yasashii jikan gives its characters the room for the audience to come to their own conclusions, while keeping their reactions both true to their personalities and clean to follow. takuro (ninomiya kazunari) is a character you'd just HAVE to experience for yourself. his father yukichi (akira terao) was personally not always easy to sympathize with (although he had many moments!) as someone who is limited to the perspective of a child, i enjoyed it the most when i tried to understand him and his growth as a person/parent. azusa (nagasawa masami) is a troubled, very emotional, and at times destructive girl that was easy to connect to (she is so cute too!). episode 10 and 11 were stunning

it surprisingly has some edge to it, especially in the second half, relating to takuro's past in a street racing gang and otherwise. takuro's longing (and the love in it) was so sad it was stomach-churning. distance not by location but by heart is devastating to witness

i think this could feel different depending on your relationship with your parents or who you are. it might be healing, and there may be things that resonate with you a lot and others that dont at all. in a way, it feels personal because of that, and regardless of what kinder-surprise-egg-style experience you get, it's worth a shot to find out

there's creative shots in here, hokkaido is a beautiful setting, it features a unique flow of progressively providing interesting information about the characters one becomes invested in, immersive if you let it take you, and the tracks were effective

if you're someone who's interested in this drama but you have a preference for fast pacing, i did a task that required less attention (that i put down for important moments, sometimes whole episodes) and watched this over the span of two days, rather than the week i usually set aside. i felt this could be an appropriate way to experience it as well as taking it slow

taller girl + shorter guy is awesome! bonus points for their hair being the same length, they look cute!

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going into this with nothing but a summary, i figured it would be a pretty easy watch. i would still describe it as 'low-calorie'; like something you can eat a lot of without getting full, i was able to consume multiple episodes in one sitting gluttonously. but this was not synonymous with 'low-stakes'. things like your future, relationships, and pride, instability in any of these could make you feel like the sky is falling down! i was right there with ippei, i'm telling you: his stress was contagious. so was his happiness, and his decisions and logic, including his mistakes. there is no way from the premise i could've anticipated that this show would have me asking, "are they really going there?"

so grounded to the point where i'd call it unconventional and sometimes risky. there is no plotline or character untouched by action. it is continuous, like the work in a busy kitchen, or a town that's changing by the day, and the lives of its residents. ippei's surroundings ripple onto his perspective, and what that looks like during a time of disarray... you just have to find out!

seriously, there aren't a lot of dramas that struck a chord so hard i started reflecting on myself. shock, disgust, embarrassment, some weird form of despair, maybe the sorriest i've ever felt for an individual in a tv show, none of this was what i signed up for! and to think i almost hadn't experienced it, if not for my obsession with clearing filmographies! i hope that, at the chance you're someone without an ulterior motive like mine, you'll try this show even if you don't think it'd be to your taste. i was inspired to create this review just to convey this!

(... and if you are also someone who likes ninomiya, this role was specifically written for him. naturally, his performance is seamless here! must watch!)

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i wonder how a show could end up detailed in the way this one is. was it in the script, was it the directing, or was it the cast themselves? i guess the answer could lie between all three, or maybe a behind the scenes video that i am not yet proficient enough in japanese to understand. the characters are so strong and consistent that they shine even through cracks of screen-time! from the background to the main role in an episode, down to how they sit and who they hang around, even without dialogue. this is pretty much a masterclass in creating an ensemble!

i loved watching the characters in different pairs each episode, and how their mindsets and experiences foil each other! each interaction was incredibly precious! i really did fall in love with every single staff.. it was fulfilling, meaningful, and very funny too!

this drama is not as inaccessible as it may seem at first, so i really urge you to check this one out if you've somehow ended up on this page. it's worth it!

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early in this year was the first time i brushed against an interest in v-cinema. as in, direct-to-dvd films, and the ones i liked centered around action or (usually and) gangsters. sometimes, even though there is no feasible way for someone to live through an injury of this or that severity, the film looks like it was shot handheld on a 3DS, and guns swing around like they weigh plastic (and they actually do), it's like they're asking you to just work with them; to match their energy and vision for an hour or two. it's the connection, i think, through my choice in the experience that leaves me with a profound warmth at the end. regardless of how ridiculous, full of tropes, cool, or good it was, there are few kinds of 'fun' that feel as intimate to me

despite being more polished than the examples i provided, kyou kara hitman left me with an identical atmosphere. it is just entertaining. silly and generally nonsensical! but it's effective if you let it be, and it feels great to be a part of something for a few hours. it became lovable and special to me that way

i <3 all the characters

(i would even dare to say this show is reminiscent of the genre. ozawa hitoshi, a legend in the scene, makes an appearance here! it was super funny to me and my sibling, who had already felt the similarity!)

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