- Lev Tolstoy
I hope you can forgive me if my penchant for quotes invades a review. I have watched Osozaki no Himawari some time ago and loved it but never came around to write a review for it. Then I stumbled upon the words of Tolstoy and was immediately reminded of it.
The essence of this drama is, ultimately, the pursuit of happiness. It shows how this last can be found in the most unexpected places, with the most random people, doing things we would never have taken into consideration, if we hadn't been forced to do so by the circumstances.
The simple message this drama tries to send is beautifully conveyed, thanks to a wonderful cast that creates lovely characters and warms the heart. Ikuta Toma is perfect for the part: he's goofy and reasonable at the same time, I'd say he is the new element that unconsciously brings an otherwise sleepy community to a new life, while he himself learns to adapt and understand.
Jotaro's interactions with Kahori, wonderfully portrayed by a talented Maki Yoko are priceless, and their phone conversations are the sweetest thing ever. "Ore ore" will remain in my memory for a long time.
What makes this drama so special, besides the adorable ensemble of characters, is the cinematography. Perhaps the Shimanto River Region is so beautiful one doesn't need to be a particularly skilled photographer to capture its charm on screen; whatever the case, the end result is stunning. If the intention of this drama direction was to promote the region, I must say they succeded: when I finally visit Japan, it will be one of the first places I put on my itinerary.
The music is lovely too, and I agree with Sewitches that the idea of having the whole cast sing the leitmotif is brilliant.
If you are the type of person who feels at ease in the countryside, who finds happiness in small things, this drama will appeal to you. On the other hand, if you need the dizziness of crowded cities with a lot of events going on, it may not. This is a relaxing trot, not a wild gallop.
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This drama is about Jotaro, who struggles in Tokyo because of job and unsteady life. He then decides to take a job in local revitalization team in Shimanto, small town in Kyushu. It really sounds boring. But the true is, that this drama is really nice, relaxing and somehow touching. It's not forced and the storyline is progressing in good pace. We can see the beautiful nature of Shimanto, the river and the bridge. We can see local elderly people and local problems. Somehow it is nearer to common people's hearts. It's not a flashy story about Tokyo, that's why I liked it a lot.
So we have Jotaro, who can't find his way of life. Kahori, the doctor who has another dream. The mysterious Morishita, nurse with a dark past. Hiroki, whose past is always chasing him. Junichi, who never stepped outsite of his beloved town and Sayori, who is not really living a happy married life. This drama is simple, but great. Not to mention the greatest opening song in the universe sung by main cast :)
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If your answer is YES go straight and watch Osozaki no Himawari.
Reading the review might be giving off a very boring flair, but its not the least boring.
Most of my friends know that I love slow pace( but solid) drama. The story is very well told and you don't get upset by the way the whole drama goes. The topics of the drama are very unusually, its not just the love between lovers that is shown. You see the love between neigbors, between friends and family.
The acting is very firm. Ikuta, Kiritani, Maki and all the others pull off a very strong act and you think they really live it.
The beautiful scenerie is a bonus of the drama.
The OST is like every japanese drama OST not very varied, but the theme is soo good and fitting. The fact that the theme song is sung by all the main actors makes it even better.
Why not go and watch the drama now?
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The story line is very simple, a guy named Jotaro came to a province as a temp worker and in this process he gets to learn and find more about himself then touch the lives of the people around him. The people he meets along the way has their own quirks, but upon watching the episode further, these people show some similarities specially in the way they thought about each other, which made it more interesting. One person envied the other for having what they don't have but at the same time, that same person is thinking of the exact same thing of the other.
The characters in this drama were portrayed so well that it left me deep impressions on each actor. I am already a fan of Ikuta Toma so it wasn't much of a surprise to see him back into a bubbly character such as Jotaro. Kiritani Kenta, I've seen this guy in the movie Solanin and Beck, he definitely has that gangster look and he can easily play that kind of character, but his character in this drama, Junichi - I would have to say that he definitely tried hard to portray a guy who can be really gentle and vulnerable despite his looks and he pulled it off brilliantly. Maki Yoko as Nikaido is one of the characters that really stuck in my head, not only is she pretty but her voice... it resonates in my ears and I love hearing her talk. I feel that she's really a good actress despite the fact that this is the first drama I've seen her in. Her chemistry with Toma was great and I really love the scenes in which they start their phone conversation like this even though they already know who's at the other end of the line:
Jotaro: Ore, ore. (It's me, me.)
Kahori: Ore, ore Tada re? (Who's me, me?)
I also like the message the drama is sending its viewers, there is no contentment until you've experienced something without regrets. Finding ones contentment and happiness depends on the individual, people all get to the point when they've lived their lives the same way for so long, think about the past and the choices they made then eventually regret those choices and resent the current situation they are in. Another thing that makes this drama more meaningful for me is that the age of the characters are basically the same as mine, so I could relate so well to it.
The OST was well incorporated to the drama while the opening song was really catchy and very much enjoyable to watch specially when the main characters lip sync along with the song. Because of that, I don't get tired of listening and watching the intro of this drama. I will also surely re-watch this drama as it has been marked as something dear to my heart.
Recommending it to those who are into a dramas that depicts life and reality, those who are at a cross road and for those who just want to watch something good, light and meaningful.
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It was a really amazing dorama.. usually I prefer korean drama because I think dorama are too much quiet...
But Osozaki was really impressive, I loved all the characters, with their personal stories and their inner conflicts..
I found enjoyable the landscapes (I want to live in Shimanto wooow).
I appreciated the Age of the characters, they are in their 30s so it's a mature story and I could identify myself .
The OST was fantastic especially the opening theme .
I want a Season 2 please!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's all.......... Ore ore ???? (^_^)
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Life Lessons Disguised
I have to admit that this show is definitely not what I thought it would be! And I am so glad I chose to watch such a fantastic show. At the beginning, I thought this show would be something like "management takeover" to create new life in a dying town, but I was completely mistaken... This show is much more than just "creating new" life, or anything else, for that matter!This story is hard for me to decide if it's about coming of age, slice-of-life, midlife crisis, or human connection.... Or maybe it's a mix of all of those. Somehow creating a life for yourself, no matter where you are - new or old - with new friends or old acquaintances, starting from scratch or building up from the middle... This show is really an honest, raw, genuine, open, unique, and lovely tale of how to pick yourself no matter what the circumstances and to "bloom" no matter what, no matter where, and no matter how.
Each person has their own circumstances, some are painful and some are hard; while some are misunderstood or make other people envious. Life is full of hard lessons to learn and sometimes you can't escape those lessons no matter what, so sometimes a fresh start is necessary! It was really wonderful to see how a "new person" could count as that "fresh start" for many people and somehow even the town itself. It was really refreshing to see a story in a genre like slice-of-life or coming of age not be saturated in romance or cheesy dramatics, but for it to be like "life in general" and to show that yes even in a drama these are issues faced in real life... It was amazing to watch how everyone handled themselves and grew as an individual, friend, family member, lover, and community member. To see how people handled different issues all around them so differently, yet still clinging on to community for help or friends for companionship was wonderful. Especially during these difficult covid-era times!
I think this show is underrated, and with such a stunning cast and fantastic story, I can't imagine why. To watch life like this from an outsiders point of view somehow felt embarrassing, yet I also felt like I gained a few new perspectives and outlooks on life.
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