Introduction
Normally, I don’t like the amnesia trope in dramas. In my opinion, this overused trope is a type of lazy scriptwriting. an easy way for screenwriters to introduce (unnecessary) subplots. However, when I read the synopsis, I was interested in the mystery plot, to find out who the guy she intended to give the ring to. And the drama keeps me guessing until the end, with plot twists. There is a different perspective on the amnesia trope in this drama. More about this in the review section.
Drama Info
Drama title: Kururi: Dare ga Watashi to Koi wo Shita? (Native title: くるり〜誰が私と恋をした?〜 )
Alternative title: Kururi: Who is in Love With Me?
Genres: Mystery, Comedy, Romance
Aired: Apr 9, 2024 - Jun 18, 2024
Episodes: 11 | Duration: 47 minutes
Directors: Matsuki Aya ( 松木彩 ), Ouchi Maiko ( 大内舞子 )
Screenwriter: Yoshizawa Tomoko ( 吉澤智子 ), Fujihira Hisako ( 藤平久子 )
Where to watch: Viki (with English subbed trailer)
Trailer: (official, not subbed)
Synopsis
As a 24 year old woman, Makoto Ogata (Meru Nukumi) doesn’t like to show her true self or draw attention to herself in her private life or when she is at work. This is because she doesn’t want to be disliked. One night, Makoto Ogata has an accident. The accident causes her to lose memory about herself. She finds a male ring in her bag, but she doesn’t remember who she was going to give the ring to.
Soon, three men appear in front of Makoto Ogata, and the ring fits perfectly on all three men. One of them proclaims himself as her ex-lover, one man claims to be her only male friend, and the other man claims to be her man of fate. Each of them has their own lies. (Source: AsianWiki)
Characters
Character Chart
Main Characters
Nukumi Meru ( 生見愛瑠 ) as Ogata Makoto
An apprentice at the Gram handicraft ring store. She previously worked in sales at Mondo Beverage company, where she befriended her colleague, Asahi Yuki.
In both private life and at work, she doesn’t like to show her true self, tries not to stand out, and not be disliked by others. However, she lost all her memories related to herself in an accident. Using a men’s ring found in her bag as a clue, she embarks on a journey to find her romantic partner and true self…
Seto Koji ( 瀬戸康史 ) as Nishi Kotaro
Makoto’s self-proclaimed ex-boyfriend.
Owner of Fleur Style Recollection flower shop. He has a straightforward personality and says exactly what he thinks. But he also has a gentle side, watching over Makoto, who has lost his memory. Before Makoto lost her memory, the two had parted amicably, but…
Kamio Fuju ( 神尾楓珠 ) as Asahi Yuki
Makoto’s self-proclaimed only male friend.
He is Makoto’s colleague in the sales department of the Mondo Beverage. He is known as the “Blanket Guy” for his kindness and nurturing nature. He is bright, straightforward, considerate, and well-liked within the company, especially by female employees. As a friend supporting the amnesiac Makoto, he hopes she will regain her memories, but he sometimes shows a sad expression towards the reborn Makoto, who has lost her memories…
Miyase Ryubi ( 宮世琉弥 ) as Itagaki Ritsu
Makoto’s self-proclaimed soul mate.
A younger man who has a fateful encounter with Makoto. His true identity is shrouded in mystery, but he is drawn to the memory-lost Makoto and relentlessly pursues her, stirring up the love quadrangle.
Supporting Characters
Hirano Kae (Maruyama Rei) – Makoto’s neighbor
Tachikawa Anri (Tomosake Rie) – a jewelry artisan, the owner of Gram
Hayase Rui (Takano Akira) – a staff member at Gram
Konno Ai (Kohinata Yuka) – a worker at Fleur Style Recollection flower shop
Iguchi Taro (Higo Katsuhiro) – Makoto’s doctor at Iguchi Mental Clinic
Iguchi Chigusa (Katahira Nagisa) – a receptionist at Iguchi Mental Clinic
Toyoda Mio (Murakata Nonoka) – a little customer of Fleur Style Recollection flower shop
Review
Story and Plot
I will only discuss two main tropes I saw in this drama, which I normally dislike: the amnesia trope and the reverse-harem trope.
Amnesia Trope
In my opinion, the amnesia trope is overused in many dramas, a lazy scriptwriting from the screenwriters to easily introduce unnecessary or draggy subplots. The amnesia trope in this drama forces Makoto to re-examine her life and discover a new path of her career. Makoto’s amnesia moment is a tool for exploring her identity, memory, and the impact of her past on the present.
In other dramas, the amnesia trope many times is unrealistic and trivializes real-life amnesia, which is a serious condition that can have significant psychological and social consequences. In this drama, Makoto realizes her amnesia is serious and seeks professional help. She also realizes that she can’t work at her old job anymore and holds everyone, so she prefers to quit and learns a new skill for a new career.
In other dramas, the amnesia trope is often portrayed as a way for main characters to avoid responsibility or to have a clean slate, which is not representative of the reality of memory loss. In this drama, Makoto finds out that her pre-amnesia character is restrained, tiresome, and uninteresting. Because she’s different during amnesia, she wants to find out the reason she behaved the opposite ways pre-amnesia and if other people are affected by her past behaviors.
Reverse-Harem Trope
Another trope I dislike is the reverse-harem trope (I also dislike the harem trope). Sometimes, nothing stands out about the Female Lead, and the focus of a reverse harem is not how attractive the girl is, but how unbelievably handsome the men are in her harem. In this drama, Makoto is not only attractive, but she also has a charming (new) character growth.
Another thing I dislike about the reverse-harem trope is that many times, the Female Lead is oblivious that the guys like her. She will never realize it unless other people or the guys tell her. In this drama, Makoto actually hangs out with each guy, not dating but getting to know each of them, to feel where her heart and her memory are.
I also like Makoto, despite having three men around her, who puts her own efforts into quitting her previous job and finding the job she likes, putting effort into her new career, and finding people who may relate to her. She’s not a damsel in distress who has to be rescued every time by her harem. She has professional help from Dr. Iguchi, as well as people at Gram and her neighbor Kae, who help her with finding her self-identity and character growth.
The Romance Plot
For the romance plot, the viewers are introduced to the three Male Leads and their current and past relationships with Makoto. Each guy is given enough screen time to spend time with her. However, in my opinion, it’s clear how the drama directs the relationship of each guy with Makoto, and who she’ll end up with. For example, she spends more time and has more chemistry with a certain Male Lead.
The Mystery Plot
I like the mystery plot more than the romance plot. It’s intriguing to find out who the guy she intended to give the ring to. The mystery plot keeps me guessing, even until the end of the drama. The plot twists are also surprising. I put some spoilers at the end of the article, after the Conclusion. However, I suggest you not peek at it if you want the full entertainment value of this drama.
Characterization and Acting
Pre-amnesia, the Female Lead, Makoto, is cold, bland, and uninteresting. During amnesia, she is likable, easy-going, and hilarious without trying to be funny. After amnesia, there is a good blend of her old and new personalities to be calm, cautious, yet empathetic and attentive. Good job from the screenwriters’ part to create her character growth. They gave the Female Lead a nice period of contemplating and self-analyzing without forgetting the mystery plot.
The leading actress, Nukumi Meru, did a good job acting Makoto with two opposite personalities, considering Kururi: Who is in Love With Me? was her comeback taking a leading role after several years playing support roles.
I have seen Seto Koji, Kamio Fuju, and Miyase Ryubi in their previous works. In this drama, they acted well as the sarcastic Kotaro, the shy Yuki, and the assertive Ritsu, respectively.
Initially, the three guys ‘chasing’ Makoto are cringey to me, mainly because I dislike the reverse-harem trope. Fortunately, there is no obsessive second lead. They have healthy competition, and at some point, they become acquaintances. Moreover, Makoto focuses on finding her identity first, before thinking about the man she wanted to give the ring to. As the plot goes, he does have a feeling towards one person, and treats the other two courteously and honestly, without misleading them.
The Visuals
Some notable props, filming sets, and locations make this drama physically attractive and fun to watch, besides the good-looking actors and actresses.
The vibrant Fleur Style Recollection flower shop
The Fleur Style Recollection flower shop, owned by Nishi Kotaro, is Makoto’s frequent stop. When he told her that he was her ex-boyfriend, she wanted to know what she was like, why he liked her, why they broke up, etc.
The flower shop and the floral arrangements are very beautiful and eye-catching. Although she claims that she doesn’t like flowers, the flower shop environment is very refreshing. Eventually, she’s interested in Kotaro’s work in arranging flowers and various other creations he makes, such as gift boxes and scented candles.
The whimsical Iguchi Mental Clinic
Doctor visits can be scary for various reasons. Specifically, visiting a psychologist can be stigmatized. People may feel apprehensive about visiting a psychologist, especially fear of the unknown, vulnerability, social anxiety, or experience.
The exterior and receptionist area of Iguchi Mental Clinic, where Makoto seeks psychological counseling from Dr. Iguchi, imply a playful, fanciful, and lighthearted architecture. It gives a non-threatening and safe ambiance for patients.
The elegant artisanship at Gram handcraft ring store
The exquisite artisanship at the Gram handicraft ring store is something I have never seen before in dramas, so the scenes where Makoto learns how to make custom rings are very interesting. While she’s learning the techniques, the Gram’s owner, Tachikawa Anri, and her employee Hayase Rui, also explain to Makoto about the philosophy behind the artisanship.
The adorable 3-D Latte Art by tisanship at Gram handcraft ring store
Hirano Kae, Makoto’s neighbor, has a hobby of creating cute 3-D latte art while working at a cafe. These cute creations were actually made by Cafe ChocoTea. In the first image is the latte art creation in the drama, in the second image is the latte creation to promote Episode 3 in the drama, where Makoto, Kotaro, and Yuki visit the cafe where Kae works.
Original Soundtrack
The OST is “I Wonder” by Dai-CE. Below is the group official MV, not from the drama
Conclusion
Kururi: Who is in Love With Me? is a cute romcom that uses the misused tropes common to other dramas: the amnesia and the reverse-harem tropes, in a unique way that focuses more on a journey to self-identity. It’s a fun watch with likeable characters and character growth.
Spoilers
What is the ending?
Happy ending, if you root her with the right guy
To whom did she intend to give the ring?
Nishi Kotaro
Who does she end up with?
Nishi Kotaro
What is Nishi Kotaro’s lie?
He is not her ex-boyfriend
Why did Nishi Kotaro lie?
He is a florist whose shop Ogata Makoto frequently stops. On the night of the accident, she told him she was being stalked. Nishi Kotaro then found out she had slipped on the stairs. He suspected she was pushed. He pretends to be her ex-boyfriend in case she needs his help with the stalker.
What is Asahi Yuki’s lie?
He is not her male friend.
Why did Asahi Yuki lie?
One time, Ogata Makoto helped him finish work tasks that others dumped on him. He saw her fall and felt guilty, so he wanted to take care of her as a friend, not a coworker.
What is Itagaki Ritsu’s lie?
He is not her man of fate. He’s her ex-boyfriend she dumped.
Why did Itagaki Ritsu’s lie?
He wants a start over with her by orchestrating a fateful meeting, etc.
