Tokyo Ghoul to Get a Live Action Film Adaptation
Hello again, we sincerely apologize for the lack of last month’s staff pick. This time around, we’re in for melodramas and slice of Life lovers. Pack your box of tissues and enjoy the ride.
Kikimorka (Editor) recommends:
Sunao ni Narenakute
This is one of my personal favourites. This is a drama portraying the friendship between five people who’ve met through Twitter. A contemporary story about honesty and the strength it takes to be true to yourself and those around you.
The plot revolves around Haru, Doctor, Linda, Nakaji and Peach. It all starts with an IRL meeting in April when the four Twitter buddies (excluding Peach) decide to get together. Haru makes her friend Hikari (later Peach) come along even though she has no idea what Twitter is. This is the beginning of an eventful journey for the five strangers. At first insincere and oblivious, they grow mature and learn what it means to not hide from your own feelings and to face them head-on. They experience hardships both at work – Doctor is being criticised for not working well enough, Linda is being made to use his body so he would be taken seriously by his boss, Nakaji isn’t considered a professional photographer and Haru has problems being a teacher at a private high school, and in their private lives – Haru likes Nakaji but can’t bring herself to confess, Nakaji can’t choose between his lover and Haru, Linda has no-one to confide in, Peach feels all alone. The plot is so real, so close to what happens in our lives that I can completely relate to it. These people who have absolutely nobody to turn to for advice or ask for help find comfort in being with each other. They develop a meaningful friendship which they have always craved for. It opens their eyes to the truth they never seemed to know – that they shouldn’t keep their feelings bottled up inside but let them out and accept them. Though painful at times, it is always better to be honest with yourself rather than live your life full of regrets and missed opportunities.
The drama teaches a valuable lesson of how sometimes people let go of chances they get simply because they are too afraid of getting hurt. So they never realise they have actually missed the one opportunity they have been dying to have.
Elisabetta (Editor) recommends:
Good Luck!!
This is a fine representation of merits that draw me into jdrama, or Japanese storytelling in general (shonen anime included ^_^): having a dream, and giving your all to accomplish it; finding what you want to do in life, and excelling at it; improving yourself, and accepting who you are; finding friends with whom you can share a real connection. Because I suck at those in my real life and want to change for the better, I find those shows helpful and inspiring.
The story told here is about a commercial pilot and his way to accomplish his dream position of a jetliner captain. The setting is, therefore, unusual for a drama and fun to explore. Although not that original, the plot sucked me in so deep, that I’ve watched it in one go.
Another plus is that all the characters are likable, even if flawed like the people in real life. For those who like bromance: it has one of the best have I ever seen on screen. If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me appeal to your fangirling side… Kimura Takuya in uniform!! I rest my case.
Aya97 (Editor) recommends:
Secret
When I heard that this month's pick would be either a melodrama or a Slice of life, I was very excited. After thinking for a while, I ended up with Secret. I know that many people really enjoyed this one, but this recommendation is for the people that are still pending to watch it or not.
First of all, Secret is a heavy "journey". It has everything you would need in a melo but doesn't overdo it though. The story will pick your interest for sure, but the best thing about this drama stands in its characters. All of them are well developed, and you will even feel bad for the antagonist. All of them are humans, with both qualities and flaws. Their interactions are brilliant, and there won't be a minute of boredom. Also, the main couple has amazing chemistry...even if in the start you will kind of hate the guy.
The story itself has some heartbreaking moments that will bring you to tears. You will watch the characters develop in front of you, forming their personality based on their past experiences (so no happy go lucky person). Trust me, and just give this amazing drama a try!
Taylorgg12 (Editor) recommends:
Secret Love Affair
I for one have never been one to watch a lot of melodramas; personally I have enough family drama in my life so watching overly emotional people deal with their own was never very interesting for me. But of course there are always exceptions to the rule. Secret Love Affair would be one of those exceptions. After watching Yoo Ah In in Sungkyunkwan Scandal I was very interested. I've never watched anything with Kim Hee Ae so I was a little skeptical about what they would be like together. However, once I watched the trailer all doubts left my mind, I knew I had to watch it as soon as it aired and watched I did!
Secret Love Affair is about a woman in her 40's named Oh Hye Won (Kim Hee Ae) who is the director of planning at Seohan Arts Foundation where she meets a genius-like pianist in his 20's named Lee Sun Jae and how she struggles with her developing feelings for him all the while balancing her job, her employers and husband demands as well as her own expectations for herself. The 20 year difference does nothing to stop them from feeling an attraction for each other. At first their relationship is completely professional what with Hye Won teaching him in order to please her employers and her egotistical husband but over time things begin to steam up. Piano playing starts becoming almost like foreplay and soon they are caught up in their feelings and start an affair. Of course chaos ensues over time and you would think the age difference won’t sell them as a couple but Kim Hee Ae and Yoo Ah In's chemistry is off the rails! Makes it totally worth watching when the drama places some of the boring politics of Hye Son's job into play.
Now I realize this might not be everyone's cup of tea but after the disaster of Fashion King and the poorly received Jang Ok Jung this has to be Yoo Ah In's best performance since Sungkyunkwan Scandal and the critics agree! It's definitely worth a shot even if it's only for the steamy scenes.
Cheer (Approval Moderator and Editor) recommends:
Byakuyako
Melodrama and slice of life aren’t exactly my favourite genres, but I did manage to watch few interesting ones that would fit under the umbrella. Byakuyako isn’t exactly a melo; it’s not even considered a slice of life, but it fits the category. For instance, it has many elements of those two genres but the fact remains that this drama is essentially an overly emotional dark romance.
I would strongly recommend it nonetheless. I remember finishing it in two days, which is by far, my all-times record for watching a drama from start to finish. I remember being entirely overwhelmed by its emotional charge. But I was also completely taken by it.
Byakuyako will test your morals. It will make you study your lead characters throughout. It will also throw you into a constant turmoil of dark feelings and questionable deeds. If you need something horrifyingly touching then you’re in for a treat with Byakuyako. A warning though, this will be a tragically depressing ride. So carefully fasten your seatbelts.
Thank you for reading! Let us know what your favourite melodrama/slice of life dramas are!
If you have any suggestion for next month’s genre then kindly leave it in the comments below.
