Kazoku (Family)

Long before I started watching Anime, i used to watch Doramas alot. My very first Dorama was Oshin. Dubbed in BM that time, that was the best thing i could get from the local channels. I think in the year 2001, TV3 decided to show Long Vacation and I started rewatching again! Wow... That got me hooked on Takuya Kimura and the likes of Yutaka Takenouchi.

Since then, i never stopped watching doramas. Am particularly picky on what i watch on Dorama and i only watch specific actors and actresses. Yutaka happens to be one that i watched most of his shows. He started out with more romantic doramas like With Love and growing up doramas like Beach boys. But he has slowly become quite an accomplished actor with good shows like Rondo, Ruri no Shima and my current favourite Kazoku.

He stars as a 35 year old family man with a wife and small child ( son ) who spends most of his time at work. His wife, ever so patient, struggles to keep some sense of family life with a husband that is seemingly more obessed with his work than his family. The final straw is broken when Yutaka's character Ryohei decides to take the family overseas without consulting his wife on how she feels. Satomi ( the wife) decides to leave Ryohei, moves out of the house with Yuto. Yuto however decides he loves his dad more and decides to stay with him. Ryohei has to learn how to care for a 5 year old from scratch. From bathing, cleaning and to cooking his lunch boxes for him.

During that time, he meets a widower Saeki-san ( Shin-chan) who used to work in his previous company ( and whom he also retrenched ). He works in the same kindy as Yuto goes to school to and teaches Ryohei about not missing out on his child growing up. Ryohei, having to learn how to care for his son soon realizes that his wife did not have it easy taking care of the child.

It's quite a good dorama compared to what i have seen over the year. Basically, it is a story common in every country. Husband out working all the time, wife left alone at home with the kid feeling a little bit unappreciated. Basic moral of the story is - keep your family close. Dont miss out on oppurtunities with your family otherwise you never know when it is gone.
Yutaka and Watari Tetsuya ( Saeki-san) pull in good performances here. In the first few episodes, i really didnt symphatize with Ryohei's character- I actually thought he was a bit of a MCP. But his character grows on you. You see him struggling to bring up a kid and especially when the took menial jobs to earn money for his boy. I never really mentioned about Ryohei's wife. She's the lady who acted in Pride as Haru's coach's wife. Initially, I was ok with her, some where in the middle, she really didnt get to me when she only could care for herself and not for a little boy. But then, it is understandable as she had to put up with years of Ryohei making decisions only by himself and ignoring her and Yuto completely at times.
Funny Moments- Octopus sausages :) Sad moments - Yuto trying to understand what happens to his parents. Recommended to watch: Yes- and tissue is required :)

P/S: The pictures/charts are taken from TV Asahi website. Thank you very much.