Brush Up Life (2023)

Well written drama

I would say, this is a drama that had great back and forth, amazing dialogue, and did a very good job executing characters and their personalities. Sometimes when a show has a lot of dialogue, the characters get lost in the sauce. Or sometimes the show can drift. But everything written was acted and dialogue were done very well. I very much enjoy the show and the plot twists. The show is meaningful, how life is precious and how we don't always get a second, third, or fifth chance. And how just because we do good deeds, does not mean their good because we want to do them. You should never do something you don't actually intend or want to do. As you kinda see how the main character in the beginning just does good deeds for the sake of restarting life. But once they come to know that they only have one more try in being a human. They then realize doing things because you want to and care are the most important.

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Here I am, once again (after "Informa") writing a very negative review to a widely acclaimed drama, which I couldn't help but find really, really terrible.
Believe it or not, I don't get any pleasure doing so, quite the opposite: I'm a lot happier when I can write positive reviews and explain why I deem a drama fabulous, rather than horrible! But I believe in sincerity, so I gotta tell it how I see it. And the way I see it (again, I'll use the same words I wrote about "Informa") is, this is *pure Hollywood*. Which might be totally fine for everyone else, of course. But in my book that's tantamount to saying it's *cr@p*, sorry.

As typical for Hollywoodian series, here too we have a very well done first episode (I honestly loved it and was expecting a wholesome, clean, deep drama, filled with lovely, ethical messages - hence why I hated it more and more with every subsequent episode, alas) followed by a disgracefully shallow, silly and ultimately, obnoxiously boring rest of the series.
What annoyed me the most (heck, "annoyed" ain't even the proper word - "deeply insulted" is more like it!) is the constant, disgusting propaganda of Western "values" - in this case, one of the most incredibly sexist production I've ever had the misfortune to watch: NOT A SINGLE MALE CHARACTER could be described as a decent human being. They're all liars, cheaters, perverts; they're all lame, stupid, and useless; and according to this horrible script it's okay to have fun at their expenses (the scenes where the fat guy appears and they start clapping, with such a mocking, distasteful vibe! Apparently, fat-shaming is okay as long as males are the - big - butt of the joke?! >___<), it's okay to steal from them, to despise them, to stalk and menace them, to hit them and make them bleed, and even to plan to poison them!!! The only (partial) exception - and incidentally, the only love interest of the borderline sociopathic FL in all five of her lives: but of course, a billionaire! Materialistic much?! (BTW, that detail alone is pretty ironic when we consider that the writer is a middle-aged male, definitely not particularly attractive, who's loaded and has married a former idol much younger than him - where are all the "age-gap nazis" always ready to comment with an "Eeeeeeeewwww!!!!" when we actually need them? - now you'll see one more reason this all thing reeks of Hollywood to me - Hollywood, where they could keep a straight face producing ultrafeminist stuff all while having that ***** Weinstein at the helm for decades. URGH)

Another thing that really bothered me was indeed the FL: as I said, a borderline sociopath who doesn't help others 'cause it's the right thing to do and it's good, but only so as to "complete missions" to rake up "points" so that she'll be able to reincarnate as a "human"...such a terrible let down, as far as I'm concerned.

I can't fairly judge the (great) cast, given the terribly poor (again, hollywoodian) script they had to work with. Take for example the second half of the last episode: 20+ minutes of utterly idiotic, idle chat, TWENTY WHOLE MINUTES of BLA-BLA-BLA where nothing even remotely intelligent is said! T_____T
As the good old Zetsubou-sensei would put it: "Zetsuboushita!" >__________<

Very well confectioned, true. But ultimately a waste of bytes.
If this is where J-dramas are headed (I hope not but fear so), I'll have to limit myself to older productions or to C-dramas in the next future.

All this imvho, as always. Feel free to disagree but please respect my opinion. Peace! ^___-

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Reiniciando

Uma história com um cotidiano normal, mas com um fator diferencial, após a morte pode reencarnar ou reiniciar sua vida. Cada fase da vida da Kondo Asami foi diferente e divertido a sua maneira. As conversas e cenas pareciam ter sidos filmadas de uma conversa comum do dia a dia, tudo muito natural, me senti fazendo parte da vida dela. Amei as reações dela e seu jeitinho de ser. A amizade das meninas foi o melhor e mais divertido de assistir. O plot dos episódios finais foi bem legal, e como se encaixou com as fases inicias. Tudo muito bem interligado, sem pontas soltas, sem deixar entediante, sem enredo muito mirabolante, simples, lindo e divertido.

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Beautiful, wholesome, heartwarming and leaves you with a huge smile.

This is a wonderfully written and perfectly played comedy of a calibre that I haven't seen in a very long time. The plot summary gives you a little hint about what's to come. However, just watch an episode and you can't but be captivated by the wonderful realism in the story and acting, how the characters draw you in and connect at a very deep level, and the warmth and happiness that you'll surely feel.

As the plot summary hints, the story touches upon complicated topics like the consequences of your choices and actions and does this in a beautiful style that delicately balances humour, fantasy and relatability.

The children play their roles with such class, I'd be sitting with a silly grin on my face throughout. When playing adults, the characters share lots of trivia and day-to-day events, and this style works superbly here because it's blended and balanced so well with the underlying threads of the narrative and I now feel that I really "know" the people behind the screen. It's like I have a seat at their table while they're enjoying a lighthearted conversation over tea, and when the scene is over I'm feeling that I was really at tea with old friends - not a very different feeling than when I've met my friends in real life - it feels real, not like acting. Very few movies or dramas have ever managed this.

I'll not spoil it, but stick with it to the end through the plot twists - the ending is just so wholesome and happy. I still feel the joy and warmth long after having finished watching it. I recommend this highly to anyone looking for a story that's deep, meaningful and rewarding to watch.

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