Currently Watching: Wakamonotachi 2014

Well, that’s a lot of shouting.

That was my reaction after watching the first episode. But despite the full-on acting, I found the closing scenes really quite touching, so I decided to keep watching it.

Plus, of course, what a cast! Eita, Mitsushima Hikari, Aoi Yu, Nagasawa Masami. It’s as if the producers looked through this blog, made a list of all the actors I’ve raved about and then tried to put as many as possible into one drama.

Stylistically, it's quite different to what I'm used to. In the dramas I tend to watch, most emotions are pent up and suppressed, until they all come bursting out in the final scene. In Wakamonotachi, everyone's emotions are on display almost immediately. It's a rare scene in which one of the characters doesn't shout or cry. A lot of the emoting comes from Tsumabuki Satoshi, as the oldest brother in charge of his family. He must've been exhausted at the end of each days shooting, since he has very few lines where his character isn't reacting angrily to something.

It's not often I watch a drama like this but, so far, I'm finding it quite addictive. Also, despite each scene being played at full volume, there are moments of quite reflection, and it is during these scenes that the drama is at its most touching.

The Fourth Annual November 8th Awards

And so, as is usual on this blog, I mark the anniversary of If By Japan's birth with a pretend awards ceremony. These last twelve months have seen Japanese dramas offer up an embarrassment of riches in one season, followed by the embarrassment of being really quite incompetent for months at a time.

I found my free time greatly reduced as, despite still being unemployed, I started doing voluntary work this year. This means I still haven't seen Lady Joker or finished Hanzawa Naoki, although I fully intend to. One day.

Also, it seems to me that the nominations this year are more repetitive than before, with the same names cropping up. Whether that is a reflection of my viewing habits or of a patchy year in J-drama, I don't know.

But anyway, my favourite TV shows out of the past twelve months are...

Best drama

Going My Home
Osozaki no Himawari
Hitori Shizuka
Furuhata Ninzaburo

Koreeda's charming drama takes the prize. Despite being a ratings disaster (13% share down to just under 5% by the end) it was a joy to watch. Almost no story at all was somehow kept going by subtle performances and a gentle soundtrack. Osozaki no Himawari was everything that made me like J-dramas, all wrapped up in one lovely bundle. Hitori Shizuka was challenging and sometimes confusing, but still a compelling, dark drama. And it had the best shoot-out I've seen in years. Furuhata Ninzaburo remains heads and shoulders above most other murder mysteries, even 16 years after it was made.

Best comedy

Yuusha Yoshihiko to Akuryou no Kagi
Saikou no Rikon
Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi
SOIL

I tip-toed through SOIL thanks to a patient Japanese friend (who's now, sadly, gone back to Japan) but found it's David Lynch sensibilities very funny. Yuusha Yoshihiko... isn't as good as the prequel, but still was funnier than most. Saikou no Rikon is a grown-up comedy about failing relationships and it was so excellently played and it came so close to winning, but Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi was just stunning. Original, inventive, unpredictable and perfectly cast. I said it is the closest that J-dramas have ever got to being rock'n'roll, and I stand by that.


Best film

Still Walking
The Sun
The Thieves
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On

The Thieves is a great big martial arts rush, and one of the few films which I've wanted to watch again the moment it ended. The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On is a brilliant documentary that challenges its viewers to sympathise with a very unsympathetic subject. The Sun is an acting masterclass from Issy Ogata, but Koreeda gets his second award with Still Walking. What can I say? I'm a sucker for anyone who can turn non-stories into compelling viewing.


Best Actor

Eita (Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi, Saikou no Rikon, and The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker)
Abe Hiroshi (Still Walking, Going My Home)
Issy Ogata (The Sun)

Eita, for me, was unstoppable in this past year. His versatility and adaptability is a constant source of amazement. I saw him in several things recently, and each time he's seemed like a different actor. Abe Hiroshi was effortlessly good in two of the Koreeda works I saw this year, and Issy Ogata was riveting in his role as a falling Japanese emporer at the end of the second World War.

Best Actress

Miyazaki Aoi (Going My Home)
Ono Machiko (Saikou no Rikon, Like Father Like Son)
Maki Yoko (Saikou no Rikon, Like Father Like Son, and Osozaki no Himawari)
Gouriki Ayame (Biblia Koshoudou no Jiken Techou)

Miyazaki Aoi was great in Going My Home, as the villager who seemed to know more about local fables than she admitted . Gouriki Ayame was surprisingly well suited to her role as a timid book-keeper. But really, it was between Maki Yoko and Ono Machiko. Both were brilliant this year, but I think Ono Machiko just edges it. Not sure why. Possibly just because Ono Machiko seems like more fun to get drunk with.


Best Game Show

Running Man
Game Centre CX
Vs Arashi

It was episode 124 that won it again for Running Man. Any game show that makes me want to go and research history has got to be a winner. And, despite feeling a bit predictable at times, it still has the ability to do things that no other TV show can do. Vs Arashi pushed it close, though. Especially with some subtitled shows coming online, and Game Centre CX remained fun.


Best Album

Amado Leejaram Band “Debut”
Tokumaru Shugo “In Focus”
Girls' Generation “Girls Generation II: Peace and Love”

I've been following Tokumaru Shugo for only a couple of years, but he's already become a favourite. I love his inventive approach to music, somehow folky and somehow modern, and the tunes are good, too. I was also impressed by the folk-blues from Korea of the Amado Leejaram Band, and the quality selection of pop goodness that was Girls' Generation II.


The safe pair of hands award

Eita (Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi, Saikou no Rikon, and The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker)
Abe Hiroshi (Still Walking, Going My Home)
Ono Machiko (Saikou no Rikon, Like Father Like Son)
Maki Yoko (Saikou no Rikon, Like Father Like Son, and Osozaki no Himawari)

In a year for Japanese TV that veered from excellent dramas all over the place to literally nothing worth watching, you could at least rely on Eita to have excellent choice in anything he did. Whether it was wry character driven comedy, or off-beat indie drama, or physical action, he can do it all.

Recommended: Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi

This TV series is perhaps the closest thing to rock 'n' roll that Japanese TV has achieved in the five years or so that I've been watching. It manages to look low-budget but also made with care.

The acting was great throughout, with some notable performances from the supporting cast including, in episode eight, Kuroki Haru. I'd never heard of her before, but she stole every scene she was in which, up against Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei, takes some doing.

In the end, the stories took a turn for the dark. Since the story was about two people who'd do any job, this would invariably attract the attention of the criminal underworld. While this meant there were fewer jokes, it did at least give some kind of climax to the show. If they'd just remained bumbling idiots on the lowest rung of society, I don't know how entertaining it would've been.

The writing was excellent too, covering the sort of stories that you just don't find in other dramas. The dialogue was sharp and witty and natural. I'd certainly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn Japanese slang.

It really felt fresh and different. Very funny, very inventive and very well made.

Still watching: Saikou no Rikon

It's strange but whenever I watch this, I always feel like I should be eating something nice. Because it's such a treat for the eyes, brain and heart, I somehow feel like my stomach is missing out. Maybe a nice white wine and some pickles.

This is the kind of effect this show has on me. It's like I'm having some friends round and I should make an effort. I mean, I don't dress up or vacuum or stuff like that. That would be insane.

But I am really enjoying this show. The script and acting are so natural that I can't help but be carried away. And if each episode does usually end with a Speech Of The Week, then I can forgive it.

I enjoy the seemingly random tumble through other people's lives. The recurring minor characters who always seem to add something. And also the cast: Ono Machiko's energy, Eita's neuroses, Maki Yoko's grace and Ayano Go's... well, he hasn't had much to do so far except be funny in the closing credits. Maybe that'll change soon, but at the moment it's hard to see where his story is going.

Not that I'm worried or anything. This is a quality forty-five minutes where I can sit back and be entertained by people who assume I don't need everything explained to me like an idiot.

Currently watching: Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi

In the weird version of Japanese showbusiness that I keep in my head, I like to pretend that when Kiruma Kaela is out making pop music, her husband, Eita, gets on the phone and invites his good friend Matsuda Ryuhei to his house where they drink beer, smoke cigarettes and talk about girls.

An image which is based almost entirely on this TV series. In this series, Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei play two slackers who run a company that does whatever work it can find. And it's the interplay between these two that make the show worthwhile.

Eita is rapidly turning into Mr Quality when it comes to dramas. His ability to change almost completely according to whatever the role demands is once again on show here. Meanwhile, Matsuda Ryuhei is the apathetic heart of the show. His slack-jawed disinterest and rudeness is pivotal to the stories.

He really does have a unique place in J-dramas. While many young actors are placed into roles that require them to be rude, surly or rebellious, they barely manage more than looking a bit pouty as if they've done quite badly on a spelling test. Ryuhei's apparent lack of effort in his acting is a rare sight on Japanese TV. The fact that he doesn't get acted off the screen by the more technical, exact style of Eita just shows how perfect his is for the role.

The series is a comedy. The format allows them to do a different job each week, so hopefully no chance of it becoming stale after a while, and it is pretty funny. Certainly, it's funny enough that I didn't realise at first that episode one actually has a sad ending. I'm very glad this is being subbed by earthcolours and danburi on d-addicts (who do an excellent job) so now I can rewatch the earlier episodes and know what's really going on.

Just watched: The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker

This is a smart piece of non-linear storytelling from the director who brought us Fish Story. And, like that film, it's has a song central to the story: "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, which keeps cropping up throughout the film.

We begin fairly near the end of the story, when a student enrols in a university. He meets his new neighbours and then gets involved in a hold up at a book store. But the reason for the robbery is slowly revealed in a series of flashbacks.

It's cleverly structured, and kind of difficult to explain without ruining it. Perhaps it's a little too clever, as everything that happens in the first half of the film is referenced in the second half. The trouble is that you find yourself admiring the storytelling rather than the story.

Eita, as always, puts in a high quality performance, and the rest of the cast, too, don't disappoint. I was surprised to see Matsuda Ryuhei in the film, since the two of them have just worked together on a TV drama. I suppose it's possible that this is coincidence but I like to imagine that they got on so well when making the film, that they just decided to make a TV series too! Isn't that how showbiz works?

It's a good film, funny and likeable, if perhaps a little dry.

Currently watching: Saikou no Rikon

I really want to call this series "Recommended" just on the basis of two episodes but I guess that would be cheating.

It's beautiful. A beautiful piece of work. That's the first thing to say. It may be about a messy break up of a marriage, but it's already far more compelling than other dramas on the same subject.

The lead actor, Eita, just floors it as Hamasaki. Really. One thing I noticed about his work is the physicality of his acting. In Lucky Seven, he was lithe, athletic, easily moving through the scenes, hands in pockets, nonchalant. Here, he is uptight, elbows almost locked straight as he walks, skipping nervously across roads and slipping off the curbside.

Next to his impeccable performance is Ono Machiko. Her character, as the wife, is perfectly balanced between slobbish and feminine. Perhaps the most realistic portrayal of a woman I've seen on TV for a long time. By which I mean, she reminds me of my ex.

Alongside this married couple is another. Maki Yoko is a masseuse, whose slender body and warm husky voice are clearly meant as a contrast to the wife and therefore be a fantasy figure for Hamasaki. Especially since she has an unfaithful husband (played by Ayano Go, but no real clue to his character yet). However, this ideal is cruelly shattered at the end of episode two, leaving me with no idea about where the story is going to going next. Which is how I like it.

This drama is, so far, funny and heart-breaking and embarrassing and fascinating. Fascinating to see where the story goes, and to see if the writers and actors can keep up this standard.

Just finished: Lucky Seven

* spoilers *

I have to admit I stopped watching this until I could check if Eita really did return in the last episode. When I quickly searched the final part and saw that he was in it, I watched the final three episodes together. To be honest, it was a bit of a slog, and not really worth it in the end.

The final story concerns a murder that happened sixteen years ago, that caused the Lucky Seven detective agency to be founded. We discover that Eita's character has been working undercover on this case since he went missing back in episode three.

And the series ends as it began, with lots of fight scenes (this time, almost everyone gets to have a go) and there's also quite a lot of thoughtful reflecting, and realising who your friends really are, and other noble things, too.

But despite all the time and effort that has been spent on this show, it still didn't quite work. The gap without Eita was just too long, and the series could've lost a couple of episodes to speed things along. Or better, if Eita had left in episode five or six, to give the characters more time together before his mysterious disappearance.

But this series was okay, which seems like a very mean thing to say about a show that's clearly had a lot of work put into it. But Naka Riisa was underused, and some of the stories didn't make much sense, and all the pieces didn't quite fit together as I hoped they might.

Actually, I'm surprised by how little I have to say about this show. It was good, and then not so good but still okay, and then it ended.

Still watching: Lucky Seven

Well, this is interesting. A story about two conflicting characters where one of the characters suddenly leaves. I've just watched episode six, and it's been three episodes since Eita's been a central character after he went on the run from the police and then left the company. Of course, the story's been set up so that a return is likely, but while he's away, this show is sorely lacking its central theme.

Not that the show is particularly bad, but the cracks are beginning to show. Matsumoto Jun doesn't have anyone to play against without Eita, and any hope that Naka Riisa might fill that role hasn't been fulfilled. Most of the time, she's carrying around a small dog which kind of limits her involvement.

So, as it stands, we've got a drama in search of a finale. It's as if the series is waiting for Eita to return (and it would be a shame if he didn't) and until that happens, here's some stories to fill the time.

Currently watching: Lucky Seven

This series is based around a private detective company that hires one of the people it was previously investigating, impressed by his ability to find out who was investigating him. He joins, even though one of the other detectives doesn't like him. And so begins a difficult relationship between two detectives as they solve various cases.

This does not sound like a very original idea but so far this show has been much better than I was expecting. For a start, they don't actually have to solve the cases. They follow their client's instructions, and then they do a little bit more but then hand it over to the police. This is, at least, realistic and it keeps the story focused on the exciting undercover work. There's not much of that tedious explaining of who did what to who and why.

The directing style is very nice, fast-paced but not too showy. Plus, there are some pretty impressive fight scenes. Nothing like Ong Bak, but certainly the best I've seen in a J-drama, and definitely to a standard that any western TV series can only dream of.

And if that wasn't enough, it has Naka Riisa and Tanihara Shosuke in it, and they've always had decent taste in dramas before so perhaps my early optimism will be rewarded.

But most of all, it has Eita in it. You couldn't ask for a more different role than Soredemo Ikite Yuku, but he seems just as perfect for this role too. This time he has a physical presence that demands your attention. The way he runs, sits down, or looks round a concrete pillar is all in character and everything draws you towards him. His co-star, Matsumoto Jun, is in danger of being acted off the screen, but saves himself with a cocky, assured performance.

There are still things that can go wrong, of course. The whole premise is weak: detectives who don't get on. There's a danger that they'll grow to respect and like each other, and so some of the spark will go. But before that happens, sit back and enjoy the look of the show, the fight scenes, and the performances.

Looking forward

Reading the summaries for the dramas starting in January doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. There are a lot of brilliant but unconventional characters who annoy their colleagues but, in time, they grow to respect each other. The other recurring theme is that a death in the family prompts a career change. Either way, it’s pretty grim out there, with only WOWOW seemingly making an effort. Nevertheless, here are the shows which, at the moment, I’m looking forward to.

Shokuzai

Number one on my list of things to watch is this series. An interesting storyline and a very strong cast have caught my attention. The story is about four women who, as children, witnessed a murder but couldn’t remember the man’s face. The mother of the murder victim blamed them for the murderer never being found and now, years later, those events are about to have their consequences...

I’m paraphrasing, but it’s something like that. Aio Yu (Camouflage and lots more besides) and Sakura Ando (Love Exposure, Soredemo Ikite Yuku) head the cast. I’m excited by this. It begins on the 8th.

Lucky Seven

Eita and Matsumoto Jun star in this detective series. Again, the overall theme of the show appears to be a clash in styles of two very different detectives. But the two strong leads (and Naka Riisa too) give me some hope for this.


Honjitsu wa Taian Nari

Of January’s new dramas, this has the best storyline, at first glance. Five wedding ceremonies are to be held at the same venue on the same day. A message arrives demanding that they all be cancelled or receive “punishment from heaven.” Who sent the message and why?

This seems to be a slightly different take on a mystery theme. I shall keep an eye out for this.


Suugaku Joshi Gakuen

A male student with no interest in maths accidentally enrols in a maths class with some high-flying female maths students. I’m being very optimistic by recommending this one. It looks like one of those terrible romances where different women take turns in falling for the male lead, but perhaps there’ll be some maths in there too? I know, it’s crazy, but Liar Game was a success so maybe they'll try and tap that market. I’ll give this one episode to persuade me.


Stranger 6

This Japanese/Korean/Chinese production revolves around three agencies trying to stop a terrorist attack. It’s by WOWOW so hopefully it’ll be more sensible than Bloody Monday.


There are also new dramas for Nakatani Miki and Nagasawa Masami which I’m kind of interested in, but not especially. Nakatani Miki stars in Seinaru Kaibutsutachi a new hospital drama, and I don’t enjoy those due to them usually being staffed entirely by doctors who have piercing eyes and a habit of demanding that they save someone’s life, even if it breaks every rule in the book.

Nagasaw Masami’s drama, Bunshin, has the weakest storyline as far as I can tell. A woman sees another woman on TV who looks just like her. And so begins her journey into her family's murky past. That could go anywhere. It could be brilliant, it could be daft.

It's the 2nd Annual November The Eighth Awards!

It's been two years since I started this blog, so here's my second post in which I highlight the best stuff I've seen in the last twelve months. You know, I spent most of this year thinking that I haven't enjoyed watching J-dramas so much as I did last year. And then I sat down to write this, and remembered all the excellent stuff I'd seen.

And just like before, this is based on things I've seen in the last year, not just things that have been released last year.


Best drama
Furuhata Ninzaburo
Jin & Jin 2
Marks no Yama
Soredemo, Ikite Yuku

Perhaps it's a little unfair to bundle the two series of Jin together, but that's how I watched them: I finished series one just as series two was beginning. And I adored this show. The adventures of a time-travelling doctor in 19th century Japan may not be the most challenging or thoughtful television, but it was done with wit and charm and the ending didn't disappoint. Furuhata Ninzaburo remains agonisingly un-subbed which is a real shame, since the four episodes that I saw made me keen to see more. Marks No Yama was by far the best crime series of the year, and Soredemo, Ikite Yuku was an emotionally-charged drama with some great acting.

Best Drama: Jin and Jin 2

Best comedy
Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko no Uso
Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro
Tiger and Dragon


Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro was a blissful romp through RPG cliches, and Ishihara Satomi once again showed she can do comedy better than drama in Reinryokusha... but the winner of this category was Tiger and Dragon, a sharp, intelligent work that has become my favourite Japanese comedy of all.

Best comedy: Tiger and Dragon

Best film
Parade
Live Tape
Memories of Matsuko
Love Exposure

Do I have to chose between these? Really? We've got four works of genius here. Parade is a perfect example of Generation X slacker film-making – cool, distant but interesting and funny. Live Tape is indie DIY cinema at its best – a cameraman follows a busker around some city streets. Watching Love Exposure is like speed dating at a psychiatric ward. But Memories of Matsuko wins against these excellent competitors by being emotional and romantic and cynical and cruel. But most of all, by being beautiful.

Best film: Memories of Matsuko

Best actor
Kubozuka Yosuke (Long Love Letter)
Keisuke Koide (Parade)
Eita (Soredemo Ikite Yuku)

Eita takes all the plaudits as the guy between two families who've both been destroyed by a motiveless murder that happened years ago, and it's through him that the viewer is expected to view both sides of the story. Without him holding it together, the whole story would quickly fall to pieces. Kubozuka Yosuke's performance in Long Love Letter is a masterclass in understated cool and when he's on the screen, it's hard to look at anything else. Keisuke Koide has a similar energy in the film Parade, in which he effortlessly holds your attention.

Best Actor: Eita (Soredemo, Ikite Yuku)

Best actress
Nakatani Miki (Memories of Matsuko)
Naka Riisa (Cafe Isobe)
Mitsushima Hikari (Love Exposure)

Nakatani Miki's perfect portrayal of the permanently defeated Matsuko was the real hook for that film. She really made you share in Matsuko's optimism, which made it all the harder when things inevitably went wrong. Naka Riisa was great as the schoolgirl who watches in despair as her father make a fool of himself over a woman. Mistushima Hikari's performance in Love Exposure is also a tour de force, a remarkable source of energy that keeps you watching for the whole four hours.

Best actress: Nakatani Miki

Best game show
Running Man
Family Outing
Vs Arashi
Game Center CX

No real competition here. Once I've downloaded an episode of Running Man, I can't have it sitting on my hard drive unwatched. I have to see it immediately, which usually means I'm awake until half past one on a weekday morning. Which is no bad thing. This cross between a game show and a Hollywood blockbuster is always entertaining and at its best, it's the closest that television gets to being a rollercoaster.

Vs Arashi is all bright colours and knockabout fun, and very easy to follow, no matter what your level of Japanese. Family Outing is a glorious example of how a TV show can build a relationship with the viewer. And Game Center CX remains a lot of fun to watch, as Arino struggles through various retro video games. And it's still a perfect analogy of my life – middle-aged man fights battles he should've left behind when he was young.

Best game show: Running Man

Best album
Bump of Chicken "Cosmonaut"
SpecialThanks "Seven Lovers"
Dear Cloud "The Bright Lights"
Organic Stereo "The Moments Linger"
Kokia "moment"

For the second year in a row, my favourite album from Japan is my favourite album full stop. Bump of Chicken's “Cosmonaut” continues their impeccable track record. Perhaps not as immediate as “Orbital Period”, but still a great album which has never been away from my mp3 player for long. At the time of writing, it's also the last time I bought an actual CD.

SpecialThanks are all youthful energy, crashing guitars, female vocals and catchy punkish tunes. It's very hard to find anything wrong with that. Korean music makes an appearance with Dear Cloud offering bright vocals and big choruses that would fill a stadium, if only they had the chance. Organic Stereo's album was a little bit ambient and a little bit pop, with a series of dreamy instrumentals, each one of which sounded like the soundtrack to a happy ending. Lastly, Kokia's album “moment” was a folk-tinged collection of ballads with lush production values and some achingly melancholy harmonies.

Best album: Bump of Chicken "Cosmonaut"

Safe pair of hands award

This award is for people who consistently choose good shows to appear in

Yoo Jae Suk (Running Man, Family Outing)
Nakatani Miki (Memories of Matsuko, Jin, Jin 2, Densha Otoko, Keizoku)
Keisuke Koide (Parade, Jin, Jin 2, Surely Someday)
Mitsushima Hikari (Love Exposure, Moteki, Sawako Decides, Kakera, Villain, Soredemo Ikite Yuku)

I was a bit late in discovering Mitsushima Hikari. I checked her filmography and I saw that she was in Death Note and Shaolin Girl, but I can't say I noticed her in either. But this year I caught up with her recent film work and, by God, she's got good taste. From her minor role in Villain as the obnoxious murder victim to her central role in Love Exposure, it seems she can do no wrong.

She beats some strong opposition: Yoo Jae Suk is a brilliant presenter who's kept me entertained through some tough times this year. Nakatani Miki holds a special place in my heart for her roles in Matsuko and Keizoku. And Keisuke Koide showed me how wasted he was in Nodame Cantabile with some great performances.

Safe pair of hands: Mitsushima Hikari

Still watching: Soredemo Ikite Yuku

After two recent deaths in my family, I was a bit apprehensive about watching this again. I was worried that the storyline of how families cope with the loss of a loved one might be a bit too close to the bone for me.

As it was, mid-way through the series and the focus has shifted from endless displays of grief to something more like a murder mystery. Only in this case, the mystery is the motive. Now both the brother of the deceased, Fukami Hiroki (Eita) and the father of the murderer, Mizaki Shunsuke (Tokito Saburo) have decided to find the murderer. They’re working independantly, and have different reasons for wanting to find him, and it’s certainly added some life to a storyline that could’ve become too self-pitying.

The acting is great. Eita and Mitsushima Hikari head a strong cast, and Ando Sakura (Love Exposure) adds some real spice to every scene she’s in. All in all, this is a fascinating series and although I can’t say it’s fun to watch, it’s certainly worth the effort.

Currently watching: Soredemo, Ikite Yuku

This series caught my eye because the lead roles were taken by two of my favourites actors, Eita and Mitsushima Hikari. Without them, I would have probably passed this by, since the storyline isn’t my usual choice.

It concerns two families who, in their own way, lost a child fifteen years ago. But one was a murder victim, and the other was the murderer. Eita is the older brother of the six-year old victim who has had to live with the guilt and sorrow ever since, and Hikari is the younger daughter of the high-school boy who committed the murder, and so she's been part of a family shunned by society for years.

One day, these two meet and begin to fall in love which, considering what’s happened between the families in the past, isn’t easy. There’s been lots of crying, emotions and angst and we’re only up to episode two. This show is not afraid to overdo it, and sometimes it’s trying too hard to engage my sympathy.

On the plus side, and it’s a big plus, there’s the chemistry between Eita and Hikari. Once they stop talking about the past and talk about more ordinary things, they become more interesting. They’re still fragile, and you can sense the hurt beneath the surface, but there’s some room for humour. The scene when they first meet is surprisingly funny and touching.

The story is beginning to set up the return of the older brother, which will no doubt be emotional for everyone concerned. Then again, almost anything seems to be emotional just now.