckling at the 90s sound, but all the beautiful piano BGM is timeless. Music was a huge part of the plot, so the score really got to shine.
Drama record for most kisses in under one minute of screen time: 12. Yes, TWELVE! I was falling off my chair! I've never used the word "snogging" to describe the kissing in Asian dramas, but now I can safely say Kimutaku and Yamaguchi Tomoko were snogging themselves silly at the end. And I ate it up like Thanksgiving dinner. I go on and on about older actresses knowing how to
bring it, and this is another great example. Probably the original example.
Apple's Tier Ranking: 1st
