Skip to main content

Ao Haru Ride (2023) Season 1 Live Action Review

Hello, everyone! Thank you for clicking this page. It's been a while, but I hope everyone is happy and spend the new year with the ones you love💗

Today, I will share my thoughts about the first season of Ao Haru Ride (2023). I finished watching this live action series back in December, but I want to write a review since the second season is out today, if I'm not mistaken.

(Official Poster)
Another Title: Blue Spring Ride Season 1
Native Title: アオハライド Season１
Director(s): Mahito Kimura, Yusuke Matsuda 
Writer: Io Sakisaka (manga), Sayaka Kuwamura
Network: WOWOW 
Episode: 8
Release Date: September 22 - November 10, 2023
Casts: Natsuki Deguchi, Kaito Sakurai, Sara Shida, Riko, etc.

Futaba Yoshioka (Natsuki Deguchi) was still in a middle school when she fell in love with kind and warmhearted Ko Tanaka (Kaito Sakurai). That year, during the summer, Ko asked her to go to a summer festival with him. Futaba was so excited, but Ko never showed up in that festival. When the summer break was over, Futaba learnt that Ko was transferred to another school. Futaba was shocked and brokenhearted.

Now in high school, after many things happened, Futaba has changed a lot. She pretends to be a clumsy girl so her girl friends do not leave her. She also accidentally meets Ko again. But his surname is now Mabuchi. His personality is also very different from what Futaba knows. Ko Mabuchi looks cold and unapproachable. 

(Natsuki Deguchi as Futaba Yoshioka)

(Kaito Sakurai as Ko Mabuchi)

*** 

I really love Ao Haru Ride manga. I have read it, watched the anime, also watched the 2014 live action movie (did not love it; it was okay, but I love the supporting actors and actresses) so it can be said that I know the source materials of this adaptation. The manga is so good. I cannot quite explain it, but the feeling the manga gave me, it's so beautiful. But I'm open to the ideas of any adaptation, so here I am. 


First, the story. Of course there are some scenes that are changed. I also understand that not all of the original things can be brought to the adaptation. But the storyline is pretty much similar to the manga. The important parts that gave you butterflies (if you know, you know😉) are also included. So, I'm happy with the storyline.

(One of the scenes that gives me butterflies₊˚⊹♡)


But, I'm gonna be honest, I don't like the first four episodes. I just think the pacing feels weird. The direction of the acting is kind of weird as well; it makes the casts look awkward. The friendship between Futaba, Yuri Makita (Riko) and Shuko Murao (Sara Shida) seems stiff in the first half of the series. But the rest of the episodes? They are great! Especially between Futaba and Ko and a little love triangle with Toma Kikuchi (Ryousuke Sota). The friendship between the characters looks good too as the serie progressed.

(Sara Shida as Shuko, Riko as Yuri and Natsuki Deguchi as Futaba)

(Futaba and Ko's friend group)

And whoever says that Ko is a red flag, no. It's more complicated than what appears on the surface. The story is deeper than that and you will know why Ko acts like that and trauma that he's been through shapes the person who he is now. The story also discusses familial relationship, trauma and healing. 

Second, the acting. It's okay, but there's definitely room for improvement. But I really love Natsuki Deguchi and Kaito Sakurai. I think they are perfect for Futaba and Ko. They show a good chemistry together. The rest of the casts also develop the good chemistry towards the end of the episodes. I have a tiny thing that sometimes kind of irritates me. It's Makita's hair. I'm sorry, but her hair looks fake (maybe it's a wig, but it can be more natural, I believe?). 





I think that's all I can say, since this is the first season only. I will also write my review for the second season after it finishes airing. For the rating, I give this one 3,5⭐️ out of 5 stars, because I dislike the first half of the series, but really love the second half of it. What is your rating of this famous manga adaptation? Please comment down below✨️ see you next time!♡

(Bonus pict. Beautiful Natsuki💗)






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Secret Diary (2023) Review: A Feel-Good and Sweet Romance Movie

Hello, everyone! Nice to see you again!😊 as you've seen in the title, today I want to share a concise review of Our Secret Diary. (Official Poster) (Another poster) Title: Our Secret Diary/Exchange Lies Diary Native Title: 交換ウソ日記 Writer: Sakura Iiyo (novel), Nami Yoshikawa Director: Kentaro Takemura Genres: Romance, Youth Producer: Satoko Ishida, Tetsuta Tone Cinematographer: Yoko Itakura  Release Date: July 7th, 2023 Duration: 1hr. 50 minutes  Casts: Hiyori Sakurada, Fumiya Takahashi, Mizuki Kayashima, Ryosuke Sota, Nagisa Saito, Mizuki Itagaki, etc. Nozomi Kuroda (Hiyori Sakurada) finds a love confession letter in her desk. The letter is from Jun Setoyama (Fumiya Takahashi), a popular guy from her school. The two begin exchange a secret diary, but Setoyama thinks that he exchanges diary with Nozomi's bestfriend, Erino Matsumoto (Mizuki Kayashima). Nozomi knows that what she's done is wrong, but she can't back down, not when she slowly begins to like him. How does Noz...
Post a Comment
Read more

One Second Ahead, One Second Behind (2023) Review: Unexpected, but Delightful

Yup, as you've read from the title, the movie that will be discussed has an unexpected little twist, but surprisingly, it works and adds a touch of coziness to it!⋆.ೃ࿔ (Movie Posters) Title: One Second Ahead, One Second Behind Another Title: One Second Ahead of Him Native Title: 1秒先の彼 Screenwriter: Kankuro Kudo Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita  Genres: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Release Date: July 7th, 2023 Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes  Casts: Masaki Okada, Kaya Kiyohara, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, and others. So, what is this movie about? It's about Hajime Sumeragi (Masaki Okada) who works as a post office counter in Kyoto. He is a very good-looking man but he is always one step ahead in doing everything in his life. He is the kind of person who has fast tempo in life. On the other hand, there is Reika Chosokabe (Kaya Kiyohara), who is always being a slow-tempo person. She is a quiet person and loves taking pictures through her camera. Even though she is one second behind, she seems already...
Post a Comment
Read more

Revisiting First Love in 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days (2024)

Hello, everyone! As the title suggests, I want to discuss Japanese x Taiwanese movie that released this year, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days. Theatrical Poster Also Known As: Sei Shun 18×2 Kimi e to Tsudzuku Michi, Qing Chun 18×2 Er Tong Wang You Ni De Lu Cheng Native Title: 青春18×2 君へと続く道 Screenwriter & Director: Michihito Fujii Genres: Romance, Life, Youth, Drama Release Date: March 14th, 2024 Duration: 2 hours and 3 minutes Casts: Greg Hsu, Kaya Kiyohara, Shunsuke Michieda and others.  This dual timeline movie tells a 36-year-old Jimmy (Greg Hsu), as he goes back to his hometown in Tainan, after an incident that ruins his career. There, he finds photos of his friend group from his past, when he was 18 years old. That was the time when he met his first love, a Japanese woman named Ami (Kaya Kiyohara). Jimmy, without any planning, decides to travel to Japan. Greg Hsu as Jimmy Kaya Kiyohara as Ami Another movie that breaks my heart, but in the best ways possible. This movie is one of...
Post a Comment
Read more