Subarashii!
That's the feeling I got when I binged this little drama. At a single glance, there really is nothing overtly fabulous or amazing about it. But, it had a strange captivating magic that weirdly reminded me of Harry Potter. Or maybe it's because of the soundtrack and Fukamachi Naoya-kun.☆ The plot doesn't exist on the surface. Each episode consists of basic mysteries and legends that many of us might have heard in high schools. The two leading heroes and Reiko-senpai set out to mentally solve the troubles that arose and dispel the rumours. What did continue was Takatsuki-sensei's unsatiated search for an actual mystery.
☆ I really loved the leading character, but he might be one of the most boring male leads I've ever seen. But, there was something really realistic about the way he was portrayed. Fukamachi Naoya had accidentally stumbled across an event that was forbidden to be witnessed by the living when he was ten years old. What follows his later years is a punishment: to be a human lie detector. This causes him to isolate himself from literally everyone. By coincidence, he chooses to study Japanese Folklore, leading him directly into the arms of Takatsuki Akira, his young and vigilant professor. Taking an instant connection to him, his new sensei hires him as his assistant and they together unveil legends and solve mysteries. But, Naoya-san never really is able to let go of the negatives that his little "gift" brought along. I connected to him in several ways. There were moments I wished that he would become normal, then I'd wish that he was once again back to being a lie detector. I liked seeing his growth and loved his smile. The dude rarely smiled, but when he did, I would become happy too.
☆ J Doramas rarely disappoint in the acting department. This one doesn't either. (I'm surprised that both the lead actors are Jpop idols.) There were numerous interesting individuals that we got to meet and I looked forward to every new mystery or legend. Most of their performances were really convincing. When it came to Sewai University, there were only a few characters in the spotlight; thanks to his little gift, Naoya-san doesn't have a pack of friends following him. But, those whom he finds solace in are his Sensei and his perky assistant Reiko-chan and later, a lively Nambu-san. I loved their mystery solving though nothing about it was far from normal. EP6 and 7 in particular captured my heart.
The cottage core atmosphere of the drama helped quite a lot. It was calming and simultaneously thrilling to watch.
☆ The opening BGM was very Harry-Potteresque and the drama as a whole felt really magical. Though there was rarely any magic in it. The ending OST Gunjo Runaway by Hey!Say!Jump! grew on me eventually due to many reasons. It's a shame that Japanese songs do not have english lyrics coming along with them.
☆ Last, but not the least is Takatsuki Akira Sensei, the eponymous character of this show. Though we see the events through the eyes of Naoya-san, it is Sensei who is the scene stealer. I didn't know what to think about him. His actions left me ---and Naoya-san-- in a whirl of confusion and his over enthusiastic response to the woes of people made me suspect if he was possessed. Half of the time, I didn't know whether to trust him or pray that Naoya-san runs away from him. He was enigmatic, charismatic and eccentric all rolled into one and I was beyond curious to know about his intentions and plans. His friendship with Ken-Chan piqued my interest.
Not to mention his hyperthesemia, a condition that makes him remember each and everything he has ever come across.
☆And the Bromance! It was a delight seeing the closed off Naoya-san struggle with the very extraverted Sensei. Their interactions were one of my favorite parts of the show. What's more, their rapport was slowly built through trust, something that Naoya-san grappled with. Also, watching the friendship grow between him and Nambu-san was amusing.
☆ I appreciated how they dealt with the topic of the supernatural and the real world in a very neutral manner. It didn't cross the border, but neither did it completely deny its existence. I hope it stays the same way.
☆ The down side about it might be the format of the episodes. We don't focus much on the main characters, but learn some part about them through the experiences of others. This can come off as boring if we aren't interested in the mystery or just don't like episode after episode of a new mystery each. The cases/unsolved events themselves were nothing new; they involve folklore and urban legends that we might find similar to the stories we hear or had heard at school. (Dead ghost/haunted rooms, objects similar to ouja boards, etc.)
Also, if we don't find ourselves comfortable with the characters and their antics, then there is a high chance that the watching experience will be quite bitter.
Many thanks to the fansubbers who spent their time to make it available and understandable for us International viewers. This drama was completely satisfying. (I pleasantly surprised by the montage at the end of the final episode!) Definitely a binge-worthy gem.
I'm still uncertain about whether to watch the second season. As a saying goes, there are some mysteries that are better left unsolved.
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A Nice Treat for Supernatural Lovers!
To start off, the story is quite unique, it succeeds in mixing up the supernatural element with the modern world smartly. Thus giving it an interesting and enjoyable premise.All characters were well thought and written (Akira's character is not as deeply explored because it is going to be the main focus of the next season). There aren't any unnecessary characters and nowhere in the drama do you think that a scene was dragged out. The acting by all characters is satisfactory. I use the word 'satisfactory' because it is a matter of fact that the acting of few characters (not the main actors) was not amazing at certain times but it should not and it absolutely does not hinder viewers from reaping the maximum enjoyment from the drama. Leaving aside the acting, all char caters included have good dynamics and most importantly:The chemistry between Akira and Naoya was absolutely mind-blowing!
Personally, I find folklore and myths interesting and maybe that's why this show was more appealing to me (and I could brush off the few loopholes).
But I strongly believe that this show could be enjoyable to those who usually put off supernatural genre dramas.
It's definitely worth a try and its only 8 episodes , so the first two episodes or actually even the first episode is enough for one to understand whether this show is for you or not.
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Sensei formidable VS élève fort minable
Le folklore japonais est une de mes grandes passions et un drama portant sur la chose ne pouvait que réveiller en moi ce détective qui se cache en chacun de nous. Sans ce thème principal, je n'aurais certainement jamais prêté attention à ce célèbre professeur agrégé de littérature ... de seulement 20 ans. Spécialisé dans les légendes anciennes et donc forcément, par ruissellement, urbaines, c'est la seule lumière qui a guidé mon choix de visionnage. Très marqué "bromance btw", voir "boyz love" je n'étais, ou en tout cas j'essayais de m'en convaincre, clairement pas la cible.Le friendship entre ces deux jeunes protagonistes de vingt ans ne réveille pas en moi grand-chose, vu que j'en ai déjà le double et il mettra certainement quelques esprits étroits, mal à l'aise. Bien plus encore que le pronom iel dans le Petit Robert. Mais c'est oublier à qui s'adresse vraiment ce genre de Novels/Mangas. L'adaptation en drama, renforçant des traits, passant certainement de manière plus anodine en roman. Passons l'incohérence de l'âge des protagonistes, même si une grande différence d'âge aurait été bien plus dérangeante, surtout en terme d'abus de pouvoir, voir, de harcèlement sexuel, pour se focaliser sur deux personnalités très classiques dans les dramas d'enquêtes. Le professeur excentrique et le .... ( flic, étudiant, journaliste, ... cochez la bonne case) coincé et torturé.
Inoo Kei, clairement choisi pour sa gueule d'ange, quasi-poupon peine à me convaincre avec sa moue surjouée. La jalousie, diront certains, mais durant toute la première saison, je le voyais toujours comme un membre des Hey Say Jump et pas comme un grand prof reconnu. La cour d'étudiantes toujours amassée autour de lui, son côté bien trop familier, la aussi, à la limite de la légalité, fait penser continuellement à un phantasme d'étudiant.e de 15 ans plutôt qu'à un vrai universitaire. Alors que Jinguji Yuta qui dans son beau costume habituel de King & Prince se doit habituellement d'être un fantasme de jeune mal ou femelle ou non-binaire (je ne sais plus, je suis surement trop vieux) réussit parfaitement à faire oublier son côté Jonny's. Renfermé, torturé, écrasé sous le poids d'un pouvoir qui l'empêche de s'ouvrir aux autres.
Et c'est là que cette adaptation de Manga devient intéressante. Loin d'avoir ce côté too much d'un pouvoir de l'ADN, d'une intuition, ou d'un QI de 300, le pouvoir de repérer les mensonges est vécu par Jinguji Yuta comme une malédiction. Un fardeau qui l'empêche de créer des liens d'amitiés, et d'amour jusqu'à ne plus pouvoir communiquer avec sa propre famille. Imaginez avoir votre maman au téléphone vous disant tu me manques et vous, repérant dans l'instant même que c'est un mensonge. Horrible !
Très documenté, avec des images et des reconstitutions très réalistes, on apprend plein de chose dans ce Mysteri Drama finalement très bien produit. On a réellement l'impression d'assister à des cours sur le folklore japonais. Un rêve sans doute de redevenir étudiant et d'être pris en mains par un tel mentor. Passer du temps dans son bureau, partager un chocolat guimauve, se faire chouchouter, ... en gardant la porte ouverte et avec une assistante dans le bureau, évidement. Dommage en tout cas dans cette saison que ce rôle féminin semblent volontairement mis en retrait. Voir un peu joué de manière grotesque, sachant que Okada Yui est capable de bien mieux comme dans Edo moiselle. Mais il ne faudrait pas qu'elle prenne le dessus sur les deux stars de la série. Une mise en abyme montre justement son ressentiment face parfois à cette mise à l'écart. Dommage son excentricité de base aurait pu vraiment être un atout supplémentaire.
La musique colle parfaitement à l'ambiance mystique et je ne parle pas des Endings chantés par les protagonistes (même si l'intro vise juste). Mais du BGM rendant hommage aux séries d'enquêtes anglaises à succès ou aux films d'inspiration magique à la Harry Poter. Mais qui se transformant en musique flippante faisant monter une tension horrifique digne des meilleurs John Carpenter. Car c'est la force de cette série, ce va et vient entre Detective Conan et le drama horrifique du samedi soir. Certains diront qu'on n'est pas loin de Scoobidoo, car des explications rationnelles viennent souvent (toujours ?) en dénouement et on n'échappera pas au rassemblement par le Sensei, de tous les protagonistes dans un même lieu. Il nous expliquera tout son raisonnement avant de démasquer enfin le coupable, quelle surprise, me direz-vous. Ce n'est malheureusement pas un Spoil, mais les règles d'un genre, toujours trop codifié par les Japonais.
Heureusement plusieurs fils rouges "mystérieux" vous feront tenir en haleine jusqu'à la fin de la saison. Pourquoi ses yeux bleus ? Quelles sont les vrais sentiments des parents de Jinguji Yuta. Qui sont ses personnages qui gravitent autour du Sensei ? Pourquoi cache-t-il son passé ? Des questionnements nombreux et bien amenés (comprendre pas lourdement et insistant, comme c'est bien trop souvent le cas) qui redonne continuellement de l'intérêt à cette saison 1. Une vraie envie de repousser une deuxième fois la porte du bureau du Sensei, malgré les avertissements et son visage bien trop proche du votre assis sur ce petit canapé victorien.
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watch it!!!
(very minor and vague spoilers, but just in case, I labelled it as spoilers)I love this show. Like, I think I have rewatched this show at least 3 times it is so good.
At first, I only started watching this drama because I love Jinguji from King & Prince. While I thought the premise was interesting, I wasn't expecting anything phenomenal, and went in with the expectation it would just be a good watch. Suffice to say, I was blown away.
Although the story is good, what takes this show from being "good" to "incredible" is the characters. Specifically, Takatsuki and Fukamachi. Their relationship has a natural progression, and watching Fukamachi slowly but surely open himself up to Takatsuki was satisfying, and made for an excellent character arc. In addition, despite Takatsuki being Fukamachi's assistant professor, Fukamachi shows the same level of care towards Takatsuki that Takatsuki shows Fukamachi. This created an equal relationship between the two characters, which I appreciated. It's clear that these two characters are good for each other, and I applaud the writers for characterizing their friendship this way.
While there a few minor plot holes regarding Fukamachi's abilities, honestly, the sheer sweetness of Fukamachi and Takatsuki's relationship made me completely overlook it.
All in all, you should definitely watch it.
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สำหรับคนที่ชอบเรื่องปริศนาและเหนือธรรมชาติมากๆ
ละครเรื่องนี้ดำเนินเรื่อยๆแต่ละตอนก็มีเนื้อหาไม่ซ้ำกัน
(แต่เนื้อเรื่องก็เชื่อมโยงกันนะ)
รองศาตราจารย์ทาคัตสึกิกับนักศึกษาฟุคามาจิคือเข้ากันมาก แต่บอกไว้ก่อนนะว่าเรื่องนี้ไม่ใช่bl มีแค่กลิ่นอายแค่นั้น เนื้อเรื่องตัวละครก็น่าสนใจมากๆ รอติดตามซีซั่น2 อาจจะพอคลายปมได้อีก
อยากให้ลองติดตามดูกันนะ ^^
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Une agréable surprise !
Je me suis lancée dans ce drama sans vraiment savoir dans quoi je me lançais. Cependant, j’avais besoin d’une pause du genre « romance » (celui-ci me tapant vraiment sur le système en ce moment ☹. Seul les romances BL ont grâce à mes yeux… Et encore… Ne parlons pas trop vite x’D)Je commence donc ce petit drama japonais & je suis très vite prise dans l’histoire. Etonnamment dés le premier épisode, je suis intriguée et happée par la capacité de Naoya d’entendre les mensonges… ses interactions avec Akira, professeur universitaire de folklore… (Leur « bromance » est assez adorable =D) Ces légendes expliqués & décortiqués… L'amitié qui lie les différents personnages...
Nous nous retrouvons dans un format d’une « enquête » par épisode. Même si bien souvent, il n’y a rien de surnaturel dans ces différents cas, il est plaisant de voir que la plus part de ces cas ne sont pas causés pour faire du mal… (Il y a en réalité très peu de « mauvaise intention » dans ce drama, pas de méchant pour fil conducteur entre les différents cas, juste un professeur passionné en recherche de mystères !)
Je vais dés à présent me lancer dans la saison 2, afin de voir si le cas d’Akira sera plus exploité que dans cette saison ^^.
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Maravilhoso
Confesso que durante muitas vezes me senti assistindo o desenho do Scooby-doo, onde todos os mistérios eram falsos hahaha.Esse drama traz elementos maravilhosos. Além de explorar a temática do sobrenatural, faz isso relacionando- a com o folclore japonês (confesso que me instigou a pesquisar e conhecer melhor), e faz isso com maestria, trazendo as histórias muito detalhadas, os cenários e locações muito realistas. Esperei um BL que não veio, e sim um bromance, mas sinceramente isso não afetou minha opinião sobre a série, que a cada episódio subiu um pouco mais no meu conceito, principalmente em relação ao "imprevisível", pois enquanto víamos episódio após episódio serem desmascarados falsos mistérios sobrenaturais, ao mesmo tempo eram inseridos fatos na série que nos deixava ansiosos para saber se o sobrenatural é real ou não.
O relacionamento dos dois protagonistas para mim foi um ponto positivo e bem explorado. Mesmo não saindo da friendzone, era perceptível que ambas as personalidades se completavam, o que sobrava de ímpeto em um, faltava no outro. Um, sempre receoso e solitário, devido aos seus traumas, e outro que prefere buscar a respostas para seus enigmas não importa o quê. Dois pólos opostos que se complementaram, e isso somado à história muito bem elaborada, à fotografia belíssima, à atuação perfeita e uma ost super coerente, foi uma receita de muito sucesso.
Algumas questões permanecem em aberto, como a história sobrenatural envolvendo o professor, os sentimentos da assistente, o papel de sua família, mas essas questões serão respondidas na season 2, que por sinal também foi maravilhosa, e também pretendo resenhar em breve.
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I just spent the whole afternoon and evening watching this drama because I couldn't get enough. Both the characters and the cases were so interesting and the wonderful whump was the oh so tasty cherry on top!When Takatsuki first realized that Fukamachi could hear people's lies! When Fukamachi saw Takatsuki's eyes turn blue! Or when Takatsuki showed Fukamachi his wing-like scars...!!! Oh, the supernatural stuff was wonderful but it was also built on the sweet relationships among the characters, not just Takatsuki and Fukamachi but also Ken and Ruiko and even Namba.
But Takatsuki and Fukamachi were, of course, the main focus. The way Takatsuki opened up a whole new world to Fukamachi, the way he accepted him and allowed him to use his gift to help people! That was so wonderful. And Fukamachi's reaction to what happened to Takatsuki in the past, it was so touching...
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Like a Roller Coaster
As the headline says, this show really starts out pretty "normal", slowly growing with each episode to become a spectacular dive in to an incredible story.While I have seen a few Japanese myths, legends, and/or curses told within dramas, anime, manga, variety shows, movies, or even music videos, the way they are told during this series is completely different. I tried looking in to the manga that this show is based off of, and after reading a few chapters came to the decision (or realization maybe) that this show is telling the same story but in its own way. I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like this show!
The cast created a beautiful, gut wrenching, thrilling, suspenseful story that really had me on the edge of my seat toward the end. I do like that they didn't toss in a lot of cheesy romance or "bromance" inuendos, they did show a couple but they did it tastefully, I think. This story seemed to bring different types of "romance" to light, such as a "bromance" or "friendship" or "community". It was really wonderful to watch the story grow from one little track to a large hill up until the dramatic ending.
The charm of this show I think is that its familiar, we've all heard stories like these before, however, the way the extraordinary cast pull the entire show together really is a testament to their hardwork, character(s), and trust between themselves, the other cast members, and staff.
This show had a wonderful balance of "funny" to "dramatic" to "majorly serious" not only throughout the entire series, but sometimes within one episode. I really enjoyed seeing the strong female characters, as well. While I believe that the last episode ended things quite well, I do have some lingering questions that I wish could be answered. I know there's a second season, but I kind of wish there was a special episode or movie in between or even after the second season.
Truly this show is one epic story to not be missed, especially if you are fans of the two lead actors or even if you are new to watching Japanese dramas and/or movies. There wasn't anything truly terrifying in this show, but I do have to say some moments in the episodes definitely had me covering my eyes! Seriously, give this show a chance, you will not be disappointed!
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