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FumiyaWagi

Australia

FumiyaWagi

Australia
Old Fashion Cupcake japanese drama review
Completed
Old Fashion Cupcake
0 people found this review helpful
by FumiyaWagi
Apr 11, 2024
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 10
Story 10.0
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 10.0
Rewatch Value 10.0

A Perfectly Crafted 2 Hour Masterpiece of Joy. Do Not Miss

"Old Fashion Cupcake" stands as one of Japan's finest live-action dramas in recent years, deserving global recognition as a future classic. There are a thousand moments that will make you smile.
Every aspect of the show - direction, cinematography, musical score and screenwriting - has been carefully considered by a cohesive team to create a series with zero waste and maximum impact.
The premise revolves around finding happiness and joy in life, when a 29 year old office worker Togawa, convinces his nearly 40-year-old boss Nozue to heed his own advice, to embrace the present moment and let go of regret.
Tatsunari Kimura, a veteran stage actor at just 28 when this was filmed in 2022, highlights why he is one of THE actors of his generation, who uses minimal blocking (physical movement) and dialogue to conveys incredible depth, intense emotion and outstanding vulnerability. He also acts with his eyes, a rare skill in young actors. It is a great loss to millions of viewers, that he works primarily in theatre and rarely does tv work. We hope he will reconsider for an excellent role. Satoh Takeru, please team up and find the perfect opportunity to foster this incredible talent!
Kouhei Takeda, as Nozue, is sublime as he struggles to disguise Tatemae aka true feelings, with minimal facial movement. That's expert skill. His beautiful portrayal of the jaded 39 year old hits home sharply, who thinks he can stay in a position of safety, but in reality he is in danger of letting life pass by. We are uplifted by his efforts not to drown in apathy and to seek adventure and embrace joy once again.
We want to make a special mention of "Morning Dub For N", a beautiful heartbeat instrumental piece by Daisuke Nisihimura (Dunk) that resembles the traditional Japanese koto instrument, to evoke emotions in key scenes - particularly the opening sequence where Nozue contemplates his boring safe life. We also absolutely LOVED the joyous opening tune, Blue Blur, an uplifting bilingual R&B theme song with retro elements by Ryu Matsuyma featuring Mabuana. The entire score and soundtrack are perfectly positioned throughout the series and substantially enhance moving moments, and the entire viewing experience.
Viewers may feel lost when it is over. Should there be a Season 2? After careful deliberation: No. There is nothing left to add or remove. The art is perfect, as is.
Don't Miss It. You Won't Regret.
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