utsukare? lots of misplaced criticism

If I'm gonna write one review per year then utsukare is my choice for 2021

I would have completely bypassed this drama if it wasn't for Yusei, but I was hooked from the first episode.

I have 0 knowledge of the novel so I'm judging this drama as it is. I think defending any criticism of the drama using the novel only devalues the drama production and its actors. A successful adaptation should be able to stand on its own. And this one does.

Is this drama for you?
- both protagonists are realistically flawed so if you prefer your characters to come out the gate perfect then this drama is not for you.
- writing is subtle so if you prefer to be spoon-fed then this drama is not for you.

regarding the 3 major points of contention among the (western) audience:
1. English translation of the Japanese expression kimoi/kimochi warui
Meaning changes based on context so it's not always "gross". But even in the infamous episode 1 regardless of the translation, Kiyoi saying it was valid because one should be allowed to express their discomfort at someone who's clearly acting out of pocket towards them.

2. hate boner for Kiyoi
Kiyoi is neither abusive nor a bully. You can call him bully-adjacent if you are pressed enough, for hanging around bullies and allowing some behaviour to happen, but Kiyoi who wants to keep his unbothered prince image, behaves subtly. Typical protagonist when witnessing bullying would jump into the fray with their chest puffed and full of self-righteous attitude. On the other hand, Kiyoi's behaviour is nonchalant but gets the job done, nonetheless. Making Hira be part of Kiyoi's clique is like having a pilot fish keep close to a shark because it offers protection from other predators.
Anyway, most of the story is told from Hira's POV and when it switches to Kiyoi we see that things are not as they seem although the clues were already there since the beginning.

3. they are toxic together
They are unconventional together, but they are not toxic. Being in a toxic relationship/friendship/whatever makes one or both parties deteriorate, mentally and in other ways. I wish people would stop assigning terms like that to whatever doesn't fit their ideal.
There is a power imbalance (created by Hira) but Kiyoi does not take advantage of Hira's willingness to do absolutely everything for him, beyond basic errands. Ultimately, they don't have a negative effect on one another, and they are not worse off together than they would be separately/with other people. Hero worship and subpar communication skills are their biggest obstacles and it's something they must overcome to be together.

I think both are multifaceted and interesting characters. A couple of young messy teenagers who are insecure, lonely and bad at expressing themselves and deal with those issues differently.
Kiyoi who keeps people at arm's length and hides his weaknesses behind a harsh exterior meets Hira and wants to open up to him. However, Hira, bullied since childhood which made him shut off from the world, tends to live inside his own head so it's hard to get through to him.

Performance wise, Riku and Yusei did a stellar job. Riku balanced the awkward and the disturbing well, while Yusei has very expressive eyes and knows how to use them like a weapon. Their acting in the final episode was especially good. I fully expected Riku to nail his scenes but Yusei surprised me. As a certified JrExile fan I have watched other projects with him like Mannequin Night Fever and Back to the Memories, but Kiyoi's character was complex, and Yusei rose to the occasion.

Rewatch value is high because for a drama as subtle as this the devil is in the details.

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This is my first review so I hope I'm doing this right

My like for detective dramas stems mostly from the characters' personalities. With so many detective dramas, many cases get repetitive so for me the highlight of these dramas is the team of detectives/policemen etc. I watched doS Deka right after Deka Wanko for Tabe Mikako and at first I just wasn't feeling it. It had its moments where I laughed but other than Maya I found her team to be bland like stale bread plus Okura's acting was corny. I was on the verge of dropping it at first but eventually I stuck around until the end and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed Maya's character like her antics with the superglue stuff and "Fighto" and I especially liked how they developed the relationship between Maya and her chief when Maya started to rub off on her.

All in all, other than Maya this team was more forgettable than some other similar dramas, although I did warm up to them in the end, especially in the last episode; at least none of them were some douchebags that I wanted to punch which is always a plus. I just wished they were more fleshed out. Usually these types of characters each have an episode where they get to shine but not in this one.

The acting was so-so. I like Tabe Mikako and I think she suits these types of quirky roles but some of the other cast's acting was questionable. I never watched Okura in anything before so I don't know if he's acted like that on purpose for his character or if it's standard for him. The others didn't really stand out. The heavy metal-ish music was a good touch (at least for me)

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Jpop boys turned lethal fighters

Plot? what plot?
Friendship? overload
Beautiful people? too many to count
Action? the best
Entertainment Value? through the roof

This isn't just a review for this movie but for the whole franchise.

Disclaimer: HL is my emotional support series, this review is biased.

Obviously it's not without its flaws. Some plot points really didn't make sense to me, but I overlook it for the greater good, the sheer entertainment of it all.

First of all, THE ACTION. It's what most of us came here for. What lured me in was watching the Rude Boys trailer because I heard I will find KuboMasa there. I was very impressed by the parkour and that's what pushed me down the rabbit hole.

The action choreographer is Takahito Ouchi who previously worked on Crows Zero and Rurouni Kenshin. Him and director Shigeaki Kubo (who has directed many beautiful music videos for Exile Tribe) utilize the athletic and dance abilities of the cast to the fullest. They are able to do a lot of their own stunts.

The actions scenes are very dynamic. Location and perspective constantly changes thanks to the drones who follow the fighters around. The one-takes are spectacular, I'm in awe at everyones abilities. They also mix it up by having one on one fights, all out brawls and some chase scenes. With each new project the action gets better and better. It's not boring even for a minute (I've seen a lot of action movies and sometimes it's just stale and repetitive tbh).

What I really appreciate here is how each gang has their own theme going on. Not just their own songs but also fashion sense, emblem, and even transportation mode. Like you have the cruiser bikes, sports bikes, dirt bikes, trucks, convertible Cadillacs, luxury cars etc. Some characters even have a distinctive fighting style.

Friendship is a major theme throughout. They always have their homies back, but sometimes the loyalty gets shaken and drama ensues. Also across the SWORD groups the guys who are at each other's throats all of season 1 later somehow come together against a common goal, develop respect towards one another and even tentative friendships.

There's so many characters that it's honestly hard to pick one favourite because they're all different and they all have something appealing about them. Among the SWORD leader there's our main boy Cobra who used to be more laid back but now responsibility of being a leader weighs on his shoulders. Hyuga the batshit crazy one, Rocky our feminist hero, chill and rational Smoky, and Yoshiki whose lifelong ambition is to date Cobra (jk).

This is a LDH project therefore the cast mostly comprises of it's actors, singers, dancers and models. Considering some of them had very little acting experience they did well and nobody was in your face bad.

These artists are also singing the OST, they made a whole album out of it, it's called HIGH&LOW THE ALBUM. Shoutout to Doberman Infinity for winning the SWORD theme song challenge having the best 3 songs :P
BTW if you liked the music, do yourself a huge favour and watch the concert to end all concerts, HIGH&LOW THE LIVE.

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This review is based on the 3h director's cut.
Shunji Iwai has a way of making me think about his works for long after I watched them. The lack of objective perspective that would reveal the true version of events, and abrupt cut of scenes always leaves room for interpretation. A melancholy portrayal of themes such as loneliness, companionship, conformity, outward appearances, all in the age of social media.

The performances were excellent. A wallflower who conforms to what others want, Nanami is the type of character I usually like to hate on but thanks to the depth given by Iwai and Kuroki Haru's portrayal she was endearing. Cocco's Mashiro is the opposite of Nanami. She is vivacious, a bit of an airheaded and flighty person on the surface but is actually introspective and carries a lot of pain. Ayano Go, a chameleon actor plays a chameleon character who changes his appearance to fit a situation. We know the least about him but he is the one who moves the story forward.

The story might get confusing at times but the puzzles eventually start falling into place. It is mostly character focused. Most of the questions left unanswered revolve around Amuro and his motives behind literally every action he takes. Is he a stone cold bastard, savvy businessman, charitable prince, human-chess enthusiast? all of the above?

The music wasn't epic but it complimented the film nicely with the classical pieces. I tend to re watch films that I like although I have seconds thoughts about films that are long. But I didn't check the time at all during the 3h and this one is compelling me to give it another go sometime in the future.

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For the longest time I avoided this movie because Jin just rubs me the wrong way (and it has nothing to do with kattun) but I eventually gave in for Shunji Iwai who produced and wrote it. I actually liked it more than I thought I would considering I saw a lot of negative opinions about the characters (especially the girl) and the ending. Like someone else said this movie is like a more mature version of Beck. The characters are not fully likeable but they feel more real and the story feels more authentic. They get moody, selfish, jealous, insecure, undeceive, immature, and abuse alcohol.

The volatile, kind of onesided, relationship between Natsu and Asako is portrayed quite well even if they were frustrating. It is not some fluffy story of 'tru luv'. At that point in their life they were pretty incompatible and Asako explained it well during their conversation towards the end.
The band members aren't some bffs with a dream, they get into conflicts - some petty, some serious. The focus isn't just on the band members as musicians and their inner drama but on the business side of the music industry in the early 90s and its pitfalls. Is fame worth the price of artistic integrity?

The acting is strong even with Jin there. At first I was like 'why was he even cast, he can't sing or act' but looking at Natsu's character I understood why Jin worked. Even if this is the only type of role he knows how to act, it was a fit here. Perhaps he was playing himself and that's why it worked JK :)

I liked the music very much here. I would have liked it more if Jin was a better singer but the songs were catchy, I even downloaded them (I liked the song by Happies the most). Lands is one of two fictional bands to ever top the music charts in Japan.

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