Runboard.com
Слава Україні!

CJKDramas.com

Discussing CJK 中日韓 Dramas Available in California


CJKDramas.com   |   Runboard       註冊 / 登録 / Register (learn about it) | Sign in (lost password?)

Page:  1  2  3  4 

 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
J-Drama: Woman


YAY! A Tanaka Yuko drama! What a treat. I really miss her on Oshin, so it will be such a treat to see her in another drama. emoticon

UTB 18.2 Wednesday Night Drama: WOMAN

Image

Starts on Wednesday, October 8th, 2014
Airs on UTB Channel 18.2 on Wednesdays from 9:00p ~ 10:00p
Following the end of SUMMER LOVE SHINES IN RAINBOW COLORS

With English Subtitles

Also aired on:
Early Thursdays anytime from 1:30a ~ 3:30a
Thursday mornings from 6:00a ~ 7:00a
Thursdays from 12:00p ~ 1:00p
Thursdays from 5:00p ~ 6:00p
Thursdays from 8:00 ~ 9:00p

Summary
“I have a life to protect over these lives.”
This drama is an uplifting song to everyone. Currently, there are over 1 million single mothers in Japan. This drama showcases how a single mother gives her all trying to provide for her beloved children. —UTB

Currently, there are over 1 million single mothers in Japan. Their average annual income is about 2 mil yen (1.8 mil if government subsidies are excluded), which is about a third of the nation's average annual income of 5.4 mil yen. We cannot begin to imagine the stress they are under to make ends meet. Shunned by society, they find it difficult to find a way out of their poverty. This drama showcases how a single mother gives her all in trying to provide for her beloved children.
Koharu is a single mother of two, Nozomi and Riku. After the accidental death of her husband Shin, she tries to seek welfare but is deemed ineligible as she doesn't meet certain criteria. When asked if she has any relatives who will be able to provide her financial aid, Koharu says that she has no living relatives. Her mother, Sachi, had abandoned her and her father 20 years ago, for her current husband Kentaro. Since that day, Koharu has had no contact with her mother, and her father had also passed away.
When the welfare department called up Sachi, to check if she is able to provide for Koharu, Sachi replies affirmative. Koharu doubts that will happen, since her mother had abandoned her all these years. Then, Koharu decides to meet Sachi...—DramaWiki

Koharu (Hikari Mitsushima) lost her husband Shin (Shun Oguri) in an unexpected accident. Koharu must go on for her two children Nozomi (Rio Suzuki) and Riku (Rai Takahashi). Koharu works hard to make a living, but her financial situation does not improve. She goes to the social welfare office to apply for assistance, but is refused due to not meeting certain requirements. An employee at the welfare office asks Koharu if she has family that can support her, but she says no. Koharu's father passed away and her mother Sachi (Yuko Tanaka) left her and her father for another man (Kaoru Kobayashi) twenty years ago. They have been estranged since then.
An employee at the welfare office then contacts Sachi. Her mother makes it known she will provide support for Koharu. Meanwhile, Koharu is stunned by her mother's response. After twenty years, Koharu decides to meet her mother again.
 —AsianWiki

Drama Information
Number of Episodes: 11
Genre: Family
Theme song: Voice by androp
Originally aired: 06/03/2013 - 09/11/2013 on NTV in Japan

Cast

Mitsushima Hikari as Aoyagi Koharu
Tanaka Yuko as Uesugi Sachi
Oguri Shun as Aoyagi Shin
Tanimura Mitsuki as Sunagawa Aiko
Nikaido Fumi as Uesugi Shiori
Miura Takahiro as Sunagawa Ryosuke
Usuda Asami as Kamata Yuki
Takahashi Issei as Sawamura Yugo
Suzuki Rio as Aoyagi Nozomi
Suda Rio (須田理央) as 4-yr old Nozomi
Takahashi Rai (高橋來) as Aoyagi Riku
Tanaka Rei (田中レイ) as 1-yr old Riku
Kobayashi Kaoru as Uesugi Kentaro
Kose Tatsuya as Kamata Naoto
Takada Manato as Kamata Masato
Ihara Shogo (庵原匠悟) as Sunagawa Shunsuke
Okayama Hajime as Nakano
Yajima Koichi (矢島弘一) as Fujita
Inoue Takashi as Matsutani Takao

(For the complete cast list and links, please visit the DramaWiki and AsianWiki pages)

Character Correlation Chart

URL

Links
Official Website
DramaWiki
AsianWiki
UTB

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 12/28/2014, 10:37 am
9/25/2014, 5:04 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
yinyangyo98 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Member

Registered: 09-2013
Posts: 96
Quote
Re:


Tanaka Yuko still looks so young! It'll be weird to see her in a modern-setting drama since we've seen her as a character from the 1920s to the 1940s, and now we're going to see her use cell phones and watch TV ROFL.

Yeah, single parents, let alone single moms, aren't so accepted into Japanese society compared to the U.S. The Nuclear Family is the typical Japanese family and so accepted that anything out of the ordinary (one mom, one dad, two moms, or two dads) is looked down upon society. Looks like Japan hasn't broken out of that unlike the U.S (it happened in the 60's with the Free Love movement).

Btw, they could have chosen a better name for this drama than "Woman."

Last edited by yinyangyo98, 9/26/2014, 9:15 pm
9/26/2014, 9:13 pm Link to this post Send Email to yinyangyo98   Send PM to yinyangyo98 Blog
 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
Re: J-Drama: Woman


Yes, it will be so excited to see Tanaka Yuko in another drama! I had never seen her in a drama prior to watching Oshin, so I was just thinking the other day how much I wanted to see her in another drama—especially since her time on Oshin is up. Great timing!

The main heroine has starred in another drama we've seen on Sunday nights. I forget the title but it was about the brother of a murder victim falling in love with the murderer's sister. I remember it being quite a dark but well-done drama. Looking forward to seeing her again, as well.
9/27/2014, 7:31 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
yinyangyo98 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Member

Registered: 09-2013
Posts: 96
Quote
Re:


My friend who is also a fan of Tanaka Yuko watched this in the beginning of this year told me that, -blank- ,Don't know if this can be considered as a spoiler but if it is, OH WELL...




Last edited by yinyangyo98, 9/28/2014, 12:01 pm
9/28/2014, 11:27 am Link to this post Send Email to yinyangyo98   Send PM to yinyangyo98 Blog
 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
Re: J-Drama: Woman


Yes, let's wait a bit on discussing the specific characters/plot of the drama until the events themselves begin to unfold, once the drama begins airing. emoticon

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 9/28/2014, 11:54 am
9/28/2014, 11:52 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
yinyangyo98 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Member

Registered: 09-2013
Posts: 96
Quote
Re:


Oops, sorry!
9/28/2014, 12:01 pm Link to this post Send Email to yinyangyo98   Send PM to yinyangyo98 Blog
 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
Re: Re:


class blockquote yinyangyo98 wrote:

Oops, sorry!
It's no problem! I think I added the spoiler tag before too many other people saw it. Anyways, looking forward to returning to this thread once the drama commences airing! emoticon
9/28/2014, 12:04 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
diane18 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Member

Registered: 02-2007
Posts: 486
Quote
Re: J-Drama: Woman


I've seen this actress before. No not Yuko Tanaka. Great seeing her again. I'm talking about the lead actress. She played the sister of her younger brother who murdered her boyfriend's sister. I don't remember the title either.



Edit - Removed quoted front page from post

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 10/4/2014, 8:49 am
10/4/2014, 7:29 am Link to this post Send Email to diane18   Send PM to diane18
 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
Re: J-Drama: Woman


Yes, we saw that drama a couple of years ago. I finally figured out the title! It was called Still, Life Goes On and aired here in 2012. Here is our discussion thread on the drama.
10/4/2014, 8:51 am Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 
Hiroshi66 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Admin

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Porter Ranch, California
Posts: 13779
Quote
Re: J-Drama: Woman


<EPISODE 1> (Part 1)

Hmm, I definitely have mixed feelings about this one. Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent first episode, and it kept me hooked the entire time. The hour flew by and I was shocked that it ended when it did. That being said, something just felt different about it.

Was it just me, or did the cinematography look a little different from most dramas? I don't know how to describe it, but the colors seemed a little bit "faded", for lack of a better word. Very realistic style of shooting, which perhaps adds to the message that Koharu Aoyagi's story is similar to what many single mothers are currently experiencing in Japan.

The reason I had mixed feelings about it was the fact that watching Koharu's difficulties in life made me feel so sad and downright uncomfortable during some scenes. She is trying so hard to keep it all together in front of her children, but watching her burst out in tears was extremely difficult to watch. It made me realize that no matter how strong Koharu is (and she is extremely resilient) there are times where she simply cannot take it anymore. The fact that society is so judgmental towards her (they seemed somewhat suspicious that she is a widow—I guess it is part of the preconceived notions about single mothers in Japanese society) makes it even more saddening.

My least favorite scene was when the welfare office worker started lecturing Koharu on how her request for welfare would result in our children (I guess he was using the royal "we" here, representing him and other "normal" Japanese citizens) having to take money out of their own pockets to support her and her kids. It was disgusting, quite frankly. You could tell how the younger employee was very uncomfortable during the entire exchange, which is why he ended up giving Koharu 500 yen afterwards. Unfortunately, this was right before her collapsing and him taking her to the emergency room, where his wife worked.

(Speaking of the wife, I got an odd vibe between her and her husband—as if there are some martial issues between the two. I suspect these two will be back.)

I hope Koharu will get some assistance from her birth mother, despite the fact that they have not been in contact for 20 years. She did write a letter expressing that she would support her daughter financially, but I wonder if she did this out of spite—so that the welfare application would be rejected? Well, we don't know that yet, since we have no idea about what went down between the mother and daughter. We shall find it soon enough!

Either way, Koharu needs some help now—and fast. It seems like she has reached the limit, and with her children getting older, things will not get any easier. It broke my heart when she asked the welfare worker for any sort of money—even 500 yen ($5) would do. This shows that she literally has nothing. Her children are so young and can't help out at all, either.

It will be interesting to compare Koharu (a single mother in 2012) with Oshin in the 1920s, who was a single mother when she first left Saga with Yu in tow and went to Sakata and then Ise. So much has changed in the last century, but so many issues have stayed the same.

Excellent start. I just hope it won't get too dark, though I find it to be a fascinating (if not too real) premise. Part 2 of Episode 1 airs next Wednesday!
10/9/2014, 3:17 pm Link to this post Send Email to Hiroshi66   Send PM to Hiroshi66 AIM
 


Reply with smilies

Page:  1  2  3  4 





You are not logged in (login)