Yasashii Jikan

I found the slow nature of this drama really well done. It left me feeling content and peaceful and I really loved the performances in this drama. Don't expect any major developments or thrills though there are some events it's really not a show that relies on them to keep your interest. I also have to say the soundtrack was perfect for this I loved the theme song especially.

I just finished watching Yasashii Jikan, and I know it will always be one of my favorites despite some criticisms and the lack of a strong theme. The story, characterization and setting were all phenomenal, and the mood overall is so palpable it's almost like another character itself. The Forest Clock coffee house is a place you'll find yourself missing when you're not watching this and wanting to visit when you've finished (it's a real, functioning cafe in Furano, Hokkaido, BTW); Wakui-san, the staff and the motley crew of regulars there seem almost like family - people you will find yourself thinking about long after you've stopped watching. Terao Akira is perfectly cast for the role of Wakui, at times bringing to mind the depth and intensity of Clint Eastwood; Ninomiya Kazunari and Nagasawa Masami fit their roles with conviction and incredible emotional range. Yo Kimiko's elegant and understated Tomoko was actually a scene-stealer in several spots - in the scene where she shows up a little tipsy at Forest Clock and teases Wakui-san, Tomoko managed to be laugh-out-loud funny, adorable and incredibly wise all at once.

My first criticism is that the father-son estrangement story, though generally written and played excellently, missed some opportunities for deeper, more moving drama - like gooseflesh-type scenes where the two almost meet but just miss each other (like HaTa-san and TeruTeruBozu in "With Love,") and I think the two characters were made aware of each other's whereabouts too early on, short-circuiting more dramatic opportunities within the story.

The other criticism is that the ending was anticlimactic after all of that great buildup. Episodes 10 and 11 both seemed a little rushed. There was a noticeably hastened pacing after the previous 9 and a whole lot of resolution points jammed into them, yet other subplot loose ends were left unresolved. Given that the series ran 11 episodes rather than an even 12, I'm speculating that perhaps the production ran over budget and a late decision was made to truncate the series with a hastier wrap-up? I had expected the climactic reunion scene to come to a head at the ceramics competition, an event Wakui's son Takuro was eagerly anticipating, but that event wasn't even presented. Again, I think the ending could've been done in a way that took better advantage of the buildup to that point, but that's not to say I was seriously disappointed either. It's just not the emotional wallop that I'd expected.

Some have commented that they found the conversational scenes at the cafe bar to be boring, but aside from the context of this being a slow-paced melodrama, to me they were one of the most fascinating aspects of it. It was an interesting glimpse into the lives of small-business entrepreneurs and their social and business acquaintances, and some uproarious humor on occasion. Takuro-kun's apprenticeship was fascinating too, and his sensei Ryokosuke was a crackup - almost like he stepped off of the pages of Tolkien or Rowling. Great job by Maro Akaji in that role.

Finally, the theme song "Ashita" is indeed spectacular. That's Hirahara Ayaka? I didn't even recognize her - or more specifically, the song is so overwhelming in its gentle beauty that it left me too spellbound to wonder who gave voice to it. It's as good as "Avec Toi Toujours," the theme song for the dorama "Fufudo," sung by Missa Johnouchi. I wish the rest of the soundtrack were more than just light piano music, but I will likely order it anyway. "Ashita" alone is worth it.

If you are patient by nature, Yasashii Jikan is well worth the time spent - a truly memorable, often magical slice-of-life.

This drama set up with a really good first episode. It made me watch the whole drama in a row, each episode of it. It got a bit slower at half way and the ending was as expected. Though the ending was the point I was really expecting and it happened :)

This is not a tearjerker but a slowly based basic human drama with amazing acting. I've never liked Nino that much (even though he's been in lot of dramas I love) so I was lucky to find out this one was more about the father than the son. Nonetheless he did a splendid job and I must say I value him more from now on. All the actors/actresses were good ones. Though I disliked the character Masami played at some point :)

If you like slowly paced human drama with not much of surprising twists in the plot and you like the setting, this one will suck you in fully! In the end you get exactly what you wanted in the beginning of the show. That is also the only downside of this one... a drop of surprising moments couldn't have hurt.

Ps. Those scenes of Hokkaido are really making me wanna move there :)