A girl with the power of the Atmosphere!
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Kuroki Haru: Oshima Nagi
Nagi’s Long Vacation
[Ep1] The Power of the Atmosphere! Have you ever heard of someone having the power to see the atmosphere? Oshima Nagi possesses the divine. She can read the atmosphere! Actually, it’s called reading between the lines. Omg, I have super powers too! Nagi takes this power rather seriously, so seriously, it suffocates her personality. She never does anything or says anything she truly wants, afraid to disrupt the flow.
Network: TBS
Mini Recaps
Hyperventilation. Nagi gets her dose of reality when all her coworkers take advantage of her at work and her boyfriend, Gamon Shinji, says he’s dating her only because she gives him a good blowjob. Nagi hyperventilates and faints. Hyperventilation happens when there’s not enough oxygen in your body. She’s reading too much into the atmosphere, she forgot it was something to simply breathe in and out of.
One week later.
Restart. Nagi throws her old life away and only grabs her bike and few belongings to start a new life. “To be a brand new me.” She says. Her small change begins with the smallest of change. In her new place, in a new city, the cashier gives her the wrong change, but it’s only 400 yen difference. Seems marginal, but this difference is gross now that she’s unemployed. She puckers up her courage to ask the angry-looking cashier who seems busy with a long line of customers for her measly change back. The angry-looking cashier glares at her and immediately apologizes. Turns out the angry-looking cashier just has an angry-resting-face. She’s also new to the job and that’s why there’s a long line up. The customers also laugh at the cashier. See, it’s not that hard to change! Nagi gains courage from this little change. Literally.
Shinji Tramples On Her Change. Shinji barges into Nagi's countryside life. She left him and everyone behind not only because they used her but during her hospitalization, no one visited, called, or even texted her. Upon seeing her, Shinji laughs at her curly explosive hair and calls it ugly. He steps right into Nagi’s home with a mocking laughter as if nothing has changed between them. I have to say Shinji looks rather threatening purely with that smile.
Nagi in thought: How can he trample on my feelings so easily?
Shinji wants Nagi to go back to who she was but Nagi no longer wants to be the girl who yields to others.
Nagi: The atmosphere isn’t something you should read but to breathe
A New Side of Shinji! As Shinji walks back home, all we see is his back hunched up. The pedestrians who see him are shocked. That’s because this man is crying! Sobbing! Weeping! In a state of distraught, he arrives at a bar and weeps to the host he knew of Nagi’s curly hair from the very beginning. He watched her take an hour to straighten it. From then on he was determined – “I would protect this girl for life” – because she straightened her hair everyday like that for him.
Shinji cries: I really really like her!!
Omg what is this LOL. The turn of events has me shocked. He loves her? But that’s how he treats her? He should have told her she didn’t have to straighten it! Gosh!.
Second Male Lead. It looks like Shinji might have competition. Arashiro Gon, Nagi’s new neighbour, a free spirited man, gives her a hug out of happiness. He’s simply happy because she introduced him to her Lucky Bitter Melon.
[Ep2] You Can Still Make Friends By Rejecting Them. Sakamoto Ryoko pressures Nagi into buying a worthless charm bracelet but Nagi remembers Shinji’s words to her that she looks like a “Good Girl”. It’s not a compliment. Someone looking “good" means they’re easily taken advantage of. Nagi shakes off the "atmospheric pressure” and refuses Ryoko. A huge milestone for Nagi. Ryoko didn’t mean to “scam” her; she truly believes in the powers of the bracelet. Although Nagi didn’t buy the bracelet, Ryoko still wants to be her friend. This is new for Nagi. She didn’t even try to appease Ryoko and yet she’s liked by Ryoko.
Shinji waits for Nagi at the grandmother’s home (Yoshinaga Midori, neighbour of Nagi). They watch a movie together and Grandma spoils the movie ending for Shinji: the couple breakup over one misunderstanding. A premonition?
Staring Down Shinji. After Shinji finally waits until Nagi is back, she says she’s busy. Nagi comes up with an excuse that she needs to play Goldfish (which is called Hot Potato in Japanese) with her neighbours. It’s an awkward game of cards and then Nagi quivers in fear as Shinji stares her down to figure out which of her two cards is the “Hot Potato”. It was needlessly threatening but I think we’re seeing Shinji through Nagi’s lens rather than the real Shinji in an objective lens. With a bit of encouragement from Gon, Nagi realizes there’s nothing scary about Shinji and stares right back at Shinji. In the end, Shinji picks her “Hot Potato”.
Not Saying Enough Leads to Tragedy. Nagi realizes Shinji has been waiting for her for hours. She runs out to thank him for the present he left her (her favourite sweets, “White Lover”). Shinji stares at her and recalls about the movie he was watching with Grandma and how it ended in a tragedy because the man failed to properly confess his love. "Not saying enough leads to tragedy.” Midori-san had told him. Thus, Shinji gathers his courage in front of Nagi.
Shinji: I always want to see your face
But the words are so broken up that Nagi can't hear it properly. Then she’s distracted by Gon. Shinji forcefully takes back her attention with a kiss.
Shinji: I love youHe confesses! But!!Shinji in his mockery tone: Is what you want to say to me, right? Sigh.
Nagi slaps him.
Shinji Being Shinji. Then Shinji cries all the way back home again! LOL. This time it’s Ryoko who sees him cry.
[Ep3] Punching Bag That Punches Back. Ryoko drags Nagi to a speed dating event. There, Nagi meets her old co-worker, Adachi-san (the one who took advantage of Nagi). The coworker is so snobby about her exquisite taste in men that no one at the event caught her eye, Nagi can't stand it anymore. Nagi punches back with piercing words, calling out her desperation to meet men and that she’d sleep with them depending on their status. It’s K.O. Adachi-san loses. However, Nagi doesn’t feel good about the K.O. because those punches she delivered applies to herself too.
Sardines. Shinji’s family isn’t close at all but they put on a show that they are.
Shinji: Our family is the same as sardines.
Why sardines? Shinji remembers an aquarium date with Nagi. A school of sardines were swimming in one direction except for one lone sardine. Shinji had admired the fish but in front of Nagi, he scoffed at it.
Shinji: That sardine should learn to read the atmosphere.Nagi: If it really ends up dead, I want to eat it – Pause – because they’re delicious!
Shinji recalls that date and smiles. He’s like Isn’t she a cutie? I, uh, missed where the cute part was supposed to be...The bar hostess makes a comment: “You look like a sardine that can smoothly swim around" because he expertly reads the atmosphere. Oh, but to him, there’s someone who can read the atmosphere better than him. It’s Nagi. That’s why he can be comfortable around her. Ah so they’re both sardines who yearn to swim out of the pack! Shinji is just like Nagi.
A Break Up! Shinji was going to visit Nagi after work but Nagi was actually waiting for him in front of the company. Her old co-workers gossip about her shabby and shaggy appearance. Shinji bravely takes Nagi’s hand in his and takes her away from the gossipers. Ou~
Nagi had to visit Shinji because she deleted his number. She’s here to formally ask him to break up with her. It took her this long to realize she never loved him. Oof! She loved his status. She was willing to sleep with him because of his specs and not who he is. Omo. Shinji! Once she leaves, his face falls on the table with a bang. Hahahaha. It’s fun watching him being tortured by Nagi without her knowing it.
A New Relationship. Nagi is over Shinji. She asks Gon if she can go over to his place. She gulps down her drink. She always had high tolerance but in front of Shinji, she pretended she couldn’t drink because that would make Shinji happy. Gon hugs her and this time, Nagi doesn’t refuse Gon’s approach. They have sex. Woah. The progress.
Shinji Being Shinji. Shinji is crying again! LOL. He bumps into Eri (Gon’s band member). She recognizes him as the crying man from Ep1. She invites him to their club and in passing learns that Gon is a jerk, more specifically Gon is a "lunatic machine-making”. I don't know what that means.
[Ep4] Nagi never had such orgasm. She wants some sweet snuggling time but Gon is playing a game on his phone immediately after sex. The next day, Gon gives Nagi keys to his house. It’s official! Oh, but he actually gives it to every girl he sleeps with, lol!.
How did Shinji and Nagi start dating? On a bus ride home, Shinji and Nagi happen to meet. She compliments his presentation skills. Then they both realize they get off at the same stop. Thus he asks her out because they live close. Nagi shyly nods to dating him, and then he takes her hand to get off the bus together. Just like that, they were official. Oh so he liked her first and she just read the atmosphere, thought it was the correct answer and dated him. Sounds pretty normal.
Shinji Loving Gon Too? Shinji can't get over Nagi. Every girl who has a 1% resemblance to Nagi, he will pause to check. He can’t take it anymore and visits her but meets Gon instead. He waits for Nagi at his place. They play video games together and nonchalantly, Shinji tells him how his brother failed an examination and his mother went hysterical. Shinji's jaw drops when he realizes he just shared his family business. He never does that but Gon was just such a good listener, he spilled everything before he knew it. Ah, he’s falling in love with him too! Haha. I think that’s why Nagi likes Gon too.
Shinji Cries in Front of Nagi! Shinji meets Nagi at the convenience store. She freaks out when she hears Gon was at home. She didn’t know. Is she already crazy for Gon? Shinji is horrified at Nagi. She, a saving freak, is spending so much money on garbage-like snacks. It’s so unlike her. Then she's dating Gon when his washroom reeks – reeks with perfumes from all the different girls he sleeps with. “Are you really okay with this?” Shinji asks her. Nagi lies that she’s fine with all of Gon. And then Shinji cries, like bawling-crying! However, Nagi can’t clearly see in the rain. She doesn’t know if he’s really crying.
[Ep5] Shinji lies that he’s not crying. It’s raining. And the lie works!
Let’s Break Up! Nagi finally realizes Gon isn’t right for her. She will break up with him but first, there needs to be an official rite. To the sea it is to throw away the keys! But it’s dark and she’s lost. Haha. She ends up at the bar Shinji frequents. The owner kindly gives her a map to the ocean so that she can properly end her love.
Nagi breaks up with Gon. She tells him the atmosphere is good when he’s around but it's suffocating when he’s not. She says he’s like a pull-apart bun – there’s various ingredients inside. Every time she takes a bite, she always wonders what it will taste like. It’s so delicious, she has to force herself to come up with a reason to eat it. Then she compares him to a super sexy middle school girl. I’m at a complete loss what this is all supposed to mean. So is Gon. Basically it’s a breakup.
Oh, but now it seems like Gon loves her back. Perhaps he’s never been rejected?
Shinji Moving On? Shinji also has a new love interest! Or more like Ichikawa Madoka is making a move on him. She fell in love with him because while everyone is calling her a “universal flirt” Shinji stands up for her and doesn’t join in on the gossip rounds.
A New Job. The bar host hires Nagi as a waitress. Will she meet Shinji?
[Ep6] Another Job! The person who opens the door to the bar is...Ryoko! She got a new job too but it’s a notorious company known for scamming. This girl actually graduated from the prestigious University of Tokyo! So why is it so difficult for her to find a job? She sucks at interviewing.
Nagi is Fake? Nagi struggles to continue a conversation with the clients at the bar. The host tells her she should bring up the conversation instead but the ultimate reason why she doesn’t instinctively do that is because she has no interest in other people. The host tells her that her smile is insincere and fake. Nagi is struggling to accept that. How could she not be interested in people?
Finally, Nagi meets Shinji at the bar. The hostess gossips about how Shinji wailed every night because he was dumped by the girl he loves. LOL. Shinji loudly rambles over the hostess's voice. Lucky for him. Nagi is off to serve other guests. From afar, Shinji has his eyes on her and he notices Nagi’s silent contempt at the clients (because they were complaining about a colleague). He pulls her aside, telling her this job isn’t suitable for her. How can she, who doesn’t like people, work at a job whose purpose is to entertain people? Shinji is well aware that she only likes people who like her. Oh. Shinji knows her more than she knows herself.
Rekindling Old Loves? When Nagi gets off work, Shinji accompanies her. She brings up how she broke up with Gon. Shinji is thoroughly shocked. Then his girlfriend (Ichikawa) arrives. He’s struggling so much to introduce her as his girlfriend (it's hilarious). There’s imaginary words “girlfriend” on the pavement that he tries to stomp on like they’re pesky ants. In the end, he can’t say it. He introduces Ichikawa as his coworker.
Reflection. Ryoko’s company is actually quite dangerous. Shinji updates Nagi about it, making Nagi evermore determined to drag Ryoko out of there. A very worried Shinji follows Nagi and risks his own safety to help Nagi (to help Ryoko). They safely escape out of the seminar and now everyone is at the bar. Ryoko knew the company was shady but she didn’t want to be a failure; she didn’t want to look back; she wanted to move on. Nagi shakes her head. There's an importance to looking back, to reflecting. Nagi confides in Ryoko she never had any real friends because she was never sincere. Nagi wants to change now and sincerely asks Ryoko to be her friend.
Ryoko: Even if I’m not someone who can read the atmosphere?Nagi: The atmosphere is what we breathe in and out of.
They’re friends – real friends. Ryoko looks over at Shinji and remembers him. He’s the “White Lover” crying dude! Nagi recognizes the “White Lover” in the conversation but has no clue what they’re talking about. Shinji vehemently denies it was him. xD
Gon is Reflecting Too. Gon realizes he might be in love with Nagi. If that’s the case, she is his first love.
[Ep7] Ryoko and Nagi are going to take over a laundromat! The flow of Jdramas are always so unpredictable.
Rekindling Old Love? Shinji shows up at the bar thirty minutes before it opens, knowing that’s when Nagi shows up for work. The hosts try to play cupid and ask Nagi what she thinks of Shinji (while he’s hiding in another corner at the bar). She realizes he was always considerate of her by starting all the conversations. The host then asks if there’s a possibility of them getting back together. Nagi replies: “300% impossible.” She wants to read a new book, not an old one. If she returns to Shinji, then she’ll go back to being her old self. Overwrought with fury, Shinji exposes his hiding spot and argues it’s impossible for him too: "800% impossible!” Childishly, he scoffs at Nagi that he has a girlfriend and she’s super cute!
Shinji’s Brother. Shinji searches for his older brother (Gamon Shinichi). His brother is unemployed and going around DJ-ing at random clubs. He needs to find him before his family does. His father is ultraconservative. He asks Gon to keep an eye out if his brother ever visits their club again. Gon does just that and Shinji finds his brother. Shinichi mocks Shinji for living behind masks, never revealing his true self. Shinji is always living while reading the atmosphere (just like Nagi).
Shinichi: What are you trying to protect, really? You know, even if you only have one person, if that person lets you be your true self, won’t it make your life a bit easier?
Shinji Hyperventilates. The stress is getting to Shinji. Previously at work he ran into a problem. Everyone was like If it’s Gamon-san, then it’ll be fine~! Basically no one was willing to help him except Ichikawa-san even though he introduced her as his “coworker”. Then during his presentation, he faints from hyperventilation (just like Nagi).
Shinji rests at home. Ichikawa phones him to check up on him. He thanks her and tells her he’ll take their relationships more seriously. He wants a proper chance to talk to her and as he's saying that he's looking up at something by his stairs. Shortly after, someone is at his door. It’s Nagi. She’s looking for her grandmother’s sauce that was in Shinji’s fridge.
Shinji breaks down at the sight of her. He cries and apologizes to Nagi. When she collapsed from hyperventilation it was his fault. He finally apologized for that.
Shinji cries: I love you so much. I wanted to make you happy. But I couldn’t.
Nagi looks up and notices he still kept the plant by his stairs. Ah, that’s what he was staring at when he was on the phone with Ichikawa.
[Ep8] Nagi is just about to hug a crying Shinji but he was too busy crying to notice and instead he reminds her she needs to catch the last train. No hug.
Nagi Knows Shinji Loves Her. Everyone tells her so. At this point everyone she knows (the band members, the hosts, Urara's mother, and Ryoko) have seen Shinji cry for her. Urara-chan even tells Nagi there’s a rumour of a crying man in school. This makes Nagi’s head spin out of control. Just what exactly did he like about her? She wonders.
Shinji’s Restart. Shinji is on vacation too (for a week)! At Gon’s home! Gon let him stay at his place because Shinji seemed fragile. He too is suffocating from the atmosphere after the conversation with his brother. Lol two ex-boyfriend living next door and both still love Nagi. Haha. Also, Gon is right about Shinji being fragile. He's now crying to Grandmother Midori. Shinji doesn’t know how to face Nagi now that she knows he really loves her and he cried for her.
Nagi Learns More. The bar owner tells Nagi that Shinji knew about her curly hair. Nagi is starting to believe Shinji did love her.
Shinji Learns More. Shinji is also learning new things about Nagi. She doesn’t like corn but her mother always sent them to her. She doesn’t like the looks of it – how it’s all tightly packed on a cob. Interesting fear. Shinji never knew that and he loves corn. Nagi continues her story that her mother would throw all the corn away because she didn’t eat them, Since then Nagi pretended to love corn to appease her mother. Shinji is also shocked to learn Nagi’s mother raised her alone after her father disappeared. Just what have these two been doing when they were dating? Oh right. Sex. Got it. In the middle of peeling the corn, Gon leaves. Shinji and Nagi curl up in awkwardness. Lol, I'm suffocating watching these two.
These two finally have a wholesome moment when both are on their own balcony, drinking beer. She learns about his episode of hyperventilation and shares with him some of her food.
Nagi’s Mom. Nagi visits her mother because she has to. Shinji intercepts her in the wee morning. He knew she was going to change to her old self to see her mother (i.e. straightening her hair, looking proper, etc). She’s going back to her old self. Shinji tells her not to go. Nagi shakes him off.
During this visit to mom, it’s apparent Nagi was trained by her mother to “read the atmosphere”. Mom wants to borrow money for renovation but Nagi doesn’t have that kind of money. She wants to open up her laundromat – there’s finally something she wanted to do. Mom whimpers, “I’ll just go beg others for money.” Oof. The atmosphere thickens to the point that it’s suffocating. Mom is obviously guilt-tripping her. Nagi succumbs. She gives her mother the money and now she has no fund for the laundromat. Aw.
Shinji Likes Curly Hair Better. Shinji finds Nagi crying along on the bench. She admits he was right that she can’t shake off her past. She can never change. Shinji, in a comforting voice, tells her what he liked about Nagi: her smooth and silky hair; her food; her ability to gauge his mood; her low key personality.
Shinji: But right now your bushy hair looks better.
He caresses her hair and she cries louder at his touch. Gon sees this and smiles but then realizes he should be angry. The boys are here because they were worried about her visit to mom.
The laundromat plan falls through. Ryoko isn't mad, though. She had fun. It’s been a long time since she enjoyed something this much. Ryoko tells Nagi, “Let's draw more interesting dreams.”
Marriage? Nagi’s Mom drops by for a surprise visit. She sees Nagi's bombtastic hair and dingy home. Shinji quickly lies that they’re on paid vacation and they were planning for a wedding. The lie gets out of hand when Mom immediately wants to meet his parents.
[Ep9] Shinji is just like Nagi. Shinji had tried to shield Nagi from her mother but he’s not much of a shield when he too suffers from reading the atmosphere too much. Nagi’s Mom is an intimidating force to reckon even for the two of them combined. I find this scene so cute because it’s never been this visually obvious how similar Shinji and Nagi are. These two are so good at reading the atmosphere, they read each other’s mind while trying to read the atmosphere. Cute! But Mom still gets her way. The parents’ meeting is scheduled. Shinji wanted to tell his parents the truth but he’s having problems refusing his own mother as well. They’re one and the same.
Break Up. Ichikawa overhears Shinji’s parents meeting with Nagi. She orders the strongest liquor at the bar and spills her heart and sorrows: she's known as the mood-breaker. Apparently she breaks human relationships which just sounds like jealous girls bullying her. Shinji apologizes. Ichigawa just has one question for him: what did he like about her. Shinji’s mind goes blank and he's expressing that blankness exceptionally well. That earns him a slap across the face. Deserving.
A Complete Breakdown. The marriage meeting between the parents disintegrates when all the lies are exposed. Then Shinji’s brother arrives because this meeting is also grandma's birthday party and he drops the biggest bomb: he exposes all the lies his family was telling to cover up his “failures". Nagi watches Shinji as he desperately tries to save his grandmother’s birthday celebration. She finally realizes Shinji is just like her. Among the chaos, Nagi (might as well) admits to her own mom: “I hate you.”
Nagi to Shinji: Let’s stop reading the atmosphere. Let’s go, Shinji.
After they leave the event, they both bawl at the mess they’ve created for not reading the atmosphere. Haha. So random. Nagi cries that she yelled at her mother. Shinji cries that he didn’t say happy birthday to his grandmother.
Confession. Gon confesses his love to Nagi. His face is all scratched up because he retrieved all the spare keys he gave to the girls he slept with. His bathroom is also empty of perfume.
[Ep10] Nagi rejects Gon.
Grandma Has Powers Too. Grandma (Midori-san) also suffered from reading the atmosphere. It was so bad, she ran away from home. She is a daughter of a hotel franchise (!) and was supposed to inherit it but shoved every responsibility to her sister. Now her sister is sick. Ryoko gives Midori-san her bracelets to give her strength so that she can face her sister and her past.
Goodbye. It’s news to Nagi that the building she's currently living in will be demolished. As she’s finding a new place for her new beginning – a true beginning – she also finds a new job.
A Date; A Goodbye. Nagi has something to tell Shinji but before that Shinji asks Nagi to spend one last day with him. It’s a date! Nagi overdresses... She’s in grandma-clothes with weird makeup. They go to an aquarium and spot the lone sardine. Nagi thanks Shinji for all his help. She was selfish for wanting to be free. Whenever she was lost, he helped her. She also apologizes for not knowing anything about him when they dated. She only had one goal back then: to marry him. But now her goals are different. She shares with him her list of things to do which were all inspired from the experiences she had with her friends she met during her “long vacation". She’s looking forward to her future but...
Shinji finishes her sentence: That future doesn’t include me.
He knew she was telling him goodbye which is why he interrupted her to ask for this date. He knows Nagi is swimming well on her own. He will end his feelings for her.
Shinji: You'll definitely be fine on your own.
For the last time he wants a big hug from her but she won’t let him hug her. But she let Gon hug her! Is it because her heart will waver if he hugs her?
Nagi was going to live with Ryoko until she gets her own place but Ryoko has her boyfriend and can’t let her stay. Her boyfriend is Shinichi!
Shinji cooks for himself. The bean sprouts are alive again. It’s the plant Nagi left at his place. Those are bean sprouts, right? I don’t know.
The end!
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1)] Quirky J-dorama the way I like it. I'm very amused by the introduction. The special effects and the language the drama uses changes a very normal concept like "reading between the lines" into a superpower! I love it when Jdramas can inject life into mundane normalcy.
However, it’s not a good power. Nagi is so preoccupied with blending in and reading between the lines, she’s suffocating from the atmosphere she once thought she could read so well.
Then there’s Gamon Shinji (ML) who is a jerk but at the end of Ep1 his character does a 180 and I am sold on the romance. It’s too funny and too unique.
[Actors/Actresses]
[Behind the Scenes]
[Ending] Happy ending for Nagi. She successfully reboots. As for the couple, it's not a happy ending. Shinji still loves her, like really loves her, but Nagi has just learned to love herself and she needs time for that. I am a believer that somehow, someway they’ll find each other again once they find themselves.
Final Review
[Review] Sometimes Jdramas are way too preachy and way too cheesy and sometimes they’re like this: possessing the exquisite ability to tap into the raw nature of the human heart with outlandish metaphors that make so little sense and yet so much sense. They turn simplicity into extraordinary and then the extraordinary back to the ordinary and that’s when I appreciate the ordinary like never before.
Nagi is a character who is absurd yet relatable. To her "reading the atmosphere" is the need to think before acting, the obligation to act accordingly, and the desire to be liked. She's so preoccupied with conforming to everyone else's standards, she loses herself. The drama conceptualizes this personality trait into air particles – something that is external, compressing onto Nagi and suffocating her. This is how the drama brilliantly visualizes Nagi’s inner personality into an external element and what I mean by turning simplicity into extraordinary. Thus, in the pilot episode we see her dropping everything in life – her career, her love and her house – to move to the countryside as if changing the external environment can reboot her life. Throughout the drama, we slowly peel back to the core of Nagi’s problem – herself. It takes every character's enlightenment, especially from Shinji, for Nagi to learn to love herself, to be comfortable with herself and to find peace from within.
The message of the drama is why I love this but what makes it an overall enjoyable watch is the humour, the cute love story, and the entire cast.
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