Kikazaru Koi niha Riyuu ga Atte (2021)

Light, Heartwarming Drama

This was really fun to watch and I didn't get fatigued halfway through the way I sometimes do with romances. There was a major theme running through of following your dreams, and how difficult it can sometimes be to figure out what that is. I really related to that and felt it made the drama interesting and more thoughtful than your typical romance. I also love a good ensemble, and the cast was amazing together. Such great chemistry among all of them! There was a little bit of a love triangle in there, but it didn't get annoying at all. Very well done drama, I highly recommend if you want something light, thought provoking, funny, and heartwarming!

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7/23/2021

I was glad to see an MDL article recommending this drama. This is a heartwarming drama about pursuing your dreams and growing as a person and in relationship. It was a very pleasant surprise to see so many cooking scenes and beautiful food shots. I've watched ML in "Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru" creating beautiful Japanese sweets and now seeing him making delicious Spanish food. I wonder if he likes to cook in person.

The general plot is nothing unique or new. It's been done many times about communal living and the pursuit of your dreams. In J-Drama fashion, this short 10-episode drama is jam packed with all the goodies that hook you in and get you excited from the first episode. You want to follow the romance and the journey of the main leads and you really don't know their final decision until the very last episode. The pacing of the drama is good, and there aren't any unnecessary episodes. Just don't expect dramatic plot twists.

ML's character is very different from his character in "Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru" and he played it well. At first glance, it appears that he's a goofy and sunny guy, who takes everything lightly in his carefree way of life. But as you watch the show, you noticed he's a very complicated and multi-layered character. I enjoy his character development the most, to see how he slowly becomes himself again and pursuing his dreams. FL's character is interesting due to her being an influencer. The portrayal seems pretty realistic, as to how obsessive we are with our phones and Instagram posting. ML and FL are very different in personalities and values in life. But because of how different they are, they complement each other and encourage each other. At first glance, we are worried that ML won't change and FL has to be the one to accept and change for ML. At one point, I wish FL would just be less forgiving. But that's how they complement each other, as without FL's persistence and generosity, their relationship won't work. Though there are minor misunderstandings, they are always able to openly discussed the issue a day or so later, and resolve everything. Their romance is mature. I don't mind the love triangle as much, as their love is strong enough to endure some minor bumps and bruises.

I enjoyed the acting of our leads very much. The bickering was sweet and funny, and the emotional scenes make me cry with them. The supporting cast also did an admirable job. There isn't any annoying character that I want to hate. I even like the 2ML as the third wheel and feel for him. The secondary romance is OK. I enjoyed this more "natural" acting than most of the over-the-top cutesy acting in some J-Dramas. And the dog is the surprise MVP!

Additionally, FL has great great fashion sense and an enviable wardrobe. Aside from beautiful food shots and cooking scenes, there are some really pretty cinematographic shots when they went camping and fishing.

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❤ 着飾る恋には理由があって ❤

着飾る恋には理由があって is about Mabeshiba Kurumi a girl passionate about fashion and she works as a publicist for "el Arco Iris", an interior design company that is becoming popular with young people on social media. She's a fashionista who cares a lot about her appearance and about what others think. She is also an Instagram influencer ( the same as me) and uploads on Instagram almost everyday. Kurumi starts living in a sharehouse with 3 strangers, where she meets Fujino Shun, a minimalist chef who just wants to live a simple life. Kurumi is in love with her shacho but he suddenly dissapears. kurumi starts falling in love with Shun, they go out for walks with their dog Kouji and they become closer everyday.
This drama has become the second favourite one of this year, I love everything about Yokohama Ryuusei he is soo handsome and his acting skills are amazing. I also love Kawaguchi Haruna she is one of my favourite actresses of all time.
100% I recommend you to watch this drama ❤❤❤

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Much more than just a romcom

At first glance this seems to be a light fluffy romcom about the main leads working through their problems to be together. And in the beginning that’s exactly what it is. But somewhere along the way it becomes much more. It becomes a story about not giving up when life gets you down. It’s about lifting your head up and facing your problems head on instead of running away from them.

The male lead is a very talented chef that gave his all to achieve his dreams but failed. Then, instead of facing his problems, he ran away from them. He became a free spirited minimalist. He has very few things, not even a cell phone and he shuns all material things. But underneath it all he’s miserable. And when the cracks begin to appear in his defenses and we get to see how truly passionate he is about his dreams, you can’t help but root for him. His character growth was a joy to watch.

The female lead is a smart and very talented person that is working hard to achieve her goals. She pushes herself to succeed and never waivers in her determination to better herself. But when her world comes crashing down around her she begins to doubt herself. Her first instinct is to run away from her problems. But her friends rally around her and help push her in the right direction. I really enjoyed watching her work through her problems.

The rest of the cast wasn’t just there to move the story along. They had lovable personalities and interesting storylines of their own. I enjoyed the second couples romance and was pleasantly surprised at another relationship that pops up towards the end of the drama. Even though this is a romantic drama, the romance isn’t the central focus. There are a few kisses and some sweet moments but that wasn’t what the drama was about. The drama mainly focuses on the lives of the people sharing the house. It’s more about working hard to achieve your dreams and not giving up. As each person in the house faces roadblocks on their path to happiness you can’t help but cheer them on. Seeing them overcome these obstacles is what makes this drama so interesting.

It was a great drama but there were some negatives for me. I took one star off because I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the main leads. Don’t get me wrong, they were cute together and I liked them. But they seemed more like good friends than lovers. There just didn’t seem to be that spark of electricity between them that I think is essential in a romantic drama. Maybe it’s because there weren’t enough romantic moments between the leads so I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them. But for whatever reason, the romance felt a bit lackluster to me. I also took a star off because the storyline was a little too predictable. I enjoyed watching each characters journey but I knew everything that was going to happen well in advance. I was disappointed at how predictable it was.

Overall I’d say this is a light, sweet fun drama to watch. If the leads had more chemistry and if the storyline threw me a few surprises it would have been perfect. But even though it’s not perfect, it comes pretty darn close. The characters journey and growth are a joy to watch and it’s quite touching. It definitely left me feeling all fuzzy and warm inside. You won’t regret watching it, I didn’t.

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A genuinely decent watch that focuses on its characters

This show is about a group a people who share their living space. Not that rare of a thing. At its core, this show is about the dreams and the goals of the characters.
Visually the show looks fresher than the usual Japanese dramas, which is definitely due to its high production. I appreciate that they made that effort 'cause it's totally worth it.
This show has quite the strong moments and doesn't lose its rhythm, or tone throughout its run. The pilot has to be praised for its smartness in presenting the whole cast and the situation without treating the audience foolishly nor outsmarting them- that balance is hard to maintain. Special mention for the dialogues of the first episode, haven't come across such caliber since I watched "One Spring Night" ( a Korean drama).
The story isn't complex nor is it that unpredictable. This drama isn't about the story, here, the spotlight is on the characters, their youth, their values and how they grow as the show progresses. This is its greatest strength. That sincerity elevates the story into something genuine and easy to sit through.
I recommend this drama to those who want to watch something good, with no thrills for a while and something that is start to end decent.

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Whoa a non toxic jdrama thats rare

June 26, 2021

I love everything about this show. Sure there are some parts that are slow and I kinda skipped through. But overall its good!! I love how the characters specifically the male and female lead relationship are fairly non toxic. Sure they have their up and downs but for a Japanese drama, it’s not super toxic. And the FL is such a good character as well. She’s very independent and not whiny!!!

Overall, it was a fun ride watching this show. So I definitely recommend it


ALSO THEIR DAUGHTER IS SO CUTEEEE I WISH I GET TO SEE MORE OF THEIR FAMILY SCENE ???

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Frustrating Watch

Another show that I don't feel that it deserves the rating. I cannot get pass how the the characters in the house can fall in love with one another so quickly without much scaffolding. The ML and FL is not comparable at all because they have different values to life and this was the first time in a drama where I am rooting the FL with the second ML. And it doesn't make sense how she can still be so close to the second ML at the end when she got together with ML. The FL can't perform the crying scenes and that is consistent with her other drama, Silent. And her emotions tend to be exaggerated. There were alot of communication issues between ML and FL and I don't see how they can be together in the end. The artist and the counsellor romantic line was slightly better than the ML and FL but I am still quite unconvinced about it especially because the counsellor move on from FL to the artist in one episode. In a gist, the show was bad because the romance felt so shallow to me.

And also whenever the ML cooks, they will insert this cringey editing and soundtrack to highlight his 'charm'. It appears in every episode, do they have to do that? It works well at first but it just becomes kind of bad when the segment appears in every episode...

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Dare to Dream.

It took me two months to complete this one, thanks to it's slice-of-life genre. But, I don't regret the time I spent. (Note: it ain't about romance at all.)
Set in an sharehouse with four people within an age range of late twenties to early 50s, we are introduced to each and everyone in detail. Their struggles, dilemmas, confusion and troubles are all laid out with equal importance.
Mameshiba Mashiba, an instagram influencer, learns the hard way of life from them.
It's my first time seeing this 'influencer' thingy as an actual occupation and I still don't know what to feel about it. Like her housemates, I too, was as stunned by her very vigorous routine and thought that she would collapse much earlier.
Fujino Shun, her minimalist housemate chef was one special character. I loved how he relentlessly pursued what his heart felt was right. Koko-san was just like him when it came to realizations and serving truth.
Another character whom I grew to care about was Hase-san and Harucho. Both of them were polar opposites when it came to emotional expression, but this reinforced the fact that not everyone can react or reflect in the same manner.
Throughout the 10 episodes, we see Mashiba-chan slowly realize what she really wants and stumble across road blocks.
I loved the synchrony among the five housemates. At the end, I even grew to like the Orca President, whom I initially thought would end up being annoying. But, his presence was crucial.
The drama's strongest aspect were the life lessons --I won't be forgetting anyone of those soon. It was a highly inspirational watch and I'll recommend this to anyone who is attempting to overcome a tough time in their lives.

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I finished this drama a week ago and i'm so glad I watched it. It made me feel all happy and warm inside, a drama like this is so hard to find. I loved all the characters and the OST and even the background music was soo good i've been listening to it on repeat lately. I looked forward to getting cosy in bed every night and watching it, i found myself smiling so much whilst watching it. At first i was getting a little annoyed at the Orca President, but then i felt bad because his character was so good, and i liked that he respected Mashiba, even though he liked her he didn't act on his feelings which i really liked. As for Shun, I absolutely loved his character and how he made Mashiba do a 'digital detox'. The food in this drama looked so delicious as well hehe. I will definitely rewatch this!

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Good Enough

Japanese Drama ' Kikazaru koi Niha Riyuu ga Atte ' is a slice of life drama with some romance and an up to date drama. It has a love triangle that spices up the love story and some family drama to make the main character more relatable. The office story was also pretty entertaining.

The love story, first of all, was cute, realistic but had a speedy pace. It starts early on at the beginning of the drama and, even though the couple had chemistry and their romantic scenes were sweet and enjoyable, the love story somehow lacked intensity. The love triangle was just okay. And the side couple was rushed and had few scenes here and there to justify its' progress.

Other than that, the slice of life genre was spot on. It was sweet and felt cozy as well. Plus, the social media theme was well handled. The rest of the plot lines were nicely embedded into the main one.

As for the performances, everyone did a great job and they were all enjoyable.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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