I honestly don’t know how to review this show. It is five stars across the board for acting, writing, cinematography, music, etc.... In other words, it is incredibly well made.
But I want to line up every single character in this show, and slap them. Slap ALL of them! I know it’s cultural bias... hell, I lived in Japan for years, and would give anything to live there again... but that doesn’t change the fact that I see how each of these characters is acting towards the protagonist, and vice versa, and find myself screaming at my television in frustration. “JUST TALK TO ONE ANOTHER!!!” “GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!” “BUY A BOTTLE OF LUBE!!!” Ooooh... and I cannot repeat what I screamed at the protagonist’s mother on here. Grrr...
The show is good, but it’s an unflinching look into modern Japanese social ills that can make an outspoken westerner uncomfortable. (On that note, there are some depictions of rape that are glossed over so casually it was jarring to me. If you or someone you know is a sexual survivor, please proceed with caution).