Tag: Anata no Koto Wa Sorehodo (I Love You Just a Little Bit) Japanese Drama Review

Anata no Koto Wa Sorehodo (I Love You Just a Little Bit) Japanese Drama Review

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Dorama 2017

Anata no Koto Wa Sorehodo (I Love You Just a Little Bit) Japanese Drama Review

 

Poster fromTBS / Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc.

  • Genre: Life, Marriage, Adultery, Romance
  • Release Date: 2017
  • Origin: Japan
  • Dorama: 10 Episodes

Cast

I have just binge-watched this Japanese drama.

I have to say I have enjoyed it very much.

This drama was not just about infidelity and redemption after the affair.  It is much more.

Why do men have affairs?  What is love?  What is first love?

These questions are given a different treatment.

As in many Japanese films and dramas, the viewers and audience are tasked to cultivate a wider and definitely a wilder imagination.  🙂  Admittedly the Japanese do provide original take on things which make their dramas fresh and thought provoking.

Anata no Koto wa Sorehodo or I love you just a little bit is about a woman who pined for her first love despite being happily married.

Mitsu was a daughter of a woman, who was longing to find the ‘one’.  In her search for the ‘one’, she would often bring men, married or otherwise to their home.

The young impressionable Mitsu did not know who her father was because her mother did not deem her real father to have been the ‘one’ so not worth marrying him but she was curious enough to know how it would feel to have a child, so she kept Mitsu.

When Mitsu was in high school, she met Arishima, a popular boy, who is extremely good looking (the actor, Nobuyuki Suzuki was a good choice) and athletic. He was her first love.  They did not really have a real romance because when Arishima tried it on with her one night, she pushed him away rather strongly, which embarrassed Arishima.  The next day, Arishima snubbed her and then he transferred out to another school.  Mitsu has never forgotten him though.

Years later, working in an eye clinic, Mitsu met Ryota Watanabe.  Ryota was a quiet man but very dependable and attentive.  Before long they got engaged and got married living in a lovely decent apartment. He works in an interior design company, in the management side.  He was a caring husband, who loves and dotes on her.   He cooks and provides her with gourmet food.  He was tall and handsome but somehow Mitsu can’t help thinking of Arishima.

Until one day on a chance encounter, Mitsu saw Arishima once again.  All the lovely time, all the caring and love from her husband have completely evaporated as soon as she was faced with Koki Arishima.  She was absolutely mesmerised by Arishima and wanted to sleep with him.

And they did, though Arishima is already happily married to Reika, who was pregnant at that time.

For a while, Koki and Mitsu continued to meet and sleep together.

Finally, their respective spouses found out about the affair.  Ryota, who is obsessed with Mitsu chose to condone the affair but on condition to keep it secret and outside the house.

Reika, Arishisma’s wife, who had the baby by this time, was dignified and chose to withdraw back into her parent’s house.  Arishima finally realised how deeply he loves his wife and his new baby and told Mitsu that they can’t see or text each other anymore.  Mitsu did graciously agree.

Naka Riisa who played Reika Arishima made the role her own.  Every scene that she was on, she was shining.  The whole drama series was hers.  I think this led her to get the role of Azu in the forthcoming Japanese manga live-action drama, Holiday Love, which is about infidelity as well but much more heartrending based from what I read on the manga.

I digress.  I have rewatched I Love You Just A Little Bit several times now, fast-forwarding on Reika and Koki Arishima’s scenes.  Their chemistry is fantastic.  I love the scene when she repeatedly slapped him when he told her he loved her deeply.  Their spontaneous kiss the next day was so cute.  You are somehow made aware that they do have a healthy sex life.  It was that late stage of pregnancy and having a new baby can affect the libido of a woman, thus sending the young attractive husband to seek comfort somewhere else, especially when it is offered on a plate.  That is no excuse though! Tsk Tsk Tsk 🙁

As to Mitsu, she ended up being divorced.

One day she saw her ex-husband with a woman while she was looking for a venue for her friend’s wedding ceremony and party.  She wrongly thought that her ex-husband was also about to plunge into another marriage and she was quite wistful.

Her ex-smiled secretly and they might end up together again but then it might also be another circle of infidelity on Mitsu’s part as she met a handsome man with a dog. 🙂

One of my favourite doramas to date.