Nijiiro Karute (2021)

Imagine watching a rainbow after a long day :)

As usual, Japan is a CHAMPION in the slice of life genre. This is no different, from the heartwarming characters to the heartwarming conversations. In one word, this was UPLIFTING.

This is a drama that touches upon the lives of those living in a small village known as Niji no Mura. The FL relocates to that village because they are the only ones that hire her after she loses her job in a reputable hospital due to the discovery of her illness. She is distraught intially, but after moving to the village, she grows thankful for her illness that allowed her to meet these people in the village. While her job primarily is to cure them & help them out as a doctor, the relationship grows beyond that on the very first day that she relocates. The villagers are welcoming and warm. So are the surgeon and nurse, who she houses with in the clinic. As the drama progresses, we see how these people in the village are not just one community living together. They are essentially one big family that love and care for each other. They support each other on the darkest & happiest days. No one tries to exclude anyone. Everyone tries their best to understand & help each other.

The entire cast was perfectly casted & while there wasn't much of a plot, I tuned in each day to watch these people interact and support one another. The acting was BRILLIANT. This drama is all about human interaction & reaction. From the random to the heartfelt & meaningful conversations, to the tears & joy that just overflowed. It wasn't overtly sentimental or melodramatic but I found myself crying (both out of happiness & sadness) in each episode because of just how much I connected, and felt the characters & their conversations. For those of us (like me) who live in modern cities where we do not even know our neighbors or the people living on the same floor, this drama will have you craving for that sense of community support.

Special mention to the relationship between the FL, the nurse, and the surgeon. I have rarely seen a drama focus on such a beautiful platonic bond between two men and a woman. You even hear her say that she wants to hug them both & kiss them both because she just loves & treasures them so much. They support her on her toughest days & they argue like Tom & Jerry almost everyday. It was just such a WHOLESOME relationship.

The OST was an icing on the cake, especially the flute theme that made me emotional each time it played.

I don't want to give away too much about this drama. It is really an experience. I would recommend everyone to watch this. It will teach you a thing or two about being kind & compassionate to the people around you. Much needed in times of COVID where not only are people feeling isolated & lonely, many are being cast aside on the basis of their race or religion. This will show you what INCLUSION really is, & how inclusion is important for a mentally healthy society.

It is a 10/10 in every aspect.

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Will become your second home :)

I can't even begin to explain how beautiful this drama is. It's beyond words. As a fairly new jdrama watcher, I have found that Japanese dramas have this way of touching your heart, a way that Korean dramas could never replicate.

They become your second family, you never feel excluded, and you grow and learn with them. They become your friends, brothers, sisters, parents, and neighbors. The viewer themselves is considered part of the village, they're part of the family. as the drama progresses, we laugh and cry with the characters, and we learn new things about them. inside jokes start developing, jokes that you wouldn't get unless you had watched the previous episodes

It's hard not to get attached to the characters, each having their own charm. Not to mention how scenic this drama is, the setting of the village is beyond extraordinary and so cottagecore-esque, it makes you feel warm and fuzzy :))

beware before you start this drama, because you will definitely have a hole in your heart once this drama is over, nothing can replace this gem !!

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