This review may contain spoilers
"Why were you born? How will you live your life?"
"Anpan" is my 38th asadora watched. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Irozukusubs for subbing this asadora. "Anpan" was a fun watch. The first two thirds of it is really solid, but I think it loses its charm/momentum in the third act. Let me explain... P.S. some major spoilers follow!
"Anpan" is inspired by the lives of "Anpanman" creator Yanase Takashi (played by Kitamura Takumi) and his wife Komatsu Nobu (Imada Mio). For this retelling, their last names are changed to Yanai and Asada in order for NHK to take liberties with the story. The one major example being that Takashi and Nobu are portrayed as childhood friends, when they actually met as adults in real life. It's a mix of fact and fiction.
The first two thirds of the drama focus more on Nobu and her development as a character. She's very engaging and interesting. Starting off the series as a tomboy and then becoming a hardcore militarist during the War. Asadoras rarely show heroines being on the "wrong side" of history, so I liked this element even if Nobu was somewhat frustrating during this part. Takashi, if we're being honest, isn't given that much character development. He starts as a pure-hearted softie and ends that way. However, for that reason, it's hard to watch him going through his adolescent struggles and then the War.
It's strange to call World War II the highlight of this asadora, when it's usually the part I get tired of the most in asadoras. It's when Nobu is at her most interesting and tragic watching her come to terms her complicity as a grade school teacher. Takashi also really shines in this part with several episodes being dedicated solely to him as he goes through army training and then he's shipped off to China. Those episodes showing him starving on the battlefield are incredibly poignant and heartbreaking.
Following the War, Nobu and Takashi are reunited at a newspaper office. She then departs for Tokyo to work with a politician as shes searching for a "justice that can't be overturned." Takashi eventually follows and the pair marry. This is where the asadora falls victim like most "couple asadoras." Less is focused on Nobu's career and she really just becomes his support system as Takashi takes the main stage. This reminded me a bit of "GeGeGe no Nyobo" but it's frustrating since Nobu was such a strong character beforehand. Additionally, because Takashi doesn't actually start "Anpanman" until 1973, it feels like there's a lot of meandering as we watch him struggle to become a manga artist. He also had such a varied career that the focus seems to go everywhere to be honest.
Though the main characters are charming themselves, I had a lot of favorites among the supporting cast. I particularly loved Nanako Matsushima as Tomiko, Takashi's mother who abandons him. She plays the complicated woman so well, making her equally likable and unlikable. A special shout-out to Ninomiya Kazunari for playing Takashi's father for two poignant scenes. Kawai Yuumi is also amazing as Ranko, Nobu's middle sister. She's so good that I hope she gets her own asadora eventually. Hare Nanoka is adorable as the youngest sister Meiko, though the character becomes less interesting in the third act. As there are two many characters to talk about, I mention just a couple more. I also particularly loved Takashi's uncle (Takenouchi Yutaka), the absolute best; Takashi's friend and Army superior Yagi (Tsumabuki Satoshi); and lastly the newspaperman Shoji (TsudaKenjiro). There's lots more.
Rare for an asadora, the heroine is actually married twice which is actually true to life. Nobu marries Wakamatsu Jiro (Nakajima Ayumu) through an arranged marriage. Jiro is quite sweet, and though I wasn't a fan of the age gap, I felt quite sad when he passed away. Surprisingly, I wasn't that annoyed that Nobu and Takashi didn't get together until the last third of the asadora. I felt natural and their cuteness as a couple was worth the wait. I liked the other couples of the asadora, Ranko and Go (Hosoda Kanata), Ranko and Yagi, and Meiko and Kentaro (Takashashi Fumiya).
As a tribute to "Anpanman," it's a tad disappointing that it isn't focused on until the last five weeks or so of the asadora. I suppose it can't be helped, considering the real life circumstances. However, it significantly contributes to the unevenness of the last third of the asadora. At some point, you're just waiting for "Anpanman" to happen and it feels like a long wait. Despite this, "Anpan" is a good asadora with lots to love and enjoy. I waffled a bit between rating it 8.5 or 9, and settled on 9 because the first two thirds are really good. It won't go down as the best asadora, but I'm sure it'll bring many smiles and tears to those who watched it. I'm glad I watched it.
My Asadora Ranking: https://kisskh.at/list/LAlqpp21
"Anpan" is inspired by the lives of "Anpanman" creator Yanase Takashi (played by Kitamura Takumi) and his wife Komatsu Nobu (Imada Mio). For this retelling, their last names are changed to Yanai and Asada in order for NHK to take liberties with the story. The one major example being that Takashi and Nobu are portrayed as childhood friends, when they actually met as adults in real life. It's a mix of fact and fiction.
The first two thirds of the drama focus more on Nobu and her development as a character. She's very engaging and interesting. Starting off the series as a tomboy and then becoming a hardcore militarist during the War. Asadoras rarely show heroines being on the "wrong side" of history, so I liked this element even if Nobu was somewhat frustrating during this part. Takashi, if we're being honest, isn't given that much character development. He starts as a pure-hearted softie and ends that way. However, for that reason, it's hard to watch him going through his adolescent struggles and then the War.
It's strange to call World War II the highlight of this asadora, when it's usually the part I get tired of the most in asadoras. It's when Nobu is at her most interesting and tragic watching her come to terms her complicity as a grade school teacher. Takashi also really shines in this part with several episodes being dedicated solely to him as he goes through army training and then he's shipped off to China. Those episodes showing him starving on the battlefield are incredibly poignant and heartbreaking.
Following the War, Nobu and Takashi are reunited at a newspaper office. She then departs for Tokyo to work with a politician as shes searching for a "justice that can't be overturned." Takashi eventually follows and the pair marry. This is where the asadora falls victim like most "couple asadoras." Less is focused on Nobu's career and she really just becomes his support system as Takashi takes the main stage. This reminded me a bit of "GeGeGe no Nyobo" but it's frustrating since Nobu was such a strong character beforehand. Additionally, because Takashi doesn't actually start "Anpanman" until 1973, it feels like there's a lot of meandering as we watch him struggle to become a manga artist. He also had such a varied career that the focus seems to go everywhere to be honest.
Though the main characters are charming themselves, I had a lot of favorites among the supporting cast. I particularly loved Nanako Matsushima as Tomiko, Takashi's mother who abandons him. She plays the complicated woman so well, making her equally likable and unlikable. A special shout-out to Ninomiya Kazunari for playing Takashi's father for two poignant scenes. Kawai Yuumi is also amazing as Ranko, Nobu's middle sister. She's so good that I hope she gets her own asadora eventually. Hare Nanoka is adorable as the youngest sister Meiko, though the character becomes less interesting in the third act. As there are two many characters to talk about, I mention just a couple more. I also particularly loved Takashi's uncle (Takenouchi Yutaka), the absolute best; Takashi's friend and Army superior Yagi (Tsumabuki Satoshi); and lastly the newspaperman Shoji (TsudaKenjiro). There's lots more.
Rare for an asadora, the heroine is actually married twice which is actually true to life. Nobu marries Wakamatsu Jiro (Nakajima Ayumu) through an arranged marriage. Jiro is quite sweet, and though I wasn't a fan of the age gap, I felt quite sad when he passed away. Surprisingly, I wasn't that annoyed that Nobu and Takashi didn't get together until the last third of the asadora. I felt natural and their cuteness as a couple was worth the wait. I liked the other couples of the asadora, Ranko and Go (Hosoda Kanata), Ranko and Yagi, and Meiko and Kentaro (Takashashi Fumiya).
As a tribute to "Anpanman," it's a tad disappointing that it isn't focused on until the last five weeks or so of the asadora. I suppose it can't be helped, considering the real life circumstances. However, it significantly contributes to the unevenness of the last third of the asadora. At some point, you're just waiting for "Anpanman" to happen and it feels like a long wait. Despite this, "Anpan" is a good asadora with lots to love and enjoy. I waffled a bit between rating it 8.5 or 9, and settled on 9 because the first two thirds are really good. It won't go down as the best asadora, but I'm sure it'll bring many smiles and tears to those who watched it. I'm glad I watched it.
My Asadora Ranking: https://kisskh.at/list/LAlqpp21
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