Love Shuffle (2009)

I stumbled upon this little jewel of a drama while following the filmography of Hiroshi Tamaki, the actor who basically introduced me to Asian dramas. Soon enough, I found myself forgetting about Tamaki-san, caught in the whirlwind of this surprising, thrilling, daring plot.

This is usually referred to as a romantic comedy, but the definition is not really accurate. It is romantic inasmuch as it deals with love, but it's neither cute nor lacy/flowery/traditionally romantic. And although it has numerous comedic situations and dialogues, it touches serious issues, leaving their final verdict suspended, making the viewer be the judge.

The cast is brilliant. Every character comes to life and has a wonderful screen presence. None is either completely good or bad, though. They're over the top, at times obnoxious, often surreal, always human. And because the game they are involved with requires them to interact with one another in turn, each time a different side to each character is unveiled.

It's an adult drama. Not because it shows anything improper, but because it deals with adult feelings, failures, expectations and needs.
The music serves its purpose brilliantly, moving at the same rhythm with the plot.

Definitely a must see, in my book.

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The first two things about Love Shuffle that made me smile happened right as the show started. First, the theme song is Fantasy by Earth Wind and Fire. They are a 1970's Funk and Soul band. The groovy tune began to play and I thought; "Okay, Yes!" whoever picked this song is cool so there is a pretty good chance this show will be too. (Music really has the power to sway) Second, the graphics for the show's opening while accompanying the music were just as cool as the song. I love how the lead male comes jogging into frame and he slaps at a playing card that goes spinning while all the characters gather with a black, white and red color palette. Grooviest opening to a show ever!

Okay..now on to the substance: The other day at work I was describing to a friend the premise of this show. She does not watch any Asian Drama...but now she wants to watch Love Shuffle. I haven't seen a premise where 4 people meet, discussing love and its woes then decide to play a game where they shuffle partners. All of these people are pretty flawed, some way more than others. Each has their own motive for participating; some reasons are benign, some...not so much. Each character is written slightly off from normal which made them seem more real. Does that make sense?

It was fun watching the partners switch and wondering who would end up forming connections. Each partnership and how people related to each other kept me interested all through the drama's run. This show is unconventional which just gives me the warm fuzzies.

At 10 episodes the great thing about Love Shuffle is the story is tight. No room for filler and fluff.. 10 is all you get and the writer and director did a good job of making 10 all you need.

Watch Love Shuffle. It's grown up, it's silly, it's quirky and strange...And those are the elements that make it pretty Kick Butt!

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1) The reason I watched this:

At the time, I watched many stupid romantic comedies so I needed something different from those usual dumb stories and so I found this drama somewhere. I read the synopsis that seemed appealing enough to give it a go with a medium level of expectations.

2) Storyline/Plot:

*Generally speaking this is a rom-com with a psychological aspect. The drama contains several twists that makes the storyline catching.

Positive Points:

*At the beginning (First 15 minutes), everything started really slow that I began to lose interest yet the writers were clever enough to take the story into another different level that attracted my intention.

*The story was captivating all the way through, it was short, psychologically romantic and most of all funny that’s why it hadn’t any dragging or slow moments.

*Main genres:

--->Romance: The romantic aspect in this drama is different from any other romantic comedies that I’ve seen before; there were mature feelings in this drama, the kind of feelings that go deeper and deeper each episode yet it doesn’t fall into the melodrama level since there were childish moments to make it light. I have to give the script writers credit for many "Wait, what happened?" moments while following the romantic development, many plot changes were really surprising and added a great taste to the storyline.

--->Humor: This drama’s funny scenes were smartly written, it was light and enjoyable. Like other Japanese dramas, it was ridiculously fun with all the weird situations.

--->Psychology: The romantic psychology was fairly interesting; there were many strange and sweet situations related to many great philosophic minds in this drama. The psychological cliffhangers were simply amazing, writers managed to keep all the twists captivating by inserting psychology into it.

Negative Points:

*I can’t possibly think about a negative point in this drama’s storyline; it was really great.

Story: 9.5/10.

3) Acting/Cast:

*Actors made it really believable and enjoyable; they knew how to deliver feelings even when they are trying to be funny. Matsuda Shota and Akira are the most talented actors here; I will add Tanihara Shosuke who portrayed the psychiatrist role perfectly.
Other actors were good too but I wasn’t touched by their acting skills like the three mentioned above.

*As for characters, you would get invested in every character since they always showed interesting developments into their personalities.
Ai-Ai was a great character that portrayed a strong woman personality while having the feminine feelings when she needed too: I would say that her character can represent woman power.

--->O-Chan was a character that would make you want to see him more on screen; it was really nicely done with good personality developments.
--->Kiku-rin was the strongest character in this drama, it manages to make you love him, hate him then love him again: It was a challenging character that added a great storyline development.
--->Usami was a weak character (basing on the storyline so it has nothing to do with Tamaki Hiroshi’s acting skills), it had many flaws but it managed to get through near the end.
Other characters were either average or annoying (……)

*Appreciated character: I was attracted by Kairi’s darkness especially near the end; it was a very appealing character to me.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: Since it’s a shuffle we can’t talk about specific couples yet there were chemistry all over the drama with all those intriguing feelings.

--->Friendship: It was present in a good way here, ever since the first episodes there were many signs of good friendship which made characters appear in a great harmony even if there were problems every once in a while.

*Favorite line: Uso da to itte yo, Joe!

Cast: 9/10.
Acting: 9/10.

4) The ending:
Well, it seemed a little unnatural but that doesn’t mean it was bad. Anyway, this drama had a good ending overall.

The ending: 8/10.

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*Watching this drama was really fun, I got to see a mature drama after a long time so I had great feels about it.

*Is this drama memorable: Yes, It is! Who wouldn’t remember watching a great mature drama with superb actors and awesome characters? This drama touched me in a good way, an unforgettable production indeed.

My impression: 8.75/10.

6) Overall:

*If you’re looking for a mature drama then you should watch this.
*If you’re looking for a great romantic J-drama then you may like this.

*Love Shuffle is a short light drama without any shallow feelings. It’s one of those dramas that are directed to the mature audience out there.

Overall: 9/10.

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I am so happy I watched this drama! I had been holding it for a while because I wanted to watch it in a relaxed state of mind. It is a fairly refreshing drama. It has a very captivating plot and most of it fairly original. While exchanging of partners in movies not unheard of, this drama presents that concept in a whole new light. It has its shortcomings, but I think this show truly deserves a rating of 10.

In some aspects, I can say this show comes close to being genius. Hats off to its writer because he wrote one of the most challenging stories involving romance that I have come across in quite a while. I can say that the first seven episodes were absolutely not predictable. I am generally very good at guessing things, but this show proved me wrong every time. Even after a certain 'twist' at the end of episode 7, I was pretty sure about the outcome of the story and even that left me in surprise. This is the reason why this show has very few dull moments. There is always something that you won't see coming in every episode that takes place that thoroughly makes you laugh. It is a rather bold drama compared to regular Jdramas with few scenes of intimacy. It would appeal to a more mature audience. Also, people tired of cliches should definitely go for it.

This show has a good cast and the acting department was quite good. There were a couple of characters that came off as annoying- especially Usami but there were lots of other things that kept me occupied. Dynamics between all characters have been explored fully. The ending felt sort of forced, but even that ended up being funny. Every time a serious situation sprouts up, it eventually turns into comedy. It is a very lightweight drama. I loved the role of Matsuda Shota the best because his character was that of a playboy photographer. He carries out roles of bad boys pretty well. His female counterpart was ridiculous but I kind of fell for it too by the end.

Also, the psychology involved in the story is pretty interesting. Almost every theory they put forward made sense and could not be argued against. The psychologist's character was a freaking genius. He very splendidly changed his shades from good to bad and back again. Airu was also a solid character among all females. Right from the scene where they all get stuck in the lift, she became my favourite.

This drama has great comedy, good romance and great entertainment value. It makes you laugh without being too ridiculous, gives you romance without being cheesy and entertains you till the end. This is a highly recommended drama!

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A wise man once said ''YAY! Panda!'' and from then on the word ''panda'' became the protagonist of a bunch of puns that are so lost in translation that I feel so bad if I think about the fact that I'm not Japanese. Uso da to itte yo... (I'll leave this for you to complete)

This was one of my first doramas, and I remember being very indecisive about watching it, but I'm so glad I did. A year and so later, this is still the best dorama I've ever watched, and my absolute favourite. It's not even the plot per se, which could very well be seen as nothing special. It's... the characters? The friendship? The emotions? The stories? I wouldn't know.

I mean, if I think about it... Love Shuffle is not that special. It has characters who fall in love, get heartbroken, fall in love again, maybe even find a happy ending. And yet it's more than that. I came for the romance, but stayed for... anything but.

Yes, this has romance in it, the whole plot is driven by it. But. Is it your standard rom-com? Not a chance.
Admittedly, every pairing could actually work - with a couple of exceptions. You do figure out who's gonna end up with whom by the second round of shuffling (mid-way), but personally... I didn't care.

I mean, if you ever feel in doubt whether you should watch this dorama, just watch the first episode and then decide. The first 15 minutes are an absolute delight, and, looking back, I realise that's the moment I was hooked.

I am, of course, talking about the most amazing piece of television ever written: the elevator scene. How in the world can you take four characters who don't know each others, and of which the viewer doesn't know anything about and doesn't care for (yet), put them in an elevator, and still make the scene work and not feel unnecessarily long? I don't even know. If you figure out the answer, please leave a comment to let me know.

You can really rewatch this dorama as much as you like without getting bored: beware though, it's so good you'll wish you could rewatch it again the moment it ends.

The cast is phenomenal, with one exception - I didn't like Yukki (Daigo) very much, but I guess it's his voice. It's just so annoying. Uzze.

Shoutout to my Ojiro's (Matsuda Shota's) hair. Man, he can really rock that hairstyle.

The music is great! I still, to this day, adore the instrumental theme and listen to it very often. The main theme is Fantasy by Earth, Wind and Fire, so prepare yourself because it'll get stuck in your head. That, and Eternal Flame by Bangles. Seriously, it's a curse.

I have yet to find a dorama as good as this one, but in my heart I know that nothing can ever be like the gem that is Love Shuffle. Yay, Panda!

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I watched Love Shuffle after Liar Game simply because I was very interested in Matsuda Shota's performance as Akeyama and wished to see him in another role. Also it came after the movie Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru with Tamaki Hiroshi. I consider Love Shuffle one of my best j-drama choices of all times.
First thing that impressed me was the idea - something rather unique and unexpectedly well mixed. The first encounter of the four neighbours is one of my most favorite in the whole show. Because it naturally leads to the second best thing in this drama for me - the dialogues. Witty and fun and natural.
Acting was the third part of the show that made it the most re-watchable of all the dramas I've seen yet so far. (In fact it's a tie between Love Shuffle and Liar Game...)Everyone suited their parts and was likable in their own way. I believed in their stories and saw them as fully fledged humans not just characters in a script.
The thing that surprised me most was the fact that this drama was not a sweet romance with flowery and dramatic declarations of eternal love but a realistic down to earth life story of eight different people with different lives and ways of thinking and acting. Not fluffy, just steady and smart. Even if you're not a fan of romance, you may find enjoyable the relationships and dynamics among the characters simply because this story has so much more to it than romance.

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I already miss watching this, I watched the whole thing today ... that's pretty crazy for me.
The story is fresh, the plot is deep smart and very interesting I loved the writing, this drama had so many generals in it (drama, comedy, romance, suspense) ... it was hilarious XD

I found the overall acting to be real good, maybe one or two scenes I wasn't very satisfied, but other than that it was very good.

I don't usually re-watch anything, from my whole drama list I might re-watched 7 dramas ONLY, and I really feel like watching it again.

I don't regret watching this, It got me thinking about many things. :)

*Huge thumbs up*

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just finished this a few seconds ago but already im giggling like a fangirl remembering how awesome this drama was.
i rarely watch japanese because they have little romance in them but this show proved me wrong..it has just the right amount of romance mixed with perfect comedy and a tinge of philosophy added to it
just like a perfect recipe which tastes wonderful

like other dramas i had no pains in following the story..its a short drama so ther was not a single second i found it dragging or lacking.
it was filled with sharp and witty dialogues and made me laugh like crazy in some weird situations.i really love how the japaenese make ther comedies..though it rediculous but at the end of it we do laugh like ther's a comedy show goin on.

the acting department was good as Matsuda Shota and Karina were the best actors for me.Matshuda definately shines like a star though most screen time is given to Tamaki Hiroshi.he as a playboy photographer bought the most honesty among all the women he shuffled with.a very unique talent for sure. and frankly he was too good in this overcoats and white shirt.Bad boy.totally believeable
i found the character of Usami very irritating because he was too obsessive and a stalker to boot.
Mei reminded me of girls who i simply detest for the plain fact that they are too idecisive.but she's atleast bearable.yukichi on the other hand was one character who was pretty relatable.trying to buy love with money.happens all the time.
kiku rin was a very interesting character as we never know do we really see his real side or is it that its all an illusion..the guy's a mastermind in terms of pschology..wish he had met Freud..it would have been more interesting..:D
the characters wer the best iv seen..they wer just too weird for my taste and tht is the sole reason why i love them..i marathoned through the drama in just 2 days while juggling with so many assignments.no easy task.trust me....thts how awesome it was.the music picked simply fits and at just the right moments it springs up.

this drama is pretty good in the whole discussion about things which are not discussed so openly or considered a taboo.so a thumbs up for tryin to deal with such things.and its pretty original.from the plot to the characters.shuffling your partners for a week and continuing to do so every week.PERFECT

a must watch for all addicts..:)

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I first tried watching this over a year ago when I had became a fan of Tamaki Hiroshi. After getting through the first 20 minutes I thought it was too slow, had gotten bored and figured since I didn’t know the rest of the cast it wouldn’t be a loss to just give up now. Well after reading a recent review I decided it wouldn’t hurt to go back and try watching the first episode again since this time I knew most of the main cast…

Story- I was wondering how a romantic comedy could be labeled psychological but the writers really do try to mess with your mind. There were many times where I was like wait how did that happen or questioned certain characters true motives. As for the loveliness, I thought they did a terrific job with the pairings. The only problem I had with the story is there were certain characters arcs that I found boring like the married lady, Mei, and Yukichi. I didn’t really care about them and wanted to fast forward their scenes. I liked the end and how everyone found what he or she needed at that moment.

Acting/Cast/Characters- The acting was fine by the main cast and the casting fit perfectly. However, I was more invested in the core 4 characters with the the addition of Kairi winning me over by the end (her silent character was annoying in the beginning with all her darkness). I really liked how at first they were strangers even though they lived in the same apartment complex for a while but during the Love Shuffle period they had become like a little family depending on each other. I wanted to be a part of their group!

Music- While it seemed to fit I just didn’t like it. Sometimes the music became distracting also.

Rewatch- I’d like to rewatch this someday in the near future because I loved the 4 main character's relationship.

Overall Love Shuffle is one of the more interesting Jdramas I’ve found. While not the most exciting, sometimes you need a realistic drama to keep you grounded.

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Nice one! Loved the cast - no let-downs at all. I don't have a favorite member of the cast, they all did a great job.Story lines inter-weaved and tied nicely together at the end. I tend to focus on character development (which I think is an integral part of any drama) and this is another prime example of a great Japanese drama (and another reason why I don't like the dramas in my own country...as they fall down substantially in this respect).

This is a drama for adults, so there are plenty of issues and discussions for adults to think about, but its a nice slice of life drama. Action well-paced and just kept me going until the end, no boring parts, no long and drawn out episodes (like in some k-dramas) and no over-doing sobbing or extending crying sessions.

I liked this one and would watch it again. Go try it!

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I started watching this drama because of Matsuda (love him). I read the synopsis and said that doesn't look like a good idea so I put this one to the back of my "to watch list". I thought it was going to be super pervy/ hentai/ ecchi/ and whatever else, but it wasn't. This is a really cute and sweet story about a random group of people using each other and finding out that what they really wanted may not be what they thought. As the characters grow and mature and act accordingly you become more entangled with them. I loved the acting, and I really liked the characters. The story is a bit hard to follow and because a lot of puns are used, its sometimes hard to get some of the jokes. That aside the whole drama is as much of a comedy as it is a mystery, and reminded me a lot of Liar Game. The writer of the drama seems to keep his audience in the dark on the truth that's actually happening, so you have to do a lot of reading between the lines and keeping an open mind. At the end you wish happiness for everyone, because it ends really well. Yea! Panda!

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