There’s a fantastic line between dedication and stupidity, and I’m lastly studying the place that’s for me. I’m a reasonably devoted fan of Snow Man, all members so this previous winter season when 5 out of 9 members had airing dramas I used to be ecstatic. Much more in order that three out of 5 had been being fan subbed, which is a blessing.
The factor is, I actually must have recognized higher by now that Sensei Sayonara, regardless of Watanabe Shota because the lead, was not going to be a drama I appreciated. It was not going to be a “kyaa~!” inducing drama like Koisuru Keigo 24Ji starring Iwamoto Hikaru was. It wasn’t going to be the mind sweet, but in addition problematic Livingroom Matsunaga-san with Mukai Koji both.
Earlier than I soar too far forward of myself, I will probably be discussing main plot and character spoilers on this publish. Please learn at your individual discretion.
Sensei Sayonara is a 2014, 5 chapter full in a single quantity manga that was tailored right into a live-action drama in 2024. The story stars Tamura Takuro (Watanabe Shota), an artwork instructor whose widespread amongst his college students and tends to select up stray college students as he goes. Kijima Yayoi (Hayashi Meiri) is one such pupil, who with Tamura’s steering goes from being a listless pupil to an artwork membership member with mates. Sadly, Kijima’s emotions go from admiration to like, till Kijima sees Takuro’s sketchbook. Inside within the numerous sketches of Naito Yumiko (Kita Kana), Tamura’s former homeroom instructor, from when he was seventeen.
It’s two plot strains of pupil instructor relationships, nice. Being annoying right here, however simply to be clear: I hate pupil instructor relationships in dramas. I’m not so stringent that I feel tales like this shouldn’t be instructed. That’s silly and a type of censorship. I don’t blame youngsters for falling in love both. I’ll let you know as a former instructor, these relationships don’t finish nicely due to the basic energy imbalance. The grownup instructor(s), ought to know higher and as a rule in these tales do know higher and easily do it anyway.
I’ll give Sensei Sayonara just a few factors for not falling into the standard territory of pupil instructor dramas. Younger Takuro was emotionally destroyed by personal selections in pursuing Yumiko, and really self-reflected and blamed himself. Though his friends and Yumiko’s co-workers had been framed as dangerous guys, they in the end did the proper factor and quietly destroyed Yumiko’s profession as a instructor. It’s additionally, in case you couldn’t inform from the synopsis a little bit of a doomed romance.
Sadly, Takuro falls into the class of fool grownup man who proves himself unable to evaluate when and the place he’s overstepping boundaries as a instructor. Thus main Kijima to repeat the cycle with him. The one upshot being that Kijima’s romance is condoned by her friends, all of them have a speak about how bizarre courting a instructor could be, even the boys. It’s additional ripped to shreds by her classmate Hiyama Reina (Kawatoko Asuka), after it’s proven that Takuro is planning on quitting because of his incompetencies.
I’ll begrudgingly admit that Sensei Sayonara does have nuance to the story. I’d by no means chalk one thing as advanced as like to being a black and white difficulty. The drama was even set to make it kinda proper, with Takuro having an enormous second of progress and emotional launch concerning his relationship with Yumiko, post-graduation of Kijima. Sadly, the tacked on ending went forward and killed any dialog about that being an possibility for closure.
I’m additionally groaning as a result of like lots of live-action diversifications of manga, that is simply one other dangerous selection. This title wasn’t notably widespread nor nicely remembered from what I can glean pre-drama launch. (Don’t trouble taking a look at stats now, they’re all inflated because of drama watchers studying the manga now.) It appears like NTV went “oops, we purchased the rights to this in some unspecified time in the future, now it’s use it or lose it time”. Which isn’t a nasty factor per say, but it surely simply appears like the one cause this went by means of was as a result of they snagged some Starto (previously Johnny’s) skills and known as it a day. It reeks of fast flip arounds for fast income. I’ll give them credit score although, it labored on me so it’s not prefer it wasn’t price it.
I’m going to be solely sincere, the manufacturing isn’t dangerous trying although. It’s fairly par for the course, if not a contact beneath the standard price range parameters. The pictures are easy, clear, and efficient to convey the story not way more. There’s no obvious technical errors when it comes to visuals or audios. It’s simply primary.
In terms of performances, there’s not a ton to speak about. Hayashi Meiri is a extremely new actress, so her efficiency as Kijima wasn’t notably spectacular. She got here off as awkward all the time, which labored for the premise. It wasn’t memorable although. Kita Kana as Yumiko was serviceable. It labored for the story being instructed. Kawatoko Asuka as Reina stole the present in each scene she had. Not simply because Reina was extra crafty as a personality, however merely Asuka has stronger display presence. The opposite supporting forged members, notably Komai Ren, Nakamura Reia and Suga Kenta had been good additions. They didn’t maintain an excessive amount of sway within the story, however gave it extra depth.
In terms of the person of the hour, Watanabe Shota, I’ll say I used to be pleasantly shocked. I’ve seen a good quantity of his work, normally the place he’s clearly a supporting character or in Starto ensemble forged the place he’s meant to be cohesive. He by no means caught my consideration in these roles. To my data this was the primary drama he was performing as the principle character, and in my idol fan interpretations roughly by himself, so I used to be curious how he would honest.
As a lot as Takuro as a personality makes me need to bodily struggle him – Watanabe Shota did a reasonably strong job right here. To get fangirl-y for a second, Shoppi has a really distinct sample of speech when not performing, coupled with a notable lisp. In Sensei Sayonara, he actually made some extent of ditching his ordinary speech patterns to make Takuro a personality. A extremely essential particulars that solely dawned on me in direction of the top of the sequence. It’s a powerful exhibiting on his finish, as a result of that alone takes lots of work.
Equally, as talked about earlier than he was put in a tough place the place he was coupled with lots new or much less skilled forged mates. I received’t go as far as to state he single-handedly guided them so this wasn’t terrible. That’s a bit too far at the same time as a fan of his. I’ll say that, he met them as shut as he might to make it a cohesive manufacturing. Taking the lead just a few occasions to make the manufacturing a little bit bit extra elevated and fascinating to look at.
I’m rolling my eyes at myself, as a result of for a present I knew I wouldn’t like, and genuinely don’t like I certain had lots to say right here. It’s fairly clear I actually don’t suggest this present to anybody apart from Shoppi followers, and even then it comes with lots of caveats in place. I’m going to do my greatest to speculate my efforts in issues I do genuinely like sooner or later as a substitute. Ideally, with Shoppi taking over much less contentious roles subsequent time.
