Unmet: Aru Nogekai no Nikki (2024)

Hands down, THE BEST.

Unmet – perhaps the best drama I’ve watched – is a poetic, moving piece based on a character’s journey to self-discovery. It is heart wrenching yet beautifully written. It reminds us of the essence and priceless value of life, evoking so many emotions that could resonate for most of us. It shows that not everything can be explained in scientific terms, as such that there are some things that the heart can remember while the brain does not.

Every episode is a work of art, every piece has been crafted carefully for the viewers to relish every minute of it. The entire staff, including the actors, spent an incredible amount of time to make this drama authentic by brainstorming ideas together and adding ad libs whenever necessary. The lighting, sound, and camera work has been set up meticulously to convey the tone for each scene.

Some incidents are not necessarily sad and yet you find yourself crying by the end of it. You cry because of the moments, the heartwarming relationships, the storytelling, and ultimately, the dialogues that are so moving. The featured stories for each patient will touch a chord in your heart. The comradery of the people in the hospital has been amazing to watch. I love how everyone cares for each other like a family. In brief, this drama explores the human intricacies and the compassion that goes with it.

Miyabi was introduced as an amnesiac character who does not remember the past 2 years of her life and would now only retain her memories for a day. She does not know anything, and so does the viewers. And as the story progresses, the audience (along with the heroine) would also get hints of her past. Some characters may seem to be the villain in the beginning, but in reality, they are not. Every episode is like opening a pandora box, giving a revelation which made it interesting and thrilling throughout.

The casting is immaculate. The actors who played their respective roles have been brilliant with expressing their intended message beyond just words. In one interview, Sugisaki Hana mentioned that one of the best things about their drama is that: it trusts their audience. Sugisaki Hana’s portrayal as Miyabi has been nothing short of perfection. Same thing for Wakabi Ryuya’s portrayal as Sanpei. Their acting is top-notch and you can feel every bit of emotions of their characters without them even saying a single word. There are moments where the camera would zoom into their face without any dialogues, and you will just find yourself shedding a tear. Their persuasive and heartfelt performances conveyed the feeling of loss, exhaustion, the longing, the ‘what could have been’. You cry because you feel the the utter depth of sentiment from the lost memories. Sanpei and Miyabi’s love for each other is subtle and yet the chemistry between the two is undeniably strong.

I could go on and on, but nothing could encapsulate my love for this drama in a nutshell. One has to watch every bit of it to get the compelling viewing experience.

Overall, 10/10. One of the best dramas – if not the best – I’ve watched.

Leia Mais

Emotionally powerful masterpiece that captures real, raw human connection at its finest.

Ever since I started watching this drama, I felt like there was a ball of emotion stuck in my throat. It is so real, so without pretense and so utterly soul-stirring that it feels like a balm on all the wounds you may harbor in your heart.

This drama is about Miyabi, a gifted neurosurgeon who has lost her memories of the past two years due to a car accident. Unfortunately, it has left her in a state where she forgets everything about her day as soon as she wakes up. So, she has to live day by day, relearning everything she knows from the journal she keeps. She has stopped being the brilliant surgeon she once was and instead, now, acts as an assisting nurse.

✔️ Miyabi has to be one of the most endearing and lovable heroines in Asian drama history. She is such a graceful, full of heart woman that immediately puts you at ease. There is such compassion, empathy and care in her that you can feel it through the screen. She immediately de-stresses people around her and has mastered the art of listening. She makes people feel heard in a way that changes the very fabric of their lives.

✔️ She also has to be one of the strongest women on T.V because of how she faces each day with a spirit that is unbreakable. Sugisaki Hana has put out an acting of a lifetime. It is so nuanced, heartbreaking and authentic that it’s like you can see the very inside of her heart and it’s absolute gold in there. As a result, not only do you wish to have someone like her in your life, you wish to be someone like her.

However, Miyabi, as unwavering as she is, is ultimately living as a shell of her past self. That all changes when one day, a new surgeon, Dr. Sanpei joins her hospital.

✔️Sanpei, for all intents and purposes, is strange. His hair is unruly, he doesn’t talk much, nor does he seem to care about other people's opinions. He is also somewhat of a prickly genius and eats these weird gummy candies every single day. Yet, there is something about the way he looks at her that immediately makes you, as a viewer, feel like he knows her on a soul-deep level. There is so much suppressed feeling and restrained emotion in this man’s eyes that you pause for a second, wondering what it is that has him looking at her that way.

✔️From there, slowly their relationship unravels. The love story in this show is something that’s hard to capture. The majority of the interactions between the characters are so subtle - just everyday words, looks, small gestures - and yet, after 11 episodes, I felt like they were made for each other.
Sanpei feels like a man whose entire heart is in the palm of Miyabi’s hand and the magnitude of trust she feels for him is unconditional and unerasable no matter what happens.

✔️Their love is so vulnerable, boundless and something that is etched in the very cells of their bodies. They only have to look at each other to make you feel what they feel for each other. That’s why when they do interact, even the slightest touch feels monumental.

✔️The drama is powerful in the way it portrays relationships. Every character is significant and plays a role that is important to the story. The cases in each episode are all beautifully explored so they never come off as contrived or repetitive.

✔️Every single person on the show got the memo on how to act. The performances are brilliant across the board so all of these characters are able to impact the story in their own unique way.

✔️The execution and direction of this drama is excellent. The way scenes transition, the way the memories are brought to the front, the way past and present is merged, the way important scenes are highlighted and finally, the way the character journeys are laid out on the screen - it’s simply stunning to watch.

✔️Even the medical aspect of the whole drama is done in a way that appeals to you even if you aren’t usually a fan of the genre. The surgeries that are shown are done in such a way that you can feel both the importance and urgency of it. The atmosphere in the hospital is so relaxing despite the heartbreaking realities the people face every day. Most of all, it just showcases the power of healing and the inherent kindness that lives in the art of saving a person’s life.

✔️There are three major tracks on the show and they are all superb. The piano strokes especially just hit your heart and give you the feeling of both hope and melancholy in equal measure.

✔️Honestly, I have never cried more in a drama and it wasn’t even sappy or trying to manipulate my emotions. It was just so real and phenomenal in its simplicity. The only reason I didn't give it a full score was because I thought that the circumstances surrounding Miyabi's accident could have been better developed but even that titbit wasn't strong enough to make me more critical of this drama, like I usually am.

✔️Overall, watching these lovely characters try their level best to win against the odds that seem impossible and overcome them in the most natural and inspiring way, really fixes something that feels broken inside of you.

It’s truly one of the most powerful dramas I have seen in 2024.

An absolute must-watch.

Leia Mais

A Drama that sticks its landing and has one of the Best Last Episodes.

When a Japanese drama obtains an 8+ MDL rating, you know it’s a good one. “Unmet: A Neurosurgeon’s Diary” is a beautiful drama telling the story and the struggles of Miyabi, as she learns to be a neurosurgeon again after her accident. This is a feel good drama that heals your soul. Miyabi is surrounded by kind people who support her, encourage her and pick her up when she’s down.

There are many meaningful conversations, thoughtful silences but also laughter and delicious-looking food!. If you are looking for a true medical drama, this might not be for you. The medical cases all have to do with the brain, afterall, Miyabi is a neurosurgeon. Each case is completed within the episode, and they are ‘common’ enough that you feel like it can happen to your, your family or your friend. Personally, episodic cases like these are a hit-or-miss. Although I don’t find the medical cases especially fascinating, I do enjoy the storytelling of the patients and how the hospital staff approach each case and collaborate.

The acting performance of Sugisaki Hana (Miyabi) and Wakaba Ryuya (Sanpei) is top notch. They are not big talkers, but you understand what they want to convey through their expressive eyes and facial expressions. The supporting cast also did a pretty good job, and really gives us more color to the drama.

Plot wise, I feel that the drama can give us more info on the car accident. The ‘villain’ part of the story is resolved rather quickly and quite anti-climatically. The ‘redemption’ story of the doctor is also taken care of swiftly. Additionally, I would love to see more of Miyabi and Sanpei’s past.

The best part of this drama is in its last episode. I was crying my eyes out as I prayed for the leads to live happily ever after. Episode 11 cemented the score of 8.5. This is one of the few dramas that actually sticks its landing and ends on a very high note.


Completed: 7/9/2024 - Review #459

Leia Mais

My Favorite Drama of the Season!!

When I was at about the halfway point in the Hana Sugisaki/Ryuya Wakaba medical drama Unmet, I already knew without a DOUBT that this was going to be the best drama of the season, and indeed, the show only got better and better as it headed towards its conclusion, and at the final episode, easily exceeded my expectations!!
Ryuya Wakaba was great as Sanpei Tomoharu, the charismatic "center" of the drama, and WOWWW, the level of acting Hana Sugisaki held in her portrayal as the amnesiac-but-still-positive Miyabi Kawauchi has to be her FINEST yet, conveying SO MUCH with just facial expressions, head tilts and body language, so much with few words and few gestures.
I’ve long said that I’m not a huge fan of medical dramas as they all tend to skew to the same tropes, however, while Unmet of course had some of it, I was constantly surprised by the directions they chose to follow, surprised by unexpected developments, all keeping me on my toes until I realized to myself: "HEY! I'm really INVESTED here!!!"
PS: I have to give a special mention of Chiba Yudai as Kota Hoshimae- he was the emotional character who stood in for us, the viewers, reflecting OUR feelings as he cheered happiness for Miyabi, crossed fingers for hope, and shed tears when misfortune befell our vulnerable heroine. It was his reactions that got the most out of me!
All of them together  produced a strong, gripping drama, one I was totally invested in for the past few months!
I was having dinner with a friend over the weekend, and I gushed “MAN…Unmet is SO GOOD right now, and I'm praying that the last episode continues on the same trajectory...please, don't screw up the ending!!” And as I watched the last episode, besides crying my eyes out for MOST of the show’s duration, I was also very nervous about how it might end. But I need not have worried, for the drama delivered one of the best, concise and clear endings it could have, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief…even as I shed even MORE tears!
Aw Man, Hana Sugisaki MUST get some kind of accolade for this drama…it was the number ONE drama of the season, BAR NONE, and most of it was due to her and her wonderful creation of Miyabi. This was one real MUST SEE drama!

Leia Mais

A love story that can restore love in any barren heart.

Frankly, I finished this over a week ago and-- yes. I still haven't entirely moved on. That being said, it took me a long while to come up with a review for this drama that will continue to hold a special place in my heart because I didn't want to simply rave about it. (lie)

Firstly, what I loved about it? Pretty much everything. I went into it blindly-- expecting to drop it after the first episode since I avoid medical dramas like the plague. But what I definitely did NOT expect, was to be so quickly sucked into the world of its simple but powerful characters. All their charms solely lied on how humane they were. And rather quickly, I found myself feeling like a part of their little group-- as if I'd gotten attached to them personally.

But beneath its slice-of-life outer shell, is a deep love story between the two main characters-- a neurosurgeon whose life seems to have come to a halt as she's diagnosed with short-term memory loss, and a man who doesn't have the word 'impossible' on his dictionary... especially not, when it comes to the love of his life.

While I initially believed that intimacy played an important role in driving a love story, such as kisses or casual skinship-- 'Unmet' conveyed a love story that is deeply intimate, without showing any of the above.

Starring a cast full of talented actors you might have seen in several dramas/movies if you're familiar with Japanese films and TV, nobody stands out in a negative way. Everyone shared wonderful chemistry with one another, and a special mention for Sugisaki Hana's performance as the soft-spoken and utterly lovable Miyabi-sensei.

After all those positive stuff I just wrote, you must be wondering why I still settled with a '9'... Well, I won't say it's a perfect show (nothing really is). I feel like the antagonists were a bit too conveniently written, and cartoonish. It was a bit funny at times, but I'm not sure if it entirely suited the overall concept of this drama. Then again, I can be super nit-picky.

In conclusion, highly recommended. Even if you're not into the slice-of-life or medical genre, I strongly suggest you still give it a try. I'll miss this show deeply.

Leia Mais

A powerful theme with unmet expectations in structure.

A bit of a curve from the other raving reviews and comments on this drama. Y’know, i was told beforehand to keep my expectations a bit low when going in on a critical perspective, and from doing that, I’ve been able to enjoy many aspects here and complete the drama with little to no hesitancy. However, the things i found worthy of praise and checking out had also came with about twice the faults I couldn’t turn a blind eye to.

Plot

This drama had the grounds and pacing for a rather outstanding film, this is what both kept me going and disappointed me time and time again.

To relay my frustration here as simple as possible for those who hasn’t watched yet and may have stumbled across this, just picture a plot and it’s characters written from any notable films you’ve watched recently. Quick relation to keep in mind, surely we’ve all had fallen victim to a restaurant rather working with a low quantity in supply of what you’re ordering, or simply being stingy as hell for the sake of it. You order a drink with no ice so they don’t skimp out on the actual drink this time, but they fill the cup up about 2/3rds anyway. You order say a 12” sub today, different from your regular 6-8” order any other time you’ve came. You can’t help but notice that they’re using just about the same amount of toppings, but spread out more to fill the space. That’s what I’ve felt here, the structure of a film stretched out past its 2 hours worth of plot and limited characterizations to fit the 6+ hours to make out as a series.

Many key things are said about the characters, but most of the time you’re not seeing any of it relayed in the actions of said characters. It’s as if there wasn’t enough time to layer out everyone as much as they could have, but enough time for several daily interactions amongst colleagues that have little to no impact on building who these characters are. Not to mention the occasional after work dinners to fluff out the heavier days they made it through.

I found myself spending too much time pandering on “Hm, Miyabi’s capable of derailing something like that? Where is Osako’s intentions leaning more towards? Is Ayano…like blind, deaf, or dumb? Mai, read the letters on the screen, row by row. Tell me which lens is better between the perspective of a simp in distraught or the clueless romantic. Should we just check on Sanpei’s mental health at this point? At any point?” These and many more questions have been lingering throughout the entirety of the drama, my hopes in any of them being shed any light upon diminished the further i progressed.

Future me, i know, we’re missing a lot. I’m sitting on 3 hours of sleep from binging this 6 hour film, add whatever I don’t feel like touching on and edit this out, or just like ,don’t. We’re rambling , on to the highs that were worth my exhaustion.

Production/Casting

Fantastic performances and very well grounded casting choices. You can immediately tell they weren’t trying to fit any typical visual appeal here and went straight for who’s capable of fitting these roles exceptionally enough. A huge props to the supporting cast this time around, specifically the patients and their surreal portrayal of the stories behind them while maintaining similar themes and suturing them well with the main plot and messages.

Direction

To reiterate, this would have been masterclass had this drama simply been a film or more fleshed out to fit the structure and pacing of a series of its length. Regardless, it’s still this drama’s strongest suit for me among the best I’ve seen this year from dramas. It gives just about everything you’d expect from a great jdrama style of directing, muted tension when necessary, strong messages and topics sprinkled throughout, subtle tones and actions giving rewatching alot of value, overall great use of soundtrack(though a bit uncalled for a few times), brilliant use of imagery, and well versed guidance through rather tough scenes and evoked emotions of the characters.

Unmet is another one of the very few series I’ve managed to watch through that reminds me just how great a drama you have more gripes than praises with can be. And how differing opinions can hold different reasons in something being worth your time for. I can’t say that even my lowered expectations in some aspects were met here, but many other surprising aspects has shed light upon the faults, illuminating the hidden gem this drama is behind it all.

Leia Mais

My today connects to+ tomorrow!

WOW, just WOW!!!

Unmet is a japanese drama which is as perfect as it possibly can be! But before writing more about it, I would like to thank HPriest for the amazing job subbing this drama.

So if I think it was perfect why only 9.5? Well, I decided to nitpick and complain about the ending! It was a happy ending, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to watch them some more and not only the main couple being lovey dovey but everyone! I needed ten minutes more!!!

Japanese dramas have turned out to be my favourite asian dramas: there is an unmatched skill in storytelling where they are toeing the fine line between the reality and ideal world while never stepping over, one way or the other! Unmet is a perfect example of this!

There is rarely a truly evil character in j dramas: the majority are perfect human beings while the others which seem greyish (professor, head nurse, heiress...) turn out to be just hiding their true character really well as they are trying to survive in a difficult world. But they are all brave, smart, loving and eventually sincere. Except for the creepy rich grandfather eating snakes and frogs loudly while controlling everyone around him but he got his comeuppance and was never heard of again! This character was really a caricature of a person!
But we have such a nice cast of characters here : doctors, nurses, patients and of course main leads Miyabi and Sanpei. Miyabi, the FL is a doctor with amnesia who does not let a little thing like that ruin her optimistic and kind nature. Sanpai, the ML , is a doctor who comes back to Japan in order to find a way to cure her.
I was a bit upset with this story to be frank, they seem to have had a whirlwind romance and then they split and it took him two years to come back to her?!? Why? Gaining medical experience I guess, and leaving her to deal with amnesia alone, with friends and family?

The plot was perfectly structured: there is a main story dealing with the FL's mysterious accident and the ensuing memory disorder stopping her from being the doctor. When Sanpai arrives, he incites her to treat patients and there is a "case of the week" in every episode dealing with different neurological disorders.The balance between the two plotlines is perfect: just enough of the both to make you continue watching. Some cases were tugging on my heartstrings and I almost had a tear in my eye (I never cry when watching! NEVER!). I also kept wishing I could find such nice and devoted doctors to treat my ailments (Not lucky so far! Doctors here are so full of themselves and lack compassion!). As I said before, I needed about 10 more minutes at the end which was rushed and a lot of things happened over a very short period of time. While the earlier episodes had slower pace and covered longer periods with patients staying in hospital for weeks, the last episode seemed condensed, urgency was paramount and the speedy presentation of events past and present, needed more time to settle in. That's why I was left wanting for more! The reasons behind the FL's accident were rather flimsy but I found it so because I am used to the ruthless cheabol world in K drama (I tried to figure out why they did not kill her in order to keep the secret!) so the big baddie being punished easily and quickly in j dramas is always a surprise!

I do want to apologize at this point because I am writing this without any notes having finished the drama half an hour ago so I am only writing my impressions and feelings.

The acting was excellent, especially the main actress Sugisaki Hana: I loved her freckles and her cute smile and sweet nature. The main actor, Wakaba Ryuya portrayed the unkept medical genius with brio, managing to show his care and love buried behind the bed hair. The whole cast was excellent, they had a great team chemistry, friendships, bromances and romances all were just right. The music was nice and right for the drama, the intro animation very original and illustrating the drama well! The medical part of the drama (surgeries etc.) were not overpowering or off-putting: very often we never saw the procedure, just the before and the after. That is how I like my medical dramas: when they show the human part of the profession and not focus solely on the technical one.

I cannot recommend this drama enough. It is highly bingeable (well, I just watched it in day!) since they finish every episode with a cliffhanger. But apart from that, it is so nice to see a drama where people are genuinely kind to each other, not expecting anything in return. Well, that is a japanese drama for you!

Leia Mais

Un bel air ... musical... de déjà vu

Après avoir pris une pause drama en 2023, l'excellente Sugisaki Hana (no Satsukyu ) revient nous éblouir par son interprétation sans faille des sentiments humains. Épaulée par une pléthore d'acteurs de haut rang, ce nouveau drama en blouse blanche, prônant l'intégration et la résilience, s'annonce sur le papier des plus prometteurs. Mais le sujet de l'amnésie étant surexploité par les scénaristes en manque d'inspiration, nos souvenirs de trop nombreuses séries, en particulier médicales, risquent d'altérer notre jugement.

Une mise en scène clinique
La première chose qui nous saute aux yeux dans ce qui devra être un mélo-drama sûr-lacrymale, c'est ce rendu à l'image qui se veut très réaliste. Peu maquillé, chaque acteur et donc situation ont de la gueule à l'écran. On est loin du lissage l'Oréal des comédies romantiques et on distingue clairement l'âge de chacun, donnant de la maturité aux propos. Chiba Yudai ou Kichise Michiko, par exemples, paraissent enfin leurs âges (35 et 49). Et pour moi, ça me rassure sur les injustices de la vieillesse. On sent ce souci de retranscrire l'hôpital et la prise en charge de la maladie au plus proche du réel, et surtout celui de la vie solitaire de notre héroïne et son combat pour la rendre la plus ordinaire possible.

50th First Day
Si des séries italiennes à succès ou des remakes japonais de comédies romantiques américaines, prennent le parti de piétiner le réalisme du quotidien d'un amnésique, on reste ici au plus proche de ce que peut vivre une personne atteinte d'un trouble de la mémoire. Chaque soir, notre héroïne retranscrit ce qu'elle a vécu dans sa journée. Elle prend des notes sur les nouveaux patients, ses collègues et se fait un point d'honneur à les appeler par leur prénom, après avoir révisé de longues heures à son réveil. Sugisaki Hana est une artiste qui vit le handicape de manière positive et qui nous transmet à chaque fois cette joie de vivre, sa mélancolie et ses peurs de manière magistral. Dans une comédie comme Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu (2021) Elle donnait le sourire à chacun, malgré sa vue défaillante. Bien sûr, c'est totalement exagéré et peut-être déplacé de dire qu'on ressent le handicape avec elle. Mais sa prestation permet de nous donner à chacun une once d'empathie.

Du classique au moderne
La construction des épisodes vous paraitra on ne peut plus classique, pour le genre. Avec "LE" patient à problème, ici cérébrale, couplé souvent à une situation familiale ou sociétale compliquée et dont l'enquête" médicale" débouchera sur sa guérison. E tout cela après quelques larmes d'empathie versées par notre petit cœur serré, évidement. Mais le véritable mystère qui prend le pas sur tout et vous passionnera certainement jusqu'au dernier épisode, c'est celui de la vérité sur la maladie de notre Héroïne. Les acteurs qui gravitent autour d'elle, à commencer par son Senpai, sont inquiétants sans forcer le jeu. Wakaba Ryuya transpire la mélancolie et la "kakkoï" attitude en plus de son aura mystérieuse. Passant de l'ombre à la lumière avec maestria. Je le découvre dans cette série le trouve bluffant. Tout comme les seconds scalpels, d'ailleurs. Avec des grands noms comme Sakou Yoshi, Iura Arata, ... bien sûr. J'en passe, car tellement de seconds rôles et d'invités prestigieux font leur apparition. Rajoutant à une mise en scène déjà de haute volée et un scénario béton, le jeu parfait de chacun.

Je ne me souviens plus très bien
La scénariste Shinozaki Eriko à l'œuvre sur Influence ou Salomon no Gisho pour ne parler que de ses participations les plus récentes, a tissé une toile façon puzzle des plus passionnantes. Et comme le montre le très court générique, on se retrouve à chaque épisode, avec un fil à tirer pour recoudre une partie de la mémoire de Sugisaki Hana. Musique au top Knifu, également. Avec, pour le plus grand plaisir des fans, un inédit de Aimyon. Véritable tube à essai en puissance, à la hauteur de Marigold ou Futaba. Certains diront, c'est toujours la même chose. Mais c'est le lot des chirurgiens. Refaire sans cesse les mêmes gestes. Et quel travail d'orfèvre à chaque fois.

Leia Mais