Ohisama is the very first Asadora I've seen. It is also the kind of drama that doesn’t have an appealing factor at first glance, however as the story progresses the relatability of the story is what may capture the audience heart.
At first I was daunted at the fact of watching 156 episodes for a Japanese family drama. However when I found out that each episodes only consists of 15 minutes each, I realized that this is simply like watching 39 episodes of Korean drama without the redundant factors and draggy moments. This is what I love about JDramas, they go straight to the nitty and gritty details instead of mooning over things for at least 10-15 minutes in which the main lead stares and contemplates into the air and the background music only plays over. Heh. Setting that aside, what I enjoyed most about this drama is having my favorite actress Inoue Mao on screen while she starred alongside the good looking actor Kengo Kora. I’ve seen the guy in so many movies and several dramas and he never ceases to make smile as I simply stare at him. He’s such an eye catcher.
Since the setting is around World War II and Japan has been colonizing its neighboring countries, the people who lived in Japan during those times were also in turmoil despite being a powerful country back then. Mao who acted as Yoko, portrayed an average girl living during those days. Her character somehow showed how war can turn a bunch of ordinary people living mundane lives to suddenly struggling to survive during and after the war. The overall feel and transition of the storyline isn’t violent or brutal and it has this sense of hope all throughout the drama. It was light and consistent. Another factor that made this good is the supporting cast, starting with Yoko’s family, then her best friends, the Maruyama Family and finally to her students whom she was able to support and vice versa until she grew old.
The cinematography is fairly simple and was definitely shot in a studio but the fact that they created the place nicely gave it a warm feeling of familiarity. The background music was okay, although not that memorable but it really had a nice ring to it as the OST played softly in the background.
I would love to rewatch this again if I had the chance. For now, I’m recommending this for those looking for a family drama and looking forward to watching something light, heartwarming and inspiring all at the same time.
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