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year-end drama recommendation

4.Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko (2024)

8eps, 24 min each

Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko is about Ayaka who is... in love with Hiroko! Ayaka fell in love with her senpai at work, and went trough a transformation from a corporate suit to a frilly and romantic style to seduce the senpai with short skirts, crop tops, and off shoulder blouses, but Hiroko doesn't even budge. What's going on and why none of this works?

This jdrama is super cute and super sweet with a rich filling like a chocolate lava cake! I giggled through the whole 8 episodes, it was so lighthearted and comedic. True, it's not the most advanced plot, but I immensely enjoyed the trials and tribulations of Ayaka's seduction project. For me, it was a breath of fresh air in the wlw genre, with light, funny scenes and healthy representation of desire in lesbian relationships.

It's been so fun guys! 2024 ended with a fanfare and so did my yearly review. It's been a great year, I gave it my all, and I'm ready to start a new year with new resolutions. I hope my list has been helpful and maybe one of the positions peaked your interest a bit. This is all from me! With this last recommendation of this year's project, I wish you all an even greater year. Less drama and more dramas in 2025! Happy New Year!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

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year-end drama recommendation

3. Unmet: Aru Nogekai no Nikki (2024)

11 eps, 54 min each

Unmet tells a story of a young and promising neurosurgeon, Kawauchi Miyabi, who lost her memories after an accident. She can't remember anything from the past two years of her life, and, additionally, she can't retain any new memories. That means that every time she wakes up, not only she can't remember those 2 years, but she doesn't remember anything from the past day as well, loosing more and more of her life to amnesia.

Miyabi is a very determined, empathetic, and hardworking person even though the circumstances are not favourable, and I believe that makes her an extremely compelling character that you cannot help, but root for. We watch each episode as the doctors try to treat new patients, while navigating Miyabi's memory loss, uplifting her and challenging her, without patronising her or her condition. The chemistry between our main character and her co-workers was enjoyable to watch, as well as the secrets that unveil with each episode!

This jdrama shows us the essence of human condition — ups and downs of life, good and bad sides of humanity, and, above all, the meaningful connections that transcendent barriers.

I thought I should present something that made the biggest impression on me for the main course and Unmet felt like an obvious choice for me. The thing that made me most curious to watch Unmet is undoubtedly the concept of the main character loosing memory every day. And I'm so glad I did! Back in the day, there were a few popular fanfictions circulating in kpop fandom, and I remember the idea of anterograde amnesia being the topic of one, so deep down I always waited for this idea to get properly fleshed out in a better setting.

I think the visualisation of Miyabi reading her diary was a good creative choice, her opening it to read like a manual to "catch up with her life" and hundreds of pages shockingly materialising around her, fluttering around like a tornado. Imagine writing a super detailed diary that has to give you a good idea of who you are, what happened, what your likes and dislikes are, where that coffee shop you like is located, what your freaking order even is, and who people around you are, whether you even like them or not, and then taking time every day to get to know yourself anew from the notes you took. I cannot even imagine dealing with that kind of illness personally, but I can relate to memory loss related issues altogether, firstly dealing with Alzheimer and now dementia in my family. I'm constantly fighting with an unstoppable force for memories that are not guaranteed to last anyway. I can see myself in people surrounding Miyabi and that made this show extra special to me. I felt seen.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 4

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year-end drama recommendation

2. Brush Up Life (2023)

10 eps, 55 min each

At the age of 33, Kondo Asami suddenly dies in a car accident. Immediately after the hit, she shows up in a white room, void of anything besides a desk and a clerk sitting at it. We learn that it's some kind of an in-between place for reincarnation purposes, weirdly reminiscent of a real life mundane visit at the City Hall, but this time it's a room with a clerk of the afterlife that keeps on filing the documents and guiding lost souls onto their next step.

See, our main character doesn't really regret anything she did, but there's one thing that keeps bugging her. She finds out that her next reincarnation is supposed to be a giant anteater in Southeaster Guatemala, because, apparently, she didn't earn that many "kindness points" during her lifetime to deserve anything better. Kondo realizes that she doesn't want to spend her next life on ant munching, and asks if there is anything she can do at this point. Well, no, not really. You can redo your life from scratch as Kondo Asami though, if you'd like to. Just enter the door on the right. If she has an opportunity to fix things and maybe get another chance at reincarnation after she redoes this life, to bump up those points to get a human reincarnation next, how could she not take that offer? But it's not that simple, it never is.

This drama was pure insanity, and I mean that in a good way. If I could compare it to anything, it would be probably Groundhog Day, but stretched from one day to years. The way those 10 episodes encapsulated the feeling of that movie with the similar nature and a unique spin should be studied. The comedic nature of it significantly lightened serious topics and lifted some of the weight that comes with death, tragedies, and (as abstract as those are) never ending hopeless time loops. It was genuinely so funny, I think I could watch Asami figuring her life for the nth time again and again and again, and... I won't spoil that much.

Brush Up Life is like a gift that keeps on giving. At the surface level, it shows us a pretty straightforward objective for the main character, but it only takes a second to realise that it's not that straight after all. This simple concept blooms into a beautiful and touching story, heart-warming like a bowl of steaming hot soup on a cold day. This jdrama wields the tools it has in store so skilfully with a precise timing, showing us intricately constructed story about determination and friendship, with the hint of mystery and foreshadowing. Truly, there are so many carefully planted elements that are coming back to kick you in the ass in the most hilarious way when you least expect them, you will feel the reward of paying attention and engaging with the story.

Part 1 || Part 3 || Part 4

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year-end drama recommendation

Good year to you all! I hope you all had a great winter break, that you were all smothered with love, and crushed by the weight of the presents you all dreamt about. I smell the end of the year, so here I am, crawling out of my dark cave, ready to send you all into our annual Japanese drama heaven. Welcome! I hope 2024 was kind to you.

As you are getting ready to say goodbye to 2024, making plans, buying party accessories, and cooking, so am I, reminiscing and compiling some notes to get this yearly reviews out to ship them right under your thumb! You will be served 4 wonderful J-dramas I watched in 2024 and deemed worthy, like a 4 course meal, and our dining will start today, on the 28th of December and end as usual, on the 31st of December!

Now, let's start with an appetizer. I proudly present

1. Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (2022) & Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna Season 2 (2024)

1st season: 10 eps, 15 min each; 2nd season: 20 eps, 15 min each

How clever am I, sprinkling food metaphors to smoothly show off my first pick — She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Season 1 and Season 2. As you can see, it's a two for one deal, and I truly believe that one cannot go without the other, like bruschetta and tomato.

Season 1 of She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat shows us the sweet beginnings of our two main characters, Nomoto and Kasuga. The girls are neighbours and they coincidentally start a routine. Nomoto's passion is cooking, and she tends to cook too much when she doesn't control herself. She believes that good food comes in big portions and her dream is to serve big family plates of home made dishes. Is it a coincidence or fate that Kasuga loves eating? Kasuga appreciates good and hearty portions, so when Nomoto proposes to share leftover food with her, she's more than happy to take her upon that suggestion. And, as the saying goes in my native language, "przez żołądek do serca", which would loosely translate to "the way to someone's heart is through their stomach".

We watch Kasuga's and Nomoto's relationship bloom in an inconspicuous setting and I believe it's a good foundation for season 2 to dive into their dynamic.

In season 2, we see how Nomoto and Kasuga come to terms with their feelings for each other, and how both of them bravely confess. The second season is also heavier, because it delves deeper into a mature relationship, and what comes with it. The main characters reveal more of their insecurities and issues, and we see how they deal with them alone or how they overcome them together. We are also introduced to new characters, who give us even more trials and tribulations, expand the representation of the drama, and help our main couple get together.

I believe that most of the 1st season's setting is around Christmas, and the final episode is happening on New Year's Eve, with Nomoto and Kasuga watching together the first sunrise of the New Year, which is quite perfect for the season.

This series is not only a good watch, but a good source of inspiration as well. I cannot count how many times I cooked or prepared something just like in the drama or something that was inspired by it. Prepare a good snack before you watch!

Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4

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two people that actually did match each others freak

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year-end drama recommendation

3. Quartet (2017)

10 eps, 45 min each

Quartet follows a story of four different people who share one passion, music. All four main characters are excellent at playing classical instruments so they form an amateur quartet under mysterious circumstances.

Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa, and Iemori Yutaka practice frequently to perfect their performance and, at some point, even decide to move in together during wintertime. The reasons for that all seem to centre at Maki due to some peculiar circumstances, that is, someone who wishes to know more about her.

The nature of this drama is more mystery than music so I would rather not spill all of our character's secrets here out in the open. All I can share is that eventually the scandalous truth comes out and all is explained.

I definitely recommend Quartet to people who like slow unravelling mystery, uncanny behaviours, and found family trope. At the beginning, Maki, Suzume, Tsukasa, and Yutaka don't feel that comfortable in their little group, considering they hide a lot of things from each other, but as the story progresses, they find themselves sharing more and more burdens with the rest of the quartet. This show is full of laughter, tears, and passion, and I enjoyed laughing and crying with the characters.

Obviously, I have to mention another great performance by Mitsushima Hikari — beautiful, moving, and ambitious. She never disappoints!

I can't believe another year passed so fast! I definitely didn't watch as many shows as I would like to, but life gets in the way sometimes. Nonetheless, I gave you my all, and I hope one of the positions on the list interested you a little bit. I can hear music getting louder and louder, so I'm off to my new year eve's party! This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama, and more dramas in 2024! Happy New Year 2024!

Part 1 || Part 2

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year-end drama recommendation

2. Animals (2022)

8 eps, 45 min each

Animals follows the story of Umi, a brilliant but absolutely overworked TV production office worker, during the most difficult part of any adult's life — career change.

Umi is constantly overwhelmed with tasks passed to her by her "I'll only do what I'm paid for" co-workers and her only reward for picking up their slack is her boss's warm praise. Umi is made to feel like she is an irreplicable part of her team and her sacrifice is needed for the shows they produce to succeed. One day, Umi is so tired from working overtime she falls asleep during a live broadcast, which becomes a hot topic on the Internet. Her boss, who usually very kindly accepts Umi's free labour, shames Umi for her behaviour and vehemently urges her to release a statement to clear the air and to take the heat off of the company.

Umi, rightfully, decides to resign from the shitty job and applies for a position at a make up company recommended to her by a new friend. Her beginnings aren't easy as Umi was not particularly interested in make up before, but she's surrounded by wonderful people who don't give up on her. One of those people is Kazao, the company's main photographer. He's constantly advising her during difficult times. With time, countless bowls of ramen, glasses of beer, and a growing pile of advice, something romantic grows between them. Our main character gains confidence she needs for her job thanks to her indomitable spirit and the support of people around her.

The reason I picked up this drama was its' focus on make up market. I absolutely adore make up, I like to have fun with it, and I'm always happy when I buy myself a new eyeshadow palette. It was refreshing to see a show that focuses so much on it and honestly, it was quite nice to finally have expert knowledge on a topic presented.

I felt extremely proud when Umi made her first steps in using some of the company's products. I absolutely understand the insecurity women feel with make up, especially when they have no previous experience, e.g. because they never had an opportunity to play with make up in their teenage years. Society pressures women to always look good but doesn't give us space to practice and make mistakes. The little steps we make feel so much bigger and scarier when there's an expectation on us to always look put together. Messy mascara application, chunky eyeliner wing, or patchy foundation is assimilated with teenager clumsiness so it's met with disdain. To that I say: not every woman has to be a pro in the art of make up, next time just let her know the eyeshadow she picked brings out her eyes or her lip combo is looking especially good today!

Part 1 || Part 3

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year-end drama recommendation

She's back and she's ready to share. Welcome to my annual year-end drama recommendation project where I share my favourite Japanese dramas I've watched during the year.

I hope 2023 was kind to you all!

I'm certainly not ready to end my year yet. As you can see, I still have 3 dramas to recommend to you all. Starting from today, 29th of December, till 31st of December — New Year's Eve, I will post one review a day, as I do every year and I will continue to do so until the end of the world (or just about when the barely working letter v key finally drives me mad, so please do not mention when there's a v missing in my notes, it's just my keyboard). I hope my short 2023 list won't disappoint! Now, I proudly present

1. Takahashi-kun from the Bicycle Shop (2022)

8eps, 25min each

Short, but sweet love story between a classic shy OL female lead, struggling in a toxic work environment, and a bleached-hair yankee male lead, who works at the bicycle repair shop owned by his grandpa. Main characters bond over... you're not going to believe this— a bicycle.

The plot is basically it. A slightly bumpy bicycle ride love story. No more, no less. There are no convoluted issues, no deep misunderstandings, and no dramatic scenes. Main couple meets over a slipped chain on Tomoko's precious bicycle, Deep Impact. Later, it turns out that Ryohei hates her squeaky brakes with passion every time she passes by his shop on her way to work, and recommends her to drop by to get it fixed.

Initially, Tomoko is a people pleaser, too afraid to refuse, and giving off the impression of an overly shy person, while Ryohei is bold, brutally honest, and — frankly — scaring people away with his delinquent image. As the story progresses and the couple gets to know each other more, she learns from him and he learns from her. They are wonderful to each other and the communication between them is so clear. The shortness and simpleness of this drama did not deter me from it, and I'm so glad it didn't because the chemistry between the characters made my heart flutter.

Part 2 || Part 3

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 Utsukushii Kare  + textposts

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上り坂下り坂まさか

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year-end drama recommendation

4. Alice in Borderland 2 (2022)

8 eps, 60min each

This is a proposition for all of you who watched first season of Alice in Borderland and can't decide whether to watch the second season and for the rest of you who can't find it in themselves to start watching Alice in Borderland altogether. Please do it. Do my poor little heart a favour.

Second season of Alice in Borderland continues where we left off at the end of the first season. After completing ten of hearts game, all numbered cards are collected and a second phase begins. Alice and his friends have to participate in jack, queen and king's games to learn the truth about borderland and how to escape it.

Alice in Borderland 2 is a Netflix production and this season was 2 years in the making for it to finally hit us with the feels on December 22, 2022. This season felt like a definite conclusion of the story so I would not assume there will be a third one. I'm basing this information solely on my knowledge of the story from manga, I'm not an insider so at the end of the day, who knows? However, if you're curious on how Alice is faring after the end of season 2, I can recommend you a manga sequel to Alice in Borderland, Alice in Borderland Retry. It's a 13 chapter short story that could shine some light on what's going on in his life.

Alice in Borderland 2 was honestly everything I've ever wanted. I read all manga chapters right after I finished the first season and I could not wait to see it on the screen. In my opinion, AiB production team did their best to bring the comic to life.

The conclusion of Alice's story and the truth behind borderland may not be perfect for everyone, but for me it was poetic, beautiful, but also kind of ridiculous. I laughed in disbelief when I uncovered the truth, but after I revaluated the whole journey, I concluded that it truly was the best case scenario. I thoroughly enjoyed characterisation of jack, queen, and king games' hosts and I appreciated that they were given impactful introductions and respectful exits. Alice in Borderland is an action packed drama with many twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the freaking end.

This concludes the end of my list for 2022. I hope I got you interested enough to at least check one of the dramas.

I can already hear and see fireworks behind my window announcing the end of 2022. It was an honour being here with you all another year. It's been 6 years now! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to succeed in 2023. I hope you have fun plans and to-do lists ready for that brand new year! And, as always, I offer my endless gratitude for all of you who visited my tumblr, left some likes, reblogs, or comments under my posts. This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama and more dramas in 2023! Happy New Year 2023!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

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year-end drama recommendation

3. Silent (2022)

11 eps, 54min each

Silent tells a story about two former lovers, Aoba Tsumugi and Sakura Sō, who meet 8 years after their sudden breakup. Tsumugi feels unsettled over Sō cutting contact with everyone for such a long time, but she doesn't harbour any resentment towards her ex-boyfriend over the painful parting. One day, they meet each other on the street by coincidence, only for Tsumugi to find out that Sō lost his hearing and it was the reason why he distanced himself from her and his friends from high school.

I felt moved by this story. The writing was marvellous, and I appreciated the feelings they tried to convey with Sō's character. I could clearly see the intentions behind every conversation and feel how subtle the relations between characters were. Hearing loss may be taxing both physically and mentally to the people affected — Silent portrayed how the diagnosis impacted many aspects of Sō's life, especially his family life, social life, and love for music.

Tsumugi and Sō's reunion was very emotional and well-thought out. 8 years apart made a dent in their relationship and, as the couple still parted very suddenly and with no explanation, there is a visible distance between them when they start to meet up more frequently. However, Tsumugi doesn't feel discouraged and tries to reconnect with Sō and we, viewers, can only watch how they try to welcome and accommodate each other in their new lives.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 4

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year-end drama recommendation

2. First Love: Hatsukoi (2022)

9 eps, 55min each

First Love: Hatsukoi is a Netflix Original story inspired by the songs "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" by Utada Hikaru. Both "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" are featured throughout the series a few times so even if they're not really familiar to you, you will be able to listen to the songs and enjoy the ambience during your viewing.

This series tells a story of high school sweethearts reuniting after 20 years apart. Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi changed and moved on from their first love. Now, Yae works as a taxi driver and tries her best to bond with her teenage son, meanwhile Harumichi enjoys his quiet days at a security company and prepares for his upcoming wedding. Fate brings them together once more two decades after their parting to give them a chance to rekindle their romance.

From the bottom of my heart, I hugely respect actors behind the roles of Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi. Both Mitsushima Hikari and Sato Takeru consistently deliver the best performance. I truly think that they outdo themselves with each project they participate in. Actors who portrayed younger versions of the main characters, as well as actors of the background characters did amazing job to bring this story to us as well.

The premise of First Love: Hatsukoi made me feel very emotional. I watched all 9 episodes in one sitting, waiting for the conclusion with bated breath, tears in my eyes and my heart on full display. Yae and Harumichi's journey accompanied by Utada Hikaru's powerful vocals was one of the best things I've seen this year. I'm sure this drama will be well-suited for a romance-hungry soul in need of a good cry.

Part 1 || Part 3 || Part 4

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year-end drama recommendation

Welcome, come on in. A whole year has passed, and it's finally time for me to emerge from my review cave again to show you my shiniest picks for this year. I'm glad to be back!

I hope 2022 was kind to you.

For me it was mostly uneventful, slightly challenging, and a bit turbulent at the end, but I emerge victorious. Maybe I'm wiser now, maybe I'm weaker, maybe more emotional than I was last year, or maybe I'm just different. But I'm here with another year-end recommendations to show you what entertained my days and allowed me to enter my escapism bubble even just for a moment.

I will present top 4 j-dramas from all Japanese series I watched this year. Starting from today, 28th of December, all the way up till 31st of December, New Year's Eve, I will post one recommendation a day. As always, I hope my list for 2022 will be well received and maybe it will convince you to check something out. I proudly present

1. Kanojo wa kirei datta/She Was Pretty (2021)

10 eps, 60min each

If you recognise this title and concept, you may have seen the original, Korean, version of this drama, She Was Pretty from 2015, or any of the remakes that's been made of this story: Chinese Pretty Li Hui Zhen (2017) or Thai Me Always You (2021).

Kanojo wa kirei datta tells a story of two childhood friends who, after a long time apart, decide to meet again. Hasebe Sosuke is a confident handsome man who's successful in his career, while Sato Ai struggles not only with her self-esteem but also with finding a job, which left her self-conscious about her abilities as well. Ai decides to lie about her identity to Sosuke, which causes a lot of misunderstandings and damage.

This story may seem superficial with how the romance plotline proceeds, but Ai's journey of rebuilding herself found a special place in my heart. I loved watching Ai starting to care more, accept more people into her life, and feel confident in her work. Koshiba Fuka's character is very lovable and relatable to many people who feel lost.

For those of you who watched Korean version, Japanese She Was Pretty offers a 6-hour-shorter experience that will feel lighter because setting and office drama don't take over the main romantic storyline as much. However, compared to k-drama, this version is more fast paced and more straightforward, so it may seem rushed at times.

Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4

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they are the main couple, right?

right?