why nino is absolute win <3
Just finished watching all 11 episodes of Haikei, Chichiue-sama. I must say, the more I watch Nino's acting the more I'm convinced that he is absolutely deserving of all the praises he gets. :)
Review ([Minor]Spoiler warning)
First of all, I must admit that the writer for this drama is amazing. I could see at least 5 stories going on at the same time, yet beautifully interwoven. And there's a huge sense of realism in the plot as well. (Well maybe except for the apples falling in slow motion LOL) But, overall, very well written. I take my hat off to Kuramoto Sou-sensei.
I think that making the narration in the form of a letter from the main character to his mystery father was a brilliant idea. Besides relaying important information about the plot, it was also a great way of expressing his feelings. (And had some comedic effect too XD)
We start off by being introduced to the characters in the drama, the main character, Ippei and his colleagues at the restaurant he works at. I love the way the relationships and hierarchy were explained. The problem regarding the restaurant having to shut down arises and becomes a central theme throughout the entire series. The reasonings behind it seemed very plausible to me and while some characters seemed to play the 'evil stepmother' role, the reasons behind their actions were explained eventually.
While Ippei doesn't seem to prod his mother very strongly at the beginning regarding his father's identity, he is still curious, which is only natural. However, do a certain kink in the plot, his father's identity soon becomes very important to him, and his future. It was great to see Ippei finally put his foot down, rather than just letting things be. I really enjoyed watching this character grow. :)
Then we have Ippei and his love interest, a beautiful girl who spoke French to him at first. It was so cute to watch him go all bonkers about her, with his fantasies and whatnot. :D But its not one of those romcom type of relationships. It does take a serious tone towards end.
The interaction between Ippei and his colleagues were so fun to watch! Its funny how 'gossip' travelled so fast within the restaurant. But hey, that's reality for you! :D The big boss, young boss, head chef, ojou-san, the apprentice chef and all the other workers were very well developed characters, and were all key to the plot. It was really wonderful how their stories were skillfully woven into the main plot. AND they're all solid enough to be stand-alone stories. WOW. That's all I can say. :)
The acting was just amazing. Somehow, I just seemed to forget that its all an act in the end. The actors and actresses portrayed their roles so realistically. They really pull you into their world. Nino absolutely deserved the award he won for this drama. The way he portrayed the inner conflict his character constantly had to deal with was great to watch. And Yachigusa Kaoru was well-cast for the role of the big boss of the restaurant. She was just so lovable! Tho a real grandma who's that spunky would be quite scaree to have LOL. Overall tho, everyone did an amazing job with their roles.
The cinematography. OMG. Beautiful. Narrow streets, cobblestone pavements... The camera lens captured the setting so well. While certain edited scenes did look quite... fake, but those were fine 'cuz they were for comedic scenes anyways, the rest was very very well filmed. :)
So, all in all? Haikei, Chichiue-sama is definitely worth a watch. Even if you're not a Nino fan, its definitely worth watching for the very well-written script, great acting, and lovely settings. And if you're a Nino fan? GO WATCH IT NOW!!!! XD
Personal rating : 5/5