What a great series. It does't try to push in a certain direction or impose anything on you. The message if you can call it that is delivered in a beautifully subtle manner. The acting is also topnotch felt very natural and the cinemtography is simply gorgeous.
Great review and thoughts on the show. Having lived in Japan for 5 years and have had many close relationships with Japanese women where they have confided with my freely, I can attest to the very real themes and topics Tokyo Girl has touched upon. As a foreign woman in Japan, I didn't have to fully experience the social influences and pressure but nonetheless, they were permeable. What I felt was this juxtaposition of following what the society has nicely packaged what is considered good/happy/best for me, and making that choice by myself that actually makes me happy. The emptiness I felt and conveyed in Tokyo Girl often stemmed from the plethora of options a big city like Tokyo has to offer - from choosing the best Karaoke bar that gives you the best deal amongst the 10 other karaoke bars in the same block, to going to a department store of 15 floors but end up buying nothing because there's another 15-story department store on the other side of the train station. The latter, which applies to more personal examples, often made me come out emptied handed and then the cycle of desires continued. Living in Japan requires managing a lot of your own expectations and also expectations of how the society would possibly see you.
I just finished watching this. Having watched so many J-dramas before, I was pleasantly surprised how seriously and beautifully it was made, with the seriousness of a film without being overly heavy. I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
Please do not give up on your v!og. You analysis is as deep and challenging as your subject matter. As you write and narrate you dig as deeply into the reader/listener, undermining the literatures/movies purposeful shell and we collapse into its cavernous concepts that connect us all as human beings - our (fears and regrets as with Tokyo Girl) and our courage and hopes (as with The Expanse). The popularity of your critiques will grow as word spreads about your accessibility and common touch are shared by we fans. Thank you whatever sacrifices you make to gift us with such a deep, resonant voice that helps me want more. Peace, young bro'.
I think of the episodes where characters break the fourth wall as social media posts, with all the self-delusion and fakery that people put into those.
Absolutely well done! This analysis parallels how we have in our world culture industrialized gratification. From marketing message to product we are pulled along a path of a shared story of fulfillment that, while not entirely wrong (we do want nice things) is out of step with the other things that happen in life. I've found Tokyo Girl to be an excellent video companion to the concepts in Aldus Huxley's Brave New World.
A small detail: as a Brazilian, that waving flag behind her when she met her first boyfriend (my favourite character from the series) was kinda touching for me (8:00). I also think that her acting was amazing as delicate at the same time. The scene when she fills the divorce papers was carried out with such a convincing sadness that it was heartbreaking. I really enjoyed your review! You have a beautiful voice and a nice speaking flow. Congrats!!👏🏼👏🏼
@@ssaydai ah, eu simplesmente gostei de ver uma bandeira do Brasil lá, lembrando que no meio de toda aquela vida mostrada na série, com seus altos e baixos, estivessem pessoas do mesmo lugar que nós, tentando viver e sobreviver no meio de Tóquio. Eu também senti uma sincronicidade entre o impacto emocional do reencontro e o movimento da bandeira, como se o vento que ali bateu representasse aquela sensação de pontada no peito que sentimos em alguns encontros específicos.
i loved it. i was literally searching for a girl in Tokyo wallpaper and accidently found that a series exists by this name. somehow i saw myself in Aya. well directed and scripted. it was beautiful ♥️
I just watched the episodes again- it’s the guy with the “happy birthday hat” declaring that no girl consider him a guy. The last scene- where Aya passes a woman and man with a dog... I think the girl in red is the same person as Aya... a mirror/dream/fantasy/greed she wants to be in? What a huge question mark that is both eliciting curiosity while agonizing the calm temperament within me that I will not bow to jealousy..?
I ended up watching this series by total accident but really love it. Kind of like a realistic Sex and the City with self awareness. It also helped that I spent some time in Tokyo earlier this year so really got a feel for many of the areas referenced. Great synopsis and video too!
Great analysis, I just finished watching the whole series, and I needed to find something like this, there is not much other content from this in english. I started to watch it just as another way to try to get use to the language, because I'm trying to learn japanese, but never expected how great the series would turn out to be. Thank you
I really love this show, whenever i feel low i watch this over and over .this give me confident to live . its really amazing series much watch ..........
Two very minor nits to pick in this review: 1) Akita is a mid-size city, well-known as backward, rural, country-fied, "the sticks." In Ozu's 1951 "Early Summer," two Tokyo women mock the Akita accent when one of their husbands is posted there. So Akita is comparable to West Virginia (no offense). 2) Aya's first company is a fashion brand, not a magazine. Mid-way through, the boss yells at her for "not mentioning our brand" when she was interviewed. Again, I must repeat, this is an excellent, insightful review of a great series.
A small town girl who wants to be huge just to later find out she was wrong. No expectations of society -- expectations of herself. She looked down on girls accepted at community college in her town, and she played with the guy who really loved her. Her fault.
I teared up when she signed the divorce paper. That feeling hit too close to home. I’m not married but my friend always says “you have to kiss many frogs until you find your Prince Charming” and it’s exhausting. I’ve honestly got to an age and a point where I just say “another one bites the dust” when that feeling of love and excitement fizzles out.
Just finished watching the series and thought it was a pretty good show. There is this atmosphere of emptiness in the show, specifically it's depiction of Tokyo, that I find haunting but beautiful. I'd be curious to see if the two Chinese adaptions of this series (one series in Beijing and another separate series in Shanghai) were able to capture the storytelling and charm of the original.
I cried while watching it too because it's so relatable. I'm only 25 now but I'm wondering what my future will be like, if I want kids, who my husband will be. All this time I'm also worried about getting older and less attractive, and comparing how my career and love life is to my friend's and acquaintancs. I think about my past relationships, I want to be in a happy relationship but I also want to pursue my dreams or I feel unfinished and unfulfilled. It's so difficult to be a woman with this time pressure society places on us. Sometimes I think it would be easier as a man in some regards, but I know men face great pressures and expectations too that women don't usually face 😅 let's us do our best to be grateful and seek the small happiness in our lives regardless of the outcome 🌈
The ending is totally bittersweet. I loved the series they really captured the tokyo city vibe. They should make an american version it would speak to a lot of people.
One tiny correction,... Akita isn't a " small, rural town ",... it's a prefecture with it's own culture, food and dialect. The theme of " beauty " in the first episode is especially well placed because women in this prefecture are traditionally said to be the most beautiful in Japan.
At the end Aya has no regret, just a little yearning for what she never experienced. The end scene is not about what she could've had, it's what she wants now. The nuances in fomo demonstrated in this series is what gives it its charm. Main message is about accepting what motivates you to continue the journey of life.
@UberCrispy I don't know, her life seemed pretty interesting and full by the time the series ended. "Real meaning" is just any individual's level of settling and using time spend to build up that preference of delusion to strengthen "something deep". In reality all novelties have an ideal delta. Chasing prestige, climbing the ranks in society is just a different area of delusion. We live in a society.
Hello Sir. Excellent vidéo but I really need to know : what is the song you’re using from 6:00 I really hope you’re going to answer me because it’s been a year I’m looking for it and can’t forget it. Thanks in advance.
I thought this show was excellent and I really enjoyed it, but I wished it had been given more space to unpack the issues it dealt with. The pacing felt mismatched with the weighty topics, and it often felt like important moments were breezed past. I would happily have watched this play out over ten hours rather than ten twenty minute episodes.
Exactly the same in Thailand. Move to Bangkok everyone says. I met my wife there and pulled her out of that game before it was too late. Its sad the materialism these big cities infuse into people's mind. Not spiritual at all. Love is spiritual and I didnt see her searching for it either in this series. In the end she simply wanted to "not die alone". I would leave anyone that was with me for such reasons. It has to be more than that. Its a TV series about the lack of spirituality and moral decay of modern societies without the writer, director and actors even knowing it since they live that life too. They are just reporting it and making excuses for it since they dont know how to change it. It was very insightful and confirming Japan is getting it so wrong too.
@@LynnNicoleGat10T There is no bitterness in my post. My wife is happier now. Cities of low morals are not happy places. But everyone is responsible for their life and the outcomes. Self determinism is very important. As well as showing people a life they then decide is better.
Do you still watch this show when you get a certain yearning? I was wondering how you managed to extract the soundtrack. I want to listen to them when I feel a certain yearning I should probably not be fond of.
i just finished Tokyo Girl and thought it was amazing but i was confused at the end. Can someone please tell me who was the guy that Aya winds up with at the very end?? thanks
@@stevenponte6655 thanks steve my girlfriend also figured that out and told me...what is your thought to the ending, is she happy with him or jealous of the other girl she sees walking with the dog and wishing she had more??
@@bobm6942 you didn't ask me but I want to share my thoughts. I think she was finally happy with her life. She finally understands that even if she have every material thing in her life, it doesn't promise the happiness that human kinds seach for entire life. I think her seeing herself in other woman means that she's has cut herself from the material loop that Tokyo girls get in.
Excellent analysis. Question. Who does she end up with in the final episode? I rewatched several times and can't figure if it's the guy from the beginning, the "New York" tradesmen or just some random guy who is struggling with finding happiness and tired of the chase.
She ends up with Keisuke, from her first copmpany, who she chatted with (but did not date) several times in the episodes. When he first introduces himself, he says "Gay men get along with women. Non-threatening ... That's me .. But oh no, I'm not gay." Hmmm. He's always dressed down, not spiffy like many of the other men in the show. And, in the last episode, he's shown sleeping on the sofa in Aya's apartment. And Aya's comment, "At least I'm not going to die alone."
This show needs a scene for scene remake with pretty white women it would absolutely ruin so many lives and be one of the most talked about shows ever.
You missed the entire point lmao, if you watch this with bitterness in your heart, you see a woman being punished. If you watch this with empathy, you see a universal human tale of self-discovery and what it means to seek external validation instead of self acceptance.
They rated this 5.6 out of 10 on Amazon. I Would give it 10 undoubtedly. Such a great eye opening series.
I've never seen a Japanese show address social issues so boldly. It was an incredibly eye-opening series.
I really love this show, it's sad most people don't know about it
What a great series.
It does't try to push in a certain direction or impose anything on you. The message if you can call it that is delivered in a beautifully subtle manner. The acting is also topnotch felt very natural and the cinemtography is simply gorgeous.
Great review and thoughts on the show. Having lived in Japan for 5 years and have had many close relationships with Japanese women where they have confided with my freely, I can attest to the very real themes and topics Tokyo Girl has touched upon. As a foreign woman in Japan, I didn't have to fully experience the social influences and pressure but nonetheless, they were permeable. What I felt was this juxtaposition of following what the society has nicely packaged what is considered good/happy/best for me, and making that choice by myself that actually makes me happy. The emptiness I felt and conveyed in Tokyo Girl often stemmed from the plethora of options a big city like Tokyo has to offer - from choosing the best Karaoke bar that gives you the best deal amongst the 10 other karaoke bars in the same block, to going to a department store of 15 floors but end up buying nothing because there's another 15-story department store on the other side of the train station. The latter, which applies to more personal examples, often made me come out emptied handed and then the cycle of desires continued. Living in Japan requires managing a lot of your own expectations and also expectations of how the society would possibly see you.
One of the most underrated TV series out there. This is indeed a hidden gem.
I just finished watching this. Having watched so many J-dramas before, I was pleasantly surprised how seriously and beautifully it was made, with the seriousness of a film without being overly heavy. I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
Just finished the series - brilliant!
My all time favourite series I literally cried while watching it
Please do not give up on your v!og. You analysis is as deep and challenging as your subject matter. As you write and narrate you dig as deeply into the reader/listener, undermining the literatures/movies purposeful shell and we collapse into its cavernous concepts that connect us all as human beings - our (fears and regrets as with Tokyo Girl) and our courage and hopes (as with The Expanse). The popularity of your critiques will grow as word spreads about your accessibility and common touch are shared by we fans. Thank you whatever sacrifices you make to gift us with such a deep, resonant voice that helps me want more. Peace, young bro'.
I think of the episodes where characters break the fourth wall as social media posts, with all the self-delusion and fakery that people put into those.
Absolutely well done! This analysis parallels how we have in our world culture industrialized gratification. From marketing message to product we are pulled along a path of a shared story of fulfillment that, while not entirely wrong (we do want nice things) is out of step with the other things that happen in life. I've found Tokyo Girl to be an excellent video companion to the concepts in Aldus Huxley's Brave New World.
A small detail: as a Brazilian, that waving flag behind her when she met her first boyfriend (my favourite character from the series) was kinda touching for me (8:00).
I also think that her acting was amazing as delicate at the same time. The scene when she fills the divorce papers was carried out with such a convincing sadness that it was heartbreaking.
I really enjoyed your review! You have a beautiful voice and a nice speaking flow. Congrats!!👏🏼👏🏼
Por que? O que tem haver a bandeira?
@@ssaydai ah, eu simplesmente gostei de ver uma bandeira do Brasil lá, lembrando que no meio de toda aquela vida mostrada na série, com seus altos e baixos, estivessem pessoas do mesmo lugar que nós, tentando viver e sobreviver no meio de Tóquio.
Eu também senti uma sincronicidade entre o impacto emocional do reencontro e o movimento da bandeira, como se o vento que ali bateu representasse aquela sensação de pontada no peito que sentimos em alguns encontros específicos.
i loved it. i was literally searching for a girl in Tokyo wallpaper and accidently found that a series exists by this name. somehow i saw myself in Aya. well directed and scripted. it was beautiful ♥️
This messed me up the ending GOT ME so bittersweet a must watch
Who did she end up with ? Was he the guy from her first job?
@@miunya yea
Gawd I was guessing too! Thanks for this info I can now sleep in peace.
I just watched the episodes again- it’s the guy with the “happy birthday hat” declaring that no girl consider him a guy.
The last scene- where Aya passes a woman and man with a dog... I think the girl in red is the same person as Aya... a mirror/dream/fantasy/greed she wants to be in? What a huge question mark that is both eliciting curiosity while agonizing the calm temperament within me that I will not bow to jealousy..?
@@dangunsuh5594 Was that woman Aya herself? I was trying to figure out if who she was...
This was an hands down amazing show
This is a Very underrated show. Watched it few months back, still it crosses my mind.
I ended up watching this series by total accident but really love it. Kind of like a realistic Sex and the City with self awareness. It also helped that I spent some time in Tokyo earlier this year so really got a feel for many of the areas referenced.
Great synopsis and video too!
Great analysis, I just finished watching the whole series, and I needed to find something like this, there is not much other content from this in english. I started to watch it just as another way to try to get use to the language, because I'm trying to learn japanese, but never expected how great the series would turn out to be. Thank you
This is a really good show. It made me think about a lot about Ecclesiastes "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."
I really love this show, whenever i feel low i watch this over and over .this give me confident to live . its really amazing series much watch ..........
I love your style. Keep this up and share what you love!
What a tremendous review! Almost as insightful as Tokyo Girl itself. Thank you!!!
Two very minor nits to pick in this review: 1) Akita is a mid-size city, well-known as backward, rural, country-fied, "the sticks." In Ozu's 1951 "Early Summer," two Tokyo women mock the Akita accent when one of their husbands is posted there. So Akita is comparable to West Virginia (no offense). 2) Aya's first company is a fashion brand, not a magazine. Mid-way through, the boss yells at her for "not mentioning our brand" when she was interviewed. Again, I must repeat, this is an excellent, insightful review of a great series.
A small town girl who wants to be huge just to later find out she was wrong. No expectations of society -- expectations of herself. She looked down on girls accepted at community college in her town, and she played with the guy who really loved her. Her fault.
Understanding at the level of essence is crucial to understanding of oneself
Great series, thanks for sharing!
Love this. You seem so chill. Your voice is luring me.
This has a lot of potential! I hope it comes to Regular TV in the UK
What a relaxing voice...
Absolutely an amazing series. I"ve never watched something this self aware and exploratory. You've done a great job explaining it
"The items that complete your life"... Sad way of thinking and sadly too many of us are still trapped in this loop
I cried several times while watched the series, as I rush into 30, everything getting real
For a woman's view of a different level of Tokyo, there's Convenience Store Woman. Sorry, it's print (but I remembered it as a film).
Ah! I've this book at home and have yet to get too far in but it does affair a very different feeling
I really want to watch the series now!
I'm a guy and I recommended every single woman I know to watch it.
great video and analysis!
Great review. Btw, where do I find the music used on this video.
Thank you! I'll try to remember this title when I sub to A-prime for Expanse for a month.
Every bit as good as you promised. Thank you.
I had to replay your video many times. Not because I had trouble understanding it, but because it's so enjoyable!
I teared up when she signed the divorce paper. That feeling hit too close to home. I’m not married but my friend always says “you have to kiss many frogs until you find your Prince Charming” and it’s exhausting. I’ve honestly got to an age and a point where I just say “another one bites the dust” when that feeling of love and excitement fizzles out.
Currently watching this. Really enjoy how self aware it is.
Beautifully done-- thank you!
Just finished watching the series and thought it was a pretty good show. There is this atmosphere of emptiness in the show, specifically it's depiction of Tokyo, that I find haunting but beautiful.
I'd be curious to see if the two Chinese adaptions of this series (one series in Beijing and another separate series in Shanghai) were able to capture the storytelling and charm of the original.
I cried while watching it too because it's so relatable. I'm only 25 now but I'm wondering what my future will be like, if I want kids, who my husband will be. All this time I'm also worried about getting older and less attractive, and comparing how my career and love life is to my friend's and acquaintancs. I think about my past relationships, I want to be in a happy relationship but I also want to pursue my dreams or I feel unfinished and unfulfilled. It's so difficult to be a woman with this time pressure society places on us. Sometimes I think it would be easier as a man in some regards, but I know men face great pressures and expectations too that women don't usually face 😅 let's us do our best to be grateful and seek the small happiness in our lives regardless of the outcome 🌈
Love it so much!!
Just watched that with my Girlfriend, amazing. I feel sad she didn't end up with Akita guy
I am going to watch it!!
Brilliant review!!
The ending is totally bittersweet. I loved the series they really captured the tokyo city vibe. They should make an american version it would speak to a lot of people.
It has Sex and the City vibes already :)
I found this by accident. Im a horror sci-fi person but this show rocks! Written very well with great characters and actors.
I am in love with this show. Please recommend me shows like these if you know any PLEASE !
@Andrew An Ho thank you! I will try to find it
So...this is a horror movie? cause the motif of "happiness is the thing that floats behind you while you are looking for it." is pretty damn scary!
One tiny correction,... Akita isn't a " small, rural town ",... it's a prefecture with it's own culture, food and dialect. The theme of " beauty " in the first episode is especially well placed because women in this prefecture are traditionally said to be the most beautiful in Japan.
Hmm, I must investigate there to confirm.
Damnit man. There's a nail you just smoked with your hammer.
Just another human being wanting to live life the fullest.
At the end Aya has no regret, just a little yearning for what she never experienced.
The end scene is not about what she could've had, it's what she wants now.
The nuances in fomo demonstrated in this series is what gives it its charm.
Main message is about accepting what motivates you to continue the journey of life.
@UberCrispy I don't know, her life seemed pretty interesting and full by the time the series ended. "Real meaning" is just any individual's level of settling and using time spend to build up that preference of delusion to strengthen "something deep". In reality all novelties have an ideal delta. Chasing prestige, climbing the ranks in society is just a different area of delusion. We live in a society.
Hello Sir. Excellent vidéo but I really need to know : what is the song you’re using from 6:00
I really hope you’re going to answer me because it’s been a year I’m looking for it and can’t forget it. Thanks in advance.
I loved this series
I thought this show was excellent and I really enjoyed it, but I wished it had been given more space to unpack the issues it dealt with. The pacing felt mismatched with the weighty topics, and it often felt like important moments were breezed past. I would happily have watched this play out over ten hours rather than ten twenty minute episodes.
Great video man. I was wondering, what's the backgorund music that you use ?
10/10 true hide gem
I tried explaining this to my boyfriend and he just called the main charachter a thot🤦🏿♀️
This was good...may I ask was that who she wanted to be at the end?
Exactly the same in Thailand. Move to Bangkok everyone says. I met my wife there and pulled her out of that game before it was too late. Its sad the materialism these big cities infuse into people's mind. Not spiritual at all. Love is spiritual and I didnt see her searching for it either in this series. In the end she simply wanted to "not die alone". I would leave anyone that was with me for such reasons. It has to be more than that. Its a TV series about the lack of spirituality and moral decay of modern societies without the writer, director and actors even knowing it since they live that life too. They are just reporting it and making excuses for it since they dont know how to change it. It was very insightful and confirming Japan is getting it so wrong too.
@@LynnNicoleGat10T There is no bitterness in my post. My wife is happier now. Cities of low morals are not happy places. But everyone is responsible for their life and the outcomes. Self determinism is very important. As well as showing people a life they then decide is better.
Yeah I think you completely missed the point of this show.
@@petalchild 10 people got my point. I'm ok if you didn't or don't care to. Point is people search for meaning in a meaningless large city.
Hi guys! I'm looking for the ost of this show! I really love it but it's not easy to find on the Internet... Please help me 🙏
Is this TV show renewed? I'd love to watch a season 2
BTW keep doing your videos, you are very talented.
Is anyone have suggestions like this series ? to watch any name ?
Where can I get the music that was used in this video.
I just finished watching the sries and I have a question. Who was the person Aya walked with at the end? Was it a friend or brother?
he was the male friend from the tokyo office. he was always the only male among the group.
Hey ! I am looking for the piano music of the last episode. Where could I find it ? Thanks !!
Do you still watch this show when you get a certain yearning?
I was wondering how you managed to extract the soundtrack. I want to listen to them when I feel a certain yearning I should probably not be fond of.
i just finished Tokyo Girl and thought it was amazing but i was confused at the end. Can someone please tell me who was the guy that Aya winds up with at the very end?? thanks
he was the "friends" guy from her first workplace, that all the girls thought was gay, even though he wasnt.
@@stevenponte6655 thanks steve my girlfriend also figured that out and told me...what is your thought to the ending, is she happy with him or jealous of the other girl she sees walking with the dog and wishing she had more??
@@bobm6942 you didn't ask me but I want to share my thoughts. I think she was finally happy with her life. She finally understands that even if she have every material thing in her life, it doesn't promise the happiness that human kinds seach for entire life. I think her seeing herself in other woman means that she's has cut herself from the material loop that Tokyo girls get in.
Excellent analysis. Question. Who does she end up with in the final episode? I rewatched several times and can't figure if it's the guy from the beginning, the "New York" tradesmen or just some random guy who is struggling with finding happiness and tired of the chase.
It's the guy from her first company in Tokyo.
It’s the guy from her first company, the one she had lunch with when they commented on another couple.
She ends up with Keisuke, from her first copmpany, who she chatted with (but did not date) several times in the episodes. When he first introduces himself, he says "Gay men get along with women. Non-threatening ... That's me .. But oh no, I'm not gay." Hmmm. He's always dressed down, not spiffy like many of the other men in the show. And, in the last episode, he's shown sleeping on the sofa in Aya's apartment. And Aya's comment, "At least I'm not going to die alone."
if anyone knows the ending song of Tokyo girl, please tell me. I've been dying to know😭
Anyone know the name of the theme song at 0:00 ?
Who is the actress at 1:05 on the left?
your channel is under exposed
Is it like Tokyo Alice?
No, Both the shows are quite different.
This show needs a scene for scene remake with pretty white women it would absolutely ruin so many lives and be one of the most talked about shows ever.
One of the most Red-pilled series. Feminists will not like this at all
You missed the entire point lmao, if you watch this with bitterness in your heart, you see a woman being punished. If you watch this with empathy, you see a universal human tale of self-discovery and what it means to seek external validation instead of self acceptance.
Great series, thanks for sharing!