LIFE eps 1+2

Finally, a dorama worth watching this season. I avoided this dorama cause Watashitachi no Kyoukasho despite the crap ending was a pretty good show on bullying in school and I didn't see how any show could do it better. I wouldn't say its better but this is the first show this season I didn't reach to fast forward.

Manami getting touchy feely with Ayumu......

First thing I gotta say is, the pacing is great. So many things happen in the 1st two episodes that I couldn't it. It goes against the grain of so many shows to drag things out that I was almost wishing they could have fit the 1st episode in two. Almost.

Turn around you idiot! The wind is your friend!

Kitano Kita plays Ayumu who is best friends with Yuko in junior high. Yuko, who is the smarter of the two wants to get into Nishi high school and Ayumu wants to follow so they study together for the exams. However in the end, Ayumu ends up doing better than Yuko and gets into Nishi koukou while Yuko does not. Yuko then blames Ayumu for spoiling her dream and attempts suicide. And the above happened in 36 minutes. I'm just fucking impressed at the efficiency of the story telling.

With 'friends' like these, who needs enemies?

Ayumu goes to Nishi koukou, meets Anzai Manami (played by Fukada Saki) and her life just gets worse. I won't spoil the rest of the story so far. Regardless to say, this show is dark, as is any story about bullying. There's abuse, violence, bondage and blackmail. People with multiple faces and dodgy agendas, which is par for course with such shows.

I was born the wrong country. Where's that pesky wind when you need it?

Ayumu is probably the only likable character here, and maybe the guy with cigarette burns on his arm. As I said in my review of Kono yo no Hate, with dark depressing shows, you need likable characters put in difficult situations and difficult choices which all lead to despair. So far Ayumu is a pretty bland character but that's ok as long as the story and pacing is fast and furious. Ayumu's lack for characterisation might be the show's downfall but I'm pretty sure she's going to be developed through the choices she makes rather than any idiosyncrasies.


Whether or not this becomes a great show depends on two things; the choices Ayumu makes when she goes to war and hopefully none of the villains apologising in the end and blaming it all on their childhood/parents etc. That's what killed Watashitachi no Kyoukasho. All that bloody talking and poor attempts at philosophy. As long as Katsumi doesn't spend 20 minutes crying and blaming everything on his abusive father, I'll be happy.

Lets not forget the hot teachers....

I can't believe this midnight dorama is better acted and infinitely better scripted and shot than Jotei. Thanks to those who recommended the show to me. Oh yeah, the eye candy is good too, but I guess its obvious from the screencaps.