![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkwithheroesIki mo Dekinai Natsu is a currently airing Japanese drama that tells the story of nineteen year old Tanizaki Rei, a girl without a family registry. Having no family registry basically means she doesn't exist: she has no health insurance, no way of getting a passport, cannot marry, and cannot get a full-time job. She's a non citizen in her own country.
Rei (Takei Emi)spent her whole life not knowing she wasn't own the family registry, then she was offered a full time position at her part-time job. That's when the drama begins. It turns out Mom/Yoko (Kimura Yoshino) ran away from home and married when she was eighteen. She divorced her first husband after some physical abuse and remarried Mr. Tanizaki. Because she had been divorced less than a year when Rei was born, Yoko would have had to put the baby on her ex-husband's registry; fearing for their safety, Yoko didn't put Rei on the registry. Yoko always planned to fix it (there are legal ways to move Rei to the Tanizaki family registry), but she never did.
Upon the discovery, Rei goes to the local ward office for help and meets forty-one year old Kiyama Ryuichiro, a former newspaper reporter. Ryuichiro has a dark pass and was forced to leave the newspaper business. Now he works nights at the ward office. Rei and Ryuichiro meet and form a bond.
The story goes from there, and while it's stated to be a romance, it's really more of a family/human drama.
Characters:
Rei is a nice character that clearly cares about her mother and younger sister. She's also very interested in studying in Paris. And. . .she's the type of female heroine that I'm getting really bored with. That 'sweet and pure girl who always looks on the bright side of life'. Takei Emi does a fine job in the role, but that may be because it's such an easy role to play. Yes, there are some dramatic and heartfelt moments, but nothing that really stretches her as an actress. That's a shame, because I felt she was starting to grow after W no Higeki. (I still think her best role was in Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta, though.)
Kimura Yoshino plays Yoko in such a brilliant way. We're really seeing some strong acting from her. Her flashbacks to the abuse she suffered at the hands of her first husband really make me choke up a bit. The way she fights to protect Rei (and even Mao) is so wonderful to watch.
All that aside, I still find Yoko exasperating at times. I understand that she is hiding from her ex-husband, in fear that he'll hurt her or Rei. But, she's had nineteen years to get this started. The fact that it took her two episodes to agree to do the registry (and then she ran away upon seeing the ex-husband in town! And didn't bother to tell her daughters or mother-in-law that she was safe.) annoyed me somewhat.
I understand why she ran, the fear took over. It just annoyed me, because it put Rei's life on hold (again!) Then episode five had Yoko (and Rei) regretting the idea of starting the registry, because Rei would be on the ex-husband's registry for a while. . .and it just seems like Yoko is there just to start and stop the family registry plot at will. Which is a real shame, because it's becoming redundant.
Eguchi Yosuke as Kiyama Ryuichiro is a bit of a myserty. He didn't really smile until Rei popped up into his life. He lives with a woman and her son, though that seems more out of guilt than anything else. I always look forward to scenes with Ryuichiro and Rei. I like that they speak openly and honestly with one another. And despite not having too much of a story (so far!) Eguchi Yosuke is doing really well in the role. I'm really looking forward to learning more of Ryuichiro's back story and seeing him get tied into Rei's story more.
The rest of the cast is also amazing. We've got Nakamura Aoi as Kusano, a young man who also has no family registry. He's bitter toward his parents, but awfully sweet to Rei. Their scenes are always very awkward and sweet and just a bit painful to watch. Kusano has had a tough life; and, he's slowly developing romantic feelings for Rei. Those feelings and her friendship are the only bright spots in his life. It makes me a bit sad, because he's the romantic runner up. Kaname Jun plays Ayukawa Hiroki, whose a bit of a mystery for the first couple of episodes. You'll probably be able to figure out who he is by episode two, but I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that this is a dark turn for Kaname Jun as an actor and I love it. Kitaoji Kinya as Natsume Shusaku (Yoko's father) needs more to do, and if the preview for episode six means anything - his role will be bigger in the second half of the drama.
Plot:
The plot of the drama is a bit slow at times. As of episode five, there is still no romance and we're just getting to the meat of the family registry story line. I find the subplot of Rei's bakery job and her friendly rivalry with one of her co-workers to be a tad boring at times. (Seriously if Rei talks about apple pie and her love for it one more time. . .). I also feel like a lot of dialogue is just there to explain Japanese laws to the general public. That can cause scenes to slow down and the pace seems off somehow. I get that these laws would have to be explained to Rei and Yoko, but. . .this is a television show and a three minute scene about law (in what's marketed as a romance) causes me to drift off or fast forward.
Romance or Lack of It:
This was promoted as a romance between a nineteen year old girl with no family registry (and therefore no existence in the eyes of some) and a forty-one year old man with a regrettable past. We're five episodes in and. . .nothing. Sure, Rei seeks Ryuichiro out to discuss her feelings and problems. And, Ryuichiro has smiled a lot since meeting Rei. But, aside from some scenes in the first two episodes, their relationship has been more 'client/officer of the ward' or friendly-guy-from-my-street than anything else.
It's not that Eguchi Yosuke and Takei Emi don't have chemistry, because they do. It may not be passionate chemistry, but it's enough to make me think they have a quiet romance. Still, it's not being used. (Honestly, Takei Emi and Nakamura Aoi are getting more 'coupley' scenes and their chemistry is starting to get romantic.) It makes me wonder if the writer/producers have chickened out on a romance with such a large age difference. (22 years for the characters and 26 years for the actors. Especially with Takei Emi still being 18.) I really hope they don't drop the romance, because if done right it could be really good.
Civil Code 772:
Japan's civil code 772 states that if a child is born between a couple where the wife had been in a prior marriage less than 300 days ago, the child will be registered under the prior husband's family register even if DNA tests prove that the child is that of the new couple. This questionable law was in effect for over 110 years without ever being amended, thus creating children who grow up to be without a family registry.
http://www.crnjapan.net/The_Japan_Childrens_Rights_Network/jlw-bowoj.html
Iki mo Dekinai Natsu airs on Tuesdays in Japan. Based on ratings and the last few dramas to air in that time slot, it will probably have eleven episodes. Subtitles are available (usually within the next three days) at dramacrazy.net.
If you like family/human dramas or slow-buring romances, I would rec it.
Rich Man, Poor Woman is a currently airing Japanese drama that is a loose remake of the American film Pretty Woman. And when I say loose, I mean loose. Really all the two have in common is that the lead male is a rich, but lonely man and the lead woman is poor, but hard working. He doesn't "buy" her, he just hires her as an intern to help out with the making of a new government system.
The official summary: Oguri Shun plays Hyuga Toru, an affluent man whose personality is on the contrary, speckled with flaws. A CEO of an IT firm who is published on Forbes as a billionaire, Toru attained his fortune through chance and pure luck. A woman who meets Toru and eventually becomes attracted to him is Sawaki Chihiro, played by Ishihara Satomi. Chihiro is a hardworking college student at Tokyo University who has prepared for her future as much as she possibly could through studies and obtaining licenses. Despite her efforts, she has yet to land a job. Upon meeting Toru, she begins to unravel a genuine pureness inside him and solitude resulting from such pureness, which eventually draws her closer to him. The two repeatedly conflict each other, but little by little learn about one another to grow and develop together.
A Cinderella story of the real world. Will the two be able to compromise their values and lifestyles to become a happy couple.
This drama is a romantic comedy that reminds me a lot of the classic Japanese romances from the mid 90s-early 2000s. The ones that were about the personal relationships of the characters. The ones with chemistry and romance. Now a days a lot of the romantic comedies seem to focus more on comedy and mis-communication than good old fashion romance. Rich Man, Poor Woman reminds me of some of my favorites like Pride or the old office romantic dramas. It just has that old school feel that I'm so happy about. Little pre-2010 Kitagawa Eriko in terms of the build-up to romance and feelings.
Toru is a fun character and he's oddly likable. Even when he's being unlikable. Someone (somewhere) said that this role feels like Oguri Shun's chance to play Domyoji. I think that's true. At times Toru really does come off as Domyoji's more intelligent cousin. He's intelligent, but can be really child-like; especially in his interactions with his partner Asahina and Sawaki Chihiro/Natsui Makoto. Oguri Shun is really great here, both as a clever and creative IT guy and as a romantic lead.
Sawaki Chihiro/Natsui Makoto is a brilliant heroine. She's intelligent, hardworking, and just really kind to those around her. She cares, but she's not the cliched "poor girl with the heart of gold" that have been taking over the Asian drama world for the last four years or so. She tries and she cares; but she's not running around and falling over herself. She's likable and normal. The chemistry between Makoto and Toru is really well done, and their budding romance is handled well.
As for the other characters: Asahina could be interesting, because he smiles and acts like the perfect number two in front of people, but he's cold and angry when alone. However, he kind of leaves me blank. I like the Asahina and Toru scenes, but am a bit confused about Asahina's trip to the dark side. It can't be solely about money nor can it just be about him wanting to be front and center. There has to be more to it, or else he's just a villain because they need one. (I do like Arata in the role, though.)
Yoko is bright and cheerful and I like that she sees Makoto as a friendly rival for the affection of Toru. Her back story with Toru is actually bittersweet, and in any other drama she would be the romantic lead. She isn't the typical secondary girl - she's yet to be rude or mean for the sake of it. Yoko is nice and I could see her and Makoto being friends. It's just - she has nothing to do besides be the romantic rival. Aibu Saki (whom I do like, when she's given a chance to do something in her roles) pops up four times an episode to have a brief scene with Makoto, fight with one of her chefs, and than have a bittersweet scene with Toru. In all honesty, aside from showing how Toru's memory problem effects people emotionally, Yoko doesn't really have anything to do. Especially when you consider that the Toru/Makoto romance already has several things for them to overcome. I'm sort of hoping Yoko hooks up with her older chef and spends the last couple of episodes just hanging out, giving love advice. Because as of episode five, I'm getting bored with her scenes - they are almost always the same thing.
Overall, I'm really enjoying this drama. It's bright and fun and addictive. It's everything that was great about the old-school Japanese rom-coms of the mid-90s-early 2000s, without feeling like a redo. I'm a little bit in love with it.
Rei (Takei Emi)spent her whole life not knowing she wasn't own the family registry, then she was offered a full time position at her part-time job. That's when the drama begins. It turns out Mom/Yoko (Kimura Yoshino) ran away from home and married when she was eighteen. She divorced her first husband after some physical abuse and remarried Mr. Tanizaki. Because she had been divorced less than a year when Rei was born, Yoko would have had to put the baby on her ex-husband's registry; fearing for their safety, Yoko didn't put Rei on the registry. Yoko always planned to fix it (there are legal ways to move Rei to the Tanizaki family registry), but she never did.
Upon the discovery, Rei goes to the local ward office for help and meets forty-one year old Kiyama Ryuichiro, a former newspaper reporter. Ryuichiro has a dark pass and was forced to leave the newspaper business. Now he works nights at the ward office. Rei and Ryuichiro meet and form a bond.
The story goes from there, and while it's stated to be a romance, it's really more of a family/human drama.
Characters:
Rei is a nice character that clearly cares about her mother and younger sister. She's also very interested in studying in Paris. And. . .she's the type of female heroine that I'm getting really bored with. That 'sweet and pure girl who always looks on the bright side of life'. Takei Emi does a fine job in the role, but that may be because it's such an easy role to play. Yes, there are some dramatic and heartfelt moments, but nothing that really stretches her as an actress. That's a shame, because I felt she was starting to grow after W no Higeki. (I still think her best role was in Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta, though.)
Kimura Yoshino plays Yoko in such a brilliant way. We're really seeing some strong acting from her. Her flashbacks to the abuse she suffered at the hands of her first husband really make me choke up a bit. The way she fights to protect Rei (and even Mao) is so wonderful to watch.
All that aside, I still find Yoko exasperating at times. I understand that she is hiding from her ex-husband, in fear that he'll hurt her or Rei. But, she's had nineteen years to get this started. The fact that it took her two episodes to agree to do the registry (and then she ran away upon seeing the ex-husband in town! And didn't bother to tell her daughters or mother-in-law that she was safe.) annoyed me somewhat.
I understand why she ran, the fear took over. It just annoyed me, because it put Rei's life on hold (again!) Then episode five had Yoko (and Rei) regretting the idea of starting the registry, because Rei would be on the ex-husband's registry for a while. . .and it just seems like Yoko is there just to start and stop the family registry plot at will. Which is a real shame, because it's becoming redundant.
Eguchi Yosuke as Kiyama Ryuichiro is a bit of a myserty. He didn't really smile until Rei popped up into his life. He lives with a woman and her son, though that seems more out of guilt than anything else. I always look forward to scenes with Ryuichiro and Rei. I like that they speak openly and honestly with one another. And despite not having too much of a story (so far!) Eguchi Yosuke is doing really well in the role. I'm really looking forward to learning more of Ryuichiro's back story and seeing him get tied into Rei's story more.
The rest of the cast is also amazing. We've got Nakamura Aoi as Kusano, a young man who also has no family registry. He's bitter toward his parents, but awfully sweet to Rei. Their scenes are always very awkward and sweet and just a bit painful to watch. Kusano has had a tough life; and, he's slowly developing romantic feelings for Rei. Those feelings and her friendship are the only bright spots in his life. It makes me a bit sad, because he's the romantic runner up. Kaname Jun plays Ayukawa Hiroki, whose a bit of a mystery for the first couple of episodes. You'll probably be able to figure out who he is by episode two, but I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that this is a dark turn for Kaname Jun as an actor and I love it. Kitaoji Kinya as Natsume Shusaku (Yoko's father) needs more to do, and if the preview for episode six means anything - his role will be bigger in the second half of the drama.
Plot:
The plot of the drama is a bit slow at times. As of episode five, there is still no romance and we're just getting to the meat of the family registry story line. I find the subplot of Rei's bakery job and her friendly rivalry with one of her co-workers to be a tad boring at times. (Seriously if Rei talks about apple pie and her love for it one more time. . .). I also feel like a lot of dialogue is just there to explain Japanese laws to the general public. That can cause scenes to slow down and the pace seems off somehow. I get that these laws would have to be explained to Rei and Yoko, but. . .this is a television show and a three minute scene about law (in what's marketed as a romance) causes me to drift off or fast forward.
Romance or Lack of It:
This was promoted as a romance between a nineteen year old girl with no family registry (and therefore no existence in the eyes of some) and a forty-one year old man with a regrettable past. We're five episodes in and. . .nothing. Sure, Rei seeks Ryuichiro out to discuss her feelings and problems. And, Ryuichiro has smiled a lot since meeting Rei. But, aside from some scenes in the first two episodes, their relationship has been more 'client/officer of the ward' or friendly-guy-from-my-street than anything else.
It's not that Eguchi Yosuke and Takei Emi don't have chemistry, because they do. It may not be passionate chemistry, but it's enough to make me think they have a quiet romance. Still, it's not being used. (Honestly, Takei Emi and Nakamura Aoi are getting more 'coupley' scenes and their chemistry is starting to get romantic.) It makes me wonder if the writer/producers have chickened out on a romance with such a large age difference. (22 years for the characters and 26 years for the actors. Especially with Takei Emi still being 18.) I really hope they don't drop the romance, because if done right it could be really good.
Civil Code 772:
Japan's civil code 772 states that if a child is born between a couple where the wife had been in a prior marriage less than 300 days ago, the child will be registered under the prior husband's family register even if DNA tests prove that the child is that of the new couple. This questionable law was in effect for over 110 years without ever being amended, thus creating children who grow up to be without a family registry.
http://www.crnjapan.net/The_Japan_Childrens_Rights_Network/jlw-bowoj.html
Iki mo Dekinai Natsu airs on Tuesdays in Japan. Based on ratings and the last few dramas to air in that time slot, it will probably have eleven episodes. Subtitles are available (usually within the next three days) at dramacrazy.net.
If you like family/human dramas or slow-buring romances, I would rec it.
Rich Man, Poor Woman is a currently airing Japanese drama that is a loose remake of the American film Pretty Woman. And when I say loose, I mean loose. Really all the two have in common is that the lead male is a rich, but lonely man and the lead woman is poor, but hard working. He doesn't "buy" her, he just hires her as an intern to help out with the making of a new government system.
The official summary: Oguri Shun plays Hyuga Toru, an affluent man whose personality is on the contrary, speckled with flaws. A CEO of an IT firm who is published on Forbes as a billionaire, Toru attained his fortune through chance and pure luck. A woman who meets Toru and eventually becomes attracted to him is Sawaki Chihiro, played by Ishihara Satomi. Chihiro is a hardworking college student at Tokyo University who has prepared for her future as much as she possibly could through studies and obtaining licenses. Despite her efforts, she has yet to land a job. Upon meeting Toru, she begins to unravel a genuine pureness inside him and solitude resulting from such pureness, which eventually draws her closer to him. The two repeatedly conflict each other, but little by little learn about one another to grow and develop together.
A Cinderella story of the real world. Will the two be able to compromise their values and lifestyles to become a happy couple.
This drama is a romantic comedy that reminds me a lot of the classic Japanese romances from the mid 90s-early 2000s. The ones that were about the personal relationships of the characters. The ones with chemistry and romance. Now a days a lot of the romantic comedies seem to focus more on comedy and mis-communication than good old fashion romance. Rich Man, Poor Woman reminds me of some of my favorites like Pride or the old office romantic dramas. It just has that old school feel that I'm so happy about. Little pre-2010 Kitagawa Eriko in terms of the build-up to romance and feelings.
Toru is a fun character and he's oddly likable. Even when he's being unlikable. Someone (somewhere) said that this role feels like Oguri Shun's chance to play Domyoji. I think that's true. At times Toru really does come off as Domyoji's more intelligent cousin. He's intelligent, but can be really child-like; especially in his interactions with his partner Asahina and Sawaki Chihiro/Natsui Makoto. Oguri Shun is really great here, both as a clever and creative IT guy and as a romantic lead.
Sawaki Chihiro/Natsui Makoto is a brilliant heroine. She's intelligent, hardworking, and just really kind to those around her. She cares, but she's not the cliched "poor girl with the heart of gold" that have been taking over the Asian drama world for the last four years or so. She tries and she cares; but she's not running around and falling over herself. She's likable and normal. The chemistry between Makoto and Toru is really well done, and their budding romance is handled well.
As for the other characters: Asahina could be interesting, because he smiles and acts like the perfect number two in front of people, but he's cold and angry when alone. However, he kind of leaves me blank. I like the Asahina and Toru scenes, but am a bit confused about Asahina's trip to the dark side. It can't be solely about money nor can it just be about him wanting to be front and center. There has to be more to it, or else he's just a villain because they need one. (I do like Arata in the role, though.)
Yoko is bright and cheerful and I like that she sees Makoto as a friendly rival for the affection of Toru. Her back story with Toru is actually bittersweet, and in any other drama she would be the romantic lead. She isn't the typical secondary girl - she's yet to be rude or mean for the sake of it. Yoko is nice and I could see her and Makoto being friends. It's just - she has nothing to do besides be the romantic rival. Aibu Saki (whom I do like, when she's given a chance to do something in her roles) pops up four times an episode to have a brief scene with Makoto, fight with one of her chefs, and than have a bittersweet scene with Toru. In all honesty, aside from showing how Toru's memory problem effects people emotionally, Yoko doesn't really have anything to do. Especially when you consider that the Toru/Makoto romance already has several things for them to overcome. I'm sort of hoping Yoko hooks up with her older chef and spends the last couple of episodes just hanging out, giving love advice. Because as of episode five, I'm getting bored with her scenes - they are almost always the same thing.
Overall, I'm really enjoying this drama. It's bright and fun and addictive. It's everything that was great about the old-school Japanese rom-coms of the mid-90s-early 2000s, without feeling like a redo. I'm a little bit in love with it.
