To @agdr03 –
I finally found the antidote to the sordidness of “In-House Marriage Honey.”
“Marry Me” is a wholesome drama that I’d recommend to my young daughter
…if I had a daughter. So miserable. Me have no daughter to watch dramas with.
Only 10 episodes, it’s based on a webcomic of the same name. It shows the steady progress of romance between a couple who married under an experimental program. The show made clear the agenda of the government.
“An experimental law was enacted as a countermeasure against an aging society with low birthrate and the growing number of unemployed young people. It’s known as the ‘NEET program.’ In addition, prior to implementation, a provisional implementation by government officials was about to take place behind the scenes.”
I’m sure you’ve heard of NEET before, @agdr03. But for those who haven’t –
NEET is an acronym for citizens who are “Not in Education, Employment, or Training.” Although the term sounds straightforward enough, you can’t help sensing a tinge of condescension towards the very people for whom the government program was meant to assist. Because the label “NEET” lumps together people who don’t have a job regardless of their reasons for unemployment, there’s a general impression that they’re work-shy or lazy.
That’s what appealed to me about the show.
I like the hero, Akiyasu Shin, because he saw the girl, Sawamoto Himari, as a real person, and not merely a datapoint in a labor statistics. Others would have looked at her with dismay because she looked like a social misfit: timid, untidy, tongue-tied, awkward. But he treated her with gentleness and consideration.
They were both selected to participate in the pilot program as its first test subjects. He had no choice really, because as a government employee, his promotion was dependent on his cooperation. As his director told him, his success would set a good example for the citizens. He was solving two national crises with their union. Not only was he going to increase, he was also reintegrating a NEET into society through marriage.
That’s how Shin viewed his marriage. It was his civic duty.
The trouble here was Himari had no clue that such a program existed. She didn’t register herself in the program; her dying grandmother did. To her grandmother, the NEET program would ensure that her beloved grandchild was never alone in the world.
From Himari’s perspective, the marriage was the last wish of her grandmother.
She wasn’t sold on the idea so he had to visit her three times to convince her to marry him. Hence the title of the show, “Marry Me.”
The first time he dropped by, he was shocked to see a crowd gathered at her place. A concerned neighbor had called the police, thinking that Himari was dead inside her home. The neighbor mistook the uncollected mail in Himari’s letterbox as a sign of her death.
So the police began asking her, “Miss, where’s your family? Are you a student? Or do you work?” When she didn’t respond, the police pulled her out to question her in the open. That’s when Shin stepped in and introduced himself as her husband. He took control of the situation and dispersed the crowd.
In this brief scene, I thought the story showed the problems that a NEET like Himari faced. First, she must have been surprised by the appearance of the crowd, and intimidated by the unwanted attention on her. They intruded on her privacy as if they had a right to do so.
Second, she was reticent to tell them that her elderly cat was the only family she got, and that she was neither a student nor a worker. Being a NEET is like being deprived on one own’s identity. Society tends to link a person’s status to his/her family, education, and employment. Since she had none of these, she was a nobody.
Third, when Shin presented himself as a husband, no one questioned him or demanded proof. That’s because he appeared more credible and reliable, dressed in his officewear, than Himari who was dressed in her comfy sweats.
After the crowd left, he formally introduced himself to Himari.
Shin: My name is Akiyasu Shin. You registered for NEET Protection Act’s pilot implementation, right? After a rigorous review, you have been selected as the trial subject. I’m sure you’ve seen the advance notice. I’m your guardian and spouse as of today. Let’s join hands together to make this country a better place.”
In response to his outstretched hand, she slammed the door. The advance letters he just mentioned fell to the ground. I thought it was a funny twist of fate that the advance notices of her civil marriage were the unopened mail that propelled the neighbor to call on the police.
The second time Shin dropped by her house to ask her to marry him,
she told him to cancel the marriage because her application was done without her permission. He knew her noncooperation would jeopardize his career, so he adopted a hard line with her. He asked her why she wasn’t working.
Shin: Why aren’t you working? According to the file, the highest level of education you’ve completed is junior high. You never took high school entrance exams, nor worked full-time or even part-time. This law was designed to save people who are alienated from society in the form of marriage. If you have no health problems, you can cancel the application by coming out into society.
Fortunately, a neighbor talked to him on his way home, and revealed that Himari was actually a cheerful girl till her grandmother died. The neighbor also confirmed that she had quit school early so she could take care of aging grandparents. She was still recovering from the loss of both grandparents. He misjudged her grieving period for long-term depression.
The third time he asked her to marry him, they were at the animal hospital. Her elderly cat Momotaro had taken ill, and he accompanied her. While sitting outside the ER, it dawned on him that Himari had always lived for somebody else. She was so accustomed to caring for others that she didn’t know how to live for herself. He pitied her.
That’s when he proposed to her again.
This time, however, his offer had a new purpose. He wasn’t offering marriage to improve the country or to rehabilitate her. He was offering her a family. It’s as if he was giving her the security of a family that she lost in order to grow wings and fly on her own.
Shin: Please marry me. I think what you need most right now is a family. I’ll be your family, so find your own happiness in that. You don’t have to love me, so find a way to love yourself.
And family is a major theme in this dorama. In each episode, the two of them would learn what a family meant for them, and expand their family from a circle of two to include his family and her neighbors, until finally a baby of their own.
As he was proposing to her, Himari remembered her grandmother at her deathbed. Shin’s words echoed her grandmother’s last words.
Grandma: I’m sorry. Your grandpa and I took away all your happiness.
Himari: What?
Grandma: I’m sorry we can’t give you back any happiness.
Himari: I’m sorry, Grandma, that I made you feel this way. But I don’t feel like any happiness was taken away. I was really happy.
Grandma: From now, find your own happiness. You have to live for yourself.
That’s why Himari agreed to marry Shin. She realized the meaning of her grandmother’s dying wish for her. That is, if she’s going to seek her own path to happiness, then it would be better if she had someone along with her.
To me, the icing on the (wedding) cake was the registration of the marriage. This was a simple scene, but I think you’ll appreciate it, agdr03. Since filing the paperwork was simply a formality, Shin didn’t need Himari beside him to do it. He decided to go alone to City Hall on his way to work.
But while waiting at the registrar, he witnessed a newly-wed couple register their marriage. They looked so happy and so different from Himari’s sad face that it struck him that perhaps Himari wasn’t really okay with their arrangements.
So he sprinted back home.
Shin: Sawamoto-san!
Himari: What’s going on? What about work?
Shin: Um…do you not want to marry me?
Himari: What?
I don’t know how accurate the subs are, but for the first time, he wasn’t asking her to marry him. He was asking if she perhaps didn’t want to marry him at all. He was giving her an exit.
Shin: If you don’t like it, it’d be better to call off this marriage.
I like that, before they finalized their marriage, he was already learning to put her happiness in the forefront. I like it because they’re starting their marriage off on the right foot.
Himari: (admitting) I don’t dislike it…
Shin: Are you sure? Being bound by such a law, and marrying a man you don’t know.
Himari: That day when I thought Momotaro was really going to die, it crossed my mind that it’d be better to be with you than to be alone. I’d be lying if I say I’m not worried. I’m not sure. I don’t really know you, and I don’t have feelings for you.
I think this was the longest speech she ever made. I take it as a sign of her growing affinity for him that she could expressed herself. She was telling him that despite her uncertainties, she preferred to be with him than be alone.
With that reassurance, Shin walked over to her and handed her the marriage certificate.
Shin: Do you want to come with me to submit our marriage registration? If you say so, Sawamoto-san, I’m going to find a way to make you happy, too.
I like that he changed his mind about doing the registration by himself. I like that he realized that marriage would take two.
lol. His marriage proposal kept changing. First, it was to serve the country. Next, it was to reintegrate her into society. Then, it was to give her a family. And now, it was to make her happy. It was finally sounding like a love proposal.
Himari held on to the other side of the marriage certificate, and then she beamed up at him. This was a big moment because this was the first time she looked happy since they met each other.
Himari: So today’s our wedding anniversary, right?
Shin: Yes.
That’s why I said that this is my antidote to that trashy “In-House Marriage Honey.”
There was none of that push-pull dynamics in IHMH to turn me off. I also didn’t have to be disgusted by the heroine’s fake demureness and the hero’s lewd games. Himari isn’t a sly fox, and her innocence is real. I don’t have to wonder whether she was just using her cuteness for scheming like in IHMH. And I like how Shin and Himari allowed themselves time to know each other before they went to bed together.
This dorama’s outlook on marriage, happiness, and family is solid.
It’s not on Viki yet, so I recommend you watch this series on Youtube before it’s taken down. 🙂
Thanks @pkml3. I am in awe that you have time to catch all these other little shows on the side and do a review on them as well on top of everything else you do!!!
I’m now struggling with a new mobile phone. I’m so low tech LOL. It’s taking me forever.
I’ll watch this when I need a break from the usual fare. It sounds safe and sweet. 😉
Sold! I’ll start it tonight. 😍
When he kept asking her to marry him without pushing and even with the reasons changing, he had me then. ☺️
Thank you! ☺️
I misread the post and thought this was a thumbs up review of the very skeevy “in house marriage honey” which left me unsettled and grossed out. (Lack of agency for the FL maybe?) Re read post and this is about a drama called “marry me”. 😅 I am going to watch and report back! Thanks for the recommendation! Always up for a good romance which is why I liked “you are my hero” so much. Thanks packmule3!
Thank you, @Packmule3. I am interested in the concept of a government and industry matchmaking and rewarding NEETs within its society for marrying and procreating. 😐 I can’t imagine it working in the States or here, so the cultural differences will be interesting. From a dramatic point of view, it will probably be similar to some other arranged marriage themes. Thank you for the heads up. I’m looking forward to it.
🙂 That’s what happens when I have long flights.
A 4-hr flight x 2 + wait = 10 hour drama
Good luck with your new cellphone. I know, right? Every time I hear people say “smartphone” I wonder who are they trying to kid. If the phones are so smart, why do they make me feel dumb? Phone use should be intuitive.
The funny thing is I kept our old phone with that rotary dial to show my (future) grandkids. I want them to know where the expressions “hang up” and “dial up” came from.
There’s no way a NEET program would work here in the US even if it meant saving humanity. People couldn’t even agree on mask 😷 and voters ID.
But yes, this is an arranged marriage theme with the government acting as the overbearing parents. I like how the hero stands up for his wife in Ep 8 (or was it 9?). You’ll see it.
@pkml3 thanks for posting about this show! I went and watched all 10 episodes and really enjoyed it! I went to read the webtoon and was surprised that I like the drama much better than the webtoon. The FL in the drama feels more like a real person. This couple in Marry me is so cute and it’s such a fluffy show. No villains, just happy and cute. I like it!
I’m on episode 3! ☺️
Akiyasu is a decent guy! I like that he treats Himari with respect. I like his voice overs.
It was a cute trip to the home Center.
The Home Center trip was cute. If I were Akiyasu, I wouldn’t be able to resist spoiling her. Her face looked like a chipmunk 🐿 when she was eating her crepe.
Hahaha Akiyasu is so good, bringing Waka at home to discuss their past in front of Himari. 👍🏻😂
I thought when he came home without the lights on it was in reference to the movie The Ring. 😱😂
She was extra cute when she showed him the matching tea cups. 🥰
Yes. That was on point! He didn’t want Himari left out in the conversation with his ex.
He’s a good guy.
Yes! I have to take a screenshot of that adorable face. She looked so excited all because of matching coffee mugs.
I laughed when he said he almost died because of the door.
He’s not so bad around the house. That’s good.
🙂 Wait. Don’t tell me you watched it after I posted?
Yes. It’s a good show to watch in-between the serious dramas we’re watching here. It certainly took my mind off serious problems at work. That it’s all subbed made it binge-able, too. No need to wait.
The female lead always surprised. Whenever I would predict that she was going to react in a certain way, she would do something totally different.
I think for a COVID-stressed time, this dorama is just right.
He’s manners are always on point too. When his parents showed up unexpectedly he apologised as soon as he saw Himari.
Himari for all her loneliness after losing her Grandmother now has a full house with brother in law and parents in law. 😂
Aww her face when Sho called her elder sister. 😍
@packmule3 If it makes you feel any better,I have 2 teen daughters, but neither of them will watch dramas with me. They _are_ usually up for a Studio Ghibli film, certain anime series, and music videos (that they choose) though.
I agree that this is a lovely dorama with appealing and compassionate leads. It has been a pleasure to watch so far.
I saw a positive review of this show on another site a couple of months ago that piqued my interest couldn’t find it anywhere and then promptly forgot about it. Now after seeing your comments, I really want to watch it. YouTube, you say??
YouTube, birdie007.
Also found it on Kissasian last night. Make sure it’s the Japanese drama (10 episodes), not the Chinese one (35 episodes). 😂
Thanks for this recommendation @PM3! It’s the perfect, light, sweet, wholesome drama to binge and de-stress in the weekend. I finished all 10 eps today. Hahaha!
The ML is also the lead in Cinderella on line which is the Japanese version of Love 020. I enjoyed all the characters, the acting was natural and not OTT. I can feel the happiness of the FL as the relationship progresses and both fall in love with each other and become a real family.
I was afraid the ex girlfriend will be a villain but I’m glad she turned to be a good friend to both, even an instigator to level up the OTP’s relationship with a sp gift that turned into their honeymoon. There’s really no bad egg in this drama which is a relief! Even the encounter with his parents turned positive. My kind of drama once in a while.
Cheers and happy weekend!
Hi @Janey, thanks for the review. This show sounds lovely. Just sweet with minimal conflict and everything ending happily. Just what we need nowadays!! I’m tempted to binge watch it too. 😉
I’m chuckling at @packmule3 wishing for a daughter so she could watch this together with her. Mine have no interest in the dramas we like here, so we have to watch other things together. Last night it was the bling and glitz of Eurovision’s big return; we bonded over mutual appreciation of the absurdity of it all and which of us picked the top scorers.
I’m 1.5 episodes into Marry Me.
The ML was on “Cinderella on Line” too? I mentioned COL here but I stopped after Ep 1 bec the subs weren’t out.
I was eyeing all additional characters with suspicion. If this were a kdrama, the runaway child, his dad, his ex, her classmate, his coworker, his parents, his brother, and his bro’s girl, would have all been written as nefarious types. But as you said, there’s no bad egg here. I liked how the story played on tropes and stereotypes. Each new character presented a conflict which was then promptly resolved by episode’s end.
Heh, I’m into Ep 5 and it’s giving me toothache. Can definitely binge all episodes by the end of this afternoon!!
😂 I was able to foist “Little House on the Prairie” and “Twilight” on my boys (the books, not the shows), but that was about it. I’ve done my job. I couldn’t even visit Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyworld because I knew I’d just end up with a heartache at all the Princess costumes and doodads on sale there.
Didn’t you see how cute Himari was with the teacups?
@pkml3, I have 2 daughters (and 1 son) and they refused to wear skirts or dresses or do up their hair with pretty accessories. The only girly stuff they liked were stuffed toys. They hardly wanted to go shopping with me.
As for shows, only when the elder girl decided she wanted to watch a show did we manage to sit together to watch a few. Haven’t done that in yonks!
At amusement parks, it was their mother who was the avid fan of the rides and fun stuff. They preferred to chill in the cool of the hotel. LOL. So much for having daughters.
Why are you all binge-watching this? Haha.
Ep 5 was the hug. And her kiss. 😂 This episode is so Victorian.
I was amazed by the Sawamoto’s inexperience in society outside her neighbourhood. Her grandparents must have been very conservative. Watching her do the laundry by hand and never seeing the inside of a home store, never having a mobile phone made me think that the grandparents may have been very poor in addition. She comes across as visitor from another era, for example, a post-war housewife. It was so sad when her grandmother said that they had taken Sawamoto’s happiness. In addition to the love story, it would be an awakening to the current time. I suppose I’ll see as we go.
Not go shopping?! Even for shoes???
Same here! I love doing the roller coasters, GB. I went with my boys when they were little while my hubby held my purse. When they grew bigger, they rode together, and that was the end of my roller coaster days. 🤪 My hubby would get sick at the slightest bit of dip in the ride.
@pkml3 When they were much younger they’d get the stuff the needed on our shopping trips. But they never got girly stuff. I was the one trying to bring around at least 1 daughter or another to look at nice bags or accessories and clothes. They were unimpressed. In the end they took me to casual wear stores (sports shoes, jeans and shirts) as their walking cash dispensing machine/credit card.
ヘ(￣ー￣ヘ)
Right, Fern? It was like she came from another era, as you said. Kinda like Rip Van Wrinkle who woke up after 20 years to find everything so different. But in her case, she was only gone from society for 3 years of high school plus a couple more for college. (The baseball player was still playing for college, right?) So I’d say she’s been a NEET for 5 years.
I’m glad though that it was Shin beside her. He had the right temperament to guide her. He didn’t forbid her from going to the park with another man and his child. He could have easily been jealous since I’m sure strangers would think that Himari was out in the park with her child and hubby.
As a mom of sons, I see the situation in a different way, GB: your daughters will be easy to buy presents for as they don’t go for the usual girl stuff.
I’ve seen one son of mine rack his brain for suitable Valentines Day, Christmas Day, and birthday gifts because the GF is into girly stuff, and he has limited experience in what’s acceptable girly stuff, especially in the jewelry department. He just doesn’t get the concept of “dainty” or “classic”. 🤦♀️
Maybe what you consider non-girly is just the design? Like jeans. I don’t see them as girly, as opposed to skirts. But there are some really cute jeans out there for girls. I don’t mean the ones with the holes. But those with embroideries, lace inserts or patches.
Waaaaaaa! Hana-chan is the cutest baby ever! 🥰🥰🥰
My gosh! Himari was a gorgeous bride! I had a tear when Akiyasu looked at her with tears in his eyes. 🥰🥰🥰
I was so scared when Himari left her phone at home and Akiyasu was looking for her everywhere. 😱 It was so touching how he reassured her that he’ll be there by her side and there’s his parents and the neighbours too that will help in raising the baby in a happy environment.
What a lovely story and I couldn’t fault it at all. Everyone had a role to play and they all fitted well into it. I think this my first place in dorama now, LLF is second. ☺️ Akiyasu is just perfect. He was patient, he was kind, he was honest. Himari was very innocent but she knew her ways and she was able to communicate well with Akiyasu. What a great cook she is too! ☺️I loved how they always talk about things as a family.
I really loooooved the ending! 🥰🥰🥰
I didn’t want to spoil the ending for you, agdr03.
It came full circle, didn’t it? That’s why Himari changed her mind when Akiyasu said he would be become her family. He got the heart of the matter. She was an abandoned child so family was a big thing for her. Her grandparents tried to fill in the hole left by her mother, but they died. And now, as a mother herself with a baby daughter of her own, she’s complete. She won’t be left alone.
I like how she’s always grateful for little things.
The story is rather simple. But it’s life-affirming and uplifting. It makes you feel happy and positive. It’s what we need to take a break from stress.
Glad you liked it. 🌸 Now, I’ve to tweet this to @mslee since she’s looking for a rec after LLF. 😅 I forgot my Twitter password.
@GB, I can relate to both the girly stuff and the casual wear. I looked at my computer this morning and the younger daughter who is also girly, had put £265 of sports training wear into a potential to-buy basket. 🤯 🔈🔊📢🧯🧯🧯
Thanks so much for finding it, or thanks to your job because you found it in between flights. 🥞🥞🥞🌷🌷🌷🥰
It’s a simple story but it’s got heart and family, which is all that matters. ☺️ I laughed, I cried and it made me happy. Definitely positive and very uplifting! 👍🏻
😂😂 £265??!
Are you going to give her the “money doesn’t grow on trees” talk? Go easy. I’m glad I’m through that stage but at the same time, I miss it. I realized we didn’t have any more *dependent* children when my hubby offered to buy our youngest son a new set of tires for the car and he actually turned it down.😭 I tell you: it was WEIRD to hear that. It made me blink.
Anyway, I still buy them small things to hand them when they come over. They have no choice but to accept them. I recently got them those girly cloth headbands seen in kdramas when the girl washes face. 😂😂 They knew I was shopping at the Asian mart again….
@Fern that’s a lot of money to go! I’m glad my kids only got into online shopping after they did some work and earned a bit of money. So far I’ve not had to pay for their online stuff. I don’t even know what they get up to and buy.
You’re welcome.
I’m watching a Cdrama next. It’s a Sherlock Holmes type. Little romance but it has Sandra Ma.
Enjoy Sandra Ma’s cdrama. 👍🏻
I still have to watch You Are My Hero but I’m starting on Please Feel At Ease Mr Ling (24 episodes – Viki) and Use For My Talent (24 episodes – Netflix).
My kdrama list is Move To Heaven and DAYS. ☺️
Oh yeahhhh. I’ve to finish my report on You Are My Hero! 🤦♀️
Have you finished it?
Almost. 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌
It’s really a sweet drama.
I’ll definitely watch it. ☺️
Love the banter on this thread! LOL!
I guess I’m the opposite mom who is not into girly stuff and would always offer a practical option for the daughter. I didn’t encourage Disney Princess dresses, for one they were expensive! she found her girly ways (make up and hair styles) through YT. She knows she can get a faster yes from mom to buy new books than accessories so she saves for those.
And I enjoy rollercoasters and amusement park rides. Finally when she was 10, daughter started liking them too and we would be riding partners and would wait to be the first in the ride for added thrill. I would volunteer to take other kids for park trips and give their parents a break.
She introduced me to kpop and eventually kdrama (although she does not watch them but she knows what’s trending), they are more into anime. We like watching movies and scrutinizing male leads.
Thanks for letting me share some good memories. Daughter will be leaving home for university this fall and we will miss her terribly.
@packmule3 and @Growing Beautifully, It was a false alarm. My daughter only needed a pair of tights and a sports top for athletics training but she put in lots of options so she could discuss it with me and choose between them. Thank goodness. I don’t mind buying her things that she truly needs for training. The next big thing might be a pair of starting blocks.
So she’s all that sporty stuff but is gearing up for Leavers’ Prom, too. Girls are expensive.
I have to second @agdr03’s opinion about the gorgeous baby Hana-chan. 😍🥰 I was getting baby feels — like I need to find someone with a baby I’m allowed to hold. Not likely in this era, eh?
@Janey, it sounds like you have wonderful memories of your daughter’s childhood. Gosh, I remember those Disney dresses. We had some hand-me-downs as well as some new – the girls loved them so much.
@packmule3 and @agdr03, You Are My Hero is excellent. Someone mentioned propaganda, but I see that in many of the dramas we watch in one form or another – mostly cuisine however rather than weaponry and law enforcement equipment.
I like Sandra Ma’s acting. She is so natural around other people. the ML is good as well and his character is very caring.
@Fern – one of the “styles” of my daughter is to also put more stuff in the shopping cart and see if they pass muster “just in case” some items get approved. LOL!
Looking forward to “You are My Hero” post. I enjoyed that, too. Dr. MiKa is like SHwa in HP, she cares a lot for patients and they come first vs ego or fame.
@Janey, in the real shopping cart or the virtual one? My older daughter tends to do that if we go food shopping. I’ve gotten into the habit of checking every so often so I don’t feel manipulated at the checkout point.
Good call on Dr Mi Ka being like SHwa in HP. I think SHwa is written as a more nuanced character, but their outlook is similar. I’m looking forward to that post as well.
Thanks for reccommending this sweet rom com! It sounds cute. Much appreciated. I tried to find it on Viki, but I guess it’s not available in my region. I’ll try to watch it at the “other sites”.
@adgr03 I’m also watching Use For My Talent on Netflix. Jasper & Shen Yue are the cutest couple! And I really like SY hairstyle in this drama. Finally a flattering look for her! She deserves it!
Also just found out that the leads for J Drama We Married As A Job just got married to each other in real life! Loved them in the drama, so congrats to both!
http://koalasplayground.com/2021/05/19/top-stars-and-j-dorama-we-married-as-a-job-leads-aragaki-yui-and-hoshino-gen-announce-marriage-in-real-life/
Is Marry Me on Australian Netflix??? Or does it have a different name?
Thank you
Jo
@Josephine, no it’s not in Australian Netflix. It’s on YouTube.
See if this link works for you.
https://youtu.be/LFsk1uq5cQg
Thanks, @agdr03.
I hope the drama will get picked up by Viki so we’ll get a better quality of vid. But I’m glad of the subbers’ hard work.
Welcome! ☺️
Yes, let’s hope it’s gets picked up by Viki or Netflix. It’s pretty new right? I might ask my friend in Japan some info about it.
Thank you @agdr03 – works perfectly!
I am currently watching Pinocchio which is a really interesting take on the 4th estate.
Jo
I finally got to Marry Me! and binged it over two days. Since the video quality wasn’t great on YouTube via my Roku TV, it was a good choice or me to watch while recovering from my cataract surgery on Monday.
When I did my right eye last month, right away I could see well and didn’t have discomfort. I’ve encountered post-surgery blurred vision and pain with my left eye. At today’s post-op appointment, my ophthalmologist explained that swelling (like bruising), increased pressure in my eye, and a small tear caused by the pressure rise have all contributed to my discomfort. I’m now on a regimen of 5 different types of drops and goo to put on my eyeball multiple times a day.
Through all this, I needed something light and sweet, and Marry Me! fit the bill. I do think there were some nods to Japanese horror films in it: the way Himari’s hair covered her face and her head-hanging posture at the beginning; her sitting in the dark, then the video glitches before Himari showed Shin the divorce papers his ex had brought her; the little girl running away then becoming a shadow profiled by a bright light.
Himari’s recurring nightmare that she realizes is a bad memory from her young childhood reminds me of a Japanese movie I watched decades ago. It was about a boy being raised by his grandmother who journeys to find his mother, accompanied by a Yakuza who had befriended him. The boy does finally locate his mother and see her from a distance, but she’s remarried and has a new family of younger children. Is this something common to Japanese culture, that single mothers aren’t desirable marriage partners, so they’ll re-home their children by a previous husband? Is this a necessity because there are no government or societal safety nets for widows or divorcees?
@Packmule3, I hope you someday get the daughter-in-law or granddaughter you fantasize about having as a daughter. I raised two girls, and both have become too individualistic to share my interests. I wonder if either will cherish the genealogical research I’ve so painstakingly done on their family trees. My younger daughter, who introduced me to Kdramas a couple of years ago, persists in refusing to watch any Asian shows with me. Before the pandemic, when I would regularly visit her in Seattle, the show she preferred watching with me was The Great British Bake Off. I do appreciate spending time with her that way, but such TV viewing doesn’t lead to discussion of plot points.