Hitorigurashi (1996)

Riveting Drama....Until the End

There's no denying the 90s were a golden period of Japanese Dramas. Many of the often depict 'coming of age' themes or maturation of individuals after going through life-changing events. For episodes 1-8, this drama was really great. The way Miho slowly crawls out of her "shell" and starts to see the real world on her own is fascinating to watch. I really like how they make Miho "mature" throughout the episodes, but not too much. Miho just recently moved out of her parent's home, so I like that the drama didn't take the liberty of making her change too much too fast. You know that by the time the drama is over, she still has a lot to learn.

However, episodes 9 and 10 are where everything falls apart for me. Let's talk about the elephant in the room...Kyoko. Kyoko is honestly one of the most disturbing characters I've witnessed in my history of watching J-Dramas (and trust me, I've seen many). Kyoko is Miho's best friend, and boy does she have a troubled life. Kyoko is married and is currently having an affair with another man, and she was supposed to have a kid, but got an abortion. Kyoko has an inability to maintain relationships with the people she has affairs with, and it may be for a good reason. As the episodes unfold, it's clear that Kyoko is bisexual, possibly even lesbian. This may hint why she has an inability to maintain relationships with her affairs, because she may have sexual feelings for....Miho?

Kyoko comes off as immensely needy, reckless, uncaring, selfish, and psychopathic. Kyoko has no problem causing pain and suffering to others if it means attaining her goals. If I had a friend like Kyoko who did things to me like what she did, I would immediately cut them off from my life, even if it meant I was completely alone. Some have speculated that Miho also has 'sexual feelings' for Kyoko as well, but as a bisexual man myself, if I had a man who had treated me the way Kyoko treats Miho, I would immediately cut off the relationship. It gets REALLY creepy at the end.

Despite this, however, Miho acts like nothing happened (I mean, she does show anger towards Kyoko, but by episode 10, I have no idea what Miho is doing/wants anymore). The ending was alright for what it was, but it was jarring how the quality of the drama dropped in just 2 episodes. Clearly, someone was either rushed to finish the script, or someone had a major blunder.

I would have given this drama 8.5 / 10 stars if it wasn't for the last 2 episodes, since the acting is wonderful, the music is really comforting, and the overall story arch is something I can personally relate with (I know the 'loneliness' I felt when I moved out for the first time on my own). Also, I felt Shintani was a bit of a throwaway character; for some odd reason, I didn't really care for him too much.

Overall, too many liberties are taken for the ending, very much to a comical degree, dropping my rating to a 7.0/10. Very good drama, but not 'great'.

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You should watch Hitorigurashi alone in your house

This show is executed really well; directing, editing, etc. The cinematography in particular is artful and skillful. Shots feel composed and designed to complement whatever is taking place in the story.

The scenarios are realistic enough, and the acting is nicely restrained. The main actress Tokiwa Takako is super believable throughout; makes it easy to immerse in the story.

The music feels of the time the show was made; a lot of moody soprano sax - almost Kenny-G-esque. I thought it suited the show nicely, but it's a style of music that might annoy some people.

I was really satisfied by the ending - open-ended, but suspenseful. The last shot/credits roll was very cool.

Also, the running fridge ambience... the way it's used throughout the show feels intentional, but I didn't pick up on the meaning.

Overall, the show strikes a nice balance between melodrama and reality.
A sophisticated and tasteful show! Easily the best J-Drama I've seen so far (out of the 20 or so I've seen at the time of writing this) :)

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