Casal Extremo (2024)

Revenge drama- married woman style!

Wow! Wow! 2024- the year when I got the best revenge dramas from Japan- all centering strong, badass female characters! Could I be more satisfied? I don't know. Maybe. But if I don't get anymore dramas this year, I'll still say it was a good year. This review might be long, but for all the right reasons. So stick around, whether you can understand JP or not, I still hope you can try this one out. All the more so if you're from Asia.

Story: 8/10
If you're a woman, I'm sure you've seen these things happen at least once in your life, all the more so if you're from Asia. This drama tells the story of 3, apparently perfect couples, who in reality have issues stemming from bad, awful men and husbands. 3 woman innocently fall in love with men who are seemingly kind and perfect for them, but are soon faced with the harsh reality called life. The 3 stories in summary are:

- Momoko and Takahiro: Takahiro was Momoko's superior in their company and after they get married, Momoko becomes a full-time housewife. Despite her efforts to perfectly manage her household, she is constantly scolded by her husband for her mistakes. After discovering Takahiro's ****** (hint- you'll know this if you've watched even some JP dramas), Momoko plans to get revenge on her abusive husband.

- Kyoko and Naoki: Kyoko and Naoki met at one of Kyoko's company events. After they get married, they try to have a kid for 2 years because Naoki's idea of a perfect family involves him having children. When Kyoko finally starts getting infertility tests and treatment done, and finds that there's apparently nothing wrong with her, she convinces Naoki to get tests done. Amidst all this, out of the blue, Naoki and one of Kyoko's female subordinates, Yuka, claim that Yuka is pregnant with Naoki's child. Kyoko gets a divorce and tries to forgive and forget. But when she finds out that Naoki and Yuka have been lying to her, she swears to get revenge on the both of them.

- Last but not least (and in fact my favorite), Aki and Tatsuya: Aki and Tatsuya went to the same university and happen to meet again at a restaurant where Tatsuya helps Aki out in a troublesome situation. A shotgun marriage (or at least that's what it seemed like) later, Aki is forced to quit her job and become a full-time housewife and mom. Tatsuya shows his true colors as soon as they sign the marriage registry, and thus her painful life begins. She is treated like a maid by both her husband and in-laws, without any sort of support whatsoever in doing the chores or raising her child. When she sees that her husband and in-laws are beyond redemption, she plans to get revenge. This is my favorite story because: 1. Totaro!!! 2. It's the most relatable because I've seen this happen to some people I'm close with. 3. It was longer, so they had the time to flesh out the stories and characters. 4. They involved the in-laws, which is usually how traditional families are in Asia. 5. AkI's character had the best ending among the 3 women.

Acting, Cast, Characters:10/10
I'm pretty sure everyone knows these leading women, they are some well-known actresses with great resumes. I just realized that AkI's actress, Kitano Kie was the lead in "Life", man do people change with time. Anyways, if people didn't know these women before for their careers and acting skills, they sure will if they just watch this drama. Everyone only got 3-4 episodes, but they had enough time to display their skills.

And the (not really) supportive, despicable husbands. Lol, I usually look forward to watching dramas featuring Toku actors so that I can see what other good people they can play. But not this one. The first two leading men are both Toku actors. And man, never did I ever enjoy HATING characters so much (not to mention seeing them suffer and being put in their places), especially not characters played by Toku actors. Even the actual villains in Toku series are probably more liked than the men portrayed in this drama. They're good actors, they usually deliver, and they did so here as well. If I had to complain about something, it would be, "Why is every other man in the world similar to these men?" But I can't blame that on the drama, so...

My cherry on top: Totaro!!! This one came as a total surprise. Not only was I pleased by the surprise appearance, but also charmed by the character he played (again). And I was pleasantly surprised by what they did with the Tsukasa's story at the end. Solved the problem, but retained hope. Gosh, why can't all boyfriends and husbands be like Tsukasa? That would be another one of my complains after watching this drama. ? I'm glad Totaro is getting roles regularly and getting roles that are perfect for him. Wishing him a great career ahead.

Music: 7/10
The theme song, Butterfly is not the kind of song I usually come across, but it's perfect for this drama. The lyrics represent these women's story, and I loved it.

Rewatch value: 9/10
I may not rewatch the other stories, but I'll definitely rewatch AkI's story. If for nothing else but for revisiting Tsukasa's scenes. It's healing, I tell you. ?

Overall: 7.5/10
Why is it not a perfect score? Because I'm nitpicky. But the enjoyment: 10/10, recommended: 10/10. Almost forgot, another thing I loved was the creativity they used with the filmography and editing. The title card, flashbacks and videos that show the passage of time- all of these were made and put together creatively and in ways I hadn't seen in other Jdramas. Other dramas should learn from this and utilize these concepts.
The drama doesn't have subs yet, you don't have to understand Japanese to watch and enjoy this. Go ahead and give it a watch. You'll know what I mean. And if you're concerned about not understanding some major details, let me know. I'll explain them to you, as far as my memory permits me to remember them. If you like Jdramas about families, or strong women, or revenge or all of the above, watch this drama, you won't regret it..

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