Chugakusei Nikki

I'm not sure how to feel about this drama. For one it really is an excellent drama with some of the best chemistry I've seen and great performances. The obvious issue though is the ML is a 15 year old falling for his 25 year old teacher. For the life of me I'll never understand why they didn't make the ML 18 instead of 15 and avoid controversy altogether, I mean why even go there? But they went there. The drama does not glorify or condone this behavior, but it definitely romanticizes it and that's what a lot of people understandably have a problem with.

I suggest you watch for yourself and see what you think, there is a lot to be felt in this drama.

This drama deals with the taboo of not only age gap and forbidden love but also with having a relationship with a minor. I won't review this drama based on my own views on the matter, as it didn't glorify it, but just presented the story and the tragedy of their love. So, emotion wise, this one was strong at that area. Especially at the begining, however, it got boring towards the end and the pace slowed down as well. I also enjoyed the presentation of the how everyone else viewed their choices as well as the emotional struggles the two leads had to deal with. In addition, the performances were really good and the cinematography on point for this drama.

Basically she is a teacher with " passion" for teaching. At the age of "15" she shd have guided her student to complete his education at any cost first and then think about other things. When she realizes infatuation of one of her students aged 15, she was ,"25" quite old enough to understand the implications. In due course too she just gives her love as "excuse" as her co worker rightly points out. Age gap might not be deterrent but in that case both shd be ADULTS with their heads firmly on their shoulders. Here the boy is still high schooler? Fanning his feelings is CRIMINAL. She shd have refrained and guided him properly as TEACHER. Rather than doing the correct thing she keeps on justifying her misendevour. Plus she had her ex by her side who has been shown to be a dependable rational person. Rather than going with him this selfish in late 20s teacher keeps on seducing her student!

Irrational and criminal!

It seems that rather director WANTS it this way just for (?) cheap sensationalism.

Another May-December or Noona romance story, but I would like to comment on parent-children relationship depicted in this film that stood out for me. What kind of a frustrated parent it takes to deliberately inflict pain on their child? One parent deliberates on depriving their unborn baby of the father, another parent torments their child prioritising the parent's own emotional needs, the third parent torments their child by hiding father's letters and prohibiting the budding feelings of love, and the fourth parent at some point alienates their own adult child. Are we dealing with some massive phenomenon of emotional abuse of children in the family or is it a cultural "thing" or perhaps generational? "You aren't wrong about this. You only did what any parent would do. [...] It's OK. People always grow stronger through hardships. They are all precious experiences. It's sure to help in his life ahead." What kind of philosophy is this, furthermore, coming from the lips of a teacher? What is OK or precious about it?

So the story develops against this backdrop with the hope for the future that somehow children who go through this will acquire cognitive sophistication to navigate interpersonal relationship.

Second Japanese series I watch that a woman falls in love with an 15-year old. It feels uncomfortable. I have nothing against an age gap but a 15-year old guy (boy!)?! I just can't understand... It made the series very burdened. I totally don't get why the script writers made this decision.

That being said, I hoped when he became an adult, it would become a more lighthearted series but it didn't. We almost never saw them smile with/at each other.

11 episodes weren't needed, it felt dragged on.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad but I would have liked it more if the romance became more lighthearted.