Todome No Kiss Review: Pucker Up For This Kiss Of Good Writing

Todome no Kiss, when translated into English, reads ‘Kiss That Kills’ which makes a very interesting name for a drama. I was drawn to this dorama because a lot of drama fans were praising it. And the praise was surprisingly not for Kento (who is extremely popular with female fans) but the drama as a whole. I am not a big Kento fan so I would not have picked the drama had I not been intrigued by the plot. And once again a big thank you to all my drama-loving pals for recommending this terrific drama. I have lost count of how many times my jaw dropped to the floor while watching this gripping drama. There is absolutely NOTHING predictable about this drama. The actors too did a good job playing their parts but it was undoubtedly the script that was the actual hero of this dorama. Of course, Kento’s kisses and Mackenyu’s dreamy gaze came as additional perks. 😉

Todome No Kiss (Todome no Kissu/Kiss That Kills/Kiss Of Death) (10 Episodes)

Image Courtesy

Otaro Dojima aka Eight (Kento Yamazaki) works as a host at a host club. He is a survivor of a traumatic accident happened in his childhood which has now made him very cynical towards life. He completely dismisses the idea of love and only believes in money and power.

One evening, while working at the host club a mysterious girl appears before Otaro and forcibly kisses him. Her kiss kills him instantly and transports him a few days back in his life. At first, Otaro feels he must have dreamt about the girl but when she happens to approach him repeatedly he understands her kiss is fatal and takes him back in time. He then resolves to nab her to keep her from killing him repeatedly.

Let’s weigh this totally unpredictable dorama on our drama beam balance and see what makes it such a huge hit amongst drama lovers.

Good Weights

I enjoyed watching Todome No Kiss because…

…the plot was highly engaging. Time travel is not my favourite concept and I have hardly watched any movies or dramas based on it. But after watching Todome No Kiss I feel like watching more time-travelling dramas. 🙂 Yes, frequent repetition of scenes would become a little tiresome but it was still interesting to see the same event occur differently. The suspense around the ‘kissing girl’ and her link to Otaro’s life will surprise you. Even the reason why she does what she does is nothing expected. The plot is very fresh and unique.  

…the writing was crisp and the story concluded excellently. I specifically want to applaud the show’s conclusion because I have seen several dramas that add all kinds of diverse story arcs but do not give a reasonable ending. This drama knew exactly what to do with the arcs added. It started well and concluded even better. With all loose ends neatly tied up by the end, it has me content and happy.

…I was genuinely stunned by all the shock elements in the drama. I was at the edge of my seat (literally) throughout the drama. The drama is fast paced and leaves no room for a single dull moment. Even when scenarios were repeating it did not feel boring because of its different treatment. 

Bad Weights

I did NOT LIKE Todome No Kiss because…

…the director keeps panning to left and right for dramatic effect. This is not really a bad weight and I am not reducing my ratings because of it but it was annoying to see the same camera movement after every alternate scene.

As you can see there is no bad weight on our drama beam-balance which shows how much I loved it. When you watch a drama like Todome No Kiss you also wish to be able to go back in time and correct your mistakes. However, the drama beautifully depicts the futility in attempting to change one’s past. Unlike a regular Japanese drama, Todome No Kiss is replete with kisses. It has all kinds of kisses from romantic to angsty to angry to desperate. However, this drama should not be watched for steamy scenes because there is a lot more to it than just the kisses. Also, the kisses may not appeal to everyone as the main leads appear to be in a lot of pain each time they kiss. So, do not watch it only for some intimate ‘action’.

I give Todome No Kiss 4.5 out of 5 rating. It is a well-written and terrifically executed dorama. You just cannot afford to miss this one.

 

Feature Image Courtesy: Yamazaki-Kento

Screen-grabs: Nippon TV

 

Also Read: