THE SHORT VERDICT:

Mostly, Show is an offbeat, quirky little thing that is endearing and charming, even as it serves up plot developments that I might not have expected.

My favorite thing about this one, is our would-be OTP, played by Hirose Suzu and Nagase Ren, whom I found likable and quite delightful, particularly when they were together.

Props to Show, though, for making sure to give our lead characters individual attention as well, instead of just banking on their combined cuteness quotient, which I personally thought was pretty high. I found that nicely refreshing.

Show does wobble a bit in sticking the landing, but we do ultimately get our happy ending, so that’s an overall win, yes?

THE LONG VERDICT:

This little show may have never gotten on my radar, if not for the fact that a number of you on my Patreon page watched it and loved it.

The fact that I kept seeing this title pop up in your conversations on Patreon, is the thing that prompted me to finally give this a try, so thank you, my friends, for the FOMO.

Despite my quibbles in Show’s late stages, I would have been sorry to miss this one. 🥲

OST: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST in case you’d like to listen to it while reading the review.

Overall, I really liked the music in this show, with the theme song, Algernon, the opening song, Haru Dorobou (Spring Thief), and the closing song, Life Goes On, being the ones that really made an impression on me.

Here’s Haru Dorobou (Spring Thief) on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to that on repeat instead. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering both the more macro aspects of Show, as well as selected characters and relationships. I’ve opted not to do a separate section on characters and relationships, for this review.

Finally, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, in order to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. A gentle manga lens might be useful

While I found this one to land with emotional authenticity a good amount of the time, sometimes, our characters do behave in ways that might be hard to understand.

At those times, I found that applying a slight manga lens was helpful, as it helped to smooth everything over.

2. The romance is a slow-burn

Even though we are clear from the get-go who the players are, in our would-be OTP, the relationship is a pretty slow burn.

Knowing to expect that, helps.

STUFF I LIKED

Show’s overall vibe

Right away, I found myself taking to Show’s vibe, because it felt different and fresh to me.

This story world somehow manages to feel down-to-earth and real, yet kind of offbeat and quirky, and even a little whimsical, at the same time.

It’s quite remarkable, really, and yet, Show’s got a pretty matter-of-fact vibe to it, like, “I was born this way.” *casual shrug* 😁

[SPOILER ALERT]

For example, the whole way Oto and Soramame (Nagase Ren and Hirose Suzu) meet for the first time is so random and therefore kind of whimsical, and yet, I can believe that it’s possible for two strangers’ paths to cross like this.

Of course, the fact that Oto and Soramame are listening to the exact same song when they accidentally switch earbuds, feels all kinds of drama-fated to me, but that just adds to the whimsy, I feel.

At the same time, I do find it an interesting story direction, that both Oto and Soramame find themselves exploring romantic possibilities with other people.

This, when we know, just from this show’s poster and synopsis, that Oto and Soramame will eventually fall for each other.

This detail makes this story vibe more like real life, and I do appreciate that.

[END SPOILER]

The way Show’s beats feel unpredictable

Early on, this show struck me as being quite.. quirkily carefree, as it breezes forward, in its story.

What I mean is, I felt like I couldn’t predict what’s going to happen next to our characters.

Show just has this quirky way of breezing from one plot point to another, such that, two episodes later, I found that we’re in a completely different place with our characters than when we’d started, AND, quite a few of the developments felt like surprises, to me.

In that way, Show feels like a good-natured teenaged cat; it’s youthful and energetic, and has a will all its own, and therefore doesn’t do what you expect it to do. 😁

It’s.. really quite nice, in a gently rollercoaster-esque sort of way.

Show’s emotional authenticity

One of my favorite things about this show, is that, despite the rather unusual narrative flow, it manages to feel emotionally authentic.

I found myself connecting pretty effortlessly with our main characters, and I like that a lot.

Because emotional authenticity is very important to me, I counted this as a big plus. ❤️

Hirose Suzu as Soramame

I found Hirose Suzu delightful as Soramame; she makes Soramame come alive with what feels like a very special kind of depth, blended with a good amount of free-spiritedness and resilient cheer.

She’s rough-and-tumble and often ungainly, and yet, there’s a gracefulness to her spirit, when she’s pensively deep in thought.

Over and above all that, I loved that Soramame is kind, and non-judgmental, and just a very pure-hearted person.

I was in her corner pretty much from the moment I met her, and I do feel that Soramame was the heart of this story, for me.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. One that adds to the whimsy for me, at least in the beginning, is Soramame’s extreme good nature and resilient cheer.

The way she keeps smiling cheerfully, even when things don’t appear to be going smoothly for her, like when she gets drenched in the fountain, endears her to me immediately.

Like, she feels like some kind of magical creature, with all her wholesome good vibes. 🥰

And so, when she gets dumped by her fiancé for another woman, I felt bad for her, but I was also fascinated by her instinct to be so polite and considerate towards him over the phone – that is, until she runs into his new girlfriend she goes to meet him in person, and the hurt, angry feelings come spilling out in big, emphatic waves.

I was also fascinated by her decision to blow all her money on that fancy hotel and all that expensive food, because that is the opposite of practical, given that she’s suddenly all alone in Tokyo, with no fiancé and no wedding.

Altogether, this gives me the sense that Soramame is a very unique individual, who seems more led by emotion than logic, but who is, at the same time, very charming in all of her messy, irreverent glory.

E5-6. I especially enjoyed watching Soramame getting to work at Ander Sonia.

I love that she’s so cheerful and resilient, even though she’s given all sorts of odd jobs to do; she’s just happy to be in a place where beautiful clothes are made.

Aw. Isn’t that so pure?

I love her passion for clothes, even though it seems to be a pretty newfound passion; it just seems to be such an organic part of her.

The way her eyes light up when she sees a beautiful piece of clothing; the way she has such an eye for design such that even putting together a bunch of scrap designs ends up being an artistic triumph; the way she has such a good idea of what would be useful.

I love how she just throws herself into it all, and with such good cheer, even though the hours are long, and her boss is cantankerous.

Another thing I love, is how she is so unabashedly herself, even in this new and unfamiliar world.

She refuses to change her accent to the Tokyo accent, and she insists on speaking her mind, because Sensei had said to let it all out, because that is the beginning of fashion. 😁

I’m glad Soramame’s artistic pedigree comes out into the open very quickly, and that her colleague Hazuki talks to her about it, instead of it becoming this huge secret.

I wasn’t so hot on her turning those pants into a skirt for the wheelchair-bound client, but I get the point, that she’s very attuned to her fashion senses, and is completely fearless when it comes to destroying an item, in the process of making something new out of it.

It kinda feels like Sensei Kuon (Endo Kenichi) even feels a little threatened by her, which is a huge nod to her talent and potential.

E7-8. When Seira (Tanabe Momoko) had her panic attack, both Oto and Soramame were there for her, and I was particularly touched by Soramame’s gentleness and empathy towards Seira.

Our Soramame is a kind soul. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Nagase Ren as Oto

Oto’s a more reserved character, so it took me a little longer to warm up to him, but warm up to him I did.

The more we got to know him, the more I liked him, honestly.

In particular, I liked that he’s kindhearted, earnest and naturally empathetic, even when he sometimes doesn’t really want to be.

I concluded quite quickly, that he’s a good egg, and he did not prove me wrong. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Immediately, Oto strikes me as a pretty good egg, though he can be a little awkward sometimes.

For example, it was rather awkward that he snatched his phone from Soramame’s hand, in order to save it from the fountain, but didn’t think to perhaps pull her out of the fountain’s range while he did so.

But, he strikes me as a good egg because when he runs into Soramame, it almost seems like he cannot help himself from helping her, even though he mostly looks quite bemused through it all.

When Soramame loses her shoe on the bridge, he doesn’t hesitate to offer to piggyback her to the hotel, even though he doesn’t have to.

Plus, when he’d thought that Soramame was possibly trying to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge, he races to her and tackles her to the ground without thinking twice.

And then later, at the hotel, he tries to hide all the sharp items that he thinks Soramame might use to harm herself, while trying to act all casual about it, like he isn’t doing anything of the sort at all.

Even though he doesn’t actually want to accompany Soramame to see Shota, her ex-fiancé, he ends up going anyway, because Soramame calls him out on wanting to bail on her.

And, he ends up being pretty helpful, almost against his will.

Like the way he buys shoes for her coz she realizes that she only has one shoe left, and then buys her juice after she rails at Shota for leaving her, and then listens, when she talks about her family.

But, he draws the line when Soramame asks to stay at his place – though he does fake that autograph for her, if only to make her day a little better.

AND, he does get her that Manbo autograph, when he gets the chance.

Heh. A pretty good egg, yes? Even though he’s not a perfect one? 😁

I feel a sense of solidarity and empathy for Oto, as he makes a conscious decision to reject the socially accepted corporate path, to pursue his passion.

The going is hard, and he’s seeing limited success, and sometimes he feels discouraged by it, and.. I resonate with that too, y’know?

I’m rooting for him to find success in his music, not so much for commercial success, but more for him to really come into his own, musically, while thriving on passion and inspiration. 🥲

E3-4. I feel bad for Oto, that the date from the cafe turns out to be a scammer who’s looking for quick money.

Aw. That’s got to suck.

I’m really glad that Oto sees through her scam as quickly as he does, once she broaches the subject of money.

At the same time, credit to him, because you can see his kindness come through, through it all.

When she first talks about needing money, he doesn’t balk right away; instead, he asks her why she needs the money, and how much she needs.

I’m glad he doesn’t end up giving her money, once he realizes that she’s trying to scam him, but the fact that he agrees to let her call her, if she ever feels all alone and like dying, really says something about him, I feel.

Most other people would cut off all contact with the scammer right away, but here is Oto, full of humanity, agreeing to let her call, even though he doesn’t particularly want to maintain a connection with her.

I like that about Oto. He really seems wired to empathize.

We’ve seen him run to Soramame’s aid when he’d thought she was trying to jump off that bridge, and now, we see him agreeing to be this scammer lady’s lifeline, in a manner of speaking.

E5-6. Oto’s journey is also shaping up in a big way, with the agency wanting to release his song, and all that drama around finding a vocalist to sing his song.

I’m glad that Oto’s so clear-minded about his passion, that he won’t settle for a subpar vocalist just because the agency thinks it’s the right political move – because said subpar vocalist is daughter to one of their sponsors.

I really do admire him for putting his foot down and telling Isobe (Matsumoto Wakana) that he’s taking his song to another agency.

That’s a really bold step for someone who has no achievements to their name, and is a newbie trying to get a start.

[END SPOILER]

Soramame and Oto together

Even though I mentioned earlier in this review, that this OTP relationship is a slow burn, I found that it really worked very well, for the most part.

I appreciated that this slow burn approach gave our OTP the chance to really get to know each other as people, and support each other as friends who genuinely cared about each other, even as they slowly fell in love.

Over time, I became utterly convinced that these two people belonged together, so I would say Show did a great job of selling this OTP connection. 😍

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Through all of their encounters, I like that Oto and Soramame have honest conversation sprinkling their interactions.

They don’t talk like this all the time, certainly, and we see that in the almost sibling-esque bickering and squabbling that they fall into, once Soramame moves into the same space.

But, when the occasion presents itself, I appreciate that both Oto and Soramame do share personal and important things; this makes me feel like they will build a very real connection between them, before very long.

I do think that the fact that Soramame is open with Oto about her breakup, opens up the opportunity for him to understand her better, and share some of his own thoughts too.

And, when they start living at the house together, they do have some very open and frank conversations about marriage and relationships, and that feels important, because it feels like they are opening up to each other in a way that they might not be opening up to other people.

Plus, aren’t they so cute, being so thrilled at the found treasure of a baked sweet potato, which they share with such bliss? 😁😁

E3-4. Through it all, I enjoy the fact that Oto and Soramame continue to spend time together, because as much as they bicker, tease and play like children, they also consistently talk to each other about things.

I like that Oto is upfront with Soramame in telling her that his date had been a scam, and I like that when Oto asks Soramame if she’s ok, since she’d been so in love with Shota after all, she’s able to tell him that she’s been abandoned, and would be grateful if someone would just take her in.

These conversations feel so matter-of-fact and raw, without veneer or pretense, and I really like that about their interactions.

I also really like the fact that Oto feels comfortable enough to broach the subject of Soramame’s mother in casual conversation, and the fact that Soramame is able to articulate to him that she doesn’t want to talk about it right away, but that she will tell him about it, when she’s ready.

That’s really healthy communication, isn’t it? I like that.

I also really enjoy the fact that they feel able to show each other their passions.

I like that Oto thinks to show Soramame the song that she’d rescued from the fountain, and I also like that Oto asks Soramame if she has a passion too, which is how she ends up showing him that dress in the display window.

I have to admit I gasped a bit, when Oto asks Soramame to stay in Tokyo instead of returning home; I honestly thought that it was an indication that he had romantic feelings for her.

But, I guess you could say that it’s cooler than that; Oto’s planting the idea in Soramame, that she can build a new life and give Gran that elevator on her own merit, without the need for a man.

That’s liberating and empowering for Soramame, honestly, coz it seems like she’s never considered that possibility before, and, right now anyway, seems to define her self-worth in relation to whether or not she’s been rejected by someone.

I like that that seed is planted by Oto; it feels meaningful. 🥲

As Soramame starts following her passion for clothing and fashion, it’s also Oto who first asks her if there’s something she’d like to create, instead of simply studying other people’s designs.

Again, that’s something that’s never occurred to Soramame before, so it feels like Oto is the one who unlocks the floodgates, because oh my, what a glorious stream of designs pour forth, the moment Soramame puts her pencils to paper. 🤩

E3-4. As we get into the second half of episode 4, the romantic feelings between Oto and Soramame are starting to peek through on both sides, even though things are still firmly boisterous and platonic between them, as a general rule.

The way Oto describes how he’d assumed that he and Soramame would spend the summer together, eating ice cream, already has a wistful note to it.

And then we have that almost-kiss, after Soramame muses that the 7 days she’d spent in the world, before he’d been born, had been lonely.

Honestly, if Soramame hadn’t done the cheeky thing of spraying water at Oto’s face while his eyes were closed as he was poised to kiss her, that kiss would have happened.

(Which is why I feel bad for Oto, because that must have felt like such a rude shock. 😅)

But then, later, while Oto’s asleep, Soramame does sneak that kiss, and that makes me think that Sosuke’s observation – that Soramame had looked like it was the end of the world, when she’d seen Oto at the aquarium with a date – was perhaps tapping into more than a momentary response.

Perhaps Soramame’s been nursing feeling for Oto for some time now, and it’s only just now coming to her awareness?

Because it looks to me like she’s testing the waters, almost, in the way she kisses Oto while he sleeps.

It’s too bad that Oto ends up dreaming of a slug tracing his lips, HA.

Poor Soramame; she’s all offended, but can’t confront Oto about it, coz she’d kissed him in secret, and can’t let him know that SHE’s the slug that had traced his lips. 😂

E5-6. Given that Soramame and Oto are romantic endgame, as told to us in Show’s synopsis, I find it surprising that even though we are now 6 episodes into Show’s 10, Oto and Soramame are still unaware of the other person’s feelings for them.

That feels rather fresh and different, since most romance dramas that I’ve watched, have at least a mutual confirmation of feelings by the halfway mark.

Instead, we lean into Soramame and Oto following their dreams – which I do find interesting on their own merit – while they support each other, amid the bickering that’s become typical for them.

It’s quite refreshing, honestly, to see these two people continue to lean on each other for support, even as they pursue dreams that are so different from each other.

E5-6. I like that Oto talks to Soramame about Ariel running away right away, and tells her what had happened. It makes me feel like these two are really connected, and trust each other a great deal 🥰 – even through all the bickering.

And when Isobe stages that rebellion in order to show her CEO how great Oto’s song is, I love that Soramame is absolutely a part of the proceedings, even though she’s not the one singing Oto’s song.

I was honestly a little puzzled at first, as to why she was going too, but then, she goes and makes an instant gown for the singer, in order to make the rebellion surprise performance have that much more oomph, and I do love that idea (even though I honestly don’t care for the instant dress that resulted 😅).

Importantly, I can’t help but notice that during this very important surprise performance, Oto’s eyes are on Soramame, instead of the singer, even though this is his song’s big moment.

Instead, he looks completely absorbed by the sight of Soramame holding the fan up, to create a wind effect for the singer.

I do love that this makes him leak a smile; looking at Soramame makes Oto happy, Eee! 🥰

On that note, I can’t help noticing as well, that Oto tells Chiharu (Ihara Rikka) that he will drop by the soba shop more, if she’ll come over to the guesthouse more – because she’s Soramame’s only friend in Tokyo.

Awww. That’s sweet of him, especially since we hear him tell Chiharu that he doesn’t have that much money to eat at the soba restaurant often. But he’d do it, if it means that Soramame gets to hang out with her friend.

I love that. 🥰

In a kinda-sorta return fashion, I really love how Soramame ends up picking up that call from Seira, and being the friend that Seira needs, in that moment.

It makes me feel like Soramame is a great help to Oto, without being asked, and that Soramame is a gentle, grounded kind soul, beyond her general scattered boisterous manner.

The way she talks to Seira is empathetic and kind, and I feel it says a lot, that Seira is happy to get Soramame’s number, at the end of that call.

And then we get that scene in the living room, where Soramame and Oto end up sleeping with their feet under the same table warmer, almost like brother and sister, but also, almost like lovers.

The fact that they can see each other when they turn around; the fact that their feet can touch, if they’d like; the way they mumble at each other sleepily; it’s all very innocent yet rather tantalizing in terms of the romantic possibilities inherent in the situation.

It’s too bad that Oto feels that Soramame is putting up a barrier to say that they can’t be more than friends.

I rather think that it’s because Soramame’s convinced that he doesn’t think of her as more than a friend, and possibly because he unfortunately equated her lips to a dream slug, oops.

And so we continue with the occasional glimpses of hyperawareness and awkwardness, like when Oto and Soramame both find themselves at the soba shop, and he can’t help but fixate on the fact that she’s there with a male colleague, while she can’t help but fixate that he’s there to meet Ariel, the pretty singer.

Plus, how about that moment of hyperawareness, when Oto takes Soramame’s pulse, while explaining beats per minute to her? She definitely looked a touch taken aback, even if she managed to smooth over her expression quite quickly.

I love that they still do things like talk about stuff, while playing with bubbles in the yard, as they wait for their dinner to cook.

It’s all so whimsically pretty, and they are so matter-of-fact in sharing their thoughts; it feels like such a perfect moment.

And perhaps that’s what causes Soramame to pause so pensively afterwards, as she asks Oto if he’s going to become out of reach, now that he’s on the cusp of starting a whole new chapter of his music-making career.

That brings to the surface a very real threat to their daily closeness; if they both lean into their new careers, that could very well take them farther away from each other and this closeness might eventually peter out.

I’m glad that Oto says with a smile, that he’s not leaving, but the possibility does leave me with an undercurrent of angst. 🥹

I do love that when Soramame is feeling bummed while on her suspension, she texts Oto, and I love that he is immediately honest and upfront about Ariel running away.

Most of all, I love that when Soramame hears the singer with the amazing voice in the park, she immediately thinks of Oto. And I love that when Oto sees Soramame’s text telling him to hurry, he runnns over, no questions asked.

If you couldn’t already tell, I love these little pieces of evidence that the bond between Oto and Soramame is stronger and more special than they’d like to admit.

E7-8. I was really bummed when Isobe advised Oto to move out of the guesthouse, to focus on his music career.

I get where she’s coming from; if he were to get famous, then rumors about him and Soramame would likely arise, so I can see why she would think it best to remove that possibility, by having him move to the company dorms.

BUT.

It’s just so sad, that Oto and Soramame get separated like this.

This guesthouse, and their proximity to each other, has become such a cornerstone of their relationship, that removing Oto from this space feels like removing this relationship’s life source. 💔

I appreciate that Oto tells Soramame that nothing will change between them even after he leaves, but sadly, he can’t predict that there will be things that are out of his control, that would get in the way of him keeping that promise.

Like the fact that his schedule will suddenly become so busy that he tends to miss Soramame’s calls, when she does call.

Or that he might be stuck in a meeting, when Soramame needs him most.

Before we get to that, though, I just had to go back to the fact that Oto really wanted to tell Soramame clearly, how he felt about her, before moving out.

I mean, that moment when he held her hand, and told her that they could go see the fireworks together in the summer, was very sweet, but it’s clear that Soramame didn’t take that to mean anything romantic.

Which, honestly, is romantic in its own way, because I’m also a huge sucker for the platonic soul mate sort of story. I do love the idea that Soramame would have a strong desire to be close to Oto, even if things were platonic and not romantic. 🥰

The meaning behind her farewell drawing to Oto, really hit me in the gut.

Like, isn’t it such a sad thing, that such a beautiful drawing, could actually symbolize something so painful, for Soramame?

The fact that she associates those flowers with her mother abandoning her is one thing.

The fact that Oto’s departure is, in essence, similar enough to Soramame, that it brings these flowers to mind, is quite startling in its poignancy, because this indicates that Oto is as important to her now, as her mother had been to her, when she’d been little.

That’s.. huge, isn’t it?

It’s becoming clearer to us as viewers, that Oto and Soramame do have romantic feelings towards each other, whether they are cognizant of it (Oto) or not (perhaps Soramame).

Unfortunately, however, their changing circumstances make it hard for them to nurture these feelings.

I’m bummed that Oto decides not to tell Soramame how he feels about her after all, before moving out, because he’s convinced that she has more important things on her mind, after her mother had reached out.

I wanted to reach into my screen and shake Oto, to try to knock some sense into him, because, in this moment, I feel like Soramame needs him more, and not less.

But, given the fact that Oto isn’t experienced in romantic relationships, I can understand that he might not have realized this. Plus, there’s also the thing where he’s convinced that Soramame doesn’t actually want anything romantic with him.

So when he tells himself that his feelings are the least of Soramame’s worries, I can understand where he’s coming from.

And when Soramame stops herself from going to Oto in the middle of the night, because she’s convinced he must be asleep, I can understand where she’s coming from too – even though I just desperately wanted her to go knock on his door, so that they could talk. 😭

I thought the goodbye banner and bubbles were a sweet idea, and again, all I wanted, desperately, was for Oto to go back into the guesthouse, go upstairs, and tell Soramame the thing that he’d wanted to say, but hadn’t: that he really likes her, and that isn’t to change just because he’s moving out.

I’m so bummed that he didn’t do that, because I think that could have made the world of difference to how episode 8 panned out.

E7-8. I hated that everyone in the studio tried to gaslight Soramame into thinking that Kuon taking her designs was normal and okay; a simple price to pay as a young intern in an established fashion house.

And therefore, I’m so relieved that Soramame refuses to buy any of it, and storms outta there.

It’s so telling, honestly, that the first and only person she wants to talk to, about this terrible, unthinkable thing that’s happened to her, is Oto.

It’s clear to see that for her, it’s Oto and no one else.

I felt so terrible for Soramame, and all the pain she’s feeling in that pure heart of hers, and I was willing Oto to just show up and be there for her.

[END SPOILER]

Natsuki Mari as Kyoko

I found Kyoko, Oto’s landlady, quirky and appealing, with those thick silver braids which I couldn’t help staring at (so much so that I completely missed her penciled-in unibrow, until Cathy pointed it out to me on Patreon, oops! 😅).

I found Kyoko a fresh sort of presence, with her boldness in just living life the way she likes, without worrying about what other people think, and her matter-of-fact frankness.

[MINOR SPOILER]

And not forgetting of course, her easy generosity laced with practicality, like when she decides to take in Soramame, but lays down the law that Soramame must get a job, and also, will not be a Minato Girl.

[END MINOR SPOILER]

I also liked the various nuggets of wisdom that Kyoko drops from time to time, like a wise old quirky hippie sage. 😁

The glimpses of community

This isn’t a major theme in our story world, but I did very much enjoy the glimpses of community that we got, from time to time.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. It was really heartwarming to see everyone pitch in to help make that dress, in all the ways they could, at all hours of the day.

The sight of Hiroshi (Sakou Yoshi), the boss of the soba restaurant, asleep in the guesthouse living room after wearing himself out helping to make those buttons, really said everything to me, about the realness of community in this place. 🥰

I loved that.

[END SPOILER]

The closing dance credits

This might seem like a small thing, but the ending dance credits gave me a good amount of joy, so I had to give them a shout-out.

Big thanks to JJ, for pointing out on Patreon, that every episode’s closing credits are a little bit different; that got me to pay proper attention to each one, and I loved this little extra bon bon, at the end of each episode that I sat down to watch.

It was like having a fun dessert, after a meal. 😋

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Endo Kenichi as Kuon

I ended up having mixed feelings for Kuon as a character, which is why he’s in this section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

From starting out as a grumpy, demanding boss, I actually softened towards him as he grew more appreciative of Soramame’s diligence and talent.

In fact, through most of episode 8, I actually thought to myself that Kuon seemed like a really good person; even though he was struggling to create his own designs, he was supportive of Soramame, and gave her the resources that she asked for.

And, when something good came out of her design – her own fashion show, no less! – he didn’t act like he begrudged it of her, and even praised her.

BUT THEN. He goes and steals her designs when he discovers them in the folder that she’d left behind.

I could understand why he might do that, because he’s that desperate for fresh ideas, but is coming up persistently empty on his own.

And then, here’s Soramame, with a well of creativity, and fresh designs that he can’t even dream of, at this point.

AND, it’s within his power to have those designs subsumed under his name and his brand, because, as we are soon informed, this is not an uncommon practice in the industry.

I was really upset for Soramame, and really felt bad for her, because this was the source of so much pain and hardship for her.

In the end, Show does redeem Kuon by having him change his mind, and apologize to Soramame, and she does forgive him, but.. that’s doesn’t take away the pain that he’d caused her, and so he’s not completely back in my good books properly – which is why he’s in this section.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

Tanabe Momoko as Seira

I have to say that my feelings towards Seira went on quite the rollercoaster, over the course of my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

When she admitted to trying to scam Oto, I didn’t care for her too much, but then I felt sorry for her, when she’d called Oto and spoken to Soramame, indicating that she often  felt lonely and sad.

And then, I had really enjoyed the idea of Soramame and Oto becoming connected with Seira, because it had looked like my initial apprehension, that Seira would come between Soramame and Oto, was unfounded.

Instead, for a pretty good stretch, it looked like the three of them were becoming good friends and partners, with Seira singing Oto’s song, and Soramame designing Seira’s dress for the music video, which then gets featured as part of Kuon’s fashion show.

On top of that, both Oto and Soramame became a real help to Seira, in terms of her overcoming her insecurities, and encouraging her that she was more than qualified to sing Oto’s song.

That had all seemed so wholesome and healthy, honestly, with this three-way symbiotic relationship, where they were each helping to lift one another up. 🥲

BUT THEN.

Seira lies to Oto about Soramame dating Hazuki, and singlehandedly creates this huge misunderstanding between Oto and Soramame that lasts for literal years.

I was very disgruntled about this, and while Show does its best to redeem Seira but, as you’ll see in my finale notes, I was not convinced.

That’s why Seira’s still in my “Do Not Like” list.

[END SPOILER]

The “fashion”

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but I have to say that I found the clothes that were supposed to be designed by Soramame, really ugly. 🙈

The designs looked good on paper, but the actual garments were consistently underwhelming, and [SPOILER] I felt they didn’t do justice to the amazing talent that Soramame was supposed to have. [END SPOILER]

I’m sure this was a budget constraint, and I get that; I still cringed at each of the pieces though. 😅

The late-stage angst

On the upside, when Show introduced angst in its penultimate stretch, I felt it acutely; that’s just how real these characters had become to me, over the course of my watch.

When they were sad, I was sad too, and in particular, I felt rather forlorn for the pain that Soramame goes through, at this stage of our story. 💔

However, I feel that Show could have done a better job at handling the angst overall.

I have quite a few grumbles about the angst that Show serves up in the finale stretch – which you can read about next.

Warning: frustrated feelings ahead.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E9-10. I have such good feelings towards Show’s earlier episodes that it hurts me to say this, but.. I did not love this finale as much as I had hoped, sadly.

Maybe my expectations were high, because I had such a good impression of Show’s earlier episodes, and so I had reason to believe that Show would somehow manage to deliver an ending that felt satisfying and in character with the tone that it had set for itself in earlier episodes.

Instead, I found myself feeling quite a few lashings of frustration, while watching these finale episodes.

It mostly felt like Show was throwing spanners in the works just to keep our OTP apart – so that it could fill up screen time until the big reunion at the crosswalk where they’d first met.

I mean, I get the significance and intended poetry of coming full circle to that fateful moment when they’d run into each other so unexpectedly, and found that they were both listening to the exact same song at the exact same time.

It’s true that there’s something very fateful about that.

HOWEVER.

I really struggled to get on board with a number of things, in this finale.

The lack of communication was a common thread through just about all of the things that I struggled with, I think. 😅

First of all, I am so disappointed in Seira, honestly.

In episode 8, I’d wrestled with myself to give her the benefit of the doubt; like, maybe there was a real reason she was not telling Oto about Soramame calling him sounding desperate; maybe she really had a crisis of her own, and that’s why she was rushing into Oto’s arms instead of pointing him towards Soramame’s crisis.

BUT NO. Girl did not deserve that benefit of the doubt at all; she had indeed been lying to Oto, with that whole thing about Soramame calling to tell her that she was dating Hazuki.

Show tries to give her a bit of grace in our finale, by making her angst in that moment real, but it totally landed as not real, but manipulative, to my eyes, and I’m not buying it. 😤

It totally looked to me like she was making the moment about herself and her fear of being judged for being attracted to women on purpose, in order to distract Oto, and I am not happy that Show tries to redeem her at the end.

After all, it’s because of her lie, that we get ALLLL of the OTP angst, in these last episodes.

I was so bewildered that Oto didn’t even call Soramame, when Seira finally told him the truth, and urged him to go to the airport to talk to Soramame, before she boarded the plane to Paris.

Like, yes, I understand the urgency of re-recording, but WHY COULDN’T HE CALL HERRRR???

Instead, he writes that letter, which Show won’t even tell us the contents of, until the very last few minutes of screen time, when we find out that it was this vague “let’s work hard for our futures” sort of message, and nothing about the truth of the matter, and nothing about his feelings for her, which he’d been wanting to tell her, for so long.

GAH. This made me very grumpy, no lie.

The other thing that really got my goat, was the fact that Oto and Soramame apparently don’t contact each other for THREE WHOLE YEARS, after this.

I tried to rationalize that they would both be very busy establishing their careers, and both careers have intense type schedules and environments, and that’s how they just fell out of touch with each other.

BUT STILL. To not even text each other on special occasions like birthdays or New Year’s, when they love each other and can’t forget about each other? That’s a stretch.

And yes, it’s a stretch that makes me grumpy. 😑

The missed timing thing also made me grumpy, with Oto texting his feelings to Soramame, then deleting the text while Soramame was in the bath, and then Soramame texting her feelings to Oto and then deleting the text while Oto was in the recording studio.

To be fair, it’s not that the entire finale was devoid of bright spots. I did have some.

Like, I did like that Oto came to the guesthouse and spent time with Soramame before she left for Paris.

Even though I was frustrated that they didn’t use this opportunity to clear up the misunderstandings between them, I can rationalize that they’d felt awkward about it, because she believed that he was dating Seira, and he believed that she was dating Hazuki.

That last moment, when Soramame calls out to him, and asks if she’d be able to reach him, if she reached out, was lovely, in the way that he told her that of course she would, and then grabbed her in that tearful hug.

In a way, this is even more romantic than a romantic hug, because what I got from this moment, was that these two people confirmed that they wanted to remain deeply connected to each other, regardless of whether they were able to form a romantic relationship or not.

I found that very touching.

I was also glad that Kuon ended up giving up his decision to steal Soramame’s designs for his own collection, and that he and Soramame were able to make peace, after all that had happened.

I also thought it was a good thing for Soramame to go to Paris and test her fashion wings there.

With the kind of talent that she had, it would have been a waste to have not given it a try, at least.

That said, I can buy what Show eventually tells us, after the 3-year time-skip; that the demands of the high fashion world were stifling her creativity.

Even though we see that Soramame tells Kuon that she’s decided that she just wants to enjoy life (ie, not give fashion design another try), I’m able to convince myself that she will come back to it one day, in some shape or form, because it’s so much a part of her, that she will eventually feel compelled to express that creativity in some way.

It would have been nice if we could have seen her choose her next avenue of fashion expression, but I can believe that such decisions need time and space, and that she simply hasn’t arrived at that right time yet, where we end our story.

Even though I felt perplexed that Soramame would back out of attending the concert at the last minute, I can buy that the sight of the scale of the concert, as well as the realization that BPM had gotten big enough to have multiple people on staff, would make her feel more alienated from Oto than ever.

I liked the idea that Soramame would know instinctively where Oto would ask to meet her, even though her phone battery dies on her before she gets to read the rest of his message, but I have to confess that by this point, I was feeling rather impatient, so any bump in the road, like Oto being late and only finding Soramame’s scarf, only served to add to my frustration. 😅

BUT. YAY that our OTP finally gets to a place where they both act on their feelings for each other, and YAY for hugs, and YAY for a very long overdue kiss, that leans so gentle, that it honestly makes most of my frustrations melt away. 🥰

And then yay for smiles, and more gentle kisses, and yay for Soramame actually asking for more kisses – I like the tone of this relationship already; it’s so candid and honest. 😍

I honestly thought the eventual outfits that Soramame designs for Oto and Seira for Kohaku were underwhelming, but that’s just one of Show’s innate limitations.

And, I’m very glad that instead of ending there, Show gives us an epilogue after the final dance credits, where we get to see Oto and Soramame back at the guesthouse, because that’s where it all began, and this feels like a much more meaningful note, on which to bid goodbye to our OTP.

As we leave them listening to that song that had marked their first meeting many moons ago, I do still feel wistful about saying goodbye, despite my grumbles about this finale.

I really will miss these characters, and, late-stage frustrations and all, I’m glad to have been able to join them on their journeys, for a little while. 🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Quirky and endearing, despite some late-stage wobbles.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Hold My Hand At Twilight, is My Sweet Mobster [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on My Sweet Mobster on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +My Sweet Mobster [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +The Tale of Rose [China]

VIP (US$15): +Miss Night and Day [Korea]