Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
First Time Feelings -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Rumors -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Feelings of Romance -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Love & Dreams -| Review Score – 4/5
Christmas with Friends -| Review Score – 4/5
Valentine’s Day -| Review Score – 3.5/5
School Festival -| Review Score – 4.5/5
First Kiss -| Review Score – 4/5
Bonds -| Review Score – 4/5
The Road You Want to Travel -| Review Score – 4/5
Realization -| Review Score – 4/5
Departures -| Review Score – 3.5/5
When an old and beloved book or comic is suddenly adapted in this new age, it is understandable that fans can become sceptical. It’s either a hit, as seen with The Witcher, or an absolute mess, like the Percy Jackson movies. This is probably why fans of the manga From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke, who already got the beloved movie adaptation with the talented Haruma Miura, were wondering if they truly needed another live action.
The trailer for the Netflix original J-drama did not placate fans as we got the most gorgeous actress to play Sawako (who is supposed to look like the girl from The Ring) while everyone expected the acting to be stiff and odd as seen in some recent J-dramas. But the TV adaptation proves everyone wrong as we get a cute slice-of-life story that more or less stays faithful to the manga.
From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke is a high school romance which focuses on the shy Sawako that everyone is afraid of because of her long hair covering her face and her eerie gestures. Everyone calls her Sadako from The Ring but she doesn’t mind as all she wants to do is be friends with everyone.
Sawako takes odd jobs that no student wants and takes all of their jokes in stride. That is till one day, Shota Kazehaya, the popular guy in their class greets her by her real name. He notices all the things she does for their classmates and is kind to her as he tries to become her friend. Encouraged by his kindness, she also ends up befriending other girls from her class which helps her grow and stand up for herself.
Of course, everyone wondered if actress Minami Sara, who possibly looks like a prom queen or feisty cheerleader, could play someone like Sawako but she nails her part with odd mannerisms and a soft demeanour. Of course, it would have been an A+ casting if they had tried to make her look ghostly other than some dark circles and pale foundation.
But we can easily overlook the visual aspect because of just how endearing Sara is as the clumsy and adorable Sawako. She is not the only one who is the highlight of the J-drama as rising actor Suzuka Oji is perfect as the cheerful and bubbly Kazehaya. While no one can match the charms of Haruma Miura who played the movie Kazehaya (RIP legend), Oji does his best to fill in some big shoes.
The execution of From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke is well done if not great; a simple love story with vague teachings on why we should be kind to others. It does skip some of the incidents that etched out the characters in the manga and the anime, but what we do get in the 12 episodes is the basic essence of a loveable story.
While manga fans may be disappointed at this decision, as a standalone, it ticks all the checkboxes of an easy-going and fluffy romance with a relaxed pace, simple obstacles that are quickly solved and happy endings. On days we feel down, this J-drama can quickly lift moods, allowing us to giggle over the characters’ antics and blush at the chemistry between Sawako and Kazehaya.
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Verdict - 6/10
6/10