I normally steer away from school romances, but this one took me by surprise with its chemistry and I have since rewatched it 3X. Outstanding production, pacing, direction and acting. The two male leads, while fairly new in their acting careers, display maturity and natural talent well beyond many peers. Haru in particular is extraordinary for his first acting role at age 18, and promises to be both a well regarded comic and serious actor in the decade to come. Maeda showcases a full range of intensity from anguish to complete joy, constantly a sheer delight to watch, and this reviewer believes he is destined to become one of Japan's Thinking Actors, akin to Satoh Takeru or Watanabe Ken.
Special mention for Leo Matsumoto, who elevates key scenes and adds depth to his support role and Itakura Toshiyuki who brightens the show with humour, as the teacher who relishes handing out detention to bright but lazy students.
Music: Fast paced, lively soundtrack and a gentle acoustic score that lifts the beautiful moments, based on J-pop and performed at times in carefully curated half and quarter tempo. Keep the Shazam nearby and you'll have some wonderful additions for your Spotty!
Translating manga faithfully to live drama is always tricky and there are a couple of overused tropes but the entire series, just 2.5 hours, makes for magical viewing. Enjoy.
Well done Netflix Asia, for promoting this series and please keep syndicating the fantastic Japanese content.
Thank you for reading! Follow to be notified of future reviews! ~ Fumiyawagi