Reviews

An uncomfortable student x teacher drama... which is why it's a gem

This was the most uncomfortable dorama that I’ve ever watched with characters that made so many wrong decisions along the way.

Which is why it’s my favorite JDrama of all time.

To note, I hate student-teacher dramas with a passion. I hate that it tries to romanticize a very serious issue regarding a relationship between a minor and an adult, and in some cases they try to condone it; saying that the minor is “mature for their age” and the adult “cannot choose who they love.” Chugakusei Nikki absolutely did NOT go that route.

Instead, it presented the relationship as it is in reality: a uncomfortable relationship that shouldn’t happen, and why it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Here, the characters are portrayed as they would in real life. Hijiri, the teacher, is recognized to be an adult where everyone expects her to have good reason, but she did not. Akira, the student, is presented to be immature, impulsive, and passionate; just like an actual teenager and not that “mature for his age” type of guy. It clearly showed that even though there is an emotional foundation for the development of their feelings, the unequal maturity level between both Hijiri and Akira were the ultimate teller of the downfall of their relationship. The show never once shied away from this fact, and even reinforced it. In the end, [SPOILER ALERT] even both Hijiri and Akira realized this fact, and voluntarily decided to back away. For Hijiri, she realized that she was getting in the way of Akira fully realizing his true potential and dream of the future. For Akira, he realized how much of Hijiri’s life was disrupted and destroyed simply because of their relationship. While they've made a LOT of bad decisions that I would never agree with in real life, finishing the drama left me feeling so empty; I felt pain for the characters, that remained even after hours after watching (like what I felt with the ending of Your Name).

Moreover, the side characters are not one-dimensional, especially Akira’s mother. Despite the occasional use of ominous music as Akira’s mother tries to interfere with the relationship of the leads, the show has made it VERY clear that she only does it out of pure love and concern for her son, rather than just being antagonistic. The poignant moments where she tries to fight for Akira’s future, even at the expense of her own son hating her, was heartbreaking. Because in real life, a mother’s love would always choose their children’s well-being even if it meant that their children would see them as a “bad guy.” I felt particularly empathetic of the mother in one episode, after [SPOILER ALERT] Hijiri has signed a legal document promising to never meet Akira again after her persistence. Instead of bragging this signed document right in front of Akira’s face, she instead chose to calmly relay Hijiri’s choice to Akira. She even explained that Hijiri’s decision to stay out of Akira’s life was made out of love, and encourages Akira to think how he could respond to this act of love. This, for me, made her a very empowered character, and I never thought she was a villain.

Technicalities wise, all the cast exhibited strong performances. In particular, Arimura Kasumi, Yoshida Yoh, and Natsukawa Yui delivered the best performances amongst all the actors. They portrayed the characters with so much sincerity and you can feel their own pains and regrets. Mizukami Koshi, on the other hand, delivered a good performance that it's shocking to know that Chugakusei Nikki is his very first ever acting project. He naturally showed the impulsiveness of being a 15 year old boy (which, tbh required more from him since he was 19 at the time of filming and had the build of a 19 year old too). While there are areas for improvement, he undeniably showed good potential which is why he's named a rising star.

Lastly, the SOUNDTRACK. IT HAS THE BEST SOUNDTRACK AMONGST ALL THE DRAMAS I'VE WATCHED. It contributed SO much to the emotional weight of the story and it matches the tone of each scene well. I still play the soundtrack to this very day, years after the drama ended.

Ultimately, this show was one of the very few gems where you have to be open to watching it, to be able to be comfortable with the discomfort it brings, before you can truly realize how special it really is. At the end of the day, it makes you realize why love is never enough and that sometimes love is in the form of selflessness.

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