Was it that unreasonable though?

Completed watching this raw as i couldn't wait any longer for subs and here i am nonchalantly writing a review since none was submitted so far.

This drama is about Hinako, an earnest 30 year old who works as a secretary for "Relation Gate" company president (Asami), an overachieving boss whom she's been at the beck and call for 8 years, neglecting her private life in the process.
Suddenly Asami gives the clumsy yet hardworking secretary Hinako an "Unreasonable Request", i.e., to become the president of "Relation Foods", the company's subsidiary. Thus, the drama title "Muchaburi!"

This has a pretty straightforward plot revolving around the work life of an awkward, clumsy but earnest Office Lady turned company president and her staff's daily work life; ambitions, hang-ups, struggles and self-fulfillment included.

This is your run-of-the-mill typical Jdorama office narrative. Jovial, inspiring, slice-of-life, business-focused romcom. YET, i personally found it quite entertaining to watch. Since it's about growth, self-confidence and finding one's vocation, with a little bit of romance and comic relief on the side.

We can see how this drama follows common structural elements of an "initiation journey to self-realization". Through a 3 key points traditional narrative: "Call to initiation, ordeal, and self-transformation." As many other dramas that follow this kind of formula, you could safely bet that it's no mind-altering content.
HOWEVER, what makes this drama a teeny weeny special in my eyes, is that it has good enough acting, likeable characters and it doesn't take itself too seriously (despite the business theme). It's just a nice, breezy, comfy and a tad inspiring watch.

Besides the soothing tone and motivating atmosphere, i couldn't help but love the main cast and enjoyed how the leads -despite their quarrels and differing approaches- supported each-other throughout the whole thing. Both worked hard (along with their colleagues) in order to maintain a productive business and a meaningful work life.

By the way, don't let the love triangle discourage you from watching this. As it's probably the least annoying triangle you'll come across (i say this based on my love triangle-hater experience).
It's one of those rare dramas where both men are actually good matches for the FL.
Be it Asami (the charismatic eccentric and mysterious boss) or Taiga (the tsundere outspoken but very reliable colleague). Both are good men, hardworking, responsible and supportive. Both guys bring out the best qualities in Hinako, as they equally had good chemistry with her.
Not to mention, their different temperaments complement and contrast well with the her cheerful personality type. So i honestly wouldn't have minded if she ended up with either one.

Having said that, i was on team Taiga since he's the type to build the female lead up, he always got her back, he supports her in her endeavors and challenges her wrong opinions, he gives her confidence and encourages her to be more assertive and pushes her self-limitating beliefs when she's being wishy-washy and provides her with a good balance as he serves as her centering rock.
It also doesn't hurt to admit that the "gap" between his usual frowny fussy expression and the heart-warming puppy eyes is too "moe".

The romance department as a whole, was decent and quite basic. Be that as it may, it did contain a couple "doki doki" moments.
Being an avid romance lover, i liked how "ordinay" the whole thing felt, nothing overdramatic, no spell-binding plot-twists, makjang-like betrayals and back-stabbing, nor any obsessive, needy and pushy third-wheels in sight. (That's something for a Jdrama!) Everything flowed more-or-less realistically between the leads, their little disagreements showcased how comfortable they are with voicing their own opinions to each-other and their synchronicity at work was at full display and showed how much of a good match they'd make. Which made their romantic entanglement all the more meaningful. Though i wished to see more of their lovey-dovey moments...

Finally, Mitsuki-chan and Jun have great chemistry together. Loved how organically they bounced off each-other's characters. Would love to watch another project with the same leads. Hopefully, I will get see them starring together in another romance project.

SCORE: A cheerful, satisfied 7/10. Couldn't rate this higher as it's a simple drama plot-wise. But i do recommend it for all Jdrama and romcom lovers alike.

On a side -unrelated- note:
I really liked the styling choice in this drama. Mitsuki-chan's look here; wardrobe choice, makeup, hairstyle, accessories and all. Everything looked so good on her and suited her skin tone. Some people would disagree but i frankly think this was her best look.

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"In repugnant things we discover charms.."

Raw, gripping, unnatural, unnerving...

"My Husband is Sleeping in the Freezer"
​is a slightly provocative, enthralling and twisted tale of stained, rotten love and unrestrained indulgence, inspiring both horror and ecstasy.

Synopsis:
A bruised soul decides to take her destiny into her own hands and murders her abusive man and throws him inside a freezer.
The next morning he shows up again at her doorstep.. Will she ever be free from this nightmare?

Characters:
Hot and cold mysterious and manipulative male lead.
Happiness-chasing, sorrowful female lead.
Eccentric, shrewd and morally stained individuals.
Ambiguous and complex relationship dynamics between the leads.

Overall:
"Watashi no Otto" contains unsettling themes, a good enigma and maintains a compellling sense of mystery throughout its short length.
If you let go of prior expectations and approach this story with an open mind, you'll appreciate it for its strange beauty.


Genre: Romance, horror, mystery, crime, psychological thriller.

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A heartachingly poetic expression of love, hope & beauty

This is easily one of the best works i've ever seen.
I cried my eyes out while watching this heart-wrenchingly poetic love story unfold.
This movie was superbly artistic, emotionally captivating and heartachingly beautiful.
The characters' love felt unapologetically genuine.. Even in the weighty silence, their eye were most eloquent...
Chapeau bas for the main leads. Their pain & longing kept tugging at my heartstrings throughout this experience... They portrayed a whole spectrum of complex human emotions in a seemingly sincere and unfeigned effort.

This piece of art is definitely worth all the appreciation & the praise it is receiving.
It is simply nothing short of a masterpiece. It will stay with me for a long time.

Themes:
Suffering, the human condition, bullying, social disparity, youth, sacrifice, unconditional love,
Tags: Bittersweet, thought-provoking, aesthetic picture, poetic romance.

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An adrenaline rush coming of age type of story

This drama was nothing spectacular in terms of story but it had its stimulating & intoxicating moments...
Worldclass in terms of production; the opening credits were stupendous and the scenery was stunning. Such things are naturally to be expected from a Nextflix Original.
The setting was done on a huge scale in a fake town, where roads, and some structures were solely built for the sake of this project. That entire empty Shibuya crossing sequence was breathtakingly beautiful!

The dogfight, battle royale mindgame concepts were nothing new in the competitive death match genre. But surely, they were thrill-inducing!
The worldbuilding & the game rules were intriguing. This kept me guessing: What will happen next? Who the Game Master is? What will they do to come back to their usual lives?
The drama & suspense had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, the games keep me guessing how they'll end, who will be sacrificed in a cruel & unusual death & how will the next game rules be defined...

Characters:
The title's pun "Alice in Borderland" and the "Alice Illusion" aspect in terms of referential names (Arisu=Alice, Usagi=Bunny, Chisiya=Chesire, Hatter, Doudou, ..) was a good "clin d'oeil" to the masterul literary work.

The NEET MC was definitely the most fleshed out character. His internal struggle & character evolution was well elaborated. Despite his larger-than-life intelligence & gaming skills, he was a relatable flawed character, who went from being presented as a relatively simple & plain-looking young NPC to a rough, battered, determined MC displaying heroic willpower. The strength of his character leveled up by a new found sheer force of will & empathic virtue.

The strong FL character aka "athletic badass action girl" was worth rooting for as a composed, dependable, well-determined, likeable tough cookie.
Both lead characters were memorable, their complicity in/out of battle was symbiotic. Their actor casting choice was also appropriate.

The rest of the characters and their individual backstories were clichéd. Though they had diverse talents, struggles and goals. They were altogether enjoyable to watch.

Cons:
-The live action format is very limiting but this is the best example of a potential anime story being translated extremely well.
-The viewer must overlook the nudity & the gratuitous explicit scenes. That were "just there" where they could have been hinted at subtly instead. This "mature audience appeal" though is expected from Netflix.


Overall:
Although there were no grand "moral lesson" to be had. The whole concept applied the rule of cool really well. The journey was definitely entertaining & gratifying.

10/10 in terms of enjoyment. An enthusiastic 9 out of 10 if everything else is taken into account.

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A befitting realistic, bleak and bitter depiction of tragedy

This work is nothing spectacular if you only view it solely as a crime thriller that needs a larger-than-life hero, an overpowered antagonist and a mindblowing twist.
However, if expand your view to the human side of the characterizations it delves into, you'd definitely see the finality behind such opaque portraitures and the cathartic value of their expressions.

Story:
Primarily centered around the procedural and investigative process to indict a twisted criminal who committed heinous deeds that nobody knows about or wishes to discuss.
Secondarily, through the character dynamics and portrayal, this work was presented as a dramatic character study type of movie.

Character work:
We have an emotionnally disconnected, conniving, machiavellian serial killer, swimming in an ocean of lies and deceit, trying his hardest not to get caught.
At the same time, we have a dectective pursuing work that offers no wealth or social prominence, suffering humiliation after another, going through relentless efforts to get to the bottom of truth to offer the victims some peace and their loved ones closure.

Leading actors:
Ju Ji-hoon did a wonderful job portraying a disgusting, easily-angered sleazebag with an oversized ego, on one hand.
A nemesis character that still had enough torment, affliction and enough miserable inclination to bring up a thought like "what if he grew up around people who cared, would the outcome have been different for him and the victims?"
I couldn't shake that sense of pity, disgust and confusion.

On the other hand, Kim Yoon-seok, with his calm, judicious and wise disposition beautifully portrayed the Ethos and ideals one would seek in any dedicated, selfless, martyr-like figure, to cheer for, respect and look up to.

OST:
I'm not the type to pay attention to the musical score unless it is something memorable. The soundtracks playing from the prologue to the epilogue by "Mok Young Jin" were dark, atmospheric and exquisitely eerie comme il faut!


Overall: 8/10
Being based on a true story, this movie left me with a bit of hope and an aftertaste of bitterness.
I would definitely recommend!

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