End Of The World With You (Japanese Series)

This 8 episode series from Japan (each of about 25 minutes) is yet another story of love in the doomsday time. The story follows two estranged ex-lovers who go on a trip to help a young boy meet his family as a large meteor is headed directly towards earth and is expected to wipe out humanity in 10 days. Yes, the story is intriguing and the concept done well, but still somewhere it fell short for me. The whimsical journey of redemption and reconciliation felt rushed at places and I wonder, if the world was really ending; is that how you would spend time. But then I am probably thinking way too much and sometimes simple is better.

A meteor will strike the world in ten days, causing global destruction. Masumi, an ordinary office clerk, like everyone else is worried and is in librar, where, to his surprise, he meets Ritsu. Ritsu and him almost a decade ago and the relationship did not end well. The show tells us how they met in college and soon became fwb. Masumi thought they were exclusive, but Ritsu was still sleeping around both with other boys and girls. A heartbroken Masumi never recovered from their breakup. He resented Ritsu for toying with him and developed severe trust issues. But with the clock ticking and just days remaining until the world comes to an end, they start to wonder if they should perhaps reignite their romance...and fill the remainder of their lives with passion. Ritsu, has this younger guy at his home, who came to meet him, and now since the world is ending, he would rather be home. So Masumi and Ritsu decide to go an a road trip where the two try to live the few days they have left without remorse. This also helps them reconcile their differences and spend last few days in good company of friends and fill their last days with love and passion.

Despite a sombre and dystopian premise, this show tries to take a delightful yet whimsical approach to a love story. Masumi heals from emotional baggage, learning to let go of family angst, relationship trauma, and trust issues. His love interest, Ritsu, seeks atonement for past wrongdoings. They meet Yuma, who loses and restores his spirit for life. The group also helps Meguru to recognize the importance of self-worth. Masumi and Ritsu have some pretty explicit sex scenes in the beginning and towards the end and it's obvious they share a good rapport. Yuma was an interesting character of this boy, who is innocent , yet he becomes a catalyst in bringing Ritsu and Masumi back together. I enjoyed the mysterious nature of his character and that was definitely a plus point for me. The story felt a little rushed, especially since it doesn't give an opportunity for Ritsu to redeem himself. He had hurt his ex too much in the past. Despite showing remorse, his wrongdoings still outweigh his rehabilitation. Also the road trip feels too stretched out. A trip that was to take a few hours takes a few days and day after day its always night. What the hell are these people doing during the day. Also , while the world is about to come to an end, the four carefree people seem to be enjoying a road trip together, which in itself feels odd; given the scenario.Emotionally, Ritsu must do more to regain Masumi's broken trust, making me reluctant to champion their romance. Overall on ok show, I'd even say better than average but it could have been so much better with more attention on the screenplay. (6.5/10)