3 Nen A Gumi: Ima kara Mina-san wa, Hitojichi Desu (2019)

A Thought-Provoking Drama

Omgosh where do I begin...
This was by far one of the most interesting dramas that I've watched this year. The acting was overall really good, and it wasn't super cringy like usual live J-dramas are. But, Suda Masaki's acting was amazing, like I felt like his character was real.
The story was also really great, like there were so many twists and turns and it was just thought-provoking, and eye-catching. The OST was also nice but I think the story is what really sold me on this drama. But if you're looking for a drama that'll grab your attention, please do give this j-drama a chance.

LET'S THINK!

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Some nice teaching moments but too formulaic and predictable overall

A school drama with a quite exciting and gripping premise. Unfortunately, the story became very quickly similar to a lot of Japanese school dramas which made the show overall very predictable. Almost all the plot twists were expected. It was also a bit too formulaic with each episode focusing on one healing moment for a given student, some catchphrase and one big speech. A few of the teaching moments were quite profound and could resonate well (especially with a teenage audience). However, there was as well a lot of weaker storylines resolving themselves a bit too easily given the topics treated by the series.

I had some real trouble getting attached to the characters (adults as well as the teenagers) and I think it might be linked to the writing. As explained above, the drama was a bit awkward in its approach trying to bring some good feels, to discuss absolution and to provide life-lesson talks. It was sometimes over simplistic and or/too quick to make it totally sensible. The ensemble cast was okay but there was no real stand-out. I also found the acting of the main lead unequal and over-the-top for some part.

Even if it does not revolution the genre, it is an easy watch with a nice pacing and actually taking on some important and societal issues (even if clumsily at some points).

I would recommend this to people that are looking for shows similar to Gokusen and Dragon Zakura as well as to the manga "Assassination Classroom" for example. However, if you have already seen quite a few Japanese school dramas, this might feel redundant.

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[WARNING: the rating and review I give have the possibility to be subjective due to my preference for the genres, scenes or casts]

10 out of 10. I think this dorama really deserve to have that. The topic is really related to the conditions nowadays. Even though the lesson learned Hiiragi gave is not too kind in my opinion, but I couldn't agree more with him.

The casts’ acting are great too, but the one catch my attention is still Suda Masaki’s acting. He’s really superb (❤ω❤) Nagano Mei’s is doing a great job too, especially on the scene at the roof top.

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Honestly don’t know if I would recommend this or not.

Took me 3 days but I finished it!

I didn’t enjoy it but I didn’t hate it. It was just ok. A little mind-numbing but ok.

I get the idea behind it. I understand that they were trying to make a point but the execution was shit.

did they have to do it in such a way that it felt like I was strapped to a chair and being forced fed the lesson with a wooden spoon riddled with splinters?

There was not a single character that I connected with in this and I didn’t care about the so-called mystery that wasn’t a mystery

The whole thing was corny as fuck and all I could think throughout was “I wonder how many of us didn’t already know that”

The measures taken were overkill for the point being made

The message itself might as well have been written in a banner running along the bottom of the screen in every episode.

this could’ve been a movie

This thing belongs on PBS Kids in their 1 p.m. slot

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Great ending, but frustrating at times.

Good:
Satisfying ending
Great character development
Solid performances by younger cast members
Supporting sub-plots are interesting and surprisingly humorous at times

Bad:
Over-acting at times from the male MC
Drags a little bit in the middle of the story
Things fall into place a little too easily, at times.

I loved the premise of this show. A mystery that slowly unfolds with a main character whose motives evolve and unravel throughout the episodes. It's instantly intriguing.

Overall I enjoyed the series. The ending, for me, was satisfying and there didn't seem to be too many plot holes or unexplained occurrences that needed addressing. The acting was a little over the top at times from Suda Masaki but in the context of the character and the show it wasn't too distracting. The performances by the young actors playing the students were all well done (especially Katayose Ryota and Tomita Miu).


The show has a few very obvious real world messages it wants to send to the viewer and makes it quite obvious what it wants the viewer to take away from the show. Very poignant and relevant because of the suicide of Hana Kimura in real life.

If you like the 'operator' archetype with a grand plan then I highly recommend this series to you.

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Good themes, okay ending

Suda Masaki's performance as Hiiragi Ibuki is by far the best part of this drama, and the mentor-mentee dynamic he had with every single one of his students was really great. I loved seeing how all the students went through a range of emotions as the drama progressed, from laughing at him at the start, to feeling betrayed, to finally starting to listen, trust, and look up to him.

The female lead is one of the students who definitely plays a larger role than her classmate counterparts, but still doesn't play a very active role throughout the show; with different episodes focusing on different students, sometimes she feels fully sidelined. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but it definitely feels like there's just one main character.

I think the individual themes in the show are really strong, especially when there is a main focus on a student for each lesson, but I'm personally not a huge fan of the final message, of the "killers" being internet bullies. While I understand the message of thinking before you type and not hiding behind a screen, I also feel like Mr. Hiiragi speaking to "the general public" not only doesn't have the same emotional impact, but also feels so broad that his perfect plan starts to feel a little leaky, especially when I think the same lesson of "think before you act" was already given earlier specifically to the class of students, and it worked better then.

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Arguably Japanese television's most successful template for a series is that of a problematic third-year class whose teacher aims to educate them re: the true things that matter in life before they graduate. The template works because a great acting ensemble set against the backdrop of topical social issues always makes for riveting entertainment, but it's a tired genre. I feel like if I were a Japanese high schooler, watching this endless parade of shows showcasing my type as nothing but entitled, lazy scum of the earth would make me indignant. There is a tendency towards an excess of passion and unsubstantial yelling in classroom dramas like this one. Moreover, they tend to come off as preachy.

This show predictably has the same failings as others of its kind. The kids are irritating, the teacher character gives the vibe of being overly self-righteous, and the twists are predictable. But - as expected of the genre, too - the acting is great; you have a stellar young cast, each of whom carry their own weight. Masaki Suda is also excellent in this, exercising just the right amount of dramatic flair and restraint needed to play a convincing anti-hero. Also, despite how I've seen this type of story so many times, told in so many other ways before, it still made me cry.

Not too shabby.

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its a fun time i'd give it a 7.7/10 bc of how fun

The top reviews are pretty great but you know, sincerely it's probably a little above average. Personally, I had a blast watching 3-nen A-gumi but to take a little step back, i'd say it's a story with an interesting theme and important message it wants to convey. As you can guess from the tags...

What can I say? I have a thing for justice and all that crap.

The story is good, not amazing but the concepts and themes within the story were meaningful and conveyed fairly well. If you're expecting something spectacular and powerfully moving, it might not be up to par-- the thing that removes from the experience is that it's pretty melodramatic at times and might remove some of the immersion that a show should provide for some people (as an unbelievably dramatic person, i just had fun with it). The acting and plot was interesting, the premise was just too fun for me to stop watching. Honestly the only thing i was unhappy was the fact that they didn't make it more dramatic (but that might just be me). But yes, it's a self aware ending that still hold meaning and i think they did a wonderful job at conveying the message that they desired

The intial characterisation of many of the students was a little bland and i think if the staff involved with the writing, producing paced themselves a bit better, more of the students could have been utilised better (i will admit it would be difficult considering the circumstanced of their scenario-- school 2013 did a wonderful job of utilising their characters and providing depth) i feel as though 3A was a little ambitious with the amount of characters that they wanted to use that they fell flat with many of them. They did improve as the story went along but it does make a difference. The pacing is a really big factor that affected the experience, it felt too quick or empty in many instances and sometimes confused at the progress that has been made. But that being said, the acting of everyone - especially Suda Masaki as Ibuki-sensei and Nagano Mei as Kayano-chan - was superb. Sure a bit overdramatic but isn't that the fun part? especially in the case of jdramas lol

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A must watch J-Drama for suspense drama lovers. A home room teacher who takes his students as hostages to uncover the truth behind the suicide of one his students - this situation is the main theme of the drama. He makes each of his student realise their part in Raeina's death.

Was it really a suicide or was it a murder? Our homeroom teacher Hiragi managed to keep us on our toes from start to finish. Suda Masaki portrayed Hiragi Ibuki very realistically. Not a boring moment in this drama. This drama also shows the importance of social media and addresses the issue of cyber bullying which is very relevant in today's society.

The characters I liked the best are - The some what narcissistic Takechi Sensei, detectives Gunji, Miyagi, Igarashi, Students Hayato(played by Ryota of Generations from Exile tribe), Usami, Ishikura, Hana, Satomi, Sakura etc... Ryota deserves a special mention because even though he is from JPop industry, he was not self conscious and played Hayato pretty naturally and beautifully.

I would have wanted a different ending but then again the ending the writer chose is also a good one. Music is cool and suits the mood of this drama.

Bookmark it and watch this on your free time, you won't regret it - especially suspense drama lovers!

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