robynmorton

This was great to watch to practise my Japanese, at least for the first 2/3 of the series. The characters were mostly realistic, and the chemistry and comedy in the workplace were great. The attempts at romance are where it falls flat - no romantic chemistry at all or even any attempts at it.

It's been almost 20 years since I lived in Japan, but this made me realise a few things (as I assume it's a reflection of life in Japan):

• The workaholic culture still hasn't changed, even after many people have died from overwork. I know Mei is the one pushing herself to stay up all night studying, but why does a pharmaceutical rep have to know all the ins and outs of every drug the company makes? And why is the only alternative to quit your job or hire a housekeeper?

• Why is there still so much pressure to get married by the age of 30? It seems like more of a business arrangement, the way men who haven't even kissed her are basically proposing to her and she's just worried about housework and her lifestyle? Surely if you ask someone out and they say they need to think about it, the answer should be no. Then we're supposed to be happy about who she ends up with?!

I don't understand the point of the last episode. It was such a long recap of the whole series, with a few new bits interspersed so you couldn't fast forward. It was good to see a bit of what happened with some of the other characters, but I feel like they deserve more attention, especially to take the attention away from the way Mei's story ended up. It's a shame because the series was entertaining at first.

I'm not really into video games, but the Ready Player One audiobook, narrated by Wil Wheaton, really got me hooked. It's hard to believe that this is the same story. The only real similarities are the characters, the Oasis and the ultimate goal. The way they meet is different, and the challenges they face are different. It's more about cars and fight scenes than solving puzzles. I understand that a lot has to be condensed, but these changes just seem to be for the sake of it. I'm amazed that Ernest Cline is listed as one of the screenwriters. It doesn't make sense. I tuned out half the time. It's much longer, but go and listen to the audiobook or read the book instead. 2 hours of this is a waste of time.