Switched

Yet another binge watching series!!! Amazing acting by Kaya Kiyohara !!! Must Watch!!!

I'm not a teenager, and much like another reviewer here, it was suggested to me because I watched Erased on Netflix, and after watching that I felt like binging on some Japanese dramas.

That being said, this is something I'd make my daughters watch when they're teenagers, as the series aims to give the watchers a sense of empathy for both sides of the coin. You feel bad for the unpopular girl and understand her actions, but you also feel bad for the popular girl because the switch takes her away from her family and friends.

The popular girl does NOT become instantly shy in the unpopular girls body, the person who said that must not have paid much attention. She only becomes less outgoing because people will not pay attention to her and think she is weird, which is what the series does well at, creating a sense of empathy and understanding.

Switched is surprisingly a very entertaining drama. The execution of the fantasy element was well made and the whole body switching was nicely explained. The drama hit the top when we discovered the real personalities of the characters. The twist in the end was lovely as well. In addition the love triangle was really really cute and that helped with the love story to be intense, though the plot focused more on the characters rather the romance, which was a relief. The performances, finally, were top notch from every actor and actress in the drama.

This Japanese series is centred on four high school students; good looking and popular Ayumi and her friends Kaga and Koshiro, and unpopular loner Zenko. One day, during a rare red moon, Ayumi receives a phone call from Zenko. Zenko tells her to look at the building behind her... she then jumps. We then see Zenko waking up; except it isn't Zenko it is Ayumi... they have switched places. Ayumi is about to learn what it is like to be the unpopular girl and Zenko is going to learn that it takes more than good looks to be popular and happy. Will Ayumi find a way to get back into her own body?

I thought this series was pretty solid. More often than not films/series where characters swap bodies it is done primarily for laughs, here it is for drama. This is clear from the start as the means of switching involves suicide. The story progresses nicely over the series' six episodes; during this time the characters develop in interesting ways. There are a few twists along the way. The cast does a fine job most notably Miu Tomita, who plays Zenko, and obviously Ayumi when she is in Zenko's body. The setting, mostly inside the school and in Zenko's home are good in a very unglamorous way. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the body-swap genre looking for something different.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

This is primarily aimed at teens, which I am not. Netflix suggested this to me because I had watched and rated Erased which I loved. Typical high school type drama but the premise is good, the acting is excellent and for once I didn't see the plot twist which was a novel experience. It loses points for the unnecessary and repetitive back flashes and the most appalling sound track ever. The music just drilled into my brain and was totally inappropriate. The flash backs cause the story to lag in places and why the girls have to be dragged around by the arm on a frequent basis is a mystery. A bit soap operaish with the zoom ins. Kaga was particularly endearing and the swopping of characters were all well performed.