kdramalands - Tumblr blog

kdramalands · 4 months

Text

year-end drama recommendation

3. Quartet (2017)

10 eps, 45 min each

Quartet follows a story of four different people who share one passion, music. All four main characters are excellent at playing classical instruments so they form an amateur quartet under mysterious circumstances.

Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa, and Iemori Yutaka practice frequently to perfect their performance and, at some point, even decide to move in together during wintertime. The reasons for that all seem to centre at Maki due to some peculiar circumstances, that is, someone who wishes to know more about her.

The nature of this drama is more mystery than music so I would rather not spill all of our character's secrets here out in the open. All I can share is that eventually the scandalous truth comes out and all is explained.

I definitely recommend Quartet to people who like slow unravelling mystery, uncanny behaviours, and found family trope. At the beginning, Maki, Suzume, Tsukasa, and Yutaka don't feel that comfortable in their little group, considering they hide a lot of things from each other, but as the story progresses, they find themselves sharing more and more burdens with the rest of the quartet. This show is full of laughter, tears, and passion, and I enjoyed laughing and crying with the characters.

Obviously, I have to mention another great performance by Mitsushima Hikari — beautiful, moving, and ambitious. She never disappoints!

I can't believe another year passed so fast! I definitely didn't watch as many shows as I would like to, but life gets in the way sometimes. Nonetheless, I gave you my all, and I hope one of the positions on the list interested you a little bit. I can hear music getting louder and louder, so I'm off to my new year eve's party! This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama, and more dramas in 2024! Happy New Year 2024!

Part 1 || Part 2

#quartet #カルテット #matsu takako #mitsushima hikari #takahashi issei #matsuda ryuhei #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2023

3 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 4 months

Text

year-end drama recommendation

2. Animals (2022)

8 eps, 45 min each

Animals follows the story of Umi, a brilliant but absolutely overworked TV production office worker, during the most difficult part of any adult's life — career change.

Umi is constantly overwhelmed with tasks passed to her by her "I'll only do what I'm paid for" co-workers and her only reward for picking up their slack is her boss's warm praise. Umi is made to feel like she is an irreplicable part of her team and her sacrifice is needed for the shows they produce to succeed. One day, Umi is so tired from working overtime she falls asleep during a live broadcast, which becomes a hot topic on the Internet. Her boss, who usually very kindly accepts Umi's free labour, shames Umi for her behaviour and vehemently urges her to release a statement to clear the air and to take the heat off of the company.

Umi, rightfully, decides to resign from the shitty job and applies for a position at a make up company recommended to her by a new friend. Her beginnings aren't easy as Umi was not particularly interested in make up before, but she's surrounded by wonderful people who don't give up on her. One of those people is Kazao, the company's main photographer. He's constantly advising her during difficult times. With time, countless bowls of ramen, glasses of beer, and a growing pile of advice, something romantic grows between them. Our main character gains confidence she needs for her job thanks to her indomitable spirit and the support of people around her.

The reason I picked up this drama was its' focus on make up market. I absolutely adore make up, I like to have fun with it, and I'm always happy when I buy myself a new eyeshadow palette. It was refreshing to see a show that focuses so much on it and honestly, it was quite nice to finally have expert knowledge on a topic presented.

I felt extremely proud when Umi made her first steps in using some of the company's products. I absolutely understand the insecurity women feel with make up, especially when they have no previous experience, e.g. because they never had an opportunity to play with make up in their teenage years. Society pressures women to always look good but doesn't give us space to practice and make mistakes. The little steps we make feel so much bigger and scarier when there's an expectation on us to always look put together. Messy mascara application, chunky eyeliner wing, or patchy foundation is assimilated with teenager clumsiness so it's met with disdain. To that I say: not every woman has to be a pro in the art of make up, next time just let her know the eyeshadow she picked brings out her eyes or her lip combo is looking especially good today!

Part 1 || Part 3

#animals #animals 2022 #アニマルズ #suzuki airi #honda kyoya #jin shirasu #hoshino yuna #murakami erica #izuka kenta #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2023

7 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 4 months

Text

year-end drama recommendation

She's back and she's ready to share. Welcome to my annual year-end drama recommendation project where I share my favourite Japanese dramas I've watched during the year.

I hope 2023 was kind to you all!

I'm certainly not ready to end my year yet. As you can see, I still have 3 dramas to recommend to you all. Starting from today, 29th of December, till 31st of December — New Year's Eve, I will post one review a day, as I do every year and I will continue to do so until the end of the world (or just about when the barely working letter v key finally drives me mad, so please do not mention when there's a v missing in my notes, it's just my keyboard). I hope my short 2023 list won't disappoint! Now, I proudly present

1. Takahashi-kun from the Bicycle Shop (2022)

8eps, 25min each

Short, but sweet love story between a classic shy OL female lead, struggling in a toxic work environment, and a bleached-hair yankee male lead, who works at the bicycle repair shop owned by his grandpa. Main characters bond over... you're not going to believe this— a bicycle.

The plot is basically it. A slightly bumpy bicycle ride love story. No more, no less. There are no convoluted issues, no deep misunderstandings, and no dramatic scenes. Main couple meets over a slipped chain on Tomoko's precious bicycle, Deep Impact. Later, it turns out that Ryohei hates her squeaky brakes with passion every time she passes by his shop on her way to work, and recommends her to drop by to get it fixed.

Initially, Tomoko is a people pleaser, too afraid to refuse, and giving off the impression of an overly shy person, while Ryohei is bold, brutally honest, and — frankly — scaring people away with his delinquent image. As the story progresses and the couple gets to know each other more, she learns from him and he learns from her. They are wonderful to each other and the communication between them is so clear. The shortness and simpleness of this drama did not deter me from it, and I'm so glad it didn't because the chemistry between the characters made my heart flutter.

Part 2 || Part 3

#jitenshaya-san no takahashi-kun #Takahashi-kun from the Bicycle Shop #Bicycling Mellow Love #自転車屋さんの高橋くん #uchida rio #suzuki nobuyuki #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2023

6 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 11 months

Photo

Utsukushii Kare + textposts

#this drama was absolutely insane I loved it #hagiwara riku #yagi yusei #my beautiful man #utsukushii kare #my beautiful man 2 #utsukushii kare 2 #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #you're my man don't call yourself a pebble

2K notes · View notes

kdramalands · 1 year

Text

上り坂下り坂まさか

#matsu takako #mitsushima hikari #takahashi issei #matsuda ryuhei #quartet #カルテット #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #jdrama screencaps #jdrama screenshots #netflix #netflix drama #netflix jdrama

60 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 1 year

Text

year-end drama recommendation

4. Alice in Borderland 2 (2022)

8 eps, 60min each

This is a proposition for all of you who watched first season of Alice in Borderland and can't decide whether to watch the second season and for the rest of you who can't find it in themselves to start watching Alice in Borderland altogether. Please do it. Do my poor little heart a favour.

Second season of Alice in Borderland continues where we left off at the end of the first season. After completing ten of hearts game, all numbered cards are collected and a second phase begins. Alice and his friends have to participate in jack, queen and king's games to learn the truth about borderland and how to escape it.

Alice in Borderland 2 is a Netflix production and this season was 2 years in the making for it to finally hit us with the feels on December 22, 2022. This season felt like a definite conclusion of the story so I would not assume there will be a third one. I'm basing this information solely on my knowledge of the story from manga, I'm not an insider so at the end of the day, who knows? However, if you're curious on how Alice is faring after the end of season 2, I can recommend you a manga sequel to Alice in Borderland, Alice in Borderland Retry. It's a 13 chapter short story that could shine some light on what's going on in his life.

Alice in Borderland 2 was honestly everything I've ever wanted. I read all manga chapters right after I finished the first season and I could not wait to see it on the screen. In my opinion, AiB production team did their best to bring the comic to life.

The conclusion of Alice's story and the truth behind borderland may not be perfect for everyone, but for me it was poetic, beautiful, but also kind of ridiculous. I laughed in disbelief when I uncovered the truth, but after I revaluated the whole journey, I concluded that it truly was the best case scenario. I thoroughly enjoyed characterisation of jack, queen, and king games' hosts and I appreciated that they were given impactful introductions and respectful exits. Alice in Borderland is an action packed drama with many twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the freaking end.

This concludes the end of my list for 2022. I hope I got you interested enough to at least check one of the dramas.

I can already hear and see fireworks behind my window announcing the end of 2022. It was an honour being here with you all another year. It's been 6 years now! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to succeed in 2023. I hope you have fun plans and to-do lists ready for that brand new year! And, as always, I offer my endless gratitude for all of you who visited my tumblr, left some likes, reblogs, or comments under my posts. This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama and more dramas in 2023! Happy New Year 2023!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

#alice in borderland #alice in borderland 2 #imawa no kuni no arisu #imawa no kuni no arisu 2 #今際の国のアリス #今際の国のアリス２ #yamazaki kento #tsuchiya tao #murakami nijiro #asahina aya #kaneko nobuaki #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #netflix drama #yer2022

10 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 1 year

Text

year-end drama recommendation

3. Silent (2022)

11 eps, 54min each

Silent tells a story about two former lovers, Aoba Tsumugi and Sakura Sō, who meet 8 years after their sudden breakup. Tsumugi feels unsettled over Sō cutting contact with everyone for such a long time, but she doesn't harbour any resentment towards her ex-boyfriend over the painful parting. One day, they meet each other on the street by coincidence, only for Tsumugi to find out that Sō lost his hearing and it was the reason why he distanced himself from her and his friends from high school.

I felt moved by this story. The writing was marvellous, and I appreciated the feelings they tried to convey with Sō's character. I could clearly see the intentions behind every conversation and feel how subtle the relations between characters were. Hearing loss may be taxing both physically and mentally to the people affected — Silent portrayed how the diagnosis impacted many aspects of Sō's life, especially his family life, social life, and love for music.

Tsumugi and Sō's reunion was very emotional and well-thought out. 8 years apart made a dent in their relationship and, as the couple still parted very suddenly and with no explanation, there is a visible distance between them when they start to meet up more frequently. However, Tsumugi doesn't feel discouraged and tries to reconnect with Sō and we, viewers, can only watch how they try to welcome and accommodate each other in their new lives.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 4

#silent #サイレント #kawaguchi haruna #meguro ren #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2022

18 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 1 year

Text

year-end drama recommendation

2. First Love: Hatsukoi (2022)

9 eps, 55min each

First Love: Hatsukoi is a Netflix Original story inspired by the songs "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" by Utada Hikaru. Both "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" are featured throughout the series a few times so even if they're not really familiar to you, you will be able to listen to the songs and enjoy the ambience during your viewing.

This series tells a story of high school sweethearts reuniting after 20 years apart. Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi changed and moved on from their first love. Now, Yae works as a taxi driver and tries her best to bond with her teenage son, meanwhile Harumichi enjoys his quiet days at a security company and prepares for his upcoming wedding. Fate brings them together once more two decades after their parting to give them a chance to rekindle their romance.

From the bottom of my heart, I hugely respect actors behind the roles of Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi. Both Mitsushima Hikari and Sato Takeru consistently deliver the best performance. I truly think that they outdo themselves with each project they participate in. Actors who portrayed younger versions of the main characters, as well as actors of the background characters did amazing job to bring this story to us as well.

The premise of First Love: Hatsukoi made me feel very emotional. I watched all 9 episodes in one sitting, waiting for the conclusion with bated breath, tears in my eyes and my heart on full display. Yae and Harumichi's journey accompanied by Utada Hikaru's powerful vocals was one of the best things I've seen this year. I'm sure this drama will be well-suited for a romance-hungry soul in need of a good cry.

Part 1 || Part 3 || Part 4

#first love: hatsukoi #first love 初恋 #mitsushima hikari #sato takeru #yagi rikako #kido taisei #kaho #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2022

22 notes · View notes

kdramalands · 1 year

Text

year-end drama recommendation

Welcome, come on in. A whole year has passed, and it's finally time for me to emerge from my review cave again to show you my shiniest picks for this year. I'm glad to be back!

I hope 2022 was kind to you.

For me it was mostly uneventful, slightly challenging, and a bit turbulent at the end, but I emerge victorious. Maybe I'm wiser now, maybe I'm weaker, maybe more emotional than I was last year, or maybe I'm just different. But I'm here with another year-end recommendations to show you what entertained my days and allowed me to enter my escapism bubble even just for a moment.

I will present top 4 j-dramas from all Japanese series I watched this year. Starting from today, 28th of December, all the way up till 31st of December, New Year's Eve, I will post one recommendation a day. As always, I hope my list for 2022 will be well received and maybe it will convince you to check something out. I proudly present

1. Kanojo wa kirei datta/She Was Pretty (2021)

10 eps, 60min each

If you recognise this title and concept, you may have seen the original, Korean, version of this drama, She Was Pretty from 2015, or any of the remakes that's been made of this story: Chinese Pretty Li Hui Zhen (2017) or Thai Me Always You (2021).

Kanojo wa kirei datta tells a story of two childhood friends who, after a long time apart, decide to meet again. Hasebe Sosuke is a confident handsome man who's successful in his career, while Sato Ai struggles not only with her self-esteem but also with finding a job, which left her self-conscious about her abilities as well. Ai decides to lie about her identity to Sosuke, which causes a lot of misunderstandings and damage.

This story may seem superficial with how the romance plotline proceeds, but Ai's journey of rebuilding herself found a special place in my heart. I loved watching Ai starting to care more, accept more people into her life, and feel confident in her work. Koshiba Fuka's character is very lovable and relatable to many people who feel lost.

For those of you who watched Korean version, Japanese She Was Pretty offers a 6-hour-shorter experience that will feel lighter because setting and office drama don't take over the main romantic storyline as much. However, compared to k-drama, this version is more fast paced and more straightforward, so it may seem rushed at times.