Haikei, Chichiue-sama (2007)

going into this with nothing but a summary, i figured it would be a pretty easy watch. i would still describe it as 'low-calorie'; like something you can eat a lot of without getting full, i was able to consume multiple episodes in one sitting gluttonously. but this was not synonymous with 'low-stakes'. things like your future, relationships, and pride, instability in any of these could make you feel like the sky is falling down! i was right there with ippei, i'm telling you: his stress was contagious. so was his happiness, and his decisions and logic, including his mistakes. there is no way from the premise i could've anticipated that this show would have me asking, "are they really going there?"

so grounded to the point where i'd call it unconventional and sometimes risky. there is no plotline or character untouched by action. it is continuous, like the work in a busy kitchen, or a town that's changing by the day, and the lives of its residents. ippei's surroundings ripple onto his perspective, and what that looks like during a time of disarray... you just have to find out!

seriously, there aren't a lot of dramas that struck a chord so hard i started reflecting on myself. shock, disgust, embarrassment, some weird form of despair, maybe the sorriest i've ever felt for an individual in a tv show, none of this was what i signed up for! and to think i almost hadn't experienced it, if not for my obsession with clearing filmographies! i hope that, at the chance you're someone without an ulterior motive like mine, you'll try this show even if you don't think it'd be to your taste. i was inspired to create this review just to convey this!

(... and if you are also someone who likes ninomiya, this role was specifically written for him. naturally, his performance is seamless here! must watch!)

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