In this month of June, we offer you after Todome no Kiss, a new enlightened opinion on a J-Drama, released this year: Video Girl Ai 2018. Here, no time travel , but a touch of fantasy with a young woman coming out of a screen. A plot mixing several genres appreciated by the public, which we had made a brief summary during its broadcast in Japan.
We tell you all about this romantic and fantastic comedy, which has not finished amusing and surprising you!
Video Girl Ai 2018
Original title: 電影少女~VIDEO GIRL AI 2018~ – Denei Shoujo ~VIDEO GIRL AI 2018~
Alternative title: Video Girl Ai 2018
Gender: Comedy – Romance – Fantasy
Country: Japan
Episodes : 12
Fetters: TV Tokyo – Amazon Prime Video
Release period: January 13 to March 31, 2018
Directors: Yukinori MAKABE (I am a Monk) – Kazuaki SEKI- Kenji KUWASHIMA (Kakuregiku)
Scriptwriter: Kohei KIYAZU (Ito-kun A to E)
Original manga: Katsura MASAKAZU
Synopsis
The story takes place twenty-five years after that of the original manga.
Sho Moteuchi is a high school student who draws manga. After his parents divorced, he became independent and moved alone into the house left vacant by his uncle. At school, he has feelings for Nanami, but she loves Tomoaki, her best friend. All three are members of an animation club and wish to participate in a contest to make themselves known. One day, in his uncle's closet, Sho finds an old broken VCR with a video inside, which he decides to fix. A mysterious girl, Ai Amano then comes out of the video and decides to live with him for three months.
Main cast
Nanase NISHINO [Nogizaka46]
Ai Amano (Asahinagu) | Shuhei NOMURA
Sho Moteuchi (Doctor-X) | Marie IITOYO
Nanami Shibahara |
Hiroya SHIMIZU
Tomoaki Furuya (Anone) | Shigeyuki TOTSUGI
Yota Moteuchi | Jun MURAKAMI
Koji Shimizu |
This review contains important elements from the J-Drama and may therefore contain spoilers. To be read at your own risk.
From virtual to reality
Video Girl Ai 2018 is adapted from a manga. However, it is not essential to know him to fully follow the drama. Indeed, apart from the character of the uncle who refers to the manga, for the rest we quickly understand what it is about. The plot is classic, as we follow a group of friends, two boys and a girl, who prepare an animated short film for a competition. A trio that, as you might expect, is also a love triangle, Sho and Tomoaki loving Nanami who loves Tomoaki.
The arrival of Ai, the "video girl", will spice up the ordinary daily life of these three high school students. The story will not only focus on these teenagers and their challenge, but also on the relationship between Sho and Ai, after the unlikely and surreal appearance of this young woman coming out of the TV.
The world of Sho will then simply be turned upside down by many incidents. He will not only have to live with this stranger, but also help his friends in their relationship and discover his uncle's secret. But that's not all, since the series is not content to stay on the side of these future adults. It will thus offer a much more serious entertainment than at first sight, especially in the second part of the drama.
Towards adulthood
Before telling you about the three high school students, it seemed more logical to us to approach the actress playing Ai, who is the main engine of the drama from its appearance.
Nanase Nishino is one of the idols of the famous J-pop group Nogizaka46 and this is noticeable in her way of playing her character. Through his childish, clumsy gestures, his good deeds… She plays a character full of life. She thus perfectly represents the opposite character of Sho, who seems to him disillusioned with life, sad and lonely, off-putting. But we are interested in him for his dream, justifying our interest. The presence of Ai gives depth to the latter, while opening his eyes to certain things. He will then, finally make the decisions he was pushing back, go beyond his limits and discover love!
Another female character, that of Nanami who will also have a decisive role for Sho and especially Tomoaki. The high school student does not hesitate to stir him on their couple and to make him aware that love must be lived, be reciprocal and complementary. In this sense, Tomoaki brings a foot into the adult world, with his lack of discernment that will tip the plot. Two actors who would almost eclipse the main couple.
Finally, two adults will be in the game, a kind of "good" and "evil", separating the world of children from that of adults. So Yota will try to help his nephew make the right choices, while Koji, a crooked producer, will want to appropriate the promising concept of young people. The two men, although revealing themselves late in the story, will allow events to take a beautiful turn as well as well-studied twists.
Good feelings
We didn't have high expectations for this series because of its "déjà vu" story. And yet, it was a good surprise and a beautiful discovery. In addition to a simple base at first glance, the common thread held by Ai and his relationship with Sho gives another dimension to the plot, becoming more engaging. We enjoyed discovering the complicated but complicit relationship of the three friends, refusing to back down from their dreams and feelings. As well as the betrayals, tension and disillusionment they will face, including this greedy and unscrupulous producer.
Video Girl Ai 2018 did not just follow a weft sewn with white threads and we salute the effort. The drama rises crescendo with several parallel stories, such as that of the uncle or the past of the producer, revealing surprising things. The format is perfect , neither too short nor too long, preventing us from falling into boredom, while remaining simple and effective.
However, we regret not having seen other appearances of "video girl" or to know more about the uncle. Until the very end, the suspense is palpable. Although Video Girl Ai 2018 has little music, the ending is dynamic and pleasant, opposed to theme music, sweet and nostalgic!
Video Girl Ai 2018 is a Japanese drama that fulfills its contract, offering us a plot that seems simple but turns out to be more complex than its synopsis. The concept seems outdated with the presence of the VCR. But it makes sense with the adage: "The best soup is made in old pots".
Video Girl Ai 2018 Trailer
