Satisfyingly unsatisfying

This series can get you hooked from the first episode, and that is something that a lot of dramas has recently failed to do, at least for me. The main theme of this series may not be entirely new - true journalism, truth, cover-ups, politics, corruption... hope - but somehow, they managed to deliver it in a way that would keep the audience watching , wondering what happens next.

Cast: I think the casting of this drama couldn't have been better. This drama caught my interest because of Nagasawa Masami and Suzuki Ryohei, two seasoned actors, whose previous works I have enjoyed. I trusted their choices in their projects. But I was most delightfully surprised by Maeda Gordon. A relative newcomer, he delivered a wonderful performance of his character Kishimoto in a very raw and convincing way. Suzuki Ryohei gave a solid delivery of Saito Seiichi, in a role that suits him very well, not quite the protagonist, not quite the antagonist. As for Nagasawa's portrayal of Asakawa Ena, she delivered a very believable broken, conflicted, lost and flawed character. There were so many times when I wasn't sure whether I hated Asakawa or pitied her. But Kishimoto was the one who carried the story for this series - a frustrating and heartbreaking journey of growth.

From here on, there will be some spoilers - proceed with caution.

This is not a sweet story of good trumping over bad, of corruptions exposed and having the bad people all locked up in jail at the end of the series. It's a story of compromises, picking the battles that you can fight, choosing some wins over some incredible loses. It has a lot of dark moments.

It is also a story of hope, Asakawa's hope and Kishimoto's hope. Kishimoto eventually does find it, painfully, and at times, the path he had to take to cling to that hope was a lonely one. His hope came from his desire to tell the truth. [Spoiler!] One of the saddest moment in this entire series was seeing him breakdown after what he felt was an ultimate betrayal of Asakawa - when he felt that the person he thought was fighting with him had abandoned him. But ironically, it was also Asakawa who eventually helped him hold on to that hope. Asakawa's hope was a much more difficult journey. But she finds it, eventually realizing that somehow, Kishimoto represented that hope that she had been grasping at for so long. It was kind of hinted at even at the early parts of the series - during her worst times, somehow, she could only eat when she was with Kishimoto. And as for Saito, I felt that they purposely made his character's stance vague. He was the gray between the good and the bad.

The only regret I have in watching this is that I tried to watch it during it's actual run. Somehow, the wait every week somehow ruined the pace for me. I should have waited for it to finish before watching it. It is better watched in succession.

Why satisfyingly unsatisfying? The ending. It was satisfyingly unsatisfying, in a good way. This entire series felt very grounded. It felt real with real people. And the way they ended it with something that wasn't a complete win that leaves a little bit of a bitter aftertaste, it stayed true to that grounded feel. And it was the best ending that they could have had for this series.

Overall, this is a solid drama series. One of the best I've watched in a long while. It wont' be for everyone. You would either like it or hate it and I think that it might not have been the intention of the writers, but it is definitely that kind pf polarizing story.

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Silent like snow.

It’s 2023 and I only just watched this series and I am so glad that I did. I didn’t get the hype when this was airing in 2022. But now I understand.

The cast. I know Kawaguchi Haruna (Aoba Tsumugi) from her previous dramas and movies and I like her. She has a subtle way of acting that comes out of her naturally. I think she is a great actress. I know Suzuka Ouji as well from his past works. I would say that I like his character here (Togawa Minato) the best among his works that I have seen. I didn’t know Meguro Ren (Sakura So) other than the fact that he is an idol. But he was wonderful in this series and now, I am glad to know of the actor Meguro Ren. He had very little lines given his character’s disability. And yet, he was able to express the emotions through his facial expression, his eyes and his gestures (not necessarily the sign language). This series has a wonderful, solid main cast and supporting cast (loved Kaho here!!!).

Story and characters. I was skeptical at first. I was worried how they were going to treat the disability and those with the disability. But hats off the scriptwriter and director for giving them justice. There are no villains in this series. There is no build-up and then an eventual climax. It’s simply a story of the journey of a man who started to lost his hearing at 18 years old, and how that affected his life trajectory, his relationship with his family, his friends and everyone round him. There are no villains here, just normal people with normal feelings like insecurity and jealousy. There is character growth (specially Minato and Nana). There is a most wonderful friendship (So and Minato). There are relationship break-ups, including one that is most heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. There is tension within a family trying to grasp a new reality for a son and brother. This is a journey of self-acceptance, that they are enough and that they are worthy of love.

Other than the story, the main thing that made me so attached to this series are the characters. All of them.

Aoba Tsumugi is such a strong woman who knows what she wants, is honest with her emotions and can look someone in the eye and reveal herself without shame. You see this with how she just jumped head on learning sign language just so she can talk to Sou again face to face. You see this with how she handled her break-up with Minato. You see this as she fights for her and Sou’s relationship.

Sakura Sou is a man who had to go through a difficult process of accepting his disability, his new reality and that he is worthy of Aoba’s acceptance. When he finally met Tsumugi and Minato again after 8 years, he has already somewhat become a man who has faced his demons. But it was different for his family. They had to watch him suffer from the very beginning of his illness until his hearing was finally gone and that definitely changed the family dynamics. In a sense, when Sou broke off all his relationships and connections from high school, in a sense, he spared them this kind of pain that he and his family went through. And so when they met again, all they could see was the Sou who seemed to have stayed the same.

Togawa Minato is the kindest, most amazing friend and boyfriend, who is human enough to feel insecure, but is strong enough to accept that and face it head on. [Spoiler!!!] I was shocked when he suddenly broke up with Tsumugi. Then I rewatched that episode again, and the one before that. And then realized that it was not so sudden. There was always some degree of insecurity that Minato felt in his relationship with Tsumugi. It was this insecurity that made him blind to how much Tsumugi loved him. It wasn’t because of Sou that he broke up with Tsumugi. It was just that meeting Sou again made him realize that he could no longer live with that kind of insecurity. He knew that staying in that relationship would make him start to resent Tsumugi and So, and when that happens, he can no longer be kind to them. And he would be hated, and he would hate himself more. The beauty in Minato’s character is not just his kindness (because really, he is the sweetest, kindest man), but also his honesty about his own feelings and shortcomings. And did I mention how wonderful his relationship is with Sou?

A supporting character that I really liked is Momono Nana (played by Kaho). Oh, I saw her feelings for Sou from the very first shot of them together. I understood how she thought herself and those who are Deaf are different from the rest who can hear. The experience is not the same and it is something that cannot be fully understood by those who can hear (and this was so wonderfully expressed by Masaki Haruo). I understood her jealousy and the always-present-under-the-surface desire to be able to hear and have “normal” conversations and relationships. And I loved watching her subtly change her point of view and grow into this happier woman.

This is a warm and comforting drama that would make you smile and feel all fuzzy. Definitely give it a try.

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