Shigatsu no Tokyo wa... (2023)

Great story, progressive ish content, bad acting in 2/4 MC

The title says it all, but I want to focus on what I found progressive. This is the first time where I watched a show that (sadly still) assigned top and bottom but this time the top took on many of the “womanly traits” like cooking and maybe stronger emotions, though that equally could have been the quality of acting. He was definite The cuter one, but still was the top. It’s bad to say, “oh it defied gender stereotypes,” because it still
assigned top and bottom. Or giver and receiver. But it twisted the “top = man” bottom = woman. Idk. I found it so refreshing in the moment that i wanted to write a whole review about it.
As for the story and acting, the acting was bad, but it didn’t really take away from the overall show other than to make me feel bad/ embarrassed for the actors. I really enjoyed the storyline, and it was compelling enough that I looked forward to the show every day. I would recommend unless you don’t like bad acting. And I mean bass. I have not seen acting this bad in living
memory. But it was cute and fun. Except for that one scene on the subway tunnel by Ren

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A compelling story marred by pacing issues

This series might take its time unfolding, but beneath its surface lies a compelling narrative that captivates with its central themes. While the acting leaves room for improvement, the series manages to resonate with viewers through its profound messages.

The storyline revolves around the two main characters, Kazuma and Ren, who cross paths during their school years. Ren's silent infatuation with Kazuma simmers beneath the surface, driven by the fear of driving him away. A tragic event separates the two, only to reunite them a decade later in the workplace. The rekindled emotions set the stage for their journey, though Ren keeps an emotional distance.

At a concise eight episodes, the series maintains an unhurried pace. It delves into the history of Kazuma and Ren during their school days and the reasons behind their separation through flashbacks. While the pacing leans towards the slow side, certain plot points, like the workplace sexual harassment case, the impact of Ren's separation from friends, family, and Kazuma, as well as Kazuma's life abroad in the US, feel somewhat rushed. However, the series earns merit for addressing important issues, albeit briefly. It sheds light on Ren's traumatic experiences as a 15-year-old ostracized by his parents and blamed for Kazuma's hospitalization, ultimately abandoned due to his sexuality. Furthermore, it introduces themes of workplace bullying, office politics, and sexual harassment, though their exploration is somewhat limited.

The acting performances by Sakurai Yuki and Takamatsu Aloha may come across as amateurish, but the child actors deliver commendable portrayals. Furukawa Tsuyoshi's role as Ren's friend, despite limited screen time, hinted at the potential for deeper exploration of their friendship.

In conclusion, "April in Tokyo" possessed the potential for greatness if it had addressed pacing issues, focused more on character relationships, and perhaps reconsidered the limited treatment of the workplace harassment subplot due to time constraints. Nevertheless, it deserves a watch, as it distinguishes itself from typical BL series by incorporating substance and depth into its storytelling.

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Beautiful, but not perfect.

Many of scenes are carefully put together with a painters eye to color and light. The nature of the daylight, the surroundings, clothing, etc. were clearly thought out. The placement of both characters and props within the frame was sensitive and thoughtful.

However, action scenes (especially running) were clumsy.

The story had a lot of potential, but didn't quite deliver, especially in the last episode. Kazuma's mother is a difficult role, and needed more work. Difficult to tell if this was the choice of actor, the acting or the directing. It might be easy to overlook since she occupies so little screen time, but since this drama focuses on the power of traumatic childhood experiences over adult lives, Kazuma's mother needed more attention. The ending falls flat in part because the last scenes with Kazuma's mother doesn't really work. Her facial expressions watching Ren in the hospital room communicate almost nothing. The scene with the three of them is disjointed. Those scenes need to work, that is to provide the audience with a new understanding , a new perspective on the past. Because children do pick up distorted messages during those childhood events, and part of finding peace is correcting those distortions. I think any rating between 6 and 8 is reasonable. I chose 8 because I loved the meticulous visuals.

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The story have a solid foundation, with compelling characters and an intriguing premise. However,

it seems as though the screenwriter failed to fully realize the potential of the story's trajectory. The plot points and character development are not fully explored, leaving the audience wanting more depth and complexity. With a more thorough execution of the story's arc, the narrative could have been more engaging and impactful.

The production value of the scenes left much to be desired. The settings often felt lackluster and uninspired, with a noticeable repetition of the same stage to represent various locations within the story. Additionally, the use of random locations to convey specific settings did not effectively immerse the audience in the narrative. Furthermore, the excessive reliance on flashbacks did not contribute meaningfully to the audience's understanding of the characters' stories, and instead, felt disjointed and distracting. As a result, the overall visual and storytelling impact of the production was diminished, leaving the audience feeling disconnected from the characters and their experiences.

very problematic underage scenes. honestly i couldn't bare my self to watch the episodes where the 2 main character that were still underage did such thing. and it really bothers me that they really use a real life 15 years old kid to play that.

i give my apreciation for Yuki as this is his 1st drama debut. he potraying the character nicely. a bit stiff here and there but none of them are giving "bad acting" vibe.

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PODERIA SER MUITO MELHOR

Essa é uma história curta e cheia de camadas mas essas camadas foram mal apresentadas e desenvolvidas.
A pegada da série é mais intimista e eu gosto muito disso, mas o roteiro era levemente confuso e inconsistente.
O trauma do Ren é algo que poderia ser melhor retratado, em muitos momentos foi vazio e a gente não entendia de verdade o que ele estava sentindo e sim o que falavam sobre ele. Já Kazuma é um personagem sem nada de especial, mas até que funcionou apesar de algumas cenas em que a atuação era bem mediana. O companheirismo é o tópico mais forte da história.
Não é ruim, mas também não é maravilhoso. Eu diria que é superficial mas consegue ser um bom passatempo para quem quer uma trama mais profunda.

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love? nahh... rather it's obsession

where do i begin?? ohh boi... this is one of the dramas that i would love but also hate it..

The reason? well because it is too serious and dark.. whan it's romance I'm more into fluff(it shouldn't be cringe tho) and the dramas which are too serious and dark... make me horrified and traumatised(this could be a lil exaggerated)...
These types of dramas make me think a lil tooo deep about life and that's what I'm scared of the most because when I think deep.. it's too negatively deep

And this drama did that exactly... the two bois ohh Lord.. they just simply loved each other but one was going/about to go? down the wrong lane(sleeping with guysdespite being underage) because he couldn't be intimate with his crush (who is also his best friend) as he wasn't sure if he felt the same way too...

So he decided to satisfy(?) himself using others(?) sounds stupid buymt you'll understand once you're in that situation yourself... that's when the crush(kazuma) stepped in and asked ren to have sex with him instead.. and they did it.. at that very night kazuma became sick and was hospifalized
And Lord the hell ren had to go through criticisms from everyone., facing everything all one, thinking he is the cause of kazumas sickness and possibly death, living all alone in France with no one.. (idk if he would have survived if not for that yagami guy who was also Japanese)
And then they reunite... tackle their past together and live happily ever after..
And also I would like to mention that the scene where the couple talked with the mom was very emotional and i cried after watching that (although j would have liked it more if the mom directly said that she wants kazuma to be with her)

My take on this drama: a drama I would usually avoid but liked it anyways... I hated the acting it didn't feel natural.. I also did not think that it was strong love(as the mother mentions is 8th ep I guess).. rather it was obsession... why I think it's obsession.. well because nothing of the characters I believe never had any exposure to other people.. they were stuck on the past and were not ready to accept anyone else.. (tbh I can't explain clearly why I think it's obsession and not love.. but i feel that it's not love)

would I recommend it??? hell yeahhhh

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Эта любовь с первых моментов

Очень люблю такого сюжета дорамы, когда надо подумать, посмотреть, почувствовать. Когда поднимается очень много сложных тем, а тем более если вспомнить о культуре страны. Эта дорама уходит в любимые без каких-либо НО... Я не очень люблю когда показывают любовь подростков 12+ , но здесь это было не обходимо и сделано очень хорошо, чтобы зрителю было понятно откуда та или иная травма у взрослого персонажа. Моя благодарность режиссеру и сценаристу, которые дали сюжет в котором хочется быть не зрителем, а героем. Я мангу не читала, да и думаю, что не буду, тк видела комментарии, что сделано все идеально точно, за что опять спасибо всем работающим над этим проектом. Актерская игра. То о чем будет говорить мать одного из героев, лишний раз и говорит об актерской игре. Сыграно безупречно естественно, красиво, эмоционально для Японии. Это я о гг. А мальчики актеры 14-и лет. Ну если один Сена Такена, уже активный и известный в мире развлечений, то второй Мицунобу Дзё дебютант. Сцены были тревожными, но ребята идеально справились. А насколько красивы и аккуратны эти нежные сексуальные сцены, честно, тайцам стоит на это посмотреть, на красоту и передачу чувств, а не "завалил и победил, как обычный альфач". Концовка. Храни мои нервы, я не ожидала такой мудрой мысли и наблюдательности от матери. Мудро, очень тонко и мудро. Я бы хотела как можно больше таких работ с такой эмоциональной глубиной, персонажи, которые есть вокруг нас, так как они естественны. Лучшее на данный момент от Японии и буду пересматривать еще не раз.

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Interesting plot that could've been more in so many ways

The plot was actually good, you have the two Ml with a tragic backstory but messed up on the aftermath of reconnection cause of too much back and fourth-ing and some things doesn't make sense.

Mls chemistry was quite awkward but there are moments that are sweet. Both of them actually look good together but in a way seems forced cause of the way they act towards each other was in a way to not be seen as a couple which is like.. what's the point of the acting in a BL as a couple pair lol.

What I don't like about the series is too much recollection/flashbacks, the whole episode 6 was seriously just Kazuma reminiscing his memories with Ren. Also some scenarios where the emotion and facial expression doesn't fit and in a way did not deliver to the viewers like when ren was hyperventilating and kazuma on the coffee scene with yagami; additionally, I also find it odd that yagami was so close-minded with kazuma and talks to him with attitude, it wasn't explained well if he actually likes ren but it doesn't give him any reason to treat kazuma whom he only met once but maybe it's because of ren's experience but kazuma wasn't to blame but his lines says other wise. he's literally blaming a person for being hospitalized which is weird..
Including also the fact that when they were kids and almost a teenager, I know hormones are crazy but I don't see how they showed a consensual adult & kid going to a love hotel is right... the adult is clearly a pedophile. should've changed their age to be appropriate when it comes to consent. The antagonist co-worker guy, I forgot his name, there was not that much background of him other than being a rap... cant say it.

What I like, the kid actors, It really does feel like they were kids excluding them doing it at the age that is inappropriate.. I like their story, it was more in-depth and interesting than their story now being adults. The chemistry was nice as well, I felt the ride or die vibes, like they only matter to each other and the attraction.

See what I mean? It could've been more if they switched and added things to the story to make it understandable and not rush it! Both of the Ml are talented but maybe should've made them get closer to get rid of the awkwardness.

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needed a little more time

the story was interesting, and I’m frankly still surprised such young children were allowed to act in this. still, they conveyed the story and emotions very well. i found ren’s younger version to be done incredibly well.

as far as the series goes, I think it deserved more time/episodes. it was pretty complex, so it did suffer a little in terms of storytelling. there were too many wrinkles for the audience to truly feel like we got to know these characters or their stories completely. we learned quite a bit about ren, but the same can’t be said about kazuma. I would’ve liked a lot more story wise, but I do think this was very well done overall.

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Dislike
Most of the time it had me guessing at what was happening as not everything was too clear to me.
The ending was so rushed and wished it had taken the time to really develop what was happening and what the future held for us in mater life
The running sway scenes were too much with little explanation as to why he felt he had to do that

Like
It delved into real-life issues that society in the workplace and the abuse of power
There were some sweet moments that I really loved watching as they were intimate but not kissing all the time, especially the head rub
The flashbacks of their life as helped me understand the character's intentions and the person they turned out to be in life

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