Tag Archives: Japan

Review: First Love: Hatsukoi [Japan]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

This show feels like a very well-done homage to classic melodramas of the early 2000s, boasting characteristics that I would associate with iconic dramas of the era, like Winter Sonata, for example.

The difference is, Show is given a more polished, modern touch, and is also infused with what I feel is an indie movie-esque sensibility.

It’s very thoughtfully conceived and executed, and alongside that sheen of polish, and the general air of restraint, there is oodles of heart, and altogether, this one grabs me, so much.

It honestly feels like the answer to the question, “What would happen if we took 2000s melodrama and gave it a modern makeover, while retaining its essence – and just, overall, made it better?”

Really nicely done.

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Flash Review: Old Enough [Japan] [Reality]

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I feel like this show might be just what you’re looking for, if:

(a) you feel like you’d like to switch things up a bit, instead of watching dramas all the time,

(b) you think kids are cute and you like watching them, &/or

This show checks all those boxes, and at just 10-15 minutes per episode, is a great and easy addition to your drama plate, I reckon. 😉
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Flash Review: A Rose And A Tulip [Japan] [Movie]

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As you guys very likely know, I now have pretty serious heart-eyes for Junho, and so, of course I had to poke around his filmography, to see what else he’s done, that I might like to see.

When I saw that he starred in this Japanese movie as a pair of doppelgängers, I just had to check it out. I mean, it would be unreasonable of me to turn down a movie that offers two Junhos for the price of one, yes? 😉

Psst: Link to watch is at the end of the review! ❤️

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Announcement: Breakup Probation, A Week episode notes!

Flash Review: Takane and Hana [Takane to Hana][Japan]

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I do think this is a case of “your mileage may vary.”

I’ve had this show highly recommended to me (thanks Lynette!), and I’ve also seen lots of positive comments about this one, so Show is clearly quite well-loved. Which is why I went into this with pretty positive expectations.

However, I’m gonna hafta say that aside from Show’s first episode, which I loved, this one was.. just ok, for me, in the end.

That said, just because I didn’t love this one, doesn’t mean you won’t (this show has lots of fans after all), so hopefully this review will help you figure out whether this one’s for you!

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Flash Review: Shanai Marriage Honey [Japan]

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I might be at risk of giving the impression that I have A Serious Thing for contract marriage J-dramas here, what with my deep affection for 2016’s We Married As A Job, and general fondness for 2020’s Marry Me!, but when I heard about this short little J-drama and what it was about, I couldn’t resist checking it out.

I.. do have a soft spot for the contract marriage trope, can’t lie. B

ut I rationalize that the premises for the contract marriages in all 3 shows are different and distinct from one another, and therefore I’m not essentially watching the same show done 3 different ways. 😅

At just seven 25-minute episodes, Show is easy and low-risk, and perfect for squeezing into little pockets of time – or marathoning in one sitting, if you prefer.

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Flash Review: Marry Me! [Japan]

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If you’d like a quick spot of drama that’s warm, fuzzy and doesn’t require a big investment of drama hours, but still provides that sense of continuity that dramas offer, this charming little J-drama might just do the trick.

At just 10 episodes of less than 25 minutes each, this show is perfect for squeezing in an episode or two, when you have only a small pocket of time to spare, but still want to indulge in some drama feels.

Quite perfect for the festive season, yes?

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Flash Review: Love Lasts Forever [An Incurable Case Of Love] [Japan]

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So I checked out this show because a number of you had mentioned this to me as a drama that you enjoyed, and, I’d also seen a fair number of positive remarks and a good amount of assorted squee about it as well.

Since I’ve said that I’d like to include more Japanese dramas on my drama plate, I felt that it would be quite remiss of me to not check this out.

Now that I’ve emerged on the other side, I think it’s quite safe to say that overall, I didn’t manage to enjoy this one as much as everyone else did.

But, for the record, this show did eventually grow on me towards the end, and I ended my watch enjoying the cozy-swoony feels that everyone else seemed to be talking about.

I think that this show would appeal to quite a niche sort of audience, which is why I’m here to help you figure out if you’ll like this one – before you invest the drama hours. I know; I’m so helpful that way, aren’t I? 😉

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Flash Review: This Guy Is The Biggest Mistake In My Life [Japan]

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Do you guys remember when I dropped Graceful Family because I felt like it wasn’t quite hammy or makjang enough to be truly glorious to watch?

I’d wanted it to achieve heightened pinnacles of blithe makjang-ness, trucking out trope after trope of juicy makjang nonsense, kinda like The Last Empress, and because it didn’t, that show kinda fell flat, for me.

Well, this is almost sorta the same thing, except what I’m wishing for, from this show, is more weirdness.

I know that sounds, well.. weird, but hear me out.

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Flash Review: A Sharply Graceful Girl [Japan]

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When you need a bit of a drama lift and somewhere to escape to, but don’t have the mental bandwidth to commit to a full-length drama, it’s short little dramas like this one, that tend to hit the spot best.

At just 4 short half-hour episodes, A Sharply Graceful Girl provides just enough continuity to give you a sense of commitment, without feeling overwhelming, because of its bite-sized servings.

Also, Show is constructed mostly to be a pretty and informative travelogue of Kyoto, Japan, with a bit of a romance sown in, for good measure.

Given the current global situation where almost everyone’s under lockdown and country borders are closed and you basically can’t travel anywhere, this show just might provide a bit of relief for any pent-up wanderlust.

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