Fan reviews: Love complex

popdod · 21 Jul 2008

As its title says.....Love complex....if you love complex story telling. Other than that, not much emotional or laughter happening in this show.

slashersam016 · 17 Jul 2007

First time ive seen the sypnosis of this drama.. im expecting a thriller plot. and yeah im right but its has more to offer. its has many twists and turns. its like this drama is made creatively. very unique and fascinating to watch. the plot is there also you just have to understand it cause its very deep. this drama is really hard to leave specially in the middle of an episode. cause if you just go to cr or eat something and you will miss one important aspect of the story. once again starring Takashi Sorimachi and Karasawa Toshiaki (first time i saw him as an actor), good chemistry. and hilarious sometimes. and the 7 beautiful secretaries played by Japan's finest actresses: Ryo, Koyuki, Nishida Naomi, Enami Kyoko, Takahashi Hitomi, Ichinohe Nami, Itoh Misaki and Kimura Yoshino. overall if you guys like strange drama. i recommend this!!!. powerful performance by the actors and actresses. Samuel Samaniego of Quezon City, Philippines.

meruchan · 30 Nov 2005

This dorama was notorious in Japan when it came out, primarily because it demonstrated how a good storyline and excellent star power in the form of Sorimachi, Koyuki, Ryo, and Kimura Yoshino could be wasted by a self-absorbed director. This clown of a director attempts to imitate French New Wave filming techniques, with fast/slow motion, abstract scene sequences, etc. Some of these techniques work, but most do not, because his storytelling lacks any semblance of cohesion or consistency. Even New Waves fans would laugh at this amateurish effort, which also strangely reflects the directors' obvious inclination towards homosexuality in a number of scenes. Of course, such up-front, aggressive scenes must have gone over just great with prime-time Japanese viewers--not.

Some reviewers here will pretend to understand the "story" which this director has tried to portray, especially regarding the last episode, which usually ties a story together. Yet in this case, the final chapter insults poor viewers who have hung in to this point, by tossing in even more outlandish subplots, including extended gratuitous violence in the form of a fatal fistfight. Typically such a director would not want his work to be fully understood except in an abstract sense. Which makes this type of dorama a complete failure for normal viewing audiences that networks usually want to attract.

I have watched dozens of doramas and love French New Wave, but this dorama is simply pathetic--The efforts of an egotistical director who went wild and lost most of his viewers in the process. The actors try to do the best with the lines they have, but they also had to be surprised with how their scenes and special effects were spliced together. Hopefully this fool will never be allowed to direct another J-dorama. And hopefully you will find much better doramas to watch--Even the English subs for Love Complex are awful and on the level with the Malaysian-Chinese version of Koi ga Shitai. Look elsewhere!

juliana_phang · 13 Sep 2004

franklly telling, i don't quite get the whole series..
this drama has lots of crappy scenes, such as the last episode, on danta yasunori.
it's just mad confusing!!
my first impression when i read the title was, "oh cool another romance drama by sorimachi" which was absolutely wroNG!
it didn't even touch a single bit on romanCE!..oh well maybe it did.. 1% of the entire drama..

vash_donutangel · 26 Feb 2004

It was mad confusing, but it was worth watching, I feel...since Karasawa and Sorimachi made it unbearably sexy :} I couldn't help but smile in the end.

FierceStriker · 22 Jan 2004

This is one of the most unique J Dorama I have ever seen. Truly a twisted, mind-bending experience. This is a psychological drama (nightmare is perhaps more appropriate) with very heavy symbolism, no wonder a lot of people find it weird and cannot understand it.

SPOILER WARNING!
Some people commented that this drama symbolizes the chaotic Corporate world of Japan. In fact, it is actually the opposite, the problems, chaos in a corporation about to decease symbolizes, in the drama, the mind of a human being, which is also composed of thousand and millions of "employees" - memories, thoughts, hope or lack of. It is the destruction of such components that lead each character to their mental breakdown. There is the inability to face a father's death, fatal obsession over weight loss, hatred steming from a lover's betrayal, etc. Everyone pretends to be normal, like the company in the drama, they hide their problems (like the stealing issue in the company) and expect everything to be fine. However, once a "virus" enters, the company structure/the human mind built on self-denial crumbles. This drama is excellent in the fact that it represents such change of emotions by utilizing humor in the beginning and chaotic even psychotic breakdown in the later half. The viewer experiences the same thing as the characters, and that is why many viewers will feel uncomfortable, disturbed. That is what is intended.

EXPLANATION OF THE CONVOLUTED ENDING AND WHO KARASAWA IS
About the ending, Sorimachi jumped out of the window after kissing Karasawa, seemingly draining the "undying virus" (represented by the transfer of the blue eyes) from him. He dies to kill that "virus" he has taken upon himself. This death is more symbolic. The virus represents human complexes - a trauma, a fear, a hatred, etc. poisons resulting from life's changes. It is what corrupts everyone's life. Karasawa, even though being the physical representation of the virus, is in fact a victim as well. From the minimal info revealed, he is the illegitamate son of a powerful politician, born from a mistress. He himself carries such virus or complex, so strong that he seeks destruction to end all misery. If you notice, when Sorimachi jumps out of the window, a drop of tear came out of Karasawa's corpse - he has been released as well.

This drama is a dark comedy, a psychological thriller, an unexplainable success. It is disturbing, mind-bending, and maddening, rightfully so. If you are up for the challenge, watch it and try to comprehend it, it is well worth the chaos.

sseiya · 19 Dec 2003

I agree it is complicated, but I have to disagree totally with those that say the plot sucks or bad, stupid storyline or anything of sort. The fact that you may like those simple hero save the day or perfect couple stays together type of story or romance doesnt give you the right to judge this drama as bad, you may hate it, but it not the usual cup of coffee that most people had. You will have to give credit for the script writer and director for making a drama that atleast makes you think and it is very interesting and artistic.

Kaze · 7 Dec 2003

I watched this drama from a strictly artistic point of view, because i've studied cinematography and directing. Most people will probably not like this drama, because it's quiet odd. The story doesn't really make any sense, but i wasn't watching for the story. I give the director of this show a pat on the back for breaking the traditional J-drama mold, this is one of the few doramas I've ever seen that didn't feel packaged and artificial. The way this director composes his shots are truely cinematic. Most shots in this dorama are not story shots, they are more artistic and creative. It's hard to decribe unless you see it, a lot of dutch angled shots are used as apposed to your standard flat story shots. Meaning a lot of odd slanted angled shots instead of your standard balanced tripod shots. I also noticed the attempted use of slow motion in juxtapostion to speed up shots for style. not to mention the break from the traditional flat as a pancake TV series lighting. The director actually attempts to use shadowed three point and source silhouette lighting. And finally gotta give it him for boldly using all that new age music to liven up every scene. Anyways most people probably don't care about any of the stuff that I just mentioned but for those who do check this drama out gauranteed it'll be like nothing you've ever seen before in terms of doramas. Finally i think this director is wasting his time doing doramas, he should be making his move into film, because thats where creativity actually counts. Hell he could be the next Wong Kar Wai

thereds · 26 Jul 2003

i like this dorama because it's different from others dorama n the girls so cute, besides that i like the music in these dorama.

majinbads · 3 Jun 2003

Poor storytelling by the director, scriptwriter and the editor makes this the worst dorama I've seen. If you haven't seen this drama than I assure you folks, it doesn't worth your time and money.

What the heck is this drama about anyway? A horror, a suspense / thriller or was it a science-fiction? Personally, I think its a comedy and a very bad one too. Right from the first episode one can hardly figure out what the story was all about. They told you that these 2 clowns from some shadowy dept were transferred into the secretarial department to investigate about some missing money in this company.

The way they told this story with the flashback and present (events) all jumbled up together makes your head spinning like crazy just to comprehend whats taking place. Sorimachi plays a character that sometimes hallucinates just like Ally Macbeal and the director wants us to believe that this was caused by his abusive mother.

Karasawa plays Sorimachi's boss cum partner in the investigation. Both were supposed to find out the criminal. Karasawa then somehow become this strange, illogical character that can brainwash, manipulate people as he wishes. He can be a ghostbuster, driving the demon out of Ryo's body. He can also be Santa that can enter the mind of anybody he pleases to make them do horrible things. He can wrecked companies in a matter of months (thats what Ryo character told us). He is well connected. He knows senators and people with powers. More powerful than the chairman himself. In some scenes he even admits to being a god. Which makes us ask, what the heck does this guy wants in the company anyway?

They was never told us. All the ending tells us was that his deeds was due to akuma or other type of devil possessing his soul. When Karasawa dies the demon have no other choice but to enter Sorimachi's body. Actually this demon was never shown, I only assume so because I don't know any other reason why Sorimachi had to jump to his death after killing Karasawa (Think the film Exorcist and Fallen). Just like everything else in this drama its hard to logically explains anything. Still, I can't explain why Santa Claus looks like the Joker out of Batman. Notice the way Santa puts on his lipstick and dances around happily like a devil inside everybodies mind. Such stupid scenes went repeatedly for about half an hour. (Don't forget that damn song and 'melly chlistmas!'). They should have used the Grinch.

One more thing. I think this dorama should be titled as Hate Complex. There was plenty of scenes showing the hatred the characters have for each other. Love Complex gave me the impression that Sorimachi and Karasawa were involved in complex love relationship when trying to solve the case.

Overall, I hate this dorama. I gave this dorama 2 out of 10 stars cause Sorimachi is one of my favourite actor.

chentnk · 3 Jun 2003

It's either a 1 or a 10 and I decided to give it a 10 in the end. It was first the sight of Karasawa Toshiaki and Sorimachi Takashi on the cover that prompted me to buy the drama but after watching the first episode it was no longer the the two but the strangeness of the plot and story that pulled me in. I agree with the reviews that say 'weird'. Till now I am still VERY disturbed by the show and confused as to what message it tries to send, one of this being the reason for Takashi flinging himself out of the window when he was such a champion of life!

The shooting techniques are perturbing - the sudden slow motions, the story-book frames, the Blair Witch Project parody in one scene, a shot of the director introducing the film in a hair-raisingly self-parodying way, the freaky'Merry Christmas' sequences that has Toshiaki dressed up part Santa Claus part clown. No doubt a thought-provoking show that examines the psychological complexities and eccentricities of a warped society exemplified by six secretaries who perpetually wear an eerie, frozen cold smile on their faces - the pathos of a pretentious working class. What is either best or worst about the show is that till the very end I suddenly discovered I DON'T know who the criminal is or what on earth Toshiaki's true identity is, which was what the show has set out to unearth in the first place. Upon reflection the only conclusion I came up with, to dispel the idea the the scriptwriter went nuts halfway through his creation, is that it is another of the story's twist; it defies expectations and logic by proving that these are non-existent in a wrought society and proves that the story stretches beyond a suspense thriller, a mystery or examination of office politics in a large coporation to a micrscopic view of man's impulses, hidden fears and self-deception.

And these are only the first stage of my review. I believe a second watch will solicit a different perception.

HimuraGirl · 29 Aug 2002

Just removes all those silly and unnecessary parts, this would be a great psychological dorama. The basic storyline is suitable for a dark psycho dorama, i just couldn't get why should they insist on adding those ridiculous parts, maybe they just want to give a little comedy for this dorama which IMO made this dorama failed to be a good one. But despite of all those things, the combination of the cool duo of Sorimachi Takashi and Karasawa Toshiaki and the 7 pretty ladies (Kimura Yoshino, Ryou, Koyuki, etc) are something to watch ^_^

warren.mcclendon · 26 Jun 2002

This has to be worst drama I have ever seen. Other than the theme music, it is total garbage.

Guam Viewer · 10 Jun 2002

What drug was the writer on when the story was written? Whoa, this was one weird drama. It was like One Flew over a Cuckoo's Nest except the characters were wearing designer's clothing and not straight jackets.

piglet44 · 12 Apr 2002

This is definitely not for those who like normal dramas. Dramas should be light hearted and not so heavy handed. Must be one of Sorimachi's worst dramas. Better spend your money on other dramas!

UWFShooter · 16 Jan 2002

Very weird and not one where you can even blink as loyalties shift and the "war" between the Secretarial Section factions goes on. Yoshino and Ito convince as sexy @$$-kicking bitches. Karasawa and Sorimachi make a good tag team, but you'll be really surprised at the way they fall out (they will).

visualcentre · 30 Jul 2001

I love this drama so much as Sorimachi acted so good in this drama.

catcat · 27 Jul 2001

this drama is the weirdest i've seen so far. don't like it.

curian4 · 27 Apr 2001

Ok many ppl think that this drama is wierd but for me i can understand but the ending was a bit wierd