Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (2018)

I wasn't planning to write a review but when I finished this drama and realised that so few people have watched this drama, I knew I definitely needed to write a review for this masterpiece.

To be honest, the only reason I picked up this drama was when I coincidentally saw the subtitles of this drama being updated on 27th July on Dramacool and came to mydramalist to find out that the drama had finished airing. The summary did not intrigue me, and the ratings didn't really interest me either since very few have rated this drama. But I decided to give it a try still as after some research, I found out that the anime version was really popular(I've never watched it though).

When I first started watching a few days ago, I had dropped this drama thrice in the first episode because it bored me so much. I kept moving onto other dramas and decided to come back to it today because most of the good dramas always pick up in the second episode, to name a few would be My Ahjussi, Strangers From Hell and much more. And I'm so glad that I came back, this drama completely caught my attention right at the very beginning of episode 2 and it just kept getting more and more intriguing. I finished bingeing the whole drama today, and am mindblown, it was that good.

I laughed, I smiled and I cried. I never cared nor knew what rakugo was about until I watched this drama. What first caught my attention was the mystery surrounding Konatsu's parents' death. I'm no newbie to mystery dramas but the way the story was told and shown left me wanting more. I also enjoyed watching all the rakugo scenes and even went to google some of the performances.

If I think back about it, the story itself wasn't that special except for the rakugo parts. But it was the way they told the story and it's characters which made a huge impression on me. And of course, the actors were amazing too, especially Okada Masaki. I've watched a lot of his dramas before but he never really caught my eye until this drama. My eyes followed him every time he was on screen. He's an actor I'm going to look out for in future dramas.

This is a severely underrated gem which I recommend everyone to give a try if you are looking for a unique story. If you are just here for the romance, then look elsewhere. Because here, you are going to learn about rakugo, friendship, what it means to be a family and different kinds of love.

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A masterpiece

I fell in love with this drama in 5 minutes. I had read the summary some time ago and it was confusing, so because of Okada Masaki I decided to give it a try. I knew nothing about rakugo and I'm so glad I watched this! It is so good, simple yet compelling. I did not expect such story.
Poetry and japanese culture are the basis of this historical drama and although this may not appeal to everyone, love, hate and jealousy are universal. The story is slow, all the characters are well developed, you love and hate most of them at different moments. Their personalities are complex, conflicting and often full of sorrow. It made me cry many times.
The friendship between Yakumo and Sukeroku felt so real that we almost forget their flaws. And the relationship between Konatsu and Yakumo is a delight - their interactions are full of meaning in the silence and in the harsh words. It is impressive, that was what I loved the most and it makes me smile when I recall the story. Because, can you really hate a person who takes good care of you? Isn't it a parent-child common relationship? Love and hate? Ah amazing! Okada Masaki is often cute, but here he is a rock with a soft side and superb acting skills. His Yakumo was awesome and his shinigami voice will appear in my dreams. I fell even more in love with him.
This is highly recommended, the story is slow, but it unfolds beautifully. I didn't binge because I wanted to savour every episode and I felt a sharp pain in my chest at every turn.

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