This is the first J-drama I've seen, and I'm a little reluctant to watch another one for fear it would not measure up to Orange Days. It's that good -- much better than I expected. Spanning eleven episodes altogether, Orange Days plays more like a long movie than a television series. It doesn't have an episodic feel, but rather seems all of a piece, keeping a pretty tight focus on its relatively small cast of characters. It never really feels slight, and each hour grows increasingly stronger and heavier in emotional weight, culminating in an ending that was profoundly moving. I really came to care for these characters.
In a nutshell, the story centers around a group of friends in their last year of college. While trying to determine their soon-to-be-place in the working world, they deal with a myriad of romantic entanglements and trials of friendship. Like a lot in life, nothing runs that smoothly, but the plot never feels forced. The dramatic twists and turns often arise out of good intentions butting heads with ambitions, dreams, and insecurities. These are decent, good people trying to live life the best they can, being true to themselves. There aren't any stock villains here; even when deceptions take place, it is easy to understand and sympathize with the motives that lie underneath.
It's a great cast all-around, but Satoshi Tsumabuki and Kou Shibasaki deserve the lion's share of the credit for the series' success. They hit all the right notes as two students who become friends and find themselves denying deeper feelings as they become attracted to one another. Satoshi has the difficult task of playing a sensitive nice-guy who is also quite strong and confident, never quite falling into the role of a saint or a sap. Much of the story is through his point of view, and I had a strong like and empathy for him all the way. Kou Shibasaki gives an amazing performance as the deaf-mute musician who still dealing with acceptance of her hearing loss. Her frustration and fury are evident in her visceral use of sign language. She's like a force of nature -- you literally can't take your eyes off her, and she evokes an intensity that dominates every scene that she's in.
Also deserving of praise are Hiroki Narimiya and Miho Shiraishi as a player and a plain-Jane (more of a character description -- she's actually really pretty) who antagonize each other while each works up the courage to admit their feelings for one another. They have a good chemistry, and Hiroki portrays a charm and appeal that negates the worst aspects of his promiscuities; he's a likable, decent guy, and you see can see why Miho's character sees a deeper aspect to him.
Maybe my personal favorite performance, though was Manami Konishi, who acts fairly conservative and maternal at the beginning of the series, but after some dramatic developments, turns a little more confident and flirtatious -- she's fun to watch, and steals a few of the scenes she's in.
I wouldn't dream of revealing the ending, but something happens that, out of context would seem incredibly mundane, but with knowledge of the characters and of everything that's gone before, is quite powerful, and resonated with me long afterward. This series is a knockout.
In a nutshell, the story centers around a group of friends in their last year of college. While trying to determine their soon-to-be-place in the working world, they deal with a myriad of romantic entanglements and trials of friendship. Like a lot in life, nothing runs that smoothly, but the plot never feels forced. The dramatic twists and turns often arise out of good intentions butting heads with ambitions, dreams, and insecurities. These are decent, good people trying to live life the best they can, being true to themselves. There aren't any stock villains here; even when deceptions take place, it is easy to understand and sympathize with the motives that lie underneath.
It's a great cast all-around, but Satoshi Tsumabuki and Kou Shibasaki deserve the lion's share of the credit for the series' success. They hit all the right notes as two students who become friends and find themselves denying deeper feelings as they become attracted to one another. Satoshi has the difficult task of playing a sensitive nice-guy who is also quite strong and confident, never quite falling into the role of a saint or a sap. Much of the story is through his point of view, and I had a strong like and empathy for him all the way. Kou Shibasaki gives an amazing performance as the deaf-mute musician who still dealing with acceptance of her hearing loss. Her frustration and fury are evident in her visceral use of sign language. She's like a force of nature -- you literally can't take your eyes off her, and she evokes an intensity that dominates every scene that she's in.
Also deserving of praise are Hiroki Narimiya and Miho Shiraishi as a player and a plain-Jane (more of a character description -- she's actually really pretty) who antagonize each other while each works up the courage to admit their feelings for one another. They have a good chemistry, and Hiroki portrays a charm and appeal that negates the worst aspects of his promiscuities; he's a likable, decent guy, and you see can see why Miho's character sees a deeper aspect to him.
Maybe my personal favorite performance, though was Manami Konishi, who acts fairly conservative and maternal at the beginning of the series, but after some dramatic developments, turns a little more confident and flirtatious -- she's fun to watch, and steals a few of the scenes she's in.
I wouldn't dream of revealing the ending, but something happens that, out of context would seem incredibly mundane, but with knowledge of the characters and of everything that's gone before, is quite powerful, and resonated with me long afterward. This series is a knockout.