Natsuzora is currently streaming on major platforms, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Suzu Hirose's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Natsuzora earns its spot. Natsuzora does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Okuhara Natsu was born in Tokyo in 1937. In 1945, she loses both parents to war and becomes an orphan, but her father’s comrade, Shibata Takeo, takes her in and moves to Tokachi in Hokkaido. In an unfamiliar land surrounded by unfamiliar people, Natsu feels lost at first, but surrounded by Tokachi’s vast nature and its strong, yet compassionate people, she grows up to be a strong girl. Between them, Suzu Hirose and Masaki Okada carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It first aired in 2019. The timing in Natsuzora is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Natsuzora is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. Fans of Gokusen will recognise the sensibility here immediately. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Suzu Hirose is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.

Natsuzora wrapped up in 2019 — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.