Drama review- Love Shuffle

Love shuffle is a Japanese romantic comedy drama. It is about three neighbors who get stuck together in a lift one day when the power goes out in the whole city. All of them have problems in their love lives. While talking, they come up with the idea of exchanging each other's girlfriends and boyfriends.

Tamaki Hiroshi plays Usa-tan, a hardworking and sincere office worker whose position has been elevated due to his engagement with his boss's daughter Mei-chan. Meii-chan is an eccentric girl who is constantly changing her mind and is not sure whether she loves Usa-tan.

Karina plays a successful translattor who has a rich, dorky boyfriend whom she is fed up of.

Matsuda Shota is a model photographer who is in a love relationship with an older, married woman.

The last one is a psycologist(I don't remember who plays the role)who is particularly having problems with a patient who tries to commit suicide and has no will to live. All these people get together and start exchanging partners at a restaurant. Though Usa-tan is reluctant, he also joins. Every week, a couple is chosen at random. In four weeks, every girl has had a chance to be with every boy, so the cycle is repeated.

The bizzare thing about this drama was that the pairs that finally ended up staying together were the pairs one would never have guessed (except one which was kinda easy to guess)would have any chance of being together.

I liked this drama but it was nothing spectacular. But it was the only drama in recent times, that has not bored me while watching the very first episode.

In Love shuffle, all the characters are unique and lovable. I really liked the way all the actors potrayed their characters. Matsuda Shota's potrayl of the photographer was espeially good. Most of the characters are pretty good-looking which made this drama easy on the eyes. Most of the events take place in the apartment of the four (which looks classy, by the way) and posh restaurants. The settings were eye candy.

The story wasn't bad. If you are in for something casual, love shuffle is your thing. I didn't find it humorous though. One fault with this drama is that it getts to a slow start and takes a long time before everyone meets their right partners.Also, Usa-tan's love is too confusing and slow. Even in the last episode, I wasn't satisfied. Mei's love is totally superficial and seems like there is no real reson behind it other than the fact that the screenwriter wanted it this way. Still, a good watch.



That photo is of Usa-tan and Mei, by the way.

Ratings-

Story-4
Plot-3.7
Characters-4
Acting-4.3
Setting-4
Direction-3.2
Screenplay-3
Openings/insert- 1 Horrible! The songs just didn't fit.


Pros
Lighthearted
Eye candy (actors and settings look goood)

Cons
Too slow
Two out of the four pairs didn't seem to go that well
Love was very last-minute and had no motivation