3 Nen A Gumi: Ima kara Mina-san wa, Hitojichi Desu (2019)

This was a really really good drama, which was to me very successful, until I became increasingly more aware of how fast it had aged in such little time. It doesn’t ruin it for me, but it’s a very important thing to discuss, so I decided to write a review, even if maybe it’ll go unnoticed, considering how late I am to this.

Since this is a thriller-suspense in part, every episode has its plot twists and reveals, so I’m going to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but even though I’ll remain vague to specifics, know that there’s little you can do spoiler-wise with this one if you want to have a fully-fleshed review.

I like to refer to this drama jokingly as “Gokusen with explosions”. Still, it actually blends three genres of drama, which don’t tend to mix well, and does so very seamlessly: high school drama, thriller and tokusatsu.

The entire plot is set on the thriller, it has a really good grasp of its narrative and it really immerses you in from episode one. Some reveals aren’t too unexpected, but that doesn’t really ruin the watching experience, since they’re thought through and well-written, for the most part.

The high school drama is a genre that I don’t tend to gravitate much towards unless there’s some catch, and this one has that. The development of the students and their issues is more into the realms of something like 12 Suicidal Children (albeit here it’s better written) than something like Dragon Zakura or Gokusen. Not every issue is developed as much as it could, but this drama takes its issues more seriously and with much more intensity than your typical high school drama would.

The tokusatsu aspect is used here as a sort of allegorical parallel that works super well. You end up finding out how it works and why it’s there as you go along with the plot, and to me it was a really fantastic addition. I am a sucker for well used archetypes and this drama really knew what it was doing.

Related to that, there are few actors that could have taken the lead as well as Suda Masaki did. I was initially reticent because I would have thought his character older, but he has the right experience in all the genres this drama is made out of (thriller? check, high school dramas with a twist? check, tokusatsu? double check) and it absolutely shows in his performance.

I have smaller nitpicks here and there with how some of the characters were handled and how some tropes were used but my biggest qualm with the drama is, like I said, that it sadly aged immensely in the past year since it’s been out.

Here I'll be delving into some mild spoilers, I wont specify how this comes into play but a subject matter present in the drama will be discussed.

One of the many things portrayed in this drama is related to cyber-bullying, social media and suicide. In the last months we’ve had more than one case of this happening in the Japanese media industry. More than one. Not an isolated event, this is a huge problem.

The drama uses that to bring across a discourse of responsibility and taking accountability for your actions, which is really good, and it does a good job using the theme of empathy and change. It does base its premise in maturing and learning while putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes. It has a good aim and a realistic approach in which solutions could be found in small personal changes.

However.

There is something that is mentioned, used and described in the drama that gets zero attention when it should be paramount in this sort of premise: mental health.

The drama uses mental illness in different important ways for the plot, and even though it showcases it and sets it as something important, it does not develop the lack of proper care of it and the lack of conversation about it as one of the key parts of society’s failure towards the subject matter discussed.

I know that in jdramas that doesn’t tend to be expected and that I have to put myself in the place of the social environment these dramas come from, but some things are not culturally specific, some things are universal, and mental health care should be.

Maybe last year, when the world was in a different place, it was easier for the regular audience to dismiss it and move along and just stay with the sometimes really shallow rant of “people+social media=bad”. Sadly, we should know better now, and this drama has aged faster than anyone expected.

If the drama had not mentioned it, had not even included it, I would have thought it an overlooked element but not been as disappointed, but it is a very important part of its plot for more than one character, and I can’t help thinking that it reflects the missing conversations that society should be having on the subject of mental health care and the neglect, shame and overall silence these themes are seen by in regular media.

The lack of proper attention to these subject matters and the absolute lack of accessibility to proper mental health care, not only out of money and means but out of a social stigma that prevents people from reaching out to professional help when needed, is a key element of this storyline and it is sadly not there.

As of September of 2020, in the Japanese industry, it has become more glaringly obvious than ever.

Overall, the drama is very very good and I recommend it highly for those seeking a good thriller and a very emotional and deep type of drama about learning and growing up. It’s sad that the subject matter is so painfully relevant that reality has surpassed its premise with heartbreaking impact.

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A teacher who taught something that was needed

Although in the begining you'd wonder but also hope that the teacher doesn't get caught. His intention of finding the one who killed his student and settling scores is presented in an amazing way. The best part was the true faces of people that he wanted to show. Teachers who don't care about the wrongs of the students, classmates who did not regret their bad behavior, a friend's dilemma, choices made by someone that could sacrifice someone else and the biggest reveal of the culprit.Shows about differences between teachers who are doing their job or their duty. Ending was memorable. Everyone shined in their roles and in their times. Even though it was a serious drama, it had light comedy element.

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REALLY GOOD!!

So recently I’ve started watching Japanese dramas and by far this is the best one!!! It’s so thrilling and plot twisting, and it also has a meaningful message as well. I’m really glad I watched this but now I’m feeling empty, cause I was so hooked onto this that I watched it the second time right away with my niece. She already had watched it but only up to the 4 eps and I forced her to rewatch it with me and she’s now obsessed with it too LOL. Mainly because the teacher is hot which I agree too😅😅.

I definitely recommend watching this if you’re into thrilling, plot twisting and meaningful type of things. Cause it’s really worth watching!!

(My niece and I are only 3 years apart btw)

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A Thought-Provoking Drama

Omgosh where do I begin...
This was by far one of the most interesting dramas that I've watched this year. The acting was overall really good, and it wasn't super cringy like usual live J-dramas are. But, Suda Masaki's acting was amazing, like I felt like his character was real.
The story was also really great, like there were so many twists and turns and it was just thought-provoking, and eye-catching. The OST was also nice but I think the story is what really sold me on this drama. But if you're looking for a drama that'll grab your attention, please do give this j-drama a chance.

LET'S THINK!

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[WARNING: the rating and review I give have the possibility to be subjective due to my preference for the genres, scenes or casts]

10 out of 10. I think this dorama really deserve to have that. The topic is really related to the conditions nowadays. Even though the lesson learned Hiiragi gave is not too kind in my opinion, but I couldn't agree more with him.

The casts’ acting are great too, but the one catch my attention is still Suda Masaki’s acting. He’s really superb (❤ω❤) Nagano Mei’s is doing a great job too, especially on the scene at the roof top.

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Great ending, but frustrating at times.

Good:
Satisfying ending
Great character development
Solid performances by younger cast members
Supporting sub-plots are interesting and surprisingly humorous at times

Bad:
Over-acting at times from the male MC
Drags a little bit in the middle of the story
Things fall into place a little too easily, at times.

I loved the premise of this show. A mystery that slowly unfolds with a main character whose motives evolve and unravel throughout the episodes. It's instantly intriguing.

Overall I enjoyed the series. The ending, for me, was satisfying and there didn't seem to be too many plot holes or unexplained occurrences that needed addressing. The acting was a little over the top at times from Suda Masaki but in the context of the character and the show it wasn't too distracting. The performances by the young actors playing the students were all well done (especially Katayose Ryota and Tomita Miu).


The show has a few very obvious real world messages it wants to send to the viewer and makes it quite obvious what it wants the viewer to take away from the show. Very poignant and relevant because of the suicide of Hana Kimura in real life.

If you like the 'operator' archetype with a grand plan then I highly recommend this series to you.

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Good themes, okay ending

Suda Masaki's performance as Hiiragi Ibuki is by far the best part of this drama, and the mentor-mentee dynamic he had with every single one of his students was really great. I loved seeing how all the students went through a range of emotions as the drama progressed, from laughing at him at the start, to feeling betrayed, to finally starting to listen, trust, and look up to him.

The female lead is one of the students who definitely plays a larger role than her classmate counterparts, but still doesn't play a very active role throughout the show; with different episodes focusing on different students, sometimes she feels fully sidelined. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but it definitely feels like there's just one main character.

I think the individual themes in the show are really strong, especially when there is a main focus on a student for each lesson, but I'm personally not a huge fan of the final message, of the "killers" being internet bullies. While I understand the message of thinking before you type and not hiding behind a screen, I also feel like Mr. Hiiragi speaking to "the general public" not only doesn't have the same emotional impact, but also feels so broad that his perfect plan starts to feel a little leaky, especially when I think the same lesson of "think before you act" was already given earlier specifically to the class of students, and it worked better then.

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Arguably Japanese television's most successful template for a series is that of a problematic third-year class whose teacher aims to educate them re: the true things that matter in life before they graduate. The template works because a great acting ensemble set against the backdrop of topical social issues always makes for riveting entertainment, but it's a tired genre. I feel like if I were a Japanese high schooler, watching this endless parade of shows showcasing my type as nothing but entitled, lazy scum of the earth would make me indignant. There is a tendency towards an excess of passion and unsubstantial yelling in classroom dramas like this one. Moreover, they tend to come off as preachy.

This show predictably has the same failings as others of its kind. The kids are irritating, the teacher character gives the vibe of being overly self-righteous, and the twists are predictable. But - as expected of the genre, too - the acting is great; you have a stellar young cast, each of whom carry their own weight. Masaki Suda is also excellent in this, exercising just the right amount of dramatic flair and restraint needed to play a convincing anti-hero. Also, despite how I've seen this type of story so many times, told in so many other ways before, it still made me cry.

Not too shabby.

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its a fun time i'd give it a 7.7/10 bc of how fun

The top reviews are pretty great but you know, sincerely it's probably a little above average. Personally, I had a blast watching 3-nen A-gumi but to take a little step back, i'd say it's a story with an interesting theme and important message it wants to convey. As you can guess from the tags...

What can I say? I have a thing for justice and all that crap.

The story is good, not amazing but the concepts and themes within the story were meaningful and conveyed fairly well. If you're expecting something spectacular and powerfully moving, it might not be up to par-- the thing that removes from the experience is that it's pretty melodramatic at times and might remove some of the immersion that a show should provide for some people (as an unbelievably dramatic person, i just had fun with it). The acting and plot was interesting, the premise was just too fun for me to stop watching. Honestly the only thing i was unhappy was the fact that they didn't make it more dramatic (but that might just be me). But yes, it's a self aware ending that still hold meaning and i think they did a wonderful job at conveying the message that they desired

The intial characterisation of many of the students was a little bland and i think if the staff involved with the writing, producing paced themselves a bit better, more of the students could have been utilised better (i will admit it would be difficult considering the circumstanced of their scenario-- school 2013 did a wonderful job of utilising their characters and providing depth) i feel as though 3A was a little ambitious with the amount of characters that they wanted to use that they fell flat with many of them. They did improve as the story went along but it does make a difference. The pacing is a really big factor that affected the experience, it felt too quick or empty in many instances and sometimes confused at the progress that has been made. But that being said, the acting of everyone - especially Suda Masaki as Ibuki-sensei and Nagano Mei as Kayano-chan - was superb. Sure a bit overdramatic but isn't that the fun part? especially in the case of jdramas lol

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