Ochoyan (2020)

The bitterness of life helps you grow into the best version of yourself.

The 15th asadora I’ve watched!

Loosely based on the true story of actress Naniwa Chieko, who later became known as Osaka’s Mother, the story feels much more realistic and bittersweet.

What I like:
1. The heroine – I always admire heroines who lived during the war era; they were incredibly tough. Chiyo is a strong, kind, and warm character who always sees the best in every person and situation she faces. In fact, her biggest weakness is that she’s too forgiving.
2. The characters – I love how every character feels alive, and each one’s presence in the story is well-balanced.
3. The setting – The scenes never feel empty, which is something I often notice in other period dramas. The cinematography and lighting make everything look even more beautiful.
4. Family and friendship – Chiyo is surrounded by good people who genuinely love her. I love the dynamics of the Okayasu family, Chiyo’s friendship with her maid friends, her work friends in Kyoto, the troupe members, and eventually, her new family from the radio drama!
5. Chiyo’s motherly role – Even though Chiyo couldn’t have biological children, she was surrounded by people who saw her as a mother figure. Kanji and Haruko, whom she adopted. Then there were Chiyo’s 12 children from her radio drama show, which is how she became known as Osaka’s Mother.
6. How Ochoyan ends – this is the turning point of Chiyo's life. My favorite part is because Chiyo's last job is as a radio drama actress! She has opened a new page, not tied to anyone, being the best version of herself and enjoying every part of her life.

What I don’t like:
1. The men in Chiyo’s life:
o Her father: Irresponsible, kicked her out of house, sold her, and the list of his bad deeds goes on.
o Ippei: The definition of all talk and no action. I thought Chiyo’s father was the one who hurt her the most, but it turns out it was Ippei. I would even say Ippei is the worst male lead of any asadora I’ve ever watched.
2. The redemption arc for those who hurt Chiyo:
o I can forgive Chiyo’s younger brother and stepmother.
o But for Ippei & her father? Sorry, I was really annoyed watching it, I felt cheated, their betrayal was too fatal for me.

Overall, I still like Ochoyan, but for me this is the kind of asadora that i will only watch once in my life, like Toto Nee-chan. the story is beautiful, but also so painful. Honestly, if I had read the reviews or comments before watching, I wouldn’t have dared to watch it because some of the tropes are just too painful for me. That said, I’m also grateful to have finished Ochoyan. It allowed me to meet Chiyo and other characters who made me realize how bitter life can be, there will always be someone who sincerely loves and cherishes you.

Watching tips:
1. For a happy experience: Episodes 1–65.
2. For a happy ending with some realism: Episodes 1–65, then skip to 101–115.
3. For the full bittersweet journey: Episodes 1–115.

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"The life we have now, that's all there is."

"Ochoyan" is the 27th asadora that I've completed. Before I was really even aware of asadora, I wanted to watch it because I'm a huge fan of Sugisaki Hana. As such, I was really happy when Hpriest announced that they were subbing it. [Thanks again to Hpriest to subbing this asadora in its entirety.] For this reason, I feel that I'm very biased towards this asadora in particular and I think I was just destined to love it. Haha.

Sugisaki Hana is really lovely in the lead role of Takei Chiyo, loosely based on the actress Naniwa Chieko. Her facial expressions tell a thousand words and she's able to communicate effectively through her body movements as well. I'd also like to praise Maida Nono for playing child Chiyo. Her delivery of "You're not abandoning me. I'm abandoning you!" has stuck with me particularly. I was happy that they brought her back to play Chiyo's niece. She's also good in "Tora ni Tsubasa". The entire cast deserves praise, including Tortoise Matsumoto, the dad everyone loves to hate lol. There's so many great performances here that I could be here all day. Just know that there's some great nuanced characters and many get their own fleshed-out stories. A special shout-out to Shigeyama Motohiko and Katsura Kichiya [narrator], whom I really loved in the underrated "Chiritotechin."

To address some elephants in the room, this asadora might not be for everyone due to the parental abuse and infidelity storylines. I, myself, didn't really mind these storylines as they appear to be taken from Naniwa's life itself. I also thought it was kind of bold for NHK to portray terrible parents and infidelity in an asadora. Chiyo's father Teruo (played by Matsumoto) and stepmother Kuriko (Miyazawa Emma) are played to perfection and both are a great example about the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness is ultimately for yourself. Once Chiyo is able to let go of the things these two people had done to her, she is able to really live her life. It is also important to understand people and meet them where they are [but don't let yourself get walked all over].

As for the infidelity, I might've preferred the storyline be left out but it was ultimately important to include it to continue the asadora's message. The storyline probably elicited the most emotion out of the entire drama. I felt angry and devastated, and cried the most during those five episodes than any other asadora. After the storyline, I wish that the drama had just dropped Ippei (Narita Ryo), though I acknowledge that they needed him for the conclusion. I just found his face annoying after that [lol].

"Ochoyan" shows many forms of entertainment from before and after WWII, including silent films, kigeki stage acting, and radio dramas. If the drama had been able to go on longer, it could've shown Naniwa's film career in the 50s and 60s which would've been interesting. It's too bad that the asadora was cut short by COVID-19. Anyway, in conclusion, I really loved "Ochoyan" and its themes of forgiveness, found family, and moving forward. I highly recommend this asadora.

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