Hikari Mitsushima plays Yae Noguchi and Takeru Sato plays Harumichi Namiki, two childhood friends who were each other's first loves, who by happenstance meet up again at the crossroads of their middle aged lives.
In the current time, Yae is a taxicab driver as well as a divorced mother with a teenage son named Tsuzuru (Towa Araki) whom she dotes on but rarely gets to see.
Harumichi is a Harmichi is a former Air-Defense Pilot who is currently eking out his days as a night watchman. He also is currently in a relationship with Tsunemi (Kaho) but there has always been a part missing in his life....
As the drama jumps back and forth between their golden days of youth as high school students experiencing their first romantic relationship and the sombre present day, we see their hopes, their dreams, and the tragedy that separated them all those years ago, to the point where they are virtual strangers in each others lives.
First Love is a story “inspired by the Utada Hikaru songs First Love and Hatsukoi”, and Utada does feature quite prominently in the show, as a musical backdrop as well as the favorite music of the main characters.
Of course for me First Love is already indelibly coupled with the 1999 Nanako Matsushima/Hideaki Takizawa drama “Majo No Jouken”, the drama of an illicit Teacher/Student relationship in which First Love was the theme song!
So far a VERY good drama that I’m really invested in! Hikari Mitsushima is awesome as well as actress Rikako Yagi who does an excellent job alongside Taisei Kido as the younger versions of the main characters!
Let's see where this one goes!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
