Doki No Sakura (2019)

Dramas featuring non-neurotypical protagonists are comparatively rare, and they are difficult to pull off. There is always a tension between idealizing or glamorizing their different ways of perceiving the world or, on the other end of the spectrum, demonizing, denigrating and othering them for being different which historically has been how most societies treat such differences. Doki no Sakura successfully presents a non-neurotypical protagonist who is fairly understandably and continuously punished for being different, and, yet, the story values her and her way of seeing the world, and, ultimately provides a critique of normative corporate culture by doing so.

The titular Sakura is played by Takahata Mitsuki in a rigorously disciplined and idiosyncratic performance which is similar in some ways to that of her Sachiko in Boukyaku no Sachiko, but here the script takes her character much more seriously, and she is allowed to go much deeper. I am no expert in neurological classifications, but Sakura appears to be autistic, rarely smiling and unrelentingly honest for which the large construction firm which hires her repeatedly punishes with demotions and transfers.

The episodes themselves are highly structured. Each tells a story in Sakura's corporate life from ten successive years told by her co-worker friends to her while she is in a coma in 2019. Through repeated encounters and motifs in each episode we learn about how she became their friends and the positive impact she has had on their lives.

The series is unquestionably good through episode 9 where the episodic structure is intentionally broken, and there is a very interesting tension well into episode 10 of whether the show can actually stick the landing without betraying the spirit of its characters. Surprisingly, it does so. A bit unrealistically and conveniently, perhaps, but the show does remain true to Sakura's character while providing a satisfying, if a bit pat, ending to the series.

In the end, the series makes a fairly clear case that the company would be better were it more open to Sakura's way of seeing the world. The story talks about corporate power and intention, and provides an interesting though probably simplistic view of what the source of that power and intention should be. Sakura comes to her company with a dream of building structures with her friends that will make the world a better place, and ends with her having helped those friends define their own dreams. They become more Sakura-like, and she becomes more empowered by their increased authenticity.

It's worth checking out.

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This drama hits me in the feels. I can relate to the struggles of Sakura and her friends, felt the frustration of their problems, plus understood why some other characters decided to stop being different/idealistic and just stick to the norms (but not with Sakura - obviously). With Sakura's unyielding will to achieve her dream, the drama provides a soft criticism to big corporate culture and how society kinda accept it as a norm.

I loved the cast members, they showed the chemistry very well and the writers were all very aware about keeping their traits consistent for the whole storyline - which I really appreciated. Also the characters did not just throw 'motivational life lessons' out of the blue, they wait until they managed to capture the emotions and conveyed it to the viewers, before giving the strike (I was close into tears in some of those situations). Sadly that strength and the story start to plummet near the ending, as it became somewhat predictable.

It is worth watching, you won't regret it. Who knows Sakura can also change your life.

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" Doki no Sakura " had a strong start, but a weak ending.

The main character, Sakura, was pretty peculiar, nonchallenged and a stick with the rules kind of girl. And she did dominate the whole drama through and through. The big mystery about her being in a hospital was intriguing at first, got a bit tiring later on though, and, eventually, it was a let down. So, the good parts of the drama were the stories of the people Sakura meets and how she helps them and eventually, changes their lives. The big climax of the drama was when she went back to her hometown and all the big life changing events that happened. However, after that, the drama got boring and the plot was tiring, with few surprises, and pretty predictable therefore. The performances were pretty good though and the chemistry between the friends - co workers helped a lot with the entertainment of the drama. However, the romance twist, even though it was cute at first, got frustrating in the end and probably the drama would have been better off without it.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Um Drama Sobre Amizade Real

Kitano Sakura é uma garota do interior que tem uma visão de mundo única e que luta para tornar seus sonhos realidade.

Na trama conseguimos acompanhar o início de sua amizade com 4 de seus colegas de trabalho e como ela com seu modo singular de ver o mundo conseguiu influenciar as pessoas ao seu redor ao longo dos 10 anos em que a história retrata.

Sempre pronta para ajudar a quem precise e sem filtro na hora de falar, por diversas vezes ela acaba se envolvendo em situações complicadas no trabalho.

A trama consegue mostrar bem o desenvolvimento do relacionamento dos personagens e o amadurecimento individual de cada um de forma simples e fácil de assistir. O final apesar de não ser o que eu queria, fez sentido para a história. Vale a pena assistir.

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It'sssss been a while since my last drama and this was the perfect drama to get off that slump. This drama reminded me that youth does not end on your typical graduation from high school or even college. It might as well extend to when you enter the working society.

At first, I watched this just for the main lead, Takahata Mitsuki. I liked her role in Evergreen Love. She acts so convincingly and naturally. In this series, she also did a spectacular job. Hands down to her! I love her work!

The cast was perfect and the progression of their wardrobe was PERFECT. The direction of the whole series was very good because the story, too, had an aspect of fluidity to it. Each episode was one year from the previous episode and the progression and character development of each character was seen just perfectly. I couldn't say anything but perfect!!! This scenario, this drama was too ideal! Here I am, wishing that if only you could reach out to people's hearts that easily if only you would know exactly what to say. Oh, here's to daydreaming!

The theme song and the OST of the series were perfect. I loved it. The lyrics had "sakura" in it, so it reminded me of the series immediately. I won't quite forget Doki no Sakura for a long time, now.

Overall, I would like to rewatch this if I had the chance and cry again and again. This series answers the moral questions and ethical cases that actually happens in real life. The ones shown are just small ones, but once these small cases pile up, it could lead to be a quite problematic society. Ironically, it is the society we live in now.

I particularly love this series because it helps broaden one's horizon - that every one of us in society has a role. I couldn't quite point out what I am supposed to say, but before I say anything wrong, I'm going to stop talking about society and morality, now. Well, this series could strike up as a fun discussion, actually. Oh, I'm going to really stop now. Lol.

Lastly! I want to share how they just give importance to the structure design and construction. This is one of the things Japan is proud of. Their structures are so well built that they last several lifetimes. I am going to appreciate more and more designs and construction from now on. I could go on talking about how I love this series, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you give this a try. I love it so much. Doki no Sakura has a special place in my heart.

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