There's Destiny, or Maybe Not

As long as they make sense I don't mind series with sad endings, but the j-drama You Are My Destiny was a big disappointment for me. I don't watch many Japanese productions because so many are dark, and suicide and bullying are common themes, but I thought from the bright and happy opener that this would be a romantic spin on Cinderella.

Sato Aya (Miori Takimoto) is a modern-day quasi-Cinderella who dreams of meeting a handsome prince, who turns out to be Ichijo Kei (Takumi Kizu), the heir to a large company. By accident and design they are thrown together and spend a night of passion believing the other partner is someone else (I didn't find this comical, by the way.)

When they wake up and discover they've been deceived they set off a chain of events that leads to Aya finding out she's pregnant and Kei being forced to marry her. There are the usual misunderstandings between the couple, and things only get worse when Kei's heartless girlfriend finds out about the secret marriage and decides to break them up by doing something appalling to Aya.

For a series with a happy, romantic opener this show is in reality tragic and depressing. Aya is subjected to all kinds of abuse, and Kei is about as unsympathetic and selfish as he can get. I couldn't believe they ended it the way they did, either, although I was glad Aya made the choice she did. I also wish they had put an emotional trigger warning on it, as it deals with traumas that most women may find difficult to watch. I dislike writing up negative reviews, which is why I try to stick to the positive, but I felt I needed to be honest about this show. My advice is to give it a pass.

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Wishing

I submitted book one of my NA series for professional review and consideration, and in return I was praised for the work and provided with excellent feedback. Now I have some changes to contemplate, and decisions to make about the future. I have a couple of different directions to take, which makes the deciding part a challenge. At times like these I wish I had a crystal ball so I could see the outcome of every choice. Wouldn't life be easier if we could do that? Image by Matthias Böckel from Pixabay

Another World

Since I'm watching more Japanese dramas these days I'm able to find more hidden gems, like the drama Silent . This is a subtle, emotional romance series, and authentically portrays what it's like to deal with a major disability while trying to get on with life and fall in love. Here's the story: in high school Sou Sakura (Meguro Ren) and Tsumugi Aoba (Haruna Kawaguchi) are a young couple. They have the same quirky sense of humor, love music, and really enjoy being with each other. The fact that they're the most attractive couple in school is obvious, but the innocent and fun nature of their relationship is what makes it so perfect. They just like talking with each other. Then, quite suddenly, Sou dumps Tsumugi (by text, no less, making him a giant ass) and vanishes. Years later Tsumugi is now in a relationship with another guy, with whom she's happy, and is looking for a place where they can live together. By accident she runs into Sou, and discovers ...

Downtown Discovery

My guy and I are taking time each week to walk around the downtown areas of places we've never had time before to visit, which is how I came across a lovely fiber art supplies shop wth amazing handspun art yarns and hand-dyed embroidery threads from local artists. Fine silk embroidery thread is literally impossible to find in my part of the country, but not anymore. I also loved the amazing selection of hand-dyed flosses. I even found some tiny seed beads for my current project, and a gift for a quilter friend. While I try to thrift as much as I can for my art quilting and embroidery these days, I love the chance to support our my local weavers and dexters.

Rayen

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