phlargo

I wanted to give it a 10.

I absolutely loved it. It was great. It was fun. It was sweet. All the goodies. The opening music is very simple but every time the opening credits came on, I was happy to see them - the song is simple and catchy and just feels right.

Kai is brilliantly acted, even if the character is a little compartmentalized. He may have belted out one of the most impressive performances I've seen in a Jdrama. Sae's challenges and personality are amazingly handled, if a little over the top at times. She has that bifurcated personality that can make her unbelievably sweet and endearing but at the flip of a coin, an unreasonable and confused child. Akane is actually a very strong role as well. She grows a lot (perhaps a little too introspective) through the series and is suprisingly strong. Shohei was a little underdeveloped (a lot of potential for him), as was Keita. Miho was a treat as the ambitious helper who could never quite get it right.

However, it was not without its flaws: The plot is quite cyclical and never very deep. The ending is hasty and curt and somewhat cliche. How often can they throw the same scenario at us and expect us to be excited by it (return of the ex...)

I think it suffers from imbalance on the main characters relative influence on the relationship, putting almost all of the weight on poor Kai. Sae is portrayed as overly weak and doesn't get sufficient opportunity for redemption - her power play at the end is passive and almost codependant. Kai brushes it off with the same skill and charm that makes him almost too invulnerable.

The final shot is so unbelievably cathartic it breathes spectacular richness into the entire experience, even if entirely predictable. I've never had a single shot make me cry every time I watch it - so much vunerability and trust. (writing that made me choke up).

A heartwarming/heartbreaking story of finding and fighting for love.

Two characters fighting against each other for much of the series only to finally come together in the face of tragedy. Captures some good themes about beauty and honesty but perhaps falls short of true greatness - the idea of 'life as beauty' only get a cursory examination and could be so much more deeply explored with the same characters. The characters are for the most part very well played. Certain scenes in the end (and likely throughout) will require a handy box of tissues to mop up your face.

I was really pleased with the casting all around. Takemoto was so much better a character than in the anime. As was Morita (even though his story was severly truncated in the drama). I thought Romaya Sempai was a wonderful addition. The middle of the series was so fractured and dragged along so slowly that , however, I honestly can't recommend the series to anyone. I think the director should pretty much be shot. They were random scenes thrown together and like 6 or 7 episodes dragged by because they had so little greater meaning. If you want a good story, watch the anime instead.

I don't know if it's the time in my life or the magic of the series, but its the first time I've found myself seriously emotionally invested with the characters of an Anime or Drama (I watched both in rapid succession). Nodame breaks my heart every time she says "Chiaki-sempai" with her cute mouth.

How embarassing to be a nearly 30 year old guy and swoon at a fictional character like that!

Don't miss this one. It's fantastic!