4-punkan no Marigold (2019)

Usually when I pick up a drama, I carefully read the synopsis to sniff out any hint of tragedy or bad ending. As I absolutely want to avoid em. "4-punkan no marigold" was giving off that kind of vibe. But the Older Woman/Younger Man tag made me continue it(I admit, I love this kind of pairing), and I'm glad that I did.
The story centers around 4 siblings and each of their personal struggle in life. An older brother who sacrificed his prime time of life for the happiness of his younger siblings. Youngest sibling trying to figure out, whether to pursue his dream or to lay it off for the father like older brother. Main protagonists Mikoto is a paramedic with a special ability to see the last moment of someone's life, struggling to find a way to impede the fate waiting for her stepsister and love interest Sara. The drama might feel slow paced if someone isn't used to "slice of life" genre. Almost each episodes disclose more story of the siblings, their daily life and how people around them helps to seek different possibilities in life. Death, struggle is part of life but familial bond just might be the cure to go past these obstacle and live on, a common message of this type of drama and no difference here.
The drama title has a hidden meaning and one have to watch till the end to get it.
To me, ending is the most important thing to judge a drama. 4-punkan no marigold delivered not only a happy ending but a very satisfying one. Ken Hirai's『#302』in this drama is like cherry on top.
*btw this is my first time doing a drama review. So there might be tons of mistake(apology for that), but I loved this drama so much that it felt like i need to write it.

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More of a Family drama than a Fantasy Romance drama.

Completed - 8/24/2022 - 7.75 rating

“4-punkan no Marigold” also known as “Marigold in 4 minutes” should be viewed as a family drama and not a romance fantasy drama. When reading the synopsis, it seems like the focus is on the step siblings' romance and how ML is trying to change FL’s fate. I would say that FAMILY is the focus.

I didn’t realize the “4 Minutes” in the title is referring to the rule of performing 4 CPR within the first 4 minutes to maximize the chance of saving someone, until I read @timotey’s review. Doh… now it all makes sense. Initially, I thought the drama would be very episodic with different EMT medical case stories. I was concerned that I might be bored, but was pleasantly surprised that’s not the case. At least for me, it’s a good thing. There are still several meaningful cases but it’s not the one case per episode format.

When I think of this as a family drama, I could be a little less disappointed in the romance. I have a new crush on our ML, Fukushi Sota. When he smiles, his eyes smile with him. He seems so kind and caring. However, because the romance is between two step siblings, no time is spent on the development or getting-to-know-each-other phase of the relationship. The point of the romance is not the romance, but to show that ML loves FL that he wants to change her fate. I don’t think their romance is believable. They feel like siblings to me.

Jdorama is known for its fast pace, since they are quite short. However, there are times when I feel the pacing is quite slow, and I lose focus and get sidetracked. The drama does not hold my full attention throughout the 10 episodes. This might also be due to the fact that there aren’t enough mini climaxes. It’s a very mellow drama. It’s not particularly sad or exciting, and didn’t evoke a lot of emotions from me.

Acting is pretty good, not amazing but not bad either. Yokohama Ryussei was still quite young in this drama, and you could see his potential to be a future popular star. I am also glad that there are no annoying characters in this drama. All the supporting characters are friendly and supportive.

This is not a solid 8.0 drama for me personally, only a 7.75.. It’s decent and a good relaxing watch. Although it’s not a slice-of-life drama, it feels like one.

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Live each day to the fullest

Marigold in 4 minutes is an incomprehensible title the explanation of you get only in episode 9.

Mii is an ambulance worker and Sara is his step sister and a painter. They are in love. But Mii has a strange ability: when he touches someone's hand he can see their last moment. This ability manifested itself when, as a child, he touched Sara's hand and saw she was going to day on her 28th birthday. He decided to save her from that fate. So this is the main plot. Every episode also features an EMS "case of the week" which are a learning experience for Mii and his family.

The drama works very hard to impress upon the viewer the importance of appreciating life to the fullest, living each day as if it were the last and have no regrets, doing what is important and what will make you happy because this is the only life you'd get.

Rather corny and very much obvious. Still, it does not hurt to hear it again and again because we tend to forget what is important and we lose ourselves in tiny details and tend to make a mountain out of a moathill!

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It took me a while to realize that the "4 Minutes" part of the title meant the EMT rule that if you don't start CPR within the first four minutes after someone stops breathing, there's little to no chance that the person can be saved. Duh!

I loved this drama so much. It tells the story of Mikoto who has the ability to foresee people's death. And he has seen that Sara, his step-sister and also the woman he's been in love with ever since his father married her mother, would die. He's known that ever since he was a kid but now that the date's coming closer, he can't keep the burden to himself anymore and so he tells his family. The drama is actually about how the family - the eldest brother Ren, Sara herself, the youngest brother Ai and Mikoto - deal with it, how it influences and changes their lives.

I loved the Hanamaki family so much! Each of their stories was so interesting and touching and sweet, the way they loved each other and were there for each other, the way they had each other's back, gosh, what a family!

Also, funny thing? This drama features Fukushi Sota (Kamen Rider Fourze), Yokohama Ryusei (ToQger) and Asahi Ito (Lupinranger)!

Overall, a wonderful, touching, emotional journey!

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Family life

It our fate already decided, or do we have the power to change it? That is what this drama tackles.

This was billed as a romance, and there was some, but it took a backseat to the family dynamics. That's not necessarily a bad thing. A story about a blended family, with a kind of "us against the world" view. The older brother basically gives up his life to raise his siblings (this actor and his overacting were my only problem with the actors). His unhappiness is palpable, as is his frustration with trying to get the youngest sibling to agree to go to university. You can sense the love that each family member has for the other.

I wasn't, however, fully on board for the romance. Nanao seemed SO much older than Sota, so Sota often seemed like a puppy dog around her. I also felt that the fact that they were in love but had been raised as siblings was glossed over. No one seemed to have a problem with it.

Fukushi Sota as Mikoto was sweet and endearing. The weight he felt by having the "power" he had was interesting. To know someone's destiny and not know how to change it would be so scary and frustrating. Nanao as Sara was beautiful, but again, I felt she was too old for this role. Yokohama Ryusei as Ai - he's a very charismatic actor and I struggled to remember that he was not the lead in the show.

So, all in all, it wasn't a bad show. I actually liked the pacing of it, slow and strangely calming.

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