I don't normally write reviews unless I feel inclined to. And for this, I feel inclined to.
If you've never watched a Japanese drama in your life you probably won't like this. When Director Minagawa was approached to make this series, she at first thought she had to do something to appeal to the international audience, but on the contrary she was given the freedom and liberty to appeal to the local taste. The Japanese audience. Therefore, if you've never watched a Japanese drama or have and didn't like how slow things move, you won't like this.
Japanese dramas, tv shows, and most Japanese reality shows are slow paced. Think slice of life, type of vibe. It's not like Korean dramas on Netflix where the characters have depth to them but also this grave importance to them, and things are always happening. There's edginess to Korean dramas, and that's not the way things are for Japanese dramas.
I love how Followers captures the way things are now whether people agree with it or not. I'm sure many people expected Followers to be some high party life night scene type TV show with drama, because that's how our media portrays our taste and needs. But to the Japanese, this everyday lifestyle and struggle between what you want and what others want, how times are changing, how viewpoints are changing. Gone are the days of women needing to choose either to be a working woman or a mother, now you can be both. It's not selfish. It's just stuff society is still struggling to cope with. Being a housewife isn't the best thing for a woman, that kind of thinking is outdated. There are exceptional women doing exceptional amazing things every day, even if we don't see it.
Followers captures that essence. Those everyday moments.
We see the damage numbers do to ourselves, youth, and the like. But yet we as humans still somehow expect others to live by our personal standards. I must say, that the TV show was slow to start, but it really had me in tears at times. I found myself really drawn to the slow story pace and letting things unfold naturally. I felt myself really connecting in numerous ways to the storyline. It may not be all glitz and glam, but that's how life is. Life isn't always glam.
I really loved seeing Japanese LGBTQ+ in Followers. That's not something obvious in a lot of Japanese tv shows because of how Asians are still conservative, and I completely respect them. But I also really loved it all the same.
I recently heard a quote that said something along the lines of, if someone tells you "You can only do this or that," and they try to steer you in their own direction... turn it back on them and turn that "or" into an "and." This quote really reminds me of this TV show.
Who says you can't have both? Who says you can't be a mother a career woman? Nothing in life that's worth it ever comes easy. It's going to be hard. You're going to fail. You're going to struggle a lot. Don't listen to all the people who don't matter and their negative words. Listen to those who love you, they'll support you. "You'll never be scared if you stay true to yourself."
I took away so much from this TV show. I would definitely love a season 2 with other stories to it. This was so well done. Again, it may not be everyone's cup of tea though.
