35-Sai no Shojo (2020)

An outstanding drama, that only better as the series progresses.

Before I begin my review, let me briefly summarize the plot. The story revolves around a girl named Nozomi, who was in an accident at the age of 10 and has been in a coma ever since. However, 25 years later, on her 35th birthday, she miraculously regains consciousness—only to realize that she is no longer 10, and the world is neither the same as it used to be nor how she had hoped it would be. She then embarks on a long journey toward adulthood with the help of her family and a childhood friend.

Although the time-travel trope itself is not unique, what truly makes this show stand out is how it handles the theme of "growing up." Unlike other similar dramas, this one isn’t cute or fluffy; instead, it is quite realistic. The main character first starts as a child trapped in the body of a 35-year-old, then progresses through the stages of adolescence—from middle school to high school—and finally transforms into a beautiful woman.

I also loved the portrayal of the family, the individual family members, and their relationships with one another. Unlike the typical families we’re used to seeing in dramas, this family is a bit different—they are imperfect, yet somehow perfect.

Lastly, can we take a moment to appreciate Shibasaki Ko’s incredible acting as Imamura Nozomi? What I admired most was how she nailed even the smallest hidden details, such as the way kids cry or the way they talk and refer to themselves in the third person. Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role as well as she did. She was simply phenomenal.

Now, as we all know, nothing in this world is without its flaws. While there aren’t any major drawbacks in this drama, there are certainly a few scenes that could have been handled better. For example, I wasn’t a fan of how the mother’s character died. While her death wasn’t surprising, it did feel a bit abrupt. Additionally, I’m still not sure how I feel about Nozomi's job, Mana’s award, and Tatsuya’s job. Everything happened so quickly that the final 10 minutes felt somewhat unconvincing. It made it seem as if the directors rushed to give everyone a happy ending, which, in my view, wasn’t entirely necessary.

Aside from that, everything else was perfect—from the rest of the cast’s acting to the cinematography and even the OST. The OST of this series was probably the best I’ve ever heard in a J-drama. I don’t think I’ll be forgetting it anytime soon.

Finally, I would recommend this drama to anyone looking for something simple yet gripping, without any unnecessary cringe or exaggeration. Seriously, check it out—you won’t regret it.

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A modern fairytale rooted in reality

Despite some little flaws, this drama was like a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed it a lot.
It talks about growth and sorrow in a way which is both symbolical and realistic: family, love, self improvement, compassion and forgiveness are all part of the story...it feels like watching a fairy tale in real life, in fact I loved all the references to the book "Momo" by Michael Ende!
All the actors did a good job; Shibasaki Ko and Sakaguchi Kentaro were absolutely brilliant, they seemed deeply involved with their characters!
I hope that a lot of people will decide to watch it! :)

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