Akai Ito (2008)

It took me a long time to put my feelings for this drama into words. From the very beginning, there was something which attracted me and yet I felt something else was missing.
It's not the acting, which is very good, the cinematography, played on pastel colours and some truly beautiful scenery, nor is it the music, which is very fitting and has a nice soothing quality to it.

I believe the weak point of this drama to be the story itself, the expectations created by the premises and never truly attended. Perhaps I should precise that I am not a fan of the idea of destiny, not in general and definitely not when applied to love. It seems to me, the idea of destiny is too easy an explanation for something very complex. Why do we make certain decisions? Why do we love someone and not someone else? Are we able to face the consequences of our choices? It's way too easy and slightly coward to answer: it's destiny, a higher power decided for me and I'm the impotent victim of a bigger plan.
However, I'm not immune to the fascination of "magic", so I can comprehend - if not approve of - the romantic charm the very old idea of fate holds.
Therefore, I would have accepted a plot entirely built upon the original concept of the red thread bonding two people. But this drama throws in so many elements, in the end it can't be even called a story about destiny, or love. Love is there, but in all its possible forms: friendship, motherly love, filial love, obsession, mistaken love, unrequited one, love for life... you name the rest, it's there anyway.
The Akai Ito legend is also mentioned, but there is no true parallel in the plot, and this red thread ends up being the bond connecting an innumerable number of people.
Furthermore, each and every character in this drama makes more or less pondered choiches and lives with the consequences of them, hence completely defeating the object of a destined love.

I recognize the merit of the writer to portray difficult issues and courageously fit them into the lives of a group of adolescents, but some of them are treated with too light a touch, as if an abusing young man could be convinced of his wrongdoings by a short speech... I wish it were so simple.

This said, I liked the final episode: it brings closure to every character in a way I wasn't expecting given the overall feeling. The friendship theme is strong and I truly liked it: I think the drama would have gained if it had been presented from the very beginning as a story of a few friends and their tribulations.

I don't think I'll re-watch this any time soon. But these young actors did a very good job, so I believe the highest mark for this show goes to them.

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