I knew it wasn't going to be pretty based on the description but it hasn't softened the blow one bit. Loved the series, and all the characters. I have ugly cried worse than in any media I've ever watched.
Now I need something light, thus far I have watched Ties to shooting stars, Love Generation and Long Vacation.
Any recs appreciated!
Guuzen nimo saiaku na shounen starring Hayato Ichihara and Mika Nakashima.
—
Hidenori is a Japanese-Korean man with no sense of belonging, destination or education. He drifts around and meanders through life until a death reminds him of his heritage and so begins a journey to South Korea.
Recently acquired the official recipe book for the show and translated the recipe for Napolitan below. There are 20 other recipes (not pictured in the list are a few peperoncino pastas). Let me know if there's any specific one you'd like to see.
Ingredients (for 1 person):
- 100g spaghetti (1.8-1.9 mm)
- 0.25 onion
- 2 sausages (probably the Japanese kind)
- 0.5 bell pepper
- 3.5 tbsp ketchup
- 0.5 tbsp wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- oil
Instructions:
I haven't read anything about a worldwide release yet so most likely it'll be Netflix Jp only. I'm hoping for the day they start streaming taigas overseas. (I don't know what happened to Dou Suru Ieyasu on Prime, it's no longer available?)
Edit. HOLD ON!! I literally just came across an Oricon post and it says 'worlwide release'!!!😮
Can someone suggest me a show which is like kurosagi the black swindler (2006), or like the anime liar game or the genre of these types of shows :D, the characters in kurosagi were perfect... so maybe a show/movie with similar actors
Hey, I'm watching Good Morning Call right now, got any other recommendations like it? I can only watch on Netflix US for now. Thanks a bunch!
my fav j drama oat, this is warm, comforting, and idk I watched this first years ago, did a rewatch recently, it is a shame they didn’t renew 😞.
I’ve been watching Worst to First: A Teen Baseball Miracle and I can't stop crying. 🥲 To be honest, I know nothing about baseball. My colleague loves it and is always sharing Shohei Ohtani updates, but the rules always seemed so confusing to me. I thought I'd give this J-drama a try to build some interest, and wow, it is incredibly moving. It’s actually based on a true story. Definitely worth a watch!
Learned Japanese thanks to this series. Now when I watch it the feeling is like going back in time and checking in with friends. Started this series not understanding a god damn word. Now 15+ years later living in Japan and completely understanding everything in the series. #FeelsGoodMan
I'm starting this discussion thread because the other one existing is skewed to a negative review, which is fair but I think it'd be nice to have a generic thread for all kinds of views. That main post also seems to have spoilers, which I'm avoiding as I've only watched until ep2 so far -- but I have thoughts to share!
Synopsis (from Netflix Japan):
After inadvertently destroying his best friend’s life, Narutaki Ryu abandons everything and leaves Japan. Near death at a church in a foreign land, he’s saved by Hwang Johan, a Korean boxer. Both men carry deep emotional scars. As their lonely souls begin to intertwine, they discover a once-in-a-lifetime connection. But the more they yearn to share their lives, the more cruelly fate entangles their destinies. Set across Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo, this decade-spanning narrative chronicles two young men’s journey of soul and love, marked by unforgettable moments of pain, suffering, and joy.
My thoughts as of the end of ep2: (spoilers tags applied)
Behold, another joint collaboration of Japanese and Korean actors! I'm not sure of further production details for now, the crew looks to be all-Japanese but they sure are keeping up the trend since Eye Love You, Romantics Anonymous and Gimbap to Onigiri.
I started this drama without knowing anything other than what was shown in the trailer. And it revealed as much as the opening of the pilot, that Ryu is >!in shock after the sudden drastic accident of a good friend/ice hockey teammate, Arata, played by Mizukami Koshi.!< I wish we had more screen time of Koshi as I love watching him -- he has this quiet, brooding vibe but is total sunshine when he smiles. I like how the show cuts off the >!not-quite-sad but numb grieving sequence with the incident in the church. The moment in the confessional booth also became a funny topic later when Ryu talks to Johan for the first time, which was a nice touch. !< The script so far is written quite nicely to suit the characters.
I've taken a liking to Johan. I'd admit I could be a bit biased because I used to be a fan of Ok Taecyeon when his K-pop boyband, 2PM, was in its heyday. I also discovered he has pretty good acting chops when I saw him in the Kdrama, Reborn Rich. He plays passionate, wild characters well, and Johan here is turning out to be pretty wild and free-spirited. His Japanese here is also a bit comical -- it's obvious he was instructed to sound awkward, because IRL he's way more fluent. He's known to be effectively multilingual in Korean, English and Japanese.
As for Ryu, so far it feels like the Hayato I've seen in several other dramas he's appeared in. He has never really made an impression on me frankly, because I find he tends to lack expressiveness, but we shall see as the story progresses >! since Ryu was going through grief but should be coming out of it in the next episodes. !<
The setting in Berlin in these 2 episodes also lends a nice vibe to the show, helping to carry the concept of >!running away from which the 2 MC's start forming a bond. Sumiko's apartment is so aesthetic, and I keep remembering that scene when Ryu "hallucinated" that Arata jumped out of the open window there -- emphasising how extremely haunted he was by the extreme measures his friend took and bearing a lot of guilt over it.!<
At the end of ep2, >!I'm so relieved Ryu made the first move to share his contact with Johan. The scene was cute (thankgod for QR codes!) and adds a realistic element to their story. I mean, the writer could very well have decided to make their reunion back in Asia a fateful encounter again, but high chances it would've paled in comparison. !<
At this point, I'm hoping it turns out to be a wholesome BL story where they save each other from their inner ghosts, as in character growth. I wouldn't like it if they don't end up together, but I'm seated for Taec 😁
Would love to see your thoughts in the comments, and please remember to use the spoiler tag!
Did the original version of Long Vacation have an actual Ben Folds Five song in it?
In the Netflix version, there is what sounds like literal gibberish playing and the characters say it's Ben Folds Five. As a Ben Folds Five fan, it's very weird.
Recently I saw a clip on tiktok about a woman who guarantees 100% success rate to top schools so a lot of people sign up. they’re forced to climb a ton of stairs to get to the application room. Then a little girl is accepted but the teacher explicitly says to never question her teaching methods and to not eavesdrop ever. What show is this ?? Thank you for the help.
I honestly don’t even know where to start talking about Meet Me After School.
I picked it up simply because i love the older woman/younger man trope. Usually, i avoid pure romance stories and prefer romance as a subplot in mystery or thriller dramas. Out of every 20 dramas or anime i watch, maybe only one is romance focused. But this drama completely surprised me. I’ve never felt this much suspense and emotional tension while watching a romance story.
From the very first episode, I got absorbed into it. The opening with Uru’s voice immediately pulled me in. Her songs always carry so much emotion, and combined with the prologue, i instantly felt this drama was going to be special.
The atmosphere was beautiful, the rural setting, the school, the summer vibe, everything reminded me of 2000s and early 2010s anime. It gave me a nostalgic feeling that i rarely get from modern anime anymore.
I know the story revolves around a controversial relationship, but what impressed me was how emotionally mature it felt. The drama focuses heavily on Suenaga Hijiri and her internal struggles. Even though both leads are important, the story spends more time exploring her emotions, fears, and loneliness, and honestly, it made me empathize with her deeply. Kasumi Arimura was incredible in this role. It genuinely felt like she became the character.
Hijiri already had what most people would consider a stable life: her dream job, supportive parents, and a fiancé who wasn’t toxic, but there was still something missing inside her., she lacked confidence and emotional support. Her long distance relationship also clearly wasn’t working, especially when it became obvious that her fiancé wanted her to give up teaching and move to his city.
Then Akira entered her life.
Some people might ask why he fell in love with her, but love doesn’t always need a logical explanation. Sometimes feelings just happen. What made their connection special was that he emotionally understood her more than anyone else. Unlike her fiancé, he never tried to take away her dream. He supported her and gave her confidence, and that emotional support slowly became the foundation of their relationship.
What I loved most is that the drama didn’t romanticize secrecy in a cheap way. Their relationship wasn’t built around sneaking around or meaningless physical attraction. Instead, it focused on emotional intimacy, trust, and understanding.
At the same time, every episode raised the pressure around them: photos being taken, rumors spreading, people judging her at school, parents looking down on her. And because of the age difference, the blame always fell more heavily on her than on him.
What made Hijiri’s character even better is that despite falling deeply in love, she never wanted to ruin his future, she wanted him to grow, study, and become a better person. At first, she believed his feelings were just a teenage crush, but when she heard that he would never love anyone more than her for the rest of his life, that’s when everything changed for her emotionally.
The story ultimately becomes less about Is this relationship right or wrong? and more about If you truly love someone, what are you willing to do for their future?
Even his mother wasn’t portrayed as evil, she believed Hijiri was using her son to fill the emotional emptiness in her own life, which is understandable from a parent’s perspective. But over time, even she realized their feelings were genuine. She simply wanted conditions and boundaries before accepting it.
And honestly, the final episode almost destroyed me emotionally.
I was genuinely getting angry because everything they had built together seemed like it was going to collapse, with only a few minutes left, I thought the drama was about to betray its viewers completely. I was seriously regretting watching a pure romance story again.
But then the final moments happened.
Those last two minutes gave me exactly what I needed, even though it was short, it felt earned. After everything they went through, the happy ending felt deserved. Their relationship was never about ruining each other’s lives. In fact, she constantly pushed him toward a better future instead of holding him back.
I was ready to give the drama a 10/10, then the final episode dropped it to a 3/10 emotionally… before the ending brought it back to a 9/10. The only reason it isn’t a perfect score for me is because i wanted more reunion scenes. Their relationship deserved at least another episode to fully wrap things up.
And once again, I have to praise Kasumi Arimura. I know many people criticize Japanese acting for being too expressive or anime-like but honestly, that’s one of the reasons i love it. Acting, to me, is about conveying emotions and making you feel the character’s heart, and she did that perfectly.
What also made this romance special is how restrained and emotional it was. The drama proved that romance doesn’t need constant sexual scenes to feel powerful. With only a few hugs, a couple of kisses, and meaningful silence, it conveyed more intimacy than many dramas do with explicit scenes.
The hut scene especially was incredible , instead of sitting close to her or acting aggressively even the kiss and space he had, Akira respected her space and sat quietly in the corner ,and the way she looked at him afterward said everything. In that moment, she realized he was the person she wanted beside her forever. He didn’t desire her in a shallow way, he genuinely needed her presence in his life. That scene alone perfectly captured the kind of romance that emotionally affects me.
So now i’m looking for more romance dramas like this, whether it’s older woman/younger man, the reverse dynamic, or same-age romance. This drama genuinely revived my passion for romance stories for the first time since 2020, please i need recommandations.
And please… happy endings only. Otherwise I might lose that passion again.
What types of dramas are you watching this week? Is it from this season or from the past?
Feel free to recommend or ask for new shows this thread as well!
It's not the insane amount of tragedies that plague these people's lives, it's the unexplained "connection" between the leads. Whether it's the ridiculously fast jump into asking the guy to move in together based on the actual amount of interaction they've had, or the ridiculous one year gap between the girl finding out he's dying to actually telling the other guy he's dying.......The way people act in this drama doesn't make sense and doesn't explain how or why they fell for each other or if they are supposed to be in romantic love or not.
I think it's a great story except for the problem I have with people giving misleading premises, titles, and genres to their work, which I find to be happening with greater and greater frequency in the last few years.
No matter how I look at it, this is not a BL. They don't overcome any tragedies at all by the way, they just accept all of them and comfort each other and that's all fine... but like... what am I watching here? WTF
It makes me mad. I don't know how long they lived together, why Japanese people are obsessed with people who love each other leaving and spending most of the relationship apart instead of together (also a French and American thing - people sincerely hate the idea of people being together with those they want the most for reasons I've never understood but I would guess is related to giving up on what you want), why their relationship in the at least for sure two years they lived together was wholly platonic if they are in love... so many questions about things that are ultimately nonsense.
I found myself in the second or third to last episode wondering if they slept in the same room or had different room because I would have zero reason to believe this was a BL or romance if it wasn't billed as an LBGTQ+ and romance.
And I kind of have a problem with being mislead.
I found myself in the last episode looking up if this was a BL or a bromance, halfway through the last episode. I can appreciate quiet love, and the love was there... but like, don't call it romantic love if it's not and if it is... please demonstrate that it is... it's not for us to draw out own story out of your story... you're supposed to tell the story, not us.
This is a problem I have with misleading storytelling and labels not BL or not BL story lines.
For comparison, two guy platonically eating noodles: https://x.com/eatthendrink/status/2055987640856641881
I have only seen good thing regarding hana yori dango the Japanese drama i was shocked to find criticisms of it.
I mean maybe it's just nostalgia for me but I didn't have any criticisms of the Japanese version aside from a couple nitpicks unlike the other versions so what I found statements such as this
"Annoying as Season Two was, it was not a patch on the movie for lameness. I can’t believe I re-watched that pathetic excuse for a movie. Tricked! Lured by the charms of Matsujun & Mao to slog through a bog of non-plot and irrational behavior, all in the name of extended fanservice.”
Or criticisms for how the show's characters are politically incorrect I was surprised and just didn't get it and I can't get answers from the person who wrote this as it was written years ago so before I post my post on why I love the drama so much I would like to see differing opinions on the drama whether positive or negative so please drop your opinions on hana yori dango.
Could someone please provide me the link of the black swindler (kurosagi) movie 2008 😃
i tried searching on netflix and couldnt find 😞
that have atleast 2 or 3 seasons...even better if its a complete series. more seasons the better
[lyrics]
In the dappled sunlight of spring, I was buried in your kindness, a coward, wasn't I?
Tired of talking with you, I fell silent one day.
[ The words written on the note say "Help".]
The electric heater, used as a stove, burned red.
In the underground jazz café, we were there, unchanged.
Time passed by like a bad dream.
When I was alone, I found your favorite Charlie Parker in my room.
Have you forgotten me? You must have been surprised to see how pathetic I've become.
Is that girl still doing well? That was a long time ago.
In the dappled sunlight of spring, I was buried in your kindness, a coward, wasn't I?
hi everyone! as the title suggests, I'm interested in non-romance dramas that have amazing chemistry (platonic/non platonic) between the leads (preferably m/f)! bonus points if there's bickering involved!
here are a few dramas I've watched that I think fits the criteria: Talio, octo: kanjou sousakan shinno akari, ishiko to haneo, trillion game, Saiai, spec: birth, code blue, tenshoku no maou sama
thank you!!