Tonight I'd review a dorama called "Toshishita no Otoko" or you can translate it into "Younger Men". As you probably know (if you've read my blog before), Takahashi Katsunori is my favourite actor ever and I watch this dorama because of him.
This is the story of a 30-year-old-single-woman, Yamaguchi Chikako (played by Inamori Izumi) who was so desperate to get marry. She felt that she would left behind if she didn't marry soon.
Chikako, so beautiful in her 30s. Why bother just because you're a not-yet-married?
She seemed to have a good family. Her younger brother Taku (played by Yamazaki Yuta) which was 8 years younger than her, with a lovely mom, Hanae, and dad, Mr. Yamaguchi (played by Fubuki Jun and Hirata Mitsuru, respectively)
The Yamaguchi family. The parents want their son to be a lawyer and
want their daughter to marry someone and be happy.
Well, Chikako did have someone. She went to a gym, and meet Izaki Shun (played by the one and only Takahashi Katsunori („• ֊ •„)).
In short, Chikako confessed to Shun, but Shun rejected, saying he was seeing someone else.
Izaki Shun, somehow I respect him because he doesn't play with women's heart
and give them false hope, but he rejects them directly.
Later, it turned out that Shun was seeing Chikako's mom, Hanae. Shun was a regular in a bento shop where Hanae worked. Both Hanae and Chikako didn't know it though.
Shun with Hanae having an affair. Hanae was trying hard to break up with Shun, but cannot.
Mr Yamaguchi didn't care about his wife having an affair. I wonder if it might happen
when love turns into an obligation only. An obligation to always stick with the family.
On the other hand, Chikako started to date her brother's best friend, Kengo (played by Kashu Toshiki). At first, Kengo was chasing her only for fun because he was a playboy. But he turned up to get serious about Chikako.
Kengo, once said, "I'll make you forget Izaki"
But Taku ex-girlfriend, Asami (played by Hoshino Mari), started to fall in love with Kengo for real.
Asami always looks for Kengo due to loneliness after breaking up with Taku, at first.
It's so complicated right?
Not to mention, Azusa (played by Aso Yumi), Chikako's coworker who was super evil. She was older than Chikako, and also a not-yet-married evil woman. Afraid of being left alone, she looked for many ways to destroy Chikako's relationship, even other people's family.
Azusa, having dinner (or lunch?) with Chikako. Back then, Chikako had no idea that she was so evil.
Azusa tried to attract Izaki by getting close to Izaki's adoptive father, Jiro-san (played by Takahashi Masaya). She wanted to marry Izaki so she could feel she won the 'game'. Crazy girl indeed.
Jiro-san always follows Izaki Shun. He was so afraid of being left alone, and sometimes made Shun fed up.
A melancholic side of me always appears every time I watch a good Japanese dorama. They always wrap up some moral lessons behind all of these dramatic scenes, and it always amuses me.
A 30-year-old-beautiful-woman who desperately wants to marry a 40-something guy, but that guy wants to marry an 50-year-old-aunty... Youth and beauty are not everything for some people after all... If they are comfortable with each other, then physical attraction is not a matter anymore... Wish I can find a love that won't see a physical appearance only as a criteria, but see what's deep inside me...
A father who doesn't have jealousy over his wife and wants to 'graduate' from the family... A mother with an affair... A daughter who wants to marry a young kid... And a son who abandons his law school to pursue his dream as a gardener. Well, I don't see much mistakes from the daughter and the son, but maybe from the parents' point of view, it can kill them inside, too... But the most important is the father and the mother part. It really broke my heart to see that the parents are happier when they are not with each other... What's the meaning of their marriage then?
Actually I don't see the urgency of a marriage even for women who have reached their 30s. But loneliness is something else... It does scary to be lonely, don't you think? Jiro, Azusa, Asumi even Chikako... I think they all are afraid to be alone... That's why the girls are so desperately want to marry... And probably they won't realize that it would be even lonelier to be in a fake marriage, without love... That's usually where an affair starts... Like what Hanae did.
I wonder, would I have an affair too, if one day my husband doesn't care about me anymore, and someone like Izuki Shun chases me? Maybe I would too... But a drama is always too good to be true, right? If we assume that Shun and Hanae will marry each other and live together, there are possibilities that their marriage, too, will fall off. Then once again, what's the meaning of those kind of marriage....?
But the drama really portrays a beautiful, lovely relationship between Shun and Hanae. Just if it's not an affair, just if it's happening from the start, it would seems like a perfect love story... I almost forget if Chikako is actually the real main character here.
Azusa and Asami are so evil, they are really sick... They thought they lose to older women, and they try hard to ruin everything... But is that really the matter? It's not about young or old, it's all about their attitude, that's why the man didn't choose them...I remember Izaki Shun whispered to Azusa "A woman who talks bad about another woman only degrade herself"
I do agree with him. I don't mean every single woman are mean, but some of them might be single because they are mean. And it's super real, even in my circle. I found lots of woman who hate another woman whom their crush like. I wonder what's so wrong when that man is the one who choose, love, and want to be with that particular girl?
And I remember Taku was saying this to her Nee-chan, Chikako, "If I were to choose, I will choose Asami since she is young, but the second choice would be mom, because you're too desperate to marry". I don't agree with his choice, because he chooses only based on age, but I do agree that someone who is desperately want to marry and willing to do anything for a marriage, is super unattractive. I really hate it, to be chased by someone who desperately wants to marry, thinking anyone is fine as long as it's their opposite sex.
In the end, Chikako start to accept for what she has, her parents, her self-being, and she starts to be happy even though everything stay the same. I think it's a good moral lesson. We can't change the world, but we can change ourselves, and change how we see the world.
This dorama reminds me of a dorama called "Dosokai", where Takahashi Katsunori was also playing as someone who has an affair. I wonder why every time he plays in a dorama, it's either a manager, a policeman/detective, or an affair? Is he so suitable to be in an affair? lol ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ
You can read my review about Dosokai dorama here, it's one of my favourite.
A lot of people prefer a dorama with young-handsome-actors and pretty-sexy-actress. You absolutely won't find it here. It's more to an old man and old woman relationship, probably it can be gross for some particular people. But for me, I find it super interesting, the unique story line but also feels so real, and all the moral lesson behind this, I could say this dorama is one of my favourite.
The ending is a bit ambiguous, it's not a happy ending, not a sad one either... It's not clear but it's not hanging either... But I can say I'm super satisfied... Super worth it!
I gave this dorama 9 points out of 10 points.
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