Okaeri Mone (2021)

Welcome Home, Mone!

This drama is the 104th NHK Asadora series in the network’s long line of serialised dramas that air a 15-minute episode every weekday morning. It is my second ever Asadora, following Oshin back in the 1990s.

Okaeri Mone translates as welcome home Mone, which refers to the titular character of Nagaura Momone. The premise focuses on Mone’s journey of growth, healing and love where she struggles to overcome the burden of a traumatic past before eventually determining her path in life and finally realising her aspirations of being a weather forecaster. Set in 2014 and spanning some seven years up to the present day, Mone’s story begins from her hometown of Kesennuma Bay in Miyagi Prefecture as she travels to the coastal city of Tome and subsequently Tokyo, before completing a full circle by returning to her home.

Based on the original screenplay written by Adachi Naoko (Code Blue 3) and directed by Masae Ichiki (Yae no Sakura, Idaten) and Tomohiro Kuwano (Amachan, Idaten). Takagi Masakatsu (Mirai, Wolf Children) serves as composer while the theme song Nanairo is performed by the popular alt-rock band, BUMP OF CHICKEN. Principal photography took place in Kesennuma Bay, Tome City, Sendai and Tokyo.

As far as the production quality and technical execution are concerned, I have absolutely no complaints. The exotic filming locales comprising the rustic fishing village, expansive mountainous forest reserves, gorgeous coastline are utterly breathtaking to witness, which is credit to the wonderful cinematography. I love the upbeat and inspiring theme song, Nanairo, that accompanies the title sequence during every episode.

The same goes for the quality of the screenplay which manages to convey the weekly story arcs of the main plot in a cohesive and coherent manner. There are many themes explored, as is typical in a long running Asadora. There is no shortage of the rainbows and sunshine involving heartwarming moments of family bonding and camaraderie among friends. We also see the infusion of bittersweet moments relating to tragedy, loss and trauma arising mainly from the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami which sadly impacted Kesennuma Bay, the setting of the drama. Perhaps the only reservation I have is on the subplot concerning the sibling relationship and the interactions between the childhood friends where some tension and angst are present, which I felt was somewhat needlessly stretched.

The character design of the main as well as supporting characters is generally well developed to imbue them with the necessary depth and realism that allows an attachment as well as connection to be formed with viewers. This certainly was the case for me and none more so than the eponymous main character of Mone, along with her parents, grandfather, the doctor friend and her colleagues at the Weather Experts in particular.

It’s worth mentioning the inclusion of technical aspects pertaining to weather forecasting and analysis of meteorological data which plays a major part of the premise of the drama. In addition to that, the aquaculture practices in the form of oyster cultivation and farming is featured in detail due to the involvement of Mone’s family in oyster harvesting and supply. I appreciate the fact that the technicalities of these real-life activities are showcased in a straightforward and uncomplicated fashion which integrate seamlessly into the storytelling.

In terms of the cast, major kudos go to Kiyohara Kaya. This is my first time seeing her and what an absorbing performance she has delivered. Such incredible talent to breathe life into the character of Mone. Throughout the entire 120 episodes, I was simply immersed in her portrayal and rooting for her during the many pivotal moments of her journey. From her depiction of insecurity, uncertainty and vulnerability right through to her maturity as a person and a professional in projecting the self-confidence of a seasoned meteorologist and weather forecaster. I'll be keeping a close eye on her projects from now on.

Sakaguchi Kentaro’s awkwardly charming Suganami Koutaro is quite fascinating. Initially displaying tsundere-like traits, he gradually evolves into a more endearing personality which subtly complements Mone’s down-to-earth personality as part of their blossoming relationship. Mone's parents are portrayed by the experienced Uchino Seiyou and Suzuki Kyoka. They have a rather amusing story arc in an extensive flashback sequence while their numerous memorable scenes together are quite wholesome to observe. Nishijima Hidetoshi's calm demeanour fits the charisma of his weatherman Asaoka Satoru. Likewise I really enjoyed Takaoka Saki's interpretation of the sophisticated Takamura Satoko. Asano Tadanobu needs no introduction and his depiction of Oikawa Shinji is probably the most emotional among the supporting cast.

From my perspective, Okaeri Mone has been an utter joy to watch and an extremely worthwhile experience. From the cultural facets to the intricacies of weather forecasting as well as the beautiful landscapes of Miyagi Prefecture, there is much to savour in this very well-made production indeed.

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Heart Warming Drama with the Theme of Nature

The story that presented in this drama is quite light, because it's about Mone's past, which in 2011 his family experienced the tsunami disaster in Japan at that time. Then theme of nature is followed by the development of a Nagaura Momone (MC) who is looking to be herself and finally decides to become a weather forecaster. The audience can enjoy the storyline in this drama and enjoy this drama while drinking tea and eating biscuits, because this drama doesn't have to think hard and because the genre is slice of life, when scenes take place in Tome, Kesennuma, and Tokyo are shown, the audience can feel transported directly to these locations and enjoy their natural beauty of japan nature.

The setting of the place taken from this drama is also good because it connects the nature of the mountains (City of Tome) and the sea (Island of Kesennuma), and the selection of Kesennuma city as the setting is very good considering that Kesennuma city is a small island on the northeast side of the island of Japan which only had a connecting bridge with the mainland in 2017 (though Kesennuma Island and mainland are very close, crossing by ferry)

The cast in this drama is also very good with Kaya Kiyohara (Nagaura Momone), Makita Aju (Nagaura Michi), Imada Mio (Jino Mariana Riko), etc. Because I think the cast in this drama can play characters that match their own personalities. In this drama also the character development is presented very well, how Mone and his friends started as a junior high school student then entered the maturity phase and in the end became an adult who has experience and mature thoughts, all packaged very well. Viewers can feel the character development in this drama like they are actually following them from 2011 to the present. The 120 episodes in this drama are packaged very well with the right pace (not too fast, but in some episodes sometimes it feels a bit slow). In this drama the depiction of a Mone who is a country girl who then comes to a big city is described quite well.

I think the music used in this drama fits the slice of life drama genre in "Okaeri Mone", relaxing and fun songs and also the music accompany Nagaura Momone's character development as well. Bump of Chicken "Nanairo" is the right song to be the OST of this drama, with mixing of quite unique opening because there is an implied message that combines mountains and sea in the opening of this drama.

Verdict, Okaeri Mone is a slice of life and family drama that is very suitable to watch on Saturdays and Sundays or when coming home from work, because the plot presented in this drama is very interesting as well as light and easy to watch while relaxing and with the theme of nature, which is rather rarely used in slice of life dramas). A heartwarming drama with very interesting characters to follow the development from beginning to end.

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A Memorable Welcome with Asadora

I didn't know there was this type of drama before and surprised of how many the episodes are. After realizing how short the duration per episodes, I decided to pick up this series and I am really happy with my decision. Okaeri Mone is my best pick to get into Asadora world.

Like many other Asadora, Okaeri Mone followed the pattern of heroine's struggle at work started from childhood, teen, and adult. What I like the most from this series, the background character of Mone, her families, and her friends that lived through the big disaster of 3.11. There was no literal scene of the disaster, but I could imagine it as I watched a lot of documentaries and articles about Tohoku earthquake. But they really pictured really well the hard working moments, the overcoming traumas, and moving on of the victims.

Mone is a well written heroine that I have met so far. I relate so much to her emptiness, her failure, and getting back strength to move forward in a realistic way. Her times in Tome as forestry worker teach me how we as human, have to give back something to nature as they give a lot to us. The drama explain the nature well, how the sea, the sky, and the mountain linked to each other as one and we have to keep it in harmony. The learning doesn't stop there but still goes on until the end by every supporting characters in the drama. What I like the most beside that is the job of weather forecaster in Japan. I actually first watch this series for the romance, but Mone's urge to study and work as weather forecaster made me stay. By watching Okaeri Mone, I noticed Japan is 10 times ahead in disaster warning system than my country lol.

For the romance, I really love how the ML is written, how the character can push the heroine and how they respect each others time and space. Beside that, the supporting characters are also interesting and have depth. Every roles that went through the same event but had different overcome stories and how they supported each other. From episode 1 until 120, you can tell each characters development as if you grow with them.

I hope more people find Asadora and come to watch it, especially Okaeri Mone. There are many good dialogues to empower people in life and you learn a lot from it! The production team also did a really good job to shoot beautiful scene of nature's environment and you will get healed by those.

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My first, and maybe my last

This was my first ever asadora, and it was so outstandingly excellent that it might be my last.

I know that Okaeri Mone was different from preceding asadoras both in being much shorter and also in its style. The depth and insight of this Drama were literally astonishing, and it's hard to to feel tempted by Dramas with less of the attributes that made this one a treasure.

Most outstandingly, this was an INTELLIGENT Drama, that dug deep and triggered a reaction from viewers by the honesty and nuance of the dialogue. That was matched by the truly remarkable and moving performances of the actors. The relationship between Mone and her younger sister was so layered and intricate, and Kiyohara Kaya & Makita Aju did so very well bringing the words to life with their delivery. Ms Kiyohara in particular blew me away with her remarkable control of micro-expressions that added real credibility to her delivery, especially in the many emotional scenes - often scenes where silence spoke loudest.

Of course, when raving about the dialogue in a language I don't speak, I am acknowledging the CRITICAL importance of good subs, and the subs here were a real blessing. In 120 episodes, I counted fewer than 10 typos, which is a Herculean achievement for a Drama that aired 5 days a week. As much as I would love to watch Dramas like this "legally", as long as that is not possible, I will always try to say "thank you" in tangible ways to the awesome souls who give of themselves to share Dramas with others by subbing them. It's thanks to one person's hard work that I have enjoyed one of the most profoundly satisfying and emotionally moving experiences in more than eight years of watching East Asian Dramas

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Weather, Physics, Nature, Friendship & Family

My first Asadora ever and I really liked to watch it. The 120 episodes went by actually very fast !

I liked especially how they went to detail with a holistic approach to cover the basics that "form" our weather and of course especially the regional aspects in Japan with the typhoons. That was very well incorporated within the struggle of the FL how to overcome the shadows of the past that actually were caused by extreme weather since even her birth and continue to have a major influence, on e.g. the fishing business. Also the weather forecaster office in Tokyo, the TV station and how they tried to make new business I thought was totally realistic, simply Japanese detailedness at it's best, also regarding the tree/forest business at the comminuty back near home at her first work place, all places filled with heartwarming likeable people.

Then of course there was so much ongoing while she was working in Tokyo, becoming a weather forecaster finally showing of her personal strengths finally while still not losing the connection to her home town. All the other family and island members were also covered nicely, though the only cast member I didn't like was Nagase Ren, didn't fit in my opinion. All people got struggles due to the historic events and everybody tried to help out making a better life. That lets you reflect on your own how to grow as a person, not to be to hard to yourself and how difficult it is to find your own path, keep or lose focus and allowing try & error also.

My only complaint was about the romance of the FL and ML. They seem to have such long times not seeing each other and I think the travel distance wasn't that far to meet on some weekends or so. Then I felt a lack of physical affection and as a couple I'd think you'd just would long for spending more time together somehow...talking once in a while on the phone isn't just enough. That's just my perspective and if they are okay with that, it's of course all fine by me, no offense and not me to judge...it just felt like it's lacking a bit while the subtle romance was nicely displayed. So I hope in the future they find a way to have a family and a better work&life balance :-)

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Episode 97 - 04:35

It's curious that the ending of my first asadora, Amachan, and the beginning of the second one, Okaeri Mone, align with an event that the first doesn't explore deeply enough, but which serves as the entry point for the protagonist in the second. I’m talking about the tsunami of 2011, one of the biggest natural disasters in recent Japanese history. Tireless Aki Amano (Non) passes the baton to the calmest Momone Nagaura (Kaya Kiyohara).

The tsunami marks the beginning of Okaeri Mone, as Mone leaves her home on Kesennuma Island, in Miyagi Prefecture (where Amachan also takes place), which was the epicentre of the tsunami. Mone moves to the mountains of Tome, where an old friend of her grandfather takes her under her wing and introduces her to the wood industry. From the very beginning, the series shows us how nature can be both lively and ferocious. In her new home, Mone meets Asaoka-san, a famous television forecaster who will change her life.

In the humble opinion of someone who has seen two asadoras, Okaeri Mone is one of the best NHK productions in this short TV series format. The journey of Mone, from her breakdown to her comeback to the island, is wonderfully well-written and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, leaving nothing unsaid. The series maintains a distance from the upbeat clichés of this kind of stories and shows that even good people face difficult times.

Through deep dialogues and complex characters, Okaeri Mone unfolds the love and respect that Japanese people have for nature, as well as their resilience and the legacy that the elders pass on to the new generations. It also touches on themes such as loss, guilt, and the search for identity and purpose.

When a series excels in every aspect, only its virtues shine through. Okaeri Mone is undoubtedly an exceptional story.

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"I'm back."

"Okaeri Mone" is the thirteenth asadora I've watched. I had this one downloaded on my computer for a while, but I wanted to watch some older ones before watching the [currently] latest completely subbed asadora. An interesting note: "Okaeri Mone" is 120 episodes which, yeah is long, but feels short since asadoras used to be 150-156 episodes. I feel like this asadora would've benefited from being maybe two weeks longer (10 episodes). I have some issues with the pacing and making it slightly longer might've helped.

Let's start with the things I liked. 1) Mone (played by Kiyohara Kaya) is a great heroine. I love her. She's breaks the typical mold of an asadora heroine since she has more of a moody air to her. Her character development is slow, but ultimately very satisfying. 2) The way 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was shown through flashbacks was a brilliant move on the writer's part. It doesn't dwell on the horror of the event, but instead focuses on the way everyone was affected afterwards. 3) Mone's love interest Suganami Sensei (Sakaguchi Kentaro) was *chef's kiss.* They are very much a slow burn romance. I love how they are not depended on each other and are even just content to support each other from afar. Mone says to him "To us, distance and time doesn't matter." Awwww. 4) The supporting cast as per usual with asadora was great. My personal favorite being Imada Mio as Riko-chan.

Now on to my very few problems with this asadora. I really (regrettably) disliked Mone's sister Michi (Makita Aju). It's not the actress's fault. The blame lies squarely with the writing. She acts out in very small ways, but honestly I thought she was just being a brat lol. The reasoning behind her character is not revealed to the very last week of episodes. And really, the third act is the weakest and is completely dominated by Michi's character. I would've preferred the reveal be more towards the middle of asadora. That way, I could've been more invested in Michi and her romance with Ryo (Nagase Ren). But because I already disliked her, I couldn't give a care for the couple. Besides Michi, the third act is also unsuccessful with Mone. She never does quite find her new place in her hometown as a weather forecaster and it's kind of just shrugged off.

Despite the lackluster pacing of the third act, I would still recommend "Okaeri Mone." The first two acts in Tome and Tokyo are amazing. I loved learning about forestry and weather forecasting. The earthquake storyline is handled with care and grace. The finale is satisfying as Mone realizes that she has "come back" as a stronger person. Her friends then say "Welcome back, Mone" (Okaeri Mone) and she answers "I'm back.' Cue tears. Honestly, this whole asadora is bit a tear-jerker lol. "Okaeri Mone" was well worth watching even if it's not my favorite asadora.

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