Following the hot wave when it gets released, I also watched the big hit J drama series Hatsukoi. And the reasons why it is so popular are self-explanatory.

Hatsukoi is not the usual romance drama we see, but rather it takes quite an interesting twist to the genre. Every drama lovers love mysteries. Something that makes us curious about what will happen next, as we want to know the answers. So, why not combine the two together, a mix of romance and mystery? That's what makes Hatukoi so special.

Hatsukoi first starts off with a brief introduction to the two main characters, showing their recent life that is quite contradicting pictures to the occasional flashbacks of their past. While they were young, they were full of aspiration and is positive about their life. But now they are facing the brutality of life, living as the low-earning groups of society and not having a life that they can be proud of.

Most importantly, they were one of the most loving couples on earth, and now they are separate from each other as if one has not existed in their life at all. What happened in between that caused a dramatic change in their life, and relationship is what makes Hatsukoi such an intriguing series to be watched.

I love the presentation of the story, that at one scene it is showing the present time, and then the next scene will be about the past. The interchanging play of past and present events is adding a lot of perspectives and dimension to this story, explaining a little bit about the questions we keep asking about the two, while also revealing some more mystery that makes us wonder: what really happened?

The first episode is rather straightforward. Just a briefing of the background story of the main characters, showing the past of how they met and developed their relationship, while also giving us a glimpse of their present self, one being apartment security staff while the other one, being a taxi driver. The vast difference in their attitude towards life as well as their situations, is already ringing an alarm bell inside us that something definitely has happened.

But the real deal comes in the second episode of the series, when Yae's ( main female lead) son, Tsuzuru, introduced her to a friend he had met on a past occasion, and that friend was Yae's first love, Harumichi ( main male lead). It's not the two meetings each other the biggest issue here, but it's Yae's reaction when she saw Harumichi.

She did not know him. As if she never met him before. And it is obvious that she was not acting, she literally did not know him.

This scene is iconic, at least for me, because of the level of mystery that it takes the series up. How come Yae was not recognizing someone, who perhaps was one of the most important figures for her? I was completely immersed into the story at this point because I just wanted to know: what happened between the two.

That is just one occasion, but there are more scenes that are epic plot twists later on.

I think those who have watched the show like me, will agree with me that: Hatsukoi's romance is great, it is good, but the mystery surrounding it is what makes it even more beautiful. The excellent use of past and present interchanging scenes, one answering the questions raised by one and then raising another one. It really is one of the shows that you can not stop watching, and you just have to continue on it.

Hatsukoi is good at grabbing you onto the seat, for sure.

If one thing that is stopping it from reaching a 10, it will probably be how rushed and cliche the ending is. The ending, to be fair, feels a bit forced and illogical. It's a happy ending of course, but I feel like it kinda ruins the vibe and pacing being set in earlier episodes.

Overall a very solid series. Never a 10 or 9, but deserve an 8.5 in my book. If the ending is written better it could have been a 9. Genuinely a very well written, and refreshing romance drama. Good job Hatsukoi.

And yeah, First Love by Utada Hikaru is just legendary.