"Hiyokko" is a drama that speaks of a rural Japan in the Olympic age of 64. A drama that adds cultural values to a story rich in details told by an acting cast aided by a beautiful soundtrack and flawless cinematography. Instead of having complex and fanciful themes, "Hiyokko" stands out for its simple and classic history with a focus on everyday life. As it says: Happiness is in the simple things of life. Good Drama!
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Such a gem of an asadora
This is my first time watching an asadora. No doubt the only reason I even considered watching a 156 episodes (albeit 15 minutes each) show is because the lead actress, Kasumi Arimura happens to be my favourite actress.However, over the course of the show, I cant help but be impressed with the storyline and acting of the casts. You have almost every genre thrown in i.e a slice of mystery, romance, family relationships and comedy. Of course there isn't any action scenes (LOL) but It was a truly enjoyable watch.
We basically follow the journey of Mineko whose peaceful countryside life was thrown into a turmoil when her beloved father who was working in Tokyo suddenly disappeared one day. As she goes to Tokyo in search of her missing father, we basically witness all the trials and tribulations she faced in her.journey.
The show started off slow and boring at times but picked up speed the moment Mineko arrived at Tokyo.
Of course the 156 episodes may not be for everyone (and there's a 4 episodes part 2 as well) but it was totally worth my time. The supporting casts did really well and everyone played their part to perfection. Definitely worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
This asodora has some unexpected twists in the last 25 episodes when the land lady, Tomo, reveals her Force power, the protagonist Mineko turns out to be a Tanuki robot from the far future (2017) and a group of the characters band together to execute a daring rescue mission.Before that it's warm story taking place between 1964 and 1968 examining the migration of workers from rural provinces like Ibariki to urban centers like Tokyo. The spine of the plot is centered, lamentably, on an amnesia trope (a lame trope or the lamest trope?), and everything about one of the associated characters, Kanamoto Setsuko, makes no sense whatsoever. But that's about the sharpest criticism that can be leveled against this otherwise uniformly delightful morning drama.
The main character is charming enough, but the really great moments of the series fall to several of the tertiary characters who are still dealing with the consequences of WWII. The rapid changes of the 60s form the backdrop, and the Tokyo Olympics, Beatlemania, miniskirts and Twiggy all play a role in the lives of these characters.
Special mention also must be made to two of actresses, Sakuma Yui and Ito Sairi, who were in Transit Girls together a few years before. Sakuma's role is quite substantial as Mineko's best friend Tikiko who goes to Tokyo at the same time as Mineko and seeks to become an actress. Ito's role is much smaller but recurring, and the two do get a few scenes which had me as a fan of Transit Girls wishing for them to kiss (again).
As a whole, it's the usual high quality that one expects from an NHK asadora though personally I think Amachan deserves the higher rating between the two.
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This review may contain spoilers
"But even so they laugh and live on."
"Hiyokko" is the 36th asadora that I've watched. Early on, this one looked like one I would really like and I eventually chose it to be the last in this almost non-stop asadora journey that began February last year. I had a good intuition about "Hiyokko" and I can confidently say that it's one of my favorite asadoras.Mineko (played by Arimura Kasumi) gets a lot of flack for not being an "ambitious" heroine. I know asadoras are mostly known for their heroines chasing a career path, but the unambitious ones have just as much charm in my opinion. There's also nothing wrong with just having a job you like instead of having a career path you pursue. Anyway, Mineko is a very giving, hard-working, and family oriented person, which are common traits in most heroines. In that way, she's kind of a low-key heroine like Jun-chan in "Jun-chan no Ouenka. This, however, does not make her any less fun to watch. I truly loved Mineko every step of the way.
In "Hiyokko," Mineko has two love interests which is a bit rare. Her first love interest in rich college student Shimatani-san (Takeuchi Ryoma). He's very sweet but blunt at times. The couple come from different social circles, which ultimately leads to their break-up. While this was predictable, the writer was smart in how it was written. All in all, a couple I liked and was sad to see end. Mineko's second love interest is Hide-san (Isomura Hayato), a chef who works at the same restaurant as her. Their relationship starts as a friendship and develops slowly over time. Though we only see them together for a short time, I think this couple has become one of my favorite asadora couples. Hide-san is definitely one of the sweetest and most caring love interests.
As with most asadoras, the side characters are the real highlight of this series. Miyamoto Nobuko, from asadoras "Dondo Hare" and "Amachan," once again steals every scene that she's in playing the restaurant owner Suzuko. I also particularly loved Aiko-san (Wakui Emi from "Chiritotechin"), Setsuko (Kanno Miho from "Churasan"), and Saori (Ito Sairi, whom went on to lead "Tora ni Tsubasa"). From the previous sentence, you can guess that the asadora is populated by a lot of familiar faces and veteran actors. One thing I really loved about the supporting characters that new ones are introduced with every phase of Mineko's life. Many have their own arcs like Tokiko (Sakuma Yui) and Mitsuo (Izumisawa Yuuki), whom both come to Tokyo with her. Then there's the girls' dorm friends, Mineko's coworkers at the restaurant, and the residents of her apartment. There's so many characters to get attached to.
Normally, I don't pay attention the crew behind asadoras... But, here I noticed that the writer Okada Yoshikazu also wrote "Churasan" and "Ohisama." While I didn't completely like "Churasan," "Ohisama" is still my favorite asadora. "Hiyokko" has my favorite elements of both of these asadoras, such as the close-knit community from "Churasan" and the easy, slice-of-life vibe from "Ohisama" among others. For "Hiyokko," Okada added a new element that being the mystery behind Mineko's father's (Sawamura Ikki) disappearance, which is the main storyline of the entire asadora. I'd like to thank Okada for writing these three asadoras and improving with each one.
"Hiyokko" only takes place over four years from 1964 to 1968, which is unique for an asadora. The series feels very firmly planted in the 60s and there's so many wonderful references like with The Beatles and Twiggy. My favorite reference is San Francisco being referred to by the song title "Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair." *Go listen to this song by the way; it's so lovely* After finishing "Hiyokko," I realized that 156 episodes can feel so short. I very much wanted to stay in the world of "Hiyokko," which is why I immediately watched "Hiyokko 2" after.
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