Spark (2016)

Before starting, I do feel it is necessary for me to point out that this is my first review. I am not the type of person who feels inclined to do things as little as comment, never mind write a whole review, but it is such a shame that no one else has written one. I feel obliged to at least lead others to this drama.

This drama brings an average plot to life. Tokunaga is one half of a comedy duo that is struggling to secure real gigs. He comes across Kamiya, and their friendship begins with a bright spark (pun definitely intended). What I like about this drama is that it tries to stay realistic. It doesn't stay bright and cheery throughout the series. Instead, all of the characters take hits and deal with them in their own way. It also portrays a wonderful friendship between Kamiya and Tokunaga, and it is a joy watching them interact on the screen. The humor of the series was never lost on me, and I found myself laughing at a lot of the skits they showed. There are a few slow scenes, but due to the nature of the drama it works well.

The only thing I would criticize about the story is the last thirty minutes. It's pretty unnecessary, and I wish they ended it differently. I've never read the novel (and, as far as I know, there is no English translation), so I cannot say whether or not the drama sticks to the original ending. If it does, then I suppose it's an okay ending. If the writers changed the drama's ending, then... why did they do it this way? At least I can say I was certainly surprised, haha. Despite the ending, I would still wholeheartedly suggest this drama. Don't let the last thirty minutes I vaguely mentioned drag you away from watching it.

I never feel like I can properly judge actors, but I didn't find any issues with the cast.  At no point did any of them make me cringe. I never thought to myself, 'yikes, that was pretty bad.' I thought all of them really suited their characters, and everyone was brought to life. I really liked Kento Hayashi in particular, and I can definitely picture myself watching something with him again in the near future.

The music was really good, no surprise. I don't have any complaints. Brother by OKAMOTO'S was instantly added to my playlist the second I finished the first episode.

I've only ever rewatched one thing, so I don't envision myself watching this once more. Clearly, I'm not big into watching things more than once. Maybe in a few years I would come back to this, but as for now, I have no plans.

Overall, I definitely would suggest this to those who want to watch a touching drama. It's a wonderful drama that deserves to be more popular than it is.

Leggi di Più

This is my first review, which is fitting because this was the first Japanese drama I've ever watched. It's been two years since I watched this for the first time, and it still holds a spot in my heart. The story is unlike any other I'd ever seen. You follow two manzai (comedy) artists through their higher and lower points in fame, and you see an intricate, complicated relationship form between the two main characters. The music in this drama made it all the better, and I'm still struggling to find the end theme song so I can add it to my playlist. This drama is introspective, slightly inspiring, and emotionally stilting. I've seen a number of dramas in the years since I've seen this one, but this will always be my favorite.

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If you wonder whether to watch this or not, please be informed that this is not a comedy drama! Although, it tells the story of people pursuing the dreams of becoming comedian.

Spark AKA Hibana is a slow paced, slice-of-life drama. It's a real depiction of life, not just by simply having a realistic plot. The main characters are well written thanks to the award winning novel. They are non stereotypical kind you would normally see in books, films or TVs. The way they think and decide on things are more similar to us, normal people. Sometimes in life we meet someone new (or new opportunity), but not necessarily anything would happen from that encounter. People come and go in real life and sometimes you won't meet them ever again. That's what the drama was trying to convey.

The direction and acting for this drama were amazing in my opinion. There were a lot of scenes with mixed and complex emotions throughout the series, but the actors really did a great job especially Namioka with the most complex role among others. Hayashi did well too, but he's got his usual kind of character although with an additional personality (when he''s doing manzai comedy).

It is also rare to see any Japanese drama to be as high production value as Spark. You will have the "watching movie" experience throughout the series with lots of non-usual camera works that anyone wouldn't bother to use in a (J) drama. For example, there are several scenes that were shot from a long range where the actors just doing their (crazy) stuffs in the middle of public as well as some shots with additional stories that are not related directly to the plot but at the same time give more meaning to the plot.

All in all, Spark is amazing drama with full positive message of friendship and humanity apart from telling the realistic story of chasing dreams. The only downside is the really bad misleading poster as well as the last few minutes on the last episode as others have mentioned (the reason why I rated its rewatching value lower) . However, it's still worth to watch the whole series and highly recommended for slice-of-life lover or to anyone who would be looking for something different!

Leggi di Più

This is a drama of the highest quality about the struggles of artists pursuing their careers suffused with humour, warmth, and poignancy.


Hibana (Spark) is a drama produced by Netflix which means that its production team had an enormous budget and creative freedom. Both of those were used splendidly. Every shot is artsy, every secondary character is played by the likes of Sometani Shota and Kadowaki Mugi. More importantly, the drama was allowed to show the unvarnished lives of artists living on the fringe of society, and not on that decadence & debauchery kind of fringe - just the plain old 'don't have a place to stay' kind.

This 'plain old' down to earth feel is achieved through constant situational humour and occasional manzai performances. Despite the pathos of heart-wrenching conflicts, the drama never allows the viewer to take it too seriously. Thus, it stays in the realm of accessible art house rather than heavy drama.

The conflicts come from the grim reality of artistic field. Those who practice their art rarely have a luxury of a reliable job. In Japan, where the expectation for a man to be a breadwinner is still as strong as ever, the source of the main characters' reluctance to get involved with the women they genuinely care about is all too clear.

But the call of art is too powerful. Manzai, in particular, is an ancient art, and it's too easy to see the teachings of the Kamiya-sempai as a manzai-zen that the main character eagerly learns as a faithful adept. And in the ancient times 'ascetic' life style was a given. Moreover, only the most blessed get to worship the muse, and the threat of failure always hangs over artists. 'When will I have to give up my dream?' is a heart-breaking question all too familiar to those who still fight for their art even as their colleagues vanish in the corporate world or win the lottery of the big break. When the success finally comes it inevitably leads to the chorus of 'sell-out' accusations with the loudest voice being the artist's own.

Hayashi Kento and Namioka Kazuki give a wonderful nuanced performances all throughout the drama. They are great together; Hayashi Kento is especially good at portraying devotion so the viewer never doubts Tokunaga's loyalty to Sempai and his teachings. Namioka Kazuki's Sempai is so easily recognised, I'm sure everyone knows at least one such kind, charismatic, and hopeless sensei.

Suda Masaki and Kiritani Kenta replaced those actors for the movie version of Spark. While they are great actors in their own right, one can't help but wonder if more conventionally attractive appearances played the main role in that decision. The movie, by the way, is less raw and unvarnished, though, it still retains the notorious final scene.

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I watched this series with the expectation that it would be "strange" from a non-Japanese person's perspective, and it was--but certainly not in a bad way. I'm sure I missed some cultural nuances and subtleties here and there, but it was, on the overall, interesting and moving. The narrative is told mainly from the perspective of Tokunaga as he builds his career as a manzai artist and sustains a very special relationship with his friend Kamiya. Following Tokunaga has been a unique emotional experience for me, and Kamiya's role in his life doesn't make that any less idiosyncratic. The relationship between the two contributes to the overarching mood of the series, which I think is a very integral element that makes both the storyline and the viewing experience one of a kind. This experience, to put simply, gives a punch that nothing else can--it's exactly like Kamiya and Tokunaga's comedy: bizarre, unhappy, but full of life. I wish I could say more, but I can only do so after giving this another rewatch or even reading the book--after I've immersed myself in Japanese culture enough.

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