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Juken no Cinderella
Oct. 12th, 2020 12:09 pmTooru Igarashi (Kotaro Koizumi) is a lecturer with charisma, working at a prestigious preparatory school. Recently, he drinks a lot and his life falls apart. Maki Endo (Haruna Kawaguchi) is a student at a part-time high school. Every day, she is exhausted with working multiple jobs to cover her expenses. One day, Tooru and Maki happen to meet each other. Maki wants to graduate high school to get a regular job and asks Tooru to tutor her for her test–retest. After Tooru quit his prep school job, he has lost his pride and passion to teach. Tooru was also diagnosed to have only a year left to live. He decides to teach Maki and get her into the University of Tokyo. (asianwiki-2016)
So-so, I think the target for this drama were mostly for senior students; like a lesson but in drama format of how to study and to be more ambitious and study. And certainly a big marketing strategy for Todai. Since there were tips for better studying and I am, fortunately, done with college and maths problems, etc, this wasn't for me. I wish I had seen this when I was younger, but it was useless for me to watch it in my current 30s.
I did like the relationship between Igarashi and Maki; since it was just the two of them and they really spent a lot of time together, it made sense they created a bond bwn them, which is something I don't feel in most teacher-students uplifting dramas. For example, in Dragon Zakura... Comparing to that drama, Igarashi was as good as a teacher as Sakuragi was. And Maki, while having the same family issues as the students in DZ, wasn't annoying at all. Yes, she was tough, but not like, in your face. Her mother was selfish and like the child in their little family, so Maki's motivation was mostly getting out of that life.
Koizumi Kotaro did well as a teacher, he looks like a culture guy so he needed to have a teacher role at least once in his career. Kawaguchi Haruna was fine, I find her a bit dull but at least she isn't annoying and never overacts. I like her side romance with her classmate Yuta (Yamada Yuki is a cutie here!) and in spite of having a crush on him, she never let that distract her from her studies. On the other hand, Yuta's other admirer... gawd, I hate this kind of character in a drama! The girl who pursues over and over again, lies to have her crush be with his love, and in spite of losing, threatens to take her life if both go to Todai?? At least Maki doesn't let that intimidate her, what a stupid thread, honestly.
I can't even joke about the whole "has 1 year to live" because that is such a typical Japanese melo I can't even. So the dying at the end was meh for me, sorry!
**My rating: 5.5/10**
So-so, I think the target for this drama were mostly for senior students; like a lesson but in drama format of how to study and to be more ambitious and study. And certainly a big marketing strategy for Todai. Since there were tips for better studying and I am, fortunately, done with college and maths problems, etc, this wasn't for me. I wish I had seen this when I was younger, but it was useless for me to watch it in my current 30s.
I did like the relationship between Igarashi and Maki; since it was just the two of them and they really spent a lot of time together, it made sense they created a bond bwn them, which is something I don't feel in most teacher-students uplifting dramas. For example, in Dragon Zakura... Comparing to that drama, Igarashi was as good as a teacher as Sakuragi was. And Maki, while having the same family issues as the students in DZ, wasn't annoying at all. Yes, she was tough, but not like, in your face. Her mother was selfish and like the child in their little family, so Maki's motivation was mostly getting out of that life.
Koizumi Kotaro did well as a teacher, he looks like a culture guy so he needed to have a teacher role at least once in his career. Kawaguchi Haruna was fine, I find her a bit dull but at least she isn't annoying and never overacts. I like her side romance with her classmate Yuta (Yamada Yuki is a cutie here!) and in spite of having a crush on him, she never let that distract her from her studies. On the other hand, Yuta's other admirer... gawd, I hate this kind of character in a drama! The girl who pursues over and over again, lies to have her crush be with his love, and in spite of losing, threatens to take her life if both go to Todai?? At least Maki doesn't let that intimidate her, what a stupid thread, honestly.
I can't even joke about the whole "has 1 year to live" because that is such a typical Japanese melo I can't even. So the dying at the end was meh for me, sorry!
**My rating: 5.5/10**
