Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita (2019) - First Impressions

Drama: My Favorite Member (English title)

Romaji: Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita
Japanese: だから私は推しました
Director: Keita Hosaka, Yoshio Watanabe
Writer: Yoshiko Morishita
Actors: Yuki Sakurai, Sei Shiraishi, Yu Sawabe

Most people know Japanese dramas for being formulaic, repetitive and full of tropes, which is due to the huge amount of high school and job oriented Jdramas being released each season. Little did they know there is one aspect where Jdramas excels alot, that is when their creativity takes over and start to think outside the box. They are not afraid to take risk, and when they nail it, they nail it hard. This way of thinking gave birth to masterpieces across different period in Japan's rich film history, which same can be said for their dramas as well.

I've only watched four episodes, but from what I've seen, Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita has the potential to be one of the best Japanese dramas ever. I'm not saying this because I'm a guy, and I like cute girls singing cute catchy songs. I'm not even a huge fan of an idol group and definitely my knowledge on this idol scene is very limited. I said it because I do crave for fascinating stories that add to the human experience. Escapism is the number one reason why I love watching moving images on screen. Realistic world and epic settings are the key factors for me, and contribute to the escapism. Dakara Watashi wa Oshimashita achieved that, that it makes me want to escape into it over and over

The plot is very timely and original. In today's world where the number of idol fans is on its peak, and the way the drama's narrative is well-layered, I think it's safe to say that this story will hit home on so many levels. That connection to idol is well portrayed. It's not just a simple handshake, but a sincere thought of support to someone. Different people have different reasons for being a fan, for some it's physical attraction, but for Endo Ai, our protagonist in this drama, meeting Hana is the biggest turning point in her life.

Endo Ai is an office lady who is addicted to social media. Everyday she's aiming to get the most likes as possible. One day, she happens to see underground idol Kurimoto Hana perform live. She saw similarities between her and Hana. Both are looking for that attention and even though Hana is not that good at performing, it's Hana's positive attitude what makes her moving forward. Ai is touched by her not because of her performance but because of her eagerness to get better.

This drama gives us an insight to the life of "Wotas", a person who is a fan of idol groups. Unlike in K-pop they don't call their favorite Bias, they call them Oshi. It's also fascinating to know different things about idol underground culture. This drama is very informative on that aspect. Those chants are catchy and fun. But it is not all positive. The drama didn't shy away from the negative things about this culture, like prejudice on being a Wota, unhealthy obsessed Idol fans and the unfair wage practices in this industry.

Though the writing in this drama is its strongest asset, it's those damn visual what takes it on another level. The cinematography is perfect. I love the use of colors, especially whenever neon lights are present. I dare to say this is what they called cinematic storytelling, which you can't separate visual style to visual language. Sound design is also great, and with the help of brilliant editing makes such scene very dynamic. Not just dynamic scenes, but it also has fair share of scenes that will give you goose bumps. Music used during those climactic scenes fits perfectly. It underlines the mood and evokes characters emotion. 

Speaking of characters, even if the drama achieved excellence in writing, cinematograph and music, the drama would have failed without good actors aboard. Good thing though that this drama have good capable actors. Sakurai Yuki and Shiraishi Sei's acting is on point, and should I say they have cute chemistry as well? That chemistry is a huge reason why these characters are well portrayed.

So what are you waiting for?  If you are a fan of Idols, especially if you feel you have certain connection to your idol, then stop whatever you are doing right now. Grab that glow stick near you and get ready to watch this wonderful drama. ^_^