Akai Ito / 赤い糸

Akai Ito / 赤い糸

Format: Renzoku
Genre: Romance

The story was one of the best-selling novels of 2007, it revolves around the "red thread of fate" connecting the young pair Mei and Atsushi and the trials they face.

--Tokyograph

Here comes the innocent, sweer love story founded by fate.

Akai Ito is a love story founded and rooted in the belief of fate and destiny. Akai Ito literally means Red Thread. The Japanese believe that there is an invisible red thread which connects two persons, making them lovers by destiny.

I was quite sceptical at first, as this drama is based from keitai-novel - just like the movie and drama, Koizora; which I didn't enjoy (only watched the movie though). There are even some reviews I read that somehow compare it with Koizora. But then the comparison stops only at the general foundation of the story that is founded on teenage angst, teenage love story which also deals with some serious stuff like teenage pregnancy, drugs, violence etc. Thankfully it stops there.

That being said, I am surprised at how much I found this drama compelling. I am enjoying most of the episodes. It is not a fast-paced drama but I am not complaining as some times not only fast-paced drama is good watch, no?

I find the main characters very likeable. Atsushi is strong,'unselfish' and kind. Mei is likable; I like her smile. I found myself rooting for them. Sweet couple. I find the love to be a sweet, innocent love. I'm a sucker for innocent love.

But their love is met with obstacle; their parents' past. I don't walk to talk much about this, I let you the discretion to find it out yourself. Besides the sweet and 'fated' love between the two, the drama as previously mentioned also deals with serious issues like drugs, teenage pregnancy, suicide and violence. The attempt is okay though it is not dealt with deeply. They are dealt with only on the surface. I guess the short around-half-an-hour episodes might be a reason.Some of the scenes also can be pretty unrealistic and drama-cliche to some people.

Despite the shortcomings, I found it pretty enjoyable.I marathoned the episodes in one go as each episode compel me to which another and this goes on until I finish the whole thing.I like the drama. Prior to watching I had quite low expectation due to my dislike on Koizora.But am proven wrong.

btw I learnt that the drama adaptation and the original novel is very different. Have read a few chapter, and found that IF they actually adapted the novel faithfully then I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to like it. Atsushi's character is different in the novel, and so does Mei. I mean the innocence portrayed in the drama is not in the novel. And I never found a story of a girl surrendering their body out of so called love to actually be a sweet love story especially when the hero and heroin is in school (might be a reason why I just can't enjoy Koizora). The novel is darker, also in term of the characters. If it's adapted like that straightly the it will be just another Koizora to me. Gladly they tone down a lot for the drama, changing Atsushi and Mei's characters to inject innocence in them, which is one of the reason I found the couple and story to be sweet. they gave me a very warm feeling. :)