It's curious that the ending of my first asadora, Amachan, and the beginning of the second one, Okaeri Mone, align with an event that the first doesn't explore deeply enough, but which serves as the entry point for the protagonist in the second. I’m talking about the tsunami of 2011, one of the biggest natural disasters in recent Japanese history. Tireless Aki Amano (Non) passes the baton to the calmest Momone Nagaura (Kaya Kiyohara).

The tsunami marks the beginning of Okaeri Mone, as Mone leaves her home on Kesennuma Island, in Miyagi Prefecture (where Amachan also takes place), which was the epicentre of the tsunami. Mone moves to the mountains of Tome, where an old friend of her grandfather takes her under her wing and introduces her to the wood industry. From the very beginning, the series shows us how nature can be both lively and ferocious. In her new home, Mone meets Asaoka-san, a famous television forecaster who will change her life.

In the humble opinion of someone who has seen two asadoras, Okaeri Mone is one of the best NHK productions in this short TV series format. The journey of Mone, from her breakdown to her comeback to the island, is wonderfully well-written and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, leaving nothing unsaid. The series maintains a distance from the upbeat clichés of this kind of stories and shows that even good people face difficult times.

Through deep dialogues and complex characters, Okaeri Mone unfolds the love and respect that Japanese people have for nature, as well as their resilience and the legacy that the elders pass on to the new generations. It also touches on themes such as loss, guilt, and the search for identity and purpose.

When a series excels in every aspect, only its virtues shine through. Okaeri Mone is undoubtedly an exceptional story.