Osama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi (2023)

Solid start, colossally disappointing conclusion

This was my entry into the world of J-Dramas and it was promising to be an excellent first impression. The first 6 episodes were full of fluff and fun cliches and just the perfect touch of angst. You didn't have to use your brain too much, just sit back and enjoy a simple and entertaining story. There was genuinely funny humor, some solid acting moments, and the best part: fire chemistry between the leads. They absolutely carried the drama, as a couple and individuals. Ayaka, our FL, had an unexpected feisty side that helped balance the kawaii vibes, and Togo, our ML, had an endearing awkward side that softened his cold-hearted jerk exterior. I couldn't leave a review without praising what started out as a really cute drama that could have easily gone on my top favorites list. Now for the bad news.

(BE WARNED, LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD)
Unfortunately, starting in episode 7, everything went downhill at a mind-blowing rate. Out of nowhere the drama took a step into some very dodgy (and surprisingly dark) territory. I don't mind dramas tackling unfaithfulness, misunderstandings, or sexual assault, as long as it's done sensitively and intelligently. But this drama did none of those things. We ended up with a situation in which, mysteriously, our FL doesn't know for sure if she's been sexually assaulted by an old flame, and instead of exploring the trauma of such an incident, the drama puts all the responsibility on her for possibly being unfaithful to ML. The situation concludes with ML essentially "forgiving" FL and choosing magnanimously to trust her when she says nothing happened between her and her old flame. The worst part to me? The subject of assault was not mentioned ONCE.

I'll also give a very brief mention to the intimacy issue. After our lead couple decides to become a real couple, we see ML coming on strong, clearly ready to go all the way with FL, and her shying away/flinching each time. It's often played for humor but I actually found it uncomfortable to watch, and it gave off very unfortunate vibes of experienced adult man chasing after innocent, doe-eyed little girl. It's not romantic and it doesn't portray a healthy, mutual transition into intimacy.

Even more unfortunately, that wasn't the end of this drama's troubles. The next episode put our lead couple back together without even once talking the whole issue through like adults. ML kicks her out for a bit and then eventually relents and accepts her back with no real conversation between them. Then comes episode 9. I get it, ML was afraid his mother would hurt FL, that's why he rejected her, broke her heart, and divorced her before planning a wedding with someone else. Here we get the classic time jump and separation cliches and more disturbingly, both ML and FL being besties with the guy who took her to a hotel (and presumably undressed her) in order to make ML believe they had slept together and therefore sabotage the relationship. But he apologized, so I guess it's all okay (this is sarcasm, by the way).

After all of this contrived, over-the-top angst, we conclude with a happy ending that's a result of the FL finally being told that ML had a really good reason for cutting her out of his life. She fights for him, he gives in, all's well that ends well, no harm done. They get remarried (but without the fussy piece of paper they had for their fake marriage, because who needs that?). I usually try to find a more intelligent way of expressing my feelings on dramas I disliked, but there's really no other way to put it: it felt like a child wrote the latter portion of this drama. I have read fan fictions on Wattpad that were written with more maturity and intelligence than this. It's hard to remember the last time I was this disappointed with a drama I started out liking so much.

In the end I'm rating it a generous 4 because of how thoroughly I enjoyed the first half. I will remember how I felt at the beginning fondly, and try desperately to forget how I felt at the end. It's safe to say I will not be rewatching this one. Try it at your own risk.

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A drama full of cliché elements done right!

Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi is an adaptation of the manga of the same name, which I haven't read, so my review is from the point of view of a person who is not comparing the drama to its original work.
What is the main trope involved you ask? Fake Marriage!
Do we have plenty of dramas in dramaland of the same trope? Yes! Definitely!
Even then, is this drama still worth watching? YES! ABSOLUTELY!

The drama can be categorized as a breezy watch, with all the cliché tropes present (fake marriage, first loves, rich man/(comparatively) poor woman etc.) but what really sets it apart is its acting and script. The actors succeeded in involving the audience (at least me) with their characters. I felt the emotions that they were feeling , especially the main leads, Ayaka's tears, Togo's micro-expressions added so much more depth to the emotions... I basically laughed with them, got embarrassed with them, felt sad for them etc. The chemistry of the main couple makes you root for them and the friendship and family moments are really heart-warming.
As is implied earlier, the story is pretty cliché but the script is well-written and really fun. I smiled through most of the episodes and waiting a week for the new episode was honestly a torture! The drama really puts your mind at ease as all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the episode (without a lot of thinking).
The drawback would be:
Was the last episode a little lackluster? Yes.
Was the least episode disappointing? To an extent, yes. It felt as if something was missing.
What about the last 15 minutes of the last episode? It kind of redeemed itself.
But was the last episode enough to destroy the enjoyment felt throughout the drama? NO! I am usually someone who lowers the rating significantly if the ending, in my pov, is messed up. That's because a bad ending makes the entire drama very insignificant and unmemorable to me. But even though Ousama's finale episode was a little disappointing, the good parts of the drama are so damn memorable that I probably won't be forgetting this drama anytime soon.
I am not usually a fan of rewatching shows, but I can definitely see myself coming back and rewatching the drama for Togo and Ayaka.

Conclusion: DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING!
(Just because I liked it, doesn't mean you will too. But I can say with confidence, that its a drama worth giving a chance!)

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