Utada Hikaru’s “First Love” was a big hit, but it was more popular within Japan itself than anywhere else in the world. It’s a testament to its indelible place in modern Japanese consciousness that an entire Netflix produced drama would be created inspired by this one song, making it its namesake.
Starring J-drama veterans Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh with new generation actors Rikako Yahi and Taisei Kido as their characters’ younger self counterparts, the story follows two high school sweethearts and their tumultuous lives in the tides of fate.
The merits of the show are many. The cinematography is a lovely balance of natural camera work while maintaining a professional stabilization base. The colors are cool and warm where needed, capturing the natural beauty of northern Japan’s Hokkaido setting while giving the life of the characters room to breathe. Actor performances were on point, their interactions heartfelt and convincing in building the texture of their lives. Spanning decades, the representation of the different periods of Japan society and history provides a realistic sense of time travel. Being inspired by the song “First Love”, the plot appropriately revolves around music, while the soundtrack is well matched with the lingering bittersweetness of young love on pause.
The main weak point is the macro plot structure. Though the strands of the characters stories are intricately woven together, the big dramatic events that drive the story forward are too contrived. Perhaps there was no other option, and this may be a target-audience problem. Likely the average drama fan would not at all blink an eye at the use of cliched plot devices–after all, it is a drama, and what’s a drama if not dramatic? What bothered me about this show likely would not bother most viewers, so recommended for those who love a good love story with plenty of believable angst.
