Title : Followers
Episodes : 9
Genre : Showbiz, Slice of Life, Social Media, Drama, Friendship, Family
Story : 7 out of 10
Characters : 7 out of 10
Cinematography : 8 out of 10
Japanese Drama Followers had amazing cinematography but didn’t handle the story that well.
Story
Nara and Natsume are two different women. Nara is a famous photographer who lives surrounded by adoring fans and colleagues. But, in the end, she is all alone. And when she starts wanting to have a kid, she discovers that it isn’t that easy to find a partner. Natsume is a girl who wants to become a famous actress. She dreams big and she imagines that, when she succeeds, everything will be smooth and perfect. When Nara and Natsume meet, Nara posts a photo of the young actress, instantly making her famous on social media. That was the boost Natsume needed to set her career flying. However, soon Natsume will find out that being famous and obsessing over followers are not factors for a happy life and that now her life is not hers, but her followers.
Under the umbrella of the main story about social media and the limelights of Tokyo, the drama showed the struggles that modern women face: motherhood, having to choose between work and family, keeping up with the image that everyone thinks of them, illness and beauty standards, finding love and fulfillment. However, some of them were a bit overshadows by the main story of Natsume and her efforts to become famous and keep up with her fame. Not that her story wasn’t interesting, however, it would have been nicer if the rest of the topics that the drama picked up, had some time to get properly developed. The final episode was rushed, as well, and didn’t conclude things properly. Everyone got happy, not too realistic, ending, as the drama just tried to finish things up. A nice small note for this drama was Nara’s mother, an avid Kpop fan who brought some laugher to the plot.
Characters
Nara is a woman who has lived life to the fullest. She is talented and her work is recognized by everyone. However, she keeps her fame tamed and she doesn’t let it get over her head. She has close friends, whom she adores, but she doesn’t feel complete yet, as she wants to create her own family. But, having a baby proves to be more difficult than she anticipated. Nakatani Niki was great with her performance, especially when she was acting the photographer scenes. And her character was the most likable one.
Natsume is a young, ambitious woman who wants to become famous. After her wish comes true, she struggles to keep up with the bright lights, and she often loses herself and gets alienated from her friends and boyfriend. Ikeda Elaiza had the perfect visuals for the role and she was stunning as well as very professional, though her character tended to be annoying at some points.
Cinematography
The drama had some amazing shots and they did wonders with the lighting and the colors. The pace was good too. So, visually, the drama was spot on.
Overall
My overall rating for Followers is 7.5 out of 10. Visually, it was very pleasant, but the story got lost between the breathtaking shots and the hectic pace.
K&J Reviews 
10 Comments Add yours