Netflix's Drawing Closer & the Encounters that Change Us
Hello, there! 👋
How are you today?
Over here, I must confess that the last few weeks have been a bit intense. Just last week, my partner received news of the sudden passing of an important person to him, a mentor who had been helping him for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, I never got to meet his mentor, but I know he was quite young and healthy so it was that sort of unexpected piece of news that arrived like a gut punch.
As my partner mourned his loss, I couldn’t help but wonder how fragile life is, how we can be here one second — and be gone the next. But, despite his pain, I believe the feeling that made him shed such heartfelt tears is beautifully human and extraordinarily loving.
Despite the fleeting, unpredictable nature of life, the encounters we experience — no matter how short-lived or seemingly unimportant — change us. The stories, the laughter, and the kindness we share fill our hearts with this loving feeling that we can’t really describe.
And this feeling lives on. It defeats death and remains in the hearts of the ones who survive. Isn’t it wonderful that we can leave traces of who we are in the people we meet? Isn’t it wonderful to think that all the people we love somehow continue living inside us? And isn’t it wonderful to think that we are also alive inside the ones who love us?
And I’m not even talking about “love” as a romantic or platonic feeling. I’m talking about “love” as a more comprehensive feeling of care, admiration and gratitude.
That’s why human encounters are magical. Through all of time and space, we managed to be born in the same period and frequent the same places as these people we end up loving, admiring, and receiving help from.
Is that fate? Coincidence? The name you give to it isn’t that important. But we’re definitely lucky to live in the same time and space as our loved ones. How lucky are we to meet family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and mentors who care about us? Support us, protect us, teach us, encourage us to be better? What are the odds, huh?
That’s also the message behind Drawing Closer, a Netflix feature released in July 2024 that I only got to watch this past weekend. Written by Yoshida Tomoko (who penned the excellent adaptations of My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday and I Want to Eat Your Pancreas as well as NHK’s amazing Warotenka) and directed by the great Miki Takahiro (whose filmography counts on dozens of marvellous romances), Drawing Closer is an adaptation of Morita Ao’s novel of the same name.
If you’re a fan of Japanese romantic films, the synopsis might sound familiar: Hayasaka Akito (Nagase Ren) is a 17-year-old who discovers he’s only got a year left to live. He then meets Sakurai Haruna (Deguchi Natsuki), a girl who loves painting and only has six months to live.
I’ve probably watched a hundred Japanese films with a similar premise but I must confess that Drawing Closer won my heart.
Drawing Closer is a captivating portrayal of the beauty of youth, the impermanence of life, and the magic of these encounters that change us forever. The story allows romance to take a back seat and instead, encourages Akito and Haruna to learn from each other and grow as individuals. They help each other face life with a new perspective, exploring their dreams, desires, and relationships beyond the little universe they create between them.
For Drawing Closer, the bond between Akito and Haruna doesn’t just offer a potential romance. Their bond is the catalyst for a new self. They find in each other the strength, hope, and love they need to live a more meaningful existence. But, most importantly, Akito helps Haruna rediscover the strength, hope, and love that come from the friendships and familial relationships she’s pushed away — and vice-versa.
We all know the ending of Drawing Closer, yes. But the goal here is the journey. With its beautifully written dialogue, superbly paced narrative, and genuine characters, Drawing Closer celebrates life. It reminds us of how stunning even the shortest of existences are. It tells us that, despite our inevitable future, every encounter is precious. And it encourages us to cherish the time and the people we often take for granted.
The entire cast delivers some marvellous performances but we have to highlight the charisma that Nagase Ren, Deguchi Natsuki, and Yokota Mayuu (who plays Haruna’s childhood friend Ayaka) radiate. Their delivery is full of heart, innocence, and magnetism and you can’t help but fall in love with them. We should also mention that Nagase and Deguchi have a natural, charming chemistry that helps establish a unique and sweet dynamic between their characters.
Visually, Drawing Closer is also a pleasure to watch. The cinematography is beautifully romantic, counting on pastel colours and soft focus that illustrate this tale in the most heartwarming way possible. Both the script and the visuals make heavy use of art as a means of connection and expression, which gives the story an extra layer to watch out for. And I love the fact that Fujifabric’s fantastic 若者のすべて (Wakamono no Subete) is used as the film’s theme song!
Undeniably bittersweet but endlessly endearing, Drawing Closer proves that even the most common of stories can enchant when told with sincerity.
You can watch Drawing Closer on Netflix.
Here’s to the ones we’ve lost. May they live forever in our hearts.
Shall We Take A Stroll Around the World of Japanese & Korean Media?
1. Cinema
The Hollywood Reporter announced that “Japan Society and Metrograph have teamed up to co-present ‘Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us,’ a rare 30-film retrospective devoted to the ‘fourth great’ master of Japanese cinema.” This is “the first major New York survey of the landmark filmmaker’s work in 20 years, presented in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of his birth and screened entirely on rare prints imported from collections and archives in Japan.” The event, divided into two parts, will run from May 9th to June 29th, 2025.
With a “quietly egalitarian and progressive sensibility,” Mikio Naruse is the incredible director behind several masterpieces of Japanese cinema, such as Floating Clouds, Late Chrysanthemums, and When a Woman Ascends the Stairs. If you want to learn more about the event and Naruse’s career, I recommend reading this The Hollywood Reporter article here.The Cannes Film Festival has recently announced the 2025 official selection for its 78th edition, which will take place from May 13th to May 24th, 2025. According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, this is the first time in 12 years that no Korean film has been invited to the festival. Japan, on the other hand, is going to be present at Cannes with three titles: Chie Hayakawa’s Renoir (In Competition), Kei Ishikawa’s A Pale View of Hills (Un Certain Regard) and Genki Kawamura’s The Exit 8 (Out of Competition). The festival will also host the premiere of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low.
2. Television
The long-awaited Resident Playbook, tvN’s spinoff from
(my beloved)Hospital Playlist, saw the release of its first two episodes last weekend. The Korea Times covered the press conference for the show, sharing some of the thoughts of the creator, Shin Won-ho, and the cast. Shin explained that:"While 'Hospital Playlist' focused on the stories of medical professors becoming wiser, this new series portrays the growth journey of young professionals just starting their careers. It’s a youth-oriented medical drama about rookies stumbling, making mistakes, getting hurt and gradually becoming wiser."
If you haven’t started the show yet, you can find it on Netflix! We’ll be following Resident Playlist here too — and if you want to know more, why don’t you give this article from The Korea Times a read?
And yes, I’m talking about When Life Gives You Tangerines — again. Last week, Korea JoongAng Daily published an amazing article called “Diving into Jeju's distinct culture with hit drama 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'.“ The piece talks about the work of the haenyeos, women in Jeju, local traditional homes, and (of course) tangerines. A must-read if you want to learn more about the traditions and culture of this very special island.
The Japan Times published a great review of NHK’s After the Quake, entitled “Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments.” In it, Mike Fu explains that After the Quake “brings Murakami’s singular sensibility to life through an impressive ensemble cast and thoughtful world-building.” He also discusses the different episodes and the original novel. I’d love to watch After the Quake — let’s hope it is released internationally soon.
Not-so-happy news: the release of Kim Hye-yoon and Lomon’s fantasy rom-com Human From Today has been postponed. According to Soompi, SBS announced that the highly anticipated series is now scheduled for broadcast in 2026. Let’s wait for further updates, shall we?
3. Interviews
Variety interviewed the cast of tvN’s The Divorce Insurance and shared their conversation in “Prime Video’s Korean Rom-Com ‘The Divorce Insurance’ Stars Make the Case for Life After Heartbreak: ‘Choices That We Make to Become Happier’.” If you’ve been enjoying the series (available internationally on Prime Video), make sure to read the interview with Lee Dong-wook, Lee Joo-been, Lee Da-hee, and Lee Kwang-soo (whose recent performance in Netflix’s Karma has been highly praised). Here’s my favourite bit:
“I really loved how our show doesn’t deal with divorce in a serious and dark way, but in a light-hearted and positive way,” he [Lee Kwang-soo] says, highlighting a line from the series that encapsulates its essence: “Both marriage and divorce are choices that we make to become happier.”
If you’re more of a thriller-kind of person and you’re thinking about watching Netflix’s Karma (also with Lee Kwang-soo), here are a few interviews with the cast that I particularly enjoyed reading:
With the great Shin Min-ah, “How Shin Min-a brings depth to crime thriller 'Karma'“ (from The Korea Times) discusses how Shin prepared for and developed a character battling a lifelong trauma.
With Park Hae-soo, you can choose “Park Hae-soo finds catharsis in playing villain in Netflix thriller 'Karma'“ (from The Korea Times) or “'Almost like a demon': Actor Park Hae-soo reflects on dark character in Netflix series 'Karma'“ (from Korea JoongAng Daily).
Have you watched Karma? What did you think about it?
Meanwhile, on The Blossom Review:
Last week, we talked about TBS’s mystery Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?. Our review on The Blossom Review and on YouTube are both spoiler-free so you can read it here or watch it here before deciding whether to check the show out on Netflix. If you have already watched the show, drop me a message or comment with your opinion!
This week, we’re talking about jTBC’s The Art of Negotiation! Remember to stop by The Blossom Review on Wednesday and/or YouTube on Thursday for our review!
Stay safe and I’ll see you soon! If you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. If not, have a marvellous week ahead! 😊
Karen, With interest I read Your article about Netflix doing voluminous amounts of original programming and the potential effects on Korean TV and Movie industry. I was caused to think of time in my area in US when Cable TV began to replace Broadcast TV. All the cable networks were largely swallowed up by one large provider which was in turn bought out by today’s mega conglomerate Comcast.
I’m meandering. I wonder if situation with Netflix & Korean TV/film industry compares in any way to Cable TV taking large share of news & entertainment market away from broadcast TV in the US in early 1980s?
Karen, I have been so wrapped up in my own world that I failed to send along sympathies to you and your partner on the occasion of the death of someone important to him. We do feel loss on behalf of our significant other and hope to give them some of our strength while they go through the pain of loss & mourning. Knowing that it takes time can be difficult. Many years ago I served with a Senior Pastor who became a mentor & later a friend. In retirement we would attend the same church until his death. Re: prayer he often offered a quote to me saying, “When you have thought of someone you have prayed for them.” Thinking of you & your partner this AM.