Nani Yobi ni Umareta no (2023)

My fav drama from 2023; Nojima Shinji is back with a bang!

A stellar combination of mystery + romance + psychological + slice of life.

First off, Nojima Shinji is one of my favourite screenwriters and I hate to admit that some of his works in the recent years have been underwhelming especially when we compare to the gems he wrote in the 90s and 2000s.

I don't generally write reviews but I got inspired to write this review because I loved this drama so much and want more people to see it.

What makes this drama so good -

(1) the screenplay; the way the story unfolds keeps you on the edge of your seat till the last scene. Trust me, you won't know where it is going.
(2) the story - it is original, it is creative, it is edgy. Once you start, you will find yourself binging it all the way.
(3) the writing; the sensitivity and care with which the characters and their relationships are written. I could see Nojima Shinji has evolved because this wasn't as dark, and there was a healing element to it (something most of his dramas lack)
(4) the acting - each cast member was perfectly casted.
(5) the romance - again, not your typical romance. But some of the scenes between the leads got me squealing. In the case of this drama 'less is more' really worked.

Everything about it is good. The only reason I gave it a 9.5 is because I do wish we got a little more of the leads' at the end. I wanted more of them. Hoping we'll get a special on them, though I doubt :(

For those who want to watch something different, don't hesitate to give this gem a try!

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Healing by manipulation?

First and foremost, thank you for the subs HPriest! Extraordinary work, as usual!

Second and the most important: this is MY opinion and MY feelings about this drama.

I really do not know how to feel about this drama. On one hand, the story is interesting and original, the characters are so quirky and fun but on the other hand I did not like the actress playing the main lead: she somehow did not fit the role. And the more everyone swooned in front of her, the more I failed to comprehend! The FL is supposed to be someone kind, sweet and pretty. What we got was someone bland and slouchy. I know I am going to get a lot of flack for this, but this casting decision really ruined my viewing experience: I just could not see what everyone talked about in her. The actress unfortunately did not manage to convey that vulnerability and kindness: all I got was an annoying doormat! Everything she did felt somehow off!

Following a motorbike accident for which she was held responsible by her friends, Sui becomes komoribito/hikikomori, shutting herself away from the world for ten years. Looking for a way to earn some money, her father a failed mangaka, accepts to draw a story in collaboration with the hottest writer of the day using Sui's story. As she comes out of her shell and gets in touch with her highschool friends, the truth about the accident and its aftermath slowly comes out. Behind the scenes, the writer listens to everything(a bug in Sui's phone) that's going on and gives direction by gently nudging Sui where he wants the story to go.

The story is well told: we go from past to present with past events in black and white, and the truth slowly being revealed. The characters are great: the funny father, the silly photographer, the uppity editor...they are all hiding their serious side behind the quirky exterior.

The main topic of this drama is Hikikomori (Japanese: ひきこもり or 引きこもり, lit. "pulling inward, being confined"), also known as severe social withdrawal, is total withdrawal from society and seeking extreme degrees of social isolation and confinement. Hikikomori refers to both the phenomenon in general and the recluses themselves. The concept is primarily recognized only in Japan, although similar concepts exist in other languages and cultures. Hikikomori have been described as loners or "modern-day hermits". Estimates suggest that half a million Japanese youths have become social recluses,as well as more than half a million middle-aged individuals. There is usually no other psychological problem.
I cannot say if it was represented well or if the healing process, is correctly presented but maybe, it not really being a mental disorder, the healing can be faster. Whatever it may be, the drama has made me aware of the phenomenon.

Anyway, the drama is more interesting to watch for all the support characters not the main couple! I liked the atmosphere of the drama, the laid back attitude everyone seemed to have and the fact that there was a 7yr old kid in the background of every adult conversation. They took him away only once when they discussed having kids!

Another issue I have with this drama is the music. But that is valid for the majority of j dramas: the background music which does not fit the mood of the scene. Why do japanese love classical music so much that they put it is, apparently, every single drama? Here, I learned to hate Debussy. The piano piece they featured is such a mood killer, heavy, depressing and making me want to throw myself out of the window. Figuratively speaking! But if I hear this piece never again, it will be too soon! So, why do they put in so much classical music? Don't they have any background music composers? And the only song they had was an old song by an american band The Hollies: "Bus Stop".

Watch it for the support cast and you'll have fun!

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