Vita~Amore in Riga (2020)

Not what I expected!

Honestly?
I really didn´t think much about this drama when I started watching it. You know, expectations were mid. This series had proven me wrong right from the start.
I am a intro skipper - I don´t want to spoil things for my self just because I watch the intro. In this series I didn´t even notice that it was the intro from the start! Moving on: the story moved very nicely. I honestly can´t remember being bored while watching (that usually happens to me...). I was always eager to find out about what is going to happen, and I was super involved in watching the timeline move so naturally. It is an interesting concept with the timeline moving forward, but it made sense!
The relationship between the mains didn´t feel too forced or faked. I find them super cute together! All the little steps that they had to take while being together made the series exciting and kind of relatable in a way. Then the plot twist came and I was stunned! I haven´t seen a twist quite like this one. Although I was quite confused for a second as to what is the reason behind Akiras actions, but I quickly understood. One of the most interesting plots I´ve seen in a while!
Such a cute ending too!

Overall I´m a fan! I pretty much liked everything about this, even the soundtrack (which I don´t usually pay much attention to). The acting was natural and beliavable, characters and the story didn´t bore me one bit.
Definitelly might rewatch!

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TOCANTE E REALISTA

Quando eu comecei confesso que não esperava muito mas eu me vi imersa nessa linda história de amor.
Os protagonistas crescem juntos e passam a vida juntos começando na escola.
Temos passagens de tempo para mostrar cada fase do relacionamento, mas eu gostaria que cada fase fosse um porquinho mais longa pra que a gente pudesse ver bem o que aconteceu nesse meio tempo.
Começa inocente, evolui para amor, o amor amadurece conforme os anos passam e por conta do amor estar crescendo cada vez mais vem a fase da insegurança que leva ao rompimento.
Essa fase é dolorosa de assistir mas faz sentido, Itou Akira tem uma criação extremamente conservadora e ele cresceu vendo os efeitos disso em sua irmã que sempre tentou viver livre e era extremamente julgada pelos pais, mas ainda sim eu acho a quantidade de tempo que eles passaram separados um exagero, poderia ser menos.
Depois vem o arrependimento e a corrida rumo a reconciliação.
É bonito e intenso de se assistir. Você fica feliz, triste e passa raiva.
Só não dou 10 estrelas porque apesar de ser uma boa história não faz muito o meu gosto pessoal.

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Lack of Storytelling, or something like that.. x.x

Like:
+ The soundtrack is absolutely great! Supports the scenes perfectly in atmosphere.
+ The display of emotions is good. I was definitely touched by the story, the characters, their feelings. I could clearly see how someone felt.

Room for improvement:
- although I could see how the felt, I couldn't really understand why they felt this way. Here we come to my biggest problem with this show ->
- the kind of storytelling. I don't have a problem with the time jumps. Actually really liked them. But I do have a problem with the way they tell the story. They just show a bunch of scenes, but imho there is a huge lack of explaining the story. I couldn't understand Yuki at first. And then I couldn't understand Akira. Although Akiras reasons are explained a bit better later, it was still hard to figure out why they behave in a certain way sometimes. And because of the time jumps all the time I got a feeling of being disconnected to the story. I couldn't hold on to this feeling, because I always got ripped out of the moment. And then confusion started to built up, because I got a lot of situations I didn't really understand and they stacked. ^^'
- I think, another problem with this was the lack of chemistry. What I mean is..is see the emotions and I know, what I should feel. But I don't feel anything. I wasn't in awe with them.. u.u the acting was quite okay. So I don't think this was the matter. I think, the chemistry was missing, because I didn't understand the characters behavior.

The story focus a lot of Akira and his personal growth, so Yuki is getting lost a bit. I would have liked to get told more about his difficulties regarding skinship etc. So for me, watching the show was like: I see it. I see the emotions. But my brain couldn't figure out why they made certain decisions, because so many things wasn't explained probably for my taste. "Show, don't tell" is the way to go for me.

I was definitely hooked and not bored at all. I can understand the good reviews. The show has definitely a really special vibe! But for me, it could have been better explained (I mean, show more of the thoughts they have, more communication with each other etc, you know?) Because I often see myself struggle with understanding storylines, behavior, decisions etc., when the reasons behind it aren't clearly portrayed.

I feel like my review is as confusion as the show for me lmao. So sorry for that. I really struggle to put my thoughts about this into understandable words. x.x

Gotta go watch the Director's Cut know and hope I'll understand it a little bit better. :D Don't let my review hold you back from watching it. Give it a try!

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Sweet. But also heartbreaking. It was so interesting to follow Akira and Yuuki through the years, from high school till their late thirties and see what happens when... well, life happens. When the honeymoon phase is over and your old baggage starts getting in the way. It felt like watching a slow-burn fanfic where the main hero has to learn his lesson the hard way before earning his happy ending.

The drama has angst in spades, especially in the latter half, and my heart broke for Yuuki who didn't do anything wrong but had to pay for Akira's insecurities, instilled in him bit by bit by his mother since he was a kid, and Akira really had to live - and suffer - through what he thought he wanted and truly experience what loneliness felt like before finally realizing where his true happiness lay and deciding to fight for it. The happy ending is then the cherry on top!

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ANOTHER GREAT JAPANESE BL SO FAR

I honestly kinda avoid this drama at first because this drama radiates sad vibes which I hate the most (personally) and I don't have the guts to watch something possibly sad at that time (I know I'm a chicken, nice to meet you). But then, the day when I didn't have anything to watch has finally come and it's like fate when I watched a dorama recommendation video back then...this Life: Senjou no Bokura being the no.1 top recommended dorama with the highest rating. I was like, "maybe I should give it a go", then I just watched it on Viki. And IT IS A GREAT BL! I think that was one of the rightest decisions I've made this year :). This drama unexpectedly has a light romance story with a damn "realistic touch" for the problem. Honestly speaking, that kind of problem is probably what a lot of gay couples in this world are facing right now, the endless judgment about gay people are "not normal" and not belong to society. In my opinion, this drama could successfully bring that issue and solved it in the most realistic way possible. I loved it.

Edit: I rewatched it four times this week :)

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Impecável!

O ano era 2020, e o mundo BL não estava preparado para essa obra de arte.

Uma proposta adulta, sem por isso deixar de ser juvenil. Um romance de conto de fadas, mas ambientado na "vida real" dos personagens, com todas as dores, dúvidas e alegrias que ela proporciona.

O roteiro dessa série é impecável! Esse ponto merece ser exaltado, pois construir uma história tão complexa em cima de uma brincadeira tão boba, e com personagens tão peculiares, poderia ter sido uma catástrofe sem uma ótima direção e roteiro. A forma de contar a história como uma linha do tempo, traçando o paralelo entre o que a sociedade quer ver em vc a cada fase da vida, contrastando com o que realmente te faz feliz, nos fascina, principalmente pela construção dos dois personagens, que são bem diferentes um do outro. A série também não é previsível, aliás, se eu soubesse dos acontecimentos que iriam acabar interrompendo o amor dos dois, eu pensaria que seria Nishi a abandonar o barco, pois ele demorou mais a se abrir para o amor enquanto o outro foi bem atirado desde o começo. O fim da história é impecável e surpreendente... o reencontro na aurora boreal, o fim da linha da vida mostrando que foram felizes até partirem desse mundo, foi poético de uma forma que tocou minha alma. E ainda foi coroado com a aparição do nosso casal do sal feliz, num possível final alternativo de "Make our days count".

A atuação desse elenco foi brilhante... o casal protagonista, eu olhei e gritei: perfeitos"! A trilha sonora, a ambientação, fotografia, sinceramente, pra mim foi nota 10 e eu panfletarei essa série sempre que eu puder.

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wanting it all to wanting to become normal

It's so cute at first then as it went on, it grows up and ends up being so heart wrenching along side with them literally growing up. I would kinda say it's realistic cause as far as I have watched BL dramas from japan, one of the leads most likely would want to become "normal" cause it's not that quite like-able to be in such relationships in japan.

What I like is from the beginning, when they met on the sidewalk line, it was super cute! The way they told each other about their imagination on the line that if they fell out of the line, they will be attacked by some things lol it was super adorable way to connect the two leads. When they ended up living together and acting like husband and wife, everything up to that point onwards the episodes just went down-hill from there.

I kinda hate Akira's behavior, I knew he was selfish from when Akira was lowkey pursuing Yuuki but it was not consensual since he just outright kisses him first a lot of times without actually asking Yuuki first about it. You could sense that he's bad news just from there, he decided everything by himself without asking how it would feel for the other! JUST LIKE WHEN HE BROKE UP WITH HIM cause he thought that what his current happiness is not normal but what others experience such as having a wife and family is the normal happiness. He wasn't content and did not overthink it first before making a decision, for a character like Yuuki who was always imaginative but not far away from reality, I thought Akira would be more mature and guide Yuuki but he guide him on his single era and not being able to move on cause he was left confused. I JUST WISHED that he at least made Akira pay for it but it is what it is when you're in-love, you forgive easily which made me really bitter on the ending.

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Akira is an asswipe but it's not entirely his fault...

I know, i know... comp het sucks and Akira is a victim of societal pressure. i get that. BUT HE WAITED A DECADE, ripped apart the person he had been with and then married the woman he's lying to (and moved her into the same apartment he was sharing with Yuki). Honoka is right, he really is the worst. He spent quite a few years with her as well before losing his shit and deciding that after all, he doesn't want to be "normal". Granted, the scene in which he stood up to his mother was amazing... still it doesn't quite fully redeem this character and part of me is happy he can truly find himself and get back to Yuki and part of me wants to punch him in the throat.
overall, the acting was wonderful and the storytelling really well done to span such a spread of time in so few episodes. I didn't feel like the important moments were well highlighted and well told.

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Could have been a lot better

The reviews here with 6 points explain it good. But i want to add somethings:
Story 4/10
it's not something new, not refreshing, it same old story, added couple of western ideas with the animation at the beginning it's made me a little frastrated, i felt i watched 90's "indie" american movie.
But the end was the punchline- it is an happy ending for gay couple. So you forgive them for the boring plot.

Acting 3/10

I loved Jdrama until 1-2 years ago, but they started to pick bad actors, or actors that doesn't fit to their roles.
They are not strick like before in choosing the cast and it's Because western factors involved - like Netflix or Vikii and their friends for example.

I really can't understand why the cast Shirasu Jin, i don't like him at all, he should play the villain, something about him looks as bad person, his smile, his eyes. I feel only the cold blowing even when he said: "I love you Yuki"

Raiko on the other hand is better but still lack of skills, when he is craying you don't but it!

they are both not fit for the role and doesn't deliveres the feelings they could hace ( watch His, ir pornographer - and compare to the level of acting and production)

Music 1/10

They really didn't invested at all in the OST

Overall production 6/10

It's cute because there are moments you can feel the ecxitment, Mostly because the "old" jdrama vibe they used to be. but it was rashed fast and we could not feel the emotion properly, so i gave it a 6, it is worth watching anyway.

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No malgastéis el tiempo

Bien, tengo MUCHOS problemas con esto, como siempre, y la romantización que tiene la gente de estas situaciones, en fin:

1. Akira conoce a Yuuki mientras ambos hacen el tonto por la calle, en DOS DÍAS lo besa sin hablar más de dos horas en total, se ve como lo presiona constantemente y es incómodo de ver, al menos para mi, incluso llega al punto en el que Yuuki se lo dice directamente.

2. Pasan los años y siguen juntos, peeeeero Akira ve a una chica que se le confesó hace mil años, la chica se le vuelve a confesar y él decide dejar a Yuuki para 'tener una vida normal'. Se pasa AÑOS jugando con los sentimientos de la chica, no solo eso, sino los años que ha gastado en la vida de Yuuki para una 'relación sin frutos'.

3. Pasan ocho años, Akira se divorcia y busca a Yuuki, y ¡Tachán! Lo encuentra en Alaska, casualmente pasaba por allí 🙄, y bueno, Yuuki le perdona en ocho segundos tras darle dos puñetazos.

A mi me chirría que llaméis a esto realismo, realismo el que lo deje, quizás, pero el que vuelva con él de esa forma después de los años que han pasado y el daño que le hizo, definitivamente NO es realista.

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Meh writing

The manga makes both of the main characters make more sense with fewer words/scenes, surprisingly.

One thing that really bothers me is how one of the main characters was rewritten to be more so much more shallow-ly characterized than he was in the manga. Please keep in mind that the manga is maybe 60 pages total - how do you manage to reduce a character's depth when you turn 60pp of mostly pictures to 2h of content?? He went from a realistic, if eccentric, person to a weird caricature of "innocent and imaginative". Disappointing.

The other main got a sort of similar flattening-out, but not to such a jarring degree.

Beyond that it was fine. Acting in the more bastardized character was kinda wobbly, but he wasn't given great material.

I can't tell you more without spoiling things, so I'll leave it up to you to hunt a full plot outline elsewhere (Wikipedia or forums are a great source of spoilers)! Either way, I definitely recommend finding the manga and reading that instead.

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It is a lot of the same

Honestly it is exactly what you would expect from a Japanese BL anything especially in a shorter series. I enjoyed the I guess the unique encounter of how the relationship began however as well as the timeline from age to age. It really showed what you would probably expect a same sex couple to be like in japan (don't qoute me on that) as a year by year relationship progression. It is again a we are straight but I like you just without it being superimposed upon you. The acting was good and the music was fitting but there is a common theme with japanese BL which is tragedy in some form (death,rape,heartache, etc) and this is no different. I have my own personal opinions on that but, as a whole it was extremely average. Not anything I would watch twice especially after that ending. I definitely did have higher expectations but, That is on me not the production.

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