Orange Days

I am a Greek Australian dude, living in Greece. I came across this series by accident. Im not asian, nor even japanese.... but omffffggg..... i binged all 11 episodes in 3 days! I am shocked. This is a series from 2004, twenty years ago!!! And from Japan!! ANother continent from me!!! But i just have to say, this series is probably the best tv series i have come across in the last ten years!!! Thank youuuuuu Netflix for broadcasting an asian tv series to europe.... this show was BRILLIANT! Being from Greece, it is rare for us to be exposed or given the opportunity to watch dramas from Japan, or Asia for that matter. But this series had me obsessed from episode one!!! Eveery character in this series was loveable and altruistic in their own way.... and unlike american tv series, this show did not need to include sex scenes, nudity etc..... it was PURE perfection!

I've only started getting into j-dramas and k-dramas in the last year or so. Started with a lot rom-coms/thrillers with Takeru Satoh and then discovered k-dramas some of which I loved. Some however felt over-acted or a type of actingI don't like. Started rewatching j-dramas last week. Seriously impressed with 18x2 Beyond my Youthful Days which was beautiful, brilliantly acted and poignant. Stumbled upon this and watched it in 3 days, hard to believe it's 20 years old. Brilliantly acted by all involved, understated acting but powerful. The fact that this type of series with sign language was made 20 years ago shows and hasn't aged shows how good it is. Loved all the characters in it. A joy to watch and re-watch. Both j-dramas had a quiet elegance and eloquence which I needed after some 'noisier' kdramas.

My listing is for clarity and does not in any way reflect a ranking of best to mediocre. All aspects of this series are top-notch.

First of all, kudos to Japanese filmmakers for producing a series of this caliber. It brings deafness into the mainstream and makes it ordinary, another way of being and living in the world.

Second, the actors are fantastic. They all learned sign language as well as their spoken dialogue and they made it look so natural; they were so fluent. They all deserved awards for that feat alone. The work they must have put in is extraordinary.

Third is the beautiful cinematography and lighting, enhancing the theme of orange days.

Fourth is the script, which is excellent. The writing brings out distinct personalities and shows their growth as they prepare to move past college, good times, conflict, problem-solving and all. The pacing is just right and moves fluidly between the storylines.

Hollywood could learn a thing or two from Asian film-making. Unfortunately, they are too focused on blockbusters and raking in the $$$$.

I'm glad others were moved by this series as much as I was. I've been watching a lot of Jdramas for the past few years and they always have an emotionality and heartwarming humanity that's unique.

I watched this gem 20 years after its' release, but honestly it didn't feel like it's 20 years old. I mean, obviously the haircuts, clothes etc look like they're from 20 years ago, but for me they looked perfectly fine and hip for college graduates because that's what I was back then! And I looked a lot like that and still do lol. Personally I still prefer that style so not only did I not mind it, but it made the series more fun and pleasing to watch too.

I'm pretty sure this show was huge back when it was broadcast in Japan, and rightly so. All the actors are great, the classical music and the sign language elements are very interesting, and the ways disability, friendship, family, and the transition to adult life are portrayed are so well made. And of course the main love story. Nothing cringe or cheesy, just a pure bond that you can't help but root for. The writers and the director did an amazing job in every single element they included, offering us an amazing viewing and emotional experience. Arigato gozaimasu!!

Edit: It's been a couple of weeks since I finished watching this and I miss it!! I can't find anything to replace it, I keep starting different Kdramas and Jdramas and dropping them.

Also, I find my fellow Greek's comment below hilarious and awesome at the same time, because it sounds exactly like me when I first started watching Jdramas!

My college days are far behind me. Yet, Orange Days took me back like no other show had done before. The storyline is centered around Sae, a deaf college student remarkably interpreted by Ko Shibasaki. Sae's vivacious, feisty, and very endearing personality earns her the love interest of Kai, a gentler, more reserved student. Along with three friends with bubbling personalities, the fledging couple forms the Orange Days group. Its members will share their college challenges and romantic entanglements until graduation. It is worth noting that in order to include Sae, her friends all learn sign language. The five actors did a great job learning and expressing sign language in a very natural way. The story moves along very smoothly and keeps its youthful atmosphere from end to end. A very endearing trip back to your twenties. The only aspect that might prevent you from enjoying thoroughly it is the need to read subtitles during sign language exchanges, which won't be a problem for anyone used to watching foreign language movies.