Sprout (2012)

I have to start out by saying that I am middle aged and thus may have a different tolerance for slow, slow, slooooooooow dramas, especially those that make me feel nostalgic about my own youth. Sprout is really nothing special, the simplest story about a girl who falls for a boy who is dating someone else, and how the relationship unfolds over a summer vacation. The reason why I give it such a high rating is because the show delivers exactly what it set out to do, and that does not happen as often.

I loved Sprout because it really captures the essence of that first love, and it does so with great cinematography, beautiful piano music, catchy rock tunes, and lots of eye candy. The intense feeling that you're destined, the incredulity that you're not the one for the one you love, the fact that you can feel both agony and exhilaration at the same time when you catch a glimpse of the person you like when you're going down the steps in school. It also shows quite well how one refuses to accept that one has stopped loving someone and moved on to someone else--that first disappointment in oneself and in love in general.

The show is very slow, but I think this is because with the fixed images, the piano music, the seemingly simple scenes, they want you to savor how intense and unique the commonest of moments may seem to you when you're first in love. Perhaps this series works better for those over 30 who know love changes flavor after a few years, who knows.

The acting is a bit off, particularly in Jesse Lewis, who is gorgeous but has much to learn. Miku is awkward, but it does not go poorly with her character, and Chinen Yuri displays all the warmth and charm that one would need to fall for a boy in high school. All in all, I think this relatively young cast did a pretty good job.

I encourage you to give it a try if you enjoy romantic stories that are slow, understated, and emotionally honest. But it is certainly not one of those exciting shows that have you gripping the edge of your seat.

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