You and I on the G-String (2019)

Completely relatable and moving drama for a 20-something art student like me! :)

As an avid Asian drama and film lover, I particularly love how Japanese dramas really nail that "human-ness" and portray the relatable emotions that we experience in our daily lives. In regards to that, I don't think I've been hit quite as hard in the feels by any other drama or film since "G-Senjou."

While I don't agree AT ALL about the fact that this drama has a general ranking on here of 7.9/10 (come on!!!) - I understand how some people may just not relate to the feelings and lives of the characters in this drama. **SPOILERS AHEAD**

Yaeko, an almost 30 year old OL (Office Lady) who quit her job and was cheated on by her fiancé. Yukie, a stay-at-home mother/wife/ daughter-in-law who constantly pastes a smile on her face and works hard at home, taking care of her cheating husband, younger daughter, and nagging mother-in-law. Rihito, a student who is secretly in love with his brother's ex. These three characters, who meet by chance at a violin class for adults, form an unlikely friendship in this drama. Together, they navigate struggles of love (familial, romantic, and unconditional), career, family, and what it means to be an adult.

They KNOW that they're not professional violinists, and that when their lives get busier, this class will be the first thing they stop. So why do it? Why continue? Why waste their time, money, and energy into this class when it's just a hobby?

To me - a 20-something art student who has multiple artistic hobbies (including a love for piano) - this drama was like a breath of fresh air. I constantly battle with others' questions as to why I'm wasting my time/energy on hobbies that don't specifically advance my career. Many think that artistic jobs aren't valuable compared to more "practical" jobs like finance or business. Most people don't seem to care about others when they're at their lowest point, and urge them to "get over it" when the said person is still grieving. At the end of the day, we all struggle to achieve one thing - happiness. And happiness is comprised of the little moments of our lives. They don't necessarily have to give us "value," or make us more employable. It's doing things we love. For our three protagonists, their relationship they made through their violin class made them happy. It gave them the motivation to keep living on - and this is what this drama stresses.

In the words of Yaeko: "While we were all lost at sea, the thing that saved us was this little buoy named music."
(it's not word for word but you get what I mean!)

While others may have seen Yaeko as childish at times, I could 100% relate to her worries of people disappearing from her life, as they move on and she stays in the same place. My only small complaint is when she began to push Rihito away and doubt herself due to their 8-year age difference, but trust me, the final episode completely dissolved any annoyances I had - AND EVEN AT HER LOWEST POINT, her feelings were still understandable and valid. If I were her, I would also have similar worries, but as a viewer, I just wanted them to hurry up and kiss dammit!!! (and I wasn't disappointed).

I also recognized qualities of other people I know in the characters of Yukie and Rihito. Especially Yukie, who chose to forgive her husband for cheating and stay with him after he apologized (something I could never do), struck a chord with me, as realistically, not everyone leaves their marriages. I thought that was a believable touch to the drama though I didn't /love/ her end choice. She was by far the strongest character in the series.

I laughed, cried, and kicked giddily in the air at the romance between Rihito and Yaeko. And while some other reviewers may complain about the lack of romance, I feel like there was just enough. This drama was NOT just about the romance. It was about relationships and friendships (and this is coming from someone who EXCLUSIVELY watches romance dramas). It was about what connects and bonds people. And I 100% wish that I will someday have a bond as amazing with someone as Yaeko, Yukie, and Rihito did.

TL;DR 100% recommend for all the warm, giddy emotions. 10/10 Taishi Nakagawa is a cutie pie. I love the ending ahhhh! #RewatchMaterial

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