Tokyo Girl

I was sorry when this intelligent, humorous series was over. We binge watched on Amazon (titled Tokyo Girl) and after initially being annoyed with the shallow 20-something characters, a few episodes in I realized I was annoyed because when you're twenty, you're annoying and shallow. At 40, I read my 20-something diary and did not even recognize myself. I got better. So does the series.

We see a young woman in Japan with aspirations of a career, a handsome boyfriend, nice clothes, and wanting nothing more than to be the envy of others. Throughout the series she ages 20 years and during that time holds various jobs and relationships, and moves to differing Tokyo neighborhoods, each one signifying a particular lifestyle and perceived status, and she slowly develops self awareness on a deeper level. The series is a statement against the shallow judgments used as a base for evaluating one's worth and a loving criticism of those that fall prey to that system. Yet viewers get relief from the harshness from the many comedic moments, mostly stemming from the universal awkwardness and ridiculousness of the interactions of life. Stunning cinematography, insightful writing, excellent acting and a non formulaic story. It was a complete winner in my eyes.

Loved this beautiful series.

Thought it was going to be a chick flick, but instead it was a unique insight into a culture we rarely see. Fortunately each episode was only 20 to 245 minutes long so it was not arduous viewing. It was good to see how people interact with each other. Very interesting.

Subtle, smart, refreshing, emotional, most of all silently hilarious. Tokyo Girl's cinematography and narrative style provide it with an air of simultaneous composure and playfulness.

Aya's character is artfully employed as both lens (to observe the vast range of people, places, and emotions encountered) and crucible (to constantly reforge the shape and feel of her pursuit of happiness / understanding of life). And an exceptional performance from Asami Mizukawa, despite her character being more of a vehicle for the show than the other way around.

The camera's perspective is a fairly objective one that captures a lot in a short amount of time. It might have you smiling, frowning, laughing, crying at moments where you can't say why it's evoking that particular response.

Banger electronic closing song.

I highly recommend this show for men and women. It was so interesting to see the pull for women in a very materialistic world with so much pressure on them. Loved watching the main character develop into a strong and complex person. The show surprised me in many ways. It's worth sticking it out.

If you've ever seen Emily in Paris, Sex and the City, etc. You'll find this is somewhat familiar and yet so drastically different at the same time. The series follows Aya from teenage years all the way up to her 40's and we follow her journey as a woman, as a human, as a Tokyoite from the country, and as a spectacle in the eyes of her peers. If you've an affinity for Japanese culture, this series is an amazing starter guide to what to expect from real life in Tokyo, it almost had a documentary feel to it and the fourth wall breaking element of shows like Fleabag. I loved it, and would definitely recommend.