Primeiro Amor (2022)

encounters and disagreements

To begin with, I should say that I cried a lot, I was extremely moved by many moments.
At first I discovered the drama because of the music and every time it played I would burst into tears. When you catch the references throughout the series it's very emotional, like the strawberry scene, when you notice the fish scene...
I believe a lot in destiny, and that was exactly the case, I identified with the story a few times, and when I realized it, it was a new reason to cry.
It hurt deep in my soul to see all the time they wasted, the dreams they gave up on realizing, hurts to know everything she could have been, what they could have been if her mother hadn't done that, and then her mother still comes with the hypocritical talk that her (the mother's) fate was terrible? Everything was her fault and hers alone (it made me very angry).
I cried really hard in the scene where she was working cleaning while watching the flight attendants pass by, living the life she dreamed of living.
To top it off, I found the ending extremely rushed, it could have shown her meeting his family, her son discovering his mother's story. I was happy that they made their dreams come true. But I found the son's romance with the dancer a bit drawn out, I understand that because of that he got a lot closer to his mother and Namiki, but I found it so boring (It seemed like they were trying to promote some career, it wasn't natural).
Namiki is the embodiment of my ideal type, and their story is the most perfect thing, all the encounters and disagreements brought them together on the same path. It was emotional to discover the moment they fell in love for the first time they teenagers were the most perfect and cute thing).

Leia Mais

Une pépite de douceur

Un des plus beaux dramas japonais que j’ai vu jusqu'à maintenant.
En cette fin d’année et période de fêtes, ce fut une magnifique surprise. Le jeu des acteurs est juste et touchante que ce soit dans les périodes actuelles ou passées. Sato Takeru est toujours aussi bon, et sa compagne à l’écran, que je découvre, est vraiment d’une douceur désarmante. Les acteurs qui jouent leurs rôles plus jeunes sont aussi excellents. L’OST est très belle et en accord avec le drama. L’histoire réserve quelques petits rebondissements, et c’est un concentré de douceur, bien mené et avec un très belle réalisation. On se laisse porter sans difficulté.
A découvrir.

Leia Mais

Great Acting, Lacking in Writing

LIKES:
Colour palate, cinematography, landscapes and location settings, lighting, are all very good.
Acting: Young Harumichi (Kido Taisei), FL (Hikari Mitsushima), ML (Takaru Sato), young Yae (Rikako Yagi), were all excellent showing emotion and fitting their characters.
The concept of the story: First Love, the kind you can’t forget even as an adult and want to find again.
The sign language used was nice to see too.
Sound Track was okay, but needed more from the 90s to fit the story. The music didn’t overpower the voices of the actors and actresses. I did like the music tracks used to show Tsuzuru’s music production talent.

DISLIKES:
Production: once again no film stabilizer and it was extremely annoying and unnecessary for the camera to be shaking!

Editing: some of the sequences were out of order for showing the past when the main characters were teenagers.

Props: CDs, CD player, movie references, had wrong year if it’s supposed to match the song release. Some of the “costumes” were not the correct era.

Writing: Plot holes, cliches and a totally stupid (X-rated or should be) sex scene thrown in. KassyFan27 gives a lot of insight into the messy writing. Amnesia as a plot device, to explain Yae’s memory gaps… ridiculous or just lazy writing. Side characters that didn’t add to the story or help with character growth. Yae seemed to have character growth but not so much with Mr. Namiki.


OVERALL: I power watched it all in one night. I did like it, although it had some slow spots (pacing issues). Some stand out acting by a few people. I would recommend it if you like Melodramas or the ML & FL, but I won’t watch it again, (even though Takaru Sato looks very good in a uniform).

Leia Mais

100% worth watching if you enjoy romance

The male leads (both the teen and the adult) were just absolutely phenomenal in this show. The teenage girl and the adult woman FL didn't look much alike and that was honestly distracting.
Some of the camera shots looked like paintings, especially at the beginning of each episode where they'd show the title. The still shot with the title was always absolutely beautiful.
It's not comedy, but-- like life-- there were some funny parts.
It's mostly sad, with a bit of hopeful and happy. I do have to say, I didn't understand the hero's reasoning in episode 8, it make no sense to me. Nor did the heroine's choices right after. It would've been good if they'd talked to someone to spell it out for the audience.

Leia Mais

Honestly.... a mixed bag.

I loved how Hatsukoi's trailer promised a modern touch despite all the old-school (read: classic) tropes. Never thought, the one characteristic of this drama that I looked forward to the most, would turn out to be so polarizing for me. The quiet and mellow narrative quality struck out to me as akin to an indie-movie. Which isn't problematic per se, but I would have still preferred my 'big moments' to be delivered as punchy and gut-wrenching. Dialing down the dramatic tension did disservice to what should have felt cathartic. It's certainly not how dramas would choose to deliver them.

Which brings me to my next point. I find the down-to-earth tones of a good slice-of-life j-dorama particularly endearing. However, for a 'fated' love story such as Hatsukoi, I question whether inundating the viewers with the mundanity, humdrum and the hardships of Yae's daily life was really the correct decision. The background noise from the never-ending series of details keeps us from fully realizing that the biggest tragedy in her life was indeed forgetting Harumichi (aka her first love).
Yes, her life is sh*tty, we get it. The writers didn't have to make it the 'bigger story to tell', is all I'm saying.

As for Harumichi, I was somehow hoping his defense background would have a part to play in how miserable and difficult his life has been too. But aside from a brief mention of a back-injury he received on the line-of-duty, and the Sendai Earthquake which doesn't play out exactly how you'd imagine in an angsty love-story... his character arc feels inconclusive because of details and events which add up to nothing. Again, I wish the writer did not undersell the 'real tragedy' of his first love being forgotten. And that his character background was realized to a fuller potential.

The movie-like treatment isn't entirely all negative though. Hatsukoi's strengths lie mainly in its cinematic narrative structure and I quickly ended up being a fan of its non-chronological storytelling. It lends a modern flair to melodrama-stories of the past with lengthy flashback arcs. The camera-language is beyond beautiful and the snowy Hokkaido landscapes were absolutely dream-like! The hardware department of the production has aced it, and viewers can clearly see where the money went! I enjoyed the performance of the younger actors, who were downright adorable (and sold the story more than the senior actors imo). The writer also cleverly sprinkles red-herrings throughout the early episodes, which kept me guessing from 'are Harumichi & Yae dating in the present or just heading their separate ways?' to 'is Tsuzuru Harumichi's son, and if so, how?' Made for an engaging watch, despite the obvious story flaws.
Bonus: the theme song (First Love by Utada Hikaru) isn't played to death, thankfully! :D


In conclusion, Hatsukoi is a good one-time watch, and even more so, if you aren't exactly a fan of old-school dramas. From a technical point-of-view, the drama appears super polished. My extremely biased POV is only a result of over-expectation, and anticipating the drama for TWO years.
However, it is my advice to ardent fans of the classics... you would miss those emotionally hard-hitting moments and the grandeur of larger-than-life love stories. Stick to Winter Sonata instead, if you wish to ugly-cry!

Leia Mais

Eu também quero um primeiro amor.

E foi com esse sentimento que finalizei "first love", em reencontrar meu primeiro amor fracassado e viver um lindo romance na atualidade. Meu coração se encheu de alegria ao ver as diversas cenas do Harumichi e da Yae na adolescência, eles me fizeram tão feliz. Já na fase adulta, eu chorei muito mesmo, muito devido a carga emocional que os atores deram aos personagens, que foi incrível e fascinante. Quero destacar o modo pelo qual a história foi contada, sem pontas soltas ou situações criadas pra que as coisas dessem certo, isso me deixou muito imersa na história e fez com que eu maratonasse, o que não foi bom, já que me sentia extremamente triste e com a energia sugada após cada episódio. Quero realmente assistir novamente, foi uma experiência incrível.

Leia Mais

Each memory has a soundtrack of its own. It takes 1 song to bring back 1000 of memories.

First love hatsukoi is a poem that you can read over and over again but still won't get bored. A love story full of heart breaks, mistakes and tragic turns.

I watched it in the past and now I came here again after rewatching this, made me realise that how many times I watch this, I'll cry the same. This story makes you feel nostalgic, happy and sad all at once.

Actors did their job very well. Music is good. Overall quite overwhelming. Cinematography was beautiful. Found a extremely delicious looking dish Napolitan, I have to make that for sure!

P.S.- Don't forget to bring tissues. You'll need that.

Leia Mais

Fa credere nel destino!

Un drama corto ma drammatico e sofferto.
Ambientato tra passato e presente, un amore da prima adolescenziale e poi il rincontro a distanza di anni con tanti eventi in mezzo.
Da giovanissimi si innamorano a prima vista praticamente ed è un amore bello dolce e innocente.Lei una brava ragazza e studente lui un bel ragazzo un po' selvaggio.
Un evento tragico interrompe questo amore giovanile e quando il destino li fa rincontrare praticamente si innamorano un altra volta ma lei ora è una mamma divorziata e che rimpiange la vita che avrebbe potuto avere mentre fa la tassista.Lui promesso sposo che dopo un infortunio aveva rinunciato alla vita che pensava.Lei non si ricorda di lui ma si innamorerà ma di nuovo si separeranno , ma poi finalmente un bel lieto fine.
In tutto ciò c'è sempre il destino dal primo incontro fino alla fine, fa credere e fa sperare che il destino si possa compiere nonostante tutte le difficoltà.
Attori molto bravi e la chimica tra le coppie davvero ottima.
Drama bello e sentimentale una piacevole visione.

Leia Mais

What it's like to live with a piece of your soul missing

This entire drama felt like you’re riding your bike under falling leaves of cherry blossom trees in the spring, only for someone to come out of nowhere and slam your fingers in their car door

Over and over

You’re eating a tasty dessert and someone comes and snatches the plate and fork from you

You’re enjoying a swim and someone comes up behind you and holds your head under water

You won the lottery and someone runs up on you and snatches your ticket

There’s a lot of pain, heartbreak and missed opportunities but oh, the joyous moments are filled with so much joy, and warmth.

This was a wonderful telling of the excitement and joys of youth-the carefree nature of that time. First love, dreams, hopes, family and everything else that seemed so fresh and novel-deserving of your excitement and reckless abandonment in an attempt to attain it.

It showed what it is to have hope and want for more from life and also how regret and a misstep can kill your spirit and alter the course of your life

Kido Tasei, you’ll always be famous? the eyes and smile that broke my heart

Leia Mais

To be honest, I really like this drama but I have mixed feelings about it as a whole. But let me just say it's really a simple cliché love story with a few twists in this.

Things I've enjoyed from this drama:
- The cinematography of this whole drama, the color grading of each scene was just *chefs kiss*; it was so good I honestly loved it.
- The casts! Especially both the younger and older version of Yae and Harumichi. These four did a good job in portraying the main leads of the story. The cast of the younger version really did a good job portraying such a cute and innocent love. While the actress and actor of the older version, they are veterans in the J-ent industry and I really enjoyed how they brought the characters to life. Takeru with his micro-expression was so spot on and his yearning for Yae. While Hikari did a very good performance as Yae, I loved her acting especially during the last few episodes where it fleshed out her character's early married life.
- As a huge Utada Hikaru fan, I seriously love hearing her music throughout the series.
- There is a sense of nostalgia going through the series, and just reminds you of the good old days too. It hit me when I saw some old items I've used in the past and hearing the song Automatic.
- The way they presented the younger main lead's relationship. It really gives you the feeling of how sweet, innocent and pure first love felt. Honestly have enjoyed this part much more than the main lead's present storyline.

Cons:
- It is one of the few things I wished they got rid from the series. But it is an explicit 18+ scene on the earlier part of episode 5. There are a few nudity in this, so if you're uncomfortable with this... this might turn you off. Honestly the drama is really about the yearning and innocent feeling of first love, and I felt like this kind of scene was just out of place and not needed in this series.
- The ML's action during the present time. I was not happy with him cheating on his fiancée when he reunited with FL. For me I just wished he cut off his relationship first before making a move towards the FL. Also I felt so bad for his fiancée through this series, she tried so hard to salvage the relationship and she didn't deserved how things have ended between them both.
- The amnesia and 'villain parent' troupe being used in this series. These troupe just felt over-used for me. Honestly after the amnesia part started, I felt like I didn't much enjoy the following episodes so much. But that's just me.
- The FL's mother, honestly I seriously dislike her so much. If it weren't for her, the main lead's relationship might not have gotten worst.
- I felt the flashbacks and change to present timeline wasn't executed well in the drama. The change is just so abrupt, suddenly you would be confuse on what is happening. I wished that they mentioned what year the scene was supposed to be in.

Overall:
I think it's still a good drama despite it being cliché, the flaws and several frustrations. It did made me cry especially near the end. As mentioned I do like this drama and I can see a lot of people as well have enjoyed it. I don't think it's a series for me to re-watch, experiencing this one time is good enough. If you're hesitating to watch, just give this series a try and maybe you'll enjoy it as well.

Leia Mais

A story of first love and of one true love, suppose we could find plenty of such kinds of stories being written throughout the years. As much as everyone would've at least experienced love at least once in their lives, what are the odds that your first love would be the true fated love for you? Chances are that the odds of that coming true could be one in a million or may be more. But what it such a miracle could happen to you?

First Love: Hatsukoi was such a love story yet it wasn't quite a full fairy tale love story. Unlike love stories in faity tales our main pair didn't quite get their happy ends so easily. Through a fated encounter, their lives started to change. And as they strive to reach out achieve their dreams, they encountered many obstacles along the way as their lives took a detour into different directions before crossing paths again in order to reach the end.

As much as this drama was a love story, it can also be considered a coming of age series. At first Namiki Harumichi's life didn't seem to have any specific direction, but after meeting Noguchi Yae he started to have a dream to which he aimed to achieve with everything he's got. You can't help noticing how Harumichi and Yae start to shine as they strove to achieve their dream. Yet due to an unexpected accident, both of their lives took a different turn. The two parted way afterwards and that seemed to be the end of that relationship, but what if fates decides to give them a second chance? This drama basically try to explore that possibility.

The drama had a very beautiful and cinematic visuals and it also had a unique storytelling where past and present intertwined to tell us the story of what shaped the lives of both Harumichi and Yae. And because of that, it made this story pretty refreshing despite the recurring theme of first love as well as amnesia as a plot twist.

One would argue that the story could've been better if Harumichi and Yae's circumstances were switched but I'm glad that it wasn't. Since the plot would've been a bit too similar to Winter Sonata and I wouldn't have liked that.

Leia Mais