Japanese Drama 2020

In The Dark Box (Nibiiro no Hako no Naka de) Japanese Drama Review & Summary

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• Genre: School, Youth, Life, Friendship, Hormone, Sexuality, Live-Action Manga
• Release Date: February 2020
• Origin: Japan
• Dorama: 6 Episodes

Cast

• Kubota Sayu as Sakurai Miwa from Room 406
• Hagiwara Riku as Tsujiuchi Motoaki (Akki) from Room 405
• Kamio Fuju as Sanada Ritsu from Room 106
• Okamoto Natsumi as Takatori Aoi from Room 315
• Mochizuki Ayumu as Shoji Satoru from Room 201
• Kakei Miwako as Kono Ayami (ex-violinist Tenant) from Room 502
• Usa Takuma as Honda

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Episode 1

Thanks to Rjgman56 for the sub.

The drama started on point, there is not much preamble, it went to the heart immediately.

Miwa lives next door to her crush, Akki.

Akki was her childhood sweetheart.  They used to play with other children in their apartment building.

They now all go to the same school.

Miwa bakes cookies which she gives to her friends, Akki, Aoi, Satoru.

One of their childhood friend, Ritsu was no longer closed with them as he found them rather fake.

Satoru could see that Aoi was secretly envious of Miwa because of her closeness with Akki, who sees Miwa only as a friend.

Akki was still pining for Ayami, an older girl he met when he was very young.  His mother had died and his father was always working very hard so even at a very young age he was lonely and left on his in devices until he met a kindly older girl who played the violin.  The girl told him that he never needed to be lonely as he can visit her anytime.

But one day the older girl, Ayami, moved out of the apartment building.

Poor Akki was very sad. Ayami gave him a cd of Ren Kazama’s Meditation Sur Tice, which she told to listen to.

He promised that he would listen to it everyday and he did because Miwa, who lives next door to him would often hear him playing the cd.

Aoi was in a secret relationship with Satoru, who she regularly slept with.

Aoi dragged Miwa to watch a basketball game where the school hotties were members of teams.

Aoi noticed Miwa not being interested in the game but rather staring at Akki who was outside with his painting class.

Miwa was approached by Honda, one of the school hotties and asked to speak with her.

Aoi was so happy for Miwa and encouraged her to go see what Honda wanted.

Honda confessed to Miwa that he had noticed her and had been watching her.  He wanted her to be his girlfriend.

Miwa was not really interested with him as she wanted Akki so she did not give him a reply.

Meanwhile, Aoi told her that she was mad.  Honda was gorgeous and popular.

Akki overhead their conversation and joined in.

Aoi asked Akki if Miwa should go out with Hondo.

Akki was all for it.  He said that it should be fun.

Miwa, noting that Akki seemed not interested in her at all, texted Honda that she wanted to be his girlfriend.

She went on a date with Honda and when he kissed her, she pushed him away as if he was a leper.

Honda was rather annoyed and told her why did she go out with him if she really did not like him.  He then left her.

Miwa went to wash her lips and remembered that her first kiss was Akki when they were children.  They promised one another that they would kiss one another to practice until they find the one!

Miwa wore a tight pair of shoes for her date and she was left limping and in pain.

Akki found her in a bench looking at the wound in her heel.

Akki offered to piggyback her home.

Being so closed to him made Miwa very happy and reminded him about their promise to kiss until they find the one.

In front of her apartment, Akki said they can kiss.

The aloof Ritsu was videoing them kissing.

Episode 2

Miwa and Akki started kissing one another after school.  Miwa was particularly enthusiastic, so Akki asked if they could date officially.

Miwa was only too happy to agree.

Dating Akki though was not that romantic dream she had expected.  She always had to initiate everything, including finally sleeping together.

Akki was getting her a drink of water when she found his drawing portfolio.  Inside her photos of Ayami.

Miwa realised that Akki was in love with Ayami, who had now returned to the apartment building on the fifth floor.

Episode 3

Aoi likes Ritsu, who likes Miwa.

Anyway Aoi was helping Miwa to have a more solid relationship with Akki so Miwa won’t look towards Ritsu’s way.

Ritsu had given a vase of Iris plant to Akki in the previous episode and with it he put an audio listening device.  Ritsu heard it when Akki was having sex with Miwa.

He was so gutted.

Anyway, Akki finally found out that Ayami had moved back to the apartment building.  He sent her a letter asking to meet up.  He said to Ritsu that he needed a closure so he could truly be with Miwa.

The meeting was on Saturday, which Miwa reminded him was their monthsary of being together.

Akki told her that he heard that it would be raining so they should celebrate the next day.

Miwa was happily planning what to wear for her monthsary date when there was a knock on the door.

It was Ritsu, who said that he had something to show her.

Against her better judgment, she went with Ritsu, who led her to the ‘music room’ where he saw Akki hugging Ayami longingly.

Miwa was heartbroken and ran out into the rain.

Ritsu crouched down to her and said to forget Akki.  Be with him instead and then kissed her.

Episode 4

Miwa was so upset that Ritsu kissed her.  He told her that she was above everyone so she should not allow herself to be treated the way they are taking her for granted.  He said that he liked her.

Miwa said that her friends are like family to her.

She then left heartbroken when Ritsu told her that Akki was still hugging Ayami.

Miwa walked off and met Aoi, who was surprised to see a soaking wet Miwa.

Aoi was intrigued so he went to see what made her upset.

He saw Ritsu still where Miwa left him.

Aoi who had the hots for Ritsu followed him, despite Ritsu telling her to go away.

But then ended up sleeping together.

Meanwhile, Miwa walked on and then sat down to stare at her feet when three guys saw her.

She would have been gang-raped if Satoru did not find her.

Anyway Akki was also looking for her but she did not want anything more to do with him.

From then on, they stopped being friends/boyfriend/girlfriend.  They avoided each other.

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A month later, Aoi was feeling the worst for wear.  She had a stomach pain that would not go away.

She was being escorted by Miwa to her flat when Akki turned up.

Aoi tried to reconcile Miwa and Akki but she fainted before she could say more.

They found blood oozing from between her legs.

Satoru was curious about Ritsu, who he found asleep in a bench in the sun.  Satoru can’t help himself.  He touched Satoru’s sleeping face and before he knew it, he was being kissed by Ritsu.

Ritsu said that he had done the set. He had kissed everyone and Satoru is the best kiss.  Ritsu said that he can kiss anyone without even liking them.

Episode 5

Aoi miscarried.

Satoru blamed Ritsu for it.  He thinks that Ritsu was the father of the baby.

Ritsu, however, said that Satoru was being a hypocrite.  Satoru was the one who was shagging Aoi all the time so he could not be the father but Satoru.

Meanwhile, Miwa stayed with the sleeping Aoi.

When Aoi woke up, she said that probably Miwa thinks that Aoi is a whore. She then added that she had always envied Miwa who was naturally beautiful.  She then said that she had liked Ritsu from the beginning.  It then turned a bit nasty when she vent her frustration of Miwa. She told Miwa to leave her alone and to go home already.

Miwa felt bad about Aoi.  She was sitting alone in the bus when Akki asked if he could sit next to her.  Miwa complied and they had a very awkward conversation.

When they got to their apartment building, Akki tried to make up with Miwa, telling her that he would like to move forward with her, she was the one he likes but Ayami suddenly turned up and asked Miwa if she could borrow her boyfriend, Akki.

Miwa just walked off.

Akki went with Ayami.  He asked her what she wanted to speak about.

Ayami was not really into talking, because she took action by pretending to have taken ill.  She then fell back on the seetee grabbing Akki with her.

She tried kissing him but he was so shocked, he was frightened.  Ayami persevered but Akki left.

Ayami smiled because she had done her mission.  She was able to take photos  of the rather compromising position from the CCTV and gave it to Miwa.

Meanwhile, Akki’s father while having dinner got talking about Akki’s late mother’s cooking.  His father said that Miwa, when she was just eight years old had asked him to give the biscuit recipe of Akki’s mother which was Akki’s favourite.

Akki then realised how devoted Miwa had been with him.  She had made and bake the biscuits every single day for the last ten years.  He was appalled with himself how he took her for granted.

Miwa was feeling upset as well sitting in her bed from the other side of the wall from Akki’s.

The next day, Ritsu’s sister was all agitated because he had not returned home.  The sister said that probably he got the punishment No 10 from their deranged mother.

Punishment No 2 is never to speak, Punishment no 5 is not to eat and Punishment no 10 was never to come home.

Their mother was self-harming who had a bad experience with Ritsu’s father.  She was so traumatised she made Ritsu to look different from when he was born. She tried to raise him as a girl with long hair.

When Ritsu cut his hair when he was still a little child, his mother locked him in a cupboard.  He was ignored most of his life and it seemed it was only Miwa would comfort him when she can.

Anyway Ritsu did feel guilty about Aoi’s losing the baby.  With everything that was going wrong in his life he decided to end it all by trying to jump from the rooftop of the apartment building.

Miwa turned turned up to stop him but he told her to just let him go.

Miwa hugged him and kissed him.  It was at this point when Akki appeared.

Episode 6