Stepmother and Daughter's Blues (2018)

Heartwarming Family Drama

The drama with the highest rating of the season. And it deserved it. Not only because Ayase Haruka is and will be forever Japan's favorite girl, but because this was funny and sweet and with zero drama and a real representative of a Japanese Slice of Life Drama.

The story is divided in two parts, so it was like Season 1 and Season 2 together. From ep01 to ep05 is one timeline, and from ep06 to 10 is another, 9 years later (that was a total surprise for me!). I adored "Season 1" and it was my favorite. Akiko-san trying, first, to be accepted as a stepmom to Miyuki, and then, her first duties as a mother. I love the little girl who played Miyuki (Yokomizo Naho), awesome actress! She behaved like a little girl behaves, not like a smart-ass girl who talks like an adult. My favorite episodes were 2 and 3: ep2 because I loved the little "game" Akiko-san and Miyuki played at the supermarket, and ep3, because of the "battle" of Akiko against the Parents Association.

Ep 06 was a total shock to me because of the time-slip and because of... well, change of actors. Still, the actress who played older Miyuki was really good and likeable (Hiroki-kun too. Both boy and older boy are so cute!), and some of her expressions resembled her younger-self (both girls have big eyes). I liked how Akiko-san starts working again; her role in the bakery was amazing, totally plausible. I love how everything she does, it is because she is thinking in her daughter. And everything Miyuki does, she always has her stepmom in mind. They may not be blood-related, but their love for each other was as strong as a blood-related mother and daughter have.

If there has to be a minus it would be that Akiko-san looks the same after the time-slip. Same as Shimoyama-san (even the highlights in her hair...)

In spite of the many comedic scenes, there were also some touching scenes :( I am still not sure of the ending, only because I did not fully understand it. I know that it was a "miracle" too, but why? What does the train ticket mean??

All actors were excellent, except for Takeru Sato. I think goofy roles don't suit him. I noticed that some "cool" actors, like him, do wonderfully in action and cool roles, but when it comes to goofy roles... nah. And too bad he had to go and fall in love. I mean, it provided many funny scenes XD but Akiko-san and Ryuchi forever <3 And I was disappointed since I truly thought he was going to be some kind of angel, the one who was going to bring a miracle into Akiko-san's and Miyuki's lives. I guess he sort of did, but not the way I wanted. And at the end, it was really Akiko who was like a miracle to him.

The little touches, like the miracles (I thought it was going to have a bigger role, like **coughcoughthefathercoughcough**), and minor characters, like Taguchi-kun, were very nice. I actually laughed out loud several times with Taguchi-kun, he was a silly sweetheart :)

The OST was excellent, I want it. And the funny one made the scene even funnier XD I did not pay attention to the ED song tbh.

So overall, first part is a 10 and second part is a 9 for me. I love this kind of "non-drama" drama :D

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There's so much meaning we can get from this drama about family relationship. Interesting stories with conflicts that usually occur in families make this drama really look very realistic. In addition, the main role's excellent acting ability can bring the characters to each role so that the storyline is very interesting in each episode, especially how the stepmother's true love takes part in her daughter's life even though they have no blood ties.
I like how the supporting roles play their roles with no less good role than the main roles, although some of them don't appear frequently in every episode but each character has a role and gives the impression of a distinctive character.
The background music seemed to describe each story so that we seemed to be taken to feel the feelings of happiness, sadness, despair, and hope of the cast.
Therefore, if you want to watch this drama again, then I will say that this drama is worth watching again. Maybe when viewed from the title of the drama you will think that this drama has a general storyline about family relationships, but in it you will be entertained by the character of each cast that makes this drama have a different story element.

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