Ok, so, I don’t know if:
a) Japan is making better dramas
b) I’m getting better at choosing what to watch
c) My standards are getting lower
Because we have another season where I liked basically everything I watched (and I watched a lot of things AND I liked some of them A LOT). It’s a good thing, but it also means that now I fear every new season, because it can’t always go well.
Let’s start because there’s a lot to talk about (and most of it will be me rambling).
Shitteru Wife
Let’s start with this because, well, I have a lot to say.
First, sometimes, not often, I write down notes while watching certain dramas, because I have a lot to say about each episode (from time to time I re-read the ones about Nagi no Oitoma and drown once again in my feels for Shinji/Takahashi Issei), and of course I did it for this one, because I needed to rant ALL THE TIME; seriously, those notes are me getting annoyed at the main character, rambling about women’s condition, marriage, Ohkura’s handsome face etc etc.
Anyway. They want us to believe that this drama is about destiny, about the fact that no matter what you do and what decisions you make, if you’re destined to be with someone, you will, one way or another. In my humble opinion, the real message of the story was DON’T GET MARRIED. Or, at least, if you REALLY want to get married, especially if you’re a woman, don’t give up on your dreams and aspirations, because you’ll end up sad and frustrated, and every little obstacle or problem in your life and/or in your marriage will seem insurmountable.
Because that’s exactly what happened in this drama.
Motoharu (we’ll talk about him in a bit because oh boy) isn’t satisfied with his marriage, his wife is a “monster” (or so he says) just because she’s angry that he doesn’t help AT ALL with the house and the kids and doesn’t care about her and her family, so he gets back in time and marries his college sweetheart blah blah blah. And in this new life he created, of course, he meets Mio, his past wife.
So, Mio, now that she’s not married, is happy, serene, positive even if she has to take care of her sick mother. She never loses her smile because guess what? She’s quite satisfied with her life, she made the choices she wanted, continued her studies and got the job she wanted. She didn’t get stuck at home with 2 kids and an unhelpful husband. Look at her, all smiles, Motoharu is, of course, shocked. “Oh Mio was able to smile????”. Dumbass.
On the contrary, his current wife, Sayaka, in her “past life”, was from a rich family but also an affirmed musician, and she seemed like a nice, smiley girl. Now that she’s married, of course she couldn’t become a renowned musician because guess what? She has to stay home and cook dinner and dress prettily and kiss her husband on the cheek. I’M SO MAD. And we’ll see all the ugly aspects of her character emerge little by little.
Of course I know that there can be happy marriages even if the woman “sacrifices” herself and stays home. The real problem is the husband, that dumbass, man-child Motoharu. Self-centered, stupid, oblivious, egoistic, childish Motoharu.
This guy cares only about himself, and maybe about his friends. His family? Who cares. Even when he gets back in time and changes his life, he screws everything anyway, and not because of destiny, but because he doesn’t understand how to be a decent human being with his wife. It doesn’t matter who you marry if you keep thinking only about yourself.
We spend 10 EPISODES like that. Getting mad at this man who only at the end understands he’s a horrible person that should just not get married.
THAT BEING SAID, the last episode made me cry a little lol. Because once Motoharu really opens his eyes and makes certain decisions, I actually felt sad for him XD
And I really, really liked the ending and how they decided to write the final episode.
So, it was a good watch, even if I was mad most of the time!
He handsome but dumbass![vlcsnap-2021-03-06-17h47m07s549.png]( "vlcsnap-2021-03-06-17h47m07s549.png")
Oh my Boss!!
This is what I want from a love comedy: multiple love lines, guys not being douches and ladies supporting each other even when “rivals in love”.
For some time, I couldn’t feel much empathy with Nami, the main character, but I have to say that I really appreciated how she grew up during the drama, from a person who just wants a “normal”, quiet, predictable life, to one in love with her job and with a dream. There was the exact opposite message of Shitteru Wife lol: before thinking about love and getting married, get to really know yourself, realize what it is that you want to do, and go that way. Love will come, love can wait.
And I loved everyone who surrounded her.
Junnosuke? For once, a male lead/main love interest who is not an asshole or a tsundere! I supported him from minute one.
The problem is that I wanted HIM
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to be happy too. The not-so-much-tsundere that stole my (ours) heart.
Another problem? The spin-off, who made me root for THEM
![]()
What to do, what to do.
How beautiful is a love comedy where you don’t dislike any character so that you ship everybody with everybody? I love it.
But. The real protagonist, the jewel of this drama. Was HER.
![]()
Look at her she's gorgeous and I'm crying.
I think we all agree that Nanao was born to play Reiko, but! What a wonderful character? So capable, so cool, so beautiful, and yet with her insecurities and absolutely adorable when in love.
I love her so much and I want to be like her in every way possible.
Uchi no Musume wa Kareshi ga Dekinai
Dear lord, this one.
It didn’t start off in the best way, because the opening scene, and the whole 1st episode tbh, was quite weird. In general, there were some weird scenes during all the show, but more at the beginning.
But I understood I would get invested in it right near the end of the first episode, when Sakura throws an edamame right to Hikaru’s face. In that moment I KNEW that I would have loved their relationship, and so it was.
Irino Hikaru is one of the best jdrama boys ever and my heart ached for him everytime he appeared on screen.
It’s a drama where maybe you don’t instantly love all the characters, but you get to know them little by little, especially through the relationships they create (or that exist already but get stronger) with each other. I really liked how, in the end, all of them were connected.
Also how misleading is the title? They mention that the daughter has no boyfriend once at the beginning and then… one more time maybe? The drama was NOT about her finding a boyfriend (thank God)
They heal my heart
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Ore no Ie no Hanashi
What the fuck.
What the FUCK.
(I’m writing this right after having finished the last episode and it shows).
I wasn’t expecting to suffer this much I thought this was going to be FUN.
And, to be fair, it was fun, because Kudo Kankuro has this way of writing comedy that’s very clever. It was witty and I laughed a lot. But! I cried a lot too? Of course because it talks about a prodigal son coming back home to take care of his father who’s developing dementia, which is… sad. But also because, I don’t know, I loved everybody and they made me cry. And the final episode killed me.
Other than that, well, it’s just a very well done drama, both the writing and the acting were perfect. If you want to watch only one drama from this season, I suggest you watch this one.
Tengoku to Jigoku
I decided to binge watch it once it was over and it was probably the best decision because I finished it in a couple of days since I needed to know how it would end.
It was a… really well written drama, clever but still, at the end, emotional.The swapping-bodies thing can be tricky, especially if it involves a man and a woman, and it would have probably been not that good if they choose 2 lesser actors than Takahashi Issei and Ayase Haruka, they were both so good!
They created a good mystery with, at least for me, a satisfying ending. Takahashi Issei’s character was yes a psycho etc etc, but they let us intend since the first episodes that there was more in him, he was an interesting character that made me want to know more about him, his past and his reason (or if he had any reason at all).
And I can’t watch anything with Issei, because then I remember how much I like him and get obsessed all over again.
Look at me, jumping from one crush to another. Don’t mind me.
to be protected even if a psychopath serial killer
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Nishiogikubo Mitsuboshi Youshudou
This was… ok? A bit less than ok. A drama about a bar where customers go and get their problems solved thanks to cocktails and canned food blah blah who cares I only watched it because of Keita Machida. Who was really handsome, but reminded me of Aiba dressed as a bartender first in his drama and, more recently, in some Shiyagare episode, and, honestly, no one can compare.
Anyway, the idea was ok but not well executed: it would have been better if they didn’t focus so much on the various customers, and instead dedicated more time at the 3 protagonists’ stories.
In the end I dropped Kakenai because the first episode bored me a bit but also made me anxious. If I read around that it was really good I might go back to it later.
If I have time (well, with this neverending lockdown I should have it), before next season I want to try Nijiiro no Karute because I read that a lot of people loved it.
a) Japan is making better dramas
b) I’m getting better at choosing what to watch
c) My standards are getting lower
Because we have another season where I liked basically everything I watched (and I watched a lot of things AND I liked some of them A LOT). It’s a good thing, but it also means that now I fear every new season, because it can’t always go well.
Let’s start because there’s a lot to talk about (and most of it will be me rambling).
Shitteru Wife
Let’s start with this because, well, I have a lot to say.
First, sometimes, not often, I write down notes while watching certain dramas, because I have a lot to say about each episode (from time to time I re-read the ones about Nagi no Oitoma and drown once again in my feels for Shinji/Takahashi Issei), and of course I did it for this one, because I needed to rant ALL THE TIME; seriously, those notes are me getting annoyed at the main character, rambling about women’s condition, marriage, Ohkura’s handsome face etc etc.
Anyway. They want us to believe that this drama is about destiny, about the fact that no matter what you do and what decisions you make, if you’re destined to be with someone, you will, one way or another. In my humble opinion, the real message of the story was DON’T GET MARRIED. Or, at least, if you REALLY want to get married, especially if you’re a woman, don’t give up on your dreams and aspirations, because you’ll end up sad and frustrated, and every little obstacle or problem in your life and/or in your marriage will seem insurmountable.
Because that’s exactly what happened in this drama.
Motoharu (we’ll talk about him in a bit because oh boy) isn’t satisfied with his marriage, his wife is a “monster” (or so he says) just because she’s angry that he doesn’t help AT ALL with the house and the kids and doesn’t care about her and her family, so he gets back in time and marries his college sweetheart blah blah blah. And in this new life he created, of course, he meets Mio, his past wife.
So, Mio, now that she’s not married, is happy, serene, positive even if she has to take care of her sick mother. She never loses her smile because guess what? She’s quite satisfied with her life, she made the choices she wanted, continued her studies and got the job she wanted. She didn’t get stuck at home with 2 kids and an unhelpful husband. Look at her, all smiles, Motoharu is, of course, shocked. “Oh Mio was able to smile????”. Dumbass.
On the contrary, his current wife, Sayaka, in her “past life”, was from a rich family but also an affirmed musician, and she seemed like a nice, smiley girl. Now that she’s married, of course she couldn’t become a renowned musician because guess what? She has to stay home and cook dinner and dress prettily and kiss her husband on the cheek. I’M SO MAD. And we’ll see all the ugly aspects of her character emerge little by little.
Of course I know that there can be happy marriages even if the woman “sacrifices” herself and stays home. The real problem is the husband, that dumbass, man-child Motoharu. Self-centered, stupid, oblivious, egoistic, childish Motoharu.
This guy cares only about himself, and maybe about his friends. His family? Who cares. Even when he gets back in time and changes his life, he screws everything anyway, and not because of destiny, but because he doesn’t understand how to be a decent human being with his wife. It doesn’t matter who you marry if you keep thinking only about yourself.
We spend 10 EPISODES like that. Getting mad at this man who only at the end understands he’s a horrible person that should just not get married.
THAT BEING SAID, the last episode made me cry a little lol. Because once Motoharu really opens his eyes and makes certain decisions, I actually felt sad for him XD
And I really, really liked the ending and how they decided to write the final episode.
So, it was a good watch, even if I was mad most of the time!
He handsome but dumbass
Oh my Boss!!
This is what I want from a love comedy: multiple love lines, guys not being douches and ladies supporting each other even when “rivals in love”.
For some time, I couldn’t feel much empathy with Nami, the main character, but I have to say that I really appreciated how she grew up during the drama, from a person who just wants a “normal”, quiet, predictable life, to one in love with her job and with a dream. There was the exact opposite message of Shitteru Wife lol: before thinking about love and getting married, get to really know yourself, realize what it is that you want to do, and go that way. Love will come, love can wait.
And I loved everyone who surrounded her.
Junnosuke? For once, a male lead/main love interest who is not an asshole or a tsundere! I supported him from minute one.
A good boy ‘til the end
![]()
The problem is that I wanted HIM
to be happy too. The not-so-much-tsundere that stole my (ours) heart.
Another problem? The spin-off, who made me root for THEM
What to do, what to do.
How beautiful is a love comedy where you don’t dislike any character so that you ship everybody with everybody? I love it.
But. The real protagonist, the jewel of this drama. Was HER.
Look at her she's gorgeous and I'm crying.
I think we all agree that Nanao was born to play Reiko, but! What a wonderful character? So capable, so cool, so beautiful, and yet with her insecurities and absolutely adorable when in love.
I love her so much and I want to be like her in every way possible.
Uchi no Musume wa Kareshi ga Dekinai
Dear lord, this one.
It didn’t start off in the best way, because the opening scene, and the whole 1st episode tbh, was quite weird. In general, there were some weird scenes during all the show, but more at the beginning.
But I understood I would get invested in it right near the end of the first episode, when Sakura throws an edamame right to Hikaru’s face. In that moment I KNEW that I would have loved their relationship, and so it was.
Irino Hikaru is one of the best jdrama boys ever and my heart ached for him everytime he appeared on screen.
always protect the Best Boy
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But, honestly, there were so many good characters. Gon-chan? His father? SALLY? I'm sobbing I love them.
It’s a drama where maybe you don’t instantly love all the characters, but you get to know them little by little, especially through the relationships they create (or that exist already but get stronger) with each other. I really liked how, in the end, all of them were connected.
Also how misleading is the title? They mention that the daughter has no boyfriend once at the beginning and then… one more time maybe? The drama was NOT about her finding a boyfriend (thank God)
They heal my heart
Ore no Ie no Hanashi
What the fuck.
What the FUCK.
(I’m writing this right after having finished the last episode and it shows).
I wasn’t expecting to suffer this much I thought this was going to be FUN.
And, to be fair, it was fun, because Kudo Kankuro has this way of writing comedy that’s very clever. It was witty and I laughed a lot. But! I cried a lot too? Of course because it talks about a prodigal son coming back home to take care of his father who’s developing dementia, which is… sad. But also because, I don’t know, I loved everybody and they made me cry. And the final episode killed me.
Other than that, well, it’s just a very well done drama, both the writing and the acting were perfect. If you want to watch only one drama from this season, I suggest you watch this one.
Tengoku to Jigoku
I decided to binge watch it once it was over and it was probably the best decision because I finished it in a couple of days since I needed to know how it would end.
It was a… really well written drama, clever but still, at the end, emotional.The swapping-bodies thing can be tricky, especially if it involves a man and a woman, and it would have probably been not that good if they choose 2 lesser actors than Takahashi Issei and Ayase Haruka, they were both so good!
They created a good mystery with, at least for me, a satisfying ending. Takahashi Issei’s character was yes a psycho etc etc, but they let us intend since the first episodes that there was more in him, he was an interesting character that made me want to know more about him, his past and his reason (or if he had any reason at all).
And I can’t watch anything with Issei, because then I remember how much I like him and get obsessed all over again.
Look at me, jumping from one crush to another. Don’t mind me.
to be protected even if a psychopath serial killer
Nishiogikubo Mitsuboshi Youshudou
This was… ok? A bit less than ok. A drama about a bar where customers go and get their problems solved thanks to cocktails and canned food blah blah who cares I only watched it because of Keita Machida. Who was really handsome, but reminded me of Aiba dressed as a bartender first in his drama and, more recently, in some Shiyagare episode, and, honestly, no one can compare.
Anyway, the idea was ok but not well executed: it would have been better if they didn’t focus so much on the various customers, and instead dedicated more time at the 3 protagonists’ stories.
In the end I dropped Kakenai because the first episode bored me a bit but also made me anxious. If I read around that it was really good I might go back to it later.
If I have time (well, with this neverending lockdown I should have it), before next season I want to try Nijiiro no Karute because I read that a lot of people loved it.