Café & Baunilha (2019)

Story: 7.0
A fifty shades of grey, with a pg-13 rating. I don’t know how else to describe it, other then it wants to be more but it just isn’t. The storyline is easy to follow, in terms of it making sense, plotwise, there is no transition in between points, so it’s kind of difficult until you get in the flow of things. One episodes shes getting a job, the next she’s getting stalked, the next she’s moving in with him.
It’s fast pace, and one that is trying to cover at least 5 volumes worth of context in a little under 10, 25 minute episodes. If you are used to cheesy quick Japanese dramas, this one isn’t that bad compared to some others.
For this storyline, you also have to suspend your viewpoints and realize this scenario can only ever happen in dramaland and no where else. If this happened in real life, the lead character would probably be the police’s most wanted list. And the female lead would definitely have been dead by now.

Acting/cast: 8.5
I don’t think with this plotline you could get better actors. The script is cheesy, and the two leads have chemistry which makes it work, but the overall script is a little wonky. This type of genre goody-two shoes is right up Fukuhara Haruka’s ally, so she pulls it off well. And anyone who thought she should have ended up with the second male lead in Good Morning call, He just happens to be the lead in this one!

Music: 10.0
I honestly thought the background music was fantastic. It was well placed and matched the mood of each scene. I have no qualms with the music throughout and I have had the theme song stuck in my head all day! It’s catchy and I find myself dancing to it, when it comes on.

Rewatch Value 8.5
Each episode is only 25 minutes long. The plotline isn’t hard to follow at all, it’s a corky kind of drama, so it’s short, sweet, with some laughs. Something you can easily watch in a bored afternoon not knowing what to do.

Overall: 7.5
Just don’t think too hard on it, come in with zero expectations and you got yourself a relaxing afternoon.

Leia Mais

It was Okay. Better direction with the female lead was needed.

Pretty good for a Jdrama and DORI. However, the FL made me want to drop the series at every turn. Thank goodness it was short. The deer in headlights and not looking him in his eyes was a bit much. What was the struggle in having self-awareness?
Some reviews state that the MLs 'affection' for the FL wasn't explained but it was from the 'trial product' meeting to his creation of a whole cafe that resembled her hometown. Even the supporting characters commented on how much he was changing due to Risa. However, she acted more like a freshman in high school instead of college. Why did the writers feel the need not to allow her to get a little better within herself after each situation? How in the world are you with the ML almost every other day at his home and can't call him by his name? There could have been better direction with the female lead as far as eye movement and non-verbal communication and reactions. The production of the last scene was so 'high school' and laughable. This is how we celebrate a CEO getting married? They would have done better ending it all at the church where he proposed. Ugh.... This could have been so much better.

Leia Mais

Intense but sweet

First and foremost, I will admit this series isn't for everyone. For me, I am a huge manga fan and so I will fill in the blanks normally if the story is lacking slightly which i will admit this one mainly focused on a quick development of the relationship of the main leads. It does lean heavily on the "dominant CEO, take control of the room once he walks in" persona for the male lead which is how the character is depicted in the source material so if you aren't into that, then I suggest finding a different show to watch.

Still , for me, sweet lore.... this show was all sorts of steamy.. though what can you expect from a jdrama based on manga? They really do them justice by really taking the scenes and bringing them life as closely as possible. Still I am always taken back by the amount of heart stopping, giggle inducing intensity that come with these series and this one definitely did not disappoint.

I will recommend that if you do watch this series, watch it with the intentions of a quick fun journey and just enjoy the ride instead of getting caught up on wanting all the small details of the characters backstories. But if you do want the juicy backstories, make sure to read the manga this series is based on since it is a good read.

Leia Mais

Sweet and fluffy but no buildup to romance

I am not a fan of sudden love at first sight kind of romances. For them to be believable it has to at least be mutual and the chemistry believable. Here the leads fall in love and are in a relationship within the first episode. At least the ML has seen the FL before but the FL just falls for a handsome face and a kind gesture and decides to accept him as a boyfriend. This supposedly from a totally innocent college girl new to Tokyo.
The ML does his best to save the drama, his affection and feelings translate to the screen. But the FL characterization as a doe eyed virginal college student totally spoils the romance because even after she supposedly falls in love and even sleeps with the ML she remains stiff, shy and immature till the very last episode! There were intimate scenes scattered throughout the drama and they all felt robotic and totally off putting as there was no build up to the romance and no cooperation from the FL. The drama would have worked better with just back hugs from the ML.
All the cliches you expect from a romance are present in this - cold handsome CEO ML mushy in love, pretty innocent poor village girl FL, something like a love triangle (but gets squashed within one episode), parent issue (again gets resolved within one episode), jealous friend, competitive friend who crosses the line (he even kisses the FL forcibly and she is dumb enough to go work at his cafe after that - talk about being brainless). None of them work because it all feels forced, cliched and not an organic buildup to the story.
The only redeeming factor about this one is that it is over in 10 episodes and yet it felt like a waste of time. I felt quite bad for the ML for wasting his potential on this drama where the script and FL characterization were absolutely pathetic.
I have seen many korean dramas where the buildup of the relationship is so masterfully done you root for the couple once they confess their feelings. This is my first Japanese drama and it has put me off so much I doubt I will see another Japanese one. If anyone is reading this review and feel there are actual good Jdrama romcoms out there kindly suggest those to me and change my mind.

Leia Mais

"I want you to feel me with all of your senses."

I wasn't expecting a lot, so I guess the drama was okay. I liked the interactions of the characters a lot. I didn't really expect to find out that it was based on an anime. The plot was pretty basic, but I guess it's good for something to put on when you're trying to watch something that you know would bore you.

Risa is a very fragile person, but then again she's not used to all the attention she receives in the city since she's from the country. But there's no way she grew up to be innocent how she was portrayed the whole show, there must've been a few things she learned, you what I mean? Hiroto was okay, but I felt his backstory wasn't explained at all whatsoever, we just knew that he was a CEO and he fell in love with her at first sight? Akutsu is my favorite character, manz is always somewhere and I love his relationship with Hiroto. Yoshiki is so cute, I actually felt really bad when Risa kept rejecting him and he still kept trying to win her over. We need another show just for him. Yuki was surprising, the way how Hiroto knew that he liked him and not Risa shocked me for some reason, but then I look back at the whole show and I realize Yuki was always close to Hiroto yet he treated Risa really well. Natsuki was an okay character, I didn't like her at first because even though she knew Risa was in a relationship, she still asked for a date with her boyfriend? But I realized she looked hella good with Akutsu, so I guess she's okay now. THEY NEED THEIR OWN SHOW, I LIKE THEIR MOMENTS TOGETHER.

Leia Mais

Toxic relationship romanticised

So my biggest take away from this drama is that if I was 21 or younger I would be highly influenced by this seemingly romantic relationship and fantasise about seeking something similar myself. Now as a less impressionable woman in her late 20s I can safely say this is just 10 episodes of pure toxicity. If you take that away you're not left with much at all. There's no real story and what there is of one is utterly un-realistic, the chemistry is lacking between any of the characters and the FL is treated like a piece of meat throughout. Dori is gorgeous to look at, but I didn't find him believable as on older leading male. Also if you came here for steamy romantic scenes, look elsewhere. There's no passionate kisses here. I just feel the FL is taken advantage of and is constantly love bombed and gaslighted.

Maybe I'm taking it all too literally but I struggled to enjoy this drama with all these negative themes. I endured it in the hope the FL would find a backbone and become confident in her own skin. Sadly this wasn't the case. Maybe the manga is better?

Leia Mais

Inseguivo questo drama in quanto consigliato come simile serie quali "In-house marriage home" e "Love is phantom". Il ML si prospettava in aggiunta più possessivo, nota positiva in aggiunta. La scintilla - come negli altri due drama - scatta subito nei primissimi episodi e apprezzo un'evoluzione costante della ship, con piccoli ostacoli e incomprensioni che vengono via via risolti (a differenza di quei drama impostati su un unico, a volte pure banale, malinteso, che va a connotare praticamente tutta la durata della serie e trova risoluzione solo nel finale). Insomma, sulla carta era ciò che cercavo. Mi aspettavo dei cliché fatti bene, degli spaccati graziosi degni di una leggera commedia romantica. Qualcosa c'è stato, ma purtroppo c'è stata anche un'esagerazione di altri aspetti che alla lunga hanno reso la trama così poco credibile da risultare a tratti imbarazzante, più che graziosa. Lui statico nel suo approccio, inizia nel primo episodio con quegli abbracci-agguati stile avvoltoio che piomba e al decimo episodio siamo ancora lì, dopo aver rivisto la scena un'infinità di volte. Lei davvero senza spina dorsale, un conto volerla rappresentare come una giovane ingenua poco pratica dei ritmi e della vita della grande città, un conto è il non essere in grado di manifestare la propria volontà (chiunque, tipo, può fare delle avances, perchè per quanto indesiderate lei non riesce a sottrarsi...rasentiamo il ridicolo, insomma). Altro aspetto amplificato esponenzialmente è il suo fascino: personaggio carino, va bene, ma non è una top model con un milione di fan... E invece qui tutti cadono come pere cotte ai suoi piedi, dal ML al compagno di università, all'avversario del ML, trova spazio persino uno stalker che la pedina. A proposito dello stalker, la scena della lotta la si poteva risparmiare, è oltre l'imbarazzante. Insomma, era il tipo di drama che stavo cercando - come tipologia, intendo - ma nel concreto il risultato lascia molto a desiderare. Alcune parti possono comunque essere salvate e apprezzate, con la pecca che viste e riviste una, due, tre volte...alla lunga stancano anche quelle.

Leia Mais

Unrealistic fluff. Sometimes it's just what you need.

Unrealistic fluff. Sometimes it's just what you need. If you like mills and boon romance with 50 shades vibes, go ahead and watch.
I don't get the haters of this little drama. Obviously it's not a masterpiece but no one ever meant for it to be one. It should be judged for the manga based fluff that it is, and then its kind of fun.
And yes, the guy is a bit short and skinny but he's still good looking and rather hypnotic. The girl isn't strong and modern for most of the drama, although she does get some backbone in the end, and again, in the rich guy vs pretty virgin trope you don't really expect some kind of valkyrie...

Leia Mais