Starring Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh, Netflix Asia is bringing us a love story! There are fans who watch a lot of K-dramas, but have you ever tried a J-drama before? Here is your chance. Well, the Japanese industry is famous for creating good movies, and the visuals are generally very aesthetic. We see the same in this J-drama trailer. The trailer starts with a vintage montage. The story is inspired by two songs by Japanese artist Hikaru Utada; “First Love” and “Hatsukoi.” Coincidentally, Hatsukoi also means first love. Coming back to the trailer, we see a vintage montage that is very beautiful, with small clips of what we can call a “home.” The story is about Yae Noguchi (the female lead), who plans to become a flight attendant in the late 90s; however, it looks like she meets with an accident, because of which she quits her dream and becomes a taxi driver. The male protagonist, Harumichi Namiki, was a pilot in the same era, but he quit his job and decided to choose something else. Isn’t that what happens, generally? We carry on talking about our dreams, and then when we grow up, our lives take a different route. Since the Japanese series is inspired by songs, another great song about dreams is “When I Grow Up” by NF, in which he talks about growing up and becoming a rapper.
Returning to the trailer, it shows us how the male lead is still looking for his first love. The title of the show is fitting for the plot because they mention first love like it’s the keyword for an article! Some parts of the trailer sure look cliche, but I am still looking forward to exploring the Japanese industry. The aesthetics of the trailer are somewhat similar to a movie called “Fallen Angels.” It is a Japanese thriller movie with great lighting and cinematography. However, since the series “First Love” is a Netflix original, I was already sure the aesthetics would be very trendy, and by trendy, I mean everyone suddenly loves the past (vintage).
The Songs
The songs in the trailer are the ones that inspired the series, so the feeling is very nostalgic. I also read how people remembered the songs. “First Love” (the song) was released in 1999, and Hatsukoi was released in 2018. Much like the songs, the series is also set in the same time period. Both the leads cross paths again after 20 years. We see them sitting together and having dinner.
There are beautiful scenes between the two of them, who, by the way, look great together. We see small nostalgic moments between the two when they were young and in love in 1998. Further into the trailer, we see how he starts crying once they meet again after years. However, Yae Noguchi says she does not believe in fate, and a man tells her not to run away from it. It seems like the series will be an emotional rollercoaster, so if you are planning to watch it, it is best to be ready with popcorn and tissues!
Moving on, we also see bits and pieces of how their lives are so different, but they seem to be in love the same way. Maybe, this is the beauty of first love. They say you can never forget your first love, but in my case, I do not remember my first love. Maybe, some of us are not aware of what true or first love is, right? Anyway, the trailer offers us some sweet and sour moments between them, but they do not give away too much, which is something I always admire about Netflix trailers. They are almost always crisp and to the point. It is important to not give away a great deal of the stories, especially in love stories, because it hinders one’s interest.
In the trailer, we also see a character saying he will protect her; maybe there is a love triangle angle also because there is no way the leads have not encountered other people in their lives in 20 years! I’m not sure, but there is a woman who asks why God would give people a terrible fate. It is actually very obvious that the whole series would revolve around ‘fate.’ Yae Noguchi is also seen drinking a lot in the trailer, which tells me that she is depressed, maybe because she had to quit her dreams. Also, she is someone who has been in a terrible accident, so maybe, the memories from the accident have made her somewhat doubtful of fate. Who would want to be fated in an accident, and why would someone believe in fate when they had to leave their dreams behind in life? However, it looks like Harumichi Namiki has come to the rescue! He makes her love life again and gives her hope again. Maybe he is the typical “Mr. He-Will-Fix-Me.” If that’s the case, he will have a separate fanbase, for sure.
Final Words
All in all, the series “First Love” looks very promising and wholesome. It also has an emotional side to it, which I personally crave in a love story. I am sure people who love K-Dramas would explore this side of the Asian industry, too, because now the Asian industry is bringing non-stop content to Netflix, and their market is growing rapidly, which is rather impressive. The miniseries comes out on the 24th of November, and just to get an idea of what the industry offers in particular, you can always explore other J-dramas. One could say that this miniseries could be different and unique. But I can’t vouch for it until it comes out, and I watch it for myself. It does look like a typical love story with a tragic angle, but the only reason I am looking forward to it is the inspiration behind it. Even though I am not a big fan of love stories, it is intriguing how the creators have put together a miniseries taking inspiration from two songs, so that, for me, is enough reason to binge-watch.
