S&X Review
Director: Shōgo Kusano
Date Created: 2026-08-21 00:37
4.5
S&X Review: Directed by Shōgo Kusano, Netflix’s Japanese series SとX stars Kento Nakajima as Ichito Shimotori, alongside Yûko Araki as Yumi Ichinose, Ryota Miura as Yuta Saigawa and Sawako Fujima as Marin Natsume, with Aoi Nakamura, Rinka Kumada, Shiro Sano and Yūsuke Santamaria in supporting roles. Based on Kisei Tada’s manga S to X: Therapist Shirotori Ichito no Kokuhaku, the series has seven episodes, each running for approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
S&X Review
At the start of the drama, my expectations were similar to the ones I had while watching Sex Education. Although there was some similarity in that case, S&X turned out to be more focused on the emotions behind certain actions of characters rather than the lessons which could be taught in the process.
Netflix’s Japanese series S&X revolves around Ichito Shimotori, who works as a sex therapist at the Shimotori Clinic and helps people solve problems associated with intimate relations which they cannot solve with their loved ones, friends and family. It turns out to be quite an interesting experience for Dr Shimotori, who deals with such aspects as pleasure, intimate relationships and even such serious issues as filming, objectification and misconduct.
What makes the plot even more interesting is the fact that the main character himself has some problems with his sexual life because of the trauma he has experienced. Dr Shimotori is not able to have sex anymore, and it turns out to be quite an important aspect of his relationship with Yumi, a reporter whom he meets.
The first thing that impressed me about the Netflix series S&X is the recognition of the idea that sex is not just a matter of physical enjoyment. Sex can be accompanied by feelings of embarrassment, fear, isolation, insecurity, selfishness, curiosity, and sometimes even abuse. The fact is that intimacy continues to be a controversial issue that people tend to either make too much fuss about or consider too personal to talk about publicly. Nowadays, when information can be easily found, the ability to get information does not always mean that people know how to discuss it properly.
The series works especially well due to the fact that Dr Shimotori does not come off as someone who knows everything. This particular fact is what I really liked about his character. The man is smart enough to help his patients with their problems, but he never pretends that being a professional means having all the answers. His inability to have sex adds to the effect. Every time he helps someone to solve his or her sexual problems, there is always some irony involved, as he himself still tries to understand his own intimate relations.
Kento Nakajima’s interpretation of Shimotori is crucial for our analysis in the sense that he could have very easily become an incredibly boring character of a therapist who is too perfect. However, thanks to Nakajima’s work, we see Shimotori as an interesting person with a lot of warmth, awkwardness, and restraint. It is especially great how nicely he manages to show the difference between the way he works with his patients and the way he becomes entangled with issues of a completely different nature.
As far as I am concerned, it is extremely nice to watch the way every episode brings up new episodes concerning sexual issues. In one instance, the issue under discussion may be rather personal and embarrassing, while in another one, the episode will make the viewer plunge into some very dark territories, for example, issues of ethics connected with the illegal filming and objectifying of one’s partner. Moreover, the virtual experience is discussed as well.
I also like the fact that the program does not make a mistake and does not identify these two terms as one. Taking into account the subject of the story, the Japanese series S&X could easily use nudity and provocations as proof of its boldness. Fortunately, however, this is not the case. The program is much more focused on dialogue and situations rather than nude scenes.
The relationship between Shimotori and Yumi provides the Netflix S&X series with an additional emotional element and a reason to invest in it, in addition to each individual case presented by the episodes. This relationship is quite complex in that the past of Shimotori interferes with his future. This affects not only what he is ready to offer to another person but also what she expects. I appreciate the development of this relationship because in the series, romance is not presented as the solution to the problem and its prize, but as something quite complex when it comes to becoming emotionally vulnerable due to past experiences.
The only negative comment I would make about it is the fact that sometimes, especially when it comes to introducing some touchy topic quickly, the situations and dialogue can be a bit forced. Some dialogues do not have the fluidity which other scenes have, and sometimes it would have been better to dwell on the case more instead of proceeding to the next one. However, these issues did not bother me much as the main storyline prevailed over all other aspects.
Netflix S&X Review: Summing Up
Overall, the reason why it was so effective in my case is the fact that S&X does not lose sight of the people behind the problem. The question here is not of the normal or abnormal, but rather the question of why one acts in such a manner, and what is he/she afraid to admit. The personal story of Dr Shimotori makes this question much more relevant since he does not stand outside of the subject and teach others, but is an integral part of this complicated world.
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