Shanai Marijjihani (2020)

Sweet, digestible and heart-pounding! Highly recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyed this drama from start to finish! The thing that I liked the best and stood out to me the most was how great the writing was! I was surprised how much they fit into 25 minute episodes without it feeling rushed - wonderfully paced. Adding to how great the writing was, these characters were actually CONSISTENT throughout (except one minor side character in my opinion, but that didn't really impact anything), and there were no weird unrealistic communication issues (I've found to be common in j-dramas particularly) or dumb overreactions.

The acting was good - Matsui Airi in particular did a fantastic job at her 'kawaii azatoi' character, and again, she was written really well. The side actors all did a great job - the only thing that sticks out to me as not great was Itagaki Mizuki, but I think this may have been how he was directed to act in some scenes. He does a great job 90% of the time, but occasionally he acts a bit differently in a way that feels forced, which I'm guessing is because he was directed to do that particular thing.
The chemistry between the leads is absolutely fantastic.

The music in this was inoffensive. Not jaw-dropping but it isn't something that stuck out, which I think more than suits this drama, hence my rating.

If you watch this all in one sitting, it may feel like it goes a bit quick, but when you think about how this was aired to be seen once a week, they paced it perfectly.

I would've loved to have seen a bit more of their back story, but maybe we'll see that in a second season?

A feel-good, heartwarming, refreshing rom-com. Watch this drama to let go and relax!

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Light and fluffy romance

I started watching this because of the marriage of convenience trope. The girl was really cute and the guy was so-so.

However, in episode 2 I finally found the guy HELLA CUTE. I thought he was the usual aloof character, but he was also extremely adorable in his own way.

I was so surprised to discover that they already started kissing in the first episode! Suffice to say, this short drama has a lot of skinship and you just can’t help but smile at the romance unfolding the entire time.

The plot is simple and slow, no overly dramatic characters nor dragged-out plot. This really is just a story of two people working together to make their marriage of convenience work, all the while learning how to compromise and communicate. No external factors that could potentially put a huge dent on their relationship.

So if you want some light, cutesy romance with lots of skinship, this one is for you.

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This was just the cutest little marshmallow of a show. It was very fast paced - finished in an evening - and was obviously based on a manga, but darned if I didn't smile all the way thru it even if it was silly and shallow.

The main leads - especially Ami - were adorable and they looked really cute together. The acting was fair, but Matsui Airi's smiles just made everything better though!

There's no substance to this show at all. It's a sweet couple that marry and then fall in love (at lighnting speed) with lots of 'skinship', while still barely knowing one another.
It was just the mindless time pass I needed to relieve all the heavier dramas I've been watching lately.
Just don't expect a lot from this show, and maybe you'll be entertained. :)

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Cute but Cringe

This is my first Japanese drama and I am not disappointed. I loved the cast of this drama, especially the ML, he has such a nice voice and smile.

I don't know if it's the just the character or the actress, but the FL's voice really annoyed me sometimes. Her character was meant to be cute, which she is, don't get me wrong. But I don't understand why her voice has to go so high pitch and childish sometimes. She has a lovely smile and her character is also really smart and "crafty". I love that they didn't make her dumb, which they easily could have since many people like her for her cuteness. I love that one of the many reasons the ML loves her because of how smart and strategic she is when it comes to her every day life, including her savings and how she spends her money. It was hilarious to see his reaction when he found out she's better at saving money then he was despite how much she spends on expensive clothes and products.

There wasn't any love triangles or any long misunderstandings in this drama. It was very short and sweet. Despite how unrealistically their relationship began, their marriage life seemed very realistic.

The only thing that would have made it better was if we had more of the story from the ML's prospective and got to know more of his thoughts as we did the FL's. I do love that at the end we got to see their wedding on the first episode from his prospective and see what he thought of her.

The best scene in this drama is when he finally told everyone they were married. It was hilarious how shocked everyone was, including the FL.

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Sweet little rom-com that will brighten your day

If you believe in love at first sight and contract marriage is the guarantee path to happiness then this show is a must watch for you! Seriously, I really enjoyed this show and it is so short and sweet. Contract marriage is such a dramaland trope these days that it can only go down one of two paths, find love and happiness or find love and the whole thing falls apart horribly.
This love story was well paced. There is always growth but it is set firmly in the "slice of life" genre so no psycho killer or evil family plot anywhere. The ML was a real tease to his new wife. Swoon worthy moments aplenty. Not that it was totally angst free with the usual misunderstanding and jealousy popped up here and there. They are quickly bobbed on their heads and our CP can safely resumed their romantic journey of discovery. I really appreciate how the CP communicated with each other and accept each others point of view. It was refreshing to see issues not fester but allowed to be aired and resolved in a mature manner. The OTP's chemistry is very good. Not red hot but there are lots of skinship and sex is definitely on the menu but nothing graphic. Romantic to sexy, in a newly-wed couple way.
The OST is nice enough. Nothing memorable but pleasant. Rewatch value is high as it is such a sweet love story and only just over 3 hours in total length, it is not even a binge if you watch it over a lazy day.

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A Swoon-worthy and Heart warming Drama......

After a tired weekend this is all you need. I had a crazy exam week and I wanted to binge on something and my friend suggested this to me. If you're looking for a drama which is bite sized (easy to binge watch within hours) and is just cuteness overloaded, with lots of kisses and cuddles you're at the right place. (It has matured content)

Honestly I didn't have much expectation from this drama, but Shanai Marriage Honey has made it to my top favourite list of Dramas.

Story: The story is just simple cute and fluffy. Its about Ami and Manatsu who enter into a sudden marriage for some reasons. As they navigate through a marriage without love and their differences they ultimately find true love. Its definitely a bit on the cliche side but who cares all we want is a good entertainment.

Acting, Love & Chemistry: Oh Boy! I felt these leads were really dating. I mean their chemistry is on fire. I at some point felt that the love was a bit fast paced and they were having too many bed scenes but here's the thing, that's something every married couple who is sexually active does. The acting of all the other supporting casts is also good.

Music: The music is fantastic. The title track is just amazing and melodious. It remains in your memory for a long time.

Rewatch value: The rewatch value for this drama is really high. I would love to watch is over and over again beacuse the entire story is just great and swoon worthy.

So go ahead and watch the drama you'll never regret it.

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Binge watch worthy

I wanted something to binge watch for the stay at home weekend. This was it, I finished it in one go.

I liked the pace and the characters. ML and FL know what they were getting into but rather than being all awkward with each other they made an effort to become a real married couple. It is based on a manga so the story is manga like, I didn’t mind I was here for the fluffy stuff, couple acted cute towards each other.

I liked Itagaki Mizuki. I didn’t realize he was so young but he portrayed salaryman Miura Manatsu quite well. He is a good actor and has done a lot of work already. Looking forward to more of his dramas and movies.

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Beautiful Feel-good drama!

Are you tired of watching plot twists and misunderstandings that put your brain in the freezer? Is the female lead or male lead just too annoying or plain dumb?

Well, take a break with Shanai marriage honey! This drama made me feel like I'm eating ice cream after a really spicy meal. The acting and casting were beautiful! I've been a fan of Ari since Kono Otoko wa Jinsei Sadai no Ayamachidesu and she did not disappoint.

The chemistry between the leads is so good. Love the kinship cause come on this was realistic in terms of newlyweds.

The music especially the OST is so catchy. I found myself attempting to dance the steps (ended up looking like a penguin) with them XD. Recommend this gem to those who need a break from the tense romance dramas and love watching marriage dramas.

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The FLUFF!!!

This drama is perfect for anyone who's in a bit of a drama slump!

The chemistry between the two leads was amazing, I could tell that they were comfortable acting together. All things considering (including the length of eps), the show did a good job in progressing the relationship...that being said I did find the beginning was really rushed for me.

Usually if I'm gonna watch a contract marriage trope I want to see the slow burn of the two falling in love and awkward encounters along the way. But this drama took a different approach sort of along the lines of a real married couple sorting out problems which I actually didn't mind in the end.

All round, I enjoyed this drama very much! It was recommended to me in order to help me out of my own slump and it was definitely the light and fluffy I needed!

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When the sweet and cute romance takes seriously their relationship

Overall

I can only say good things about this drama, to be honest, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. It's short, which is a good thing in itself, especially if you want a quick watch to entertain yourself easily; the plot is nice; sweet and simple; I particularly enjoyed how stress-free it was, how it was completely uncomplicated. No big villains, no tense situations, no cases of bad miscommunication. So all in all a nice, relaxing watch...
Recommended to: someone who likes romance enjoys fluffy stories. Like that must be requisite number one to watch this drama. The fluffiness here is to the roof. Also, someone who wants to take a break from angsty stories...

Story

The plot is pretty simple, a couple marries after meeting each other through a dating app, they barely know each other (besides their names, what else did they know?...), soon they find out that they work in the same company, and the story unfolds. It has a sort of episodic nature, with the main couple trying to work around a certain issue that married life throws at them.
Truthfully I enjoyed this show because, even though the plot seems nothing out of the ordinary, the characters seemed really nice. The female lead is a competent career woman, she gets along with her colleagues well, acts cutesy but is not silly, is straightforward and honest with her feelings, very optimistic. I enjoyed that for once, a cute and feminine girl was portrayed as a good worker, that her cute behavior made her seem more like a warm person; we often see how she tries to connect with others, caring about how those around her are doing. The male lead is a little bit more complicated, tries to seem cool and nonchalant, but recognizes his mistakes, doesn't let jealousy overtake him, and respects the female lead. Which is nice, honestly all the characters seemed nice. Even the supporting characters are just regular people, which I found charming.
The story just revolves around the main couple and how they try to work out their marriage, on the contrary to other dramas, they take their relationship seriously from day 1. At some point, in the beginning, it feels rushed, but then I understood that they were just attracted to each other from the start. What I appreciated was the honesty of the characters, so many times we see in dramas that a lot of the plot is driven by miscommunication, an issue that could be solved easily with the characters talking is sometimes dragged endlessly. Not here, they address the things that bother them and just try to not give up on their relationship. They make mistakes, they apologize, they feel insecure, they ask what is going on.
I totally understand why someone could not enjoy this drama, to be honest, I was just in the right mood when I watched it, and I knew what I was getting into, the other reviews and comments warned me about the nature of the show. Don't expect huge character development or a complicated storyline. Could the show have been better? Well yes, I often think what could the drama do better, perhaps focus more on the relationships of the leads with their friends, flesh them out a little more. The dialogues are pretty straightforward and direct. But it is what it is, and I for one appreciate a show where the characters are just nice people dealing with a quirky situation.

Acting
I'm not going to dwell on the acting too much. Often with shoujo manga adaptations we see how the actors tend to over-act, I've seen actors that are generally good do exaggerated expressions just for the sake of the drama, it doesn't mean that the actor is doing a bad job, is what the drama requires them to do. It is nerve-wracking? Yes, and it can be the sort of thing that puts off people, and it's okay. But in this drama you see nothing of it, again, it depends on the script, but the leads acting was good enough, they balance each other well and the chemistry was there. Yes, the female lead is over the top cute, but that's her character, this works well with the male lead's cool character. Given that up to 90% of the time the lead actors have to carry the show, they do a pretty good job.

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For a short drama.. it was great

I loved this... I just wanted a filler to watch, and this was short, sweet, funny, cute.. so much more.

If you're into sappy romance and cute couples, and you also just need something to watch late for a few hours or to kill time, then this is your show.

There is no conflict, no family issues, no misunderstandings that take forever to clear up, its just a really nice story about 2 strangers who got married from an app.. then fall in love and made it work. lool i know, it sounds crazy, but it worked.. they really made it work. It may not be as realistic, but that's okay.. majority of the time we watch these sappy love story for there unbelievable storyline.

Give it a try... it short and sweet 🤗☺

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