From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke

Ever since seeing young actor Oji Suzuka in the Japanese drama Silent I've been searching out everything else I can find that he has done, dramas and movies, because I think he is wonderful! I found From Me To You with excellent English subtitles and began watching it, and was so touched by the sweet wholesome story of two very different teens falling in love with one another against all odds. I actually watched it twice in a row because I missed all the characters so much when it ended. I sincerely hope they make a season two. I would love to see the characters working at their first jobs, being successful, getting married, and experiencing the joys of youth and growing maturity. This drama reminded me of what Korean dramas used to be like two decades ago when I first started watching them. True wholesome love stories that are unforgettable. Today too many of them are dark themed and I can't watch those. If I want to see dark themes I can put on the nightly news! When I go for entertainment I want to see sweetness and light.

As the summary says, watching this live action series was like watching a Cliff's Notes version of the story. It's very high level with little detail, so it's hard to fully buy into any of the characters' emotions or motivations. Fortunately, I had just finished the 38 ep, 2 season anime series, so I knew a lot of what was going on in the background, at least for episodes 1 through 7. Once the series got to where the anime series ended, everything seemed rushed and a bit confusing, which stands to reason when you consider they were averaging 5 anime episodes per live action episode. This series definitely would have benefitted from being either a full 25 episode season or two 13 episode half seasons. I don't want to spoil anything, so suffice it to say that there are some character relationships that seem to come out of nowhere, and are really tough to accept, because there wasn't enough time to develop them, which is a shame. Still, it's a nice slice of life/coming of age story.

A little surprised this show doesn't have more buzz because it's a cute and effortless weekend binge watch. And while some subplots were a little frustrating as a viewer it was overall enjoyable and just sweet. The characters all had depth and arc, I enjoyed the shots and music. Again it kind of feels like the straight Korean version of Heartstopper. From the opening with the different seasons to the gorgeous misunderstandings of youth navigating friendships and love (in a non Euphoria filter type way). But again there will be some moments you watch it and be like...ugh, okay, no, wait, just TALK MORE!! But other than that, it's a good watch for anyone looking for something cute and simple.

I'm in episode four. I like it. It's a cute show. I like the cast. The only problem I have is the dialog. Young kids these days don't talk like they do. Or resolve differences so quickly. Maybe they do in Japan. Maybe it's the translation for dubbing into English? I'm not sure which. It's a nice mellow show. I would still recommend watching this show at least so far. If things change I will update.

So now for the space I have to waste because reviews have to be a certain length. The length you want is entirely too long. Nobody will have that much to say about a movie or show. No wonder this only had 3 reviews. No one wants to write that much. Please change it.

This is the live-action version of Kimi ni Todoke and just as heartwarming. This is the first time I watched manga series adaptations back-to-back with each other and was bemused at how the live cast members match their animated versions, embodying their characters so well that it was easy to tell who they were before they opened their mouths. Shota Kazehaya's (Daisuke Namikawa) smile is just as refreshing. Mamiko Noto captured Sawako Kuronuma's shyness, quiet grace and inner strength.

With 12 30-minute episodes compared to the 38 25-minute episodes of two seasons of the animation, it's a compressed version with less of the angsty musings of Sawako. But it delves deeper into Yano Ayane's (Miyuki Sawashiro) and Yoshida Chizuru's (Yûko Sanpei) love lives. It also deals more with the young people's struggles in deciding what to do after high school. My favorite part is knowing what happens when Sawako and Shota finish college. The closure is truly sweet after their angsty romance.