u/tapedeckgh0st

Disclaimer: I'm generally not romcom fan in the slightest, this one just really caught me off guard and tbh I just feel like preaching about it.

Long Vacation initially released 30 years ago, and is notable for kickstarting the career of Kimura Tatsuya, who went on to be come the drama heart-throb of Japan. His co-star Tomoko Yamaguchi is aggressively charming and steals every scene she's in.

The basic premise is that its a cohabitation drama that follows an older woman named Minami who was abandoned at the altar, loses her modeling job to younger talent, and moves in with her ex-fiance's former roommate, Sena, a children's piano teacher.

The chemistry between the leads is off the charts, like they're such a natural pairing that every scene between them is engaging, even if its mundane banter or arguing or whatever.

Of course there are love triangles, usual romcom tropes and some characters are definitely excessive - it's still an Asian drama. But nobody is purposefully toxic, everyone is trying their best, and at the end of the day all the characters are likeable and fallible. They do and say stupid things, face their mistakes, and grow. Even romantic rivals are just normal people with good intentions.

With the economic hardship of the post-bubble 90's as a backdrop, characters fail a lot, both romantically and professionally, and a persistent theme is sharing trauma and getting by in spite of it. The romance actually feels earned, and the payoffs are extremely cathartic.

It's just so damn cozy, and you wanna root for everyone.

The vibe, the soundtrack, cinematography and the story all perfectly encapsulate the feeling of a Tokyo summer in the 90's. Definitely a story that can't be told in the era of smart phones and internet.

The soundtrack in particular by R&B group Cagnet is stylish as hell.

tldr: 9/10