love in tranquility
because i saw it in the j-drama Silent (2022)
review
(contains broad details from the show)
I love the j-drama Silent (2022). The main sets the characters frequently went to felt familiar, not out of place for the world they existed in. The characters were also all extremely patient with one another. And that’s where I saw the importance of time and maturity. Had they been younger, a bit earlier in their twenties rather than later in their twenties, they might have rushed their interpersonal conflicts and endeavors with love. A bit more impulsive, a bit more reckless. Luckily, the characters of Silent were respectful of boundaries and the line between jokes and insults. Them being quite thoughtful and empathetic also helps overcome miscommunication and conflict quickly too.
On another note, the show put me in a reality check of sorts, in terms of how I view love. Looking back, I realize that it was weird of me to expect a kiss scene at the very end because that is simply how everything in the mainstream romance genre seems to build up to. However, this show broke that for me; it made me find fondness and recognize intimacy in the actions of handholding and hugs, which I understand and also reserve for just a few people.
I know there’s the joke about how kissing and skinship in k-dramas and other shows will appear in the 13th hour-long episode of approximately 16-episode-long series, but this show isn’t too dramatic that it makes their moments of intimacy make you explode with giddiness; it’s more like the warm embrace from a blanket. Silent was a slow burn, and I liked that they used the episodes to showcase each character’s development and eventual support of Tsumugi (Haruna Kawaguchi) and Sou’s (Ren Meguro) relationship. Tsumugi and Sou are the power duo for communication, whether it was talking for hours on end in their high school days, or via sign language in their present timeline.
The time that Tsumugi and Sou spend together is as simple as visiting each other at work or eating at a cafe. As a result, their constant hangouts rekindle their friendship which blossoms into love. Their relationship isn’t bursting with fireworks, but it glows like soft embers lighting up your face in gentle quiet. I would like that with my future partner, though I hope I don’t become so painfully aware of my actions I can’t simply get absorbed in my partner’s presence.
I feel as though one of the toughest things for me in relationships, platonic or otherwise, is that I get so caught up in what we look like from an outside perspective. Zooming out, is this us savoring the mundane? Is the nature of our conversation super fulfilling and authentic? This is probably a sign to think less about the “look” of it all. Watching dramas, where we’re viewing in on conversations that are kind of private to have, has made me excessively self-conscious about the “look” of it all in my own life, when I should experience the moment when it happens.
What have I taken away from this all? Live, laugh, love. And pursue the ability to get through to people. ✨Communication✨
