"Hiyokko" is a drama that speaks of a rural Japan in the Olympic age of 64. A drama that adds cultural values to a story rich in details told by an acting cast aided by a beautiful soundtrack and flawless cinematography. Instead of having complex and fanciful themes, "Hiyokko" stands out for its simple and classic history with a focus on everyday life. As it says: Happiness is in the simple things of life. Good Drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
This asodora has some unexpected twists in the last 25 episodes when the land lady, Tomo, reveals her Force power, the protagonist Mineko turns out to be a Tanuki robot from the far future (2017) and a group of the characters band together to execute a daring rescue mission.Before that it's warm story taking place between 1964 and 1968 examining the migration of workers from rural provinces like Ibariki to urban centers like Tokyo. The spine of the plot is centered, lamentably, on an amnesia trope (a lame trope or the lamest trope?), and everything about one of the associated characters, Kanamoto Setsuko, makes no sense whatsoever. But that's about the sharpest criticism that can be leveled against this otherwise uniformly delightful morning drama.
The main character is charming enough, but the really great moments of the series fall to several of the tertiary characters who are still dealing with the consequences of WWII. The rapid changes of the 60s form the backdrop, and the Tokyo Olympics, Beatlemania, miniskirts and Twiggy all play a role in the lives of these characters.
Special mention also must be made to two of actresses, Sakuma Yui and Ito Sairi, who were in Transit Girls together a few years before. Sakuma's role is quite substantial as Mineko's best friend Tikiko who goes to Tokyo at the same time as Mineko and seeks to become an actress. Ito's role is much smaller but recurring, and the two do get a few scenes which had me as a fan of Transit Girls wishing for them to kiss (again).
As a whole, it's the usual high quality that one expects from an NHK asadora though personally I think Amachan deserves the higher rating between the two.
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Such a gem of an asadora
This is my first time watching an asadora. No doubt the only reason I even considered watching a 156 episodes (albeit 15 minutes each) show is because the lead actress, Kasumi Arimura happens to be my favourite actress.However, over the course of the show, I cant help but be impressed with the storyline and acting of the casts. You have almost every genre thrown in i.e a slice of mystery, romance, family relationships and comedy. Of course there isn't any action scenes (LOL) but It was a truly enjoyable watch.
We basically follow the journey of Mineko whose peaceful countryside life was thrown into a turmoil when her beloved father who was working in Tokyo suddenly disappeared one day. As she goes to Tokyo in search of her missing father, we basically witness all the trials and tribulations she faced in her.journey.
The show started off slow and boring at times but picked up speed the moment Mineko arrived at Tokyo.
Of course the 156 episodes may not be for everyone (and there's a 4 episodes part 2 as well) but it was totally worth my time. The supporting casts did really well and everyone played their part to perfection. Definitely worth a watch.
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