Saiai (2021)

The truth disappears with love

This headline, "the truth disappears with love", is the series' catchphrase and after watching all 10 episodes, it encapsulates the whole theme of the drama.

TLDR: Saiai is an original suspense love story work made by producer Arai Junko and helmed by director Tsukahara Ayuko. Well-acted, with a tight pacing, enagaging story, and gorgeous music, this proved to be another masterpiece from the Arai/Tsukahara combi.

✦ STORY ✦
The story is original but draws the familiar themes of suspense/mystery and forbidden love. What would happen if after 15 years, you reunite with your first love, not as simple colleagues or friends but as a detective and a person under suspicion of murder? The premise is tempting and would catch the eye of lovers of drama. Add in the mystery/suspense part - of the unsolved case 15 years back and more unresolved murders in the present - and you have a neat, interesting package. The pacing of the story is tight, with revelations and clues unfolding in each episode, but the strongest episodes are those of the first half and the last. The 6th and 7th episodes are more subdued and might seem draggy since they deal more with character relationships. Despite this, the plot continued to develop and move forward. There were also some characters that I wished we have seen more on the screen, but I'm glad that at least they were used quite well in the story.


✦ ACTING/CAST ✦
The cast delivered in their roles, playing each character wonderfully, I'm so satisfied with each actor's performance. There were two in the supporting team who were quite shaky at first, but gave more nuanced performances as the episodes went on. What I also like about the characters is that they're all so capable in their jobs, from our main three to the supporting cast. It's so inspiring and so amazing to see.

Our main three actors were impressive. Yoshitaka Yuriko gave so much life to Sanada Rio, I often find myself taking too many screenshots of her expressions in each episode because she's just so captivating to watch as the character. She mentioned in an interview before the final episode that she felt that Rio's living somewhere out there, and I fully agree. Like what I have mentioned in the comments below, Sanada Rio's character may be someone that can draw annoyance due to how people always protect her, but the writing and Yuriko's charm and performance made her someone you would want to protect, someone lovable.

Matsushita Kouhei's Miyazaki Daiki is so freaking cool. I noticed that Kouhei always gives off a different vibe for each of his roles and it's no different to what he did for Daiki. What I like is that his performance and the writing made Daiki not just that "cool and capable detective", he's also very much human, he's someone who truly cares for his beloved people. He is very capable in his job, but he also has his flaws, and he is - at the core - just someone who lives to help other people, especially Rio and Yuu.

Iura Arata's Kase Kenichiro is a big cinnamon roll, he's probably my favorite character in the series. Kase Kenichiro is a strong, reasurring presence in the Sanada family's lives, and he's there for Rio every step of the way. Iura Arata's acting solidifed Kase's warmth and sharpened the edges that the character also possesses. Kase on paper is Sanada Wellness' watchdog with all the teeth and warmth,Kase on the screen is all that, magnified even more with the presence that Iura Arata gave him.


✦ MUSIC ✦
The music is so beautiful!! It actually really helped in the whole experience, especially in the first episode. Speaking of the first episode, the first two minutes of the pilot ep is a very good hook, and the accompanying music elevated it. The soundtrack was able to give off the feel of "15 years ago in Shirakawa-go", and "today, in Tokyo", and served as good backgrounds to key moments so kudos to Yokoyama Masaru! Aside from their use, the absence of music in some key scenes (!!) is also very tasteful. In these particular scenes, it leads viewers in on the suspense, waiting with baited breath along with the characters on the screen.
(Here's the whole OST on Spotify btw! : https://open.spotify.com/album/7qv1By236WWMlwMWEg9772?si=jOOeq8EvSB60gea8BYKFLg)


✦ REWATCH VALUE ✦
After watching the last episode, you'd want to watch the first episode all over again to catch all the clues and hints that you missed. The character relationships and plot progression would be better appreciated if you binged it, so yes a rewatch is in order haha. The series is very binge-worthy, the pacing of the episodes and the bite-sized clues and hints in each one makes each episode interesting.

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All in all, Saiai - literally "beloved" or "dearest" - was a satisfying drama from start to finish. I was a bit apprehensive of their pacing in the last two episodes in terms of the big reveal, but I'm very glad that they wrapped everything up nicely. There were just two plot threads that I think were not fully explained, but overall, it was a very good last episode. The theme of the drama was also drawn out very well, I can't think of a better title than Saiai, and indeed, the catchphrase "the truth disappears with love" holds true.

What a ride. Saiai is now under my 2021 favorites and my all-time favorites list, and it's all thanks to each part of the series from the production, to the story, acting, music, and rewatch value. Despite my love for this series, I won't erase the truth - and that is that it is a satisfying, well-produced drama that deserves to be watched. So if you haven't yet, this is your sign to watch it now.

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Certainly this drama has become quite dear to me!

Saiai is the first drama I have seen this year. It was an amazing series. Very entertaining and emotional. The drama revolves around many themes. The English title of the drama is 'dearest', one of the main themes of the drama is how much a person can sacrifice something for a person who is very dear to them. The story is well written, though it had a few inconsistencies, it still managed to keep me at the edge of my seat till the last moment. Every episode is narrated by different characters in the show.
The three main characters were very intriguing. Yuriko, Kouhei and Iura-san have given a very good and promising performance. Special mention to Takahashi Fumiya as Yuu and Tanaka Minami as Tachibana Shiori. I loved them here.
The music is wonderful as well, the ending theme gives me chills at the end of every episode.
Its not surprising that saiai was produced by the same director behind jdramas like MIU404 and Unnatural. All of them were interesting, emotional and amazing character driven dramas. Definitely a must watch for all jdrama fans!

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