Halation Love

I’ve watched episode 1 of the new “Halation Love” and I have to say I'm still not even sure what’s going on!  At first seemingly like a highschool-drama, it quickly became more of a suspense/mystery show. Guess the ecchy green tint should have been my first hint!

Story involves a girl named Akari Miyama working part time at her family's Photography Shop while juggling school.

One day, a quiet and morose man named Kyosuke Asami (Hikaru Takahashi) brings in a very old roll of film which he wants developed. She warns him that when film is old, there can be defects to the negatives, but he gives the go ahead.

After developing it and printing the photos, she is pleased to find they have turned out OK. Additionally, the pictures spark a sense of nostalgia within her and she recognizes some of the places in them!

Meanwhile, at school things are happening, with Akari constantly being hit on by a man named Makita (Kaito Yoshimura), though she shows no interest. She IS shocked, however, by the return of an old childhood friend of hers, a guy named Fujiwara (Hayate Ichinose). Though she's known him her whole life, even he has secrets he may be harboring....

And after all these things have passed, strange things begin happening to Akari, things that she cannot explain. Who may be behind the bizarre events she has no idea.

Ermmm, So yeah, like I said, I really don't know where this one is going. A few more episodes will probably make clearer the plot!

 I’ve liked pretty Hikaru Takahashi her ever since her adorable turn as the quirky cosplaying Akiho Harada in “Takane No Hana” back in 2018, and it’s nice to see her in a lead effort, but I must admit, this drama has so far not really piqued my interest. 

Hopefully it develops as the show goes on….

Shomonai Bokura no Renairon

 

OK, also caught the sweet drama “Shomonai Bokura no Renairon”, following the story of an Art Designer named Takuro Tsutsumi (Hidekasu Mashima) who, at middle age, is beginning to feel past his prime, with signs of younger folks beginning to take over his jobs.

In the midst of this semi-mid-life crisis of sorts, he suddenly gets a friend request from an old friend of his whom he once had a band with…as well as an unrequited love with.  

Her name is Anna, and, though nervous about the prospect of reconnecting after all these when he gets there,Takuro is stunned to see a girl whom looks like the perfect memory of Anna as she looked all those years ago! But when she introduces herself, she is revealed to be Kurumi (Seina Nakata), Anna’s 17 year old daughter!

This spritely girl wants to know all about him, his memories and feelings about her Mother. Takuro remarks how much she resembles her Mother, and, looking around, wonders when he can meet her. It’s here that he finds out that his past love has passed away a month before, a devastating fact he knew nothing about.

 

That evening he informs the others in the band about their keyboardist's passing and laments about the almost-love he once had with Anna, and of how he never got to see her again.

 

Meanwhile Kurumi has been dealing with her Mother’s passing in her own way by going through her treasured keepsakes, and over and over again, Takuro and the band they had keeps coming back into the picture.More and more she realizes how important this guy was to her Mom. 

 

Finding an old cassette of Takuro and her Mom playing music, she excitedly brings the tape over to Tsutsumi, and listening to the tape together, He finds the music takes him back to those good old days with Anna and the band, how happy they were and with so much to look forward to. 

  

After reminiscing a bit, Takuro asks Kurumi why she decided to meet up with him in the first place, to which she says, “I wanted to meet the Man that my Mom liked.”. 

And with that, she takes her leave, but little do the two know how much they will figure in each other’s lives from this point on!  

For one reason and another, Kurumi keeps finding ways to be involved with Takuro and his own meandering life.  And as the show goes on, we see how their presence affects the other, with Kurumi dealing with her schoolwork and future choices, as well as Takuro in the crossroads of his mid-life dealing with a job he is becoming unsuited for and an aging father! In times like these the other is there for them ... 

(with Syoya Mikata) 

 

A very captivating show with Hidakasu Mashima doing his best mopey uncle and support roles from other actors such as Akako Yada as his childhood friend /maybe love interest Eri Morita: 

Tetta Sugimoto as Takuro's Boss...

Satomi Tezuka as Kurumi’s Grandmother…  

...and then there’s Seina Nakata as the uber genki and spazzy Kurumi Tanimura! WOWW I’d already fell in love with her shenanigans in her episode of the excellent 2021 drama “Hatsu Joji Made Ato 1 Jikan” as the naughty little sister who tries to steal her big sister’s boyfriend:

If you saw that episode, you'd know how cute and rascally she was...Happily, she gives off the SAME energy here!  So CUTE!

Reminds me of Mitsuki Takahata in her early Kahoko days! 

This promises to be one fine little drama!  

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com