Akumu-Chan (2012)

The premise of this show is quite original and different from what I was used to watch and it was the main reason why I started watching it: to go in a different direction.

You have a little girl that can predict the future in her nightmares and a teacher who is a psychopath and finds herself having to help this little girl and the students in her class, even if reluctantly, since each dream normally concerns at least one of her students. But what makes this show so interesting is the mystery that surrounds each dream. As one would expect from a dream, things are not clear as water, and trying to find the meaning behind all symbolism and riddles keeps the mystery till the end of the episode.

But the mystery does not end in each episode. All the characters have a really intriguing personality and past story that will make you hooked. And here the acting is really important. I found Kitagawa’s acting to be the most memorable. Her character that started as a really cheerful teacher who was actually a pessimist unable to trust people suffered a drastic change in personality over the stories and she was really able to portray it. The little girl that played Yuiko also did a good job, although sometimes, especially in the beginning, I could not really feel her emotions, but maybe that was how it was supposed to be. Even Gackt, whom I had never seen in a drama, surprised me in a good way. The way I felt about his character changed so many times in the drama, and sometimes within the same episode, that I found myself confused. Well, at least the fact that you can drool at him never changes. :p

Even the ending left things really well wrapped up and you felt a sense of completion. However, I would not mind having at least a special, but I will not spoil that.

Overall this is really a heart-warming drama, with you feeling sympathy for the students themselves who all have a distinct personality, while also being a mystery drama that will always keep you wondering what will happen next. What else can they do to surprise you?

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