I warn you that this review will be long because:
1. I'll go over several scenes;
2. I'll make comparisons with the manga;
3. I'm so logorrheic that I hate myself.
Let's start with the assumption that maybe I'm too old to see certain things and that this may be a drama more suitable for teenagers, however I also remember watching it for the first time when I was 16 and even then I was quite embarrassed (not in a good way). Now that I'm 21 I felt like watching it again... well I had better not.
"Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai" was the first manga I ever read and which I cherish, because yes the story is cliché, but at the same time the characters have a beautiful evolution in my opinion. I have reread it so many times and it always makes me feel a mixture of emotions, so I would say it does its job well.
This adaptation only has the "base" of the story, otherwise they have made many changes that do not make sense.
In the manga, Akabane already knows the Black Demon and the White Prince when she moves to the dormitory, while the drama begins with her actually having to move in and meeting them for the first time. And so far I might have been okay with that. But inexplicable things happen: to intimidate Yuu, Kurosaki approaches, but his hair gets caught in Yuu's button... in order to free him, she cuts off a very long lock of hair-- what was the need to cut so much omg. Rightly Kuro gets angry and to take revenge he kisses her.... I didn't like the way the whole thing happens. In the manga it has a certain effect because Kuro realizes that kissing her is the only way to annoy her, because Yuu actually manages to stand up to him. Then the later punishments he gives her are because Yuu does not always follow the rules of the dormitory, etc. Instead in the drama it's pure bullying for no other reason: he tells her to do whatever he tells her for 3 months and she tells him YES. She acquires the courage to retort only later. But am I wrong or did she want to be a different person from the beginning of the film?
I understand that she is still trying to change, and one must also point out the imposing and aggressive attitude of the black demon, but she is constantly standing with her back bent! I get that it's to make herself smaller and all you want, but it's too much! Here it's the fault of either the director or the actress... haven't seen other films of Nana Komatsu to compare, my bad.
It cracks me up how in order to look for a more or less large balled-up sheet of paper on a lawn with CUT GRASS, she stands on her hands and knees, thus covering a very limited area.
Then how can he order her to clean all the basketballs or decorate the Christmas tree? At the dorm he definitely has authority, but at school no lmao. And she does all of that anyway!
Another thing I didn't appreciate is how they changed Meiko's character.
In the manga she is very shy and Yuu helps her in many things, highlighting how Yuu is frivolous and uninhibited in some ways. It was nice to see Meiko's character and especially the friendship between her and Yuu evolve. While here the roles are reversed: Meiko is tough and that's it--
And this thing about white prince and Yuu pretending to be dating... it's cringe and just doesn't make any sense.
Shall we talk about the character of Suzune for a moment?
In the manga she is not present and in fact in the drama she is the most senseless and stupid character. She is introduced as a childhood friend of Kurosaki and Shirakawa, who returns to Tokyo to inform them that she is getting married-- then it turns out she STILL has a crush on Kurosaki. But wait a minute- she's getting married, so I think she's 25 and up AT LEAST. Kurosaki and Shirakawa are first-year high school students-- doesn't that make Suzune a pedophile? Just saying..
Finally the message of the middle school reunion was sent. So randomly Kuro orders Akabane to go, the reason is unknown... When I saw this scene, I was shocked. It doesn't really make sense. In the manga, Yuu expresses the fact that she has no pleasant memories of middle school, but she decides to go anyway with no ifs or buts and pulls out the stops: she stands up for herself and even prevents Kuro from being meddled in a fight, by being hit in the face with a book.
These two episodes are prequel. I have still the movie to rewatch too and in fact as soon as I finish this review I'll rewatch it, because I hate to leave things incomplete.
Anyway, the last episode ends with Shirakawa openly declaring to Kurosaki that he wants to make Yuu his own.
Immediately afterwards we see a Yuu who has apparently gained more self-confidence and is seen by others in a different light. Thus all for no reason. It is not clear why Shirakawa suddenly fell in love with Yuu. In the drama she literally has nothing special, unlike the manga.
This review is a reminder to keep me from doing another rewatch.
All I can say is that it's light enough to watch. The other actors act well, it's just Yuu's character that is too childish and if certain scenes were heavy for me to watch I think it is for that reason.
If you have never read the manga, give it a try.
On the other hand, if you are a fan of the manga like me, I don't advise you to watch it or your nerves will explode.