Soshite, Ikiru

Hands down the best japanese drama I've ever seen. At first it looks like a sweet romantic story, turn out to be a roller coaster of emotion of anger, sadness, bitter, but sometimes warm. I cried all the way from episode 1 to 6. No one is wrong in this movie, they have their own reason to do things even though everyone start with good intention sometimes it turns out different than what they expected. Like life itself. Yes, this movie is like life. Whether you are on the upside or downside you can live with no regret, still be grateful and find happiness despite any bad decisions that you've made. The cinematography is crazy, so many long shots minimizing cuts which maximizing all casts acting skill, it's more a 6part movie than a TV serial. The chemistry is unbelievable, when they cry I cry, every bad decision made we can also feel the bitterness, the romance is sweet yet hurts yet make you smile yet shed your tears. After watching this movie, sadness still looming over me, yet I craved for more. This movie makes me feel so much emotion I can hold it. I feel so alive.

The first 2 episodes started out really good, but then as the series goes on, all of the characters just become less and less likeable. One of the characters who was conveying annoyance/struggles/self-loath was so over the top dramatic, it was difficult to watch because it was just so bad. It failed to draw out any emotion fully, and character development is really poor. It seems like I was watching something written by a teenager. After watching the entire series, I'm left with "so what is the point"?

I watched this right after "First Love" which has some parallels. It can't even compare, First Love really conveyed the struggles of broken families, single parenting, failed relationships, waiting to be with someone you love, moving forward no matter how hard things are. Don't waste your time watching "And Live" if you haven't yet, watch First Love instead.