Tonbi (2013)

This is my first review so I will keep it simple. Tonbi is an incredible and heartwarming family drama which focused on the growing relationship between father and son. I loved how it represented the importance of family and how life's events and circumstances can weaken or strengthen family bonds. Yasu who was the father is such an entertaining character to watch. Never have I come across a character who made me laugh and cry at the same time. He is what I can only describe at best a Tsundere. His behaviour was unpredictable and often irrational. It is a wonder how he managed to have such a lovely and beautiful wife. There were moments in the show where I wanted to shake him so that he could come to his senses. His stubborness was frustrating to watch but at the same time you can't help but find him endearing and loveable as he learns the value of being a parent. Despite him being a real Baka no-one can deny his complete love and devotion to his son Akira. The acting by all the cast was fantastic and the instrumentals and OSTs which accompanied the series was beautiful. It was also wonderful to watch Akira grow and learn and to be a man in his own right. Relationships are never easy to manage and this also applies to parent and child relationships, they also need love and respect and the willingness to compromise and work through differences. No-one is perfect and this drama showed clearly the struggles of being a parent and that it is a continuous learning experience which in return becomes rewarding.



Overall this drama was a complete joy to watch and also very satisfying. It gave me an incredible and emotional experience and I can highly recommend this drama. It is worth investing 10 hours of your time to watch this lovely and heartwarming family story which totally captured my heart.

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I decided to watch this purely for Sato Takeru, I had little interest in the actually story but I was pleasantly surprised at how brilliant this series was!

For me the story was nothing special, a single parent raising his child with the help of his friends. It's not a plot that stands out to me but boy how wrong I was! The story was emotional, sweet and touching for beginning to end as we see the characters grow and learn through the course of their life. I loved the setting and the time period of the plot as it wasn't something I had expected - covering the childhood and adulthood of Akira. It gives the chance to bond with the character as you watch him grow into an adult and in turn grow to love them. For me, the story was executed flawlessly, there weren't any plot holes and any questions were answered. It's a slow paced and a slice of life kinda drama but there is never a dull moment.

As mentioned I watched this for Sato Takeru he was brilliant throughout the whole series. He played his role perfectly as such a complex character, who had experienced many downs in his life, in such a simplistic and innocent manner can be down to the actor. The child actors that played Akira were also brilliant as it can be difficult to carry the same character through various people, but these actors made it feel like they were all the same person.

But as the story develop my focus turned to Uchino Masaaki. He was wonderful playing the "dumb" dad he portrayed his character beautifully and realistically I've never seen any of his dramas but he was incredibly in this! He made me cry, laugh, cry, laugh, crying and laughing at the same time! His acting draws you into the story and despite my bias towards Takeru, Masaaki brought this story to life. A round of applaus to the supporting cast as well because without them the series would lose it's spark. The support from his friends are enviable when watching it you think "wow, I want friends like him." The whole casting had great chemistry and bonding there isn't much more I can compliment on cause it was simply brilliant.

The music is very simple and nothing memorable but does well in emphasising the emotions of the characters.

I will definitely be rewatching this series again because it's just beautifully made and well executed. For me it's a absolute gem! The story and acting ticked all the boxes for me parenthood, friendship, loss and growth through a genuine and realistic story. The bonding between friends, father and son was exceptionally beautiful. There was never a dull moment and before you know it you've already finished it and wanting more. The story was simple and geunine along with great characters and acting this is really a must watch! It makes you appreciate the things in life you take for granted.

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"Tobi (tonbi) ga taka wo umu," translates literally as "a kite begetting a hawk." This Japanese expression is where the drama title originates, and such imagery is deeply ingrained in the story. But what do these words refer to ultimately? In simpler terms, "even common parents can give birth to an amazing child." This exactly what Tonbi approaches with the Sato Takeru character, but it is as much the story of the "kite," as the hawk. And if we apply the expression once more, even a simple story may give rise to a fine drama. Here, it does.

Viewers fresh from home or even on the cusp of building their own families may relate most to the tale dictated by Tonbi. The same might be said for those who, already having experienced much of life, are adjusting to empty nests. This drama builds an effectively nostalgic hometown backdrop, complete with unique landmarks and quirky, over-exaggerated denizens. With such a setting, themes and happenings are explored which remain universal despite whichever specific focus is placed on them. The result is a warm, emotional ride which is rather easy to connect with.

Several aspects struck me as slightly uneven nonetheless. The plot relies on various coincidences and, while I can allow for the fact that life sometimes hands out beautiful symmetry, there are too many to shrug. Many point out that Japan stumbles often with romantic love. As expected, few romantic relationships in Tonbi (including one which later becomes a major plot point) felt honestly loving. Because the true focus centers on bonds between parent and child, this is relatively forgivable. Lastly, much of the story is told by son Akira, either through flashbacks or as stories told to others. For the most part this works just fine, but these sequences frequently show characters from their own perspective. While it would be nice to have that level of insight in real life, this staggers somewhat strange. Even for a community of people as open as these, we rarely know everything others experience alone (especially our parents).

Near the start of Tonbi, I spent a reasonable amount of time deciding whether Uchino Masaaki was performing well. His Yasuo is larger than life, initially more like a dumb but lovable hound unable to control itself when excited than an actual person. Yet when all parts of his portrayal are placed together, brilliance flows forth. My favorite bits were his emotional revelations, becoming acquainted with the vulnerability and loneliness of the character. Sato Takeru improves every time I encounter him. His scenes often feel quite natural lately. While his Akira does not induce the same level of interest as Yasuo, the chemistry with Uchino-san makes this drama. A true degree of familial love seems to pass between them, whether they are sharing warm moments or standing in conflict.

Instrumental pieces in Tonbi are light and subtle. There are various gentle themes which play at pivotal moments, particularly those when a character is reminiscing or about to experience change. Overall suitable, the tender and unobtrusive way they are presented is simply wonderful. Fukuyama Masaharu provides the gorgeous theme ("Tanjobi ni wa Mashiro na Yuri wo"), with a voice that croons nostalgia with every syllable. Whenever it played during the final moments of an episode, my heart swelled.

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The title should've been "My annoying father"

Where to start? This drama made me feel irritated in a level I didn't know existed. The main character is (unfortunatelly) the father. We're talking about a man who's raising his kid alone after his wife's passing. This character is supposed to potray a stupid yet caring father who raises his son well, despite the difficulties in life. It was supposed to be like this but it wasn't except for the stupidity that was always there. A selfish father, consistenly causing problems to his kind hearted son, never epressing his love, always putting his stupidity above all else. Not to mention the overacting. Let's just not go there.
In other words: No, I wouldn't suggest this drama to anyone. No matter how much of it was saved by Takeru Sato, it's still not enough to make it more than tolerable.

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''The story of a father who was called ''kite'', and a son who was called ''hawk''.

It's hard for me to review this drama, because the feelings I have for it are very personal. That's why I will keep the review very short. It's insane how close ''Tonbi'' felt to me and how attached I am to it now. I've never ever believed that a drama will make me feel this way, but well, it happened. ''Tonbi'' doesn't sound like the most exciting drama and I admit that I started watching it mainly because of Sato Takeru. I had no expectations whatsoever but unexpectedly, I fell in love with it in the first episode. Now, letting it go feels like saying goodbye to something very precious to me.

''Tonbi'' is a heart-warming story about the relationship of a father and his son and it represents the importance of family. Every dialogue in the drama is written so well, every word has its meaning and depth. There are no useless scenes, no pointless drama, everything in this show is so well-thought and I want to thank the writer for that. I love how the story never got too dramatic and depressing, it remained beautiful and touching till the very end. The atmosphere was very realistic as well as the story itself. Of course, there was some exaggeration and some unbelievable things here and there, but they just helped the drama to be even more impactful.

The characters, despite being flawed, are wonderful. Their flaws are what makes the drama so natural and realistic. Ichikawa Yasuo was perhaps the most flawed, but also the most intriguing character I've ever come across. He wasn't the perfect father -- but to be frank, I don't think a thing like ''perfect parent'' exists. He was great father to his son, he raised him well and even though they faced a lot of obstacles, the connection between them remained very strong.

The acting was brilliant. Uchino Seiyou's acting was absolutely wonderful and it was obvious that he acted with his heart and did his best. Very emotional and passionate performance. Sato Takeru was amazing as Ichikawa Akira - he acted very naturally and there were times I even forgot that he was acting.

Overall, I recommend ''Tonbi'' to everybody. However, I can't promise that everyone would enjoy this as much as I did because, as I said, my feelings for it are very personal. It's an excellent drama, with breathtaking cinematography, brilliant acting, incredible characters and very important messages. Even though the story might look simple, trust me, it has more depth than a lot of dramas. So yeah, I hope more people will it a try, but don't forget to bring some tissues.

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Ta aí esse foi o melhor Jdrama que tive a oportunidade de assistir.

Confesso que no geral não sou lá uma grande fã de dramas Japoneses por achá-los caricatos e um pouco exagerados . Mas estava passando por uma longa ressaca doramática, comecei vários Kdramas e nenhum deles conseguia me agradar. Por isso, resolvi pausar tudo que estava vendo no momento e fugir para o lado Japonês da força.

E foi exatamente assim que encontrei esse Jdrama. Mesmo que os pôsteres não fossem muito chamativos, a sinopse parecia muito interessante o que me fez querer dar o play no mesmo instante...

Comecei esse Jdrama preparada para os exageros e suspeitando que não sentiria ligação com os personagens em geral. No entanto, fui surpreendida com uma história verdadeiramente bonita.

Embora o protagonista seja um homem teimoso e muito cabeça dura é realmente tocante ver como se desdobrava em mil para criar seu filho sozinho logo depois que sua esposa falece em um trágico acidente. E, embora a solução mais fácil para os seus problemas fosse encontrar uma nova esposa para ajudá-lo nesse processo todo. ele acaba tomado a difícil decisão de percorrer o caminho mais longo dessa estrada.

Seu único auxilio ficava a cargo dos seus amigos da vizinhança. Ele era sim um homem inexperiente e inseguro quanto a melhor forma de educar a criança, mas sempre que precisava cada um de seus amigos estavam ali para lhe aconselhar.

Achei bem interessante, porque ao contrário do que se espera, nesse Jdrama a história é contada na perspectiva de seu filho, agora um homem formado que vive uma vida independente no centro da cidade. Existe uma sincronia muito boa entre os flashbacks e os momentos atuais.

Tonbi é um Jdrama familiar para chamar a família em um final de semana e assistir sem dificuldades, porque lembra bastante aqueles filmes antigos que mostravam os dilemas enfrentados por uma família ao longo dos anos. Várias mensagens importantes são passadas pelos personagens. E, quando você termina realmente sente que valeu a pena cada minuto assistido.

Nem preciso dizer que super recomendo esse Jdrama. Espero que coloque em sua lista de pretensões futuras e aprecie a experiência de assisti-lo tanto quanto essa dorameira que vos fala.

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The most heartwarming plot

The more and more I’ve been skipping dramas/movies synopses’ since they’re rarely able to pass the essence of the plot. Facts, still ok, but not all the meaningful things hidden in them.

This is specially true for dramas like Tonbi, that may look quite simple, the story of a father and son, nothing really spectacular, but Tonbi is the prove that dramas don’t need love triangles, serial killers or revenge plot to be entertaining.

Life itself is an emotional ride just like we see this father and son growing up and learning together, and with the great people around them that look much more like huge and warm family.

I laughed a lot, cried almost in every episode (when I’m rarely crying over dramas these days) and not for sadness but just because it was beautiful to watch. Like it’s said, I thought people would smile when they’re really happy, but I was wrong, they cry. That was exactly me watching this.

Enjoyed everything about it and highly recommend for everyone. A heartwarming plot, with a strong cast and great life lessons!

Btw, a special attention for little Akira who is just a super precious little creature impossible not to love. And a big thanks to Takeru since I’d probably have missed this gem if I hadn’t fall in love with him and been stalking all his projects. The man knows how to choose them!

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I don't know what to say about this drama, it was simply heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It just makes me feel so warm to see Akira surrounded by so many good people who support him 24/7, 365/12. Says a lot about living in the countryside, everyone DOES know each other well. It is extremely heartbreaking when heavy moments occur: little Akira being lonely, kid Akira questioning on what happened to his mother, and so much more.

Yasu's outbursts are sometimes childish, and I immediately associated the word tsundere with him. This was the first time I've seen a male tsundere in a live action drama so I was a bit surprised to say the least!

I really like how Akira's portrayed realistically, even when he's being rebellious against his own dad it's portrayed in a way that's realistic, not just the usual "teenage characters must give their parents attitude 24/7!" and that Akira has his own motives and issues that's causing him to act like that.

The side characters are so good that they feel like main characters than side characters, Yasu's "dad", Shoun, and Taeko. They contributed so much to the plot that they shouldn't be disregarded as side characters, as they helped Akira be the man he is in the present day. So much life lessons thrown out by them, helping Akira and Yasu improve themselves.

I'll be feeling empty for a while, never have I seen a drama where the side characters are so good like this!

Also, Ken-chan is just too cute! I wished they gave him more time in the plot, since an arc focusing on him was only done in the last episode unfortunately.

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