Jack Frost (2023)

Jack O'Frost froze at an 8.5

Aside from incorporating its title into the series in several good and fun ways, the show did not explore and gave its characters too much yet not enough to work with; resulting in them being either flat, unrelatable, or both.

Most of the characters, particularly our mains, possess contradicting traits/personalities and lack depth.
- Fumiya is introduced as serious and someone who has difficulty putting his thoughts into words; however, this only seems to be the case with Ritsu. Around supporting characters, he’s an open book and comes across as a social butterfly. Particularly in flashbacks. Besides working as a salesman with a lot of time on his hands, being a good cook, kind, and possibly popular we know nothing about his background or upbringing. Nor his ex.
- Ritsu is timid, lethargic, and daring/stubborn(?) Eventually, we learn that Ritsu has parents and a younger brother but aside from his brother, we don’t know if he keeps in contact with his parents. Though we know that he’s a great artist/illustrator and a successful one given that his work was published in a magazine. Honda Kyoya, handsome as he is, did his part but Ritsu as a character was not all that appealing to watch.
- Shuji is said to be overprotective of Ritsu but we see that he’s more overprotective of Fumiya. Except for the cafe scene, his scenes with Ritsu were somehow painful. Rarely did they come across as close brothers and instead, Shuji feels closer to Fumiya. They know each other’s ‘tomorrow’ schedules, share a secret, and Shuji is more comfortable talking to Fumiya about Fumiya and Ritsu’s relationship.
- Miyasaka Tomoko added some substance to the series but then she quickly became the side character that exists only to get the mains back together. I don’t understand why she kept her run-in with Ritsu from Fumiya until the final episode, especially when she has been advising Fumiya on their relationship throughout the show. We also never found out what happened to her and her boyfriend.
- Keigo is the ex of Ritsu who was set up to mislead us into thinking is the villain but isn’t(?). He gives Fumiya advice and encouragement but also blithely brings up his bad past with Ritsu. His purpose is to add tension and depth to Ritsu’s sexual orientation which Ritsu thought Fumiya was in the dark about. I admit that part was done well but it’s strange for Ritsu to jump the gun when he has no memories of anything he’s ever told Fumiya. If Fumiya is strictly a roommate then his coming out as gay isn’t unlikely.

My biggest problem with the show was that there was no clear timeline. I can’t gauge how long they’ve been dating and living together. Except that they were the same age again when they celebrated Ritsu’s birthday. It seems they fell in love and moved in together after graduation and while working, and that's all we can go off of. Before moving in together, Fumiya did reveal that Ritsu had a steady income/career and we saw Ritsu working so he had to have been in his early to mid-20s. But are they in their late 20s or early 30s at the beginning of the series? I wish amnesiac Ritsu had at least asked how long they've been living together so we know. Although I took issue with the blurry timeline, it is a plus for the show. Since we don’t know how long they've been together or living together, we can’t fault their relationship in relation to time. If their communication sucks but it's only been a year then 'meh, it happens' but if it's been five years then it'll definitely raise eyebrows.

In short:
Good plot. Dry characters. Dryer script.
The acting was fine overall.
Fun coats. Loved Ritsu’s scarves.
Kind of wished there was snow...? It's Winter, after all.
Enjoyed the music.
Some camera work was uncreative.
The not-so-high budget was a tad bit obvious.
Easy to watch. Not great but not terrible. Heartwarming but also unmemorable.
May never rewatch unless I need some slow background noise.

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Raw and Realistic

The way that this is filmed just makes everything feel very raw and realistic. There’s also very limited use of music, so the scenes always have time to breathe. Each moment feels very precious. It’s all very intentional and well-done.

Acting is great, the leads have these micro expression that really evoke their thoughts and feelings. They also have pretty solid chemistry.

Why is it called Jack O’ Frost? I think the frost might represent Ritsu’s amnesia. When Jack Frost leaves, spring arrives. So, when Ritsu’s frost (amnesia) leaves, he regains his memories of Fumiya

I just really enjoyed it. I smiled, I cried, what more can you ask for lol. Highly recommend

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A love story of adults with a beautiful winter theme that warms our heart but needs more depth

I enjoyed it alot. There are many positives about this first original of Tunku Shower. It’s a love story of adults with a beautiful winter theme that warms our heart at some points. Acting are excellent, especially Kosuke Suzuki (Fumiya) - he expressed his feelings by not only words, but also facial expressions, eye movements, tiny gestures,... For Kyoya Honda, he fulfilled what his role required. The chemistry between them is another plus point. Their chemistry is very natural and emits a real couple feeling , like they actually a couple who lives together for years.
However, besides positives, this series needs a lot more improvements, especially the finale. First, the biggest problem lies in the story. They opened the story with a problem but that problem was not solved properly in the finale. I still feel it's a cliff-hanger. Character development, thus, is lacking as well. The story is a journey back and forth between the past and present of the main characters but during that journey, there is very little character development added. I bet even after the finale is over, they are still themselves and continue to fight and amend. Plotholes are another biggest minus. A lot of things that just don't make sense. I can forgive the fact that Ritsu lost his memory temporarily due to a bike acciddent but I can't let go the fact that Ritsu lost his reasoning as well *face palm*. Other plot holes related to the way Fumiya hid things that would trigger memories. And finally, the lighting in this drama is not very great. They had beautiful scenes but at some points these scenes were very dark and we barely could see anything. They should have added a little more lighting and reflectors for a more satisfying viewer experience

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Just WOW!

I just can't find my words to describe how well put and wonderful I found this Japanese Drama. The actors both portrayed their characters, their feelings and their emotions so well. I especially loved Ritsu with his humble and sweet character. This Drama showed both sides of a relationship - The one side that comes with a lot of hardships and the other one that can be beautiful and rosy. We had a good amount of both and that's what made the Drama so worthy to watch for me. I also loved the way we got many flashback scenes to understand their feelings and thoughts better. For a 6 episode Drama, this is really amazingly good. I can recommend it to everyone.

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Perfect from start to finish

This was a cute, short and interesting series. It started and ended with a bang. I liked the interesting plot. It made me tense and made me look forward to the next episode. This is the type of series where you really can't take sides with anyone since both have their own reasons for the things they did. I love the concept of falling in love all over again. Even though they have already dated and even broke up, I loved how you can see in their eyes that they are falling in love again. I also loved the flashbacks about how they met and all. Really well written. Both the actors did a splendid job. You can feel their emotions and can connect with them. Really outstanding. The ost is also so good. Will definitely re-watch it. Definitely should try. Since it is short, you got nothing to lose.

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Emotional, deep yet realistic and light-hearted. Lovely drama with bitter misunderstandings.

Japanese BLs really come through with the acting, pacing and storyline. This BL felt very satisfying because it was about a couple that was already together but have a falling out. The premise is very interesting as are the characters backstories. Ritsu is an artist and Fumiya is a handsome worker. The two have a stable relationship until one day the small annoyances lead to a breaking point. It is really interesting to see how the two communicate and reconcile. I loved watching this drama and feel rewatching would be fun. While there are fantasy elements, the two could very well be a real couple. Do yourself a pleasure and watch this drama, you will be happy and anxious and feel so many emotions. Both actors are very handsome in distinct ways, which add to the enjoyability of the experience. Coffeeshops, riverside benches and apartment scenes, this drama feels idealistic yet real. Big thanks to the actors and team behind this work.

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The Dilemma

In real life, decisions are often not easy. Each option has it own pluses and minuses and we can't know all the consequences until long after we've made the decision. This movie explores that sort of vagueness. Specially, it explores the inner turmoil of whether to tell a painful truth which is likely to hurt someone, or hide it, hope for the best, but suffer unpredictable repercussions. Ultimately, whichever way we pick, we may end up with the same result.

I really enjoyed the acting / directing in the expression of emotions through face and body language. The Japanese script delivers loads of familiar nostalgia. The music is a little less interesting than average and the script lacks gradual character development, and instead delivers whatever character development it carries in the last episode. Fumiya seems a little fuller character than Ritsu which I think is more of a problem with the script/story than the acting. Anyway, an engaging watch. Especially for those of us who remember the confusion and miscommunication in our first relationships.

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So much unfulfilled potential

Jack o’ Frost is a slow burn with seriously gorgeous actors. I could watch them doing mundane things all day long. Eating together, going to coffee shops, taking walks. All with a frisson of anticipation and tension.

I am a fan of slow burns but this just wasn’t well-paced and well-developed. I really wanted to enjoy this more.

With only 6 episodes, the series is relatively short and doesn’t delve as deeply into these themes as it should have. Which is a real shame. They had a chance to go deep into some difficult topics, but barely touched on any of these.

I would have loved to see more character development, especially in relation to how they learnt from their past mistakes in order to salvage their struggling relationship.

Overall, this may have been better with 10-12 episodes instead.

Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/jack-o-frost-2023-review/

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11/10 kinda good!

I can't believe I put this off for so long. This is like 11/10 kinda good!

Oh my, there are parts where it hurts like mad, but it's overalll really sweet, romantic and cute

I love the acting, especially the actor who plays Risei. Even when he cries, I can feel it. It's not forced or fake.

Really good acting, this is why I appreciate Jap BL.

I still dunno why its called Jack O frost though. I know he draw Jack in the drama, but thats the only reference. I don't see a linked/context to it? Am I missing sth? lol

Anyway the drama....It's short, so its not draggy. It ends beautifully as a show, I won't ask for more. Sometimes, what makes a great series is exactly knowing when to end too!

Except that I do want more, like special episode just because I love the couple so much!

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Slightly Dark but Heartwarming Series

Ah~ so this is how it feels to watch BL which is an original screenplay. Most of BL series out there, specifically Japanese, is an adaptation from manga and light novel.

To begin with, the premise of the story sounded interesting. I assumed it would be dark and angsty, but turned out it is lighter. Surely, the moment when the two main characters confronted each other and bickered are a bit scary. The tension was in a right amount to pull me into their emotions. Besides, I also agree that this series, which the interesting premise hinted complexity potential, needs longer duration to show more proper closure for Fumiya and Ritsu.

Next off, the cast was superb! I have no complain. Their acting skill, especially Suzuki Kosuke's potrayal is stunning. We all know that Fumiya, played by Suzuki, is a person who bottles up his feeling and thoughts. Suzuki successfully showing them from his eyes, the way his expression changed from one second of disappointment to patiently smiling, hiding all his negative emotion. Never thought he could play so much better than the main role in one of his previous work. For Honda Kyoya, I was a bit surprised for the transformation he showed me for this series. I mean, his image from Animals (that makes me start adoring his visual) totally different in here. He is totally into Ritsu whose appearance is warm and fluffy, also the sweet soft voice, just right to presents us his emotional sensitivity. Again, eyes, like Suzuki, Honda also displayed how Ritsu easily moved and hurt through them. I love to see them sparkling from happiness and filled with tears when Ritsu is in pain (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

About the music. I would give a 10, but I'm not into the OP soundtrack, so I lower the score a bit. I love Miwa and her songs since many years ago and the ED song sounds perfect for me. All the background music was perfect. As expected from the same composer as Eternal Yesterday. The difference is just, the bgm sounded more suspenseful than making me feel sad. The tension in them kills me (in a good way) (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠✧⁠*⁠。

I gave 8/10 for rewatch value since I am someone who watch shows that is emotionally stimulating, Jack O'Frost can be an alternative choice. The unhealthiness in the relationship makes me cussing Ritsu and Fumiya unstoppably for 6 weeks + 1 week before it aired + 1 week when it was not airing.

Overall, the time when I overthink the plot, making theories, and cussing the characters only show that I invested in this series. It was a fun rollercoaster ride and worth my time! ♡⁠˖

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Grabs your attention from start to finish

This was a very good series. The script did a great job hooking you into the storyline. It kept my attention up to the very end. My only complaint is the medical aspect is not very realistic, but it’s only a minor detail. After all, this is only a 6-episode series. The actors were great at portraying their characters. The cinematograph was beautiful and they did an excellent editing job. I love how they used the frost aspect as a metaphor for Ritsu loss of memory of Fumiya.

Random Note:

I know this is only minor, but the opening and closing credits don’t really fit the mood of the whole series.

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