Kikazaru Koi niwa Riyuu ga Atte | There's a Reason for the Love I'm Wearing
Hello... It's been a while (a few years to be exact) since the last time I watched J-Drama... I think the last time I watched a Japanese drama was around 3 years ago and after that... I'm not sure what I have been watching or enjoying during the time of my hiatus from J-Drama. Maybe I was more into anime and Thai series during that period of time. And since my work at the office has been quite loose lately, I have some free time to watch 1 or 2 episodes of a series per day, and I randomly picked Kikazaru Koi niwa Riyuu ga Atte or Kikazaru Koi for short, to try watching because I always love Kawaguchi Haruna's acting, and although I have never watched any of Yohokama Ryusei's dramas before, his face is really familiar and got me curious. After I finished watching it, it turns out to exceed my expectation. Let's say I thought I'd rate this drama 8/10 at most, but it turns out to be 10/10. This drama tells a story of two main leads with polar opposite personalities as well as completely different principles and values from each other. How? Oke, let's talk about it~
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| GIF by grrrlsoverdramas on Tumblr |
Mashiba Kurumi (Kawaguchi Haruna), our heroine for Kikazaru Koi is career women with tremendous works to do, super-busy women, a perfectionist, determined, and her life always revolve around gadgets, cellphone, and social media because of her profession as Public Relation Officer in el Arco Iris, a company engaged in interior design and interior shop. To help in promoting goods and stuffs produced and sold by her company, Mashiba uses her personal Instagram to share interesting collections and stuffs that she likes, and it's not limited to fashion, she also shares some unique goods, decorations, and things related to interior design. After 5 years of diligently posting and creating beautiful content in her personal IG, Mashiba reaches 100k followers which made her being recognized as a social media influencer. Mashiba is known for her good taste in many things and she aims to become a Buyer in the future just like her Boss whom she's been admiring (read: secretly in love with) since a long time ago. Mashiba also really enjoys and loves her work. However, there is something she really wants to do besides her work and that is to explore the world to look for beautiful and unique things to collect and share with the world.
"While thinking of that someday, I am chased by miscellaneous things. The truth is that I want to go and see the stuff that I find nice." - Mashiba Kurumi
Some useful tips I gathered from Mashiba's profession to help to increase our social media engagement are: post an IG (Instagram) Story or an IG post at least 3 times a day, during 6 to 8 AM commuting time when people are mostly going to work, during lunchtime at 12 AM to 1 PM, and during golden hours at 7 PM to 10 PM when people are returning home. Mashiba even has an alarm for a reminder to do all of those social media activities and now I kinda follow her steps by setting an alarm to post on my friend's fashion brand's social media which I help to manage. The alarm is really useful for my forgetful self.
Kawaguchi Haruna as Mashiba always wears so many beautiful outfits which makes me want to shop for new clothes so I could go to work in my level 10 and have my wardrobe filled with my favorite things too. And her portrayal as Mashiba is so good here. I guess this is by far my favorite role from her.
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| GIF by movielosophy on Tumblr |
Fujino Shun (Yokohama Ryusei), the total opposite of Mashiba who is glued to her gadget and cellphone, it's been a few years since the last time Shun stopped using his cellphone. When most people nowadays mostly have their eyes glued to their cellphone in the bust or commuter line or wherever they are, Shun prefers to enjoy the scenery and everything around him and talking with strangers he met on his way. Shun manages a food truck named Fuji Bal all by himself. Shun is a professional chef specially for Spanish Cuisines, but due to some things in the past, he stopped working as a professional chef and decided to start and manage an independent business through his food truck where he can travel to many places and serve the foods to many people as free as he wants. Shun is a free soul, he doesn't like being tied to rules or values which doesn't suit him and he doesn't care about other people's opinion. Those who see Shun from the outside will think that Shun enjoys his life to the fullest with his carefree self, but the truth is, Shun has many regrets from the past which he still unable to let go of until now.
"No matter how depressed you get about the outside world... Even if things don't go the way you want it to, it will be fine as long as you have all this. The sky, water, and air..." - Fujino Shun
This is the first time I watched Yokohama Ryusei and he's already impressed me a lot. I really like his portrayal as Shun who is so cheerful, extrovert, and bubbly, while Ryusei himself is a total introvert who's very quiet in real life. His switch from Ryusei to Shun is amazing, he looks so natural. Will totally check more of Yokohama Ryusei's dramas in the future!
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| Mashiba's room and Shun's room |
When a perfectionist social media influencer and a simple minimalist meet and live together...One of the most interesting things from this drama is seeing how opposite the values that Mashiba and Shun hold. This becomes so clear when destiny decided to make these two live together under the same roof of a Share House owned by their friend, Kouko-san, a middle-aged woman who lives with only her dog, Kouji. Let's elaborate it a little bit:
💄 Mashiba's room is full of pretty clothes and things she collects. If she likes something, she will immediately buy it and share it on her social media.
👓 Shun only has a few clothes and two chairs in his room. He's a minimalist who only keeps the things he treasures the most and never wants to get attached to something.
💄 Mashiba has to prepare her look and nails for hours after she got home and before she's going to work. Mashiba says that she has to be on LEVEL 10 when she goes outside no matter for what occasion. She must always look presentable.
👓 Shun doesn't care about appearance or anyone's opinion about him. His working outfit and his stay-at-home outfit are the same, no matter what occasion it is.
💄 Mashiba is all about perfect planning and preparation. When she does something, she put all of her best effort into it.
👓 Shun is all about spontaneous action and go with the flow type of person.
💄 Due to her work as a social media influencer and managing the company's social media, Mashiba always feels that she always has to be ready 24/7 to work even during her off days.
👓 Shun doesn't want his resting time being disturbed by his work. He separates his on and off days.
There are still many things I'd like to list, to be honest, but those are pretty much sum up how the heaven and earth differences that Mashiba and Shun possessed cause them to bicker and fight in the beginning.... because the values and principles they hold are very different from each other. What I really love about Kikazaru Koi is how those differences didn't make the couple have never-ending misunderstandings, Mashiba and Shun instead keep learning to understand and to respect each other because they actually communicated in a healthy way (yes guys, communication actually works... can you believe that? ðŸ˜), they explain to each other every time they face problems or have a different opinion until they both reach mutual understanding. For example, when Mashiba doesn't force Shun to use his cellphone again and only suggest him why she would like him to use it sometimes when they cannot meet in person, and although in the beginning, Shun said he doesn't want to be tied by any social rules or things like that, in the end, he decided to use his cellphone again because he wants to communicate with those who are precious for him.
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| GIF by seawherethesunsets on Tumblr |
Mashiba and Shun learn to understand that principles and values they hold, even when they're different, they are what's best for them as an individual, then they also learn to adapt and share each other's values when they learn that it's useful for their growth. For example, Mashiba learns to separate her work hours and her resting time, that it is okay for her sometimes to let loose and be casual sometimes when she's tired, and to enjoy the things around her and doing a social media detox when she needs it sometimes.
Shun also learns that it isn't a bad thing if we sometimes are mindful of other people's opinion and feelings, especially those things can be useful and help his growth and come from those who love him and cared for him. Shun also start to be braver and taking more challenges to improve himself and face his past regrets and mistakes head-on after he saw how Mashiba never gives up and always gives her 100% effort in everything, of course, Shun adapted some of Mashiba's values without losing the core of his own values and personality who still loves freedom above anything else.
Amazing development both in characters and relationship between each character
Another thing that I really love from Kikazaru Koi is how every character plays a significant role, how everyone has their own imperfection as well as their own strength in such a realistic way, and how everyone has an amazing character growth without losing their own values as well.
They have satisfying development in term of relationship between each character as well... in the beginning, despite living in the same Share House, they all are such individual people, only think of themselves and mind their own business, then slowly they start to open up to each other and care of each other and eventually become a strong support system for each other. The growth in their relationship is also shown in such a realistic way, it wasn't being rushed, it makes us feel like we are also being drawn into their growing friendship that keeps getting stronger and stronger in every episode.
Their individual worries and struggles as 27+ yo adults and older is something that I can truly relate to. Surprisingly... I feel like I can understand all of them, or I can see a bit of myself in each of them. So, when I watch how they slowly overcoming those worries and struggles, it feels like I'm getting a warm hug from them too.
Special Mention and Appreciation to the 2nd Male Lead
Mashiba Kurumi's 1st love and someone he looks up to, President
Hayama Shogo (Osamu Mukai) has such a powerful presence in the series, not in a love rival kind of way that makes you hate him... but he actually makes you feel inspired. More than Shun's rival or Mashiba's 1st love, Hayama Shogo is more like a teacher for everyone and becomes the key that opens up the door of courage for Mashiba and everyone around him to start doing what they love. His adventurous and spontaneous soul is very similar to Shun, while his persistence and love for beautiful and unique products and things and his dream to support creators are similar to Mashiba... He's always on his journey to find new treasures. Of course, there are things he has to sacrifice too but he lives his life to the fullest, finding the things he loves. Hayama also put important values in the company he leads and the things he sells... like how he wants to keep supporting eco-friendly products, how to help the original creator, and to put meaning in the things he sells and shares... these are the things that Mashiba learns from him and helps Mashiba to reach to this point of success.
"If you only want to do things when that someday comes, such someday will not come. I only have now to do it!" - Hayama Shogo
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| GIF by maggiezw2 on Tumblr |
With such a powerful 2nd male lead, don't worry... Mashiba and Shun are also powerful as individuals and as couples and Kawaguchi Haruna and Yokohama Ryusei really have amazingly natural chemistry when portraying them. Sure, they both have their imperfection and strength too, and the heaven and earth differences that they both have may seem like something that will not work out in a relationship, but you know what makes Kakazaru Koi amazing? These two actually work for their relationship and communication and for each other. Even when they probably couldn't understand the problem that they face in their job because they are in different fields of work, or when they can't understand the different values they have and why those things could make them feel worthless or sad, they are trying to cheer each other up every time with real action. Both of them are doing their best to reach their best potential for their own happiness so they will be able to stand by each other's side. Every episode always makes me feel like I'm getting the warmest hug... It's really one of the best things I've watched in a while and I feel like I will go back to this drama whenever I feel down. So many amazing lessons in each episode which you can relate and make you feel like you're getting a gentle push in the back when you feel down. I'd recommend Kikazaru Koi niwa Riyuu ga Atte to everyone I know for real... Jk.
But seriously, give Kikazaru Koi a try and I promise it will be worthy of your time. The colors are so pretty, the foods, the fashion, the paintings, and things that Mashiba collects and shares in the drama are pretty too, and she makes it seem like making a pretty IG Story is fun. Mashiba and Shun have one of the most natural interactions and chemistry I've seen in Jdramas or any dramas. It's really nice to watch them in love and make me feel single but I'm okay with that. I'll let their romance and love fill the void inside my heart ðŸ˜
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| GIF by seawherethesunsets on Tumblr |
I hope you enjoy this longer-than-originally-planned review. Have a nice day and let's wish we will find our own Mashiba or Shun in our lives ❤
