Nevertheless: The Shapes of Love – J-drama Episode 1 Recap & Review

Episode 1

Episode 1 of Nevertheless: The Shapes of Love aka Wakatte Ite mo: The Shapes of Love begins with Ren, a man with a butterfly tattoo on his neck looking at a butterfly at his home while Miu looks at a flower. They both think to themselves that forever love doesn’t exist, nevertheless, they can’t help but hold out hope.

A flashback shows the day Miu became pessimistic about love. Her ex-boyfriend makes an erotic sculpture of her without her consent. It is of the day she had begged him not to break up with her. She is shocked and he calls her stagnant. It cuts to a sculpture of hers in which a man falls because of his heavy wings.

At present, as she heads to school, she sees Ren making an abstract butterfly mural piece. However, it involves throwing paint at a school statue. Some of it falls on her and he wipes it off her face. She feels something for him from first sight. 

Back inside, we learn that she is a senior and a TA. Their department teacher, Ms. Usami is busy with an art festival and will be bringing in a substitute (yes, it is Ren!). She asks Miu about the vandal and she pretends not to know but she claims she didn’t like the mural. It is also her last year to apply to an art school in Spain and she is unsure. 

Later, Miu visits her friend, Saki who dropped out and is now working for an ad agency. She is worried for Miu who is experiencing art block and heartache thanks to her ex. They have a mutual friend, Megumi who is also a TA and is at a standstill. The cafe waiter, Ruki seems to be a friend as he tells Miu to check out poetry to get inspiration.

Saki visits Megumi who has just broken up with her boyfriend for being inconsiderate. Saki is not surprised as she never liked him. However, now Megumi doesn’t have a place to stay and begs Saki till she allows her to move in with her temporarily. Megumi is the bubbly and touchy-feely kind as she constantly hugs Saki and holds her hand.

Miu considers Ruki’s words and buys a book on butterflies. She is reading it at a bar when Ren arrives. They recognise each other and he wonders why she didn’t tell on him. They strike up a conversation as he notices her book on butterflies. He is also surprised to learn her name means ‘beautiful wings’ and draws a butterfly on her wrist. 

Emboldened, Miu tries to smoke his cigarette but she coughs. As they leave, he asks her to his place to see his pet butterfly and she jokes about following strangers. She wonders about his mural and he explains it was one of those days when nothing matters. It starts raining and he wipes her face. She is surprised by his forward nature and tries to move away. His friends interrupt and she runs away.

At school, Ren runs into his former professor who is surprised to see that he is back from Spain. He is introduced to the seniors as their sub and Miu is shocked. The students immediately take a liking to him. They have a class dinner where he indulges the students while Miu is quiet.

When asked why he uses butterflies as his motifs, he explains that he likes that their wings are delicate. They sparkle for a moment and then fly away with the wind. There are quick flashbacks to his mother screaming. At the same time, a student secretly makes a wall graffiti at school.

Miu is distant from Ren at school but he tags along with her when she offers to organise the storage room which holds old graduation projects. He asks her about the art festival and she claims she doesn’t know if she will participate. He sees her ex’s sculpture and she tries to cover it. He breaks its hands and tells her to destroy it.

She hasn’t been able to move on from that day and feels elated by breaking it. Ren is happy for her and makes a move to kiss her. She thinks to herself that despite everything, she cannot help but hold out hope. At the end of Nevertheless: The Shapes of Love Episode 1, a flashback shows that Ren was at the graduation exhibit when Miu confronted her ex.

The Episode Review

Nevertheless: The Shapes of Love Episode 1 is definitely off to an interesting start. It has been 3 years since the original K-drama aired and so we are glad we don’t remember much of it. It allows viewers to give the Japanese version a chance instead of constantly comparing it to the Song Kang-Han So-hee starrer. 

The J-drama’s casting had felt off initially but the age gap makes sense now given Ren is a recent graduate while Miu is a senior. The original’s weakest point was that the male lead had been extremely toxic and it seems that the J-drama is trying to remedy that by already giving us his POV and his reasonings for his actions.

And while the premise had been shocking for a K-drama, it suits the J-drama’s usual treatment of mature themes with philosophical musings and beautiful aesthetics. However, it is a little choppy and fast-paced. We aren’t able to get a read on the other side characters and if they will contribute to the plot. Nevertheless (we had to!) there is much potential for this J-drama and we are excited for it.