Uneven, but generally good
8 / 10jdoramadotcom · 2012
It takes a half dozen episodes before the plot finally gels, but solid acting and the undeniable chemistry between Tatako Matsu and Kimura Takuya is consistently appealing. Takuya is likable and convincing, here as a sensitive, brooding would-be salaryman - who can't seem to forget his first love (Jinna Risa). Matsu is flirtatious and guarded about romance, and it takes some time until they realize they might be ideal for each other.
The main drama tries to sustain tension through a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications - which can be somewhat annoying over time. LOVE GENERATION isn't exactly predictable, but it's a fairly typical love story that desperately needs something (wit, inventiveness) to push it to the next level. The soundtrack is fairly bland, and doesn't capture key moments as well as better dramas. Even the title is about as generic as they come.
The theme is more carefully thought out than you might think. The glass apple that appears frequently in various episodes suggests that transparency of motive helps balance out the ever-present possibility of temptation. The two pair of couples at the center of this drama address this issue constantly, and transparent honesty is supposed to be the antidote to the risks of intimacy. Of course, knowing the theme doesn't solve the drama's loose, indifferent pacing.
The main problem is that the co-leads, though good at drama, are only passable at comedy. In addition, a number of dramatic sequences begin promisingly, then fizzle.