Calm, relaxing, full of "mono no aware", it reminded me of two of my favorite manga, "Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou" and "Aqua/Aria". Unfortunately, I think that some characters aren't developed enough (Seitarou, Barbara, Danshaku) while others are, imho, absolutely useless (Morikage-san, most of all!). And that's the reason why it gets "only" a 9 instead of a 10. But it's still a very nice dorama, too bad it didn't get more episodes or a second season...this stationery store is a place one would love to visit time and again, just like "Café Alpha" or "Aria Company" ;)
What a nice little gem! This short dorama is refreshingly original (this could easily be one of the most original love-stories I've ever seen depicted in a japanese dorama, if not THE most original!), wonderfully written, acted and directed! Hong Kong makes for an enchantingly exotic setting, and those beautifully vivid, ultra-saturated colors bring out all its magic! A particular praise (standing ovation, seriously) for the lovely Koike Eiko, who's not only superbly gorgeous, but also a marvelous actress! Perfect 10/10 as far as I'm concerned! :)
This dorama gets a full 10/10 for its many merits (very interesting plot, beautiful message, great performances by the leads - Aoi Yu and Sakurai Sho - and by part of the supporting cast - most of all, Kazama Morio and Kinami Haruka - btw, too bad Morikawa Aoi's role is so small T__T) and despite its flaws (the naiveté of some details - active learning is indeed a great tool, but it's not so easy to implement it, particularly in a high school environment, as shown here; the ridiculously terrible performances given by Arakawa Yoshiyoshi - the guy can "play" only ONE character, and that's what he does *every single time* in *every single drama*...SO ANNOYING!!! - and by Takashima Masanobu - compared to him, even Dick Dastardly from "Wacky Races" was a credible, realistic and sober villain!!! >__<
O fellow j-dramas fan, thou shalt not be fooled: under the guise of a light comedy, what we actually have here is a little gem of dorama that manages to address some very deep matters (more specifically, the NEET problem; more generally, what makes us happy and what is this good old thing called "family"). Brilliantly written and very aptly acted by the whole cast. Pretty nice music as well! It reminded me a bit (in that they both have some great, witty dialogues, and in that they both portray a funny family) "Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi".
Whoa, what a powerful story!!! I usually am quite subjective in my reviews, pointing out that whatever I write is simply "imho", but in this case I gotta tell you: if you watch this and it doesn't touch you deeply, than I'd say you should check your pulse, 'cause there's a high chance you're dead and you just don't know it! Jokes aside, such a thought-provoking script, and such a moving performance by Suda Masaki! I normally point to "1 lt. no Namida" whenever someone asks me "I'm curious about J-dramas...where should I start?"...from now on, I think I might give them this as a second choice!
