if you liked “the mating game” and want more of that same sexy evening sound, bitter:sweet’s second offering won’t disappoint.

don’t come into this expecting variety or an obvious evolution. i’ll admit, i was dubious about the thought of not seeing growth from these guys after their delightful start. especially after spending the last two years with my stereo bittersweetly set to ‘overplay’.

but “drama” turns out to be everything good about their previous work, repackaged in a way that i could enjoy anew. 3.5 stars; damn you allconsuming for not allowing halves!

what puts me off a lot of this style of japanese entertainment is how much i feel i’m supposed to know before watching. it’s as if i need to go away and do some homework before relaxing in front of my telly to enjoy this.

but i persevered and at the end of this series found a fascinating concept wrapped up in a story that doesn’t tell itself very well. maybe my ability to appreciate has atrophied with the amount of traditional western media i watch, but this still gets a thumbs up for being clever, but two thumbs down for not being fun to watch.

2 stars.

lots of love,
me and my three thumbs.