Summer Snow

Whew. After a Summer Snow marathon, I need a breather. This is definitely one of the best J-dramas that I have seen. A blend of romance, angst, and comedy that leaves the viewers in a sea of emotions.

Orphaned young, Natsuo is given the responsibility to care for his two siblings, a brother and a sister, then eventually a sort-of adoptive brother. Instead of taking pity on himself, he faces life with humor, optimism, and bit of nosiness. He meets a ill-stricken young lady, Yuki, through his usual random act of kindness. They inevitably fall in love. Their romance has no frills but pure sweetness. There is no uber-villain who wreaks havoc in everyone’s life. A hint of a third party is presented but never been given priority. It is simply a lovely story of true love.

While the blooming romance between Natsuo and Yuki is a delight to watch, the best thing in this series is the emphasis on family. Natsuo’s family will often be seen eating by the dinner table. Their conversations and interactions during this time reflect their dynamics with one another. Conflict it inevitable but they will always sit around with each other.

It’s hard to describe how wonderfully simple, sweet, and funny this series is to this viewer. I love the performances of Tsuyoshi (Natsuo), Ryoko (Yuki), and Chizuru (Chika). Oh, and to Oguri Shun fangirls, he plays Natsu’s younger brother. He looks so innocent in this one. While he did his best to try to mimic the speech of those with severe hearing loss, I find it slightly lacking. Although I have to say I’m a bit hard on him since my youngest sister has a similar case like his and the speech should be more air-y. Though overall, his interpretation is pretty good. But I’m very much impressed with both Tsuyoshi and Ryoko. They somehow complement each other that it seems as if they feed off each other’s acting during those heavy scenes. Damn, I must hunt down other dramas where they are included. Bandwidth abuse time once again.