Tsubasa (2009)

A good concept poorly done

The storyline sounded promising, but the scriptwriters should be never given another job! A combination of over the top slapstick comedy routines and at other times long drawn-out excruciating personal crises which became way too repetitive and too many all at one time, it was a pretty painful watch from beginning to end!

The over the top comedy ruined the earlier weeks, and later on it also became annoying when the various personal crises just piled one on top of another and each one was drawn out... it was like watching someone have their teeth pulled out one at a time! Honestly cannot recommend.

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Spread your wings

"Tsubasa" is the 30th asadora that I've watched [Trumpet sounds]. With "Tsubasa," I expected to really dislike it due to reviews and comments I've read on this website and other sites. When I started to watch, I was pleasantly surprised and I really liked it. However, the comments ultimately have some merit. The last half of the asadora isn't as good and I believe that's due to a strange tonal shift. Let me explain...

The first half is full of over-the-top comedy mixed with somewhat melodramatic emotional moments. I actually really liked this vibe, though I've noticed that a lot of people disliked it [lol]. In the second half, it switches to a complete melodrama with comedic moments few and far between. I think the melodrama and comedy only worked when they were both used equally. I'm not sure why it changed and I was pretty disappointed with the tonal shift. Aside from that, "Tsubasa" also has some issues with its plot. Let's get into that now.

I think the plot starts to go downhill FAST with the introduction of the character, Jonouchi Fusako (played by Fuji Manami), as a sort-of villain. Around the same time, the heroine Tsubasa (Tabe Mikako) and her boyfriend Shota (Koyanagi Yu) break up. This isn't necessarily a bad plot but contributes to the "meh"-ness of the last fifty or so episodes. So many bad things happen in the last of the drama that it feels too much and I honestly started to tune out. On top of that, Jonouchi is basically a cartoon villian until almost the end and they quickly tried to give her some actual character.

Despite the tone and plot issues, I was happy that I never grew to dislike Tsubasa played by the sweet Tabe Mikako. She's not the strongest asadora heroine, but her character stays consistent throughout. I kind of wished she had chosen Manase (Takuma Takayuki) at the end, though the age difference is a kinda creepy. I thought her leaving Kawagoe would've fit in with the "spread your wings" messaging of the drama, but her choice is not out of character so I can't hate it. Aside from Tsubasa, I really liked her mother Kanoko (Takahata Atsuko) and her grandmother Chiyo (Yoshiyuki Kazuko). The dynamic between these three is really interesting and I liked that it was resolved a little at a time. The friends and neighbors of the town are almost all fun and add to the humor of the series. Special shout-out to Issey Ogata, whom narrates the asadora and also plays "Radio Man", a figment of Tsubasa's imagination.

All-in-all, I'm not sure if I can recommend "Tsubasa" considering the majority opinion. I can only speak of my own experience and I had fun watching this asadora even if I myself don't think it was the best or anything.

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