[Discussion] Lost Days

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 26th, '14, 23:23

Title: Lost Days (ロストデイズ)
Format/Genre: Renzoku/Suspense
Episodes: 10 (?)
Station: Fuji TV
Broadcasting time: Saturdays 11:10 pm since January 11, 2014
Cast:
Seto Koji as Shino Yuta
Ishibashi Anna as Sakurada Miki
Triendl Reina as Sasaki Rinka
Yoshizawa Ryo as Takano Natsu
Kojima Fujiko as Fueki Mana
Miyoshi Ayaka as Tachibana Satsuki
Kiriyama Ren as Sakurada Wataru

Summary:
Shino, Natsu, Rinka, Miki, Mana and Satsuki are students at the same university and members of the same tennis club. To celebrate their graduation, the six friends will make a journey to the vacation home of Miki's parents. Unexpected, Miki's brother is there as well but he promises not to disturb the group. Despite it seems that all of the tennisclub members are good friends, each of them hides secrets and feelings like love or jealousy. While club president Shino is in love with Miki, Miki and Natsu are already dating and things start getting complicated as the good mood between the friends darkens. Things don't work according to plan and when a murder happens, fear and doubt spreads among the friends.
(Script by Tokuo Koji etc.)

Is everyone ready to start guessing who the murderer will be? Pick a suspect, and say why!

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 26th, '14, 23:33

I hope it's OK that I added a poll to this discussion. I thought it would be fun for everyone to pick their primary suspect.

I thought at first it should be Wataru, but that seems to obvious. Mana, though, seems pretty shifty to me.

Episode 1

eveningstar201 · Post by **eveningstar201** » Jan 26th, '14, 23:52

I'm gonna go with Miki. This is kind of a wild conjecture but maybe it's going to turn out that, despite Miki's oh-so-innocent looks, she is a deranged psycho killer. I've seen that happen in some movies. The least suspicious one is the killer. Also, this may be why her brother is here. He knows she's not right in the head and wants to keep an eye on her. And she got upset when she found him at the house because of that.

dreameater · Post by **dreameater** » Jan 27th, '14, 01:38

I haven't voted yet on the poll as I haven't reached a conclusion yet. I think yes, they're trying to deviate the audience away from the real killer and making it seem like Wataru and Mana is in on this. But well it's only the first episode and I've yet to see how the story unravels. I loved the first episode so I'm really excited for the coming episodes.

lullabye wrote:
Episode 1
She shows up at Wataru's door with an awful lot of confidence for someone who supposedly hasn't seen him in a long time. And Miki seems uneasy when she sees that Mana's luggage is missing.

Somehow I missed the second part of your comment :/ Care to point me which scene it is?

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 28th, '14, 15:42

eveningstar201 wrote:I'm gonna go with Miki. This is kind of a wild conjecture but maybe it's going to turn out that, despite Miki's oh-so-innocent looks, she is a deranged psycho killer. I've seen that happen in some movies. The least suspicious one is the killer. Also, this may be why her brother is here. He knows she's not right in the head and wants to keep an eye on her. And she got upset when she found him at the house because of that.

Yeah, I've considered her, also. It would be interesting if she was a dangerous killer with a past that Wataru and Mana had helped her hide.

Of course, the very least suspicious person is Yuta, since he's the narrator. I wonder if there's some way it could have been him all along?

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 28th, '14, 15:47

dreameater wrote:I haven't voted yet on the poll as I haven't reached a conclusion yet. I think yes, they're trying to deviate the audience away from the real killer and making it seem like Wataru and Mana is in on this. But well it's only the first episode and I've yet to see how the story unravels. I loved the first episode so I'm really excited for the coming episodes.

lullabye wrote:
Episode 1
She shows up at Wataru's door with an awful lot of confidence for someone who supposedly hasn't seen him in a long time. And Miki seems uneasy when she sees that Mana's luggage is missing.
Somehow I missed the second part of your comment :/ Care to point me which scene it is?

Close to the end of episode 1, when it shows Miki alone in the bedroom and she looks at Mana's bed and sees her stuff is gone. The next scene is Mana at Wataru's door, and the final scene is Yuta standing in the hall looking confused and anxious.

You should vote! It will be fun to see how much our opinions change by the midpoint.

AzraelXVII · Post by **AzraelXVII** » Jan 28th, '14, 17:55

I still haven't managed to get a firm conclusion, and so I still didn't vote... I think I'll do it on the next episode, after I'll get more clues...

Anyway I think I can exclude Yuta, it would be too hard turn him from the narrator to a murderer, unless he has split personalities and he can't remember what he did before.

I'm near to exclude also Rinka... But I'll can tell it only when I'll know the identity of the dead... Rinka seems worried only by her part time job as hostess... But what if the dead is someone related to the host club where she works? And why she kissed Natsu even though she seems to like more Yuta than him? It's suspicious...

I don't know if I can exclude Natsu or not... He seems a real idiot but... What if in truth he's a violent man, and Wataru, with the collaboration of Miki's best friend Mana is watching over them? But if this is the case, why he pretended to don't know the relationship between them?

Wataru and Mana are the most suspicious, but... It would be boring if they actually are the murderers, even though the motive could be interesting...
As is interesting the conjecture about Miki... I think she's too much perfect and innocent... Such a rich, beautiful and kind princess should have a dark background...

And in the end...but not the last, Satsuki...
The one who always played the dumb's part, but who also pretended to be drunk and eavesdropped the conversation between Natsu and Rinka, with a suspicious look...
She's definitely up to something!

By the way, there's also something else that bother me...
At the time when they knew about the murder case, they were all together (except of Wataru) on the shop near the ski slopes, isn't it?

Among other, they had only one car, and Yuta was the driver, then he should be the one who own the car key...
And without the car should be difficult go around on the mountain...
And the murder occurred near the place where they were, but it seemed it wasn't so near to being easily reached by walk, isn't it?
Maybe the killer could have reached that place with ski, anyway...
But if it's so, she/he should be a great skier and someone should have noticed she/he wasn't on the the ski slopes for a certain amount of time...

What do you think?

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 31st, '14, 15:34

AzraelXVII wrote:I still haven't managed to get a firm conclusion, and so I still didn't vote... I think I'll do it on the next episode, after I'll get more clues...

I like your reasoning!

I'm suspicious about Satsuki also. She plays a fool in front of the others, but we've seen she's actually conniving. And, yeah, Natsu also. Speaking of him, he came up late at the hill, and he hadn't packed any clothes at all, and his ethics are really pretty shady.

And Satsuki is another one who was separated from them all on Day 1 at the slopes. Depending on how it is done, a murder wouldn't take long, would it?

AzraelXVII · Post by **AzraelXVII** » Jan 31st, '14, 18:01

You're right!
Satsuki is gone somewhere buying that items... What they were? Maybe cellphone straps in a snow man shape? And so she walked away from her friends...

By the way, it seems I missed the part where Natsu get bored with snowboard...
(I watched only 1st episode, I'm waiting for the subs of the 2nd one)
Is it in the 1st or in the 2nd episode?

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jan 31st, '14, 22:52

AzraelXVII wrote:You're right!
Satsuki is gone somewhere buying that items... What they were? Maybe cellphone straps in a snow man shape? And so she walked away from her friends...

By the way, it seems I missed the part where Natsu get bored with snowboard...
(I watched only 1st episode, I'm waiting for the subs of the 2nd one)
Is it in the 1st or in the 2nd episode?

Oops! I forgot that was a spoiler for anyone who doesn't watch the raw! Yeah, it's in the second episode.

Honestly, I have no idea how this show will end up! Three episodes in for me and all I keep changing my opinion of who the guilty one is!

AzraelXVII · Post by **AzraelXVII** » Feb 1st, '14, 13:02

Don't worry for me, I have no problems with spoilers, but
I'll use the spoiler button too, for the people who didn't watched yet ep. 2.

I watched it yesterday night and...
Wow...

To have clues, is really a big deal!

Satsuki is a ***** ! She tries her best for make uneasy her friends!
I'm wondering what she thoughts when she

I guess her intentions are to make a big fuss and make fight her friends.

And maybe she's not a murderer but only a shady person, burned by jealousy...

About Natsu... I really can't get it... Sometimes he seems deeply in love with Maki, and sometimes he's so careless that... I don't know... And he also tried to

By the way, the assumptions about Mana and Wataru who are hiding something, are grown in the 2nd episode but I somehow changed opinion on Mana.
She's not so bad as I thought in the 1st episode...
I'm really thinking the one who has some problem is Miki...
And Wataru and Mana are looking over her because they know her secret...

If I'm not wrong there is a question asked by Mana to Wataru that sounded like:

I'm wondering about what it was...

And now I have another thing that bother me...

When Satsuki forget her cellphone on the car, and she was searching for the car key,

What keys were?! Why it was the same item?
I remember Satsuki bought 2 of them but her friends seemed to didn't like it...
This is why I don't think this key is Yuta's car key...

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Feb 4th, '14, 04:06

AzraelXVII wrote:By the way, the assumptions about Mana and Wataru who are hiding something, are grown in the 2nd episode but I somehow changed opinion on Mana.
She's not so bad as I thought in the 1st episode...
I'm really thinking the one who has some problem is Miki...
And Wataru and Mana are looking over her because they know her secret...

If I'm not wrong there is a question asked by Mana to Wataru that sounded like:
"How long are you planning to keep quiet about that thing?"
I'm wondering about what it was...

And now I have another thing that bother me...

When Satsuki forget her cellphone on the car, and she was searching for the car key,
in the key-case there were various keys, one of that had the same "snow man" strap that Satsuki bounded to her cellphone....
What keys were?! Why it was the same item?
I remember Satsuki bought 2 of them but her friends seemed to didn't like it...
This is why I don't think this key is Yuta's car key...

I am thinking that there are a lot of little things like the car keys that will end up meaning a lot. But which little things? Right now, it's impossible to know!

Did you watch episodes 3 and 4 yet? My heart was pounding in my chest at the end of 4, yet I still don't know who will die and who will live, and who does the killing! I'm almost afraid to watch ep. 5 when it comes out.

AzraelXVII · Post by **AzraelXVII** » Feb 4th, '14, 18:01

Yes, I think the same thing...
And there is a lot of suspense!!

I watched the 3rd episode without subtitles even though I don't understand so much japanese because I was so curious!

Speaking about it, when in the 3rd episode

Anyway, talking with the subber of this drama, I realized that...
We actually still don't know if someone of the 6 friends will die or if the dead
will be only the one who's already dead !!!

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Feb 6th, '14, 08:23

AzraelXVII wrote:Yes, I think the same thing...
And there is a lot of suspense!!

I watched the 3rd episode without subtitles even though I don't understand so much japanese because I was so curious!

Speaking about it, when in the 3rd episode
Yuta asked to Wataru if he was the one who sent him the no-name e-mail, and Wataru answered he didn't sent him anything, and above all he didn't know Yuta's e-mail (or at least I guess they said this things)... Wataru was focused in burning a pair of gloves...
I'm wondering who is the owner of those gloves, and why he needed to burn it.....
Anyway, talking with the subber of this drama, I realized that...
We actually still don't know if someone of the 6 friends will die or if the dead
will be only the one who's already dead !!!

I know! I don't think I've ever been held in so much suspense before!

I have no idea about the gloves. Wataru is a strange one. I need to look at that scene again. Are they even his size? (If the glove doesn't fit, we must acquit!)

Akane_61 · Post by **Akane_61** » Feb 16th, '14, 10:44

I'm loving this drama!!! I think the actors are great and perfect for each part. And the story is so interesting, definitely a wonderful psychological thriller.

Can't wait for the next episode!!!

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Feb 16th, '14, 20:48

Akane_61 wrote:I'm loving this drama!!! I think the actors are great and perfect for each part. And the story is so interesting, definitely a wonderful psychological thriller.
Can't wait for the next episode!!!

I just watched the raw for day 6, and I still have no idea who will be killed or who will do the killing. Yet there was so much happening! So much we learn about the characters and their relationships!

Fine young actors, tight scripting, excellent direction, set design, wardrobe.... Everything so far has worked perfectly to make me feel like I'm in that house with them.

Pedrão · Post by **Pedrão** » Feb 20th, '14, 03:46

I ended up voting for Yuta just because Miki seems to be a too popular option, but I have a feeling it'll end up being Miki. However the one who's doing the previous murders is likely Wataru, I think Miki will sweep in the end maybe. Not sure.

Funny how all 3 guys were Kamen Riders. I'm always waiting for them to go HENSHIN

ailahai · Post by **ailahai** » Feb 20th, '14, 12:19

watch until ep6 thx to recap by mr jordeau here: http://helloheydays.com/lost-days-episo ... s#topbar..

several things get clearance up to this epi

it kinda obviously wataru is sick person... wont be surprised if he is the killer...

Marikit_Renn · Post by **Marikit_Renn** » Feb 25th, '14, 04:58

I am late to this discussion but I also adore lost days! The cast and the story are simply sublime! <3
For me, I think the killer might be mana orsatsuki. Though wataru is very scary and really seriously creepy (and obsessed with his sister) -- [GREAT JOB RENN!] I think thats all there is to it with him. He might have done previous murder but this time, I think the one to kill someone is Mana.

Mana however has motive. She has been in love with Wataru from childhood and thought that he liked her too, but he brutally dumped her for satsuki who he is still obviously using for his own amusement/reason.

She might be the one who kills unless Shino does it by accident..

Akane_61 · Post by **Akane_61** » Feb 27th, '14, 18:01

lullabye wrote:
Akane_61 wrote:I'm loving this drama!!! I think the actors are great and perfect for each part. And the story is so interesting, definitely a wonderful psychological thriller.
Can't wait for the next episode!!!
I just watched the raw for day 6, and I still have no idea who will be killed or who will do the killing. Yet there was so much happening! So much we learn about the characters and their relationships!

Fine young actors, tight scripting, excellent direction, set design, wardrobe.... Everything so far has worked perfectly to make me feel like I'm in that house with them.

Yeah this drama is awesome:) I really don't wanna think about who the killer is, and frankly,(almost) every character is a psycho so I really have no idea >.<
OMG Satsuki is so mean, it's crazy....Shino seems the only one who's normal, sort of...
can't stand Natsu, either

but they're all perfect for the story.
love love love and can't wait for saturday:)

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 10th, '14, 06:42

The last episode airs Saturday! I don't know if you've all been watching it raw, but this drama has surprised me every episode, and I expect Day 10 will be a shocker. Anyone changing their mind on the culprit?

ailahai · Post by **ailahai** » Mar 10th, '14, 06:51

lullabye wrote:The last episode airs Saturday! I don't know if you've all been watching it raw, but this drama has surprised me every episode, and I expect Day 10 will be a shocker. Anyone changing their mind on the culprit?

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 10th, '14, 06:59

ailahai wrote:
lullabye wrote:The last episode airs Saturday! I don't know if you've all been watching it raw, but this drama has surprised me every episode, and I expect Day 10 will be a shocker. Anyone changing their mind on the culprit?

I guess it's Rinka.... cause satsuki keeps say i'm sorry, I'm sorry to the culprit... since she is the most infected with satsuki behavior.

and look like Miki also has feeling with Shino

I'm still betting on it being Mana. After all,

malifact · Post by **malifact** » Mar 11th, '14, 14:44

I'm probably completely wrong, but I've come to the conclusion after watching Episode 9 that the killer is

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 11th, '14, 16:19

malifact wrote:I'm probably completely wrong, but I've come to the conclusion after watching Episode 9 that the killer is

Natsu. Satsuki was clearly frightened of the person who pushed her off the bridge. I can't see her being afraid of Miki or Rinka and Natsu has been aggressive to her before. Mana and Wataru are too obvious and Shino is too leftfield. Also, I can imagine Natsu attacking Rinka and making it look like she slit her wrists. He was probably annoyed that she was still talking to Wataru. The only other person I can see it being is Mana, but I think her behaviour (especially when she said to Miki "Have you ever wanted someone to die?") is a red herring.

I thought the same since episode 8, that it was either Mana or Natsu. But I don't think it's possible that Natsu was involved in what happened in episode 9. I guess I should rewatch!

hey9 · Post by **hey9** » Mar 12th, '14, 06:46

I just started watching and since the eps are so short, I've already finished episode 6.

P@permoon · Post by **P@permoon** » Mar 12th, '14, 11:47

Ah well, I watched all episodes up to now, so only the last one on Saturday is left. The main disappointment for me is that Kiriyama Ren and Yoshizawa Ryo are such terrible actors, up to the point that they are really ruining scenes with their overacting. :/ Another thing is that all characters, with the exception of Shino, are very shallow and more like tools, and no motif is yet seriously reasonable for a murder - at least for me. So I hope that episode 10 can twist this somehow around.

hey9 · Post by **hey9** » Mar 12th, '14, 16:10

P@permoon wrote:Ah well, I watched all episodes up to now, so only the last one on Saturday is left. The main disappointment for me is that Kiriyama Ren and Yoshizawa Ryo are such terrible actors, up to the point that they are really ruining scenes with their overacting. :/ Another thing is that all characters, with the exception of Shino, are very shallow and more like tools, and no motif is yet seriously reasonable for a murder - at least for me. So I hope that episode 10 can twist this somehow around.

I completely disagree about Ren

I think he plays maniacal villain really well. Ryo hasn't grabbed me but he hasn't bothered me, either. Triendl is the worst actor of the lot, imo, but I like to think her character is supposed to be a pokerface so it doesn't bother me as much as usual.

I do find the pacing of this show odd, especially since it's not a regular 45 minute drama.

P@permoon · Post by **P@permoon** » Mar 12th, '14, 17:13

Triendl isn´t a good actress, but at least she isn´t hamming up her scenes constantly, so I´m okay with her. Apart from Kiriyama´s limited expressions (angry, bland and smilling - always in the same manner - he can´t do more), he is constantly trying veeeery hard to look crazy, which is simply annoying to me.

I just can´t take such actors seriously, who are obviously only trying to mimic something without being able to go into it deeper. So Wataru started to bore me after episode 2, which is a shame, because they could have used his screentime for more actual happenings between the club member and yes, a better pacing, in my opinion.

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 12th, '14, 18:09

P@permoon wrote:Triendl isn´t a good actress, but at least she isn´t hamming up her scenes constantly, so I´m okay with her. Apart from Kiriyama´s limited expressions (angry, bland and smilling - always in the same manner - he can´t do more), he is constantly trying veeeery hard to look crazy, which is simply annoying to me.
I just can´t take such actors seriously, who are obviously only trying to mimic something without being able to go into it deeper. So Wataru started to bore me after episode 2, which is a shame, because they could have used his screentime for more actual happenings between the club member and yes, a better pacing, in my opinion.

Except for Seto Koji, I'm not struck with the acting of any of them, really, but I don't think it's bad, and I have actually been pleasantly surprised. Since I'm watching with a limited understanding of Japanese, for me, any actor who conveys what is going on is a good actor. I've watched dramas where all actors were so wooden and relying on exposition to advance their characters, and I'm really thankful none of these actors do that.

I think the characters are all how Shino sees them, how he is explaining things to the police, and thus they are not presented as whole people. This is Shino telling the story, and sometimes telling it based on second hand information. Wataru is a deranged madman to him, Natsu is his flaky but lovable friend, Miki a damsel in distress, Mana seems reliable, Satsuki is troublesome, and he doesn't really see Rika at all. Because Shino is invested in how we understand the story, he's an unreliable narrator. I guess Day 10 will show if I'm right about that.

hey9 · Post by **hey9** » Mar 12th, '14, 21:30

P@permoon wrote:Triendl isn´t a good actress, but at least she isn´t hamming up her scenes constantly, so I´m okay with her. Apart from Kiriyama´s limited expressions (angry, bland and smilling - always in the same manner - he can´t do more), he is constantly trying veeeery hard to look crazy, which is simply annoying to me.
I just can´t take such actors seriously, who are obviously only trying to mimic something without being able to go into it deeper. So Wataru started to bore me after episode 2, which is a shame, because they could have used his screentime for more actual happenings between the club member and yes, a better pacing, in my opinion.

We'll have to agree to disagree on his acting skills lol. None of the characters are very deep though, it's not limited to Wataru. I think the shallowness of the characters has to do with the script and time limitations more than anything.

I am enjoying the ham and don't find it excessive (well, I'm also watching Saigo no Keikan right now, so I'm neck deep in ham this season lol). Maybe because I went into this with low expectations, I'm pleased with how things are going so far. The last "young people" drama I watched was Limit and that went awry pretty quickly.

malifact · Post by **malifact** » Mar 17th, '14, 09:10

So I watched the finale yesterday...

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 17th, '14, 13:29

malifact wrote:So I watched the finale yesterday...

I have to admit I was disappointed. The series has been so good I was expecting a bit more. I did like how Mana and Shino didn't just accept what Rika had done. But I thought Satsuki's diary and the explanation for her shady behaviour was rather cringeworthy. Maybe I missed something but were they just planning to go home like nothing happened? Surely Satsuki's parents would ask questions about what happened to her.

[/spoiler]

Akane_61 · Post by **Akane_61** » Mar 18th, '14, 13:11

malifact wrote:So I watched the finale yesterday...

I have to admit I was disappointed. The series has been so good I was expecting a bit more. I did like how Mana and Shino didn't just accept what Rika had done. But I thought Satsuki's diary and the explanation for her shady behaviour was rather cringeworthy. Maybe I missed something but were they just planning to go home like nothing happened? Surely Satsuki's parents would ask questions about what happened to her.

I know!!!!!!! I was SO disappointed!!!!!!!! I mean it was so good until the last episode, but the ending was terrible....complete nonsense!!!

I actually thought the acting was very convincing. I just didn't like the ending.
Why do they have to ruin such a great drama like this????!!!!!

malifact · Post by **malifact** » Mar 18th, '14, 15:05

I will hide my comments for those who haven't seen the ending.

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Mar 18th, '14, 19:28

malifact wrote:I will hide my comments for those who haven't seen the ending.

The acting by the girl who played Rika was all over the place. It was pretty decent when she told the others what happened, but it was like something from a bad horror film when she turned psycho on the bridge. It also wasn't believable that Satsuki did all that nasty stuff because she felt ignored or worried she'd be betrayed. She had a mischievous smile when she saw/heard Natsu and Rika kissing, not disappointed. I think they almost didn't know how to end things and that's why it was so sloppy

P@permoon · Post by **P@permoon** » Apr 13th, '14, 08:05

My final opinion on Lost Days is, that it´s actually a enjoyable series, but could have been even better with another writer and without Kiriyama, Triendl and Yoshizawa.

I took my time and rewatched the whole series again. It´s really not a bad series per se at all, it´s simply that some factors have been overplayed and overstretched, like Wataru´s side story (in the end he is the weakest link and somehow even appears unnecessary, I found it really hard to get through all his scenes even more on my second watch, out of the same reasons I have mentioned before).

For me is Shino the only character who is - from start to finish, comprehensible. And under the aspect that this is a love-suspense story, his character is nailing down the theme. He is love-blind and far from making the right decisions thanks to it, which is just so natural, he is getting torn by the happenings and therefore not the perfect, cool leader how it appears at the start. Seto is subtly going with him through a broad range of emotions when Shino is at a several points of the story overwhelmed and losing his usual calmness. Next to him, the other characters often appear to me one-dimensional and scripted.

That nobody was actually calling the police bothered me at first, too. (Or not calling or searching for help in general, when they felt threatened). But Shino´s hesitation makes sense, for him in this situation, it´s reasonable somehow - it´s not a crime series afterall, the center is supposed to be on the protagonist´s feelings, and those are full of disorientation. Apparently, for the first time in his life, he doesn´t know what to do, and his decisions aren´t the right ones.

The ending is just such a big letdown, there could have been so many more interesting turns, but the author decided out of all possibilities on Rinka as the culprit, which takes a away any potential for a surprising ending, and leads rather to a disappointing conclusion. But then, the series wasn´t supposed to be a murder case anyway, but more about the inner conflicts and feelings of the characters, which Seto portrayed (constantly) perfectly and Ishibashi Anna was quite good in some of her scenes at it, too. I just wish the writer wouldn´t have distracted with too much teasing from that fact. Or maybe, it was only in the eye of the audience, because some wanted to see more of a bloodbath?

doramaworld · Post by **doramaworld** » Jun 26th, '14, 05:22

Here is my review of "Lost Days":
http://doramaworld.blogspot.nl/2014/06/ ... -2014.html

Please do take a look and share your thoughts!

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jul 11th, '14, 06:31

P@permoon wrote:My final opinion on Lost Days is, that it´s actually a enjoyable series, but could have been even better with another writer and without Kiriyama, Triendl and Yoshizawa.

I took my time and rewatched the whole series again. It´s really not a bad series per se at all, it´s simply that some factors have been overplayed and overstretched, like Wataru´s side story (in the end he is the weakest link and somehow even appears unnecessary, I found it really hard to get through all his scenes even more on my second watch, out of the same reasons I have mentioned before).

For me is Shino the only character who is - from start to finish, comprehensible. And under the aspect that this is a love-suspense story, his character is nailing down the theme. He is love-blind and far from making the right decisions thanks to it, which is just so natural, he is getting torn by the happenings and therefore not the perfect, cool leader how it appears at the start. Seto is subtly going with him through a broad range of emotions when Shino is at a several points of the story overwhelmed and losing his usual calmness. Next to him, the other characters often appear to me one-dimensional and scripted.

That nobody was actually calling the police bothered me at first, too. (Or not calling or searching for help in general, when they felt threatened). But Shino´s hesitation makes sense, for him in this situation, it´s reasonable somehow - it´s not a crime series afterall, the center is supposed to be on the protagonist´s feelings, and those are full of disorientation. Apparently, for the first time in his life, he doesn´t know what to do, and his decisions aren´t the right ones.

The ending is just such a big letdown, there could have been so many more interesting turns, but the author decided out of all possibilities on Rinka as the culprit, which takes a away any potential for a surprising ending, and leads rather to a disappointing conclusion. But then, the series wasn´t supposed to be a murder case anyway, but more about the inner conflicts and feelings of the characters, which Seto portrayed (constantly) perfectly and Ishibashi Anna was quite good in some of her scenes at it, too. I just wish the writer wouldn´t have distracted with too much teasing from that fact. Or maybe, it was only in the eye of the audience, because some wanted to see more of a bloodbath?

I am in agreement with you on Shino, and Seto's portrayal of him. Seto's acting was really on a higher level than the others. I'm not saying that the others were bad, but his acting was able to flesh out the writing and add sense to the storyline.

I was also disappointed with the reveal of the culprit. It was too stereotypical, and made so many other aspects of the story retrospectively irrelevant. I'd still recommend the show to anyone though, just because up to so close to the end, it's highly suspenseful.

lullabye · Post by **lullabye** » Jul 11th, '14, 06:46

doramaworld wrote:Here is my review of "Lost Days":
http://doramaworld.blogspot.nl/2014/06/ ... -2014.html

Please do take a look and share your thoughts!

It gave me a good understanding of how people sometimes end up deeply involved in criminal activity.

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