One Room Angel (2023)

Exceptional

No irrelevant dialogues, everything is approriate and satisfying.
So, we have two beautiful, but sadly, bitter souls. One of them has lost the desire to carry on, is disgusted by himself, thinking that he isn't worth of anything. The other one, as the Angel mentioned, "desperately wanted to be loved". Kamisama isn't that lousy actually: those souls needed each other so bad, and it's so doleful that thay didn't meet each other in some other way. From the beginning it was salient that Angel was to disappear sooner or later, but he had a mission to accomplish before that. Angel himself was wrongly accused and that led him to suicide, but he got one last chance to be loved and give another person a reason to go on. I'm not intented to dive too deep, I just don't know any other way to say that I truly liked the show.

For me, the part when they were laughing is so notable, because it was funny and sorrowful simultaneously. Koki means someone who has a lot of friends, but actually he was lonely. Takashina is someone who strives for heaven but fell down in reality. Indeed, it's meaningless to put so much hope into a name. People make each other happy, and those souls had their happy ending, which doesn't seem to be the way we always see it.

JBLs never disappoint. This was a short, yet beautiful journey!

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A Heartbreaking and Bittersweet Story

This series gives us two engaging story lines. It is not really a love story as much as it is a story of people looking for love and acceptance and learning to love and accept themselves. This is story of forgiveness of others and for yourself.
All of the actors are impeccably cast. The writing is natural and understated, never descending into forced melodrama. The sets and locations are believable. The OST suits the theme and is not intrusive. The director got this one right.
People always want to know if series have happy endings, wanting to get there without experiencing the journey. I will say this ~ there is a satisfactory ending but not in a way one might wish.
The ending was realistic and what the viewer might expect ... Until ... Well I don't want to spoil it for you. It's a short pleasant watch ... So watch it yourself.

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A tearjerker platonic relationship between two broken people who found each other

Highly recommended (TW: Adult-minor but it's rather a platonic relationship, suicide, bullying, violence)
Before the show started, I already read the manga to understand the story better. But to be honest, this is a perfect adaptation of the drama as they made suitable adjustments (Angel's age and A-kun's arc) while keeping the quintessense of the manga. I bawled my eyes out when watching the drama. I cried even more than when reading the manga. It's this year's number 1 tearjerker and I consider this one a sibling of Eternal Yesterday.

The show has perfect directing. They also cast the right actors for each role. The Angel's actor looks like a real angel with that baby face and innocent smile while the Kouki's actor is excellent. Their acting excellently conveyed the heartbreaking story and made me bawl my eyes even though I already know what's coming. The theme songs (OP & ED) are also on point. Please check the Eternal MV of ED song on Youtube. It's another peak and Shuhei is also cast in that MV too.

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Questo drama è una delle poche eccezioni nel mio agrodolce (più agro che dolce) rapporto con le serie giapponesi. Di solito, per mio gusto personale, non apprezzo molto la recitazione di quel paese ma, in questo caso, non ho nulla da eccepire, almeno per quanto riguarda gli attori principali.

Adattamento televisivo del breve manga omonimo di Harada, One Room Angel è una miniserie in 6 episodi di 24 minuti ciascuno, per la regia di Eda Yuuka. Dovrebbe, a parer mio, essere preceduta da un avviso ben visibile: le tematiche trattate sono piuttosto pesanti, spaziando dalla depressione, alla violenza, all’omofobia, al suicidio, senza per questo voler essere esaustivi. Diciamo che non è un’opera per tutti ma, in realtà, pur non essendo una persona allegra di natura, e avendo anzi una visione piuttosto pessimistica e sconsolata della vita, mi sono ritrovata alla fine dell’ultimo episodio ad asciugare qualche lacrimuccia di commozione sentendomi sollevata. Vogliamo parlare di un percorso di guarigione? Chissà.

Certo un simile percorso pare averlo fatto Koki, un uomo che fa il turno di notte in un kombini, i piccoli supermercati giapponesi. Costui vive alla giornata, al limite della sussistenza, privo di ambizioni, estraniato da tutto e da tutti, senza in realtà avere alcuno scopo nella vita, neanche quello di viverla. Trovandosi apparentemente in fin di vita a seguito di una rissa, pare vedere un angelo venirgli incontro nei suoi ultimi istanti. Lo porterà in cielo? No, Koki si sveglia miracolosamente quasi guarito, con un debito astronomico da pagare all’ospedale e la stanzetta che chiama casa occupata dall’angelo, imbronciato, amnesico e incapace di volare. Lo accoglierà e, insieme, cominceranno il percorso di guarigione di cui sopra.

Qualcuno potrebbe non apprezzare la relazione fra i due: se è pur vero che c’è una disparità di età sconfortante – l’angelo è veramente troppo giovane! – è anche vero che in realtà nulla accade fra i due, e il rapporto è meno che platonico, praticamente soffuso di una luce interiore. Legati a doppio filo dal fatto che l’angelo percepisca ogni emozione di Koki, al punto che la negatività dell’uno fa perdere le penne delle ali all’altro, i due cercheranno di recuperare i ricordi perduti del giovane e di far tornare all’uomo la voglia di vivere, nella speranza che ciò permetterà all’angelo di tornare a volare. Già, le ali. Facciamo un veloce paragone con le orecchie di Yoda e… chiudiamola lì.

Aiutata da un cast di personaggi secondari limitato ma di buona efficacia e scrittura, la coppia riesce a trasmettere un cumulo disordinato di emozioni che afferrano alla gola. Se Shūhei Uesugi ha saputo rendere al meglio un Koki trasandato, ironico e depresso, l’angelo interpretato da Takuya Nishimura mi ha più volte attivato la modalità [i]madre sul piede di guerra [/i]per la sua petulanza e irriverenza. Ma, essendo così soffuso di angelica luce (sicuramente un filtro, eh?), come si fa a tirargli un ceffone?

All’accumularsi delle notizie sul passato di entrambi, in un crescendo che sa quasi di mistery, cominciamo ben presto a sospettare che One Room Angel sia un drama che non possa [i]finire bene.[/i] Perché un [i]angelo[/i] che può volare non è di questa terra.

Ora, non avendo letto il manga, non posso sapere se il finale sia esattamente uguale nei due casi. Certo è che le ultime battute hanno un senso di incompiutezza che lascia allo spettatore l’interpretazione del loro significato. Per conto mio, ho deciso di credere a una versione che non renda, di fatto, inutile tutto il percorso di guarigione di Koki.

In conclusione, un piccolo gioiello da vedere e rivedere anche quando, ormai, i colpi di scena saranno già conosciuti e svanirà l’effetto sorpresa. Non è per questo che One Room Angel è un drama da vedere.

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Depression & bullying

People like to believe that this is a BL. No it is not really. It is a slice of life, fantasy drama with characters who may or may not be gay...it is not really clear.

The story follows two broken idividuals. Koki is alone, friendless, inert and depressed, surviving and not living. The main cause of his unhappiness is his brother, lost to yakuzas because of him. One day an amnesiac angel moves in with him. Spending time with the angel and helping him, as if he is finally helping his own lost brother, makes Koki see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Every time there is a teen in a drama, there is also a bullying subplot. Though not only! There is homophobia as well! And of course the nefarious influence of the internet anonymity. The angel, a teen before becoming one, was pushed over the limit of endurance and gave up the fight. Spending time with Koki, basking in the kindness even Koki was not aware of having, the angel comes to terms with his passing and is finally happy.

I did not really like it very much. Mostly because Koki's character hits too close to home but also because of the bullying plot. I am really bored with dramas about it. Don't get me wrong, it is a hugely serious issue that needs to be deals with on ground, in schools and on the internet.

The actors were all excellent. The actress playing the mother looks so young: I thought she was the sister. Especially since the actor playing her 30 yr old son looks much older than her. He is also depressed and unkempt which does not help him look his real age....The production correct, though the angel wings looked uncomfortable and extremely fake (the limits of the budget, I guess!). The ending starts as rather optimistic since Koki had decided to sort his life out but apparently they quickly meet each other so I'm guessing Koki dies(he probably forgot to put the brakes on in his white van!) and they meet again in heaven.

The only thing this drama has going for it is the cute angel and the short length;

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This show is so perfect!

While I'm on the side of this not being a BL (because no romance happened, no one specified their sexuality in the first place) I think this was such a beautiful, heartbreaking, & heartwarming show with bits of humor throughout. The MC did love the angel, but it never came across more than platonic. It was almost like a protector or brotherly love, especially considering the MC is in his 30s and the angel was a school boy. But I digress. This show was the easiest 10 I've ever given.

Learning the angel's story, him finally being loved by someone, and our MC learning to overcome hardship and love himself. 10000/10.

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my friend recommended me this show and i absolutely loved it!!! i really like the plot and the back story of each character. it is not cliche and some parts are unpredictable which i liked a lot. although i got my heart broken watching this show but it's all worth it. i also liked the ending because that's the most appropriate ending for it. i don't want to consider this as BL because it is so much more than that! it's about life and friendship, really. it would be weird if they ended up as lovers because one, takashi is literally dead and two, koki is a 30 yr old guy while takashi was still in high school like?? chill out, guys. but i have to admit that they really have the chemistry. i really enjoyed this show and maybe i'll rewatch it someday <3

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Angelic Descent into Desolation: A Glimpse of Hope in 'One Room Angel'

As a devoted follower of Harada-san, my expectations soared for this adaptation into the BL genre with "One Room Angel." After the premiere, I wholeheartedly endorse it, albeit with a caveat: ditch the hopes for saccharine romance and brace yourself for a literary expedition, for it delves deep and soothes the soul.

In a world teeming with many a Koki, they trudge through life in quiet desolation, dwelling in cramped, impoverished rooms, their faces etched with stoic despair, living each day and year as mechanical beings, void of hope. The opener unfolds with a high-angle shot of Koki, toppled and stabbed on a dimly lit street, as angelic feathers gently descend, ushering us into a narrative where, akin to omniscient deities, we witness the pivotal turn his life takes post his angelic encounter.

Uesugi Shuhei’s stellar performance impeccably embodies the numb, living dead that is Koki. The scene outside the convenience store, where Koki's altercation with thugs spirals into a frenzied beating before he collapses, was nothing short of enthralling. Moreover, Uesugi's voice, laden with years of hardship in every inner monologue, adds a layer of gruff melancholy that's captivating.

"One Room Angel" doesn't just unveil a story; it presents a raw, evocative voyage into the annals of despair and the wings of hope.

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The best possible casting choice

When you make an adaptation like this, you need to be delicate. It's dangerous to transform certain things and I was scared, but they managed it: this is a wonderful adaptation!

Firstly, it is not simply a romance story. In fact, it's not a romance story: it's about finding self-love in someone else who is as empty as you are.

There is power in the performance of the two protagonists, but there is also power in the direction, which was careful at the right time and ambitious in several beautiful and unique moments.

It's one of the best dramas of its gender made in Japan this year. I was absolutely happy with all the fidelity to the manga and the precision of knowing what should be adapted.

Just: beautiful!

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