Damn you Sakamoto Yuji!! Why are you so good? Lol. There are a lot of elements in this episode which echo some points he made from his interview from Abiko. I still haven't gotten around to cleaning up the 2nd half of the first part of the interview. Will probably be up by Sunday night. The first half is a beautiful story about Nozomi knowing that her mother is sick and tying it back to the Uggikuku story.
Still don't see the point the welfare department father and Tanimura Mitsuki story. Will it turn out to be a genius sub story like Kaneda from KDO? Suzuki Rio who plays Nozomi is awesome and the script and directing really allow the scenes the breathe. She's the anti-Ashida Mana for me. Not trying too hard to be cute.
From ep 9 eye-opening (for me at least) realisation that Shiori was been trying to escape her guilt this whole time and doesn't know how to atone, we see her come face to face with the guy who pushed Oguri Shun. I was thinking if this is why Oguri Shun wasn't a chikan and something crazy happens, I'll take back everything I said.
Nothing crazy happens but it was more of a Shiori staring into a mirror scene. Its as if her asking the guy to come with her to see Koharu is Shiori telling herself she needs to be honest in her apology and that her previous apology was more of her being wrecked by guilt rather than a desire to atone. The mirror looks back at her and says 'it wasn't my fault'.
The biggest WTF this episode was how did Shiori's mom even knew where she was? From trying to run away from the problem, Shiro's mom has moved to 'you'll never be forgiven' and 'you need to think your life is over'. Big pendulum swing for me. Namakemono's answer is to face it head on while the mother's response went from denial to total surrender. Maybe it was her way of saying Shiori's life is no longer her own and she should go for the test to ensure that Koharu and kids have a chance to be happy.
The second half is a long and great family scene with Koharu coming clean to her kids about her illness. Its when Woman has simple scenes with great dialogue that I forget I'm watching a dorama. The end teaser looks like Shiori's bone marrow is not going to match. Maybe they want us to think that but I don't really care either way. Still not a fan of the leukemia angle and Oguri Shun having such a big role.
I still have my problems with this show but the execution in ep 10 is just beautiful. Whatever happens, I'll be watching for the acting and directing.
Here’s my take on the mother’s 'you need to think your life is over' dialogue. The situations have changed. Before, the father was unaware of what was happening, and the mother was in full support of her crazy daughter. As the only person who brightened up all their lives lay in his hospital bed after convincing her daughter to atone for her sins, what did he talk to his wife about? Their errant daughter. So the mother searched for the daughter. She found out later that Shiori is tailing the guy who pushed Koharu’s husband, and after that she gave an “I’m-so-bad-I-think-committing-suicide-is-the-only-option” dialogue on the phone (She was on a bridge, ferchrissakes!). Her other daughter who lost her husband because of Shiori is fighting for her life; her husband who, after talking to the same daughter, has become crippled, and now the daughter who has been the cause of all this misery wants to take the easy way out. A mother can only take so much. Hence, when the mother found Shiori, she gave Shiori the only kind of message Shiori deserved (and would understand).
ReplyDeleteAlso, note that in her talk with her children, Koharu pointed out certain similarities between her and her own mother and her and Nozomi. Like her daughter, she was angry with her mother when her mother left. Like her mother, though, she hid her reason so that her child won’t worry. Later, she told Nozomi that she was no longer angry with her mom. Somehow, you get the sense that knowing those similarities between her and her mother allowed her to forget her anger towards her own mother. On the other hand, her own mom sees (at least for now) only the similarity between her fate and Shiori’s. She still feels that her relationship with Koharu ended when she left her when she was still a child, and she has to atone for that sin forever. Mothers being the way they are, the mom told her bad daughter that her own life is over so that she will be prepared to live the same kind of life. Mothers don’t have it easy, the writer seems to be saying, but he also points out another option: the nursery. Lol.
On a lighter note, the young boy acted so naturally on this episode. He probably thinks Hikari Mitsushima is his true mother.
This dorama really should have been called Mother 2. Great points! Plus the mother blames herself also for Koharu having leukemia. Her 'sin' lead to her two daughters being in their current situations.
ReplyDeleteIf I were the boy's dad, I would be telling him to snuggle as much as possible to Mitsushima Hikari.
Finally watched Woman to ep 10. Since I came back from my holiday 3 weeks ago, I had been watching light stuff. I just couldn't bring myself to go on with this heavy story. Cursing myself at the same time because there's so much quality in this. As I watched 5 eps in a row I realised that you were right in calling this crying porn (I was crying like a baby really) and that the severe illness story is so cliche. But it's done soooo well! So I don't mind. I'm happy to read that you don't mind too much either. the acting is good, the direction is good, but the writing is superior! I love how things like Sachi telling Sloth san the truth about his daughter, or Shiori telling where she is as she contemplates suicide, or Koharu telling her children that she lied about her illness are left out. We're only seeing the aftermath. which is impressive enough. Between the tears I'm going "what what what!? Sloth san is in a mess!" or What!? She told Nozomi! I feel privileged to be able to watch this series!
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I'm crying for is that I really miss Japan watching this....
Sorry for this emotional comment.
Owari!