Until the T-Shirt Dries is the kind of plot that keeps you on your toes throughout, which is why anyone interested in crime and mystery must watch it. The plot revolves around Seo Sakiko (Yu Aoi), an editor for a bridal magazine who, on the face of it, appears to have a perfect marriage with her husband, Seo Mitsuru (Kenichi Matsuyama), the owner of Café Hikouki. Their lives change forever when the couple is involved in a tragic accident that leaves Seo Mitsuru missing without a trace. With everyone around her giving up hope of finding Seo Mitsuru, Seo Sakiko believes that there is more to what the eyes see and thus refuses to give up.
But in the accident, Seo Sakiko and her husband aren’t the only ones who suffer. Another couple, Sonoda Itsuki (Ayumu Nakajima), ends up losing his wife, Sonoda Azusa (Kaho), which forces him to confront unimaginable grief. However slowly and steadily, as the details begin to come out, it is understood that the deceased people might be sharing a hidden connection no one ever knew. Now the story takes a different turn: both spouses feel as if their marriage was never there, and worse, it was just a show for the world. This makes the entire drama shift from tragedy to mystery. Though just the first episode is out, an air of mystery is there right from the start. Certain clues are also offered to the leads as well as the audience to see that the plot is not as simple as it sounds. As a result, even our curiosity and desire for the next episodes increase.
One of the biggest strengths of Until the T-Shirt Dries is its cast's acting. Yu Aoi delivers one of the strongest performances that we have ever seen. What makes it interesting is that in the coming episode, we will see her even more as her character continues to navigate through tumultuous times. Even her character development is significant. There are no emotional outbursts or drama. Instead, there is eerie quietness in her role as a wife who is trying to process everything that is happening around her regarding her husband’s disappearance. That is what caught my attention about Seo Sakiko. It would be fun to watch how the rest of the show shapes her up. Kenichi Matsuyama, though, has less screen time, yet he manages to leave a mark in whatever scenes he gets. Maybe in the coming episodes we will see him a bit more, so fingers crossed.
Ayumu Nakajima, as Itsuki, plays an important role in the entire show. We see him transform from a grieving husband into someone who will go to any extent in order to reveal the truth. I can already predict that this, too, is going to be a strong character with significant development taking place in the future. The rest of the cast, too, does their very best in the entirety of the first episode so far. The pacing is perfect, giving us enough time to grasp what is happening around. So all in all, if you are someone who likes such a genre, Until the T-Shirt dries is your perfect watch.
Final Score - [8/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
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Publisher at Midgard Times